Board members attending:

Bryan Chester, Candace Volz, Susan Pascoe, Katherine Allen, Mark Mayfield, Gail Morriss, Elizabeth Cash

Board members absent:

Charles Heimsath, Bill Britton, Pat Tate

Guest:  John Kelly, P.E., Vice President, Major Projects-Texas, DMJM Harris (see first agenda item)

The meeting was called to order at approximately 7pm and adjourned at approximately 8:30pm.  A quorum was present.

Agenda Item #1:  Update on Mopac

Mr. Kelly is an engineer who works for the private company that has been hired by MONAC to work on Mopac.  He headed construction of the Dallas North Central Expressway for 8 years.

The Mopac development team is hosting a series of open houses.  Susan and Candace plan to attend one and will report back.

Right now, the Mopac project is seen as a blank slate.  The CAMPO 2003-2005 resolutions will be followed.  The current roadway will not be expanded.  There will be no double decking.  Sound walls will be constructed in the areas that qualify based on noise readings.  Some noise readings have been taken already.  Federal standards determine which noise levels qualify for sound walls.  Sound walls cannot be funded unless capacity is added to Mopac.  The barriers would go in as part of the construction project.  They may not be built first.

There is a short-term plan and a long-term plan.  The long-term plan for 20-30 years out is not being actively worked on as much as the short-term plan.

The short-term plan being explored now involves one managed lane each northbound and southbound.  This lane could be a toll lane, with free access for buses and van pools.  The lane is not likely to be HOV.  The toll may vary by time of day.  Toll tags may be used.  There is not enough room to put up a physical barrier between this lane and regular traffic; however, a row of plastic batons may be installed.  Camera enforcement would be used.  There is no plan to change the current freeway entrances and exits.

At the present time to the end of this year, the Mopac team is doing surveys and holding open houses to show their proposed plans and get feedback.  If the plans get good reviews, the necessary environmental studies would be run throughout most of 2007.  Construction would begin in 2008 and scheduled to be complete in mid-2010.
All of this is contingent, however, upon TxDOT reaching an agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the right-of-way in between the lanes of the highway.  Negotiations are currently taking place.  Any plan to move the railroad east of Austin are 10-12 years in the future.  The cost to make the move will be about $1B.  This would open up the middle of Mopac for commuter rail.

Mopac currently sees about 2% truck traffic.  The state average for highways is 8% and some routes see as much as 30% truck traffic.  Mopac is not an attractive long-haul route.  However, the state cannot ban truck traffic on Mopac or any state highway.
The Mopac team is concerned about aesthetics of the final project and they are forming an aesthetics advisory committee for the sound walls and landscaping of the short-term portion of the plan.

More information about the Mopac project may be found at www.MoPac1.org.
Anyone interested in doing the survey should contact Mr. Kelly at john.kelly@dmjmharris.com, or 457-7871.

Agenda Item #2:  Annual meeting and picnic

Katherine will make the necessary calls regarding the location and tables for the picnic.  Bryan will get yard signs made to announce the picnic.  Bryan has arranged for live music.  Three Ring Service will entertain the children again.  The sign-up and dues table will be placed near the head of the food line.  Food will be catered by P.F. Chang’s this year, beginning at 5pm.  P.F. Chang’s must agree to haul away the trash.  Bryan will take care of the food.  Mark will take care of the beer.  Neighbors will be invited to bring dessert.  The picnic will go from 4-7pm.
Bryan and Gail will have a display on the Triangle Beautification project.  Elizabeth will have a display on the neighborhood sign project.  The sign project was briefly discussed and changes to the draft sign options were suggested. 

Agenda Item #3:  Crime

Another burglary has taken place.  Jewelry was stolen.
Neighbor Officer Martin will be consulted regarding effective measures to discourage crime.  We may also invite our APD liaison Officer Crowder to do a crime prevention talk.  We discussed the status of the crime internet bulletin board.

Agenda Item #4:  Triangle beautification project update

This project has really got some traction.  Brian Block at Keep Austin Beautiful continues to be very helpful.  We are presently in the design phase.  Lance Thompson is assisting us with this.  Gail and Rosemary acquired the necessary maps.  The design will be presented at the picnic.  Next, we will get the licensing agreement.  Then the work can be scheduled.  We may need to ask for donations.  Several neighbors have been generously pro-active in this regard. 

Agenda Item #5:  PHNA Board elections

There was a general discussion of who is planning to retire from the board and who could be prevailed up to consider joining.  Katherine, Bill, and Mark will be retiring.  We would like to have eleven board members.

Agenda Item #6:  Newsletter

Because Katherine is retiring and no one has stepped forward to fill her huge shoes for the newsletter, we discussed outsourcing the newsletter to Peel Advertising.  Susan Pascoe will request a packet from them.  They would accept our content, sell advertising, and assemble and distribute the newsletter.  They handle the newsletters for several other neighborhood associations in Austin.

One final issue of the newsletter will be delivered by 9/29, to provide adequate notice of the annual meeting.

Agenda Item #7:  Paypal

Bryan has explored this option.  Paypal appears to require $600/year plus 3% of transactions.  In exchange, neighbors would have the option of using Paypal to handle the recurrent annual expense of dues.  Bryan will follow up on this, with the goal of having it in place for the picnic, if possible.

Agenda Item #8:  Neighborhood construction

The board voted unanimously to support H zoning of the Bohn House.  Elizabeth will draft the letter and send it around for approval.

The board voted unanimously to send a letter of support demolition and building at 1604 Ethridge—if the investor will agree to seek SF3 zoning.  I think Bryan was going to do this letter???  If not, let me know.

Agenda Item #9:  Other updates

Gail will reserve the carriages again for this year.
Susan recommends checking on the Mopac website for additional information about upcoming meetings. (See above.)

**The next meeting is Thursday, December 14th at 7pm.

Minutes prepared by Elizabeth Cash, Secretary

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