The Parkie

Livable Streets Coalition

The April NEPNA Monthly Meeting focused on our continued effort to be the first neighborhood in the City of St. Petersburg to implement a Neighborhood Traffic Circulation Plan. More details on this below – but first – a couple of announcements:

NEPNA Has A (Draft of a) Logo!

Grid Design Firm – the same company that brought you our award-winning website – is working on a logo for NEPNA. They have submitted the first draft of one of the logos and we wanted to share this with our neighbors. The plan is to produce between three to five versions of this logo – all with the same look and general design highlighting a different attribute of Northeast Park. These logos will ultimately be utilized on street signs and in various ways along the North Bay Trail. Many of our neighbors have expressed a desire to develop an identity for our neighborhood, and the logos will be a key ingredient toward that goal.

NEPNA And The Rays

City Council Member Bill Dudley provided Northeast Park with the city’s suite tickets to the April 28th Rays game. We’ll be distributing tickets while they last to those that have paid their 2010 membership dues and have recently contributed to the neighborhood.

Dog Days of Summer Party

The date for the popular (and free) Dog Days of Summer Party has been set for June 12, 2010. This is the signature event for Northeast Park that celebrates the end of the school year and beginning of summer for kids (and adults!) of all ages. Read all about the event last year HERE.

Reclaimed Water Service Map

George Cassady from the city’s Water Resources Department provided a map of the current reclaimed water service in our neighborhood as a follow-up to our March NEPNA Monthly Meeting. See the map HERE. NEPNA Leadership will follow up about this topic in the coming weeks.

Livable Streets Coalition

Mark Rankin (NEPNA’s Livable Streets Coalition Chair) hosted Mike Frederick and Joe Kubicki from the city’s Transportation Department at our April NEPNA Monthly Meeting. The thee main topic areas were:

• NEPNA Traffic Circulation Plan – The group presented NEPNA’s updated plan (see it HERE) of pedestrian corridors that will improve pedestrian safety to the various destinations in Northeast Park. The corridors would include new sidewalks, safety signage (featuring our new logos!), and increased enforcement of speed limits. Those in attendance approved the plan, which will now be submitted to the entire neighborhood to vote by ballot within the next couple months. Traffic Circulation Planning is a pilot program for the city – and Northeast Park is leading the way. We are the first neighborhood to undertake this initiative. The city’s description of the program (see it HERE) is directly in line with the goals of the Livable Streets Coalition. We’ll be providing much more information on this topic over the next several months leading up to the neighborhood-wide ballot (including potential funding opportunities). For now, review the plan and the description of the program and provide feedback to mrankin@northeastparkfla.com.
• North Bay Trail – The contract is out for bid on our segment of the City Trails program, which will be constructed along the East side of 1st Street. Ground should be broken within the next 60 days (!) on the 12-foot-wide sidewalk and landscaping. NEPNA will continue to be engaged with the city to ensure that the trail reflects the character of our neighborhood. We are planning a 5k fun run to open the trail – so start training now!
• 38th Avenue Between 4th and 1st Streets – The city revealed plans to improve one of the most dangerous stretches of road in our area with several engineered safety measures, including raised medians, an additional traffic signal, additional cross-walks, and turning restrictions. Those in attendance approved the plan, which will now go to Mayor Foster for funding consideration. As anyone knows that utilizes this section of road by vehicle, bike, or on foot, there are many hazards that lead to potential incidents on a near-daily basis. A pedestrian fatality last year highlighted these hazards – so the hope would be that the project is funded and we can all enjoy a safer experience along 38th Avenue. (A map of the proposed improvements will be provided soon).

That’s all for now.

- Darren Bishop

NEPNA Yard Sale and Reclaimed Water Service

The March NEPNA Monthly Meeting focused on the potential for expanding reclaimed water service within Northeast Park and the upcoming April NEPNA Yard Sale.

Membership Dues - We want to first thank all of our NEPNA Neighbors that have supported their neighborhood by paying their annual dues. Your $20 goes directly toward making our neighborhood an even better place to call home and we are appreciative of every contribution. Paying by the March 15th deadline helps NEPNA Leadership plan the initiatives and social events for the year – but it’s never too late to do your part. Feel free to pay using PayPal, mail a check to Northeast Park Neighborhood Association, PO Box 3859, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or bring cash or check to the next NEPNA event.

NEPNA April Yard Sale – NEPNA will be hosting our inaugural neighborhood-wide yard sale on April 10th. NEPNA Leadership will advertise the event in local papers and other media and will distribute maps showing the locations of participating NEPNA homes. Inclusion of your home on the tour is FREE to paid NEPNA members and $10 for those that have not paid membership dues (yard sale payment is available via PayPal and by check). There will be much more information on this event coming in the next couple weeks – but for now, start saving your gently used items for the big Spring sale on April 10th.

Community Service Officers - Officers Franklin and Litch provided an update on the evolving configuration of local police deployment. For emergency situations (or when in doubt) call 911. When faced with on-going issues (e.g., general concerns, non-emergency issues) call 727.551.3182. More information to follow as the roles of the community service officers become better defined.

Reclaimed Water Service – City Council Member Jim Kennedy and Water Resources Director George Cassady provided a very informative discussion on the potential of expanding reclaimed water service in Northeast Park. The reclaimed water service has not been expanded in St. Petersburg for over 15 years because the primary focus was to ensure reliable service (i.e., no low-flow days) for the existing over 10,000 customers. City Council passed a resolution in 2009 allowing for expansion of the service at two levels:

• Add-In Users – households generally within one block of existing service – would have regular reclaimed water service availability; and
• Seasonal Users – households farther away from existing service – would have limited access to reclaimed water during periods of high demand (estimated to be one week per year).

For Northeast Park, homes East of Walnut Street would be Add-In Users, while homes West of Walnut would be Seasonal Users. The monthly use fee for both types is $15.

The process for bringing reclaimed water service to your block or group of homes is the same as that for requesting speed humps, sidewalks, etc. A simple majority (50% + 1) of neighbors agree that they would like the service and submit a signed petition to the Water Resources Department (727.893.7261 – website) that will then provide a cost estimate. The general cost is between $2,000 and $5,000 per household depending on distance from existing service. The cost can be financed by the city at an 8% rate for ten years (monthly payments between $25 and $60 per month). Mr. Cassady noted that there is typically a decline in overall utility bill cost for users that convert to reclaimed water if they are currently utilizing potable water for irrigation.

Mr. Cassady will be providing more detailed information over the coming weeks that we will forward to our NEPNA Neighbors. After the information is distributed, we will solicit interest from individual households to determine if there is enough interest – or localized interest to move this initiative further. For now, visit the Water Resources Department website to learn more about the program and talk to your neighbors to gauge their interest. This program is only cost-feasible if a group of neighbors are interested. Expanding service to your home only will be much more expensive than it would be to share the cost with others.

That’s all for now.

- Darren Bishop

Rolling Out NEPNA for 2010

The February meeting kicked off the 2010 year for NEPNA. There’s a lot to cover – so here’s a quick summary to bring everyone up to speed:

NEPNA Website - Our website has been tweaked for 2010. We’ve updated the NEPNA Homepage with new text and a list of our neighborhood awards; Listed our 2010 Get to Know a NEPNA Neighbor families; and Announced the NEPNA Leadership for 2010.

Pay Membership Dues With PayPal – The JOIN NEPNA! tab on our website provides a PayPal option to pay your $20 annual membership dues. Just enter your name and address, check the PayPal payment option, and submit – then you’ll be redirected to the secure PayPal site. Membership dues will be collected through March, so please utilize PayPal or bring checks to the March meeting. Supporting your neighborhood feels really good.

NEPNA Logo – An official NEPNA logo is in the works and will be finalized over the next couple months. The logo will be featured on signs along the proposed North Bay trail and (hopefully) on street signs and other locations to help distinguish Northeast Park.

Membership Drive (Free Pizza) – The Hansen Family came through with the most new neighbor email addresses and won the free pizza from Tour de Pizza. Well done. Free slices coupons will be sent out soon. Thanks to all for spreading the word about NEPNA.

NEPNA 2010 Schedule – Click >HERE< for a copy of the 2010 Meeting Topics and Guest Speakers, NEPNA Special Events, and Get to Know a NEPNA Neighbor schedule.

NEPNA Monthly Meetings - Our monthly meeting topics will be focused on overarching topics like where your local tax money goes and opportunities to deliver reclaimed water to Northeast Park at a fraction of the typical connection cost. We’ve worked hard to line up speakers that are topical and informative – so the meetings will be an hour well spent.

Special Events – We’ve heard from many of our neighbors requesting more social interaction events in the neighborhood. Three new special events have been added to the calendar:

• Neighborhood Yard Sale in April by request of several neighbors.
• The Dog Days of Summer party is back and even better – the first Saturday in June after school ends.
• We’ll celebrate the extension of the North Bay Trail down 1st Street with a 5K (non-timed) fun run / walk and big party.
• And end the NEPNA year with A Taste of Northeast Park featuring our outstanding restaurants from the neighborhood.
  

We look forward to another outstanding year of being the advocates for your neighborhood. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

NEPNA Gets Green!

The September NEPNA meeting was hosted by the Green Thumb Club and focused on water conservation and Florida friendly landscaping. Information was presented by the City of St. Petersburg’s Water Conservation Coordinator, Chris Claus. Ms. Claus has over 27 years experience in the horticultural and water conservation fields and was overflowing (pun intended!) with information for our neighbors.

Highlights included information about:

Toilet Rebate Program – Rebate up to $100 for replacement of a high-volume toilet with a low volume model that uses 1.6 gallons per flush or less.

Rain Sensor Giveaway Program – Receive a rain sensor to shut off sprinklers, automatically compensating for the amount of rainfall that has occurred.

Indoor Water Conservation Kits – Kits including low flow showerheads, a toilet leak detection dye tab, and faucet aerators for the kitchen and bathroom.

Florida Friendly and Drought Tolerant Landscaping – Information about choosing, planting, and nurturing drought tolerant plants to minimize water usage.

The above programs are for City of St. Petersburg residents and most require you to bring a utility bill to the Water Resources Department (1635 Third Avenue North).  For more information about the programs as well as requirements for participation please check out the City of St. Petersburg’s Water Resources Department website.

For additional information and class schedules about rain barrels, micro-irrigation techniques, and Florida friendly landscaping check out the Pinellas County Extension Service’s Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program website.

A ‘green’ neighborhood is a vibrant and beautiful neighborhood. Let’s work to continue to make Northeast Park a great place to live.

- Heather Bishop

NEPNA Focus on Neighborhood Crime and Safety.

The August meeting featured discussions with Officer Ray Merritt (24-year veteran of the St. Petersburg police) and William Jolley (Assistant Chief, St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue) regarding neighborhood crime and safety. 

• Lock your cars and homes. Crimes of opportunity are often preventable by securing your possessions. Keep valuable possessions out of sight if possible.
• Be a good neighbor. Do not hesitate to call the police (911) if you suspect that something unusual is happening. Police are typically called during or after a crime has taken place. Our neighbors know when activities are suspicious – and can help prevent a crime just by paying attention and making a call to the police.
• Many crimes happen during the day. Officer Merritt estimated that over 90 percent of burglaries and thefts happen during the day when many of us are at work.
• Maintain the appearance of occupancy. Arrange to have newspaper and mail delivery suspended while on vacation. Consider motion lights or light timers.

NEPNA is Taking Steps to Become More Pedestrian Friendly.

Big Things are Happening in Northeast Park!

The big news from the May meeting is that we are officially on for the Dog Days of Summer end of school year party at Crisp Park (June 6th 11a – 2p)! This will be the first big event for NEPNA Version 2.0 and the first celebration of the school year ending for any neighborhood in St. Petersburg (as far as we know …).

This is how summer should begin for everyone:

The City of St. Pete’s TASCO group will rent us a 30 foot inflatable slip and slide (Wow!), a large inflatable moonwalk, and music – with DJ and interactive games.  The St. Petersburg Fire Department will likely provide fire truck(s) and staff to help grill food (thanks to Councilman Bill Dudley). And Councilwoman Leslie Curran has offered an Arts Table and Supplies for children. But wait there’s more …

This is lining up to be a monster party for NEPNA neighbors of all ages … and the best part about it is that it is entirely FREE to attend thanks to your neighborhood association! More information will be sent out in the coming days.

Other notes from the April meeting:

No NEPNA Monthly Meeting in June (we’ll be recovering from the party).

The July NEPNA Monthly Meeting will be focused on the Livable Streets Coalition to discuss new pedestrian safety measures.

The Green Thumb Club is considering a Plant Swap and Rain Barrel class.

Home improvement or landscaping jobs of note will be recognized on this very blog by the Beautification Committee.

- Darren Bishop

We had a great turn out at the April NEPNA Monthly Meeting!

NEPNA membership enrollment and email list sign-ups are exceeding our expectations. We encourage all of our NEPNA members to identify at least one sub-committee of interest and notify NEPNA Leadership. Here’s a link to our NEPNA sub-committee descriptions: northeastparkfla.com/interactive

The individual sub-committee chairs discussed initiatives during the April meeting as follows:

Fun Committee - Organize a ‘Dog Days of Summer‘ Party on the first weekend after the school year ends with a party at Crisp Park (including a slip n’ slide, food, music, etc.) for the neighborhood kids and pet dogs.

Green Thumb Club – Partner with local businesses or identify an open area to establish a community garden.

Welcome Wagon – Greet new neighbors with a welcome package with City of St. Pete information and discounts to our local businesses (and brownies? Pie? Called a Northeast Park Pie?…).

Beautification Team – Add seasonal flowers around our landmarks and remove overhanging vegetation; Look into unique street signs to designate streets in our neighborhood; enhance the entry ways into our neighborhood.

Livable Streets Coalition – Create pedestrian-friendly corridors that lead from the neighborhood to the parks and Northeast Shopping Center using increased signage, sidewalks, and other means.

Waterfront Parks and Playgrounds – Install a low fence around the playground area to prevent small children from going too close to the shore; enhance the open areas by adding benches, etc.

We also want to thank Councilman Bill Dudley for attending and helping us work to implement some of our ideas. Let us know what you think of these initial ideas. I think this was a great start to the year and I am looking forward to further developing our One Interactive Community.

- Darren Bishop