Rocky Bluff Neighborhood Association, Madison WI

Minutes for June 8, 2015

Date: Monday, June 8, 2015 – 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: First Baptist Church, 518 N. Franklin Avenue, Basement Meeting Room
Attendance: 16

Discussion Items

  1. Construction on Bluff/Kendall
    • The construction is scheduled for June-August. The project includes updating the utilities under the street as well as street resurfacing. For more information see the city web page:
      http://www.cityofmadison.com/news/bluff-street-closure
    • If residents have any issues with the on-going work, either contact Tom Mohr, City Traffic
      Engineering, at 608-267-8725 or send an e-mail to our Alderperson, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
      (district5@cityofmadison.com). Tim Schneider to add Shiva’s contact information to RNBA website.
  2. Summer Party Committee
    • The planning committee met in late April and set a date of Saturday, August 8, 3-7 p.m.
    • The party will be located at the same location as last year: 2922 Stevens St.
    • The committee will continue to meet to work out the final details including obtaining food/beverage donations from local businesses, arranging for entertainment, children’s games, etc.
    • There will also be a Quarry Park clean-up prior to the party — 10 a.m. to noon.
      • Tasks:
        • Committee–Complete planning process, including publicizing the party to Rocky Bluff residents.
  3. Report on April Quarry Park Clean-Up / Garlic Mustard Pull
    • RBNA held a Quarry Park cleanup project on 4/25 as part of the City of Madison Earth Day park cleanup event. About 15 people participated this year and removed 4-5 large garbage bags ofmostly garlic mustard with a small amount of trash.
    • Betty Bauhs reported there was noticeably less garlic mustard in the park this year compared to last year and the benefit is that there appears to be more wildflowers growing in the woods. We will need to continue pulling the garlic mustard yearly to maintain.
    • Next spring we may want to consider scheduling the project a few weeks later to allow the garlic mustard to start flowering. This will make it easier to locate and identify the garlic mustard now that there are fewer large patches and we will be hunting for small patches and individual plants.
    • Thanks to all volunteers who helped this year. Especially Liz Vowles and BJ Haman who both spent many hours removing garlic mustard in addition to the park clean-up day.
    • Suggestions for other changes? Possibly offer coffee and possibly donated pastries and/or bagels. Dave Lohrentz suggested we check with him next spring for a possible donation from Madison Sourdough. Thanks Dave!
  4. Open Discussion
    1. Laura Bauer, RBNA member and City of Madison employee, offered several park updates:
      • Lucia Crest will have a new backstop for baseball/softball installed this summer.
      • There are two fox kits at Hoyt Park. Dogs are not allowed in Hoyt Park except along Owen Parkway. To help protect the fox kits, the park rangers are stepping up enforcement of dog regulations in Hoyt. People with dogs in areas where they are not allowed may be ticketed.
      • The city is conducting a survey about dogs/parks. If interested in sharing your opinion, you can take the survey at: http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/facilities/dogparks.cfm?typeid=2
      • Quarry Park planning process:
        • The city has not moved forward yet on developing a park plan. The plan will address updates to better accommodate both walkers and bikers. The general consensus was that Quarry Park is large enough to be shared and enjoyed by both walkers and bikers, but it would benefit from limiting the number of trails and possibly include areas that are dedicated to walking/biking. If residents would like to share their views or suggestions, send an e-mail to: parks@cityofmadison.com
        • Phil Ryan suggested building a few Leopold benches for Quarry Park. Per Laura they would need to be anchored.
    2. RBNA T-shirts: Jacob Austin suggested creating RBNA t-shirts for workday events. Jake volunteered to look into prices and design for t-shirts.
    3. Suggestion to invite Alderperson Shiva to a RBNA meeting once a year. We may need to move the meeting to a day other than Monday to avoid a conflict Shiva has on Mondays. Invite Shiva to RBNA summer party?
    4. Discussion of speed bumps on Kendall/Bluff: Reviewed previous discussion during March meeting. Suggestion to investigate other traffic calming options in addition to the speed bumps, rumble strips, islands, occasional police presence on street etc.
    5. Hill Farms DOT Site: The State of Wisconsin is starting a project to redevelop the Hill Farms DOT site. The site is nearby and will have some impact on the Rocky Bluff neighborhood. Not much information is available at this time. Request for residents to keep eyes open for additional information and share info via the Google Group.
      1. Tasks:
        1. Members–If you want to share your opinions about dogs in Madison Parks, take the city survey.
        2. Members-Share your views regarding the Quarry Park plan by sending an e-mail to city parks.
        3. RBNA-Include Leopold benches and RBNA t-shirts as agenda topics for an upcoming meeting.
        4. RBNA-Look into possibility of having our Alderperson, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, attend either a meeting or
          the summer party.
        5. Members-Share info you see regarding the Hill Farms project via the RBNA Google Group.

Next Meeting: Monday, September 14, 6:30-8:00 p.m., First Baptist Church at 518 N. Franklin Avenue.