INC Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Monday, April 13, 2015

6:30 p.m., 101 Monroe Street, Daniels Fund Building

Executive Committee in attendance:

Larry Ambrose, Ray Ehrenstein, Bibi Alexander, JJ Niemann, David Stauffer, Don Tressler, John Rickie.

Committee Chairs in attendance:

Education, Meg Schomp; Communication,David Stauffer; Membership, JJ Niemann; Budget, John Rickie; Parks and Recreation, Katie Fisher, Maggie Price; Public Safety,Merce Lea; Transportation, Joel Noble; Zoning and Planning, Margie Valdez,Greg Kerwin

Other Attendees:

AE – Globeville, Steve Nissen – Alamo Placita

1. Approval of March 9, 2015, EC Minutes

Motion: Bibi            2nd: JJ

No additions or corrections (Voice Vote)

2. Financial Reports: Nissen/Alexander

Still in the Black

$12 K – CDs

14.9K – Saving

2.7K – Checking

1.9K – Charity

Total:   31K+

All Bills Paid as of today.

John – How is the money raised?

Answer: Membership and Dinner

Recommendation:  Add the Membership Report to the regular reporting at the EC meeting

3. Introduction and Approval of new At-Large Board Members

Approval Vote for Meg & Darcy for the 2015 board (1 year appointment terms)

2015 – 2017 full At-Large terms are (John & Don)

Motion: John   2nd:  Don

4. Budget Chair Discussion

Need someone from the board to perform quarterly analysis of the budget and financials

John Riecke volunteered to take on the role.

5. Update on 2015 INC Municipal Election Forums and Questionnaire

Margie – recommends that the INC have a table at each of the election forums.

• Some of the impressions at district 10 were that it was a CHUN election forum.
• Steve – There will be a Wednesday meeting as a lessons learned for Denver Decides
• AE – Grateful for the forums.
  • Suggestions:
    • Questions could be redesigned.
    • Lightning round could be changed.
    • Concerned that the questions were being revealed before they were asked.
    • Do something more to get people to stay for the 2nd forum.
    • Maybe have the primary forum 2nd.
    • Ask the panelists to do more prep
    • prep our questions better as well to make sharper edged questions
      • establish a question selection process
    • Make the questions that are submitted via the internet be anonymous.

?? Suggestion – The taping of the open remarks like the auditors discussion on Apr 11th should be done.  That is what should have been recorded and put on T.V.

• Steve – Response:   We didn’t send questions early.  The television causes the need for more control.
• Meg – This Saturday: Some questions were asked to local and at-large candidates
• Larry – There should be a committee to select the questions.  Maybe use some of the questions from the questionnaire.
• John – question:  What was INCs role in this Denver Decides group
• JJ – Response: We coordinated the locations, and notified the neighbors.
• Maggie – We sent out a questionnaire to all candidates and communicated the results
• Steve – We spent $500 to help pay for the election forums.
  • Run Off Election Forums:   May 11 – 15th
    • Planning on having the events recorded at the Denver Channel 8 Studio.
• Larry – Suggestion: Have a uniform way to recognize the sponsors that displays our logo.
  • We could use more promotion.
• John – Beverly Weaver did a good job herding cats.   Who is she?
• Meg – She is an independent contractors for these types of events
• Merce – Likes the Lightning round
• Don – Question – Why didn’t we record the auditors remarks at District 6 on Apr 11th?
  • Larry – Response – It was a different format and wasn’t pre-coordinated
• Maggie – Recommend downloading the videos for our own archive.

Discussion about not doing a mayoral forum

• Historically the person has to have a treasurer to be a “legitimate” candidate.
• Nancy Ulrick says the Mayor refused to be on the same stage with the other 2 candidates.
• Thad (neighborhood activist) interrupted the District 1 election forum (had to be rerecorded).
• Larry thinks this track that some are taking, doesn’t have merit and is glad that we have liability insurance

6. Update on Power line Under-grounding Fund Advisory Group

Larry – Took shape a year ago in Park Hill.

• When it reached Monaco then 3 different households led the charge of bringing it to INC.
• This is a density issue that will cause problems in the future.
• INC recommended an advisory position be created.
  • The fund to do undergrounding was only for local lines.
  • We wrote letter to ask for community involvement in the decision process.
  • Ray Ernestine & Adrian Brown are the delegates that have been assigned.

Ray – Kevin Magnan is leaving his position with Public Works.

• He complemented Ruby Hill for standing up against the variance for Xcel (this is how he got involved).
• New person is taking over.  She knows Michael Henry.
• Comes from the  civil service.
• At the meeting Chris Nevitt gave us a city council proposal, presentation, and what was actually approved.  This will make all new lines go underground (Comcast & Xcel).  Ray sent this out to the EC.

Joel – There is 2 competitors in his neighborhood and trenching and tunneling could stop that competition.

• Requests that INC advocate for neighborhood determination.

Greg – Xcel may take the position that it’s not cost effective to go underground and above ground.

Ray – Studies say this is not an issue.

7. Denver Days

Larry – Denver Days is coming up in August and they need a representative from INC.

Don – Beth Trugen would be a good candidate

Committee Reports

Public Safety – A new Committee has been formed

• Planned a monthly INC committee meeting
  • 4th Tuesday of every month (6pm) at different district police stations around the city.
  • There will be a commander and a special topic.
  • District 1 will be first.
  • Willing to call and invite all RNOs (non-INC as well)
  • Don – Can more that Dist 3 have a “Citizens Advisory Council”
  • Merce – We’ll find out the Dist community meetings times and places are and communicate them via the newsletter.   All districts have at least 1 monthly meeting.

Transporation:  Joel

• Planning next meeting.

• Katie – Recommend having a presentation of our website and how to communicate at our next EC meeting

 

ZAP – Margie –

• Next meeting is focused on water issues.
  • Jame Eckland – Water plan for the whole state.  Greg Fisher – Denver Water (Capacity Planning)
• Training @ ZAP meeting   – 7 weeks is too long, so they are whittling it down to 3 or 4 weeks.  A combination of INC and City trainers.
• Follow up on “Who should vote” at an INC committee meeting?
  • We recommend relooking at the By-Laws   (where are the by-laws?)HERE
  • Michael Henry – Proposed that only a member of an RNO is able to vote.
  • Katie – Concern that we should have to have people attend often
  • David – Members should be able to only go when there is an issue.
  • Maggie – We try to keep the meetings open.
  • Larry – Let’s bring this up next week
• AE – Thank you from Globeville / Elyeria RNOs for how ZAP has helped the neighbors be informed.

PARC – Maggie – Next Tuesday is the next meeting  (6 – 8pm)

• Water will be the focus.
• Purple pipes in Wash Park?   City & Cheesman have them.  (Grey Water)
  • Tree watering between Wash Park and City Park
  • Sodium is causing the problem (Grey Water)
• Maggie – Water is a long term issue for the INC PARC
• POFA (Small private businesses using the park)  – Trainers
  • This has been expanded to more parks
• Problem at the city level – Committees are not meeting until after elections
• Maggie – Buildings over 3 stories have to get new approval (the Zoo)
• Maggie – Would like to coordinate between ZAP & PARC

Education – Meg

• Bonita has left DPS.  Will Lee Ashley is taking her place.
• Looking for help on the Education committee
• DPS has had over 110 position changes in leadership
  • Things are in upheaval.
• Would like to have an every other month meeting or at least one around the bond issue.

DD – Steve

• Still needs some write ups
• Received the best student letters yet.  The teacher is doing their job.

9. Standing Rules

• 2015 Goals and Objectives
  • Do we want to do a retreat?
  • Larry – Can we use our survey monkey to create surveys around the topics from the retreat.
• 2015 Board Training and Funding Strategy meeting
  • Larry – Lets organize a meeting regarding this to talk about board training, standing rules, organization

10. New Business

Steve – Let’s have a booth at the Peoples Fair this year

• John Riecke – What does it cost?
• Larry – If we help, it’s free, but if we want a booth it cost $300 – $400
• Focus on Both if we can.
• Steve – Would like to have a promotional booth

Membership

• Don – Blueprint Denver is getting revisited and INC has a seat at the table.  This is a great recruiting tool.
• AE – We need to better define the “RNO” and elevate it.
• JJ – We are working on how to reach out to all “RNO”s

Short-Term Rentals – Panel Discussion Planning.

• Larry works with Don to create a program to “train” neighborhoods
• Look outside the city for input.

Communications

• David – Please send me information early and often.
  • We’ll use the website to store information and then the newsletter will be created from it.

11. Delegate Meeting locations and topics?

• 1 May 9 SW Improvement Council – Program TBA
  • Send an E-blast to let people know.
• 2 June 13, Location TBD – Program TBA
• 3 July 11, Location TBD – Program TBA

Submitted by  JJ Niemann, INC Secretary