Meeting Notes

Here are historical notes/minutes (from 2013 to 2016 - prepared by FOEC Secretary Jeanette Evans unless otherwise noted)

June 7, 2016- FOEC General Meeting Minutes

Thank you to Gary Bloom for providing these minutes.

MINUTES FROM FOEC'S GENERAL MEETING (6/7/16)

After dinner, Christi Carlson welcomed everyone in attendance and recognized Councilman Mike Polensek (Cleveland) and Mayor David Roche (Richmond Heights).

Councilman Polensek made a few remarks and thanked everyone for their efforts in supporting the watershed.

Christi then spoke about membership renewal and offered people a chance to renew their memberships at the meeting; a number of people then renewed their memberships.

Christi mentioned that FOEC will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with events throughout the year, including "Day in the Life of Euclid Creek" in July.

Claire Posius spoke for a few minutes about the "Day in the Life of Euclid Creek."

Christi then announced that Gopal Mandal of Mayfield Heights was this year's scholarship winner; she introduced him and his mother, who were in attendance, talked a bit about Gopal's background, and presented him with a scholarship check.

Gopal Mandal then spoke for a few minutes and thanked FOEC members for their efforts in support of the watershed.

Next, Christi announced that elections for the FOEC board would take place; she noted that there are many new people on this year's slate and she also thanked the current board members for their efforts.

Christi passed out ballots for the election and announced the names of each person who was running for a position on the board.

The members then cast their ballots, the ballots were collected and reviewed, and Christi announced that the new board slate was elected.

The new board members are as follows:

President - Ken Messinger-Rapport (two-year term)

Vice-President - Chris Vild (two-year term)

Treasurer - Christine Laskin (two-year term)

Secretary - Sue Swisher (two-year term)

Board of Directors - Christi Carlson (two-year term)

Board of Directors - Patrick Henry (two-year term)

Board of Directors - Anna Kozlenko (two-year term)

Board of Directors - Jim Junknialis (two-year term)

Board of Directors - Annie Roberto (22-month term, beginning September 1, 2016)

Christi thanked everyone for her time as President of FOEC; then she, along with Ken Messinger-Rapport and Chris Vild, passed out flowers and gift cards to the outgoing board members.

Ken then thanked the members for their support; he made some remarks about the organization and the new committee structure which will be employed by FOEC.

Claire gave a short talk about the Wildwood restoration project.

May, 2016- FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting were Christi, Ken, Claire, Barb, Chris, Brian, Jeanette, and Gary.

Claire discussed a handout with a Euclid Creek Water Shed Action Plan Update – Process and Timeline.

She showed the group a slide show about the action plan update.

She also passed out a proposed template for a Nonpoint Source Pollution Implementation strategy and Branch Issues Inventory Sheet for us to review.

We discussed the scholarship. Christi contacted the applicants. We discussed details of the picnic on June 7 and how we are striving for a zero waste event.

We discussed nominations and by unanimous vote agreed to the slate to include - starting September 1 - candidate Anne Roberto.

Barb led the discussion on the status of the 15^th anniversary celebration. She showed us shirts with the FOEC logo and discussed the need for additional volunteers.

We agreed to have a press release about the scholarship winner with Christi passing information about the winner to Gary who will prepare a draft of the press release.

Ken gave a treasurer’s report and led the discussion with ideas about the new term coming up.

Here are additions to these minutes as requested by Ken.

We awarded the scholarship to Hrishikesh “Gopal” Mandal for 2015-2016, and we will likely reconsider the scholarship requirements next year.

The names and positions of the nominees for the board openings for the 2016-2018 term are the following.

a. Ken Messinger-Rapport, President

b. Christine Laskin, Treasurer

c. Sue Swisher

d. Patrick Henry, Director

e. Anna Kozlenko, Director

f. Jim Junknialis, Director

h. Annie Roberto, (beginning September 1st)

Christi Carlson agreed to serve on the board as past President, and Chris Vild agreed to extend his term by one year to coincide with the two year term of the next president, Ken Messinger-Rapport

Christi made the following comment...

... technically, the slate is as follows and should be typed correctly in the minutes:

President - Ken Messinger-Rapport (two-year term)
Vice President - Chris Vild (two-year term)
Treasurer - Christine Laskin, (two-year term)
Secretary - Sue Swisher (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Christi Carlson (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Patrick Henry (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Anna Kozlenko (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Jim Junknialis (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Annie Roberto (22-month term, beginning September 1, 2016)

April, 2016 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting were Jeanette Evans, (guest) Patrick Henry, Gary Bloom, Brian Gilbert, (guest) Jeffery Schiffman, (guest) Anne Roberto, Chris Vild, Barb Holtz, Christi Carlson, and (guest) Sue Swisher.

We went around the room and introduced ourselves. Christi noted that this is a board driven group, and four people are leaving the board. She mentioned we need a treasurer/bookkeeper. Deb Kramarz and Jim Juknialis are interested in serving on the board. Christi passed out committee descriptions for the group to look at.

Christi read the treasurer’s report. Jeanette talked about the applicants for the scholarship. The group by unanimous vote agreed that we could award two scholarships. Christi said she would contact Nancy Hart, Paul Constanzo, and Kelly Putauski to get their input about the applicants.

Barb led the discussion about the 15^th anniversary celebration. By unanimous vote we agreed to spend the money for shirts. Connie Herron and Patrick Henry want to help with the event.

May 3 at 6:30 at the Highland Picnic area Brian Gilbert will lead a wildflower walk for our May activity. Our summer picnic will be at Wildwood on June 7, at 6:30. Christi cannot attend the May 18 board meeting. Ken will lead the May 18 meeting at 7:00 at the office of Chris Vild

March 16, 2016 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting were Christi Carlson, Chris Vild, Brian Gilbert, (guest) Anna Kozlenko, (guest) Sister Eileen Quinlan, Brian Gilbert, (guest) Sue Swisher, Gary Bloom, Barb Holtz, Ken Rapport, and Jeanette Evans.

We went around the table to introduce ourselves.

Christi noted that we have board openings for Treasurer and Secretary. Ken reported on his call with the BVU (Business Volunteers Unlimited). BVU will try to find someone for us to fill our openings. Board matching is free. $100/year is the cost of membership in BVU.

Christi passed out a report with an analysis of the results of the survey of membership interest. 27 people responded. We looked at the analysis and discussed possible follow up. We discussed how to provide people with information about committee work and placing onto the web site or an email a description of committees.We also discussed a Powerpoint with a description of the committees.

Barb reviewed plans for the 15^th anniversary. Theses plans include 15 miles of walks, a Day in the Life co-sponsorship, and the Watershed Summit (Oct. 6). We discussed a wildflower walk on May 3 at 6:30. Brian agreed to lead the walk. The Day in the Life event would give us the second stop. This could be at Greenwood Farm or the Highland Heights location. We would also have a 15^th anniversary cake at the Day in the Life event.

Christi covered Claire’s items. For our April board meeting Claire plans to describe a dusty goldenrod meadow management plans. For Beachwood Entrovation on April 30, we discussed how to support the event and how we do not have the resources for the Rock the Block event.

March 1, 2016 - General Meeting Notes

Thank you to Gary Bloom for providing these notes.

MINUTES OF FOEC GENERAL MEETING (3/1/16)

Christi Carlson called the meeting to order and introduced the members of the FOEC Board

Claire Posius spoke about upcoming events over the next few months; she also mentioned that SWCD is looking for three interns

Christi talked about the FOEC scholarship opportunity

Christi mentioned the FOEC Board, and that four Board members' terms will expire this year; she talked about areas where FOEC needs help; Christi also passed out the survey to the membership

Chris Vild discussed the "open forum" portion of the General Meeting, which had been a part of our meetings in the past; he noted that we may bring this back again as a regular part of our General Meetings; Chris also opened the floor to ask if anyone had any comments to make or if there were any items to discuss

Christi noted that the April General Meeting will feature a speaker on the topic of "invasive species"

Christi discussed the "Day in the Life of Euclid Creek," which is scheduled for July

Christi introduced our speaker, Sarah Orlando, who subsequently gave her presentation on the importance of Lake Erie, on non-point source pollution, and on algal blooms, etc.

Christi again asked the membership for help in furthering FOEC's mission

Annie Roberto mentioned three stream clean-ups which will be taking place in April

Meeting adjourned

February 17, 2016- FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting at the office of Chris Vild were Ken, Brian, Claire, Chris, Jeanette, Christi, and Gary.

1. Claire's items

We reviewed a calendar of events for 2016 and discussed in particular Earth Day activities. We also discussed the possibility of teaming up with the HHGTF on a green cleaning workshop.

2. Letters sent to 15 people

We discussed the letters sent and how to follow up. Chris will follow up with Mary Ann Swerski. Jeanette will follow up with Annie Roberto. Brian will follow up with Debbie Kramartz. Ken will follow up with Anna Kozlenko. Christi will follow up with Sister Eileen.

3. Roles

We looked at a handout that Christi provided with a write up of the roles of president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer and gave Christi ideas for rework. Ken will follow up with a rework of the treasurer text and contact the Business Volunteer Unlimited (BVU) group.

4. Committees

We looked at a handout that Christi provided with a write up of committees. This included the conservation, education, fundraising, marketing, and membership committees. We provided ideas for revision of the text.

5. Membership

We reviewed the lists Christi provided.

6. 15^th Anniversary

We discussed the Day in the Live event and September 6 meeting and how the 15^th anniversary would be celebrated. Connie Herron and Deb Kramarz have an interest in working at the Day of the Life event.

January 19, 2016 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting were the following

1 Brian Gilbert

2 Claire Posius

3 Jeanette Evans

4 Ken M. Rapport

5 Jan Rybka

6 Ginny Aveni

7 Jane Goodman

8 Fran Hogg

9 Tom Romito

10 Chris Vlld

11 Gary Bloom

12 Larry McFadden

13 Christi Carlson

14 Carolyn Sugiuchi

Christi called the meeting (at the office of Chris Vild) to order around 6:00 PM and introduced Tom Romito who led the discussion and provided the following notes.

Our next board meeting will be Tuesday, February 2, at 6:00 PM.

OUTPUT FROM BOARD MEETING OF 01-19-2016

1. WHY WE WERE THERE. Board members, past presidents, and founders discussed their views on why they were at this meeting. They want to do the following:

a. Partner with people and agencies outside of the current board members, including SWCD, RAP, past presidents, and founders.

b. Provide input on the future of FOEC.

c. See FOEC continue to exist.

d. Find options for sustainability (to survive and thrive).

e. Develop a more robust form of organization.

f. Find a way to contribute.

g. Develop a labor force.

h. Identify the problem facing FOEC as well as a solution.

i. Identify and use networks.

j. Clarify roles of board members and partners.

k. Mine legacy members for interest and involvement.

l. Reach out to inactive members who attend meetings.

m. Develop a way to market FEOC to the larger community.

n. Build grassroots support for FOEC.

2. LOW-HANGING FRUIT. Here is a synopsis of the reasons why people were at the board meeting. It served as a starting point to identify actions we can take now to preserve FOEC.

Partner with agencies and past pres/founders.	Find ways for past pres/founders to contribute.
Get input on future of FOEC.	Expand the labor force.
Continue to exist.	Use networks to find new members/directors.
Find options to survive and thrive.	Clarify roles of board members/partners.
Develop a robust organization.	Reach out to inactive members at meetings.
Build grassroots support.	Market to the larger community.

Graphic available from Tom Romito

3. VISUALIZING HOW FOEC SHOULD FUNCTION TO SURVIVE. We experimented with images to visualize what we need to do in order to preserve FOEC. Here are two graphics:

Graphic available from Tom Romito

In the above graphic, the intersection of board, non-board members, active members, and activities where we connect to partners who can help us find new members and directors.

This graphic shows that the active members are a segment of the total members, a larger segment of which is non-active. Beyond that is the larger community that we need to tap to find new members to be active, as well as potential directors and officers.

4. ACTION PLAN. The attendees created an action plan consisting of tasks they felt they can work on right now to preserve FOEC. Here are the action items:

WHAT	ACTION CHAMPION	BY WHEN
Ask someone to make a pitch at Claire’s events.	Ginny	January 25
Attend city councils to make a pitch for FOEC.	Fran	March 30
Mine a network to get new members/volunteers.	Jan	February 29
Hold discussions with members at monthly meetings about revitalizing those meetings.	Chris	March 1
Form a committee to mine our member list for new board members.	Ken	January 19
Create qualifications for new members and board members, then mine our existing data of inactive members to find people to serve.	Entire board	February 2 board meeting

5. CRITIQUE. Facilitator Tom Romito conducted a critique of the meeting, as follows:

THINGS THAT WENT WELL	WHAT WE WILL DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME
Everyone contributed.	Discuss how to accomplish action items.
We found common ground.	Discuss the method of conducting the meeting before we get into the content.
We identified problems.	Decide on ground rules.
Everyone listened.	Give people time to talk about their concerns at the beginning of the meeting.
We identified who would champion each action item.
Nobody died.

December 16, 2015 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes - draft in review

Present at the meeting were Chris, Claire, Gary, Brian, Christi, Jeanette, Barb, and Ken.

Minutes

Those present approved the minutes as read.

Budget and mobile application

Claire discussed the budget for the watershed grant and the project for a Lake Erie Watershed Mobile Application. Those present agreed to provide $500 to support the mobile application.

Treasurer’s report

Ken read the report. Those present agreed to pay Mrs. Romito to do our 990 filing which she quoted at $350-$700. Ken noted we could use a paid bookkeeper.

2016 Calendar of events

Claire provided a print out with the calendar and went month by month to see where FOEC will participate.

Membership

We discussed upcoming elections. Christi will call Ginny about this, prepare a letter to membership about the future of FOEC, invite Tom Romito and Derek Schaefer to our upcoming board meeting, and provide a survey to membership that could go out in January. We are to provide Christi with a description of our duties. January 7, 26, and 27 at 6:00 are possible dates for our next meeting.

Scholarship

Claire will send everyone the press release about the scholarship. Jeanette contacted Cathy Murphy about getting a posting on the HH web site. Barb will contact Lyndhurst and South Euclid. Claire took care of Cleveland newsletters. Chris will contact Beachwood. Gary will contact Mayfield Village. Brian will contact Mayfield Heights.

Memorial contribution

We agreed to pay $220 for 2 lenses for DO meters as a memorial contribution for David N. Smith, who is Claire’s father.

Hiring staff

Ken will contact Linda Mayor about hiring staff.

January 7, 2016 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Thank you to Ken M. Rapport who has the minutes from the meeting.

The meeting took place in the office of Chris Vild at 6:00. Ken's notes show that in attendance were Ken, Brian, Barb, Chris, Claire, Gary, Jeanette (arrived 6:15), Ginny (arrived 6:39), and Tom Romito. Before Tom spoke, the group agreed to ratify a MOU and service agreement as discussed at the meeting. Tom Romito said he would prepare notes from his portion of the meeting.

Thank you to Tom Romito for preparing these notes from the meeting.

OUTPUT FROM BOARD MEETING OF 01-07-2016

1. Facilitator Tom Romito had board members share sentiments from their hearts about why they came to a special board meeting of FOEC. Here are those sentiments:

a. We want to discuss changing the organization in order to do what we want to do.

b. We want to figure out how to implement the strategic plan we developed in 2012.

c. We want to develop a plan to recruit board members.

d. It’s important to answer this question: Are we viable enough to carry on our mission?

e. We want to learn what we can do to survive the status quo of not having enough board members and officers to go forward.

f. We need an exit strategy in case we can’t survive the status quo.

g. We should look at alternative structures that will enable us to continue to have watershed programs by engaging with the Watershed Council and Soil and Water Conservation District.

h. We want to find a way to identify and excite residents about the watershed.

i. We want to know if we have the resources we need to support any plan we devise.

j. We have an interest in keeping FOEC going.

k. We want to figure out how reach the FOEC founders for support.

l. We care about the watershed and the environment.

m. We love being with people who have the same passion we have about the watershed.

2. Then Tom led board members in brainstorming key ways for how they might be able to do the things that were on their hearts. These are categorical imperatives or the sine qua non – without which not – the things that are absolutely necessary for FOEC to survive and thrive:

a. Develop the board.

b. Identify residents.

c. Identify resources.

d. Make a plan that prioritizes what we can do now.

e. If we perform due diligence on these things, we will have a president by May.

3. Here is a broad plan the board members feels they can do now:

a. Reach out at events for interested people to do things.

b. Review data on hand of member qualifications.

c. Approach BVU for pairings of people we can approach who have qualifications we need.

d. Ask people we already know to get involved.

e. Research current and old membership lists and call people.

f. Mine resources available, which include membership lists, interest forms, our event list, BVU, and sister agencies (Watershed Council, SWCD, and RAP).

4. Tom then distributed a table showing options that the Kirtland Bird Club considered when it was going through a similar process three years ago. After discussing those options in detail, board members articulated the following options of their own:

a. Partner with some other entity that would ensure us a location to meet and offer us permanence and exposure.

b. Hold meetings on some schedule other than strictly monthly or quarterly.

c. Let committees run the organization, such as membership, programming/education, conservation, marketing, and fund-raising.

d. Hire a paid executive director. Board members discussed how they might maintain revenue streams to defray the director’s salary.

e. Divest ourselves of our 501c3 status. Tom helped board members identify pros and cons of doing this, as follows:

1) The chief advantage is that we wouldn’t have to deal with the accounting duties associated of being a 501c3.

2) Main disadvantages are that we feel we can’t count on any fiscal agent to support us and that once we divest our 501c3, it’s hard to get it back.

5. Board members felt they should meet again to pursue their broad plan and their options. Tom asked board members if they wanted and needed him to guide them through this process. The consensus was that they did. Tom said the next step was to construct a detailed action plan showing actions items, item champions, and deadlines. Tom suggested that they come together again in two weeks. They will confer on a date and Christi will contact Tom when they have selected one to ensure that he can make that date.

November 18, 2015 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the meeting were Christi, Gary, Brian, Chris, Ken, Barb, and Jeanette.

1. MInutes

The board approved the minutes as read.

2. Treasurer's report

Ken read the report.

3. Watershed Summit recap

We shared positive comments about the event.

4. 15th anniversary

Barb reviewed ideas.

5. Memorial for Claire's dad

We discussed options.

6. Scholarship

We discussed the FB posting, web announcement, newsletter, press release, and having each of us get a posting on the web site of their city.

7. Next meeting

We plan to continue discussing membership, 2016 community events, and brochure options at the next meeting which will be in office of Chris Vild.

MINUTES FROM FOEC HOLIDAY PARTY/GENERAL MEETING (12/1/15)

Thank you to Gary Bloom for providing these minutes.

After dinner at the Holiday Party, Christi Carlson made several comments and announcements:

· Christi thanked the Holiday Party committee and the musicians

· Christi introduced and thanked the Board

· Christi recapped FOEC events from July-December, 2015

· FOEC was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition this year; Christi spoke about projects which FOEC may be working on in the coming year

· FOEC will celebrate its 15^th anniversary in 2016; Christi outlined FOEC's upcoming activities which will help to celebrate this milestone

· Christi announced award winners:

o Volunteer of the Year - Ginny Aveni

o Community Partner award winner - NEORSD

o Tom Jenkins Award - Jeanette Evans

· Christi took a look forward at the year ahead; she discussed board elections and put out a call for additional volunteer help from members in 2016

Wednesday, October 21 - FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting were Christi, Gary, Barb, Brian, Jeanette, Fran, and Ken.

Minutes

Jeanette read the minutes from the last meeting. The group unanimously approved the minutes as read.

Holiday Party

Fran led the discussion on plans.

Ken has envelopes.

Christi discussed entertainment options.

Awards

Christi wants a committee to handle awards.

Ken volunteered to be on the committee.

Membership Letters

Christi sent most of the letters.

Claire's Update

Christi reported that the 2016 sustainability summit is Jan. 30, 2016. Claire will discuss the calendar of events at our November board meeting.

Reservations

Christi reserved a room at the Richmond Heights library for our November board meeting.

Barb reserved Acacia for our March and April meetings.

15th Anniversary Celebration

Barb reported on ideas from the committee.

We discussed a kick off of the celebration at the upcoming holiday party.

Tuesday, October 6 - Special Board Meeting

Present at the special board meeting held around 6:15 on Oct. 6 were Brian, Barb, Chris, Jeanette, Claire, Ken, Gary, and Christi.

We discussed the proposed budget prepared by Ken and voted unanimously to accept the budget with the exception of the budget for display materials (as we agreed to research those costs more before putting a number into the budget).

Minutes from FOEC general meeting 11/3/15 Submitted by Gary Bloom.

Christi Carlson called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00 P.M. and made several announcements:

Christi recognized Brian Gilbert for arranging the tour of the Nottingham Water Treatment Plant
Our next general meeting, on December 1, 2015, will be our annual Holiday Party
There will be no general meetings in January, 2016 and February, 2016
Christi announced that Barb Holtz, Ken Messenger-Rapport and Chris Vild are on a committee to plan events surrounding FOEC's 15-year anniversary; members of FOEC may volunteer to serve on this committee, if they wish
Claire Posius and Jeanette Evans are the primary social media contributors for FOEC
FOEC is starting a blog
The Lyndhurst Garden Club has an upcoming event
Roy Larick is looking for volunteers for his "green creek" project

Christi introduced Alex Margavicius and Margaret Jackson from the Cleveland Division of Water. Alex subsequently spoke about the Nottingham Water Treatment Plant and led the group on a tour of the facility.

September, 2015 - FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting were Ken, Gary, Christi, Barb, Jeanette, Brian, and Chris.

Meeting minutes

Jeanette read the minutes from the last meeting. Attendees approved the minutes as read.

Treasurer's report

Ken read the treasurer's report.

Post cards

Christi will provide 5 post cards to Ken. These are for the 5 thank you notes.

Greenwood Farms sponsorship

We voted to provide $150. Ken will send the check.

Press release

Christi will provide information about the scholarship press release to Gary who wil provide the press release.

Meetings at Acacia

We discussed the need for reserving Acacia for next year.

Goals

We discussed projects such as a brochure, Richmond Heights signage, and a dusty goldenrod meadow management plan.

Christi presented ideas for our holiday party.

We discussed possible activities related to the 15th anniversary of FOEC. Barb, Chris, and Ken agreed to be on a committee concerning how to celebrate the anniversary.

August 19, 2015 FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting were Chris, Ken, Christi, Jeanette, Gary, Brian, Ginny, and guest Jan Rybka.

Meeting minutes

Gary read the minutes from the last meeting and attendees voted to accept the minutes as read.

Treasurer’s report

Ken read the treasurer’s report.

Jan Rybka’s overview

Jan provided an overview on the watershed coordinator position including the history, role, and funding. She explained that the history of the watershed coordinator role starts in early 2000 and brought us up to date to today. Claire came into the role in 2008.

Jan stressed that Claire could speak at city council meetings for each city in the watershed. Jan also suggested that FOEC members could also speak at city council meetings to provide information about issues important to the watershed and to lobby elected officials.

Goals for fiscal 2015-2016

Christi said we need a group goal setting meeting. We should all come to this meeting with ideas for goals.

She is interested in presentations, and Ken is interested in property acquisition and model ordinances.

Christi noted that she feels we are not ready to apply for grants, is behind in membership letters, and is close to having her newsletter material ready to go.

We discussed what should go into the newsletter and how coverage of the fund raiser would be appropriate.

Ken noted we need five thank you notes for people who provided contributions.

Brian agreed to look into a tour for our November activity.

July 28, 2015 FOEC Board Meeting

Thank you to Gary Bloom for providing these minutes.

MINUTES FROM FOEC BOARD MEETING

(Tuesday, July 28, 2015)

Present: Christi, Gary, Brian, Barb, Claire, Chris, Ken

Minutes: Gary read the minutes from the board meeting of June 17, 2015. Ken indicated that the item regarding FOEC's profit from the fundraiser ($2679.20) at Acacia will change.

Dominion Western Reserve Land Conservancy Grant (Claire)

Claire discussed a new opportunity for FOEC (the Dominion Western Reserve Land Conservancy Grant)
The application deadline is 8/31/15
The grant will be an amount up to $5,000
Claire discussed details of the grant and possible ideas for funding
Claire suggested that we need a management plan for the Dusty Goldenrod Meadow
A general discussion about ideas for the grant ensued

Brochures for FOEC (Claire)

Claire presented two proposed designs for a new FOEC brochure

a) 8 1/2" x 11"

b) 11" x 17"

Barb suggested that FOEC consider producing a 4" x 6" information card to hand out at FOEC events
The Board decided to proceed with the 11" x 17" brochure (Claire's intern, Dalton, will work on it)

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Grant (Barb)

A discussion was held about an FOEC event (Watershed Festival) in fall, 2016, including possible locations
Barb would like to ask for the full $5,000 grant, which could be used to fund this event; if FOEC receives the grant, it would be required to match the grant amount
A discussion then ensued about whether the board members wish to do a Watershed Festival or not
Barb will write down some thoughts about a possible event and then e-mail them to all of the board members

Treasurer's Report (Ken)

FOEC owes $300.00 to the Ohio Attorney General
The board approved payment of the $300.00 to the Attorney General

Cleveland Waterfront Coalition Grant (Christy)

Christy initiated a discussion about the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition grant
Christy indicated that FOEC received a $10,000 check from the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition

General Discussion

A general discussion took place, regarding the relationship between the Watershed Council, FOEC and the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District, and about how grant funding should be divided equitably

The Year Ahead (Christy)

a. Public Events - Christy mentioned upcoming events which we can handle with our resources

1) Greenwood Farms

2) South Euclid Harvest Festival (September 12, 2015) - FOEC will make a sponsorship contribution

b. Programming

1) Christy indicated that Lynn Gerrity will lead a walk at our September general meeting on September 1, 2015

2) For our October general meeting, Christy discussed a possible hike at Wildwood

3) Barb noted that arrangements are set for the "Boat Float"

4) The bioswale cleanup at Wildwood is scheduled for September 19, 2015

5) Christy discussed other ideas for upcoming programs

c. General Discussion - a brief general discussion was held about the tentative schedule for general meetings in 2016; the board is considering 8 general meetings next year

Meeting adjourned.

June, 17, 2014 FOEC Board Meeting
(thank you to Gary Bloom for preparing these minutes)

Present: Christi, Chris, Gary, Barb

Minutes: Gary read the minutes from the board meeting of May 20, 2015

Christi asked that four items be added to the minutes from May 20^th:

1) FOEC made $2679.20 from the fundraiser at Acacia

2) Regarding the FOEC scholarship, the board discussed an increase in the amount of the scholarship, but voted to leave it at $1,000.00

3) Abby Smith, who won the scholarship, was very grateful for the financial assistance which it provided

4) Abby learned of the scholarship offer through the News-Herald, which published our press release

Treasurer's Report: Ken was unable to attend the board meeting or provide a treasurer's report; however, he indicated to Christi that nothing has changed.

Review of Last Fiscal Year:

Accomplishments - we had good attendance (90 people) at the Acacia fundraiser
Disappointments - 1) We didn't capture all of the names on the mailing list for the fundraiser 2) The high cost of catering and the facility for the fundraiser 3) There were some issues with the food at the fundraiser 4) The fundraiser didn't make enough money 5) We could have given more money, via our scholarship, to Abby Smith
Opportunities - 1) In the future, we could do a smaller, less expensive event in order to raise money for FOEC 2) In the future, we need to better manage our press releases in order to meet our deadlines for the scholarship (a discussion about reaching various media and community outlets ensued)

Events Update

A discussion was held about the Waterloo Arts Festival (subjects included volunteers, set-up for the festival, a tent for FOEC, and cards for those who stop by at our table). Christi also ordered materials for children to make fish from paper plates at the Arts Festival.

Letter to Cleveland Waterfront Coalition

Christi read a portion of Claire's letter to the Cleveland Waterfront Coalition. Christi mentioned that she had signed the letter, but that she was concerned that FOEC might be responsible for a portion of the Watershed Coordinator's salary. A discussion about this ensued.

Membership

A discussion took place regarding "membership" items, including the membership list and the question of whether those who donate money to FOEC should automatically be granted membership. It was mentioned that letters should go out to those who haven't renewed. Christi indicated that she would like to focus on matters of membership and board succession.

Next Meeting

Christi proposed that the July board meeting be scheduled for either July 21, 2015 or July 22, 2015. Once the date is settled, she will confirm this for the other board members.

Looking Ahead

Items discussed included the following:

FOEC needs to prepare an Annual Report
Application for Cuyahoga Arts & Culture grant funding - a discussion was held; Barb indicated that she will speak with Kristen in her office about helping to apply for the grant (the application for the first round is due by 6/25/15)
September general meeting - a discussion was held about this meeting; the idea of visiting the Dusty Goldenrod Meadow and, perhaps, the Hawthorne property was suggested
October general meeting - Among the ideas discussed for the October meeting, both Chris and Barb suggested having a speaker on a "birding" topic; Chris will check into this further
FOEC has signed up to participate in Eco-Fair in October
A discussion took place regarding the 2016 meeting schedule, including general meetings
Christi offered additional ideas regarding speakers and programming for 2016
It was noted that FOEC is tentatively considering a 15-year anniversary event in September, 2016

Meeting was adjourned.

May, 20, 2015, FOEC Board Meeting - draft in review

Christi asked that four items be added to the minutes from May 20^th:

1) FOEC made $2679.20 from the fundraiser at Acacia

2) Regarding the FOEC scholarship, the board discussed an increase in the amount of the scholarship, but voted to leave it at $1,000.00

3) Abby Smith, who won the scholarship, was very grateful for the financial assistance which it provided

4) Abby learned of the scholarship offer through the News-Herald, which published our press release

Present at the meeting were Barb, Christi, Ken, Claire, Gary, and Jeanette.

1. Meeting minutes

Jeanette read the minutes from the last board meeting, and the board approved the minutes.

2. Treasurer’s report

Christi stated that Rick resigned and Ken will be treasurer until June 30. We signed the Huntington Bank materials to change the treasurer from Rick to Ken. Ken read the treasurer’s report.

3. Fundraiser
Christi read Ginny’s evaluation of the fundraiser.

Christi read her own comments on the fundraiser.

4. Scholarship

Jeanette will follow up with the recipient.

5. Waterloo Arts Festival

Claire reviewed the volunteer shifts. We discussed table activities.

6. Picnic

6:30 is the start time. Barb wil bring pizza. Ken will bring drinks.

7. Elections

We looked at the slate.

8. Claire’s update

A Day in the Life started September 29, 2001, so the 15^th anniversary is next year, 2016, and Claire wants to note this.

Christi will take care of Jan’s award. Claire requested a Facebook post about the fundraiser.

June 2, 2015, FOEC General Meeting

Those present voted to approve the proposed slate. Christi Carlson presented the check to scholarship winner Abbi Smith.

The ballot is as follows:

New:
Vice President - Chris Vild (one-year term)
Treasurer - Ken Messinger-Rapport (two-year term)
Board of Directors - Brian Gilbert (two-year term)

Existing:
President - Christi Carlson (one-year term remaining)
Secretary - Jeanette Evans (one-year term remaining)
Board of Directors - Gary Bloom (one-year term remaining)
Barb Holtz (one-year term remaining)

Here is the new slate of officers:
President: Christi Carlson (one year remaining)
Vice President: Chris Vild (one year remaining)
Secretary: Jeanette Evans (one year remaining)
Treasurer: Ken Messinger Rapport (two year term)
Directors:
Gary Bloom (one year remaining)
Brian Gilbert (two year term)
Barb Holtz (one year remaining)

April 15, 2015, FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting were Christi, Ken, Ginny, Chris, Rick, and Jeanette.

Meeting minutes

Jeanette read the meeting minutes from the March meeting, and attendees approved the minutes.

Treasurer's report

Ken updated on the fundraiser. Rick noted that Paypal had a cancelled invoice from Tall Cotton Marketing. Rick will pay Minotas Trophy in person. Christi ordered soap with an ingredients list.

Attorney General report

Christi read a March 27 correspondence about abatement, and Ken updated on his ongoing efforts.

Fundraiser

Ginny updated on status. Those who will set up should arrive at 5:00.

Scholarship

Christi read an application letter that we discussed. She will place this on the agenda of our next meeting.

Events update

Waterloo Arts event activities could be

a) clean water quiz

b) water monitoring jar

c) making a fish from a plate

d) rubber fish on t-shirts (Chris Vild described this)

e) poster with location

Slate

We need a slate to support elections that should be held in the beginning of June.

March 18, 2015 FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting were Gary, Ken, Barb, Christi, Rick, Jeanette, Claire, and Ginny

Meeting minutes
Jeanette read the February board meeting minutes, and attendees approved them

Treasurer's report
Rick updated on the report, and Ken updated on the fundraiser

Claire's report
Claire discussed public events, volunteering, and the web site

Fundraiser
Ginny discussed the event budget and work responsibilities

General meeting on April 7
Christi looked at options for the meeting

Reducing the number of board meetings
We talked about reducing the number of board meetings
Ginny suggested that an executive committee be developed to handle issues that arise between board meetings

Volunteer advertising
Christi read material Claire provided

Board development
We discussed the membership list and who to call

Feb. 19, 2015, FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the virtual meeting were Gary, Rick, Jeanette, Ken, Christi, Chris, Barb, and Ginny.

Welcome

Christi welcomed everyone around 7:15

Meeting minutes

Jeanette read the meeting minutes from the January meeting

Donation of $30

We voted that if someone makes a donation of at least $30 that person becomes a member automatically

Treasurer’s report

Rick noted that he emailed the report, explained highlights, and led the discussion of paying for the PO box

Fundraiser

Ginny provided an update on pledges, money collected, money spent, names needed, and the next meeting

April meeting

Barb discussed announcements in the Emerald Necklace

We looked options for the meeting

June picnic

Barb reserved the Rear Quarry picnic area

We discussed preparation needed

Volunteers and board members

Christi reached out to Cathy Peters, Marie Graf, and Dave Pretanar

Christi talked to Gary about a write up on volunteering that could go to Dave Prenatar for the Wild Birds website and related promotion about FOEC

Board meeting

We discussed commitment options

Riparian plantings

Chris can follow up with those who get the plants to assess interest in FOEC

Meeting ideas

We talked about options for each month and how speakers could be Bruce Rinker and Claire Posius

Nominations and membership lists

Christi to send out the membership list to the board

Board members will each pick the names of 2 people for follow up and email those names to the board

Blues for Greens

Chris can provide 1 or 2 tickets for this event on Sat., Feb. 28

Meeting feedback

Several members noted that the audio and video were fine

“It’s a good way of meeting” was one comment

January 21, 2015, FOEC Board Meeting

Present at the meeting in Beachwood were Christi, Jeanette, Rick, Chris, Gary, Barb, and Ginny. Christi called the meeting to order around 7:00.

December meeting minutes

Those present approved the minutes.

Annual report

Christi and Ginny met on this. Barb will send Christi the draft.

Treasurer’s report

Rick read the report.

Christi said any one who makes a donation of $20 or more should become a member automatically.
[Note from Secretary - at the Feb. board meeting we voted to make this $30.]

Christi asked us to send $35 in memory of Mr. Hovansek.

Symposium at the Botanical Garden

We looked at options.

Fundraiser

Christi discussed the mailing lists.

Ginny provided a budget print out.

Clean Ohio Grant

Christi led the discussion.

Board development

We brainstormed ideas.

Upcoming meetings

We talked about programming including a meeting during the Day in the Life event in July and a possible dusty goldenrod meadow walk in September. Barb and Christi will discuss a possible hands on meeting.

Next board meeting

We will meet in Beachwood again on Thursday, February 19, when we will also celebrate the birthday of CV. :-)

December 17, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting Minutes

Christi called the meeting to order around 7:00. Present were Barb Holtz, Claire, Christi, Chris, Ken, Rick, Jeanette, Ginny, and Gary.

November Meeting Minutes

We approved the minutes.

Treasurer’s Report

Rick presented the report.

Highland Heights Property Name

Christi read the results of voting for the name.

Programs for Jan. to June, 2015

January meeting will start at 6:30. In February and later, meetings will start at 7:00.

Claire Posius Items

Claire reported on the web site, Sewer District grant funds, and a $50,000 restoration project grant. We want the $300 that was set aside for appraisal fees to go back to the FOEC conservation fund. Metroparks got an Ohio EPA grant for $1.9 million to support Acacia.

2015 Events

Claire led the discussion. We voted to support at $250 if there is no collaboration table at the February 7 Sustainability Summit.

Annual Report

Christi led the discussion and proposed adding more goals.

Fundraiser

Ginny reported on the idea of a reception instead of a dinner.

November 19, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting

Christi called the meeting to order around 7:00 PM. Present were Christi, Rick, Jeanette, Chris, Ken, and Ginny.

October meeting minutes

We approved the minutes.

Financial report

Rick provided the report.

These should come from the conservation fund.

- $2523 Biodiversity, Inc., Highland Heights plants

- $1725 West Creek appraisal fee

Attorney General report

Ken noted that he and Rick filed the report.

Christi should look for a notice of determination of exemption from filing from the Ohio Attorney General’s office via friendsofeuclidcreek@gmail.com.

Audit

Ken audited our statements and corrected two entries.

Our books are now balanced to the end of October, 2014.

Ken updated on the use of gnucash which is free and for nonprofits.

FOEC Computer

We discussed cleanup of the FOEC computer.

Ken plans to follow up.

Request for $500 from Claire

Concerning the mobile phone application for watershed identification, by unanimous vote we did not approve the request.

Non budgeted expenditures approval via email

Ken will send Jeanette the wording.*

We voted to revise our Accounting Policies and Procedures, section II Division of Responsibilities, number 10.

Holiday party

Ginny will create the awards.

Christi discussed mailing labels.

Judith Shega plans to help with a spreadsheet.

Bishop Road property name

Christi will call Claire on this.

Wild Apricot set up trial

Christi discussed pros and cons.

Ken will work on a privacy policy stating that we do not give out emails.

Green Gala in February

We will review this again.

Annual report

Barb Holtz created a draft that Christi circulated to the board.

Christi will place this on the agenda for next month.

General meeting start time

We voted to change the start time to 7:00 if possible.
Christi will confirm with Barb Holtz.

Newsletter

Christi has a President’s statement.

Scholarship

Jeanette will update the web site to show that a previous recipient should not apply and is not eligible.

Fundraiser

Christi asked board members to provide lists of who to invite.

Ginny led the discussion of possible cosponsors.

Chris mentioned possible organizations for outreach.

Jeanette will ask Fran Hogg for a list of Highland Heights companies.

(Note to board members: Fran could not provide Jeanette with a list but Jeanette found a list at

http://business.mayfieldareachamber.org/list/ql/business-professional-services-5)

*Here is the language for the financial policy revision as provided by Ken to Jeanette via email.

"The Board of Directors may authorize the Treasurer by email, to make an unbudgeted expenditure of $500.00 or less by a unanimous vote of a quorum of the Board. "

October 15, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting

Christi called the meeting to order around 7:00 PM. Present were Fran Hogg, Rick, Chris, Christi, Gary, Ginny, Jeanette, and Ken.

Minutes

We approved the September meeting minutes

Holiday party

Fran led the discuss on planning for the event

Food, price, and location will be the same as last year

Awards

We looked at awards from the past and possible nominees

General meetings

We voted to move general meetings to Acacia starting January, 2015, when the speaker is Jeremiah Swetel, Compliance Manager for the City of Euclid Wastewater Treatment Plant

Board meetings

We looked at options for where we could meet

November meeting

We discussed setup at Beechwood with Chris

Fundraiser

Ginny provided an update

Budget

Ken went line by line through the budget

We approved the budget

We discussed a $2523 invoice for plants with $2000 provided by the city of Highland Heights and $150 from contributions

Financial procedures

We discussed financial procedure options

Scholarship

Christi to put this on the agenda for the next board meeting

Gary to provide a press release

Forest Summit

Chris plans to attend

September 17, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting

Christi called the meeting to order around 7 PM. Attending were Claire, Christi, Barb, Ken, Chris, Ginny, Rick, Jeanette, and Gary.

A. Minutes from the last board meeting were approved with these changes.

Add to C
$150 is due for the past three years of filing fees.
Potentially, we have $600 in late fee assessments, which we are working to have waived.

Change to G
Jack Shaner will discuss environmental issues before the state government.

Change to J

Chris Ronayne, Executive Director of University Circle, Inc., will be the featured speaker.

B. Claire’s Items

a. Bishop Road Highland Heights Property

Claire noted that Highland Heights is providing $2000 of the $3000 needed for plants, and we agreed to provide the remaining $1000.

Claire plans a letter to adjacent owners.

Christi will write a thank you letter to Highland Heights.

FOEC will provide pizza.

b. Conference call with Derek Schafer

Christi called Derek to discuss the $1500 fee.

Ken requested paper work from Claire.

c. Upcoming Events

We discussed the bioswale and A Day in the Life of Euclid Creek events.

d. Operating Support Grant (2014-2015)

Claire went page by page through the grant proposal document.

We are to review the document and provide comments.

Ken and Rick should work with Claire on the attachment document.

e. Goals for 2014-2015

Claire discussed this during review of the grant proposal document.

f. Logos

Claire has high resolution files.

g. Other watershed groups

We discussed the report Claire provided.

C. Attorney General Filings

Ken reported that the filing was accepted.

We paid $150 for the filing fee.

We are looking to apply for an abatement of the late fees.

D. Audit

Ken reported that he is conducting an audit.

E. October Meeting

Frank Greenland of the Sewer District will discuss water quality issues.

E. Jack Shaner Presentation on 11/3/2014

a. Venue and Time

Beachwood Community Center, 6 to 8:30

b. Marketing

League of Women Voters – Ginny to follow up

HHGTF, Sierra Club – Jeanette to follow up

August 20, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting

Christi called the meeting to order around 7:00 PM. Present were Gary, Christi, Ginny, Rick, Chris, Ken, and Jeanette.

A. Read minutes from July 16, 2014 meeting and approved. Jeanette will include Christi in emails with future meeting minutes.

B. Treasurer’s Report

Rick provided the report.

C. Ohio Attorney General Filing

Ken and Rick will follow up to complete the forms.
Ken updated on clarifications due to his conversations with the office.
A $150 filing fee is due for the past three years of filing fees.
Potentially, we have $600 in late fee assessments, which we are working to have waived.

D. Conflict of interest declaration

We gave signed forms to Jeanette who will hold the forms.

E. Section II of Financial Procedures

We agreed to increase #5 to $200 and #10 to $250.
We agreed to give Christi $60 for logo work.

F. Membership

Lise Moulton is a new member helping Christi with membership work. |

Carolyn called 50 people who have no email.

Christi updated on member list and use of Mail Chimp.
Lise will sign people in at the September meeting.

Christi plans to bring refreshments at the September meeting.

G. Special LectureJack Shaner will discuss environmental issues before the state government.
This will be on Monday, November 3.

H. September EventsMarian Swirski and Christi will write a press release for the Sept. meeting.

Christi signed us up for the South Euclid Harvest Fest on September 6.

Greenwood Farm is September 20.
We agreed to the $250 Bronze level of support for Greenwood Farm event.

I. Claire’s issues

For the Bishop Road property, Christi will follow up on a explanation for the $1500 appraisal.

September 20 is a bioswale cleanup event.

Highland Heights Green Task force is looking for Boat Float volunteers.

J. Fundraiser

Ginny led the discussion of ideas for a possible spring event.
Chris Ronayne, Executive Director of University Circle, Inc., will be the featured speaker.

July 16, 2014 - FOEC Board meeting

Christi called to meeting to order around 7:00. Present were Barb Holtz, Christi Carlson, Gary Bloom, Rick Evans, Chris Vild, Claire Posius, Jeanette Evans, and Ken Rapport.

A. Read minutes from June 24 board meeting, which the board voted to approve

B.Reviewed Ohio Attorney General Annual Report Request
Rick and Ken to follow up

C. Discussed Membership Update

D. For the Highland Heights Task Force voted to approve $40 expenditure for Joint Meeting in August

E. Discussed completing Conflict of Interest Policy
The board needs to get the latest draft

F. Concerning Brian Gilbert’s project, we discussed if we need toformalize the dissolution of contract

G. Discussed Claire’s items

David Linchek - With great sadness Claire reported on the passing of this founder of West Creek

Newsletter - Claire discussed two newsletters with a third being an annual report

Watershed Council - We discussed options for meetings

Clean Ohio - Closing on the Bishop Road property may be on July 17.
Christi will follow up on someone to mow.
Ken and Rick to follow up on the appraisal fee.
Claire mentioned $225 in legal fees and $500 in appraisal fees.
Chris will follow up on someone to mow.
Christi will contact Jane Goodman on the plant restoration options for the October 11 planting.

Gund Grant - Claire reported on watershed group collaboration

H. Discussed goals

a. Membership
We looked at options

b. Marketing
We discussed River Network and BVU

c. Special lecture program - We would like Ginny Aveni to proceed

d. FOEC Fundraiser
We would like Ginny Aveni to be Chairperson for a fundraiser
We discussed appointing Ginny to have a spot on the board
Christi will contact Frank Skala concerning a Highland Heights fundraiser event

July 1, 2014 - General meeting notes

Christi called the meeting to order. She is working on an email newsletter. She is sending out membership letters.

Greenwood Farms meeting is the August meeting. September meeting includes an arborist. October 11 is a Bishop Road planting event.

Speakers included the following.

Mary K. Evans talked about water testing and is taking pictures.

Frank Skala presented about the Cleveland Hiking Club.

Brian Gilbert showed some data and pictures from the Euclid Creek smartphone ap.

Ken M. Rapport provided a legislation update on some of the environmental laws and rolling back what Gov. Strickland put into place.

These were provided by Rick Evans.

June 24, 2014 - Board Meeting Notes

Barb called the meeting to order around 7:00 PM. Present were Ken, Barb, Christi, Chris, Gary, Rick, and Jeanette who read the notes from the last board meeting. The group voted to approve the notes.

Conflict of interest

Ken led the discussion that included archiving. The group voted to accept the policy and disclosure draft that Ken provided.

Financial procedures

Ken led the discussion that included talking about budgets and audits. We voted to accept the procedures with corrections discussed.

Claire’s requests

· Euclid Beach Blast- Christi to follow up on attendance
· Lake Erie Boat Float – Barb to follow up with Judy
· Harvest Festival – Christi to follow up on attendance
· Beach/Bioswale Cleanup on Sept. 20 - Claire and Metroparks to handle
· Greenwood Farm event on Sept. 20 – Christi to follow up with Dave Roach and dollar amounts. We discussed increasing our contribution.
· Earth Fest – Rick will look for sign up sheets to give Claire
· Entrovation/Green Dream – Rick will look for sign up sheets to give Claire

Possible space and meeting locations

We discussed possible future options at Greenwood Farm and Acacia.

Claire’s updates

· Burning River Fest (July 25-26) – Three tables will cover nine watershed groups for a unified voice.
· Lake Erie Protection Fund – Claire received the grant for $13,000. Christi and Chris have an interest in participating. Barb will update Claire.

Membership

Jeanette will follow up with a thank you to new member as discussed.

Upcoming meetings

· July – member talks
· Aug. – Greenwood Farm
· Sept. – Arborist talk
· October – Sewer meeting
· Nov. – Open
· Dec. - Holiday party

Annual report

Barb provided an update.

Scholarship

The group voted to award the $1000 to Anne Roberto with a check dated in June. We agreed to start another scholarship call starting in September with an award in May/June. Jeanette will invite Anne to attend our meetings and holiday party.

[Note to board members
Jeanette is to propose the following tentative timetable based on the discussions
December/January - send out call

Feb./March - accept applications

April/May - choose a winner ]

June 24, 2014 - Board Meeting Notes from Claire Posius (to Barb Holtz, FOEC President)

Hi Barb,

Sorry I can’t be at the meeting tonight and for the late email, but can you bring up the items in the email below in red text with the board. These are outstanding items that I’m looking for answers on regarding upcoming events.

Other updates include:

I wanted to let you know that for Burning River Fest we’re doing a combined ‘Greater Cleveland Watersheds’ table. We’ll have 3 tables to display all of the 9 watershed groups’ key information including Euclid Creek. So far volunteers from West Creek, Rocky River, Doan Brook and Tinkers have signed up for shifts over the 2 days – and everyone is OKAY not having Euclid Creek representatives volunteer this year. The idea is that next year we/I can take one or more shifts on behalf of all of the watershed groups to save our volunteer forces time overallJ I think we’ll use this approach for big, regional events (e.g. Earth Day at County Fairgrounds, etc.) moving forward so as to share the burden of volunteer time and so as to portray a better unified voice for all of our watershed groups. We are going to have a big banner made that says ‘Greater Cleveland Watersheds’ or something to that extent – then we’ll have a Countywide map of all of the watersheds that people can put a dot on locating in which watershed they live. Then whomever is staffing the booth can refer people to their watershed group’s information at the table.

Lastly, I found out last week that I received the Ohio Lake Erie Commission Lake Erie Protection Fund grant for the Euclid Creek Riparian Tree and Shrub planting program. It’s a ~$13,000 grant and will start in August for a 1 year grant term. The idea is to publicize the program this fall, get people signed up this winter, then we’ll have a Spring event where people can come pick up their trees and attend a quick demonstration on proper planting techniques, etc. I will definitely want FOEC guidance on the program (reviewing brochures, etc.) and help with the actual tree/shrub pickup day(s) in the spring. So let me know if anyone in particular wants to be included in that process. Very exciting!!

Thanks so much,

Claire

June 2014 - General Meeting Notes

These notes are currently in review.

At our June general meeting attendees voted to approve this slate.

President - Christi Carlson
Vice President - Ken Messinger-Rapport
Treasurer - Rick Evans*
Secretary - Jeanette Evans
Directors: Barb Holtz, Chris Vild*, Gary Bloom

*Rick Evans and Chris Vild are to complete the second year of a two-year term. The rest of the slate will begin a two-year term.

May 21, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Christi Carlson called the meeting to order at 7:08. Present at the meeting were Ken Rapport, Christi Carlson, Rick Evans, Chris Vild, Gary Bloom, Claire Posius, and Jeanette Evans who read the meeting notes from the April 16 meeting. We then covered these topics.

1. Claire's report

Claire discussed
. Clean Ohio grant
. Lake Erie Protection Fund
. Waterloo Arts Festival
. Wildwood restoration project
. picnic - she will attend
. June board meeting - she cannot attend

2. Board elections

Christi led the discussion noting that stepping down from the board are Judy Dearden, Lou Drasler, Bill McReynolds, Steve Albro, and Steve Love. We discussed a slate with Christi as President, Ken as Vice President, Jeanette as Secretary (unless we can find someone else), and Rick continuing as Treasurer.

3. Picnic

Ken will order pizza and bring drinks.

4. Scholarships

Ken noted that the Finance Committee approved a $1000 scholarship. By unanimous vote we approved this.

5. Accounting procedures

Ken said the Finance Committee discussed the procedures. He will circulate via email for review.

6. Give Camp

We discussed options for Give Camp.

7. Business cards

Chris would like some business cards so Claire will give Chris some cards.

April 16, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the April 16 meeting at the South Euclid Library were Rick Evans, Gary Bloom, Christi Carlson, Ken Rapport, Jeanette Evans, Barb Holtz, Chris Vild, and Stephen Love. Barb called the meeting to order around 7:00 PM. We discussed the following.

1. Minutes

We agreed that at the next meeting we would begin with meeting minutes

2. Marsala

Barb provided an update

3. Training materials from River Network

Stephen reported on the training event held in mid March

4. Liability insurance

Ken led the discussion of options

5. Conflict of interest/financial procedures

The finance committee should handle these

6. Board succession

We discussed possible nominations

7. Committee development

We looked at options

8. Next meeting

Nominations, Give Gamp, scholarships, grants  

March 19, 2014 - FOEC Board Meeting Notes

FOEC Board Meeting Notes – March 19, 2014

Present at the meeting held at the S. Euclid Library were Claire Posius, Christi Carlson, Chris Vild, Steve Albro, Barb Holtz, Gary Bloom, Judy Dearden, Jeanette Evans, Rick Evans, and Ken Rapport. Barb called the meeting to order around 7:00PM. We discussed the following.

1. Board member conflict of interest policy

Ken led the discussion about conflict of interest drafts he distributed at the meeting.We agreed to accept the Independent Sector draft with a questionnaire that Ken will provide.

2. Accounting policies and procedures

Ken distributed a draft that we discussed. We are to read the draft and come to the next meeting prepared to discuss.

3. Board member attendance policy

Barb will draft this.

4. Finance committee update

We discussed when the committee last met, the Cleveland Foundation, and Earthshare. Christi led the discussion on Earthshare and will follow up.

5. Non discrimination policy*

We agreed by unanimous vote to accept the non discrimination policy that Claire read at the meeting.

6. Marcella property

Barb noted that she got a call from Bill McFadden. Claire will follow up.

7. Giveaways

Christi led the discussion concerning soap as a giveaway. We discussed ingredients, liability, and a possible disclaimer.

8. Claire’s update

Claire discussed what Ginny needs for a display for Earth Day, passed around a calling card mockup, distributed a water monitoring report, and showed the group a table top display.

9. Letter of support

Barb noted that she signed a letter of support from FOEC to Metroparks to support a grant proposal.

*Amendment as of March 21, 2014
Per follow-up emails, this is the text we agreed to.

FOEC prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any person because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status (special disabled veterans, disabled veterans and Vietnam-era veterans), or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. All individuals who are responsible for the development and implementation of programs or activities are charged to support this effort and to respond promptly and appropriately to any concerns that are brought to their attention.

April 2, 2014 - FOEC Meeting Notes

Thank you to Judy Dearden for providing these meeting notes.

Barb gave an update on Board of Directors meeting

Added conflict of interest statement to get grants

Finance committee looking at growing funds

June picnic and meeting

Meetings at community center or Acacia – Barb to check into this

Marsala property could be a staging area

Meiring survey

May 31 – North Chagrin native plant sale

Next meeting at Redstone Run with hike if weather permits

Claire handed out fliers

Lots of native plant sales around

Gave an update on events coming

Green cleaning workshop on May 28

Claire presented on EC watershed action plan

She talked about coordinators helping each other

Presented on action plan inventory – problems and solutions

Urban runoff is one of the biggest problems

Sanitary overflows lead to other problems

Feb. 19, 2014 FOEC Board Meeting Notes

In attendance at the Feb. 19 meeting held at the South Euclid Library were Claire Posius, Steve Albro, Christi Carlson, Steve Love, Jeanette Evans, Rick Evans, Barb Holtz, Judy Dearden, Chris Vild, and guest Terri Eason (Cleveland Foundation). Barb led the discussion on the following topics.

1. Land parcel priorities

· South Euclid Lyndhurst Library, South Euclid, pursue easement on property

· Cleveland Clinic, Lyndhurst, pursue easement on property - and collaboration on potential storm water management best practices on site

· Greenwood Farms, Richmond Heights, pursue easement on property

· Mayfair Lake, Richmond Heights, restoration opportunity (easement not necessary because airport will not develop in areas beyond runways)

· Mayfield Golf Course, Lyndhurst, work with management on potential storm water best management practices on site

· Other opportunities

2. Marcella property

Claire discussed options for the property.

3. Board training session

Steve Love might attend on March 15 at Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve.

4. Cleveland Foundation presentation

Terri Eason (Director of Gift Planning, Cleveland Foundation) spoke about services provided by the Cleveland Foundation for non-profit organizations.

5. Asian carp letter

Clair will send a sample to Barb.

6. Cleveland Lakefront Conservancy Grant

Claire discussed options for this grant.

7. Ohio EPA Public Hearing

Please see Claire’s notes following on the March 6 events.

Cleveland Metroparks Lakefront Reservation Public Open House

Thur., March 6, Collinwood Recreation Center, 4:30-6:00pm

This open house will allow people to visit six different topical tables (natural resources, general information, programming, etc.) staffed by subject matter experts.

If you cannot make this meeting date and time, there is another duplicate meeting on Tue., March 4 at the same time at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 6928 Detroit Ave.

Ohio EPA Public Hearing on Cuyahoga Dredge Disposal Proposal in Lake Erie

Thur., March 6, Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1962 Stokes Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106), 4:30-6:00pm

Ohio EPA is hosting a public hearing to discuss the Army Corps proposal to dispose of 180,000 cubic yards of dredge sediment from the Cuyahoga River navigation channel to a new open lake disposal area.

Currently this sediment is being disposed of in Confined Disposal Facilities.

8. Earthshare

We discussed contacting the organization and filling out the application form.
Christi will follow up.

9. May 2/ Green Dream/ Entrovation

We discussed getting the logo from Jane Goodman, a banner printed (Cleveland Public Library), a new brochure, and t-shirts for events.

Feb. 10, 2014, FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the Feb. 10 meeting at the South Euclid Library were Christi Carlson, Chris Vild, Barb Holtz, Steve Love, Rick Evans, Ken Rapport, Gary Bloom, Jeanette Evans, and Claire Posius. Barb Holtz led the discussion.

1. Easement possibilities

We discussed various properties, for example, South Euclid Library and Cleveland Clinic property.

2. Map reviews

Barb marked maps per our discussion to identify opportunities. Steve brought a land bank map that we reviewed. Claire will take the marked maps and compile a list to give us.

3. Earth Day Coalition

Claire is to ask Jared to share a table.

Here is an addition to these notes.

Hi Jeanette,

Here are my notes from our meeting Tuesday night – please note that it’s a draft in any public notes and might not be complete as I don’t have time today to go through the maps to detail every opportunity we discussed:

1) South Euclid Lyndhurst library, South Euclid – pursue easement on property

2) Cleveland Clinic, Lyndhurst - pursue easement on property – and collaboration on potential storm water best management practices on site

3) Greenwood Farm, Richmond Heights – pursue easement on property

4) Mayfair Lake, Richmond Heights – restoration opportunity (easement not necessary b/c airport won’t develop in areas just beyond runways)

5) Mayfield Golf Course, Lyndhurst – work with management on potential storm water best management practices on site

Other opportunities were identified on the map that need further investigation, but these are the largest, highest priority sites due to land acreage and ecologically sensitive riparian habitat.

Thanks!

Claire

_______________________________________________

Claire Posius

Euclid Creek Watershed Coordinator

Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District

6100 West Canal Road

Valley View, Ohio 44125

cposius@cuyahogaswcd.org

Ph: 216.524.6580 x16

Fx: 216.524.6584

January 15, 2014 FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Please let me know your corrections.

Present at the Jan. 15 meeting that took place at the South Euclid library were Christi Carlson, Barb Holtz, Connie Herron, Chris Vild, Ginny Aveni, Ken Rapport, Judy Dearden, Rick Evans, Jeanette Evans, Gary Bloom, Steve Love, and Fran Hogg. 

Barb called the meeting to order around 7PM. We discussed the following.

Cleveland Foundation
The speaker will come to the next board meeting.

Event list
We discussed Claire’s list for 2014.

Marsalla property
Claire wants to continue discussing this property.

Coordinator
Rocky River got $10,000 for their coordinator. We are to be proactive in helping Claire with her position in 2015.

Tree planting
We discussed possibilities per Claire’s request.

Clean Ohio grant
Claire submitted the grant. Barb to let Claire know about FOEC desire to be part of the presentation.

Programming
Fran discussed the following.

Feb. - Metroparks Acacia

March - Reschedule of January speaker

April - Claire to speak on the Watershed Action Plan

May - Arborist presentation

June - Picnic and elections

July - Members talks

August - Joint meeting with Highland Heights Green Task Force 

OEC membership
We agree to getting membership. Rick will follow up.

Rules for being on the board
We discussed that board members must attend at least 9 meetings a year.

Envelopes
Ginny and Rick discussed the need for more envelopes.

Goals for 2014
Barb led the discussion with three goals being an elevator speech, membership, and land conservation priority evaluation.

Future meeting locations
Judy will look into a Highland Heights location. Chris will look into a Beachwood location.

December 18, 2013 FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the December 18 meeting at the United Church of Christ were Barb Holtz, Chris Vild, Lou Drasler, Bill McReynolds, Claire Posius, Gary Bloom, Steven Love, Christi Carlson, Ken Rapport, Rick Evans, Jeanette Evans, Steve Albro, and Ginny Aveni. Barb called the meeting to order. We discussed the following.

Calendar

Claire discussed her handout listing events for 2014. We expressed interest in the following events as well as events such as rain barrel workshops and plant pulls.

Sustainability Symposium at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens - Feb.
Entrovation - Beachwood - May
Rockwell Automation - May
Waterloo Arts Festival - June
Euclid Beach Blast - Aug.
Lake Erie Boat Float - Sept.
Greenwood Farms Home Days - Sept.

Facebook

Steve Love said he could set up a form on Facebook about FOEC meetings.

Earthshare Ohio

Claire provided information about the organization and our joining.

Cleveland Foundation

Steve Love said he would look into getting a presenter from this group to speak to our board.

Good Search

Barb noted that we could get donations if we use this search engine.

California Pizza Kitchen

Rick said he would follow up on getting payment of around $135 from our event there.

Clean Ohio Grant

Claire brought this up for discussion. Rick updated on the invoice for Richmond Run.

Rules for being on the board

We discussed the following possible requirements.

- Must come to at least 9 steering committee meetings a year

- Must agree to recuse due to conflict of interest with us agreeing to draft guidelines on this

- Must have an email address

We discussed the need for financial procedures and conflict of interest guidelines.

Goals and strategic planning

Barb agreed to review goals and report back to our group on what we did and did not achieve.

November 20, 2013, FOEC Board Meeting Notes

Present at the November 20 meeting at the South Euclid Library were Jeanette Evans, Gary Bloom, Christi Carlson, Claire Posius, Stephen Love, Barb Holtz, Chris Vild, Lou Drasler, Judy Dearden, Rick Evans, Ken Rapport, and Frank Skala. Barb called the meeting to order around 7PM, and we covered the following topics.

Welcome

We welcomed new board members Chris Vild and Stephen Love.

Treasurer's Report

Rick presented the report and proposed budget. By majority vote we accepted the proposed budget.

Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District Update

Claire disucssed the NEORSD operating support grant and Clean Ohio grant for the Highland Heights/Bishop Road property.

Scholarship

We discussed using the money for field trips if we do not award a scholarship.

Holiday Party

Barb provided an update.

Greenwood Farm

We discussed a possible FOEC office at the site.

2014 Planning

We discussed the OEF grant, board duties, possible 2014 events, speaker's bureau, and other 2014 planning.

December 18 Board Meeting

We should come prepared to discuss future plans at this meeting.

Euclid Beach Adopt-A-Beach Team Organizational Profile

Steve provided us with a handout for us to review and be prepared to discuss at a future meeting.

November General Meeting

Barb Holtz called the November 5, 2013, meeting at the South Euclid Committee Center to order around 6:30 and covered these topics.

Redstone Run - Barb reported this was a successful party and planting event. Rick Evans covered how much money we raised.

Steven Love at FOEC board meeting - Barb reported that he would like to look at his Adopt-a-Beach (Euclid Beach) group working closely with our group.

Committee work - Barb noted this is an ongoing effort.

Holiday party - Fran Hogg provided an update. There should be door prizes but no raffle. She plans to send out invitations in the coming days.

California Pizza Kitchen - Fran Hogg will provide an update on money raised.

Claire Posius' report - Claire listed current activities and projects and covered end of year issues and planning for next year concerning Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD) work. She updated on the website and newsletter and asked for feedback about favorite activities in the watershed.

Voting on changes to FOEC bylaws - Barb explained about what was sent out and also provided a handout. She asked for questions, a motion, discussion, and a vote. All present voted in favor of accepting.

Voting on board members - Ginny Aveni headed up the nominating committee. Fran Hogg, Frank Skala, and Carolyn Suguichi are going off the board. We applauded their contribution. Steve Love and Chris Vild (a certified arborist) agreed to serve if voted in. We still have one opening. Barb asked for a motion to accept Steve and Chris as new board members, discussion, and a vote. All present voted in favor of accepting Steve and Chris as two new board members. Retroactive to July 1 is when their term would start. June 30, 2015, is when their terms would end. At the end of June, Ken Rapport resigned, and Rick Evans was elected by the board to fill in as treasurer. The board elected Ken to take Rick's board position. Barb asked for a motion, discussion, and vote. We voted in favor of Rick Evans as treasurer and Ken Rapport as board member by unanimous vote. This is also retroactive to July 1.

The speaker from the sewer district could not attend, and Barb filled in for the speaker with a presentation on natural habitats.

Notes from the Oct. 23 FOEC Board meeting

In attendance at the Oct. 23 meeting were Steve Love, Judy Dearden, Christi Carlson, Rick Evans, Carolyn Suguichi, Barb Holtz, Ken Rapport, Lou Drasler, and Jeanette Evans. Barb called the meeting to order, and we discussed the folloiwng.

1. Steve Love - guest

Steve discussed his background with the Cuyahoga Land Bank and Adopt a Beach/Beach Blast. We discussed working with him in the future with his list of volunteers and contacts.

2. Elections/nominating committee

We discussed who could be on the upcoming slate. Here are the officers.

Barb H. - President - not running (mid term)

Christi C - Vice President - not running (mid term)

Jeanette E. - Secretary - not running (mid term)

Rick E - Treasurer - running

Here are directors not running as they are mid term.

Lou D. (not running) - mid term

Ken M. (serving out the term vacated by Rick Evans) - mid term

Judy D. (not running) - mid term

3. Redstone Run property/NEORSD grant renewal for Claire

We discussed that Rick received the NEORSD material. We discussed that we must make two payments for tax on Redstone Run. One is in January for $3500. The other is inJuly for $3500. We also discussed maintenance of $8000 over 10 years.

4. Holiday party

Fran will do the party and invitations. She will work with Barb Pophol and Barb Holtz.

5. Awards

We discussed awards and who could be considered.

6. Strategic plans for 2014

Paco Ollervides of the River Network plans to speak at our November steering committee meeting.

After meeting note from Claire Posius
Hi all,

Just as an FYI – the $8,000 is the one time stewardship fee for the SWCD Conservation Easement and pays in perpetuity for our staff to go out annually to monitor the easement boundaries and correspond with any property owners encroaching on the easement. It also pays for legal challenges if anything gets out of control with a property owner. Just to clarifyJ

Thanks!

Claire

Minutes of the October 1 2013 general meeting

President Barb Holtz called the meeting at Metroparks Acacia Country Club to order around 6:30. Twenty-four people attended. Barb described the November meeting coming up. Ginny Aveni discussed the October 4 Redstone Run fundraiser. Claire Posius describe the October 5 cleanup event at Redstone Run and other events of interest. Barb led the group in a walk through the Acacia property.

Minutes of the September 17 FOEC Board meeting

These are currently in review.

In attendance at the Tuesday, Sept. 17, meeting were Christi Carlson, Gary Bloom, Barb Holtz, Connie Herron, Jeanette Evans, Judy Dearden, Fran Hogg, Ginny Aveni, Ken M. Rapport, Rick Evans, and Carolyn Sugiuchi. Barb called the meeting, to order and we discussed the following.

Outcome of August meeting

Christi led the discussion of who volunteered at the August meeting.

By laws

Ken led the discussion concerning the draft. We agreed that elections in the future will be in June and terms will start July 1. Our next election will be in November for a term that starts retroactively July 1, 2013 (Carolyn, Fran, Ken/Treasurer have terms that expire ). We voted unanimously to present at our general November meeting the draft with changes discussed.

Nominating committee

Ginny provided a report of her progress and possible new committee members.

Redstone Run party

Ginny led the discussion that included requests for volunteers and signage.

Greenwood Farms Family Day

Frank and Christi volunteered to be at our table.

Date for strategic planning

We discussed possible dates in November.

October Board meeting

We discussed October 23 as the date for the meeting.

California Pizza Kitchen

Fran led the discussion where we agreed that Wed., October 30, would be the date.

October meeting

The Acadia walk on October 1 will start at 6:30.

Minutes of September 3 FOEC meeting

Thank you to Frank Skala for providing these meeting minutes.

Christi Carlson filled in for Barb Holtz and opened meeting at 6:30. Nametags were used by all attendees. Attendance was 22 people.

Claire Posius opened up with updates on the new and improved website, coming soon maybe by end of year. Website will be very complete and easy to use, containing projects partner links, events, pictures, etc. The domain name is Euclid Creek watershed.org. The new newsletter, Euclid Creek watershed update, for summer 2013 was assembled early and distributed at the meeting. There are many upcoming meetings and events listed between September 7 and October 24. See the newsletter. Fliers for the Redstone Run fundraiser on October 4 went out to 200 people. There will be a bio blitz at Acacia reservation. People must register at the Cleveland Metroparks website in order to be a citizen scientist volunteer that day. September 21 is the big day at Wildwood with the restoration celebration, annual CSWCD meeting, many activities.

Rick Evans reported as FOEC Treasurer on the conservation fund. There has been $9000 raised to date. Checking account for FOEC has been moved from PNC to Huntington.

Christi Carlson covered board and committee structure, passed out outlines of needed committee functions and needed volunteers for these roles. She stated we need many more hands on deck to take on operation rolls for FOEC to function well.

The committees needing to be staffed are board development, communication, finance and development, programs, membership, volunteers, special projects. Sheets were circulated for people to sign up.

Bill McReynolds spoke on the status of the Euclid Creek tunnel. They were lifting out the massive tunneling machine this week. The main tunnel is complete. There are still connector side tunnels to be completed. He also spoke on the topic of synthetic polyethylene materials for lining ponds and landfills. He passed out sample materials of liners and examples of liner weldings.

Rick Evans gave an update on LED lighting versus other forms of lighting, namely incandescent lights. The pros of LED lighting are low environmental impact. Cost has dropped 50% in last year. Doesn't produce much heat. Can last 60,000 hours if installation and operated properly. The cons are: some LEDs fail, especially in early life. More complex than incandescent. Don't work well with dimmers. Non-name brands are unlikely to be well tested.

Cathi Lehn spoke on LEAP, Lake Erie Allegheny partnership and wildlife conflict committee. The mission of LEAP is to preserve diversity. She also spoke on the issues of feral cats and domestic cats that are released outdoors. These cats kill billions of birds, plus reptiles, mice, etc. and impact biodiversity negatively. The life of a feral cat may be three years whereas a domestic cat kept indoors may live 19 to 22 years. She referred to the EUCLID beach Feral cat Study.

Brian Gilbert spoke on his plant identification smart phone application. He has identified 530 plants so far in Euclid Creek reservation. he passed out a prototype field guide of his smart phone app. He supplied a draft of his business card to Christy for review. Brian has entered into an agreement with FOEC for purpose of taking in fundraising money and contributions and being able to provide tax deduction status to these funds. He stated that the Green Info company, software developers, are saying the application is ready to code, But it will require $6000-$9000. These are the same developers that helped Metroparks to put together a new trail mapping system. He stated that he could use help in getting letters of support, identifying plants – people can come help him identify plants any day between 9 AM and 10 AM in Euclid Creek reservation. Find him in the park by looking for his Smart car. He can also use help by people telling him newsletters that he can post his announcements and requests for help. He appreciates any contributions, even the smallest, even one dollar helps build the list of contributors. He mentioned that Cleveland Metroparks is assembling a herbarium, to identify and display plant specimens, to help residents identify plants.

Connie Herron spoke on the Redstone run property acquisition. She spoke of the 8.8 acres in Richmond heights near Highland Road and Hillcrest was about to be cleared of trees and put up for sale to developers. She enlisted key people, took pictures, researched lots on Zillow, got pro bono survey of trees and build helped build campaign to get Grant to acquire property and put it into conservation. There were 125 salable trees that were targeted for calling. She thanks all that helped! The slideshow didn't play, but will be running continuously at the October 4 fundraiser event.

Ginny Aveni, in charge of the nominations committee, spoke to her search for people for the FOEC board. These people would be expected to come to most board meetings, help guide things they want done, make decisions, make some financial contributions. The clean Ohio fund will have $3.4 million of new money coming up for grant distribution next year. There are three board positions open. If Ginny does not have any volunteers coming forward, and nobody did at the meeting, she will be making calls directly to members to develop the nomination list.

JULY 2 MEETING NOTES

Here are some notes about our July meeting held at the South Euclid Community Center. Christi Carlson called the meeting to order and introduced guest Kenny Yuko who spoke of his strong support for the work of FOEC and how he is running for Ohio Senate. Christi then covered the following business issues before showing Greenfire about Aldo Leopold.

1. Over 2/3 of those present voted yes on changing the annual election of the Board from July to November for this year only. Note that by-laws changes will be presented later this year that may make a November election date permanent. However, by-laws changes deserve careful thought and consideration. For this reason, the Board is asking now for permission to change the election date for 2013 only.

2. Those who volunteered to serve on the by-laws revision committee include Larry McFadden, Ginny Aveni, Rick Evans, Ken M. Rapport, and Jeanette Evans.

3. Barb Pophol volunteered to work on membership fee reminders and could join the membership subcommittee.

Dates we discussed include deadline of Sept. 4 for Board to agree on the nominating committee names while October 22 is deadline to get notice of the slate to the members. Nov. 5 or before is when member voting should be on the new slate.

AUGUST 6 STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Here are notes that we are currently reviewing

Claire Posius called the meeting at the South Euclid Community Center to order around 6:30. Present were Claire Posius, Ginny Aveni, Judy Dearden, Brian Gilbert, Meiring Borcherds, Mary K. Evans, Frank Skala, Connie Herron, Ken M. Rapport, Jeanette Evans, Rick Evans, Barb Holtz, Christi Carlson, and Gary Bloom. We discussed the following topics.

Redstone Run property

- Possible dates of October 4 for the wine and cheese fund raiser and October 5 for the planting event were discussed

- For the wine and cheese fund raiser, the cost would be $35 per person. For those donating at least $150, the cost would be free. 250 invitations is the estimate.

- For the planting event, we discussed items needed per Derek Schaefer's list.

Website redesign

We reviewed Google Analytics reports and mockups of the new site.

Newsletter

Claire proposed a single newsletter.

JULY 17 STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Present at the July 17, 2013, meeting held at the South Euclid Library were Steve Albro, Carolyn Suguichi, Christi Carlson, Barb Holtz, Ginny Aveni, Ken M. Rapport, Frank Skala, Jeanette Evans, Rick Evans, and Gary Bloom. Barb called the meeting to order and led the discussion on the following.

Wild Plant ID

We got a majority vote to enter into the contract.

By Laws

Larry, Carolyn, and Ken will be on the committee. We will go to the membership to get more people on the committee. Meetings should start in early September.

Elections and nominations

Ginny will head this up. We need a committee by September 5.

RH property

We discussed items needed and bills.

Membership

At the last general meeting, Barb Pophol volunteered to help with membership. Frank plans to follow up with Barb and discussed ideas related to membership.

Minutes

Barb asked Jeanette to email minutes to the board.

Banking

We discussed moving from PNC to Huntington.

AUGUST 21 STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING NOTES

Present at the August 21 steering committee meeting taking place at the South Euclid Librarywas Christi Carlson, Ginny Aveni, Connie Herron, Jeanette Evans, Rick Evans, Gary Bloom, Judy Dearden, Barb Holtz, and Carolyn Suguichi. Barb called the meeting to order around 7PM. We discussed the following.

1. Recap/updates

Barb reviewed the board structure and committees. The By-Laws Committee includes Larry, Carolyn, and Ken. Ginny heads up the Nominating Committee. Christi now heads up the Membership Committee.

We voted to accept the recommendation of the Membership Committee to have four levels of member - individual at $20, family at $30, senior/student at $15, and other.

2. Redstone Run

Ginny discussed plans for the October 4 event.

3. Teacher contact

Christi and the group discussed the topic mentioning Greenview Elementary, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts.

4. Giveaways

We discussed options.

5. Raising funds for land conservation

We discussed Goodsearch, Indians Concessions, and California Pizza Kitchen. Concerning grants we discussed the Fresh Water grant and AIG Honor Project.

6. Other

Barb wants us to meet again to continue discussion of goal setting and strategic planning