Trees and Sidewalk Program
President Walker suspended Agenda to permit guest, Fred Pfeiffer to report on trees in King William Park and the KWA Sidewalk Program.
City will replace trees recently lost but not until later in the year when weather is better for planting.
Vice President Shaw reported City trucks had damaged sidewalks around park while removing fallen trees and asked if City would repair sidewalks. (No answer yet.)
Mr. Pfeiffer reported the Sidewalk Program is easy to administer because reimbursement is per linear foot. Walks must be constructed according to City guidelines. (Boardmember Shafer asked that the guidelines be published in the KWA newsletter.)
Since inception in 2004, the Program has reimbursed $18,280.07 to participating homeowners. $12,500 remains in obligated funds. Seven property owners made application by the 2007 deadline and were approved but failed to commence and/or complete work by deadline.
Mr. Pfeiffer recommended and Boardmember Diehl made the motion to extend the completion deadline to April 1, 2008, for the seven previously approved property owners. Boardmember Shafer seconded the motion.
Boardmember Doxsey offered a friendly amendment requiring the seven previously approved property owners to agree by August 1, 2007, to the extension and commit to the completion deadline of April 1, 2008.
(Failure to "re-up" by August 1 would mean re-application if property owner wished to go forward with the program at a later date.)
Boardmember Diehl agreed to Boardmember Doxsey’s amendment and the motion was seconded by Boardmember Shafer as revised. Motion as amended carried unanimously.
Mr. Pfeiffer distributed copies of the 2006-07 application form (attached) and said the 2008 application would be the same except for changing the year.
Finance Committee Report
President Walker distributed copies of Finance Committee Report including:
1) Minutes of May 30, 2007 Finance Committee meeting
2) Fair Profit & Loss Previous Year Comparison
3) Fair Proposed Preliminary Budget, 2008
4) KWA Balance Sheet Previous Year Comparison (as of 5/31/07)
5) KWA Transactions by Account (as of 5/31/07)
President Walker suggested discussing "highlights" tonight, "in depth" next Board meeting. "Highlights" include:
President Walker relayed Committee recommendation to transfer the Smith-Barney brokerage account to Jefferson State Bank’s wealth management department. (Smith-Barney moving out of town/state; Frost Bank careless with sensitive financial information).
Boardmember Heidelberg moved KWA transfer the Smith-Barney brokerage account to the Jefferson Bank wealth management division. Vice President Shaw seconded. President Walker asked that the motion include language required by Jefferson Bank. Boardmember Heidelberg agreed. Motion carried unanimously.
Proposed ’08 Fair Budget – Committee recommends:
a) Increasing entry to $5.00 (costs are going up; fewer volunteers mean more hired employees); and
b) Hiring an Events Coordinator
President Walker suggested Board members discuss both these recommendations this month with other Board members and with general membership and come to August Board meeting prepared to vote.
Scholarships - There was some confusion between Scholarship Committee and Finance Committee about number of returning (2nd year) scholars, number of new scholarships being recommended and financial obligation being incurred by KWA.
Strong advocacy by Scholarship Committee and general discussion by Board members brought out:
1) Three eligible returnees are already funded
2) Scholarship Fund corpus is $106,000; earning $5,000/year
3) Additional scholarships will require money from general fund ($18,000???)
4) Scholarships are popular with KWA members
Boardmember Cue and Boardmember Heidelberg gave report on the backgrounds of the various eligible students for the scholarship. Board discussion followed. Boardmember Heidelberg moved that KWA fund five two-year scholarships this year, in addition to the three eligible returnees now entering their second year. (Five scholarships to ACCD colleges).
Brad Shaw seconded the motion. There being no further discussion, President called the question. Motion carried unanimously.
Decision was deferred to next month on funding a sixth scholarship for a deserving but undocumented student.
The minutes for the May 16, 2007 board meeting were not ready. Secretary Tina Garza had been ill but is recovering and the minutes should be ready for approval at the July 18, 2007 board meeting.
Treasurer’s Report
President Walker asked Board to review Treasurer’s Report in detail and email questions. Vice President asked for pie charts. President Walker will send pies to Board members via email.
Old Business:
Graffiti – Boardmember Shafer reported the Alamo corridor was hit hard by gangs about two weeks ago—apparently not connected to First Friday. He cleaned up seven sites last week and Molly Shafer and volunteers cleaned another 24 sites last weekend. Volunteers were: Fernando Berrios, Jr., Neil Leatherbury, Mary Helen Mansbach, Ed Haverlah—and of course, Molly Shafer.
Boardmember Shafer reported encouraging news: some business owners beginning to clean up their own graffiti damage and the City seems to be developing a "new attitude" toward graffiti. City crews are responding more quickly to complaints by residents.
Boardmember Shafer agreed to write an article for the KWA newsletter concerning graffiti abatement in the neighborhood.
Noise - President Walker said Southtown management had been informed of a new noise ordinance which includes cumulative fines.
Architectural Review Committee - Johnny Heidelberg will report next month on possible changes in procedure. President Walker reminded Board members that ARC meetings are the first and third Mondays of each month.
Nominating Committee – President Walker named the committee members. Committee is having future meeting to determine nominees for the upcoming vacant board positions.
Bonham Celebration – Boardmember Shafer announced the celebration will be atSA Si in August (23rd?). A plaque will be presented to parents/teachers/students commemorating recent successful effort to keep school from being closed.
Parliamentary Procedure – Parliamentarian Garceau-Kraugh announced she will discuss proper procedure for making/amending/disposing of a motion at next Board meeting.
Train Noise – Boardmember Doxsey reported that he had recently contacted the City to ask why we have received no response to our letter of some months back. No definitive answer, but probably because City is waiting to see what happens on East Side near Sunset Station.
Boardmember Doxsey has learned that other districts are getting their Council member to (fund?) (sponsor?) an engineering study of:
1) amount of vehicular traffic
2) amount of train noise
3) existing condition of track and roadway
before approaching City for help. (Probandt/South Alamo intersection has additional and increasing problems of track deterioration and vehicles cutting new paths around problems.)
President Walker said he would contact new Councilwoman Cisneros on train noise issue, ask for an engineering study.
Special Event Parking – Chairman of the parking committee Susan Erickson has been out of the country, but committee person Johnny Heidelberg reported that chairman Erickson is revising survey questions; will proceed when she returns from vacation.
Parks – Johnny Heidelberg reported she attended a meeting on Eagleland Park. Construction of pedestrian bridge will commence in June. Projected completion date is October.
She has also been contacted by Paula Stallcup and Lincoln St. George following her call to the City about problems with the flood gates at Alamo Street. (Water builds up too high before gates open resulting in a sudden gush of a large amount of water and subsequent damage to rock-work along river banks.)
Stallcup and St. George say work will start next week to install sensors to regulate passage of water from S. Alamo to Eagleland. Testing of sensor operation will occur in the first two weeks of July.
President Walker reported the San Antonio River Authority and Bender-Wells-Clark (architects? Contractor?) want to make a presentation at the KWA August general meeting (7:00, ACCD building, SARA presentation preceded by presentation of scholarships).
President Walker reported that City is providing a new load of gravel to again fill in the Crofton Park cypress. Probationers from the City jail will provide labor.
Healthcare Building - Vice President Shaw reports property owners have received required City permits.
Budget/Spending Priorities – President Walker told the Board it is time to make decisions on spending Fair profits. He asked Board members to send him five suggestions, ranked in order of preference and suggested we include one "dream" project. These suggestions will be passed on to the Finance Committee for their recommendations.
Brad Shaw moved the meeting stand adjourned. Boardmember Diehl seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. President Walker declared meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
