Invited Guests: Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse, Asst. Chief Scott Atkinson, Lieutenant Rusty Isakson, Lieutenant Tim Doubt (Gang Unit).

Meeting called to order at 7:00 by 2005 GACC Chair Jill Van Langeveld.

Announcements:
• Traffic recorder was placed on 3rd Ave. 1174 vehicles were recorded for speed. High 31, low 11, Average 17. This is a good sign. The machine can record wherever they set it up – it does not have to be on (displaying speed to cars going by) in order to record.
•Holiday craft sale at Reservoir Park (S. Temple at 13th Ave) until Dec 18 1-7 pm.
•Downtown parking is free for holidays. 2HR limit.
•Can collectors/recycling collected more in Aves. than any other area. A PSA has been created and will be broadcast in Jan 06.
•Pres. Of Carlton Towers is reporting poor TV reception, asking if any other areas in Avenues also poor reception? Nobody has said so to Jill. Nobody at meeting.
•Changing order of tonight’s agenda.
Eric Jergensen called to invite the Police Chief to tonight’s meeting to get information to Aves. Residents on the recent incident, and to address plans by police to avert future situations.
•Detective Matt Evans Monthly report, council district comparison reports handed out. Average # of burglaries, car prowls, car strips. 1 robbery-no weapon. Avenues doing well in comparison to other City areas. Best prevention is citizen vigilance. Call when observing suspicious activity. Neighborhood watch / Mobile Watch also a good deterrent. Don’t leave car unattended.
•11th Ave Park Shootings: 2 segments of same gang old and young met to discuss how gang territory was distributed and leadership succession. The gang decided on a neutral territory to discuss. Turned into conflict. Shooting and stabbing occurred. Residents had called police when cars drove in. also when shots fired.
One resident-4th gang incident in 6 years. Praise for police for getting there so fast. 1st. incident was a gunshot through house. 2nd.was a brick in window. 3rd-gangs disbanded before police arrived. 4th incident was recent shooting. Ther has also been 4 wheeling in the park. Boulders were placed to stop vehicles from entering the field. Closing of gate erratic. City turned responsible to cemetery to dose gate. Still erratic. Drugs, partying. Last 2 years this resident has closed gate over 100 times. To this resident the key to safety is that the gate needs to be closed daily. Problem: who has authority to close gate and kick people out at gate closing time?
Eric J.: talked with Chief Dinsey and the GACC Council about getting the gate closed consistently.
Gate Closure is set for 8 p.m. November through March, and 10 p.m. April through October. City ordinance allows park use until 11 p.m. Mr. Van Langeveld stated that the original agreement with city on this park is that it would have no restrooms and it would close at dusk. This time of year, 8:00 p.m. is at least two hours after dusk. Eric J. said city is looking at shortening the ordinance to close the park at 10 p.m. Should gate be closed at dusk? If gate closure is the key to park safety, then consistent closing of the gate is a must. Again, Rick Graham of SLC Public Services has said he will be responsible. Call Eric J. if the gate is not closed. 532-4844.
• Chief Rick Dinse: Police and community are working together. Avenues is lowest overall crime area in the City. What can community do to help? More Neighborhood Watch. More Mobile Watch. Officers are assigned where crime is more likely to happen. He cannot assign an officer to be at the park full time.
Another resident called police two weeks prior to the Thanksgiving shooting with mailbox tampering happening and yelling. Police never responded. Chief said he would look into why, but that calls are given priority. Priority 1 calls are responded to first, then Priority 2, then priority 3.
•Lt. Rusty Isakson: All calls will be responded to. Call him if any problems. Police are committed to the Avenues. Q. What is the current patrol frequency in the area of 11th Avneue park? A. Don’t know, would have to research and report back. Patrols have been increased since the Thanksgiving incident.
• Lieutenant Tim Doubt (Gang Unit): Q. Are there any active gangs in the Avenues? Does the Avenues include any gang territory? A. No and No. Gangs have come to Avenues area as a neutral territory to discuss things in peace. Have used cemetery for a long time for that, but police patrols have been increased in cenetery. So gangs looked for another safe place and chose 11th Avenue park.
Q. Will gate closure just make them park on the street and still use park? A. Urban design says no. Convenience is the key to a lot of criminal behavior. If neighborhood watch is increased, police patrols increased, and gate is closed consistently, then the park will not be an “attractive nuisance.”
Utah gangs are different from other cities. No firm territories or turf wars. This was a central city gang afraid to meet in their own area. Previous gang incidents in Avenues is only one in 2005, an incident at LDS hospital where a West side gang member was being treated. The central city gang still has leadership issues.
Q. if we force them away from 11th Avenue Park, where else are they likely to go…Lindsey Gardens? A. the same strategy that will force them away from 11th Ave Park will force them away from Lindsey Gardens or any other Avenues area: neighborhood Watch/Mobile Watch, citizen involvement. Call dispatch at 799-3000 to report suspicious activity. Call 9-1-1 with any criminal behavior or emergencies.
Call the gang hotline at 799-4114. Signs of gang activity are two ore more vehicles, all males, sports or hip hop clothing.
Q. What about Ensign Elementary that has gates which are open year round? A. Citizens need to talk to the school administration about that issue.
Q. Any other city programs/charities/citizen involvement that will reduce gang activity? A. Community awareness and working with police.
•Chief Dinse: Avenues is a safe area. There are concerns. Police will continue to be active in the Avenues, but need residents help. Thank you for allowing us the time tonight. ::applause::
•More announcements from Jill Van Langeveld: Det. Matt Evans correct phone number is 799-4643. It was incorrect in the November newsletter. Avenues Mobile Watch contact is Wayne Green at 521-7917. Mobile Watch meets at the Sweet Library the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
There is only one Neighborhood Watch area in the Avenues. Call Det. Evans to get one started.
City has asked Avenues to hold Street Fair on South Temple each year. Problems with that are electricity and licenses. We would have to commit for several years for City to provide power.
• Gwen Springmeyer Mayor’s Office report: Handed out event calendar.
• State Legislators Ralph Becker/Scott McCoy: Legislative session begins Jan 2006. Call with any concerns, or email or visit office. Utah State Rep Ralph Becker: 364-1656, rbecker@bearwest.com. Utah Sen Scott McCoy: smccoy@utahsenate.org , 538-1406, or 359-2544 .They will send out questionnaire in Jan.
• Housing Committee report Shane: City Council held public meeting on Dec 6. Ordinance was drafted and reviewed. Many Avenues residents were there. City Council will vote on Dec 13 on this matter. They may water down ordinance. If so, Avenues may decide to apply for its own overlay zone. A vote on this may take place at Jan or Feb GACC meeting. City Council’s options are to 1. approve ordinance as written 2. water it down or 3 apply the ordinance only to certain areas of the City.
Q. why are documents on City’s web page too big to be downloaded and reviewed by citizens? A. Eric J. will get that problem solved.
Landmarks Commission says that even within a Historic District, a newer built home is non-conforming and existing rules won’t apply. Avenues is SR-1, SR-3, FR-1, Rq 5000, R! 7000, and R2 zonings. Eric J. will take questions on the ordinance prior to Dec 13 vote.
• Doug Nelson School Board report: K-8 issue addressed. School board has taken the issue to parents and admin at several City schools for their input. Will not be a city wide adoption, just in areas where it makes sense. Retrofitting of schools would be required. Wash. Elem given permission to expand through grade 8. Looking for new facility. Possibly will use Lowell. Open Classroom school surrently meeting at Washington Elem. Rosslyn Heights is near I-80 and 215. Lowell might be a better location for citywide use. Use of Lowell site will require Open Classroom to pay rent if Open Classroom becomes a full charter school. High School for Performing Arts will be adjacent to Highland High. A building authority can borrow money at a low rate to finance a school. A Charter School gets state funding per pupil, and parents do not pay tuition. Charter Schools get extra money to finance the renting or building of a location. West High is impacted with 2,200 students. Looking to rebuild annex behind school to relieve crowding. Highland is not impacted at only 1,650 students, so it is a natural setting for the arts program to use some of Highland’s space.
There are 4 middle schools, none centrally located. West-side is impacted, so middle schools in that area have been rebuilt recently, so less likely for school board to change them to K-8. Discussion happening nationwide on whether K-8 is better vs. middle schools. K-8 seen as giving students more continuity, less transition problems. School Board has made no broad decisions yet. Board has asked each school to debate whether K-8 would be better for their community. Board cannot predict at this time which schools would be used for K-8. Complex issue. Would give 7-8 grades a different experience, and open lower grades to languages and arts. Early feedback to Board from local schools is two-to-one to stay K-6. Parents will have choice. See School Board website for extensive discussion of this issue. http://www.slc.k12.ut.us/schools/k8/
• Mike Stevers, Salt Lake City Emergency Preparedness: When a Utah earthquake occurs, citizens will be on their own. 9-1-1 will probably be down. Emergency Response will focus first on schools, government and other public buildings. Residential response will be last. Residents should expect to be isolated. All responders will also be victims. Utah is overdue for an earthquake. Could be 7.5 magnitude. Extensive damage. Citizens have a moral obligation to prepare for emergency.
Emergency tools recommended: 1. Flashlight with batteries. 2. Battery powered radio. KSL 1160 is the news channel designated as primary emergency broadcast station in Utah because they have personnel on staff 24/7. 3. First Aid kit with instructions on Heimlich, CPR, stop bleeding, shock treatment. 4. 72-hour home emergency kit including food, clothes, water, medicine, blankets. 1 gallon of water per person per day.
MRE=meals ready to eat. Rotate your kit when you change your home’s smoke detector batteries. 5. Keep at least ½ tank gas in your car at all times. 6. items not dependent on electricity. i.e. an old dial type phone. 7. a mechanical can opener 8. Small amount of cash (equal to what you would spend on a 3-day holiday weekend). Stores may have goods, but no power to ring up sales, so will only take cash. 9. Medications – keep at least a ten day supply in reserve. Work with your doctor or pharmacist. 10. Alternative source of heat and fuel. Matches, wood, coal, fireplace.
Q. Is “duck and cover” still recommended drill for surviving an earthquake? What about the new thinking in creating safe spaces? A. Duck and Cover still best for the type of residential construction in the United States.
CERT – Community Emergency Response Team – consider getting trained. In most emergencies, it is the CERT Teams that respond first in local neighborhoods.
Handout – book titled ARE YOU READY. Mike will bring more of these to the library for the January GACC meeting.
Visit the web page for more info www.slcneighborhoodpreparedness.net. The most important emergency decisions we can make are made NOW, prior to a disaster.
• Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. with a thanks to Jill Van Langeveld for her year of service as GACC Chair for 2005.