Meeting Minutes
Date: 5/7/2024
Time: 7:07PM
Location: UCC Epiphany Church
1. Welcome and New Member Introductions: The meeting commenced with a warm welcome extended to all attendees, followed by introductions of new members:
Mark W., who recently relocated to the neighborhood in October.
Mitch and Amanda
Collie and his wife
Hannah
Mark Fish, who has been a resident for a year.
Newcomers were encouraged to consider official membership to support the neighborhood by scanning the QR code provided on the agenda. The minutes of the previous meeting were made accessible via the website and a QR code on the agenda.
2. Old Business:
Police Report - Officer Rosa Rojas: Officer Rosa Rojas provided a comprehensive overview of neighborhood crime and activity over the past 28 days, including incidents such as assault, burglaries, thefts, and auto thefts. Notable incidents were detailed, such as a road rage incident resulting in an arrest and a stolen cash register from A Spoonful of Sugar. Officer Rojas announced upcoming events like "Coffee with a Cop" at Benton Park Cafe and a Cardinals fundraiser.
Questions:
Members inquired about the trend of incidents, to which Officer Rojas indicated a decrease compared to the previous year.
Strategies for addressing drug-related issues were discussed, emphasizing the importance of contacting the police with evidence.
3. Alderman’s Report: No report was presented.
4. New Business:
A post-meeting social gathering at Yemenja Brazil was announced, where attendees could enjoy drinks and appetizers. Operating hours and services of Yemenja Brazil were detailed.
Seeds for growing were made available by a resident expert.
New merchandise, including flags and blue shirts, were announced to be in stock on the website.
5. Committee Reports:
Events: Details regarding the upcoming summer concert series on May 19th were provided, along with a call for volunteer sign-ups.
Building Review: No report was presented.
Safety: Emphasis was placed on joining the Group Me Chat and participating in the camera initiative for enhanced neighborhood safety.
Garden/Cave: Plans for tree maintenance and the demonstration garden were discussed, along with the cave operation's collaboration with Melville High School's Robotics program.
Fundraiser: The success of the recent fundraiser event at Bluewood Brewing was highlighted, with plans for future quarterly fundraisers.
Parks, Membership, and Volunteers: No reports were presented.
6. Guest Speakers:
01. Saint Louis Mental Health Board - Dave Haas: Dave Haas provided insights into the Saint Louis Mental Health Board's initiatives, emphasizing the importance of mental health awareness and support within the community.
Questions/Suggestions: Attendees suggested poetry readings at Spine for mental health support.
02. Neighborhood Foresters - Suzanne Leguey-Feilleux/ Mark: The Neighborhood Foresters organization's efforts to care for young trees in the neighborhood were discussed, along with upcoming events and opportunities for community involvement.
Questions: Concerns about cicadas and tree care were addressed by the speaker.
03. Suzzana - Artist: Suzzana, a local artist, shared her focus on documenting the neighborhood through photography and graphic design.
04. Stephanie - Berkshire Hathaway: Stephanie provided updates on past and upcoming fundraising events hosted by Berkshire Hathaway.
7. Adjournment: The meeting concluded at 8:01 pm.
Next Meeting: June 7th. 2024 at 7pm at UCC Epiphany Church
Respectfully submitted,
Derrick Kilgore, Secretary and Safety Chair