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FPA Board Minutes - June 19, 2007 The board meets usually once a month at different locations and times. Please check the calendar to see the dates or contact Board Chair for more information. Attending Board Members Present: Birgit Carstenson, Val Habegger, Raynetta James, Richard Naegle (not a quorum, so no votes taken). 1) Approval of minutes of last meeting on 4/29/07. 2) Discussion of our joint meeting with Board and members of Forestville Chamber of Commerce and Orrin Thiessen. Agreement that it was an excellent meeting which clarified many questions. - Agreed we need another Town meeting on issue of the Thiessen development — scale, design, etc; to be held end of September or October; other topics to be addressed = final report on Green Valley Creek Restoration Project, update on traffic control proposals for Mirabel and 116; 3) Peter Renfro reported (via Richard) good news about meeting with Mike Reilly, Allan Tilton, Vesta Copestakes, Ken Smith, David Robertson (head of County roads), and Greg Albright, new head of Public Works for Sonoma County. Greg Albright, who just started this job about six weeks ago, is enthusiastic about the possibility of a roundabout at Mirabel and 116 (rather than a traditional signal). He has worked with roundabouts in the past and will contact a good friend in CalTrans who is also pro-roundabout. David Robertson, who had previously been quite closed to the roundabout idea, now is very open to it. Also, he switched to a positive attitude towards curb extensions and bulb outs. Allan Tilton will continue in dialogue with them. - Note: some concern that roundabouts may not be bicycle or pedestrian friendly; Allan T knows ways around this. 4) Green Valley Creek Restoration Project - Fish America grant has ended; final report submitted; - Board would like to meet with Larry Hanson, Coordinator of the Project, on a Sunday to walk the Creek restoration area and hear his final report; Richard to email possible dates; public will be invited to attend also. 5) Town Social/Forestville Business Expo: Thursday, Aug 23, 5 to dark; - Richard to ask Phenix to play as well as Orrin T’s sons; Ramona Crinella will be invited to provide wine as she has so generously done in the past; 6) Water Agency low flow proposal - Per Board’s decision, Richard wrote formal letter opposing low flow unless mandatory conservation measures are required by Water Agency for all water users (esp urban users); Note — State Water Agency has just required such mandatory water conservation measures! 7) Guidelines for grant applications to FPA — report from sub-committee; Meeting Notes from Ad Hoc Committee to recommend guidelines for grants In attendance: Anne, Birgit, Lucy and Val Discussion: An opportunity to provide grants to local projects has been made possible by funding from Blue Rock Quarry as a result of the Good Neighbor Agreement. The FPA Board holds this money in trust for the Town. We read what was written in the Good Neighbor Agreement regarding funds from Blue Rock Quarry which stated that funds collected from that agreement would be used for “downtown improvements”. “Downtown” was interpreted to mean that area between Mirabel Road, along 116 to the Forestville School, to include areas as far north as El Molino High School, and to include the town center area as well. As well as Mirabel from 116 to the Youth Park. “Improvements” should encourage
Note: not for personal emergencies; those can be addressed to the Emergency Fund of the Forestville Chamber of Commerce; Grants not for support of already established, ongoing programming and budgets. Rather for new programs or special needs. Criteria for selection in addition to those guidelines mentioned above would be as follows:
Discussion of funding several projects each year and not just one or two; minimum of $500; perhaps in our public request for grant applications, we can list the total amount of money available and state that it will be used to fund several projects (i.e. don’t ask for it all); grants to be awarded for one year; renewals possible, but not guaranteed; Discussion of some of the money being used for FPA/grant administrative needs. Keep minimal as possible. But need for liability insurance as well as need for accountant (knowledgeable of IRS rules regarding non-profit corporations). An application form should include:
It is strongly recommended that the selection committee be comprised of members from the FPA, FOFS (PTA), a member from the Youth Park Board, member from the Chamber of Commerce and a community member or two. Discussion of membership of Advisory Board, which would submit its recommendations to FPA Board for final decision. This way advisory committee members can advocate and vote for their own projects. Conflict of interest rules would only apply to FPA Board. Tentative suggestions for Advisory Board of 9 members: one representative from FPA Board, PTA, Youth Park, Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce, Prime Timers, High School youth (selected by Student Government), and Blue Rock Quarry (or Good Neighbor Working Group) + last elected Citizen of the Year. Possible additions = a downtown business person, and representatives from Food for Thought and Burbank Housing. Suggestions that applications be submitted in October. Copies would be given to each member of the Advisory Board for their review. Followed by two meetings — first meeting to generally discuss the applications, identify Town needs, and set priorities; second meeting to vote on which applications the Advisory Board recommends for funding. FPA Board would then review the recommendations and make the actual grants, which would be distributed in January. Having tried this procedure, we trust the Advisory Board will make suggestions for making the process better. Perhaps consult with Russian River Trust since they already have templates for the grant process. 8) FPA legal status & structure as we become conduit for Gravel funds – Raynetta, Max, and Richard to meet next Sunday, 4-6, at Richard’s house to review by-laws and make recommendations for revisions; anyone interested is welcome to attend. Next Board Meeting Sunday, August 5, 4-6PM At the home of Birgit Carstensen For directions email or call 887-1985. All interested people are invited to attend. |
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