City of Kalamazoo - November 13, 2024 Historic Preservation Commission

Updated about 16 hours ago

Pam O'Connor presented a gift of Kalamazoo Lost and Found books for new commissioners and announcements about the Michigan Statewide Historic Preservation Conference. The commission discusses financial reports, including challenges with reimbursements from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. The O'Connor Fund report highlighted grant impacts, and Pam shared a positive testimonial from the Disability Network. The Ransom Street project update included plans for cultural markers. The commission decided to postpone officer elections to the spring and approved a motion to pay for training space for an upcoming session. Planning for future meetings and training topics are also discussed.

Chapters

Call to Order (00:00:51)
The meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission is called to order.

The meeting is officially called to order, marking the beginning of the Historic Preservation Commission session.
Roll Call (00:00:58)
Members present include Kayla, Fred, Nora, Melissa, and Patrick.

A roll call is conducted to establish the presence of commission members. All listed members confirm their attendance.
Approval of Agenda (00:01:35)
The agenda is reviewed and a motion to adopt it is made and seconded.

Discussion about any amendments to the agenda. A motion is made to adopt the agenda and is seconded, confirming the agenda for the meeting.
Approval of Minutes (00:02:14)
Minutes from August are attached and need to be reviewed later.

The minutes from previous meetings, including August, are attached but not yet reviewed. They are postponed for review and approval in a future meeting.
Public Comments (00:05:08)
Pam O'Connor makes comments and shares information about a book and conference.

Pam O'Connor introduces herself and makes several comments including offering copies of a book to new commissioners and announcing an upcoming Historic Preservation Conference.
Reports (00:09:19)
Financial reports and O'Connor Fund report are discussed.

The financial reports are presented, and details about the O'Connor Fund are shared, including a testimonial from the Disability Network. Discussion includes grant impacts and fund updates.
Ransom Street Project (00:19:30)
Updates on the Ransom Street infrastructure and marker project are shared.

Discussion on the Ransom Street project, including infrastructure completion and plans for cultural markers. Updates on meetings with city engineers and project timelines are provided.
Discussion and Action Items (00:22:28)
The commission discusses officer elections and training arrangements.

Discussion on the need for officer elections, which is postponed to the spring. Arrangements for upcoming training, including payment for venue, are discussed and voted on.
Coordinator's Report (00:26:43)
Coordinator discusses training preparations and topics for upcoming sessions.

The coordinator provides an update on training plans for the commission, including topics to be covered. Discussion on incorporating the Imagine Kalamazoo master planning exercise into training.
Commissioner Comments (00:35:32)
Commissioners discuss the quick nature of the meeting, the upcoming training and planning session, and set a date for the annual planning meeting.

Commissioners comment on the meeting's brevity and discuss plans for future training and planning sessions. They consider setting a date for the annual planning meeting, debating whether it should occur on a weeknight or weekend, taking into account volunteer board members' schedules.
Training and Planning Discussion (00:36:03)
The commission discusses separating training and planning sessions to avoid long, exhausting meetings and considers scheduling options.

The commission talks about the need to separate training and planning sessions due to their potentially long duration. They discuss scheduling options, considering the availability of city facilities and board member preferences for weeknights or weekends.
Scheduling the Annual Planning Meeting (00:38:28)
Discussion on setting a date for the annual planning meeting, with preferences for weeknights or weekends, ensuring everyone's availability.

The commission engages in a discussion to set a date for the annual planning meeting, considering members' preferences for weeknights or weekends. They acknowledge the challenges of coordinating schedules and the importance of using tools like doodle polls to organize the meeting.
Planning and Future Discussions (00:40:16)
Discussion on planning future meetings and breakout sessions to facilitate discussions on community improvements and master planning.

The commission discusses planning future meetings and the potential use of breakout sessions to facilitate discussions on community improvements and the master planning process. They emphasize the importance of engaging discussions and respect for everyone's time.
Meeting Adjournment (00:41:01)
The meeting concludes with final remarks and a thank you to all attendees, with plans to meet next month or during the weekend.

The meeting concludes with the chairperson thanking attendees and reminding them of the next meeting or the upcoming weekend session. Final remarks are made, and the meeting is officially adjourned.