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City of Lincoln Urban Development Department Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable Meeting Summary: April, 2006

1. Welcome and Introductions

2. Open Forum with Mayor Coleen J. Seng

3. Ecostores Nebraska
   Terrence Moore and Cecil Steward

4. Text Amendment for Non-standard and Non-conforming Uses
   Rick Peo, Law Dept.

5. Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Dept. Update
   Harry Heafer, LLCHD

6. Announcements

7. Adjourn

Carol Brown, Landon's Neighborhood Association	Craig Groat
Harry Heafer, LLC Health Dept.	Cherie Krueger, Olsson Associates
Diana Michael, Urban Development Dept.	Lyle Bigley, North Creek N.A.
Mike Dennis, S. 48th Street N.A.	Sandra Johnson, Woods Park N.A.
Jeff Schwebke, Arnold Heights N.A.	Dan Marvin, Country Club N.A.
Lois Haupt, University Place C.O.	Bill Vocasek, West A N.A.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Carol Brown, Chair, opened the meeting with introductions.

OPEN FORUM WITH WITH MAYOR COLEEN J. SENG
Mayor Coleen J. Seng reported that she had just met with a group of international visitors. She reported that she has met with 360 international visitors in the three years she has been Mayor. For more information, see the media release.

There are a number of neighborhood clean-up days coming up. For more information, see the Journal/Star article.

Here are the dates and contact people for local neighborhood cleanups:

Antelope Park	May 20	Dennis Restau	476-6841
Arnold Heights	April 29	Jeff Schwebke	470-3384
Clinton	April 29	Maurice Baker	464-1864
East Campus	April 22	Richard Schroeder	466-1643
Everett	April 22	Pat Anderson-Sifuentez	434-5940
40th and A	April 22	Willis Scofield	770-8281
Hartley	April 22	Don Eveland	560-8512
Irvingdale	May 20	Mary Rachael	477-3927
Near South	April 29	William Carver	477-8325
South Salt Creek	April 29	Gary Irvin	476-0706
University Place	May 6	Lois Haupt	464-7650
West A	April 22	Deb Vocasek	438-1903
Witherbee	May 6	Rick Bagby	488-8567
Yankee Hill	May 6	Dirk Johnson	420-2552

The Mayor had a Town Hall meeting April 11^th at the Cornhusker. The City's government access Channel 5 CITY-TV, will tape the 6 to 7 p.m. portion of the meeting to be aired at later dates on cable Channel 5. For more information, see the media release. She commented that University Place Neighborhood Organization, Lincoln Police Department, and Urban Development worked hard to get the University Place Police Station on 49^th and Huntington.

The Mayor announced Community Development Awards were presented during Community Development Week The Sunken Gardens projects received the Community Development Award of Excellence. Certificates of Recognition were presented to the nominees for the CD Award: Denise Hoffman, Havelock Business Association, for the Havelock Pedestrian Link and Parking Lot; Steve Guittar, University Place Business Association, for the University Place Streetscape project; Shawn Ryba, Free to Grow, for the Impact Project; and to Jane Rybold, Russ' Market, for their Facade Improvement project.

Internally, the Mayor and staff are working on budgets.

Craig Groat noted that the Northeast Printers property, which is being redeveloped, is in violation of the weed ordinance. Mayor Seng responded that she is attending a N. 48^th Street redevelopment meeting on Friday, and will be updated on the progress of the project, she will bring the weed problem to the group's attention.

Diane Gonzalez announced Antelope Valley Bus Tours are being organized for June. There will be an update in the Neighborhood Extra on May 20^th. There is also a Bike Tour being planned.

The Mayor announced there will be a new fire station in Air Park, as the result of an inter-local agreement with the Airport Authority. For more information, see the media release.

ECOSTORES NEBNRASKA
Cecil Steward, Nebraska Ecostores, provided information about Ecostores Nebraska. Cecil reviewed the history of the Ecostores project. The Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities started the project in 1996. The objectives are to keep reusable materials out of the landfill. The operation is a reuse, or recycle of donated materials for sale at reduced prices below 50% of retail costs. If any profit is made, it goes to the Joslyn Castle Institute.

Located at 530 West P Street, Ecostores employs three part-time employees, the store is open 40 hours a week, and they have some volunteer positions open, if anyone would like some community service project. The store is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. The store is about 12,000 square feet, with an opportunity to expand another 10,000 square feet if growth calls for it.

This project received a Department of Environmental Quality grant to research this project. The business plan was written to include three stores in Nebraska at some point, one in Omaha, Lincoln, and North Platte. Only the Lincoln store is operating at this time. The Lincoln store opened last June, and they calculate they have saved almost 200,000 pounds of material from the landfill. While they do not do pick-ups, they would try to make arrangements if there was a need. Call 477-3606 for more information.

Ecostores has teamed up with the Lincoln Action Program to write a grant proposal in the Environmental Trust for a deconstruction program. LAP lost their Youth Build program funding, this would give a one-year re-start on the program. Deconstruction skills will be taught, and hopefully students will be sponsored by contractors.

They do not take old refrigerators, but will take other working appliances. They cannot accept some older florescent fixtures because of the toxic materials in the ballast. They check any flaking paint to determine if it is lead based. They also take partial buckets of usable paint.

Cecil asked everyone to let their neighbors know about this resource, and he asked if neighborhood associations could put information about Ecostores Nebraska in their newsletters.

TEXT AMENDMENT FOR NON-STANDARD AND NON-CONFORMING USES
Greg Czaplewski, Planning Department, provided information about the proposed text amendment for Change of Zone 06019, Section 27.01.090 and 27.63.280 regarding non-conforming and non-standard uses.

Greg explained that non-conforming uses are uses that do not conform to the zoning ordinance for the district they are in. They likely conformed to the district uses when they were constructed, but the district and uses have changed, and that use is no longer allowed at that location. They are allowed to continue to operate the way they were, with some exceptions. If they discontinue the use for a period of two years, they can no longer operate. They cannot be converted to another non-conforming use, if the property is destroyed beyond a certain percentage of it's value, it can only be reused in compliance with the zoning district.

Non-standard use does not relate to the use of the property, but the buildings on the property and the lot itself. If the lot is now considered too small to be buildable, or the set-backs do not conform to requirements, if parking requirements are not met, etc. A property can be both non-standard and non-conforming. A non-standard use can be added onto up to the extent they do not conform. Non-standard use is a category of Non-conforming use.

This amendment is adding language in the Special Permit process for non-conforming uses, and applying it to non-standard uses as well. This will require City Council review and approval.

LINCOLN/LANCASTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. UPDATE
Harry Heafer, Lincoln/Lancaster County Health Department, provided information on Household Hazardous Waste Collections.

Household hazardous waste collection dates for 2006:
April 22	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.	State Fair Park	4-H Youth Complex
May 20	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.	Pfizer Inc.	601 W. Cornhusker Hwy.
June 9	3 - 7 p.m.	Malcolm Fire Station	Malcolm
June 10	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.	Nebraska Wesleyan University	56th St. and Huntington Ave.
Sept. 9	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.	Goodyear Tire & Rubber	4021 N. 56th St.
Oct. 14	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.	State Fair Park	4-H Youth Complex

Items accepted include:

turpentine paint thinners stains polishes and waxes oil-based paints pool cleaning chemicals flea and tick powders

rodent poison charcoal starter fluids mixed or old gasoline items containing mercury including thermometers upholstery cleaners grease removers brake and power steering fluids

Items that can be recycled locally and will not be accepted at the collection include:

latex paint motor oil gas grill cylinders

electronics computers lead-acid, button, mercury and lithium batteries

Wastes from businesses will not be accepted.

For recycling information, advice on how to dispose of other items that are not accepted such as medicines, fertilizers, explosives and ammunition, or for other information on the use and disposal of hazardous products, contact the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department at 441-8021 or log on to www.lincoln.ne.gov (search using the keyword "households") or to that section the Health Dept. Web page.

Harry reminded everyone about the swimming pool ordinance requiring fencing.

Neighborhood Association and other groups are encouraged to apply for mini grants for litter reduction on public lands.

The Lincoln/Lancaster County Environmental Awards will be presented during a luncheon at Nebraska Champions Club on April 27^th.

Harry suggested checking the Nebraska Wastecap website at: http://www.wastecapne.org/ for more recycling resources.

ADJOURN
There being no other announcements, the meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

Submitted by: Diana Cruz
Urban Development Department

Urban Development Community Development Division Neighborhood Roundtable Summaries 2004

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