NOVEMBER 17, 2015 – St. James Lutheran Church
The Northwood Civic Association kicked off last week with a run over of old business from the previous month presented by Civic Association president Joe Krause.
Cynthia Young from the Simpson Recreation Center expressed thanks to the Civic Association for their donation of $125 for their Halloween Party. Proposed construction, she told members, will cause the rec center to be closed during the summer, but they are continuing efforts to keep the pool open. The rec center holds Advisory Council meetings on the second Thursday of every month (except summers), and those interested should email simpsonreccntr@hotmail.com. Krause recommended to peruse the lists of classes and activities being offered listed on the Simpson Recreation Center Facebook page.
Terry Heiser updated members on the progress to put speed bumps on Castor Avenue between Foulkrod Street to Pratt Street. Of the 52 houses Heiser and his team visited on Castor Avenue, all 42 who answered signed the petition and offered their support. There are also over 90 signatures from homes on intersecting blocks of Castor Avenue. The next steps, Heiser informed members, will be to get a letter of support from Senator Christine Tartaglione, the signed petition and proposal to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Heiser said he looks forward to keeping the Civic Association informed of the progress on this project.
Krause continued with old business, telling the group that there had been no new reports of burglaries in the past three weeks. He suggested that members who were concerned or interested should consider attending the monthly PSA meetings, the next of which will be December 17th, 7-8pm, at Aria Hospital.
The reports of a peeping tom at a home on Haworth Street were a false alarm.
A non-profit organization is taking advantage of Act 135 and filing for conservatorship of 1301 Wakeling St. The property will be refurbished and sold as a single family home. If this home goes well there is potential for the same NPO to do the same to 1208 Dyre St.
City Controller Alan Butkovitz attended the meeting and spoke to members about some of the projects and movements of the City Controller’s Office.
Butkovitz reaffirmed the situation following the discovery of $2 million of unused WiFi equipment in a warehouse in Philadelphia. The equipment, Butkovitz said, was purchased at the behest of the federal government for the city’s police, fire, and other municipal business needs. According the Butkovitz the equipment will be recycled through an unnamed technology recycling company.
The biggest project of the City Controller’s Office, says Butkovitz, is the auditing of Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections following the collapse of the construction site at 22nd and Market, in June 2013. The office has also been working on a project for the past 9 years, he says, to bring Philadelphia School District schools up to code.
Butkovitz offered a curious Civic Association member his initial feeling of Mayor-Elect Jim Kenney, saying that Kenney seemed to be trying to get “good, operational people.” Butkovitz hopes that through this new term there will be increased interest in Fire, Police, and L & I.
If members have concerns or questions they are advised to call the City Controller’s Office directly at 215-686-8888, use the Philly WatchDog App, or call or email the Director of Community Affairs, Isaiah Thomas, at 215-686-7030 or isaiah.Thomas@phila.gov.
The next Northwood Civic Association meeting is scheduled for December 15th, 7-8pm, at St. James Lutheran Church on Pratt St. and Castor Ave. All are welcome to attend.
