Some residents in the East Campus neighborhood say they’re divided

Some residents in the East Campus neighborhood say they are divided.

Residents were scheduled to meet Sunday afternoon to hold elections, hear update reports and enjoy a potluck, but for some that didn’t happen.

East Campus neighborhood residents voiced several concerns to the board. To be able to vote in the election, residents have to be a registered neighborhood member, which includes a registration fee. According to board president Janet Hammen, residents only get one vote no matter how many properties they own in the neighborhood. Some residents said they should be able to vote according to how many properties they own.

Residents said they weren’t aware of the meeting until nine days prior to the meeting date, when it should have been 10. Hammen admitted to the mistake during the informal meeting, and agreed to postpone the annual meeting to later this year.

Residents ABC 17 News spoke with said there have been tensions between the neighborhood board and residents for years. Denice Warnken has owned property for more than 40 years and said there have always been tensions and not enough representation of students is represented on the board.

Timothy Waid said he hired a court reporter to document all of the interactions Sunday and some of the residents are gathering legal representation to go against the board because they believe it doesn’t provide enough transparency and support.

“A neighborhood association should be neighborly,” Waid said. “That is not a word I would use for the East Campus Neighborhood Association.”

Waid said transparency is non-existent with the board when it comes to money for projects, specifically lighting.In 2014, a resident started an online petition to get the city to install more lights, but after a walk-thru the lighting was concerned adequate.

“The students in the East Campus neighborhood need safety lighting. It would be a positive thing, and would lend to beneficial outcomes,” Waid said.

Waid said nearly 75 percent of the neighborhood is made up of tenants and the property owners don’t feel represented on the board, which is why they are seeking legal action on voting by-laws. Waid believes if residents are able to vote according to how many homes they own, the board will be more representative.

“This is not one neighborhood, (It is) clearly two distinct neighborhoods,” Waid said.

The current lighting around East Campus was put in during the 1940s and has not been updated since.

“Betsy Peters and myself (Janet Hammen) walked through the neighborhood and night looking at lights,” Hammen said. “We made the city aware of lights burned out. I do not know what they’re talking about.”

“There could be more lights on people’s houses but the city has nothing to do with it,” Hammen said.