MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
During my first 6 months as President of OTRCC I have had the opportunity to meet many OTR residents and to participate in countless meetings and discussions about OTR’s future. It has been a busy, eye-opening and wonderful experience to engage with OTR residents and City officials as we talk about how to improve our neighborhood every day for everyone.
My goal as President is to fulfill the mission of OTRCC as stated in the Preamble to our Bylaws which is “to improve the quality of life within the community by empowering the community and organizing it into a recognizable voice.” More specifically, the by-laws state that the purpose of The Over-the-Rhine Community Council is to:
- Guarantee rights and responsibilities of residents of Over-the-Rhine.
- Be a source of information and communication.
- Formulate policies and regulations pertaining to Over-the-Rhine services.
- Upgrade living standards in Over-the-Rhine by working together toward common goals.
- Discuss and offer solutions related to problems affecting the community and take appropriate action.
In order to further that Mission and those purposes, I have sought to fill our membership meetings with speakers who provide information about programs and services that can help OTR residents improve their quality of life. This month’s agenda is the third consecutive membership meeting devoted solely to speakers who will inform you about resources in OTR that can benefit you directly.
In addition, this month you will have the opportunity to express your preferences about what OTR projects the City should fund in its 2017 budget. And you will learn about the opportunity to express your preferences about the specific plan that the City will adopt to “put Liberty Street on a diet.”
This month’s agenda is delayed because I have been updating our mailing list to include over 50 new members who have joined since I became President. So if you are a new member, I want to welcome you and encourage you to reach out to me and to attend meetings so we can make OTR even better.
For those of you who are not new members, a friendly reminder that you may need to renew your membership. The OTR Bylaws provide that all memberships expire at the end of March each year. So if you have not paid your $2 to renew in or since March, you may be due to renew. When you come to the meeting on Monday and check-in, you can find out if you need to renew and you can pay on the spot. That will ensure that you can vote at our September meeting.
The agenda for our August 22 meeting is shown below. Minutes from our past meeting will be available to review in paper form at the meeting. Once approved, they will be posted on our web-site which is (finally) undergoing some much needed refurbishment.
In closing, I want to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to serve OTRCC and the OTR community. Please feel free to reach out to me about anything!
Best,
Martha Good
As announced at our July membership meeting, there is a vacancy on the OTRCC Board of Trustees. Since no one submitted an application by August 14, we are still accepting applications. Trustees must be members of OTRCC and live within the boundaries of OTR as defined in OTRCC By-laws. Interested persons should submit an application (available atwww.OTRCommunityCouncil.org) to Joan Kaup (JoanKaup@gmail.com). Applicants will be interviewed by the Board at the September 12 meeting at Graydon on Main (1421 Main Street) and the new Board member will be presented at the September membership meeting for ratification.
