Rosedale Neighborhood Association Meeting
April 2014 minutes
The meeting was brought to order by Jeff Archer, president of the Rosedale Neighborhood Association, at 7:45 on April 28.
Karen McLinden, immediate past president of the RNA and a member of the Ramsey Park committee, announced that $24,000 has been raised of the remaining $80,000 needed to finish all the projects at the park. The committee met with Austin Parks and Recreation (PARD) recently. The committee in consultation with PARD has picked a contractor for resurfacing the tennis and basketball courts and work should begin on the tennis court during the first part of May. Resurfacing the basketball court was not part of the original plan, but the committee and PARD decided this was more cost effective than simply re-striping the court. The tennis court surface material will be blue with green around it. There will be two darker hopscotch grids and a foursquare stencil outside of the tennis lines for kids to play on when no one is using the court. The tennis court will also get new nets and benches.
PARD estimates that the work for the 2 tennis courts will take about 10 days to complete. The project will also be putting shade over the basketball court and limestone seating on one side, and hopefully work will start this summer on the amphitheater. Seven new picnic tables have been ordered and two already have been installed. The current schedule anticipates completing the basketball renovations by early July. Rosedale resident and Ramsey Park committee member Erika Brown has been leading up the contractor selection and implementation of Phase I work. Phase I improvements are funded through a grant from the Austin Parks Foundation and some of our mitigation funds from the city.
Karen said that donations are starting to come in from other neighborhoods besides Rosedale, which is good. However, more donations are needed to reach our $80,000 goal. She said that if people ask 2 friends and one business to donate, that would be a big help. Also, if you know people in other neighborhoods who use the park, please let them know what it going on and ask them to donate.
The committee is working with PARD to offer some kind of permanent recognition at the park for donors, such as a “Walk of Friends” with engraved bricks. More detail will be coming as soon as it is finalized.
The “We Love Ramsey Park” signs have been very popular. South Rosedale has far more signs than North Rosedale, but North Rosedale is starting to come around, too. Karen will deliver signs to you if you donate $100 or more. Anyone wishing to make a tax-free donation can go to http://www.ramseypark.org/donate/.
[Update to RNA Minutes: The Brittain family has offered to match every donation of $200 or more up to $10,000 in donations to Ramsey Park. For those who previously donated, any additional donations that make the cumulative total reach $200 or more are also eligible for this match.]
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RNA Electronic Communications Committee member Scott Farnsworth announced that the new website it up and running! The site URL is designed to be easy to remember: rosedaleaustin.org. The new address now appears on the bottom of all Rosedale listserv postings. If anyone visits the old site, they are automatically directed to the new site.
The goals for the site are a web presence that:
• Is easy to find and easy to navigate
• Contains RNA and/or Rosedale area-specific content
• Includes regularly updated and reference content
• Is engaging
• Attracts new participants from/to other online properties (Facebook, Yahoo listserv, Nextdoor, Twitter, …)
• Can be contributed to by willing RNA members
The site’s “business objective” is to:
• Improve resident’s knowledge about issues related to Rosedale and the RNA
• Develop a known ‘go to’ place on the web for Rosedale information
• Improve involvement of residents (and businesses) in Rosedale
• Improve RNA knowledge of Rosedale residents’ opinions/desires
The site includes:
• Home page with current events and news of interest to Rosedale residents
• Welcome page – general overview of the neighborhood
• Rosedale – The neighborhood, map, Ramsey Park, schools, history, etc.
• Rosedale Neighborhood Association information – can even pay dues online now!
• Neighbor Talk – listserv information
• Events
• Contact
Suggestions for posts and articles about Rosedale are welcome, so if you have something you’d like offer up for consideration contact the committee via the website feedback form at http://kimmosley.com/rosedaleaustin/contact/. The Electronic Communications Committee will also welcome help maintaining the site.
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The Ramsey Park July 4th parade and carnival is coming up and carnival chair Mindy Marble would welcome help! Please contact her at msmarble@juno.com if you’d like to volunteer.
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The RNA newsletter deadline for articles is June 10th. It will be distributed about the middle of June. It will contain primarily news about the Ramsey Park renovation and the Ramsey Park July 4th festivities.