October SCA 2009 Board Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF SABIN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BOARD MEETING, Monday, 12 October 2009, Cooking Classroom, Whole Foods.

Naomi Lambertson, Jeff Strang, Iam Lomax, Liberty Wilsom, Chika Saiki, David Sweet, Elise Scolnick, guest Kaarin Smith, Ric Alexander, Barbara Conable, Helen R. Sherman, Rachel Studer, presiding.

INTRODUCTIONS.

Clay moves to temporily appointment David Sweet to the Board to fill the unexpired term of Judy Harrison who resigned because of time conflict. . The motion passes unanimously.

WELCOME TO GUESTS.

Guest Kaarin Smith, Grants Manager of Big Brothers, Big Sisters has a child in Sabin Elementary and lives in Alameda. Her new Grants project is “neighborhood friendly,” a “Coalition project,” as she described it. There is a shortage of Big Brothers, so recruitment is vital, especially of African American men to help in one parent families, ninety percent of which are below the poverty line. She asks for neighborhood help with marketing. She mentions our newsletter. Ian says we would be happy to put something in the newsletter. Liberty talks about door to door outreach in the neighborhood, suggesting that if Big Brother Big Sister could provide some volunteers, the canvassing could be done together. We could include Big Brother Big Sister literature in the bags for outreach. The organization will contact Liberty for further planning. Their first event is in January, so they will want something in the newsletter in December.

SEPTEMBER MINUTES. David moves they be accepted as amended. Passes unanimously.

TREASURER’S REPORT. Chika Saeki.

Balance as of September 14, 2009, $3805.79.

Total Income: $605.00

Expenses: $210.00

BALANCE AS OF OCTOBER 12, 2009, $4200.79.

Elise moves to approve. Unanimous.

Next guest is Helen R. Sherman, a past Board member of SCA, now active in the Farmers’ Market, NECN and the NAACP. She informs the Board about ORS Bill 9.460, the law about what an attorney, as licensed by the state, should provide. SP 818 would have amended the law to read that lawyers must provide “unbiased and effective representation for all clients,” but that amendment did not pass.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

ADMINISTRATION. Rachel Studer presides over a discussion of whether to conform the Sabin election to the NECN requirement of a July to July term for Board members and, if so, how to deal with the transitional year. One reason NECN wants this is so that Board tenure corresponds to the financial year so that disbursements to the neighborhoods and reports to the state go out at the same time in all the neighborhoods. Another is so that Board Orientations can be coordinated. The annual meeting would be in April or May.

Liberty makes motion to continue with the Board as it is for another half year and elect the next one at the first springtime general meeting. Unanimous.

BYLAW REVISIONS.

Rachel Studer reports on revisions made by Judy Harrison, Lauren McCartney, and Rachel. Rachel wants a meeting before the November Board meeting to arrive at a final draft. It is set for 26 October at 7 at Elise’s house, 4546 NE 21st Avenue. Elise, Rachel, Barb, Liberty, Jeff, and Clay in attendance. Rachel says, “Do your homework.” Comments by others should be sent to her before 22 October. We will vote on the final draft at November Board Meeting to approve it and send it for ratification to the general meeting on 16 November.

BUSINESS LIAISON. Liberty Wilson has talked to advertisers and collected payment for ads. Four spots are left and filling up. Hardy thanks were expressed for that good work.

Member lists were discussed. Elise will continue to work on ours. Barbara informed the Board that at the NECN Board Orientation, Lauren had expressed the intention that NECN will become a keeper of member lists for all the neighborhoods. NECN hopes to set it up so that the neighborhoods immediately know of the information that comes to NECN about interest in participation and that information also flows in the other direction, the NECN providing back-up for our member lists. Ian volunteered to create a Sabin version of the sign-up card the Coalition uses so that data entry is facilitated in the effort to keep good member lists.

CLEANUP. Not present.

EVENTS. Liberty is working on the Fall General Meeting for Monday, 16 November 2009 at Sabin School Auditorium, 6:30-9. - Liberty had written the newsletter article called the event Sabin Stand Up.

ENVIRONMENT. Trent not in attendance but his activities are reported by David Sweet in his report of the Land Use Committee meeting.

LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION. David Sweet. Committee meeting earlier in the evening had full attendance. See full report at end.

COMMUNICATIONS. Ian reports the next newsletter will be out in plenty of time to announce the general meeting.

FINANCES/GRANTS. Naomi Lambertson is eager to write grant proposal for Neighborhood Small Grants, due 2 November. What projects for Sabin? SCA submitted an application for the grant last year to fund our web site but it was not granted. Naomi will resubmit it. Rosemarie is working on the application for an orchard. Ian moved that the Board approve these applications. Unanimous.

PUBLIC SAFETY. Barbara Conable announced that the committee of herself, Ric Alexander, and Lance Mayhew will have their first meeting Wednesday morning at 10. A committee member will attend an OLCC precinct meeting on 20 October. Rachel asks about the Good Neighbor Agreement for the new bar opening on Fremont. Ric speaks to the “toothlessness” of the Agreements and the sequence of what is allowed on premises, including gambling. He recommends a Board policy on the matter. Naomi moves that the Board will propose a Good Neighborhood Agreement with any new liquor license. Passed with one abstention.

Ian speaks about taking Neighborhood Watch training with Celeste Carey, recommends it for everyone.

NEW BUSINESS. Lauren McCartney announces a Local Leaders Institute, Friday 6 November 2-6 pm and Saturday 7 November 9 am-4 pm. $35. Scholarships or work-study are available.

David asks Lauren about the Coalition and the Columbia River Crossing. She says there will be a forum on the effects of it: air quality, traffic, economic effect, etc., still in planning stage because it may piggyback a Hayden Island forum set up by Willamette law students. Tolling is at issue, she reports.

Barbara Conable will be a second representative of SCA on the NECN Board.

ADJOURNED 9 pm.