Minutes of Board Meeting
April 16, 2008
NSCC Northstar Dining Room

Directors Present:
Liz Kearns, Jerry Owens, Tom Meyer, and Kay Mesirow.

Board Representatives Present:
Board Representatives Present: Ken Thompson (North Precinct Representative).

Visitors: 
Bruce Kieser (North Seattle Community College), Ron Hornung, Sherry Carr (Seattle School Board Director), and Ed Pottharst (City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods).

Board member Jerry Owens called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Introductions were made around the tables. Liz Kearns explained that Debra Willendorf was attending an Aurora Avenue Task Force meeting tonight.

Minutes:
The March 19, 2008 minutes were approved as presented.

Next Month’s Meeting:
Ellen Beck announced that she would be unable to attend the upcoming April meeting. Liz said that she would take the minutes, and Jerry Owens agreed to chair the meeting.

Treasurer’s Report:
There was no Treasurer’s Report.

NEW BUSINESS:

Sherry Carr, Seattle School Board
Sherry Carr opened our meeting with a big “Thank You” to us for electing her to the Seattle School Board (“SSD”). She loves her job. Ms. Carr lives on Bagley, near Blanchet, and has a vested interest in our neighborhood.

She first spoke about the five year Strategic Plan that the School Board and the Superintendent feel is needed to identify key issues and timelines. Also audits are being done in numerous areas; the teacher audit showed that our teachers are stressed.

The demographic study as of March 2008 (we were given a handout) shows the historical enrollment, by cluster, and the projected enrollment. Each cluster is expecting an increase in enrollment. Ms. Carr discussed how some schools have lower enrollment then others, the costs to improve these lower enrollment schools, and some ideas for programs that would attract students. Everything costs money and the SSD has a $485 Million backlog right now.

Next Ms. Carr directed our attention to Wilson Pacific. She had asked for a meeting about Wilson and seven school employees showed up (that’s a lot). The facts are:

The SSD sees Wilson as fully used today. There are students from Hamilton moving to Wilson next year and each building is being used.

Lincoln is going to be empty soon, which makes Lincoln the #1 candidate, in our area, for a student body.

There are several things that would need to happen before a student body would move into Wilson Pacific. Crime in the area would need to be studied. It would cost an estimated $10 Million to make Wilson physically ready for a student body. This includes updating the cafeteria and putting in hot water.

Once again, we told our School Board representative that Licton Springs would like a full student body at Wilson.

North Seattle Community College
Bruce Kieser reported that NSCC funding for their new building was not approved, but they are hopeful it will come in January-April 2008 legislative session. If so, work would begin November 2009. Occupancy in 2012 would include Health Science classrooms with special labs.

Work Source moves in May 1st.

The college has reached 99.6% of their targeted enrollment, after lowering their enrollment target.

Department of Neighborhoods
Ed Pottharst is the Department of Neighborhoods’ (“DON”) representative for the whole City to the group that is working on updating our Neighborhood Plans. We were given a handout of the proposed process.

The purpose of this update is to help manage growth. Overseeing this review for the City is the Department of Planning & Development. This is kind of like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

Urban Villages are to receive greater investment/attention from the City in exchange for accepting more growth. Some areas have received more growth than anticipated -- like Licton Springs.

Some of the Neighborhood Plans (“NP”) are more detailed/specific then others; some are easier to implement; neighborhoods have changed since NP’s were adopted and priorities may have changed also.

There is a proposal to ask the City for $100,000.00 for leadership training; that training would be directed at people from the communities.

Sally Clark is the chair of the Seattle City Council committee overseeing this issue.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 21, 2008.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Liz Kearns for

Ellen M. Beck, Secretary