Steering minutes: 2010-08-01

Minutes:

Minutes of Steering Committee

8/1/10



Present: Willie, Nancy, Judith, Jim, Gail, Amy



1. Report on GO/TS Summit meeting (7/31/10)



Minutes from the GO/TS Summit have gone out. There is an effort to create
an improved avenue of e-mail communication between GO and TS. There was
discussion at the meeting about traffic issues in the entrance area to our
parking lots and within the parking areas, and suggestions for a Yield sign
at GO and speed bumps in both communities. This was referred to the
respective Grounds committees. There is a plan to have similar meetings
seasonally.



2. Building Committee Request for Critical Funds grant



Gail researched what Steering has spent Critical Funds on in the past: such
things as leveling the playing field, fixing the treadmill, commissioning
and installing a GO/TS sign, purchasing a CH stereo, a workshop and
additional consultations with Annie Zirkel, CH entry door replacement, labor
& materials, and CH entry concrete floor.



We’ve already spent $500 from the 2010 critical needs fund for legal fees,
so we have $1500 left. Another request may be coming from Grounds, we’ve
heard.



Today, Judith brought a request for funds to help a household pay for a
needed structural repair. Though strictly speaking this repair is the
household’s responsibility, in the larger sense, this repair will protect
the community’s investment in our structures. Steering was sympathetic, but
was concerned about funding this for two reasons: 1) it sets a precedent
for using the Critical Needs funds to help individual households, which has
never been done before; and 2) we feel that the use of critical needs funds
should be transparent. We don’t feel that we can or should maintain
confidentiality around the use of these funds.



MONKEY: Gail, as Steering Convener, will approach Pam, as the person who is
most closely associated with Caring, and Membership, which we believe is the
committee that oversees Caring, to see if Caring funds could be used to help
this household and maintain confidentiality. If Caring funds would be
greatly reduced by making this grant, Steering suggests that Caring put out
a request for donations from community members to help. This has not been
done in recent memory and Steering members felt that community members would
respond. If this does not work out, Buildings could consider using
Buildings Maintenance Rollover funds for this purpose, because the expense
would protect the community’s investment.



3. Other Business - none



4. Committee Reports



MEALS – The shopper job is currently under CH, but there is a recommendation
that the job be moved under the domain of the Meals Committee. The shopper
will soon have a debit card. Next season, the number of hours for this job
may be increased to 5.

- The shopper will soon follow up on the suggestion to get a grill mat to
keep grease off the patio.

- The meaning of the error codes for the Hobart will soon be posted.

- Dale will be asked to make new little dry erase boards as the old ones are
permanently marked up.

- Nancy is shopping for a second, smaller rice cooker in case cooks want to
make both white and brown rice.

- The committee thinks there is a need to discuss the overall meals program
because there have been fewer diners, and it has been harder to fill head
cook jobs and other shifts. The committee thought that perhaps an
alternative meeting could be devoted to this. Amy, representing Infoco,
suggested that this topic could be discussed at a regular business meeting,
so Meals does not have to wait until the Winter work season to get an
alternative meeting slot (these have already been filled for Fall, which
only has 2 alternative meetings). Infoco can help Meals plan this meeting.



WORK – Allocation was mostly successful. Dale and Willie made a list of
tweaks to fix a few bumps in the allocation process. Overall they feel they
are seeing burnout in the work system. Least popular jobs are convener and
coordinator positions. Most popular jobs are snow shoveling and CH
cleaning, etc. It seems that there is a problem with finding enough
leadership for committees. Amy pointed out that conveners generally need to
come from within committees as a convener needs to know what the committee’s
current activities are; therefore, not many people would give a positive
preference for a convener position. However, certain committees have been
having a very hard time finding new conveners, even from within the
committee.



Suggestions: Have an assistant convener position? Or increase number of
hours for conveners?



Willie has made a graph of showing meals participation over the life of the
community. There was a big drop off in 2005 and then a new, fairly stable
pattern. Willie will share this with Meals.



Willie has some ideas on reforming the work system that he hopes to be able
to work on while Jillian is Work convener in the Fall.



Work will have a rotating Steering rep in the Fall. Gail pointed out that
it’s really important that people attend Steering and take the work
seriously – it’s not just an occasion to give a committee report.



MEMBERSHIP – Lots of new people recently have moved in or will be moving
in. Elisha is moving into Hope’s unit, Luther is coming to Susan and
Sharon’s, Peter has moved into Jay and Tracy’s. Margaret is coming back in
September. Kate Long is relatively new at Catherine and Keith’s. There may
be a renter at Dorothy’s. Tim and Melisa have an offer on their unit.



We need to do a lot of orienting of these new people. Willie learned that
Craig’s List is working as an avenue to draw attention to rental
opportunities. A New Member packet is very much needed! Membership is
working on this.



F&L – Has been working extensively on the lien and trying to reach a new
agreement with the household in arrears. Decided that we need to close the
books on 2009 on the basis of existing practices and agreements, though need
to get advice during the professional review of our books to make sure these
practices are in the community’s best interests going forward. Rod will be
leading the budget process again this year, and Carl will assist. Carl will
be the new bookkeeper starting in September, and will be learning from Kathy
and Elph about bookkeeping practices, as well as from Rod about the budget.
Carl may also assist with the Reserve Fund study/update if this would be
helpful. Still getting bids for the annual review. Monitoring the
foreclosure process on unit #17 but waiting until the redemption period is
over before asking our attorney any questions so as to avoid unnecessary
attorney fees.



PROCESS – The alternative meeting proposal was passed. Working on
scheduling facilitators, minute takers, and alternative meeting leaders.
Working on better defining the role of the convener.



CH – New Blinds have been installed in several windows. In a future budget
cycle, blinds will be installed in the Kids’ Room. Heather will be the new
CH Decorator.



BUILDINGS – Ted is working on the Bike Shed doors. Bike Sheds are an
example of how things are interrelated – Bike Sheds overlap both CH and
Buildings.



Fire Suppression System Inspection has been done, thanks to Judith. Budgeted
$1200-1300 but the inspection cost less – good! Judith’s building did not
pass because the fluid in the system was not the correct mix. The system
needs to be drained and refilled. They will put in a valve and overflow
tank while they are there. This should correct the leak in Adi and
Heather’s basement. TriStar will do this work. Still have drips in
Building 10 even though the system has been turned off.



Also did backflow testing in Hot Boxes, also thanks to Judith. All passed,
no problems, only took 3-1/2 hours. Budgeted $700, should not cost that
much – good!



Judith will be testing electrical supply in hot boxes this fall to ensure
that pipes won’t freeze.



GROUNDS

Gross Electric came out and recommended down lights around the CH and
possibly some bollard (post) lights. Will have another company come out to
give advice as well.

Prioritized the areas Grounds want to work on from the Landscape plan – N.
CH area is first. Then south patio.


Sari doing a great job taking care of trees - -checking into what is wrong
with them when they are not doing well, and watering.



Discussion about various LCE’s. What happens in one affects the one next to
it. Grounds was never given any direction in enforcing upkeep.



Judith will check the circuit breakers to see why the lights are out on the
south bank of garages as well as the light behind
Willie/Katie/Nancy/Vincent/Sari’s building.





5. Next Meeting - 9/5 (Labor Day Weekend)



The next meeting marks the beginning of the new work season. We decided to
keep the meeting on Sunday, September 5 at 5 pm even though it is Labor Day
weekend, but if there are complaints from new members, we’ll revisit.



Next Season’s Steering reps:



CH – Jim

Buildings – Judith or Alex

F&L – Cher (Amy will fill in when Cher is not here)

Grounds – Vincent

Meals – Kathy

Membership - Sarah

Process – Gail

Work – rotating



Kathy will be the TS Ambassador.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://gocoho.org/pipermail/steering-minutes_gocoho.org/attachments/20100807/d582ad1c/attachment.html>