The notes below are from the meeting. They are inserted below the original Agenda items shown in bold.

I.    Welcome

• Principal Phil Eaton welcomed the group and acknowledged Spring ISD officials and staff.
• Mary Davis, Executive Director, recognized the newest member of Renaissance 1960 team.  Kelley Wright who has a degree in communications/PR with PR agency experience primarily dealing with community  development and political campaigns.

II.    Organizational/Projects Update on Renaissance 1960 – Report by Mary Davis

    1.    Office should be ready in next two weeks.  Northwood Professional Building in front of Houston Northwest Medical Center

    2.    Organizationally the Corporation is producing by-laws, 501c applications and working on expanding the board from the initial formation board

    3.    Current priority projects were reviewed – those being the ones with Immediate Visual Impact:

• New Street Name Signs with block numbers
• Working with property owners to prominently display addresses
• Sign Blight – taking an inventory of signage and pursuing non-permitted signage
• Bandit Sign Education/Reporting Process – County is putting in place the process for handling in order to successfully prosecute.  As soon as they have specifics they will pass on to us and the information will be posted to the website.
• Graffiti Abatement – Everyone is encouraged to watch for and report graffiti to the constable’s office.  They need to photograph and track these incidents.  Such tracking can help them keep up with gang movement.  The cooperative efforts of Spring Creek Barbeque and Public Storage on 1960 quickly removing graffiti was cited as a wonderful example of the community working together to maintain the quality of our community.
• Planning projects include:  Landscaping of Green Medians and Urban/Revitalization Plan.

    4.     Committees have been repositioned for progress.  Below is the revised reorganization:

• New:  Revitalization Strategies Task Force – Tom Davis
• Urban Planning
• Street Name and Numbering Improvements
• Bus Stop Improvements
• Model Block
  

• Green Medians – Unchanged
• Crime Prevention Awareness
• Bandit Sign Education
• Graffiti Abatement
• Adhoc Committees Include:
• Merchants
• Realtors
• Developers
• Educators - Mary explained that a meeting scheduled for 9/21/07 with Spring ISD and Klein ISD will start the process of integrating projects into the educational programs of the schools.
  

• Stakeholders to Recruit\Educate\Gather input from:
• Faith based organizations
• Property Owners
• Retailers
• Residents
• Agencies – County, City, HC Flood Control, TxDOT, Metro, Water Authority
  

    5.    The Board has approved the hiring of Clark Condon Associates, Inc. to provide Landscape Design for the Green Medians and Joe Webb Architects to provide Urban Planning.  Those contracts are being generated.
Mary encouraged the group to watch the website for announcements about public meetings which will be a big part of the Urban Planning Process.

    6.    Fund Raising Sponsorship Package drafted and is being reviewed by the board.

    7.    The communication tools will be:

•  Website
• Email
• Newsletter
• DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES – 3RD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
• EMAIL NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED – 4TH SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH
• The group was encouraged to send positive articles that promote the good things about our community.
  

III.    Active Committee Updates - The committees will be submitting notes from their individual committee meetings so that they can be posted to the website.

• Green Medians Committee – Barbara Schlattman updated the group on the history of the green medians and the hiring of the landscape architect.  She will be providing information as plans progress on the schedule that must be met to comply with TxDOT requirements.  Barbara emphasized that the medians are being constructed by TxDOT as result of a 2004 Access Management Study.  The Green Medians committee is committed to making the grey medians TxDOT will construct green.
• NOTE - Subsequent to this meeting we learned that TxDOT is nearing completion of the preliminary design for the layout of the medians.  This information will be presented to the landscape architects as soon as it is available so that they may begin identification of the possibilities for landscaping.
  

• Crime Prevention Awareness Committee – Marinell Mendoza – Report by Gail Gallien in Marinell’s absence.

• Gail reported that there had been a committee meeting on 9/17 where Debbie Riddle and Patricia Harless brought the group up to date on new legislative issues.  The Quick Card was also distributed.  It is currently available for download.  She announced that the next meeting of the group will be October 15.  The location will be changed due to rehearsals at Texas Rep.  Please watch website for information.
• Enrique Lima reported on the combined efforts of the chamber with this committee.  He noted that the chamber would be working with the business to being them crime prevention awareness information. 
  
• Spring ISD – Alan Bragg – Chief of Police.  Alan Bragg shared with the group a little history of the Spring ISD police and their interaction with the community.  He explained that they operate throughout the boundaries of the district not just on the school campuses.
• NOTE - Since the meeting Chief Bragg sent Renaissance 1960 information on the Spring ISD Police Department and its’ leadership. Click here to read the article in the September/October issue of the Campus Safety Magazine. To learn more about the Spring ISD Police click here to read their brochure .

   3.    Model Block/Urban Blight – Kim Walsh – Meeting is on 9/21 – no new information to share at this meeting

   4.    Urban Planning – Regional Planning –Infrastructure – Mary Davis

• Contract has been awarded to Joe Webb Architect.
• Watch for schedule for public meetings
• Corridor Planning – UKD project – Mary asked Barbara Schlattman to report on a recent meeting organized by the Upper Kirby District and Rice Building Institute focusing on revitalization of Kirby Drive.  Barbara reported that the design architect Eric Kuhne designs cities around the world in places like Dubai which are unlike our corridor; however she shared several of the motivational statements encouraging those who live and love their communities to stay involved and make a difference.  Kuhne encouraged all to read “The City” by Joel Kotkin.

IV.    Fundraising  - Mary Davis - Sponsorship package drafted – to be issued soon.

• Grants being pursued include AIA Foundation and Houston Endowment
• Chamber Golf Tournament – Barbara Thomason reported that this year’s Chamber golf tournament scheduled for Monday October 15, Raveneaux Country Club will benefit the projects of Renaissance 1960. 
  

V.    Expanding Participation

    Cypress Creek Interfaith Coalition for Economic Development – Dr. Franklin Moore brought the group up to date on their upcoming Town Hall meeting, Tuesday, September 25, 7 PM at Cypress Creek Christian Church and invited all to attend.

VI.    Next General Meeting

    The group was informed about the possibilities of an alternate date and time for those that can’t make the evening meetings.  They were asked to have anyone that was interested to contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Next General Evening Meeting – Thursday, October 25, 2007

This is a change to the 4th Thursday of the month.
Time and location is being coordinated with Klein ISD for use of one of their facilities.
Watch this website for information.