Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc.

YWPHI Board of Directors' Meeting - October 20, 2010, 7:00 p.m.

The meeting was held on October 20, 2010, at 7193 Yosemite Park Way in the home of Tom Lambert. The meeting was called to order by President Lambert at 7:06 p.m. and the agenda was distributed.

I. Minutes

The most recent minutes were sent to Tom Lambert and Kim O'Neil too late for reading and distribution. Tom Lambert proposed tabling approval until the Board has had time to read and edit the meetings and distributing at next meeting. Approved.

II. Treasurer's Report

3rd Quarter 2010 (7/1/2010 to 9/30/2010) Treasurer's Report

The Balance Sheet shows total assets of $10,047.56, which included:

The Profit & Loss statement shows a net income of $1614.91:

The itemized expenses included:

2010-11 Membership Report: 70

Discussion. The Board discussed the relatively slow membership response this year, even from traditional supporters and what to do about it. Last year the treasurer sent statements out for four consecutive months, but we haven't been doing that this year. The Board decided to send another email that tells members what we're doing, highlights some of the big issues for the coming year and tries to sell them on membership. Kim O'Neil and Tom Lambert will also look into the PayPal subscription option and try to get people on a self-renewing subscription. We also need to ask members to whitelist the yosemitewest.org domain in their email client.

The Board also decided that, depending on response to that mailing, we will make some targeted phone calls and try to make a more direct connection with lapsed members.

III. Committee Reports

A. Fire Safety

1. Grants (see www.yosemitewest.org/grants.htm)

2010 - We have satisfied 100% of the required match for the 2010 grant. The crew will continue defensible space work inside the community until the work is done and/or the snow starts flying. The work is approximately 70% complete as of 9-30-2010.

On September 30, 2010, the NPS fire archeology team conducted cultural surveys on the acreage to be treated outside the community. We are still waiting for authorization from the Fire Safe Council that environmental and cultural compliance has been satisfied before any ground-disturbing work can start on this acreage outside the community.

2011 - YWPHI was awarded a 2011 grant for $94,350 for fuel reduction on Project Area YW-004 (see the Yosemite West CWPP) on June 14, 2010. We submitted a pre-grant report to the Fire Safe Council on July 9, 2010. We attended a mandatory pre-grant award workshop on September 8, 2010. We expect to receive the formal grant agreement later this fall.

2. Fire Hose Houses & Equipment

Jeff Hornacek previously offered to look into a new hose house design and costs to permanently store this equipment on Henness Circle. Jeff can report on same. [The Treasurer later informed Jeff Hornacek that the cost to build the existing three hose houses was $625 each and the manufacturer was Argentino's in Fresno.]

B. Hospitality

Rea Jackman on Labor Day event. The event went off well, but for future reference, Rea suggested:

• We need some real tables instead of the rickety, wobbly ones we're using.
• Discontinue the White Elephant and replace it with a door prize that's actually something decent to make it a more fun event.
• We also need some decent trash containers, which Rea is willing to store at her house. The Board voted on and approved spending money for two trash barrels.

C. Newsletter

Newsletter will go out in mid-November. This newsletter will be electronic only, but the spring newsletter will go out on hardcopy and focus on "what have we done for you lately."

IV. Old Business

Tom Lambert reported on a conversation with Brad Aborn in response to a vote of members at the general meeting that YWPHI should take an active role with the county in trying to find solutions to garbage issues. Aborn was encouraging about the possibility of getting the county to take some role in the Yosemite West garbage issue. John Mock reported that the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors was considering legislation as measure 2009-87???? [Tom searched Mariposa County website and all agenda for Oct and minutes of Sept. 24 meeting (most recent available) and found no info] to require transient rental operators to provide bear safe garbage service to all renters. Bill Duff also suggested an appeal based both on the impact on bears and the final possible result , and the associated risk to to humans as bears become habituated to human presence and prepared to defend their garbage/food source.

V. New Business

1. Holiday home tour - dates. Tom Lambert proposed Saturday, December 11th, 3-7pm. Seconded by Kim O'Neil. Proposed budget of $500. Passed. Kim O'Neil agreed to send out an email announcing the event, asking for hosts.

2. Housing for county snowplowers. A few members have asked whether the Board was going to appeal to the County for some housing option for snowplowers. The YWMDAC is already involved in this issue and the Board decided this is a Maintenance District Advisory Committee issue, not a YWPHI issue.

3. Mailbox shed maintenance - Pierce Loberg, the mail carrier, wants lighting inside the mail shed for winter. Tom Lambert will look into pricing. The Board approved spending up to $200 for a solar light with occupancy sensor. Pierce has also complained about wasps in the mail shed. Kim O'Neil will measure screen door for fit.

Also, the mailbox shed could use some maintainence and is a high-visibility area. In light of that need and the fact that there seems to be less and less debris to haul each Memorial Day weekend, it was proposed that we expand scope of Memorial Day activities to generally cleaning up the neighborhood, hopefully including organizing a work crew to paint and do repairs to the mailbox shed. It was also proposed to put up some signs like the ones that say that a section of highway was cleaned by this or that organization (e.g. "This shed built and maintained by YWPHI. To join…."). Since the non-lighting issues won't be handled until spring, it was decided to put them on the agenda for the April Board meeting.

4. Appreciation for UPS and USPS deliverers. Frank X retired after 37 years at UPS and Pierce Loberg, who works on a fixed-cost contract, has burned tons of hours waiting in construction stops this year. We're not sure how to reach Frank and he has refused other attempts to recognize his retirement, so the Board decided not to pursue a retirement gift. The Board voted to buy Pierce Loberg a $100 gift certificate in appreciation for all the extra difficulties he had bringing mail this summer.

5. Yosemite West Information sign. The Board granted a request from Larry Anstead to update the information sign, subject to Board approval of content. No money from YWPHI will be spent on this project.

6. Hose lays - John Mock of the Fire Safety Committee agreed that we would plan to revive "hose lays," that is community practice with setting hoses on the fire hydrants, in the spring.

7. Projects for coming year

• 4th of July. We agreed to try this one again, but next time we will ask who can volunteer before we ask who can come. If we don't get volunteers lined up first, we don't announce a party.
• Community Information - Though information is available through several channels, it is clearly not reaching a large proportion of our membership, let alone our potential membership. The Board discussed other possible ways to get information out there and inform the community about what we do. Somehow, we need to make a clear value proposition to people that makes it clear what they get for their money [editor's note: perhaps should pay closer attention to public radio fund drives and the tactics they use!]. Bill Duff suggested working the phones and that we make more direct contact. The Board agreed to focus on membership renewals with another email and then move to phone calls later in the Fall. The Board also discussed the possibility of more phone calls in the Spring prior to sending a hard copy of the newsletter trying to tell people what we've done lately and what benefits we provide to the community.

The next board meeting is April 6, 2010 at 7 p.m.

The meeting ended at 8:45 p.m.

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