WNA member meeting 7-15-08, 7-8:30pm

Present: 41 including board and officers (Carla Lee, Jan Decker, Jane Byrnes, Jim Byrum, Joyce Wood, Ron Nutt, Steve Beer, Sheryl Nutt, Tony Decker). Absent: Amanda West.

President Ron Nutt opened the meeting. Acting secretary Jane Byrnes distributed the minutes of the member meeting of 3-18-08 and summarized the results. Minutes were accepted. Treasurer Jan Decker reported the current balance $1,721 from year-to-date income of $1,873 from 66 voluntary memberships and 5 associate memberships, Link Letter ads and T-shirt sales, minus year-to-date expenses of $987. Report was accepted.

Ways and Means chair Carla Lee stated she is pursuing tax-exempt status for the new Westlink Neighbors Foundation and attending grant-writing workshops. She proposed amendments to the current WNA bylaws: (1) boundaries changed from Central to Maple, (2) board positions increased from 5 to 10 and (3) as possible, committee members appointed to equally represent both halves of WNA. All motions were adopted.

Speaker Rob Raines explained the tax idea of reducing the Wichita property tax mill levy by half and beginning a 1% Wichita sales tax. All other First Class cities in Kansas have a local sales tax except those in the two counties that have a county tax of 2%. Two big reasons for this idea: 87% our Sedgwick county tax is collected from Wichita but only 57% of it is returned to Wichita with the rest going to other Sedgwick county towns; and the lower property rate will be a massive incentive to attract and keep businesses in Wichita.

New Community police officer Robyn Douty said that crime is low in our area but that thefts occur when garage doors are open. Officer Heather Frazier asked that every dog have a tag with the owner's phone number. Communications chair Tony Decker stated that the Link Letter had been distributed to each household in our new south end (except to the four apartment complexes where quantities were left at central spots). He requested volunteers to help distribute the Link Letter due out August 29.

Activities: John Poettker reported on the Graham Realtors Clean Up Day which will cover Westlink-13th-Tyler-Central on a day to be publicized in September. Children are invited to pick up litter along the Little Ditch. Graham Realtors will provide both breakfast and lunch. Jane Byrnes thanked Joyce Handley for bringing her home-baked cookies and requested another baker for the September 16 meeting; encouraged folks to have their own fun, easy block party to celebrate National Neighbor Night Out August 5; asked for non-partisan volunteers for the Candidate Forum, September 30; announced Wichita's Neighborhood University this fall; and asked for a helper for the bulb/plant/seed exchange for the September 16 meeting. For the Link Letter, Jane apologized for the error in the address in the current issue; invited classified ads which were very successful in the current issue; and introduced the new Ad Manager, John Willoughby. 

Ron Nutt reported that the owners of our new Community Center signed the contract this evening for $150,000 plus tax credits over the next three years. Because our tax-exempt status will not come through for several more weeks, we will accept tax-deductible donations by way of Inter-Faith Ministries, who will pass them through for Westlink Neighbors Foundation.