Board Meeting Minutes - October 8, 2020

Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Organization Board Meeting
October 8, 2020  4:00pm
Virtual Call via MSTeams

Meeting Objective: VLPNO Board Updates 

The following board members/attendees were present: Scott Turner, Kevin Comer, Gustav Swanson, Kermit Ferrer, Sally Hightower Lippin, Rebecca May.

AGENDA 

 

  • Review / Approve Minutes from September Board Meeting (09/10/20) - Board

  • Review Action Items from September Board Meeting - KFerrer

  • Treasury / Finance Report - KComer

    • September Report

    • Other VLPNO funds projects: ie Blade Signs

  • Neighborhood - KComer

    • Street Condition Update

  • One PS / District 3 Update - KComer

  • VLPNO Annual General Membership Meeting Planning - Board

    • Date: November 22nd

    • O’Donnell Reservation: Date & Time; PA System?

    • Agenda

    • Election & Open Positions

    • Presenters

    • Guest Speakers

    • Membership & Dues

    • Invitation

    • Zoom/ Teams Meeting Set-Up & Rehearsal

  • Communication Updates: - GSwanson

    • Email Addresses DB - KComer/RMay

    • Home Addresses DB update: Excel vs Mailchimp

    • VLPNO website

    • Next Door

    • Facebook

    • Other

  • Block Ambassador/Captain Initiative Next Steps - Kferrer

  • Other Board Member Updates



Review/Approve Minutes from September 10th meeting

  • Gustav to coordinate w/ Imagine-IT to publish August and September Board 2020 meeting minutes on-line

    RECAP / NOTES from September Meeting

  • Kermit to send Gustav both August and September meeting minutes

  • Board reviewed and unanimously approved minutes from the September 10th, 2020 Board Meeting

  • OPEN: Gustav to publish minutes from August Board meeting

  • OPEN: Kevin, Scott and Kermit to set-up co-signer’s on VLPNO bank accounts

  • COMPLETE: Kevin to follow-up with Barton CPA to assist with CA State exemption and filing

  • COMPLETE: Kermit to communicate to MW2021 Committee withdrawal of VLPNO request to hold a VLP Home Garden Tour.

  • COMPLETE: Kermit to draft communication to neighbors of VLPNO Home Tour in the Modernism Week 2021. Once approved, Board to publish via Mailchimp, FB and Nextdoor

  • COMPLETE: Scott to reach out to the O'Donnell Club and inquire about the possibility to move VLPNO AGMM to Saturday, November 21st if an earlier time (2:00 – 4:00pm) is available; ask if the O’Donnell has a PA system; finalize the date and time for the AGMM and book it

  • COMPLETE: Gustav to follow-up with Jeff @ ImagineIT to see if they are able to host and assist with the webinar

  • COMPLETE: Kermit to follow-up with his company to see if they would allow the VLP to use their MSTeams platform for the AGMM

  • COMPLETE: Kermit to draft communication on AGMM Hold the Date. Once meeting date is finalized and booked, Board to publish via Mailchimp, FB and Nextdoor
    OPEN: Kevin & Gustav to reach out to possible guest speakers: PSPD Police Sargent John Cabrera and Denise Goolsby, Office of Neighborhoods Manager at City of Palm Springs; invite them to the VLP AGMM and ask if they would speak at our meeting.

  • COMPLETE: Kevin to follow-up with City on Neighborhood Topics: Street Condition

  • CANCELLED: Rebecca, Gustav and Scott to work on updating Excel database to maintain a list of neighbors who are VLPNO members by address as well as those who have paid dues

  • COMPLETE: Kevin to research whether this information: Addresses and Paid Dues can be maintained in Quickbooks

  • OPEN: Kermit to update Block Ambassador proposal

  • OPEN: Board members to provide Top 5 intersections to add VLP Blade signs

  • COMPLETE: Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a MSTeams meeting invite for October 8th Board Meeting

Treasurer’s Report

  • Kevin provided September Financials via email to the Board prior to the meeting

  • September reporting included

    • Account Reconciliation

    • Income Statement

    • Chase Bank Statement

  • Kevin spoke to Kathy Cintas, Tax Preparer at Barton CPA. It appears that the VLPNO has never filed State of California exemption applications. She confirmed that there will be penalties and Barton CPA costs to file these with the state of California retroactively.

  • Board agreed that this must be disclosed to any candidates who come forth for the November VLPNO Board Election at the AGMM.

  • Kevin inquired about the year that the VLPNO was formed. Kermit stated that from the records that he’s organized, we show the VLPNO was incorporated in November 1st, 2005.

  • Kevin is awaiting a formal quote from Barton CPA on the work before approving them to proceed with work. Kathy stated she had to defer to Chauncy Thompson, Firm Manager.

  • We still need another two (2) signers: The Board agreed that this will be Scott Turner, VLPNO Board Chairperson & Kermit Ferrer, VLPNO Board Secretary. This will be set-up once regulations permit for us to go to the bank to complete the signature paperwork and Kevin returns to PS.

MW2021 – VLPNO Home Tour                                                                                                   

  • Kermit confirmed communication to the MW2021 Committee our intent to withdraw our request to take part in next February’s 2021 Modernism Week.

  • Communication was sent to VLP neighbors that the Board has decided to cancel the VLPNO Home Tour in February 2021 Modernism Week.

  • Kermit stressed the importance to start planning early for the Modernism Week 2022 Home Tour Planning. The Board agreed to add it to the Annual General Membership Meeting Agenda.

One-PS – District 3

  • Kevin provided the following update:

  • One-PS meetings resumed in September in virtual format. The next meeting is on October 6th, 2020.

  • Palm Springs City Manager David Ready is retiring at the end of 2020after about two decades of service. No replacement has been announced.

  • Announcement of the sad news of the passing of Nat Reed, creator of the ONE-PS logo. Nat was a local graphic artist.

  • Upcoming Events:

    • 27th: Talk of the Town presentation by the PS Animal Shelter

    • 12th: One-PS 15th Anniversary Celebration

Neighborhood                          

STREETS:

  • Kevin followed up with Joel Montalvo, MPA, PE Asst Director of Engineering City of PS. He organized a walk through of the neighborhood worse streets for Tuesday, October 12th. Kermit & Scott to meet Mr Montalvo to do the walkthrough of the worse streets demonstrating signs of failure (all cul-de-sacs) and comp cul-de-sac examples repaved at the same time that remain in good condition.

  • Below are the streets the Board agreed during the June 2020 Board meeting for ranking based on conditions.Streets in priority order:

1.      N Fairview

2.      Topaz

3.      Coronet

4.      N Fair Circle

5.      Tuxedo

  • Paseo Dero and Via Paraiso cul-de-sac streets are immaculate and that we thought would be a good comparison to the condition our streets should be in.

AGAVE:

  • Update on The Agave Project: Kevin mentioned that Sydney Weissman, Community of PS Liaison, for 'The WHCHC’s (West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation) Agave’ project contacted him asking Kevin to write a letter showing our support of the project. Kevin declined as he needed input from the VLPNO neighbors. Kevin suggested that she follow-up on scheduling further community presentations of the project that they talked about and promised during their initial call with us. He said that he would assist in broadcasting the invite to the VLP neighbors. The Board supports Kevin’s approach and agreed that we would definitely need input from VLP neighbors as well as surrounding communities: OLP, Little Tuscany, Movie Colony.

NOTE:  The Agave project is a new development planned at the corner of Palm Canyon and Stevens.  Alternately described as low-income housing, homeless housing, affordable senior housing, transient housing.

Communication

  • Board agreed to discontinue Excel database and to maintain Memberships, Dues/Donations, Home Addresses and Email Addresses in Quickbooks.

  • Gustav to work with Kevin in updating Quickbooks with neighbor information to allow VLPNO Board to track Total Membership

Block Ambassador/Captain Initiative

  • Kermit to update proposal and present at the AGMM to request volunteers to help drive membership

VLPNO Annual General Membership Meeting Planning

  • The Annual General Membership Meeting (AGMM) is taking place on Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 at the O’Donnell Club 3:00 – 5:00pm along with an MSTeams webinar option

  • Scott reached out to O’Donnell Club to inquire about alternate day and times to host the meeting at an earlier time of day. No earlier options available on Sunday nor Saturday. Board agreed to keep original AGMM date.

  • Scott to confirm keeping the meting on Sunday, Nov 22nd at 3:00pm and deliver the deposit check to O’Donnell Club (Deposit to be refunded if cancellation is caused by City regulation due to C-19)

  • Kermit to schedule visit to O’Donnell to check out the WiFi signal strength

  • Kermit reminded the Board that there are four (4) positions up for election at this upcoming 2020 AGMM. The positions that are up for election are currently held by Sheila Cobrin, Sally Hightower-Lippin, Rebecca May and Kermit Ferrer.

  • The Board discussed guest speakers.

    • Gustav reached out to PSPD Sargent Cabrera who stated he might be able to join.

    • Kevin hadn’t reached out to Denise Goolsby, Office of PS Neighborhoods Manager

    • Kevin proposed he could reach out to Mayor Jeff Kors

    • Kermit suggested Ken Lyons, PS Historic Preservation Society to give his presentation on Historical Classification he shared in 2019 with the VLP Board

    • Kevin stated that he would lao reach out to Mayor Kors

  • Kermit to draft up the proposed AGMM Meeting invite to include Membership and Elections and send out to the Board for input

 

ACTION ITEMS:

  • Kermit to send Gustav both August and September meeting minutes

  • Gustav to publish minutes from Aug and Sept Board meetings on the VLPNO website

  • Kevin, Scott and Kermit to set-up co-signer’s on VLPNO bank accounts

  • Kevin to obtain quote from Barton to assist with CA State exemption and filing

  • Kermit to draft Modernism Wk 2021/2022 VLPNO Home Tour update to present @ AGMM

  • Kermit & Scott to meet with Joel Montalvo, PS City Engineer on Oct. 12th to walk VLP streets showing signs of failure

  • Kevin to assist WHCHC in scheduling meeting with VLP to present The Agave Project

  • Gustav to work with Kevin on updating Quickbooks with Membership (paying/non-paying), Home Addresses and Email Addresses to establish Total VLPNO Membership count

  • Kermit to update Block Ambassador proposal to present during the AGMM

  • Scott to confirm AGMM on Sunday, Nov 22nd at 3:00pm; deliver deposit to O’Donnell Club

  • Kermit to visit O’Donnell Club to check out WiFi signal strength

  • Kevin to reach out to Denise Goolsby and Mayor Jeff Kors to invite them to the VLP AGMM and ask if they would speak at our annual meeting

  • Gustav to invite Ken Lyons to the VLP AGMM and ask if he would speak at our meeting

  • Kermit to draft AGMM Meeting invite: Location, Time, Agenda, Membership (include Membership dues not required) & Election and send out to the Board to work on editing and mailing/posting

  • Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a MSTeams meeting invite for November 12th Board Meeting