Meeting Notes: General Membership – February 26, 2024
Attendees: See sign in sheet
Minutes:
Call to order: 7:00 PM
Andrew Epps welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order.
Officer Updates:
- NPO:
- Officer Bell is still out and is on light duty only. She should be back next month.
- Sexual assault of a child. Man was imprisoned for a long time and this had stemmed from an old issue.
- Some motor vehicle theft. Mainly targeting Kias. FYI that Kias can be taken to the dealership to get fixed. Only keyed Kias are susceptible – push start models do not have an issue. Some suspects have been found.
- Some incidents of minor assaults/ family violence where warrants were issued or sent to jail on site.
- 45 offences in the last month – not a lot
- No issues at the skate park
- Code Compliance:
- Drew is taking over just for the day
- A lot of out of cycle bulk trash – 4th Monday of the month, but can put out on the weekend before, but not on Friday
- Junk vehicle complaints in public streets – this is a police issue. Code is only involved on private property.
- Cowtown Cleanup – can sign up for officers to be cleaning up in an area.
- Longstanding tickets – citations can be issued. Potentially a lien if the city has to pay to clean up a property.
- Short Term Rentals – Residential zoning, cannot be less than 30 days. Need to be registered with the city. If multi use or commercial, can be less than 30 days. Report on My FW app or call 817 392 1234 if you don’t want to use the app. You can look up the zoning map online.
- Anthony Rojas from Councilwoman Beck’s Office:
- Some emails about leaks coming from the ground. Mostly an issue in Ryan Place and southern Fairmount. Beck has requested an IR to see how TPW and water to see who is responsible for the leaks.
- Traffic calming applications. Beck has a meeting with TPW set up to discuss. Implementation is lengthy and about a year. Anyone can submit this by reaching out to Beck’s office.
- District 9 Newsletter – sign up online for updates twice a month.
- Continue to use the My FW app as a resource.
- Beck will next be up for re-election in 2025.
- Railroad crossing upgrading at Cleburne and Berry being worked on/ discussed. Probably construction will not happen within the next year because of all the technicalities and stakeholders.
- Question from the membership regarding the recent closing of doors on police discussions: This is a current lawsuit, so not sure what is possible to discuss yet.
Community Garden:
- Chicken coop to be torn down by Mary and volunteers. Almost was accomplished before Cowtown, but ran into some issues.
- New gardeners coming in since January beds opened up. All beds are currently leased.
- President of the garden is stepping down on March 16.
- New board members stepping up
- The board is working on a budget
- Mary will be taking over as Treasurer and will need to get Mary added to checks – FNA will help out.
- Gate issues – may need a whole new fence. New board to work on details.
Cowtown Marathon Update:
- Thank you to the many people who make this happen. This makes Fairmount Park an extra water station on the full marathon route.
- Approximately 80-90 people came out on Sunday.
- Families and new neighbors were able to get plugged into some upcoming FNA opportunities.
Board Updates:
- TCU/ FNA Communications Collaboration:
- Elizabeth Sehan, Fairmount resident and TCU professor, reached out to FNA interested in working with the neighborhood to do a capstone project for TCU communications students.
- Andrew and Christina are going to TCU tomorrow to discuss with the class about doing a capstone PR project for FNA.
- After discussing with Elizabeth about the FNA’s needs, the project will be focused on campaigning for volunteers. Sometimes in this digital age, there is too much information on things like social media that there is info overload and things/ needs get lost.
- Home Tour:
- Kelci is interim Promotions Director since she moved out of the neighborhood and is still chairing Home Tour this year.
- The last meeting at Lockwood was very successful.
- There are 6 homes and businesses signed up. Including Cherry Coffee and Old Home Supply.
- Mothers Day weekend – May 11 and 12. Volunteers will be needed. Sign Up Genius will be posted for volunteers to sign up for various positions
- Opportunity to be a museum and show off the neighborhood.
- Greenspace Sign:
- Sign work is ongoing.
- Design was picked last year in a general meeting.
- Board meeting decided to move forward and the sign was budgeted for this year.
- The goal is to have the new sign up for Home Tour.
Southside Preservation Hall Update:
- Billy Hassel had lived in Fairmount for 20 years and still has a studio on College.
- Jeff Gibbons is the executive director for the Southside Preservation Hall and has been in Fairmount, fixing up houses for many years.
- Dennis Webb formerly worked for NASA and is helping the Southside Preservation Hall move forward as a space for the community.
- The Southside Preservation Hall is an important building in the neighborhood and greater Fort Worth. While it was once in danger of being demolished by the former owners (Boys and Girls Club), community members including the ones speaking today and other former FNA members got together in 1996 to create a nonprofit organization and save the building from being torn down.
- The group has been working since then to upkeep the building on their own and restore it to its former glory, but it is an expensive and massive undertaking, so they have begun ramping up their efforts since Covid times and reconstituted into an official 501(c)3 organization and begun applying for grants to repair things like the roof.
- While the building is not currently in danger of being torn down, there is now an opportunity to do more than let it be sold to the highest bidder. Working on building up the momentum and fixing up for allowing community organizations to use/ etc. Dennis is working on moving the process forward.
- History of the building:
- Sanctuary is 115 years old. Oldest church sanctuary in Fairmount, proven by Sanborn. Maybe second oldest in Fort Worth. One of the crowns jewels of Fairmount.
- 1905: Methodist church, north of here wanted space closer to Fairmount. Put on shows to raise money to build the sanctuary. 1956 – last building added. Peak in the 1950s.
- The term “money pit” has been used since the 1960s. Ageing population and younger families moved out of the areas.
- Sold to the Boys and Girls club for $125,000.
- FNA in the 1980s worked to create the historic district – which helped SSPH. Neighborhood people helped to create stained glass for the rose chapel, when it was removed by people.
- The SSPH is working now to be a music venue. Partnering with promoters. Weird Wednesday at the Hall (art, then a movie in the hall). Local professional wrestling. Hosting community events.
- Advertising and Social Media have been a challenge so far. FNA can include SSPH events in newsletters and social media blasts.
- Next Friday; 25th anniversary of the big band (18 people) swing dancing in the ballroom
- Mission of SSPH is community service. Not everything needs to be monetized.
- Ask: come see shows, schedule a tour (call the office), book events at the hall, volunteer for events, donate, or become a sponsor for an event
- Community arts center preservation. This group has been in discussions with them. Issues with getting old buildings up to code.
Hemphill Corridor Alliance:
- A couple of Hemphill Corridor Alliance board members attended the FNA meeting today.
- Next meeting is this Thursday at 5:30 PM at Victory Forest.
- Invitation to the community to attend any meetings.
- The goal is to revitalize and bring good new energy to Hemphill.
- Susan Harper is on the board and attends, along with a member from the FNA board.
Yard smart event reminder
Reminder about Community Library events
Reminder about Citizens Police Academy
Adjourn: 8:15 PM
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