DONNER SUMMIT AREA ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEETING, July 7, 2005
6:30 P.M., Donner Summit Public Utilities District

Note: next Board meeting is Tuesday, July 26, 6:30 PM at DSPUD

Board Attendees: President Dan Wexler, Vice-President Carrie Hoyt, Treasurer Ron Kolbe, Secretary Pat Malberg, Jim Thomson, Starr Hurley, Sara Taillon and John Kirrene.

Guests: Lori Van Meter, Ed Hurley and Michael Rogers

501(c)(3) Status: Lori present the update and reported the next step is to file papers with the State; Starr Hurley and Pat Malberg volunteered to follow up. As a public interest corporation, DSAA will not be able to support any political issue or campaign, but must be limited to gathering and disseminating information about issues.

Insurance: Carrie Hoyt will research Directors and Officers coverage for the group.

Duties of Officers: Secretary: keeps all records, types up and sends out agendas and minutes to the Board members and to post on the website. Treasurer: A full treasurer’s report will be included in the annual report, but periodic updates will be provided to the Board; Ron Kolbe will research the possibility of opening a bank account prior to incorporation. If donors are looking for a deduction in the interim, they can “loan” the organization the money, get paid back when the non-profit status is finalized, and then donate the money back for IRS purposes. President and Vice-President: President conducts meetings with Vice-President filling in when the President is unavailable.

Logo Contest: flyer will be posted at the Store and on the website. Details, such as guidelines and timeframe, will be worked out by the committee: Sara Taillon, John Kirrene and Lori Van Meter.

Fundraising: several suggestions were put forward, including the need for a business plan, base level funding via memberships, attendance at local events such as Serene Lakes Days to disseminate information flyers with tear-off membership forms; flyers/membership forms available at the store and on the website and spreading the news about the organization whenever possible. Carrie Hoyt and Sara Taillon will draft the flyer, Dan Wexler will help with layout. Carrie will also check with Jack Schwartz at Serene Lakes regarding the booth and the flyers.

Relationship with County and Locals: DSAA can provide a service to the local residents, letting them know of events of importance to the area and acting as a conduit between the area and the county officials. Jim Thomson will monitor the Board of Supervisors agendas on their websites and notify DSAA when an issue of importance to the area is on the agenda.

Signage, Roads, Train, etc: The railroad crossing at Soda Springs will be upgraded in August to Grade A – Carrie Hoyt will post dates of three-day road closure. The “Soda Springs” sign is scheduled to be planted soon and that there will also be 4 “Share the Road” signs posted in different locations along highway 40.

Donner Trail School: Michael Rogers reviewed the history of the school (a neighborhood school since 1936, not a charter school) and the controversy around its proposed closure. Board considered the following points: because of the school’s reputation, there is limited enrollment; in addition to the task force formed by the School Board, a parent task force has been formed; the school represents the heart of the community – property values, recruitment/retention of local employees, emergency shelter, community activity center, are some of the concerns outside connected with the school’s continued existence, outside the immediate issue of the education of the area’s children; this is a tax-supported entity, so the taxpayers/residents have a stake in its future; Royal Gorge and Sugar Bowl have offered to raise funds to help the school continue, but there are no specific sums being discussed; options for solutions include annexing the school to Nevada County schools and raising the age to 8th grade, to include only Summit area children; currently the school is managed by the Placer County Board of Education but is included in the Truckee Unified School District. Michael agreed to keep DSAA Board members updated on the issues related to the school. It was agreed that Dan will request that DSAA have representation on the Unified School District Board’s Task Force.

DSAA can act as a conduit to communicate information to residents of the area. Ideas for DSAA involvement in the school, and other issues as well, are: conduct a survey, circulate a questionnaire, or facilitate a forum to give a voice to the vision of area resident in regards to the school’s future; help bridge the gap between the two counties; gather information; facilitate activism by community members; and act as the organizer of the community voice; use as a membership recruitment/talking point the need for a voice for the Donner Summit community.

A goal DSAA might pursue is to get the County to spend some of the TOT monies on promoting the Donner Summit area; ideas to consider are a Donner Summit Visitors Center and a Summit branch of the Truckee Chamber of Commerce.