April 20 General Membership Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes
AHNA General Membership Meeting
Monday April 20, 2009
6:30 Meeting called to order by Makenzie Carpenter. She welcomes everyone.
Crime Report
Home burglaries are the biggest problem in the neighborhood right now. The latest break in happened in the afternoon between 1:30 & 2:45. Most happen during the day, so please be on the lookout for suspicious people and call.
Officer Miller: Any pressing issues?
Q: There is a house on Dexter that is up on blocks. Is this safe and allowed?
A: No, this is not safe, I have talked to the owner about this. He sold the house to someone who will be moving it. He will emphasize to the buyer that the home needs to be moved promptly.
Q: Have there been any home invasions lately?
A: Not in our neighborhood.
Q: There seems to be a lot of graffiti in the neighborhood.
A: 817-212-2770 Graffiti abatement hotline.
Q: What do we do about illegal dumping?
A: Call 911. Even though this doesn’t sound like an emergency, illegal dumping carries a large fine, and so authorities are quick to respond to these calls.
Officer Miller: Announcement – I am moving to the Traffic Division, so Officer Teri Majors will be taking over as our new neighborhood officer.
Makenzie: We will miss you Officer Miller! We would like to welcome and introduce Officer Majors. She will be taking over in two weeks.
T.M. Majors, Neighborhood Police Officer
Cell: 817-992-0187
Email: teri.majors@fortworthgov.org
New Business
Tonight’s Presentation
Senior Horticulturist Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Steve Huddleston, presents: Easy Gardens for North Central Texas.
Please come visit the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and join the Botanical Society if you are interested. A list of events at the Botanic Gardens is being passed around. Steve has his book with him tonight, if you want to purchase a copy, they will be available after the presentation. Tonight’s presentation covers the first chapter of the book.
Conserving water is important in gardening. You can choose drought tolerant plants that are native to Texas and use less turf. The entrance to the Botanic Gardens off of Harvey displays low water use plants. When irrigating, drip irrigation is the most efficient. Steve is trying an organic approach in his garden this year and encourages using fewer pesticides. Also, he encourages adding plants to your garden that attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds to your yard.
His book has a section dedicated to low maintenance plants. He has divided these into Blue Ribbon Plants that require very little maintenance and Red Ribbon Plants that require some maintenance. When planting, set up different zones depending on the plant maintenance, watering and sun light requirements.
Soil preparation is important when planning a garden. If you have clay soil, put 3” of expaned shale on top of the clay and then 3” of aged compost on top of the shale. This loosens up tight heavy clay soil. If you want to have your soil tested to find the pH level and the chemical composition, you can contact the Extension Office.
Mulch is important in a garden. The advantage of organic mulch is that it breaks down and helps to feed your plants. Of course it needs to be replaced periodically. The City of Fort Worth has free mulch available and some tree trimming companies also give away free mulch. For fertilizer, choose one with a slow release from of nitrogen. For grass, fertilize when grass is growing about once every 6 weeks.
Fall is the best time to plant! Spring is the second best time to plant!
Upcoming Speakers
May – Code Compliance with Gina Cubbage
Meeting Adjourned @ 7:30 pm.