Events that occurred either before or after the meeting are in italics and
are included because the minutes also serve as an historical record of the DRHNA’s
activities.
Board Attendees: Janice Santos, Parliamentarian; Chris Nevil, President; Wendy
Averill, 2d VP; Michelle Rudo, Treasurer; Elizabeth Pollock, Recording Secretary;
Tobyann Mandel, Director; Aaron Bernardin, Director; Steve Knight, Advisor.
Guests: Karen Guthrie, Diana Pais, Roland Jack Nault, Lauren Tawa, Nancy Inouye,
Marlene Savage, local residents. Mary M. Anderson, a local resident who represents
Area H on the Del Rey Neighborhood Council.
After the February 2006 board meeting, we learned that Marlene Savage lives within the boundaries of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council but outside of the boundaries of the DRHNA, so her appointment to a directorship has been held in abeyance, pending revision of the DRHNA’s borders. Article VI, Section 1 of the DRHNA bylaws states, “Any active member of this Association is qualified to be a Director hereof.” Article IV section 1 provides that DRHNA membership is open to people who live within the boundaries shown on the map that is Exhibit A to the bylaws.
Approval of Minutes – The minutes of the February
6, 2006 board meeting were reviewed, revised and approved as revised. The
final text of the revised minutes was distributed on March 13, 2006.
Treasurer’s Report - The treasurer’s report for February 1 through
February 28, 2006, was distributed electronically before the meeting and was
approved as given. There were no transactions in February.
Crime Report – No one was able to attend the February 8, 2006, meeting.
Chris Nevil will distribute a copy of the signup sheet so that board members
will know which meeting(s) they agreed to attend. Mary Anderson will be attending
the March meeting on behalf of the DRNC, and she will share her report with
the DRHNA.
Trailers As Housing – Nancy Inouye reported that people are living in
house trailers parked on Little Culver Blvd. west of Centinela Avenue. To her
knowledge, no children are living in the trailers. The Mayor and City Councilman
Rosendahl are working on the problem, and Senior Lead Officer Heidi Llanes has
been apprised and has been responsive.
The trailers are moved on street cleaning days and at least once every 72 hours.
Steve Knight advised that vehicles longer than 22 feet and vehicles with expired
registration tags cannot be parked on the street. It is not legal to live in
a trailer parked on the street.
It was suggested that area residents prepare a petition to L.A. Police Captain
Williams telling him of the illegal, unsanitary, unsightly trailer dwellings.
It was moved and seconded that the DRHNA will send a letter to the city authorities
stating that we have been made aware that people are living in their vehicles
in our area and asking that the laws against doing so be enforced. A draft of
the letter will be circulated to the board by email.
Traffic Committee – Tabled. Next meeting is in April.
Newsletter – During the week, Steve Knight and Chris Nevil will confer
regarding the content of the newsletter.
General
Meeting – After discussion, the board voted that the General Meeting should
take place before April 30, 2006 and that all directors’ terms shall continue
until the meeting. Article V, Section 3 of the bylaws provides that officers’
terms continue until their successors are elected. However, Article VI, Section
4 a. provides, “The term of office for Directors shall be from April 1st
of the year of their election for a two year period ending March 31. However,
it seems likely that the meeting (and election of directors) will need to be
held after March 31.
In any case, the newsletter must be mailed at least 15 days before any election
that seeks to amend the bylaws (Article IX, section 1), and names of nominees
for the board of directors (includes officers and directors), should be published
at least two weeks prior to the general membership meeting. (Article VI, section
3.b.)
Issues:
1. When can Rep. Jane Harman be available? (Not yet confirmed)
2. When can the venue (Marina Middle School) be available? (Spring Break is
April 10 – 14.)
3. Will L.A.P.D. participate?
4. L.A. Fire Department will participate.
5. Who will attend on behalf of the L.A.U.S.D.?
6. The city’s Emergency Preparedness Department will participate.
7. The Southern California Gas Co. will have an exhibit and will send a public
relations person.
8. Will Department of Water and Power participate?
Membership
– Tabled. Membership Chair Casey Anderson not present.
Website
– Tabled. Webmaster George Gross not present.
DRNC - Meeting on March 9, 2006 at 7 p.m.. Steve Knight is Chairman of their Public Safety Committee, and thus, DRNC will be participating at the DRHNA General Meeting.
Community Emergency Response Team (“CERT”) Training – Del
Rey is in Battalion Four, and the seven night course is being offered at three
locations within the Battalion – starting March 6 at the Westchester Elks
Club; starting March 8 at the Mar Vista Family Center (5000 Slauson Ave.); starting
March 14 at Venice High School. See www.cert-la.com
Del
Rey Park Task Force – There are 10 final bidders for the former U.S. Postal
Service facility on Jefferson Blvd., and of these, one or two may not be planning
an “existing or by right use” for the property. All are aware of
the community’s interest in having two to five acres of the space become
available as parkland, so the task force will ramp up again.
OLD/CONTINUING
BUSINESS:
501(c) (4) status: On February 22, 2006, we received a letter that our appeal
was turned down because we are not a philanthropic organization (501(c)(3));
rather, we are tax exempt under 501(c) (4). Before the meeting, Elizabeth Pollock
reviewed the U.S. Postal Service Domestic Mail manual Section 703.1.2.6 regarding
Non Profit Standard Mail for philanthropic organizations, and it seemed likely
that a further appeal would not succeed. Also, she learned that users of Non
Profit Standard Mail must pay a registration fee and an annual fee that would
nearly eclipse what we would save by paying the lower postage rate. However,
we can still get lower postage rates if we use bar codes on the address labels,
sort the mail by zip code and mail from the Central Avenue processing center.
We still need to find good addressing/membership software that is usable on
a Mac.
Motion
Regarding Expo Line – Tabled.
Ballona
Watershed Coordinated Vision Endorsement - Tabled.
2006
Annual Budget – Before the meeting, Treasurer Michelle Rudo sent out a
draft budget using figures from 2005 and increasing all categories of expenses
by 15 per cent for 2006. She changed some expense classifications in light of
the discussion at the January 2006 board meeting. “Community service”
now includes money spent feeding the police on the holidays, funeral contributions,
etc. The category of “Gifts given” is used for hard goods, e.g.
the white board we bought for the police.
The board voted to accept the proposed 2006 budget.
NEW
BUSINESS
Request for DRHNA Boundaries to Include the Glencoe-Maxella Area.
Article IV, Section 1 a. provides: “Upon approval of a majority of the
Board, adjoining membership areas may be annexed, after submitting a petition
showing initial internal organization.”
The area that is proposed to be annexed is in the City of Los Angeles, bounded
by Culver City on the north (just below Washington Blvd.) and east (Moore Street),
to the middle of Del Rey Ave. on the west, and Glencoe along the south. The
borders should be coextensive with Area A of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council.
The residents of this area presently are not affiliated with the Venice or Mar
Vista Neighborhood Councils. The residents of the Villa Marina apartment complex
will not be included as they have their own residents’association; they
are part of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council. Marlene Savage will prepare and
circulate a petition in her area. Approximately 1000 new dwelling units are
being built on Redwood Ave. and Glencoe Ave..
The annexation vote will be taken after the petition has been submitted.
Vacant
Positions on the Board of Directors
Diana Pais might be interested in running for the Corresponding Secretary position.
If Marlene Savage can run, we will still need a second director to serve a two
year term beginning April 1, 2006.
Gifts/Tributes
The DRHNA Polices Manual Section No. 4 regulates Association Sponsored Award
and Presentations. All awards and presentations must have prior majority approval
of a quorum of the elected officers and directors. Voting may not be conducted
retroactively. When requests for “community donations” are made,
the suggested limit is $50 per request. At the April meeting, we will discuss
what guideline would be appropriate in deciding who should receive tributes
from DRHNA.
Kathy Briar – The board approved a donation of $50 to the Feral Feline
Alliance, and there will be a commemorative in the newsletter.
Guy Doeh - Charlotte DeMeo did a planting in the Community Garden in honor of
Guy Doeh, and his children wrote to tell her that the Community Garden had been
important to him. Therefore, the board voted to contribute $50 toward the expenses
of Charlotte’s planting, and DRHNA will send a letter to Tammy Doeh advising
her of the board’s action.
Note from Elizabeth Pollock, Recording Secretary: Both Charlotte DeMeo and Steve
Knight are former presidents who have served for years with the DRHNA, but neither
received any commemorative when they ceased being officers. Also, when I became
a director in 2003, Charlotte gave me a notebook that had the board’s
roster, the bylaws, the policies manual, a map of DRHNA’s boundaries and
tabs for agendas and minutes. It is probably time to prepare similar notebooks
for the people who have become officers and/or directors during the past three
years. (We now have Articles of Association as well.)
NEXT BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006, AT 7 P.M.