A Topeka Neighborhood
Our monument unveiling and best neighborhood in Kansas 2018 event was a success. We wish to extend a big thank you to our partners Washburn University, Margarita’s Jalisco, the City of Topeka and our neighbors! For more pictures please check out our Facebook Page.
College Hill Neighborhood Association Meeting
7:00 p.m. July 16, 2018
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Present: Katrina Shaw (President), Ardith Woertz (Vice-President), Tom Luellen (Treasurer), Gail Kennedy, Adrianne Johnson, Andy Fry, John E. Christensen, Susan Duffy, John Bowes, Dona Nordstrom, Zach Snethen, Theo Alford-Shaw, and Officer Hendricks.
Community Officer’s Update: The Crime Statistics Report was not available. HOT TOPIC – car burglaries. Nothing significant – foot traffic still an issue. If missing something, calling pawn shops can be a useful resource. Make sure you write down serial numbers on large ticket items, including bicycles, guns, etc.
Property Maintenance Compliance: Anything on the “lot” with the exception of vehicles that may be operable and are tagged come under the review of this unit. Housing violations include inside and outside the home. Most exterior issues involve paint, weeds (yard with vegetation over 1 foot high), and broken windows. General junk on open porch (i.e. appliances, boxes of stuff, scrap wood) can be sited. Homeowners are provided ten (10) days to comply after signing for the letter from the City.
Squatters are a real issue in our neighborhood. Suggestion made that we contact all the City Council members to support the code compliance unit with more funds.
Treasurers Report: Tom Luellen reported a balance of $32,000; spent $600 on 4th of July event(s)l; and just received $1,300 in invoices.
Grant Update(s): Will be reimbursed $1,200 from the City of Topeka for the Barricades Grant – barricades cost $980.
Monuments on 17th – unveiling in planning with Margarita’s Jalisco.
July 4th Recap: THS ROTC not interested in coming. Shawnee Heights High School came and performed. Motion for donation to Shawnee Heights High School of $50 passed. Susan Duffy and Tom Luellen seconded.
Recycling: John Christensen reported that after July 4th made $111.34.
NNO: Our NNO for College Hill will be jointly sponsored with the Topeka Community Cycle Project. “Sandlot” will be showing at Boswell Park on August 11th. Event starts at 6:00 p.m. Movie will be shown after dark.
Annual Meeting: September 17, 2018. (a) Elections to be held; and (b) Peggy Oster with the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging will be the guest speaker.
Neighborhood Improvement Association: A portion of College Hill – East side of College Ave. to Washburn is being brought to our attention for further discussion with the City Planning Department.
The next meeting will be on the third Monday in September at 7:00 p.m.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
College Hill Neighborhood Association Meeting
7:00 PM May 21, 2018
Westminster Presbyterian Church
PRESENT: Katrina Shaw (President), Ardith Woertz (Vice-President), Tom Luellen (Treasurer), Regina Castle, Gail Kennedy, Adrianne Johnson, Jenny Odermatt, Erin Snethen, Officers Hendricks and Wall.
COMMUNITY OFFICER REPORT: Officers Hendricks and Wall updated as to the current crime statistics reflecting an increase in crime in the area of 15th and Boswell – 4 plex, some issues and calls on disturbances, more activity than normal, especially 15th street (burglaries to unlocked car on Plass; vehicle and residence burglaries on Garfield; attempted burglary with damage to both doors on Washburn; and possible abandoned vehicle on 15th street).
TREASURERS REPORT: Tome Luellen reported $2,600.00 earned at the Blossoms event, which is roughly $800 more than last year and the most ever earned.
NNO: Will be held August 11th at 6:00 PM in Boswell Park. Ardith Woertz reported community members Gail Kennedy and Sarah Peterson-Herr were recruited for the committee. The College Hill committee will meet after the last NNO orientation meeting in July.
FOURTH OF JULY: Grants application completed for barricades to help deter costs. Volunteer hours valued at $20 per hour. July 3rd and July 4th – Stars & Stripes Festival. July 3rd band cost is $400.
COLLEGE HILL GARAGE SALE: May 31st through June 3rd. Same weekend as the Mulvane Art Fair. Stadium Movie will be June 2nd at Washburn University. Admission will be a canned food item for donation.
RECYCLE DRIVE: July 7th
WELCOME BASKETS: Update: 1516 Plass, 1404 Plass, & 1607 College baskets were delivered. New neighbors at 15th & Boswell. Thank you to Jenny Odermatt for all of your hard work.
BOARD ELECTIONS: Will occur at the September annual meeting. Katrina will be unable to attend because of her Washburn class.
The Secretary and Vice-President positions are open.
Guest Speaker will be Peggy with the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging
JULY MEETING: The next meeting will be on the third Monday, July 16th at 7:00 PM
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
COLLEGE HILL ROUNDTABLE MEETING
Westminster Presbyterian Church
March 19, 2018
PRESENT: Katrina Shaw (president), Tom Luellen (treasurer), Officer Hendricks, Delores Smith, Ardith Woertz, Susan Duffy, Gail Kennedy, Jenny & Jason Odermatt, Andy Fry, Erin Snethen, Carol Christensen, Karen Robertson (secretary).
Community Officer Update – Officer Hendricks distributed a report which showed that mail thefts are spiking and car burglaries are through the roof. He suggested that residents should put their house number where it can be seen from the alley to aid police and fire fighters. He also recommended that College Hill have a representative on Safe Streets.
Treasurer’s Report – Tom reported that since January 22, deposits totaled $4,093.15 and the current balance is $30,201.24. About 125 people attended the chili feed, which brought in $1,345.
Philicia McKee from Keep America Beautiful was the guest speaker at the meeting to acquaint members with the work the agency does. She distributed information about upcoming clean-up and recycling events. To volunteer to assist at any of the events, contact Philicia. She would also like to know of any local efforts, such as our College Hill clean-up day, as they count in the total of Keep America Beautiful achievements.
The College Hill clean-up will be April 21- no yard waste or tires will be accepted. A volunteer is needed to monitor what is being thrown in the dumpster. Other upcoming events are:
Easter Egg Hunt on March 31
Blossoms on April 28
National Night Out on August 11. The first planning meeting is April 18 and volunteers are needed to make it happen in College Hill. Ardith volunteered to head it up and will try to find several others to help. Safe Streets will help and provide some funds, and several local businesses usually donate food. Some discussion was held on what activities could be planned for this year’s event.
The newsletter will be delivered in late March or early April.
Kat reported on her research into new flags for homes that would match the banners on 17th. The flags would cost about $45 each and those at the meeting felt that not many would buy them at that price. It was suggested that we take orders instead of buying 50 and then trying to sell them.
Susan Duffy distributed information about the Topeka Metro Long Range Transit Plan and encouraged those present to take the survey.
Susan also would like CH to purchase 2 more costumes of signers of the Declaration of Independence to use in the 4th of July parade and members agreed to the purchase.
Click here for the New College Hill Newsletter for Spring 2018!!
Update by our neighborhood liaison TPD officer – our neighborhood has had an increase in car break-ins. There have been individuals roaming the neighborhood. Home break-ins are also on the rise. Additional precautions should be taken to lock your vehicles & your homes as well, along with leaving your lights on around your house. Removes items from view in your vehicles.
Treasurer’s report was approved.
The monument stones for College Hill will soon be installed. Grant money helped with the costs. These will be placed on 17th Street between Washburn & MacVicar in the median.
Updates on the chili feed were given.
Volunteers to help during the event are still needed. New banners are needed as the chili feed is being held at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The Welcome Basket committee has been busy making baked goodies & delivering baskets. Ideas were exchanged on how to get information about new arrivals.
The Blossoms committee is looking for a new vendor for flowers & needing additional silent auction items.
The next recycling drive is set for March 10th.
Next round table meeting is Monday, March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 p.m.
PRESENT: Katrina Shaw (president), Sue Fackler, Tom Luellen (treasurer), Andy Fry, Brendan Jensen, Ardith Woertz, Carol & John Christenson, Susan Duffy, David Banks, Karen Robertson (secretary), guests Bill Riphahn, Darrell Stewart and Craig Duke.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Tom presented a written report which showed a balance of $31,135.63 and net revenue of $394.10 from the October Homes Tour.
BOSWELL PARK REPORT: Bill Riphahn and Darrell Stewart from the parks department were present at the meeting to report on plans for our neighborhood park and to take suggestions from the residents on things they would like to see done at the park. Bill gave some history of the park and the improvements that have been made there. He related that most of the goals for the park in the county’s master plan have been completed. Discussion followed laying out a list of suggestions:
Bill clarified that the park is part of a 100-year swap between USD 501 and the city.
Craig Duke is the new Topeka fire chief and is making the rounds of the NIA meetings to introduce himself and speak about his goals and plans for the fire department. He is pushing the department to pursue accreditation from CPSE, which involves meeting national standards on training, public education, etc. He would like to have a representative from each neighborhood to get together to create a community plan. David Banks said he is a former education person for the fire department and urged Craig to have the department go into schools more. Duke also suggested that we could include fire safety tips regularly in our publications. He mentioned the Heart Safe program which educates about CPR and defibrillators.
CHILI FEED: Kat had a chart of possible chili feed dates which don’t compete with basketball games and the group selected February 3 as the first choice and February 10th as the second choice. Kat will check with the Methodist church to see if one of those dates works. A flyer publicizing the chili feed will be distributed and it was suggested that a separate notice about recycling be included. (After the meeting, it was determined that University UMC could not host the chili feed so arrangements were made to hold it at Westminster Presbyterian on February 10.)
RECYCLING: The next recycling date is December 9 and a notice will be sent out by email and social media.
HOLIDAY DECORATIONS CONTEST: Kat and Erin Snethen and their sons will drive around on December 20 to judge houses and take photos.
JANUARY MEETING: Carol suggested moving the January meeting from the 15th to the 22nd as the 15th is the Martin Luther King celebration and some will want to be involved in that. Kat will check with the church to see if it is possible to hold our meeting on the 22nd.
With no further business, the meeting adjourned.
COLLEGE HILL ANNUAL MEETING
September 18, 2017
Guest Speaker – Neighborhood Association president Katrina Shaw introduced Travis Tenbrink, assistant arborist with Topeka Public Works. He explained the purpose of the city’s tree program, which is to maintain the trees on public property and in the neighborhood right-of-way (between the sidewalks and the streets). That involves over 1200 miles of streets and 70-80,000 trees. There is someone on duty 24 hours a day to call if a tree or branch falls during the night.
Travis reported that there is more Dutch Elm Disease around the city this summer and also that Ash Borer Disease has been found in the city this June. He also gave some hints on caring for the mature trees found in College Hill – maintain a stable environment for the tree, provide plenty of water, don’t dig around the roots, and only trim dead wood, not green wood.
Community Officer Report – Officer Hendricks distributed a printed report of crime in the neighborhood, pointing out that the early morning hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the highest crime times. Some of the neighbors present asked Officer Hendricks about recent occurrences in the area – a burglary in the 1400 block of Jewell and reports of nighttime gunfire. The officer told the audience to be sure to email him of issues when they occur so he can justify asking for extra patrols. His email address is mhendricks@topeka.org
Treasurer’s Report – Tom Luellen handed out a detailed report which listed a balance of $30,448.13 as of September 18.
Other Business – plans for the Wall of Fame and Homes Tour are well underway. There will be a few changes this year – the Wall presentation will be later in the afternoon and there will not be food as in previous years. Volunteers are needed for that event, for the Chili Feed and other neighborhood activities, and to start a Historic Committee.
The next neighborhood Round Table will be held November 20. After refreshments the meeting was adjourned.