Minutes for April Meeting
TNA Board MEETING MINUTES
Date: 4/22/14
Location: Trinidad Recreation Center
ATTENDANCE: ~ 60 community members; ASL Interpreters; ANC members
| Name | Title | Present |
| Officers | ||
| Robby Mann-Thompson | Chair | Y |
| Cynthia Hartley | Vice chair | Y |
| Sejal Patel | Secretary | Y |
| Dawn Boutelle | Treasurer | Y |
| Board members | ||
| Matt Ashburn | Social media lead | Y |
| Brian Camus | Y | |
| Marqui Lyons | Y | |
| Erika Marshall | N | |
| Jamie Berryhill | Y |
AGENDA:
Open Hands
- TNA introduced Open Hands — the housing nonprofit that purchased a 4 bedroom unit on Oates Street.
Art in the Alley
- Scheduled for May 10th
TNA introduced plans to conduct a Community Survey
- TNA updated the community on status of community survey plans.
- Community feedback on inputs for the survey included:
o Issues with utilities – someone had their gas lines freeze in the winter
o People dumping in yards of vacant properties
o How can people get involved “Call to Action”– attend meeting, writing letters, volunteering.
Discussion with Councilman Kenyan McDuffie
- DC budget approval process
o $10.7 billion dollar budget FY 2015
o Council votes on budget at end of May
o Updated members on budget autonomy suit
- Zoning issues and concerns –Zoning Regulation Review
o Deadline for community input has been extended to September
o Is aware of Ward 5 community’s widespread concerns about:
- pop-ups,
- reduced parking requirements for developers,
- maintaining walkability,
- maintaining livability for seniors (ward 5 has highest population of seniors)
o Problems with “matter of right” with respect to pop-ups and other types of high-density and expanded housing and use of “variances” to control/oversee these developments
o Discussed engagement with Zoning Commission chair Anthony Hood, and the willingness of zoning commission to engage the public/community
o Described how DC Council has no direct authority over Zoning Commission
o Encouraged Community to reach out to Zoning Commission and the Office of Planning with concerns/suggestions
o Community raised concerns about effectiveness of DCRA in enforcing stop orders/legal challenges, etc.
o Identified zoning studies – like those completed in Georgetown and Ledroit Park – as mechanisms for changing overall zoning
- Effectiveness of Fire/EMS services
o Hearings have been held to address recent events/deaths
o Discussed problems under consideration by council, including staffing, hours, labor/management issues, resource allocations
o Community expressed frustration with noise pollution from sirens; informed that there are strict protocols dictating when sirens can be used and may be a problem with enforcement.
- Homelessness
o Lack of adequate shelters for homelessness – noticeable issue over the course of the winter
o Described legislation proposed to address some of the problem, e.g., defining minimum standards for shelters, etc.
Message from TNA chair
- Chair of TNA reiterated the intent of TNA to prepare a letter to Zoning Commission with suggestion changes and requests.
- Reminded community that membership is required to vote on and participate in developing zoning-related suggestions/requests/statements prepared by TNA.
o 11 new members recruited
Trinidad Neighborhood Association 
I’d like to know more about the Open Hands house – I’m glad to hear that they were successful in purchasing a property in the neighborhood, and I hope that TNA’s letter of support was influential, in some way. They had been looking at a place on Owen, though. What led them to change location?
Also, what comments were there about Anthony Hood from the councilmember? Positive, negative, neutral?