SEMCA BOARD MINUTES

MAY 3, 2009

1530 MT. VERNON

TERRY HUNT’S HOME

I.                     Welcome & roll call  -  Pres. Hunt called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m.

A.       Board members present:  Terry Hunt, Bruce Veltema, Vicki Shafarman, Doris Siegmann, Maggie Schuesler

B.      Board members absent:  Sandra Amundsen

C.      Others present:  Eugene Kales

II.                   Agenda was approved with the additions to Old Business, membership meeting review and to New Business, website discussion and sympathy card for Amundsen.

III.                Minutes of the Feb. 8, 2009 Board meeting were approved as written.  Siegmann moved.  Veltema seconded.

IV.                No written or oral communications.

V.                  President’s Report  -  Terry Hunt

A.       Hunt attended the latest Neighborhood Assoc. Pres. meeting.  Items discussed were as follows:

1.       Mary Haskell, E.L. city treasurer, reviewed the city’s 09/10 budget.  Much depends on the state’s revenue sharing amount.

2.      Burcham Park’s methane gas is still being reviewed and a methane extraction system may be installed later this fall.  It will probably include an underground piping system and a small building to house equipment used for the methane extraction.

3.      Sidewalk construction on Saginaw St. will begin soon.  This project will be paid for by the state.

4.      Ordinance 1212 is still being reviewed by the Housing Comm.

5.      Because of the economy, there has been no progress on City Center II.

6.      East Village plan is due in a few months, but may get an extension.

VI.                Financial Report  -  Treasurer:  Vicki Shafarman

A.       Balance on hand is $1,341.42.

B.      After discussion of generating more revenue, Schuesler moved to raise the membership dues to $5.00 per senior household and $7.00 per other household.  Shafarman seconded.  Motion passed.

VII.              Committee/Representative’s Report

A.       Newsletter  -  Gene Kales

1.       More back up is needed to publish the newsletter if Kales is unavailable.  Shafarman volunteered her help, but would need some instruction.  Shafarman also suggested Dave Anderson as a possible back up.

2.      Hunt will call Dave Anderson to thank him for helping Shafarman construct more sign holders.   Hunt also will ask him if he is interested in helping with the newsletter.

B.      Newsletter Delivery  -  Doris Siegmann

       More volunteers are always needed to help deliver.  It was suggested that Board members                    circulate during the fall picnic and talk to neighbors about helping.

C.       HHP (Hometown Housing Partnership)  -  Julie Rojewski/Carol Brito    No report

D.     SEMCares  -  Vicki Shafarman    No report

      Kales stated that he appreciated the grocery shopping drivers when he needed them.  Kales                  also volunteered to write an article for the fall newsletter about SEMCares and CATA.

E.       Park Fundraiser  -  May 9  rain date May 16

Board members are needed to help set up and bring baked goods.

F.       Outreach/publicity

      Signs for the fundraiser will be placed at Edgewood church and Traverse City Pie Co.

G.      SEMCA picnic  -  Sept. 13, rain date Sept. 20

1.       Schuesler volunteered to contact the E.L. Fire dept. about having a fire truck come to the picnic.

2.      Since the picnic is a time to socialize, it was decided that this is not the right venue to have music, unless it is understood that it is only background entertainment.

VIII.            New Business

A.      After a discussion about the SEMCA website not being updated and old information not being deleted, Hunt volunteered to talk to LeRoy Harvey about these concerns.  Kales volunteered to help with the website.

B.      A sympathy card for Amundsen’s loss of her father was passed around.

IX.                Old Business

A.       Ordinance 1212 is still being reviewed by the Housing Comm.

B.      Review 2008/09 Goals

A.      Burcham Park  No update  (see President’s report)

B.      Welcome to new neighbors 

1.       Hunt has a volunteer who is willing to notify us when a new resident has moved into the SEMCA neighborhood.

2.      Hunt and Schuesler will visit new residents at 1736 Mt. Vernon.

C.       Next Board meeting 8/2/09  -  Shafarman’s home,  1605 Linden

      Agenda items:  picnic, fall newsletter, membership meeting, website update, Ordinance         1212

D.     Review spring membership meeting

      There was discussion regarding length of speaker’s presentation.  It was suggested that       limiting speakers to 15 minutes, then Q. & A. for 10 minutes would move the meeting       along.  This will be implemented at the next membership meeting.   

X.                  Meeting adjourned.

Next Board Meeting:  Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009    1605 Linden