AGENDA:
Updates
Meeting Recap from Last Thursday
Opening of Jazz National Park
Fiscal Agent
Volunteer Facilitators
Review of proposed Logos
Meetings from past week: New City, Lafitte Corridor, Choice Neighborhood Initiative
Pressing Business
1. Armstrong Park connection to Lafitte Corridor
2. Committee Assignments
3. Vision Plan Drafting Process
General Business
4. Possible City Council Armstrong Steering Advisory Committee
5. Membership/Outreach Drive
6. Coalition Building - Parks and Parkways, New City, HFTA, Rampart Main Street, RTA Street Car Extension, Lafitte/Jazz National Park, FOLC, New City, African American Museum, Backstreet Cultural Museum, others?
7. Communications & Infrastructure - website, blog, phone number, office space, video, marketing material
8. Fund Raising, Grants, and Development
9. Event Planning and Advocacy (Second Lines, Open Houses, Celebrations, etc)
10. Summer Meeting Schedule and upcoming meetings
MEETING NOTES:
Attendees:
Shani Armbrusler
Matthew Plummer
Fernando Polo
Al Jackson
Luther Gray
Shane Lief
Pat Evans
Jeff Schwartz
Michi Hagler
Francie Guevara
Alonzo Know
Ben Harwood
Introductions
General
Reflection on success of last week’s celebration. Treme 200 anniversary next year
Pat Evans update from Councilmember Palmer: Mayor still intends for a hard opening of all the park by December. There should be a formal ceremonial opening. Electrical work to be done first, last thing will be the installation of the statues. Last Friday the councilwoman asked the administration for up-to-date drawings for the park and weekly status reports.
Logos
Logos are presented to group, Ben to email out for comment, to discuss next meeting.
Discussion of the creation of a board and incorporation as a 501c3
Pat Evans: prefers our working group to be composed of “Tissue paper taskforces”
Would be ideal to keep having fun at our meetings, consideration that having a formal board might hinder our fun by imposing too much structure on our operations, better to stay a loose collective focused on achieving specific results around particular issues.
Al, Luther and Alonzo more in favor of creating a formal structure, 501c3 Corp and want the group to exist for a long time rather than just a short period. Emanuel also thinks we should be here for a long time.
Discussion of Mission Statement. Members to draft something for consideration at next week’s meeting. Luther suggests our group is a coalition of support, where we provide resources and support other people’s efforts. “We don’t speak for people, we lift people up.” General agreement of this direction for the mission statement. Alternate Mission statement – We support organizations that are working to fix and restore the park. Emanuel to craft something and email out to the group this week.
Discussion of Lafitte Corridor Project 501c3 FOLC, steering advisory committee. Ben brings up the possibility of emulating FOLC and steering advisory committee, established by the city council to provide official recommendations.
Discussion of membership drive. We need one, and an effort to create more partnerships with related organizations. Idea of having a second line event to drum up more support and membership.
Discussion of HRI involvement – Emanuel says that HRI is a force that we have to reckon with, Iberville redevelopment is going forward and they are our neighbors. HRI presence at New City standing meetings about Treme/Lafitte/Gravier - 70 organizations, notice to be in Basin street working group. Meetings are open for all to attend.
Committee Assignments
We need to create working committees and formalize committee heads. Volunteer facilitators to work with committee members to draft plan text and other visual plan content as needed.
Committees to meet weekly
Shane –interested in working on Congo Square but will support and help out with other things
Sculpture Garden - Luther
Lafitte Connection – Fernando, Frances, Sheryl Austen, Frances,
Auditorium - Ben and Emanuel, Frances, Fernando
Congo Square – luther, shane
Jazz National Park – Get Carol Clark – park superintendent – involved.
Community Center – Luther, Al, Alonzo (will assign volunteer facilitator)
Community Center Discussion
Luther and Al will talk to Jerome, Alonzo suggests we need to research into current state things, review plan sets, talk to Jerome and see what he needs, if things are missing from the bids, suggestion that the center is being “nickel and dimed” by the city
Trouble getting the city to respond to our requests for information. Luther suggests we send Certified letter – to Vincent Smith and Miriam Lemann– Project/grant managers at the city. If they don’t respond we need to get the mayor and media’s attention that the community is being stonewalled out of public information regarding our neighborhood.
Next Meeting: Thursday 6.23.11 at 6:30, 740 N Rampart Street - Golden Feather Restaurant - email harwoodb@gmail.com to get on the meeting announce list.
