Category: Organizational

  • October 2020 Meeting Agenda

     

    SSSNA October General Meeting  (via Zoom Video)

    When: October 20, 2020 at 6:30 PM

    Where: Zoom Virtual Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84837370248?pwd=UHZ5UFBlaGVSSU1pL1V6MUZPWTRPUT09

    • Welcome

      Ways to Connect w/ SSSNA

      Zoom meeting guidelines / Agenda overview

      1. Zone 3 Police Update – Cmdr. Dixon to report on:
        1. Recent Slopes shootings : American Legion & Arlington Spray Park
        2. Zone safety
        3. Public safety resources
        4. Q/A (5-10 min)
      2. Bruce Kraus
        1. District 3 Updates
        2. Misc. Info.
        3. Q/A (5-10 min)
      3. Recognized Community Organization (RCO) and Development Activities Meetings (DAM) Overview
      4. Committee Updates
        1. South Side Park
        2. StepTREK
        3. Beautification : Garbage Olympics Report
        4. Outreach
        5. Zoning
        6. Governance
      5. Open Floor / Questions / Add. Announcements
      6. Adjourn
  • 2020 Slopes Board Updates

    The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association wants to congratulate and is pleased to announce four newly elected and re-elected members of our Board of Directors. At the March general meeting, Lucía Sánchez Madrigal was elected to be a new member of the Executive board. Jamie Balser, Denise Fillip, Cara Jette, Brian Oswald, and Gavin Robb were re-elected to additional terms. We want to thank Dawn Lorincy over 6 years of service on the board, most recently serving as the Treasurer.

    The updated board has made the following changes to the executive members. Blake McLaren will be the new President of the Association. Former President, Kristin Raup, will be taking on the role of Secretary. Donna Tarkett was re-elected as Vice President. Cara Jette will transition from Secretary to Treasurer.

    While we are all staying home and meeting virtually, stay tuned for new online developments from the board very soon!

  • 2020 Public Meeting Schedule

    Every year, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association holds six public meetings open to the community (two of which are parties!).

    • Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center *
    • Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center *
    • Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center Zoom Virtual Meeting
    • Tuesday, July 14, 2020 Picnic at Bandi Schaum Community Garden Zoom Virtual Meeting
    • UPDATED: Tuesday October 20, 2020 – Virtual Zoom Meeting
    • CANCELLED: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 Holiday Party

    All meetings start @ 6:30 p.m.

    * St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center is located at 148 Monastery St. (parking available)

    All South Side Slopes residents are invited to attend. Join us to meet new people or reconnect with long-time neighbors, learn what is happening and planned for the community, and share your ideas, concerns and love for the Slopes.

    In order to be a voting member of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association, you must attend at least 2 meetings and/or events per year.

  • Proposed 2019 By-Laws Changes

    The Board of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association is proposing the following by-law changes and policy addition for a vote before the membership at our Annual elections meeting on Tuesday October 8, 2019. You can see a copy of the current by-laws here. To summarize, we are instituting term limits for board members and changing the month of our public Annual Meeting. These changes are being proposed in order to register as a Registered Community Organization with the city and to improve the quality of the Board. 

    By-Laws Change – Article VI, Section 4

    Change from: 

    “Term of Office: The terms of office for Board members will be two (2) years. However, five members of the initial Board of Directors shall serve a term until the next annual meeting, at which time they will stand for election to a full two-year term. There will be no limitation to the number of terms a Board member may serve.”  

    To: 

    “Term of Office: The terms of office for Board members will be two (2) years. However, five members of the initial Board of Directors shall serve a term until the next annual meeting, at which time they will stand for election to a full two-year term. Effective for Board members whose terms begin in 2019 and thereafter, Board members may not serve more than five consecutive terms.  After being off the Board for at least one (1) year, the Board member shall be eligible to serve on the Board again.” 

    By-Laws Change – Article V, Section 1

    Change from: 

    “Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be held during the month of October at a location and time to be announced to the membership one month in advance for the purpose of electing directors and for the transaction of such business as may come before the meeting.”

    To:

    “Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be held during the month of March at a location and time to be announced to the membership one month in advance for the purpose of electing directors and for the transaction of such business as may come before the meeting.”

    NEW POLICY

    Non-Discrimination Policy 

    The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, disability, or political or religious opinion or affiliation in any of its policies, procedures or practices.

  • Looking back: The origins of the SSSNA

    Submitted by Beverly Bagosi Boggio, founding board member 1998-2008, past president and past StepTrek chair

    bev bagosi boggio

    On Memorial Day weekend 1998, there was a fire in a home on Holt Street that destroyed three homes in the time that it took the Fire Department to arrive and stage their equipment. Due to the unique topography of the South Side Slopes, narrow hilly streets and tight corners, the fire won. Because of this, a group of active Slopes neighbors were galvanized. Throughout the summer, several meetings were held and by October 1998 a Board of Directors was chosen and the South Side Slopes Association was born. The initial slogan was “SOS/Save Our Slopes”. Thanks to the partnership with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, the Firefighter’s Union and several Fire engine manufacturers, within a year, the City had the plans to order 4 smaller pumper trucks with a tighter turning radius and narrow wheel span to safely travel all of the hilly City neighborhoods, not just the Slopes. This was ambitious and the Board was focused. Keep in mind that the internet of 1998 was not what it is today. We got our first “AOL” email address in 2002, followed by our first website, later that year.

    In those early days, the SSSNA Board was tenacious and committed – a spirit that carries on in today’s Board. The projects were large and the budget was shoestring. Each month, the Board members addressing and mailing the newsletter would bring stamps, as there was no funding. The first grant was $250 from the City and we felt like millionaires. In the beginning, we partnered with the former South Side Local Development Company/SSLDC under their 501(c)3 nonprofit umbrella. That is how we were able to obtain grants to improve the Slopes. We were also able to survey housing stock and catalog our steps and their condition. We received 501(c)3 designation in 2005. We continued our partnership until the SSLDC completed their mission in 2012. We received an Elm Street designation for five years to feather into the Main Street designation that SSLDC had from the State. (Learn about Elm Street and Main Street designations here: https://padowntown.org/programs/elm-street-program)

    SSSNA also became a member organization of the South Side Planning Forum. We gave input for the South Side Works development and participated in the new land use designations of MAP Pittsburgh. We attended City zoning hearings and invited developers with plans to build/restore in the Slopes, to share their plans and get our input from the community at our meetings. We began long‐standing relationships with City, County and State agencies and officials, as well as the Pittsburgh police. Many of the City partnerships and projects involved public safety. In 2002, we worked to get two pedestrian footbridges over the railroad tracks at 10th and 15th Streets replaced with Core ten steel, adding safety lighting three years later. We also had safety lighting installed under the railroad underpasses on 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 27th Streets.

    Another big focus was, and still is, beautification. We began gateway garden developmental by partnering with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC). We built gardens along Josephine Street at Greeley and Barry Streets in 2000. More gardens followed along 18th Street, then Brosville and continue to be created throughout the Slopes. There were thousands of cleanups over the years that continue today. Thousands of discarded tires have been removed, as well as tons of trash and recyclables.

    What was our most successful, hair‐brained idea? StepTrek. While other neighborhoods had home tours, we knew that the Slopes was unique and should be showcased differently. Author Bob Regan and photographer Tim Fabian were collaborating on a book (The Steps of Pittsburgh: Portrait of a City)  about the public stairways throughout the City – which would create some buzz about the steps. Slopes residents Ed Jacob and Mike Milberger brought an idea to the board that the City steps should be celebrated. The fledgling board decided to give it a try, and StepTrek was a go. In 2000, we held the first StepTrek. Hundreds of people paid money to walk miles of steps – for a good cause. We got the City to repair steps and clean up the routes each year prior to the event. We changed the routes every year to keep up maintenance on all of our stairways. Now in its 18th year, StepTrek has enabled thousands of people to experience the amazing views that we get to see every day.

    It has been an amazing journey. It is hard to imagine 20 years ago how much would be accomplished. The loss of homes to the fire in 1998 was terrible, but from that tragedy came a community focused on safety, advocacy and continuous improvement. Since 1998, the SSSNA board has had dozens of amazing neighbors who have served and added to the energy and progress of this community. Thank you to all who served, partnered, volunteered, cleaned, photographed, documented, shared, trekked and donated. The success of SSSNA and the neighborhood is because of you! Cheers to the next 20 years!

  • 2017 Board Elections

    Jamie Balser & Elizabeth Heidenreich
    Jamie Balser & Elizabeth Heidenreich

    Welcome to Jamie Balser to the Board of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association. Jamie has been a vocal and active participant in the Friends of South Side Park and many many volunteer days for South Side Park and other Slopes events.

    Dawn Lorincy, Denise Filip, Dawn Lorincy, Brian Oswald, and Cara Jette were re-elected for additional 2-year terms as well.

    Thank you to Elizabeth Heidenreich for her year of service on the Board!

  • Welcome New Board Members

    Congratulations and welcome to the newest members of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association Board of Directors:

    • Elizabeth Heidenreich
    • Blake McLaren
    • Donna Tarkett

    Thank you to our departing members: Sarah Alessio Shea, Laura Officer, and Pavel Yakovlev. 

     

  • Interested in Joining the SSSNA Board?

    The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association (SSSNA) is looking for a few good men or women.

    The Slopes Association will have open positions for three or four new Board of Directors members in the coming election. Board members are seeking to “pass the torch” on to new residents of the Slopes who are engaged in their neighborhood and who will help their community to stay clean, green, safe and neighborly.

    The SSSNA is a 501 3c organization and the board members are volunteers. Residents of the Slopes who have attended at least two Slopes’ meetings from Oct 2015 to July 2016 are eligible.

    Those who are interested are asked to contact the SSSNA Board President Brian Oswald at brian.oswald@southsideslopes.org

  • Welcome New Board Member

    The South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association is happy to announce the addition of Laura Officer to the Board of Directors. Originally from Mt. Lebanon, Laura moved to the South Side Slopes in 2011. She works at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, where the mission is to feed people in need and mobilize our community to eliminate hunger. Laura works directly with over 100 food assistance programs, some of which are located in the South Side Slopes, South Side Flats, and Hilltop communities. Laura brings her expertise in Non-Profit Management to the Board as well as experience in program evaluation, grant writing and strategic planning.

    Laura is replacing Jamin Bogi who stepped down from the Board last month. We thank Jamin for his dedication to the South Side Slopes, and we know he will continue to contribute to the Slopes neighborhood with his regular clean-ups, pruning, reporting issues to 311, and more!

     

  • Request from South Side Chamber of Commerce

    From the South Side Chamber of Commerce President, Jonathan Growall:

    The South Side Welcome Center needs your help! In 2 years the South Side Welcome Center has established itself as the go to place for information, volunteerism, & positive energy in the South Side. The Welcome Center has produced and featured information on the South Side Slopes, our City Steps and South Side Park. The Welcome Center has also been a partner in several initiatives of the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association including StepTrek. It takes funding and a monumental volunteer effort to keep the South Side Welcome Center open and staffed. Please consider a donation today!

    Checks can be made payable to:
    South Side Chamber of Commerce
    1100 East Carson Street
    Pittsburgh, PA 15203

    For more information or to join the South Side Chamber of Commerce, stop by their welcome center or visit their website.