Evelyn Davis Project Seeking Residents as Community Volunteers

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Everyday residents and neighbors with time for 1-2hrs, one night a month are needed to get community participation decision ideas for the last months finalizing our local Urban Enterprise Zone non-profit and commercial development @ 6th & University old Tops Value site.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Cassandra Halls <c.halls@mchsi.com>
Date: Mon, May 30, 2011 at 4:08 PM
Subject: Evelyn Davis Project Seeking Community Volunteers
To:

Good afternoon!

I hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday weekend and is ready to get back to work!  With that in mind, at the last Evelyn Davis Project Community Planning Committee meeting, the committee reviewed the current organizational structure of the project and the need for community volunteers to serve on newly formed project committees.

With this email, we are seeking volunteers (a minimum of two per committee) to represent the community in all of the discussions related to the project as well as report progress back to the Community Planning Committee.  We want to keep everyone in the communication loop.  Here are the committees for which we are seeking volunteers:

Evelyn Davis PR Committee:

Currently this committee meets only as needed to discuss issues related to marketing the project, event planning and to respond to media requests.  In considering volunteering for this committee, it would be helpful if volunteers are available during the day as sometimes these meetings are called together on short notice.

Community Based Organization (CBO) Committee:

This committee is comprised of the community based and non-profit organizations that plan to participate with the center (both on site and off site.)   They are in the process of discussing a variety of topics including:  the intake process for the center, data and technology systems and governance.  They meet monthly with their next scheduled meeting Wednesday, June 29, 2011 from 1:30 – 3:00 pm at the DMACC Offices located at Harding Hills.  While they may have some flexibility with the timing of their meeting, their meetings will also typically occur during the day.

CBO Subcommittee: 

The CBO Committee also has formed a sub-committee to tackle some the larger issues in a smaller group before consideration by the entire CBO Committee.  They have been meeting quite often, but do not have any meetings scheduled at this point beyond June 1.

Please respond to this email to express your interest.  If you plan to volunteer, you must attend the next Community Committee Meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 5:30 pm for approval by the Community Committee.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Cassandra Halls

Project Manager, Evelyn Davis Project

2 THE TOP – Career Advancement Strategies

3039 E. Porter Avenue

Des Moines, IA   50320

Cell:  515-473-4980

www.2ttop.com

** June is START of NEW MEETING DATE 3rd Thurs - Must READ ***

new *** THIRD THURSDAY of the MONTH *** Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association meetings - starting June

Meeting dates have been going under adjustments, so various residents, potential members and city hall contacts could attend our meetings,
as Wednesdays had been a major conflict for many.

Therefore, during the recent MAY meeting a NEW DATE has been set - the THIRD THURSDAY of the month @ 6:00PMa.
This is the FINAL NEW meeting date for the rest of the year. MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO REMEMBER TO ATTEND AND JOIN.
WE NEED YOU.


EVELYN DAVIS CENTER update -

Also, the final decisions are being made about the confirmed NEW GROCERY STORE replacing the old Tops Value.

Resident NEED to ATTEND tomorrow, (5/17) Tuesday 6PM @ United Way Conference room F to voice the need for an inclusive or neutral name for the store
as the owner was secretly lobbied by River Bend (a late marginally participating group) at the last minute for the store to be named after their neighborhood, while the long and grueling decision making and working development groups have been drawn from all the surrounding neighborhood associations.

River Bend as an organized neighborhood already has named the business corridor and 6th Ave corner. The remodeled business and office strip instead reflects the wider urban community participation that came together to make it happen. In balancing out the Evelyn Davis legacy represented by the non-profit and workforce segment of the strip, the business segment could also memorize other deceased activists, like King-Irvin or JoAnn Cheatom.

Please attend the next meeting and other Evelyn Davis gatherings.
 ---- Christina Butts - Secretary Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association

>>> From: Cassandra Halls <c.halls@mchsi.com>
Date: Mon, May 16, 2011 at 9:03 PM
Subject: Evelyn Davis Community Committee Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 5:45 PM

Good Evening!

Just a reminder of our upcoming Evelyn K. Davis Project Community Committee Meeting!  Here are the details:

Date:    Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Time:    5:45 – 7:00 pm  **Please note we will be starting 15 minutes later than usual due to space constraints.

Location:          United Way of Central Iowa

                                1111 9^th St.

                                Des Moines, IA

                                Leadership Room

I have attached the minutes from our last session for your review as well as the agenda for the meeting tomorrow.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Cassandra Halls

Project Manager, Evelyn Davis Project

2 THE TOP – Career Advancement Strategies

3039 E. Porter Avenue

Des Moines, IA   50320

Cell:  515-473-4980

www.2ttop.com

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Polk County Supervisors Meeting 5/17/11

by Marty Ryan

 

Not a lot of people have an interest in following the work of county supervisors, unless there’s an issue that adversely affects them.  But someone needs to keep a careful eye on the work of our government.  That’s why I occasionally attend a meeting of the Polk County Board of Supervisors.

 

Last Tuesday’s meeting (May 17) contained 28 items on the agenda, including Roll Call and Adjournment.  However, for the sake of time, I’m going to focus on just a couple of items that should have had some interest to most county residents.  There was a public hearing on a resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2010/2011 budget.  No one rose to speak.  I expected Tea Party sympathizers, fiscal conservatives, and at least a handful of those people who have called the governor over the past few days, congratulating him on his strong stance against defunding education.  I expected a line going down the west end of the room approaching the speaker’s podium, but no, there was no one waiting.  Maybe no one came to speak because the adjustment in county finances has no impact on property taxes levied for FY 2010/2011.

 

If you must know, the amendment to the budget increases the “ending fund balances” and adjusts certain line items.  The budget items under expenditures that took a reduction, to name a few, include:

·         Mental Health (MR&DD);

·         County Environment & Education;

·         Government Services to Residents; and

·         Administration.

 

Shortly after the public hearing, there was an agenda item for public comments.  I have rarely seen this agenda item used to its full extent.  This is a great time to tell the top officials in county government – the largest county in Iowa – what you think of their leadership.  No one rose to speak.  Things must be rolling along very well in Polk County.  Actually, things are.

 

In my view, it’s not apathy that keeps Polk County residents from speaking to the Board; it’s leadership.  Polk County’s Board of Supervisors is committed to enhancing the quality of life for its residents.  We are fortunate to have so many programs and projects that must be the envy of the other 98 Iowa counties.

 

For instance, Item # 23 is a resolution that approves a Community Development Grant in the amount of $50,000 to the Principal Charity Classic.  Polk County Community Development Grants are non-economic development grants funded from profits received by Polk County from the operation of Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, which contains no taxpayer revenue.  This grant helps the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines with a golf tournament that raises money for nonprofit organizations supporting children in arts, culture, health and human services.  There was no explanation as to why Supervisor E.J. Giovannetti voted no.  No one rose to speak out against it.