Minutes of the DVLA Board Meeting of March 24, 2009
Board Members attending: Cyndy Johnson, Mike Barker, Alan Strebeck, Barbara Hjelle; Sally Musemeche
Meeting held at Fire House.
Six landowners were in attendance.
President Cyndy Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.
1. Approval of Agenda
MOTION was made by Mike Barker to accept the agenda. Alan Strebeck seconded the motion. The motion was passed.
2. Review and approve minutes of the February regular board meeting
MOTION was made by Barbara Hjelle to approve the February meeting minutes. Mike Barker seconded the motion. The motion was passed.
3. President's Message
President Cyndy Johnson noted that there was a great team going forward with the current Board. So far there have been no candidates for the three openings. She urged all landowners to consider this important service to the community.
3. Review financial reports - Stella Callagee
Stella Callagee, Treasurer, reported that several delinquent properties have paid the late dues. The amount of unpaid dues is down to $3,672.00 which represents 12 lots. There were no unusual expenses during the prior month.
MOTION was made by Barbara Hjelle to accept the financial report for filing. The motion was seconded and passed.
4. Reports:
a. Fire Department
Chief Talbot gave the report for the fire department. The department had responded to one false alarm - in conjunction with a controlled burn being done. There were also two medical calls. The department will be doing extrication training on the coming Saturday. This session would help train the volunteers when responding to traffic accidents. There are two new members on the team - Ron Johnson and Don Collier. This brings the department up to a total of 24 fire fighters and medical team volunteers.
The old military 6x6 vehicle has had brake problems. The department was able to make the necessary repairs. The Rescue vehicle is occasionally going dead. There is a lot of equipment on board that drains the batteries.
The Chief said that the fire house is starting to show signs of use. The carpet is showing wear and the doors need to be painted. The asphalt around the station is cracking and separating in places. Next year the Valley will need to treat the surface. For the present the Chief will do some temporary sealing.
The Chief purchased red cinders for sandbagging in anticipation of the Spring run off.
The Chief reported that he had to submit a Workmen's Compensation claim for volunteer Jim Petersen. Jim was conducting training when a pressure cap blew off the hydrant and hit him in the thigh. He was taken to Work Med but the accident had not caused anything to be broken, just some serious bruising. Jim is expected to make a full recovery.
The Chief is able to issue burn permits through April 15th. After that the burn season will close. Landowners can call the Chief on his cell phone: 703-0931.
b. ARC - Trustee Assignments: April - Mike Barker; May - Barbara Hjelle
There was no activity over the past month to report.
c. Trustee Reports
For the Weed Committee, Barbara Hjelle encouraged landowners to pull and spray as the weeds start to come up.
Mike Barker said that he would get together with the Chief before his term ended so they could review the contents in the fire house to be sure the insurance policies correctly reflected those numbers.
Cyndy Johnson had spoken with Rick Smith about a date for highway clean-up. Rick has scheduled one for April 25th starting at 8:00am.
Sally Musemeche discussed the Community Center reservation policy. She asked that it be posted to the Bulletin Board and Stella Callagee said she would get that done. Sally congratulated the committee helping to run the Community Center. She said that Robyn Jensen is keeping the schedule.
Sally also reported on the CCR violations referral committee that she had headed. She said it was agreed that no committee should determine legal action to be pursued. The role of the committee would be to do research and bring a recommendation to the Board. The Board would make the decision on action to be taken. She said that those bringing a complaint would need to identify themselves so that a response could be given to them. Anonymous complaints would not be accepted. She would be seeking feedback on a referral form.
Sally Musemeche discussed the ARC approval passed by the Board at the last meeting. She said that there had been discussion at that original ARC about the legality of the Architectural Guidelines. She asked the other Board members where we stand in relation to the Guidelines. Should this issue be discussed at the annual meeting? Alan Strebeck noted that the CCR's always "trump" the Architectural Guidelines.
Alan Strebeck reported that the burn pile was going well. The volunteers were doing a great job at the gates.
Cyndy Johnson recognized a speaker on an eagle scout project to repair the fence around the mailbox area. Greg and Gavin Hall were leading the project. A group of volunteers would work on a Saturday to pull out the old fencing and replace it with matching two rail, round fencing. The scouts had collected donations from landowners to complete the project.
MOTION was made by Alan Strebeck to allow the project to proceed as planned. Barbara Hjelle seconded the motion. Discussion clarified that the DVLA was not funding the project, it was being covered by donations. The motion was passed.
5. Unfinished Business:
a. Annual Meeting Planning - Annual Meeting to be held May 16, 2009
1. Proposed By-Law Revisions: The Board members discussed Alan Strebeck's proposed by-law revisions. Sally Musemeche expressed her concern that the document had not been the result of a committee effort. She had thought from earlier discussions that Alan would form a committee which would work on the issue over the year. The current presentation was being made by Alan in a personal status, as a landowner. Barbara Hjelle added that she had volunteered to be on the committee and she had been aware that other landowners had volunteered too.
Barbara said that she did not believe a major revision of the by-laws should be presented in this manner. She expressed concern that there could be unintended consequences. She felt the variety of viewpoints from landowners was important in drafting these types of legal documents. She also did not feel that there could be a meaningful discussion at the annual meeting. She would recommend that landowners vote against the revisions.
Alan Strebeck said it was arrogant to say this board or the few members who came to monthly meetings had the ability to make a decision for all landowners.
Sally Musemeche said that when the landowners elected her to the board they gave her the responsibility to represent the body's interest. She had thought she was going to have an opportunity to make input into the by-law revisions. By allowing the current revisions document to go out she did not feel she was serving the body that had elected her.
Cyndy Johnson said that Alan, as a landowner, had every right to send out his revisions. He had met the requirements of the by-law that allowed a landowner to propose changes. She added that she had also thought that Alan had been in agreement with the board to work with a committee to draft the revisions.
Barbara Hjelle said she was not trying to deprive the landowners of something. She would have preferred that there had been several months of review and input by landowners and the board. She would have liked to see pro and con statements sent along with the revisions.
Alan Strebeck pointed out that if a landowner had submitted this document within the correct timeframes they would have to go out as submitted and the board had no authority to change them. He felt that an individual board member's recommendation to vote against the proposed revisions was a personal slight.
Discussion to be taken under consideration.
2. Architectural Guidelines
The Board discussed whether the current architectural guidelines had been voted in under the necessary quorum requirements. Barbara Hjelle said she had served on the Board which had proposed the current guidelines. There had been a lot of board and landowner involvement in the current document. There had been committee and board meeting discussions. The question is what is the range of the board's discretion in respect to the guidelines. The current guidelines had been drafted in response to concerns that restrictions were getting more and more extreme. The guidelines had been an effort to moderate the position of the DVLA. The guidelines had been mailed out to the landowners and approved by a majority of respondents.
Alan Strebeck cited earlier guideline documents and what had been the approval numbers for those revisions. Problem, were the current guidelines approved by the necessary numbers mandated in the current governing documents?
Barbara Hjelle said the questions leave room for the Board to review the document and make recommendations.
Sally Musemeche felt the Board had to do the right thing. This might require going back to the last legally passed document. Alan Strebeck pointed out that By-law 8.3 required guidelines be passed by 51% of the landowners.
Alan Strebeck said the Board should take this discussion under advisement.
6. New Business:
a. Protocol for change in meeting dates
Cyndy Johnson said there could be a protocol established for a change in meeting dates.
Barbara Hjelle felt that the regularly scheduled meeting dates should be kept in place. As long as the Board had a quorum to conduct business then the meeting date should stand. Otherwise it was a picking and choosing of which members could be at a meeting.
b. Email archives
The Board discussed keeping an email archives. The ones to keep were those that required board action. Many were informational and did not need board consideration/action.
c. Vote for new Secretary/Treasurer
MOTION was made by Alan Strebeck to appoint Carol Clason as the new DVLA Secretary/Treasurer. Barbara Hjelle seconded the motion. The motion was passed by a unanimous vote.
d. Community Garden
Mark Ahrenholtz talked to the Board about a plot of land donated by Brooks Pace for a community garden. Brooks had donated three acres of land and would fence the area as well as provide water. There would be family size gardens. April 22nd there would be a groundbreaking event. The intention was that extra produce would be sold and help to continue the gardens and also be donated to Care and Share. Those wanting information could call Mark at 668-3824.
7. Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 9:25pm.
Stella Callagee
Recording Secretary
