Weinland Park Community Civic Association

Safety and Mobility Committee

Notes from Meeting of December 19, 2013
Chris Orban, co-chair of the Safety and Mobility Committee, called the meeting to order
at 6:12 p.m. in the citys Northside Neighborhood Pride Center. Attending the meeting were R.
Anthonio Barno, Laura Bidwa, Andy Klein, Rory Krupp, Brandyn McElroy, Officer Steve
Smith, Steve Sterrett, and Jason Yoder.
Short North Posse. Committee members discussed the investigation and recent arrests
of alleged members of the Short North Posse and the news reports that linked the arrests to
criminal activity in Weinland Park. Officer Steve Smith said city and federal law enforcement
jointly investigated the criminal activities citywide and the focus was not on Weinland Park. Few,
if any, of the persons indicted had a home address in Weinland Park. Committee members
expressed dismay that the news reports misrepresented the criminal activity as based in Weinland
Park. Joyce Hughes, as president of the civic association, will be asked to contact Dispatch
reporter Mark Ferenchik to emphasize that the focus of the investigation was not Weinland Park.
Steve Sterrett will contact Isabel Toth, president of Community Properties of Ohio Management
Services (CPO), regarding her comments reported in The Dispatch.
Infrastructure open house. The City of Columbus will conduct an open house on
Thursday, January 16, to share information on infrastructure improvements to be constructed in
the Weinland Park and Milo-Grogan neighborhoods in 2014 and 2015. The open house will be
from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Schoenbaum Family Center, 175 E. Seventh Avenue. The improvements
will include roadway and streetscape projects. That date is the normal day for the monthly
meeting of the Safety and Mobility Committee, but committee members agreed to cancel the
meeting and to encourage residents to attend the open house.
Restorative justice. Brandyn McElroy suggested that the monthly meeting date for the
Weinland Park restorative justice circle be separated from the monthly meeting date of the Safety
and Mobility Committee. Committee members agreed. The Safety and Mobility Committee will
continue to meet on the third Thursday at 6 p.m., but it will not meet January 16. The restorative
justice circle will choose another regular meeting date, but it will meet January 16 at 6 p.m., if a
January meeting is necessary.
Safety survey. Steve Sterrett said that he and Tammy Forrest would like to conduct a
brief survey of residents regarding their perception of public safety in the neighborhood. The
written survey likely would be distributed at a monthly civic association meeting and an online
survey distributed to the civic associations Google group. Mr. Sterrett will distribute a draft of
the survey to committee members for their review and input. Among the suggestions from
committee members for questions were:

What is your willingness to help improve public safety, such as joining a block watch?
From a list of public safety actions, which would you be willing to do or would you think
would be successful?

What do you already do to respond to your own concerns about public safety?

Sidewalk maintenance. Mr. Orban expressed concern with the failure of residents and
property owners to remove snow from sidewalks and the deteriorating condition of many
sidewalks. Jason Yoder asked that some action be taken before the next major snowfall. Laura
Bidwa urged more neighborhood cooperation on shoveling walks. Could the civic association
obtain shovels to distribute to residents? After discussion, committee members agreed to focus
on sidewalk maintenance as a goal in 2014. Meanwhile, Mr. Yoder and Mr. Sterrett will write a
message about the importance of clearing snow from sidewalks that can be sent to the civic
associations Google group and to rental property owners and placed in the civic associations
monthly newsletter. Mr. Sterrett also will contact CPO about snow removal on its sidewalks.
Committees goals for 2014. Committee members discussed a variety of goals and
activities for the committee in the coming year. Among the ideas were:

Mr. McElroy sometimes sees a divide in the neighborhood between homeowners and renters.
He suggested that both groups might work together on a public safety project or activity
because they have a common interest in safety.
Mr. Orban asked for representatives from nearby neighborhoods to serve on the Weinland
Park restorative justice circle. The circles panel has met with youth from Milo-Grogan and
Linden.
The Safety and Mobility Committee could initiate quarterly meetings with other nearby
neighborhoods.
The recommendations of the Weinland Park Mobility Plan should be incorporated into the
citys current University District planning effort.
R. Anthonio Barno suggested distributing a safety tips flyer at least annually and printing a
brief article on public safety in each monthly newsletter. Mr. McElroy suggested using social
media, including the civic associations Facebook page, to promote public safety.
Encourage more participation in the civic association and its committees, encourage residents
to take leadership roles, and structure the civic association in ways that promote participation
by people with children.

Short North. Andy Klein, who chairs the Italian Village Societys Complete Streets
Implementation Committee, announced that his committee meets on the last Thursday of each
month at 5:30 p.m. Weinland Park residents are welcome to attend. Mr. Klein also reported that
the Short North Parking Study Stakeholder Group would be meeting December 20.
Mr. Orban and Mr. McElroy adjourned the meeting at 7:39 p.m.

NOTICE: The Safety and Mobility Committee will not meet in January. The next regular
monthly meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at 6 p.m. in the citys Northside
Neighborhood Pride Center, 248 E. 11th Avenue.

These committee notes were prepared by Steve Sterrett.