Apr 14, 2011Annual General Meeting 2011
Official Minutes
Monday, April 4, 2011 7:00 PM
1320 5th Ave NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 0S2
1.0) Call to Order 7:10pm (approximately 70 people in attendance – quorum established)
2.0) Introduction of guests and greetings (7:10pm – 7:15pm)
2.1) Welcome and Introduction of the Current Board of Directors: Tim Kitchen, Board Chair
Board members present:
Tim Kitchen (Chair), Thibault Dambrine (Treasurer), Kerri Treherne (Vice Chair), Robert Perry (Secretary), Lorna Cordeiro, David White, Maria Lee, Anthony Sayers
2.2) Introduction of Staff: James (Jay) Michi, Executive Director
Jay Michi introduced HSCA staff members present:
Elizabeth Chong, Outreach & Community Development Coordinator, Richard Kavanagh, Facility Maintenance Coordinator, Bonnie Constable, Flea Market Coordinator, Sara Hughes, Marketing & Events Coordinator, Jenn McKay, Interim Front Office Coordinator, and Ed Leonard, Facility Attendant
2.3) Introduction of Guests: Tim Kitchen, Chair
Tim Kitchen introduced Virginia Clark from the City of Calgary, Community and Neighbourhood Services, and Paul Meunier from the Federation of Calgary Communities.
3.0) Adoption of Agenda (7:15pm – 7:16pm)
(No discussion)
Motioned by Kerri Treherne
Seconded by Myrtle Lambert
Motion Carried.
4) Adoption of the Minutes from Annual General Meeting 2010 (7:16pm – 7:18pm)
Questions from the Floor:
Hazel Holm: Can we get a copy of those minutes in print?
Jay Michi: We didn’t print out copies. Between the Financials, The Agenda and the Annual Report we did have to go through a lot of paper so we wanted to avoid reproducing anything we didn’t have to. I should point out that the minutes have been available on the website for the past year.
Harvey Cohen: What if you don’t have access to a computer?
James Michi: We have two community access computers here at the centre. They are available for public use from 7am to 11pm.
Harvey Cohen: And what if you don’t know how to use a computer?
James Michi: Our staff would always be happy to assist. We’re also able to provide print copies of those minutes, or any minutes of any meeting of the Board for that matter, if requested at the front office.
Motioned by Kerri Braun
Seconded by Beverly Guthrie
Motion Carried.
4.1) Motion to close the item of business pertaining to the minutes of AGM 2009.
James Michi: We were never able to locate the minutes from our AGM 2009, but we did motion at AGM 2010 that if able to recover them, that we would present them at AGM 2011. So this motion is to close that item of business so that we won’t have to keep retuning to the item year after year.
Tim Kitchen: call for a Motion:
Motioned by Anthony Sayers
Seconded by Myrtle Lambert
Motion Carried.
5.0) Treasurer’s Report – Thibault Dambrine (7:20pm – 7:30pm)
Review of Treasurer’s Report (Power Point Presentation depicting trends for 2010)
Introduction of the Finance Committee:
Thibault Dambrine (Treasurer), Robert Perry (Secretary), Lorna Cordeiro (past Treasurer – six years!), Tim Kitchen (Chair), James Michi (Executive Director) and our Controller, Cal Volk
5.1) Review of Treasurer’s Report (Power Point Presentation illustrating trends for 2010)
Thibault Dambrine: Some significant items for membership to be aware of:
-Roof Replacement Project (approximately $200,000). This was a big job but it was completed within budget and we don’t have to worry about the roof for another 15 years or more.
-Untimely passing of our long-serving Accountant/Controller, Diane Leonard in early December 2010. Jay made heroic efforts throughout December and January to ensure that we remained on top of payroll and paying vendors and keeping the bills paid. As a result we never missed a payment and nobody went without a paycheque. So, thank you Jay.
(Applause)
-No Grants received to help pay for the Capital Projects
Jay Michi: Just a clarification on that point Thibault. We did receive a Capital Conservation Grant from the City of Calgary in the amount of $109,000 which was applied to the roof, the automated person lift and the replacement of our 100 gallon hot water tank and recirculation lines. What we did not receive was the provincially funded Community Facility Enhancement Program grant, despite many appeals directly from HSCA and from local politicians.
Thibault Dambrine: Thanks for that clarification, Jay.
-Return back to presentation with a look at our revenue vs. expenses. Difficult for us to compress our expenses as the vast majority are salaries, wages and professional secondmemts.
-All in all we are in good financial shape.
-Comment on our efforts to remain competitive in terms of salaries, wages and benefits for staff.
-Reminder that HSCA is a nonprofit society and a Registered Charity and that donations are welcome and accepted, and that tax receipts are available!
5.2) Appointment of Auditors for the 2011 budget year
Jay Michi: Just a quick comment on the audit. For the past three years, Heidi Brauer and her team from the Federation of Calgary Communities have conducted our audit and have done so at a very reasonable rate. For an organization of our size and complexity, our audit could cost as much as $20,000. However, for the past three years our audit fees have been closer to $7,500.
This past year was an especially challenging audit given the passing of Diane Leonard, who had an incredible knowledge our books. But Heidi and her team were there for us and indeed they did put in some extra hours in order to track all the expenses and revenue since Diane’s passing. It should be pointed out that we did not get charged for all the additional time, and that I am very grateful to Heidi and her team for their extra effort. It’s an incredible service that the Federation of Calgary Communities provides.
(Applause)
Call for a Motion to Appoint the Auditors from the Federation of Calgary Communities for the 2011 Fiscal Year.
Motioned by Anthony Sayers
Seconded by Carole Stokes
Motion Carried.
6.0) Report from the Chair – Tim Kitchen (7:30pm – 7:35pm)
Tim Kitchen: We’ve had a very good year at HSCA and lots of work has been done in regards to Board development. I assumed the role of President/Chair in September and my focus since then has been on establishing clear board roles and responsibilities. Particularly our board has been focused on the transition from a working board to a policy governance board where most of the day to day operational decisions are handled by staff, and the strategic elements managed by the Board of Directors.
-We convened as a Board 11 times throughout the year including a Strategic Planning session in October 2010.
-At the Strategic Planning Workshop we essentially came to the realization that one day we will need a new facility. This facility is very old and in many ways does not suit our needs and purposes. Obviously this will take many years of planning and a concerted effort on the part of community members, various levels of government and local business partners in order to achieve anything of this magnitude.
-Some humour from the floor over the misspelling of “Flee Market”
-Discussion of our operations and the sheer complexity of the variety, scope and scale of some of our programs. I’ve been involved with the Board for the better part of four years and I am just starting to understand some of this stuff.
-Finally, a big thank you to my fellow Board members and to all our volunteers.
6.1) Executive Director’s Report (7:35 – 7:50pm)
Jay Michi: I did provide a written report and in there I mostly discussed the significant events of 2010. Rather than repeating myself or reading aloud my submission, I will use my brief time to discuss what is coming up.
There are lots of exciting things happening at the centre over the next few months.
First, I will bring to your attention the giant mural to my right which is being developed by local youth with leadership from Antix and All Nations Theatre and local artist Tim Belliveau. The mural will be done just in time for opening day of the farmers’ market which by the way is on Wednesday May 25.
Second, we will be breaking ground on the Kensington Community First Garden in May/June. The KCF Garden will be located just west of the playground. For more information you can contact myself or the front office and we’ll be sure to put you in touch with the right people.
And last but not least – the playground itself is going to undergo a major facelift. I am thrilled to announce tonight that HSCA has been selected as a recipient of a KaBOOM! playground grant! For those of you who may not be aware of KaBOOM! – they’re is a US-based charity that works with communities to build playgrounds. We found out just this past week that we will be one of those communities. KaBOOM! is working in partnhership with the Independent Order of Foresters, or simply ‘Foresters’, a fraternal benefit society and member-based insurance organization with a rich history of investing in communities where they serve. Foresters is the funding partner and KaBOOM! is the group who helps us get organized. We are very much looking forward to working with Foresters and with KaBOOM! in order to revitalize the HSCA playground.
The playground we will be building is actually going to replace the existing playground structure located on our lease site, immediately adjacent to the HSCA Centre. This playground, having been built almost 13 years ago, is starting to show serious signs of fatigue. Last year we dealt with some concerns from our partners at Churchill Park Day Care Society that the fall depth of the gravel was insufficient for use. Unfortunately, HSCA had limited resources at the time to address the inadequacy of the playground as we had already committed $250,000 to capital upgrades on the facility. We simply had to promise Churchill Park Day Care Society (and the kids that use the playground on a daily basis) that we would try to do something about the playground in 2011.
We will be hosting a “Design Day” on Wednesday, April 20th from 4pm till 8pm at the community centre (in the Social Hall). Our KaBOOM! Project Manager, Kenny, will be on hand to work with kids and parents to plan and to envision what the playground might look like. We really hope for a good turnout on Design Day as it will be the last big planning session before the actual Build Day on June 18th.
There are sign-up sheets at the registration desk at the front. You do not need to sign up for design day, but it would be great to know that we will have 150 volunteers available on Saturday, June 18th so if you could sign up and get your friends to sign up that would be super.
6.2) Community Planning Committee – David White (7:50pm – 7:55pm)
The Community Planning Committee (CPC) is a standing committee of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association that helps to identify and provide input on local planning and development matters. As a formally circulated local stakeholder, the CPC reviews and provides recommendations to the City of Calgary for several types of local development and planning applications during the City review process. The CPC uses the Hillhurst-Sunnyside Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP), a City Council adopted statutory Plan, as a primary guide to interpreting and reviewing local planning and development applications. The CPC hosts a regular public forum for community residents to gather, review and offer input on City applications. The CPC also strives to provide guidance to residents navigating the City’s planning process, as developer-applicants or through an appeal process.
The volunteer resident Members of the Committee in 2010 were: David White (Chair), Decker Butzner, Jim Stirling, Barb Gosling, Tim Kitchen, Kerri Treherne, Ken Uyeda, Cody Van Hell, and Robert Cooper. These volunteers have spent significant hours preparing for and attending meetings, completing site visits, and writing letter reviews. The Committee is also often generously aided in review and in its other work by volunteer residents who lend their time and expertise on an ad hoc basis. The Committee and area residents are also fully-supported by the hard work and efforts of HSCA Staff, in particular Kara Garner, who is Planning Coordinator. It has been the Committee’s hope that their efforts affect some positive influence as the community changes and grows overtime. Each individual’s volunteer time and commitment to the community is greatly appreciated by their fellow Committee members. Any residents interested in the Committee are encouraged to talk with the Committee about getting involved.
In 2010, CPC reviewed approximately 90 applications for single-family and semi-detached dwellings, infills, additions, change of use applications (mostly commercial-oriented), as well as other multi-family type developments. This was an increase from the approximately 75 applications reviewed in 2009.
Review efforts have also included review of proposals and applications for some major, primarily transit oriented,developments. These types of developments are being applied for under Part II Transit-Oriented Development, a section of the ARP updated and adopted by Council in Feburary of 2009. This update was part of a City-wide strategy to contextually intensify development around its existing and future LRT station. Development highlights included:
Streetside Developments – St. John’s Tenth St. Development Permit, 409-10 Street NW
The development permit was approved in late December 2010. It is representative of a mixed-use midrise development (ranging from 4-7 stories in height) containing approximately 95 apartment-style condo and townhouse units, as well as commercial-retail units at-grade along 10th Street. This project will break ground this spring. The developer has committed to a construction management strategy that will strive to minimize impacts and disruptions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic along 10th Street. They have also committed to providing good communication, to both the HSCA and residents, on major temporary construction activity. Also, the developer has just shared that they’ll be commissioning at team of artists, associated with the local Market Collective, to create a contemporary mural on the hoarding to surround the site during construction.
Battistella Developments – Land Use Redesignation and Development Permit, 1037-2 Avenue NW
This property received land use redesignation approval in 2010 and is currently in the development permit review stage. The conceptual proposal is for a residential multi-family mid-rise building (approximately 8 stories in height) and containing 101 apartment-style and townhouse units. The CPC has hosted three public meetings on this proposal – one pre and two post-application – and has also submitted two summary review letters of Community and Committee feedback. The CPC is in the process of preparing a third summary review letter. Comments will primarily focus on the consensus position that the design does not meet the standards of design excellence expected of a TOD proposal seeking to capitalize on maximum allowable height and density, as per the ARP. Further the proposal does not offer any fundamental characteristics typical of a transit-oriented development (for example,
reduced underground on-site parking provision, where some residents will use transit as their primary mode of mobility, where this serves to benefit the community as new TOD growth will reduce traffic congestion impacts typical of convention non-TOD).
The Ramage Group – Land Use Redesignation, 1222-5 Avenue NW
This is a proposal currently in the land use redesignation stage, and under review by the City. The land use change conceptually proposes a residential multi-family development, possibility multiple phased buildings, approximately 6 stories in height. A first public meeting was hosted by the CPC, and a summary review letter was submitted to the City. The City review process is still underway, and further public meetings will be scheduled as more information becomes available.
More information on the CPC, and local planning & development issues is available on HSCA’s website. Public meeting dates, agendas, and decisions are regularly posted.
6.3) Community Vitalization Committee – Kerri Treherne (7:45pm – 7:50pm)
Community Vitalization Committee (discusses a broad range of topics and works on initiatives designed to promote a healthy and vibrant community!
We meet on the second Tuesday of every month and people are welcome to bring their ideas with them. We are interested in all kinds of program and event ideas.
-Some of the things we worked on this past year were:
-A Transition Conference last spring.
-Community Walks (Upcoming Jane’s Walk)
-Bow River Flow (HSCA in a supportive role)
-Dual Signage (work on-going)
-Helped get Second Community Garden going
-Bow to Bluff spaces to Places project (HSCA in a supportive role)
Interested individuals should contact Kerri Treherne, Chair of CVC at kerritreherne@hotmail.com
6.4) PIPMAC – Carol Stokes (7:50pm – 7:55pm)
Things have been fairly routine with PIPMAC over the last year. I sit on the Prince’s Island Park Management Advisory Committee with my fellow HSCA rep, Isabella Bullman, who unfortunately couldn’t make it here tonight.
We have had difficulties maintaining quorum and recruiting new members. We did have to cancel two meetings because we couldn’t get quorum. We are actually looking at amending the by-laws so that people can stay on PIPMAC indefinitely. So we’re obviously looking for volunteers.
The biggest news is that there won’t be Shakespeare in the Park this year. They will be looking for another venue, possible Mount Royal University.
6.5) Heritage Committee – Carol Stokes and Lorna Cordeiro (7:55pm – 8:00pm)
The HSCA Heritage Committee was established in 2010 in order to foster and develop an awareness of the cultural and architectural history of the Hillhurst and Sunnyside communities with the goal of maximum preservation.
Our Stakeholders:
-Community Residents, Property Owners/Developers-Office of the Alderman
-The City of Calgary Heritage Planning
-CHA (Calgary Heritage Authority) and other Heritage/History based local organizations
The committee was actually formed in part because of development pressures. David, in his presentation, referred to the proposed Battistella development which will affect the small 1939 apartment building located at 1037 – 2 Avenue NW. With its ‘vernacular interpretation’ of the Art Deco style, this building was actually evaluated and added to the City’s Inventory of Evaluated Historic resources in 2009.
Similarly, proposed developments located at 12th Street/Kensington Road (a proposed boutique hotel) and 5th Avenue NW (the site of the aforementioned IBI/Ramage Group development) both threaten existing heritage structures.
Also, the Former Sunnyside Grocery* located at the corner of 2nd Ave/7 Street NW. Not many people realize this, but construction started in 1910 by former Alderman Ross (who was responsible for organizing much of our community). This location operated as a grocery store from 1911-2010. Now it sits empty waiting to be converted into professional offices.
Of course, we were recently reminded that development isn’t the only threat to our historical resources. Fire has also been responsible for destroying many historical treasures. Many of you are aware that the Building to the east of the Donegal Mansion* 1930 – known as the ‘Ingonish’ boarding house was destroyed by fire in July of 2009.
But we also must remember that Heritage comes in many forms… such as these denizens (slide of gargoyles on an old tree) of Sunnyside perched on top of the remnant of a100 year old poplar tree.
And this 1963 Pontiac Strato Chief’s ‘Car Cozy’ (photo of a car with a knitted macramé cozy around it)
A quick look at up-coming initiatives and timelines
hscaheritagecommittee@gmail.com your input and suggestions are greatly needed.
6.6) COSPA – Matt Hudson (8:00pm – 8:05pm)
The Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pools Association (COSPA) is a not-for-profit organization, partially funded by the City of Calgary, operating within the terms of an exclusive management arrangement with the City to fund, develop and implement policy for associate communities operating outdoor pools. There are eight pools that belong to COSPA, and only one outdoor pool in the city with an independent operating agreement with the City of Calgary.
HSCA is a charter member of COSPA, and I have been representing HSCA on the COSPA board since its inception. Jay and I attended the COSPA Annual General Meeting just a few weeks ago and we can report that COSPA’s books are in good order. They have a reserve contingency fund of about $2 million in case a pool cracks or some other unforeseen emergency should arise. COSPA is still heavily dependent upon funding from the City of Calgary
The Bowview Pool had a fairly decent year last year. We actually made $930 despite bad weather in August.
Jay Michi: Actually, Matt, I hate to correct you, but I think we actually lost a bit last year. That is minus $930 – there’s brackets there.
Shouts from the floor: No there isn’t. It’s positive!
Jay Michi: Well then I am more than happy to stand corrected.
Matt Hudson: So, yes – a small profit. The new season is fast approaching and we are looking for pool staff. If you know of anyone who’s certified to work at an outdoor pool, please let us know.
6.7) Farmers’ Market – Maria Lee ( 8:10pm – 8:16p )
We had a great Farmers’ Market season last year thanks to the tremendous help we received from Jordan Brown who was our market coordinator. Jordan is in the back, can we give Jordan a round of applause?!
(Applause)
The Farmers’ Market benefits from oversight and contributions from a volunteer Task Force known as the HSFM (Hillhurst-Sunnyside Farmers’ Market) Task Force. It is comprised of Jordan Brown, myself (Maria Lee), Joe Vipond, Heather Berezowski, Kris Vester, Julie Van Rosendaal and a few other intermittent contributors. Together we collaborated on a three year strategic plan for the market and so far it has been enormously successful. This will be year two of the market.
Last year we saw a considerable increase in vendors and also an increase in customers. We’ve been working off a new vision, a new plan, high standards and high energy.
We’re thankful for all our volunteers, all the buskers and performers who helped make last year’s market such a success. And of course we`re really looking forward to this year’s market which starts on Wednesday, May 25th!
7.0) Presentations & Awards (8:16pm – 8:24pm)
Jay Michi: So now, we proceed to my favourite portion of the evening which is where we present awards for long-service and volunteerism. Now, on the next item of the agenda you will see that we are actually going to be amending our by-laws so that this section of the AGM will be a prescribed order of business for the meeting. Currently our by-laws are very specific about what we can and cannot discuss at the AGM. Theoretically we are only supposed to:
a) adopt an agenda,
b) adopt the minutes from the previous meeting,
c) receive the president`s report,
d) review the financial statements,
e) appoint (or waive the appointment of) the auditor for the ensuing year,
f) elect the President (if necessary)
g) elect other members of the board
h) considering those matters specified in the meeting notice.
That being said, we’ve traditionally set aside time at the AGM to recognize those individuals who have contributed their services as volunteers over the years. Particularly, last year we acknowledged the long-service of Mr. Tim Tyler, who as many of you know was a long-serving member of our board. Mr. Tyler`s condition upon receipt of that award was that we would continue to acknowledge those who’ve contributed countless hours to help fulfill this association’s mission “to preserve and enhance a healthy and vibrant quality of life for the residents of Hillhurst Sunnyside.”
So in the name of that honoured tradition, we have two individuals present tonight who have done just that.
First, I’d like to call upon Dr. Anthony Sayers to receive his award. Anthony has been a member of the HSCA Board for the better part of 10 years, and has been an invaluable asset to this organization. Like Mr. Tyler he was very reluctant to accept this award, but we are making him take it home anyways.
(Laughter)
Jay Michi: Anthony – this plaque is a token of our appreciation for your many years of service to HSCA and to our Board. We will truly miss your calm wisdom and your thoughtful insights.
Anthony Sayers: Thank you Jay. I really don`t know what to say. This is most unnecessary, but I suppose someone has to stand up here and take Jay`s abuse.
In all seriousness, this is a true honour. I have never belonged to such a hard working board. This is an organization made up of volunteers, and I am just one. I do want to thank ALL the volunteers, past, present and future. This organization is a success because of your efforts. Thank you.
Long-Service Award! – Presented to Mrs. Bennie Panaro
Jay Michi: And now I would like to call upon Mrs. Bennie Panaro, who’s also been a tireless volunteer for this organization for many, many years. Bennie are you able to come up here to deliver a speech?
Bennie Panaro: I don’t know about a speech. I am sure happy to be here though!
Jay Michi: That’s fine if you don’t have a speech – we did just drop this on you a few days ago. But can I ask you a couple questions?
Bennie: Sure.
Jay: How many years have you lived in Hillhursy-Sunnyside?
Bennie: … 46!
Jay: 46 years or since 1946?
Bennie: Since 1946!
Jay: I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise if I say that that was obviously before my time.
Bennie: Nope – but I can say that the community sure has changed since then. The city practically ended at the hill!
Jay: And recently you had some sort of run in with Calgary Tranist?
Bennie: Yes, I was the first passenger to ride on the bus to commemorate their 100th anniversary. Of course, I’m older than them – I’m 102!
Jay: That is incredible and it’s incredible you’re still volunteering. You’re going to be joining us at the casino in June?
Bennie: Yup
Jay: That’s absolutely incredible – well I do hope that some of these people sign up to help us out. The sign-up sheet is at the registration table. Thank you so much Bennie for standing up here and dealing with my questions.
Bennie: Thank you.
Jay Michi: Well I’m glad we were able to do that. I hope we can continue to do that every year. Which brings us to the next item of business.
8.0) Consideration of Special Resolutions (8:24pm – 8:31pm)
Jay Michi: So I am not sure if any of you are familiar with our by-laws but they are a little out of date – this is why we are working to make some amendments. These will likely only be the first of a round of updates we make to the by-laws. Indeed we may need to call a special general meeting at some point just to deal with the by-laws.
The by-laws themselves do have an amending formula which allow us to make necessary changes. We are required to notify membership of proposed changes at least 21 days in advance. We did provide these proposed changes along with the notice of change of date for the AGM a little more than three weeks ago, which I trust you all received.
Linda Kitchin: We did not receive them.
Jay Michi: we mailed out more than 200 letters – you are saying you did not receive notice? We went to painstaking lengths to get those out to all our members. I that that, I recall writing your names down on an envelope?
Linda Kitchin: No we did not get one, but we did see it up on the website.
Jay Michi: Well that is good. I’m glad you’re here. Did most of you get the letter notifying you of the change of date and the proposed changes to the by-laws?
(An informal showing of hands clearly demonstrated that most in attendance did get the notice in the mail)
Tim Kitchen: so we have three Special Resolutions to consider before us and I will provide a little background on those now.
The first of these is rather simple, and as Jay explained, it’s simply about incorporating what you just saw into the formal agenda of our Annual General Meeting.
The second is about changing titles of President to Chair and Vice President to Vice Chair. This is to reflect that we operate as a Policy Governance Board.
The third is about incorporating into our by-laws a Code of Conduct to govern the Board of Directors. This Code of Conduct already exists in internal documents, but we thought it appropriate to absorb it into the by-laws. It reads as follows:
“Board members shall conduct themselves in an ethical, professional and objective manner. Dealings with staff, each other and outside agencies are expected to be in a manner that exhibits the highest order of fair play, straightforward communication and an earnest effort to do what is in the best interest of the residents of Hillhurst-Sunnyside.
“Loyalty to the interests of the public supersedes any advocacy or special interest group and membership on other boards or workplace. This requires the Board members to deliberate Board matters without bias toward their own individual interest as a user of the Organization, services or programs
“There must be no conflict of interest or any conduct of private business or personal services between any Board member and the organization.
“Board members must not use their position to obtain for themselves or for their family members, employment with the organization or personal favours from any staff member.
“Should a perceived conflict of interest exist as in the above or as in the By-Laws, the Board member must state that conflict to the rest of the Board. The Board will then decide if the conflict is genuine and compromising for the organization.
“Board Members shall make no judgments of other board members or staff (with the exception of the Board’s necessary ability to evaluate the professional performance of the Executive Director)
“Board members shall not make agreements with external businesses for the procurement of goods or services without prior agreement of the Executive Director and will not make public statements as representative of the organization unless delegated to do so by the Chair and/or the Executive Director.
“Board members will recognize that a vote of the Board members, once concluded, will be considered unanimous. There may be times when the Chair decides to conduct a portion of a meeting ‘In Camera’ in order to discuss a matter that is sensitive or personal in nature. Such a session will be considered to be strictly confidential by Board members, the ED and any other persons requested to attend that portion of a Board meeting.
“Breaches of the Code of Conduct will be dealt with by the Board through the application of censure (formal reprimand) or removal of the Board member from the Board according to section 6.1.5.2 of the organization’s By-Laws.”
Tim Kitchen: So now we have some background on the rationale behind these proposed changes. We can now move on to voting on them.
8.1) Regarding Awards for Volunteerism and Long-Service (Resolution proposed by Anthony Sayers and Seconded by Lorna Cordeiro)
Motion Carried (unanimously)
8.2) Regarding change of titles President to Chair, Vice President to Vice Chair (Resolution proposed by Kerri Trehern and Seconded by Maria Lee)
Motion Carried (unanimously)
8.3) Regarding the proposed addition of an article in the by-laws outlining a Code of Conduct (Resolution proposed by Anthony Sayers and Seconded by David White)
Deborah Sword: It does not expressly say that a member of the board who is in conflict should remove themselves from the decision making. I would like to introduce a friendly amendment to revise it to read:
“Should a (delared or) perceived conflict of interest exist as in the above or as in the By-Laws, the Board member must state that conflict to the rest of the Board. The Board will then decide if the conflict is genuine and compromising for the organization (and if so the member shall removed him or herself from the decision making process.)”
Seconded by Carol Stokes
Call for a vote on the motion to Amend the motion
Motion Carried (unanimously)
Tim Kitchen: So now we are back to the original motion, now amended.
Harvey Cohen: I would also like to introduce an amendment. In the second paragraph, where it says “interest of the public”, instead of “in the interest of the public”, it should read “in the interest of residents of Hillhurst Sunnyside.”
Seconded by Bev Guthrie.
Call for a vote on the motion to Amend the motion.
Motion Carried (unanimously)
Call to vote on the motion, twice amended, now to be read:
“Board members shall conduct themselves in an ethical, professional and objective manner. Dealings with staff, each other and outside agencies are expected to be in a manner that exhibits the highest order of fair play, straightforward communication and an earnest effort to do what is in the best interest of the residents of Hillhurst-Sunnyside.
“Loyalty to the interests of the residents of Hillhurst-Sunnyside supersedes any advocacy or special interest group and membership on other boards or workplace. This requires the Board members to deliberate Board matters without bias toward their own individual interest as a user of the Organization, services or programs
“There must be no conflict of interest or any conduct of private business or personal services between any Board member and the organization.
“Board members must not use their position to obtain for themselves or for their family members, employment with the organization or personal favours from any staff member.
“Should a declared or perceived conflict of interest exist as in the above or as in the By-Laws, the Board member must state that conflict to the rest of the Board. The Board will then decide if the conflict is genuine and compromising for the organization, and if so the member shall removed him or herself from the decision making process.
“Board Members shall make no judgments of other board members or staff (with the exception of the Board’s necessary ability to evaluate the professional performance of the Executive Director)
“Board members shall not make agreements with external businesses for the procurement of goods or services without prior agreement of the Executive Director and will not make public statements as representative of the organization unless delegated to do so by the Chair and/or the Executive Director.
“Board members will recognize that a vote of the Board members, once concluded, will be considered unanimous. There may be times when the Chair decides to conduct a portion of a meeting ‘In Camera’ in order to discuss a matter that is sensitive or personal in nature. Such a session will be considered to be strictly confidential by Board members, the ED and any other persons requested to attend that portion of a Board meeting.
“Breaches of the Code of Conduct will be dealt with by the Board through the application of censure (formal reprimand) or removal of the Board member from the Board according to section 6.1.5.2 of the organization’s By-Laws.”
Motion Carried (unanimously)
9.0) Elections – Conducted by Anthony Sayers – outgoing Board Member (8:35pm – 9:00pm)
Board Members who are in the middle of their two year term – Robert Perry, David White, Maria Lee
9.1) Election or Appointment of Board Chair (8:36pm)
Nominated for the position of Board Chair: Tim Kitchen (#293)
[Nominated by Kerri Treherne (#298) and Thibault Dambrine(#299)
Call for nominations from the floor for the position of Board Chair (three times)
Call for nominations from the floor closed.
Tim Kitchen appointed Board Chair by Acclamation.
9.2) Election of Board Members (8:38pm)
Nominated Individuals for positions on the Board of Directors (six positions vacant)
Lorna Cordeiro (#117) [nominated by Thibault Dambrine (# 299) and Anthony Sayers (#288)]
Kerri Treherne (#298) [nominated by Maria Lee (#142) and Anthony Sayers (# 288)]
Angela Dione Narynski (#295) [nominated by Kerri Treherne (# 298) and Maria Lee (#142)]
Thibault Dambrine (#299) [nominated by Anthony Sayers (# 117) and Lorna Cordeiro (# 117)]
Maurizio Terrigno (#302) [nominated by Edward M. Farah (# 308) and Elizabeth Graves (# 306)]
Beverly Guthrie (#268) [nominated by Anne Troost (# 248) and Lise Cromarty (# 273)]
Garry M. Findlay (#309) [(nominated by Maurizio Terrigno (#302) and Jan Lipnik (#305)]
Limo Iadaolo (#307) [nominated by Elizabeth Graves (#306) and Rocco Terrigno (#303)]
Dusan Rnjak (# 310) [nominated by Maurizio Terrigno (#302) and Cornelio G. Archide (#312)]
Svea Ferguson (#102) [nominated by Maria Lee (#142) and Dr. Joe Vipond (#141)]
Call for nominations from the floor for positions on the Board of Directors (one time)
Norma Mastre (#340) and Maurizio Terrigno (#302) nominate Harvey Cohen (#203)
Call for nominations from the floor for positions on the Board of Directors (two more times)
Call for nominations from the floor closed.
Anthony Sayers: Ok, now how we should proceed? By a show of hands or by a paper ballot?
Jay Michi: Anthony, considering the size of the audience and that 11 individuals are seeking to fill 6 available positions on the board, meaning that people may vote for up to six positions, and given that we have already had a number of people fill out ballots in advance of the meeting, I think proceeding with ballots would be the most appropriate method to determine the outcome of the election. Vote by show of hands will simply prove too difficult to administer. We have on hand Virginia Clark from the City of Calgary and Paul Meunier from the Federation of Calgary Communities who have agreed to act as scrutineers for the count.
Steve Carey: Will we get a chance to hear from each candidate?
Jay Michi: Yes, that would be advantageous for many here. We’ll give each candidate 1 to 2 minutes to speak.
Deborah Sword: Will we get a chance to ask questions?
Jay Michi: I could see that consuming a considerable amount of time and in the interest of fairness perhaps I will ask all of the candidates the same three questions: What’s your relationship to Hillhurst-Sunnyside (i.e. how long have you lived here? What do you think of the place?)? Why do you want to be on the Community Association Board? And, what skill sets can you bring to the board? There, that’s five questions.
Tim Kitchen: I guess we’ll just go in the order of nomination. So Lorna if you could start us off.
Lorna Cordeiro: I’ve lived in Hillhurst for many years now. Obviously it’s a great community. I’ve also been on the Board of Directors for the past seven years, serving as treasurer for most of that time. My passion is obviously Heritage, which I spoke to previously in the meeting. I’d have to say my skill sets are in the areas of project management and stakeholder engagement.
Kerri Treherne: I’ve lived in the community (Sunnyside) for the past 14 years. I’m currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board. I’m very active in the association in the community in general. I chair the Community Vitalization Committee which gets a lot of things done. I’ve also been involved with the school and was part of the parent group that got the new playground established at Sunnyside School. I bring energy, community mindedness, and connectivity to the Board.
Thibault Dambrine: Hello, I’m Thibault Dambrine. I have lived in Sunnyside for the past eight years. I was recruited to the Board by Lorna Cordeiro. Never saw myself as being the Treasurer, but I have eased into the role over the past year. I chair the Finance Committee that works with Jay to oversee the association’s finances. I enjoy this role even though it isn’t always the most exciting bur it is nevertheless essential. I bring attention to detail and professional approach to the Board.
Maurizio Terrigno: My name is Maurizio Terrigno, I’m both a resident and a business owner. I think this is an excellent community and I just want to see it continue to grow and develop. I have a business and commerce background and I believe that through my contacts in the local business community I can help bridge the two worlds and improve the level of communication between the two. My skill sets are in the areas of finance and business.
Angela Dione: Hey, I’m Angela. I’ve lived in the community on and off for a number of years, but I’ve been here for the last four in the same spot – In Sunnyside right on the cusp of Hillhurst on 9A Street. I run a business out of the old Ant Hill building called the Market Collective. We host artists and artisans of all kinds every other month for a whole weekend and the event has grown in popularity over the past two years. I am a big believer in community development. I was formerly with an organization called Urban Youth Works which works to engage youth in the creative process. This mural was actually started when I was still with Urban Youth Works. So I have known Jay for a while ever since we started that project. I bring to the board those connections to area artists so that we can continue to build on the momentum of things like the Market Collective, the Mural project here at HSCA and other community development undertakings.
Beverly Guthrie: Hi, I’m Beverly Guthrie and I’ve lived in the community for the past 18 years. I’m a mother of three and I’m starting to find a little more time to get involved in community stuff now that my kids are getting older. I love this neighbourhood! I’ve been involved as a volunteer over the past few years, both at the school and here at the centre. I recently organized a community safety meeting just a few weeks ago with our new Community Liason Officer Constable Wil Johnson. The event was well attended. I am excited to join the board because I bring a lot of experience working with volunteer groups and also I know a lot of people in the community so I think I could definitely help with the community engagement components of the Board.
Gary Findley: Hello I’m Gary Findley. I’ve lived in the neighbourhood for the past 6 years. I’ve always loved the neighborhood ever since I moved to Calgary. I was finally was able to move into Norlfolk House six years ago and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve long wanted to get a plot at the community garden and generally get more involved in the community. I’ve sat on a number of boards including national boards. I would bring that experience of Board work to the Board and my desire to get involved.
Limo Iadoalo: I’m Limo. I’ve lived in the community for 27 years but have never been too involved in the community association. I was invited to participate by Mr. Maurizio Terrigno and I said that I would be happy to serve the community. I am interested to learn more about the community and the community association and I would like to contribute.
Dusan Rnjak: Hello I’m Dusan, I’m the guy with the accent. I have lived here for a couple of years. Originally from Europe, and when I moved to Calgary what I liked the most about the community was that it reminded me a little of home, it seemed European in a sense. About me, I love tennis and basketball. This community has very nice tennis courts. We could probably improve on the basketball side. I am a member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce. I would bring my enthusiasm for sport and my knowledge gained from serving in the Chamber to this Board.
Svea Ferguson: Hey I’m Svea. I’ve lived in this community my whole life. My parent were always quite involved in the community and because my partner and I have known Jay for a long time, and we’ve been watching some of the really positive changes and developments here, we decided to get involved. We bought our family membership earlier this year and I decided that I would really like to contribute my energies to the Board of Directors. I am an art student at ACAD. I love the mural and it’s my hope that it’s only the beginning of a new wave of art projects to help rekindle the old artistic spirit of the neighbourhood that was so prevalent when my parents were involved here. I will bring to the board energy, excitement and youth – I’m 22!
Harvery Cohen: I’m Harvey Cohen. I’ve lived in the community for many years. I am a realtor and my business is specialized towards serving seniors and handicapped individuals. We heard tonight some of the difficulties our seniors have accessing the information they need. We also have a tendency to only celebrate what’s new in the community. We discussed this new mural at length but we also have another mural right here (pointing to the family eating pancakes piece on the wall). This piece used to hang up in our restaurant the Kensington Deli which is where Nellie’s is now located. That definitely was an era where the neighbourhood had a real flare for the arts. I believe that I have the skills to help this community in transition. I want to help seniors in difficulty and serve on the Board of this community association.
Jay Michi: So, we have the ballots prepared with all the names on them. We will be collecting the green voting cards you were given at the beginning of the meeting and trading you for a ballot. If you don’t have a green index card, you don’t get a ballot. The ballot box will be at the front registration table, and following a call for votes, the box will be take to the Tyler Room and counted by Anthony Sayers, Virginia Clark and Paul Meunier. That’ll be the process.
Five minutes allotted for voting time.
Fifteen minutes provided for the count.
Anthony Sayers: We have counted the ballots and the following six people have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors:
Beverly Guthrie
Kerri Treherne
Lorna Cordeiro
Thibault Dambrine
Angela Dione Narynski
Svea Ferguson
10) Closing Comments, Adjournment and light refreshments
Tim Kitchen: And that concludes the meeting folks. We thank you all for attending; it was by far the most well attended meeting any of us have ever seen. Could the newly elected board members please stick around for a brief meeting to sort out a few logistical matters? Thanks again, and have a good evening.
Meeting Adjourned.
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