MHCA Area Directors' meeting minutes

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

Also present: Nan Lager, Shelley Schmidt

1. Minutes: The minutes of the August, 25 and September 22 meetings were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer’s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing total cash and bank accounts of $26,848.46, along with other information. D. Lamb pointed out that some $4,000 was still owed to the Westmorland neighborhood association as a refund from the neighborhood plan project. Also, she reported that there would be some expenses for printing of the final version of the neighborhood plan. There was some discussion of the budget for the next two years, including discussion of the Sequoya Branch Library endowment committee’s request for a $10,000 contribution over three years. There was consensus that the Board should adopt a budget at its November meeting, including a decision on the Sequoya Branch endowment request.

3. Annual Meeting: D. Lamb announced that arrangements were in place for the MHCA Annual Meeting on October 29. All incumbent Directors for odd-numbered areas agreed to be nominated to serve in 2009-2011.D. Lamb introduced Shelley Schmidt, who had agreed to be nominated for Co-Director for Area 11.

4. Garage sale update: J. Gary distributed a report on the recent annual neighborhood garage sale. Board members agreed that the sale went very well and that this is a good service by the Association to the neighborhood. Registered sales were held by 65 residents. Income over expenses amounted to $76.91. J. Gary thanked the many people who helped with the sale, including Abby Hammes and Jenny Herritz, next year’s co-chairs.

5. Green Team: J. Sweet and Nan Lager reported that the cleanup day for the Tokay plantings went well, with around 15 people participating. The Lagers planted bulbs afterward. The garden open house at 4805 Tokay went well, too. J. Gary announced that there would be a cleanup day at the Bison Prairie Gateway on November 7.

6. Electronic communication: D. Lamb expressed interest in communicating with MHCA members and neighborhood residents electronically. Board members suggested various possibilities, including using the communication capabilities of the MHCA website. R. Rotter mentioned that many members had provided their email addresses on their membership forms. D. Lamb and T. Jarvis agreed to meet and to see what was possible using these email addresses and the capabilities of the website.

7. Membership directory: R. Rotter indicated that he was coming along on producing the directory. Board members suggested dropping the numerical street guide part of the directory to save the tedious work required to produce it and the expense to print it. Other Board members expressed the opinion that this was a valuable part of the directory. Nan Lager, Shelley Schmidt, and Board members volunteered to help produce the directory, with a target date of Thanksgiving for completion.

8. Meeting regarding Hilldale Target store: D. Lamb and F. Stautz reported on a meeting they had attended regarding a Target store at Hilldale mall. Board members asked questions and offered comments on the matter.

9. Newsletter: D. Lamb announced that the November-December issue of the MHCA newsletter was nearly ready for printing. A report on the Annual Meeting would be included.

10. Adjournment: Motion made, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 8:20.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

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

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

Also present: Christine Sveom, Greg Bell

1. Minutes: The minutes for the April 22, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer's report: R. Rotter reported that the financial situation of the Association was essentially the same as in April. Money from the T-ball program was starting to come in.

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. Annual Picnic: Christine Sveom reported that planning for the annual picnic was well underway. Fliers containing information about the picnic and the neighborhood garage sale were ready to be mailed. The date for the picnic was June 26 from 6:00 p.m. until dusk, with a rain date of July 1. A guitarist would provide entertainment, and there would be games for young people. During discussion of the picnic, Board members suggested recognizing Rita and Reiny Meihsner for their many contributions to the Association and the neighborhood, and the President agreed to do this. Board members also reported that there would be information tables for the neighborhood planning project, the garage sale, and the neighborhood watch program.

6. Neighborhood plan: D. Lamb reported that a schedule of meetings regarding the neighborhood plan project had been firmed up. The joint steering committee would meet each first Thursday. The first public meeting was planned for July 16, and the second one for September 17. The final version of the plan would be completed by November 19.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that some 35 people attended the second meeting concerning the neighborhood watch program. Another meeting had been scheduled for July 11. Those in attendance at the second meeting expressed interest in a variety of activities to enhance security and safety in the neighborhood. The grant application to the City for funds to support neighborhood watch activities had been resubmitted, with the support of Alder Thuy Pham-Remmele. [Note: C. Robida later informed the Board that the grant had again been denied.]

8. Gateway project: Greg Bell reported that the new plantings around the neighborhood sign had been completed. The prairie burn and thistle treatment, for which funds had been approved, proved to be unnecessary and were not done. There was a meeting planned for May 28 with Vital Signs to settle details regarding the informational sign at the Gateway site. The sign should be installed by the end of June. There was a brief discussion about a dedication ceremony for the sign.

9. City zoning rewrite: D. Lamb reported on her attendance at a meeting regarding a total reworking of the City’s zoning code. She expressed concern that the meeting was sparsely attended and that representatives of neighborhoods would not have enough input to the process. She suggested that Board members stay informed on this process.

10. Reports and announcements: Greg Bell circulated a map showing the area that had been sprayed for gypsy moth suppression on May 22. C. Bunge distributed copies of the revised Association by-laws to those who wanted them. R. Rotter distributed copies of a 1949 newspaper article about the construction of his residence by Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Bakke.

11. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:05.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
April 22, 2008

Minutes

Present: J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), R. and R. Meihsner, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, J. Sherwood, Floyd Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, J. Lager

Also present: Carousel Bayrd, Charlie Quagliana, Jane Armstrong

1. Minutes: The minutes for the March 25, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer=s report: R. Rotter was unable to attend the meeting. J. Lager distributed a report showing a cash balance of $16,912.79.

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

4. County report: Carousel Bayrd presented a brief report concerning matters related to the Dane County Board. She reported that her lead committee assignment was Public Safety and that she was on the City/County Liaison subcommittee.

5. Neighborhood plan: Charlie Quagliana made a brief report regarding the neighborhood planning project. The Vierbicher firm had been chosen to be the planning consultant for the project, at a cost of $40,000. C. Quagliana estimated the total cost of the project to MHCA to be $11,250 ($5,000 of which had already been approved by the Board). According to the terms of the grant from the City, part of this amount could be in-kind contributions, such as the time neighborhood residents who provide expertise to the project. The planning committee had made some contacts with potential donors of funds to support the project. The committee planned to work up a definite budget for the project and to present it to the MHCA Board for approval. The committee hoped to have a draft plan prepared by November 2008. Questions, discussion, and thanks to C. Quagliana and the committee followed the report.

6. Association website: T. Jarvis distributed a report containing statistics regarding visitors to the Association website. He reported that he had made progress on the re-design of the website. He asked Board members to look at the site and give him suggestions for further improvements. Board members made suggestions regarding how the website, including email lists, might be used for communicating with residents of the neighborhood.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that some 25 people attended the first meeting concerning a neighborhood watch program. Another meeting had been scheduled for May 14.

8. Annual picnic: C. Robida and J. Gary reported that Ruth Monson, Steve Graham, and Christine Sveom had volunteered to coordinate the annual picnic, which was scheduled for June 26. A flyer announcing the picnic and the neighborhood garage sale would be prepared for mailing to the residents of the neighborhood.

9. Gateway project: R. Meihsner reported, on behalf of Greg Bell, that he requested approval of expenditures for another prairie burn ($100), new plantings around the neighborhood sign ($75-$80), and another treatment for thistles ($50-$75). It was moved, seconded, and passed that up to $300 be approved to cover these expenditures. R. Meihsner reported that the firm of Vital Signs had been engaged to produce the informational sign at the Gateway/bison site. A subcontractor would be used to construct the stand for the sign, for which payment would be required soon. R. Meihsner would ask the Treasurer to cut a check from funds already approved by the Board for this project.

10. Resignations from the Board: R. and R. Meihsner announced that they would be moving out of the neighborhood soon and would be leaving the MHCA Board. J. Sweet recounted some of the ways that they had contributed to the work of the Association and the betterment of the neighborhood, and the Board thanked them with a round of applause. D. Lamb reported that Holly Brassington had submitted her resignation from the Board.

11. Change in Association boundaries: D. Lamb reminded the Board that it had agreed to the desirability of including Odana Hills Golf Course and Odana Hills Park within the Association boundaries, so that these open areas could be included in the neighborhood plan. C. Bunge distributed a proposed By-Laws amendment that would accomplish this and moved its adoption. Motion seconded and passed, with Directors from 11 districts voting in the affirmative.

12. Reports and announcements: M. Silbernagel distributed some information regarding progress on the new Sequoya Branch Library, including the choice of a contractor to complete the interior of the quarters. D. Lamb reported that the developer’s proposal for Phase II of Sequoya Commons would be considered by the City Urban Design Commission on April 23.

13. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:45.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
March 25, 2008

Minutes

Present: J. Sweet, M. Silbernagel, R. and R. Meihsner, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, J. Sherwood, Floyd Stautz, C. Robida (presiding), J. Gary, J. Lager, K. Reuter-Krohn

1. Minutes: The minutes for the February 26, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer's report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing a cash balance of $16,692.79. During discussion of the report, Board members agreed to think about how to market the history book, including another article in the newsletter.

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

4. County report: Carousel Bayrd was not able to attend the meeting, and there was no County Board report.

5. Neighborhood plan: During a brief discussion of this matter, Board members raised the issue of expanding the boundaries of the Association area to include the Odana Hills Golf Course and the adjacent bicycle path. There was consensus that this matter should be pursued. Board members also expressed the need to be better informed regarding the projected total cost to the Association of the neighborhood planning effort, as well as the need to be appropriately involved in budgeting for this cost.

6. Association website: T. Jarvis reported that he had not made as much progress as he had hoped on the re-design of the MHCA website. He asked Board members to look at the site and give him suggestions for further improvements.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida announced that the first meeting concerning a neighborhood watch program for the neighborhood would be held on April 1 at the Sequoya Branch Library. He reported that a number of people had contacted him indicating plans to attend the meeting.

8. Newsletter: Board members remarked on the marked improvement in the printing and paper quality of the last issue of the Association newsletter.

9. Gateway project: R. and R. Meihsner reported that the person who had been engaged to produce the informational sign at the Gateway/bison site was not able to do the work. They had begun work with a new firm, which had promised to finish the sign in several weeks. The exact placement of the sign was still to be determined.

10. Neighborhood picnic: C. Robida reminded the Board of the need to find a new coordinator for the annual picnic and to establish a date for the event. [Note: After the meeting, C. Robida informed the Board via email that Ruth Monson had volunteered to coordinate the picnic, along with a neighbor, and that she would be meeting with C. Robida and J. Gary to begin the planning process.]

11. Reports and announcements: C. Bunge provided brief information on new developments concerning new quarters for the Westside Senior Center, which involved negations with the owners of Weston Place to have the center occupy space of the ground floor of that building. M. Silbernagel reported that the Friends of Sequoya Branch Library would be moving to Westgate Mall, with the first book sale at the mall scheduled for May 3.

12. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:45.

Charles Bunge
Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
February 26, 2008

Minutes

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

Also attending: Carousel Bayrd

1. Minutes: The minutes for the January 22, 2008 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer=s report: R. Rotter distributed a report showing a cash balance of $15,817.79.

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 County Board matters, including comments on a recent hearing on the proposed power transmission line along the beltline highway. She also indicated that gypsy moth spraying in the neighborhood was planned for April or May.

5. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb made a brief report on the neighborhood planning project. The planning committee had prepared a RFP for a consultant to the project and submitted it to City officials for approval. The committee hoped to have the consultant hired by May.

6. Association website: T. Jarvis reported that re-design of the MHCA website, was progressing slowly. He asked Board members to look at the site and give him suggestions for further improvements.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida announced that the first meeting concerning a neighborhood watch program for the neighborhood would be held on April 1. Having accepted responsibility for chairing the neighborhood watch effort, he asked to be relieved of responsibility for coordinating the Association summer picnic. D. Lamb indicated that she would appoint someone else for that.

8. Newsletter: D Lamb announced that she had engaged a new printing firm to print the Association newsletter. She expected the March/April issue of the newsletter to be out soon.

9. Gateway project: R. and R. Meihsner reported that they had received a check for $700 from Robert and Carroll Heideman, to be applied toward the informational sign at the Gateway/bison site. They gave the check to the Treasurer and indicated that they would send the Heidemans a thank-you letter. They reported that they would be contacting the man who was designing the sign to see if he could finish the work and to take necessary further steps.

10. Reports and announcements: C. Bunge provided brief information on progress on the new quarters for the Sequoya Branch Library. D. Lamb reported on a meeting regarding Phase II of the development of Sequoya Commons. She felt that the developers had pulled back from some of the commitments they had made in earlier hearings and negotiations. D. Lamb indicated that she planned to attend the Mayor’s 2008 Neighborhood Roundtable and invited other Board members to attend. Some other Board members expressed interest in attending.

11. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:00.

Charles Bunge,
Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
January 22, 2008

Minutes

Present: J. Eisenhauer, M. Hoffman, D. Lamb (presiding), R. and R. Meihsner, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, F. Stautz, C. Robida, J. Gary, K. Reuter-Krohn

Also attending: Charlie Sweet, Carousel Bayrd

1. Minutes: The minutes for the November 27, 2007 meeting were approved as distributed.

2. Treasurer=s report: R. Rotter was not present, and there was no treasurer’s report.

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 County Board matters, including comments on an impending hearing on the proposed power transmission line along the beltline highway.

5. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb made a brief report on the neighborhood planning project. She signed a contract with the City for the grant supporting the project. The Neighborhood Plan Committee was working on a request for proposals from potential consultants for the project. She indicated that MHCA will have to raise funds, beyond the $5,000 already authorized from the treasury, to support the project. She asked Board members to be thinking of ways to raise such funds.

6. Association website: T. Jarvis reported that he was making various changes to the MHCA website, which he hoped would make it more useful and effective. He asked Board members to look at the site and bring suggestions for further improvements to the next meeting. He expressed willingness to provide instruction to Board members on how to use the website. Board members suggested that ways be found to publicize the website and to encourage neighborhood residents and others to use it.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that he was continuing to work with representatives of the Meadowood, Orchard Ridge, and Prairie Hills neighborhoods to develop a neighborhood watch program, even though they did not receive a grant from the City’s 2007 Allied and Emerging Neighborhoods program. He announced that he would be calling a meeting of the MHCA Neighborhood Watch Committee in the spring to plan further for the program.

8. Newsletter: D Lamb asked for comments and suggestions regarding the recently distributed Association newsletter. Discussion and suggestions followed, including dissatisfaction with the quality of the printing of some copies. D. Lamb indicated that she would gather information on changing printers.

9. Reports and announcements: C. Bunge and M. Hoffman shared information on progress on the new quarters for the Sequoya Branch Library. They also indicated that the Friends of the Sequoya Branch had been informed that they could keep their current space for a few months longer than previously thought. D. Lamb shared information regarding an upcoming informational meeting on gypsy moth spraying. J. Gary and D. Lamb reported briefly on a study regarding “sustainable neighborhoods” that might interest Board members and might have useful ideas for the neighborhood plan. D. Lamb reported briefly on meetings she had attended regarding planning for changes in the Verona Rd./beltline interchange and indicated that she would continue to attend such meetings.

10. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:00.

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
November 27, 2007

Minutes

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

Also attending: Floyd Stautz, Carousel Bayrd

1. Minutes: The minutes for the October 23 meeting and the 2007 Annual meeting were approved.

2. Treasurer=s report: R. Rotter distributed a treasurer’s report, showing a cash balance of $16,479.43, along with charts showing income and expenditures. He announced that the Association membership directory had been mailed to members. Board members indicated that they had received theirs.

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 County Board matters, including the fact that the County budget had passed, containing increased funding for human services.

5. Election: D. Lamb asked for a motion that a slate of nominees for officers, consisting of the incumbents, be elected as officers for 2007/08. Motion made, seconded, and passed. Motion was made to elect Floyd Stautz Area Director for Area 10. Motion seconded and passed.

6. Annual Meeting and neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb made a brief report on the Annual Meeting. Board members who attended commented that the meeting was very interesting and successful. She reported that the neighborhood planning project was proceeding and that she had received a draft contract for the grant from the City. She indicated that additional fund raising would be necessary. She announced that a member of the Association had called indicating the intention to make a donation to the Association, and that he had agreed that support of the planning effort would be a good use of these funds. Board members agreed.

7. Neighborhood watch program: C. Robida reported that he had met with representatives of the Meadowood, Orchard Ridge, and Prairie Hills neighborhoods to work up a proposal for a grant under the City’s 2007 Allied and Emerging Neighborhoods program. This proposal had been submitted to the City, with the ideas that any funds received would be divided among the four neighborhoods to support neighborhood watch efforts. In the course of the discussion the following actions were taken, by consensus or by motion: C. Robida was confirmed as the chair of the reactivated Neighborhood Watch Committee, with J. Gary and others (to be recruited) as members. C. Robida was authorized to act on behalf of MHCA as coordinator of the grant, if received, including the use of MHCA as the fiscal agent for the grant.

8. Reports: D. Lamb and J. Gary gave brief reports on their attendance at presentations at the Mayor’s Roundtable on neighborhoods. C. Bunge made a brief report on his findings regarding the future of La Brioche, including the fact that La Brioche was very unlikely to continue its location at the Midvale Plaza location and that it was likely to relocate on the near west side. C. Bunge reported that the Sequoya Branch Library fundraising committee had reached its initial funding goal. M. Silbernagel reported that the Friends of Sequoya Branch was still looking for space for storing gift books and for holding their book sales.

9. Newsletter: D Lamb and P. Baker asked for comments and suggestions regarding the Association newsletter. Discussion and suggestions followed. D. Lamb referred the Board to the draft statement of policies and procedures for the newsletter dated 6/07, which had been distributed earlier. C. Bunge indicated that some further editing had been done on the document. The Board approved, by consensus, the document as policies and procedures to guide the production and distribution of the newsletter.

10. Website advertising by churches: D. Lamb indicated that she had received a request from the Westwood Christian Church for some sort of presence on the MHCA website and asked the Board for advice. Board members suggested that a link for the church be made on the “Neighbors” webpage of the MHCA website. T. Jarvis indicated that he would do this and that he would contact the church with this information. He also announced that he was moving the website to a new computer server, with some changes in the website. Board members made suggestions for other possible changes and improvements.

11. Announcements: P. Baker announced that the submission deadline for the January issue of the newsletter was December 15.

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

Charles Bunge, Secretary

Midvale Heights Community Association
Board of Directors Meeting
October 23, 2007
Minutes

Present: J. Sweet, M. Hoffman, M. Silbernagel, D. Lamb (presiding), R. and R. Meihsner, C. Bunge, T. Jarvis, R. Rotter, C. Robida, J. Gary, J. Lager
Also attending: Chardel Johntson, Thuy Pham-Remmele, Greg Bell, Judy Skog

1. Minutes: The minutes for the June 26 and September 25, 2007 meetings were approved, with two spelling corrections in item 13 of the September minutes (“Westwood” for “Westside” and “Johnston” for “Johnson”).

2. Treasurer=s report: R. Rotter distributed a treasurer’s report, showing a balance of $18,561.53, along with charts showing income and expenditures. He announced that the Association membership directory would be distributed soon.

3. City report: Thuy Pham-Remmele made a brief report on matters of City government. She indicated that she was attempting to get adequate funds budgeted for gypsy moth spraying. In discussion of her report Greg Bell provided information and handouts on gypsy moths, especially on the importance of destroying their egg clusters in the autumn.

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

5. Neighborhood plan update: D. Lamb presented a report on progress on the neighborhood plan project:

• All the required paperwork for the grant from the City had been completed.
• The last scheduled neighborhood listening session was scheduled for Thursday, October 25, on the topics of safety and neighborhood watch.
• The response rate for the neighborhood survey was quite good for such surveys, and the data from the returns were entered by volunteers. Preliminary analysis would be presented at the Annual Meeting.
• The Planning Committee was preparing a "Request for Qualifications" to be used in hiring a consultant for the project.

6. Annual Meeting: D. Lamb announced that plans were in place for the Annual Meeting on November 8. The focus of the speakers would be on the neighborhood planning process. There would be sign-up sheets for people interested in various aspects or concerns of the planning process. T. Jarvis would have a slide presentation on the history of the neighborhood. The business meeting would include election of Area Directors from odd-numbered areas. The Board agreed that the flier announcing the meeting should be mailed as soon as possible and that refreshments should be purchased from La Brioche.

7. Newsletter: D Lamb indicated that copy for the November issue of the newsletter had been submitted and that Paul Baker was working on layout, etc. New editing software had been purchased. The issue would go to the printer around November 1. C. Bunge distributed a draft statement of policies and procedures for the newsletter, with the request that Board members read it over and be prepared to discuss, amend, and adopt it at a future meeting.

8. Neighborhood watch update: M. Silbernagel indicated that she had contacted Greg Schuler to see if he would be willing to provide leadership in establishing a neighborhood watch program for the neighborhood. He said that he was unable to do so. Several Board members remarked on the desirability of having such a program. G. Robida indicated that he was willing to work on this matter, which was to be at topic of discussion at the several upcoming meetings.

9. La Brioche: Board members and guests reported hearing from various sources that the La Brioche bakery might not be a tenant in the redeveloped Midvale Plaza. After various expressions of concern, C. Bunge distributed a draft of a proposed letter to the developer and the owner of La Brioche, asking for information and offering the Board’s help to keep the bakery in the plaza. With some suggestions for changes, the Board agreed that the letter should be sent and that C. Bunge should be the contact person, as Secretary of the Association.

10. Bison Prairie Gateway: Greg Bell gave a report on several matters related to the Gateway area (written report attached to file copy of the minutes). The Bisons’ artist, Bill Grover, examined the sculptures and spent some four hours with G. Bell, repairing cracks, with more to be done. Completion and installation of the interpretative sign, authorized earlier by the Board, was delayed. G. Bell suggested that the Association offer to pay Bill Grover $150 for his time and materials. Motion made, seconded, and passed to do this and to reimburse G. Bell $16.82 for expenses involved in seeding and Bison repair activities. Motion made, seconded, and passed to authorize G. Bell to see to timely repair of any vandalism that might occur at the Gateway site.

11. Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable: D. Lamb reminded the Board of the roundtable meeting on November 3. Several Board members indicated that they planned to attend.

12. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

Charles Bunge, Secretary