October 2017 Minutes

LDNA 10/23/17

7 PM, LTC

 

Present:

Jack Moynihan

Carolyn Alphen

Stephen Greene

Sam Litvin

 

Meeting called to order at: 7:03

 

Opening greeting

 

Approval of minutes

Approval of August and September minutes; Motion was made by Jack and 2nd by Carolyn.

 

Treasurer’s Report

$615.29 balance.  Everyone is invited to make a voluntary $10 membership contribution.

 

Police Report

Overall crime count down from last month.  Several assaults/robberies solved.

Q & A from public:

Issues with persons hiding behind barricades behind Canal Place.  LPD will follow up.

Canal walkway behind 58 Prescott St building is a site of reorted drug deal activities.

Constant drug activity reported behind Wings/Asian Bistro area on Market Street.

Bar Crawl planned for Halloween despite license being denied.  Who is responsible for this sort of situation?  What recourse?

No update on robbery near TD Bank from 9/17.

 

Presentation by Jim Dyment:  Brush Art Gallery Director

  • About the Gallery:
    • Non-profit; 35 years old; first open studios in Lowell
    • Resident studio artists in mediums including painting, Illustration, photography, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, and textiles, plus 25 associate artists who rent wall space.
    • Organizes museum quality special exhibits.
  • More than just an art gallery:
    • Working with women at Megan’s House giving recovering addicts an outlet for self-expression.
    • Program with Recreational Adult Resource Association (5 years running)
    • Program with UML to raise money for arts scholarship: “4×4 for Education” in March
    • “Art in the Courtyard” event in partnership with LNHP and the Lowell Folk Festival
    • Programs with Girls Inc., and many other local service organizations.
    • Special exhibit coming in May:  Cambodian

Discussion:

Lowell is much improved since 10 yrs ago.  City council support of LPD has been crucial to downtown quality of life.  Also, improved License Commission oversight.

Update on parking increases?  Parking rate hike for downtown is essentially a tax hike that no other residents have to pay.  At the very least, we need to ensure that trash collection policy and overall tax policy takes downtown residents into account.

New creperie coming to downtown next to Jimmy John’s.  Lowell Burger and Warp&Weft now have their liquor licenses.

Meeting Adjourns at 7:54.

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