Attending: Jill Van Langeveld; Thella Mae Christensen; Brooke Adams; Phil Carroll; Denton Taylor; Walter Jones; Judith Locke; R.D. Coleman; Wayne Green; Lon Richardson; Michael Hughes; Wynn Johnson; Jim Jenkin; John Sittner; Steve Mecham; Trish Orlando; Kat Kivett; Kelly Quick Stevens

Approximately 75 people in attendance

Jill welcomed the audience. Jill said that in response to her newsletter article about keeping trees and bushes trimmed, the city forester’s office will respond to complaints.

Jill shared the phone numbers of the state and city preparedness Web sites.

There will be an open house on Oct. 13 at the City-County Building, Room 118, on proposed zoning change for multifamily dwellings in downtown business district. The open house will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Everwood is filming on H Street but neighbors say they have had no problems with the film company.

Police Report: There were 5 aggravated assaults (one mental unstable; burglar in a home); sexual assault (sister’s boyfriend); 1 robbery (home invasion, man tied up female who got free and grabbed a handgun, but robber fled); car prowls; car thefts.

Wayne Green said his neighborhood had an incident Sunday night with a patient released from LDS Hospital’s ER. The man was released at midnight, with cab voucher. He got out about a block later; ended up screaming incoherently on the Green’s front porch. Police had to get him again, accompanied by ambulance, fire truck, etc. He said he has a problem with the hospital releasing people who obviously have mental/drug problems. He said similar problems have happened in the past, with people ending up sitting in yards and on curbs who’ve just been released from the hospital. Turning people loose like that is not right.

Matt said that if police make a misdemeanor arrest and person is not a threat to themselves; if they are, they can be “pink-sheeted” to the U. or put in jail. But jail is overcrowded and will take only male felons, intoxicated individuals, those with outstanding warrants over $2,500, etc. Situation is worse for females. Until the jail has more room, only certain people can be accommodated there.

One woman asked about what to do about door-to-door solicitors who don’t have a permit and are clearly not associated with a charity; two men claiming to be with Make-A-Wish came to her door two weeks ago, and appeared to be casing homes. Make-A-Wish doesn’t do door-to-door solicitations.

Matt said get as much detailed information, particularly description, and call police. Even if the individuals in question are not picked up at that point, the information may prove useful later.

City Report: Gwen Springmeyer shared the October and November event calendars for the city.

City Council Report: Eric Jergensen shared information about a bus route change proposed by UTA for Route 1 beginning Nov. 2005 One proposal was to take route into higher streets – 12th, 13th – but G Street doesn’t appear capable of handling buses. G Street isn’t scheduled for renovation until 2008. But the recommendation is to try it and see what happens.
The audience expressed various pro and con opinions on the proposal to shift the route.

Legislative Report: Rep. Ralph Becker and Sen. Scott McCoy complimented GACC and Walter Jones on the Street Fair. Becker said there is a settlement on the Legacy Highway, which should be finalized in November or December. He said the legislature is working on Gov. Huntsman’s proposed tax reforms. Though this is the off season, the Legislature seems busier than ever.

Sen. McCoy said the Legislature’s Web page has early filed bills that residents can review.

Audience asked questions about the tax reform proposal and the Legacy Highway.

Open Forum

Debra Robinson raised concern about excessive speed on 3rd Avenue. She asked people to volunteer to try to curb the problem. She said sometimes speeds reach 50 mph; 40 mph is common. She said she has gotten ticketed herself, and that most offenders are residents. But something needs to be done, perhaps installation of speed bumps.

Erin, director of public relations at IHC, said the elevator is working again at the hospital and that helicopters won’t be landing in the street. Kelly Quick Stevens disputed that, saying a helicopter landed in the street Wednesday.

Committee Reports:
Jim Jenkin, traffic committee, said this Sunday at the Library a speaker will give a talk on oil development in this country.

GACC Nominating Committee for 2006: Wynn Johnson asked for nominations for the positions of chair-elect; treasurer; secretary, board members

Chair-elect nominee: Michael Hughes
Treasurer: John Sittner
Secretary: (no nominee)

Motion: Judith Locke moved that attendance rule not be applied this year and start in January. John Sittner amended the motion to go from November to November.

The amended motion passed.

Street Fair Report: Walter Jones said that people really liked having the fair on South Temple. The original intent was to move the street fair around to showcase parts of the Avenues. Residents should consider if they want to continue to move it around or locate it again on South Temple. He said a limited number of Street Fair T-shirts are available.

Housing Compatibility Committee: Lon Richardson, committee chair, shared work that has gone on to amend the SR-1 zoning in the Avenues. He discussed the principles involved, such as protecting views, setbacks and compatibility, as well as the need for balance between property rights and community rights. Much of what is being proposed is based on averages in a neighborhood – average setback, average square footage, etc., probably street by street. He said there was a community survey to gauge residents’ views.

He also said the committee is looking at a three-tiered review system that would allow different levels of review depending on the scope of a project.

John Sittner said he hoped the proposal steers clear of design-review process.

One woman said money and friends talk and the greatest plans won’t overcome those realities.

The next meeting is Oct. 10 in Memory Grove’s Memorial House at 7 p.m. and Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Sweet Library.

Citizen Diplomacy Dinner: Laura Dupuy, executive director of the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy invited Avenues residents to participate in the Home Hospitality Program, which brings foreign visitors to the city and gives them the opportunity to join residents in their homes for dinner and socializing. Most years, about 300 emerging leaders visit Utah. The delegates come from all areas to study such things as freedom of the press, intellectual property, etc. They stay in local hotels, visit with officials and business leaders. But residents have the opportunity to invite the guests into their homes. The program is a nonprofit organization and uses grants to fund its activities.

City Council Candidates
Eric Jergensen: He said the council is very involved in looking at the zoning problems happening throughout the city. The important thing is that neighborhoods have to evolve. People want to improve and build on to their homes, but there is a balancing of rights of neighbors to the enjoyment of their homes. That is the responsibility of the city council: to balance rights, whether it is development or speeding. Traffic, crime issues, monster houses, bus routes – all are important issues in our city. He said he is running again because there is still much to do to solve these issues, balancing rights and protecting the city and making it a nice place to live.

Janneke House: She said she has loved campaigning and is excited to be in the final election. She has a master’s degree in urban design and public policy. She said her skills are important for solving the problems the city faces. She has been interim director of Art in the City, which gave her the opportunity to work with residents, city and county officials. She brought up downtown revitalization, saying it will be a pressing issue in coming years and that her background would prove useful in coming up with solutions for how to keep downtown vibrant.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.