Saturday, July 30, 2005
DSAA Board Meeting Minutes
DSAA Board Meeting
July 26, 2005 – DSPUD, 6:30 P.M.
Minutes
Attending: President Dan Wexler, Vice-President Carrie Hoyt, Secretary Pat Malberg, Board Members John Kirrene and Sara Taillon. Guest: Emily Wexler
Note: Next Meeting: Thursday, September 1, at Ice Lakes Lodge, 6:30 P.M.
501(c)(3) Status: Articles of Incorporation were taken into the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento and the response was to return them with a directive to provide addresses and signatures of each director named. Dan will re-format the articles, both separated from the bylaws and including the bylaws, and he and Carrie will get the needed signatures within the next two weeks. Pat will return from a trip on August 15 and will be in touch with Dan to obtain the signed papers and re-submit them to the Secretary of State. Dan will also provide Pat with an unsigned copy via e-mail.
Board of Supervisors: Dan has been contacted by Supervisor (Nevada County) Ted Owens who is interested in attending the next meeting of DSAA Board. Dan proposed to invite him to our next meeting, and in the meantime, Board members might prepare questions to ask and issues to raise, such as: affordable housing, especially for employees in the area (and possible consequences) – this was one of the questions raised by the Economic Development Report; sheriff/animal control and other services response time; traffic control.
Grants and Contacts: Dan has been in touch with Jack Schwartz from SLPOA who had received mail in regards to grants for forest health. In future, DSAA will be on the same mailing list. Anne Chadwick, VP of SLPOA may want to attend a future meeting to update us on this issue (forest health). On another note, the Cedars folks are not interested in being involved with DSAA, but Susan Goetner from there wants to be kept informed of DSAA activities, as does Jim Wiggins from the Rainbow Mutual Water Company Board. John will keep the PlaVada folks informed.
Insurance: Carrie has been in touch with HRH Insurance – they write policies for non-profits. They recommend General Liability insurance for the organization, which costs about $1000 per year and, in addition, Directors and Officers Insurance (D&O) which costs about $700 annually.
Logo Contest and DSAA Flyer: Sara has put together a flyer, which the Board members approved, with minor edits (8½ X 11 maximum size, send entries to the PO Box, etc.). She will post them around town and at Ice Lakes, and the General Store (and PO Box) will be the collection point for entry submissions. Entries can also be sent to wex@flarg.com. Sara has also created a flyer which met with the Board’s approval, with minor changes (add: PO Box and the fact that DSAA coordinates regional issues that affect the entire Summit area, from Cisco Grove to the Rainbow Bridge; add to issues: Traffic Management and Signage and Resource Management). It was suggested that DSAA literature always be printed on the same color paper to make it recognizable. Sara has also drafted a membership form, which the Board approved with minor changes/additions (eg., add PO Box, Date, email)
Serene Lakes Days: The celebration happens this Saturday and Sunday; Carrie has arranged to have a table for DSAA – when no one is available to “man” the table, the literature will be left for people to pick up, they can also put their contact information on a sign-up sheet. Carrie, Sara, Emily and John volunteered to staff the table, at least in the mornings. Carrie will call Ron to see if money can be collected, and Dan will call Jim to see if he’d be available to help. There will be a Happy Hour on Friday, which Carrie will be attending.
Other Issues:
Donner Trails School Task Force: Anthea will propose at their next
meeting that a representative from DSAA attend in future.
Signage: Share the Road and Historic Highway 40 signs are up. The
Soda Springs sign is very large, so has not been planted as yet. A smaller sign may be made available in the future.
Railroad Crossing: will be upgraded sometime in August, possibly as soon
as August 3-5, which means traffic will have to be diverted via the Sugar Bowl road.
Van Norden: A survey of the entire valley is being conducted (no one
knows for which company). $9 million has been invested to
upgrade the sewage treatment plant.
Big Bend Ranger Station has maps which show which parcels are public
lands.
COVAD will soon be contacted by a concerned resident to find our if
they’re interested in wiring the area for broadband.
8. Next Meeting: Thursday, September 1, at Ice Lakes Lodge, 6:30 P.M.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 P.M.
Submitted by Secretary Pat Malberg.
July 26, 2005 – DSPUD, 6:30 P.M.
Minutes
Attending: President Dan Wexler, Vice-President Carrie Hoyt, Secretary Pat Malberg, Board Members John Kirrene and Sara Taillon. Guest: Emily Wexler
Note: Next Meeting: Thursday, September 1, at Ice Lakes Lodge, 6:30 P.M.
501(c)(3) Status: Articles of Incorporation were taken into the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento and the response was to return them with a directive to provide addresses and signatures of each director named. Dan will re-format the articles, both separated from the bylaws and including the bylaws, and he and Carrie will get the needed signatures within the next two weeks. Pat will return from a trip on August 15 and will be in touch with Dan to obtain the signed papers and re-submit them to the Secretary of State. Dan will also provide Pat with an unsigned copy via e-mail.
Board of Supervisors: Dan has been contacted by Supervisor (Nevada County) Ted Owens who is interested in attending the next meeting of DSAA Board. Dan proposed to invite him to our next meeting, and in the meantime, Board members might prepare questions to ask and issues to raise, such as: affordable housing, especially for employees in the area (and possible consequences) – this was one of the questions raised by the Economic Development Report; sheriff/animal control and other services response time; traffic control.
Grants and Contacts: Dan has been in touch with Jack Schwartz from SLPOA who had received mail in regards to grants for forest health. In future, DSAA will be on the same mailing list. Anne Chadwick, VP of SLPOA may want to attend a future meeting to update us on this issue (forest health). On another note, the Cedars folks are not interested in being involved with DSAA, but Susan Goetner from there wants to be kept informed of DSAA activities, as does Jim Wiggins from the Rainbow Mutual Water Company Board. John will keep the PlaVada folks informed.
Insurance: Carrie has been in touch with HRH Insurance – they write policies for non-profits. They recommend General Liability insurance for the organization, which costs about $1000 per year and, in addition, Directors and Officers Insurance (D&O) which costs about $700 annually.
Logo Contest and DSAA Flyer: Sara has put together a flyer, which the Board members approved, with minor edits (8½ X 11 maximum size, send entries to the PO Box, etc.). She will post them around town and at Ice Lakes, and the General Store (and PO Box) will be the collection point for entry submissions. Entries can also be sent to wex@flarg.com. Sara has also created a flyer which met with the Board’s approval, with minor changes (add: PO Box and the fact that DSAA coordinates regional issues that affect the entire Summit area, from Cisco Grove to the Rainbow Bridge; add to issues: Traffic Management and Signage and Resource Management). It was suggested that DSAA literature always be printed on the same color paper to make it recognizable. Sara has also drafted a membership form, which the Board approved with minor changes/additions (eg., add PO Box, Date, email)
Serene Lakes Days: The celebration happens this Saturday and Sunday; Carrie has arranged to have a table for DSAA – when no one is available to “man” the table, the literature will be left for people to pick up, they can also put their contact information on a sign-up sheet. Carrie, Sara, Emily and John volunteered to staff the table, at least in the mornings. Carrie will call Ron to see if money can be collected, and Dan will call Jim to see if he’d be available to help. There will be a Happy Hour on Friday, which Carrie will be attending.
Other Issues:
Donner Trails School Task Force: Anthea will propose at their next
meeting that a representative from DSAA attend in future.
Signage: Share the Road and Historic Highway 40 signs are up. The
Soda Springs sign is very large, so has not been planted as yet. A smaller sign may be made available in the future.
Railroad Crossing: will be upgraded sometime in August, possibly as soon
as August 3-5, which means traffic will have to be diverted via the Sugar Bowl road.
Van Norden: A survey of the entire valley is being conducted (no one
knows for which company). $9 million has been invested to
upgrade the sewage treatment plant.
Big Bend Ranger Station has maps which show which parcels are public
lands.
COVAD will soon be contacted by a concerned resident to find our if
they’re interested in wiring the area for broadband.
8. Next Meeting: Thursday, September 1, at Ice Lakes Lodge, 6:30 P.M.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 P.M.
Submitted by Secretary Pat Malberg.
Friday, July 08, 2005
DSAA Board Meeting Minutes
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.
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.
