Steering minutes: 2009-10-04

Minutes:

Minutes of Steering Committee Meeting 10/4/09

Committee members present: Gail, Katie, Helen, Sarah, Amy, Rod
Guests: Cher & Greg

1. Committee Reports

F&L-bringing back Late Association Fee policy at next comty meeting integrating feedback from an earlier comty meeting presentation. Gearing up for Reserve Fund review.

MONKEY: Amy to talk with F&L about whether there are funds in the Reserve Fund to take care of the trim on Building 4 -- it's especially bad and there's a risk of structural damage if it's not painted soon.

MONKEY: Sarah will contact Rod to ask if Buildings is aware of this trim issue, and also about who will be the Buildings Steering Rep. -- Note: Rod came in later and said Buildings is aware of the trim issue.

CH - Haven't met recently. At last meeting, discussed budget line items, work day jobs. Would like to have a five-year master planning session like Grounds did.

Process - Planning for November 14-15 "Skills & Thrills" weekend -- InfoCo meets Tuesday and will be discussing this. At the next comty meeting, Catherine will lead a review of the start time of community meetings -- there was an agreement made a couple of years ago to start at 6:30 on a trial basis -- and it has never been brought back for community review.

Meals - Working with TS to get information about meals shifts. Putting a mat in front of large sink. Napkins purchased. Work Day jobs discussed. Request to cook brown rice more often. Blanks in online meals schedule are TS workers who haven't been assigned yet. May purchase a second grill if funds permit.

Membership - Trying to find a time to meet. Emily doing an informal survey with neighbors about their sense of how they are fitting in and what works and doesn't work for them, and will share this with committee and also with Process and InfoCo so this could potentially be folded into the "Skills & Thrills" weekend.

Cher and Greg need a buddy!

Grounds - working on budget stuff and work day items. Re: Trees -- decided to have Lodi Farms plant new trees instead of using work day labor for this. One on Oppenheimer's front lawn, one in west pod, and one across from Elph & Jillian in grassy triangle. Some concern about whether there might be underground lines across from Elph & Jillian. Dale dug up dead trees - yay. Thinking about replacing truck bed this fall instead of next spring if we can swing it financially -- needs to be done soon -- could wait but better sooner. Still working on lighting. Solar lights have been purchased and will try these out. Ted working on getting parking lot light fixed behind Nancy's.

Work - Revised Work Agreement coming forward at Wednesday's comty meeting. Discussion of compliance in the work system in response to Greg's question. In addition to work day sign up notebook, neighbors are asked to note on a sheet on the wall in the CH which day(s) they plan to work . TS filling in some blank slots in Meals jobs.

MONKEY: Katie will remind Willie to send draft revised Work Agreement out in advance.

Buildings - ongoing issue with maintenance piling up -- backlog of maintenance things. Trying to set up a system for getting these done. Also need a schedule for ongoing maintenance and inspections. Greg is going to do a couple of backlog items at next work day.

Buildings and CH need to have a seat at the table during reserve study. Rod will communicate this to F&L.

Building 4 trim is on Building's radar.

2. Special thanks re: Painting

Appreciation for Willie for the advance work re: painting the buildings, and thanks to Judith for working with the contractor, and for communicating frequently with the community as the painting went on, and for lending her garage. The buildings look so much nicer! And it was great to have the pergola completed.

3. Budget

Got feedback from committees. CH, F&L, Grounds, and Buildings have the largest budgets and some have complexities, so the Budget group will be talking with them. Oct. 19 is next comty meeting re: Budget -- will take up the entire meeting time.

4. Draft of letter to Swim Club

Judith wrote a draft and Sarah has it at her house. Will discuss at next meeting. No hurry because it's off-season. Some discussion of noise from the Polo Fields.

5. TS

Still working on getting their loan. Will follow through on meals shifts commitments. Doing fewer meals over there because of doing work at GO.

6. F&L item

Help for households who are struggling financially. F&L is looking for a separate group to provide this help because it's a conflict of interest for F&L to be overseeing the comty's financial health while simultaneously trying to help households that may owe the community money.
Affordability Committee was active early in GO's history with help to build a 37th unit, and helping with finding good mortgages, but has not been active recently.
Caring -- has helped people with financial problems in the past. Maybe some former Affordability folks could help, too.

MONKEY: Put on next Steering meeting agenda: invite Pam and any former Affordability members who are interested to next Steering meeting to see if they could help with this.

7. Exchange of Steering Reps with TS

Nancy is going to TS this month. TS rep comes here the alternate month. So every month, we have a means of communicating with TS. Any issues we need to communicate?

Do we need to review care of adjacent GO/TS Grounds areas?

MONKEY: Katie put this on the agenda for Grounds discussion.

Discussion about piling of snow -- on brick walk between TS & GO and stairs by garage. The latter is being solved by moving location of truck and tractor. Not much leeway for changing this pattern.