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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFBMINUTES030205Friends of West University Place Parks Fund, Inc. Board Meeting Minutes March 2, 2005 Friends of West University Place Parks Board met on Wednesday, March 2, 2005, 11:30 a.m., at the Recreation Center. The following were in attendance: Board Members 1. Joni Fichter 5. Stacey Speier 6. Leah Ragiel 7. Cindy Hassler 8. Margaret Wallace 2. Sue Hanna 3. Diana Brown 4. Lynne Goddard Executive Director& West University Parks Staff 1. Donna LaMond 2. Tim O'Connor Chairman's Report - Joni Fichter The March meeting was called to order at 11:30 a.m. by Chair Joni Fichter. A report was given and the following items covered: A motion was made by Lynne Goddard and Sue Hanna seconded to approve the minutes as sent to all for the last meeting. The motion carried. Margaret Wallace is working with a team on getting all the old West U Street signs delivered to those who purchased them at the Ball. Joni received a check from JMH for $1000 from the coffee tip jar. Joni announced that Whitt Johnson had designated Parks Funds as recipients of any memorial donations people would like to make in his memory. Joni plans to speak with the Rotary about anything they may be considering doing in Whitt's honor. Perhaps there is an opportunity for working together on something special for the Whitt Johnson Park Executive Director Report - Donna LaMond Park Lovers Ball 05 Donna read a thank-you note from Linda Lewis about the efforts surrounding the Ball this year. Numbers are still being finalized. There have been some challenges to overcome including temporarily not being able to access the QuickBooks account information due to some computer issues. Sue Hanna and Donna met on Friday to work on the matching funds number for the Lewis Family Charitable Foundation. There are still some outstanding underwriter balances as well as some auction balances to collect. Donna has sent out invoices. There are still checks arriving in the mail and people are still purchasing sociables. The estimated gross number from the Ball at this time is $156,000. Based on Sue's calculations, the net for the ball is expected to be more than $80,000. There are some great photographs from the Ball taken by Genesis Photographers. The web site address to look at photos from the ball is: www.genesisphotographers.com. 75-861 is the password that you will need to enter. The auditors are in the City offices this week and Donna has been asked to work with Sue to gather and turn over information they need for the annual audit of Friends. Donna attended a meeting at Joni's house on Feb. 7 with Vicki Grams, Leah Ragiel, and Joni. The purpose of the meeting was to consider other fundraising vehicles for Friends as well as how to generate a new volunteer base. Leah is researching the formation of a Guild, and also investigating the possibility of a family event tagged onto the City's annual Easter Egg hunt. Joni suggested that if it is determined to go forward on a 2006 Easter Event, then perhaps Friends should go ahead and publicize this year a bigger and better "Easter" event for 2006. Tim suggested that we wait a few months past Easter and publicize the event for next year's Easter Event. On Feb. 14, Donna met with Tim O'Connor, Michael Ross, and Joni to discuss potential funding from Harris County for the Rice Pocket Park development. Donna's time is currently devoted to follow-up for the Ball. This includes responding to inquiries about auction purchases, being sure auction items purchased, but not picked up the night of the Ball, are delivered to the high bidder (Margaret Wallace has been doing a great job assisting with this effort), invoicing underwriters for commitments not yet paid, invoicing auction high bidders who did not check out the night of the event, generating underwriter final thank-you letters, paying invoices generated by the ball, and generating auction donor thank-you letters. After the Ball wrap-up above is completed, Donna will work on updating the website with post ball information AND she needs a volunteer to help her make sure that the underwriter commitments that were committed to are handled. For example, posting signs at various parks, etc. Donna requested that Katy work on getting some press releases out acknowledging the underwriters, etc. Donna did submit pictures and an article to City Currents. Park Lovers' Ball 2006 Donna has tentatively secured Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006, at the InterContinental Houston Hotel for the 2006 ball. This is the only date available in February prior to Valentine's Day. There was a Friday and Saturday in late January also available at the time that Donna last talked to the hotel. The search continues to be narrowed down for candidates for Ball chair for 2006. Cindy Hassler will head-up underwriting efforts for 2006. Martha Turner would like to participate in a bigger way in the 2006 Ball next year. They would like a higher visibility in West U. Board felt that we should contact Encore Bank first about being the Grand Sponsor for next year since they were the Grand Sponsor this year. If they are interested, then Donna would talk to Martha Turner about other opportunities like the Easter Event in 2006. If Encore is not interested in the 2006 Ball Grand Sponsorship, then Friends could offer that to Martha Turner. Diana Brown offered to speak with Encore about their sponsorship interests for next year. Donna offered to supply Diana with a sponsorship opportunities information sheet (here's what marketing opportunities you get for your sponsorship or $ invested). Donna also announced that Gayle Jackson has decided that 2005 would be her last time to do reservations, so that position will need to be filled. Additional Objectives Arbor Day - April 16, 2005. Sue is in charge of recruiting volunteers to work at the Friends' booth. Will need approximately four to assist with this event. Donna will work with Lynne Goddard on BuyForCharity.com as a new Friends Community Partner and to revitalize our existing partners and explore new ones. Friends annual newsletter. Donna plans to work with Membership/Newsletter Chair, Katy Holt, to get this project underway. Donna wants to schedule a date and time to get a photo of Gayle Jackson, Ross Frazer, and Beverly Loftis by "their trees" at Colonial Park for a press release. Assist with Foundation goals. Schedule meeting with committee chair and other members to move forward on establishing goals and the implementation of these goals. Donna will continue to get miscellaneous acknowledgement letters out as gifts are received. Treasurer's Report - Sue Hanna The report is attached. Board Reports E-store and Paver Program - Diana Brown 0 No report Admin/PR Committee - Katherine Kardesch and Margaret Wallace a No report Development Committee - Charlie Henke-Chair. Jeannette Bauahman Stacey Speier This committee needs to meet and discuss a number of items: Whitt Johnson Park Matching List Lisa Grotten Boren memorial to family (work with Linda Lewis and Joni) Parks and Wildlife Centerpointe Kenny Mercado per Michael Ross Lewis Family Charitable Foundation Major neighborhood donors - identify, contact, kick off some type of estate planning/early giving campaign NFL Grant, Savvy Award thru Foleys, Chase Award Membership & Marketing - Katy Holt Newsletter - Donna and Katy will meet on this soon and include matching at the Rec Center. Plan to get Membership packets to new members from Ball. 100 percent board participation is really needed. Getting information to new home buyers through realtors is a goal. Wish List/Giving Tree - Vicki Grams & Maria Elena Herbst A No Report Business Partners - Lynne Goddard Lynne asked if Friends would use a site like buyforcharity.com - has a list of stores from which you could purchase items, and a portion would go to Friends. Most said it would depend on the availability of stores and items. Contracts, Nominations, and Bylaws Parks Board is re-doing the bylaws and Joni has proposed the relationship of Friends raising the money, and having input and approval versus the Park Board designing and implementing. Parks & Advisory Liaison - Cece McCann No Report Council Report Wireless is on hold. Will await an update from Stacey Speier and Mike Woods on wireless capabilities in the parks; cost, safety, sponsor, city liability, web cam, in conjunction with WULL at Pocket park. Parks & Rec Report - Tim O'Connor ARF Park - Stacey Speier - Will present recommendation to City Council on the second Monday in April. Parks Master Plan Task Force - Kick-off meeting will be held on March 8 at 7 p.m. at the Rec Center. Old Business V Nothing to report. New Business Sue Hanna suggested that Friends consider having a large garage sale in West U. The next Friends Board meeting will be held on April 6 at 11:30 a.m. in the Rec Center. Adjournment Lynne Goddard made the motion to adjourn the Friends meeting and Cindy Hassler seconded the motion. The motion passed.