MHCA Area Directors' meeting minutes

Present: G. Poulson, J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), P. Haskew,
C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also present: Jeff Maxted, Shelley Schmidt, Libby Maxted.

1. Roll call: D. Lamb ascertained that a quorum of Board members was not present and adjourned the meeting.

2. Informal discussion: Although no formal action could be taken, the Board members present agreed to hold informal discussion of several items on the agenda.

a. Annual Meeting: D. Lamb announced that plans were in place for the Annual Meeting on October 29. It would be held at Westwood Christian Church at 6:30 p.m. She would arrange for refreshments. An article about the meeting would appear in the newsletter, which was soon to be distributed.

b. SWANS update: D. Lamb and C. Bunge reported on the meeting, called by the South West Alliance of Neighborhoods and Dane County Council of Public Affairs on August 26. They distributed handouts from the meeting and reported that no action was taken to adopt the “Madison Residents Bill of Rights” or “The Madison Community Code of Conduct and Behavior,” which had been proposed by the sponsoring groups. There was brief discussion of what MHCA might or should do to promote community in the neighborhoods in the area.

c. Green team: J. Sweet reported that Janice Gary had fallen and broken her hip, but that she was recuperating in good spirits. She reported further that Janice requested that other Board members keep an eye on the Gateway area. A cleanup day for the Tokay median was scheduled for October 24, the same day as another garden tour.

d. Neighborhood plan: D. Lamb reported that the City Council had adopted the Midvale Heights-Westmorland Neighborhood Plan on a 19-1 vote. Board members expressed appreciation to D. Lamb and the joint committee for their hard and effective work on the project.

e. Other matters: P. Haskew reported that it was very hard and dangerous for pedestrians or bikers to cross Whitney way from the bus stop at the intersection of Odana Ln., Whitney Way, and Medical Cir. Board members encouraged him to see what might be done to improve this situation. Jeff Maxted asked if it would be possible for MHCA to facilitate a baby-sitting co-op, beyond the listing in the Association directory. In discussion on this matter those present agreed that the Jeff and the Board should pursue making the Association more useful to young families in the neighborhood.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, J. Sherwood, F. Stautz, J. Gary, J. Lager

Also present: Gary Poulson

1. Minutes: The minutes of the June 23, 2009 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $28,719.88, along with other information. He indicated that some money was still owed for expenses for the neighborhood plan project. Around 400 members had paid their dues. Income from the t-ball program was down this year. During discussion of the Treasurer’s report, R. Rotter reported that a staff member of the sign company had indicated that it would cost around $3,200 to replace the neighborhood sign at Segoe and Odana and that she doubted that there would be any City money to cover this cost. R. Rotter and D. Lamb said that they would gather further information about this matter.

3. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb reported that the neighborhood plan had been reviewed by a number of City committees. All had approved the plan, some with compliments on its quality. The plan would be before the City Council for approval on Tuesday, September 1. D. Lamb encouraged Board members to attend the City Council meeting and to register in support of approval of the plan

4. Garage sale update: J. Gary reported that 63 residents had registered to hold garage sales. The map for the sale had been completed and packets of information would soon be assembled.

5. Green Team: J. Sweet indicated that she would submit something to the newsletter about a fall garden tour. J. Gary reported that the Bison Prairie Gateway was coming along nicely. Board members asked about progress on the informational sign that was planned for the Gateway. R. Rotter reported that he had the stand that had been prepared for the sign. J. Gary indicated that, after the garage sale was over, she would work on bringing this project to completion.

6. SWANS report: D. Lamb reported that an organization calling itself South West Alliance of Neighborhoods, along with Dane County Council of Public Affairs, had developed a “Residents’ Bill of Rights” and “The Madison Community Code of Conduct and Behavior” to address problems in southwest Madison neighborhoods. The two groups were holding a public meeting on August 26 to discuss these documents and to get neighborhood groups to sign off on them. D. Lamb encouraged Board members to attend this meeting. She said that she would report back to the Board on this matter.

7. Library endowment request: D. Lamb reviewed the discussion of this matter from the last Board meeting, including the endowment committee’s request for $10,000 from MHCA over three years. Board members agreed that, in view of the fact that the Association’s two-year budget period was just starting, decisions on this matter should wait until the budget situation clarifies.

8. Annual meeting: D. Lamb indicated that she had been having trouble securing a meeting place for the MHCA annual meeting on October 29. She had reserved space at Queen of Peace Church and was going to look over available space at Westwood Christian Church. She asked if all Board members from odd-numbered areas were willing to run for re-election. None of the Board members present indicated unwillingness to run.

9. Area 2 Director: Gary Poulson was nominated to be Area 2 Director. He was elected with no dissenting votes. D. Lamb welcomed him to the Board.

10. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:05.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), P. Haskew, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, C. Robida,
J. Gary, MJ Armstrong, J. Lager, K. Reuter

Also present: Carousel Bayrd, Terri Goren, Nadie Pfotenhauer, Jean MacCubbin, Jane Roughen

1. Minutes: The minutes of the May 26, 2009 were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s Report: R. Rotter distributed a report, showing a balance of $28,479.48. Thus far, $6,675.00 has been taken in with membership dues and we have 267 members.

3. Library Foundation Presentation: Members of the Madison Public Library Administration, Madison Public Library Foundation, Friends of Sequoya and Sequoya Capital Campaign Committee/Endowment presented to the board of directors. The individuals thanked MHCA for their past and ongoing support of Sequoya Library branch. According to their records, check-outs are up 7.6%, visits are up 16.2%, library registrations are up 113% and the meeting room space is 569% It was indicated they are raising $100,000 for their endowment, in which interest will pay for programming and resources. They requested a three-year pledge of $10,000 from MHCA.

4. County Board Report: C. Bayrd indicated that budget was the big discussion item and that they negotiated a 5% pay cut for all Dane County employees. She has heard several stellar comments about the new 911 Director.

5. Picnic/Garage Sale: J. Gary indicated the MHCA summer picnic would be held this coming Thursday, June 25 and that the same committee from last year was working on it again this year. She noted that she had received 10 garage sale registrations thus far.

6. Tocora Bike Path: D. Lamb noted that the City Council did pass this, and it is slated for the city’s fall schedule to be completed.

7. Green Team-Bison Prairie Project: J. Gary presented an update on the interpretive sign for the Bison Prairie Gateway. MJ Armstrong and C. Robida are going to become involved in finding a designer to work on this project and bring it to its completion. Planned dedication is for spring 2010.

8. Neighborhood Plan: The Neighborhood Plan is to be presented at the City Council’s July 7th meeting and then be referred to numerous city committees. D. Lamb expects the plan to be approved by the City Council in September.

9. Annual Meeting: Neighbor Mike Slavney will be the featured speaker, discussing the zoning code rewrite at the MHCA Annual Meeting, scheduled for the 5th Thursday in October, October 29. There was discussion about having the annual meeting at the Sequoya Library branch location.

10. Sequoya Commons Update: It has been heard that the developer cannot get funding for Phase II of the project. Westmorland is going to be contacting the developer about the current state of Phase II property.

11. Area 2 Director: D. Lamb indicated that Gary Poulson is possibly interested and she also heard a new neighbor to this location may also be interested. She will pursue.

12. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 pm.

Craig Robida
Vice President (in place of Charles Bunge, Secretary)

Present: J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), P. Haskew, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, J. Gary, J. Lager

Also present: Alice Punwar, Gary Poulson, Carousel Bayrd

1. Minutes: The minutes of the April 28, 2009 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $25,532.35, along with other information. He indicated that 162 households had paid their membership dues and that money from the t-ball program was coming in. Time constraints had kept him for billing for advertisements in the newsletter for some time. D. Lamb indicated that she would try to find someone else to do this billing. R. Rotter indicated that he would mail a copy of the membership form to each household in the neighborhood (except for those who had already joined).

3. History book materials: D. Lamb introduced Alice Punwar , who edited the Association’s history book. She told the Board that she had been storing the raw materials and files for the book project and asked the Board to find a more appropriate place for them. R. Rotter volunteered to pick up the materials and to store them, at least temporarily. C. Bunge volunteered to check with staff of the Wisconsin Historical Society to see if its library or archives would be interested in the materials. J. Sweet reminded the Board how important Alice Punwar had been to the success of the history book project, and the Board responded with a round of applause in thanks.

4. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb reported that the draft neighborhood plan had not yet been submitted to the City Council by City staff. The joint steering committee had been asked to choose its top recommendations and to rank them. Some 40 persons responsed to the architecture survey that was included in the newsletter. Opinions expressed on the survey were divided. Use of the data would likely await the results of the zoning rewrite project by the City.

5. Green Team: J. Sweet reported that the tour of Eric Sandgren’s garden on May 9 was a success. J. Sweet and J. Gary had obtained some free annual plants from Olbrich Gardens and would add them to plantings on Tokay Blvd. J. Gary reported that crushed red granite had been applied to the Bison Prairie Gateway with good effect, and that more weeding and mulching was needed.

6. Midvale Blvd. street work: D. Lamb reported that the City Board of Public Works had dropped the proposal to place lighting in the median of Midvale Blvd and to assess property owners for it. The bicycle lanes were still part of the plan, even though there was opposition to them among neighborhood residents.

7. Bike path off Tocora Lane: D. Lamb indicated that a public hearing would be held on June 3 regarding the City’s proposal to build this path across Research Park property off the end of Tocora Lane. Motion was made, seconded, and passed that the MHCA Board supports the proposal. D. Lamb indicated that she would send a letter to this effect to the Board of Public Works and that she would testify at the hearing, as well.

8. Garage sale and neighborhood picnic: J. Gary announced that she would coordinate the garage sale one more time if no one else was found for the job. Planning for the picnic was proceeding. A mailing, with information about both events would be mailed to all neighborhood households.

9. Area 1 and Area 2 Directors: D. Lamb announced that these Board seats are still vacant. Board members asked Gary Poulson to consider being Director for Area 2. He said that he would consider this.

10. County report: Carousel Bayrd made a brief report on matters before the County Board.

11. Other matters: D. Lamb told the Board that she was considering having the City’s zoning rewrite project as a topic for the MHCA annual meeting. Board members responded positively to the idea. Board members commented on the unsightly condition of the construction site for phase 2 of Sequoya Commons. Motion was made, seconded, and passed that the Board requests that the owners of the unsightly vacant property at Sequoya Commons provide some beautification or screening for it if construction on the site is to be delayed. D. Lamb indicated that she would send a copy of this motion to the developers of Sequoya Commons, the alders for Midvale Heights and Westmorland, and the Westmorland neighborhood association.

11 Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:40.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), P. Haskew, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, J. Gary, M. J. Armstrong, J. Lager

1. Minutes: The minutes of the March 24, 2009 meeting were approved with one spelling correction in item 9 (“Graham” for “Grahan”).

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $15,494.95, along with other information. Referring to a page of financial information on the neighborhood planning project, he pointed out that the City had reimbursed expenses for the neighborhood planning project, with more to come. He indicated that, eventually, MHCA would likely need to return some of the money the Westmorland neighborhood association had advanced for the project.

3. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb reported that the joint steering committee for the neighborhood plan had met to go through the input from the March 12 public meeting on the draft plan. The committee was conducting a brief survey regarding possible additional content in the plan about remodeling of residences and related matters. She indicated that a final draft of the plan had been submitted to the City for submission to the City Council. From there, it will be referred to various offices and committees for review and comment, before it is considered for adoption by the City Council.

4. Green Team: J. Sweet reported that the Tokay median cleanup and mulching went very well, with at least 40 volunteers participating. She received a donation of $100 from a Tokay resident and MHCA member, Richard Greiner, who was no longer able to work on the cleanup but who appreciated the beauty of the plantings. J. Gary reported that she and others were planning to walk through the Tokay plantings to see what replacements and additional plantings were required. Grant Hambrick had volunteered to help with trees in the plantings. The Bison Prairie Gateway plantings were growing well and needed work there would go forward.

5. American Transmission Company high-voltage line update: D. Lamb reported that the MHCA resolution regarding the transmission line had been turned in to the PSC. Several MHCA members made statements at the public hearings on the matter.

6. Midvale Blvd. Street work: D. Lamb reported that she had gathered further information on the proposal by the City Engineering Division regarding the resurfacing and drainage work on Midvale Blvd. from Mineral Point Road to Hamersley/Nakoma Rd., including a letter from the Division to property owners, notifying them of assessments for curb and driveway work, as well as for street lighting in the median. A public hearing on the matter was scheduled for May 6. Motion was made, seconded and passed that the Board of Directors of MHCA opposes the proposal by the City Engineering Division to assess residents along Midvale Blvd. for street lighting as ill-advised and unfair to these residents. D. Lamb indicated that she would see that this action was transmitted to appropriate City officials.

7. Bike/ped path off Tocora Lane: D. Lamb and C. Bunge reported that the University Research Park Design Review Committee had reviewed the City’s proposal to build this path across Research Park property. The committee voted to advise the Research Park Board that it would not oppose this proposal. Next steps included public hearings by the City and action by the Research Park Board to grant any request by the City for an easement to build the path.

8. Annual neighborhood picnic: J. Gary announced that information about the picnic would appear in the next issue of the MHCA newsletter and that a special mailing about the event would be sent to neighborhood residents.

9. Newsletter: D. Lamb announced that the May/June issue of the newsletter would be out by May 1.

10. Area One and Area 2 Directors: D. Lamb announced that John Eisenhauer had resigned from the Board, so that a new Director for Area 2 should be recruited. She also reminded the Board that a new Director for Area 1 was still needed.

11 Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:10.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, J. Sherwood, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, M. J. Armstrong, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also present: Jeff Maxted, Sherwin Rudman

1. Minutes: The minutes of the February 24, 2009 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $3,948.35. He pointed out that he had checks ready to deposit that would raise that amount significantly.

3. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb reported that some 60 people had attended the public meeting on the draft neighborhood plan. She also reported that the City would be providing the entire $40,000 of its grant for the project, but that $8,000 would be withheld until the plan was approved by appropriate City units. The planning committee was still discussing the appropriateness of some guidelines concerning remodeling of homes in the neighborhood and was considering some sort of “mini-survey” of neighborhood residents on the matter.

4. Neighborhood Watch: C. Robida urged Board members to attend the talk by the Neighborhood Officer for the Midvale Heights area on Thursday, March 26, at the Sequoya Branch Library.

5. Green Team: J. Gary, reported that an organizational meeting of the Green Team had been held. Nan Lager had agreed to be co-coordinator with Jean Sweet for the Tokay Blvd. plantings. Saturday, April 18, had been scheduled as clean-up and mulching day for the Tokay plantings, with April 25 as a rain date, and May 9 was the date for a garden tour at the home of Eric Sandgren. J. Gary also reported that she had been in contact with Kris Schutte regarding the informational sign planned for the Bison Prairie Gateway. Kris asked that some Board members look over her design for the sign and provide feedback on it. C. Robida and M. J. Armstrong volunteered to do this.

6. American Transmission Company high-voltage line: D. Lamb introduced Jeff Maxted, who distributed copies of a resolution that he and others had drafted opposing construction of a high-voltage power line in the Midvale Heights neighborhood. During discussion of the resolution, several editorial revisions were incorporated into the draft. Motion was made, seconded, and passed to adopt the resolution, as revised in discussion,and to present it to the Public Service Commission.

7. Membership drive: The Board confirmed the plan to put a copy of the revised membership form in the newsletter, followed by a mailing to all residents that did not sign up as a result of the newsletter insert. John Eisenhauer was not able to attend the meeting, so further discussion of the membership drive was delayed.

8. Bike/ped path off Tocora Lane: Some Board members had just attended a public meeting with Tony Fernandez, of the City Engineer’s office, regarding this matter. They reported that strong feelings were expressed by a number of people, both for and against the proposed paved path connecting Tocora Lane and Science Drive, through University Research Park. After brief discussion, Board members agreed that no further Board action on the matter was needed.

9. Annual neighborhood picnic: J. Gary announced that Ruth Monson, Steve Grahan, and Christine Sveom had again volunteered to coordinate the annual picnic, which was scheduled for June 25, 2009.

10. Area One Director: D. Lamb announced that Nina Goldberger had resigned from the Board, so that a new Director for Area 1 should be recruited.

11. County report: Carousel Bayrd gave a brief report on matters before the County Board.

12. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:00.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Eisenhauer, J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), P. Haskew, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, J. Sherwood, C. Robida, J. Gary, M. J. Armstrong, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also present: Jeff Maxted, Ferrine Spector

1. Minutes: The minutes of the January 27, 2009 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $3,375.85. D. Lamb pointed out that there should have been some additional revenue from newsletter ads, and R. Rotter indicated that he was behind in billing for ads.

3. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb reported that she and the planning committee were working on a revised budget for the planning project and that they were in contact with City staff to see how the project could qualify for the entire City grant amount of $40,000. Because the expenses for the project, beyond the fee for the planning consultant firm, had been low, the required match in expenditures by MHCA and Westmorland might be difficult to meet. The third public meeting, intended to consider the final draft plan, had been scheduled for March 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Midvale Lutheran Church A postcard mailing announcing the meeting was planned.

4. Neighborhood Watch: C. Robida announced that the Neighborhood Officer for the Midvale Heights area would speak at a public meeting on Thursday, March 26, at the Sequoya Branch Library.

5. Bike path off Tocora Lane into University Research Park: D. Lamb indicated that this there was still some opposition to the proposed bike and pedestrian path. Because of objections to the path from neighborhood residents, the City was going to schedule a public meeting on the matter. Members of the Board spoke in favor of the path and were encouraged to contact Alder Plam-Remmele to gain her support for the proposal.

6. Green Team: J. Sweet and J. Gary, interim co-chairs of the Green Team, reported that planning and member recruitment were in progress for maintenance and improvement of the Bison Prairie Gateway and the Tokay Blvd. plantings. J. Gary had accepted responsibility for coordinating efforts on the Bison Prairie Gateway, and J. Sweet was coordinating work on Tokay plantings, on an interim basis. Saturday, April 18, had been scheduled as clean-up and mulching day for the Tokay plantings, with April 25 as a rain date. In response to a question from a Board member, they reported that they had received no information about progress on the informational sign that had been planned for the Bison Prairie Gateway. In two motions, the Board approved expenditures of up to $150 for a burning permit and other spring maintenance and seeding for the Gateway.

7. American Transmission Company high-voltage line: The Board discussed various issues surrounding the routing of the high-voltage line. D. Lamb indicated that there would be an article on the matter in the newsletter, including announcement of meetings on March 24 and 25 for public comment on the matter. M. J. Armstrong and Jeff Maxted volunteered to serve on a committee to draft a motion on this matter, to be considered by the Board at its March meeting. D. Lamb indicated that she hoped that Bob Armstrong and Carousel Bayrd would work on the motion, as well.

8. Hy Vee Grocery store: D. Lamb announced that the Madison Plan Commission had approved the plans for a new grocery store at Westgate mall.

9. Membership drive: J. Eisenhauer shared with the Board some ideas he had for recruiting members for the Association. The Board discussed various issues involved in the membership drive, including ideas about the distribution of the newsletter. By consensus, the Board agreed to raise the two-year membership fee to $25.00. J. Eisenhauer agreed to draft revisions to the membership application form for presentation to the Board in March. The Board reacted favorably to the idea of putting a copy of the form in the newsletter, followed by a mailing to all residents that did not sign up as a result of the newsletter insert.

10. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:45.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Eisenhauer, J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also present: Jeff Maxted, Shelly Schmidt, Paul Haskew, Bob Armstrong, Carousel Bayrd

1. Minutes: The minutes of the October 28, 2008 and the November 25, 2008 meetings, as well as those of the Annual Meeting, were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $3,974.25. He indicated that this is a smaller balance than is typical. Board members pointed out that it was late in the two-year membership cycle, giving rise to some discussion about the upcoming membership drive. J. Eisenhauer volunteered to assist with the membership drive. There was also discussion of financial matters regarding the neighborhood planning effort. There was also some discussion of the financing of the neighborhood planning project.

3. Election of officers: D. Lamb indicated that the current officers were willing to continue to serve and asked if there were any other nominations. Motion was made and seconded to elect Denise Lamb President, Craig Robida Vice-President, Ron Rotter Treasurer, and Charles Bunge, Secretary. The motion passed with no dissenting votes.

4. Election of Board member: D. Lamb introduced Paul Haskew and announced that he was willing to serve as Area Director for Area 6. Motion was made and seconded to election him to this position. The motion passed with no dissenting votes.

5. American Transmission Company high-voltage line: D. Lamb introduced Bob Armstrong, who spoke about a petition that had been circulated, opposing routing the transmission line on the south side of the beltline. He also shared other information about this matter and urged Board members to contact the Public Services Commission with their views on the matter. He indicated that public hearings about the routing would be held March 24 and 25.

6. Bike path off Tocora Lane into University Research Park: D. Lamb indicated that she had received one negative comment regarding a proposed bike/pedestrian path connecting the end of Tocora Lane with Science Drive. She asked if any other Board members had heard comments pro or con. Board members reported being unaware of widespread opposition to the proposal, and the Board took no position on the matter.

7. Tokay Blvd. and Bison Prairie Gateway maintenance: J. Sweet announced that a group of Midvale Heights residents had formed a “Green Team” for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing the Tokay Blvd. plantings and the Bison Prairie Gateway. She asked other Board members to sign up to participate in this effort. J. Gary announced that she was volunteering to become the coordinator of upkeep and maintenance of the Bison Prairie Gateway. J. Sweet indicated that she hoped to find a coordinator of upkeep and maintenance for the Tokay plantings from among the members of the Green Team.

8. Neighborhood Watch: C. Robida announced that the Neighborhood Officer for the Midvale Heights area would speak at a public meeting on Thursday, March 26, at the Sequoya Branch Library.

9. Update on the neighborhood plan and HyVee grocery store proposal: D. Lamb indicated that the planning committee continued to work on the neighborhood plan, including meetings with City staff to work out details of the plan. The committee spent a great deal of time considering and reacting to the proposal for a HyVee grocery store at Westgate. The Urban Design Commission had approved the plans for the store, and it was scheduled for consideration by the Plan Commission on February 9. D. Lamb asked Board members if they had heard any comments from neighborhood residents pro or con. Board members reported hearing some such comments and expressed their own views, but the Board did not take a position on the matter.

10. Southside Cub store closing: Carousel Bayrd told the Board that neither HyVee nor the Willy St. Coop had any interest in locating in the Cub grocery store that had announced its closing. Board members discussed various options that might exist or develop to provide access to groceries for residents of that area.

11. Other business: C. Bayrd indicated that another round of spraying for gypsy moths in the area was coming up and that information would be distributed in the same way that it had been in the past. Bob Armstrong announced that he was working on a seminar on rain gardens, to be held in May. He said that he planned to get information in the newsletter about this.

12. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Present: J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn, M.J. Armstrong

Also present: Nancy Gutknecht (and others who stayed on after the Annual Meeting)

1. Election of officers: The Board decided to elect officers at its next meeting.

2. City report: Thuy Pham-Remmele, who had presented at the Annual Meeting a $500 personal check for neighborhood watch expenses, as well as a plaque for Greg Bell, was unable to stay for the Board meeting, and there was no City report.

3. County report: Carousel Bayrd gave a brief report County issues. She reported that she was generally pleased with the recently passed County budget.

4. Midvale Neighborhood Garden art project: D. Lamb introduced Nancy Gutknecht, who described an art project for the area of the Midvale Neighborhood Garden. She requested $300 in support of this project. Board members commented that they thought that this was a very worthwhile project. Motion was made, seconded, and passed to provide $500 in support of this project.

5. American Transmission Company high-voltage: D. Lamb indicated that the proposed route for the transmission line along the Beltline highway has been altered to bring the line closer to Odana Hills Park and the homes in that area, also requiring the construction of an access road through the park. Discussion followed. Carousel Bayrd expressed the opinion that, if the transmission line is to be built along the Beltline, it should be buried. A resident of the area near the park indicated that residents of the area are planning to initiate a petition opposing the new plan. Board members asked him to keep the Board informed and to tell the Board how MHCA can be helpful to their efforts.

6. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Prior to the October Board of Directors meeting, there was a 30-minute presentation from representatives from HyVee, as well as management from the Westgate Mall. Plans were unveiled for an 80,000 ft. 24-hour grocery store to be located south of TJ Maxx, replacing current occupants. HyVee is an employee-owned company with 54,000 employees in 8 states. It was noted that there are currently 31 tenants at Westgate.

Present: J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, J. Sherwood, F. Stautz, J. Gary, MJ Armstrong, C. Robida

1. Minutes: The Minutes of the September 15, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed. F. Stautz moved approval with a second from J. Gary.

2. Treasurer's Report: R. Rotter reported a balance of $9,500.00 in the treasury.

3. Neighborhood Watch: C. Robida reported that he would be scheduling a Question and Answer session with our neighborhood officer in January or February at the new Sequoya Library. This would be a good chance for neighbors to come and ask questions of the Madison Police Department. An announcement will be made in the January newsletter.

4. Annual Meeting: D. Lamb reported that the Annual Meeting is scheduled tentatively for Monday, November 17. She hopes to confirm and e-mail board members. An announcement will be made in the November newsletter. She is still waiting to confirm Jim Sewell, Wisconsin Historical Society as the speaker.

5. Neighborhood Plan: D. Lamb reported that she and Charlie Quagliana met with Mark Bugher of the Research Park for fiscal support of the Neighborhood Plan. He was asked for $10,000 to support the plan and they hope to hear mid-December if the funding will be granted. The third public meeting of the Neighborhood Plan will be moved from November to January. D. Lamb reported that the committee hoped to have a draft for the city in February 2009.

6. Announcement:
-Santa visits will be announced in the next newsletter and a special mailing will happen.
-The Mayor's Roundtable will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Warner Park Rec. Center.
-The November newsletter should be distributed the week of Nov. 3.
-It was noted the "soft opening" of the Sequoya Library branch will be Nov. 10 with a grand opening slated for the end of November.
-MJ Armstrong discussed a recent letter regarding the transmission lines. She will pursue further discussion with Carousel Bayrd.
-A need to recruit area directors for the board still exists.

7. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting.

Craig Robida
Vice President (substituting for Charles Bunge, secretary)

Present: J. Eisenhauer, J. Sweet, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary

Also present: Kris Schutte, JoAnn Prange

1. Minutes: The minutes for the June 24, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer's report: R. Rotter was unable to attend the early part of the meeting. D. Lamb distributed a report showing a cash and bank balance of $13,665.74. During a brief discussion of the report, Board members remarked on how successful the annual neighborhood picnic had been and asked the Secretary to send thank-you letters to the Christine Sveom, Ruth Monson, and Steve Graham, who coordinated the picnic.

3. City report: Thuy Pham-Remmele was unable to attend the meeting, and there was no City report.

4. County report: Carousel Bayrd was unable to attend the meeting, and there was no County report.

5. Garage Sale: J. Gary distributed a financial report for the 2008 neighborhood garage sale, showing $151.46 income over expenses. Board members commented on how successful the sale had been. J. Gary indicated that her three-year commitment as coordinator the project was at an end and asked the Board to find someone else to serve as coordinator.

6. Bison Prairie Gateway: D. Lamb introduced Kris Schutte, who reported on progress toward erecting an informational sign at the Gateway. Rita and Reiny Meihsner and Greg Bell, former members of the committee coordinating this project, moved out of the neighborhood. The Vital Signs firm had submitted a sketch of a design for the sign, which did not match the committee’s intent. After discussion, the Board encouraged K. Schutte to pursue the matter and to keep the Board informed. C. Bunge summarized a report from Greg Bell regarding the repair and repainting of the bison statues at the Gateway. Greg Bell recommended that Bill Grover be reimbursed $150 for time and expenses on this project. Motion made, seconded, and passed to reimburse Bill Grover $150.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that a mailing had gone out to all residents in the neighborhood providing information on the Nine-House Model for establishing a neighborhood communication network. Another meeting of the Neighborhood Watch Committee was to be held on October 8.

8. Neighborhood Plan: D. Lamb distributed a budget and payment schedule for the neighborhood plan project. She indicated that the project committee has plans for raising funds to offset the match required by the City grant and other expenses connected with the project. She urged Board members to attend the second public workshop on the project, scheduled for September 17.

9. Tokay plantings: J. Sweet introduced JoAnn Prange and gave some background on the Tokay plantings and Bison Prairie Gateway projects. She reported that volunteers who had kept these projects going had moved out of the neighborhood or had other reasons for not being able to work on the projects anymore. She and JoAnn Prange proposed the establishment of a committee or taskforce to oversee the greenspaces in the neighborhood, including the Tokay plantings, the Gateway, and neighborhood parks. J. Sweet indicated that this committee or taskforce should have a liaison on the Board. Board members reacted positively to this proposal and made several other suggestions for recruiting volunteers to work on the Tokay plantings, including signs in the median, a table at the Annual Meeting, and a recurring article in the newsletter about volunteer needs.

10. Annual Meeting: D. Lamb reported that Mary Jane Armstrong was working on arrangements for the Annual Meeting, which would include a presentation by Jim Sewell on the architecture of ranch-style homes. A date had not yet been set.

11. Association web site: T. Jarvis reported that he sometimes received requests to place notices on the Association web site. He indicated that he had placed only such notices that seemed to have relevance to the neighborhood and asked if he should continue using his judgment in this way. The Board indicated that he should continue to do this.

12. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting.

Charles Bunge
Secretary

Present: J. Eisenhauer, J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also present: Greg Bell, Shelley Schmidt, Jeff Maxted, Mary Jane Armstrong

1. Minutes: The minutes for the May 27, 2008 meeting were approved, with one correction. In item 7 the date of July 11 should have been June 11.

2. Treasurer's report: R. Rotter distributed a report, showing a cash balance of $23,649.65. He indicated that this included large deposits from the T-ball program and that no expenses had yet been reported for this program. D. Lamb turned in a bill from Vierbicher and Associates, the consulting firm for the neighborhood planning project. She commented that MHCA would be reimbursed for this payment from the City grant for the project.

3. City report: Thuy Pham-Remmele was unable to attend the meeting, and there was no City report.

4. County report: Carousel Bayrd made a brief report concerning matters related to Dane County. Board members asked questions and made comments regarding the County’s 911 center. There was also discussion of the options for the high voltage electric transmission line that would pass through or near the neighborhood. C. Bayrd indicated that she would keep the Board informed on both matters.

5. Annual Picnic: D. Lamb and other Board members reported that plans for the neighborhood picnic were in place. Greg Bell reminded the Board that there would be a brief ceremony thanking Rita and Reiny Meihsner for their hard work for the Association and the neighborhood.

6. Neighborhood plan: D. Lamb made a brief report regarding progress on the production of a neighborhood plan. The joint committee overseeing the project planned to mail a four-page flier to all residents of the neighborhood, informing them about the project. Staff from the consulting firm had conducted interviews with persons in the neighborhood who might otherwise be missed in mailings, meetings, etc. D. Lamb outlined plans for the neighborhood meeting on July 16 and urged Board members to attend. She indicated that a budget for the project would be submitted to the Board in the fall, but that in the meantime the City grant and the $5,000 already authorized by the Board should cover necessary expenses.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that the June 11 meeting concerning the neighborhood watch program was not as well attended as previous meetings, but that the meeting was quite productive. There was high interest in a variety of projects. Another meeting was scheduled for July 30. When more firm decisions had been reached on projects to pursue he planned to submit a budget request to the Board. In the meantime, a motion was made, seconded and passed to authorize the neighborhood watch committee to spend up to $1,500 on neighborhood watch planning and activities.

8. Gateway project: Greg Bell reported that a meeting had been scheduled to review final plans for the informational sign at the Gateway site. He also reported that Bill Grover planned to assess the Bison statues for needed repairs and sealing. He indicated that the necessary work could be carried out during the summer, with minimal cost to the Association.

9. Newsletter procedures: D. Lamb informed the Board that she had received comments from neighborhood residents, including at least one block captain, that they were receiving their newsletters late. Also, some residents reported that newsletters were seen blowing around the neighborhood. She raised the possibility of mailing the newsletter, either to all residents or only to members of the Association. After discussion, there seemed to be a consensus that the use of block captains to deliver the newsletter should be continued. Jeff Maxted, a block captain, indicated that it might improve timely delivery of the newsletter if block captains were informed when to expect each issue, so that they could arrange to get it delivered quickly, or so that they could inform their Area Directors if they were going to unavailable at delivery time. D. Lamb agreed to try to put into place procedures for such notification.

10. Area Directors: D. Lamb indicated that she had experienced difficulty finding people willing to serve as Area Directors. She asked Board members to think about this problem, for consideration at later meetings. She introduced Mary Jane Armstrong and nominated her for election as Area Director for Area 13. The nomination was seconded, and she was elected without a dissenting vote.

11. Reports and announcements: Greg Bell announced that the recently completed spraying for gypsy moth suppression was considered a success. Some 60 residences were not sprayed because of requests by residents. T. Jarvis announced that he had been contacted by Bob Armstrong, who was willing to conduct seminars on building rain gardens.

12. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:35.

Charles Bunge
Secretary