Benteen Park

November 2006 Minutes

2006-11-20T01:53:00.000-11:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM.

The customary meeting agenda was bypassed due to special guests and open discussion.

The floor was passed to Carla Smith, Atlanta City Council District 1, for introductions.
Those introduced are as follows:
Cesar Mitchell, Councilman at large.
Ashton Durant, Supervisor, Bureau of Code Compliance
Stan Tucker, Code Compliance Officer of the NPU-W area

Statement: There is frustration due to the lack of follow up from Code Enforcement. Due to this lack of follow up, many problem properties that have been previously cited are still in violation. Also, how can the community support Code Enforcement?

Ashton Durant's Response: The problem of lax code enforcement is being addressed by adding more code enforcement officers, streamlining the flow of complaints, and updating equipment. Also, a staff person has been added who is dedicated to research only – her task being to track down absent homeowners.
Ashton Durant stated follow up visits are very important.
Stan Tucker stated Open or Vacant properties have priority.
Ashton Durant stated there has been some discussion of starting a data base for non-homesteaded properties.

Statement: Would dated pictures from a constituent emailed to our code enforcement officer expedite follow up or a citation?

Aston Durant's Response: The Code Enforcement Officer must see the property personally. (However, he seemed open to ideas.)

THE FLOOR WAS PASSED TO MAJOR PROPES

Concerns about delayed police response time were stated.
Major Propes stated there is a shortage of officers. She stated officers are assigned very large areas to cover and must prioritize calls. If an officer is one hour late, it may mean he did not get the call transferred to him from 911 until one hour later. Or, if the call is deemed low priority, it will be put at the bottom of the call distribution list.
Major Propes stated the budget has money to hire 100 officers every year. This budget is floating to maintain a certain number of officers. For example, eighty (80) officers were hired this year and seventy-eight (78) officers were lost this year.
At the end of last year the approximate budget surplus was 03.2 million. Carla Smith said the Mayor wanted to use the surplus as a salary raise for police. This decision was made after a study showed Atlanta police are paid approximately twelve (12) percent below the national average. Policepersons are being given raises in increments each year until their salary meets the national average. This is being done in effort to entice policepersons to stay with APD. The job is harder and the pay is lower than other areas. Atlanta is losing trained officers to other areas due to this and other reasons.

Major Propes stressed that that one officer has been assigned to a huge area which includes Benteen Park. Cesar Mitchell said he would look into splitting up the area and/or adding more policepersons.

Major Propes new email address is: Epropes@AtlantaGA.GOV

TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES

On October 13, 2006, the Benteen Park Neighborhood request for speed humps satisfied technical requirements for installation. Streets approved for installation are: Benteen Avenue, Benteen Way, Federal Terrace, and Funston Street. Prior to installation, 75% of homeowners' signatures for each street must be acquired showing they are in agreement to speed hump installation.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 PM.

October 2006 Minutes

2006-11-13T10:49:00.000-11:00

Welcome our new guest, Dennis Millan.

POLICE REPRESENTATION: OFFICER MITCHELL AND RUBY NAILER
Officer Mitchell addresses the noise violation statement in the letter to Carla Smith. He stated that if there is a crime, there must be a victim, and to give the violator a ticket, he must talk to person who makes complaints. This means that the neighbor must be willing to go to court with the violator. JP, Joe and Jeff all mention that they have requested to see police on previous problems, but that no police come to speak to people.
Officer Mitchell’s comment on handling the noise violations: “...on the first complaint, I will cite them, on the second one I will lock them up [if neighbor is willing to prosecute].” He also said that he will talk to beat officers about how to consistently handle complaints and contradictions.

There were complaints to Officer Mitchell about long police response time. He mentioned that some calls are pending, and an officer may hear about the call in 10 minutes, and can respond right away, but some calls may stay in a queue for 50 minutes or longer before the officers even hear about the call. Low priority calls go at the bottom of the queue.

In reference to the police presence, Officer Mitchell stated that “deterrent driving” is only deterring when the cars are actually are there. Sometimes police presents makes fights worse because fighters know they will not get killed by another fighter as long as police are there, so it causes the crowd to get larger. Kevin asked officers Mitchell if they have any unmarked cars; Officer Mitchell said they do.

Important arrests: Michael Dollar was arrested on Moreland with 41 counts of burglary against him.

About neighborhood prostitution: Jeff said he will write a letter to the home owner of the house on Federal Terrace about the prostitution in the home.

General questions to officers:
Julie Watson: Can you meet officer somewhere other than your home?
Officer Mitchell: Not good tact for officer to bring criminal to the victim or witness’ house. When you want to prosecute, it is smarter to bring several people to court. This will protect people from being singled out when/if the criminal hits the streets again, plus there strength in numbers. When several people complain about something it is heard and more than likely, more will be done to prevent the problem from recurring.
JP Michalik: Is the break-in trend still going?
Officer Mitchell: Nothing out of the normal.
Officer Nailer: At 1940 fisher road there was a car-jacking. There was also an abducted child. Right now, Honda Civics and Accords are hot targets for break-in, so if you drive this model of car, please be aware. Do not leave valuables in your car. Most home burglaries are during the day. The 900 block Custer had 3 break-ins by sliding glass doors in 8 days.
Jeff Erwin: What is the reason that there is so much crime? Is it that there are not enough police? Not enough jail space?
Officer Nailer: The problem is from a combination of things. Most of it is actually negligence on the home owner’s behalf; just “crimes of opportunity.” Fulton lets people out of prison with ease. Even repeat offenders, with 38 crimes under their belt. Part of the problem is no jail space. Fulton released 500 criminals to free up space in jails.
Officer Mitchell: Dekalb County is much harder on criminals, and people who know that they will be staying in prison for a couple of years are less likely to repeat a crime than those who are only in for a couple of days like they are in Fulton County.
Zuaquis Ross: Who to we address this issue with?
Officer Mitchell: Your local politicians.
Officer Nailer: Another good thing to do is to talk to people at SAND to have a larger voice when approaching the politicians.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: DEFERRED UNTIL NEXT MONTH (NONE PRESENT)
TREASURER: Adam mentions that it will be a long process to turn BPNA into a 501c4. We will also need a lawyer. Zuaquis mentions that there is a lawyer living in the neighborhood in East Village Park, and that her brother-in-law is also a lawyer.
Official Report: $520 in box. There will be a money order issued to the church in the amount of $50 for letting us use their space for meetings, and for the yard sale. It will go to support their programs for feeding the hungry.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Committees for those interested in joining: zoning/code enforcement, safety police, neighborhood improvement / special projects, transportation / beltline committee, community relations (chosewood / boulevard attendee/ federal prison). Adam suggests to have people sign up on the sign-in sheet (sign-in sheet not in possession of substitute secretary, cannot report results of committee sign-up).

COMMUNITY RELATIONS
JP went to meeting at Chosewood Park in September. At the meeting he observed that the crime reports seemed way more serious than those reported in Benteen. Developers for the Boulevard enhancement project (between the proposed Beltline tracks and Englewood) were there. Developer proposed a 45,000 sq. ft. market + 30k mixed use space with large mixed use public park area. At Chosewood’s October meeting, there is discussion about the happenings for the old GM plant. It was also reported that the Chevron on the corner of McDonough and Boulevard has a new lease.

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT: Proposition to postpone the Yard Sale scheduled for November until next spring. Voted and passed.

OLD BUSINESS: Jeff wrote email to Ms. Fordham in Public Works office about the installation of traffic calming devices. In that email he stated that it has been one year since the original request for assistance and questioned the reason it was taking so long.

NPU-W: Issues were addressed at NPU-W meeting in reference to the bulb-outs in Grant Park along Boulevard. It was suggested that effected hoods should be part of development process. Lauren Whittaker will question the study on the bulb-outs. Once there is record of opposition, there is more potential for assistance for the opposing neighborhoods. Multiple emails were sent to various people (unstated) regarding the opposition. Adam will send reminder email of NPU-W meeting, and the email address of the person to contact about opposition to bulb-outs. There was mention of the letter that Benteen Park’s committee (minus JP) wrote about the traffic calming devices in Grant Park. It was sent to
lwhitaker@atlantaga.gov

CHANGE MEETING DAY: Benteen would like to make a better outreach to Chosewood. Would like to change meeting date to make it more conducive to bring concerns to SAND.

Katie will approach print companies about sign pricing.

Jeff Proposes that the meeting be moved to first Tuesday of the month. Approved: 12/0
Adam will contact the church about moving the meeting. If church agrees, the first meeting of 2007 (Jan 2) will be the first meeting held on the new week night.

On Nov. 30. Benteen is hosting District one community leaders meeting. Reps from all leaders in this district will be present, and it will be held in the church. We will schedule a planning meeting prior to the community leaders meeting to ensure that all important issues are covered.

Katie will pass out flyers promoting the pre-meeting time / date, the announcement of the holiday party (which will be taking place in lieu of the December meeting) and the meeting day change. Suggestion was made to have the flyer translated into Spanish.

Neighborhood cleanup reminder.

Holiday Potluck Sign-up Sheet:
Todd & Jeff (something)
Joe & Victoria (something)
Adam (pasta)
Katie & JP (dessert & appetizer of some kind)
Donald & Julie (dessert & chicken wing dip)
Dennis Millan (something)
Kevin Gaston (main dish or dessert)
Zuaquis Ross (something)

September 2006 Minutes

2006-09-13T04:09:00.000-11:00

SEPTEMBER 11, 2006

The meeting was called to order at 7:20 PM.
In absence of our President and Vice President, Adam Brackman (Treasurer) conducted the meeting.
Note: Joe Glessner, President, is ill. J.P. Machalik, V. President, attended a Chosewood Park meeting as a representative from Benteen Park..

The floor was passed to Ruby Naylor, APD.

Ruby Naylor spoke with a resident of East Village Park who was recently burglarized and made her aware of the BPNA. Ms. Naylor networks in communities with information about neighborhood associations and other beneficial contacts.

Ruby Naylor stated Edna Stiggers, Fulton County Health Department, was to attend our meeting. Hopefully, Ms. Stiggers will come to a future meeting to discuss rodent and mosquito problems in our neighborhood.

ANNOUNCMENT: An information forum will be held September 19th (Tuesday) 7:00 PM at Latter Day Ministries Church, 1041 Moreland Drive, for NPU-W area residents. The catalyst for this meeting is the rise of criminal activity and code issues in McDonough-Guice.

Streets most affected by crime increase are: Wellswood Drive below Custer Avenue, Fisher Road, and the home presenting the most crime problems is 1940 Fisher Road (car theft, etc.), Ruby Naylor said.

Major Propes and Carla Smith will attend this meeting. Benteen Park residents are encouraged to attend, as well.

NEW BUSINESS
Turtles (orange cones) are blocking the right lane, Northbound on Boulevard. This was discussed at the last SAND meeting. Stated, Grant Park is arguing the right to the Northbound lane for residential parking. Homes on that side of Boulevard have no off street parking. Some concern was expressed about Chosewood Park, Benteen Park, and Boulevard Heights being adversely affected by this lane closure. Traffic being bottlenecked may cause backup into these neighborhoods as a result.

It was said that Carla Smith volunteered to meet with affected neighborhoods to report on the possible lane closure.

Our beat policeman, Office Mitchell came to the meeting but could not stay due to a heavy call volume.

**There was discussion about having another Garage Sale this fall. The exact date will be discussed and proposed during our October meeting.

**Christmas Holiday Party: Motion to have a holiday party during our December meeting. Motion passed.

** Motion was made to donate $50.00 to the Church of Atlanta Lighthouse meals program in gratitude for allowing us use of the fellowship hall for our meetings. Motion passed.

OLD BUSINESS
New Condo Complex site at the corner of Boulevard and Benteen Way: Shane Little will be contacted for a general update and a request to clean the property of debris.

Changing our meeting time to the 1st Monday of each month was discussed. One of the advantages is attending other neighborhood meetings that currently meet on the 2nd Monday of each month. Research will be done on this and reported at our next meeting, i.e. Meeting days of other neighborhood associations.

Motion was made to approve August 2006 the minutes. Motion to approve passed.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.

August 2006 Minutes

2006-08-20T07:24:00.000-11:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM

A welcome to new attending neighbors and introductions.
The approval of the July 2006 minutes was deferred to next month.

OLD BUSINESS
City of Atlanta Police are definitely making a better show of presence in our immediate neighborhood.
Prostitution has increased during the last two months. The most impacted area is on Boulevard between the Citgo Gas Station (corner of Custer and Boulevard) to Ms Weiner's restaurant (corner of McDonough and Boulevard).
Neighbors report a prostitute hang-out with possible drug activity at a house near the corner of Boulevard and Casanova Street. Frequent traffic is seen there.
This year, there is more prostitution and drug activity in Benteen Park. It was suggested that any residents witnessing this type activity should contact Nathaniel Miller, Drug Court Administrator, at 404-699-5297, (fax) 404-699-5293, or email nathaniel.miller@co.fulton.ga.us Nathaniel Miller is a contact for Project Fresh Start. It is very important you have the correct address of the property in question.

Stated: Carla Smith promised to help with traffic calming devices, i.e. Speed humps. We have not heard back from her on this, nor have we received an application for neighborhood speed humps. It was suggested we send a formal letter to Carla Smith, Ms. Fordham and other district members. This letter will be written and presented for approval at our next meeting. Stated, if there is no response to this letter within a reasonable time, we will take the issue to the City Council.
Motion was made for the letter to be composed. Seconded and passed.
The letter will be presented at our next meeting for approval.

THE FLOOR WAS PASSED TO APD REPRESENTATIVE, OFFICER RUBY NAYLOR.
Officer Naylor reports residential burglaries are on the increase. The main targets are garages and sheds. Areas of increased activity are Pontiac Place, Woodland Avenue, McDonough Street, Wellswood Avenue. McDonough Street is experiencing increased pedestrian robberies. People in their cars, who stopped at traffic lights on McDonough, had their cars stolen at gunpoint. Ruby Naylor reports, two suspects were arrested but others escaped.

Housing Code and Zoning: Officer Naylor stated a large employee turnover is the cause for lack of service. She stated the city trains people and they leave after a short time. She said the reason for their leaving is unclear.

It was stated that our next step for Code and Zoning issues should be taking complaints to the City Council. Discussed: the Health Department and Zoning are not following up. When called, representatives at the Health Department state “(we) are backed-up. We will get to it when we can.” It was suggested we contact NPU-W and SAND to group for a council meeting. Those attending should come with one complaint each– rather than several people with the same complaint. People repeating the same issue takes up time and will tax the City Council's time.

Officer Naylor suggested we visit Code Enforcement Court on Wednesdays or Thursdays at 2:00 PM. (she was not certain of the weekday). She stated witnessing the court dynamic would be educational.

NEW BUSINESS
September 19th, 2006 @ 6:30 PM. Pastor Shapell, Latter Day Ministries at 1041 Moreland Drive, is willing to host an informational meeting for discussing neighborhood issues and concerns. This date may be tentative and will be discussed more at our September 2006 neighborhood meeting. For more information, email Officer Ruby Naylor at RNAYLOR@ATLANTAGA.GOV
Suggested: The Benteen Park Neighborhood Association become involved in the Belt-Line Project. It was stated that SAND is already involved with the Belt-Line Project and those desiring involvement can contact SAND for more information.

TREASURER REPORT
Account balance is $520.29.
Proposed expense – signs to advertise neighborhood meetings. The signs need to be bilingual. Pricing for at least three (3) signs will be investigated and reported at our next meeting. For more information or suggestions, email Katie Kaiser at KATIE@KATIEKAISER.COM

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Safety and Zoning: A number of unleashed dogs are roaming the neighborhood. Also, discussion concerning lack of response from the Health Department and the Zoning and Code Ordinance Department and ways to facilitate action as written within these minutes (refer to Office Naylor's discussion).
Neighborhood Improvement and Special Projects
Neighborhood Clean Up will be 9:00 AM this Saturday. Meet at Benteen Elementary School.
Safety and Police Committee
No report.

ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS
Nominees selected:
President: Joe Glessner, nominated, seconded by Rick Matthews, and passed
Vice President: J.P. Machalik, nominated, seconded by Rick Matthews, and passed
Treasurer: Rick Matthews, nominated, seconded by Chris Micallef, and passed
Adam Brackman, nominated, seconded by Katie Kaiser, and passed
Secretary: Diane O'Rea, nominated, seconded by Joe Glessner, and passed
Chris Micallef, nominated, seconded by Zachery Ross, and passed
NOMINATIONS CLOSED AND BALLOTS COUNTED

2006-2007 Elected officers are:
President: Joe Glessner
Vice President: J.P. Micallef
Treasurer: Adam Brackman
Secretary: Diane O'Rea

Motion was made that committees and members be part of the minutes. Seconded and Passed.
Safety and Police Committee
Rick Matthews, Adam Brackman, Chris Micallef, Eula Tirey

Zoning and Code Enforcement Committee
Joe Glessner, Diane O'Rea, Adam Brackman

Neighborhood Improvement and Special Projects Committee
Bill Nugent, Joe Williams, Katie Kaiser, JP Machalik, Chris Micallef, Zuaquis Ross

The NPU-W meeting is the last Wednesday of each month at the East Atlanta Library.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

July 2006 Minutes

2006-08-20T07:20:00.000-11:00

Those present: Chris Micallef, John Wallace, Delores Wallace, Kevin Gaston, Adam Brackman, Todd Anderson, Jeff Erwin, Joe Glessner, Steve Carr, Katie Kaiser

Meeting was called, members welcomed, meeting rules stated, and a vote was made to defer the minutes to the following month (no minutes for June present). Approved unopposed.

CITY REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT (POLICE, ZONING, ETC.):
None present. Jeff Erwin stated he would write a letter to the officer with a "We missed you at the meeting" message. There was talk about the raised presence of police in the area, and praise for what a great job Sgt. Holder has been doing.

TREASURER AND FUND RAISING:
Treasurer was not present, no report was made. Brief discussion about the success of the neighborhood yard sale that took place on June 17. Jeff Erwin suggested that we make a $50 donation to the church from the profits made at the yard sale for use of their facilities, as well as a thank you note. No definite plan was made. There was discussion of a 2nd yard sale in the fall, no solid date was made.

SAFETY COMMITTEE:
Joe stated: If a community member has a complaint about noise, you must tell 911 that you would like to see the officer or the officer will not be able to cite the violator. There must be a witness in order to have a citation delivered to the violator, therefore the officer cannot cite on the victim's behalf.

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT:
There was suggestion for a community directory to be made with a phone tree provided to the elders of the community, should they ever need a 911 call placed from others in the area instead of calling the police themselves. Suggestions were also made to raise neighbor communication and connect with those who may need to be contacted should there ever be an emergency such as a fire or a break-in. Joe Glessner mentioned the stray dogs that are running loose in the streets, and offered the number to animal control (404.794.0358).

ZONING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT:
If one needs to call and complain about a car on blocks in a person's yard, the person to contact is Greg Gretzweiler (spelling not checked, no number provided) at Watershed Management about erosion concerns.

OLD BUSINESS:
The new development at Benteen and Blvd. was passed at NPU-W in June.

Jeff Erwin mailed a note about traffic calming devices to Carla Smith and there is no reply from her yet. Discussion about the promises made by our city representatives, but there is no delivery of the promises and no support shared. Cheryl (Carla Smith's assistant) was approached with the problem of lack of assistance, and she said to please complain to Sarah Finley (spelling not checked, number provided 404-330-6037) at city hall - Sarah is the assistant to the committee. Cheryl also mentioned that there is a lack of interest in the housing code zoning all over the city, and that it would be helpful if residents attend the city council meetings. It was stated that it may be helpful to call repeatedly about problems in order to bombard the council until the problems with zoning are solved.

NEW BUSINESS:
There was a reminder that the officers for the next term will be nominated and elected at the August meeting.

Jeff, Todd and Katie said they would be in charge of posting flyers about the upcoming election in order to raise awareness, and to let those know that if they would like to run or vote, they would need to be present or let someone know that they would like to run.

Southside Beltline Alliance meeting was announced by Steve Carr

Lovett Stovall (came in at the end of the meeting from Chosewood Park) mentioned that he would like for there to be a presence from the Benteen Park Neighborhood at the discussion on the Chosewood beltline development. He can be contacted at 404-454-8367 or 404-627-1579. He also expressed concern that there in an extremely high volume (1/3 of school year student body) of students in the summer school program in the shared schools of our area.

Meeting was adjourned at 8pm

This month's meeting minutes submitted by Katie Kaiser in lieu of Diane O'Rea's absence

June 2006 Minutes

2006-07-04T09:54:00.000-11:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM.

The floor was passed to Officer Mitchell. He stated he came to introduce himself and listen to neighborhood concerns. Some problem areas were discussed, e.g. vacant homes, prostitute hangouts, children on the streets at 10-11 PM, suspected drug houses.
Officer Mitchell took notes of addresses and suspected problems. He stated he would drive by the homes discussed and evaluate the locations visually.

OLD BUSINESS
It was reported that SAND passed the condo construction at the corner of Benteen Way and Boulevard, but with restrictions.
It was stated that we, as the Benteen Park Neighborhood, need to hold the builder accountable for all conditions.
This complex will next go to NPU-W Land Use Committee for a vote. NPU-W meets every 4th Wednesday at 7:30 PM at the East Atlanta Library (located on Flat Shoals Road in the East Atlanta Village).

The principal of Benteen Elementary said the Benteen Park Neighborhood Association could have our neighborhood meetings at the school. However, the school is closed during the summer.
A motion was made to continue meeting at the Church of Atlanta Lighthouse and dismiss the proposal to move the meeting location. The motion was seconded and passed.

Reported: The letter about installing traffic calming devices on neighborhood streets was mailed to Carla Smith.

501-C Status
Our treasurer reported the cost of attaining 501-C status would be $250 with possible additional charges. The treasurer also stated he would continue his research. The Secretary of State will be contacted to request application forms. Application for non-profit incorporation status will be revisited during our next meeting when more information is gathered.
It was suggested the new 2006 board of officers make achieving 501-C status a goal.

NEW BUSINESS
Katie Kaiser is researching ways to incorporate East Village Park and connecting streets (Park and Elleby) into Benteen Park. Currently, East Village Park is split in two – half in Benteen Park and half in McDonough-Guice. Correspondence from Wendy Scruggs-Murray to Katie Kaiser states any neighborhoods involved in changes to boundary lines must be in agreement with the changes. Wendy Scruggs-Murray stated the NPU-W might require making a presentation to the neighborhood association before the proposal goes before the entire NPU for support.

Around mid-August, the Bureau of Planning will ask NPUs to vote on all proposed changes. There must be a consensus on all changes before the NPU forwards proposed changes to the Bureau of Planning. Once changes are received and verification of no boundary conflicts is proved, the Bureau will write legislation for City Council for approval and, if approved, will allow changes to the “official” neighborhood map.

NOMINATION OF NEW OFFICERS
Verbal notification will be given announcing the nomination and election of new officers during the August 2006 meeting. The new board of officers will begin their term in September 2006.

GAY PRIDE SAND BOOTH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
SAND will have a beer booth at Gay Pride on June 23, 24, and 25. SAND needs volunteers for the booth. Some Benteen Park residents have volunteered.

A motion was made to adjourn. The motion was seconded and passed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:11 PM.

May 2006 Minutes

2006-05-14T08:20:00.000-11:00

BENTEEN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
MAY 8, 2006 MINUTES

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM.

The president restated voting rights. A resident must attend three (3) meetings within one year to vote.
A general introduction of new attendees was made and introduction of guests.

APD OFFICER REPORT
Two officers from the APD were present, Officer Murphy and Officer Gresham. The floor was passed to the officers for their report.
Officer Murphy reported that our main problems at present are home break-ins. These break-ins are done by “crack heads”, not locals. Officer Murphy recommended we be concerned about security. The perpetrators will break a window for entry.
Officer Murphy's suggestions for added security are: Sufficient outside lighting. A dog inside or outside the house. He said no robberies have been reported at homes with dogs. Install a very loud siren on your alarm system, the louder the better. Have window breakers added to your security system.
He also reported home invasions (break ins) on the “south end” which includes Benteen.
Officer Murphy stated he will start giving citations to violaters of the noise ordinance, including homes with loud music and boom cars.
A resident of McDonough Street stated the prostitute population on her street has been significantly reduced and thanked the officers. Everyone applauded in thanks to our officers.
Officer Murphy stated there is no gang activity in our neighborhood. He stated there are “kids” who claim to be gang members, but they are not.
With reference to speeding and running stop signs: Officer Murphy will ask for a road block at Federal Terrace and Benteen Avenue during day watch. A resident of Benteen Way reported cars are still avoiding the stop light at Custer and Boulevard by cutting through on Benteen Way. She reported, the cut throughs are continuing in spite of previous police intervention, i.e. road blocks.
Officer Murphy stated he will begin “Thunder Runs” to put more pressure on the McDonough/Boulevard intersection area.
Officer Murphy said there are excellent City of Atlanta laws on loitering and they can be enforced. He stated, If you see loitering, call the police. Make sure you know the address when you call. If you see people frequenting a vacant house, call the police. If a home is occupied, the police can enter without a warrant if the front door is standing open - this indicates a possible robbery.

APRIL 2006 MINUTES CORRECTION
Status as a neighborhood civic association is corrected to 501C-3.
The Benteen Garage Sale date is June 17th, 2006.
The minutes were approved with corrections. Seconded and passed.

TREASURER REPORT
Only the past treasurer has access to the neighborhood account. Arrangements will be made by our Treasurer to correct this. A full report will be made at that time.

OLD BUSINESS
The Neighborhood Garage Sale will take place on June 17th in the parking lot of the Church of Atlanta Lighthouse. Time: 9 AM to 2 PM. Tables can be reserved prior to the sale by calling Katie Kaiser, 404-375-6523 or emailing her at katie@katiekaiser.com Tables can also be reserved the morning of the sale by visiting the Benteen Park Neighborhood Association table. Neighborhood representatives will be present by 8:30 AM. Participants of the sale will keep 100% of their profit on items sold.
The money for table reservations, food sales, etc.. will be used for neighborhood improvement, i.e. new meeting signage, costs involved in achieving 501C-3 status, helping elderly, financially distressed, and physically disabled neighbors make improvements to their property.
Rain date for the garage sale will be the following weekend.
Chris Ferguson, Benteen Park Elementary representative, has been contacted about moving our meetings to Benteen Park Elementary. A report of Chris Ferguson's response will be made at the next meeting.

TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES
A letter to Carla Smith asking for her support in getting traffic calming devices was presented.
A motion was made to approve the letter and send it to Carla Smith.
The motion was seconded and approved 17/0/0

NEIGHBORHOOD SUBCOMMITTEES
Each committee will arrange its own meeting time, place, and agenda.
Anyone who wishes to volunteer for placement on a subcommittee should contact our President, Joe Glessner. (Safety and Police, Zoning and Code Enforcement, Special Projects/Neighborhood Improvement)

The floor was passed to G. Harvey and Jim Lavallee concerning the new condo complex for the corner of Benteen Way and Boulevard. G. Harvey stated the construction site now has C-1C zoning. The condition of this zoning reserves the property for a Mortuary or Funeral Home. The builder, Jim Lavallee, is currently trying to remove this condition by changing the zoning to C-1. A continuance for voting approval of the site was deferred until July by NPU-W and SAND.

G. Harvey presented a list of concerns from Benteen Way residents. He addressed each concern and answered questions.

AGREED:
1. The hours of construction will be limited to 7 AM to 7 PM, Monday through Saturday. No construction will be done on Sundays, as was requested by Benteen Way residents. Mr. Harvey stated the city of Atlanta Ordinance allows construction until 9 PM. His company will adhere to a 7 PM stop time, as requested by Benteen Way residents.
2. Construction parking will be on-site as much as possible. Harvey stated the land must be cleared first to allow on-site parking. Benteen Way residents requested on-site parking.
3. Permanent fencing will be erected along the boundary of the Car Wash and along back property lines adjoined with the construction site. Jim LaVallee agrees to erect privacy fencing along adjoining Benteen Way residents' property line, if this type of fencing is preferred.
4. Privacy fencing will be installed at the back lines of adjoining properties, in accordance with Benteen Way residents' request.
5. No signage will be exected at the site in accordance with BenteenWay residents' request.
6. The swimming pool will be securely fenced in accordance with BenteenWay residents' request. The builder said fencing must be present for insurance purposes.
7. The builder will pay for the installation of 2 speed humps on Benteen Way (estimated cost $1,500 each). This will be done if the neighborhood can get city approval.
8. The site will be kept clean. The builder has hired someone to clean several times and garbage reappears within 3 days. This attempt was done in accordance with BenteenWay residents' request. The builder said continuing clean up at this time may not be cost effective because people continue to throw trash onto the site. The builder cannot control this.

NOT AGREED:
1. Moving the retention pond. The builder stated the land's topography dictates placement of the retention pond, therefore, it cannot be moved from its planned location.
2. Condo Ingress/Egress at Boulevard rather than Benteen Way. The builder stated ingress/egress from Benteen Way will be safer. A curb cut from Boulevard would create more safety issues. A curb cut at Boulevard is beyond the builder's control at this point, G. Harvey stated. He also said using the existing roadway is better and safer.

In response to continued discussion, G. Harvey stated the conditions for C-1 zoning will be listed by the builder and this list will be presented to NPU-W, SAND and the Benteen Park Neighborhood Association.

BENTEEN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDING VOTE

EXCEPTIONS: THE FENCING SHALL BE SIX (6) FEET IN HEIGHT.
INGRESS/EGRESS FROM BOULEVARD
THE SWIMMING POOL
C-1 ZONING CONDITIONS

A MOTION WAS MADE TO APPROVE THE CONDO COMPLEX WITH LISTED CONDITIONS.
THE MOTION WAS SECONDED AND APPROVED 17/0/0

A motion to defer discussion on proceeding with 501C-3 status to next month's meeting was seconded and passed.

The meeting adjourned at 9 PM.

SAND Tour of Homes - May 20th & 21st

2006-05-11T10:55:00.000-11:00

Benteen Park is one neighborhood of several surrounding neighborhoods that make up the organization SAND. This year's tour of homes includes Craftsman Bungalows, Ranch homes and Victorian style homes with varying degrees of renovation. See how new construction can fit in with established neighborhoods. And discover creative ways homeowners are renovating 30-, 50- and 70-year old homes to adapt to today’s lifestyle. Some homeowners extend the tour beyond the home to their outdoor living area providing you with inspiration for the spring season.

Experience one of North Ormewood Park’s original 4-square houses built near the turn of the century. The owners updated the house from the ground up, while maintaining key architectural features such as the four fireplaces and exposed brick walls.

Tour 11 homes from the SE Atlanta neighborhoods of Benteen, Boulevard Heights, Glenwood Park, McDonough-Guice, North Ormewood Park, Ormewood Park and Woodland Hills which make up South Atlantans for Neighborhood Development (SAND, Inc.). You’ll find that our eclectic neighborhoods have lots to offer, from historic treasures to the new urbanism development of Glenwood Park.

This major fundraiser for SAND is Saturday, May 20 from 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday, May 21 from 12 pm – 6 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the days of the tour. Advance tickets must be exchanged for a Tour brochure or tickets may be purchased at the Tour Ticket booth, located in Brasfield Square in Glenwood Park on the days of the Tour.

Early birds to the ticket booth on each day of the tour will receive a $10 gift card to either Agave or Red Fish - a Creole Bistro. And Urban Dwell is offering 10% off renovations with the proof of tour of homes attendance. While your touring homes, stop for a buy one coffee drink, get one free with presentation of Tour Brochure at E2 Coffee House in Ormewood Square, 749 Moreland Avenue. For further details or to volunteer email secretary@sandatlanta.org.

The 2006 SAND Tour of Homes is sponsored by Agave, Atlanta Intown Real Estate, Blue Frog Cantina, The Flying Biscuit, The Lighting Loft, Melange Hair Studio, Plants LLC, Red Fish - a Creole Bistro, Ross Design, Inc., Slice, Fred Smith, Urban Dwell Development and Wag-A-Lot.

Advance Tickets are available at Perk Coffee Shop at 928B Garrett Street in Glenwood Park, Helmet Hairworx located in Ormewood Square at 749 Moreland Avenue and The Urban Gardener at 347 Boulevard in Grant Park (Please do not call the event phone number for ticket purchases.)

Calendar of Events

2006-04-30T04:32:00.000-11:00

This is a calendar of events based on the discussions at the April Neighborhood Meeting. Click on the month you wish to enlarge. The calendar is subject to change.

April 2006 Minutes

2006-04-30T04:29:00.000-11:00

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM.

RESTATEMENT OF BYLAWS and NEW MEETING RULES
Restatement of the meeting rules concerning voting rights was addressed.
To vote, one must be a resident of Benteen Park and have attended three (3) meetings (as stated in our current bylaws).
Anyone speaking at a meeting must limit their discussion to three (3) minutes.
A motion was made to correct the geographic parameters of the Benteen Park boundaries within the association bylaws and expand them in accordance with neighborhood growth over the past years (item “A” under Article 2 - Membership Area). The motion was seconded and passed.

COMMITTEE REPORT
The Subcommittees are Safety and Police, Zoning and Code Enforcement, Neighborhood Improvement and Special Projects. Each Subcommittee has assigned members. (Joe Glessner has the copy of names - need to get the list for these minutes).

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT
Volunteers will meet at Benteen Elementary for our neighborhood cleanup Saturday, April 22, 2006.

ZONING AND CODE EMFORCEMENT
The updated list of problems and following up has not been taken care of by the city in a timely manner. Parking in yards is an issue. Members of this subcommittee will call the city. Committee members will urge city authorities to follow through with prior promises.

OLD BUSINESS
The new Condo Project at the corner of Benteen Way and Boulevard was discussed. Discussed at the NPU-W meeting: Developer Jim LaSallee was pursuing removal of the existing zoning that now is zoned for “mortuary use”. Jim LaSallee agreed to build a wall at the back of adjoining property lines. The wall, pool and entrance issues were discussed. It was mentioned that NPU-W will probably reject anything but a concrete/detailed proposal.

A motion was made contact Jim LaSallee. He will be asked to attend our May 2006 meeting and bring solid proposals. Said phone contact will be followed up with a letter. The Benteen Park Neighborhood Association as a whole will then discuss the project and vote on it. The motion was seconded and passed.

A proposal was again made to change the location for our monthly meetings to Benteen Elementary. This proposal was deferred to next month. A motion was made to explore this possibility. Joe Glessner will contact the school and address his findings at the next meeting. The proposal to investigate moving our meetings to a different location was seconded and passed.

Discussion about new signage for advertising our monthly meetings was deferred to the next meeting. This motion was seconded and passed.

Discussion about traffic calming devises: A motion was made to create a letter to Carla Smith concerning the need for calming devises on Neighborhood Association letterhead. A door to door effort will be made to get as many resident signatures as possible. This motion was seconded and passed.

NEW BUSINESS
A Proposal to seek 501C-4 Status as a neighborhood civic association. A motion was made that we task our Treasurer to find out the process for 501C-4 status. The motion was seconded and passed.

Proposal: the Safety and Police Subcommittee will organize a Neighborhood Watch Program. This was seconded and passed.

The Garage Sale (to raise funds for future projects and new signage) -- A proposal was made to move the event to a later date in order that it might be properly organized. The new date is June 10, 2006. This motion was seconded and passed.

A motion to approve the April 2006 minutes was seconded and passed.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.

March 2006 Minutes

2006-03-22T03:24:00.000-11:00

The meet was called to order at 7:10 P.M.

A motion was made to accept the February 2006 minutes, was seconded and passed.
We were honored with the presence of Major Propes and Ruby Nalor from Zone 6 APD.

OLD BUSINESS
Speed humps (traffic calming devices). It was reported that Malora Fordam has initiated the process to assess our neighborhood for speed humps on Benteen Avenue, Federal Terrace, and Benteen Way.
A motion was made to present a letter to Carla Smith as a proposal for traffic calming devices. The framework for the letter was presented and a motion made to modify it. The motion was seconded and passed. The modified letter will be presented at our next meeting. A suggestion was made to present the letter to SAND and NPUW for their vote on any resolutions within the letter.
Volunteers signed up for placement in our three subcommittees. Those who will function within each subcommittee will be listed in next month's minutes. Sign up was not completed at adjournment.
A letter from the Chair, SAND Transportation Committee, was presented. The SAND committee will join our effort to help with the cut-through traffic at Benteen Way and Custer. Members of our neighborhood association were invited to attend.
A representative from Benteen Way reported on the special meeting with the developer of the Benteen Way/Boulevard condo complex. The residents had several unanswered questions. The builder will schedule another meeting with Benteen Way residents to continue communication. The main issues discussed were: the proposed retention pond and its placement, ingress/egress at Benteen Way, and fencing. The next meeting will be announced so others in the neighborhood can attend.

THE FLOOR WAS PASSED TO MAJOR PROPES
Major Propes reported that crime is low in our neighborhood and the police are making efforts to patrol Benteen Park. She also reported road blocks on McDonough and other streets at 1-2 AM as being very successful. Major Propes said police are more likely to catch and arrest DUI offenders, those driving stolen cars, and other offenders during early morning hours.
Major Propes reported there were no robberies or car break-ins in our area for the last six weeks.
A Benteen Way resident expressed concern about people using Benteen Way as a cut-through during the early morning. She said some drivers ignore the sign on Custer that states it is illegal to make a right turn off Custer onto Benteen Way between the hours of 7-9 A.M. and 4-6 P.M.. These drivers also speed down Benteen Way posing a great danger to children near the road and also residents backing out of their driveways. Major Propes took note of this and said she would look into it.
Another resident expressed concern about suspected prostitution and drug sales on Federal Terrace - the 1st house on the left from Boulevard. Major Propes took note of this also.
Loud music at the strip mall on Boulevard was discussed. It was mentioned that the neighborhood had been trying for three years to get help with stopping the restaurant at the strip mall from continuously breaking the noise ordinance. Major Propes stressed that something can definitely be done about this. Ruby Naylor agreed. Major Propes and Ruby Naylor said they would send a letter to License Permits about this issue.
Ruby Naylor stated she needs a volunteer from our neighborhood for the Public Safety Chair. The volunteer will be announced at our next meeting.

NEW BUSINESS
A community yard sale/gala was proposed to raise money for our neighborhood association. Also proposed, we would discuss this at our next meeting and also discuss where the event will take place.
A motion was made to elect Memorial Day as the day for the yard sale. The motion was seconded and passed.
A motion was made that people in attendance at our meetings not be recorded in the minutes each month (names). This motion was seconded and passed.
It was proposed that we have our meeting at Benteen Park Elementary School instead of the church. This will be discussed at our next meeting.

EACH SATURDAY AFTER THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING WILL BE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP DAYS. THOSE WHO WISH TO HELP WILL MEET AT THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT AT 9 AM. CLEAN UP WILL BE FROM 9-11 AM.

TIRE COLLECTION DAY IS APRIL 22nd.

Neighborhood Map

2006-03-19T16:19:00.000-11:00

Neighborhood Cleanup Great Success!

2006-02-20T03:14:00.000-11:00

Saturday, February 18 at 9am Joe Glessnor, Jeff Erwin, Todd Anderson, Donald Smith, Julie Watson, Rick Matthews, Bill Nugent, Joe Williams and Katie Kaiser spent several hours cleaning up the tires and trash from the streets of Benteen. Rain caused an early end to the effort, but the rest of the trash is scheduled to be picked up on March 18, 2006. Thank you also to Jane and Andy Earle who picked up earlier in the morning and were unable to meet at 9am with the rest of the crew, and thank you to the City of Atlanta for picking up the garbage.

February 2006 Minutes

2006-02-20T03:02:00.000-11:00

Welcome to our new neighbors from the new East Village Subdivision!!
A motion was made by Jeff Erwin to approve the January 2006 minutes and was seconded by J.P Michalik. The motion was carried.

OLD BUSINESS
The assessment for speed humps on Benteen Avenue, Benteen Way and Federal Terrace will be completed by the end of February. Getting a stop light at Benteen Park Elementary was discussed. The hill at the school provides low visibility and a stop light will add a much needed safety feature. As our community grows, we need to seek ways to slow traffic down. Community support will be necessary.

The proposal to form three (3) subcommittees within the Benteen Park Neighborhood Association was revisited. The acceptance of the subcommittees was put to a vote. Proposal to accept by Rick Matthews, seconded by J. P. Michalik. The motion was carried unanimously and accepted. As carried, the three subcommittees will be:
1. Safety and Police
2. Zoning and Code Enforcement
3. Neighborhood Improvement and Special Projects

On the agenda for our March 2006 meeting: Subcommittee member nomination.

NEW BUSINESS
Neighborhood dumping was discussed. This has been an ongoing problem. It was suggested if we see anyone dumping illegally, get the car's tag number and notify the police.

A regular clean up project will be scheduled.

February 18th (Saturday), neighbors will meet at the Benteen Park Elementary parking lot at 9:00-11:00 AM. to do trash pick-up. Rick Matthews will call the city to arrange a trash pickup location. If it is raining, the cleanup will be rescheduled.

A home owner on Benteen Way reported that three men from Code Enforcement visited her street and wrote violation citations. She stated, no one from Code Enforcement returned to check if the violations were corrected.

Some of our members are regularly attending SAND meetings. All residents of Benteen Park are urged to attend SAND meetings. SAND meets the 1st (first) Thursday each month, 7 P.M. at Ormewood Park Presbyterian Church. The church is located at the corner of Woodland Avenue and Delaware Avenue. The Benteen Park Neighborhood Association is part of SAND (South Atlanta Neighborhood Development).

Neighborhood business was completed and the floor passed to Shane Little and Jim LaVallee to inform us about the new Condo Complex. Location: Corner of Benteen Way and Boulevard.

Jim LaValle stated this initial meeting is for “opening up discussion” with Benteen residents. A conceptual site drawing was presented. The site will contain 26 units with prices beginning at $250,000.00. This site will not be gated and will ingress/egress from Benteen Way. It will also have a swimming pool. Jim LaValle stated the pool must be gated for safety reasons.

One resident from Benteen Way expressed concern about water runoff from the complex into her yard and other properties that join to the building site. The developer stated a retention pond will be built to gather 150% (one-hundred fifty percent) of all runoff.

Issues with ingress and egress at the complex were discussed. A blind curve on Benteen Way and current traffic back-up were discussed. The complex entryway may contribute to problems at this site. Jim LaVallee stated he will visit this location and will present ways to alleviate problems. Mr. LaVallee was very open and forthcoming in addressing possible problems and ways to prevent them. Shane Little and Jim LaVallee stated this initial visit is to open up communication and they will communicate more as the project progresses. Actual building of the complex will not begin for nine (9) months.
Representatives from the new complex will attend our March 2006 meeting for more discussion. All residents who have questions and/or concerns are urged to attend our next meeting (March 13th, 2006).

CLOSING
Chris Ferguson reported the next Benteen Park Elementary PTA meeting will be February 21st at 6:00 P.M.. He said everyone is welcome. Attending residents from East Village expressed a strong desire to participate in neighborhood meetings and projects.

January 2006 Minutes

2006-01-13T16:01:00.000-11:00

OLD BUSINESS
Marlora Fordham, Technical Project Manager for the Department of Public Works, reported studies will begin for speed humps on Benteen Avenue and Federal Terrace at the end of January or early February.
The studies will last for 24 to 72 hours. Marlora Fordham said the studies will look at traffic volumn, truck volumn, and speed. She said there are eleven (11) steps to this study. After the completion of the study, 75% of Benteen Park homeowners will have to sign a petition stating they want speed humps. There was discussion about prior efforts to get speed humps failing due to the difficulty getting 75% of the neighborhood to sign.

A letter from Mark Medlin, Avondale Pest Control, was presented. The letter states our neighborhood rat problem around south Benteen Avenue cannot be entirely controlled until the garbage, mattresses, and food containers are cleaned from behind 624 McDonough and 628 McDonough (boarding houses behind 1469 Benteen Avenue). Mark Medlin's letter stated the garbage is a breeding site for rodents and nothing can be done to control the rats until this breeding site is cleaned up. It was also stated that Ruby Naylor of Zone 6, Atlanta Police Department, has been called on two occasions and also a letter on this subject was faxed to her. To date, no action has been taken by the city.

The subject of writing a letter to Major Propes was discussed again. We plan to form this letter on our neighborhood association letterhead. We will ask for a quicker police response time, cutting down foot traffic, and increased patrols. In this letter, we will also state our concern about speeders and undesirables who walk though our neighborhood in connection with Benteen Park Elementary. Safety for the children is an important concern.

NEW BUSINESS
A proposal was made to create three committees. Each committee's responsibility to hone in on particular issues. The three committees will be: Safety and Police; Zoning and Code Enforcement; Neighborhood Improvement and Special Projects.
It was suggested that each committee take three issues and accomplish them and, then, move to other issues/improvements.
PROPOSALS
1. Starting a regular neighborhood cleanup.
2. Create a three month calendar with dates of activities and meetings to be distributed in order to encourage participation.
3. Delivering copies of monthly minutes and activities calendars to neighborhood shut-ins.
4. Having a special meeting to organize committees.
5. New signs made to advertise neighborhood association meetings.
6. Helping our older neighbors and physically ill neighbors with yard clean up and/or home repair.

SPECIAL MEETING
It was proposed and agreed that we will have a special meeting next Monday (January 16th, 2006) at Jeff Erwin and Todd Anderson's home. This meeting will be specific to discussion about and organization of the committees and the calendar.

A new condo complex is going to be built at the corner of Benteen Way and Boulevard. An effort will be made to find a contact connected with the complex. Once contact is made, the contractor will be invited to our association meeting to discuss the building project.

December 2005 Minutes

2005-12-19T07:44:00.000-11:00

This meeting was our annual Christmas Gala! The evening was filled with music, good company, laughter, and lots of good food!

There was some discussion of several neighborhood break-ins. The robbers have invaded homes in Benteen Park, Ormewood Park, and Grant Park. This seems to be the same group because all the robberies have the same MO - they pull the electric meter off the house and cut the phone wires, then enter the home by kicking in a door or popping the door lock with a tool. In Benteen Park, two homes have been invaded, one home on Benteen Avenue and one on Benteen Way . In Grant Park, one home on Park Avenue. At the time of this writing, I do not have the addresses of the other homes.

Afterwards, Christina Smith-Galloway, shared the need for Family Adoptions at Christmas. Christina has a list of several needy families whose children attend Benteen Park Elementary. The greatest need is clothing, Christina says. Her lists state each child's clothing and shoe size. If you can help, please contact Christina at Benteen Park Elementary.

Christina Galloway said the Thanksgiving Food Drive was a huge success! Over 200 families were fed!!

November 2005 Minutes

2005-11-16T02:54:00.000-11:00

MINUTES: NOVEMBER 14, 2005
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM. Those present were:
Joe Glessner
J.P. Michalik
Eula H. Tirey
Adam Brackman
Katie Kaiser
Chris Ferguson (Hands on Atlanta, AmeriCorps)
Todd Anderson
Jeff Erwin
Diane O'Rea

OLD BUSINESS

A representative from the city inspected our storm drains and has agreed to clean all clogged drains. The drains on our streets are totally clogged with dirt.

Code enforcement has agreed to arrange old tire pick-up and trash pick up.

SPEED HUMPS: Mrs. Fordham of Public Works has initiated the application for Benteen.

BENTEEN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK: Park Maintenance and Design has been working on the park. All exposed wires have been removed. In response to the sink holes in the park, a representative stated our neighborhood park was built on a land fill. A new bond referendum is in the works for repairing sink holes ˆ this means we will have to wait quite a while.
Watershed Management is being contacted to cover the open manholes in the Park.

WE NOW HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD EMAIL ADDRESS!!
BENTEENPARK@YAHOO.COM

Anthony Claffey (our new Code Enforcement Officer) has offered to do a street by street inspection. Joe Glessner will update us when this will be done.

More Police presence has been witnessed in our neighborhood.

Roderick is back (aka Rodney). Chris Ferguson will attempt finding ways to intervene on Roderick's behalf.

OUR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD MAP AND BUSINESS CARDS

Thanks to Katie Kaiser for all her hard work!! We now have an impressive printed map of our entire neighborhood with all land lots to scale. This visual gives us a tool for identifying our neighborhood parameters. Also, Katie has designed Neighborhood Association business cards with our website and email information on them. She also printed Benteen Park Neighborhood Association stickers! Katie did a wonderful job and all the materials she presented are in color and with our new logo. Very impressive, Katie, and we all thank you!!!

NEW BUSINESS

Jeff Erwin is now the Benteen Park representative on the SAND Board. Joe Glessner and Jeff Erwin are now NPUW Board Members. The executive NPUW Board will be elected at the next NPUW meeting.

Our meeting format was discussed and will be addressed.

Also discussed, there is a place on our Neighborhood Website (blog) for members who did not attend meetings and would like to comment on things discussed or want to inform the association of their ideas/suggestions.

There were suggestions for organizing neighborhood activities for our neighborhood kids. This will be more thoroughly discussed at a future meeting.

FAMILY SMART SCHOOL ˆ the Benteen Park School Food Drive: Benteen Park Elementary needs help with Thanksgiving food baskets. Adam Brackman (Hands on Atlanta AmeriCorps/Benteen Elementary) said they were counting on getting 100 turkeys/hams and it has not worked out. They need help. Anyone wanting to donate turkeys, hams, canned goods, sweet potatoes, greens, fruits, etc.. may do so by dropping them by Benteen Elementary.

At the school, Christina Galloway is the contact for food drive donations.

END NOTE:
Suggestions for our neighborhood Christmas gathering were discussed. We decided on a small gathering with cookies and punch. We will have a Holiday Mixer!!! We may have the gathering at or regular meeting place at the church, if it is available. Printed invitations will be distributed when the location is decided. These will be hand delivered to all neighbors possible and as quickly as possible.

THE MEETING WAS ADJORNED AT 8:45 P.M.

October 2005 Minutes

2005-10-10T17:53:00.000-11:00

OCTOBER 10, 2005

The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM. Those present were:
Rick Matthews
Sheryl Bennett
Delores Wallace
John Michalik
Jeff Erwin
Todd anderson
Diane O’Rea
Katie Kaiser
Joe Glessner

The Benteen Park Neighborhood Association was honored with the presence of Sheryl Bennett, Chief of Staff for Carla Smith, Council Member, District One.

OLD BUSINESS
Code Enforcement was invited to tour our neighborhood. A Code Enforcement Representative told Joe Glessner they do not do neighborhood tours.

Sheryl Bennett suggested taking pictures and making other documentation that must be sent by neighborhood residents with details of issues and the location addresses for review by code enforcement. Sheryl Bennett said other neighborhoods have taken this approach with success. Ms. Bennett suggested we “spoon feed” the issues approximately ten (10) at a time rather than sending them all at once. She also said the best people to send the issues to would be Cathy Lloyd (Code Enforcement Director) or Yolanda Mack.

Sheryl Bennett spoke with Major Propes concerning the Garage Sale Business at the corner of Benteen Avenue and Custer Avenue. Major Propes told Sheryl Bennett that our beat officer has issued a warning to this home owner. She also said this home owner has been warned several times in the past and has been visited by a city official concerning running a business in a residential neighborhood. Sheryl Bennett said, since a report has been filed, all residents are encouraged to dial 911 to report any sales activity at this location, while it is happening.

City officials have been called several times concerning properties being illegally renovated (no posted permits) on Federal Terrace and on McDonough Boulevard. In spite of these efforts for action, nothing was done. These calls have been met with remarks indicating the officials are not interested in these activities nor making an effort to stop them. It was suggested that we email officials: Building and Planning Devision EMAIL: www.atlantaga.gov . Or call Brenda, at Carla Smith’s office, 404-330-6039.

Sheryl Bennett said she is beginning research concerning abandoned alleyways. Police tend to not enforce blocked alleyway issues. According to Sheryl Bennett, alleyway issues are very difficult to deal with and alleyways become blocked by new construction, thus interfering with ingress to other properties having no other alternative other than the alleyway for off-street parking.

Sheryl Bennett left the meeting early due to other meeting commitments. We expressed gratitude for her efforts on our behalf and being present to speak with us.

The issue with the community have little to no communication with our neighborhood Hispanic residents was approached again. It was suggested that we need to rethink how to approach them because past efforts have failed. We need to continue researching ways to reach out to the community so we can bond together as an entire community.

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD LOGO:
Katie Kaiser presented several impressive examples of our neighborhood logo she created. Those present voted on a choice. By the majority vote, a new logo was established. The vote was 7-1. John Michalik moved to accept the new logo. Rick Matthews seconded.

SPEED HUMPS:
Major Propes said we would get speed humps much more quickly by going through Carla Smith’s office. One member volunteered to talk with Traffic Engineering to request a review of our stop sign condition around Benteen Avenue and Casanova Street.

YARD MAINTENANCE ISSUE:
Custer Avenue, Delores Wallace reports a neighbor who rents the home is leaving hedges untrimmed and the owner of the property is nonresponsive to Ms. Wallace’s requests that this issue be addressed. It is important that we have names, addresses, and phone numbers for all owners of rental properties so we may contact them with any issues concerning violations on the properties that have a negative impact upon our neighborhood.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF MINUTES AND WELCOMING NEW NEIGHBORS
We discussed ways to keep our neighborhood informed of meeting agendas, present and future. One suggestion was to mail the monthly minutes to all members who request a copy. The cost involved was discussed.

Welcoming new home owners by distributing welcome baskets. It was mentioned that SAND provides these and we are part of the SAND community. It was suggested we begin gathering information for an updated Benteen Park Neighborhood Phone Directory. This phone directory will be discussed in a future meeting.

We will distribute a statement of purpose on Benteen Park Neighborhood Association letterhead in the future.

FROM THE PRESIDENT:
We will compile a list of all new home owners as a contact list/phone list. Joe Glessner will speak with SAND for ideas.
Joe Glessner will represent our neighborhood association at NPUW meetings.
Our current goals are Zoning violations and Code enforcement.

Those who would like to participate in a neighborhood walk on Sunday, October 16th, will meet in front of Joe Glessner’s house at 10 AM to document zoning and code violations in the neighborhood. The documentation will be sent to Cathy Lloyd, Code Enforcement Director.

The meeting was adjorned at 9:00 P.M..

Respectfully,
Diane O’Rea
Secretary, Benteen Park Neighborhood Association

September 2005 Minutes

2005-09-12T17:51:00.000-11:00

SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

The meeting was called to order at 7:20 p.m.

Copies of the August 2005 minutes were distributed to all present. Jeff Erwin made a motion to accept the minutes. Rick Matthews seconded.

Those present were:
Eula Tirey
Rick Matthews
Delores Wallace
Katie Kaiser
Joe Glessner
Todd Anderson
Jeff Erwin
Diane O’Rea

OLD BUSINESS
J.P. Michalik and Katie Kaiser attended the September 2005 SAND meeting. The following is a report on the proceedings: In order to pinpoint problem areas or crime trend areas a map of the neighborhood can be made and mark where an incident has occurred as a visual for neighborhood meetings. This map can also be used to mark the addresses of new neighbors.

There are no crime trends in our neighborhood or Ormewood Park, just random crimes, e.g. Petty theft, car breakins.

There is a wine store in the new Glenwood Complex. The store has a license and is now operational.

Hands on Atlanta now has a link on its website for “helping victims of Hurricane Katrina”.

A Cell Tower has been approved for erection across from the Drive-In on Moreland Avenue.

(SAND meetings are the first Thursday of each month.)

NEW BUSINESS
Joseph Glessner proposed we take the five neighborhood problems/issues, work on them and, after resolution, move to other problems. His proposal is to help us organize neighborhood efforts to improve our environment.

The five top problems we will deal with are as follows:

Police patrols and police response.

Garbage and debris pickup.

A phone tree will be implemented for calling in complaints for one another. Katie Kaiser volunteered to do a Benteen Park phone list of critical city offical contact numbers for distribution.

Zoning issues. Getting zone enforcement to our neighborhood to walk the streets with us to spot problem houses and cite them, e.g. Illegal businesses in a residential neighborhood, illegal renovations (additions and/or renovations without proper work permits). Stopping people from repairing numerous cars parked on the street.

Code enforcement. e.g. Tall grass, several cars parked in yards.

Speed bumps for Federal Terrace and down the entire street of Benteen Avenue. A stop sign at Benteen Avenue and Casanova Street. Jeff Erwin volunteered to pursue this and also find out how we can arrange police presence to ticket those who run stop signs. A proposal was made that we formalize a letter to the police department concerning these issues.

It was suggested that we invite Carla Smith to our next meeting to discuss our neighborhood and how she will help us.

J.P. Michalik and Katie Kaiser will be working on a large map of Benteen Park to use as a visual at our neighborhood meetings. Katie Kaiser is currently working on our new logo examples.

The meeting was adjorned at 8:30 P.M.

Respectfully,
Diane O’Rea, Secretary

August 2005 Minutes

2005-08-08T17:43:00.000-11:00

AUGUST 8, 2005

Meeting called to order at 7:15 PM.

The meeting started with the election of new officers.

Those present were:
Nina Yelverton, 1525 Funston Street
Eula Tirey, 659 Federal Terrace
Diane O’Rea, 1469 Benteen Avenue
Rick Matthews, 1375 Funston Street
Jeff Erwin, 1465 Benteen Avenue
Todd Anderson, 1465 Benteen Avenue
J.P. Michalik, 638 Federal Terrace
Katie Kaiser, 638 Federal Terrace
Jane Hayes, 674 Federal Terrace
Jane Earle, 637 Federal Terrace
Kevin Gaston, 630 Custer Avenue

All officers were elected unanimously ˆ 11 were persent and 11 ballots were tallied. The new officers are as follows:
Joseph Glessner, President
J.P. Michalik, Vice President
Rick Matthews, Treasurer
Diane O’Rea, Secretary

Jeff Erwin and Jane Hayes suggested starting an agenda to be addressed at each meeting.

Suggestions for the meeting agenda were: Zoning Issues, Community Issues/Concerns. Minutes from the last meeting, Treasurer’s Report, Committee Report, Committee Report, Old Business, New Business, SAND Summary.

Neighborhood Theft was discussed: Of those present, one car was broken into on Federal Terrace, one car theft on Federal Terrace, and a lawnmower stolen on Benteen Avenue.

Jeff Erwin suggested writing a collective letter to Zone 6 asking for more police presence in the neighborhood. Jane Hayes suggested we call and email also.

New Benteen Park Neighborhood Logo:
Katie Kaiser volunteered to design a new neighborhood logo. She will present three designs at the next meeting for consideration.

Our New Beat Officer:
Officer Floyd, our new beat officer, attended. He said he’d caught two theft suspects in our neighborhood. Officer Floyd warned us to make sure all yard tools, etc., are secured because “crack heads and street people” are stealing lawn equipment.

Jeff Erwin expressed concern about the speeders down Federal Terrace and those who run the stop sign at the corner of Benteen and Federal Terrace. Jeff asked if the police could set up a road block to deter speeders. Officer Floyd suggested we try to get speed humps and stressed he could not be everywhere at once, but he would try.

Eula Tirey had concerns about possible gang members in our area, due to an open door at the back of the storefront building on the corner of Benteen Avenue/McDonough and seeing people going into the building. Graffiti is on the side of the building ˆ corner of Benteen Avenue and McDonough. Officer Floyd said he would check on this. He also assured us that no “real gangs” were here ˆ only young Hispanic “want to be’s” and nothing to be concerned about. For identification, he said they wear black clothing ˆ black jeans, black tee shirts, and have a black handkerchief in their back pocket.

Show of Thanks
Jeff Erwin made a motion that we collectively make a show of thanks to Jackie O’Neal for her past year’s service as President. Rick Matthews seconded the motion.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 P.M..

Respectfully submitted,
Diane O’Rea, Secretary

Bylaws

2005-07-20T09:18:00.000-11:00

BYLAWS of the Benteen Park Neighborhood Association

ARTICLE ONE - NAME AND PURPOSE

A. NAME

The name of this organization shall be Benteen Park Neighborhood Association. The abbreviated name shall be Benteen Park.

B. PURPOSE

The purpose of Benteen Park shall be to promote a high quality of life for all residents of the Benteen neighborhood regardless of race, age, gender, creed, sexual orientation, or economic status. Benteen Park residents encourage responsible residential and commercial development as well as renovation of existing dwellings.

Benteen Park advocates a safe community where residents do not fear crime or an environment of intimidation.

Benteen Park supports the Atlanta Public School System in meeting the broad educational needs of the community.

Benteen Park seeks for its resicents, city services of the highest quality. Above all, Benteen Park seeks the development of a sense of community pride and belinging within the Benteen neighborhood.

ARTICLE TWO - MEMBERSHIP

A. MEMBERSHIP AREA

The membership of Benteen Park shall be the area bounded as follows: commencing at Benteen Way and Boulevard, South on Boulevard to McDonough, East on McDonough to Marion, North on Marion to Federal Terrace, West on Federal Terrace to Boulevard, North beginning at 6the corner of Funston and Federal Terrace to Casanova, East on Casanova through Benteen Park and North ont he corner of Funston and Casanova to Custer.

B. VOTING PRIVILEGES

Voting privileges shall be extended to members of Benteen Park (as defined in this Article) who are at least eighteen (18) years of age and either are property owners who reside on that property, or are non-resident property owners, persons who reside in rental property, or business owners in Benteen Park.

In instances where there is a tie vote or a measure or motion carried or defeated by less than five (5) votes of the members present, a roll call vote will be made and each person present will declare his/her status. In these instances, only actual residents' votes will be counted.

Members must attend three (3) meetings in the past twelve (12) months before being able to vote at the third meeting.

C. RIGHTS OF MEMBERS

Members may attend all meetings, including committee meetings.

The membership will have continuing access to the BYLAWS, correspondence, financial records and all minutes from monthly, annual, special and committee meetings.

ARTICLE THREE - OFFICERS

A. OFFICERS

The officers shall consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Tresurer. Such office shall constitute the Executive Committee.

B. OFFICER DUTIES

The President shall preside over the monthly metings, annual, and special meetings and perform all administrative duties as required by the office including preparing an agenda for monthly meetings. The President shall act as spokesperson for Benteen Park in all matters pertaining to its business but should not commit Benteen Park to any business or express any viewpoint for Benteen Park that has not first been approved by the Benteen Park membership. The President shall propose a budget to the membership at the second monthly meeting following the annual meeting.

The officers shall assist the President in the preparation of the monthly agenda and other matters. The Vice President shall act for the President to include the disbursal of funds when the President is unable to serve.

The Secretary shall be the custodian of all records except those specifically assigned to others. The Secretary shall take and report to the Benteen Park membership minutes of all monthly and special meetings. The Secretary shall keep an attendance list of each meeting. The Secretary will assist with all official correspondence.

The Treasurer shall keep official financial records and supporting documents of all income and expenses for Benteen Park and report the status of these at each monthly meeting. The Treasurer shall be responsible for enusring that all disbursements conform with the annual budgetr or have had prior approval by the Benteen Park membership, if the disbursement exceed $50.00. The Treasurer shall be authorized to receive all funds. The signature of the Treasurer will be one (1) or two (2) required signatures along with the President or Vice President on all disbursements over $100.00. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping special funds separate from normal operating funds. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual financial report to be presented at the regular January monthly meeting. The Treasurer will assist in the preparation of all budgets.

C. RULES REGULATING OFFICERS

Officers must reside within the Benteen Park membership area.

Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the members attending and voting at the annual meeting.

The term of office shall be one (1) year.

Officers shall be required to attend all monthly and special meetings, excessive absences shall be cause for removal from the office.

All officers are expected to reveal conflicts of interest. Should an officer acting as a Benteen Park spokesperson be unable to objectively represent the viewpoint of the Benteen Park membership, that officer shall not act as a spokesperson for that issue, and shall arrange for another office to be the spokesperson. Should a presiding officer have a conflict of interest relative to an issue being discussed, that officer shall step down for the duration of the discussion of that topic.

D. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Any officer may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members and voting at a monthly meeting. No removal from office may be finally voted on at a meeting where it is first proposed.

E. VACANCIES

Candidates for vacancies shall be elected by a mojority of members present and voting at the next available monthly meeting, except for the President, who shall be replaced by the Vice President. In the event the Vice President is unable to serve, the Secretary shall serve temporarily as President until the next monthly meeting, at which time a new President will be elected.

ARTICLE FOUR - COMMITTEES

A. STANDING COMMITTEES

The standing committees shall include (1) Public Safety with a subcommittee on Code Enforcement, (2) Beautification with a subcommittee on Park Development, (3) Fundraising, (4) Membership/Welcome comprised of Neighborhood Block Captains, and (5) Newsletter, and other as established by the membership.

B. SCOPE AND DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES

The Public Safety Committee shall work with the City Police Department, Code Enforcement and Benteen Park membership in identifying physical hazards in the Benteen neighborhood and seek solutions for these.

The Beautification Committee shall be responsible for all matters pertaining to the Benteen Park neighborhood park and neighborhood clean-up and beautification. The committee may seek, collect and use separate funding for its own operating expenses.

The Fund Raising Committee shall plan and supervise all fund raising activities for Benteen Park. The committee shall be responsible for preparing a budget for any major event and seeking Benteen Park membership approval of the event and budget prior to the event. The committee may seek, collect and use separate funding for its own operating expenses.

The Membership/Welcome Committee shall work to assure that all neighbors are invited and feel welcome to attend the monthly Benteen Park meetings. This committee will distribute written information to Benteen Park members and welcome new residents to the community. This committee shall be composed of all Neighborhood Watch Block Captains and it will also be responsible for coordinating the Neighborhood Watch program.

The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for assisting in developing, publishing and distributing the Benteen Park membership newsletter. The committee shall collect and contribute to the newsletter, articles and information of interest to Benteen Park neighbors. The committee may seek, collect and use separate funding for its own operating expenses.

C. AD HOC COMMITTEES

Ad hoc committees may be established for any necessary purpose by a majority vote of the Benteen Park membership present at a monthly meting. Each committee shall formulate its scope and duties at the first meeting. The committee's duration shall be for the duration of the need or until the annual meeting, whichever comes first.

D. RULES REGULATING COMMITTEES

A committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) Benteen Park residents including the chairperson. Committee meetings shall be open to all Benteen Park members and other interested parties.

Voting privileges shall be extended to all Benteen Park residents attending the first meeting and subsequently to any Benteen Park resident that has attended a prior meeting for that committee.

Standing committee membership shall be for one (1) year, ending at the next annual meeting.

Committee chairs shall be appointed by the President. The Chair appointments shall be voted on by the membership at the first monthly meeting following the annual meeting. The chairperson shall be a Benteen Park resident.

A committee member may be removed by a majority vote of the committee.

All committees' transactions shall be filed with the Treasurer at or before the next Benteen Park Neighborhood Association monthly meeting.

The committee chairperson or designee shall report highlights of committee activity at the next Benteen Park monthly meeting.

A committee may formulate additional duties at its meetings, but in the case of overlapping duties, the Benteen Park membership shall determine which committee shall be responsible for the duty in question.

ARTICLE FIVE - MEETINGS

A. MEETING SCHEDULES

There shall be an annual meeting held on the second Thursday in December.

(does anyone else have a copy of the bylaws??? My cat chewed off half of this paragraph.)

B. SPECIAL MEETINGS

The purpose of a special meeting is to take care of urgent or emergency business which cannot wait until the next monthly meeting. A special meeting may be called at any time if requested by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Members who have attended the previous three (3) Benteen Park meetings shall be notified at least fourty-eight (48) hours prior to the special meeting. One-third (1/3) of the total average attendance of the three (3) previous Benteen Park meetings shall constitute a quorum. Members attending the special meeting can decide a policy question by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present and voting.

C. RULES OF PROCEDURES FOR ALL MEETINGS

The general procedure shall be normal conversation. However, Robert's Rules of Order (Revised) may be invoked by a motion and a single second to that motion without a vote and such procedure will remain in effect for the duration of that particular topic of debate.

All decisions at any monthly meeting, special or annual meeting requiring a vote need a motion, a second, and a mojority approval of those members present and voting in order to pass with the exceptions as stated in these BYLAWS.

An individual's debate shall be limited to three (3) minutes per topic whether or not Robert's Rules of Order (Revised) has been invoked.

There shall be no absentee voting or voting by proxy at any monthly, special or annual meeting of Benteen Park.

ARTICLE SIX - TREASURY

All financial records shall be reviewed at least annually as directed by an independent party or parties.

ARTICLE SEVEN - CHANGES TO BYLAWS

These BYLAWS may be amended, repealed, or altered in whole or in part by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present and voting at any monthly Benteen Park meeting. No change to these BYLAWS may be finally voted on at the monthly meeting where the alteration is first proposed. A complete summary of changes in the BYLAWS must be published in the Benteen Park newsletter, or some other form of written communication, in time to motify members prior to voting. A copy of the proposed changes shall be make available to the secretary.

ARTICLE EIGHT - EFFECTIVE DATE OF BYLAWS

The effective date of these BYLAWS shall be June 11, 1998.