04/24/2006 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Council Apri124, 2006 Page 8 Sometimes they have had very good turnout, sometimes attendance has been sparse. If we can bolster that this year, that would be great. Mr. Marrie added that out of respect, a larger crowd from the Village should be in attendance. Mrs. Betsa should check to see what is normally done. Mr. Brett stated that this event is handled by Mrs. Playford. He will get her number and give it to Mrs. Betsa. The second issue discussed at the Citizen's Advisory Committee meeting was the issue of landscaping for the Musca property, especially the side on Sandalwood from S.O.M. in towards the homes. There was a lot of discussion about the fact that people are not very happy because it looks barebones. They were wondering if anything was going to be done on that. They were discussing doing it like it was done over at Worton so that there is some continuity to this. Mayor Rinker indicated that this is the perfect opportunity to underscore that we have tried to encourage over the years not only homeowner's groups gathering but using homeowner's associations as really the nexus for just this kind of discussion so that people are not just saying we ought to do something about it but if they make that part of the agenda of the homeowner's association, we try to provide the incentives to do it and in Worton Park, for example, the Worton Park Pinetree Group really pulled together on this. As you recall, the two properties we acquired, once we determined those buildings had to be razed, we tore them down. We just did not want to leave two vacant lots that would look blighted. What we ended up doing was engaged in dialogue over a course of several weeks, really even months, with that organization. Ted Wetzel, the President, really did a lot to pull people together from the neighborhood. The long story short was that between our service department doing a certain amount of work to clean up the property itself and then the pinetree people never had their own sign. They always pointed out how we had one on Worton Park and they wanted to have one on their site as well. All these things came together, a lot of people came out and helped with the planting, picking some of the plantings that went in around the sign. In conjunction with service sprucing things up, the homeowner's group also did. That was one where between sweat equity, we provided some monetary assistance, not to mention the fact that our service department did it together. Mayor Rinker thought this was a perfect way to show the rest of the community when we partner up this way, this is a great opportunity for everyone to pitch in together. Presently at Aintree North we are dealing with an issue there, it is more a fundamental problem because the two stanchions at the entranceway there are posing siteline problems, especially the one on the southern side. There again Chief Dearden and Doug have done a lot to coordinate between that homeowner's association. Bill Marquardt has as well because they have been very insistent upon clearing up what they see as a safety issue which we agree is a safety issue, but also dealing with the aesthetics of it. We know with the S.O.M. widening the entrance into Thornapple. Those stanchions were taken out and that is something that we will restore. A perfect opportunity again for the neighborhood organization there to work in conjunction with us so that we team up at an appropriate time. Sandalwood is no difference. That is one where someone approached the Mayor the other night and said they would like to see some trees or something to help green up that one section that you are talking about. Mayor Rinker's preference is that fliers be sent out to get the word out, have a meeting, make sure Mr. Metzung is there and whoever else we need. We will provide the resources in personnel as well as money. We would also like to get the organization itself to contribute as well. That way it shows that the