Rocky Bluff Neighborhood Association, Madison WI

Minutes for September, 2016

Date: Monday, September 12, 2016 – 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: First Baptist Church, 518 N. Franklin Avenue

Attendance: 11

Announcements/Reports

Discussion Items

  1. 2016 Annual RBNA Party
    • Betty (Treasurer) reported that the bank balance as of the last meeting was $514. Cost of t-shirts and 2016 party supplies came to $309. T-shirt sales and donations at party netted $395. Current balance is $600.03.
    • Turnout was similar to last year (80-ish). People came/left in waves.
    • Location and the live music were good. Gunnar happy with cleanup.
    • Quantity of food/beer good.
    • Not many people at the party when MPD showed up. Would have been better for the officer to have shown up later.
    • Ideas for next party
      1. Better signage. Should have signs created earlier. Laminate and reuse.
      2. Consider inviting ambulance for 2017 party. Schedule later in the day.
      3. Create a picture board with historical photos from neighborhood.

    • Action Item
      Committee members to email contact names, notes, and cost information for use in future planning to Tim who will pull together into a single document.

  2. Ideas for ways to spend down money in bank account
    • Advertising a neighborhood garage sale.
    • Pay for live music at the party. $100 suggested.
    • Buy trees or shrubs for planting in the park.
    • Adopting or paying to replace an infected ash tree.
    • Placemaking. Talked about street sign (sample picture from Shorewood Hills passed around). Place sign on Hoyt park property? Permit needs?

    • Action Item
      Liza will email Phil about the possibility of creating signage. We talked about contacting Kate at Parks Department to ask about placement options, but no one was assigned.

  3. Friends of Quarry Park update.
    • Betty reported that group met on August 18th. There were 3 people from Rocky Bluff (Gunnar, John, and Betty), 2 from CORP and 2 from the city.
    • City wants a friends group to get started right away.
    • A late September meeting was discussed. Still no date. Dan Dacko from CORP will organize/schedule.
    • Would like to keep group to 5-6 people. Should get Sunset Village involved, as they border the park.
    • Group would meet 2-3 times per year.
    • In mid-winter, the friends group would create a work plan and submit a proposal to the city. Naming the trails, developing a formal plan for signage, and addressing trail sections where bikes and heavily hiked paths cross were all suggested for submission. BJ has marked a path with red flags to be considered for pedestrian bypass between outer loops.

    • Action Item
      None.

  4. Neighborhood Garage Sale
    • Advertise in State Journal a neighborhood garage sale held at individual houses, not jointly. Too complicated to try to bring together in one place.
    • John suggested donations to a centralized location/sale and RBNA would get the proceeds.
    • Donate what doesn’t sell.
    • Bring up a Spring sale at annual meeting.

    • Action Item
      None.

Open Discussion

  1. Use fliers for new people moving to the neighborhood, annual party, and annual meeting.
    • Going forward we will only send email notices for quarterly meeting.
    • Betty has a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” flier that she will email to Tim.
    • Extra sandwich board announcing meetings.
    • Better spread on the email announcements.

  2. BJ went to the city website and filed complaint with city regarding storm sewers on Ridge/Barlow. City came out within 24 hours, dug out and repaved leads to sewers.

  3. Chili Cookoff to be held October 29th at Jake’s house (Bluff Street). Details to be posted to email list, and website.

  4. A new stop sign at Regent near park on Segoe seems to be slowing traffic. Revisit idea of a stop sign at Ridge and Bluff.
    • Email city for traffic data (no one volunteered).

  5. Happy hour scheduled for Monday September 19th, 7pm at Blue Moon.

  6. Thank you cards were signed for Gunnar and the neighborhood businesses that supported the annual party.

Next Meeting:

Monday, December 12, 7:00-8:00 p.m., First Baptist Church, 518 N. Franklin Avenue.