November 21, 2008

Present: Michael McNamara (chair), Michael Berman, Kevin McMahon, Jenny Brown, Masoud Zadeh, Joanne Ovitsland, Ian Thomson Recorder: Reina LeBaron
Regrets: Erin O'Brien-Hornsey, Bill Engleson, Michelle Wilson, Scott Sweeney.

Call to order: 7:02 pm

1. Minutes accepted by general consent with a correction to 'Present' to include Board members' last names.

2. Agenda accepted by general consent.

3. Business Arising from previous minutes:

a. Quilt money: Kevin has not yet spoken with April as he would like a clearer mandate of what to request.
M/S/C Kevin/Masoud 'That ISLA request 75% of the quilt money for ISLA purpose.'

b. Board Development workshop: Kevin tried to arrange a couple of dates but has not had success. It seems ISLA is not very engaged with the community so it might be worthwhile to reconsider inviting other boards to attend such a workshop as a kind of community out-reach. Would need to ask if this will work for the facilitator. What does ISLA want from the workshop? Direction and motivation.
M/S/C Kevin/Joanne 'That the Board Retreat proceed if eight people including all the executive members can attend.'
The timing, first or second week of January, will depend on the facilitator's availability.
ACTION: Kevin will arrange the date with the facilitator and confirm with board members.
There was a question about how far ahead to plan. It seems that single-family homes may become obsolete soon. It would make sense to start with the people in need and develop their ideal housing.
There is still a while to go before buildings can be started. It doesn't seem that ISLA has locked itself into one particular building style.
There was a question about whether ISLA should still try for charitable status.
It seems that the next steps are organizational, administrative then land acquisition and service installations.
There is work to be done on the constitution including board member terms and ownership and rental housing models.
It would be great to use the workshop to work out what's achievable and how to get things done. It would also be useful to have a staff person hired and able to attend the workshop as well.

c. Staff person: Jenny received an e-mail from Sandy Bishop of Lopez Island Land Trust regarding job description and ideas for hiring a staff person. She suggests hiring a full-time Executive Director and make part of their job description raising funds for their salary.
There was general agreement to call the position 'administrator' and hire them for an initial contract of six months at 40 hours a month.
ACTION: Joanne will draft an ad, confirm it with the executive and put it in the Grapevine on Monday.
It was suggested that respondents e-mail resumes only (proves a minimum level of computer literacy).
ACTION: Two or three board members will form the hiring committee to interview and hire during the second week of December.

d. Constitution

ACTION: Michael B. and Ian will meet once or twice a month to draft revisions to the constitutions for discussion/decision by February 1.

Suggestions:

-refocus on Hornby solely

-clarify board membership and term length

-narrow the stated goals of ISLA

-emphasize hold land in perpetuity for provision of long-term affordable housing

-consider ways to meet charities guidelines

There will likely need to be one or more special Board meetings to work on the constitution, perhaps at mid-month.

(From previous minutes ACTION: Michael B will ask CRA about low-income: How do they monitor and administer people's incomes?)

e. Bernhard Weiss update

The Weiss project is continuing slowly toward subdivision. Berhard is currently having a septic and water capacity assessment performed prior to subdivision. This should include an initial assessment of the land planned for donation.

4. Financial Report: $100 cash received and deposited in petty cash. Kevin has adjusted the budget to reflect an April year-end.

5. New business:

a. Real Estate Foundation Grant: Bill has gotten started on it and sent an e-mail around with the Grant criteria. They only fund 'projects' not running expenses (i.e. staff person). What kind of projects would ISLA initiate? The Board Development Workshop may help define a project. Suggestions: another, more specific, housing workshop in the spring; a planning charette (concentrated design exercise where a specific design problem is worked on intensively by a team/community to develop a design plan.)
ACTION: Michael M. will invite Tony Law, Peter Elkins, and Bill Rapanos to the December 19 meeting.

b. E-mailing: Having established the third Friday evening of each month as a regular meeting time should help resolve the issue of too many e-mails.
It is important to send a new e-mail with new subject line (rather than a 'reply') if there is new content/questions.
ACTION: Jenny will be responsible for booking the Green Room (or other location) and will call board members five days in advance to remind them.
There was general agreement that a meeting be cancelled if there was no quorum (six members including one executive member).

c. Housing Needs Assessment: The Housing Needs Assessment report is due anytime.
ACTION: Joanne will talk to Tony Law and report at next meeting.

d. Community outreach: Jenny thinks that ISLA is a bit invisible in the community. It will be important to do some big fund-raisers eventually. Jo-Ann Harrison wondered if ISLA was too top-down with not enough connection with the people in need of housing. How does ISLA connect with those people?
ACTION: Jenny will make herself a button to wear sometimes: 'I'm an ISLA board member'let's talk about housing!'
Important to get support from the new Trustee, Fred Hunt.
ACTION: Jenny, Kevin and Masoud will form the Outreach committee.
Invite Tony Law to attend every other meeting. It would be useful to map ALL the possible community housing areas.
It was suggested that ISLA provide a speaker at a New Horizon's Literary Lunch (could be sponsored through Heron Rocks Friendship Centre Society). Perhaps this could happen in connection with the Housing Needs Assessment report.
It was also suggested that ISLA report at some HIRRA meetings.
There was general consent to having 'Community Outreach' as a regular agenda item.

e. Next meeting: Friday, December 19, 2008

Adjourned: 9:10 pm