July 2021 Board Meeting Minutes
SRG Monthly Board Meeting
July 21, 2021
APPROVED Minutes
1. Call to Order + Opening Remarks
Jim Dallas called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
Board Members present included: Jim Dallas, President; Michael Pastore, President-Elect; Debby Brown, Treasurer; Chris Currington, Secretary; Neil Putz, Past-President, Nancy Kelly (via Zoom), Margi Koors, Nancy Lambert and Karen Moske. Billy Tomber arrived at 7:30 p.m.
Absent from the meeting: Gary Toribio
Jim welcomed attendees and acknowledged that the last time many of us were together was at the Awareness Night, which had a great turnout and was a useful and productive meeting with Board Members and Committee Chairs.
2. Minutes of the Previous Monthly Board Meeting
Chris Currington, Secretary, said that the minutes from the previous June Board Meeting had been emailed to the Board Members a week previously and there were no changes from any Board Members.
Michael Pastore made a motion to accept the draft of the June Board Meeting minutes. Nancy Lambert seconded.
The vote was taken.
All voted in favor to accept the minutes. No votes opposed it.
3. Financial Report
Debby Brown, Treasurer, said she had the bank balance but not the profit and loss (P&L). The current balance is ~$70,800, up a little bit because of membership enrollments. Jim Dallas said Debby has to sync the bank balance with Quick Books, and that she is waiting on month end. There were more membership renewals in July equaling a couple hundred dollars.
Margi Koors asked if Debby had the income from fundraising. Debby said she did not. Michael Pastore said he could access Quick Books and there was a check that was deposited but not showing up yet because it needs to be reconciled.
There was a brief discussion about the recent Soulard Concert at Market Park and the revenue generated. Jim Dallas said that he deposited about $1,500 after the first concert, and that was a combination of liquor sales, merchandise sales, and donations. However, until Debby has the opportunity to catch up and reconcile the numbers, it’s hard to say where we are with total income.
Debby said she can start trying to do a P&L for the Board prior to the Board Meetings, and that she’d email the Board when the month-end P&L was completed.
Jim Dallas said the P&L for the previous fiscal year was -$23,250. Cash at the beginning of the previous fiscal year was $93,467; at the end $70,217 (so, this is the beginning reserve for FY2022).
Jim said that, as of July 21, the financials had been posted on the SRG Website under where we post the Committees and the Minutes. Debby and Michael reviewed the financials and they’re acceptable.
Also on the website, under the Important Documents section, the new purchase procedures and budget process can be found there. Jim’s intention is to post the financial information on a regular basis, and as we create new policies and procedures (P&Ps) and important documents, those will be posted there, too.
Jim then turned attention to the engagement agreement with Linda Howdeshell for auditing and filing the tax return by November. The engagement takes Board agreement and approval before moving forward. The cost will be $4,850 for the audit and $775 to file the tax return, for a total of $5,625 that’s been included in the Board and General Membership approved budget.
Michael Pastore said he read the engagement and made the motion to move forward with the engagement with Linda Howdeshell. Neil Putz seconded the motion. There was no discussion.
The vote was taken. All voted in favor of the engagement with Linda Howdeshell. No votes opposed it.
4. American Legion Plaque
Jim Dallas said that, at the Community Party in June, the American Legion post awarded SRG for services rendered a “Lifetime Friend” award, Class of 2021.
The Legion has a row of plaques above the counter, and they would like to know if we want to hang the SRG plaque with the others, or at the Soulard Station. Margi Koors asked the options for placement at either location. Jim said he liked the idea of the American Legion hanging it so it can be seen by other groups aside from SRG at the Soulard Station. Jim also said it looks like other organizations put them in their own space and SRG would be the only organization at the American Legion.
There was a brief discussion about the relationship between the Legion and SRG. Jim and Michael will compose a letter of thanks for the American Legion, and deliver the letter, along with the plaque, for the American Legion to post in their building.
5. By-laws
Jim Dallas said that in June, he sent the Board a cover memo regarding the by-laws revisions, as well as some supporting materials, and asked everyone to review the memo and decide how to review the other attachments. Jim then opened the meeting to questions about the by-laws revisions.
Margi Koors asked what the motivation was behind the by-laws revisions. Jim said that when he read them the first time, they seemed out of date and needed updating. The current by-laws date back to before Jim was on the Board. Gary Toribio reached out last March or April to get feedback from individuals about the by-laws, and since Jim has been on the Board, he started working closely with Gary to pick up on what he started. A lot of changes have resulted with the working group and other reviews. Margi agreed that the by-laws needed to be cleaned up.
Jim said that the changes that need to be made came from the working group, their collective knowledge, things that have occurred over the years, and that some things were only documented in minutes but needed to be added to the by-laws.
Margi said that there are several sections that she’s going to need to review closely before she signs off. Margi also gave an example of a recent Board decision (i.e., only the President knows who Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are, not the full Board, before the award is given) that needs to be updated in the by-laws. Margi said, as a Board, we need to take time to walk through the document so we can see what is being changed, specifically. Nancy Lambert said that was the purpose of the PowerPoint (supporting material Jim mentioned previously), and when she had a question, she would go back to the supporting information. Nancy also said reviewing by-laws can be difficult and this is our opportunity to have input and to fill holes.
Nancy Lambert then said she had a question. If she understands it correctly, the revised by-laws draft is proposing that the Communications Director in the future is going to come from one of the six at-large directors. What if they don’t have a background in the communications skills that are required? Nancy understands what’s trying to be accomplished, but how will SRG ensure they have the right skills? Karen Moske suggested that we can change the language, if that’s an issue, and it’s possible someone with skills can run for election. Billy Tomber clarified that this person would be a Director, and then have responsibility for the Communications Committee. Nancy Lambert reiterated that this would be an important job.
There was then a discussion about the Membership Committee or the Board deciding Lifetime Achievement Awards. Nancy Lambert said that in the by-laws, it will be up to the Board.
Nancy Lambert said she’d like to see the by-laws review move forward. Karen Moske said she’s looking at the by-laws revisions from a legal perspective and hasn’t seen any glaring issues. She also suggested that over the next month, everyone send an email about anything they find concerning. Then, the next meeting we can pick up the subject and discuss.
Neil Putz said this Board cannot disregard the compelling need for changes to the by-laws. If there are contentious points, perhaps we’ll need to review them in bite-size pieces, such as addressing 1/3 one month, 1/3 the next month and so on, so we can close the door on each section and move forward. Neil also suggested we have a milestone of Thanksgiving when the issue is closed and turned over to General Membership. Michael Pastore said that he agreed with this, it was a great idea, and that we should consider compartmentalizing the review. Jim Dallas said he wouldn’t mind being the gatekeeper as he likes that type of role. This was also how the by-laws revision working group managed the process (i.e., read the by-laws, submit questions to Gary and Jim, had working group calls, addressed every concern and comment, etc.).
Jim said he will send the by-laws revisions section to the Board and tell them what to review by when, with emailed responses that will be discussed at the next Board meeting. Karen Moske suggested that, whatever sections or articles are being reviewed, Board members must comment before the next meeting, and if there is no emailed response, then that Board member has acquiesced. Debby Brown said she agreed with this in order to keep the Board meetings shorter and more effective. Billy Tomber said he thinks there’s a half-way point, and that concerns and comments are due a week before the Board Meeting. Margi Koors reminded everyone that they’ll have to read every word, because when we vote on this, it will become the law of the organization.
Jim said he would like to get the by-laws revisions done in his term and ideally would not have to turn the responsibility over to a new Board, which would include a new learning curve process. Karen suggested the Board be finished with the review in September and we vote on it at the September Board Meeting. Then turn it over to General Membership review in November, and have the General Membership vote in December or January. Jim said this approach could take until March. Karen then said if we want to do it sooner, then perhaps review in halves; not thirds. Jim asked the Board if this was feasible. Everyone agreed.
It was resolved that Jim would manage the process of the by-laws revisions reviews, in two half-sections, and that Board Members would have until the next Board Meeting to review and respond via email with any questions and concerns, then those would be discussed at the next Board Meeting.
6. Priorities List from Board Retreat
Prior to this Board Meeting, Jim Dallas sent three lists to the Board; one list was priorities identified by the Board at the retreat; one list is items in process/completed; and one list of items that we should be working on. Jim asked those present to look at the list of items we should be working on in the coming year.
There was a brief discussion about who could/should lead the Fundraising Committee upon Christopher Schwarz’s departure (he has announced he’d like to step down). Nancy Lambert then said we need to identify Board goals since each committee has a mission statement and a set of goals in completing the budget process. Neil Putz acknowledged the list of items the Board should be pursuing, and that the first step should be to assign someone to lead each of the items, and then those individuals should understand the Board’s vision, work that into what they’re doing as their role/committee in the organization, and then let them determine their budgets and processes.
Margi Koors said that in addition to finding a Fundraising Committee chairperson, we should be finding someone to form and lead the New Committee (formerly Residential Promotions). Chris Currington volunteered to head up the discovery process for the New Committee.
Michael Pastore asked why SRG needs a “new membership party” when we already have the Community Party. It was explained that the Membership Committee wanted to invite new members so they could meet committee chairs and join a committee. Karen Moske said this was something that was done at previous community parties (annual membership drives). There were stations with each committee chair there and new members would find out more about the committee. Margi invited this idea for next year’s Membership/Community Party. There was then a brief discussion about having separate get-togethers for a Membership Drive and a Volunteer Drive, and Karen added that previously, at the Membership/Community Party, there was a passport for people to “travel” through the committees.
Nancy Lambert said she will sit down to develop Board goals. Margi said one of those will be to pass the by-laws revisions, and Nancy Lambert agreed.
Jim then asked about the item related to finding out who the Fundraising Chair will be. Margi said she would take the initiative with this and see if she could find someone by getting the word out. Jim then asked Margi if she could have an update about this at the next Board Meeting.
Nancy Lambert then said she wanted to talk about the Soulard Station and John Haas questions at the previous General Membership meeting, because he was bringing up some valid points, namely that we should be working on the useful purpose of the Station and future decisions. Karen then said this should be up to the committee. Jim said that, in the past, that a working group has discussed repairs, expansion, and future progress. There was discussion about what the Station could be used for, such as an historical venue, visitor center or other purpose. Neil said it would be a great place to show the richness of the neighborhood, but that is not for the Historical Committee to consider at this time. Jim then said that we may need to reenergize the working group for the Soulard Station; the purpose is to find a financially viable solution for the building. This could include grants, donations, sponsorships, etc. and turn it into an historical display of our history and this has been done by other buildings in the region.
Michael then said the Station is SRG’s building, we honor it, we love it, and we can gather in it, which is why we have it. Nancy Lambert then said she would love to see the Station as a visitor center. Jim then mentioned the purpose of the Soulard Station working group again, and Billy Tomber said they should come up with a long-term vision.
Nancy Kelly then said she’d like to have a discussion with Jim about the Soulard Station working group and involving the Station Committee. The amount of time will need to be assessed and we want to avoid adding too much to the Station Committee’s plate. Jim agreed to have a call with Nancy Kelly to discuss the working group.
Neil Putz pointed out that the Historical Committee needs to be considered as well when it comes to determining the future of the Station. Studying history and running a museum are different concepts.
7. September 5 Concert
Jim Dallas said that recently, when we had bands performing at the Community Party and for the July concert, the Board had to address several emails quickly to get contracts in place. For the upcoming concert Sept. 5, the Blues Museum Band will be performing, but they have asked for a donation. Jim then asked the question about still needing a contract if SRG is not paying them but providing a donation instead. Margi Koors said there should be something on record, in lieu of a fee, for our own tax purposes. Billy Tomber said for this particular band, it’s the same arrangement we’ve had in the past, but SRG will be paying the sound guy, who does have a contract.
Debby Brown asked if SRG will make the donation, and if there’s a rain date in place. Michael Pastore said we need a contract. Debby then asked if there’s something in the by-laws that addresses this. Jim said that if there’s a contract, the committee chair cannot sign it. Debby then said that maybe this is something to add to the purchasing procedures and not necessarily to the by-laws. SRG needs to give guidance about when they want to have a contract, and there should be a P&P in place. Billy said there’s language in a band contract, and sound contracts, and these are pretty standard.
Jim Dallas said that SRG will have to decide how much to contribute to the museum, and that he’d like to see the financials before we commit. Jim also said that Christopher Schwarz, who has arranged for the National Blues Museum Band, said they’ve asked for a $500 donation, but he’d like to give them $750. Margi agreed with the $750, but Chris also wants to see the P&L before making a decision.
Billy made a formal request that the Fundraising Committee come up with the suggested donation, and then the Board will vote on it. Debby also confirmed that she would look through previous financials to see what the donation for this band has been in the past.
8. Station Repairs Update
Jim Dallas said that recently, the Board approved two repairs to the Station. In total, the repairs were for $2,200 and are classified as “Repair & Maintenance” under the Station’s budget. Repairs were for the sidewalks and the downspout on the south side of the building.
Billy Tomber said he was going to get a bid on trimming the tree above the solar panels, but he will get clearance from the Station and Beautification Committees. Karen Moske said that Richard Eaton does have a contract for tree trimming.
Debby Brown said that, while on the topic of the station, the Ameren bill went down to $20, but now it’s back up to $50 a month. This is probably due to air conditioning. Billy said later in the year, it will be higher because it costs more to heat the Station than to cool it.
9. Leadership Academy
Jim Dallas said that an email went to the Board on June 30, from Frances Davis, about taking a leadership class. The class will be every Monday, Sept. 13 to Nov. 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. SRG has sent people to this training in the past, and would anyone be interested in the neighborhood. Karen Moske asked if we want to pay $300 for this. Michael Pastore said he thinks it’s worthwhile, that SRG members have gone in the past, and we should sponsor someone if they want to go.
Margi Koors commented that it would need to be the right person, someone who’s up and coming, and a good possibility at leadership. Billy Tomber said that, historically, SRG has sponsored this, but made a final presentation to the Board mandatory, and then give a scholarship if they serve as a Committee Chair or sub chair. This way, we’re grooming future leaders. Nancy Kelly mentioned that Bill Clendenen is a graduate.
Jim said that if anyone is interested, including Board members, we have to register soon for the early bird discount, and asked that the Board give him names of people who may be good candidates, and he’ll reach out to them.
10. New Check Request Form
Jim Dallas explained that at the Awareness Night the previous week, the new check request form was distributed. There were some minor edits suggested from the attendees. At the Communications Committee meeting, they were asked to turn the check request form into an editable PDF that will get sent to the Committee Chairs.
There was a question if Debby Brown would be ok with the check requests being emailed to her; she said she’s fine with this but she does prefer paper. Margi Koors also said that anyone submitting the check request form will still need receipts.
There was a question about when the Communications Committee can get the check request form completed. Billy Tomber said within a month, and that is will also be on the SRG Cloud. Jim said that in the meantime, he’d send the un-editable version along with the tax letter. There was a question if the tax letter is for SRG purposes only, and Nancy Lambert added that this should be added when the email goes out; Billy concurred.
11. Additional Committee Reports
a. Beautification
Karen Moske reported that the street pots/planters are doing well. There were plants stolen at the pot located near 9th and Shenandoah. The pots are being consistently watered and it takes 5 hours and saves $100 each time.
There will be St. Louis University students volunteering in Pontiac Square Park on July 29, and there will be a workday the coming Saturday at Aboussie Park from 9 to 11 a.m.
Karen also reminded attendees about the floral and art auction coming up Sept. 11.
There will also be an event at Molly’s on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. At this event, there will be a balloon pop and attendees can win gift certificates or gift cards. The Beautification Committee is also accepting gift-card donations for this event. Karen suggested something be added to The Blaster about the gift-card donations. At the Molly’s event, there will also be a silent auction, so if you have a gift basket or ideas or suggestions that would be a nice item, please let her or Richard Eaton know.
b. Communications
Billy Tomber said the committee met two days previously about the file storage system, and each committee chair should have gotten an email about rolling it out. The committee is rolling it out with as much attention as the audience requires and the committee is doing a thorough job. There are rules in place to make sure every safeguard is in there to make sure the system is not purposefully or accidentally abused.
Megan Mehrle is in charge of rolling out the SRG Cloud, and Billy is assisting her. This has been a long time coming, and Billy acknowledged Megan and her work.
c. Fundraising
Margi Koors said that she had talked to Chris Schwarz before he left town and asked if there were any numbers available from the July Summer Concert; there were not. However, Chris did get the bills turned in to Debby. The committee is looking forward to the Sept. 5 Summer Concert.
There was a meeting at the station to talk about a fundraising event. Originally, the committee wanted to do an event in October, but there’s already Oktoberfest, the fundraiser at Molly’s for the Beautification Committee, and then Halloween, which may be too many events. Then, we’ll be into the holidays. It was recommended that Chris Schwarz discuss with his committee and that more information be available later.
d. Historical
Neil Putz said the committee is very welcoming of the file storage, and they’ve identified some very specific projects (digitizing all back issues of the Soulard papers The Restorationist and The Renaissance). Many Soulard residents would like to see these.
There was also an idea from Philip Hanley about digitizing previous Mardi Gras posters. He will help to collect the posters. The committee received an interesting question—would SRG be looking to make money off of the posters? The answer here needs to be looked into because the origin of the question isn’t necessarily clear. Philip will be engaging on this.
Another project is history research training, and this will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting. In the past, there has also been a show-and-tell of items of interest.
The committee is also assigning tasks, such as the new sign caps, to John Durnell. The committee is cataloguing and maintaining the constellation of the signs and the next targets/groups for signs.
e. Membership
Margi Koors said that the Community Party was a great event, even with rain delays. At the next committee meeting, they’ll be discussing a potential event with new members.
Jim Dallas said he reached out to Veronica Putz about the latest membership numbers. Neil Putz said that we now have more Friends of Soulard memberships than we had previously, and we can still grow membership. Margi said the committee needs to reach out again so members renew. Karen Moske said the committee should reach out to businesses, too. Julie Price (Membership Committee Chair) has told the businesses that they can only get the beads (from the Community Party) if they renew. Jim also said he wants to check with Veronica and Julie about including his name on the outreach letters. Neil said we need to incentivize businesses to join, and also reminded those making outreach that the businesses will be listed in the roster as advertising.
Debby Brown asked about the membership numbers and membership renewals. Billy Tomber said people sign up or renew every week. Margi said the committee wants as many new members as possible because they will be creating a new roster. Karen mentioned that, sometimes what works is if we have a list or roster, and notice a neighbor isn’t on the list, to go talk to them and have them join or renew. Margi said she would discuss this option at the next committee meeting and what they need to do to get people to renew.
f. Parlour Tour
Nancy Lambert reported that there was a meeting the previous night, and the committee had hoped to have the Parlour Tour in-person for 2021. They discussed many options, talked it all through, and ended up taking a vote. Because of the uptick in Covid (delta variant) cases, the Parlour Tour is unlikely to be in-person. The committee is coming up with an alternative idea for a virtual tour in the next few weeks. There may be a VIP in-person experience that would be easier to cancel than having houses set up and having to cancel transportation. The committee is upset about the circumstances but not the decision; they researched and went through everything.
Margi Koors asked if the committee is looking for people and their homes for the virtual tours. Nancy said they are and that there are 7 strong prospects lined up. Michael Pastore said that for the 2020 tour, it was very easy to participate. Nancy said there’s a small subcommittee meeting in a couple of weeks to develop more ideas for the virtual tour. Michael mentioned that even though the Parlour Tour was virtual in 2020, it still brought in ~$8,000 without charging. Neil Putz said that for the 2021 tour, there may be a paid gate. Billy Tomber said it also may be free to enter, but if you give $25, then you’ll get a keepsake. Neil also said that anyone who volunteers their home for the virtual tour also gets the added value of the historical research.
g. PRT
Karen Moske said that the new place, Calypso, is planning to open across the street from the Great Grizzly Bear, and there’s an issue with a garage door, but everything seems to be working out well. Everything has been friendly and nothing antagonistic.
h. Safety
Nancy Lambert said that Andrea Maddox-Dallas is compiling data from the safety survey, analyzing it, and hopes to have information at the next Board Meeting before presenting it to the General Membership. Nancy also said that Andrea has a list of items that have been fixed if anyone wants to look at it. Michael Pastore pointed out that 3 days after the Safety Walk, the lights had been replaced in his alley. Nancy Lambert also said that Forestry has given dates about when things will be addressed.
i. Soulard Station
Nancy Kelly said she had a long conversation with Laura Grace, Bonita Leiber and Dennis about the Station. The Station is a labor of love for them, and they’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears to keep it looking as good as the building does. The committee is putting together what they need to do to get repairs to the sidewalk, which are overdue and much needed. Hopefully, the committee can schedule a fundraiser.
12. Adjourn
Prior to adjourning, Michael Pastore announced that on Saturday, Oct. 9, there will be a parade for Don Kirby, and Funky Butt will be the band. Margi Koors asked if it was a golf cart parade. Michael said it will be walkers and golf carts. Nancy Lambert asked where the parade will start. It will start at the American Legion. Michael said he’s organizing this event, so if there are any additional questions, people can contact him directly.
Karen Moske asked if SRG has surveyed membership about what they’d like to see happen with the Soulard Station. Nancy Lambert said there hasn’t been. Jim Dallas mentioned that previously, a survey resulted in not renting out the Station, but no one was able to get their hands on the results. Billy Tomber asked if we could add this as an old-business item for the next Board Meeting. Jim said that he is anticipating a good call with Nancy Kelly, and then they’ll get the working group together.
Karen then confirmed with Jim that he would be sending the by-laws revisions and how far the Board will review (see notes above).
Michael Pastore made the motion to adjourn the meeting. Margi Koors seconded.
The vote was taken.
All voted in favor of adjourning the meeting.