Board meeting - January 12, 2022

Begin: 13:45 via Zoom

Attending:

Betsy Morris
Raines Cohen
Daveed Mandell
Robert Magarian
Carol Crooks
Marcia Kimmel, visitor member from Redwood Gardens and National Alliance of HUD Tenants
David Blake
Angeles Gottheil
Margot Smith joined at 14:14
Michael Ruchlis joined at 14:30
Not Present: Maria, Gary.  Board Emerita: Margot Smith. Member: Marcia Kimmler from Redwood Gardens.

Marcia - Member Report:

• Marcia Kimmell, from Redwood Gardens reports Tenants Association are still short-staffed, and had been working together with new management, FPI, a Folsom based company. Then they and presumably Harriet Tubman Terrace received word another property management company:  JR Stewart, or JRS, which manages many properties in Berkeley and around the county.  Marcia is also now an elected Board Member of National Alliance of HUD Tenants for this part of the country (SF East Bay).
  John Stewart Company has a good reputation as property management company - when people talk about the good ol' days of Redwood Gardens it's because of JSC
• John Stewart was a Quaker
• Betsy - People at Harriet Tubman community had negative experiences with the John Stewart Company
• Emergency preparedness project at Redwood Gardens has been shelved until they make a connection with people on 2nd and 3rd floors who are handicapped and are going to need help if there is an emergency
  Marcia talked to chair of tenants association at Strawberry Creek Lodge and she's open to collaboration, exchanging information, regarding SAHA
• Eileen sent email, Raines forwarded on Jan. 10th about Harriet Tubman Terrace and issues with housing 
• Housing subcommittee can determine how we can help as GP

Betsy - Executive Committee Report:

• Membership Report (Betsy) As of today, we have 23 current members current (voting) on dues.  Some expire this month. Another 15 former who’s dues expired since 2020.  Note we have 388 emails in our database, 13 without email; and 376 other contacts We also have over 500 Facebook members willing to receive our Facebook posts. (overlap is 45 people. 

Robert - Treasurer Report: 

• Mechanics Bank checking balance:             $4320.49.
  
• Savings Account Balance:                          $745.70
• No income or new members/renewals since November 30.
  Income
• 1/3 of members pay $15/yr, 1/3 of members pay $35/yr, and some pay more than minimum

Expenses

• ANNUAL Organizational Memberships by Berkeley East Bay Gray Panthers
  
  $50            CARA/Alameda county chapter, org membership (based on size of membership)
  
  $35            NAACP (national and Berkeley chapter) membership
  
  $75            NAHT National Alliance of HUD Tenants, organizational associate

Associate non-voting members - anyone can participate at any of the meetings but we can't vote, Michael Cane is a contact
4 or 5 tenant councils in Berkeley that are/have been NAT members
Trainings once a year at the convention are great (Betsy)

$75            EBHO, East Bay Housing Organizations, membership

Monthly or bimonthly conversations with owners/developers of affordable housing in Berkeley
Allows us to get endorsements for support for unhoused community
We can bring up issues related to oversight of HUD housing managers
Next meeting is this Friday 9:30 on zoom (ask Betsy)

$100            National Council of Gray Panther Networks

$335.00

• Nation Builder - website, membership management 
  • Pay ~5% per transaction for donations received
    $468/year
  • Raines requesting reimbursement for $468/year

DECISION:

• David moves to approve the expenditure/reimbursement
  Daveed seconds
  Passes unanimously
• Robert Magarian moves to join Senior Disability Action, a new membership

BUDGET PROPOSAL and Check Requests:

• Last January the Board approved a total of $500 for current and continuing organizational memberships and contributions.
• DECISION:   Motion proposed to approve $500 total in our 2022 budget for Group Affiliations/Org Membership Dues:  Moved by ________; seconded by :  Unanimous approval.
• DECISION: We will budget $480 for the year for use of Raines’ NationBuilder platform for our EBGP website, database of supporters, email, donations, and online calendar:  This is $39/month for 12 months = $480.00   (to be reimbursed to Raines Cohen, on a regular basis.
  Proposal draft To seek an intern or person to assist with Secretary duties, and Membership Coordination and Website/Research and to budget an amount for them.   Written proposal edited and discussed at length.
• The issue of a budget for outside recruitment was set aside.

Secretary Nomination:

• DECISION :  the nomination of Angeles Gottheil as Secretary of the Board.  Secretary duties will be clarified, but covers at least taking/maintaining approved minutes of Board meetings and its decisions, and keeping membership records.
• Moved by Helen, and seconded by Michael Ruchlis, unanimously approved

Internship

• Betsy is sending out job description
• Helen - we're asking for a lot of tasks, important, and the job needs to be taken seriously
• David doesn't like the word intern
• Allocating a couple thousand dollars to hire an intern to help with board minutes, decision logs, etc.
• $3,300 unallocated
• How much of that do we want to allocate to internship?
• Raines - with in-person membership we can raise more funds
• Determine specific list of what needs to be done, for stipend

Robert Magarian - update on guaranteed healthcare for all Californians
Angeles had to leave at 15:34 but meeting continued
Betsy continued taking notes until the end of the meeting (notes incorporated above)