Board Meeting Minutes - February 7, 2019

Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Organization Board Meeting
February 7, 2019, 3:00pm
501 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs

The following board members were present: Amy Brinkman, Sheila Cobrin, Mickey Puig, Kermit Ferrer, Robin Abrahams, and Gustav Swanson (via phone). Also in attendance was guest Jeff Shotwell from Imagine It! Media.   

AGENDA
• Review/Approve Minutes from Jan. meeting
• Review Action Items from Jan. meeting
• Treasury Report
• Board Positions
• Follow-up to Annual VLPNO Meeting: 11/18/18
• VLPNO Modernism Tour Update
• ImagineIT Media Presentation: Fundamentals, History and Potential
• Neighborhood Activities / Action Plan: Board Endeavors
• 2019 First Social
• Next Meeting Dates for Mar & April
• Other

RECAP / NOTES

Review/Approve Minutes from Jan. 17th meeting
• Board unanimously approved minutes from the Jan. 2019 meeting
• Sally to coordinate w/ Imagine-IT to publish Jan. 17th, 2019 Board Meeting minutes on-line

Review Action Items from Jan. meeting
• OPEN: Sally to publish minutes from December 5th, 2018’s Board Meeting on-line working with Imagine IT group
• COMPLETE: Howard to reach out to Gustav Swanson to see if he’s still interested in being part of the VLPNO Board to fill the newly opened position
• OPEN: Howard to locate current VLPNO By-Laws

• OPEN: Howard to share (1) current VLPNO By-Laws and (2) Minutes from VLPNO Annual meeting held on Nov. 18th with Glenn Cameron to provide legal counsel in the review of events occurred during the Annual VLP meeting (See minutes from VLPNO Annual meeting held on Nov. 18th) against VLPNO by-laws and advise VLPNO Board 

• OPEN: Howard to present offer to Glenn Cameron to become 2nd member of the VLPNO Advisory Board and become legal advisor/counsel
• COMPLETE: Kermit to send out email to Board members requesting Top 5 ‘Positives (Do More) & Negatives (Do Less/Stop Doing)’ about the VLP Board and/or Our Community
• COMPLETE: Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a GoToMeeting invites for February and March for anyone who might not be able to attend in person
• IN-PROCESS: Howard to contact Mary Jo Pott’s and introduce Mickey so they can work on closing Paypal account. Introduction complete, login and password obtained. Mickey sent tmail request to cancel account.
• IN-PROCESS: Kermit to continue to work with volunteer: John Criscuolo on validating/updating neighbor detail information
• OPEN: Kermit & John to create proposal up proposal for contacting all neighbors with draft content requesting neighbors’ input and/or update their personal and contact information as well as drive VLPNO membership
• COMPLETE: Sally to follow-up with Jeff Shotwell @ Imagine IT to discuss neighbor database vs website management

Board Positions
• 2019 Officers
1. President: Howard Hawkes
2. Vice-President: Sally Hightower Lippin
3. Secretary: Kermit Ferrer
4. Treasurer: Mickey Puig
5. Board-At-Large: Amy Brinkman, Sheila Cobrin & Open
• 2019 Advisory Board:
1. Robin Abrahams
• Gustav welcomed onto the VLPNO Board taking Board-At-Large Open position.
• Kermit requested that all Board members write up their personal bio’s and send to him for review. He asked that they include a picture in jpg format. Once he received all of these, he’d forward to Sally to work with Jeff @ ImagineIT to have them uploaded onto the website.
1. Recommended an SP be written for Board transitioning members so that website can be updated ASAP after Board election

Follow-up to Annual Board Meeting held on Sunday, November 18th:

  • See Minutes from January 17th Board Meeting

  • Howard wasn’t in attendance – No Update.

VLP Modernism Week Home Tour

  • Robin confirmed an organizing committee meeting set for Monday 2/4 at her house at 4pm. She welcomed any of the Board members to join the rest of the VLP MW Home Tour organizers. The purposed of the meeting is to laying out some of the last details (of which there are MANY) and the overall “day-of” planning.

  • Robin has organized home owner and volunteer information. She’ll be reaching out to all participants and interested parties this coming weekend with information such as shift schedule.

  • The Board commented on seeing signs posted throughout the neighborhood to publicize MW VLP Home Tour.

  • Additionally, the brochure goes to print on Monday.

  • Most of the supplies required for the event such as booties, glasses, drinks, etc have been ordered & received o pull off the event. There are still some product purchases yet to make, but these are based on ticket sales & quantities needed.

  • Robin said that there were still tickets available and requested the Board spread the word. She also said that she’d be posting on Facebook and sending out an announcement/reminder for Board members and neighbors to help spread the word in an effort to get the event to sell out early.

  • Estimated ticket sales @ Sold = 300 out of a Total 550.

  • The Board discussed the finances of the tour and ticket sales fee collected by the MW committee. Robin assured the VLP Board of all the MW committee does to support and promote the full event.

  • Robin made the Board aware of the insurance requirements for the tour and ending toast events.

  • Robin advised the Board that the ‘Home Owner / Docent’ thank you party would not be taking place the evening of the day of home tour as previously agreed.

    1. The event would close with a culminating ‘Toast to the neighborhood’ celebrating the 60th Anniversary.

    2. It was suggested that the Thank You party be combined with the first 2019 VLP Social event. Further information below on Board Endeavours.

  • Jade & Robin were interviewed by some school children who we (VLPNO) are hosting as guests for the upcoming VLP M/W Tour. It’s great publicity & also good community involvement for our ‘hood. The school kids will be creating a Power Point presentation about the tour, the architecture & the neighborhood!

Board Endeavors
• Kermit reviewed the findings of the Board questionnaire of Top 5 ‘Positives (Do More) & Negatives (Do Less/Stop Doing)’ about the VLP Board and/or Our Community.
• The Board feedback results ranked as follows:
• Worked / More Of / Add
1. VLP MW Tour
2. Social
3. Board +Communication
4. Annual Meeting + Membership
• What Didn’t Work / Less of / Modify
1. Communication
2. History + Social
3. Annual Meeting
4. Board + Membership
• We will use this to create work groups lead by Board members. To each category, there was a group of ideas and suggestions that could be used by the work group in development of projects. See summary under separate cover.

Neighborhood - Social
• The board agreed to host the 1st VLP Neighborhood social on Saturday, April 6th. The Board hopes that scheduling this on a Saturday will garner improved participation. Kermit suggested patio of 849. Amy said that she would take responsibility for contacting 849 and getting a proposal from them.
1. As previously noted, this social event will also celebrate and thank all VLP MW Home Tour participants: Home Owners & Docents

Advisory Board (reminder)
• Members:
1. Robin Abrahams – MW Home Tour
2. Glenn Cameron – Legal Advisor
• Purpose:
1. Assist in different projects / areas of the neighborhood
2. Provide SME (Subject Matter Expertise) to committees

 

Future Meetings
• NOTE: Board meetings scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of month @ 4:00pm
• March Meeting: Based on everyone’s schedule for March, next meeting to take place on Thursday, March 28th @ 4:00pm. Meeting will be held at H3K, 501 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA. (Yes, we know that this is the 1st Thursday of the month.)
• Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a GoToMeeting invite for anyone who might be able to attend in person
• Parking Lot Item to be revisited during a future Board meeting: Jade mentioned at January 2019 meeting that the Annual VLPNO Meeting date has proven to be unpopular. The Board discussed identifying three (3) alternative dates to send out to the VLPNO neighborhood members to vote on potential date change for the Annual Meeting

Imagine It! Media Presentation
• Jeff Shotwell was present to discuss VLPNO website history and fundamentals and opportunities for updates and upgrades.
• Kermit mentioned that John Criscuolo, volunteering neighbor, began compiling an accurate database of the current homes and owners in the Vista Las Palmas. Jeff promised to send the database that exists behind the website as another tool to match up and make the neighborhood database current.
1. Format John's spreadsheet to download contact information input into VLPNO website

 ACTION ITEMS / OWNER
• Sally to publish minutes from December 5th, 2018 and January 17th’s Board Meeting on-line working with Imagine IT group
• Howard to locate current VLPNO By-Laws
• Howard to share (1) current VLPNO By-Laws and (2) Minutes from VLPNO Annual meeting held on Nov. 18th with Glenn Cameron to provide legal counsel in the review of events occurred during the Annual VLP meeting (See minutes from VLPNO Annual meeting held on Nov. 18th) against VLPNO by-laws and advise VLPNO Board
• Howard to present offer to Glenn Cameron to become 2nd member of the VLPNO Advisory Board and become legal advisor/counsel
• Kermit to send out email requesting Board Member bio’s and photos to update VLPNO website
• Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a GoToMeeting invites for March for anyone who might not be able to attend in person
• Mickey to confirm closing of Paypal account
• Kermit to continue to work with volunteer: John Criscuolo on validating/updating neighbor detail information – include database information from Jeff Shotwell - ImagineIT
• Kermit & John to create proposal up proposal for contacting all neighbors with draft content requesting neighbors’ input and/or update their personal and contact information as well as drive VLPNO membership