10/17/23 Minutes

Individual Members: Woody Dukes, Deb Comini, Rebekah Engle

City, County and State Representatives:  Virginia Stapleton, Ward 1 Councilor; Sgt. Robert Dowd, Salem Police Department  

 

Guests: Marissa Theve, Grant

The annual meeting of CANDO was called to order at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.  The meeting was conducted by Zoom video-conference.  The Chair and Secretary-Treasurer were present.  

The agenda and minutes of the September meeting were approved unanimously.

Sgt. Dowd reported that the Community Action Unit had had fewer incidents at the Transit Mall and was spending more time in the area of Sunnyview Road NE and Lancaster Drive.  In coming weeks, it would be active in Wallace Marine Park, and consequently CANDO might notice an increase in people living in the streets of downtown. He also reported that through the efforts of Northwest Seniors and People With Disabilities, the older, wheelchair-bound male seen frequently downtown in recent weeks would soon be housed.  He said he’d been told that Salem First Presbyterian Church would probably not be operating a warming shelter this season.  (See McDonald, A. "Warming Shelters to rely on volunteers to keep people sheltered on freezing nights."  (19 October 2023, Salem Reporter) (noting that pandemic-relating funding used to staff warming shelters was drying up).)        

Councilor Stapleton reported on downtown development, the City ceremony recognizing volunteers, and the upcoming work session on budget amendments in the event that the employment tax measure fails to pass.

Marissa Theve gave an excellent talk titled “Dark Skies for Salem.”

   

The Chair opened the floor for nominations to the Board of Directors.  There being none, the Chair then closed the Annual Meeting, called to order a meeting of the Board, and opened the floor for nomination of officers. Member Griggs’s motion to retain the Chair and Secretary-Treasurer in their current positions passed unanimously.

The Chair’s motions to readopt last year’s annual goal and to authorize him to apply for a SPIF grant to install some amenity along the Pringle Pathway passed unanimously.

There being no further business before the board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 6:50 pm.