6/18/2001 Partners Against Crime District II Minutes
E.K. Powe Elementary School, 6:00 PM
Introductions
22 people were in attendance.
–PAC II Initiative Progress Reports
* Redistricting: Brooke covered the new fifth (downtown district) and its original boundaries versus its current, final boundaries. The history of how the original proposal subdivided neighborhoods, placing them in two or three PACs was recounted. The final proposal only splits OWD and OND, because these two neighborhoods have business districts that are in the new district. Officer Sherman and Captain Morris are trying to redraw beat districts so that neighborhood boundaries are the beat boundaries, a great dovetailing for PAC 2. PAC thanks Captain Morris for this effort.
* Campaign for Decent Housing noted non-residential areas that are not kept up and have been havens for drug activity and vagrancy, such as railroad right of way properties and overpasses, etc. Newman and Brooke met with David Price (D-NC) and raised this issue, as it is a federal issue with the railroad companies. It is nearly impossible for the city to get access to the land to do maintenance, so the issue is very complicated.
* Housing Sub-Committee posting of problem properties to the web site: Jeff White talked to the Key West city government and other municipalities to see how they handled posting sub-code properties to a community web site. They felt that there were not enough hits to the site to justify keeping that particular project going. He doesn’t feel PAC will generate enough traffic to get it into the public eye unless the media will help broaden its exposure. Legal issues: posting a property with no disrespectful remarks cannot generate a lawsuit, but saying that it doesn’t meet code has to be proven with citations by the city in order to avoid litigation.
On moving the web site to a permanent server: Pam Spaulding mentioned that an agreement in principle on May 3 for the city to pay an ISP (Internet of the Sandhills) to host all four PACs was worked out in May with Jeff Faucette (jfaucette@ci.durham.nc.us). However, the City Manager (at that time, acting manager Greg Bethea) still needed to approve the final proposal submitted. There has been no action to date from the City on this for Pam to follow up on migrating the PAC site.
PAC III has started a listserv located at pac3@yahoogroups.com. To subscribe send an e-mail to: Pac3-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
* NML Outreach: This project, done in mid March, was a great success and PAC II will like to follow up with additional action. Brooke suggested that people could come up with ideas as to how best follow up. Jeff White noted that it is a very transient, Hispanic area, and that many of the people in a second visit may, in fact be new to the neighborhood. There was a discussion about giving it a more formal name than “No Man’s Land” that is more attractive to incoming residents that can be used in our outreach. Brooke said that because of the history of the area is that it has been part of different surrounding neighborhoods; it has not been claimed as such in the present day by any of them. Newman says that he spoke with city departments and he said the city has no domain over neighborhood boundaries; the neighborhoods and neighborhood associations decide it. NML is not really big enough to justify being its own neighborhood. Neighborhood leaders will have to take that up. Both Duke Park and Trinity Park’s policies are that as long as 51% of the people in the unaffiliated area can vote to join an established neighborhood. Three of the four neighborhoods (Trinity Park, Duke Park and Old North Durham) present at today’s meeting agreed to meet to discuss how to approach this issue between them.
–Grants
* Update: Valerie Anderson: there is a pot of money left over with a June 30th deadline. $1400 is left over. Jeff said he is willing to coordinate the grants with Valerie to update the PAC.
* Microsoft Map Point ($400): Newman says that this product is available and it provides graphic representations of many of the issues we have, such as block captain areas, crimes can be mapped from the database system we currently use. Crime representations can then be posted to the web site. Newman will forward it to Valerie tomorrow.
* Neighborhood Watch Magnets: This erasable magnet pad would have the PAC web site address and frequently used PAC phone numbers. There could be spaces to fill in block captains as well as any other information, including space for people to write all the contact info residents on the block. It could possibly have a Post-It note attached. Julie is willing to get a quote from the vendor WHH is working with on quantity (500) and the letter-sheet size.
The remaining funds will go to Horizon, which works with battered women.
* Schedule on the upcoming PAC meetings was passed out
* June 28, 6PM. City Gang Initiative: Subject: Youth Cultural and Recreational Options. Attendance and participation is encouraged.
* Nancy Scott suggested that we can hold a PAC meeting at the North Durham Library with advance notice.
–Informational Speaker
* Alice Alexander, Director of Senior Citizen Campaign, Council for Senior Citizens. They are building a senior center adjacent to the YMCA. The city donated the land, and there is a bond issue to get on the ballot. The facility will be 44,000 sq. ft. Durham is the only large community without a senior center in NC. This facility, when built will be the largest. There are 28,000 seniors in Durham County, according to the latest census. The goal for funding is $7 million total. There are some senior centers that are hosted in Parks and Rec facilities, but they are constrained because of sharing of space with other public programs, limited hours, etc. The largest population expansion is in those 85 and older, and they are healthy years. More people are living longer, and they want to build a facility to help people stay independent longer and involved in the community. They want to keep seniors in the community so that they do not leave for more attractive retirement locations. There is a significant need for adult day care, especially those with Alzheimers. Lifelong learning is necessary for wellbeing in senior citizens, and keep them out of hospitals and nursing homes. This facility will provide a one-stop shopping situation for people looking for information on senior activities (reading, computers, art, gardening), care, and health and wellness, vaccines, and taking part in PAC. The number one request for seniors is foot care (nail clipping) – this simple service is just one of the things the facility can provide. Two agencies will be in there: Meals on Wheels and Senior Pharmacist. The latter helps seniors manage their medication and pay for some medications. This has been endorsed by the governor and has been shown to reduce hospitalizations. John Lucas and Trish Robinson are helping out on the public awareness campaign. The county is providing some of the funds to build it, but they need to raise funds in the future in order to get the doors open.
Question: How will the seniors will be transported to the center if they live in the county? It will be a real challenge. It will have to be a mix of solutions, a network of opportunities to do it. They are working on it, and it is an active effort to solve this problem. Will it be free or paid? Most of what is currently offered is free, and it will continue to be so in the new center. Some partnerships for classes and such will be on a sliding scale. The Council for Senior Citizens is private, but its funding is from private and public sources. They will have to maintain the facility themselves. Will the current senior centers remain open? Some will close. Little River in North Durham will probably remain open because it services more remote, rural populations in the county. Is this project too ambitious? She said that because it is going to co-locate adult day health care, along with several agencies, this will help consolidate resources for seniors. There is so much positive going on downtown and they feel that this project will be a great addition to the area.
Interdepartmental team meeting: Parks and Rec, July 28 (11AM-4PM), Summer Fun Day. At the Edison-Johnson Center. June 24: 1300 Block of Roxboro Road: Concert in Forest Hills Park.
* Street Lights: people can request these online (http://www.pac2durham.com/forms/streetlightform.htm). Julie Holmes and Tony Scott monitor that list.
* Speed Trailer: can be requested online as well (http://www.pac2durham.com/forms/trailerform.htm). Brooke asked that someone volunteer to work with the PAC and Jim Adams. An online PAC II member could perform this task as part of PAC II´s Virtual Volunteer effort as it does not require coming to the meeting. Jeff said that detailed documentation has been received and that the trailer can be adjusted to record different kinds of data. Both Walltown and Watts Hillandale residents are requesting speed humps from the city for blocks in their neighborhood because of the chronic speeding. Currently Jim Adams is putting the trailer out at the requested areas, but in the future, the radar officers will do it.
Community Concerns: June 20th 7PM. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: Neighborhood Safety meeting for Watts Hillandale residents will be held. All residents of adjacent businesses and neighborhoods (Walltown, Old West Durham) are invited. Jim Adams will be presenting safety information. Contact Julie Holmes (jfdpottery@mindspring.com) for more information.
Old North Durham has been calling 911 more than once a month regarding shots fired, multiple residents are encouraged to call and that helps pinpoint the incidents. Tony Scott reminded people to call 911 any time you have a gut instinct that something is amiss with people who look like they are casing your house, panhandling, etc.
There was a complaint of loud music and kids hanging out – what can be done? Calling after 10PM doesn’t help unless they are called continuously if the problem starts up again. Because 911 is an agency not the police department, this can endanger an officer that may not be aware of prior calls to the same location. This is definitely a frustrating situation, but some officers have given people their pager number and given some attention — knock and talks where they people are told that their hose is being watched. This drove away a drug dealer from one neighborhood.
CATT team contacts for district 2 will be posted to the PAC listserv by Jeff.
Tony Scott reminded the room that this kind of communication is what PAC is about, since the police cannot be on a particular street corner 24/7. This is by far the busiest district, and sometimes travels time causes delay in follow up to a call. If you think that there is a pattern of non-response or slow response, that should be taken up with the captain. If you give specific information, you should get a quick and appropriate response. The concept of the beat district is that the officers learn the residents and businesses in the area, and that community oriented policing.
Next PAC2 meeting is scheduled for July 16.
ADJOURN
Minutes submitted by Pam Spaulding