Association Encourages Citizens From All Sectors of Neighborhood to Run
The Summit Hill neighborhood south of Summit Avenue is a historic and vibrant community made up of homeowners, renters and the thriving East Grand Avenue commercial strip of local and national businesses. The neighborhood boundaries are Summit Avenue on the north, Ayd Mill Road on the west, Ramsey St. on the east and 35E on the south. As one of the City of St. Paul’s seventeen citizen participation districts, this area is represented by the Summit Hill Association(SHA)/District 16 Planning Council led by an elected 21-member volunteer Board of Directors. To do our best to represent all segments of our population, the Summit Hill Association invites anyone living in or owning property or a business in the district to consider running for an open seat on the SHA Board of Directors at its October 11th Annual Meeting and Elections.
Why should you consider running? Because, as the old saw goes, the agenda is set by those who show up! Serving on a SHA Board of Directors is an opportunity to share in the leadership and future development of your neighborhood. It’s also an opportunity to bring your ideas to the table when annual goals, objectives and projects are being discussed and set. As a board member, you can play a part in advocating for our community and its continued health and welfare. Finally, serving on the SHA Board helps you develop a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the entire neighborhood and how citizens can make a difference.
Our Board meets once per month. Our work is varied, but always interesting. We discuss and make recommendations on a variety of issues affecting our neighborhood such as comprehensive planning, commercial development, traffic and pedestrian safety, parking issues, and crime prevention. We frequently host neighbors, business people, policy makers, and other guests to help us gain a deeper understanding of important issues or projects, such as the proposed garbage burner at the Rock-Tenn facility, the St. Paul Bike transit plan, the development at the Bridges Project on the Westside, and proposed new businesses on Grand Avenue.
Of course, throughout the year, we also address the important duties that you would expect a neighborhood organization to perform. We adopt an annual budget and review the organization’s financials every month. Each board member also serves on at least one committee, which tackles projects and examines issues in more depth. For example, the Zoning and Land Use Committee holds public hearings and then makes decisions on requests for variances and permits on development, remodeling, and construction within our neighborhood.
To learn more about Summit Hill Association, our committees and activities, please go to our website at www.summithillassociation.org for more information. Or if you would like to talk with the current SHA Board President, Elizabeth Wefel, contact the SHA office at 222-1222. On the website home page, there is a link for information on Board responsibilities and a short registration form if you are interested in being a candidate. Complete the form and mail or email it to SHA. Running for an open seat on the SHA Board is not a campaign in the regular sense of “running for office”. You simply submit your candidacy, spread the word among your neighbors, come to the elections on Oct. 11th to introduce yourself to voters and watch the returns!
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