General Minutes September 2000

GENERAL MINUTES OF TURNAROUND TEAM MEETING

I. Approval of Agenda: Chair Karen Hiller announced that the Code Compliance work session previously scheduled for tonight was removed from the agenda as that Task Force requested another month to prepare their report. Tony Rues, Community Prosecutor, is in attendance and eager to present the new Community Prosecutor Program for Police Area 444 and his presentation will replace the code compliance work session. The agenda was approved by a show of hands.

II. 8/28/00 Minutes: It was moved and seconded to approve the 8/28/00 general meeting minutes; motion carried.

III. Reports

A. Administrative/501(c)3: Joe Swalwell talked with Mike Munz, our volunteer CPA, who reported the IRS requested additional information regarding our application and Mike is responding. We should have a decision from the IRS within 60-120 days.
B. Washburn-Lane Parkway: Construction is in progress on the demonstration leg and the groundbreaking ceremony date is still to be determined. The Board is ready to begin fund-raising for additional lighting. Tom Ellis is working with Washburn University to install lighting south to 21st Street; the WU Board will discuss a $100,000 contribution to complete that leg of the Parkway. Dave Graversen met with Jeff Hunt with the City to prepare an estimate in segments for costs of completing to 21 st and then back up the east side of Washburn to 15th Street; that estimate is to be completed by 10/1/00. The current total estimate for all lighting, banners, landscaping and removing the dogleg at 16th and Washburn is $1.25 million, so we need to raise our $100,000. TEA-21 grant applications are due 12/17/00 but must be approved beforehand by the City Council and the County Commission. Therefore, our fund-raising efforts must take place in October. The TEA-21 grant application is for the State's Fiscal Year 2003, which starts July 2002, and awards will be made in June 2001. We didn't get the $80,000 grant from CDBG funds but the Parkway is in the City's CIP budget for 2002, 2003, and maybe 2005.
C. Dillons Update: Dillons management asked for details about the Parkway lighting so they're looking at a contribution for their block's lighting. They are still reviewing other options for the north side of their block so they do not yet have a final decision about donating the land to the TAT. Karen stated she advised Dillons that if they came up with a better idea, to please let the TAT know because we would very likely endorse it and help in any way we could. She asked for consensus on this statement and all present concurred.
D. Code Compliance/Housing Code: the Housing Code Task Force has met once, and their next meeting is Oct. 6th from 10 am to 12 pm. They will meet again two weeks later but no meetings beyond October have been set. One problem-identified to-date is that the City is operating under five different codes; the Task Force is discussing consolidating all to one code such as the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). The Task Force is in the process of reading and reviewing all five codes and the IPMC. Meg Perry, Code Compliance Director, is developing a chart of the various code compliance categories; and she is also working on a mission statement.

IV. New Business

Nominations for 2001 TAT Officers: Deb Swank is chairing the Nominating Committee; Don Rice and Dale Sandberg are serving on the committee. The annual meeting and election will be at the 11/27/00 general meeting.

V. Tony Rues, Community Prosecutor Program: Tony is an Assistant District Attorney and announced District Attorney Joan Hamilton, Mayor Joan Wagnon, and HUD are developing the Community Prosecutor Program. Tony has extensive prosecution experience, including prosecuting homicides in the past, and would continue to prosecute homicides in the pilot project area. There are currently 16 Assistant DA's with 600 cases per Asst. DA per year! What is a Community Prosecutor (CP)? A CP is assigned to a geographic area; for Topeka the pilot project will be Police Area 444. Boundaries for Area 444 are Topeka Blvd. to Gage Blvd. And 10th Street to 17th Street. The CP will look at that neighborhood as a whole. Tony wants to know our crime-fighting priorities and agenda. He will be attending meetings of all NA/NIA's in Area 444 to obtain their individual priorities. An example of how CP works is 10 cases of one type of crime would be taken before a Judge at the same time – this way the Judge sees the total impact of these crimes in an area. Neighborhood residents would also be present to stress to the Judge the impact of these crimes in their neighborhood. The Judge will be asked for longer-term penalties and "stay way" orders (he cited an example of prostitution cases – offenders would be ordered to stay away from that area). Another judgment is "Displacement orders" which keep criminals moving and eventually they'll go away from the area completely. CP is a process with Federal and Municipal prosecution authority, which will include Code Compliance. CP will deal with chronic criminals and residences in Area 444. Tony has already met with Joyce Ritchey of Holliday Park NIA and LJ Polly of Elmhurst Neighborhood Association regarding different crimes and concerns in their neighborhoods. This one-year pilot program will be very educational for all concerned. He requested our help and is forming a Steering Committee with a representative from every NA/NIA in Area 444 (College Hill NA, Collins Park NA, Elmhurst NA, Holliday Park NIA, Norton NA, Randolph NA, Tennessee Town NIA, and Westboro Homeowners Association). The Steering Committee will meet once a month. He stated that more people in Topeka are affected by quality-of-life crimes (burglary, small thefts, etc.) than murders. Joe Swalwell asked Tony to track information by census tracts which will help demonstrate the effect of income, education, and other demographics on crime in an area. Tony can be reached at the following numbers: 233-8200, ext. 4339 (work), 357-1450 (home), and 575-4735 (pager).

VI. Announcements:

A. HCCI Homebuyer Class: Karen announced the next class is September 26th.
B. Newsletter: Washburn University donated $300 toward the upcoming issue's printing and postage - thank you, Washburn University. Jack Blossom and Ann Craig pared down the mailing list to around 600 addresses.
C. Holliday Park and Chesney Park are performing a trash pickup in the near future.
D. TAT/Parkway Logo t-shirts are available for $8 from Joyce Ritchey. Special orders such as golf shirts are also available; see Joyce on any special requests.
E. Recognition Award Nominees are to be given to Deb Swank for the 10/23/00 awards.
F. Robinson Middle School Fundraiser: Clardy Vinson announced the students are selling Spirit Cards for $5 - a great money-saving value for meals at many Topeka food establishments.

Meeting was adjourned. There were 21 in attendance.

People who are interested in improving the quality and image of Central Topeka, particularly people who live in or own property in the Central Topeka area from Monroe to MacVicar and 21st to the Kansas River, are particularly encouraged to attend. For further information, call 234-2883.