Metro Public Works has not picked up brush in Salemtown since January

I don't know why it has been so long since Public Works has picked up brush in Salemtown, but by July this will be a tender box ready to explode due to wayward fireworks or a stray cigarette thrown from a car:

Our pile of brush after 6 months of accumulation

I notified CM Erica Gilmore three weeks ago, but no MPW trucks have appeared. I have to wonder whether their absence is due to the Mayor's budget cuts.

Road trippin'

Nashville's mean streets:

One of every two county roads is littered with potholes and is in need of repaving, according to a report provided to Metro Public Works in October. While 47 percent of the county’s roads are in poor condition, just 22 percent are in excellent condition, according to the report.

Public Works officials say they were not caught off guard by the news and have a plan in place to aggressively begin patching potholes across the county next year. But even with a significant increase in the department’s paving budget by Mayor Karl Dean’s administration, Metro continues to fund only a fraction of what is necessary to keep the county’s roads in good shape.

Translation: the Mayor's Office increased the paving budget in the wake of 2010 flood damage but not nearly to the degree (alongside federal funds) that was needed in light of a 1,000 year catastrophe.

While the knock out blow might have been the Great Flood, the Metro budget has been pummeled by cuts since Karl Dean took office. Even when Public Works gets enough money to try to catch up, someone else's department is losing to compensate.

And if we cannot even raise enough money to patch potholes, how can we ever expect to implement complete streets projects that accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic in a more sustainable context?

Every next big thing has a next big flip side

There is a lot of buzz in the mainstream media and local social media about food trucks. They are today's latest rage. While food trucks are fun and novel (for those who've never noshed at a roach coach), they also have unintended consequences for neighborhoods that require some forethought toward regulations. For instance, should food truck owners be held responsible for litter that their customers throw down? Should a food truck be allowed to blare Tijuana Taxi for hours straight? Can a food truck set up shop anywhere on or off the street? What obligations does the vendor have to protect public health?

Real life concerns may be a buzz-kill on food truck fun, but these are important issues to people who live in the vicinity of these good times. Jump to a draft of the regulations Metro Traffic and Parking is considering for mobile vendors.

Where is Dean's due diligence on appointments?

You would think with the recent IQT debacle, the Mayor's Office would be pausing to revise its commitments (or lack thereof) to due diligence of its executive decisions. Despite claims by uncritical supporters that Karl Dean exercised due diligence in the case of IQT, it is not clear that due diligence or process mattered.

I heard from a Nashville leader who had been corresponding with IQT that the company refused to supply Metro with "standard due diligence" items that could have allowed background and financial checks. According to that insider the city did not spend "a ton of time" on the IQT deal. Metro saw the prospect of new jobs, "got excited" and made it easy for IQT to move without the due diligence items.

That leader's perspective is consistent with a July 22 Nashville Business Journal report that the "unraveling" the IQT deal revealed "no consistent, coordinated effort ... for vetting companies that seek tax money in Tennessee."

Weeks later we are approaching what should be a strictly Metro Council appointment to replace David Torrence at Criminal Court Clerk. Yet, Karl Dean has already usurped control and anointed former Vice Mayor Howard Gentry, who is generally above reproach, but he has few credentials for a job in Criminal Court and he might not even qualify for a short list of candidates to the position. This anointing sends a clear signal to the rubber-stamping Dean-wing CMs how to cast their votes during next Tuesday's council meeting; for the lazy, voting with Dean means CMs not having to be responsible for due diligence.

So, of course, Mr. Gentry will sail through next week without any objective procedure determining his selection. But this is not the first time Mayor Dean has picked people for departments, boards, and commissions because he knows them and not because they were objectively judged to be the best candidate for the position. The litany of cronyism:

• Ana Escobar, Metro Clerk (was with Dean at Public Defenders’ Office. No one else interviewed.)
• Rita Roberts Turner, Human Resources Director (was with Dean at the Public Defenders’ Office. Proved not to be a good fit as Dean's Chief of Staff. At job opening, Dean moved her, with no one else interviewed.)
• Keith Durbin, Metro I.T. Director (moved up from Metro Council. No one else interviewed.)
• Stephen Anderson, Metro Police Chief (promoted, with no national search conducted.)
• Billy Fields, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods (no one else interviewed.)

While those appointments were Dean's to make, the Mayor's selection of Dawn Deaner to Public Defender (she was also with Dean when he was at that office), was the council's, but according to one source I spoke with, Dean cued the rubber stamps on his support of her appointment.

Compare Dean's record to that of Dean's predecessor, who had a thorough vetting procedure that included nationwide searches, pro recruiting firms based on competitive bids and finally, local selection committees. I found out that the selection process produced brochures describing relevant departments, positions, qualifications and duties. The firm and committee typically submitted a "short list" of candidates to the relevant Board or Commission, which then shortened the list further to finalists to present to then-Mayor Bill Purcell. Consequently, the appointments came from all over the country and went to highly qualified candidates:

• Ronal Serpas, Metro Police Chief (recruited from Washington State)
• Scott Potter, Metro Water Services (locally grown, but demonstrated qualifications)
• Rick Bernhardt, Metro Planning Department (again, qualified and local)
• Dr. Bill Paul, Metro Health Department (recruited from Chicago)
• Roy Wilson, Metro Parks Director (recruited from Houston)
• Rick Connor, Public Works Director (recruited from Texas)

If the Mayor is going to usurp what little power the Metro Council has, common sense would dictate that he should only do so to assure due diligence and procedure in selecting candidates for office rather than simply doing so to advance his own interest in surrounding himself with unquestioning loyalists. The lack of process sends a terrible message to the departments, boards and commissions that they do not have to exercise due diligence themselves. The appointment of Jennifer Cole, wife of Dean supporter, CM Erik Cole, to the Metro Arts Commission may have been mimicry of dubious diligence since Ms. Cole had no arts experience before her appointment. Not only does a lack of process expand cronyism, but it also increases the chances that leaders across the system will rush to IQT-like washouts again.

By the way have you noticed that the media is deafeningly silent on these hiring ethical dilemmas? I've heard that we may see stories raising questions about the lack of searches after Howard Gentry's appointment, but not until then. What are the journos afraid of?

Meeting report: the question of bringing complete streets to Rosa Parks Boulevard

CM Erica Gilmore recently held a community meeting with leaders from Salemtown and Werthan Lofts and members of Walk Bike Nashville on the possibility of installing bike lands on Rosa Parks Boulevard along the TDOT construction zone stretching from Germantown to MetroCenter. Presenters included TDOT construction managers and Public Works officials.

Rosa Parks is currently wide enough for four driving lanes, an impressive median and good size shoulders on  the sides. Metro is working with TDOT on three different possibilities:

Is the Mayor's Office sending department heads to lobby Metro Council on the fairgrounds privatization plan?

I cannot wait to see the replay of this week's council committee meeting on Mayor Karl Dean's plan to help fulfill Finance Director Rich Riebeling's dream of privatizing the fairgrounds by converting it for real estate industry royalty. I've never really been strongly opposed to converting the fairgrounds to something more in tune with surrounding South Nashville, I just oppose the means the Mayor's Office uses consistently to ram through capital initiatives that serve Karl Dean's cohort while leaving the rest of us to enjoy whatever scraps are left over.

I want to see the replay of the meeting because I look forward to CM Emily Evans pointing out that Director Riebeling has been "carrying the torch" of fairgrounds privatization since he was with the fair board. That confirms my sense (which I've had since the Mayor's Office ran interference for CM Sandra Moore on a shadow neighborhood meeting) that the fix was in on the fairgrounds future from the beginning.

But what I most want to see is CM Mike Jameson rail against the lobbying effort that seems to be coming from on high (as related by Joey Garrison):

Jameson said [Metro Public Works Director Billy] Lynch called him last week and asked for his stance on the fairgrounds issue.

“You don’t need to go there,” Jameson said. “Had it just been me, I would have chalked it up as just idle conversation. But, in talking to some of my colleagues on the council floor –– none of whom I will name –– but all of whom said they got the call and started getting arms twisted and references to yellow trucks in their district. That doesn’t need to happen.

“I know the public works director,” Jameson added. “He’s a phenomenal public servant. I know he doesn’t do this out of his own volition. I know he follows orders.”

Jameson requested Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite, who chairs the council’s Codes, Fair and Farmers Market Committee, ask Lynch for any vote tally list that he may have obtained.

Metro 3 and IT Director Keith Durbin willing, I will get to see the drama unfold on tape someday soon.


UPDATE: Metro 3 did play back the 3 hour meeting Thursday night, and Mike Jameson's disclosure about Public Works' lobbying effort was even more spectacular than depicted in The City Paper. CM Jameson made a point of saying that the Director's phone call was not made personally, but with the Director's assistant. If I could transcribe Jameson's entire body of comments I would. It was impressive.

We all deserve this kind of response from council members in a crisis

Blogging (and now Tweeting) Council Member Emily Evans shows her dedication to resolving infrastructure problems caused by our recent natural disaster:

Restore and recover are the marching orders now. To that end, I have now toured all of that part of the district that lies south of Harding Rd and part of West Meade on the north side. I have inventoried all infrastructure damage and am submitting those to Public Works and Stormwater Management. If you see a problem on your street, please email it to me and I can make sure it is on the list

Debris removal has begun. I do not have a date for pick up in the 23rd yet but as soon as I do, I will let you know. Please refer to the guidelines on debris disposal here.

Curby ain't as green as posed

So, glass is not recyclable by Metro standards and shouldn't be put into Metro recycling bins. But should Metro's Recycling program workers respond to customer mistakes by dumping the bottles from the recycling bins into the alley, especially when Metro garbage bins are sitting right next to the recycling bins?

Last week Curby workers reinforced my decision not to participate in Metro's recycling program because they dumped a bunch of bottles that my spouse washed and designated as recycling to the ground behind our house. It's not the first time Curby workers have littered the alley and I doubt it will be the last. At the same time they claim to be promoting deep green lifestyles, Metro Public Works is proving to be pale by illegally dumping trash.

Read more on Curby's checkered history in Salemtown here and here and here and here.

Urban leaders ask Metro Pubic Works to maintain federal investments in their neighborhoods

Several neighborhoods are concerned to learn that despite MDHA utilizing HUD funds to install quality of life streetscape elements, Public Works refuses to help them maintain those elements after vandals strike. So, they asked for a meeting with Public Works and other officials yesterday to seek resolution. Via the Salemtown e-list, here are the notes from that meeting:

11/23/09 Meeting Notes

Decorative Neighborhood Signs and Public Works: A Discussion

In attendance: Benny Word from PW; Linda Howard from MDHA; residents from Cleveland Park, McFerrin Park, Maxwell, Chestnut Hill, South Inglewood; CM Karen Bennett, CM Jamie Hollin

Absent, but interested: CM Erik Cole, CM Sandra Moore, residents from Salemtown

Concerns / Ideas

- The cost of installation for the number of signs that are coming down in our neighborhoods is prohibitive. These neighborhoods are low to moderate income (and that’s why MDHA invested the money).

- We request help from Public Works for the installation of our neighborhood signs

- Some of the locations where decorative signs have fallen have had standard stop signs but NOT street signs installed. (the intersection of Stainback and Evanston is one example)

- It costs PW a certain amount to come out and replace our decorative sign post with a standard sign. Can we apply that cost to the re-installation of a decorative sign?

- What would be most ideal would be for PW to replace and install the decorative signs. We recognize that isn’t likely, but the question was asked, what would be ideal.

- Perhaps we can keep basic parts on hand for the most common breakage which appears to be a simple tube insert that the decorative posts (which typically remain largely unharmed) are mounted on. Neighborhoods could purchase the parts, storage could be arranged, and Public Works could use those parts for re-installing the decorative signs

- In the future, PW could indicate to residents at the design phase that if they choose one of a small number of decorative sign posts, PW will be willing to do labor on those. If residents want to choose a different style, they cannot expect PW to provide assistance. In particular, there appear to be two kinds of bases, which is where most of the problems have occurred.

- Neighborhoods need Public Works to be willing to pick up and store the decorative signs until they can be reinstalled. This needs to be a longer period of time than 30 days.

- Installation of sign blades seems pretty straightforward. If neighborhoods provide the parts, can PW do this?

- Once a sign has fallen, is there a way to retrofit it so that it is at the stronger breakaway point that has now been approved?

- Can PW come inspect our neighborhood signs (the ones that have fallen) so that there can be a context for the discussion?

Next Steps:

- Benny Word will talk with Mark Macy about the concerns and ideas above

- Mr. Word will be in touch with CM Bennett and CM Hollin and they will disperse the info

- CM Bennett suggested that a follow up meeting for the whole group with Mr. Macy to discuss the outcome should take place—that date needs to be scheduled

The Hollin Effect (or "The difference 2 votes can make")

According to a report received from the Cleveland Park neighborhood e-list, Public Works has been in District 5 every day this week "cleaning up alleys and hauling off the junk". Reportedly, people have not witnessed Public Works tending Cleveland Park in these ways in the past. One resident checked with CM Jamie Hollin and found out that he had prompted Public Works' response after approaching the Mayor's Office.

On the one hand, District 5 neighborhoods are thankfully enjoying the benefits of replacing neglectful CM Pam Murray. On the other hand, why should it take a special appeal from a CM to the Mayor's Office to get help from Public Works in cleaning up illegal dumping in public alleys? Was Public Works ignoring direct neighborhood appeals when Ms. Murray was in office?

Deja vu: Metro Public Works drags feet again on Salemtown streetscape at nearly the same time they did in 2008

Remember I reported a while back that one of the most frustrating delays in 2008 to the federally-funded community-development streetscape project in Salemtown was due to Metro Public Works literally misplacing MDHA's application for improvements from October to December? Well, it looks like Metro Public Works is reprising their inept role in November 2009.

The project finally got back on track with construction starting in August 2009 and scheduled for completion at the end of October. Signs and lamposts went in and sidewalks were demolished to bury electric lines. However, construction ground to a halt in mid-October with confusion over whether the demolished sidewalks were going to be restored. The Sessions Paving company has not been seen in Salemtown in weeks. Half of our lamposts are unlit at night and there are still long, shallow, dirt and rock filled trenches gouged out where sidewalks used to be. Confusion has reigned at MDHA, which has been unclear about whether the sidewalks would be repoured. They finally agreed that the sidewalks would be repoured last week and asked Metro Public Works for approval.

And that is where we stand. In limbo, waiting once again for Metro Public Works to approve and follow through to completion on this project, including the replacement of our sidewalks. Lots of beautiful, construction-friendly days have been wasted since October, when this project could have been finished. But we're waiting on Metro bureaucrats to put our sidewalks back the way they were.

And despite the fact that we have been communicating our concerns to both our council member, Erica Gilmore, and Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods boss, Brady Banks, they have not expressed any support that I am aware of. In fact, they seem to be unresponsive all together to our concerns.

All of these government services deserve nomination for worst service delivery of 2009, because I don't even want to think about how much money these delays and the general lack of responsiveness (the project was originally intended to be finished in 2008) are costing Metro taxpayers. It's enough that I have to live with the costs to our quality of life in Salemtown.

Speaking of Merkle, Let's Talk about Metro Public Works

The slang terms "bonehead" and "boner" are said to date back to 1908 and were specifically applied to Fred Merkle's infamous baserunning error.  The OED has 1912 as the earliest reference to a "boner" and quotes its use: "a blunder in the science of the game."

A group of us here in Salemtown found out last night that Metro Public Works pulled a boner in 2008 when someone there put our architects' streetscape design plans in "the wrong pile," thus causing months of delay in the already arduous MPW approval process. Thanks to some bureaucratic blockhead, our block grant moneys did not get spent as they were supposed to last fall, and the improvements that our community recommended last winter probably will not start until this spring.

I once believed that Metro Park's continued delays to a Morgan Park playground were the greatest Metro disservice to Salemtown. The latest boneheaded blunder of Public Works is pretty fracking close to that distinction in my mind now.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Metro Services in 2008

Because of the limits that following the TVA disaster has placed on my disposable research and writing time, I am not able in 2008 to pour the usual amount of effort into Enclave's Annual Best and Worst of Metro Services. So, I am going with a concise format of what I found to be the good, the bad and the ugly in Metropolitan Nashville governance. If you are a devoted Deaniac, you should stop reading here because if I were doing the regular format, the things I hit on below would have sunk the Mayor's Office to the bottom of the worst Metro services this year (even though Mayor Dean did make a laudable effort to fight English Only).

• January
  • The good: Metro Police caught the thief of the Metro Election Commission laptops and located the hard drives at "rave-type" coffee bar, effectively dispelling a Wachenhut-contracted security guard's claims that the computers were stolen before he was on Christmas Eve duty.
  • The bad: Mayor Karl Dean singled out Metro ITS for the heist of Election Commission and promised security changes without any reference to culpability in either his office or former Mayor Bill Purcell's regarding a building alarm and camera system that was turned off on Christmas Eve 2007.
  • The ugly: Metro Legal lead with a wrist slap on Wachenhut. CM Charlie Tygard intended to go where Buck Dozier failed to go before: LEDland. Metro's computer chief had laptop stolen from his own car during Metro's IT security audit.
• February
  • The good: Metro Parks says Morgan Park will get a playground by summer.
  • The bad: Court Clerk Vic Lineweaver wanted Metro to buy him a new car! CM Tygard's LED bill passes first reading with no debate, thanks to Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors' new iron-fist of order.
  • The ugly: CM Tygard blamed former Mayor Bill Purcell for Metro's budget problems a year after the council was spending discretionary funds furiously on pet non-profits.
• March
  • The good: Council members paid attention to flood of neighborhood emails opposing Tygard's LED bill. Metro Public Works responded to traffic complaints in Salemtown.
  • The bad: Zoning Administrator Sonny West ignored popular opposition to the LED bill.
  • The ugly: government haters kept angling for Metro government jobs.
• April
  • The good: CM Megan Barry called upon Vice Mayor to appoint a representative LED task force to study the LED proposal.
  • The bad: Tygard appointed his own task force to rubber stamp LED recommendations.
  • The ugly: Mayor Karl Dean appointed pro-development darling of the conservative Nashville Business Coalition, Chris Whitson, to Metro's Board of Zoning Appeals.
• May
  • The good: CM Mike Jameson showed himself to be the only CM with the backbone to stand up and counter-punch the Dean administration's pro-development leanings.
  • The bad: Metro Police called to Salemtown to deal with drunken party brawls and indecent exposures across various properties only to excuse the law-breakers as part of a "Meharry Medical graduation party."
  • The ugly: Mayor Karl Dean rumored to eliminate pro-neighborhood Metro leaders on behalf of developers.
• June
  • The good: Metro Planning Commission disapproved 7th & Garfield development and asked developer to get all of his ducks in a row before coming back.
  • The bad: Metro Council meeting again turned into a bash-Purcell-fest, and yet, usually iron-fisted Vice Mayor Neighbors did not lift a finger to rule it out of order.
  • The ugly: Metro Council followed "Developers Playbook" and scheduled planning and rezoning public hearings just before a major travel holiday.
• July
  • The good: CM Emily Evans challenged fabrications of the May Town Center developers.
  • The bad: Metro Planning Department moved May Town Center proposal to the Planning Commission for a vote on the strength of the developers' studies because they lacked the funds to conduct their own economic impact study.
  • The ugly: Mayor Karl Dean allowed without objection the local media to write his role as Metro Legal chief out of the narrative on why the Bush Justice Department was investigating a council rezoning issue.
• August
  • The good: Metro Parks met with Sylvan Park neighbors of Richland Park to consider expansion, including an amphitheatre.
  • The bad: summer ended without Metro Parks fulfilling its February promise to install a playground at Morgan Park.
  • The ugly: I received an icy monologue from Sylvan Park CM Jason Holleman comparing the property values in Sylvan Park to Morgan Park Place condos rather than to anything in Salemtown, which also borders on Morgan Park and which has never even asked for an amphitheatre.
• September
  • The good: at least we did not have to live with Williamson Co. Republicans.
  • The bad: because of snafus, Metro Police and Metro Youth Services delayed sending detectives to Salemtown to investigate a teenage shooting, failing to support Mayor Karl Dean's central campaign promise to deal effectively with youth crime.
  • The ugly: based on the narrative of Tennessean reporter Janell Ross, Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas asserted that "all too often" suspicious person calls are racist calls.
• October
  • The good: you fill in the blank ____________.
  • The bad: Metro Youth Services Detectives still had not followed up with the teen victim of a Salemtown shooting.
  • The ugly: CM Jim Gotto resurrected the perennial empty patriotic gesture of introducing a memorializing resolution to put cheap yellow ribbons on poles at the Courthouse Square because he got a nod that the Dean Administration would make Parks follow through this time.
• November
  • The good: somewhere Tony Orlando is smiling.
  • The bad: Metro Police were clearly the only ones responding to crime in after hours bars.
  • The ugly: while the press pounced on Metro Council attempts to deal with after hours crime, Mayor Karl Dean, who had run for office on the promise of dealing with youth and gang crime did nothing.
• December
  • The good: the war on Christmas nonsense seemed to stay away from Metro this year.
  • The bad: Metro Public works was "unresponsive" to Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors and CM Keith Durbin.
  • The ugly: Mayor Dean promised CM Erica Gilmore that installation Morgan Park playground equipment is still going to happen.

Happy New Year, everyone! And we still deserve a better year from Metro than we got the last one.

Metro Public Works "Unresponsive" to BHN, Durbin

In a letter published on the District 17 email list, Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors President Tracy Patterson writes that the neighborhood association has been trying to persuade Metro Public Works for over a year and a half to employ a traffic management program to slow down speeders, enhance pedestrian safety, and guard the bike lanes on Belmont Boulevard, but MPW has been unresponsive. In May 2007 BHN applied with Public Works for traffic calming, but the only changes MPW seems to have made were areas around Belmont University for the sake of its October presidential debate. Public Works seems even to be ignoring requests from the neighborhood's CM, Keith Durbin.

According to member feedback, Christ the King Catholic School parents seems to be contributing to the problem as they motor into the neighborhood, drop off their plaid-clad kiddies and then speed through the neighborhood in their exit. Another example of how car-oriented churches and parochial schools get away with acting like occupying forces rather than Christ-like good neighbors?

Metro Public Works Liaison to Speak to Glencliff Association on Neighborhood Beautification

I received the following announcement today from the Glencliff Neighborhood Association:

Lawrence Jackson to address the
Glencliff Neighborhood Association

Lawrence Jackson, the neighborhood liaison, with Metro Public Work’s Beautification and Environment Commission will be discussing neighborhood issues at the Glencliff Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday, June 10th at 7:00pm. The monthly meetings are held at Glencliff High School located on 160 Antioch Pike in the library.

Mr. Jackson will outline ways to beautify our community, plan neighborhood cleanups, report and deal with illegal graffiti, dump sites, littering and neglected vacant lots.

The Metro Beautification and Environment Commission works to make Nashville clean, safe, and attractive. The commission coordinates the efforts of volunteers, business and community groups, to provide beautification projects, as well as training and educational opportunities for the residents of Nashville.

For addition information, please contact:

Rhonda Fergus @459-2146 or rhondadhf@hotmail.com

Our Vanishing Services: Metro Public Works To Take Big Hit in Mayor's Budget

Brush collection contracts, but MPW says slack can be picked up.

More Tutoring for the Metro-Budget-Challenged

Council Member Emily Evans continues to enlighten Nashville on the nuts and bolts of passing the Metro Budget. Her latest offering covers the Transit Authority, considers the hits that Public Works is going to face, and reprises her very thorough grasp of H2O rates (as she did at the Salemtown Neighbors meeting last month). Read and learn.

Jeff Street Intersection Improvement Bill Passes

More north-by-northwest details about the bill after the jump.

Council Resolution on State Grant for Jeff Street Improvements

On Tuesday, the Metro Council can vote to accept a state grant of up to $920,808 (with a required match of $481,203) designated for improvements to Jefferson street intersections from Rosa Parks to 28th Avenue. The sponsor is Emily Evans.


UPDATE: Council Office analysis as the details:

The intersection improvements to be funded with this grant include signalization, lighting, turn lanes, pavement markings, and updated crosswalks .... This intersection improvement project is to be completed not later than June 30, 2013.

Salemtown's Association Meets Tonight

Salemtown Neighbors kicks off the new year with a new slate of officers and its first business meeting tonight at 5:30 at Morgan Park Community Center (corner of Hume St. and 5th Av., N).

Tonight's agenda includes:

• A report from Brady Banks of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods
• CAO report from the Metro Nashville Police Department central precinct
• Reconsideration of efforts to improve public safety at the Bicentennial Mall
• Call for reinvigoration of our Social Committee (to organize a street party, Oktoberfest, etc.)
• Announcement of neighborhood clean-up day opportunity in partnership with Council Member Erica Gilmore and Public Works
• Update on block grant process

If you live in the Salemtown neighborhood, please join Salemtown's first association as it begins its fourth year of making our community a great place to live!