New Business:

Rebecca Richards reported on plans for a summer park program to get residents reacquainted with neighborhood parks.

Jim Brusda of Cascade County Search and Rescue outlined the activities of this volunteer group that helps the Sheriff’s Department with search and rescue efforts. Brusda asked for support for the mill levy to be voted on in June. That levy would add about 90 cents per $100,000 of property valuation. It would result in about $35,000 for the group for equipment and supplies freeing them to do less fundraising and more search and rescue activities.

Park and Recreation Director Marty Basta introduced members of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation and the honor guard who then described activities associated with the Foundation’s annual meeting in Great Falls this summer. Include ia an encampment in Montana Park August 10-13. The council passed a resolution of support for the planned activities and encouraged city officials to grant special permits as needed. Council member were invited to visit the encampment.

Officer Bill Klundt gave a community policing report. Noted were problems on the near north side due in part to irresponsible landlords. Also mentioned was a problem with a mentally unstable resident in the Fox Farm area which had been resolved. Klundt reported that the first citizens’ police academy was completed recently and a new session will begin in September. Participants in the first academy gave good reports of the experience.

Kirsten Cooper of Get Fit Great Falls gave information about planned activities for National Trail Day which is June 7 this year.

The council agreed to have no meetings during the summer months unless urgent business must be considered before September.

Lynn Steinmetz resigned from the council since she and her family are moving out of town. The three remaining council members present then selected Steve Bonilla as the new member of council 1. Steve will officially become a member of the council as soon as he is sworn in by the city commission. Officers for the council will be chosen at the September meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:55.

Minutes submitted by Ron Mathsen, council secretary.

Old Business:

MApril clean up was discussed. No suggestions for clean-up sites were received, so organization of a special clean up was tabled.

Patty Cadwell talked about the continuing airport noise abatement project. Potential contractors will be evaluated as first step.

Jesse announced the problem of noise and parking at a neighborhood rental house has resolved itself with the renters vacating and a family moving in.

New Business:

Joe Murphy and Scott Blumfield talked about the proposed Foxwood Estates development to be located between Park Garden Estates and Park Garden Lane and south of Park Garden Drive. A gated community is planned.

Patty Cadwell announced the planned Lewis and Clark Heritage encampment for August 9-15, 2008, in Montana Park just south of the tennis courts. Neighborhood approval is needed. Further explanation will be given at the May meeting.

County Commission Candidates Dewey Goering and Bill Salina introduced themselves and asked citizens to let them know of neighborhood concerns.

Reports:

Lori Purpura of the Belview Palisades Park Committee reported an award of $24,000 from the Park District trust fund. Improvements including a sprinkler system are planned. An Arbor Day tree planting ceremony will be at the park beginning at 1:00 pm Friday April 25 with the planting of trees 15 to 20 trees.

Reports: Jesse (Police Advisory Board) and Ron (Council of Councils) both mentioned the proposal to accept lower level sex offenders at the pre-release center in Great Falls.

Don Calkins reported on the Cascade County Commodity Supplemental Food Program that is operated through RSVP. The contact number is 454-6989.

The February meeting of Neighborhood Council 1 was at the Meadow Lark School Library.

Council Chair Lynn Steinmetz called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm

All five council members – Ron Mathsen, Jesse O’Hara, Fred Rauch, Lynda Sowell and Lynn Steinmetz - were present.

Attendance: twelve people signed in.

The minutes of the January meeting were approved.

New Business –

• Neighborhood Policing Officer Bill Klundt gave a report on police department activities and calls from the various neighborhood districts in the city. Our district was responsible for only 4% of the calls received by the department. The full statistics can be found on the GFPD website. Officer Klundt reported that a downtown community policing office is now open in the community recreation center and is staffed by Officer Mitchell and volunteers. Klundt also said that Neighborhood watch reported 15% increase in activity from 2006 to 2007. The new citizens’ academy sponsored by the GFPD is now taking applications - deadline is February 29. The purpose of the academy is to learn more about the department’s operations.
• Jim Reardon, head of the GF Public Work Department and Jerry McKinney, the department’s traffic division supervisor reported on a traffic study done pre- and post- installation of speed cushions (bumps) on Alder Drive in response to concerns of citizens about speeding vehicles. The report showed the bumps caused a % increase of under pace vehicles from 12 to 20, a % decrease from 77 to 71 of within pace vehicles, and a % decrease of over pace vehicles from 11 to 9. In the ensuing discussion, neighbors and council members agreed that the perception of enforcement of the regulations was as important as the actual enforcement itself. In summary, there was a 12% reduction in the 85% speed and an 18% reduction in average daily traffic numbers. The bumps have been removed for the snow seasons and their fate rests with the residents along Alder.
• A brief discussion of the need for suggestion Mapril clean-up sites was held. Ron Mathsen agreed to work with Patty Cadwell to publicize the need of suggested cites in time for the March meeting so any potential clean-up sites could be included in the city’s Mapril clean-up publicity.
• A very brief report from the Action team was given by Jesse and Patty on the welcome packets for new residents.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00.