January CDAG Board Meeting Minutes – 2011

Central Delaware Advocacy Group (CDAG) – January 13, 2011

Society Hill Towers Community Room, 5:30 PM – Recorded Attendance Attached

I. Approval of Meeting Minutes

Minutes of CDAG Board meeting of December 9, 2010, approved

II.Committee Reports

1. Communication & Outreach – Rene Goodwin and Alice Edgerton

Rene reported that there will be a communications summit to look at ways to create and sustaining a real presence for CDAG in a variety of ways. Rene noted that she hoped schedule the summit within the next three weeks.

2.Finance & Development - Treasurer’s Report - Marsha Bacal and Dave Hammond

Written Treasurer’s report dated January 13, 2011 submitted:

Starting balance plus revenue$2,997.50

Expenses$2,364.12

Balance$ 633.38

Outstanding Liability – Legal Fees$2,009.00

Dave Hammond reported on the status of the $5,000.00 PA DCED grant. The promised funds are expected within ten weeks.

3. Action Committee – Alice Edgerton

Alice reported on the efforts of PHS, PennPraxis, DRWC and OCCA to set up the Friends Of Race Street Pier Happy Hour event to be held on Tuesday, January 18th, at 5:30 PM, at the Race Street Café, located 208 Race Street. Alice passed out promotional postcards and posters.

Alice also noted that the Action Committee will be coordinating with Rene on organizing the communications summit.

4. Membership Report – Laura Lanza

Laura reported that the Membership Committee had not scheduled a meeting over the past month, but that there are residual tasks for the Committee to pursue, included in the Committee work product reported on previously, such as: finalization of a invitation letter to be sent to potential Advisory Committee members, vetting a list of prospective Advisory Committee members, and further definition of the general Membership criteria.

5.Membership Attendance Report – Joe Schiavo

01-02-11Mailed third-missed-meeting letter sent to PEC

01-02-11Mailed fourth-missed-meeting letter sent to Dickenson Narrows

01-02-11Mailed fourth-missed-meeting letter sent to Delaware River City Corp.

Dickenson Narrows and Delaware River City Corp., due to each missing four consecutive regularly scheduled CDAG Board meetings, have been moved to a non-voting status, but remain CDAG Board members.

File copies of the threenotification letters sent were available for Board review.

III. Discussion of Most Appropriate Meeting Time for CDAG Board Meetings

– Steve Weixler

Steve initiated a discussion and review of the most appropriate meeting time for CDAG Board meetings, in the coming year. Both morning and evening meeting times are less-than ideal for some Board members, and Steve asked that we each consider an appropriate schedule, and circulate our thoughts via the CDAG list serve.

IV.CDAG Election of Officers – Jim Moss

Jim informed all present of the election protocol and re-announced all candidates of the slate, and Jim orchestrated the entire election process on behalf of the Board.

The candidates for office did not make verbal statements of intent, due to their written statements having been circulated, via email, to the entire CDAG Board list, weeks in advance of the scheduled election.

The results of the election installed the 2011 CDAG Executive Committee Officers as follows:

Chair - Steven Weixler

Vice-chair - Matt Ruben

Vice-chair - Laura Lanza

Secretary - Joe Schiavo

Treasurer – David Hammond

The entire CDAG Board thanked Jeff Rush and Marsha Bacal for their service as CDAG Officers over the past two years.

IV. Report on CDAG participation in Philadelphia Heritage Virtual Tours Project –

Steve Weixler and Laura Lanza

Steve and Laura, who have been participating thus far in the formation of this project, introduced the concepts and goals of the Philadelphia Heritage Virtual Tours Project and acknowledged its appropriateness to CDAG’s mission.

Laura welcomed and introduced Dr. Glen Muschio, Associate Professor at Drexel University and Director of the Digital Media Department of the University.

Dr. Muschio described The Philadelphia Heritage Virtual Tours (PHVT) project as a 21st century GPS-driven self-guided walking tour and creative tool made available to anyone with a smartphone connection. The PHVT tool, via a smartphone connection, sheds light on the role Philadelphia neighborhoods and people played in the development of a nation and celebrates continuing creative contributions to the American experiment.

At this point, the project is in the planning grant application phase. A PHVT project description, provided by Dr. Muschio, will be distributed to all CDAG Board members via the list serve.

A motion was made that CDAG join, as an outreach partner, the initiative described by Dr. Muschio, and that motion was passed by the Board.

V. Discussion on CDAG Advocacy for the Master Plan and Legislative Actions that impact on the Central Delaware – Steve Weixler and Mary Stumpf

Steve opened this discussion by expressing his positive regard for the DRWC Board, Staff and Planning Contractors, as well as the Master Plan document and the process applied. But also noted that there is further advocacy work to be done and that the time is now, to get the job (Master Plan) done right.

Steve introduced the detailed outline prepared by NABR that was circulated in advance, via email, to all CDAG Board members, describing the NABR outline as a good start toward creating a CDAG response to the Master Plan. Subsequently, Steve turned the discussion over to Mary, to continue.

Mary described the NABR outline as intended to raise issues and facilitate discussion to make sure that salient points are addressed by the DRWC, and also intended to be a catalyst for discussion by CDAG. Mary further described that the purpose of the discussion was to formulate some near-term strategies for CDAG and identification of achievable goals, relative to the Master Plan process underway. Using the NABR outline walked the Board through key points of the document.

Given the scope of the outline and the importance of the topic, after thirty minutes of discussion, the Board decided to schedule a second January CDAG Board, meeting dedicated to the topic. That meeting has been scheduled for January 27th, at 5:30 PM, at the Society Hill Towers Community Room.

Closing and Next Meeting

Adjourned 8:06 PM

Next regularly-scheduled CDAG Board meeting scheduled for February 10, 2011, 8:00 AM,

at the Society Hill Towers Community Room

A special CDAG Board meeting to discuss the NABR Report and Master Plan status has been scheduled for January 27, 2011, 5:30 PM, at the Society Hill Towers Community Room

Friends and Guests of CDAG Present:

Rene Goodwin, Chair, CDAG Communications Committee

Bridget Keegan, PennPraxis

Margaret Kalalian

Steve McGovern, Haverford College

Adrienne Jones, General Member

Kelli Patrick-Gates, PlanPhilly

Kathy Dilonardo

Glen Muschio, Drexel University

Eric Johanson (sp?)

CDAG Board Member Organizations Roll Call:

CDAG Board Member Organizations
(N/V = non-voting Board Members) / Representatives
Primary & Alternate / Present
(X) / Quorum
Count
N/V / Dickenson Narrows Civic Assoc. / Kirk Brown (P) / N/V / N/V
1 / Fishtown Neighbors Assoc. / Micah Hanson (P)
Fishtown Neighbors Assoc. / Matt Karp (A) / X / 1
2 / Franklin Bridge Neighbors North / Dick Tucker (P)
3 / Neighbors Allied Best Waterfront / Mary Stumpf (P) / X / 2
Neighbors Allied Best Waterfront / Dianne Mayer (A) / X
4 / New Kensington Development Corp. / Sandy Saltzman (P)
New Kensington Development Corp. / Tom Potts (A) / X / 3
5 / Northern Liberties Neighbors Assoc / Matt Ruben (P) / X / 4
Northern Liberties Neighbors Assoc / Ira Upin
6 / Old City Civic Association / Joe Schiavo (P) / X / 5
Old City Civic Association / Marcus Saitschenko (A)
7 / Court At Old Swedes Homeowners Assoc. / Honey Pertnoy (P) / X / 6
Court At Old Swedes Homeowners Assoc. / Deep Parmat (A)
8 / Pennsport Civic Association / Tom Otto (P) / X / 7
9 / Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Assoc. / Laura Lanza (P) / X / 8
Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Assoc. / Jeremy LeCompte (A)
10 / Queen Village Neighbors Association / Jeff Rush (P) / X / 9
Queen Village Neighbors Association / Richard Wolk (A) / X
11 / River’s Edge Community Association / John Scorsone (P) / X / 10
River’s Edge Community Association / Rich Stange (A)
12 / Society Hill Civic Association / Steven Weixler (P) / X / 11
Society Hill Civic Association / Rosanne Loesch (A)
13 / Society Hill Towers Homeowners Assoc. / Marsha Bacal (P) / X / 12
Society Hill Towers Homeowners Assoc. / Jim Moss (A) / X
14 / Whitman Council / Mark Squilla (P) / X / 13
Whitman Council / Rich Lazar (A) / X
N/V / Delaware River City Corp. / Paul Lonie (P) / N/V / N/V
15 / Penn Future / Rachel Vassar (P) / X / 14
Penn Future / Christine Knapp (A)
16 / Pennsylvania Horticultural Society / Alice Edgerton (A) / X / 15
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society / Amanda Benner (P)
17 / Pennsylvania Environmental Council / Patrick Starr (P) / X / 16
Pennsylvania Environmental Council / Jessica Anderson (A)
18 / South St. Head House Business District / Dave Hammond (P) / X / 17

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