CORONADO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
General Meeting
July 10, 2008
I. Introduction and welcome – Matt Conn (7:05)
II. Adult Probation report
a. Nick unable to make it
b. Community service in the last month was able to help the back shed get cleaned out – only a couple desks left, waiting for help to give them to Big Brother/Big Sister.
c. Jolie no longer here; replacement, Marie Long, introduced herself, asked for community contributions to their efforts. Left business cards.
III. Community Action Officers’ report
a. Manny will be late and present later.
IV. Featured Presentation
a. Jerry Cook and Salem – Sunshine Market renovation, 12th St/Oak
i. Project started as an office addition, but a duplex design has been substituted amid problems with site planning for a commercial use.
ii. Provided details on the design for the residential units, including three-dimensional graphics
iii. From the front it’s a narrow two-story portion. Well within the setback limits.
iv. Sunshine Market is staying; residential unit is being put behind.
v. Zoning variance along the alley is for the store; doesn’t affect the duplex.
vi. Designers had already received one comment from neighborhood resident – didn’t want construction early in the morning.
vii. Height: about 20 feet. Units are intended to be for rent.
viii. Scheduled completion? Earliest construction could start is about 3 months, about 5 months of construction expected.
ix. Where’s the parking? Two spaces underneath.
x. One of the driveways to the store will be taken out with a smaller one put in.
xi. If there was a letter of support from the neighborhood it could help allay the fears of HP. Builders think that it provides some shade to the street, is set back enough, etc.
xii. Ellen: Motion for the CNA to write in support of the project.
1. Maureen seconds
2. Passes unanimously.
b. Community Action Officer – Manny Valenzuela
i. New partner – Larry Naranjo, will introduce at a later meeting.
ii. Issue at 8th St. South of Oak where there was a stabbing. Spoke to the owner of the house.
iii. Officer Doreena Weigert, also present – part of the community response unit, handles requests for Block Watch issues, can be a point of contact if other officers are not available. Can reach through the same station number as Manny.
1. October 18 is the date for the GAIN celebration. Knows Coronado has participated in the past.
2. Andrea pointed out that Christina Henrie is putting on GAIN this year.
3. Another neighborhood patrol training class coming up on 19th, at 19th Ave and Sweetwater at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge. Working lunch.
4. If those certified for patrol are interested in doing group patrols, she could help with that.
iv. Joanie: adds there was a great article on her in the Dispatch; next month’s meeting with have BlockWatch information.
v. Ellen: can someone also post the PMP training at gcna.info? Will have someone do that.
vi. Question: against city law to go through other people’s trash cans? Answer: Yes. Neighbor reports that Crime Stopper said this is not against the law.
vii. Ofc. Weigert: Alleyways are common entranceways for burglaries, so let someone know if you see people there.
c. Matt Conn – “There Goes the Neighborhood Association”
i. Board is starting to look thin – Cam also recently resigned.
ii. Matt: when he first volunteered to run, no one wanted to run, but they were elected.
iii. Matt got on the board and didn’t know any of the board members; for about a year, it was a lot of fun, despite some gaps; got along well. Worked around not having secretary and treasurer until Patricia and Mike volunteered.
iv. Thinks membership deserves an explanation for the attrition on the Board.
v. About a year ago, there was no coherent treasury; no central mechanism for all accounting procedures. Patricia set out to create a central repository, but became overwhelmed by busy work season, family illness.
vi. Got an indication in March that we had uncollected receivables from the Dispatch, but the records were not good. When previous Dispatch staff left, Patricia had volunteered to take over bookkeeping and collections for Dispatch.
vii. In May meeting, after a new board had been seated, Patricia had a proposal to hire someone to tie up books that were unclear. Came to the board meeting requesting people to work on receivables (about $8,000) – a problem that could be resolved.
viii. Couple of new board members reacted strongly and assumed that some people had undertaken in malfeasance. After this request a nasty e-mail chain ensued between the board members.
ix. Vileness of initial e-mails after this incident caused Patricia to quit.
x. Third day after the meeting, Board was given a request from Michelle and Wayne in the form of a legal letter: (read the letter, with some intermittent responses to it).
1. Question from the audience: Where are Wayne and Michelle tonight? (No one at meeting knows – they are still Board members.)
xi. Problem with this was that the records were not consolidated into an understandable form because Patricia had not done this yet.
xii. Wayne and Michelle went to see the records and concluded that they were in disarray, which is what Patricia had concluded.
xiii. There exists today an extreme tension between these two members and the rest of the board. A lot has to do with the perception that the conflicts involved are personal. Other board members perceive that past falling-outs were affecting the Board’s business. This pursuit by the new members seemed personal to the other members.
xiv. A following meeting with the old Dispatch staff became ugly. Matt says that all the questions raised were resolved to his personal satisfaction at that meeting.
xv. However, badgering and requests continued.
xvi. Andrea has a question: How are the receivables now?
1. Matt: receivables have gotten lower.
2. Patricia had been quietly working with Diane to keep records moving forward, assisting Diane. Patricia has subsequently gotten all our records caught up, except for the Tree Fund, in Quickbooks. New treasurer would get a clean slate.
3. Uncollected receivables today are about $5,000 total.
xvii. Steve K.: During this controversy, ran into Wayne at Home Depot, and Wayne accused the old Dispatch staff of embezzlement. (Steve said he thought this was an inappropriate accusation and told Wayne that at the time.)
xviii. Don: That is possibly slanderous. And CNA is not ensured against lawsuits.
xix. Matt: Wayne had some good ideas, and thought if he were on the board, these notions would be dispelled.
xx. Wayne had also said that some alleged corruption and problems had prevented him from running for the CNA board in the 2007 election.
1. A lot of people on the Board have thrown in the towel.
xxi. Doesn’t want to not have people volunteer for new positions, but wanted to explain the board’s attrition because the board acts on the will of the membership and he believed the membership deserved to know.
xxii. Randy: the intent of those two board members is to take down this organization.
1. Don: Wayne has already applied for grants in potential competition with the CNA.
2. Andrea: he can do that; didn’t get the grants because they weren’t good proposals.
3. Don: Undermining negativity is shutting down things at the CNA.
xxiii. Jason: Implication of impropriety doesn’t have to bring everything down; bring everything to light, stop whisper campaigns, and make accusations publicly so they can be disposed of.
xxiv. Was going to invite Wayne and Michelle, if they were here, to make accusations in front of the group so the group could hear them and decide it.
xxv. Ellen: interjects to introduce Hal Korff, who will conduct the bylaws workshop on Saturday.
1. Also introduces Brad from the Willo Board, asks him if he knows Wayne; says yes; asked if he attended the Willo meetings, said he didn’t recall that.
2. Brad introduced himself to nurture a relationship between Willo and Coronado,
xxvi. Question: With the books how they are right now, is the organization in the black?
1. Joanie: If you’re 90-120 days out on receivables, that’s bad if there’s been no collections. But they are going to be collected.
2. Matt: When dealing with small vendors it can be difficult.
3. Jason: Published on Monday, had 21 advertisers, over half have paid.
a. Don congratulates them on the recent Dispatch.
b. Jason sass the Dispatch is no longer running ads from accounts two issues overdue.
c. Goal is still for the Dispatch to pay for itself. Summer is not a great time, and the economy hurts. Overall, dispatch doing fine. Under-budget on printing.
xxvii. Prior to old Dispatch crew, Dispatch was losing $11,000 a year, which was made up in grant money.
xxviii. Elizabeth: Many would be willing to help on the Board, but have seen the barrage, and aren’t inclined to volunteer because they don’t want to subject themselves to acrimony.
1. Don: this is a constant thing that happens to all boards.
xxix. Ralph: When Michelle and Wayne ran, they said they could work with the other members; Ralph did vote in that direction, and feels that there was a misrepresentation. What can we do at this stage?
1. Matt: nominations for new elections tonight.
2. Maureen: can they be voted off? Answer: board lacks ability, due to resignations.
V. Treasurer’s report – new budget
a. Budget based on last year – first page is expected income, second expected expenses. (Member of the proposed budget is online separately),
b. Matt runs through the items and amounts on the budget.
c. Maureen and Doreen thought that Directors & Officers insurance was a good idea. Andrea said about $1,500 a year.
d. Brad: D&O insurance is highly recommended because you occasionally need it. (Will talk after meeting).
e. Doreen: amend the budget to include $2,500 for insurance for D&O insurance.
i. Seconded
ii. Discussion: Joanie: July of 2007 at July board meeting Diane had people sign something. Can we look into that how it affects this?
1. Answer: yes.
iii. Passes unanimously.
f. Neighborhood association also lost about $7500 in Home Tour sponsorship after we lost Patricia because the sponsor balked.
g. Andrea makes a motion to accept the budget with the amendment
i. Seconded
ii. Passed.
h. Matt’s treasurer’s report:
i. Books are up to date thanks to Patricia.
ii. Jason: Damage of losing Patricia can’t be underscored.
iii. Don: Patricia is loved in the community, and if the community could try to figure out a way to get her back.
1. Matt: Maybe she can be convinced. But she had to get out once slanderous stuff was flying around because it had the potential to be professionally damaging.
2. Fiona: Patricia is involved in the home tour; chance we could keep $7500 we had lost
iv. Reads balance report. (attached as an appendix).
v. Maureen: Overall we are in good shape.
VI. Approval of minutes
a. Member moves we approve minutes for June meeting
b. Second by Ellen
c. Passes unanimously.
VII. Committee chair reports
a. Andrea, Coronado Park – field trips to see bathrooms, going on another field trip on Saturday.
b. Steve K., 7th St business – working on a website.
c. Christina, GAIN – not here.
d. Steve P., Encanto Village – approved renovations for Foundation for Senior Living, wanted to expand parking to unused areas. Large setback on corner of Edgemont, will do lots of nice landscaping. Goes to planning commission now.
VIII. New business
a. Complaint against the board – Maureen agrees to bypass this without discussion.
b. Coronado Swim Team – have asked to sponsor some kids’ memberships. $35 per child to join, some families can’t fund this. Would we agree to sponsor one or two?
i. Has 20 or 30 on the swim team overall.
ii. Jason: pay for matching swimsuits, pay for a party.
c. Andrea: moves to give $350 to Swim Team
i. Discussion: Ellen: May want to be wary of sponsorships because people will come and ask for donations
ii. Don: This is so specific to the neighborhood that’s not really a consideration.
iii. Ellen: Just asking for money, doesn’t approve of it.
iv. Seconded
v. Passes with clear majority for the motion, four votes against.
IX. Nomination for new officers and board directors:
a. Mike S: Looks unlikely that board members who are being discussed will be on the Board again, based on their absence.
b. Doreen – nominates Tom Wright for president.
i. Seconded.
ii. Tom Wright accepts.
c. Any other for president? No.
d. Tom Wright nominates Patricia for treasurer.
i. Uncertain whether she would accept. Will investigate whether she accepts.
ii. Nominated pending her acceptance.
e. Steve K nominates Matt Conn for VP; seconded
i. Matt accepts.
f. Mike S. not accepting nomination to be secretary again.
g. Steve K nominates Andrea for secretary.
i. She declines but agrees to informally take notes.
h. Andrea nominates Elizabeth Compton for secretary.
i. Seconded; accepts.
i. Matt: unsure whether people can be nominated next month.
i. Don: thinks that is true, that further nominations can be placed.
ii. Matt: made a non-confusing ballot.
iii. Garth Anne: If there are nominations from the floor in the next meeting, can copy new ballots on Xerox.
j. Anyone for board?
i. Mike S. nominates Steve Keane; seconded; Steve accepts.
ii. Don nominates Maureen;
1. Marueen declines
iii. Andrea nominates Joe Murphy.
1. Seconded, accpts
iv. Steve K. nominates Don; seconded; Don accepts.
v. Ellen nominates Faith; seconded; accepts.
vi. Joanie nominates Ellen E.; seconded; accepts as long as Diane would not like to be a board member.
1. Diane does, so Ellen declines.
vii. Matt nominates Diane for the board; she said she would accept in a letter.
k. Joanie nominates Ellen for treasurer
i. Matt: thought that someone else may enter the ring and run for treasurer.
ii. Ellen accepts.
l. Ellen nominated Doreen for treasurer; Doreen declined.
m. Cam nominated for Board; declines.
n. Summary of those who will appear on the ballot as nominated: Tom Wright for President; Matt Conn for VP; Elizabeth Compton for Secretary; Ellen Edwards for Treasurer; Steve Keane for the Board; Joe Murphy for the Board; Don Mertes for the Board; Faith for the Board; Diane Brennan for the Board.
X. Open discussion
a. Andrea already talked about the grant.
b. Announcement: Bylaws workshop on Saturday.
i. Andrea: suggestion is, to address bylaws rather than what have been edited, can we start from originals?
ii. Matt: Hal Korff will settle those issues; he has ideas on how to deal with it.
c. Brad Brower says hello – he is the new president of Willo District.
i. Former member of Coronado. Impressed with the size; Dispatch has gotten a lot better, too. Theirs not on website yet.
ii. First-Seventh Ave., Thomas to McDowell.
iii. No greater neighborhood – just historic area.
iv. Wants to nurture a relationship between historic district. Visited Windsor Square – just board members, no neighbors.
v. Willing to write letters on behalf of their organization.
vi. Nice to know that contention is not unique to their neighborhood.
d. Hal Korff says hello; has some ideas for bylaws workshop on Saturday, looks forward to people attending.
e. Next month, Block Watch and elections
XI. Adjournment (8:35)
a. Don moves
b. Seconded
c. Passed