Minutes of Board of Directors’ Meeting, 09/10/12

Parkwood Garden Club
Board of Directors’ Minutes
September 10, 2012

The September 10, 2012 meeting of the Parkwood Garden Club (PGC) Board of Directors was held at 220 Upland Road in Decatur, GA.  The meeting was called to order at 7:12 pm.  The following officers/committee chairs attended:  Tom Bell, Karna Candler, Bryan Bell, Steve Elmore, Scott McVeigh, Joanna Quillen, Jim Paulino, and Patti Paulino.

• Consent Agenda
  The August 13, 2012 Board Meeting Minutes were approved.
• The September Financial Report was approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Tom Bell

• Tom moved that the PGC Board of directors approve the 2013 Proposed Budget (see below.) Steve seconded the motion.  All approved.

President’s Report – Karna Candler

• The person to fill the Vice President position has not been confirmed.
• Karna will find someone to temporarily fill the PGC Secretary position until January while Joanna is out with shoulder surgery.
• Karna will be out of town from Sept. 14 until Sept. 24.  Karna will forward all PGC messages to Tom and he will disseminate as appropriate.
• New neighbor, Steve (Stephen) Day, at 285 W. Parkwood (Katie Black’s house.)  Steve will be moving in after Sept. 29.
• New neighbors, Corey & Danielle Beck, at 185 E. Parkwood (Dean’s house.)  Are scheduled to move in Sept. 10.
• Sharon LeMaster is checking to see if she can give neighbors a tour of the Michael C. Carlos Museum on Nov. 8, which is one of the days the museum offers free admission.  The museum will be open until 7:30 pm that evening.  Sharon will aim for a tour time between 5 and closing.  At 7:30 the museum hosts a free hour-long lecture if any neighbors are interested.
• Karna is working with Ann Wallace in the East Lake Neighborhood, to collect detailed, geographic information about rat infestation.  They will then take this information to the county and request action.  Meanwhile, residents are encouraged to trap.
• Only two members of the PGC do not have email: Mr. Platt and Ms. Treadway.  All committees should remember this when distributing important information.

Civic Committee

• We’ve had a number of car break-ins in the Lenox Park and East Lake neighborhoods and now several in Parkwood.  Karna will contact Christy Kennedy about resuming our neighborhood Crime Watch.  Bryan encouraged everyone to phone the police any time you see anyone who you don’t think belongs in the neighborhood.  He also encouraged everyone to keep cars unlocked and empty.  The police have been asked to step up patrols.
• The PGC Board reviewed the new Communications Plan and made a few changes.  Bryan will distribute the updated Communications Plan.  This plan details the type of information and who is responsible for it and whether it will be communicated to neighbors through email, website, website/email and/or Facebook.  Notes:
  • Specific information about smaller social functions will have a note of “please check your email for details,” reserving privacy and security by withholding specific time and location.
  • Karna moves that we remove the PGC website password protection to the minutes, past and present and that the general public be able to read them.  Tom seconded the motion.  Discussion:  Karna wants open information.  Bryan raised the sensitivity issue.  All voted in favor of the motion.
  • Lost pet section should be removed from the website since it is time sensitive and is better communicated through email and Facebook.
  • Every new neighbor should be added to the email distribution list.  Bryan will “own” the email list, updating it as necessary.  All additions or deletions should be forwarded to Bryan.
  • DeKalb County Traffic has painted the permanent yellow stripes at the East Lake traffic circle.  They also painted a “stop stripe” at the circle stop sign to help bring attention to it.
  • The Facebook site will roll out to the neighborhood on the website, through the website email and at the Street Party.

Parkwood Park Committee

• Joe Dicks will distribute Powl as needed to be sure the original is being used in an appropriate way.
• Steve Elmore distributed five pages detailing South Fork Conservancy Procedures, including Contributions, Payment of Invoices and Reimbursement of Paid Expenses, Periodic Statements, the Contribution Form and the Request for Payment or Reimbursement Form.  Tom moved that the South Fork Procedures be approved by the Board and submitted into the minutes (see below.) Bryan seconded the motion.  Discussion: Steve clarified that the PPC will not need permission to change these procedures, only to notify the Board that a change has been made.  All voted in favor of the motion.
• Steve highlighted the need for a series of workdays in Parkwood Park designated to specific jobs, i.e. mulching, cutting tree limbs, removing invasive plants and planting.
• The funds for the Parkwood Park sign have cleared.  The PPC hopes to have the sign up by the end of October.
• A Parkwood Park tree inventory is maintained by the PPC.  Trees will always be a significant issue.  The #7 white oak has died and will require work to top it.
• Tom moves that PGC Board authorize volunteers who water the Park to use the water meter at no charge to water their yards, excluding swimming pools.  Steve seconded the motion.  All approve.
• There has been a change to the invasive plant removal plan.  Parkwood Park has a huge variety of native plants, even under the ivy.   The Park has virtually no storm water erosion and no kudzu.  We will spray two targeted areas of ¼ acre size this winter and wait to see what native plants emerge in the spring.  If this is successful, it will be repeated in different areas each year.  Also, for areas where the ivy and the native plants are co-mingled, hand pulling of the ivy is recommended. This process will be much slower and will require more volunteer hours, but the park will need less new plantings in the future.

Membership Committee

• The Street Party organizers, Katy Mallory and Vica Bourque, have scheduled the Street Party for Sunday, October 21, from 3:00 to 7:00pm.  They will need to get a permit from the City of Decatur to block off the street.  Patti will follow up with them in two weeks.  Tom offered to write specific checks to specific vendors if that will help.  The neighborhood wide work day will be on Saturday morning, October 20.
  • Rebecca sent Patti the map with addresses in ZARA format. Jim will contact Bolot about editing this map.
  • The Board did a detailed review of all Membership Drive materials.
    • Delete the request for url/website address
    • Add $45 PGC dues to assumed total amount – in Bold
    • Additional Donation (drop “to Parkwood Garden Club”)
    • “*If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the Parkwood Park, you may donate through the South Fork Conservancy using the Parkwood Park special contribution form.”
    • Patti will revise the contribution form and email it to everyone for final feedback.
    • We will need about 150 packets.
    • The people on W. Ponce de Leon will only be solicited with the Parkwood Park solicitation letter.  This letter will ask them to contact Karna if they are interested in joining the PGC, so that she can personally explain membership details.
    • Board members will distribute packets door to door.  Patti will assign each Board member a section of the neighborhood to canvas.
    • The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM.  The next meeting will be held on October 8, 2012 at Karna’s house, 7 PM at 220 Upland Road.Parkwood Garden Club

Proposed Budget – 2013
Income
Dues (90 members @ $45)		$  4,050.00
General Fund Carryover		$            –
Total Income		$ 4,050.00
Expenses
Administrative
Property Taxes		$       37.00
Insurance		$     250.00
Annual Corp Registration		$       30.00
Web Site		$       25.00
P.O.Box		$       52.00
Misc		$     141.00
	Total	$     535.00
Parkwood Park Committee
Geigerscapes (Gnds Mx)		$  1,530.00
Water		$     200.00
Contingency		$     450.00
	Total	$  2,180.00
Membership Committee
Spring Party		$     300.00
Fall Picnic		$     300.00
Holiday Party		$     300.00
Directory Printing		$     200.00
Flyers		$       60.00
Neighbor Care		$     100.00
	Total	$  1,260.00
Civic Committee
Holiday Decorations		$       75.00
Total Expenses		$ 4,050.00
Reserve/Contingency Fund			$ 5,000.00

Parkwood Park South Fork Conservancy Procedures

The contract between the Parkwood Garden Club (PGC) and the South Fork

Conservancy (SFC) identifies the PPC Chairperson as the point of contact between the

two groups. All communications, questions, and requests should flow through the PPC

Chairperson unless specifically described otherwise.

Contributions:

1. Contributor should make check payable to “South Fork Conservancy, Inc.”

designating “Parkwood Park” in the For / Memo area.

2. Contributor should complete a Parkwood Park Tax Deductible Contribution form

3. Check and form will be sent by contributor to the PGC (Parkwood Garden Club,

P. O. Box 3472, Decatur 30031-3472) or given to any PGC Officer. Check

should not be sent directly to SFC by the contributor.

4. Check and form will be forwarded to PPC Chairperson for processing..

5. PPC Chairperson will review check and form for accuracy and completeness,

and contact contributor if any correction / clarification is needed.

6. PPC Chairperson will log contribution on list of contributions including any

restrictions designated by the contributor. Multiple donations from a single

contributor will be logged separately.

7. PPC Chairperson will forward check and form to PGC Treasurer.

8. Treasurer will forward check and form to SFC (The South Fork Conservancy,

Inc., P. O. Box 5433, Atlanta, GA 31107)

9. SFC will send customized Parkwood Park acknowledgement letter to

Contributors within one week.

10. A 5% Administrative fee will be withheld from each contribution received. The

balance of each contribution will be held by SFC to the credit of future payments

or reimbursements for materials or services requested by Parkwood Park.

11. PPC Chairperson will update PGC website’s list of contributors at least monthly.

Note:

Contributions may also be made directly to the Parkwood Garden Club to be credited to

the PGC/Park funds. Such contributions are not tax deductible and will be handled by

the Treasurer.

Payment of Invoices and Reimbursement of Paid Expenses

1. Each invoice or request for reimbursement for materials and services related to

the Park should be forwarded to the PPC Chairperson.

2. The PPC Chairperson will review each invoice and request for reimbursement

and decide if the services and materials are within the scope of the SFC mission

to determine if payment should be from SFC funds or from any available

PGC/Park funds. Questions concerning appropriateness of expense for SFC

payment or reimbursement should be addressed to George Ickes at

(404) 723-3118

3. Invoices or reimbursements to be paid from PGC/Park funds will be noted as

such and forwarded to the PGC Treasurer for payment.

4. The PPC Chairperson will prepare a Request for Payment or Reimbursement

form and attach it as a coversheet to the invoice or receipts to be reimbursed.

5. The PPC Chairperson will clearly indicate on the coversheet how much is to be

paid and to whom.

6. PPC Chairperson will log Requests to be paid by SFC noting whether to charge

the expense against an appropriate restricted fund category, unrestricted funds,

or a combination.

7. PPC Chairperson will send invoice and coversheet to SFC (The South Fork

Conservancy, Inc., P. O. Box 5433, Atlanta, 31107) and report the requested

payment to the PGC Treasurer.

8. SFC will issue a check payable to the company/person shown on the invoice

unless otherwise indicated on the coversheet.

9. SFC will mail the check to the payee within one week.

10. SFC will send a copy of the check via e-mail to the PPC Chairperson and PGC

Treasurer.

Note:

In rare instances the payment of an invoice or reimbursement request may need to be

split between PGC/Park funds and SFC funds. PPC Chairperson should carefully note

how much is to be paid from each.

Periodic Statements:

1. SFC will prepare periodic statements showing carry-over balance, new

contributions received, amount of one time processing fee withheld from new

contributions, any expenses paid or reimbursed during the month, and end of

period balance. The name, date and amount of each contribution and payment

will also be listed.

2. It is anticipated that the reports will be produced quarterly on traditional quarter

end dates of March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.

3. As requested by the PPC Chairperson, SFC will prepare additional off-schedule

reports.

4. SFC will provide a copy of each periodic and special statement via e-mail to the

PPC Chairperson and the PGC Treasurer.

5. PPC Chairperson will compare the SFC statement to PPC records and work with

SFC to resolve any discrepancies.

6. PGC Treasurer will include SFC fund balance as part of the monthly financial

reports to the Board and attach SFC Statement to financial report to Board

(usually the April, July/August, October, and January Board meetings)

Parkwood Park Special Tax Deductible Contribution

Thank you for making a tax deductible contribution to Parkwood Park. You will receive a letter for

your tax records recognizing your gift. Please indicate how this letter should be addressed.

Full Name for Tax Purposes Informal First Name for Salutation (i.e. Bob, Liz)

Street Address

City State ZIP Code

I would like to remain anonymous.

[ ] No [ ] Yes

(if you check Yes, you will receive an acknowledgement letter

for tax purposes; however, your name will not appear on the

list of contributors – yours will be simply an anonymous gift.)

If you are making this contribution to honor someone, please tell us how you would like his/her name shown: (i.e. “In memory of John Doe”)

Check Number

Check Amount

Phone Number

We encourage you to make an unrestricted contribution to Parkwood Park which will allow the Parkwood

Park Committee to use your gift where it is most needed. However, if you would like to restrict the use of

your contribution to a single Park activity, indicate that restriction here. (mark only one item)

[ ] Unrestricted [ ] Hardscape [ ] Invasive Plant Removal [ ] Other (describe below)

[ ] Tree Maintenance [ ] New Native Plants and Trees

In order for your contribution to be Tax Deductible you must do the following:

1) Make your check payable to “South Fork Conservancy, Inc.”

2) In the For/Memo area of your check, write “Parkwood Park”

3) Mail your check and this form to:

Parkwood Park Committee

P. O. Box 3472

Decatur, GA 30031-3472

OR Give your check and this form to any current Officer of the Parkwood Garden Club

PGC-PPC-1 (rev. 5/2012)

Do not include your annual Parkwood Garden Club dues with your gift. Your regular dues are not tax deductible

Request for Payment or Reimbursement

Make check payable to: ( Pay as shown on invoice) Total Payment Requested

Materials / Services Provided:

I certify that these expenses were incurred for materials or services used at Parkwood

Park.

X_____________________________________________ Date ______________

(Signature of person seeking reimbursement)

I certify that these expenses were incurred for materials or services to improve and

enhance the natural and recreational values of the Parkwood Park which is consistent

with and complimentary to the purposes and mission of the South Fork Conservancy.

X_____________________________________________ Date ______________

(PPC Chairperson)

PGC/PPC-2 (rev. 5-2012)

Attach invoices, receipts, or any other supporting documentation.