Signed in were: Kathy Jacobs, Debi Robinson, Joanne Russell, Kristi White, Jim DeWitt, Amelia Opubor, Marcia Van Ness, David and Reade Dornan, Fred Kletke, Mauricio Portillo, Mark Grebner, Kathy Boyle, Jeff Friedle, Liz Schweitzer, Dorothy McMeekin, Mary Dudley, Terry and John Howrani, Kevin Briere, Ken and Liz Harrow, Ed and Ellen Kirk, Colleen and Josh Smith.

Also present were: Bob Scheuerman from the City of East Lansing Engineering Dept. and Mindy Emerson, Principal of the Red Cedar School.

Program:
Joanne Russell, president of the RCCA Board, opened the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Marcia Van Ness gave a brief report from the Community Relations Coalition. She serves both on our neighborhood board as well as the CRC Board. CRC has sponsored neighborhood events throughout the city in the last year and some in our neighborhood. Marcia introduces the Red Cedar CRC intern, Megan O'Brien, an MSU senior who will be graduating next month. She will have a job with Direct Action and Research Training group in community organizing - and feels like "the luckiest student in the neighborhood". She invites everyone to a spring BBQ at University Village this coming Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. We present Megan with a small gift of appreciation for her service.

Joanne welcomes East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis who updates us on some city issues including the status of the upcoming annual city budget. He is asked about what the city can do about the 20 or so deer in our neighborhood. He shares that they are state-owned and the city can only intervene if one is injured. We can check the state website for some advice.
The mayor notes that we are in regional discussions about traffic connectors.
when asked about the university's plans for the State police post on S. Harrison, the mayor responds that the city meets regularly with the university president and, according to MSU, there are no plans being discussed and that the police may possibly want to continue to occupy some of their space including the communications tower.

Joanne introduces Bob Scheuerman, engineer for the city, who gives an overview of the South Harrison Road reconstruction project that begins in 2010 with work on that portion of S. Harrison between Kalamazoo Street and Trowbridge and then in 2011 will cover Trowbridge to Mt. Hope Road. This project is covered by Federal highway money and will cost from $800,000 to one million dollars for each section. It includes replacing the 6 to 10 inch water line along the west side of S. Harrison with a 16 inch line. They will repave the entire street, keeping one lane open in each direction at all times. Sometimes an intersection may be closed during a MSU break. The S. Harrison median will remain. Water service will not be shut down as alternate loopings always exit. Sidewalk repairs will be made at the intersections to become ADA compliant. The street parking in front of the church and the Islamic Center will be eliminated.
Concerns are raised about the insufficiency of our bike path system. Bob responds that the city has contracted for a city-wide study of motorized and non-motorized traffic.
Mindy reminds Bob that the Red Cedar School will still be in session after MSU spring break. Bob notes that the city communicates with all parties concerned prior to and during the project to ensure as little disruption as possible.
Bob also notes that Mt. Hope will be a fall 2009 rebuild project for its entire East Lansing length. This is almost exclusively a road surface project.
A question is raised about the lower water pressure in the Ivanhoe area. Bob said that it has to do with the limitations fo the 6 inch water line on Trowbridge and there are no current plans to enlarge it.

Joanne introduces Mindy Emerson, thanks her for the free use of the building for our annual meeting. Mindy notes that we are always welcome and appreciates the relationship with our neighborhood board. She shares that there are Red Cedar School 60th anniversary T-shirts available to order. She also notes that a new front sign will be replacing the one there now and will include a LED panel that will be on during school hours.
She understands there is some discussion about the future of the older MSU Cherry Lane "bricks" and hopes it has no negative impact on the school.

Business meeting:
Joanne calls the meeting to order. Jeff Friedle moved and Mark Grebner supported a motion to approve the minutes of the last annual meeting. The minutes of the April 22, 2008 annual meeting were unanimously approved.
Joanne reported on behalf of the board some activities that occurred in the last year:

--Our voting precinct was changed from Spartan Village to the Methodist Church so it is convenient and safe for our neighborhood residents to vote at election times.

--The residential parking permit system was approved for the properties west of Larkspur by 58%.

--After our last annual meeting, the city requested and received the FEMA community rating application. City staff member Howard Ashe is in the process of completing it as it is very lengthy. Our hope is that changing the city's rating might lower home-owner's flood insurance premiums.


--A committee of neighborhood residents has been working with city staff from the Planning Dept. as well as MSU representatives regarding future improvements to the Trowbridge business district.  An MSU class took this project on for review last semester and another class has it as a project for this semester. All are welcome to attend the MSU class presentation on Wed. April 29th from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 106 Human Ecology Bldg. on campus.