Virtual meeting on Zoom @ 6:30 pm
Board Members present: Byron Ballard, Joe Fioccola, Rebecca Lance Rachel Larson, Mike Kenton, and Pattiy Torno.
Board Members not present Sherrod Barnes-Ginifer, Rich Peterson.
Also present: Katherine DeVos Devine, Stephanie El-Hajj and Brenda Moore.
CALL TO ORDER: Rebecca called the meeting to order at 6:30.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Rebecca moved and Pattiy seconded a motion to approve the December 3, 2020 Board meeting minutes as distributed with one spelling correction. The motion passed.
APD/CRO UPDATE: Brenda requested to be copied on messages to the Community Engagement Team which formerly consisted of Crime Prevention Units, Public Housing Units and Community Resource Officers. She said the caveat is that units will not be assigned to respond to calls for service nor be assigned to specific neighborhoods so that all members of the team will be available to attend meetings, etc. APD Community Engagement Division: https://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/year-in-review-asheville-police-department-looks-back-at-2020/ Mike asked about where residents of Park Square should leave lawn debris for pick up. Brenda advised to contact sanitation@ashevillenc.gov 828-259-5857
NEIGHBOR/BLOCK JESSIE UPDATES: Mr. Crisp died in Hospice today. Pat’s daughter Cricket is with her and working on arrangements. Lynn Player is organizing a meal train. Updates will be on Facebook. Also that Joanne Skinner’s husband had passed away after a long illness. REBECCA observed a connection between her lumber delivery person ‘Lumber Jill’ and Byron in a customer approval interview. STEPHANIE got moved into her house at 132 Clingman Ave. PATTIY announced tentative (depending on COVID) plans for Curve Studios to have an event on Second Saturday for Feb 13: a One Stop Sweetheart Pop Up Shop (OSSPUS?) featuring Conjure chocolates, cut flowers, masks, hats and scarves a wool felter, etc. She also talked to Jessie Coleman over the holidays and all were happy to hear that she sounded good-like her old self.
TREASURER’S REPORT/DISCUSSION OF WECAN BUDGETARY PRACTICES/GIVING.
Pattiy reported no activity since the December meeting the balance is $1752.45.
Rebecca asked Pattiy to initiate the conversation regarding occasional items that come up, the need for a budget and how to evaluate requests. The main consideration is whether it meets WECAN’s mission. WECAN is a 501(c) 3 Tax exempt non-profit but is it in our purpose to donate to other non-profits? Joe read “The Primary Purpose of WECAN is to promote community revitalization and to provide a vehicle to guide area improvements.” Pattiy noted some examples of past expenses include: sign garden, cultural garden, community garden, edible garden, newsletter printing and postage. There have not been many expenses in recent years since newsletter printing has been donated for several years by Allegra and Rebecca and Rachel Larson, Katie Thompson, Amanda Paffrath, Suzanne Willis, and Katherine DeVos Devine have hand delivered them and found a great way to meet neighbors also several donations from Bountiful Cities and others have helped the Community Garden. New requests for projects (such as Halloween Decorations or Owens Bell Park Signs) bring up the questions of how much money should be kept in a reserve fund. Do we need to spend any amount each year? And should we have an annual spending budget? She explained where our funds have come from in the last ten years: recent donations received (and awarded tiles), a donation for staffing a water station at a half marathon, Clingman Celebration prize, several individual donations, Community Garden honorarium, pass-through donation. This lead to a larger conversation considering should we set up an annual budget in February or March? What kind of expenses should WECAN shoulder and what should neighbors shoulder? What kind of programming should drive fund raising efforts? Katherine observed that there would be a tax deduction if expenses passed through WECAN’s books instead of neighbors just spending money for things like Halloween treats/decorations. These kinds of money decisions should not be made on the fly. Rebecca wants to check with Lesa about the Welcome Wagon budget and get an evaluation summary report. Stephanie asserted that there should be a community element in proposed expenses and not just a hand off. We need to find what is appropriate and what is not. Katherine asserted that any expenditure must be within the scope of the mission and the IRS guidelines. Members should bring proposals to consider at the next board meeting.
COMMUNITY GARDEN: Joe received a letter from Bountiful Cities with some seeds and a gift certificate for $30 of plants from their nursery. He will get that info to Sherrod and Caroline.
UPDATING OWENS_BELL SIGNAGE: Pattiy explained the sign project initiated by Suzanne Horton at the City. She shared a plan showing designs from ACSM with corten steel backer panels mounted on aluminum tubes with the base of the sign below grade and installed into a concrete footer 22’wide by 44” tall. Photo panels are high pressure laminate/phenolic. Here’s the definition of phenolic resin and why it’s the suggested material: https://www.mnhs.org/sites/default/files/lhs/techtalk/techtalk_summer2008.pdf Projected costs from $1300-1800 each. This information came to Joe who was investigating a second round of Racial Healing Grants. The Office of Equity and Inclusion application for racial healing grants for local nonprofits deadline was January 4. This is the second year of funding, and like last year, the grant amount up to $4,999 aims to support existing projects in Asheville that promote racial healing, reconciliation, and/or transformation in Asheville communities. His idea was for explanatory panels about why Owens and Bell were honored there. Pattiy also showed an alternative placement for the two photo panels mounted on the extant metal work at the bus stop. It is unclear about how much funding will be needed from WECAN or from the City for these sign panels. Rachel suggested not more than $200.00. Pattiy also was upset by Parks and Rec clearing and mulching most of the Sunny Cultural Garden and ignoring the maintenance agreement we have held since 2010. There is no urgency to complete this but the photos should not be away from the park for too long. Text for explanatory signs is in the 2007 WECAN News. Pattiy will bring some options also to replace the missing ’W’ to the February meeting.
ASHEVILLE HOTEL FOCUS GROUP: Brenda advised the moratorium has been extended 6 months due to COVID also that a Planning and Zoning hearing was set for February 3.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY COVID-19 RESPONSE AND RESOURCES: Rebecca noted we are in Phase 1-b with vaccines for those 75 years and older needing to make hour long appointments at 250-5000. She also observed that communication was very easy to navigate.
BOARD MEMBERSHIP DECISIONS/ OFFICERS FOR 2021: Rebecca asked for requirements for At-large members. Pattiy nominated Katherine for a 1 year term as an At-Large Member Rebecca seconded and the motion passed. Joe reviewed the current membership. Class of 2021 has Byron, Mike and Rich. The Class of 2022 has Rachel, Pattiy and Sherrod. The Class of 2023 has Rebecca, Joe and Stephanie. The By-Laws call for a Vice Chair to back up the Chair also that the Chair and Vice Chair must be Resident Directors. There has been a move to charge the Vice Chair with communication responsibilities for announcing meetings, publishing agendas, posting minutes and maintaining FaceBook, NextDoor and MailChimp and the Website/archive. There are no obstacles for assigning these responsibilities to an At-Large member. Katherine has agreed to assume them. Pattiy Nominated Rebecca to serve as Chair. Byron seconded and motion passed. Pattiy nominated Joe as Secretary, Rachel seconded and motion passed. Joe nominated Pattiy as Treasurer, Byron seconded and motion passed. The Vice Chair position shall remain open.
RADTIP: Pattiy reported just working on a punch list and waiting on some Railroad fencing. Plans are being made for virtual opening on April 22--Earth day and some murals under bridges. She also encouraged people to sit on the new swings on Riverside north of Craven Street. They are very calming.
ADJOURN: Meeting adjourned at 8:08 pm
Minutes submitted by Joe Fioccola, Secretary
NEXT BOARD MEETING: February 4, 2021 6:30 pm.
