Broadmoor Neighborhood Meeting Minutes 11/18

BIA General Public Meeting Agenda

Monday, November 18, 2019, 7:00-8:00 pm

7:00 pm: Call to order & welcome from BIA Executive Director Sarah Pritchard

• Meeting called to order at 7:05 pm.

• Executive Director Sarah Pritchard asked all presenters from the Water Mitigation Resource Fair to introduce themselves. Representatives from the following organizations were present:

• NOLA Ready, City of New Orleans

• ISeeChange

• Urban Conservancy’s Front Yard Initiative

• SOUL

• Green Light NOLA

• Durablis Solutions

• Rebuilding Together

7:05 pm: Presentation from Anne Coglianese, Coastal Resilience Program Manager, City of New Orleans / Office of Resilience and Sustainability

• The City of New Orleans Coastal Resilience office has an opportunity to apply for funding from the EPA to restore the New Orleans East landbridge. This fragmented marsh, if restored, could help protect New Orleans from flooding during storms.

• In order to show resident support for the restoration of the landbridge, the Coastal Resilience office is accepting signed letters of support. Ms. Coglianese brought sample letters for Broadmoor residents to sign at the meeting.

7:15 pm: Presentation from Eric Dworkin, Top Box Foods

• Top Box Foods provides access to fresh, affordable food delivered to community-based organizations across New Orleans. The BIA’s Arts & Wellness Center is one of the drop-off locations for Top Box orders. Broadmoor residents have an opportunity to order groceries directly from Top Box and pick them up at 3900 General Taylor St.

• Top Box is able to provide wholesale prices for grocery items through partnership with Liberty’s Kitchen and other organizations. In addition to fresh produce items, Top Box also offers prepared meals and holiday baskets. To place a Top Box order, visit https://www.topboxfoods.com/new-orleans/home.

7:30 pm: Presentation from Joyce Turner, Broadmoor Improvement Association Social Work Intern & Sarah Pritchard

• The BIA is currently in the process of distributing a community survey to all Broadmoor residents to get their feedback on the most pressing issues facing the neighborhood and their perceptions of the BIA’s work in the community. This is a crucial opportunity for Broadmoor residents to make their voices heard and have an impact on the future direction of the BIA. Feedback from the survey will inform the BIA’s strategic plan for 2020 and beyond.

• Broadmoor residents can take the survey online at this link or by phone by scheduling an appointment with Social Work Intern Joyce Turner (joyce@broadmoorimprovement.com). The survey takes 10 minutes to complete and will make a big difference for the neighborhood. Please take the survey and encourage your neighbors to do the same!

7:45 pm: Open forum for community questions and comments

• The BIA hosted a day of service on November 16. 15 volunteers came out and cleaned 50 catch basins, as well as canvassed the neighborhood to distribute the survey. The BIA hopes to organize more events like this in the future, so please stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved in cleaning up our neighborhood.

• The BIA is looking for Broadmoor residents to join our board. If you or anyone you know in Broadmoor would be interested in this opportunity to get involved with the BIA, please contact Sarah Pritchard at sarah@broadmoorimprovement.com.

• Residents were concerned with multiple car break-ins that occurred on November 3 on S. Galvez. They reported waiting 8 or 9 hours for police to show up. NOPD reported that previous calls regarding the break-ins had not been recorded in their system.

• Talva Burnette of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office was present and said that she would follow up with the precinct to determine why calls to NOPD were not registered.

• BIA ED Sarah Pritchard will also follow up with the community officer for District 2.

• Residents are concerned about trash thrown on the ground throughout the neighborhood.

• Talva Burnette reported that the Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement has tools that Broadmoor residents can borrow if organizing community cleanup days. The Mayor’s Office also recently announced a Community Cleanup grant that provides up to $2,000 for local groups to organize cleanup and green infrastructure projects.

• Sarah Pritchard indicated that the BIA plans to apply for a community cleanup grant and will prioritize organizing regular days of service to provide more opportunities for residents to get involved.

• The group also discussed the possibility of doing a public service announcement campaign in the neighborhood to discourage littering.

• Residents expressed concerns about speeding on Galvez between Napoleon and Upperline. The speed limit in that 4-block zone is currently 35 and should be lowered to 25.

• According to NOLA.gov, residents should report concern to 311 to be forwarded to the Department of Public Works.

• Residents reported that trash is often dumped on the neutral ground on S. Galvez due to the lack of trash cans on the neutral ground.

• Sarah Pritchard will follow up with the Parks & Parkways Department regarding installing trash cans on the neutral ground.

• There is also a private company that has offered to sponsor dog waste stations and Sarah Pritchard will ask them about installing them on S. Galvez.

8:02 pm: Meeting adjourned.