Iron Horse Neighborhood News

Welcome to the website for the Iron Horse Neighborhood Association. Iron Horse is a recognized historic district located East of 4th Avenue and North of Broadway. Our neighborhood is a lively mix of businesses and artists, short time students and long time residents. If you live, work or play here, we would love to meet you. We hold meetings at 6:30pm on the third Thursday of every month (except July and December).  The neighborhood also maintains a listserv at ihna.groups.io You can be added to the listserv by emailing [email protected] and please like us on Facebook!

[ihnatucson]

Iron Horse is an amazing little historic neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona just north of Broadway, west of Euclid, east of 4th Avenue, south of 8th Street, and right in the heart of everything. We have neighborhood meetings most months, fun events, and great programs!

Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ironhorseneighborhood/about and sign up for our listserv here for all the latest and greatest Iron Horse neighborhood news and events https://ihna.groups.io/g/main

[ihnatucson]

Iron Horse Neighborhood Association Monthly meeting 3/18/2021

Those in attendance

Andrew (Board member at large), Matt (Treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Tim Reese (TPD – The District), Lt. Belinda Morales (TPD- Sector 8), Dereka (Board member at large), Kelly (Co-Chair), Elvira (Pima County – District 5), Al (Board member at large), Andy, Jan, Diana (Ward 6), Lee, Erika, Jennie

Police Report 

Lt. Morales reported that Sector 8, which includes Iron Horse Neighborhood, saw 20 incidents last month, which is down about 20% from February of last year.  These incidences ranged from disorderly conduct to stolen vehicles and did not include anything unusual.  

Lt. Morales and Lt. Reese also described the current staffing shortage that TPD is facing.  Due to staffing shortages, the chief of Tucson Police is considering limiting the calls that TPD responds to (as of right now, they said they are still responding to all calls).  

The calls that TPD will likely not respond to in the near future include:

*contraband at schools and hospitals [but will respond to reports of firearms]

*deaths at medical facilities

*non-criminal homeless calls on public property [they are trying to arrange to send mental health officers instead]

*loud noise, music complaints 

*medical check welfares [these calls would be dealt with by firemen and emts without police first]

*uncooperative hospital patients

*noncriminal transport

In the longer term, TPD is considering stopping to respond to the following calls: 

*code enforcement (trespassers in private property)

*civil matters (landlord vs. tenant disputes)

*suicide calls [hopefully mental health experts would respond to these]

*abandoned lines

Andy asked about situations in which a lower level complaint (e.g., noise complaints) is tied in with concerns that are more dangerous.  Lt. Morales responded that you can always reach out to her if you have any safety or significant concerns.  

Lee asked who would respond to noise complaints.  The police reported that they will still have a red tag unit that would be able to respond to big parties.  Further, if the red tag unit is busy, they advised that neighbors could take a picture or a video as evidence, in case the red tag unit follows up on the complaint when they have time.  If there are big gatherings of UofA students, you can contact UofA and they can reprimand those students.  The police advised that students sometimes respond more strongly to repercussions from UofA than police.  The UofA Neighborhood Response team can be reached at  520-282-3649.  The police also reported that noise restrictions are in place all hours of the day (they are not just after 10 PM).

Andrew asked whether the police have any plans of dealing with growing permanent encampments of homeless people along Aviation Parkway.  The police responded that they have a Homeless Outreach Team that offers resources to homeless people, but homeless populations are not required to accept those resources.  Additional neighbors expressed concerns about several instances of gun shots which likely originated south of the snake bridge.  The police requested consistent and clear communication about ongoing issues in the neighborhood.  Lt. Reese stated that homeless populations are one of the toughest situations that the city is facing.  

To reach the police, you can email them at:

[email protected] [big parties]

[email protected] [Sector 8, Iron Horse Neighborhood]

[email protected] [entertainment district, 4th Avenue]

Minutes from February

Erika requested that the minutes mention how the bylaws require a yearly audit of finances from 2 neighbors who are not on the board.  Erika and Jan volunteered to help with the audit.  The mention was added to the minutes.

Dereka moved to approve the minutes from February.  Andrew seconded the motion and the neighbors approved the minutes unanimously.

Dog Poop Stations

Diana reported that there is no official process to get approvals to put up dog stations, as long as they do not obstruct vehicular visibility.  Al suggested that 3 dog bag stations exist along 10th street and they can be stuffed with used grocery bags.  Neighbors expressed interest in increased signage along 10th and throughout the neighborhood.  Andy reported that the PVC versions of the dog poop stations are used at Miles Elementary on Broadway.   

Annual Liability Insurance

Matt reported that our annual liability insurance payment is due next week.  He stated that it covers the street fair and anything that may happen at Todd’s.  It costs $730 for annual coverage.  Matt made a motion to renew the liability insurance for one more year.  Lee seconded the motion.  Neighbors approved the motion unanimously.  

Chicanes Updates (planting and maintenance)

Andrew reported that neighbors and Tucson Clean and Beautiful planted 85 plants in the chicanes along 9th Street in less than 2 hours on Sunday morning.  In addition to the rain over the weekend, the chicanes have already been watered once.  Andrew reported that watering will cost $75 per instance.  The neighborhood already allocated $800 over the next four months for watering.  Andrew suggested increasing watering more frequently during the summer months.  Neighbors agreed with watering more heavily during the hotter months.  

Andrew also indicated that the city may have additional grants for the chicanes as the city works out more details for rainwater harvesting programs.  

E-Scooters

Al provided information about the E-Scooters from Steve K.  Steve added 3 pieces to the motion to continue the E-scooter program.  The first requires that the E-scooter providers place 250 in each of the Opportunity Zones.  Second, Steve K advocated for citing the E-scooter companies for violations.  Finally, in the Request for Proposals for continued E-scooters, companies will need to include technology that detects when they are being ridden on cement, so that riders are not allowed to ride on the sidewalks.  The E-scooter program will continue for 6 months as the new proposals for E-scooters are submitted.

Andy suggested that these changes are a small step in the right direction. 

Traffic Circle Updates

Al reported that the installation of the traffic circle at 9th St and 3rd Ave is currently at a standstill.  The city is waiting on the county to approve the traffic circle installation because there is a manhole in the center of the intersection.  Once the traffic circle is approved, Al will work with Kelly, Lee, and Todd to put together more specific plans.  

City Climate Change Survey

Dereka reported that the city is doing a climate change survey.  She advocated that neighbors report their climate change priorities at: opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_10299 {English version} or opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_10300 {Spanish version}.

The city is also doing a series of town halls, which Dereka reported are worth attending.  You can find out more by subscribing to the mayor’s newsletter at:  tucsonaz.gov/mayor

Upcoming workshops include:

Community Safety Town Hall, Saturday, March 27 @ 10:30 AM

Resilient Recovery Town Hall, Thursday, April 8th @ 5:30 PM

5G Cell Phone Towers

Dereka suggested that you can get an 5G protest yard sign by contacting [email protected].  They are requesting a $3 donation per sign.  

Garden

Erika reported that the garden seminar was well attended and attracted a couple of new faces.  There are currently 2 plots available and Erika recommended that this is a good time to start gardening.  Al will post a sign in the bulletin board advertising the garden.  A link with the full seminar is available until the end of the month; contact Erika if interested in viewing it.

Trash Pick-ups

Matt advocated for organizing a monthly trash pick-up in the neighborhood.  If we focused trash pick-ups on the park for 6 months, we would be able to officially adopt the park.  Erika suggested that we designate block captains to keep their own blocks clean.  Kelly advocated for cleaning up 3rd Avenue by Tucson High because it always has a trash problem and said that one big neighborhood cleanup would not be consistent enough to keep that area clean.  Al suggested that Tucson High has worked with us during previous clean-ups and that they could maybe take some responsibility for the trash problems.  Others suggested that FAMA could take some responsibility because the trash comes from patrons of 4th Avenue.  

Diana suggested that the city can get us a dumpster if we organize a big neighborhood clean-up.

Ward 6 

Diana reported that there have been increased reports of drag racing downtown, so TPD has been on the lookout for that. 

Diana also reported that Park Tucson is planning to start to charge for parking along 3rd Avenue.  She invited neighborhood representatives to take part in parking meetings for that area. 

Pima County

Elvira provided COVID Updates for the county.  Arizona’s DHS is opening up new covid vaccination appointments on Fridays at 11 AM.  District 5 of the county can help figure out registrations.  You can contact them through email at [email protected] or by phone at 520-221-0119.  Elvira reported that 72% of people over 70 years old in the county have been vaccinated.  Jennie said that she would be happy to provide vaccination updates

Committee Updates

Downtown Links:  Erika reported that there was meeting about Downtown Links that HFAC attended.  She expressed concerns that WUNA and IHNA were not notified.  Diana reported that HFAC specifically requested the meeting, which is why neighborhoods were not invited.  Diana reported that she would invite us to future links meetings.  Lee said he would try to attend. 

DNARC:  Andy reported that the Downtown Neighbors and Residents Council Meeting included nothing of significance.   

HFAC:  Erika reported that the only major news from the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition was that businesses have concerns about Downtown Links.

Iron Horse Neighborhood Association Monthly meeting

3/18/2021

Those in attendance

Andrew (Board member at large), Matt (Treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Tim Reese (TPD – The District), Lt. Belinda Morales (TPD- Sector 8), Dereka (Board member at large), Kelly (Co-Chair), Elvira (Pima County – District 5), Al (Board member at large), Andy, Jan, Diana (Ward 6), Lee, Erika, Jennie

Police Report 

Lt. Morales reported that Sector 8, which includes Iron Horse Neighborhood, saw 20 incidents last month, which is down about 20% from February of last year.  These incidences ranged from disorderly conduct to stolen vehicles and did not include anything unusual.  

Lt. Morales and Lt. Reese also described the current staffing shortage that TPD is facing.  Due to staffing shortages, the chief of Tucson Police is considering limiting the calls that TPD responds to (as of right now, they said they are still responding to all calls).  

The calls that TPD will likely not respond to in the near future include:

*contraband at schools and hospitals [but will respond to reports of firearms]

*deaths at medical facilities

*non-criminal homeless calls on public property [they are trying to arrange to send mental health officers instead]

*loud noise, music complaints 

*medical check welfares [these calls would be dealt with by firemen and emts without police first]

*uncooperative hospital patients

*noncriminal transport

In the longer term, TPD is considering stopping to respond to the following calls: 

*code enforcement (trespassers in private property)

*civil matters (landlord vs. tenant disputes)

*suicide calls [hopefully mental health experts would respond to these]

*abandoned lines

Andy asked about situations in which a lower level complaint (e.g., noise complaints) is tied in with concerns that are more dangerous.  Lt. Morales responded that you can always reach out to her if you have any safety or significant concerns.  

Lee asked who would respond to noise complaints.  The police reported that they will still have a red tag unit that would be able to respond to big parties.  Further, if the red tag unit is busy, they advised that neighbors could take a picture or a video as evidence, in case the red tag unit follows up on the complaint when they have time.  If there are big gatherings of UofA students, you can contact UofA and they can reprimand those students.  The police advised that students sometimes respond more strongly to repercussions from UofA than police.  The UofA Neighborhood Response team can be reached at  520-282-3649.  The police also reported that noise restrictions are in place all hours of the day (they are not just after 10 PM).

Andrew asked whether the police have any plans of dealing with growing permanent encampments of homeless people along Aviation Parkway.  The police responded that they have a Homeless Outreach Team that offers resources to homeless people, but homeless populations are not required to accept those resources.  Additional neighbors expressed concerns about several instances of gun shots which likely originated south of the snake bridge.  The police requested consistent and clear communication about ongoing issues in the neighborhood.  Lt. Reese stated that homeless populations are one of the toughest situations that the city is facing.  

To reach the police, you can email them at:

[email protected] [big parties]

[email protected] [Sector 8, Iron Horse Neighborhood]

[email protected] [entertainment district, 4th Avenue]

Minutes from February

Erika requested that the minutes mention how the bylaws require a yearly audit of finances from 2 neighbors who are not on the board.  Erika and Jan volunteered to help with the audit.  The mention was added to the minutes.

Dereka moved to approve the minutes from February.  Andrew seconded the motion and the neighbors approved the minutes unanimously.

Dog Poop Stations

Diana reported that there is no official process to get approvals to put up dog stations, as long as they do not obstruct vehicular visibility.  Al suggested that 3 dog bag stations exist along 10th street and they can be stuffed with used grocery bags.  Neighbors expressed interest in increased signage along 10th and throughout the neighborhood.  Andy reported that the PVC versions of the dog poop stations are used at Miles Elementary on Broadway.   

Annual Liability Insurance

Matt reported that our annual liability insurance payment is due next week.  He stated that it covers the street fair and anything that may happen at Todd’s.  It costs $730 for annual coverage.  Matt made a motion to renew the liability insurance for one more year.  Lee seconded the motion.  Neighbors approved the motion unanimously.  

Chicanes Updates (planting and maintenance)

Andrew reported that neighbors and Tucson Clean and Beautiful planted 85 plants in the chicanes along 9th Street in less than 2 hours on Sunday morning.  In addition to the rain over the weekend, the chicanes have already been watered once.  Andrew reported that watering will cost $75 per instance.  The neighborhood already allocated $800 over the next four months for watering.  Andrew suggested increasing watering more frequently during the summer months.  Neighbors agreed with watering more heavily during the hotter months.  

Andrew also indicated that the city may have additional grants for the chicanes as the city works out more details for rainwater harvesting programs.  

E-Scooters

Al provided information about the E-Scooters from Steve K.  Steve added 3 pieces to the motion to continue the E-scooter program.  The first requires that the E-scooter providers place 250 in each of the Opportunity Zones.  Second, Steve K advocated for citing the E-scooter companies for violations.  Finally, in the Request for Proposals for continued E-scooters, companies will need to include technology that detects when they are being ridden on cement, so that riders are not allowed to ride on the sidewalks.  The E-scooter program will continue for 6 months as the new proposals for E-scooters are submitted.

Andy suggested that these changes are a small step in the right direction. 

Traffic Circle Updates

Al reported that the installation of the traffic circle at 9th St and 3rd Ave is currently at a standstill.  The city is waiting on the county to approve the traffic circle installation because there is a manhole in the center of the intersection.  Once the traffic circle is approved, Al will work with Kelly, Lee, and Todd to put together more specific plans.  

City Climate Change Survey

Dereka reported that the city is doing a climate change survey.  She advocated that neighbors report their climate change priorities at: opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_10299 {English version} or opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_10300 {Spanish version}.

The city is also doing a series of town halls, which Dereka reported are worth attending.  You can find out more by subscribing to the mayor’s newsletter at:  tucsonaz.gov/mayor

Upcoming workshops include:

Community Safety Town Hall, Saturday, March 27 @ 10:30 AM

Resilient Recovery Town Hall, Thursday, April 8th @ 5:30 PM

5G Cell Phone Towers

Dereka suggested that you can get an 5G protest yard sign by contacting [email protected].  They are requesting a $3 donation per sign.  

Garden

Erika reported that the garden seminar was well attended and attracted a couple of new faces.  There are currently 2 plots available and Erika recommended that this is a good time to start gardening.  Al will post a sign in the bulletin board advertising the garden.  A link with the full seminar is available until the end of the month; contact Erika if interested in viewing it.

Trash Pick-ups

Matt advocated for organizing a monthly trash pick-up in the neighborhood.  If we focused trash pick-ups on the park for 6 months, we would be able to officially adopt the park.  Erika suggested that we designate block captains to keep their own blocks clean.  Kelly advocated for cleaning up 3rd Avenue by Tucson High because it always has a trash problem and said that one big neighborhood cleanup would not be consistent enough to keep that area clean.  Al suggested that Tucson High has worked with us during previous clean-ups and that they could maybe take some responsibility for the trash problems.  Others suggested that FAMA could take some responsibility because the trash comes from patrons of 4th Avenue.  

Diana suggested that the city can get us a dumpster if we organize a big neighborhood clean-up.

Ward 6 

Diana reported that there have been increased reports of drag racing downtown, so TPD has been on the lookout for that. 

Diana also reported that Park Tucson is planning to start to charge for parking along 3rd Avenue.  She invited neighborhood representatives to take part in parking meetings for that area. 

Pima County

Elvira provided COVID Updates for the county.  Arizona’s DHS is opening up new covid vaccination appointments on Fridays at 11 AM.  District 5 of the county can help figure out registrations.  You can contact them through email at [email protected] or by phone at 520-221-0119.  Elvira reported that 72% of people over 70 years old in the county have been vaccinated.  Jennie said that she would be happy to provide vaccination updates

Committee Updates

Downtown Links:  Erika reported that there was meeting about Downtown Links that HFAC attended.  She expressed concerns that WUNA and IHNA were not notified.  Diana reported that HFAC specifically requested the meeting, which is why neighborhoods were not invited.  Diana reported that she would invite us to future links meetings.  Lee said he would try to attend. 

DNARC:  Andy reported that the Downtown Neighbors and Residents Council Meeting included nothing of significance.   

HFAC:  Erika reported that the only major news from the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition was that businesses have concerns about Downtown Links.

[ihnatucson]

Garden Seminar on Saturday

Join us for a free online seminar on how to make your garden grow this spring! Register at bit.ly/ihnagardenworkshop

[ihnatucson]

Iron Horse Neighborhood Association Monthly meeting 2/18/2021

Those in attendance Hannah (President), Andrew (Board member at large), Matt (Treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Al (Board member at large), Kelly (Co-President), Lee, Ruth, Dereka (Board member at large), Andy, Jan, Arlethe (Pima County), Skate Park Alliance (Erik, Chris, Jon), Jake, Eric

Ermano’s Request for Letter of Support Mark Erman, co-owner of Ermano’s, requested a letter of support from the neighborhood for a Common Ground design award for their bar, Portal, which is in the back section of Ermano’s.  Dereka edited and proposed a suggested letter.  Kelly made a motion to sign and send the letter from IHNA.  Al seconded the motion.  The motion was approved with 0 no votes and 2 abstentions.  The letter is copied at the end of the minutes.

Mark also presented about the pavilion, which is an expansion of Ermano’s onto the street of 4th Avenue.  He expects construction will last about 2 more months and is aiming for an April 1st opening date.  He mentioned that restaurants located in front of street car stops cannot expand onto the street because emergency vehicles need enough clearance to get down 4th.    

Chicanes Neighbors are meeting at 4 pm on Friday, February 19th at the community garden to walk down 9th Street and finalize the plant selection for the chicanes.  The planting date is tentatively scheduled for March 7th at 9 AM, depending on traffic permits.  

Traffic Circle at 9th Street and 3rd Avenue Al reported on progress for installing a traffic circle at the intersection of 9th Street and 3rd Avenue.  He submitted signatures for 15 (out of 25) property owners at the intersection to Jessie Soto at the Tucson Department of Transportation.  The signatures will be verified and then the city will create plans for the circle.  The circle needs 20’ clearance from the curbs and Al reported that that the intersection is large enough for a large circle.  Al would like to see the circle include a welcoming monument to the neighborhood, which could be designed by Todd.  Kelly and Lee volunteered to help Al with future work on the traffic circle.  

Iron Horse Park Update On Thursday, February 11th, neighbors met with the Tucson Parks and Rec, Wheat Design, and Tucson Police to discuss the revised park plan.  Wheat Design utilized the feedback they received during their last open house and through the emailed survey to create a new park design that includes a dog park, a skate spot, a playground, and reduced walls.  The next steps will involve figuring out costs and prioritizing features.  Tucson Parks expects to start construction around August or September of this year.  

Neighbors expressed excitement about the plan.  Kelly indicated that she thought the plan would activate the space and make the park safer.  

Tucson Skatepark Alliance (TSA) Jon Choi advocated for including a skate spot in the revitalized Iron Horse Park.  Jon mentioned that skate features can engage a lively local skating community, activate a space, and consequently reduce crime in an area.  They can be beautiful art installations that are low maintenance and include water retention.  Jon differentiated a skate spot, which is an above-ground feature with skateable art, from a skatepark, which includes bowls, ledges, and rails.  The Skatepark Alliance said they would be interested in working with Tucson Parks on the development of a skate spot in the park.  The Skatepark Alliance invited neighbors to their monthly meetings, if people have interest (for more details, see: https://www.tucsonskateparkalliance.org)

Minutes Matt made a motion to approve the minutes from January.  Dereka seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved unanimously.  

Treasurer’s Report Matt presented the year-long financial transactions of the neighborhood association.  The main costs included feeding the neighborhood cats, HFAC dues, liability insurance, IHNA hats and beer cozies to sell at the street fairs, and the website.  New revenue was non-existent as the street fairs were cancelled.  Matt will look into filing taxes for this past year.  

Dog Poop Problems Neighbors mentioned increasing instances dog poop around the Iron Horse, with an emphasis along 10th Street.  Matt indicated that he would contact Parks and Rec about a potential cleanup of the park, refilling of dog bag holders, and the installation of additional signage.  Erika suggested installing a cylinder where neighbors can put plastic grocery bags that can be used for cleanup.  

Glass Drop Off Stations Erika reported that HFAC is considering requesting a glass drop off station near 4th Avenue because glass is no longer being accepted by the city-wide recycling program.  Neighbors expressed interest in additional recycling locations, but also expressed concerns about the noise from glass drop-offs and broken glass litter around the station.  Erika indicated that she would share our interest and concern with HFAC.  

E-Scooters The pilot program for the e-scooters ends in March.  Dereka expects that Mayor and Council will vote to either make the program permanent or cancel it at their study session on March 9th.  Jonathan said he will send out an email to the listserv about ways that neighbors can provide feedback before that date.  

To provide feedback about the e-scooters, you can contact TDOT Concerns at 791-3154 or [email protected]

Community Garden Erika indicated that she wants to get more engagement in the garden by providing more resources to gardeners who are already there and attracting new gardeners.  Erika made a motion to approve $75 to sponsor a garden education seminar over zoom.  Jake seconded the motion.  The motion was approved unanimously.  

Erik asked what the community herb and wheelbarrow plots were.  Hannah indicated that those are taken care of by Linden and are some of the more active plots.  Erik requested to put a large box in the garden where he could grow large mushrooms.  Neighbors agreed that it was appropriate.  Jake asked if he could include a new compost box in the garden.  Erika reported that compost piles in the past have been unsuccessful due to poor and irregular management.  Erika reported that 3 new neighbors have requested plots and they have enough to potentially accommodate 4 more people.  

Bylaws Reminders Hannah reminded the association that our bylaws state that all voting must happen during meetings.  She emphasized that the listserv exists to share resources and information (not voting).

Downtown Neighbors And Residents’ Council (DNARC) Andy reported that there are conversations with Downtown Tucson Partnerships about the need for new developments in the downtown area to benefit Tucson residents, rather than out-of-town developers.  Others at DNARC expressed concern about the installation of 5G Cell Towers without warning or input from property owners.  Finally, several people expressed antagonism to the expansion of Reid Park Zoo into Barnum Hill and pond.  

Bulletin Board Al repaired the bulletin board by the community garden.  If you have any information that you want to share with neighbors on the bulletin board, please let him know.  

Elections Hannah, Andrew, Jonathan, Matt, Al, Dereka, and Kelly agreed to run for board elections.  Andy made a motion to approve the slate of candidates after no one else volunteered to run.  Lee seconded the motion.  The slate of candidates was approved by unanimous vote (with zero abstentions).  

Letter submitted in support of the Portal Cocktails Bar project: Dear Common Ground Committee:

We offer this letter in support of Mark and Eric Erman and their renovation project "Portal Cocktails", which is located inside the Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar on Fourth Avenue.  The historic Iron Horse Neighborhood is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Tucson and its residents enjoy its proximity to the Historic Fourth Avenue District.  Prior to opening their business in 2015, the Erman brothers attended a neighborhood association meeting to share information with our residents, and since its opening they have been consistent in maintaining an open line of communication and providing a quality space that many of our residents are able to enjoy on a regular basis.  Their establishment has been a clear positive contribution to the commercial district and our adjacent neighborhood. We believe the Portal project, though young in its life, will further add to the appeal and quality of the area as it shows the brothers' commitment to thoughtfully designed gathering spaces.  We're glad to have this addition to the mix of establishments within walking distance that our residents may enjoy.  We wish the Erman brothers success with their latest project and future endeavors.

[ihnatucson]

Iron Horse Meeting Minutes January 21, 2020

Mindy Blake (RTA), Monique (FAMA), Al (board member at large), Lee, Ruth, Matt (treasurer), Hannah (president), Jonathan (Secretary), Andrew (board member at large), Dereka (board member at large), Kelly (co-president), Hadley

Regional Transportation Authority Mindy Blake, outreach coordinator for the Regional Transportation Authority, presented about a new transportation plan that is being developed for Pima County to start in 2026.  The current plan started in 2006 with the support of a sales tax initiative and has delivered about 870 projects, including bike lanes, sidewalks, roads, and bus pullouts.  The second 20-year plan is in the process of development, after which it will go through public input, plan refinement, plan review, and a call for an election.  You can find her presentation here: https://youtu.be/8WaoafsgX3s

You can find more information, see plans, and comment at: rtanext.com Neighbors asked if RTA is involved with E-Scooter plans, and Mindy responded that they are not.  Hannah asked if there was a plan for the light rail to go to the airport, and Mindy responded that it is one of the possibilities.  Maintenance for existing transportation options is not included in the current RTA.

Traffic Circle Select board members recently met with Jessie Soto from the City of Tucson Transportation Department to understand the procedural details of installing a traffic circle 3rd avenue & 9th street.  The traffic circle would probably cost us between $12,000 and $15,000, with an additional $2000 because the sewer hole at the center must be elevated 6”.  IHNA has $14,000 in funds from negotiations with The Junction and $3,800 in parking fees that could be applied. There are significant limitations to the size of the traffic circle because it must be 20’ from each of the curbs.  Al is working on getting 60% of neighbors in the blocks affected by to sign his petition; there are 25 impacted homeowners, so 15 would need to approve.  Signatures would then need to be certified and the traffic circle plans would be reviewed by city departments (e.g. fire, police, trash).  Al would like the traffic circle to be a welcoming monument to our neighborhood with an art installation.

Erika reported that the neighborhood voted down this traffic circle 7 years ago, with one concern being that there is not enough space for bikes to ride safely through the intersection.

Kelly suggested that it might be a good idea to think about adding a traffic circle at 8th Street and 3rd Avenue.

Al will work on getting signatures and pushing it forward to see the city’s plans before the neighborhood votes on using funds to complete it.

FAMA Monique reported that FAMA has cancelled the Spring Street Fair.  She reported that FAMA only has 2 workers (herself and Terry) and Eddie, who does streetscape on 4th.  She reported that, with the re-introduction of the Bird Scooters, e-scooter use and parking has been out of control along 4th Avenue.  FAMA has repeatedly reported poor parkers and unsafe riding to the City of Tucson.  If you have pictures of badly parked scooters, you can forward them along to Monique at:  [email protected]

Monique reported that construction at 4th and 6th Street has caused significant parking problems (including trash and lack of the use of masks) among workers along 3rd Avenue.  She reported that the District apartments did not open up parking for the construction workers, as they had promised during the CBA process.

FAMA worked with 65 merchants to get CARES funding and provided COVID packages with masks, sanitizer, and thermometers to merchants.  Monique reported that Ermanos put in permanent outdoor seating in the street in front of their restaurant.  

Iron Horse Park Matt reported that the next meeting for the park design will be on February 11th at 5:30 PM with Tucson Parks and Wheat Design.  Wheat Design will present a summary of survey responses and provide a consolidated, refined plan for the park.  The Tucson Skate Park Alliance was invited to this meeting.  

Ward 6 Letter Matt shared a link to a letter that he wrote thanking Steve K, Diana, and Ward 6 staff for advocating for public health and safety.  Al thought it was a nicely written letter and advocated that Matt work in the State Department.  Matt made a motion to send the letter, signed by IHNA, to Mayor & Council and the President of the University of Arizona.  Jan seconded the letter.  Erika requested that the letter be sent to the list-serv for discussion before sending because there was no specific agenda sent out for this meeting.  Neighbors discussed how IHNA decisions must be made at meeting, with voting members present.  The motion to send the letter was approved unanimously with no abstentions.  The board agreed to send out a planned agenda before each monthly meeting.

You can find the letter here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PzmHO_JD4nN-GWL2myNYwOjoc-DvlQjQnuOUaYcgTZo/edit?usp=sharing

Chicanes Hannah spoke to Jon Choi from Tucson Clean and Beautiful.  She will try to schedule the planting on Sunday, March 7th.  She will find a pre-planning day in the middle of February, which she will promote over email.  

Sunshine Mile Overlay / Central Business District Matt reported that the block of Iron Horse that was previously included in the Sunshine Mile Overlay has been pulled out of the new zoning because of the board’s lobbying.  The block is still included in the Infill Incentive Zoning.  Official approvals for the Sunshine Mile Overlay have been delayed until February 4th at the earliest.  

The Central Business District (CBD) is a zoning area that goes through 4th Avenue and downtown.  The city is having a discussion with interested groups about what kinds of incentives to provide to builders to encourage development in these areas.  One of the incentives is the GPLET, which reduces property taxes for builders for 8 years.  You can provide input to the survey here: https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/310/Issue_10153

CCRC Dereka reported that Campus/Community Relations Committee focused their discussion COVID measures at UofA.  Currently there are only about 5,000 students taking in-person classes at UofA.  Spring break has been spread out over the course of the semester, so that there is no full week without classes.  On-campus students are supposed to be tested for COVID twice per week with gargle tests and use an app that can alert them to potential COVID exposures.  You can use this hotline to report students being bad COVID neighbors: 520-282-3649

HFAC Erika reported from the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition.  The general meeting is Tuesday, January 26th.  HFAC has been helping merchants apply for PPP loans, providing COVID training, and support the gift certificate launch that happened during early COVID.  IHNA is a dues paying member of the organization.  Dues cost $250 per year and are owed this month.  Erika made a motion to spend $250 dues to stay involved with HFAC.  Al seconded the motion.  The motion passed with 0 nos and 2 abstentions.  

Garden Hannah is working on cleaning out the Bermuda grass that is slowly taking over the garden.  The Indian Center recently reached out to talk about creating a composting station in the garden.  

THERE WILL BE IHNA BOARD ELECTIONS IN FEBRUARY!  

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Iron Horse Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes 11/19/2020

Those in attendance Hannah (President), Andrew (Board member at large), Matt (Treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Al (Board member at large), Josh, Kelly (Board member at large), Lee, Ruth, Dereka (Board member at large), Andy, Jan, Jamie (FAMA), Natalia, Jennie, Tim, Amanda (Pima County), Diana (Ward 6)

Iron Horse Park Debrief The Neighborhood met with Tucson Parks and Wheat Design, which is the firm that is re-designing the park.  Neighbors voiced their reassurance that the design firm has created high quality products within Tucson.  They reported that they should have the final park redesign at the end of January or beginning of February.  Ruth expressed excited about the possibilities of the park and said she thought it was a very positive meeting with all involved.  

Traffic Circle at 9th Street and 3rd Avenue Al and Sandra have recently experienced a lot of cars speeding unsafely down 3rd Avenue.  Al researched what would be needed to install a traffic circle, which includes signatures from 60% of the owners of properties of the properties on the block where the traffic circle would be installed.  Jonathan suggested that this intersection is likely to get even busier when the development at Maloney’s is finished.  Kelly mentioned that there are a variety of ways to create a slowing traffic system at the intersection, which referenced as tactical urbanism.  Josh proposed that one option could be that the traffic circle could be painted, rather than an actual physical barrier.  Al said that he will start discussion with the city about possibilities for addressing the speeding at this intersection.  

GPLET Letter Jonathan reported on a letter that WUNA asked us to sign as IHNA that would ask for greater community input and revisions to the city’s Government Property Lease Excise Text (GPLET).  GPLETs allow developers to have tax abatement if they meet certain criteria.  Matt argued that the letter argues for institutionalizing the Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) that we make with individual developers as a more standard, institutionalized part of the GPLET process.  Matt made a motion to sign on to the existing WUNA letter and submit it to mayor and council.  Josh seconded the motion.  With no abstentions, the motion passed unanimously.  Jonathan will add our name to the letter and submit it to Steve K and Mayor.  

COVID Testing Amanda reported that there are several new testing sites for COVID, which can be found on the county website.  The county health department is doing drive thru testing 3 days a week at the Pima Community College Campuses.  Amanda reported that they will start testing for COVID at the airport tomorrow.  Dereka reported that she want to PCC to get tested and thought their set-up was good.  

Chicanes Andrew reported that he is working with Tucson Clean and Beautiful (TCB) to set up a date for volunteers to plant trees and shrubs in the chicanes.  TCB wants at least a month lead time to acquire the planned plants.  The square footage of the chicanes adds up to more than 2000 square feet.  Andrew reported that his company may donate hydroseed for wildflowers for 4 of the chicanes as a proof of concept.  Kelly contributed that the trees are a priority for the chicanes as they are intended to be traffic calming features.  Matt made a motion to amend our previous approval for chicane maintenance and watering to a total of $1200.  Dereka seconded the motion. The motion to allocate a total of $1200 for chicane maintenance and watering was approved unanimously.  Andrew will report when a final date for planting is chosen.  

Tucson Police Department IHNA expressed support to Tucson Police Department (TPD) and Ward 6 for their help in quickly resolving a dangerous situation with homeless people who were encamping on an empty lot at 10th and 1st Ave.  IHNA appreciates that it was a complex situation and values help getting the issue resolved to make our neighborhood safer.  IHNA reported that the people in the camp moved just south of the Snake Bridge and that there seems to be a bike chop shop operating there.  

The Community Service Office for TPD aggregated some stats about crimes in the neighborhood.  They reported that Iron Horse hasn’t experienced any major troubles and that many of the recent calls have related to 4th Avenue, including 2 larcenies and a vehicle collision.  They asked to make sure that everyone locks their car doors and do not store valuables in them.  

Lee reported that there is a house for sale at 10th and Hoff in which a homeless couple moved in and stayed all weekend.  Lee thanked TPD for handling the situation.  Tim Reese, TPD, thanked Lee for staying vigilant and watching out for your neighbors.  He asked to make sure that we report any issues as quickly as they arise, otherwise people can become entrenched and it is harder to get them out.  If you have any issues that TPD can address, you can contact Tim at [email protected]

FAMA Fourth Avenue Merchants Association (FAMA) reported that some merchants are getting money from FAMA and the federal government through the CARES Act, which allows for a $5000 grant to help create outdoor space and temporarily support rent.   FAMA, along with Ward 6 and grant support people from Pima County, has been working hard with the merchants to help them in that process for the past two months.

FAMA also reported that Ermanos is re-opening December 1st and trying to get more permanent outdoor seating in front of the restaurant.  

Some neighbors asked if 4th Avenue could become a car-free pedestrian area.  FAMA suggested that many merchants like having traffic and parking spaces down 4th Ave.  If you have any questions or more comments, you can reach Jamie at [email protected]

CCRC Campus Community Relations Committee (CCRC) mostly discussed how the University of Arizona is testing students.  Dereka reported that, to limit the spread of COVID, UofA is not having any in-person classes after Thanksgiving, so that students do not travel home and back to campus.

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Iron Horse Monthly Meeting Minutes October 15, 2020

People in attendance

Hannah (President), Matt (Treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Al, Andy, Jan, Dereka (Member-at-large), Kelly (Member-at-large), Erika, Jamie (FAMA)

 Police

Erin Peters provided the neighborhood a spreadsheet of crime reports within the neighborhood but was unable to attend the meeting.  The neighborhood looked over the crime reports.  Matt forwarded the spreadsheet to the list serve.  Al reported increase of public defecation/urination on 3rd Avenue.  

TEP Transmission Lines

TEP is moving forward with installing a giant transmission line from the Kino substation to the DeMoss substation.  TEP removed Euclid from a list of preferred route options.  Dan Dempsey is still working with other neighborhoods to try to put pressure on TEP and the city of Tucson to put the transmission lines underground down Campbell.

Chicanes (Scoping day [10/17 @ 8 AM], planting day [11/7]) Neighbors will meet at the community garden Saturday (10/17) at 8 AM.  They will walk down 9th Street to identify what trees or plants to put in each of the renovated chicanes.  The list will be forwarded along to Jon Choi (Tucson Clean and Beautiful).  Andrew mentioned that we could plant trees or dispense a slurry of native seeds that would grow if it rained.  One potential date for planting the trees in the chicanes that the board is considering is November 7th.   Erika suggested that we create a Sign-Up Genius so that people can adopt a chicane for the future (to water and/or weed the chicane).  WUNA has a watering arrangement with FAMA to water plants in their neighborhood, and IHNA could potentially make arrangements for FAMA to water our chicanes as well.  

Matt made a motion to approve up to $500 for chicane watering. Dereka seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.  

GPLET Letter

WUNA asked IHNA to sign on to a letter to Mayor and Council that addresses changes they would like to see to the GPLET process.  The GPLET is a tax reduction that developers can receive from the city.  Erika said that it would be good to have a bigger voice in the GPLET process because these developers get big benefits from the tax reduction.  Matt said the GPLET is supposed to function like a Community Benefits Agreement, but the city has not been advocating for neighborhoods or citizens.  Dereka argued that bigger companies and developers are the ones surviving through COVID and are the ones that can take advantage of these benefits; consequently, GPLETs may allow bigger companies to thrive and penalize smaller companies.  Neighbors wanted to read the exact letter before agreeing to sign on to the letter.  Jonathan will send out the letter on the list serve and will vote on it at the next meeting.

Reporting burned out streetlights

If you notice any burned out streetlights, please report them. It makes the neighborhood safer and friendlier.  The website for reporting these issues is: www.tucsonaz.gov/tdot/street-maintenance-improvement-request

Alternatively, you can email your concerns here: [email protected]

New board Member

Hannah called for the nomination of an additional board member, since only 6 of the 7 board positions were currently filled.  Erika nominated Al for the board.  Hannah seconded it.  The neighborhood unanimously supported the nomination.  Al Rosen accepted the nomination and joined the board as a member-at-large.

Community Garden

Hannah reported that two plots in the garden have very tall Bermuda grass.  She will try to kill the grass organically.  She reported that there are 13 people on the garden list, but only 5-6 people emailed to get the new combination for the garden locks.  

Traffic concerns

Al proposed putting in a new traffic circle at the intersection of 3rd and 9th to try to slow traffic.  Al will look into the process to get a traffic circle installed.  Dereka also requested a speed bump put on 10th street near 1st avenue.  

DNARC

Andy attended the last meeting of Downtown Neighorhoods And Residents Council and provided updates about our neighborhood’s issues.  DNARC is concerned about Downtown Links and its impact on businesses.  The corner with EXO Roasters and Tap & Bottle is suffering from COVID and will likely take a bigger hit from Links.

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Iron Horse Neighborhood Association Monthly meeting 9/17/2020

Meeting Minutes from October

Tucson Police Department

Lt. Mickey Peterson is moving from our district to internal affairs.  Lt. Tim Reese will take over as our contact to TPD.  Lt. Reese was transferred to the District/West Side about a month ago and he is excited to work with our neighborhood moving forward.  He reported that crime is trending very strongly downward in the district (likely due to COVID).  TPD will enforce COVID ordinances, but their first priority is education about the ordinances to change behavior.  You can also alert the Tucson Police Department's Red Tag unit if you notice any COVID violations/large gatherings at 520-837-7318.

Al mentioned that he was grateful that Tucson has such high quality police.  Matt mentioned that we would like TPD input about safety issues as we redesign our park.  

Tucson Electric Power – Kino to DeMoss Transmission Lines

TEP is still planning to install a very large and high voltage transmission line from the Kino substation to a new substation on UA campus and to the DeMoss substation.  They have proposed several different routes to run this new and very large transmission line.  About half of the proposed routes run down Euclid.   

Dan is working hard with the other affected and historic neighborhoods to push back on some of these proposed plans.  Dan has extensively researched other new transmission line projects across the country that have been put underground for comparative costs.  He reports that TEP has drastically overestimated the costs of undergrounding the wires.  IHNAs ultimate goal is to try to force TEP to put the new transmission lines underground.  He is hoping that, with a broad enough coalition, we can get mayor and council to force the lines underground. 

People can submit additional comments on TEP.com and the deadline is Sunday.

Matt made a motion to support the conceptual framework that Dan outlined in a letter that will be written shortly with other affected neighborhoods, including WUNA and Sam Hughes.  Al seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.  Dan will provide the written letter to the board for final approval.

Campus/Community Relations Committee

Dereka got the neighborhood 100 door hangers that explain what COVID symptoms are and how to respond if you think you may be infected.  She will pass some to Al and may deliver some to the Junction.  

F-35s 

TucsonForward circulated a letter that lays out several objections to the Air Force’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The letter asks the Air Force to correct several deficiencies related to the noise impacts of F-35s in the EIS in a Supplementary EIS.

Andy made motion to sign on to the letter as a neighborhood association.  Al seconded the motion.  The motion passed with one abstention.  

Jonathan will reach out to sign on to the letter for the neighborhood.  

FAMA

FAMA reported that it helped provided 40 businesses with some PPE, but also reported that most businesses on 4th are hurting.  They asked if we could continue to support local businesses.

Bulletin Board

Al requested that you email him or give him any information or articles to post on our neighborhood bulletin board.  

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Tucson Electric Power looks to expand renewables, raise customer rates

TEP’s plans to raise rates and install a transmission line near historic neighborhoods are not without controversy.

Some great work by one of our neighborhood residents advocating for undergrounding the power lines.

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Next neighborhood Meeting + elections Feb 20th

And it’s important!  We will be holding elections for our neighborhood board AND letting folks sign up for new garden plots AND discussing the dog park AND discussing how to get on the new neighborhood listserv AND serving free pizza.  Seriously, you need to be there.  Thursday, March 20th.  6:30pm.  Iron Horse Fabricators 503 E. 9th Street.

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Notice of Zoning Application 223 N. 2nd

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Notice of Zoning Application 223 N 3rd Response Deadline October 1st

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Hearing October 7th for PAD at Broadway and Park

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January 17, 2019 Meeting Notes

Random chatting and eating of pizza. Introductions.

Sgt Chris Davis and Sgt Harrison Still from the west district spoke about ongoing issues about disturbances in IHNA park and the arroyo area.  Some transients are trespassing in and out of the fence around the arroyo.  Bike patrols have been stepped up.  Parks and Rec fixed fence, but homeless are digging under the fence.  New locks have been put on gates and homeless residents have been cleared out.  Sgt Davis has been patrolling it nightly.  Because of OSHA regs officers are no longer able to go into some of the tunnels where activity is taking place.  Activity has decreased but more trash is evident.

A resident observed bicycles thrown over the arroyo fence.  Was encouraged to contact officers directly to report rather than 911.

An intoxicated young person leaving The Buffet was assaulted by some transients.  Those responsible were arrested.

A neighborhood resident confronted a group stealing bicycles and was assaulted.  Officers recommend not confronting individuals directly and recommend contacting police instead.

Lately there seems to be a more aggressive population living in and around the arroyo.  Officer commented that there s typically a spike of transients coming in from other areas that are far more aggressive than what is typical for this area.

The bike theft also seems more organized.  Ofc Still recommended that all bike owners write down and photograph serial number which offers much greater chance of bike being returned.

Residents have noticed a big increase in vandalism against the garden.  Irrigation lines were ripped up.  Gate locks have been broken.  Equipment has been stolen and thrown into the arroyo.  Garden shed has been broken into repeatedly. Ofc Davis said to write on garden property that it belongs to IHNA because this will help them build a case as they recover stolen property.

Another IHNA resident had a wallet and two pairs of shoes stolen from his front porch.  

Next month we will bring in other community advocates to brainstorm strategy to address these issues.

Ofc Davis recommended that we contact him directly for quality of life issues that don’t reach the urgency of 911 call.  Gave the neighbors his direct contact info.  Will be posted to the listserv. Please leave him voicemail for issues.

Many neighbors have requested that the trees that are blocking site be mindfully trimmed to increase visibility.   February meeting will be dedicated to park improvement discussion as well as park safety and security.

Installation of cameras at Santa Rita park have decreased amount of drug traffic in that area.

Erika motioned approving the minutes. Lee seconded.  All voted in favor.  None objected.

Erika gave a report on the beer booth.  The shift captains will be contacted about what nonprofit they would like the tips to go to. Income was down due to poor location, rain, smaller winter crowd.  

Jennie made a motion that we approve up to $1,500 for an annual liability policy. Ruth seconded. All in favor, none opposed.

Look into quotes for extra merch for next month.  New t-shirts. Also hats!

Lee moved that we approve $500 for annual audit, Andy seconded. All approved, none objecting.

Ben gave a garden update. Need to invest some money in redoing the irrigation systems.

Ben will schedule a weeding party, garden reboot, to get folks into the community garden and make sure everyone with a plot is using the plot. Beginning of February.  Ruth and Ben will meet to draft a garden agreement to address gardeners not using plots.  Dead mesquite needs to come down.  Would like to replace it with citrus trees. Possibly sell the wood as a fundraiser.

Ben got kicked off listserv. Should contact [email protected] to be reinstituted.

Kylie Walzak from Living Street Alliance presented. Cyclovia will expand to four times per year. Woohoo! LSA is also writing a complete streets policy. Policy is very neighborhood driven, not one size fits all. 1/3 of the public footprint is asphalt.  Policy improvements seek to re-allocate how asphalt is used to provide more options. 68 pedestrian fatalities last year.  

Complete streets are for everyone.  Multi modal environments will lots of street furniture and accessibility.  Options include low speed shared streets with speed tables, traffic circles, chicanes, bump outs, safe crossings including hawk crossings.  

Lighter, quicker, cheaper allows use of planters and painting to reconfigure how streets function.  Example of intersection near Exo which has become much more vibrant.  Is now seeing far more use.  Project was done for $30,000.  LSA is monitoring data to see how traffic has calmed, fatalities decreased. Andrea commented that it is amazing how just an aesthetic change has really turned around the character of the intersection.

Complete Streets Policy will be on agenda for mayor and council on January 23rd 1:30 – 3pm. Vote on Feb 5.  Anyone interested should come join them to show support.  www.tucsonaz.gov/tdot/complete-streets-tucson

LSA available to consult for projects in our neighborhood also.

Neighborhood elections are typically held in February.  Will be held next month in March.

White elephant sale next Saturday to raise money for HFAC.  

Neighborhood cleanup February 23rd. Brush and Bulky is also February 22nd. Lee asked if we should just hire someone to clean up instead of having a volunteer effort and spending a lot of money to rent equipment.

Want to mindful of the time when an underqualified service was hired and trees were butchered. Andrew has some proposals for more mindful beautification.

A mailer will go out. If anyone has announcements or articles, email to [email protected]

Should we include a link to an online poll to solicit neighborhood feedback? Yes.

No treasurer’s report due to sudden death of Jonathan’s father. Jennie suggested and Erika made a motion to donate $100 to a charity in honor of Jonathans father.  Lee seconded.  All approved, none objected.

Meeting adjourned.

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The proposed Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition’s terms of agreement with EDR - for the development at the old Flycatcher.

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August Meeting Minutes

Those in attendance

Jennie (Chair), Erika (Co-Chair), Matt (treasurer), Jonathan (Secretary), Ken, Jan, Andy, Nanette, Fareike, John, Hanna, Andrew, Dereka, Glen, Fred (FAMA), Diana (Ward 6), Monica (CSO-Westside), Lt. Jen Turner, Cliff Wade (City’s homeless outreach), Margo Susco (community engagement coordinator), Grace (Junction), Chris (Junction), Glen Moyer (City of Tucson Housing and Community Development)  

Park Safety

Jennie emailed the Chief of Police about the growing number of homeless people who were permanently camping in Iron Horse Park. Multiple facets of the city responded quickly and worked to make sure visitors to the park feel safe and to ensure no one lives in the park.  

 Margo Susco, community engagement coordinator (prior owner of Hydra Boutique), talked about making sure all incidents in the neighborhood are reported to the police because they use reported incidents to predict and prevent crime.  She engages with the community and coordinates community volunteers to help with police office work or patrol services.  If interested in volunteering with the police, email Margo ([email protected] ).

 Lt. Turner stated that monsoons tend to wash homeless people out of tunnels and washes, where they typically may live.  Iron Horse Park is unique because it is cut off from everything, which makes it attractive for transient people, most of whom do not live in Tucson.  Officers are going through the park on regular checks.  The officers are working with Officer Gould and are considering making changes to the landscape on the south side of the park near Aviation Parkway, where the homeless people like to panhandle.   They are interested in helping with park redesign, especially when trying to prevent crime through environmental design.

 Cliff Wade, one of the city’s two homeless outreach workers, has been going to the park as much as he can to work the homeless people on finding housing and/or transportation out of Tucson.  Working with Old Pueblo Community Services, they have housed 1 person out of Iron Horse Park, as on person matched with an agency. Cliff mentioned that many homeless people have mental health issues, so it takes time to gain their trust and work with them to get housing or transportation.  

 Matt, treasurer and Iron Horse Park sub-committee chair, talked about how the current focus on Iron Horse Park started with the murder in the park.  He is working with a landscape architecture class at U of A, who will create re-designs of the park for their class.  They will do a needs assessment and create renderings.  They will be coming to Iron Horse Fabricators on 9/5 at 5 PM to get community input.  Their renderings may be useful to guide the potential new bond money, to showcase possibilities to potential partners or developers in order to convince them to donate money, or in applications for grant money.  

 Diana, Ward 6, said that there will be a new bond in the November election that would provide funds for some city parks certain amenities.  Funds would become available during specified years.  Steve K is trying to get maintenance funds and verbiage to allow more flexibility in how funds are spend included in the bond.  To see a list of the amenities proposed in the bond, you can go to the city’s homepage (or click on this link:  https://www.tucsonaz.gov/home/announcement/parks-connections-bond-2018).

 Crime Updates

Lt. Turner warned about likely increase in crime in the area due to students returning.  She asked us to please report anything that looks strange or out of place. Please call 911 if it is occurring at the time.  If you get a picture, you can email it or text it to Lt. Turner

 June Minutes Approval

Erika made a motion to approve the June minutes.  Ken seconded the motion.  The June minutes were approved unanimously.  

 CBA Update

The Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition formed as a grassroots effort to have input into new developments on 4th avenue. The group has a draft of bylaws that they have created, which will go to FAMA shortly.  IHNA will wait until FAMA responds to the bylaws to decide how to proceed.  Jennie has been attending the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition meetings with various stakeholders and government officials, including Steve K, mayor, other council members.  She also attended a meeting with Rory Juneman, who is the attorney for EDR, the developers of the building that will replace the Flycatcher.  IHNA may appoint a permanent representative to serve on the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition.  

 Speed Humps Update

The IHNA council is still working towards the speed humps on 9th.   Matt will pitch the idea of having the merchants contribute money for half of one of the speed humps to FAMA’s board meeting.  If FAMA or the merchants do not agree, we will consider moving ahead with only 1 of the 2 proposed speed humps.   IHNA originally planned two speed humps because the merchants at the end of 9th street requested one near them, but they may no longer be interested in supporting that speed hump.  Fred relayed that the bid for 1 speed hump was approximately $3300.

 Treasurer’s Report

Matt presented a detailed report about IHNA’s bank account on printed spreadsheets.  IHNA currently has $14,076.50.  The only major expenses incurred since the June meeting included the Free Little Library ($434.80) [BIG THANKS TO MARIA FOR ORGANIZING THE FREE LITTLE LIBRARY] and gardening supplies.  

Garden Vandalism

The IHNA community garden was recently vandalized. Someone ripped up the irrigation lines and tore out plants.  The garden irrigation will be fixed with the standing $500 fund that IHNA has previously approved.  Please keep an eye on the garden and report anything that looks out of place.

 IHNA Bylaws Update

The City of Tucson attorney approved the new IHNA bylaw revisions that we had previously approved .  Consequently, we need two new board members for at-large positions (see immediately below).

 Election for 2 at large members

Andrew D’Arezzo, who is interested in sustainable urban design and works with EcoSense Sustainable Landscapes (and has worked with beer booth), nominated himself.  

John Denissen, who has helped with breaking down the beer booth and counting the beer booth money, nominated himself. Grace seconded both nominations. Both were elected unanimously.  

 Junction Update

Grace, manager of the Junction, warned that about 140 students would be moving in on Saturday.  She invited community members to come grab a cookie or two during their move-in celebration.