 Okay, I'd like to call a meeting to order. Welcome everybody. Let's start out with the Pledge of Allegiance Next we'll do introductions I'm Mike van der Steen mayor of Sheboygan and The chair of the committee turn it over to Dean President of the Indiana Coroner neighborhood Association and also all the person for the six district Abby block. I'm the grant coordinator for the city of Sheboygan, and I'm also on the board of Kinney Park And I'm Betty Ackley. I'm Alderperson for district 4 and I'm also president of Maple Heights neighborhood association There's other people in the room. We can't hear them unless they go to a podium. We're working on that right now Chad Got it With those online, please introduce themselves city development Please for all the city development officer noise the south I beat officer Well, welcome everybody The people in the room here You're gonna have to go to the podium to speak as we go on with a meeting Sorry about that the microphones don't seem to be working Next item on the agenda is to prove the minutes from our October 20th meeting. I believe those were emailed out to everyone Is there any changes needed in the minutes? If not, I'd entertain a motion to approve as presented motion to approve as presented. Is there a second? Thank you for that motion and support One last call for any discussion on those minutes Seeing none all those in favor, please signify to approve the minutes say aye. Aye Are there any opposed same sign? Minutes pass Next is items for discussion We have a feature presentation on our pet friendly tasks group Betty Ackley is serving as the chair of that group and Abby black is serving as our secretary and they're going to team up on this presentation So with that I'll turn it over to him to get started Sorry, okay, so I wanted to say thank you for your time tonight and first of all We'd like to take a look at why pets improve our lives and how they can affect our physical health as well as our psychological well-being Pet owners report more exercising and less depression than non pet owners Dog owners are five times more likely to know their neighbors People who share their homes with pets are better able to deal with stress Kids with pets tend to have greater self-esteem less loneliness and enhance social skills Pets reduce loneliness depression and anxiety, especially in older adults Older dog owners engage in more walking and physical activity than non owners Pets at work are credited with improving morale and increasing work life balances So how did we get here? And what are we doing in March of 2020 mayor van der scene through the mayor's blog on the city website? Invited residents of the city to participate in a subcommittee dedicated to improving pet friendliness in the city Mayor van der scene had recently gone to a mayor's conference and learned of this excellent program sponsored by the Mars corporation Mars Corporation offers a certification program for cities to be designated as pet friendly cities through their better city for pets Program for a bit more about the program. I'd like to turn this over to Abby Hi so Mars Corporation and certifying a city as a better city for pets or a pet friendly city looks at first of all two fundamental pieces which are that pets and people are healthy and then responsible pet ownership, so it's both of those things need to be in place for it to be considered a pet friendly community and From there it looks at four aspects of our community life shelters our homes and housing our parks and public spaces and then businesses So for a little bit we did an assessment as a subcommittee looking at where we currently stand in relation to these four areas and answered pretty many questions about different aspects of this and Currently we scored pretty highly on the shelters aspect of that looking at how well we collaborate as a city and private organizations to fend off homelessness for animals How welcoming our shelters are if we have any spay and neuter trap and release programs things like that For shelters, we didn't do quite so well in homes parks or businesses So we have a ways to go in terms of making sure there's affordable housing options for people with pets that there's support available if they need it that our parks are respectful and responsible to responsible pet owners and to all Who live here and then that businesses are better able to welcome people with pets Okay, and so some of the things that the subcommittee is doing we meet monthly and our subcommittee consists of city staff members City residents and volunteers and staff members of the Humane Society of Sheboygan County So far we've reviewed the city's pet friendly spaces We've also looked into pet ordinances to see if any changes may be something we would want to discuss and ask the city council to consider We have developed a community survey to understand better how the residents feel about pet friendliness in our city The survey will be released soon on the survey We are asking residents targeted questions about their pet ownership Experiences their perceptions about pet friendliness in the city and we are asking for suggestions from residents about what they feel would improve our City in regards to the goals that are set by the certification program We hope that when the survey is released you would please tell your neighborhood association members about the survey and ask them to Please participate as we move towards certification We are hopeful that Sheboygan will be the first city in the state of Wisconsin to receive this designation Thank you Well, that was a great presentation We really appreciate the work that you're doing on the committee to see Sheboygan become a more pet friendly community Are there any questions from anybody of our speakers? Anybody online? Do you know when the survey is being released? So the survey is pretty much complete right now We're looking at what the time frame is obviously we want to be respectful of any other surveys like the community survey That's coming out. I believe in February And looking at how we best get that out to the people who would share their opinions So in spring, we're just not exactly sure the timeline on that Thanks for that question. Are there any others? Well, if anybody here would like to get involved let Abby and Betty know and We'll get you on the committee. It looks like it's going to be a great project Okay, next we'll go on to the results of the neighborhood association survey Chad who has that program? Okay, Abby go ahead. I Do Abby's going to put a PowerPoint up. Okay. Thank you. I can't see the PowerPoint. So is it up? Oh, there we go So what we wanted to do tonight was share with you with the neighborhoods the results of the Neighborhood survey so back when we did the The neighborhood virtual neighborhood event in October the last time the MNLC met Shortly thereafter Nancy and Janet from city development released the survey a number of neighborhood Associations took that survey to try to give us some direction as to where we're going So you can go to the next slide Abby so based on the Gatherings of that survey 80% of the survey takers were interested in in other casual meetings So one of the one of the questions on the survey was How do you? What did you think of the virtual event and what do you think of the MNLC the mayor's neighborhood leadership cabinet? And is there something that could be done differently and and a lot of the There was 19 people that took the survey 80% of those 19 felt that they would like some kind of more casual meetings So I'm not quite sure we'll be looking for more information as we move forward on what Casual meetings mean. I think we're going to get into open meeting laws with some of that But we'll talk more about that as we move forward 60% of the responses thought the city was providing excellent and good support to neighborhood associations And then there was a question about ways that the planning and development staff could better support neighborhood association and a number of different examples came up including the continue to build on Continue to provide printing and design services Sorry, I'm just trying to pull my so I can read the whole slide continue to provide Build on the printing and design services more opportunities for funding of projects assist the associations with engaging With neighbors to get them to participate And then create learning events for association board members to gain more skills. So if you go to the next slide There was also a question about what our neighborhood associations proud of Um One response was removal of an old gas station in the legal car repair shop A lot of responses about becoming an association. So that's a huge milestone in people success cleaning up parks and adding new lights Making the grade clothing drive the annual dumpster event and then historical historical walks within With partnerships to the shabuigan historical museum. So If you go to the next slide Then the the confidence in neighborhood associations will continue in the future So there was a question on what do you think the likelihood of your neighborhood association Continuing in the future and all 19 survey takers responded. Yes. So we were happy to get That there's the 12 or 13 associations that we currently have in place are Feel they're strong and can move forward. Can you go to the next slide? So on the thoughts of reorganizing the m&l c so that there's been some discussion had it happening about You know, what Should the m&l c continue to meet every other month? Should it have some, you know Casual meetings in there should there be you know continued We in the past had done some tours of city county facilities prior to so What we're looking for is is some feedback from The neighborhood associations on due committee members favor continuing every other month or would you quarterly or semiannual meetings of this group or Have m&l c meetings four times a year or some schedule that's agreed upon And then as I said take these back out into city county facilities and departments And give the board members an opportunity to kind of seen see the behind the scenes tour Of facilities within the city to get a better understanding of how the city works And then you know schedule maybe a more casual meeting of the m&l c in a park twice a year where Maybe in one in the spring and one in the fall where it's not so formalized And it has the opportunity for members neighborhood association members to Promingle so I guess I'm you know looking for once I'm finished if there's any Thoughts on what the people that are on the m&l c Feel and then we will take this back and have an internal discussion as it relates to that if you can go to the next slide Um so We had talked about the survey Results one of the answers was they liked learning events. So, um, you know, I know the mayor struggles with What should be on the agenda and and how do we engage? People and and give people more on understanding. So I think going back to and I would look for some comments from No deans in the room Not to put you on the spot dean but you and I had a brief conversation after the council meeting yesterday about this and You know, I think it's there's some opportunity once covid ends to go back out and visit the wastewater Treatment plan visits the police department go to fire stations and just get an understanding of how operations work Yes, we have been to a lot of these facilities in the past But we also have a lot of new members that are on board that Might have an interest in learning More about that So if you can go to the next slide So we most of you know that nancy marrying has resigned from the city as of mid december in Late last year I sent an email out to every neighborhood with a new neighborhood assignment from the planning and development side of things so We have kind of expanded out who is going to be assigned from our department the neighborhood and Abby block is is in the council chambers. Elise rose is on Remote with us. She is a permit clerk The big inspection department lives on the south side of sheboygan and has an interest in being involved So she's been assigned to a number of neighborhood associations and then janet Doleman is taking the role of nancy's marrying So any neighborhood related questions should go be funneled through janet and she will be Helping abby and elise With a few introduction meetings of the neighborhood associations and then she's got a few On neighborhoods of her own That's kind of where we're at We'll be looking deeply for our partners at the sheboygan police department, especially the feed officers to help us With this given that we have limited staff in the planning and development next slide So under the next steps We're planning there's a meeting scheduled tomorrow for the police department the mayor's office and the planning and development staff to meet and talk about developing a plan on how we Modify the mayor's labor neighborhood leadership cabinet or keep it the way it is Or do nothing I guess and we're just looking for input from the group as to What every and I understand not everybody's here today But we're we need to kind of make a decision how we move forward with this to make it the most Invitations to each of the organizations and what they want to see out of it So I would look for any comments on these slides from the guests in the council chambers or those online as As a respective neighborhood associations as part of the mayor's neighborhood leadership cabinet So that's it Well, thank you very much for that report chat Dean he kind of left the door open for you to make some comments. Did you want to go ahead? Well, I would agree with chat about the The tours and things like that. I think that's that's a valuable tool for you know for us as a As the council's our leadership council I think that's that's also a real positive I would like to at least stay either either at a quarterly or but by monthly basis I think going to like, you know, just just like two meetings a year. I don't think would be enough I think we should at least stay with a four meeting per year Or stay with it with every other month Because I think we just need to keep in contact and keep keep things Up to up the speed with everything that's going on Other than that, I guess that's But but I do say that the the tours are always always a nice thing gets people to know what's going on in their city It gets this that's the all the different things and it gives you ideas for your groups I mean, that's one of the things that we we we did some of the tours I know and Pete and I came through and we were like, hey This I think everybody else in our group would really like to do this and then We would do some of what we did a police department tour with our indiana corridor group We did one of city hall here We're hoping, you know when when this COVID thing gets calmed down We'll be able to do some more in the future with our groups Themselves also so that gives you as a leader of your group to be able to What's what what ideas and what things, you know your your uh neighborhood would be interested in Thank you dean, you know dean. I think that uh, you and I were here from the beginning And and chat and we feel kind of like well, we did that we don't have to go back and repeat it But some of those good tours and other things that we did in the past should be repeated Because not everybody here in the room has been here from the beginning And so they need a chance to experience those things as well I would concur. I think it's you know, it it doesn't hurt for me to go see, you know To walk through the sewage treatment plant for a second time Um, I don't think it hurt, you know, he keeps us There's always changes with some of these things and things like that And I think we have moved some great opportunities We have a new senior center coming that will be we'll be able to show people I think that things like that Will be Valuable for our neighborhoods Any other input Questions Not here in the room anybody online Yeah, this is Keith jacks from gateway. Can you hear me? Okay. Yep Go ahead. Yeah, I agree I like the meeting a lot of us are new and we're just growing in Lincoln gateway So a number of us don't know every department All of those are useful to us and For for me or our little group one of the things we are looking for is best practices from other neighborhoods, whether in our city or other cities, but we're just We want to organize and And do something good in our little little tiny community In our neighborhood So we want to help and there's a number of us that We're small our group. We're small but we're growing and Just Thanks for those comments Keith anyone else Go ahead Can I just ask so is there on way to maybe meld the two where it's Meeting quarterly or bimonthly, but then there's also a maybe less formal option of whatever neighborhoods want to get together Whether that's one side of town or neighboring organizations or whatever that looks like Where it's not there's not a necessarily an agenda other than just to talk through what's working and not working and What you've tried and are hoping to try Thank you for that suggestion Abby to that question I think there is an opportunity to do that. I think that's kind of where the survey results showed that More casual not so formal meeting so I think the the plan or the goal would be to try to do You know do maybe a north side in the south side one in spring and fall That's not posted as an official meeting and maybe I don't know we're gonna have to try it gets into some open meeting laws because we're all all the neighborhoods are actually members of the Of this committee, so I'm gonna we're gonna have to have some discussions with the attorney's office And see how that can be functionally done or not done, but we don't want to violate any kind of open meeting laws But that's not to say that we couldn't make it a meeting of the mayor's neighborhood leadership cabinet And post you know post an agenda and just have one item and still talk about Stuff like an open discussion So I think the goal I from our side would be to take it to a neighborhood park In the spring in the in the fall And just make it not so formalized as the council chambers and have maybe just one idea one agenda item to share information or something All right, any other comments? Go ahead D. Um, I also would encourage like um other neighborhoods to Visit other neighborhood committees. Um, that's one of the king park came to uh one of the indiana corridors neighborhood because they were curious as to how our group Worked in how we got the turnout that we were getting out I hope we continue to get the turnout after coven. We really haven't had much in meetings But that's one of the things I would also encourage people to do say reach out to a neighborhood a neighborhood in your area That maybe isn't part of yours and kind of see how they run their operation and maybe go to one of their meetings or you know vice versa Between us all I think you can you can learn a lot from the other other other groups Thank you Well with that then let's move on to the neighborhood uh a sort round table discussion And I'd invite Keith jacks to open it up with a little bit of the gateway christmas Decoration project keith Thanks. We had a blast with that It was very simple. He just uh decided we would have six Category and we gave the drug judges Billy way that if if we didn't have christmas trees, for example in one of our Categories was best christmas very well then they could change the name of it and have another We just wanted six categories want to give away some prizes And we didn't have a lot of people just over a dozen that participated But Some of them are really excited and it was fun for us to create a little bit of excitement in the neighborhood So we just did it real simple Had out of fire let people know what to uh to do. They just gave us their information We just needed a phone number email so we could contact them and obviously their address If they were one of the winners and the judges went around On a sunday and and looked at them and came up with six winners and we announced It was I thought it was a success. We had fun Good. Thanks very much for that report any questions to Keith Who'd like to go next? What's been going on at your neighborhood association? Mayor it's uh israel, but Uh reminder for some of these neighborhood associations trying to come up with some ideas You know to attract people but during this slow time winter time I know a lot of people kind of cancel their meetings because of covet or the holiday But now is a good time to recharge and think of some good ideas last year indiana cordaur Did an actual neighborhood meeting at the corner of 22nd street in indiana avenue And I thought that was extremely successful a lot of people pulled over took photographs like what's going on And a lot of neighbors came out of their house. We haven't seen before so instead of hiding, you know this summer in some Park shelters or churches actually get out and have your meeting actually in a neighborhood like on a street corner or something like that Um, it started to attract a lot of neighbors and wonder what's going on. So Just a small tidbit of a you know an idea But again the winter time really good time For everybody to kind of think about some out-of-the-box thinking ideas to attract some other people those those meetings that you have Thank you israel Any other best practices or things anybody'd like to share? I just go The biggest challenge that we have right now is having a space large enough to be able to I mean like we Our favorite place to meet is that frankie's bar, which was you know, but it's it's so small And with the age of a lot of the of our of our per Members, um, it's difficult to Expect them to all go into this tiny space And the thing is this in the past when we would know we would have a larger meeting We would use like one of we would use madison school But the school district doesn't want anyone in the schools right now So there that is it the biggest challenge. I guess right now is to have a large space area I know we can come down here and use the council chambers, but I think It's still Still a little bit difficult to get people to come out for something like that and that's that's that's that's the issue right now So hopefully when cove it gets we can get moving forward in the next couple of months Thank you Anyone else online I would just add this is Keith Jackson gateway again. I would just add we're still meeting monthly via zoom For all the reasons we just talked about we moved out of The various places we were trying and We were meeting outside Too cold, but we we're going with them, but we get very few people on that I like the idea of a speech partner, but We'll show you for some of us Thank you, Keith. Yeah and the city does offer um, this is janet by the way um, the city does have Our department does have a zoom account and we Well set up a meeting for any neighborhoods who do not have a zoom account And we will be there to start the meeting for you and to participate in your meeting if need be So I know some neighborhoods have gone to that and it turned out absolutely wonderful for them They've actually had more people attending their meetings because they can do it from their home You know if they're putting kids to bed or whatever at least that way they can participate But not actually leave their home why their kids are going to bed or falling asleep. So Um, it has been a great thing for some of those neighborhoods So if you're not doing that it might be something you want to consider And if you need me to set up a meeting just give abby at least I myself a call and we can do that or email us And we'll help you do that Thanks for that suggestion janet appreciate it This is the chief I would just add too if somebody's really just looking for a space The municipal court could be used to um, it's big enough if if there's 10 or 15 people you could spread out um, and I'm sure um Either of the beat officers would be be more than willing to help arrange that and um Set up the room and clean up after and things so that the judge is happy Thanks for that suggestion chief Okay with that then we'll move on to uh, the shabuigan neighborhood pride update penny. Are you there? I am I've had technical difficulties. Can everybody hear me? You're coming through fine. Thank you Wonderful. All right. Well shabuigan neighborhood pride has been rather quiet There is just one neighborhood That is just beginning to organize it is business drive north And that was put together by officer haze They had a meeting in december was the very first And they had a great turnout. He said he thought they had about 32 people there There was a great deal of interest in going forward and forming a group And uh, he had planned to do another meeting in January which is this month or next month I've been helping them via email And he said he's going to try to set up a zoom meeting for the february one and of course Um, if it zoom i'll be there, but that's about it for shabuigan neighborhood pride Well, thanks for continuing to to work on those new neighborhoods. We appreciate it and uh They want to say thank you for the great work you did in 2020 to get us up to 12 neighborhoods now. That's amazing. Thank you You're welcome Any last comments for good of the order before we adjourn? Well, thank you to everybody for uh, yes, go ahead Uh, I just wanted uh With uh, s and p, uh, they're down to two board members So if anyone has any ideas of people that'd be interested in running for that I know that penny, you know has shouldered a lot of it, but they're really members as well So if anyone has any ideas or uh, if they themselves wanted to i'm sure that penny would be more than willing to Talk with them and figure things out. I like that Thank you very much anyone else Okay, then i'll just remind you that right now we're planning a Next meeting on march 2nd We'll see how things go with the discussions tomorrow and let you know what came out of those discussions But at this time, I am entertaining a motion for adjournment Motion to adjourn. This is channel I'll second Thank you for that motion and support all in favor. Please signify by saying aye. Aye Opposed We stand adjourned. Thank you very much for your time tonight. Appreciate you being here