NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES

NORTH PARK<= /span> NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES

2011

NORTH PARK= NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of January 11, 2011 Meeting=

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kim Persley, Cameron Speedie, Paul Huxtable, Luke Kozl= owsky, Todd Doherty, Linda Bain, Kanoux Larsen

Members: Lorna Rennie, Charles Joerin

Guests: Matthew Farquharson, Dimitri Demers, Nick Blasc= o of Atomique Productions

Regrets: Chantal Webb, Arnie Miller= , Councillor Philippe Lucas

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order = at 7:35 p.m.

Presentation:

Nick Blasko described the Rifflandia Festival, which has a two-year histor= y in Victoria. I= t is a multi-genre music festival with diverse audiences.
Nick and Dimitri have long experien= ce in producing concerts; Nathan is experienced at producing large events in= Canada and abroad. The previously used nightclub model has been outgrown and the producers are looking at expanding the festival. Using Royal Athletic= Park (RAP) as = one of seven venues is a possibility.

Q&A:

Incentive for bicycle transportation to t= he site would be offered.
There would be a hard curfew for music, w= ith the sound board turned off at 9 p.m.
NPNA recommends soft curfew for participa= nts leaving the site.
Organizers have been in contact with Beer= Fest producers about security methods that have worked at RAP. Rifflandia previously has employed a large poli= ce and volunteer security presence. There have not been problems with illegal activities in the past.
The proposed sound system would aim sound= at the ground so there would be fewer sound leaks than with the RAP sound system.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the December= 14, 2010 meeting were accepted.

Moved by Paul, seconded by Luke, ca= rried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $16,836= .67.

• The annual mailbox fee of $= 168 plus tax ($188.16 total) was paid.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended the 900 block Pandora meeting.

• The QueenR= 17;s Avenue former Travellers Inn now is 100% occupied. Renovations are continuing and will not require tenants to be re-housed during the process.

• Other housing projects are proceeding on time.

• Enrolment at the Victoria Conservatory of Music has increased by 6%.

• Concert attendances at the Conservatory and at St. John the Divine have increased, apparently because people feel more comfortable being out in the neighbourhood at night.

• Source Security is working = on implementing a block price instead of individual fees for participating businesses.

• The Pandora Green improveme= nt project still is in the budget phase.

• St. Andrews School<= /st1:PlaceType> is interviewing for students for the Fall. Kindergarten spots are available= .

• Two residents of Our Place = died over the Christmas season. In the downtown area, three youth died.

• Alex and Todd attended a Co= ol Aid meeting (see Land Use report).

• NPNA will have a 3X6X8 ft. storage unit available at the end of the month, which will allow us to store all our property in one place.

• A medical marijuana facilit= y has opened in the 1000 block of North= Park Street.

• The City has sent out a poll result showing that the majority of citizens and businesses believe that the City is performing well.

3. City of <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Victoria —no report available

4. Communications — Cameron S= peedie

• Members with information no= tices for the website should send them to Cameron.

• Possible upcoming NPNA even= ts are CPR or First Aid instruction.

• The Great British Columbia Shake Out earthquake = drill is on January 26. More information is available at www.shakeoutbc.ca/

5. Land Use — Todd Doherty

• Alex and Todd attended a Co= ol Aid meeting to hear a proposal for a lot that is for sale on Dowler Street, near the dairy. A developer wants to partner with Cool Aid to manage a four-storey “container building”. It would be part of a “= Next Steps” program for people recovering from addictions; this housing wo= uld provide 200-square-ft., self contained individual units. This housing would= be the next step up from Cool Aid’s Dowler Street communal housing. The developer is willing to discuss this proposal at an NPNA meeti= ng prior to the mandatory re-zoning meeting. According to the Downtown Core dr= aft, this property falls just outside the downtown core boundary.

• There was discussion about = the role of NPNA in terms of strategic planning. A SWOT

meeting should be organized soon.

• NPNA should begin to work w= ith St. Andrews School to plan for future use of t= he school site.

6. Safety — Paul Huxtable

• Paul contacted City Enginee= ring about the heaving sidewalk in front of the police station, caused by tree roots. It is marked for repair in 2011.

• Paul will contact Cst. Mike Russell to request a report from the police statistician about motor vehicle accidents in North = Park village.

7. Community Empowerment — Kim Persley

• It is time to begin discuss= ing NPNA’s next festival. A committee is needed to work on this.

• A new draft of the updated = NPNA logo is ready to send out to the board.

8. Ministry of Housing & Social Development — no report available

Business arising from the minutes

1. Angela Moran, from the urban farm on Ba= lmoral/Mason Streets, has applied for grants. If NPNA partnered with Angela the farm wou= ld qualify as a non-profit and it could be sublet to Angela to run.=

2. The NPNA-sponsored Food Safe cou= rse has been scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, January 16 in the hall at North Park Manor. Twelve people have registered, with another two pending.<= o:p>

New Business<= /p>

1. NPNA received a Christmas card f= rom the owner of the Knotty Bean, with thanks for our support of the business.=

2. Paul Huxtable is moving out of t= he neighbourhood. While he hopes to maintain contact with NPNA, he wishes to step down from board and committee responsibilities. Tha= nk you, Paul, for your work with NPNA.

3. The closed board meeting will be= at 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 25, at Alzu’s. Planning for 2011 will be discussed.

Adjournment:<= /p>

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.,=

Next meeting: 7:30 p.m., February 8= , in the Community Room at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. All interested residen= ts are welcome.

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of February 8, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kim Persley, Cameron Speedie, Luke

Kozlowsky<= /span>, T= odd Doherty, Linda Bain

Members: Lorna Rennie, Charles Joerin

Regrets: Chantal Webb, Arnie Mi= ller, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Kanoux Larsen

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the Janu= ary 11, 2010 meeting were accepted.

Moved by Cameron, seconded by L= uke, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — no report available

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

Alex attended the 900 block Pandora meeting.
Things are going well on the 900 block. Some people have mo= ved over to the 800block. People living at the Ellice Street shelter tend to = stay in that area, rather than coming back downtown.
The Queen’s Avenue former Travel= lers Inn housing is working well.
The bottle exchange at View and Vancouver Streets has closed and relocated near the Mustard Seed.
Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA), AIDS Vancouver Is= land (AVI) and Victoria AIDS Resource & Community Service Society (VARCS) came to themeeting to give updates.

VIHA (Dr. Murray Fyfe) — AIDS r= epresents 12% of needle problems; Hepatitis C is becoming a bigger problem. VIHA’s eventual goal is to have 50 small = needle exchange sites on Vancouver Island, probably located at medical clinics to deal with their own patients. Currently there are 10 test sites, four in Victoria, until the end of June.= At the end of the trial period VIHA will decide on the next step, with public consultation. During the trial period, the location of the test sites will not be disclosed. A large fixed needle exchange is not considered the best option. VIHA will try to set up more mental health rehab spaces.
AVI (Katrina Jensen) — AVI stil= l is running its mobile needle exchange, but would like to have a fixed si= te. They did a test of having an exchange at Streetl= ink, which went well.
VARCS (Karen Dennis) — An unmar= ked van provides a mobile needle exchange, which provides help as well; an access worker can do counselling. They are quite busy since the fixed needle exchange shut down. The majority of VARCS’ calls are residential.
During a Q&A session, the Victoria Police reported that they want multiple sites,as= a single site causes too large a concentration of drug-based activity. The police want to know why they are not being told where the test si= tes are located.
Both the City and VIHA say there will= be no fixed needle exchange on Pandora Avenue.

3. City of Victoria —no report available

4. Communications — Camer= on Speedie

There were 10 participants at the Food Safe training sessio= n in January; eight were NPNA members.

NPNA will be offering a WorkSafe approved training session on First Aid and CPR,in= cluding use of a defibrillator, taught by Guardian Emergency Training. It is anticipated that this session will take place in April. When we apply = for City permits for events, we are asked if we have people who are certif= ied in First Aid, CPR and FoodSafe.=

Motion: that NPNA will offer Fi= rst Aid and CPR training at a cost of $35.00 to individual members, in good standing, who will volunteer at NPNA events. The cost to all others will be $75.00.

Moved by Charles Joerin/seconded by Luke Kozlo= wski/carried.

Graffiti has hit the neighbourhood hard recently. The police are trying to document more. Cameron is look= ing into getting recycled paint to continue the stenciling of utility boxes and hydro poles. The possibility was raised of groups from the various= neighbourhoods sending a joint letter to City Co= uncil to express concern about tagging.
As soon as the new logo is approved, rebranding of the NPNA website can be done.

5. Land Use — Todd Doherty

Todd attended a meeting regarding the proposal for a four-storey “container building” on Dowler Street, to be used as part of a Cool Aid “Next Steps” program for people recovering from addictions. Todd had distributed 150 flyers abo= ut the meeting to residents in the neighbourhood. Eighteen neighbours attended. There was no positive response to the proposal and Cool Aid’s suggestion of decreasing the size of the project did not appease anyone.<= /span>

6. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

Paul Huxtable forwarded the 2009 Victoria Police statistics= on accidents in the Nor= th Park Village area. = More recent stats are not yet summarized. In 2009 there were 240 vehicular incidents divided into four types:

impaired — 43=
parking — 67<= /li>
traffic incident — 85
collision — 45

Other statistics were provided about police calls in genera= l, including assistance to other services (fire, ambulance).
Luke will do a catch-up with Paul about Safety Committee wo= rk over the past year.
February 7 - 14 is “Victoria Anti- Stigma Week”, aimed at educating the public about stigmas surrounding drug use. Vari= ous events are taking place around Victoria.
Linda Bain volunteered to help with safety mappi= ng in North Park.

7. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

There has been no response yet from the City about wraps on= the large utility boxes. Until the City approves, we cannot get access to historical photos from the City Archives.
The new logo is still a work in progress.=
NPNA festival:

If the festival extends over two days= , we can get food carts from the cultural associations. A two day event wo= uld require security guards and temporary fencing. Alex reported that ren= ted fencing is available at $2/8 foot section.
Suggested date for the festival is Ju= ne 18/19; this would avoid conflict with both Fern Fest and Buccaneer Da= ys. A notice will be sent out to NPNA members asking if anyone would like= to help plan the festival.

It was suggested that NPNA could organize a pole-painting p= arty to stencil telephone poles. Cameron still is assessing whether pole-painting in other neighbourhoods has discouraged graffiti taggers.
Alex will meet with the manager of Canadian Linen Supply to= see whether they would allow a mural to be painted on their building.=

8. Ministry of Housing & So= cial Development — no report available

Business arising from the minutes

1. Alex will be meeting next week with Kiefer Pollard from St. Andrew’s School to

discuss future uses for their property.

New Business

1. The First Aid course and the festival were discussed in the Communications and Empowerment reports.=

2. The closed board meeting wil= l be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, February 22, in the Hulitan Society boardroom at 902 C= aledonia Street.

3. Alex gave the 2011 draft bud= get to the finance committee.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p= .m.

Moved by Luke/seconded by Charles/carried.

Next meeting: = 7:30 p.m., March 8, in the Community Room at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica-Bold;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica-Bold'> = PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Mi= nutes of February 8, 2011 Meeting

Pr= esent:

Board members: = Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kim Persley, Cameron Speedie, Luke

Kozlowsky, Linda Bain, Kanoux Larsen

Members: Lorna Rennie, Larry Trotter, Yoka van den Berg

Regrets: Chantal Webb, Arnie Miller, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Todd Doherty, Kay Smith

Ca= ll to Order: Alex called the mee= ting to order at 7:40 p.m.

Mi= nutes:

Motion: The minutes of the February 8, 2011 meeting were accepted.

Moved by Cameron, seconded by Luke, carried= .

Re= ports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

The bank balance is $16,287.59.
The bank no longer accepts cheques made out to the acronym “NPNA”. The name must be written out in full.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended the 900 block Pandora meeting.

• Things are going well on the 900 bl= ock. There has been a slight increase in drug dealing.

• Some branding of the block will be = done. Both Relish and Cranberry Cafe are doing well.

• Nothing is happening with the Speedy Glass site.

• The new provincial heath minister a= nd VIHA will be sent letters requesting no fixed needle exchanges in the 900 block.

• Alex met with Kiefer Pollard of St. Andrews School. There will be discussion w= ith the CFO of the diocese about leasing options when the school closes. Kiefer offered to open the gates between Franklyn Green and the school for the NPNA festival. The school has a choir and an Irish dance group who could perform= as part of the festival. We are invited to the school’s Celtic Kitchen P= arty on March 17 — time TBA.

• Angela Moran from the urban farm is= making some progress with her lease negotiations. She will be at the next NPNA meeting.

• At the May NPNA meeting, City staff= will present the Official Community Plan draft.

• Alex met with a university journali= sm student about her study on needle exchanges.

• Richard Smith, manager of Canadian = Linen Supply is interested in having a mural painted on the building. Financing n= eeds to be arranged. The project could be done in stages over three years. If we= get a $2,500 City grant to cover 50%, then Canadian Linen and volunteer labour would make up the other 50%. This budget would= allow for inclusion of one more large, or two small, murals. Ideas for suitable s= pots are welcome.

• The City has approved our plans for= wraps for the three large utility boxes. Alex applied for permission to use histo= ric photos from the City Archives. We cannot proceed until we have ArchivesR= 17; approval.

• Sharon Klein is going to look after production of an NPNA newsletter, to be published twice/year. She will be g= iven a budget for this; anticipated cost for printing and distribution is $800/issue. April 4 is the deadline for advertising and articles for the upcoming issue.

• The plan for improving Pandora Gree= n is still in process.

3. City of Victoria —no report available

4. Communications — Cameron Speedie

• Cameron attended the police board meeting.

• Things are improved on Pandora Ave. The Rock Bay and Queens Ave. housing projects are going well.

• North Park’s crime statistics have increased; the crimes mainly are priority 2 or less.<= o:p>

• Auto crime has increased. Some othe= r neighbourhoods have enforcement programs; this may be causing crime to move to other neighbourhoods. = Bait cars are in use again.

• Drunk driving has decreased.

• Fernwood and Rockland have peti= tioned the police about traffic concerns.

• There has been increased enforcement regarding drug dealing.

• Calls for police service have decre= ased.

• The police strategic plan report for 208-2010 shows decreased violent crime, increased officer retention and increased presence in neighbourhoods.

• Graffiti has hit the neighbourhood hard recently. During cold and snowy weather it has been hard to clean it up effectively. A Spring clean-up will be done.

5. Membership — Penny Bond

• Sharon Klein will help with liaison= with NPNA’s business members.

6. Land Use —no report available=

7. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

• Work is starting on the safety audi= t.

8. Ministry of Housing & Social Develop= ment

• Alex reported that the work on arra= nging direct deposit of cheques is continuing. The offices of Carol James and Denise Savoie are working on obtaining clients’ addres= ses, as this is required by the banks.

• The VEFRA building, as well as the = VIHA office, now is a no-loiter zone, monitored by Source Security.

9. Community Empowerment — Kim Persle= y

• Several members have volunteered to= help with planning the NPNA festival. Cameron, Alex and Linda also will help. An initial meeting will be held at 7:30 on March 16, at the Hulitan Society boardroom.

Bu= siness arising from the minutes

1. Budget Committee

• Linda is trying to touch base with = the Coast Capital Savings representative.

• Linda is looking up more informatio= n on the Societies Act.

New Business

1. The First Aid/CPR course has reached its= registration quota of 18. The training session will take place 8:30 - 4:30, April 3 in t= he hall at North Park Manor.

2. Larry Cross reported that the bike rack = in Franklyn Green is difficult to locate and is under-used. Alex will ask the = City if the current racks can be moved farther along the path to make them more accessible.

Ad= journment:

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Moved by Kim/seconded by Kanoux/carried.

Next meeting: 7:30 p.m., A= pril 12, in the Community Room at Save-On- Foods Memorial Centre. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of April 12, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Todd Doherty, Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowsky,

Kanoux Larsen=

Members: Lorna Rennie, Tristan Trotter, Yoka van den Berg, Councillor Philippe Lucas,

Angela Moran, Charles Joerin

Regrets: Cameron Speedie, Arnie Miller, Linda Bain, Kay Smith<= o:p>

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

Presentation: Angela Moran, of City Farm on Balmoral Road

• The farm is doing well. Spring planting is starting. Over the winter a website = was developed, www.t= hecityfarm.ca, as well as a Facebook page. The Facebook page is used mainly as an educational tool. A link to the farm website can be put on the NPNA

website.

• If the farm has support from the right community stakeholders and/or philanthropists, then the landlord is open to the farm remaining on site. However, selling the land is not an option, as it is held by other family members. Negotiations are continuing.

• Angela hopes to re-fence the Maso= n Street side of the property, if she gets a 5-year lease.

• With a 5-year lease, opening a farm school would be a possibility.

• Discussions have taken place with the Land Trust, but they are not interested in this t= ype of site. Angela also is trying to contact the Land Conservancy and Woodwynn Farm to look at possible relationships.=

• The City Farm does not fit into the mandate of the City grants program, even wi= th the support of NPNA. If the farm were designated as a non-profit organizati= on, then it would be eligible.

• Volunteer hours are Mon= day and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. - noon. NPNA members are welcome to volunteer.=

• Produce previously has = been distributed in a box program to 16 families. Restaurants and Fernwood Market have been other distribution points.<= o:p>

• Currently, almost all p= roduce is sold to Relish Cafe, with some also going to The Parsonage.

Minutes:

Amendment — Change the da= te in the heading of the minutes to March 8, 2011.

Motion: The minutes of the Marc= h 8, 2011 meeting were accepted as amended.

Moved by Kanoux, seconded by Ki= m, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $16,252.95.

• There has not yet been a second meeting of the finance committee. Investment of some NPNA funds is s= till being considered.

• Fees from the recent CPR/First Aid course have been received.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended the 900 b= lock Pandora meeting.

• Protocols for how things should be reported were discussed. A protocol list and agencies’ cont= act list are being developed.

• A letter will be writte= n to VIHA, VARC and AVI, stating opposition to a fixed needle exchange on 900 Pandora.

• As tourist season appro= aches, people who stayed for the winter in public campgrounds are being evicted; t= herefore are coming into town. This has resulted in some increased drug activity on = 900 block.

• Pandora businesses want= to join forces with NPNA on graffiti eradication on May 14. The Victoria Police will send some volunteer officers to help with pole painting. Cameron has suggested prizes for the best painted poles. Philippe suggested that

both child and adult art school= s be invited to participate.

• Alex attended a meeting= with a City group about the beautification project on Pandora Green. The work wi= ll be done in-house, rather than contracted out. The pedestrian area will be marked out more. There will be some traffic flow changes, and an area in fr= ont of the Victoria Conservatory of Music will be available for outdoor concert= s. The project will be using salvaged City lighting fixtures.

• We now have permission = to use historic photos from the City Archives on the large utility box wraps. Gars= ide Signs has the pictures and is working on sizing them. Expected completion of this project is mid-May.

• The large power bunker = at the southwest corner of Royal Athletic Park (RAP) belongs to Hydro, so we may w= rap or paint it as we wish. However, the wall that backs it on two sides belong= s to the City. City permission is required to paint the wall.<= /p>

• The former Alzu’s Restaurant in the Bay and Blanshard Street strip mall will reopen as a 7-11. There is concern from neighbours about potential late night noise. It was suggested that as part of the Offi= cial Community Plan (OCP), this corner, which includes the strip mall and Island Farms Dairy, be re-assigned to North Park. The current boundary puts this corner into the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood.

3. Land Use — Todd Doherty

• Todd met with the CFO o= f the diocese about leasing or purchase options when St. Andrews School<= /st1:PlaceType> closes. Formerly, the understanding was that there was a three year window = for decision, prior to closing of the school. The diocese now is looking at

selling the property, except fo= r the MacDonalds’ site, this year, then leasing it ba= ck while the school remains open. The property has been appraised and the aski= ng price is $10,000,000.

4. City of Victoria —Philippe Lucas

• The OCP draft is going = back to the public for input. The plan is optimistic and realistic. It includes sections on place-making, and food and food systems.

• The Johnson Street rail bridge had to be closed as it was unsafe. VIA passenger rail already has not been running du= e to maintenance issues on other parts of the track. The bridge closure affects cyclists and pedestrians, as well as rail. There has been discussion, witho= ut consensus, by City Council about closing one vehicle lane on the bridge to = make a bike lane; however the whole bridge is to be de-commissioned in eight mon= ths as the new bridge is built.

• A storm water utility w= ill be created in 2013. Taxation will be based on a calculation of water permeable surfaces of properties, including City properties. There will be a user rew= ard program for properties with a greater amount of permeable surfaces (e.g.

paving stones, rain barrels, ra= in gardens etc.) There is a plan eventually to treat storm sewer water for contaminants.

• Vancouver Island School= of Art (VISA) has created a “water wall” mural for the Crystal Poo= l.

• VISA has established a relationship with the Emi= ly Carr University of Art & Design. VISA first year credentials will be accepted for trans= fer to Emily = Carr University.

• Spring gardening worksh= ops will be held at Beacon Hi= ll Park. Details are i= n a recent City bulletin or at www.victoria.ca.

• The winter City market = in Bastion Square is continuing into summer. The next market is on April 24, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. On= the same day, there will be an Easter egg hunt at noon in Bastion Square.

• On April 29 at noon, th= ere will be a ceremonial replanting of the Small Steps Edible Landscape Garden at the Topaz Entrance of City Hall. Residents are invited to come

by to enjoy music and lemonade,= and perhaps to plant a few annuals as well.

5. Membership/First Metropolitan Church liaison — Penny Bond

• One North Park resident has renewed her membership.

• Business member “= The Guitar Room” has resigned, as the business has moved out of the neighbourhood.

• There has been a re-organization of responsibilities at the Ministry of Housing & Social= Development. Chantal Webb has resigned from NPNA as the VEFRA Building no longer is her responsibility. It is hoped that the person taking over th= is area will join NPNA.

• = First Metropolitan<= /st1:PlaceName> United Church’s building committee is looking ahead to possible redevelopment of the educat= ion wing over the next 10 years. NPNA was noted, along with the Intercultural Association (ICA) and arts groups as an interested organization<= /span>

for use of space as this develo= pment proceeds. ICA currently is the tenant of the church basement.

• An offer of donated mee= ting space for NPNA has been made by First Metropolitan for the present and on an ongoing basis.

6. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

• The safety audit is alm= ost completed and should be ready for presentation at next month’s meetin= g.

• Luke attended a Police = Board meeting on March 29. There was presentation of a web based crime reporting method called “Crime Report”, which keeps real time data (24 ho= ur delay) on a web-based map. It went on-line on March 31. The police want to<= o:p>

keep track of both major and mi= nor crimes, which can be reported anonymously at www.crimereports.com, or as “crime reports” at www.vicpd.ca.

7. Ministry of Housing & So= cial Development — no report available

8. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

• Planning is proceeding = for the North Park Festival on June 18 & 19. The festival activities will t= ake place at Franklyn Green and the St. Andrew’s School ground will house= the market element, including both crafts and food. Market vendors will be char= ged $25/table. Cameron is contacting cultural groups; Kim is concentrating on crafts vendors; Luke is working on the food market area. Linda Bain and another NPNA member also are on the planning committee.

9. Communications — no re= port available

Communications issues are discu= ssed in other reports.

Business arising from the minutes:

Tristan Trotter reported no cha= nge yet in the location of the bike rack in Franklyn Green. It is difficult to locate and is under-used. Alex had asked ask the City to move the current b= ike rack farther along the path to make it more accessible. A second bike rack<= /o:p>

would be welcome. Philippe will follow up.

New Business:

1. Tristan Trotter reported tha= t a sign indicating “Franklyn Green” would be helpful. Philippe will follow up.

2. A call will be put out for p= eople and groups interested in joining in the pole painting event on May 14.=

3. The closed Board meeting wil= l be at 7 p.m., April 26.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p= .m.

Next meeting: = 7:30 p.m., May 10, in the lounge at St. John the Divine Church. The meeting will include discussion of the draft OCP with City representati= ves. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of May 10, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Cameron Speedie, Todd Doherty,= Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski, Kanoux Larsen

Members: Lorna Rennie, Tristan Trotter, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Charles Joerin, Joan Waller<= /p>

Guests: Cameron Scott & Jes= se Dill, of City of Victoria; Catherine Bridge

Regrets: Arnie Miller, Linda Bain

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Presentation: Official Community Plan (OCP) — Cameron Scott & Jesse Dill

• The draft OCP is available at www.shapeyourfuturevictoria.ca/. Hard copies are available free at City Hall.

• Feedback from citizens and community groups is welcome. This will lead to revisions = and the revised document then will be taken to City Council. The OCP will provi= de Victoria’s planning context for the next 30 years. There is an online survey, and writ= ten submissions will be accepted until June 10.

• Open houses have already taken place and there will be more on May 14 at Fairfield Community Place, May 26 at Community Café for Youth, and May 31 at Oaklands Community Centre.

Discussion:

• Written submissions should be directed at specific policies or sub-topics, organized according to the plan’s organization.

• Free and accessible space is important for community building. North Park does not have a community centre.

• One fringe of North Park borders on the Down= town core and could have to live with consequences of Downtown decisions. City council is supportive of urban villages and would try to avoid North Park being overwhelmed by Downtown decision m= aking.

• The OCP provides guidance in zoning issues. It will not change existing values = of communities. The OCP is legally binding. Developers have to apply for re-zo= ning if they want something changed. Over time, some zonings may be changed to be consistent with the OCP.

• Skyscapes have been taken into consideration in places where increased density (with increased height) is allowed.

• Shadow casting by higher buildings has been taken into consideration in the Downto= wn Core area plan.

• One chapter of the OCP is dedicated to food systems and sustainability. The CRD also is looking at these issues.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the Apri= l 12, 2011 meeting were accepted.

Moved by Kanoux, seconded by To= dd, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $14,867.20.

• Fo= toprint and Sharon Klein have been paid for newsletter production.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• The 900 block Pandora m= eeting was cancelled this month.

• The Pandora Green proje= ct is continuing. A “cell system” of tree planting is being tried, as this should prevent tree roots from breaking up concrete.=

• BC Hydro is planning ch= anges to the power bunker at Royal Athletic Park (RAP), so NPNA will not be able = to paint it.

• Garside Signs is workin= g on the mock-ups for wraps for the other large power boxes.

3. City of Victoria —Philippe Lucas

• Maps were distributed of alternate bicycle and pedestrian routes, now that the rail portion of the <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Johnson Street Bridge is closed.

• Village Vibe is coming out soon with listing of summer festivals.

• The City has passed an increase in 2011 property tax rates. Details are availab= le at www.victoria.ca/residents/billpayment_tax.shtml. Philippe opposed the higher increase on residential property.

4. Communications — Camer= on Speedie

• The NPNA festival needs= to be advertised.

• If anyone knows of poss= ible food vendors for the festival, they should talk to Cameron or Kim.

• The OCP will be put up = on the NPNA website.

• Contact Cameron if ther= e is anything else to go on the website.

5. Land Use — Todd Doherty

• Todd met with Grant Lai= ng from Hillel Architecture about preliminary plans for changes to the educati= on wing at First Metropolitan Church= . One possibility is that the building height on this wing could be raised to= the level of the original roofline. Todd suggested that Heritage Foundation gra= nt money might be available to help fund such a change.

• The native plant garden= at Vancouver and Pembroke Streets is thriving. The small native plant garden a= t North Park and Cook Streets needs weeding. Some pla= nts were accidentally cut down when the grass was mowed. An NPNA group weeding session will take place on May 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

6. Membership — Penny Bond

Nothing to report.

6. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

The safety audit is still in pr= ocess.

7. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

Planning is proceeding for the = North Park Festival on June 18 & 19.

• Luke is continuing to r= ecruit farm market vendors for the festival.

• There are approximately= 10 craft vendors lined up, most for two days, some coming from Vancouver. They will offer a variety of products. Cameron will try to get more.

• Some musicians and danc= ers are lined up, with hopes for more.

• A festival poster has b= een completed. Kim is trying to arrange free printing of the poster and a handb= ill.

• Hu= litan Society is to confirm attendance by the chief of the S= onghees Nation, as well as a First Nations dance group.

• A pit barbecue for salm= on is being considered.

Business arising from the minutes:

The NPNA pole painting event wi= ll take place on May 14, meeting at RAP at 9 a.m. Cameron and the City both wi= ll provide paint. The focus will be on Caledonia and Cook Streets, 1000 block Pandora Avenue, and North Park Street.

New Business:

1. The NPNA newsletter is on the website and hard copies are being hand delivered throughout the neighbourhood.

2. There will be a presentation, sponsored by Esquimalt Residents Association on “Understanding Waste Water Management in Victoria” Do We Have the Right P= lan. It takes place May 26, 7 - 9 = p.m., in the auditorium of S.J. Willis Education Centre, = 923 Topaz Ave.

3. Council= lor Philippe Lucas will be away in June.

4. Starting in June, the NPNA meetings will be held at = First Metropolitan Church, in Room 200. If anyone has difficulty with climbing stairs, there is an elevator to the second floor.

5. The closed Board meeting wil= l be at 7 p.m., May 24.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p= .m.

Moved by Kanoux, seconded by Ki= m.

Next meeting: = 7:30 p.m., June 14, in Room 200 at First Metropolitan United Church, 932 Balmoral Road. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of June 14, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Cameron Speedie, Todd Doherty,= Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski, Kanoux Larsen, Lin= da Bain

Members: Lorna Rennie, Tristan Trotter, Charles Joerin

Guests: Cs= t. Nicky Sch= nare, Victoria Police; Adam Baile= y, FolkWest; MaryLee Gravel<= o:p>

Regrets: C= ouncillor Philippe Lucas, Arnie Miller

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Presentations:

1. Cst. Nicky Schnare is the new Downtown Community Res= ource Officer from the Victoria Police Department.

• The calls for service r= eport for the past year was discussed and it was pointed out that the statistics = for North Park look falsely high because the police sta= tion is located in the neighbourhood. Any calls to t= he VicPD are logged at the police address on

Caledonia St.

• All statistics are on t= he police website w= ww.vicpd.ca. The crime map at www.crimereports.com <= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>is good for showing trends.

• Nicky welcomes our conc= erns and these can be addressed at a future meeting. She can be contacted direct= ly at 250-995-7209 or vi5385@vicpd.ca.

• Discussion:<= /span>

• Franklyn Green foot and= bike patrols fluctuate in frequency because of fewer officers working Saturday to Monday.

• Nicky works closely wit= h City bylaws department. This includes concerns related to graffiti removal.=

2. Adam Bailey presented the pl= an for FolkWest

• Fo= lkWest is an artist-led new folk festival starting up in Victoria. The Lower Island Folk Festiv= al Society is non-profit, involved in fund raising, site finding, and sustainability of a folk festival in Victoria.

• A written proposal for = FolkWest at Royal Athletic Park, August 19 - 21, 2011, including the Society’s Mission & Values statement, was distributed and discussed.

• A family-friendly festi= val including music (85% local) and art is proposed for Royal Athletic Park (RA= P). Plans for security, noise control, traffic/transportation and earth-friendly initiatives were presented.

• Proposed festival hours= would be Friday, 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 = a.m. - 10 p.m.

• RAP was chosen as a goo= d site because it is large and self-contained. The festival is anticipating attendances of about 2,000/day.

• Discussion:<= /span>

• As this is the first ye= ar of the event, FolkWest still is learning the corre= ct order of who to approach; in future they would consult NPNA earlier in the process. They wish to be respectful of the neighbourho= od.

• A private security firm= will be hired; security would include checks at the door for smuggled alcohol. V= icPD also is being consulted.

• The festival’s be= er garden will have a three stage line-up, including ID/security check. Beer w= ill be served by trained City staff.

• NPNA recommended an ear= lier and “soft” closure to avoid late night noise in the neighbourhood. Sound checks will be done prior to the event.

• NPNA suggested that FolkWest talk to Beerfest organizers about what they do about crowd disbursement.

• There will be Portapotties outside RAP.

• NPNA suggested stressin= g the option of using public transit to and from the event, maybe with incentives= or discounts. Plans for a “bike valet” already are in place.<= /o:p>

• Closing off Vancouver St. between Caledonia and Pembroke Streets m= ight be a good idea.

• Fo= lkWest hopes to receive a letter of endorsement from NPNA. They will work on chang= es in view of NPNA’s concerns, then come bac= k and present these at the July NPNA meeting.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the May = 10, 2011 meeting were accepted.

Moved by Tr= istan, seconded by Todd, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $14,129.74.

• Payment is slowly comin= g in from the newsletter ads.

• Sponsorship money is st= arting to come in.

• After the NPNA festival= , work on the investment plan will resume.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended the 900 b= lock Pandora meeting

• Rev. Al Tysick’s retirement party will be June 29, 1 - 5 p.m. at Our Place. There will be fo= od, music, presentations and an open mic (2 - 4 p.m= .) Everyone is welcome to attend.

• The housing at 710 Queens Ave. is working well.

• A letter has been draft= ed to VIHA, AVI and VARC about a fixed needle exchange. Multiple sites are prefer= red, not a large single site.

• Alex distributed the dr= aft City document showing syringe drop box total for May 2008 - May 2011. The highest numbers are at Our Place. Mason St. fluctuates between 50 to 175/month.

• The new roof at St. John the Divine should be finished by the end of July.

• The Victoria Conservato= ry of Music will hold an open house on September 10, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.<= /span>

• The Pandora Green proje= ct is on budget and on time, with expected completion at the end of July The official opening may be scheduled in September to = tie in with the Conservatory’s open house.

• BC Hydro is planning ch= anges to the power bunker at Royal Athletic Park (RAP), so NPNA will not be able = to paint it.

• Garside Signs’ pr= oofs with archival photos for large power box wraps were shown.

• Hydro still is working = on the large power bunker at RAP.

• In Bloom Florist on Qua= dra near North Park St. has closed. A thrift store now is in that location.

• The Little Thai Place restaurant wants to do s= ome fund raising with NPNA in June and July. They now are producing dry packaged food and will donate $2/box to NPNA. In return, NPNA must report how these funds are used, which will be bike racks, benches, paving stones, murals, e= tc.

3. City of Victoria — no report available

4. Communications — Camer= on Speedie

• The pole painting event= in May went well and so far very little graffiti has returned to the painted-o= ut areas. Thanks to all who participated. We will have another pole painting p= arty later.

• Prior to wrapping, Came= ron will paint out the power box at bay and Quadra Streets.

• Cameron attended the Po= lice Board meeting. Minutes were distributed; the agenda is available at the pol= ice website.

• Advertising for the NPNA festival is on the website www.npna.ca.

5. Membership/First Metropolitan — Penny Bond<= /span>

• One resident has moved = and asked to be taken off the membership roll.

• Intrepid Theatre has as= ked to be taken off the contact list.

• NPNA has been approache= d by Tara Todesco, a grad student working on = Community Tables, a pilot project with United Way of Greater Victoria. Tara already has talked with Susan Hallatt, planning consultant; Rev. Allan Saunders of First Metropolitan United

Church; and= Councillor Philippe Lucas. The pilot project aims to enga= ge with citizens directly to look at social and community issues and influence= positive changes. North Park has been identified = as a community that might be a good fit for this project. More=

information= about this will be forthcoming= .

6. Land Use — Todd Doherty

Nothing to = report.

7. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

• Luke attended the Smart= Sewage Forum and panel discussion. There were many opinions from a variety of sour= ces. The City and CRD did not send representatives. More information is availabl= e at www.smartsewage.= webs.com.

8. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

The North Park Festival will ta= ke place on June 19, noon - 5 p.m.

• There are approximately= 10 vendors confirmed. They will offer a variety of products.=

• There is a great line-u= p of entertainers, with good variety.

• The festival poster has= been distributed. Cameron also has produced a smaller handbill version. Media ha= ve been alerted.

• A number of organizatio= ns are on board for display booths.

• Pick-up of chairs and t= ables from First Metropolitan will be Friday, June 17. Set-up at Franklin Green on Sunday begins at 9 a.m.

• Extra volunteers are we= lcome.

New Business:

1. Tristan Trotter will try to = do a written submission to the City about the Official Community Plan (OCP). He = has identified a discrepancy in the OCP between wantingto<= /span> do what’s right for neighbourhoods and do= ing what’s needed to attract greater density. This includes concern that buffer zones are needed around historic areas.

2. Cameron would like to initia= te some kind of community challenge to raise money to assist those impacted by= the fire at Slave Lake. It was decided to have a don= ation box at the NPNA festival.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p= .m.

Next meeting: = 7:30 p.m., July 12, in Room 200 at First Metropolitan United

Church, 932 B= almoral Road. All interested residents are welcome

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of July 12, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Todd Doherty, Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski, Linda Bain

Members: Lorna Rennie

Guests: Cs= t. Nicky Schnare, VicPD Community Liaison

Regrets: Kanoux Larsen, Cameron Speedie, Councillor<= /span> Philippe Lucas, Arnie Miller

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the June= 14, 2011 meeting were accepted.

Moved by To= dd, seconded by Luke, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer<= /p>

• Alex reported, on behal= f of Kanoux, that the NPNA festival expenses were $1,979.73. Income was $1,431.7= 3, with an additional $425 as gifts in kind, for a total income of $1,856.94. = This results in a net loss of $122.79 on the festival.

• The board has reviewed investment possibilities. and has decided on a conservative portfolio of guaranteed investments, with a 60/40 split of government bonds/financial institutions. With a three to four year horizon,= a 5 - 6% return would be expected.

• Motion: that the board = be authorized to invest $5,000 of NPNA’s fun= ds in a conservative, guaranteed portfolio, with an option to add to the investme= nt later.

Moved by Pe= nny, seconded by Luke, carried.

Documentation of the NPNA signi= ng officers will be needed in order to proceed with this investment.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Today’s 900 block Pandora meeting was cancelled.

• Alex attended the Our P= lace meeting on June 21.

• 800, 900 and 1000 block= s of Pandora Ave. generally are doing well. Drug dealers have been hanging around near the Christian Science Church and the Royal LePage real estate office.

• Sandra Danco, new executive director of Our Place started on July 4.

• The June 29 retirement = party for Rev. Al Tysick went well.=

• The Pandora Green proje= ct remains on time and on budget. A re-opening party is planned for Sept. 10, along with the Victoria Conservatory of Music open house.=

• The NPNA AGM will be he= ld on October 11. There are six 2-year and two 1-year board positions open. Curre= nt board members should let Alex know if they wish to run again.

Please let Alex or Penny know o= f any other nominations.

3. Victoria Police — Cst. Nicky Schnare

• VicPD received a compla= int about a new store at Douglas and Cormorant Streets which is selling drug paraphernalia. There is no bylaw to prevent this.

• In response to a questi= on about how to approach owners of “problem properties” (i.e. poor= ly maintained), Cst. Schnare<= /span> suggested initially sending a neighbourhood let= ter offering to help the owner clean up. Approaching City bylaw authorities is another

option.

• Victoria Police Reserve officers can do home or business security assessments. Contact Nicky Schnare at vi5385@vicpd.ca to arrange.

4. City of Victoria — no report available

5. Communications — no re= port available

6. Land Use — Todd Doherty

A development proposal for 834 Princess Ave. has just been forwarded to NPNA = from the City. There was an adjacent property which previously was duplexed, without= NPNA being informed. There are another two houses in this row; all four houses b= eing

extremely close together. The current pr= oposal at 834 Princess is to add a suite with expansion into the attic. Variances = are needed for this expansion: increase 1-foot in height to create an 8-ft. basement; expand into attic to add ½ storey; decrease lot coverage by 0.5%; variance for set-backs. NPNA has concerns about this development in v= iew of the closeness of the four houses and the possibility of further developm= ent which might not be in keeping with the rest of the immediate neighbourhood. Todd will write to the Mayor and Counc= il about NPNA’s concerns and will attend the= City meeting on July 21, when this proposal will be discussed.=

7. Safety —Luke Kozlowski

• Nothing to report.=

8. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

• The North Park Festival= was very successful. We need to build on this success to continue to improve fu= ture festivals.

• Mayor Dean Fortin and <= st1:PersonName w:st=3D"on">Mike Hill, Downtown Coordinator for the City, attended and were happy with the proceedings.

• Advertising was good, although media advertising was less than we had hoped. In future, it might = be worthwhile to purchase some media coverage. There was no flyer to households this year. Possibly a flyer with a redeemable coupon would be

good= .

• Having vendor tables wa= s a good way to expand the festival and draw people in. None of these vendors h= as a store-front operation. There was some flexibility about vendor table fees, = so that vendors with fewer sales would not be operating

at a loss.

• Having a DJ worked well. There was some recorded music to fill gaps between live acts, but recordings cannot be played when musicians are doing sound checks.

• We need to start planni= ng earlier, as soon as the AGM is over, for next year’s festival.

New Business:

1. A committee is needed to wor= k on promoting the North Park<= /st1:PlaceName> Village. The Fernwood Community Association (FCA) is interested in= being involved, as the east side of Cook St. is part of Fernwood.

• A committee of eight co= uld include 2 NPNA, 2 FCA, business and residential neighb= ours. An initial meeting should be planned within two months.

• The North Park banners are due to be changed soon.

• = North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType> should discuss branding. The raccoon picture on the festival banner was well-received. There was informal discussion about having a raccoon mascot; raccoon costumes are available on-line for purchase.

2. NPNA is planning to hold a b= ike safety seminar, possibly in September. There is interest in participation f= rom: Riders Bike Shop, North Park Cycle, Medichair, = the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, VicPD and City of Victoria. Let Alex know of any

ideas for additional participants or topics.

• The cycle shops would t= alk about bike maintenance; Medichair would discuss scooter safety.

• Possibly we could use t= he St. Andrews School gym and playground so that = there could be both indoor and outdoor workshops.

• It was suggested that I= CBC be involved in terms of rules of the road for both automobile drivers and cyclists.

3. United Way Community Tables pilot project definitely is interested in working with NPNA. In view of low attendance at this meeting, discussion of this project was tabled.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p= .m.

Next meeting: = 7:30 p.m.,August 9, in Room 200= at First Metropolitan United

Church, 932 B= almoral Road. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica-Bold;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica-Bold'> = PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Mi= nutes of August 9, 2011 Meeting

Pr= esent:

Board members: = Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kanoux Larsen, Cameron Speedie, Todd Doherty, Lind= a Bain

Members: Charle= s Joerin

Guests: Nick Blasko, Rifflandia Festival; Matthew Lie= m, Great Canadian Beer Fest

Regrets: Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Arnie Miller

Ca= ll to Order: Alex called the mee= ting to order at 7:10 p.m.

Pr= esentations:

1.= Rifflandia Update — Nick B= lasko:

&#= 8226; Rifflandia Festival takes place September 22 - 25, wi= th several venues, including Royal Athletic Park (RAP). A production schedule = and RAP site map were distributed, as well as a sample letter to neighbourhood residents and contact information.=

&#= 8226; There will be road closure on Vancouver St. between Caledonia Ave. and Green Street, with loading/unloadin= g on Pembroke, Caledonia and Vancouver Street= s. There may be staggered times of comings and goings of large trucks on Vancouver St.

&#= 8226; Daily loading-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. At= the end of the day there will be a soft curfew at 8:40 p.m.; hard curfew at 9 p= .m., with the park cleared of patrons at 10 p.m. All festival activities will be completed by 11 p.m.

&#= 8226; Q & A :=

&#= 8226; Litter bins will be at the exit.=

&#= 8226; There will be portable toilets outside as w= ell as inside RAP.

&#= 8226; There will be five security patrols outside= . Central Park and Save On= Foods Memorial Arena were identified as potential problem areas. NPNA suggested t= hat security patrols also check for alcohol consumption in parked vehicles.

&#= 8226; Rifflandia organizers are trying to promote bicycle transportation. They also are looking at providing a shuttle to downtown.

&#= 8226; People who exit RAP, then wish to re-enter,= will be subject to the same security checks as for initial entry.

&#= 8226; A letter to local residents about the event= will be hand delivered. NPNA suggests using Canada Post to increase access to co= ndo buildings.

2. Great Canadian Beer Fest Update — Matthew Liem:

• The Beer Fest will take place at RAP September 9 & 10, 3 - 8 p.m.

• There will be an increase over 2010= in both private security and police presence, as well as = a BC Liquor Board inspector.

• There is an ejection policy if a pa= tron is intoxicated. Ejected patrons will be put in a cab; the alternative is to leave in a police car. One area is designated as a cab stand.

• There will be portable toilets outs= ide as well as inside RAP. Police have been informed not to stop exiting patrons f= rom going back into RAP to use the toilet.

• NPNA board members may have a site = walk with Matthew Liem, if requested.

Mi= nutes:

Motion: The minutes of the July 12, 2011 me= eting were approved.

Moved by Kanoux, second= ed by Todd, carried.

Re= ports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $13,040.34=

• The operating grant of $2,090 has b= een received from the City.

• A Husky rebate of $64.85 was receiv= ed.

• Kanoux will contact Saul _________a= nd set up what is required by the NPNA signatories.

• An invoice for $318.49 just arrived= for the stage used at the NPNA festival.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended today’s 900 blo= ck Pandora meeting.

• The construction of Pandora Green is nearly finished. A re-opening party is planned for Sept. 10, along with the Victoria Conservatory of Music open house. NPNA could have an information t= ent at this event.

• With warm weather, there has been an increase of activity in the area. Wellburns and= Macs have hired Themis Security for their areas.

• Alex attended the Our Place meeting= at the end of July.

• The area near the Christian Science Church remains a problem with drug activity. Todd has told the church about signs that can be used to deter unwanted activities.

• Central Baptist Church will be putt= ing up some fencing.

• Themis = Security, a new company, sent Alex a copy of their press release. Alex responded with= a suggestion about modification of some wording.

• Alex and Todd went to look at new property proposals.

• The NPNA AGM will be held at North = Park Manor on October 11. Work on the AGM program, as well as the bike safety workshop, is continuing.

• Alex met with the Fernwood Community Association (FCA) about North Park Village promotion. FCA wished NPNA to take the lead; they will support the project = and want to be represented on the planning committee. They also may be able to = help with

application for extra funding grants. They like the id= ea of having a mascot for the village.

3. City of Victoria — no report available

4. Communications —Cameron Speedie

• Another pole painting party should = be organized, preferably before the festivals at RAP.

• Cameron will be doing some stencili= ng on a power box near North Park and Blanshard Streets.

5. Land Use — Todd Doherty

• Todd met with Mike Miller, who want= s to replace the house at 850 Q= ueens Ave. with a 10 unit apartment building. This proposal is well beyond current zoning and the neighbo= urhood plan. No official application has yet been made. Todd advised that the=

developer= look at the community plan.

• Todd will set up a public meeting n= ext week to discuss the proposed development at the northwest corner of Quadra St. = and Queens Ave.= In addition to the original two business offices, there now is a proposal to a= dd a coffee shop at this site.

6. Membership — Penny Bond

• There is one new individual member.=

• Hearts and Hands Health Collective,= at 851 Cormorant St., is a new business member.

7. Safety — No report available.=

8. Community Empowerment — No report available.

Old Business:

Penny has had further contact from the proj= ect assistant of the United Wa= y’s Community Tables: Engaging Neighbours pilot project. United Way of Greater Victor= ia has chosen the North Park, Oaklands and Tillicum neighbourhoods to participate in t= his

project to “focus on fostering citizen engag= ement in our region.” Each community table would be made up of 10 - 15 diverse community citizens meeting monthly between October 2011 and March 2012. The focus areas would be one or more of: All that kids=

can be; Healthy people, Strong Communities; and From poverty to possibility. In= each neighbourhood, a six - 10 member Local Resource Group= will be established to support planning, implementation and follow-up. Penny will represent NPNA at the initial

meeting of this group on September 8.

New Business:

1. A committee to work on promoting the North Park Village is being established. Alex= will represent NPNA; Joanne _____ will represent the Fernwo= od Community Association (FCA) , with possibly anot= her FCA member as well. Cameron Speedie

and Charles Joerin= from NPNA also are interested. Kanoux Larsen, and possibly Vicky Hagel from Castle Building C= entre, will represent the village businesses.

2. The proposed date for the bike safety se= minar is September 17. Participants include:

North Park Cycle, Medichair, the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, Vi= cPD, John Luton, and possibly others.<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica'> The location, to be confirmed, is the St. Andrews School gym and playground so that = there could be both indoor and outdoor workshops.

There will be a bike rodeo for kids (and/or adults).

Ad= journment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Moved by Cameron, secon= ded by Linda, carried.

Next meeting: 7:30 p.m., September 13, in Room 200 at First Metropolitan

United= Church, 932 B= almoral Road. All interested residents are welcome.

NORTH<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica-Bold;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica-Bold'> = PARK N= EIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Mi= nutes of September 13, 2011 Meeting

Pr= esent:

Board members: = Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kanoux Larsen, Cameron Speedie, Linda Bain, Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski,

Members: Charle= s Joerin, Tristan Trotter, Nick Montgomery, Jeanette Sheehy

Guest: Richard Pawley

Regrets: Todd D= oherty, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Cst. Nicki Schnare, Lorn= a Rennie

Ca= ll to Order: Alex called the mee= ting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Pr= esentation: Richard Pawley<= /span>

&#= 8226; Cinder Block Gallery and Studios, an artist= -run gallery, is moving into the building at 1580 Cook St. (corner of Mason St., = beside Wellburns parking lot). It has a one-year lease, July= 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 and will continue on a year-by-year basis.=

&#= 8226; Some minor work has been done on the inside= of the building; the gallery has applied for a building permit for additional work. A mural has been painted on the exterior walls to try to discourage tagging.

&#= 8226; The gallery plans to paint over the current building sign and add its own name.

&#= 8226; Parking rental, at $80/month, will help the gallery pay its rent.

&#= 8226; There are four main artists in the collecti= ve, with several others sharing the space.

They are mainly abstract artists.

&#= 8226; There will be shows regularly at the galler= y.

&#= 8226; The gallery hopes to partner with some neighbouring businesses (e.g. showing some paintings = in cafes).

&#= 8226; A gallery website is being set up.

&#= 8226; There is some thought of putting in a garden around the gallery.

&#= 8226; There will be an Open House at Cinder Block Gallery and Studios on October 8, 2 - 5 p.m.

Q & A

&#= 8226; NPNA expressed some concern that the mural = on the building appears too much like graffiti; therefore may attract taggers as a “free wall” where they can tag. Informationabout tagging an= d how to control it is available from Cameron. The gallery will watch

and see how it goes with the current murals.

&#= 8226; There is a new bylaw on parking rental area= s. Owners of parking properties are responsible for rainwater run-off. Since t= he gallery is a tenant, it should not have direct responsibility.

&#= 8226; Alex suggested putting up “no loitering” and “no trespassing” signs. If such signs are present, then the police can go onto private property to move people along.= It also was suggested that lighting with a movement sensor, and a camera or du= mmy camera be installed outside the building to improve security.

&#= 8226; Further information about bylaws (re: signa= ge, parking) is available from the Citywebsite.

&#= 8226; Once the gallery’s website is up, Cam= eron will put a link on the NPNA website.

&#= 8226; Alex informed Richard of the North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType> meeting on September 22.

Mi= nutes:

Motion: The minutes of the August 9, 2011 m= eeting were approved.

Moved by Kanoux, second= ed by Cameron, carried.<= /o:p>

Re= ports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

The bank balance is $11,535.14.<= /span>

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Alex attended today’s 900 blo= ck Pandora meeting.

• There was a large attendance at the re-opening party of Pandora Green on Sept.

An anarchist group came, to protest the cos= t of the project and the lack of input by street people who use the area. They w= ere vocal during the mayor’s speech, but were given an opportunity to have their say.

• The Conservatory of Music has been = tagged on all four sides; both Our Place and St. John the Divine also have been tagged.

• There were two break-ins at the Con= servatory. The first time there was minor theft from an unlocked office; the second ti= me the halls were sprayed with foam from the fire extinguishers.

• The area near the Christian Science Church remains a problem with transients and drug activity. It is being use= d as a pick-up point for dealers.

• There are some problems in 800 block Pandora Ave. Central Baptist Church will be putting up some fencing.

• There is discussion about putting a= mural on the Mason St. side of the former Speedy Muffler building. Negotiations are in progress to lease the building.

• There will be a North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType> meeting at the Parsonage Cafe, September 22 at 5:30 p.m., to discuss how to promote the village. NPNA’s website has r= esults of the place-making exercise done in 2000.

• Three large power box wraps are com= pleted and installed. Three smaller wraps remain to be done and probably will show native plant designs.

• Alex had discussions with the Downt= own Residents Association (DRA). There was agreement that DRA and NPNA will eng= age in more joint activities and will help to promote each others’ activities. NPNA members are invited to a Lawn Bowling Social hosted by DRA= on September 17, 3 - 6 p.m. at the Canadian Pacific Lawn Bowling Club.

• Quotes are being obtained for new <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">North Park banners. These will be larger (60”x40”) than the current banners and will be hung on the stre= et side of the poles. The tails will be longer. More colours can be done, prob= ably for the same cost as the screen prints

on the current banners due to new laser techn= ology. Nick Montgomery will talk to O= lio Arts Collective to see what their cost for screening would be.

• The NPNA AGM will be at North Park = Manor hall, 7:30 p.m., October 11. Please let Alex or Penny know of any possible nominees to the board. Speaker TBA, possibly Mayor Dean Fortin and City representatives about the new downtown economic plan.

3. City of Victoria — no report available

4. Communications —Cameron Speedie

• Cameron attended the police board m= eeting

• The police are using social media t= o keep people updated, with good success.

• There was a presentation about Victoria Integrated Court. This court, for the most prolific offenders, is designed to be effective, efficient, to include weekly meetings, and to liaise with police. It takes a problem-solving approach. Its effectiveness has resulted in a 40 - 60% reduction in crime recurrence.

• Crime in Victoria has decreased by 10%. There h= as been an increase in crimes involving weapons, sexual assault, and drugs. No= rth Park is ranked #3 for crime in Victoria. The presence of VicPD headquarters in North Park affects these statistics.

• There has been a lot of “slap tagging” (using a stencil to very quickly tag and move on). This is d= one to test an area’s response to tagging, to see if it might be an area = for further tagging.

5. Land Use —no report available=

6. Membership — Penny Bond

• There are two new individual member= s, Nick and Jeanette, present at this meeting.

7. Safety — Luke Kozlowski

Nothing to report

8. Community Empowerment — Kim Persle= y

Nothing to report

Old Business:

1. The initial Local Resource Group meeting= for the United Way’s Community Tables:

Engaging Neighbours pilot project was postponed from September 8 to September 21. Penny will represent NPNA at this meeting. The participants of Local Resource Group have been as= ked to respond to a survey about the three focus areas All that kids can

be; Healthy people, Strong communitie= s; and From poverty to possibility. Penny will respond to this survey on behalf= of NPNA. Alex suggested that the survey be forwarded to the general NPNA membership to gather more opinions. Nick Montgo= mery expressed some interest in participating in this project to “focus on fostering citizen engagement in our region.”

2. Alex and Penny attended the informal lan= d use meeting, chaired by Todd, about the property at the northwest corner of Quadra St. = and Queens Ave.= The new owners, an architecture firm and Dogwood Initiatives, each would occupy one floor of the existing

house. The new plan is to raise the house to all= ow the basement to be used for a coffee shop, with the addition of a patio area. T= here is no plan to include parking stalls. They wish to have regressive zoning so that there would be a possibility in the future to return the building to residential use. In this instance the two business areas would be subdivide= d to create four residential units; the coffee shop would remain. The proposal is that the coffee shop would be run by a non-profit organization, Neighbourhood

Resource Group (NRG) fr= om Fernwood. Most of the neighbours who attended the meeting= were opposed to these plans, particularly because of concerns about parking. The= re were questions about where profits from the coffee shop would go, as NRG is=

based in Fernwood, a= nd whether there is a need for another coffee shop in this part of the neighbourhood. The owners will re-think their proposa= l, in view of these discussions. There may be another informal land use meeting later.

New Business:

1. Congratulations to Kim Persley and Nick = Kozlowsky on their marriage last month.

2. There will be an event to welcome Sandra= Danco, new executive director, at Our Place, on Sunda= y, September 18, 2 p.m.

3. NPNA’s= grant request has been submitted.

4. The two recent festivals at Royal Athlet= ic Park (RAP) were successful. There was very favourable<= /span> response to Folk West; the Great Canadian Beer Fest ran smoothly. Rifflandia will take place at RAP, in addition to oth= er sites, on September 23 to 25.

5. There are three interested buyers for th= e St. Andrews School property.=

6. The deadline for submissions to the next= NPNA newsletter is October 10. Please send submissions to Sharon Klein. The newsletter will go to the printer on October 25 and will be published on November 1. It was suggested that a smaller print run be<= /p>

done, as there were quite a few left-overs last time.

Ad= journment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Moved by Kim, seconded = by Luke, carried.

Next meeting: Annual General Meeting at 7:30 p.m., October 11, in t= he hall at North Park Manor, southwest corner of Quadra and North Park Streets, enter from North Park St. All North Park residents and businesses = are welcome.

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of October 11, 2011 Annual General Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kanoux Larsen, Lin= da Bain, Kim Persley, Luke Kozlowski, <= st1:PersonName w:st=3D"on">Todd Doherty

Members: Charles Joerin, Tristan Trotter, Yoka= van den Berg, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Lorna Renn= ie, Sharon Klein, Daniel Ferguson, Chris Travers

Guests: Mayor Dean Fortin, Kim Abbott, Ian Abbott, David Gifford, Wendy McVicar

Regrets: Cameron Speedie, Cst. Nicki Schnare

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. All those in attendance were welcomed.

Elections: The following six members were nominated for election to the N= PNA board:

• Incumbents nominated for re-election: Kanoux Larsen, Penny Bond, Kim Persley, Cameron Speedie. Todd Dohe= rty has withdrawn from nomination for re-election.

• Members nominated: Sharon Klein, Charles Joerin.

There were no nominations from = the floor.

Motion: that the above-named no= minees be elected by acclamation to to 2-year terms on= the NPNA board.

Moved by Kanoux/seconded by Luke/carried

Presentation: Mayor Dean Fortin

The City’s new economic s= trategy will be launching next week. Because it must first go to City Council, it cannot be presented at this meeting.

The mayor is happy with the decision-making process over the past three years.

Highlights of activities are:

• creation of 800 units of affordable housing and 1,500 units for the hard-to-house. Approximately 300 more hard-to-house units are needed. Market housing for young families also is a priority. Short Term Initiatives for Rentals (STIR) is being introduced.

• A task force was formed to deal with downtown concerns (e.g. vandalism, late-night noise and disruptive behaviours). Fo= ur more police officers were put on this beat, with an aim to defuse situations before they become problematic. Late night bus runs were<= /p>

introduced<= /span>. These initiatives received su= pport from student societies and downtown businesses.

• The Johnson St.<= /st1:Street> bridge replacement process included a lot of learning. Recently there has b= een a Capital Regional District (CRD) grant of $8M to this project. Shortening = the bridge span to 41 meters will meet standards and will save some money.=

Future plans include:

• restoration of parks

• diversifying the economy in Victoria to make it an attractive place for university grads to remain, for other pe= ople to move to, and to maintain the City’s ability to survive challenging global economic times.

• Sewage treatment has to be put into place. Victoria is behind all other Canadian cities in this regard.

• Promote cultural tourism, mixed business/residential space downtown. These will hel= p to increase the tax base. 51% of property taxes are from businesses, many of t= hem small (six or fewer people); 30 large businesses pay 30% of Victoria’s taxes. It is necessar= y to retain both.

• There is no decision yet on amalgamation of policing.

• Light rail would cost $750M but has lower operating costs than the current bus system. Light rail would redistribute buses out of the downtown core to whe= re the people are.

Q & A

Q -There are neighbourhood concerns about events at Royal Athletic Park (RAP) including noise from mus= ic festivals, parking in residential areas, drinking and driving.

A - Both sides need to be toler= ant. Drinking and driving is not acceptable. Residential parking operates on a complaint basis. Music festivals were shut down by 9 p.m. There is a need to accept that people want RAP to be used. There is hope for more sports at

RAP.=

Q - When sewage treatment is introduced, will emerging chemicals be addressed by an improved source cont= rol program?

A - Sewage treatment has to be = done. Source control is needed. Looking at resource recovery (e.g. heat, biosolids) is important.

Q - What are the plans for Crys= tal Pool?

A - The challenge is to replace= the boiler system. The boiler was moved to this location from the old Crystal Gardens and would have to be disma= ntled in order to remove it. If the pool were being built now, it would not have concrete (permanent) seating, but

would have seating that would allow = more flexible use of the space. Every year there is a 1% tax increase to build up infrastructure. There is a need to work with federal and provincial governm= ents to build up an infrastructure reserve fund. This will be a lengthy process.=

Q - Can something be done about pollution from cruise ships and the sightseeing buses associated with them?=

A - The federal government is bringing in a decreased sulphur content regulat= ion in 2014. If Victoria= puts in a hook-up, then ships will be able to “plug in” while i= n harbour so that they don’t need to idle their engines. Improved harbour walkways and directio= nal

signage might help reduce the use of l= arge buses.

Q - If taxes increase, property owners can’t afford to provide low cost rental units.

A - Discussions are taking plac= e with Vancouver about how they use incentives for rental unit providers. Vancouver has a special charter which a= llows this.

Q - How do we deal with poverty= and homelessness?

A - We are more interested in b= lue collar workers than the rich. Jobs have to be made sustainable and businesses grown locally.

Q - Please make City Council me= etings and decision-making as accessible as possible (e.g. advertise agendas in advance).

A - “Mayor’s Open Door” goes out to coffee shops every second week. Council meetings co= uld be webcast. Council voting results can be recorded for web searches. NPNA members should make use of Councillor Philippe = Lucas, their City representative.

Minutes:

1. Motion: The minutes of the O= ctober 12, 2010 AGM were approved. Moved by Kim/seconded by Todd/carried.

2. Correction to September 13, = 2011 minutes, p.4, New Business item 1: “Congratulations to Kim Persley an= d Luke Kozlowski…”=

Motion: The amended minutes of = the September 13, 2011 meeting were approved.

Moved by Luke/seconded by Todd/carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

The bank balance is $11,536.09.=

There is approximately $2,000 t= o be deposited. There are bills from Castle Building Supplies and Garside Signs = to be paid.

Motion: that the treasurer̵= 7;s report be accepted.

Moved by Linda /seconded by Kim/carried

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Many thanks to Todd Doherty for his work as Land Use Chair of= NPNA. While he is stepping down from the board, Todd still will be available to assist with land use matters.

• Thanks to Arnie Milller, who has retired from the board for health reasons. Arnie’s wor= k was much appreciated.

• Over the past year, NPNA sponsored workshops (Food Safe, CPR/First Aid), hosted an Emergency Preparedness workshop, and produced its annual festival. There has been committee work related to transportation, the Official Community Plan (OCP)= ,

and<= /span> the North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType>. In the coming year, there are plans for Bicycle Safety, CPR/First Aid, and Emergency Preparedness workshops.

• Work is underway with l= ocal merchants on North Park Village planning. N= PNA, local business owners, residents and Fernwood Community Association (FCA) are at the table. There are two committees - streetscape and safety, and village promotion. North

Park is designated by the City = as a “large village”. Details about village designations are in the = OCP, available at

http://www.shapeyourfuturevic= toria.ca/.

• The Spring 2011 NPNA newsletter went well. The next newsletter will be published soon.

• The banners in the vill= age will be replaced. The new banners will be larger, 20”x60”, and = the existing hardware can be retained. Local businesses will sponsor the banners. There = is a contest with a $200 prize for banner designs, starting now, until the end o= f

2011. Two designs will be chose= n.

• The annual North Park Festival, held in June at Franklyn Green, was well attended.

• There are several land = use issues pending.

3. Communications — Alex reported for Cameron Speedie

• Cameron is continuing t= o work on the website.

• We have a new supply of= paint from the City, for covering tagging on telephone poles.

• The stenciling done on = power vaults has been successful at deterring tagging. Mike Hill, the City’s Downtown Coordinator, plans to move this idea into other neighbourhoods.

4. Membership — Penny Bond

• Over the past year ther= e have been six new individual and two new business members.

• While NPNA has a large contact list, only 19 of those registered are paid-up members in good stand= ing. Dues are $5/year, payable to Kanoux. Paid-up members receive a membership c= ard which entitles them to discounts at a number of Nort= h Park

businesses<= /span>.

5. Land Use — Todd Doherty

• There will be a meeting= next Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 p.m., at North Park Manor Hall to discuss the property at the northwest corner of Quadra St. and Queens Ave. This is the second meeting about this proposal.

6. Safety — Luke Kozlowski

• Earlier in the year, wo= rk was done on a neighbourhood safety audit, related to lighting, visibility, traffic concerns, sidewalk hazards, etc. This is still under review. A few areas need some improvement but most look pretty good.<= o:p>

• The Village plan and accessibility are upcoming projects.

7. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

• The 2011 festival was v= ery successful. Including craft vendors seemed to be popular. Starting in Janua= ry, planning will begin for the June 2012 festival. Ideas for the next festival= are welcome.

8. Victoria Police — no r= eport available

9. City of Victoria — Philippe Lucas

• Bi= osolid waste treatment eventually will be done, to convert these wastes to energy. Currently there is a ban on land application of biosol= ids.

• There will be a replace= ment to the Crystal Pool. It is the next community centre on the list for upgrad= e. Plans should come forward within three years.

• Better advertising of C= ity Council meetings should be done. Webcasting technology is available for cou= ncil meetings.

• Philippe hopes that cou= ncil chambers could be made available for more events for the public.=

• Philippe’s upcomi= ng municipal campaign is focussed on economic development and poverty reduction. Council and mayoral candidates should be questioned about taxes.

New Business:

Tristan Trotter brought forward= the following motions:

1. Whereas density bonuses allo= w for an increase in building heights in return for an income to the City of Victoria and woul= d undermine the intentions of local area planning to keep the visible landscape at predictable acceptable heights and densities, the NPNA is opposed to such <= span class=3DSpellE>bonusing and asks City Council not to implement this = tool.

2. Whereas the measures in CETA= may lead to privatization of Canada’s drinking and waste water and may lead to a denial of the ability of municip= al governments to favour local job creation and lo= cal buying of materials, the NPNA urges City Council

to voice opposition to these meas= ures and combat them in any way possible.

3. Whereas there may be a negat= ive health effect of layering electromagnetic frequencies, and whereas there ma= y be serious financial impacts on consumers with the introduction of time-of-use billing, and whereas the effect of smart meters has not been independently tried or proven to justify the imposition of a new technology on consumers,= the NPNA urges City Council to voice such concerns whenever possible and suppor= ts the Union of BC Municipalities’ resolution for a moratorium on the mandatory installation of these meters.

These motions were tabled until= the November meeting.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p= .m.

Moved by Kanoux/seconded by Linda/ carried.

Next meeting: November 8, 7:30 p.m., in Room 200, First Metropolitan

United Church, 932 Balmoral Ave. All = North Park residents and businesses are welcome.

NORTH<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica-Bold;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica-Bold'> = PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Mi= nutes of November 8, 2011 Meeting

Pr= esent:

Board members: = Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kanoux Larsen, Cha= rles Joerin, Cameron Speedie, Lind= a Bain, Kim Persley, Nick Montgomery

Members: Yoka v= an den Berg, Tristan Trotter, Daniel Ferguson

Guest: Deb Beaton-Smith

Regrets: Luke K= ozlowski, Sharon Klein, Councillor Philippe Lucas, Cst. Nicki Schnare, Lorna Rennie

Ca= ll to Order: Alex called the mee= ting to order at 7:35 p.m.

Pr= esentation: Deb Beaton-Smith (Rifflandia)

&#= 8226; Rifflandia feedback was very good. Volunteers were go= od. There were 12,000 people through Royal Athletic Park (RAP) over the weekend= .

&#= 8226; Over 300 bikes were parked; the car parking= lot never was full.

&#= 8226; There were no long line-ups for washrooms.<= o:p>

&#= 8226; The effort to keep the RAP grounds as “green” as possible seemed to go well.

&#= 8226; The event stayed on curfew.

&#= 8226; Sound levels were a concern. Rifflandia will try to monitor and improve this in future. Police and City monitors indicated that sound levels were acceptable.

&#= 8226; Eight local vendors and three local beverage partners participated. People seemed to appreciate the use of local busines= ses.

Q & A

&#= 8226; NPNA expressed concern about noise levels. = It was suggested that free passes might be offered to neighbo= urs on the immediate streets facing RAP.

&#= 8226; One neighbour complained about profanity during the Sunday sound check. Rifflandia will follow up on this.

&#= 8226; Better advertising that the event at RAP is family-friendly, was suggested.

• Placing additional portable toilets= at Central Park was suggested.

• More exits from the event are neede= d.

• It was noticed that some liquor was= being passed out of the beer garden into the general area.

• Rifflandia is willing to come to a meeting in the Spring, prio= r to next year’s event.

• Parking in residential areas was a concern for some neighbours. Parking regulation= is handled on a complaints basis by the City.

Mi= nutes:

Motion: The minutes of the October 11, 2011 meeting were approved.

Moved by Kanoux, second= ed by Linda, carried.

Re= ports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $13,935.50.

• A cheque for approximately $1,900 i= s to be sent to Garside Signs for the utility wraps.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• Welcome to new board members Charles Joerin and Sharon Klein, elected at th= e AGM, and Nick Montgomery, appointed= by the board.

• The Fall/Winter newsletter is at the printer. An email version went out to the members recently — correcti= on to page 3 noted that the Dec. 3 North Park Village Christmas light-up begins at 5 p.m. Penny will send out an email correction.

• North Park Village Christmas light-= up will take place in the parking lot of the strip mall at Cook and Grant Stre= ets, at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3. Volunteers are needed to string lights in two trees, at the bulletin board corner at North Park and Cook St.= , and at Franklin Green, and to serve refreshments at the light-up. Alex will check with residents by Franklyn Green that the lighted tree will not bother them.

• Alex attended today’s 900 blo= ck Pandora meeting.

• Things have been going well lately.= When Occupy Victoria ends at Centennial Square, there may be some campers returning to Pandora Green.

• The businesses are happy with the c= hanges to the Green.

• The earliest possible move of St. Andrew’s School to its new premises is September, 2014. There is no n= ews on the sale of the St. Andrew’s property at the northeast corner of <= st1:Street w:st=3D"on">Pandora Ave. and Vancouver St. There will be a concert in the St. Andrew’s gym on November 27, time (eveni= ng) TBA. The school choir is teaming up with Louise Rose for a concert at Victo= ria Conservatory of Music on Dec, 13, time TBA.

• The Seventh Day Adventist Church is moving from the southwest corner of Pandora Ave. and Vancouver St. No date has been set = for the move. This property already is under option to a developer.<= /span>

• Centralized housing plans are moving along. This process, to coordinate available housing spots from various organizations with people who require housing, was initiated by Gail, execu= tive manager at Our Place.

• Representatives from Cool Aid and t= he Coalition to End Homelessness will speak at the National Housing Conference= in Vancouver.

• The 900 block has provided a Pandora Green Good Neighbour Group contact list.

• The post office is moving its distribution boxes away from fences to deter people from hiding behind them and/or tipping the boxes over.

• A demolition permit has been issued= for the Pandora Pharmacy building. A three storey commercial/housing building i= s to be constructed at this site. No re-zoning is required for this development.=

• There is a new mural on the Mason St. s= ide of the former Speedy Glass building. Paint was donated by the City and painting was by a group from Community Living. Negotiations remain in progress to le= ase the building.

• The Jewish Temple is having problems with camping = and vandalism. 928 Yates St. has been identified as a trouble area.

• Police have asked people to keep an= eye out for signs of illegal activity. A yellow Porsche and a black cube van ha= ve been noticed hanging around.

3. City of Victoria — no report available

4. Communications —Cameron Speedie

• Cameron attended the police board meeting.

• There has been increased enforcemen= t on drug activity, resulting in more arrests.

• Occupy Victoria has result= ed in a 33% increase in police calls for various activities.

• Many crimes are being under-reported.

• North Park’s crime stats have remained stable.

• VicPD now has an unmanned licence plate reporter, which can scan plate numbers = and check for outstanding warrants. It is being used in various locations.=

• There has been a fair amount of tag= ging. The City has provided more paint for covering tagging. Tagging was painted = out on Fi= sgard St. last week.

• The website has been updated. Some concerts are coming up at North Park chu= rches; these will be posted on the website.

• Cameron has looked into the viabili= ty of installing a search light in Wellburn’s p= arking lot for the Village Light-up. The cost is quite expensive for the NPNA budg= et.

5. Land Use — Alex Kerr

• The architect of the 1040 North Park St. development is = going ahead with the plan that was presented at the second of his meetings with N= PNA. This is a multi-building plan of townhouses, work/live and rental units. He= has not yet met with the City about variances. In December, 2009, NPNA wrote to= the City about concerns related to this development. We can bring concerns to C= ity Council and the Board of Variance again.

• There was an informal meeting about= 815 Queens Ave. Abstract Developments presented two ideas, neither of which met with approval by the neighbours. Without re-zon= ing, the developer could go ahead with raising the house two feet, making 13 roo= ming units and creating some communal areas within the house.<= /p>

• A formal meeting was held about rev= ision of the plans for 864 Queen= s Ave. The revision, which will provide three parking stalls, met with approval fr= om the neighbours. Lenore, from Neighbourhood Resource Group (NRG) was present to

answer questions about the coffee shop component,= to be run by NRG. The house currently is rented out on a one-year lease. It is expected that renovations will be completed by Spring, 2013.

• Highlanders Soccer Team will be usi= ng RAP in 2012. West Coast Baseball wish to have the pa= rk used as a dedicated baseball site in Spring and Summer, starting in 2013. T= hey wish to have a fixed wall in the park for this purpose. Alex Campbell Jr., owner of Highlanders Soccer Team is willing to pay for a moveable wall that would give more flexibility to the site.

Motion: NPNA supports multiple use of Royal Athletic Park. Moved by Cameron, seconded by Tristan, carried. NPNA motion and concerns c= an be voiced to the City Parks Department.

6. Membership — Penny Bond

• Due to a problem at the post office, there was a delay in receiving new NPNA registrations. There are six new members.

• Some new members do not have email. Copies of the minutes and agendas will be available at Yoka’s Coffee Roaster for these members to pick up. Penny will notify these members about this distribution spot.

7. Safety — No report available<= /o:p>

8. Community Empowerment — Kim Persle= y

Nothing to report

Old Business:

1.= North Park Village Update — Linda Bain, Alex Kerr

The Village group has two sub-committees &#= 8212; Streetscape and Promotions. The current project is the Christmas light-up. = Many of the businesses will be decorating for this event. There has been a wide range so far in quotes for producing the new banners. The banner design con= test runs until December 23, with two winners to be chosen.

2.= United Way Community Tables = Project — Penny Bond

Penny, Charles and Tristan attended the lau= nch event on October 27. It was well attended by representatives of North Park, Tillicum and Oaklands neighbourhoods. In addition to NPNA-recruited partici= pants, there were many other people from North Park, including good representation from the Filipino community. Guest speaker Ji= m Diers, from Seattle, was very dynamic and presented many ideas for neighbou= rhood projects. The next phase is a series of monthly meetings, with each neighbourhood meeting separately. Charles, Tristan an= d Nick will attend these sessions. Penny continues as part of the Local Resources Group.

New Business:

1. The newsletter will soon be ready for distribution. Volunteers are needed to deliver newsletters.

2. First Met News — tabled until next meeting

3. 2012 meetings — Penny will rebook = the meeting space at First Met for the next year.

4. Proposals from AGM — One of the three motions that were tabled at the AGM was brought up again.=

Motion: Whereas the measures in CETA may le= ad to privatization of Can= ada’s drinking and waste water and may lead to a denial of the ability of municip= al governments to favour local job creation and lo= cal buying of materials, the NPNA urges City Council to voice opposition to the= se measures and combat them in any way possible.

Moved by Tristan, secon= ded by Charles, carried.<= /o:p>

NPNA will send a letter to City Council abo= ut this motion.

The other two motions need further discussi= on by the board. It was noted that NPNA is

mandated<= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica'> to be an apolitical organization.

Ad= journment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

Next meeting: 7:00 p.m., December 13, in Room 200 at First Metropolitan United Church, 932 Balmoral Road. All interested residents are welcome.

Please note earlier starting time.=

NORTH PARK NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes of December 13, 2011 Meeting

Present:

Board members: Alex Kerr, Penny Bond, Kanoux Larsen, Cameron Speedie, Kim Persley, N= ick Montgomery

Members: Lorna Rennie, Jeanette= Sheehy

Guest: Matthew Liem

Regrets: Charles Joerin, Luke Kozlowski, Sharon Klein, Linda Bain, Cst. Nicki Schnare, Tristan Tr= otter

Call to Order: Alex called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

Presentations:

1. Great Canadian Beerfest — Matthew Liem

• The 2011 Beerfest sold 8,000 tickets.

• There were 16 people ejected from the event and one arrest.

• Problems noted were:

• Members of the egressing crowd were bothering people in= cars driving by. A complaint was made. Beerfest will address this issue.

• The portapotty truck was producing excessive exhaus= t. The company said it would change the truck. If they do not, then Beerfest will change to a different company.

• Everything else went well.

• NPNA has no concerns aside from those noted above.

• Matthew will came back to an NPNA meeting before the 201= 2 Beerfest.

2. Lifecycles — Jeanette Sheehy

• The Lifecycles pamphlet was distributed. Information about this program for foodsovereignty and security is available at <= span style=3D'font-family:Helvetica;color:#00009A'>http://lifecyclesproject.ca.

• Lifecycles has operated for 18 years in = Victoria. In 2011 they picked 36,000 lb. of fruit, with 26,000 lb. going to various emergency shelters. This year’s partners for community or new gardens were: Cridge Centre, Burnside-Gorge and Sierra Housing.

• Lifecycles hopes to move its headquarters to North Park. Office requirements are: space for three desks, space for a large cooler and space for volunteers. A workshop area would be useful but not essential. A suitable location is being sought; some possible sites were discussed. Anyo= ne with ideas about available space should email Jeanette Sheehy at growingschool= s@lifecyclesproject.ca.

• A proposal for a community garden in North Park was distributed. Lifecycles assessed three potential sites: 1100 block Caledonia Ave, between 1146 and 1160 (this site is on the Fernwood side of Cook St.); Central Park near the tennis court; and Franklyn Green, south of the playground. Several grants may be available: C= ity project grant, VIHA grant, City greenway grant. Alex will check about the greenway grant. All of these grants have a May deadline. The next step is to talk to the City Parks Department. Nick will contact David Speed at the Par= ks Department.

Minutes:

Motion: The minutes of the Nove= mber 8, 2011 meeting were approved.

Moved by Ki= m, seconded by Kanoux, carried.

Reports:

1. Treasurer — Kanoux Larsen

• The bank balance is $10,147.83.

• Cheques for two members= hip fees have been received.

• No submissions have been received for banner designs, although there have been several statements of intent. The submission deadline will be extended to January 31, for selecti= on by February 15. A notice of the deadline extension will be put on the NPNA website.

2. Chair — Alex Kerr

• The December 900 block Pandora meeting was cancelled.

• NP= NA’s new City Council representative is Shellie Gudgeon.

• There are arts grants a= nd community grants available as part of Victoria’s 150^th Anniversary celebration. The arts grant deadline is very s= oon; the community grant deadline is February 3.

• Sharon Klein is looking= at possibilities that would qualify for arts grant application.

• We should be able to re= fer to budgets of past festivals to put together a grant proposal for the next NPNA festival.

• The Heritage Society ha= s a 12’x12’ tent that can be customized for use by different neighbourhoods. If we request use of this tent, we ne= ed to set a festival date soon. Kim will look for possible dates that do not conf= lict with other events.

• The recently hired CEO = at Our Place has resigned. Gail, the managing director, will take over until the b= oard finds an acting interim director.

• Alex, with Todd Doherty, will meet tomorrow with the arch= itect and building committee at St. = John the Divine to discuss the church’s ideas for redevelopment.

3. City of Victoria — no report available

4. Communications —Cameron Speedie

• Cameron did not attend = this month’s police board meeting. Minutes of the meeting are available at= http://www.vicpd.ca/index.php= ?page=3Dboard-meeting-information.

• The North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType> website is up and running. New content is welcome. This website has a sligh= tly different mandate from the NPNA site.

5. Land Use — Alex Kerr

• An official proposal ha= s been submitted to the City with the revised plans for 864 Queens Ave.

6. Membership — Penny Bond

• There is one new indivi= dual member and a renewal from one business member.

• = Island Orthotics has requested removal from the NPNA contact list.

7. First Metropolitan Update &#= 8212; Penny Bond

• Leanne Benoit, new Mini= ster of Shared Worship & Pastoral Care has joined the s= taffat First Met. Her husband, Harvey Benoit, is working at one of the accounting firms in North Park.

• Renovation of the educa= tion wing has taken place. The church staff offices have all been moved to the f= irst floor. ICA, already the tenant of the church basement, has expanded its quarters to inc= lude the second floor of the education wing.

• Plans are in progress to renovate the church hall. The church welcomes ideas about how these plans c= ould be more inclusive of neighbourhood events. Ideas about neighbourhood uses for a renovated or reb= uilt hall are invited; please send ideas to Penny at secretary@npna.ca.

• First Met and St. John the Divi= ne are looking at shared redevelopment.

• There are many upcoming special events at First Met, including the Christmas pageant, Christmas Day service led by Louise Rose, and free roast beef lunch on Christmas Day. In January, the Epiphany Explorations 10th annual conference will

include many speakers of interest. See= www.firstmetvictoria.com for details of all events.=

8. Safety — No report ava= ilable

9. Community Empowerment —= ; Kim Persley

Planning for the next festival = will begin in January.

Old Business:

1. North Park Village<= /st1:PlaceType> Update — Alex Kerr<= /o:p>

• The Christmas light-up went well but was poorly attended. Next year, the tent should be moved closer to the street corner. There is a power source availa= ble from the strip mall sign. When the new banners are being installed, the cherry-picker can drop light strings onto the trees beside the NPNA bulletin board, for use next year. Alex will talk to two of the nearby businesses ab= out doing the same on their trees.

• The village businesses will be meeting again in the new yea= r.

2. United Way Community Tables Project — Penny Bond/Nick Montgomery

• Community Tables= ’ January meeting has bee= n re-scheduled to Monday, Jan. 9, to avoid conflict with the Jan. 10 NPNA meeting.

• At the December Community Tables meeting there were about 20 peo= ple present, bringing a lot of knowledge about the neighbo= urhood. There was very positive energy.

Discussion was about North Park assets and opportunities. At the next me= eting problems and issues will be discussed. These discussions will proceed to project plans. Ideas include: a place for kids and youth to hang out, commu= nity gardens,

community kitchens, a community centre.<= o:p>

• There was discussion at this NPNA meeting about initiating projects by NPNA, to s= ee if there is more neighbourhood interest and participation.

3. Motions from AGM<= /span>

These motions were tabled as Tr= istan Trotter was unable to attend this meeting.

New Business:

1. Community mapping may fit in= to the Community Tables project. NPNA will table this undertaking until Community Tables is finalized.

Adjournment:

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p= .m.

Next meeting: = 7:00 p.m., January 10, in Room 200 at First Metropolitan

United Church, 932 Balmoral Road. All interested residents are welcome.

Please note earlier starting time.