Hillsdale NA

Hillsdale Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

May 5, 2010

Passed Motions and Action Items:

The motion was defeated 27 to 18 to “support the removal of the traffic island at the corner of SW Pendleton Street and SW Cheltenham Drive, and specifically that the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association ask Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. to urge its removal and make such request to the City of Portland.”  An amendment to the motion (see below) was defeated 36 to 4.

7:00 p.m.  Business Meeting

7:05: Robert Hamilton, Acting Co-Chair called meeting to order

 Opening and Approval of Agenda

            -Approved adding Tim Hall of Portland Water Bureau to agenda

Introductions:  Each individual introduced him/herself to five other people.

The Chair neglected to request approval of the minutes of the March and April 2010 meetings at this point but they were approved following standing and special committee reports later in the meeting.

The Chair announced the board positions which will end and, therefore, be voted upon at the June 2 HNA meeting:  Position 1: President; Position 2: Vice President; Position 4: Treasurer; and Director Positions 6, 8, and 10.  Nominations will be discussed at the June 2 HNA board meeting (6 p.m.) and will be made by members at the general meeting (7 p.m.); both meetings to be held at The Watershed.

The membership debated the motion passed on March 3, which was “reconsidered” on April 7, and a vote postponed until tonight.  The original motion was made by John Narizny; the “motion to reconsider” was made by Peter J. DeCrescenzo, who voted in favor of the original motion.  Five people requested time (two minutes each) to speak in favor of the motion; seven people requested time to speak in opposition; one person asked to speak as an “undecided” voter.  The “undecided” member, Rick Seifert, offered the following amendment to the motion:  

“In order to reach a constructive, neighborly, collegial solution to the issues raised by the traffic island and intersection at the corner of Pendleton and Cheltenham, the Hillsdale Neighborhood Association refers the motion under consideration to an AD HOC committee to be constituted as follows:

1. Within a week of this 5/5/2010 meeting, the Association’s Co-Chairs, in consultation with the parties involved on both sides of the question, will appoint an ad hoc committee whose purpose will be to make a recommendation that resolves the issues associated with the island and the intersection.
2. The committee will consist of two members currently wishing to retain the island and two currently wishing to have it removed.
3. The committee will meet with Mark Lear (and/or others as deemed necessary and appropriate) from the Portland Bureau of Transportation to review findings of the bureau’s study of the intersection.  Lear, or his designee, will serve as convener of the meetings.
4. The committee will report to the neighborhood association no later than its September 1, 2010, meeting with a consensus recommendation.  (Consensus means all four members agree.)
5. The recommendation will be in the form of a motion for the HNA membership to discuss and vote on, if it so chooses.”

The amendment was defeated:  36 opposed; 4 in favor.

Don Baack, chair of the transportation committee, summarized the positions of those favoring and opposing the motion.

The members defeated the motion by a vote of 27 to 18.

David O’Longaigh and Bill Long of the Portland Bureau of Transportation reported on plans to repair the Capitol Highway Bridge (built in 1915; expanded in 1929) at a cost of $200,000.  The budget will not permit replacement ($5 million).  Work will be accomplished on three weekends this summer and will be completed by August 28, 2010.

Scheduled speaker Angela Moran of the Multnomah County Youth Pilot Project was not present at the meeting.

Tim Hall of the Portland Water Bureau reported on plans to upgrade water pipes beneath  a section of sidewalk and trail along Terwilliger  between Capitol Highway and Burlingame Terrace; on plans to fix potholes; and to replace the tops of all three water tanks (rather than just two) on 10^th Avenue.

Michael Reunert (School Committee Representative) reported that the recently announced High School Redesign Plan will not affect Wilson High School’s boundaries, curriculum, or student body size.  He introduced Dick Hausken, incoming president of the Rieke Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association.  Michael also announced a number of school fundraisers which he asked members to support.

Don Baack (Transportation Committee Chair) reported that the drinking fountain has been installed on the Raz-Baack Crossing.  Also, the next workshop on greenways will be held May 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Multnomah Arts Center.  Don encouraged members to submit to him their detailed proposals for sidewalk construction within Hillsdale so that we can approve and send a short list to PBOT, lobby for that bureau to undertake engineering studies to bring the projects to “shovel ready” status in the near future, and, thereby, qualify for construction whenever funding materializes in the future.  The chair thanked Don for coordinating this activity on behalf of Hillsdale residents. 

Rick Seifert (Hillsdale Foundation and Hillsdale Business and Professional Association) reported that the “

John Gould (Chair, Bylaws Review Committee) reported that the committee is meeting and plans to make its recommendations to the members in September.

Acting Co-Chair Sheila Greenlaw-Fink reminded members that the June 2 HNA meeting will be held at The Watershed (

The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 p.m.

Notes of the minutes were submitted by Duane Hunting and Sheila Greenlaw-Fink; compiled and edited by Robert Hamilton.