September 19, 2024 Meeting Minutes

10/08/2024 12:20

SWONA Quarterly Meeting - September 19, 2024

Attendance: 24 Neighbors Present

 

Guest Speaker: Clark Gilman, City Council Member

Council Member Gilman provided several key updates on city matters:

  • Unhoused Population on Percival Creek: The city plans to systematically clear the unhoused individuals, aiming to connect them to available resources as much as possible.
  • Expansion of the City’s Camping Ban: On September 17th, the Olympia City Council voted to extend the camping ban to include right-of-ways, particularly the grassy areas between sidewalks and streets. The vote passed 5-2, with Council Members Robert Vanderpool and Jim Cooper voting against it.
  • Impact of Neighborhood Voices: Council Member Gilman emphasized the influence of neighborhood coalitions, highlighting that the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations recently played a key role in pushing the Council to allocate funds to address dangerous traffic on Capital Way.
  • Potential City Council Vacancy: If Council Member Lisa Parshley is elected as State Representative for the 22nd District, a vacancy will open on the City Council, potentially to be filled by appointment by the end of the year.
  • Intercity Transit Authority Board: An open seat is available for a community member on the Intercity Transit Authority Board, the only transit authority in the state with community members as voting board members. Three out of nine seats are reserved for community members.

Community Feedback: Several neighbors provided input, focusing on affordable housing:

  • Affordable Housing Data: There was a call for transparency regarding how affordable housing policies affect the actual availability of affordable units.
  • Concerns with Developers: Neighbors expressed frustration with current policies, stating that developers are not held accountable for contributing to the city’s housing solutions and questioning the effectiveness of "trickle-down housing."
  • Reporting from Developers: Some attendees pointed out the lack of transparency in how many units developers are building and the rental prices they charge.
  • Mixed-Income Developments: Equity studies show positive impacts from mixed-income developments, and neighbors encouraged the city to prioritize these findings to improve community resilience.

Officer Elections: The following officer changes and elections were made:

  • President: Justin Belk, the former vice president, stood for the presidency after co-presidents Michael Maile and Jill Ivie stepped down due to a serious medical illness. Justin was officially nominated and elected as president at this meeting.
  • Vice President: After Justin's election to the presidency, Stuart Olshevski was nominated and elected as vice president.
  • Treasurer: Grace Fletcher, the standing treasurer, was re-elected into the position.
  • Secretary: Taylor Werner was nominated and elected as secretary, stepping into the position that had remained inactive for an extended period of time.

Neighborhood Gathering: SWONA discussed postponing the neighborhood gathering until next summer.

Closing: Please look for announcements about upcoming SWONA activities! We’re all excited to build our resiliency as a neighborhood, and our power as neighbors. See you soon!

 

Back