CNA Newsletter needs distributors

The Crestview Neighborhood Association Newsletter is seeking volunteers. We have a few positions that are open:

1. Bulk distributors: bulk distributors receive stacks of newsletters every month and are responsible for counting them out into smaller stacks and delivering them to the street distributors.
2. Street distributors: street distributors receive newsletters from the bulk distributors and hand deliver newsletters to one or two blocks within the neighborhood.
3. Backup distributors: backup distributors cover routes if the street distributor is out of town for a specified month.
3. Distribution assistant: I am seeking out an assistant to help me monthly in various tasks, including things like picking up the newsletters from the printer, counting stacks for the bulk distributors, and contacting all volunteers monthly.

At the moment, the following blocks need delivery coverage:

2000-2400 Cullen
6900 Reese
1300-1500 Morrow
Grover from Morrow to Woodrow
Woodrow from Morrow to Anderson
all businesses on Anderson
all businesses on Burnet
most neighborhood apartment/condo complexes

In addition, almost all of our blocks need backup coverage!

If you are interested in providing this important service to our community, please contact me at cnadelivery@gmail.com.

Susan

City Council Meeting concerning zoning for The Fault nighclub

Update: The re-zoning was passed on 8/27/09 with a 4-3 vote.

next up: the conditional-use site plan will go before the Planning
Commission and then on to council - and there will be opportunity for
public input at both.
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Update: The result of the second reading - the item passed with a vote of 4-3 (riley, shade and morrison voting no).

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City Council is set to consider re-zoning for the proposed nightclub in the Hobby Lobby shopping center. This will be second and third reading, so there will be no opportunity for public testimony. Essentially, the request is for CS-1 zoning - which allows for liquor sales. The backup is here, and the hearing is set for 4pm on Thursday - though there's no guarantee as to council keeping to schedule.

Here's the posted agenda item:

Subject: C14-2009-0044 - The Fault - Approve second/third readings of an ordinance amending Chapter 25-2 of the Austin City Code by rezoning property locally known as 8002 Research Boulevard Southbound (Little Walnut Creek Watershed) from general commercial services-mixed use-neighborhood plan (CS-MU-NP) combining district zoning to commercial-liquor sales-mixed use-neighborhood plan (CS-1-MU-NP) combining district zoning. First reading approved on July 23, 2009. Vote: 4-3 (Morrison, Riley and Shade voted Nay). Applicant: Anderson Retail, Ltd. (Jim Cotton). Agent: Alice Glasco Consulting (Alice Glasco). City Staff: Sherri Sirwaitis, 974-3057.

CNA 08.10.09 General Meeting Minutes

Ex Comm Attendance - Paige, Marcus, Tim, Don, Deanna (absent - Kat, Eddie, Tonia, Heidi)

Announcement: There will be a Fall Plant Swap on September 20th, 2-3:30 in Brentwood Park. Pot-luck refreshments. Anything gardening related (books, seeds, plants, tools, etc.).

Alice Nance, coordinator of the Parks and Recreation Wildlife Austin program, gave a talk about turning your yard into a wildlife habitat. Wildlife habitats require 4 thing: food, water, shelter, and a place to raise young. Examples were given for each - water (bird baths, ponds), food (seed-bearing plants for birds, flowers for hummingbirds), shelter (plants providing ground cover, loose stone wall barriers), and places to raise young (dead trees, logs, nest boxes). There is an application to get wildlife habitat certification for your yard. This requires the addition of two sustainable gardening practices (listed on the application) in addition to providing the above 4 necessities. Paige Hill, the CNA Vice-President, is the regional wildlife steward, and she can be contacted for more information. There is currently a Neighborhood Habitat Challenge, an attempt to get as many neighbors as possible to certify their yards as habitats, that ends Nov. 15th.

Emily Wilson discussed the Green Neighbor pamphlet that will be distributed throughout the neighborhood in September along with the neighborhood newsletter. The pamphlet shows practices that neighbors can implement to conserve city resources. If you make 75 points on the pamphlet challenge, you can be registered with the city as a Green Neighbor. Crestview has a neighborhood goal of 500 Green Neighbor residents to be considered a Green Neighborhood. Individuals can get T-shirts or passes to Barton Springs. The neighborhood can receive tree give-aways, free 2-hour landscape designs, and more. Green Garden Update

Paige Hill discussed her Community Supported Agriculture Project, the first non-profit, neighborhood-centric CSA. The movie Food, Inc. is a good summary of the state of our existing food supply (also the books Fast Food Nation, The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food) - unsustainable and non-nutritious. The idea is to lease land from residents in Crestview, have farmers raise crops on these plots, and then distribute weekly baskets of produce to share-holders. Neighbors can get to know the farmers and benefit from organically farmed, local food. Chicken coops also supported. The ideal size of the plots would be 1000-2000 sq. ft., ideal length of the leases would be 2+ years (although a 1-year lease might be possible). The price of the lease would be $0 for the first year, as the benefit to the leasor would be the added infastructure and improvement to the soil quality (including soil testing, irrigation, etc.). Afterwards, an annual dividend of $0.25-0.35/sq. ft. is estimated. The cost of a share to receive a weekly produce basket is competitive with the cost of receiving 2-3 vegetables per day from HEB, and can either be picked up from the demo site in the neighborhood or delivered 1/week for $2/week. For the fall, the plan is to have a single plot with 25 share-holders. For the spring, the goal is to have 1/2-acre with 100 share-holders. To participate in the fall season, leasors would need to lease their lots by October. The intention is to remain a non-profit to take advantage of grants. The goal is to eventually be able to provide employment to farmers and researchers, pay dividends to leasors annually, deliver 10% of the produce free to a "neighbor in need" each week. Contact Paige in advance to arrange a tour of the demo lot (1115 Taulbee Ln.).

CNA General Meeting Agenda - August 10, 2009

Topics this week will help us plan for recovery from the summer heat and plan for fall!

* Attracting Wildlife by Building Inviting Habitat
- Neighborhood Habitat Challenge through the City's Department. Wildlife Austin

* Green Neighborhood Challenge
- Emily Wilson will present about the City's neighborhood challenge and all the prizes and benefits for an entire neighborhood to meet the City's green neighborhood challenges.

* Community Supported Agriculture in Crestview
- Background and Q&A

* What's happening this season
- Veggies, what to plant
- Plant swaps and other events
- Connecting with other Crestview gardeners

The CNA general meeting meets the second Monday of every month at St. Louis Catholic Church in Wozniac Hall at 7pm.

It's Finally Fall Plant Swap! - September 20th

Sunday, September 20th, 2-3:30pm
Brentwood Park by the Playground
6710 Arroyo Seco

Bag your seeds or get them started in pots.
Divide your tubers, bulbs and rhizomes.
Pot your starters and new sprouts.
Thin your overgrown spreaders.

Gardening related supplies, tools, pots, books and decor can also be traded.

Indoor and outdoor plants, veggies and herbs are all welcome.

You are welcome to invite your gardening friends from other neighborhoods
too.

See you there!