GGNA Board Meeting Minutes
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 1/8/08
1) Call to Order - Johnny Elias (President) opened the meeting, thanked the numerous residents attending the meeting and advised non-BOD members they will have an opportunity to comment, ask questions, etc. during the “Open Floor” time later in the meeting. Johnny notified BOD members and the audience that the BOD members prohibit the taping recording of BOD meetings.
2) Approval of Minutes from December 11th Meeting – John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the December 11th BOD meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved.
3) Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) reviewed the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report. Written copies of the Treasurer’s Report were distributed; the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved by the BOD. A copy of that report is attached to these Minutes.
4) Follow-up on BOD Business from the December 11th Meeting:
a) Discussion on Listserve Update – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the following issues:
i) Updating the Leadership List – Sally will update the Leadership list; Sally requested that all BOD members forward their current e-mail addresses to Sally.
ii) Updating the ZAPC List – Sally is not the moderator of the ZAPC list. Clarence Fraher is the moderator; the Secretary will ask Clarence to update the ZAPC list for the current members.
iii) Updating the Address and Phone Number for GGNA – Sally will update the website with the GGNA’s P.O. Box. No phone number will be put on the website as the GGNA does not receive any phone calls.
b) Update on Fall 2007 Fundraiser for Goethe School “After School Music Program” - Sally Hamann provided a verbal summary of the fund raiser; $461 was raised for the program. These dollars were transferred to Friends of Goethe. Sally will provide a written receipt of these funds at the February BOD meeting. Friends of Goethe will provide written evidence that the funds were transferred to the Goethe School.
c) Terms of Positions – BOD Members drew straws to determine 1-, 2- or 3-year terms. Straws were drawn for BOD members not present (Doug vanderHoff, Pedro Barrera, Mary Escobar and Neil Trifunovski). The terms for BOD members are as follows:
i) 3-Year Terms: Juan “Johnny” Elias, Bryan Hill and Ramon Tembledor.
ii) 2-Year Terms: Pedro Barrera, Sally Hamann and Neil Trifunovski.
iii) 1-Year Terms: John Burns, Mary Escobar and Doug vanderHoof.
5) Committee Reports:
a) Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the January 3rd CAPS meeting. The GGNA’s beat continues to have the lowest crime rate in the district. The only issues were in Section 1 which encompasses Bingham Street. A car was fire-bombed by suspected gang members. No suspects have been arrested as of yet.
b) Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias provided an update on the committee’s recent activities. GGNA purchased and will be donating a computer and printer to Campbell Terrace Apartments. The computer will be presented to the residents in February after the renovation of the first floor common areas has been completed. Students from Clemente High School will be recruited to train residents on the use of the computer. The students will assist residents in setting-up e-mail accounts and will work with them on learning aspects of utilizing the computer. Raquel Geverola is working with the Service Learning Coaches and Guidance Counselors of Clemente High School to identify students interested in participating in the program. These students will take shifts at Campbell Terrace working with the residents during the evenings after school and on the weekends. These students will receive community service credit which will be applied towards their graduation requirements. We hope this program will foster short- and long-term relationships between the area’s seniors and youth. Johnny Elias was nominated as the Senior/Youth Committee Chairman. Johnny was approved by a vote of 3 “for’s”, 0 “against” and 1 “abstain.” We congratulate Johnny and the Committee to be on their way to implementing the Senior/Youth Committee’s first successful program of 2008.
c) Healthcare Committee – Bryan Hill presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of a Healthcare Committee. Bryan will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Healthcare Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.
d) Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of the Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee. John will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.
e) Neighborhood Beautification Committee – The BOD members discussed their desire to form a Neighborhood Beautification Committee. Volunteers for the committee and its Chairman will be solicited during the next month. All neighbors attending the BOD meeting were encouraged to participate in the committee and help solicit potential members.
f) Zoning and Planning Committee – Doug vanderHoof reviewed the minutes of December 17th ZAPC meeting. Sally Hamann presented a preliminary outline of the proposed changes within the ZAPC. A motion was set before the BOD to approve the proposed changes. The motion was seconded. The BOD voted and the proposed changes were not approved. The vote was 2 “for’s” and 4 “against.” Reasons voiced by BOD members for their vote against the motion were as follows: The BOD members dissenting sighted their desire to have the changes reflect what Alderman Flores requested during a December 17, 2007 meeting with both old and new ZAPC members. Additional items sighted as not being included in the proposed changes were as follows: 1) the Alderman requested the ZAPC be comprised of a diverse group of GGNA residents (a mechanism to insure this was not clearly delineated in the proposed changes presented to the BOD); and 2) the Alderman requested an advisory panel be formed to include professionals actively involved in the real estate business which would be available to advise the ZAPC on various issues (this panel would include realtors, developers and others that will not be ZAPC members or able to vote on ZAPC matters – this issue was not addressed in the proposed changes). Johnny Elias also proposed that ZAPC members must be property and/or business owners within the GGNA’s boundaries. The BOD asked that the proposed changes to the ZAPC be revised to include all of Alderman Flores’ suggestions. The proposed changes would then be presented to the BOD for a vote at either the BOD’s monthly meeting to be held in February or at a special BOD meeting prior to the regularly scheduled February BOD meeting.
6) New BOD Business:
a) Communicating with BOD Members and the General Membership – John Burns introduced a proposal to limit the dissemination of inter-BOD correspondences to the general GGNA membership. The proposal was withdrawn for lack of support from BOD members.
7) Open Floor – The BOD discussed having the “Open Floor” GGNA members and attendees to have the opportunity to ask questions of their BOD.
8) Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The February 12th meeting must be pushed back to Tuesday, February 19th because Goethe School will be closed (March and April dates are okay).
9) Meeting Minutes Read and Approved – John Burns read the preliminary minutes from the evening’s meeting and will be drafting them for distribution to the membership. The official minutes to be approved at the February BOD meeting.
10) Meeting Adjourned – Johnny Elias adjourned the meeting.
