BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Meeting called to order at 7:00 PM by President Brian Ward.
PRESENT: [11 people present] Brian Ward (President) Loui Tucker (Secretary) Steve Rogers
Sally Henning Scott Hraban Jesse Hraban RuthW hite Jerry W hite Sabine Zappe
PRESENTATION BY RICHARD MCMURTRY
John Myers (representing County Supervisor Ken Yeager’s office)
Richard McMurtry Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition
Because Richard McMurtry of the Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition had been invited to make a presentation, that presentation was moved to the beginning of the meeting. It was a presentation about the need to re-think our treatment of local creeks, streams and rivers, and make a renewed effort to return them to the clean, life-sustaining, recreational areas they once were. It included a video made in 1992.
The Santa Clara County Water District is making changes. There is a renewed effort to keep developers from getting any exemptions to the “100 feet from a creek” ordinances. The President of the SCCWD is pushing the agency to become “environmental stewards” instead of just controlling waterways and keeping them from flooding surrounding property, which historically seemed to be the mission of the agency. In early years the SCCWD was all about using dams, pipes, and flood control measures to harness nature
November 2000 survey pointed out that voters want natural streams, trails, and clean water. The SCCWD is working for laws that will authorize them to enhance, protect and restore current waterways. This will include removing some dams to improve spawning grounds.
The Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition will be visiting neighborhood associations in the next two years, encouraging discussion and letter writing. The BVNA members present took some of the forms, signed them, and turned them into Mr. McMurtry for his use.
MINUTES - Minutes of the March 25, 2008 meeting were approved.
TREASURER’S REPORT. The treasurer was not present and had not submitted a report. Funds are low and there was a discussion about having another yard/garage sale. Loui will send out an email reminding members to pay dues.
STATUS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD John Myers, from Supervisor Yeager’s office, being present, members offered their input and observations regarding activities and circumstances in the Neighborhood.
The stop sign at Parkmoor and Leigh was hit and is bent and leaning at about a 50 degree angle. This was reported last month, but nothing has been done.
The “NO TRUCKS OVER SEVEN TONS” sign on Douglas and Meridian has been hit with graffiti and is virtually un-readable. As a consequence, trunks over 7 tons are parking in the neighborhood.
The mattress on Chiechi is gone, but the cabinet is still there.
The “$1000 FINE FOR DUMPING” sign on Chiechi is gone.
Five separate calls were made to the SJ Water Company about the leaking and flooding - no progress.
467 Meridian still has a garage being worked on and there now appears to be someone living in the garage.
There is a trailer parked on Scott near the park. It has no plates. It is not moved for days at a time and
appears to be abandoned. A truck hit it and flipped it. Can Code Enforcement do anything?
There are lights out on Willard and on Page (old lights, not the new lights on Scott)
McVay’s lot on Willard has been cleared and the weeds are gone. However, trash is again being thrown
over the fence.
Minutes of BVNA General Meeting 4/29/08
MISC. BVNA PROJECTS
The Home Tour has 6 houses and a garden. The homeowners met at the Hennings in March and have
been given their assignments regarding writing a description and lining up docents. There will be meeting at 4:00 PM on Sunday, May 18 at the White House that all homeowners and available docents are asked to attend. At the meeting docents will be assigned to houses, and the Home Tour Committee members will answer questions that have come up, etc.. If anyone is interested in being a docent this year, they should contact Sally Henning.
Sally and Ken Henning would like help keeping the Buena Vista Park clean of graffiti and litter. She suggested people get an anti-graffiti kit from the offices that are on Vine near Woz Way (call first) and then sign up on a calendar she will distribute. If graffiti is not their thing, volunteers can just drop by the park and just pick up the litter in and around it. A daily presence keeps the mess to a minimum because visitors understand the area is being watched and cared for. It was suggested that she make an email plea on the BVNA yahoo listserve.
Ruth reported that Patricia Johnson’s wisteria was pulled out. (This announcement caused much alarm and woe, but a post-meeting email exchange revealed that it had not been destroyed, but the gardener had carefully removed it from the house so the house could be tented, at which time the wisteria would be carefully replaced.)
This Thursday the VTA will be voting on the sale of the Sunol-West San Carlos lot at the County Board Chambers at 70 West Hedding. If the VTA approved the sale, then it will be up to the City to review and approve the proposed development which currently calls for over 800 units and no green space. It was moved, seconded and passed that the BVNA write a letter to the VTA Secretary (with copies to Ken Yeager and John Myers) with BVNA’s opposition to the proposed sale. Loui will take care of this.
e.
NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be Tuesday, May 29, 2008 at the home of Loui Tucker and Sabine Zappe at 153 Race Street.
The meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.
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