Special FICRA Board Meeting
March 29, 2011
The purpose of the special meeting was to allow the new board to introduce themselves and to learn about the workings of FICRA in preparation for the board meeting on April 7, and to address a request by Lise Ohlson and Sue Delaney that required a resolution by April 2, concerning the Monthly Market.
Attending: Lynne Goodwin, Max Ostner, Tony Moore, Maggie Flanagan, Judy Kanick, John Ohlson, Jean Peterson, Sue Delaney, and Lise Ohlson.
President Lynne Goodwin opened the meeting at 7:30. Because it was the first meeting of the new board, she requested introductions from each member and a brief statement concerning what goals and meeting norms each would like to see at meetings. Some issues mentioned are:
- starting on time; ending on time.
- efficient use of time – people need to come to the meeting prepared.
- giving everyone a chance to be heard – opposing views can present learning opportunities and questions are important.
- Avoid disruptions, be courteous and respectful of others so that people feel safe and secure.
- Limit reports to 5 minutes – Timers would be good to have.
- Stick to the agenda.
- On big decisions there might be one meeting for information and discussion, with a vote at the next meeting.
- Try using the PenMet Park’s format for meetings without being too stringent with it.
- Increase the interest and involvement of the community.
The following items were brought up:
- Representatives from the GH Parks Foundation and Washington Wildlife Coalition would like to meet with Fox Island residents to discuss the Harbor Family Park and possible lack of funding from the state. It was suggested that this meeting be arranged and the date announced at the April FICRA meeting.
- We have secured a grant for playground equipment from PenMet Parks. Lynne asked if we could order the replacement toy with FICRA funds which would be replaced when the grant is issued. It was recommended to get the details of the grant issue dates before ordering.
The following events were announced:
- CPR classes will be held at NCC on April 9 and April 16 from 9 until noon.
- A kindergarten readiness program will be held at NCC on April 12 at 6:30. The principal, teacher, PTA member from Voyager School, and a school board member will be in attendance.
- The Easter Egg Hunt will be at NCC on April 23. Lynne requested $74.32 to rent a bunny costume.
- The Jeff Feagin Plant Sale will be on May 7. Hal Godell is in charge of coordinating the two garden clubs.
- There have been requests for an Emergency Preparedness forum so Fox Island residents can be better prepared in case of earthquakes or other emergencies. We would like to work with responders to make it easier for them to find emergencies when calls are made from cell phones.
- The Fox Island Garden Tour fundraiser will be on May 14 from 10:00-5:00.
- It was suggested to have an ‘Island Day’ when each of the non-profits is open for visits.
Newsletter – Lynne will have the newsletter out April 11 or 12. She has sold 3 business card advertising slots for $25 to help defray expenses and would like to sell more.
Monthly Market –
*Sue and Lise have requested that the board approve renting the NCC to them for the purpose of having the Monthly Market 10 months of the year on the first Saturday of the month.
* Background: Lise and Sue began the market in October 2009 as a fundraiser for FICRA. It requires many hours of their time, and because of their hard work, FICRA has received an average of $600 a month from the proceeds. At this time they would like for it to become a for-profit enterprise, thus the need for a rental agreement.
* They were thanked for the thousands of dollars they have contributed to FICRA the last 15 months. The Market requires them to setup on Friday, but they request to be charged only for the Saturday rental. Lise stated that other rentals have been allowed the extra day without charge.
*It was moved, seconded and passed to rent the building to Sue and Lise for the Monthly Market for $300.00 per month, with set up time Friday morning.
*The rent for April has been paid through the prepayment to FICRA for vendor spaces.
*There was concern about the number of people in the building and suggested that the number of vendors be limited to lessen the strain on the building and improve safety.
Bridge sign – Rules for the sign were reviewed.
FICRA events take precedence.
People reserve either side.
Ralph Christ can put the ‘Men’s Coffee’ sign up on Tuesdays and take down Wed. morning.
Web info – It was shared that a Facebook Group is not recommended for an organization. A media consultant recommends a Facebook Page instead. Max will set up the new ‘Page’ and requested that John post a message on the ‘Group page’ to switch to the new site, and remove the current site to avoid confusion.
John has a calendar on the Events page of the website. He requested that people fill out the ‘marketplace submission form’ with information to be listed under events.
Roof – Tony reported that the roof installation is going well with no surprises, though they have not yet reached the flat portion.
Furnace – The reports indicate that our heating problems are more from too much heat escaping the building than from not enough heat going into the building. We need to get bids on insulating the walls and taking care of the windows.
Grounds – Max has arranged for oil test to be done where the oil leak occurred last January.
Max will present a drawing at the next meeting showing the relocation of the boulders and the barrier chain to allow cars access to the ramp at the back of the building.
Tony would like permission to bore a hole 4 to 5 feet deep and install a sump pump as a trial to see if this might be a solution to the water problem in the basement.
Jean will call people to prune the plants in front of the building.
Disposal of things from NCC – There was concern about moving things in the building and things getting lost or discarded. The NCC needs to be functional.
Nature Center – John voiced his concerns about the Nature Center committee’s requested moratorium on Boy Scout projects in the NC while the committee members are deciding their recommendations for the center; the idea of limiting public access; the idea of deeding the property to a conservancy group. Max will attend the next NC committee meeting and work with the group toward a more cohesive goal, starting with the original purpose. John reviewed some of the scout projects at the NC, and stressed that the families also have a monetary investment in the projects. He recommended the Eagle Scout Project Book as a good guide for all to know.
Building Trust trustee election – The Building Trust meeting will be immediately after the April FICRA meeting to elect a board of directors. The present officers are Tony Moore, president; John Ohlson,vice president; and Judy Kanick, treasurer. There can be five people on the board with the addition of a secretary and a trustee.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:20.
Respectfully submitted,
Jean Peterson
Secretary
Addition: Maggie had requested that we revisit the criteria for the FICRA scholarship, and to create a flow chart/diagram of the committees to ensure efficiency and avoid redundancy.