SRG BOARD MEETING MINUTES JULY 2024

Aug 26

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 7PM

PRESENT
Officers: Abbey Bethel, Past President; Adriano Martinez, President; Neil Putz, FY25 Treasurer; Abby Goodson, Secretary; Directors: Beth Bennett, Joy Christensen, Aaron Terry, Wade Weistreich, Alan Ziegler

REGRETS
Officer: Amanda Ramcharan, President-Elect; Director: Paula Dostal

LOCATION
Soulard Station | 1911 South 12th Street

Call to Order/Opening Remarks

Meeting called to order at 7:03pm by Adriano Martinez.

Secretary’s Report

Abby Goodson reported that a draft of the June board meeting minutes had been circulated with the officers, and noted that we’re waiting on final budget confirmation before sharing the draft with the full board for review. She added that the review and motion to approve the June board meeting minutes will take place via email in the coming weeks or at the August board meeting.

Treasurer’s Report

Neil Putz shared that the SRG is operating three separate bank accounts:

Carrollton Bank Checking: $63,788.95
Carrollton Bank Savings: $10,111.88
Carrollton Bank Money Market: $12,518.15

Neil opened a discussion to the board about moving money from our savings and checking accounts into the money market fund, which yields a higher interest. The board was supportive in that recommendation and determined that Neil should look at how many checks have been written in the past to ensure there aren’t limitations with writing checks from the money market account.

Neil also informed the board about a long-existing account with Edele and Mertz that certain committees have accessed when needing to buy SRG supplies. Neil added that there isn’t currently an operating procedure at Edele & Mertz to record which person or committee has made the charge, which affects the budget and how the treasurer records committee spend. The board discussed potential solutions and came to a consensus around identifying how often the account gets used and educating the committee liaisons/chairs about managing their individual budgets and submitting reimbursements in a timely manner so that the proper recording can happen.

Committee Roundtable

Beautification: Beth Bennett said the Pontiac Square Park volunteer clean up day was a success on July 13 with over a dozen volunteers pulling weeds in preparation for the Bastille Day beheading on July 20.
Community Involvement & Events (CI&E): Aaron Terry noted that Bastille Day is this Saturday. Four volunteer walking guides are still needed for the parade. Wade asked if we have ever had wheel watchers and/or insurance to ensure safety/liability. Abbey Bethel commented that Soulard Business Association (SBA) organizes/pays for the event, while SRG gathers volunteers.
Communications (ComCom): Abby Goodson stated that ComCom is working on creating a contact form on the SRG website that is routable; noted that additional Soulard businesses will be added to the website soon; mentioned that we will have access to wireless mics at our next SRG meeting; and announced that ComCom will be launching a new initiative to identify derelict properties in the neighborhood by working with other committees, Soulard residents, and city officials and working to develop a standard protocol on how to remedy their neglected status to improve the safety and value of the neighborhood.
Development: Alan Ziegler noted that the second of three Soulard Summer Concert series concerts is taking place this Saturday after the Bastille Parade in Soulard Market Park from 6–9pm.
Historical: Beth Bennett stated that Mitch Goist and Amanda Ramcharan gave a presentation about their ongoing restoration of the Lion House.
Membership: Adriano Martinez said he plans on meeting with a couple of people who have expressed interest in the Membership Chair position.
Parlour Tour: Meeting forthcoming, update to come in August.
PRT: Beth Bennett said they will be meeting next Tuesday to discuss the updates to the historic code.
Properties/Station: Abbey Bethel is in the process of getting second and third quotes for the roof repair.
Safety: Wade Weistreich announced that National Night Out will be held October 1, that the deadline to register is September 10, and that SRG will reimburse your block $150; and mentioned that folks looking to start a neighborhood watch group via the GroupMe app should reach out to safety@soulard.org.

Old Business

CID Expansion Meeting: Wade Weistreich said the CID Expansion organizers are looking to get signatures for the expansion and would like to set-up a table before/after the SRG meetings and at the socials. The board said the CID representative could advertise it during their roundtable update during the next meeting. Abby Goodson mentioned that other neighborhood events, including the summer concert series, might provide an opportunity to reach a broader neighborhood audience.
Community Meeting Regarding Shelter: Adriano Martinez recapped the community meeting on Monday, June 24 from 5–7pm at SBAC where Andre Cole of Urban City Services discussed his plans of operating a transitional shelter in the current Peter and Paul Community Services space, following their move to North St. Louis. Adriano noted that an action item from the meeting was for the CID to create a blueprint of standards for the neighborhood, determine who will fund the shelter and who will be in charge to ensure transparency and a successful transition.
AmeriCorp will present at the August general membership meeting.
FY25 Budget will be on the website before the August general membership meeting to ensure we’re in compliance with the by-laws.

New Business

Gift for Luke Reynolds: A card was distributed for the board to sign with recovery wishes and a discussion was had to order a plant from Riley’s.
Christy Finsel property: We discussed the email we received about her wanting to purchase her ancestral land just south of downtown. While the area isn’t in Soulard, the board wanted to offer her an opportunity to speak at our August or September board meeting or come to the 8th Ward Consortium meeting in September.

Adjourn

Wade Weistreich motioned to adjourn at 8:24 pm. Joy Christensen seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Action Items

Abby Goodson will share a draft of the June board meeting minutes for review.
Neil Putz will review past Edele & Mertz charge amounts and frequencies to grasp how often the account is used and he will conduct an educational session with current liaisons and chairs to ensure they are tracking their committee budgets/spend.
Adriano Martinez will meet with interested Membership Chair candidates.
Adriano Martinez will order a plant from Riley’s for Luke Reynolds.
Adriano Martinez will respond to Christy Finsel and invite her to a future meeting.