LAS TIERRAS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

01-13-09 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	10-23-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Welcome: Meeting was called to order at 6:39 p.m. Manuel Padilla announced that Mayor Cook was unable to attend, and that Monica Rosales would serve in his absence. Manuel Padilla introduced the officers. II. October 2008 Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed copies of the October 2008 minutes. Members reviewed the minutes. Motion to approve minutes was passed. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan reported that LTNA has a current balance of $78.40. There was an $85.86 expense for purchasing web hosting for the new year. Motion to approve treasurer's report was passed. IV. Old Business: Salvador Rivas Park: Manuel Padilla said that progress is being made. Pete Hollen mentioned that contractors are in the process of pouring cement. Pete Hollen also suggested a possible completion date of March 2009. Manuel Padilla said that Gloria Saenz mentioned a possible completion of mid-February 2009. V. New Business: A. Presentation: Mayor John Cook's representative - Veronica Rosales-Soto. 1. Background information: a. She works in the accounting department. She is involved in the redevelopment efforts. Originally her department reported to the Mayor, but now reports to the city manager. b. Her department looks at two areas of focus. i. The first focus is on job creation. Regarding job creation, they look at assisting businesses to help them grow their businesses. They have two people to help reach out to businesses, and to break down any barriers that stand in their path. They also are involved in the revitalization effort; this focuses on the older areas of town, such as Fort Bliss, and the Dyer corridor. Ms. Rosales-Soto also targets areas such as the airport, as well as the military-related industries. ii. The second focus is the development of the medical center. This involves development of university- related jobs that involve health care; these include Texas Tech and the upcoming medical school. The medical center will be affiliated with the Americas Center. The city wants to promote incentives (such as tax breaks), but to also to have quality jobs, and to invest capital in the city, for long term stability. c. Ms. Rosales-Soto works to give grant monies to businesses. Maximum grant amount is $10K. d. Her department also works to reduce permit fees to enable owners to renovate their buildings, and to fix business corridors that are in deterioration. e. She also works to find ways to get more federal monies for the development of El Paso. f. Her department also does research, whose job is to give data to people requesting information, such as sales information, types of businesses, and other demographics. 2. Question and answer session: a. How do you define a high-paying job? The minimum requirement is that it meets more than the median county wage, which is $10.75 per hour. If a company does not pay at least this rate, then they do not meet qualifications for incentives. b. Has the medical school started to attract other companies to move to El Paso? Her department is working to develop a cooperative effort with 3-4 businesses that could show an interest. As of now, no actual companies have shown an interest. c. Is there more interest for companies to come to El Paso because of Fort Bliss, or because of the Hospital? Fort Bliss appears to be bringing more interested clients. d. What sorts of companies do you see coming to El Paso? Target industries are science- related, military-related, arts-related creative class industries, and green industries (such as alternative fuels). e. How careful are you to not displace long-time residents? This will not happen. Several groups voiced opposition. City council is careful to allow affordable housing for people. Current projects are using vacant buildings, and are building 91 housing units, ranging from $300-400 a month for rent. There should be no displacement of residents. f. Is there any update on the status of a new police station? The residents of the Las Tierras "Triangle" had to make some concessions. There was supposed to be a 2-acre site devoted to police and fire. No further information is available on an anticipated date. g. How is El Paso dealing with the economic crisis? Municipal services are not affected. h. Has the city done anything to invest in the efforts to empower youth? City is involved in helping private sectors provide training. They are working on a Texas Workforce grant to look at what skills are needed for the future, for jobs that are career-stable. i. Any chance of redirecting funds from other projects to maintain police patrols, due to the $11 million loss in revenue from reduced bridge traffic? Every department has been asked to cut 3 percent. This question needs to be addressed to Joyce Wilson. j. What is El Paso doing to offset the negative views on various issues, such as high property tax rates, border patrol, law enforcement, etc.? The answers have to come from the city associations, who are involved in civic engagement. Citizens need to educate people on the positives of El Paso! B. By-Law Amendment: Manuel Padilla discussed the proposed change. Motion to approve the amendment was passed. C. Upcoming Activities: Manuel Padilla mentioned to people to look for information in the coming months about the following events: Grand Opening of the Park; Sports Camp; Concert in the Park, Health and Safety Fair. Manuel asked if anyone has ideas for other events, to please let him know. D. Election of Officers: Members agreed to vote by a show of hands. Voting results were: 1. Manuel Padilla - elected President. 2. Rick Falvo - elected Vice President. 3. Cyndy Lester - elected Secretary. 4. Dawna Duncan - elected Treasurer. E. Manuel Padilla expressed a desire to have the residents participate some more, as needs arise. He reminded members of the need to "press on." He thanked Nicki Deal for her past service as Vice President. VII. Next Meeting: February 10, 2009, 6:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Parks and Recreation Director Nanette Smejkal Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VIII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:55 p.m.	I. Welcome: Meeting called to order at 6:37 p.m. Manuel Padilla introduced LTNA officers, thanked Hyper Café for providing coffee, and introduced Sheriff Candidate - George Stoltz. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed copies of minutes. Corrections were noted. Pete Hollen motioned for approval, Lorena Estala seconded, and minutes were approved as corrected. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan read report, and revealed that LTNA funds total $154.26 as of October 23rd, 2008. Corrections were noted & report was approved as corrected. IV. Old Business: A. Park Progress: Manuel Padilla indicated the park may not be completed by December 17th 2008, but hopefully by January 2009. Any questions can be directed to Pete Hollen. Pete Hollen said that depending on the sod, park completion could be by April 2009. V. New Business: A. Health & Safety Fair: Will be held October 25th (11 a.m.-3p.m.). LTNA needs five more volunteers to help with guiding attendees to tables; if interested, please contact Lorena Estala. B. Mini NASCAR race: Bill Sparks said the Children's Miracle Network is holding this free admission event October 25th at Cohen Stadium (8 a.m.-1 p.m.); sponsored by East El Paso Rotary Club. C. Ituarte Fall Festival: Will be on October 24th, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Events include games, activities & prizes. D. Operation Open Arms: Sierra Providence Spokesperson Sandra Cordray said that Operation Open Arms Food Drive helps families at Fort Bliss who are facing financial challenges. E. Board Positions: Historic Landmark Commission openings still exist. F. By-law Amendment: Rick Falvo announced a proposed amendment to an LTNA by-law. Those wishing to review the proposal can pick up the announcement at the sign-in table. Voting for the by-law amendment will take place at the January 2009 general meeting. G. Guest Speakers: 1. Candidate for Sheriff - George Stoltz a. Introduced himself & pointed out three differences between himself and Richard Wiles. i. Mr. Stoltz is against the consolidation of the Police and Sheriff departments. ii. Mr. Stoltz claimed that Wiles says a simple phone call determines a bond, or the dropping of a bond. Mr. Stolz believes Wiles' views violate Texas law. iii. Mr. Stoltz is for zero tolerance for graffiti and drug trafficking; more needs done to protect senior citizens. b. Question & Answer Session: Should Sheriff's department handle immigration? Mr. Stoltz said he opposes racial profiling. 2. District 5 Representative - Rachel Quintana a. Introduced herself & shared background information on being a UTEP graduate. She said she became involved in politics after seeing her sister volunteer in the community. She organized her campaign at the grass roots level, knocking on about 1,500 doors and listening to people. b. Question & Answer Session: i. Any chance of street lights being recycled and installed in the Tierras? She will check and report back. ii. In what ways does she get involved in learning about people? Monthly community meetings (talking with people from 11 a.m. - 1p.m.) is the way she does this. iii. What can be done about the lack of street lights? They are not in her discretionary funds. However, the general obligation fund for 2010 would allow for installing them. iv. After approved for speed humps, how long does it take to install? June was the last deadline for petitions. Next deadline is December. Other petitions such as stop signs, etc. can be included. But funds are incredibly limited. She suggested residents record license plate numbers of any motorists who appear to be speeding. VII. Next meeting: Tuesday January 13th, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VIII. Motion to Adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:54 p.m.
09-09-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	06-10-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Welcome: Rick Falvo (substituting for Manuel Padilla) called the meeting to order at 6:42 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed the June minutes. Motion to approve was made, seconded and approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan read the June report. Motion to accept was made, seconded and approved. IV. Dennis Melonas Reports:(Due to scheduling conflicts, Mr. Melonas was permitted to speak prior to "Guest Speakers" [Agenda Item VI] ) A. Board Vacancies: Mr. Melonas reported that four board vacancies exist, including the following: The Community Development Steering Committee, The Foster Grandparents Program, The Committee on Border Relations, The Historic Landmark Commission, The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Mr. Melonas encouraged attendees to consider applying for the positions, and left informational packets for each board/committee. B. Park update: Mr. Melonas reported that new playground equipment was purchased today, at a cost of $55K. This equipment was equipment that LTNA President Manuel Padilla referenced in previous correspondence as manufactured by Exerplay (Landscape structures). About $780K is to be spent for the park, and is slated to be completed by the end of 2008. C. Pebble Hills Extension: Mr. Melonas informed the audience that Jim Payne (owner of Helen of Troy) said that Pebble Hills will be paved through to the Joe Battle Intersection, by November 30th. D. River Oaks Rezoning: Mr. Melonas reported that the River Oaks rezoning request was sent to the City Planning Commission. River Oaks wanted C3 status on both the east and west sides of the Rich Beem intersection that are north of Zaragoza. The City Planning Commission decided to rezone some properties as C2 and some as C3. The side adjacent to the school (Northwest corner of Rich Beem and Zaragoza) will be C2, while the other side (Northeast corner of Rich Beem and Zaragoza) will be C3 (and will exclude tattoo parlors). Socorro Independent School District had no objections with C3 status for the parcels of land. E. Speed Humps: Mr. Melonas advised concerned residents to contact him about drivers who violate speed limits. He in turn will contact Dawna Duncan and e-mail her a petition that can initiate the installation of speed humps. V. New Business: A. Concert in the Park: Rick Falvo informed the audience that this event was cancelled, due to no support from the Parks and Recreation Department. They did not want to provide staging, sound equipment, chairs, lighting & personnel. LTNA is working to be included in the "Pachanga Concert Series." Their contact person has asked Manuel Padilla to call them in December. B. Health Fair (October): Rick Falvo announced that the fair is scheduled for October 25th (Saturday), and will be held at Sierra Providence East Hospital. LTNA needs volunteers; Attendees were asked to please contact Dawna Duncan or Lorena Estala. C. Representative Quintana: Rick Falvo asked attendees if they would be interested in having Rachel Quintana speak on either October 7th or October 21st. Members voted in favor of having Representative Quintana speak on October 7th; which would replace the October 14th speaker. D. Recycling Pickups: Rick Falvo informally polled members, to see if they would be interested in changing the frequency of blue recycling bins being emptied from weekly to every two weeks. This is in response to a request by Representative Quintana who suggested that recycling pickups every other week would result in savings for residents. Members voted in favor of changing recycling pickups to every 2 weeks. E. Edgemere Lights: Rick Falvo informed attendees that LTNA has initiated steps toward having street lights on Edgemere. He told attendees that Manuel Padilla met with Representative Quintana, and they identified several places on Edgemere in need of lights. The city will do a study to further identify specific areas on Edgemere most in need of lights. F. Service 211: Rick Falvo told attendees that Manuel Padilla was informed (at the Neighborhood Coalition Summit) of a new and free service to residents. By dialing 211, residents can receive referrals for rent assistance, utilities assistance, community health clinics, public health department immunizations, WIC (Women, Infants and Children) programs, and any disaster response services. Service 211 representatives will call back if they don't have information right away. Hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Locally, El Paso answers calls Monday through Friday 8 a.m. -5 p.m. After those hours, Houston answers. The website for more information is www.211.org/about.html. G. Leadership Academy: Rick Falvo discussed basic information about the Neighborhood Leadership Academy, and the purposes of the academy. These include: learning about the operations of city government, the city's organizational structure, and keys to effective leadership. He asked the audience to pick up brochures at the sign-in table. H. Graffiti Cards: Rick Falvo told the audience about informational cards and who to contact if graffiti is spotted. This information includes contact information about the Graffiti Removal Hotline. He informed audience members to pick up the cards at the sign-in table. I. Environmental Summit. Rick Falvo briefly discussed the summit to be held, and the goals which include how to maintain code compliance with regards to weeds, cars, garbage, illegal dumping, and so forth. Rick Falvo encouraged members to pick up notices at the sign-in table. VI. Guest Speakers A. Valerie Joosten (Environmental Engineer, City of El Paso Environmental Services Department) 1. Discussed issues her department addresses, such as solid waste management and code compliance. 2. Discussed the two landfills (Clint and McCombs), and the 5 collection sites. 3. Mentioned how there are special collections, such as for dead animals. 4. Revealed that Air Quality personnel collect data to monitor pollutants, especially when they inspect body shops for paint and airborn particulates. 5. Indicated that Vector Patrol fogs for mosquitoes; and also checks for West Nile Virus. B. Manny Morales (Code Compliance Supervisor, City of El Paso Environmental Services Department) 1. Discussed weeds and tall grass issues (distributed bulletins 301 and 300) 2. Discussed code compliance violations, such as placing refuse in other peoples' cans, illegal dumping, parking on gravel, weeds, junk vehicles, illegal signs (example - advertising garage sales) 3. Advised that Texas Health and Safety Code 341 can be referred to when safety issues arise, such as tripping on a piece of protruding rebar from a sidewalk. 4. Suggested that residents contact Animal Services to report dogs not properly chained. 5. Revealed that people wanting to dispose of furniture, to please take a water utility bill (showing their name and address) to the Escobar site (along with their furniture), and their furniture can be disposed. 6. Informed audience that they are in the process of finding a new site to replace the Escobar Site. 7. Said that at this time, there is nothing in place for recycling glass. 8. Advised anyone witnessing people illegally dumping personal property in commercial dumpsters, to write down automobile license plate number(s). VII. Next Meeting: October 7th, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VIII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:47 p.m.	I. Welcome: Manuel Padilla called the meeting to order at 6:42 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed May minutes. Motion to approve was made, seconded and approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan read the May report. Motion to accept was made, seconded & approved. IV. Old Business: A. Park Progress: Contract was awarded to Accent Landscaping. They have taken the bid & are gathering contract documents. Accent Landscaping should be submitting documents to the city this week. City should sign off soon after.Construction should begin in last week of June. Pete Hollen said city engineers will provide detailed breakdowns of how funds shall be spent, in hopes that more money could be channeled back to park funds. B. River Oaks Rezoning: River Oaks requested rezoning to C4 status. LTNA successfully blocked this rezoning. River Oaks will attempt C3 rezoning; Mirian Spencer & associates are planning to recommend rezoning to C2 status. Residents should sign a protest letter & submit to CPC, demanding a C2 (not C3) rezoning. Public hearing is July 17th (Thurs.) at 1:30 p.m., City Hall,2nd floor. Manuel is encouraging residents to send letters to friends/neighbors/etc. C. Sports Camp: June 16th -20th at the Paso del Norte School, with a limit of 100 participants. Fliers have been printed. City Parks & Recreation Department will help. The school is involved. Pepsi, Walgreens & Vista Market are donating items. Physical Education instructors will be coaches. V. New Business: A. Concert in the Park: Will be in September. Potential bands include a group of 6th graders and a group from Chicago. B. Health Fair (October): Would be in conjunction with Sierra Providence East Hospital. C. Other ideas: Members with ideas for speakers or topics for future meetings, please notify any LTNA officer. VI. Guest Speaker (Officer Stephen Plummer, El Paso County Auto Theft Prevention Task Force): A. Las Tierras suffers from auto thefts due to the huge area. Forty percent of El Paso auto thefts happen in Pebble Hills region. B.Task force created in 1993; back then, El Paso ranked #1 in auto thefts. Task force created to address thefts, educate public, deal with thieves, and foster a relationship with Mexico. In 2003, El Paso dropped to 85th place in terms of auto thefts. C. Major challenge task force faces is the Mexico border, which they cannot transcend to complete a pursuit. D. Currently, El Paso is ranked 30th nationally in auto thefts. This year, El Paso expected to have about 3,000 cars stolen. E. Thirty people head the task force. They watch people who are car thieves. Repeat offenders commit 80 percent of thefts. F. Task force has a Border Partners program - two agents and one sergeant work with Mexican authorities. Task force goes to Mexico to retrieve stolen El Paso vehicles. About 50 percent of stolen recovered vehicles come from Mexico. G. Fifty percent of all stolen cars are unlocked; Twenty-five percent of stolen cars have keys in ignition. H. It is a crime in El Paso to leave keys in the car; a simple kill switch is a huge deterrent to stealing cars. I. There is no 100 percent way to safeguard a vehicle; Sometimes, operator errors accidentally disarm an alarm. J. Stolen vehicles are likely to be stolen from home. Fifty-five percent of vehicles stolen from home or apartment. K. Auto theft is a gateway crime (committed in order to help execute other crimes, such as drug smuggling, burglaries, etc.). L. Stolen vehicles are: (1) packed with cash, (2) driven to Mexico and (3) brought back to the U.S. with drugs or humans. M. Task force has "fake vehicles," loaded with surveillance equipment. "Fake vehicles" typically are "hot ticket" vehicles.Once a "fake vehicle" is compromised, apprehension is made after engine is killed remotely. N. Thieves fly to Albuquerque or Tucson to steal vehicles & drive to El Paso; easier to steal there since they do not have auto theft task forces. Vehicles are sometimes burned in desert after a crime; or VIN plates are changed to create new identities. O. Don't hide your car when parking; Average cost of an El Paso stolen car: $27,000 (Texas average: $8,500). P. Most popular El Paso auto thefts: (1st) Chevy Silverado, (2nd) Ford F150, (3rd) Ford F250, (4th) Chevy Tahoe, (5th) Dodge Ram 1500. VII. Next meeting: September 9th, 2008 at 6:30pm Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VIII. Motion to Adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:52 p.m.
05-13-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	03-11-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Welcome: Manuel Padilla called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed the March minutes. Motion to approve was made, seconded and approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan read the March report. Motion to accept was made, seconded and approved. IV. Old Business: A. Park Progress: Contract awarded today at 3:30 p.m. Some construction should begin in mid-June. Playground modules, swing sets (for 2-5 year olds & 6-12 year olds), picnic tables with shelters, landscaping, irrigation, volleyball with sandpit, and walking/jogging pathway are construction items. LTNA is asking for engineers to waive $20K in fees for more savings. V. New Business: A. River Oaks Rezoning: River Oaks has requested rezoning to C4 status; however, LTNA is seeking C3 classification with conditions to eliminate industrial equipment repair & other industrial businesses. A protest letter has been written, and advised to be used by residents to help protest the River Oaks rezoning request to C4 status. A meeting to discuss concerns with El Paso City Planning Department will be scheduled. B. Sports Camp: June 16th - June 20th, in conjunction with Las Tierras Community Church and City Parks and Recreation Department. C. Guest Speaker: Rick Glancey - Director of Public Relations, Sierra Providence East. Glancey said there is a chance of Sierra Providence East contributing money towards park development. D. Guest Speaker: Sally Stephan, Chief Executive Officer, Sierra Providence East. Stephan reminded people of the open house on Saturday May 17th, from noon to 4 p.m. The hospital is now recruiting physicians and also looking to develop a community health fair. E.Guest Speaker: Ila Larson, Deeds and Exemptions Department Supervisor, El Paso Central Appraisal District.Discussed the homestead exemption, as well as exemptions for the medically disabled. She also discussed the various other types of exemptions. F. Guest Speaker: J. Albert Molina Assistant Property Manager, El Paso Central Appraisal District. He revealed that he has 18 appraisers charged with handling over 220K parcels. Home values increased approximately 4 percent across El Paso. Deadline to file a protest with the Central Appraisal District is June 2nd or 30 days from the date of appraisal notice (whichever is later). Albert Molina can be reached by e-mail at almolin@epcad.org or by phone: 780-2056. VI. Next Meeting: June 10th, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. Guest speaker: El Paso Police Department's Anti-Theft Task Force. VII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:53 p.m.	I. Welcome: Manuel Padilla called the meeting to order at 6:42 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed January minutes for review. Motion to approve was made, seconded and approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Dawna Duncan read the January report. Motion to accept was made, seconded & approved. IV. Old Business: A. Park Progress: Manuel Padilla to meet with Rachel Quintana this coming week. Construction anticipated to begin Summer 2008. Park plans: out to bid March 26th. LTNA did not meet requirements for 20 year qualification status. Rachel Quintana did not want to give LTNA a waiver: $18K was denied to LTNA. B. Great American cleanup: April 5th. Organizational meeting at City Hall (8th floor) on March 13th. C. Citizen's Advisory Board: Seeking volunteers to serve monthly at Pebble Hills Regional Command Center. D. LTNA still seeking someone to handle website duties; Colleen Lewis will train new person. E. Free Legal Clinic: March 19th. Topics include consumer loans and bankruptcy. F. Eastside Civic Association: Hosting Candidate's Night on March 19th at 7 p.m. G. Rick Falvo announced the EPCC Spring Arts Festival & the Borderland Speech Challenge. H. LTNA thanked Ituarte School for publicizing LTNA in their newsletter. V. New Business: A. Guest Speakers: Pebble Hills Regional Commander Maloney & Neighborhood Relations Coordinator Gabriel Sida 1. Commander Maloney: Has served 19 years. Supervises 202 officers & 8-officer gang unit. Citizen's Advisory Board discovers community problems and tells Maloney. Maloney is trying to diversify membership to include other areas. Pebble Hills Regional Command Center is a full-function center. Sixteen detectives currently serving, and 16 officers serving in a tactical unit. Maloney said the Sheriff's department can assist the EPPD, but they are stretched thin also. Future substation funding depends on bond money. Speed bumps are also possible only after a traffic survey is done. 2. Gabriel Sida: works with the code compliance department. He informed LTNA of 3 upcoming events: a. March 26th: Antigangs programs. b. March 29th: HEAT (Help Eliminate auto Theft) program. c.April 5th: Great American Cleanup. VI. Next meeting: May 13th, 2008 at 6:30pm Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. Guest speakers: Central Appraisal District personnel. VII. Motion to Adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:48 p.m.
01-15-08 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	12-11-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Welcome: Colleen Lewis called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed the December 11th minutes for review. Motion to approve was made, seconded and approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Charlene Walker read the December treasurer's report. Motion to accept was made, seconded and approved. IV. Old Business: A. NIP funding: 1. Colleen Lewis & Manuel Padilla met with Rachel Quintana on December 13th, to discuss the application. 2. The following NIP funding issues were addressed: a. Ms. Quintana would not give LTNA a waiver, as Ms. Quintana did not want LTNA to compete with the Eastside Civic Association for the $50K funds. b. LTNA would not be eligible for $18K in NIP funds. B. Park update: 1. The park items are not out for bidding, since environmental services needs water drainage specifications before proceeding. 2. Construction drawings need to be redrawn. V. New Business: A. Elections 1. Colleen Lewis announced that 4 nominees accepted nominations as candidates: President (Manuel Padilla) Vice President (Nicki Deal) Treasurer (Dawna Duncan) Secretary (Rick Falvo) 2. Colleen Lewis opened the floor to see if anyone wished to nominate others for President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. 3. No one wished to nominate other candidates. 4. All four candidates were elected for positions, pursuant to Section V., item A, sub item 1, of the January 2008 LTNA General Meeting Minutes. B. Outgoing president's remarks 1. Colleen Lewis expressed thanks & appreciation for a 2007 that saw challenges & accomplishments. 2. She thanked the LTNA officers of 2007 for their hard work and dedication to the association. C. Incoming president's remarks 1. Manuel Padilla expressed gratitude for being given a chance to lead LTNA in continued progress. 2. He thanked Colleen Lewis, Charlene Walker and Rick Falvo for their service to LTNA during 2007. 3.He called on members to continue being committed to the welfare of the neighborhoods, and to continue being involved in the happenings of the community. VI. Next Meeting: March 11, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:42 p.m.	I. Call to Order/Welcome: Meeting was called to order at 6:51 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed the November 13th minutes for review. Peter Hollen made a motion to approve minutes as corrected. Ellen Eyberg seconded the motion. Motion to approve minutes as corrected was approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Colleen Lewis read the November treasurer's report. Pete Hollen made a motion to accept the report. Ellen Eyberg seconded the motion, and report was accepted. IV. Old Business: A. January elections: Colleen reminded members that LTNA needs candidates to run for office. B. Open Positions: Colleen also reminded members that LTNA needs people to fill positions for the Newsletter, Webmaster, and other committees. C. NIP funding & park update: Colleen informed members that the application is in process. She also said that she and Manuel Padilla will meet with Rachel Quintana on Thursday December 13th at 11:30 a.m., to discuss the status of the NIP finds, and to help preserve round 1 NIP funds. The meeting with Rachel Quintana is a requirement for approval of the application. Overall, the application needs to be approved by Friday December 14. V. New Business: No New Business VI. Guest Speakers: Renate Hobson, Family and Protective Services, Adult Protective Services Division. A. Almost 3 years with FPS. B. Has a Master's Degree from Webster University C. Her division helps those who are 65 and older, adults with disabilities, people receiving mental health and/or mental retardation services. D. APS is an in-home investigation and service-related entity. E. APS has 8 volunteers. F. People in nursing homes and "room & board" homes are not covered in APS. G. She discussed the types of abuse, types of neglect, exploitation and possible indicators of abuse. H. For more information, please contact her at renate.hobson@dfps.state.tx.us or by phone (834-5772). VII. Next meeting: January 15, 2008 at 6:30pm, at Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library. VIII. Motion to Adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:50pm.
11-13-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	10-16-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 6:41 p.m. II. Rick Falvo distributed copies of the October 16th minutes. Pete Hollen made a motion to approve minutes. Jose Castro seconded the motion. Motion was approved. III. Colleen Lewis read the October treasurer's report. Jose Castro made a motion to accept report. Manuel Padilla seconded the motion. Treasurer's report was accepted. IV. Old Business: A. Next Monday Neighborhood Coalition will have Mayor Cook as guest speaker B. Christmas Party Dec 8th at Ituarte elementary cafeteria from 1 to 4p.m. C. January elections will be held at the January LTNA meeting. If anyone is interested in a position, call Manuel or Colleen. D. LTNA has open positions: 1. News Letter editor needed 2. Web site maintenance person needed 3. Neighborhood Watch chair needed. E. Traffic management: there will be a series of Meetings on Dec. 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th and 20th. F. Eastside Civic Association: Nov. 21st. Topics include expansion of FT. Bliss and the economic impact. G. NIP Funding: Colleen and Manuel are working on application. The focus has changed to the completion of phase one only. V. New Business: No New Business VI. Guest Speakers: Joyce Wilson A. She gave handouts of an overview of who does what in the city. B. She is in her fourth year. C. She indicated that the "council manager" form of government is most common. D. While the professional manager focuses on "how to get it done-logistics," the political manager is elected by a vote, and determines "what/why…the goals themselves." E. The mayor is the chief of the board in charge of city's lobbying efforts. F. All 6,200 employees report to Wilson. G. Wilson looks at city systematically, and is charged with making professional judgments and analyses. H. Money allocated for various needs, for example, city buildings are examined for risk assessments. I. Capital Improvement programs include: Drainage improvements for Carnegie St.; Traffic installation: several locations for traffic signals; Park improvements; Turner St. Improvement; First Phase of Salvador Rivas Park. J. Other issues included: 1. Wilson will check out the 4-way stops and lights at Tierra De Este and Pebble Hills. 2. ASARCO is in the process of applying for a clean air license renewal. 3. Some downtown renovations 4. Some residential mixed used facilities. 5. The issue of building a mixed use arena. 6. City is trying to bolster the Historic District. 7. Economic development. 8. Four year medical school is in process of getting accreditation. 9. Chavez Theatre is being considered for renovations, upkeep, and possible expansion of seating. 10. Plaza Theatre's operation is performing well. 11. Hunter and Butterfield golf course revenues go to the Airport. The airport in turn, sends the City of El Paso a portion of the revenues. 12. Regarding park restrooms; we should have a regional parks district, with a dedicated tax solely for parks and a governing board. 13. There are no actual dates for a new fire station in the Tierra Este area. 14. Regarding Blood donations, the mayor is involved in promoting blood drives. 15. Storm water management was done via taxes on property owners. 16. To lower the residential tax burden, you need to increase commercial investments. VII. Next Meeting: A. Date, Time and Location: Dec 11, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library. VIII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:53 p.m.	I. Call to Order/Welcome: Colleen Lewis called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed copies of the September 18th minutes. Members reviewed minutes. Beth Kuzma made a motion to approve minutes as corrected. Kim Padilla seconded the motion, and minutes were approved as corrected. III. Treasurer's Report: Charlene Walker read the treasurer's report. Kim Padilla made a motion to approve the report. Beth Kuzma seconded the motion, and the treasurer's report was approved. IV. Old Business: Christmas Party - December 8th, 2007: Colleen Lewis said it will be held at Ituarte School. V. New Business: A. Taco Cabana: Colleen Lewis reported that this business has been added as a new member discount sponsor. B. Help Hope Healing conference: Colleen Lewis announced that this conference will take place on November 3rd. C. Jaime Esparza: district Attorney, will walk through El Paso (on October 28th) to raise money. D. Parks and Recreation Update: Colleen Lewis posted the latest excerpts on the LTNA page, regarding the increased cost estimates for the new park next to the library. VI. Guest Speakers: A. Gabriel Sida, El Paso Police Neighborhood Relations Coordinator: shared information about this goal, which is to improve the quality of life and reduce crime, as well as to try to address concerns of residents. He said that resident involvement in neighborhood is important to improving the quality of life. B. Officer Montelongo, Neighborhood Watch Officer: can be reached at 599-5898. He said they can do a security inspection of people's houses, which could result in an additional 5-20 percent reduction of insurance premiums. He reported that since last year, there was an 81% increase in burglaries & 98% increase in thefts. He gave tips to reduce crime: increase lighting & call police for suspicious activity. He said people are stealing holiday props & ornaments. He recommended people tie down props, or bring items inside. He also reminded people that graffiti is a problem, and to not only contact the graffiti hotline at 621-6789, but also police dispatch (832-4400). C. Juan Sandoval, El Paso Tax Collector reported that he collects taxes from 9 school districts & 5 incorporated cities. He said that El Paso is the only consolidated city for tax collection, which means El Paso has the most efficient tax collection. In 1984, the city & county of El Paso merged tax collection agencies, which means residents get only one bill. This merger has resulted in a $40M savings in administrative costs. He urged residents to be vigilant, and not let people disband the consolidation. He said this is the first time in many years that people will see lower tax bills. All school districts have reduced tax rates. Also, Thomason & EPCC rates have dropped. He claimed taxes are high because El Paso has 4 school districts, and that homeowners pay 50% of the tax burden. He said the delinquency rate for tax collection is 3 percent, which is low (compared to other Texas cities). VII. Next meeting: November 13th, 2007, at 6:30 p.m., at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library 12480 Pebble Hills). The guest speaker will be Joyce Wilson, El Paso City Manager. VIII. Motion to Adjourn: Colleen Lewis made a motion to adjourn. Motion was unanimously seconded, and meeting ended at 7:50 p.m.
09-18-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	06-19-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills NOTE: There will be no meetings in July and August
I. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 6:38 p.m. II. Rick Falvo distributed copies of the June 19th minutes. Members reviewed minutes. Frank Sanchez made a motion to approve minutes as reviewed. Toni Farris seconded the motion, and minutes were approved. III. Charlene Walker read the August treasurer's report. Frank Castro made a motion to approve the report. Toni Farris seconded the motion, and the treasurer's report was approved. IV. Old Business: A. John Lyons Petition: Colleen Lewis announced a petition to name a park, and for LTNA to consider this petition. B. Neighborhood Leadership Academy: This will be starting on October 24th. This consists of a 15 week course, to learn about city government. Applications are now available. C. Increased Crime: Most of the increase in crime is reflected in auto thefts. Nine auto thefts in August, compared to 40 auto thefts for the month of September. Information about how to start a neighborhood watch program is available on the LTNA website. D. Bag of Info. Update: Rick Falvo announced that 1,509 homes across 50 streets were canvassed by 21 El Dorado students from the International Baccalaureate Program and the Creativity, Action and Service Club, with the assistance of 7 chaperone drivers. He thanked the El Dorado administration for their assistance in this project. Rick Falvo also announced that in the coming months, another Bag of Info. project is being planned, and that LTNA will be needing chaperone drivers. V. New Business: A. Christmas Party: Anita Brysacz, Social Committee Chair, announced this inaugural event. This will be geared for children and adults, and shall include Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Karaoke, Cookie Toss, and a Coloring Contest B. Guest Speakers: Rachel Quintana and Mayor Cook were introduced. 1. Rachel Quintana introduced herself, including her background as a Hanks High School Alumnus, as well as a 2001 Graduate of UTEP. She revealed that she was Public Safety Chair at Hanks. 2. She then proceeded to reveal her platform, which included the following: a. She voted "NO" on the Lee Trevino Extension Initiative. This inititative would affect 12 houses, and 50 properties. She said a viable alternative would be to widen Northbound Zaragoza. b. She also said that people are concerned about Turner Road. c. The extension of Pebble Hills would be difficult, since the unused street is being used by 2 developers. d. Regarding rezoning, she votes "NO" for the rezoning of the Eastside and Westside for commercial use, where areas are clearly within resdiential areas. This is related to the concerns of residents who are noting the Chevron/Good Times proposed opening at the corner of Rich Beem and Edgemere. e. In terms of public safety, there will be speed display trailers placed in the Las Tierras Neighborhoods, to make drivers aware of their speeds. In working with Commander Scott Graves, Rachel Quintana identified several areas where Speed Display Trailers would be placed. f. Health: There will be redesigning of the Health Services Department, to streamline and provide more services. Fifty jobs would be lost, with the possibility of the jobs being moved over into the new organizational structure. g. Environmental Services: there will be a new "Delta Drop-off Facility." This will contain separate areas for yard waste, electronic waste, tires, and recycleables. Because the current space is limited, the current space is dangerous, including the fact there there are no public restrooms. The new Delta Drop-off Facility will be safe, efficient, and have more updated recycling facilities. h. El Paso Police Department: The goal is to have a new police command cetner on the eastside by 2011. The reason is that since 2001, the population has grown by 30,000. The current EPPD is short staffed. She agrees with Chief Wiles that new officers must be recruited, as well as the importance of forming Neighborhood Watches in the various sub-divisions. i. New Sierra Providence Hospital: is 70 percent complete. The first patient will be admitted on June 1, 2008. Three-hundred construction jobs are being created, as well as 400 hospital positions. They are also actively recruiting nurses from the UTEP and EPCC nursing programs. 3. Mayor Cook introduced himself, and discussed the 2007-2008 budget. a. There is $600M to fund all city departments, which include 22 city departments. Of these, city departments and the fire departments account for half of the budget. b. There were various constraints on the budget, including: 1. Store 2006, which created $ 200 million of debt, 2. Salaries, 3. Quality of life and bond issues, 4. Police and fire fighters pension issues , 5. The homestead exemption for elderly and disabled was doubled, which caused a shift of burden to businesses that took $577 million away. 4. A question and answer session followed, at 7:23 p.m. a. Q1: What is the update on Sun Metro? A1: The current status is that 25 new buses were purchased; 25 buses were repaired, and that concerns still focus on on-time service. b. Q2: What is happening with the weed control of the medians? A2: Rachel Quintana has added "useful phone numbers" to call to report this. c. Q3: With the increase in crime, when will the command center be built? A3: The command center will still be at Pebble Hills, but there will not be a new command center until possibly 2010-2011, which is the goal for a new command center. d. Q4: What can be done about adding crosswalks? A4: Contact Rachel Quintana, and get a warrant to create a crosswalk. e. Q5: What are the procedures for weed control of neighborhood homes? A5: A warning is given, and a 10 day correction notice is issued. We are working on passing a "Perenial Violators Notice," which if passed, will automatically flag a resident if they have more than 1 weed control violation in 6 months. At that point, each time a weed control is violated, the city will automatically send a cleanup crew, and charge the resident. If the resident fails to pay, then a lien on their house will be placed. The best plan for now is to call code enforcement. VI. Next Meeting: A. Date, Time and Location: Oct 16, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library. B. Anticipated Guest Speaker(s): Juan Sandoval - Tax Assessor VII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:55 p.m.	I. Call to Order/Welcome: Colleen Lewis called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. II. Reading of Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed copies of the May 15th minutes. Members reviewed minutes. Pete Hollen made a motion to approve minutes as reviewed. Manuel Padilla seconded the motion, and minutes were approved. III. Treasurer's Report: Charlene Walker read the treasurer's report. Pete Hollen made a motion to approve the report. Beth Kuzma seconded the motion, and the treasurer's report was approved. IV. Old Business: A. Membership Discount Program: Colleen Lewis announced that card discounts will begin July 1, and participating businesses will be listed. Members who renewed memberships should have received a directory of 11 businesses currently participating in the program. She also reminded members to renew their memberships in order to receive merchant discounts. B. July 4th Watermelon Giveaway: Rick Falvo announced that volunteers are still needed to help cut and serve watermelon after the 4th of July parade at Album Park. Interested volunteers should contact Rick Falvo by phone or e-mail. C. Community Meeting - Placement of bike lanes on Yarbrough: El Paso Street department is having a meeting at the Pebble Hills Regional Command Center (10780 Pebble Hills). The meeting will be held on Wednesday June 27 at 6 p.m. D. Landscaping/Gardening Class: The supervisor of the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library announced a landscaping/gardening class might be offered, and was curious as to the level of interest in this class. Nearly all at the meeting indicated they would attend the class, if offered. V. New Business: A. Bag of Information Project: Rick Falvo announced plans to canvas neighborhoods to distribute LTNA information packets (July 21 and 28), as well as the service learning cooperative with El Dorado High School students. He asked for people to volunteer as chaperones to drive students to neightborhoods for the distribution, and to contact him by phone or e-mail. Mark Tegmeyer volunteered for July 21. B. Sports Camp: Manuel Padilla asked for volunteers to help with a youth sports camp that will be taking place June 25 through June 29, with each day from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. C. Pebble Hills Cleanup: Jose Castro reported that 14 adults and six teenagers helped with cleaning a two-block stretch of Pebble Hills that extended past the library to the corner of Tierra Este. D. Eastside Civic Center: Bill Sparks announced a 6 p.m. meeting on Thursday June 21 with the El Paso tax assessors. The meeting will be held at the Eastside Civic Center. E. Soccer Camp: Aldo Melucci announced that there was going to be a soccer camp for 2-3 year olds, to be held at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Public Library F. Guest Speakers: Dinah Kilgore and James Thompson with the El Paso Central Appraisal District (CAD) were introduced. 1. Dinah Kilgore is the Commercial/Industrial/Personal Property Manager. She revealed: a. CAD was established in 1980 b. El Paso appraises properties at 100 percent market value c. The Texas State Comptroller checks with CAD to see how accurate the CAD is with appraisals. d. The CAD looks at sales records, MultiListings; talks with developers, bankers and brokers, and follows a mass appraisal format. e. Taxpayers have responsibilities, such as letting the CAD know you have a property (aka "Render your property"). f. Total property values in El Paso have steadily risen, for example: i. 2005 - $25 billion. ii. 2006 - $30 billion. iii. 2007 - $32 billion. 2. James Thompson is the Assistant Commercial/Industrial/ Personal Property Manager. He revealed: a. CAD does not have people who go to property sites, and that he needs information from property owners in order for appraisals to be accurate b. January 1st, 2007 was the appraisal date. c. El Paso is ranked 6th nationally, in terms of increasing property values. d. Thompson displayed a PowerPoint slideshow. 3. After the slide show, there was a question and answer session. a. Kilgore and Thompson explained the steps invovled in protesting a property valuation b. There are three steps involved in the protest i. Step one involves meeting with an appraiser to discuss the appraisal. If the owner is not satisfied with the meeting, then they go to step 2. ii. Step 2 involves the owner meeting with 3-4 members of the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). If the owner is not satisfied with the outcome, then the owner can opt for step 3. iii. Step 3 involves binding arbitration, with costs involved. VI. Next meeting: A. No meetings in July and August - Summer Break B. September Meeting - TO BE ANNOUNCED VII. Motion to Adjourn: Colleen Lewis made a motion to adjourn. Motion was unanimously seconded, and meeting ended at 8:00 p.m.
05-15-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	04-17-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
I. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 6:38 p.m. II. April 17 Minutes: Rick Falvo distributed copies of April 17 minutes. Two corrections were made. Frank Sanchez made a motion to approve minutes as corrected. Manuel Padilla seconded the motion. Motion to approve minutes as corrected was accepted. III. Treasurer's Report: Charlene Walker read the treasurer's report. Beth Kuzma made a motion to approve the report. Toni Farris seconded the motion. Motion to approve the treasurer's report was granted. IV. Old Business: A. District 5 Representative Election: People were reminded that District 5 El Paso City Council representative election ended in a tie. A run-off election will begin June 9. Voting locations will be determined. B. Membership Discount Program: 1. Colleen Lewis informed people that she is trying to establish a membership discount program. 2. Participating businesses will give LTNA members different discounts (examples: free soft drink, 10 percent discounts off merchandise, etc.). 3. Colleen Lewis will create a directory of businesses, along with descriptions of various discounts. 4. Currently, six businesses have agreed to participate, while several others appear to be good possibilities. 5. This program starts July 1, so it is important that memberships are brought up to date in order to be in cycle with new membership expiration dates on new cards. C. Freedom Tree Planting Ceremony: Will be held Saturday May 19th at 8:30 a.m. at Ituarte School, LTNA will have a tree planted. May 19 is the first planting (involving 30 trees). The second of two plantings will occur at a later date. D. Groundbreaking Ceremony: Will be held Saturday May 19th at 10 a.m. behind the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, on the 16.8 acre site. E. Planning Commission Meeting: Will address the approval of the permit to construct the Sierra Providence East helipad. This meeting will be held Thursday May 17 at 1:30 p.m. on the second floor of El Paso City Council. LTNA's official position is that the design of the hospital has limitations insofar as the proximity of the helipad to the residential lots is concerned. F. Social Committee: Anita Brysacz was recognized as the new chair of this committee. G. Fund Raising Ad Hoc Committee: Toni Farris was recognized as the new person to work on coordinating this committee. Colleen Lewis urged anyone who has ideas on raising monies to please contact Toni Farris. H. "Bag of Info" Program: LTNA will be working with the students of El Dorado High School to have them volunteer to distribute information packets door to door. LTNA is in the process of creating documents to place in bags, with an initial target of 500 homes. V. New Business: A. Kelly Carpenter, Director, City of El Paso Planning Division, and Eddie Garcia - Senior Planner, in the same department, who helps Kelly Carpenter, were introduced. B. Audience members were informed of the following: 1. Inquiries into new permits can be made online at www.elpasotexas.gov, and then clicking on the following links: Departments and then Development Services. 2. People can access the Long Term Plan for El Paso, as well as The Major Thoroughfare Plan. The Metropolitan Transportation Organization will also be involved, and will undergo updates during the next 2 years. 3. Updates to the zoning codes will begin June 5. 4. Subdivision regulations include: how land is divided into lots, as well as sewage designs, water lines, etc. 5. School districts are not required to work with developers, to determine placement of schools. 6. There is a plan for a future fire station to serve Las Tierras. C. Eddie Garcia proceeded to show maps of the newest areas under development in the Las Tierras Triangle and surrounding areas. D. Jim Suerken - candidate for the District 5 El Paso City Council Representative run-off election gave some brief remarks about his platform and encouraged all to vote. VI. Next Meeting: A. Date, Time and Location: June 19, 6:30 p.m. Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library. B. Anticipated Guest Speaker(s): El Paso Central Appraisal District. VII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 7:32 p.m.	I. Call to Order: Meeting was called to order at 6:40 p.m. II. March 20 Minutes: Members received handouts of minutes. Minutes were approved. III. March Treasurer's Report: Charlene Walker read the treasurer's report. Treasurer's report was approved. IV. Old Business: A. Colleen Lewis reported there are seats for District 2 Board of Trustees, and voting begins May 12. People can see all changes to the city charter by going to www.elpasotexas.gov & clicking on the city election propositions. B. Colleen Lewis said she will meet with Joyce Wilson at the Eastside Civic Center on April 18. There will be a discussion about changes in the storm water utility that may affect utility charges for El Paso residents. C. LTNA was approved for $49,800 under the Neighborhood Improvement Project. D. The Robert Ituarte Memorial committee said LTNA can also make a donation for the planting of a tree, in honor of veterans. V. New Business: A. Sierra Providence: Sergio Enriquez and John Nance (of Sierra Providence) discussed construction of the new Tertiary Acute Medical Center. A question & answer session between attendees & Sierra Providence followed, which included: Q1: What will be the traffic impact? A1: Little to none, and there will be a decelerating lane. Q2: What is the route for ambulances? A2: From Joe Battle onto Edgemere, then a right turn into the hospital. This route will include no blasting of sirens off Joe Battle. Q3: What will the noise levels be? A3: Helipad noise will be limited, given that Texas Department of Health says helipad must be within reasonable distance to the emergency room entrance. ·Pete Hollen said the helipad was poorly planned & needs to be improved. ·Tierra Palma residents expressed concerns & complaints about property damages resulting from construction contractors. ·John Nance made a recommendation that Sierra Providence meet with Tierra Palma residents to address construction issues. ·LTNA will set up a meeting between Sierra Providence & Tierra Palma residents. ·John Nance also indicated that Sierra Providence would talk with the construction company. B. El Paso Political Candidates: 3 candidates introduced themselves: 1. Rafael Hernando III SISD Board of Trustees District 2 2. Jim Suerken District 5 representative for El Paso City Council 3. Dan Chavez District 5 representative for El Paso City Council VI. Next meeting: May 15, 2007, Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Kelly Carpenter, Director of the Planning Division, Developmental Services Department for the City of El Paso. VII. Motion to adjourn: Meeting ended at 8 p.m.
03-20-07 6:30 PM Sgt Roberto Ituarte School, Rich Beem	02-20-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills
1. Meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. 2. Rick Falvo read the February minutes. Mark Tegmeyer made a motion to approve the minutes. Lorena Estala seconded the motion, and minutes were approved. 3. Charlene Walker read the treasurer's report for February. Manuel Padilla made a motion to approve the report. Mark Tegmeyer seconded the motion, and the report was approved. Old Business: Colleen Lewis opted to postpone old business until a later date. New Business: Colleen Lewis opted to postpone new business until a later date. Guest Speaker: Officer Andy Sanchez from the El Paso Police Department Gang Unit was introduced. Officer Sanchez presented a PowerPoint Slide show that covered issues regarding gang activity, such as history, reasons to join, patterns of behavior, and ways to identify gangs. Following the presentation, Manuel Padilla commented that there appear to be two ways for LTNA residents to implement solutions to dealing with gangs. They are: 1. Reactive measures (involve waiting until there is a problem): these include reporting gang activity to the tactical gang units of El Paso. 2. Proactive measures (involve building a sense of community, incorporating a Neighborhood Watch program, and school education). Next Meeting: (date, time, location and speaker not confirmed) Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.	1. Meeting called to order at 6:33 p.m. 2. Rick Falvo read the January 23 minutes Pete Hollen motioned to accept minutes. Sandy Nelson seconded the motion, and motion to approve was accepted. 3. Charlene Walker read the February treasurer's report. Pete Hollen made a motion to accept the report. Frank Sanchez seconded the motion, and motion to approve was granted 4. Old business - Colleen Lewis discussed organizational issues that included: A. Transfer of databases/records from last year; B. Goal of getting larger membership base through word-of-mouth, and having a membership drive; C. Fundraisers for discretionary funds, and asked audience for ideas; D. Payment of dues, to get in line with fiscal year by way of pro-ration; E. Realignment of some committees; F. Park news: Pete Hollen acquired an additional $8,500 from Presi Ortega, and is contingent on LTNA getting 50 resident signatures. The $50,000 is pending until third week of March. Pete Hollen said the new park will be named after former scoutmaster Diaz; G. March 28 candidate forum: Troy Hicks encouraged people to attend. 5. New Business A. GA cleanup: President Lewis asked for volunteers to attend the general meeting that addresses this project. B. TEXDOT: Announced was a meeting with Texas Department of Transportation regarding proposed toll lanes on Border Highway. C. Task Force: President Lewis asked for a volunteer to be on the Code Compliance Task Force. D. Neighborhood Summit: Colleen Lewis asked that members with workshop ideas please contact Pete Hollen. 6. Guest Speaker A. Officer Chairez (El Paso Police Department Gang Unit) was introduced. B. Officer Chairez gave background information, including: 1. Seven officers who handle El Paso gang investigations 2. His territory in the Pebble Hills area 3. Gang Unit history dating back to May, 1995 C. Officer Chairez showed a PowerPoint slide show on gangs & gang activity 7. Next association meeting: to include representatives from Sierra Providence. Members were told to check the LTNA website for date and time. 8. Meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
01-23-07 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills	11-14-06 6:30 PM Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills Note: There will be no Dec. 2006 meeting.
Item #1 Manuel Padilla called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills. Old Business Item #1 A motion to approve the minutes as read was called by VP Manuel Padilla and President Pete Hollen gave a 2nd. The motion was carried by a vote of the members. Item #2 Sandy Nelson gave her financial report for the year and Pete Hollen, President motioned to except her report as read and Vice President Manuel Padilla gave a 2nd. The motion was carried by a vote of the members. New Business Item #1 Vice President Manuel Padilla went over the changes to the bylaws and a motion by President Pete Hollen to accept them as read and Sandy Nelson Treasurer gave a 2nd. The motion was carried by a vote of the members. Item #2 An election for new officers was held. Members wrote their nominations for the 4 officer positions on paper and then nominations were then arranged on a white board under the officer position headings. Those people nominated were then given the opportunity to accept or decline the nomination. When this process was finished, the remaining names constituted a slate of officers. A motion by VP Manuel Padilla was called to accept the new slate of officers and President Pete Hollen gave a 2nd. The motion was carried by a vote of the members. The new officers are: President Colleen Lewis Vice President Manuel Padilla Treasurer Charlene Walker Secretary Rick Falvo Item #3 Pete Hollen gave an outgoing speech Item #4 Colleen Lewis President gave her incoming speech. Item #5 Pete Hollen discussed the parks project around the library Item #6 Next LTNA meeting will be on 2/20/07 at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno Library, Pebble Hills at 6:30 p.m.. Item #7 The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 P.M.	The meeting was called to order at 6:40 pm. Manuel Padilla, Vice President, welcomed the residents and guest speakers. 25 were in attendance. The treasurer, Sandy Nelson gave her report. We have 45 paid members. Motion to accept the report was called by Pete and 2nd by Sandy. Old Business: 1. Manuel will contact Officer DeAnda for further information on "Neighborhood Watch". Interested members can contact Anthony @: acrmendozatx@gmail.com. 2. LTNA has 2 committees that need a chair. If anyone is interested in Community Identity or Quality of Life please contact Manuel. 3. Our web site has had over 600 hits. You can keep informed by checking it out, all our information, new and old is always there. 4. Project Respect was held on the 4th of November and the turnout was good! We had 21 children, 2 teachers and the principal from the Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary School. Members from LTNA was also there. You can see pictures on the website. 5. Pete gave follow-up information on his contacts with River Oaks. He attended a meeting last week with them and has invited them to join LTNA. Look for updates on the website. New Business: 1. Manuel explained the "election" process. January is the month set by members when LTNA first began to hold our first elections. In the meeting, we will first have nominations from the floor, and voting will follow. 2. We also can make changes to our bylaws at this meeting or keep them as they are. If any paid member has any recommendations they are asked to email Anthony at: acrmendozatx@gmail.com. 3. Ms. Ellen Eyberg asked to speak, she wants us to spread the word that the library will have the Grand opening on the 9th of Dec, at 2 p.m. Guests include city officials, the family of Esperanza Acosta Moreno, and a color guard. 4. Ms Eyberg is also looking for volunteers who want to help with "friends of the Library." 5. Manuel asked if Spanish translation was needed and to please let him know prior to the next meeting if needed. 6. After two dates in January were given, all in attendance agreed on LTNA January meeting to be on the 23rd at 6:30 p.m. at the library. Guest Speaker: Manuel introduced the guest speaker: Deputy Chief Ken Adcox , from the El Paso Police Department. Commander Jerome Johnson from the Pebble Hills Command Center and Crime Prevention Officer Martha DeAnda were also present. Issues raised by the membership during the presentation were: 1. Gangs and graffiti in our neighborhood. All agree that we need a Neighborhood Watch program and LTNA will get a meeting together and notify all who are interested in becoming a block captain. 2. One member applauded the police for their quick response to a call she had made to them. 3. Neighbor with a monster truck scaring kids & what neighbors can do. Since the police were not present at the time, they were not able to give a ticket, but the neighbors can group together and take the man with the truck to court and take all information, etc. The judge can fine the man if he sees reason to. 4. Street "humps" are on a lot of residents minds. It seems that a lot of streets are used to drag race. The process takes 80% of the neighbors on the block to sign a petition. The process will also be explained at the neighborhood watch meeting. A motion to adjourn was seconded and the meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.
10-19-06 6:30 PM Paso Del Norte School	09-21-06 6:30 PM Paso Del Norte School
The meeting was called to order at 6:40 pm. Pete Hollen, President, welcomed new guests attending their first meeting of the Association.. The Minutes from the 9/21/2006 Association meeting were read by Anthony Mendoza, Secretary. The Minutes were approved as read. Old Business: Pete Hollen called upon the members of LTNA for help that is needed on all committees. He also asked for a volunteer to become the Community Identity Committee Chairman. Pete is the Acting Chairman of that committee until someone volunteers to take over. New Business: The Chairman of the Committees were then asked to speak about their committees. Committee Chairmen, John Almeida (Quality of Life) and Enrique Frias (Neighborhood Watch) were not in attendance so Pete Hollen presented their committee information. Quality of Life: Pete talked about getting a street light in a cul-de-sac close to his house. He worked with Presi Ortega, the District 5 Representative to accomplish this. Mr. Ortega said he would help to make this happen. The actual street light might take several months to get because of various issues that must be resolved 1st. We are waiting on time-lines from the developers on the Park being built by the library. Neighborhood Watch: Issues about the cost of the Neighborhood Watch signs are being worked at this time with the city possibly helping to pay for the signs. Community Development: Lorena Estela, Chairman, shared her vision for the Community Development committee. She has written letters to the major developers in the Neighborhood and has received one reply. She is in the process of setting up a meeting with the developers to discuss the plans for major business development in the neighborhood. Membership: Charlene Walker, Chairman shared her vision for the Membership Committee. The 1st Issue of the Las Tierras Neighborhood Association Newsletter, LIFELINE, was handed out to all attending members. Charlene will be the Editor and the Reporter for the LIFELINE Newsletter. She asked that any members having news to share to please contact her. She spent many hours putting out flyers on area mail boxes announcing the meeting, only to find out that we are not allowed to do this. So we will no longer put flyers on the mail boxes. She asked for volunteers to help her distribute flyers. Social: Marco Estrada, Chairman shared his vision for the Social Committee. He is planning several Social Events for the Association, possibly some Holiday Events. He is looking for possible locations at this time. He also shared an upcoming idea that he has but no details at this moment. He hinted at an idea that could save Association Members money in the products they buy. Community Identity: Pete Hollen, Acting Chairman, talked about an event that will be on Nov. 4th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary School. It is an Adopt A Street event with the 5th graders of the school cleaning the streets from Rich Beem to Edgemere to Zaragosa. There will be a Hot Dog Cookout for the children and chaperones afterwards. Pete asked for volunteers. 20 volunteers are needed to chaperone the children.. We did receive 6 volunteers at the meeting. A motion to adjourn was seconded and the meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.	ITEM #1 Pete Hollen introduce our new neighbors to LTNA members. ITEM #2 Minutes are approved as read by Pete Hollen. ITEM #3 Bill Sparks announces the Transportation summit to the LTNA members. ITEM #4 Pete Hollen introduces our guest speaker Virginia Alonso, her topic for the evening was Prepare for the Unexpected. ITEM #5 Meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.
08-17-06 6:30 PM Pebble Hills Library	07-06-06 6:30 PM 3653 Tierra Calida Drive.
34 Members were in attendance. Item #1 Pete Hollen, President introduce new committee heads John Almeida, Lorena Estala and Enrique Frias. Item #2 Reading of minutes by A Mendoza Sec. for 7-6-06. It was moved by President Pete Hollen to approve the minutes as read and 2nd by Vice President Manuel Padilla. Item #3 Guest Speakers were Said Cherif Assistant Director of Environmental Services and Ginny Castaneda Code Compliance Services. Note: There was time set aside for questions immediately there after and three phone numbers were given. 915-621-6700 For pick ups. 915-541-4386 Contact number. 915-541-4801 Contact number. Item #4 It was moved and approved by the members to hold our next meeting of Las Tierra's Association at Paso Del Norte School. Item #5 New committee head Enrique Frias of Neighborhood Watch spoke. Item #6 New committee head Lorena Estala of Community Development spoke. Item #7 Web Master Colleen Lewis spoke on our up and coming website. Item #8 Sandy Nelson Treasurer spoke. Item #9 Meeting was adjourned at 7:50 PM by Pete Hollen our gracious President	Item #1 It was moved and approved to temporarily accept the by laws as presented, any modifications and amendments can be presented at the January 2007 meeting. Item #2 A resolution was accepted and suspended for the by laws regarding the election of the temporary officers. Please Note: Normal election will take place On January of 2007 allowing us all to become better acquainted. Item #3 It was moved and approved to accept the provisional slate of officers. President Pete Hollen Vice president Manual Padilla Treasurer Sandy Nelson Sec. Anthony Mendoza Item #4 It was moved and approved to accept the mission statement {please see attached} and priorities, #1 Quality of life, #2 Community Identity, #3 Development, #4 Parks. Item #5 As a whole we discussed the lack of parks, the fire department. Item #6 Paul Cross the Assistant Chief Of Police and Officer De Anda discussed the Neighborhood Watch plan. Item #7 the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 Pm, please note coffee was not served.