HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 6-23-03

Those present:  Betty Champion, Iva McClure, Mary Peck, Lindsey Stricklin, Melissa Bailey, Lee Freeman, Bill McDonald, Margaret Taylor, Charlotte Dean, Vince Brewton, Jim Ingrum, Billy Warren

1. Lindsey Stricklin made the motion that the minutes of the 5-19-03 meeting be approved.  Margaret Taylor seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
   
    
2. Lindsey Stricklin gave this treasurer's report:
   1. Checking Account balance                    $2,009.22
   2. Savings Account balance                        5,099.28  + 11.40
   3. Forks of Cypress balance                          220.38
      
       

Bill McDonald made the motion that the report be approved.  Charlotte Dean seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

 

3. Billy Warren encouraged everyone to attend the next meeting of Florence Alive.  It will be held at the Florence Event Center on North Pine Street at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8.
   
    
4. Bill McDonald and Lee Freeman reported that the work on the video on the History of Florence and Lauderdale County is progressing well.  The committee is presently negotiating with two potential videographers.  Selecting one of these people is the necessary next step so the script writer can begin to confer with him.
   
    
5. Billy Warren reported that the Saturday morning walking tours have been well attended.  Two more remain:  Saturday, June 28, and Saturday, July 5.
   
    
6. Betty Champion, Mary Peck, Iva McClure and Lindsey Stricklin reported that everyone who attended the Upstairs in Downtown tour seemed to have a really good time.  It was well-organized, and the spaces open for the tour were well done.
   
    
7. Charlotte Dean reported that membership on the Economic Restructuring Committee of Main Street has expanded as a result of Florence Alive.  It met on May 29 in Charlotte's office and learned from Phil Stevenson that the money available from the city for improving the facades of commercial buildings may be used on rear facades as well as front facades!
   
    
8. Billy Warren reported that membership on the Design Committee of Main Street has also expanded as a result of Florence Alive.  It has recently met at the Main Street office and established some plans that combines ideas from the existing Design Committee and from the brainstorming session at the Florence Alive meeting.
   
    
9. Melissa Bailey, the new director of the Planning Department for the city of Florence, stated that:
   1. She is an advocate of public involvement in the city planning process;
   2. She believes strongly in long-range planning as evidenced by her recent tenure at NACOLG;
   3. She does not believe in abandoning one section of town (e.g., downtown Florence) in order to develop another (e.g., Cox Creek Parkway);
   4. She looks forward to working with HPI and other such groups to continue the revitalization of downtown and other sections of Florence;
   5. She has a good working relationship with the staff at the Alabama Historical Commission;
   6. Phase II of the streetscape on Court Street from Dr. Hicks Boulevard to Highway 20 is set to begin;
   7. Phase III of the streetscape project will follow Tennessee Street from Seminary Street to the intersection with Dr. Hicks Boulevard;
   8. Florence Port is developing a master plan, keeping in mind the proposed River Walk;
   9. The new banners will be installed downtown within a month or so;
   10. She enjoys  a good working relationship with the Alabama Department of Transportation (DOT) and, through it, has gained permission to develop the park behind the Coca-Cola building on South Pine Street;
   11. She is working with the DOT toward the possibility  of changing the entrances of the buildings on South Court Street (i.e., the Chamber of Commerce office, Coussons Realty, etc.) to Pine Street;
   12. The eastern entry (Florence Boulevard) to the city might be improved by working with a federal agency (since Highway 72 is a federal highway) to landscape the right-of-way.
   13. She is an advocate of the preservation of historic buildings and sites; and
   14. She is submitting a proposal for a planning grant to the Economic Development Administration for a two-phase project:

1.      Phase I – Patton Island Corridor, and

2.      Phase II – Revitalization of the East Florence Business District

 

10. Vince Brewton stated that he is a member of the Board of Directors of West Way Child Development Center and has developed a web site for that agency.  He further stated that he is willing to donate his services to create a web site for HPI which can be linked to such related agencies as the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Bureau.  The only cost would be the fee ($120 per year) to an Internet provider. Betty Champion made the motion that we accept Vince's offer and commit to two years at the fee listed.  Charlotte Dean seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
    
     
11. Lindsey Stricklin stated that Charlotte Dean, Betty Champion, Mary Peck and he are members of the Archives Action Team of the Superintendent's Advisory Committee.  Their most pressing need is to locate a site for storing the memorabilia from Bradshaw and Coffee High Schools.  It was agreed that this need might serve as the impetus to establish an archival center for Florence and Lauderdale County.
    
     
12. Mary Peck suggested that Greg Lawson's name be added to the local craftspersons list as an interior/exterior painter.
    
     
13. Billy Warren distributed copies of an article from the June 3, 2003, edition of USA Today.  It reveals that efforts are underway to create a digital archive of approximately 7,500 photos of archaeological excavations before TVA flooded the region in the 1930's.  This collection will ensure the photos' preservation and access to them by all kinds of researchers.
    
     
14. Because of time constraints, there was no discussion about the possible expansion of existing walking tour brochures.