Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations
Minutes: Meeting September 6, 2000 

Location: Albany Public Library, Main Branch
President Marggie Skinner opened the meeting at 7 PM.
Jeff Cannell, director of the Albany Public Library, welcomed CANA to the library and thanked us for holding our meeting there. He noted that some information has been left at each place: a copy of the library's newsletter, Bibliotech, and a coupon for a free book at the library's upcoming used book sale.
1. Introductions: All present introduced themselves. 
2. Communications and Announcements: 
· Marggie welcomed three new neighborhood associations to CANA:
§ Lincoln Park/Morton Ave.
§ Plymouth 
§ Washington Square
· Marggie announced that the meeting would be videotaped for future broadcast on Public Access TV and asked all present to sign a release form.
· Howie Stoller announced the new address of the CANA website: https://members.tripod.com/CAlbanyNA/
· CANA has been asked to sponsor a school board candidates' forum. Are we interested? Howie Stoller asked which, if any, NAs are planning to hold such events. Craig Waltz mentioned that a forum is being planned that will be co-sponsored by Helderberg and Beverwyck NAs. CANA will work with NA's- try to schedule a meeting that will be centrally located and videotaped.
· Helen Desfosses, President of the Common Council, requested nominations for Albany's new Police Review Board. A discussion ensued.
Other communications were described briefly and passed around the room.

3. Committee Reports
i. Committee on University & Community Relations- Tom Gebhardt
SUNY began classes on Sept. 5. Tom's office has provided students with information about trash pick up, appropriate local ordinances and other information to enable them to live in harmony with area residents.
Howie Stoller asked if police presence had increased along the SUNY corridor to deal with students who drive. Police Chief Jack Nielsen replied that the police do not have the resources to blanket the area, but they are doing what they can to deal with increased traffic.
ii. City gardener, Judy Stacey, reported that 165,000 tulip bulbs, ordered by the city, should arrive on October 1. The city will provide rototillers (and labor), compost and wood chips to any Neighborhood Assn. whose members are willing to plant the bulbs in a public area.
30 NAs participated in this program last year. Anyone interested in participating or obtaining more information may call Frank Zeoli at 434-CITY. Leave your name and phone #. Calls will be returned between 3 & 4 PM.
The lily bulbs that have been planted around the city will be dug up. Judy would like to donate or sell them to individuals. Interested parties may call the Office of General Services at 432-1144 to find out about the bulbs.
Colin McKnight reported on a Mansion NA project to plant daffodil bulbs on the slopes of Lincoln Park. Volunteers are needed to help. Volunteers will meet at the Bath House at 9 AM on October 14 to plant 1,200 bulbs.
iii. Lincoln Park Pool: Tom McPheeters reported:
· Pool usage was down this summer. The most important contributing factors are the disrepair of the bathhouse and the bad condition of the grounds.
· Renovations to the bathhouse are in the planning stages. Some engineering issues need to be worked out.
· Bumper stickers in support of the pool preservation are available. Contact the committee at: friendsofthepool@aol.com. The committee's will meet at the Mansion Hill Inn at 5 PM on Sept. 13.
iv. CEQL. No report.
v. Neighborhood Convention: Gene Solan 
There will be a NRC convention, November 18 at the First Lutheran Church on State St. Gene described the workshops that are planned for the event.
vi. School District News -- Latest Facilities Plan: Theresa Portelli
The board must decide where to locate a third middle school. Suggested sites are:
· Whitehall Road off Kelton Court
· Krumkill Road at Route #85
A public meeting will be held on Sept. 14 at 7 PM at Albany High [later moved to ASH] to discuss these alternatives. The decision must be made by December for a January vote. The facilities plan will be on the December CANA agenda. 
vii. Cable/Public Access TV: Steve Winters
The current contract between the City of Albany and Time/Warner Cable expires in 2004. $250,000 in the previous contract that was intended for equipment for public access was spent elsewhere. Meetings, which might have been broadcast live in a public access studio, must now be taped with the tapes brought to Time/Warner for broadcast later. We are pursuing changes with Albany Public Library and similar groups in Troy
viii. Good Neighbor's Project- Tom McPheeters
Tom reported on issues regarding citing a community residence for people with various disabilities. He described the activities of the "Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution."
ix. Additional announcements: 
a. The Civilian Police Review board is soliciting resumes for positions on the board. Resumes may be sent to Common Council Pres. Desfosses or Mayor Jennings at City Hall. The importance of active participation on this historic board was emphasized. 
b. Information about convicted sex offenders is available to relevant Neighborhood Associations. Call Det. Sgt. John Finn at 447-8785 with questions about access.

c. Motion: Harold Rubin moved that CANA should support the Albany Public Library Director's request for financial support from Albany County.
Second: Craig Waltz.
Library director Jeff Cannell explained his request for funds. The motion passed unanimously. Marggie will write a letter expressing CANA's support for county funding for the library, with a copy to Charlie Houghtaling, chair of the County Legislature. See attached letter.

4. Guest Speaker: David Duffee, SUNY School of Criminal Justice. 
Report on Neighborhood Surveys. (Brian Renauer has left the area for a position in Oregon.)
Dr. Duffee described CANA's participation in the survey re: the interaction of police and neighborhood groups as a part of the Police Community Interaction Project, started
in June 1998. The entire project has an anticipated completion date of August 2002.
Brian provided the group with copies of a 35-page report prepared to describe the project's progress to date.
He defined the goals of the project and summarized the report in his remarks.
PCIP is working to determine how police and neighborhoods work together. They are working to establish measures of police/community interactions. How do neighbors work together and with municipal authorities to identify and deal with community police issues?
A question and answer period followed Brian's remarks.
Police Chief Jack Nielsen promised to cooperate with the SUNY study and noted that the APD is currently developing its own instrument to identify the most effective use of police resources.

5. Adjourn: 8:55 PM
Cynthia Galivan, Recorder
ATTENDANCE

Cynthia Galivan, MBNA
Thomas Gebhardt, UNIV @ ALB
Cindy Schultz, PLYM
Harold Rubin, CSQ
Gene Solan, PHNA
Colin McKnight, MANS
Robert Hokanson, LPNA
Jeffrey Bender, PLYM
Dan Egan, PLYM
Deirdre Zarillo, PLYM
Helen Desfosses, COUNCIL
Stephen Winters, SANA
Mary Connair, DANA
Cathy O'Neill, DANA
G. Mowbray, HPNA
Carol Baird, WSQ
Tom McNaughton, PLYM
George Roman, WSQ
William McMahon, WSQ
Eric Edwards, WSQ
Dave Holt, WSQ
Judy Stacey, CITY
Donald Wardle, UTA
Mimi Mounteer, MANG
Betsy Sherer, PSNA
Tom McPheeters, MANS
Jack Nielsen, APD
Bob Wolfgang, APD
Jason Scott, SUNY
David Duffee, SUNY
Roger Markovics, UTA
Margo Janack, CDTA
Theresa Portelli, SCHL BD
Henry Madej, PHNA
Craig Waltz, HELD
Howard Stoller, MEL
Andrew Harvey, PSNA
Steven Doellefeld, PLYM
M. Davis, LPNA
Marggie Skinner, PHNA