Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council
Thursday, September 2, 2010
7 p.m.
120 Washington Street, 3rd~Floor
Present: Meghann Ackerman, Michael Coleman, Lucy Corchado, Tom Daniel, Kate Fox, Dorothy Hayes, Leslie Limon, Jim Moskovis (chair), Jim Rose, Jason Silva, Ellen Talkowsky, Rose Mary O’Connor, Patricia Zaido
Introductions: Members introduced themselves.
Public Comment: Leslie Limon said there was an upcoming community meeting regarding Furlong Park.
Rose Mary O’Connor said the Mack Park Neighborhood Association would be donating a podium, work about $2,000, for the City Council chambers. A local woodworker had already visited the chambers to match the new podium to the existing desks. She also said supplies were needed to fix up the house by Mack Park.
Jim Moskovis said a Boston/Main Street walk between Peabody and Salem was planned for September.
Ellen Talkowsky reminded the Council about September Salem Days.
Approval of minutes: The minutes from the August meeting were approved.
Halloween preview: Ellen said events were still being added to Haunted Happenings.
Kate Fox said there were no major changes from last year’s Haunted Happenings. 92.9 would be providing entertainment and activities designed to draw people in early and encourage them to leave early were planned. Kate said three free film nights on the Common were planned as well.
Jason Silva said the City was getting better at planning for Halloween each year and that the key was to plan activities to keep people busy.
Jim Rose asked if the ferry would be in use. Kate said it is based on the weather, but the plan was for it to run through October. She added that the commuter rail adds extra trips for Halloween and would use a new ticketing system.
Ellen said visitors are always asking about kid-friendly activities and Jason said there were opportunities for fundraising for community groups.
Jim Rose asked about media coverage for Haunted Happenings. Kate said there will be print ads, online ads, a social media campaign and ads at Simon Malls.
Downtown Parking Study: Tom Daniel explained that the Downtown Parking Study, which came out of talks to add a parking garaged to the Church Street lot, showed that there is usually open parking in the downtown area. The study showed that while there is always some kind of parking available, on-street regulations are often confusing and drivers do not always use lots or garages. The study also showed that pricing was unbalanced and that an objective for the future would be to look at balancing parking price with demand. A parking study group will be asking the City Council to accept a goal of working toward having 15% open on-street parking.
Anti-speeding campaign: Jason said “Go Fast, Get Fined!” signs and literature were now available. Several people asked if he could bring signs and information to their neighborhood group meetings.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
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