Feb 24, 2011HSCA Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, January 24, 2011
6:50 PM
6:15 pm – light dinner served
6:30 – 6:50 pm – Introductions & general discussion
6:50 pm – meeting call to order
Attendees: Tim Kitchen (acting-Chair), Thibault Dambrine (Treasurer), Robert Perry (Secretary), Lorna Cordeiro, Maria Lee, David White, Jay Michi (Executive Director) Kerri Treherne
Guests:
Virginia (Gini) Clark CRC, representing the City of Calgary – Presentation of CNS
Angela Dione – Community Member interested in getting involved with the Board
Introduction of Guests
Approval of Agenda and Minutes 6:50pm – 7:00pm
Approval of Minutes from Board Meetings of November 25, 2010
Motion:
Second:
Approval/changes to Agenda
Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
Review of minutes from last board meeting, November 25, 2010
David White – Approved minutes
Lorna Cordeiro – Second
Approval of agenda and changes
REQUEST: Reports of what is going on in the building
Quarterly reports on this information will go out the week before the next board meeting.
Tim: Order of agenda changed: David’s presentation before Gini’s report.
Add to nomination committee: AGM date and plan: who’s running and who’s not running?
CONCERN: AGM held during spring break? Does this create an availability conflict?
NEW HIRE DISCUSSION
DAVID: Roles and responsibilities, how can we be most effective?
Paid role to serve on multiple committees; is this an initiative that we want to try?
LORNA: Grant available loosely meets the role of a new hire that can help with the heritage committee but also act on other committees. CIP grant – Four opportunities in a year to apply for that.
For the impending development, having a paid position to help out during this process.
Decide whether it’s a pt of FT position (heritage context in planning)
DAVID: Stage the position, and have the person be full-time and then have a volunteer take over after a set amount of time. Stage approach: student, professional planning, flyering, present to community a synopsis, etc.
Could it be a rotational position with the city? Role to offset the Community Planning Committee or role to be fully involved in Heritage Committee
MARIA: In a farmer’s market perspective, could that person fill in a multiple role?
We will be expanding the past position [in the Farmer’s Market] to have more community outreach, community gardens, slow food movement, etc.
JAY: this is talking about three people in terms of three roles.
DAVID: The revolving door is an issue. Many projects could be several months of work. We are not ideally organized right now; the stage approach would be great…starting PT
TIM: Draft up some key things for this position and get an idea of what amount of time this role would have, JAY would consolidate. Two different funds: internal or grant funded.
JAY: We applied for a CIP for 10,000 last year and it was not approved. Draft up the position needed from each committee. Planning and heritage could access the same position
FINAL THOUGHT: Next time, when we talk about budget, let’s address these various things, and determine what we have to give to this position.
CPC: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY
JAY: talk about budget for next board meeting – Feb 28th (confirm)
MARIA: will talk about the role for the Farmer’s Market at the next meeting
LORNA, DAVID and MARIA will all have the role and responsibility info for next meeting.
Presentation by Gini Clark on Community and Neighbourhood Services.
What’s new since we last met? What can we expect in the future?
GINI’s presentation: [PDF will be sent to Jay for distribution]
All leases due this year are required to have strategic business plan. Every year a report goes to council on every group. All groups will have a sustainability reports this year. This document will be done with Gini, with a check-list of sustainability. A lot of groups are struggling. The city is a huge asset and groups can be taken care. This report gives a heads up before an organization folds. Council will look at the new leases for the Spring.
CRV (current replacement value) of the building. There is a requirement in each lease to 1% of building value to put aside for an emergency fund. ie: a reserve fund. This is a best practice. HSCA is leasing the land, currently on a 15 year agreement. The next lease agreement will be for 15 years. We are moving towards community input and the sustainability of communities. Mayor Nenshi is very grounded in community development.
QUESTION: When is this lease extension happening?
ANSWER (Gini): Either spring or fall.
***March will be when the sustainability checklist is finished (HSCA self-goal)***
QUESTION: How do we do with best practices compared to other groups?
ANSWER (Gini): HSCA is a more evolved model of over 99% of the other community associations in Calgary.
QUESTION: Is that because we’re providing social services, and helping seniors in our community?
NOTE: (JAY): Our structure is that of a social service delivery organization. We are actually supporting seniors in many different communities (approx. 11 communities in the NW and NE)
BUILDINGS DISCUSSION:
The time for the sustainability of buildings is right now since many of these buildings come from the 50’s.
There are not many historical buildings of comm. assoc. spaces. Many have outlived their life-cycle.
DISCUSSION about MAYOR NENSHI and the new direction of City Council:
QUESTION: What changes will be taking place now with the new mayor?
ANSWER (Gini): Philosophically, his impact will be felt in the next year or so. Mayor Nenshi is coming into offices and speaking directly to general managers.
The goal is to ultimately set up a system characterized by Store-front employees; that is to say, city employees who work (at least part-time) out of community association locations – so that they are accessible and so that a certain degree of integration in strategic planning can occur. This is the way that Council and Mayor Nenshi are thinking.
DISCUSSION of COMMUNITY COUNCILS
Community Councils: we already have some that are started :Beddington, and another. This model is new, there are a lot of benefits to this.
***FCSS: March or May 2011, a talk on Community Engagement***
FUNDING NIGHT DISCUSSION
A great opportunity to walk through each grant. Great examples of how to use these grants and very informative.
DAVID: is there info that can be reviewed before this event?
JAY: Gini has provided some information on this, and will be forwarded to everyone.
QUESTION (Lorna): Will the lease increase?
ANSWER (Gini): No, that lease will remain relatively the same amount. ($10/year)
ROBERT: Is there anything as a ward that should be known about Parkdale (nifty 50)
GINI: I’d really rather not delve into specific issues around other groups.
QUESTION (Robert): does your role have anything to do with secondary suites?
QUESTION: And affordable housing in general. We’ve discussed as a board (at our strategic planning session last fall) the possibility of incorporating some aspect of affordable housing into our plans for a new community centre, down the road.
ANSWER (Gini): Not really. I could link up other city staff to go to the meetings. Not my dept. However, if Hillhurst/Sunnyside wanted to explore the possibility of having affordable housing attached to it (the centre), it would be one of the 1st communities in Calgary to do something like that.
DISCUSSION: What limitations to we have in terms of setting up businesses here in the centre? Specifically a coffee shop – we’ve always wanted a coffee shop, and it seems that other community associations are getting things like this going.
GINI: No community assoc. can have an external business or lease within the space. A Coffee shop would have to be within the community assoc. centre. Operated by the centre (and there could be no lease or sub-contract) and the profit would go back into the hall.
JAY: I must add that there is simply no space to do this in. We have two kitchens and both are occupied throughout the day.
***GINI: will send the template to Jay to pass onto board***
Old Business
Board Roles / position descriptions
Discussion on Committee Terms of Reference
Timeline for 2011. Taking a look at the Calendar of Events for the Board in 2011.
Determining dates for Board and CPC
Confirming AGM date and plan
***FEBRUARY VOICE INFO: Next AGM Monday, March 28th 7-9pm***
JAY and TIM will be organizing this event.
NOTE: (Lorna) a person in position cannot be re-elected after 3 terms.
If there is anything in the bylaws, we can change things in either the AGM or a new meeting that has been planned 30 days in advance.
KERRY: [FOR AGM] memberships will be needed for 30 days prior to be directly involved in the decision making and voting during this meeting.
Nomination taskforce for recruiting new board members
TIM: Board roles and position descriptions
They are 80% there, and I am committed to continue to work on these.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Discussion on the roles of the Vice-Chair; some changes made on the doc.
ROBERT: When does the structure hinder the actual position?
TIM: Guidepost for how we should be doing the work. Having two people signing is a perception of control.
JAY: there is a factor of trust that is involved in these frameworks
TIM: quick overview of each position. Federation of Calgary Communities guide was used to come up with these descriptions.
QUESTION: What should the title be: chair of board or president of board?
ANSWER (Jay): the role is the CHAIR of the board; President implies that the individual is acting in the business functions. The old community association model of electing community association presidents is antique and more often than not it leads to more problems – we’ve all seen this first hand. Chair is more appropriate for the position.
CHANGES MADE: terminology “President” will be changed throughout doc. to “ Chair” for final revision.
Review of Annual Planning Calendar
This calendar should be highlighted as Board Milestones. Joint activities that happen between operational staff and board that will be shared.
NOTE: (Maria) Farmer’s Market is defined as a task force.
NOTE: (Lorna) Next Communication Meeting: please define who updates things such as Google Cal.
Executive Director – Update
Jay has hired a new bookkeeper/administrative assistant and we are on target for the audit.
Committee Reports
Finance Committee
No Financials to present due to the unfortunate situation of having lost our accountant in December.
It was agreed that we would continue working using our 2010 budget until Jay could devote his energy to developing a budget draft in February. The budget for 2011 will be a 10 month budget and will be approved by the Board at the February board meeting to be held on
The finance committee also discussed ED performance and compensation and discussed their recommendation with Jay to be discussed at the board level at the Board meeting in January.
(Tim): Discuss salary increases for staff.
(Thibeault): Looking to Jay to come up with new proposal for the staff, should wait for the new cycle.
Community Planning Committee
David White to elaborate on his email from January 24, 2011.
NO NEED TO ELABORATE
Discussion around providing support/aligning staff to support CPC going forward.
Community Vitalization Committee
Farmers’ Market Task Force
FARMER’S MARKET DISCUSSION
Meeting next week, Feb 1st
Pat Gwinn (check sp) from Sunnyside is now on, and we will be tackling vendors.
3 year plan is to create a more permanent position
STEP program will still be accessed for summer staff 2011
More volunteers are needed for the committee
Communications Committee
Heritage Committee
Carolyn and Lorna are just forming this committee, dual signage, setting standards for development when a significant structure is going in.
Medallion and Plaques will be put in during the development of this community. Is this the best way? Is there a more creative approach?
CONCERN: Lack of audio in the hearth room. Jay has provided a quote.
SOLUTION: System speakers in the ceiling, and two mics will be on-hand for accessibility.
5. New Business
ED Performance review
Board Performance review
ED PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Finance Committee recommendation
Discussion –
voted – all in favor.
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