The following is an AI summary
Key Outcomes
The board approved raising suggested annual dues from $10 to $15–35 (voluntary) and confirmed final logistics for the May 17 neighborhood picnic and May 10 cleanup event. Jonathan Rice will invite Neighborhood Development Services staff to the picnic to strengthen city relationships.
Decisions Made
- Dues increase approved: Suggested annual dues raised to $15–35 (voluntary, no requirement to pay); increase justified by inflation and need to reimburse infrastructure costs (website hosting, MailChimp, domain registration)
- Leftover food plan: Residents will take home extra food; Catherine will coordinate with neighbors who have Black Bear composting bins for food waste disposal
- Flyer distribution: Catherine will deliver remaining flyers to Julia and Sumner; Sumner will post at the Randolph, Julia will share with CityWalk residents
- NDS invitation: Jonathan will draft email invitation to Neighborhood Development Services staff for the picnic
Neighborhood Cleanup – May 10
- Time & location: 1–4 PM, meeting at bulletin board; Cville Litter Pickers donated equipment (vests, grabbers); Matt unavailable but some members may attend
- Route strategy: Focus on high-traffic border streets (East Market, Farm Lane) where trash accumulates; interior streets have less litter due to regular resident cleanup
- Post-cleanup social: 3–4 PM at Julia’s house (pergola or backyard with camp chairs); Sumner bringing snacks and trash bags
- City pickup: City confirmed 4 PM trash collection; Barbara provided backup trash tags if needed
- Sign-ups: 7 residents signed up via Sign Up Genius (no families)
Neighborhood Picnic – May 17
- Menu & supplies: Catherine purchased non-perishables (beans, rice, plates, napkins, aluminum trays, compostable sporks, vegan/spicy labels); will buy perishables at Costco/Aldi’s days before; former CNO catering chef advising on logistics
- Coolers: Jonathan and Janine lending large coolers to keep food hot during short transport
- Additional dishes: Sumner making salad and dessert; Julia making grain bowl and cookies; Peach will contribute
- Setup/cleanup: Volunteers arriving 4:30 PM for 5 PM start; multiple board members staying late to clean up
- Jonathan’s attendance: Uncertain due to daughter’s birthday; plan evolving
Concert Series Updates
- June 7 concert: Confirmed at Carolyn’s house; best musician unavailable due to health issues
- July/August lineup: Luke Foster tentatively scheduled for July, Josh Mayo for August; both confirmed interest but haven’t provided logistics details (sound system needs, preferred dates)
- Sound system: Doug Campbell available to assist if needed, but requires 4 PM arrival for 7 PM show and extensive setup/teardown (last event ended 10 PM)
- Jonathan’s concert: Playing with Doug Campbell and Josh at rental house backyard; yard has sufficient space and shade
City Planning & Zoning Issues
- Little High recognition: Jonathan continues advocating for Little High’s independent status on city systems; neighborhood now appears on tree survey after repeated complaints to city officials
- Tree survey: Board encouraged to complete survey on website and flag Little High’s absence where it occurs; survey covers canopy restoration, tree planting barriers, and financial incentives
- 10th/11th Street development: Seven-story apartment building (126 units) still active despite new zoning standards; includes only 4 affordable units at 80% AMI (developer may pay into affordable housing fund instead)
- Additional development: Proposed five-story apartment building for parking lots between old preschool and Jefferson Street
Real Estate Concerns
- Peach’s mother’s purchases: Chris Friedman bought Kristen Clarence’s house (Farm Lane) and Lewis house at double assessed value, raising concerns about neighborhood property tax increases because purchases were made above tax-assessed value.
- Intent clarified: Purchases intended as family compound for Peach, another daughter, and tech-industry son in California; not a neighborhood takeover or nonprofit setup
- Restoration plans: Properties will receive historic restoration with historians, architects, and landscapers; potential future historical walkthrough event
Short-Term Rental Enforcement
- City crackdown: City using software to identify illegal Airbnbs; raising fees and requiring owners to live on-premises exactly half the year; enforcement imminent
- Neighborhood impact: Two former short-term rentals on Catherine’s block converted to single-family and one-year rental occupancy
Action Items
- Catherine: Deliver remaining flyers to Julia and Sumner; complete Mead Avenue distribution; purchase perishable picnic supplies at Costco/Aldi’s; coordinate with neighbors (Mary and Christian) about composting bin access for picnic waste
- Julia: Share flyer with CityWalk resident; write dues explanation paragraph for picnic sign-up sheet and website (covering past uses: picnic, muse donations, snow removal assistance)
- Sumner: Post flyers at Randolph apartment building; bring snacks and trash bags to cleanup; arrive 4:30 PM for picnic setup
- Jonathan: Draft and send NDS staff invitation email for picnic; provide large cooler for food transport
- Board: Complete city tree survey and flag Little High’s absence where it occurs
Open Questions
- Large item pickup: City refused to waive $25 fee or accommodate neighborhood coordination; board will encourage residents to share pickup dates with neighbors to split costs
- Mead Creek water quality: Martin Hardware offers free water testing kits (fee for analysis); Jonathan proposed testing creek at Mead Park and neighborhood section; Julia recommended checking existing Streamwatch/Rivanna Conservation Alliance data first
Pending Confirmation
- Concert logistics: Luke Foster and Josh Mayo need to confirm sound system requirements, preferred dates, and venue details for July/August concerts
- City trash pickup: Confirmation needed that city will collect bagged trash at 4 PM on May 10 as promised
