June 2022 Meeting Minutes

CANA June 2022 Meeting Minutes | Call to Order: 7:03pm
Attendance: Nicole Schroeder, George Heeren, Amy Hall-Haney, Lt. Welsh, Chief Smith, Annette Lorenz, Rose Heetland, Henrietta Mueller, Kristina Roth-Klinck, Denise Klemp, Jeff Wozencraft, Sue Graham, Ashley Vanorny

• Treasurer's Report - Amy Hall-Haney - Current account balance is $1,428.27. Waiting on reimbursement for insurance, PO box, backpack, and park special events permit. Pending expenses will be around upcoming playground equipment purchase and safety fair costs. 
• CRPD Update - Lt. Welsh - Police academy began in early June. Bike patrols will be more active this summer in Cedar Rapids. Rollin’ Recmobile schedule reminder at Cleveland Park on Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. City has reported more than 30 guns stolen in Cedar Rapids. Two fireworks calls in the last few days, but will likely increase closer to the 4th of July holiday. Please try to identify the property address of where the fireworks are being shot off at when calling to report. CANA neighborhood crime is down this year overall.
  • Denise Klemp asked about the fight at Cleveland Park last night (Sunday 6/19). Lt. Welsh did not have any report on this as he has been out of town this weekend. 
  • Rose Heetland inquired about 6/14 interaction near Veterans Memorial tennis courts in the early morning. There is a potentially homeless individual that hands around the tennis courts in the early morning hours and a woman on their walk reported that he said to her, “it would be a good day if I had a gun to shoot people.” Rose said the woman reported it to CRPD by phone and was curious if CRPD approached the individual who made the comment. Lt. Welsh will be looking in on that incident response. 
  • Denise Klemp asked about stolen items being reported to the police department. Lt. Welsh explained stolen property report protocols. 
• CRFD Update - Chief Smith - Review of Neighborhood News. CRFD rookie class is finishing this week with their first shifts beginning on Saturday. This class will bring the CRFD back up to full staffing. The CRFD has had three river rescue calls this year with two recoveries. There is still one individual missing that they will continue to search for. Reminder of firework safety. Firework sales are allowed in industrial and commercial areas, but fireworks are still not legal to discharge in City limits. 
• City Update - Annette Lorenz - No updates. 
  • George Heeren asked about the property that has been reported to the media on 17th St NE. Annette said that the property owner has appealed the nuisance property. As a reminder, any properties with issues that need to be addressed can be submitted through the MyCR app or by phone. 
• Kristina Roth-Klinck - 8 Front Doors Workshop - Informational workshop is scheduled for July 15-16 in Cedar Rapids that will be teaching individuals on how to learn their neighbors and form authentic relationships. Handout is included. This is a small version of the “Good Neighbor Experiment.” 
• City Council Update - Ashley Vanorny - Update on City housing partnership with Neighborhood Finance Corporation financing opportunities in Cedar Rapids for those in the community that need the financing most. They reviewed the updated code enforcements and remaining disaster recovery that needs to happen in Cedar Rapids. They are also seeking ways to make landlords more present in the community. 
• Disaster Preparedness Workshop - Jeff Wozencraft - Linn County Emergency Management Agency hosted a workshop last week on disaster preparedness and ways to better serve our community through offering informational resources and providing recovery resources. All neighbors should be prepared for 72 hours of disconnect in the event of a major disaster. This is not possible for all neighbors. It’s important to check in on neighbors or alert City agencies to check on individuals. 
• Paving for Progress Update (Chandler St SW/20th St SW) - The contractors have removed old pavement and put down new concrete. After all roadway pavement is in, driveways will be replaced where they have been removed for project construction. If the weather cooperates, the contractors hope to have all roadway and driveway pavement completed by the 4th of July. After new pavement and driveways are completed, pavement edges will be backfilled and black dirt topsoil placed, leaving it low for sod.  Due to specified temperature restrictions, sod cannot be placed between mid-June and mid-August. Temporary erosion control will be placed, as needed. until sodding can resume this coming Fall. 
  • Sue Graham asked about the connecting water lines that the City has dug into the yards. One person she has talked to said that existing drainage tiles in neighbors’ yards can be connected to the City water lines, another has said otherwise. 
• Community Safety & Wellness Fair at Cleveland Park 7/16/22 - We are seeking sponsors, community organizations to host informational booths, and volunteers to help serve lunch and run the event from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, July 16th. Event application has been submitted and payment for that is due before the event. Postcards will be finalized and sent off for print/mailing this week and digital and print advertising will begin next week. Event is live on our CANA website and Facebook page. 
  • We are looking to add an expense to this year’s fair by purchasing first aid kits. We have not been able to secure a sponsor for this purchase today. This will be an expense between $300-$400 with shipping for 150 kits. We have plenty of money left in our FY22 budget to spend on this. Denise Klemp made a motion to make the purchase even if we don’t get a sponsor secured, Henrietta Mueller seconded this. All in favor, none opposed. Motion passes. Nicole Schroeder will be ordering these this week. 
• Playground Equipment Additions - Gaylon & Rose Heetland - Met with the City Parks Department last Friday to get a quote for a new bay with two belt swings. Estimate is around $3,500 at this point and we want to get this confirmed by the end of June 30th to apply this year’s budget/expenses. 
• Local Business Directory Fundraiser - Nicole Schroeder - Supporters are renewing on 7/1/22. Current supporters include Gaylon Heetland with Thrivent Financial, Nicole Schroeder with Mary Kay, 16th Avenue Grill, Freedom Foundation, and HyVee on Johnson Ave. We are seeking to renew these sponsors and gain 3-5 additional sponsors for 2022-2023 to raise $1,000 for CANA. This is an easy fundraiser for our organization, provides SEO and opportunity for business/organization connections through the online directory, and helps strengthen the connection between CANA and area businesses/organizations. 
• Other Business
  • The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band will be performing at Cleveland Elementary School (NOT Cleveland Park) on Wednesday, July 6th at 7:30pm. 
  • Cedar Rapids Museum of Art - CRMA is having free summer again this year beginning on July 1-September 4. There will be scavenger hunts available for the little and big kids alike. The Grant Wood Studio is free on weekends from noon-4pm with free guided tours on the hour and half hour. There are also two summer exhibits to check out: 
    • Eve Drewelowe: Painting Her Way May 14, 2022-August 28, 2022: Eve Drewelowe (1899-1988) was born in New Hampton, Iowa, and became the first person to receive a master of arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1924.  She spent most of her adult life in Boulder, Colorado, where she was a passionate and prolific painter.  While her subject matter ranged from dynamic mountain landscapes in the 1930s and 1940s to lively abstracts on distinctive round canvases from 1950s through the 1980s, Drewelowe’s vibrant palette and bold use of line created a distinctive style that still resonates today.  This exhibition celebrates the dramatic Western landscape paintings Drewelowe created primarily in the first half of her career and to which she returned again toward the end of her life. 
    • Tomas and Charlie Lasansky: An Artistic Union June 4, 2022-September 11, 2022: Tomás Lasansky, son of famed printmaker Mauricio Lasansky, and his wife Charlie have been lifelong artists living and working in Iowa City.  Both specialize in figural art and have created extensive bodies of work depicting family members as well as famous writers, leaders, humanitarians, and artists of this and previous generations. Working in close proximity to each other, they no doubt influence each other in subtle yet significant ways.  This exhibition, the first two-person exhibition of their work, explores the potential relationships that exist between their work.  This exhibition is accompanied by a significant retrospective book, documenting each artist’s growth and development.

 
Meeting adjourned at 8:14pm. 
​
Next Meeting: Monday, July 18th, 2022 at 7:00pm

---

UPDATES 6/21/22

Report from Lt. Welsh with CRPD regarding questions from 6/20 meeting:

• ​Call on 06/14/22 – overnight officer responded to the area and spoke with a subject that has a history of mental health issues.  No weapon was found.  The individual has been referred to Behavioral Health Services and the CRPD Mental Health Team has spoken with him in the past.​
• The fight at Cleveland Park on 06/19/22: The fight involved two groups of people and originally started with juveniles fighting and adults got involved.  Both parties involved refused to file charges and they were separated.