Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA)
(In-person and Zoom)
MEETING MINUTES
JULY 14, 2025 6:30PM
Attendees:
Neighborhood Representatives: Larry Dzieza (CNA Chair/Nottingham HOA); Karen Sweeney (CNA Vice-Chair/SENA; Melissa Allen (BHNA); Dana McAvoy (EBDNA); Steve Olshevski (SWONA); Bob Jacobs (Gov Stevens NA); John Saunders, Gerald Apple & Sue Hedrick (SCNA); Judy Bardin (NWONA); Daniel Garcia & Keegan Wulf (Downtown NA); John Newman (Burbank/Eliot NA)
City Staff: Tim Smith (Asst. Director Community Development & Planning); Brittany Gillia (Neighborhood Matching Grants); Amelia Layton (Inspire Olympia)
Overview
The meeting began with Neighborhood Association (NA) updates including events, engagement levels, and local concerns. Amelia Layton summarized the Inspire Olympia Cultural Access Fund. Brittany Gillia reviewed the 2025 neighborhood matching grants and reimbursement processes for which participants suggested process improvements. Tim Smith updated us on current housing development projects and spoke about housing needs in
Olympia. Other issues of concern to NA’s were discussed: zoning changes, lobbyist ownership of homes, and sidewalk repair policies.
Neighborhood Updates
BHNA has regular events like newsletters, garage sales, and picnics. Right now, there is little interest in community-wide issues and no neighborhood concerns.
SWNA reported on a successful garage sale and upcoming summer picnic at West Central Park.
SCNA highlighted their annual meeting’s success, the election of new board members, and ongoing engagement with city planning issues. Concerns were raised about investors (particularly lobbyists who only occupy the houses during the legislative session) buying up homes in the South Capitol neighborhood, leading to neglect and declining property conditions.
SENA described neighborhood activities such as block parties and the use of WhatsApp for communication.
The meeting also touched on emergency preparedness efforts and the potential for technology-focused initiatives within the CNA.
EBDNA shared plans for their annual picnic on September 4th at Squaxin Park.
Burbank/Eliot NA said that the city plans to build sidewalks on Elliott Avenue, constructed alongside water line repairs.
Downtown NA highlighted concerns about pedestrian safety in downtown Olympia, following two recent pedestrian deaths, and mentioned upcoming Lake Fair events.
NWONA has a board meeting next Monday to plan the summer fun fest.
Nottingham HOA said that the proposed Log Cabin Road connection has been REMOVED from the countywide plan and but there is still speeding on Log Cabin Road. Larry suggested that traffic cameras should be considered to enforce speeding laws.
Olympia Cultural Access Fund Presentation
Amelia Layton provided an overview of the Inspire Olympia Cultural Access Fund, a voter-approved initiative aimed at increasing access to art, culture, heritage, and science. She explained the fund’s goals, eligibility criteria, and funding distribution for the first and second years, highlighting the impact on various cultural organizations in Olympia. Amelia also explained how neighborhoods can engage with the funded organizations and emphasized the importance of building relationships for potential collaborations.
Annual Neighborhood Matching Grants Presentation
Brittany Gillia explained that the funding window is July 1 to June 31, though applications must be submitted by December for Council approval. Members discussed the possibility of shifting the application timeline earlier in the year and the challenges of spending funds early due to Council budget decisions. CNA agreed to have a follow-up discussion in the fall to address grant priorities and timeline concerns, with Brittany emphasizing her goal to make the program accessible and fair for all applicants.
HOA Initiatives and Development Update
Tim Smith shared a constituent’s proposal about watering restrictions in HOAs, which led to a broader discussion about the potential need for separate HOA-focused initiatives, with Melissa suggesting a subset group and Daniel emphasizing the need for renter inclusion.
Tim presented a quarterly development report highlighting significant projects, which will be distributed through planning E-news. He gave an overview of 67 ongoing residential and commercial development projects in the city.
He highlighted several affordable housing initiatives including Fieldstone Apartments, Gibson conversion, and various low-income housing projects. He explained that while the city offers programs for affordable housing, many projects depend on state and federal grant programs which are currently underfunded.
Larry said he would distribute a chart showing AMI criteria for different housing categories, and Tim clarified that while some downtown developments have eliminated off-street parking requirements, single-family subdivisions still typically include garages and driveways as market demand remains high.
OTHER DISCUSSION
Traffic Cameras
The group discussed traffic cameras and their potential implementation in the city. Larry explained that while the city already uses license plate reading cameras for law enforcement, there are concerns about privacy and government surveillance. Melissa suggested adding traffic cameras to their list of neighborhood initiatives. The group also learned that the city currently has four speed cameras available through Public Works, though they are not used for ticketing. Larry proposed making traffic cameras a topic for a future meeting to learn more about their implementation in other Washington cities.
Olympia Housing Needs
The group discussed housing needs in Olympia, with Tim clarifying that the city needs to plan for 20,000 more people over 20 years. There was a question about how many of the units needed for the 20,000 were already built and in the pipeline and how many remaining need to be built. They explored the impact of waiving fees on other taxpayers and discussed the displacement of homeowners due to rising costs. Judy raised concerns about the increasing burden on low-income residents, while Tim noted that Olympia is not an island and should consider the larger South Sound region for housing solutions. Larry mentioned an upcoming presentation on the land use chapter and a housing forum wrap-up.
Concerns about Zoning Density Change
The meeting focused on concerns about the doubling of allowable units per acre from 12 to 24 units, which staff did not intend but was requested by the Council to simplify the zoning code. Participants expressed worries about the lack of specific details on implementation, potential leapfrogging of connections, and the speed of the process, noting that the changes could lead to significant residential changes without adequate public involvement.
Judy and others highlighted the importance of the comprehensive plan and the environmental impact statement, which was scoped without these recent changes in mind, raising risks of challenges and delays. The group agreed on the need for more clarity and public input before proceeding with such significant changes.
Lobbyist Housing
Larry presented research on lobbyist ownership of homes in the South Capitol neighborhood near the state capital, noting that approximately one-third of homes are owned by lobbyists representing major corporations and government entities. He discussed a 3D project “Lobbyhood” by journalist Austin Jenkins which visualizes this phenomenon and connects lobbyists to their clients and legislative outcomes.
Sidewalk Policies
Larry expressed frustration that the city has collected over $3 million in sales tax for sidewalk repairs but only allocated $500,000 annually for this. City funds are primarily directed toward commercial areas rather than residential neighborhoods, leading to a discussion about the fairness of current repair policies and the need for community forums to address these issues.
Affordable Housing Ideas
The group discussed a list (generated at the recent community forum) of 150-200 ideas for addressing affordable housing in Olympia, which Larry encouraged members to review.
NEXT STEPS
- Larry: Send out the Development Projects Report and Housing Forum AMI chart to all CNA members
- Tim: Make the July 2nd Land Use Chapter meeting recording available to the group
- Brittany: Plan a targeted discussion in fall regarding Grant priorities and criteria with neighborhood associations
- Larry/Tim: Look into organizing a community forum on sidewalk repair policies and funding distribution
- All CNA Members: Review the Housing Forum ideas list and provide comments on potential solutions
- Larry: Share the links to the 2018 “Lobbyhood” articles about South Capitol neighborhood with the group
- Larry: Follow up with Lacey about potential collaboration on HOA training sessions for neighborhood associations
- Larry: Investigate traffic camera implementation in other Washington cities for future discussion
- Tim Smith: Send follow-up email to Stu regarding volunteer sign-in sheets and specific forms for projects in right-of-way or city property
- Stu: Review Peter’s EIN instructions in the agenda and work with SEKU to resolve bank account and EIN association issues
- Sophie Stimpson & Max: Attend CNA meeting in fall/winter to discuss sidewalk repair policy options
- Tim Smith: Follow up with housing department to provide handout showing different criteria for each housing program
- Larry: Coordinate with the board regarding organizing a picnic-style meeting at the rose garden, including facility reservation.
JUNE CNA MEETING MINUTES UNANAMOUSLY APPROVED
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:30 PM RESPECTFULLYSUBMITTED BY MELISSA ALLEN
Council of Neighborhood Associations 