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CBC 11-01-2001LITTLE ROCK C1TY BEAUTIFUL C 0 M M iss10N The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting Thursday November 1, 2001 at 11:30 a.m. in the Sister Cities Conference Room, City Hall. Chair Dottie Funk called the meeting to order. MEMBERS PRESENT: Dottie Funk Ann Ivey Nash Abrams Tim Heiple Karol Zoeller Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl Troy Laha Billie Calloway ALSO PRESENT: Bryan Day, Director, Parks & Recreation Department Bob Brown, Plans Development Administrator, Department of Planning and Development Bill Hall, Landscape Specialist, Department of Planning and Development APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion: Nash Abrams moved that the minutes from October 4, 2001 be approved as submitted. Second: Karol Zoeller seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. TREASURER'S REPORT: No report. GUEST PRESENTATION: Brian Day gave an update on the new City Forestry Program. Peter Rausch, from Oklahoma, has been hired as the City Forester and has been in the position for almost two months. The Parks Department is in the process of hiring two maintenance workers and will have them on staff by the end of the year. These positions will not be affected by the hiring freeze and the forester position is secure for the following year. The following equipment has been purchased for the program: a bucket truck; a 6,000 gallon water truck; a tree spade capable of moving up to a 3" caliper tree; a stump grinder; and various hand tools. Mr. Rausch has been involved in tree repair work in the Quapaw Quarter area and will soon begin work along William Jefferson Clinton Avenue. The Parks Department and City Forester are working on a tree ordinance that should be in place soon. The City will be eligible to participate in the Tree City USA program once that ordinance is in effect. They are also working on the In -lieu account guidelines. City Beautiful Commission ♦ 723 West Markham ♦ Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 ♦ (501) 371-4864 A one acre tree nursery adjacent to the sanitary sewer station in the industrial district has been designed and will be installed by the spring. The nursery, once established, will provide 750 trees per year for planting on property under city control. Troy Laha and Sharon Vogelpohl Tallach joined the meeting. Nash Abrams suggested to Bryan that the CBC would be interested in possibly working with the Parks Department on an entry type planting project. Several sites were discussed, including a parcel at the Interstate 440 exit to the airport and the Capitol Avenue Ferry Street Postal Service property. Bryan said he would check on who controls the airport property. He also mentioned that Ferry Street is slated for closing and the adjacent property is to be developed by Axciom for parking. He said he would check on the disposition of that property too. Bryan reported that $8,000.00 had been raised through the tree program and that the department is exploring other fund raising avenues such as an annual utility surcharge. COMMITTEE REPORTS: 1. Budget, Grants, Fundraising — Dottie Funk reported that the Tea-21 grant application was not prepared because an elected official is required for sponsorship and each city or county is allowed only two applications. Both the City of Little Rock and Pulaski County already had their two applications in place. Tim Heiple said he spoke with the Tea-21 grant administrators at the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and they suggested the Arkansas Arts Council for possible funding if the project is for public art. Tim said his committee had prepared a list of public art in the city and he will type that up and distribute it at the next meeting. Dottie reported on the response she received on the funding request for City Beautiful. She received a letter from Cy Carney stating that in light of across the board city budget cut backs the funding request would not be granted. Dottie said that in light of the funding situation the fund raising a budget committee needs to be a full time committee with at least one person working on that effort all year. 2. Landscape Awards Program — Bill Hall reported that a total of 48 nominations had been received. It was decided the commission would tour the sites together on November 9 if a city van is available on that date. Bob Brown will check on the availability of the van. Tim Heiple asked about the Landers Auto site on South University Avenue. The Commission had approved a waiver for that site in the past, but all of the required plant material is dead or missing at this time. Bob Brown will have enforcement follow up on this and will also write a letter to the owners. 3. Publicity — Sharon Vogelpohl Tallach reported that all publicity for the landscape awards program is in place. 4. Public Art — No report. 5. Manmade and Natural Arts Celebration/Festival —No report. 6. Polish the Rock Award — Billie Calloway distributed draft guidelines for the Polish the Rock Award and asked the commissioners to review it for the next meeting. OLD BUSINESS: 1. Commissioner Vacancies — Dottie Funk reported two applications had been received for the commissioner vacancy. They are: Lynn Warren, a landscape architect, and Matt Lyon. 2. Nominating Committee — Dottie Funk reported the nominating committee had selected the following list of nominees for office: Nash Abrams, Chairman; Tim Heiple, Vice Chairman; and Ann Ivey, Treasurer. This slate of officers was accepted unanimously by the commission and a hand vote was held with all nominees elected. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Retreat — Dottie Funk said the commission should be planning a retreat for the first of the year to plan next years calendar. Karol Zoeller offered her lake house in Hot Springs. 2. Arkansas Forestry Commission Urban and Community Forestry Program — Dottie Funk reported that Cy Carney is a new board member of this organization and he wants the City beautiful Commissioners to become members, at the Cities expense, of this organization. ADJOURNMENT: 12:55 p.m. CO M TSSiaN MEETING NOTICE The City Beautiful Commission will hold its regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2001, in the Sister Cities Conference Room on the second floor of City Hall. AGENDA Call to Order: Dottie Funk, Chair `troll Call Approval of the Minutes: October 4, 2001 Treasurer's Report: Introduction of Visitors: Bryan Day, Park's and Recreation Director Peter Rausch, Parks and Recreation Urban Forester Committee Reports: ti Budget, Grants, Fundraising Landscape Awards — Dottie Funk, Nash Abrams j Publicity — Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl `f ■ Gateway — Nash Abrams, Ann Ivey 5 • Public Art — Karol Zoeller r0 • Manmade and Natural Arts Celebration/Festival — Tim Heiple ■ Polish the Rock Award — Billie Calloway Old Business: ■ Nominating Committee New Business Miscellaneous Business Adjournment City Beautiful Commission ♦ 723 West Markham ♦ Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 ♦ (501) 371-4864 The City Beautiful Commission held its regular meeting Thursday, October 4., 2001 at 11:30 a.m. in the Sister Cities Conference Room, City Hall. Chair Dottie Funk called the meeting to order. MEMBERS PRESENT: Dottie Funk Randy Stocks Ann Ivey Nash Abrams Karol Zoeller Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl Troy Laha Billie Calloway Tim Heiple ALSO PRESENT: Dana Carney, Zoning & Subdivision Manager, Department of Planning and Development Bill Hall, Landscape Specialist, Department of Planning and Development APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion: Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl moved that the minutes from September 6, 2001 be approved as submitted. Second: Karol Zoeller seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. TREASURER'S REPORT: Randy Stocks, see attachment. COMMITTEE REPORTS: 1. Budget, Grants, Fundraising — Dottie Funk reported that Bryan Day and the new City Forester have been asked to attend the November meeting of the City Beautiful Commission to discuss the In -Lieu account. This account must be set up before the end of the year or the ability to collect these funds will be lost. Tim Heiple mentioned that the T-21 grant program administered by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department has a deadline for grant proposals on October 26, 2001. The grants require a 20% cash match. Dottie appointed Tim Heiple, Nash Abrams, Dottie Funk, and Karol Zoeller to a committee to prepare an application. They will meet at Tim Heiple's office, 319 William Jefferson Clinton Blvd., on October 9, at 2:00 p.m. 2. Landscape Awards Program — Bill Hall passed out a list of past Landscape Award winners and reported that eleven nominations had been received for the Landscape Awards. Six of those nominations were ineligible due to not being installed for at least a year. Dottie asked Bill to prepare and send a letter thanking those who submitted ineligible nominations and explaining the nominations will be kept on file for next year's awards. Dottie also asked Bill to send nomination forms to the City Board of Directors City Beautiful Commission ♦ 723 West Markham ♦ Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 ♦ (501) 371-4864 and Mayor. Nash Bridges reminded the City Beautiful Commissioners to get their nominations in by October 15 as well. 3. Publicity — Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl reported notices have gone out to the Public Relations Society, the Civitan Club, to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and Arkansas Business. Bill Hall reported that the Arkansas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects published a full -page article on the awards. Nash Abrams suggested establishing a public place to permanently record the Landscape Award Winners. 4. Public Art — No report. 5. Manmade and Natural Arts Celebration/Festival — No report. 6. Palish the Rock Award ---- Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl said that she very much - appreciated Billie Calloway's work on the Polish the Rock Award guidelines and procedures. Dottie Funk said she felt the committee should look further into refining the guidelines and procedures. Billie Calloway said she is concerned that if the nomination process is limited to the City Beautiful Commissioners that there are deserving recipients who may not be recognized. Tim Heiple suggested including neighborhood association presidents in the nomination process. Billie Calloway stated that it is important to have definite guidelines and procedures in place so that in -coming members know the purpose of the award and how it is awarded. Randy Stocks stated that guidelines in the form of a simple statement of award criteria are needed. Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl said the Commission should not necessarily be constrained by the past in establishing the guidelines. Motion: Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl moved that definition of the Polish the Rock Award continue by the committee headed by Billie Calloway. Second: Troy Laha seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. OLD BUSINESS: 1. By-laws — There was no discussion on the proposed changes to the by-laws presented at last months meeting. Motion: Tim Heiple moved that amended By -Laws as presented at the September 6, 2001 meeting of the City Beautiful Commission be adopted. Second: Troy Laha seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Officer Nominating Committee — Dottie Funk appointed Nash Abrams, Tim Heiple, and Troy Laha to the Nominating Committee and charged them with preparing a slate of officers for 2002. The committee will meet October 9 at 3:00 p.m. at Tim Heiple's Office, 319 William Jefferson Clinton Blvd. 2. Expired Terms — The terms of Randy Stocks, Ann Ivey, and Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl have expired. Dana Carney made arrangements for the positions to be advertised in the newspaper. Randy Stocks will not seek another term, but Ann Ivey and Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl are interested in serving again. Dana Carney instructed them to correspond with the Mayor, copied to the City Clerk and the Planning Department, regarding their intentions. 3. City Hall Landscape — Nash Abrams reported that the rear entry to City Hall has an area that is bare and unkempt, he suggested that the Commission get involved in an upgrade to this entry area. There was no further discussion of this item. ADJOURNMENT: 1:30 p.m.