Neighborhood News

October 21, 2020 – Webex Video/Audio – Near East Side Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes
Meeting called to order at 11:32 am by Alex Allen, President
Attendees: Ruth Assi (City of Fort Worth), Deidre Browne (MHMR), Flora Brewer (PF Residential Paulos Properties), Marti Lawrence(TCHC), Officer Johns (FWPD), Terry Allen (Sprint), Tara Perez (CFW), Samuel Minnich, Barnedra Wesley(MHMR), Misty Patino (Freedom in Worship), MyRide Tarrant, Toye Thomasson (Gallant Marble), Alex Allen (PNS), Brenda Lott(PNS). Not all attendees listed, some audio only and not identified
Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve September minutes – 1st by Flora Brewer (Paulos Properties), 2nd by Marti
Lawrence (TCHC)
Financial Report: Toye Thomasson, Treasurer reported the account balance is the same, $869.47.
Police Report: Officer Johns (FWPD) reported Blue Phone at UGM location: (1) 911 hung up. TWP location: (21) 911
hang ups, (16) PD calls and (6) medical calls. Crime Report: (1) sexual assault, (3) robberies (5) aggravated assaults, (12)
Class A-bodily injury assaults, (2) Class C assaults and (7) thefts.
H.O.P.E Team Update: Not in attendance to give update.
Terry Allen (Sprint): Campers located south of Sprint building. A representative from the Rail Road met with Officer
Johns and was ensured the campers would be removed. A facilities crew will come and clean the area. Alex Allen (PNS): Tent campers blocking sidewalks: Tara Perez (CFW) was informed that you can remove campers from
private property. Campers on public property can only be removed if it is an immanent risk to health or safety.
East Side Patrol: Officer Johns reported he has seen the patrol multiple times during his shift. Alex Allen has seen them also.
Flora Brewer (PF Residential Paulos Properties): Decided not to move forward in adding security to patrol her
properties at this time. Flora asked for clarification on the correct reporting of getting someone removed that is sleeping on private property. Officer Johns advised to call 911 so it gets recorded in the system. If the caller requests removal of the person for trespassing, they most likely will not send an ambulance when not needed. Historic preservation on the metal windows on the Lancaster Lofts property will begin soon.                                                      Alex Allen (PNS): Parking Sign Petition – received 100% of signatures needed to submit the petition for the need of No Parking 24/7 signs. Petition has been submitted. It may take until Jan/Feb 2021 for the signs to be posted.
Misty Patino (Freedom in Worship): Zoning request at 301 Virginia Ave to change zoning K (heavy industrial) to E
(neighborhood commercial).
Alex Allen (PNS): Motion to support zoning change for 301 Virginia Ave. All in favor, motion carries. Alex will send a
NESNA letter to Misty Patino to be submitted to the City of Fort Worth for the Nov. 11th zoning hearing.
Alex Allen (PNS): Cold weather shelter updates: Tara Perez (CFW) will send out a (1) page list of the emergency shelters.
These shelters will be available November 1st thru March 31st.
Alex Allen (PNS): Haunted House-parking updates: Several parking lots will be used during their open dates.
Reminder, there will not be a NESNA meeting in the month of December.
Meeting Adjourned at 12:01 pm
The next NESNA meeting will be Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – Ruth Assi will set up Webex meeting invitations

 

Minutes 8/19/15 Near East Side Neighborhood Association Meeting
Call to Order by Dee Browne at 11:35 am.
Attendees: Bob Gallant (Gallant Marble), David W. Barnett (Feed by Grace), Brian Cargill (HKS Inc.), Tracy Edward (CFW), Amy Bernoski (Rita’s Hope), Don Shisler (UGM), Jason Anderson (VA), Neal Nealy (Neal’s Lawns), L.T. Davis and Flora Brewer (Paulos Properties), Verlyn Griffin and Ted Blevins (True Worth), Roger J. Williams and Toby Owen (PNS), Ibiso Charles (CFW), James Carter (DRC), Officer Andrew Johns (CFW)
Treasurer’s Report: $4139 in account after payment to PNS for July trash removal
Police Report, Officer Johns: No sexual assaults; 13 assaults with bodily injury and 5 by contact; 8 calls to blue phone – 6 pm to 6 am; 2 calls were assaults and one hang up; 5 calls unknown; most bodily assaults involve residents of homeless shelters – majority on Cypress, 1700 E. Lancaster, 2100 E. Lancaster and a few at 1400 E. Lancaster; similar location pattern to thefts including a few on Presidio reported by persons residing in shelters
• Star Mart is reportedly being rebuilt but no activity noticed so far. People are hanging out on the property. Reportedly they are waiting on CFW Planning paperwork and construction will start within a couple of weeks – plan is to tear down and rebuild
Toby reported on PNS security detail – YTD 42% decrease in area offenses compared with same period 2014; don’t know if grant will be refunded for program by CCPD – this Thursday city council votes on CCPD; Due to change in CFW policy, Toby will no longer be able to get stats starting August – currently getting statistics from Lt Beckrich – will be 3 month delay in future reports. We understand that police officers no longer have access to statistics. Quick access to data allows us to make changes in patrols regarding location, etc. Very helpful in promoting safety of neighborhood and providing information for grant applications. Currently provided nternal reports have offenses and calls. Future reports will be those routed through the state of Texas in which calls are “cleaned up” and typically lower. NESNA already sent a letter of support for CCPD grant application.
• Action Item: NESNA will send nice letter to CFW Police Chief requesting continued provision of records. Officer Johns offered to explore whether he could provide the reports – he will talk with Toby.
Architect Brian Cargill presented architectural renderings and floor plans of the new Central Resource Facility. Facility will be 40,000 sft, including 10,000 on 2nd floor; full service kitchen with 2000 sft for dining; community plaza at Cypress and Presidio. Entry into 2 story space with reception area, fire place, electronics charging stations, water fountains. Locker room for storage, 24X18X30 lockers. Showers and toilets (men, 12 with 18 toilets); Laundry area – Clients will be able to wash their own clothes at laundry facilities.; workshop for repairs. Stairs to second story for offices and administration. 25 ft tall area for demonstration kitchen, roof terrace for classes, performances. JPS clinic for light medical services, x-ray, dental services, behavioral health (light dining, group therapy rooms) – entrance at Pine and Presidio. Common concourse connecting main dayroom to JPS clinic. Night lighting a priority. No gating and security at night. Planning on additional blue phones at the lighted area. Plans to add blue phone at Salvation Army. Plan to employ homeless folks. JPS clinic about 12,000 ft. Construction team in attendance – Marshall Sharp and Ben Austin – will start exploratory work next week. Major equipment in 2 to 3 weeks. Demolition first. Remove 2 feet of dirt and restore. Construction will take over a year. Muckleroy and Falls (M&F) construction company. Gate and fence will be up around site throughout. Toby’s patrol will provide support. M&F will attend NESNA meetings regularly throughout construction. Goal is open communication for effective coordination. Toby suggested that all trucks enter and exit off Pine Street (not Cypress) to avoid pedestrians. James recommended that metal be secured. Construction persons left cards. David Barnett asked if there was a working document on the programs and services. Organizations are invited to maintain a presence at the new central resource facility. Working group with UNT Health Science Center – working to bring resources to one place during the day at the central resource facility. Clients will know who will be there when. Goal is to maintain what is currently working effectively and add what is not being delivered – maximize dollars and existing programs. Regular meetings being held. Large classroom and small classroom and art room available – very large. Sex offenders will not be permitted in the evenings. Programming for children (evenings) will be included similar to what Officer Donna Eldridge is doing. Project will require the alley.
Report on Street Feeding: Ibiso B. Charles (IB) – Consumer Health Specialist, Code Compliance, Consumer Health Division – services include West Nile virus protection, inspection of mobile food trucks, daycare and educational programs. Dee asked about street feeding on weekends. IB says that ordinance doesn’t cover street feeding. She has been told that religious organizations may pray and then hand out food. Food must be prepared at church – food cannot come from home – organizations must get temporary permit to distribute prepared food. We can provide license plate numbers, locations and descriptions – always someone on call on weekends to make sure that the vendors have proper permits. Street feeding time on Saturdays on Cypress and Kennedy – goes from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm – every Saturday. Andrea Ellis 817-929-5511 cell phone (supervisor) call when we spot street feeders 817-392-6991. Feed by Grace schedule and property is fairly full for food service on Saturday – family style seating available for 300 is available. Looking at opening on Sunday for lunch service to create more capacity for organizations that want to provide food service. Pre-packaged food can be freely distributed – more groups are distributing packaged food. James Carter reported that people just drop off food and leave, leave in 10-15 minutes – including day-old food. IB suggested that FBG get involved in coordinating permits – they would prefer that they be proactive through their volunteer training. If street feeder doesn’t have a permit, call with license plate number – if persons calling will be willing to be present and testify, CFW can convict. Toby encouraged that we call police to control littering, blocking streets and sidewalks – Officer Johns says they can’t issue tickets. People hang out on street and draw feeders. Blocking sidewalks – property owner has authority to move people along. James tries to prevent people from laying on the curb – blocking of sidewalk forcing people in wheelchairs to go into street. People in wheelchairs also block sidewalk. Officers are supporting efforts – lots of officers don’t understand the code (30-5). At least one or two groups call people out of the Unity park to come and get stuff. James says the key is presence to clear curbs.
Todd James is asking for access to parking lots for the Halloween season. Fence is going up around Todd’s property – MHMR, TrueWorth and James building gated parking lot for staff on Haunted house property. Ten year agreement from 8 am to 6 pm – 166 parking slots. Toby says there is an increase in clients with cars needing parking spaces. Spaces must be cleared at night. Toby, Bob Gallant and MHMR will offer parking space to James for Haunted House.
Dee Browne discussed the possibility of expanding NESNA boundaries to police district boundaries. Dee and Flora had lunch with Suzi Hill and Suzette Watkins. Suzi and Suzette were very willing to become a part of the NESNA and keep their personal comments private but to join their voices with the NESNA. PNS subsidizes the trash pick-up and cannot extend services without additional resources and would not be able to expand all the way to Riverside due to the distance. There is benefit to getting Salvation Army within our neighborhood. Toby suggested developing a code of conduct – ex. no one from the NESNA should send email to city council implying the comments express the desires of the NESNA.
Dee Browne closed the meeting at 12:45 pm