Board Meeting Minutes - October 10, 2019

Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Organization Board Meeting
October 10, 2019, 4:00pm
501 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs

The following board members were present: Howard Hawkes, Amy Brinkman (via phone), Gustav Swanson, Sheila Cobrin, Mickey Puig (via phone), Kermit Ferrer, Glenn Cameron.

AGENDA

  • Review / Approve Minutes from September Meeting

  • Review Action Items from September Meeting

  • Follow up to Annual VLPNO Meeting: 11/18/18

    • Special Guest: Glen Cameron (VLPNO Advisory Board)

  • Annual VLPNO Meeting

    • Confirm Schedule Date

    • Confirm Venue

    • Create Draft Agenda

    • Create Draft Communication

  • Treasury / Finance Report

    • Annual Budget

    • GoFundMe: Alexander STAR

  • MW2020 Update

    • Tour Name: Vista Las Palmas: The Alexander’s Jewel in the Crown Designed by William Krisel and Charles Du Bois

    • Scheduled for Saturday, February 15th

  • Alexander STAR Dedication Event Follow-up – Create small group to prepare the following:

    o        Decide who will speak at the ceremony

    o        Draft a 3-4 minute speech

    o        Draft a 150-200 word document on how VLP and the Alexander Family is linked together. As mentioned each neighborhood is entitled to space in the booklet

    o        Choose 2 pictures that illustrate the above connection. The family has sent me photos from their collection including one of the House of Tomorrow under construction and one of Robert and Helene having coffee in the living room. Both of these will be included in the booklet so VLP is going to be the most featured neighborhood

  • Communication Updates:  HSPS

  • Social Events: 

    October: Event update and announcement (RSVP: ?)

RECAP / NOTES

  • Done: Review / Approve Minutes from August Meeting

  • Done: Review Action Items from September 12th Meeting:

  • Done: Mickey to create VLPNO Annual Budget.

  • Done: Gustav to e-mail Glenn Cameron regarding VLNOP By-laws. Provide Glenn with 11/18/18 minutes, By-laws on hand and pertinent information about term limits.

  • Done: Howard to text Mickey about GoFundMe vs VLPNO checking account for STAR checks.

  • Done: Howard to send Glenn Cameron contact information to Gustav

  • Done: Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a GoToMeeting invite for October Board Meeting.

Review/Approve Minutes from September 12th meeting:

  • Board reviewed September 12th meeting minutes. Board unanimously approved.

  • Sally to work with Imagine IT to publish minutes from previous Board Meetings on-line. This is an on-going task.

Treasury:

  • Mickey presented Treasury Report and Annual budget proposal

  • Mickey to update VLPNO Annual Budget to include membership dues collection @ 100% of households.

  • Kermit to provide # of VLP households.

  • Add VLP Street Markers to the 2020 Annual Budget

PS Historic Preservation Office:

  • Need to finalize communication that Gustav prepared about Ken Lyon (Palm Springs Historic Preservation Office) presentation to Board. Board is reviewing message before Sally posts it to website.

 Alexander Family STAR Dedication Event:

  • Mickey volunteered to lead the creation of a small group

  • Still need to identify who will speak at the dedication. Once again the Board recommended Sheila speak at the ceremony. Sheila abstained from commenting. There was no closure on this topic. Need to finalize at next Board meeting.

  • Sufficient number of pictures have been identified.

  • A short speech – 3 to 4 minutes or 150 to 200 word document – needs to be written.

  • Kermit to follow-up with David Hyams on status of event, funds and his participation at the Annual meeting on Nov. 24th

Media – Communication:

  • Objective: Need to update our website more frequently.

  • Pending Website updates:

  • Meeting Minutes for July, August and September

  • Kermit to follow-up with Sally

 

Neighborhood – Social

  • The Twist Poolside: Wednesday, October 16th from 4 – 6pm.

  • To date 24 people have RSVP’d to the social event

  • The Social is being cohosted by Roly's Chinese Fusion. They will provide 50 free drinks and samples of some of their food. The event will be poolside at The Twist.

VLPNO Membership:

  • VLPNO renewal received. The application went to ‘info@vistalaspalmas.org’ with a credit card transaction ID. In turn the email was routed to Robin Abrahams. When looking at the VLPNO website – http://www.vistalaspalmas.org/join-vlpno-now there doesn’t appear to be a place to submit your credit card.

    • Mickey to inquire with applicants about how they submitted renewal.

    • Mickey to inquire with Jeff @ ImagineIT about on-line application with respect to ‘renewals’ if current residents enter site with existing user login ID’s

  • Sheila brought up whether VLPNO should increase their annual dues.

    • Kermit to research other neighborhood organizations’ annual dues to share with VLPNO Board and evaluate

  • Kermit brought up how VLPNO tracks membership dues payment

    • Sheila stated that she has a spreadsheet where she tracks paying members by household

    • Sheila to share with the Board

    • Mickey requested # of homes in VLP in order to budget @ 100% compliance

  • Kermit also requested that VLPNO ensure that paying members be tracked at Annual meeting and provided with only 1 ballot per household.

Review of 2018 VLPNO Annual Meeting and By-Laws

Glen Cameron joined the VLPNO meeting to provide legal advisor/counsel on:

  • Advice on what would constitute the ‘official’ VLPNO By-Laws

  • Review of events occurred during the Annual VLP meeting (See minutes from VLPNO Annual meeting held on Nov. 18th) against VLPNO by-laws and advise VLPNO Board.

  • Ask if the VLPNO By-Laws require voting members to be present at the annual meeting to vote for the Board members or if this can be done by mail so that vote can take place prior to the meeting and the new Board is announced at the annual meeting

  • Recommendation: Amend the By-Laws to:

    • Eliminate Term Limits

    • Stagger Board seats

    • Board meeting quorum obtained by phone

    • Neighborhood boundaries to include dogleg between Vista Chino and Stevens, Monte Vista and N Palm Canyon

  • Per current By-Laws requirement, proposed amended By-Laws must be submitted to VLP secretary 30 days before Annual meeting and presented to members at the Annual meeting

  • At the Annual meeting,

    • Glen suggested that a motion be set forward to ratify all actions taken by the VLPNO Board (ie. the introduction of Gustav as a replacement for Robin’s departure from the Board)

    • Vote to Amend the By-Laws

  • Glen offered to create a draft version of new By-Laws with recommended changes.

Future Meetings:

  • NOTE: Board Meetings scheduled for 2nd Thursday of month @ 4pm.

  • Kermit to send out calendar Invite to Board along with GoToMeeting invite for anyone who might not be able to attend in person.

Annual Meeting: 

  • Venue: VLPNO agreed that the meeting will be held at the O’Donnell Club as it is what neighbors are accustomed to, it is convenient and a beautiful setting.

    • Date: Sunday, November 24th, 2019

    • Caterer: 849 Restaurant

    • Price, which is inclusive of tax & tip would be $3,386.75. This is about $900 cheaper than last year.

    • Board voted unanimously to move forward

    • Mickey to pay $1,000 deposit immediately

  • Annual VLPNO Member Meeting Proposed Agenda:

Vista Las Palmas Neighborhood Organization Annual General Membership Meeting

 2:45-3:30pm:  Arrivals/Check-In/Mix and Mingle/Cash Bar
 

 3:30-4:30pm: General Meeting, Presentations and Election

    • Annual Report of Activities

    • Financial Report: Overall Profit & Loss, Modernism Tour Profit & Loss, 2020 Budget

    • MW2020 VLPNO Home Tour: Save the Date: 2020 Modernism Home Tour on Saturday, February 15th, Tour Update, Call for volunteers

    • Proposal to Replace the VLPNO’s Bylaws with the attached By-Laws

    • Other guests: TBD

    • Candidate Introductions & Election of Members to the Board of Directors

 4:30-5:00pm: Election Results / Closing Remarks

  • Communication: Kermit to draft up email to be sent out reminding neighbors of annual meeting and election

  • Parking Lot item to be revisited during a future Board Meeting: Jade mentioned at January 2019 Meeting that the Annual VLPNO Meeting date has proven to be unpopular. The Board discussed identifying (3) alternative dates to send out to the VLPNO members to vote on potential date change for the Annual Meeting.

ACTION ITEMS:

  • Sally to publish minutes from July, August and September Board Meeting on-line with Imagine IT group.

  • Mickey to update VLPNO Annual Budget to include membership dues collection @ 100% of households. Kermit to provide # of VLP households.

  • Gustav & Board to finalize communication that Gustav prepared about Ken Lyon (Palm Springs Historic Preservation Office)

  • Glenn to create draft of proposed By-Laws

  • Glen, Gustav & Kermit to discuss and review By-Laws proposal and work to meet VLP By-Laws scheduling requirement

  • Gustav to e-mail Glenn Cameron regarding VLNOP By-laws. Provide Glenn with 11/18/18 minutes, By-laws on hand and pertinent information about term limits.

  • Kermit to draft VLPNO Annual Meeting invitation

  • Kermit to research other PS neighborhood’s annual membership dues

  • Kermit to invite David Hyams to VLPNO Annual meeting to talk about the Alexander STAR dedication and how our funds are being used.

  • Kermit to send out Calendar Invite to the Board along with a GoToMeeting invite for November Board Meeting.