Recap: June 14 Strategic Advisory Group Meeting
Download the meeting notes in PDF format »
Committee Members Present:
Clay Rivers
Macene Isom
Bettye Williams
Vivian Bryant
Sherry Magee
Natalie Lovero
Sandy Hostetter
Rhae Parkes
Kathy Carton
Timothy Ayers
Bridget Williams
Jim Brooks
Additional Attendees:
Dr. Amy Donley (UCF)
John Weston (UCF)
Heather Numa Bell (Commissioner Bakari Burns Office District 6)
Sarah Elbadri (Congressman Maxwell Frost’s Office)
Nina Wilson Jones (Community Member)
Denise Castillo-Eusebio (KPMG)
Mark Shamley (Lift Orlando)
Tanya Pettway (OHA)
Agenda with Meeting Notes:
Meeting commenced at 8:43 am
Welcome - Sherry Magee, Chairperson
Sherry called meeting to order, skipped intros for sake of time.
Meeting sound recorded and slide deck will be shared.
Ms. Bryant – noted residents on strategic advisory group not present due to miscommunication. Noted to share recording with those residents.
Resident Survey - Dr. Amy Donley & John Weston, University of Central Florida
This “resident survey” surveyed (Lake Mann Homes (residential area) + Lorna Doone (urban/social area) public housing residents), it began surveying in March and completed in May, was about 45 minutes long and was given primarily in English & Spanish, as well as a few additional accommodations for those who needed it.
Met goal of surveying 80% of residents at both properties.
Top 3 improvements desired were the same for both developments.
Top 5 amenities ranking, 4 out of 5 were the same for both locations.
Noted Lorna Doone is more a Senior Housing community, and across from the camping world stadium and Lake Mann is more family oriented
Dr. Donley and John reviewed the survey results and the survey results presentation is included in the presentation materials.
Rhae Parkes explained that now that this data is available, the next step is to get the residents feedback. She described the series of meetings with the community to share the results of the survey and other data (including a survey done with the broader community survey) that has been gathered. On July 31st, the community will be able to respond to this data and give feedback so we can determine next steps on additional information to gather. After that, work groups will form and anyone who wants to participate in the working groups is encouraged to.
Early Action Activities – Rhae Parkes
What is an Early Action Activity? There is $100,000 from the HUD grant that can be used towards an early action initiative that is implemented before the end of the grant. There is an ideas form that will be used to collect ideas from the community. It cannot be for services, planning or infrastructure that the City is responsible for. Must be something tangible, such as painted crosswalks to improve safety, a farmer’s market (as long as it’s sustainable), must be implementable within the timeframe and budget available.
At the July 31st meeting, there will be a station that introduces the idea of an Early Action Activity and participants can ask questions, and take the form to fill out and bring back to submit.
Community will vote on early action activities by September, HUD proposal due October.
There was discussion about how we can more broadly communicate about the Choice planning project to receive input from more people in the area that will be impacted. A few members voiced concern about the community receiving notification of events in a timely manner. The communication options that were discussed: door-to-door, email, flyers, yard signs, community partners (i.e., churches, Juneteenth event), text message notification system, etc.
Working Groups – Sandy Hostetter
Sandy reviewed the next steps for launching the working groups and introduced the working group chairs: Timothy Ayers, Housing Working Group; Clay Rivers and Macene Isom, Neighborhood Working Group and Bridget Williams of the People Housing Group.
General Updates – Natalie Lovero
Choice Community Update Meeting was held on April 16th had approximately 70 people in attendance.
A group of 50 people traveled to Tampa to see the Housing Authority’s recent development, ‘Encore!’ as a result of their Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant.
L. Claudia Allen is not available for morning meetings but we are open to suggestions for other locations to hold this meeting. Ms. Isom suggested that we have the SAG meetings at the Heart and some evening meetings at L. Claudia Allen.
Lift Orlando is hiring a Choice Operations Specialist
The Website Choice-Orlando.com is being updated regularly.
Branding workshops held on April 18th and June 4th resulted in two names which are currently open to the community to vote on: ‘Heritage Orlando’ and ‘The Harmony Initiative’.
Upcoming ‘Data Walk’ Meetings:
Lorna Doone Apartments - July 31 (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Community Data Walk-through at L. Claudia Allen Center – July 31, (5:30 - 7:30 PM)
Lake Mann Homes – August 1 (9:00 – 12:00 and 5:00 – 7:00)
Meeting adjourned at 10:35 am