Jan 31st Community Council revival meeting

The meeting to discuss how/if we should revive the Capitol Hill Community Council will be 6 - 8 PM on Thursday January 31st in the meeting room at the Capitol Hill Library ( 425 Harvard Ave E., behind the QFC on Broadway). Many thanks to all of you who expressed enthusiasm for the idea and who left notes on the survey.

Why should we do this? One of you expressed it so much better than I could:

Been thinking about an umbrella group that could marshal all of us in the greater Capitol Hill area to tackle the rapid growth, safety, public amenities,cultural preservation,economic issues, and transporation issues facing us. Critical mass is something that might cause responses from Sound Transit, law enforcement, City Departments, etc. rather than all the various groups going it alone. We will still need neighborhood groups to deal with very local concerns but there are significant benefits of an umbrella group in these times of rapid change ( no intended relationship to current national political campaign slogans ).

Let's see if we can decide what format the Council should take: I imagine mostly web-based sharing of ideas but with occasional in-person meetings to meet with City officials, developers etc. One important aspect will be to get people to represent the Council on other local groups with related interests, to help share information and prevent duplication of efforts. Ones that immediately spring to mind are:

• The Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce
• The East District Council (map)
• The East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition

So, let's get together to decide what our common interests and concerns are, and see if we can match them with what skills we can offer. Here's what people have volunteered:

• I have a blog
• I used to be the administrative coordinator for the Dinkytown Business Association in Minneapolis. This meant working closing with the city council as well as the local neighborhood association.
• - facilitating with project management for CHCC initiatives - marketing, esp. new media
• Have been working with and somewhat organizing the Pike Pine Urban Neighborhood Council for a year or so.
• Writing, editing, organizational skills, willingness to do odd jobs
• Knowledge of community led social change, willing to help in just about any capacity.
• Local theatre artist with a venue on CapHill; have good contacts with the local arts community, granting & government agencies supporting the arts.
• I run a blog on crime in Seattle, which could be used as an advocacy tool by the Community Council.
• I'm a community development finance consultant. I work primarily with various tax credit programs that promote affordable housing, historic preservation, and economic development.
• I can take a lot of notes rather quickly.

I hope some of the previous Community Council officers will be there to guide us. I'll try and keep a semblance of order and try to keep us on task. I'm a lousy note-taker, but will bring a sign-in sheet! Here's the (old) Council website, with link to bylaws.

Don't forget the Capitol Hill Community Council Discussion Board

(I've just been watching "Jesus Camp", hence the fixation on "revival")