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Minutes
Minutes for the meeting of the Machado Neighborhood Alliance Minutes of the Meeting of the Machado Neighborhood Alliance
Minutes for the meeting of the Machado Neighborhood Alliance
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:30 P.M. The presentation by Fire Department Battalion Chief Derek Witmer was well received and many questions were asked and answered. Here is a brief summary: Why should we evacuate early in the event we are asked to by the fire department? 1. It could save your life. Houses can be rebuilt, people can't. 2. It will free up road space for the fire department to get their equipment in and fight the fire. Don't wait until the last minute for a trailer to evacuate your horses, the roads may be closed. Instead walk your horse out. Plan ahead. What kind of locks should I have on my gates? KNOX locks are recommended because the department has a master key. Locks will not deter the fire department from accessing your property in the event of the fire, but having an accessible lock will save time and expense for everyone. My property has been designated as Wildland/Urban Interface, what does this mean? More information about Wildland/Urban Interface can be found on the website, www.ssccfd.com, and more information will be provided to the Machado Neighborhood Alliance for specific cases. How can I prepare my house in the best way to make it defensible in the event of a wildfire? 1. Clear brush and limb trees surrounding the area as per the fire department's guidelines 2. Make sure that your driveway has enough space for a fire engine to turn around in as per the department's guidelines 3. Make sure your roof is a class A non-combustible material. More construction specifications can be found on the fire department's website. www.ssccfd.com Many thanks to Fire Department Battalion Chief Derek Witmer and the firemen who came to the meeting. Derek Witmer can be reached by email at derek.witmer@fire.ca.gov, 779-2121, www.ssccfd.com, or by cellphone at 234-1617. Submitted by: Roslyn Eisenman Present:
The evening began with a social half-hour of meeting new friends and catching up with long-time acquaintances over wine and appetizers. There was a feeling of genuine camaraderie between all acquaintances, both new and old. It was wonderful connecting with like-minded folks who feel the time is right to work together to foster a sense of community and address issues of concern to us all. After mingling and breaking the ice, we sat down together to begin talking about the concept and goals for the Machado Neighborhood Alliance. Karlene DiNapoli, Alan Amerian and Cheryl Beck, acting as facilitators, talked for a few minutes about the genesis of this idea, its evolution to where it is today and why the time is right to act. They spoke on the mission of the group and goals as well as its initial basic organization designed to enable a jump-start directly to action. We also proudly announced the launch of our group’s own website www.machadoneighbors.org. Bob Kushner gets huge kudos for single-handedly working into the wee hours of more than one morning to give us a presence in the global community! A job well done that will continue to play a key role in communicating our development as an organization to members and to the world beyond.
During open floor discussion many folks shared their concerns and stories about neighborhood safety and made the development of a strong Neighborhood Watch plan a top priority. We talked about the need for and benefits of developing a disaster and emergency response plan within our neighborhood, establishing that as another high priority action item. Several people expressed the feeling that this was a great start and to keep energy and enthusiasm high we should meet again soon, which we will. The idea of holding neighborhood social events was met with equal enthusiasm. Discussion wrapped up with a call for volunteers to break into separate action groups, each focusing on one of the top priorities: Neighborhood Watch and Disaster/Emergency Response. Another group was formed to plan social events which will provide the opportunities to grow and strengthen our sense of community – a critical underlying factor to ensure our ongoing success as an organization. The action groups gathered and started laying the groundwork for their specific areas. Discussions were enthusiastic and productive; tasks were assigned and the meeting was adjourned with plans to meet again soon. Initial facilitators for the action groups are Alan and Marlene Amerian in the Disaster group; Karlene and Lee DiNapoli for Neighborhood Watch and Janey Muirhead in the Social Events group. If any of these areas are of particular interest or concern to you, please get involved! Contact one of the group facilitators by going to our Contact Us page. Our Kick-Off meeting experience was gratifying and inspiring. The synergy that developed as people were talking and getting to know one another was evident from the beginning and continued to grow as we began discussing common concerns and plans for working together to address them. That synergy is what will strengthen our sense of community and enable us to succeed as a whole. That success in turn will reward each of us as individuals with a higher sense of purpose in being part of something that truly makes a difference and give us the opportunity to forge lasting friendships. If you joined us last Thursday, thank you! If you were not able to, please join us next time – we’ll all be glad you did! You can read the full mission statement, goals and objectives as well as a diagram of initial organization on the About Us page. See more pictures on the Gallery page. Attendees: Marlene and Alan Amerian, Ken & Cheryl Beck, Karlene & Lee DiNapoli, Valerie & Robert Kushner
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