BUTTERFIELD-RIVIERA EAST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
DATE: February 25, 2014
PLACE: Rancho Cordova Library, 9845 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, California
MEETING TYPE: BRECA Steering Committee Meeting
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT
Lori Christensen
Kelly Cohen
Gay Jones
Rene Hamlin
Stan Mofjeld
Jim Morgan
Rick Sloan
Mary Ann Winters
1. Welcome from Chair Gay Jones
2. Minutes of January 28, 2014
Rene Hamlin made a motion to adopt the draft minutes for January 28, 2014. Stan Mofjeld seconded the motion. The motion was approved with 6 in favor and 1 abstention.
3. Reports
a. Treasurer’s Report
There was no treasurer’s report.
b. Nextdoor.com
Rene Hamlin reported that Nextdoor.com is up to 209 members.
c. CORPAC
Gay Jones reported no activities relevant to the BRECA area.
d. American River Parkway Coalition
Joe O’Connor reported that there is concern about people taking artifacts from the exposed bed of Folsom reservoir. Also, the County is considering moving an asphalt pile at Sailor’s Bar to another location.
e. Cal Am
Joe O’Connor noted that he had e-mailed information to the Steering Committee concerning California Assembly Committee oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). One issue that is active on the California American (Cal Am) Water agenda is subsidies for low income people. This has the effect of shifting cost to the other rate payers. There is also an effort to organize northern California people to reduce costs to rate payers. Joe has written to the group doing this inquiring if they have any strategy other than cost shifting, but has received no reply. On another issue, an Administrative Law Judge with the CPUC has ordered Cal Am to show cause why it should not be sanctioned for some 61 projects that have not been completed. Each offense could run from $500 to $50,000. Last night, in Rancho Cordova, there was a Cal Am meeting to present water rationing proposals. About 100 people attended.
f. From the Floor
There were no reports from the floor.
4. Old Business
a. Budget
Rene Hamlin stated that BRECA is going to have a deficit budget, but she does not want to have a vote on it tonight. The Steering Committee needs to address specific policy areas, including “in kind” income, reimbursement, and increase of revenue (membership, contributions, PayPal, and business endorsements). Four (4) budgets are to be presented: core, core+, core reduced, and core+ reduced.
Jim Morgan pointed out that the budget report had been sent to the members of the Budget Committee only this morning. He stated that the report did not accurately reflect the alternatives from the Budget Committee meeting. In particular, one alternative should show a surplus, and the text was incomplete. Kelly Cohen stated that she has disagreement with the text of the budget report, and that the Budget Committee needs to do more work.
There was a discussion about the minimum needs for the BRECA bank account. Jim Morgan stated that the account requires a minimum amount of $1,500 to avoid fees, and that an additional $2,000 should be held for high cost contingencies including retaining an attorney or technical experts. This would lead to a minimum reserve of $3,500.
Andrea White questioned whether the Steering Committee wanted one recommendation or several alternatives. Gay Jones stated that she would like multiple alternatives. Also, she wants the numbers to go out to people beforehand. In addition, she would like to know about revenue and expenses going back about 10 years. Further, she would like to correlate this with BRECA activities. She would like the Steering Committee to get the history of income and expenses before the next meeting. Jim Morgan gave Gay a copy of the summary of BRECA income, expenses, and assets going back 4 years that was discussed at the January BRECA meeting.
There was discussion of a required report to the Attorney General’s office that BRECA has not submitted since around 2002. Jim Morgan was assigned to take care of the reports.
There was discussion of “in kind” donations, which are donations given to the organization that are not money. This would also include the exchange of an add in the Newsletter for the use of the mail box at Bradshaw Pack and Ship. Joe O’Connor questioned what we want to track, if people want to deduct expenses from their long form tax returns. Jim Morgan pointed out that BRECA is not a 501(c)3 organization, but the California state equivalent of a 501(c)4, and that contributions are not tax deductible. Rene Hamlin suggested that we should know what the real costs of running the organization are. Joe suggested that we could track anything a person has to pay for. Kelly Cohen suggested tracking core functions. Gay Jones suggested that we think about the question some more.
b. Calendar
The BRECA events calendar from the last meeting was reviewed. Gay Jones stated that she would like to add the monthly meetings and Steering Committee elections, and put them on the website. Rene Hamlin requested addition of National Dog Day and National Night Out.
c. Mini-restoration
Gay Jones thanked the people who came out to do the “mini-restoration” at the burn area. She stated that they had planted about 60 plugs of creeping wild rye, and distributed several pounds of wild flower seeds. She also stated that the plugs of grass had grown since the recent rain.
Gay stated that another mini-restoration is planned for an area near the Mayhew Drain. She has about 20-25 plants reserved for this effort. She has also purchased “driwater” which allows watering every two to three months. She stated that the American River Parkway Foundation has offered to get volunteers to help. Rene Hamlin stated that young people from the Rosemont “Green Academy” could help. There was discussion about the date of the event.
d. Updates re: Folsom Blvd. Projects
Gay Jones reported that tree planting on Folsom Blvd. is planned in a few months from now. Jim Schubert with the County is in charge of the effort. About 80 trees are to be planted between Butterfield and Bradshaw, including Strawberry trees, crabapple, and Bay Laurel.
Gay also reported that the Folsom Blvd. Special Planning Area is back. Kerri Vlaskowski (sp?) with the County has taken over from Judy Robinson. Current thinking is to make Folsom Blvd. in the Butterfield area look like the south side of Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova. There are going to be community meetings, but it is not known when.
5. New Business
a. From the Floor
Rene Hamlin stated that her area has a problem with a house in her area. She has been calling County Code Enforcement for months, with no results. A Sheriff’s person suggested a class action lawsuit. Kelly Cohen suggested that BRECA send a letter to the owner of the problem house. Gay asked whether a letter to Supervisor Nottoli would help. The issue will be put on the agenda for next month.
Bonnie Domeny stated that they are having trouble with the Blow Lounge again. The Sheriff’s department has not been helpful. Kelly Cohen suggested that BRECA write a letter to the business owner. Several people suggested sending a letter to Supervisor Nottoli. Kelly Cohen made a motion to send a letter to Supervisor Nottoli. Rene Hamlin seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.
Doris Fodge (from the Rosemont area) stated that the Cal Am meeting last night attracted over 100 people, and the presenters ran out of handouts. She stated that all of the Cal Am customers in the Sacramento area are now metered. There are about 58,000 connections, and it costed about $40 million to install meters. Joe O’Connor stated that the life expectancy of the meters is around 12-15 years. Doris had asked the Cal Am representatives how the water conservation policies would be enforced. The Cal Am representatives stated that it would be only by Cal Am drivers in the course of business. She also stated that there are not supposed to be increases in water rates to pay for the conservation measures enforcement. There are supposed to be hearings on the latest proposed general rate increase in March or April, and that it will be announced in an upcoming Cal Am bill.
Jim Morgan asked Gay Jones about the statement by Paul Bowers at the last BRECA meeting that the equestrian/hiking trail in the Gristmill area is to be “bladed.” Gay replied that the only maintenance of existing firebreak roads is expected to be in the Cal Expo and Woodlake areas.
6. Meeting adjourned.
The next meeting will be a Steering Committee Meeting on Tuesday, March 25 at the Rancho Cordova Library.