VNA Council Meeting Minutes
June 24, 2020
Council Members
o Sarah Bahauddin (present)
o Pat Scheckel (present)
o Ben Blitz (present)
o Lea Jacobs (present)
o Hans Borcherding (present)
o Jim Corkery (present)
o Wendy Fearnside (present)
o Karie Krantz (absent)
Call to Order (meeting was conducted virtually using Zoom)
Approval of Minutes - previous minutes were approved.
Announcements
o Communications
o A reminder that our neighborhood web site is www.vilasneighborhood.com
o Email address for the VNA: vnapresident@gmail.com
o The Vilas Ink newsletters are now being posted on the web site at https://www..vilasneighborhood.com/vilasink
o The VNA July 22nd meeting will also be via Zoom
Existing Business
o Treasurer’s Report – Pat Scheckel
o Pat indicated there is approximately $4,600 in the bank account.
o The Summer issue of Vilas, Ink has been posted on the VNA website.
o VNA directory - Pat Scheckel and Block Captains - Roz Woodward
o The new VNA directory has been printed and Roz will be working with the block captains to distribute.
o Social Report - Lee Lazar
o Lee indicated the July 4th kid’s bike parade is being planned. Lee is in contact with the Madison Fire Department to see if a fire truck can participate. Concerns with social distancing were discussed - parents would need to be responsible to work with their children on this. More information on the parade will be sent via the listserv after the planning is finalized.
o Lee is continuing work with Wingra Boats on a Boat Night with attendees bringing their own food and drink. Lee is considering late July or August for this event – more to follow as the Lee’s plans and Covid restrictions develop.
o Listserv updates
o None
o Monroe/Regent streets Retail News
o None
o District 13 Alliance – Dana Scheckel and Sarah Bahauddin
o The alliance has many volunteers for this effort and so far, only a few requests for services. A very successful essential items drive was held on June 7th for the Triangle community. Future essential items drives are being discussed.
o Joint Campus Area Committee
o No update
o Edgewood Liaison Committee (Craig Stanley, Shawn Doherty and Sarah Bahauddin) Report
o On June 21st a conference call was held with Edgewood High School to discuss the athletic field lighting project. The neighborhood’s concerns related to sound, number of games and enforcement were discussed. Edgewood High School indicated they were researching options for sound mitigating fencing.
o Tag Evers indicated it is unclear if the project will come before the City’s Common Council on July 14th or if this will be delayed to a future meeting.
o Craig Stanley has reached out to Edgewood College to open lines of communication although there are no current issues or concerns.
o Alder Update – Tag Evers
o Sustainability Madison committee has approved the Oscar Mayer Use plan including keeping the entire acreage of an existing park in the area of the plan.
o Planning work is continuing for a new five story, 104 apartment unit development at the site of the existing VFW on Lakeside Street in the Bayside neighborhood. There has been some neighborhood pushback relative to the height of the building.
o Tag has been contacted by a hotel developer about a potential project on Regent Street at the site of Jensen’s Auto and Indie Coffee. The project is in very early stages of planning – more to follow after Tag has more in-depth conversations with the developer.
o Vilas Park Master Plan – Wendy Fearnside and Ann Rivlin
o Ann summarized the two key points in a joint statement VNA, GNA and DMNA councils provided to the City as:
i. Indicating a desire for clear explanations of the criteria that will be used to make decisions so that there is good transparency in the planning process.
ii. A focus be provided on bicycle and pedestrian safety within the park.
All council members were in favor of the statement as written.
o It was noted that closing the Vilas Park drive due to Covid has resulted in more people now pushing for a permanent closing/elimination of this roadway.
o The Master Plan next steps are:
i. The online survey will be open until July 12th – all are encouraged to respond. So far over 750 responses have been received. The desire is to receive input on various all aspects of all (3) initial concepts.
ii. After all comments are received, the consultant will develop a single Master Plan that will be then submitted for further review and comments before a final Master Plan concept is submitted to the City.
New Business
o Sarah indicated the VNA council previously approved, via e-mail, the project for a trellis connecting the garage and house at 2020 Vilas Avenue.
o The Lucky’s 1313 apartments and townhomes expansion were discussed with the following points noted:
o The apartments, townhomes, surface and underground parking was discussed and the plans for these aspects of the development were generally well received by the council.
o The council’s major concerns with the project were noted as follows:
i. What measures would be implemented to limit hours of operation and amplified sound for the building tenant’s rooftop space.
ii. The request for a beer garden holding 1,000 to 1,200 people during Badger football games. This aspect of the development was strongly not supported by the council
o Tag indicated that the beer garden would require a change to City ordinances and that he is not in favor of supporting this change. Tag also indicating he is working with the developer to communicate to them that they are a part of a neighborhood and that they need to develop a strong relationship with their neighbors.
o Mary Clare Murphy presented a thoughtful and well-crafted plan for absentee and in-person VNA council member elections for the 2021 council year. This proposal is planned to be inserted into the VNA charter as a one-year trial. If this is successful the plan language would then be (modified if required and) submitted for a vote to permanently include in the charter.
o A very good open forum Black Lives Matter discussion was held with several items discussed including:
o Reallocation of police funds to mental health services to lesson calls to police for mental health issues (it was noted that almost 75% of MPD calls are for mental health and alcohol related issues).
o DMNA’s committee work on this.
o Ending School Resource Officers in the Madison Public high schools.
o Wisconsin is currently rated worst in the nation on several aspects of racial inequality.
o Concerns about violence to people’s lives and to destruction of property.
o Ways the neighborhood could be more welcoming to all individuals and less racist.
o This topic will be explored more in future NVA council meetings.
Adjourn