Approved June 29, 2021
Present: Clarence Casazza, Pete Gitman, Lisa Goodpaster (secretary), J.P. Hall (president), Troy Ingram (Muncie City Council), Brad Marshall (treasurer), Brad Polk (vice president).
President Hall called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.
Together Delaware-Muncie Kitchen Table Conversation
The city and county have formed a coalition of sorts, called Together Delaware-Muncie. The purpose is to bring representatives from both the city and council together to collaborate on developing long-term comprehensive planning processes.
Hall serves on the steering committee, and has been asked to hold a brainstorming session (“kitchen table conversation”) at the neighborhood level to gather input from Halteman area residents. The majority of the meeting focused on this discussion. As a result, the three main priorities identified through this process were:
Infrastructure
Education
Quality of Place/Life
Hall will summarize the discussion and share our results with the steering committee and keep us apprised of the process. He informed everyone that the Together Delaware-Muncie group has developed a website https://togetherdm.com where more information can be found. Hall reminded everyone to please take the survey, which is also posted on the group’s website, before tomorrow’s deadline. The plans developed from these processes will be used for all future planning over the course of the next ten years.
Announcements
Vice President Polk reported that Shroyer Brothers had begun demolition on the former pool house a few weeks ago; however, work was halted when Shroyer discovered that the utilities had not been disconnected. Work will resume once the electricity is shut off. Hall will reach out to Shroyer to see when demolition is planned to resume. Delays will affect the timeline for the rest of the park improvements planned this summer.
Polk announced a public forum to be conducted by Muncie City Council’s Land and Traffic Committee at 7p.m. on April 20 at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts. The purpose is to gather input from the four quadrants of the city regarding neighborhood traffic issues. We will send out a survey to residents to gather their input, and will tabulate all responses into one formal document, which will be submitted to the committee.
J. P. reported on a meeting he and Brad Marshall had with Carl Malone (superintendent, City Parks Department) regarding the basketball and tennis courts. The city’s plan had been to tear out one court entirely and convert the existing basketball court into one multi-use half-court. Both Marshall and Hall expressed the neighborhood’s desire to keep a full-court for basketball. Additionally, the tennis court will be converted to a pickleball court.
Marshall reported that the playground equipment will be ready for installation as early as late April, once the pool house is removed and infrastructure work is complete. We will need to stay engaged with the City, Shroyer Brothers, CRG, and the pavilion contractor to keep things moving, to alleviate further delays.
Hall reported that we reached our $45,000 stretch goal through the Patronicity campaign. Additionally, we received a $10,000 check from the Community Foundation, although we are uncertain of the funding source. Hall will investigate. Adding in the $30,000 matching grant from IHCDA brings us to a total of $85,000 from this fundraising effort.
Additionally, a grant application was submitted earlier this month to the Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler Foundation for a $25,000 grant which would help fund the remaining costs of a pavilion and landscaping. We should receive word in a few weeks, if we are awarded the grant.
Hall announced a $50 gift from Building Better Neighborhoods for his participation in the annual I.D.E.A. conference, where he presented our Halteman Park project to the audience.
Lastly, we received a $500 grant from Muncie Action Plan to assist with costs related to advertising our fundraising campaign on social media sites (NextDoor and Facebook) and to purchase two outdoor donor recognition banners. To date, $102 was spent advertising on NextDoor. Once the Facebook ad expires, we anticipate an expense of approximately $25. The estimated cost of the banners will be approximately $200-300.
Other Business
On that note, President Hall reported that the secretary submitted receipts to the board for reimbursement of her out-of-pocket expense to boost the crowdfunding campaign ads on NextDoor. Hall called for a motion to reimburse $102, to be paid from the $500 Building Better Neighborhoods grant. Peter Gitman moved and Brad Marshall seconded. All voted in favor. Motion passed.
Hall then called for a motion to authorize the treasurer to make final payments to CRG for procurement and installation of the playground equipment, in the total amount of $60,000. Lisa Goodpaster moved and Brad Polk seconded. All voted in favor. Motion passed.
Hall concluded the meeting by reporting that in lieu of our May meeting, we will host the next Dream with Dan event, to be held from 6-7 p.m., Thursday, May 27, at Halteman Village Baptist Church, 4100 N. Oakwood Avenue. President Hall will moderate the forum, and everyone will have an opportunity to ask questions of both the mayor and the department heads present. He encouraged everyone to attend if possible.
There being no further business, our meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m. Our next meeting will be held April 27, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Goodpaster, secretary