Clinton Community Garden – Steering Committee Meeting – General Meeting open to all CCG Members
Fountain House, W47th Street, New York, NY, Basement
4 March 2014 @ 6 pm
Attending – Steve, Laura ’13, Yaeko ’13, Stan ’13, Margaret ’13, Bruce ’10, Mark ’13, Jenny.
This is the Garden’s Corporate meeting.
Voting will close around 7:30 pm, pizza at 7:30 pm. Steve wants to get the voting completed first.
We will meet and greet arriving members by the elevator.
Treasurer’s Report. There are no updates since the report distributed a few weeks ago. The $6k grant has not been added yet. Mark asked to clarify categories on the budget to clarify and make life easier for the Treasurer, some items are ambiguous. Mark sugested putting all project-like items onto one line item.
After the General Meeting we will have the meet and greet with new Steering Committee members.
The first full meeting with new Steering Committee members will be the beginning of April.
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7:23 pm The General Meeting with all members present began.
Steve Greeted the assembled members. Stan and others were opening proxy ballots in the back. Anne Haas advised she wanted to hear from candidates before voting, before votes are counted.
The Candidates Britta Wheeler, Kathy Wehmeyer, Tom Cayler, and Bruce Kramer were present. Any Padian had an out of town engagement, and Vivian was not present.
Britta Wheeler introduced herself to the assembled members.
Tom Cayler introduced himself to the assembled members. Tom claimed there are three mistakes which make the ballot invalid. Tom claimed Steve’s second term is up. Tom claimed Bruce’s second term was last year. Tom claimed Margaret came on the Steering Comittee on 2012. Tom claimed we celebrate the end of Steve’s second term.
Member John Kennan called for a reading of the meeting agenda.
Steve set out the agenda:
-Greeting of Members
-Hear from Candidates
-Treasurer’s Report
-Committee Reports
-Allow Members to meet and mingle with candidates
-Voting
-New Business from the floor
-Presentation of the John Carney award
There was a discussion of Steering Committee terms. Members of the Steering committee can run for a 3rd two-year term with the unanimous permission of the Steering committee. Tom reiterated that the ballot is mistaken and therefore illegal. Anne advised that the March 2010 minutes show that Steve was voted onto the steering committee.
Tom motioned that Steve should remove himself from the ballot. This was seconded. Britta took charge and advised she would entertain three for and three arguing against. There were arguments for and against. Steve agreed to remove himself from the ballot, and would remain the Steering Committee chair until the end of the meeting, and offered his assistance with the transition to a new chair. There was a motion to accept the meeting agenda, seconded. May votes Yea, no votes nay and no abstentions. the motion to accept the agenda was carried.
Tom continued his presentation to the members.
Kathy presented herself to the members.
Britta presented herself to the members.
Bruce presented himself to the members.
There was a motion to accept Steering Committee nominations from the floor, seconded. Bruce counted approx. 38 members present, Tom Cayler counted approx. 40 members present.
There was a motion to accept the five candidated from the ballot, then accept additional nominations from the floor, which can include a sixth person on the ballot. Seconded. Voted. Many or all Yea, no Nay, no Abstentions, the motion was carried.
Committee Reports
Mark’s Treasurer’s Report. Mark asked for recommendations for the money currently in the Morgan Stanley Fund, which is not returning much. Preferably a fund which is ethical. We will also need to do repairs on the compost upper storage, front fence, west gate and shed and we cannot be sure how much those repairs will cost.
Jenny reported that regrettably the bees have died, likely due to the extremely cold winter.
Debbie requested that a place be set aside to store the bee equipment.
Tom’s Lawn and Snow committee report. March 29 will be the next lawn treatment. Tom thanked the snow team for their participation during a rough winter.
Marguerita pointed out that the padlock on the front gate is not good, volunteers have broken keys trying to open and close it. She requested a new padlock.
New Business
It was suggested we replace some of the hoses. Tom suggested that on lawn day we have a walk through the garden so people can identify items that need to be done.
John Keenan pointed out there is nothing in the bylaws on how the Garden conducts an election. He suggested there should be no head start with a mail in vote. Nominations should be anounced at the general meeting not announced beforehand. The Steering committee can reccomend candidates at the General meeting. Anne Haas pointed out a 2/3 majority of the members is required to change the bylaws. She suggested John email his suggestions and the steering committee can review them. Debbie strongly suggested we have a lawyer go over the proposed bylaws, we would need legal assistance to change the bylaws for everyone’s protection.
There was a motion that a bylaw committee be created to reveiw the bylaws. One Nay, many ayes, no abstentions. The motion passed.
Anne Haas motioned to form a bylaws subcommittee, with 3 Steering Committee members and members from the general membership. Dru suggested we table this motion for later. It was suggested the Steering Committee send out notes and communicate more. John urged that we not ‘kick the ball down the road’. Margaret and Mark suggested doing this at the next April meeting, and create the electoral committee. John objected to the Steering Committee choosing who was eligible candidates.
An email will be sent to the General Membership inviting all to come to the April meeing to join the Electoral Procedures Committee.
Steve announced that the John Carney Award was awarded to Kazuo Akane. Yaeko Akane accepted in Kazuo’s absence.
Stan announced the top five vote-getters on the ballot, in alphabetical order: Tom, Vivian, Bruce, Andy and Britta, four new and one re-elected Steering Committee members.
Steve announced that he had recently received a email from Vivian advising that she withdrew her candidacy, and also turned in her back plot, citing contentiousness in the garden.
There were nominations for Lisa and Jose, who both declined.
There was a nomination for Linda Palais, and Stan advised Linda also received some write-ins.
There was a nomination for Kathy Wehmeyer.
Kathy was voted upon, several ayes, no nays, no abstentions. Kathy was voted in.
Linda was voted upon, several ayes, no nays, no abstentions. Linda was voted in.
The new Steering Committee stands at – Stan, Margaret, Yaeko, Mark, Bruce, Laura, Andy, Tom, Britta, Kathy and Linda.
There was a move to adjourn, seconded, several ayes, no nays, the meeting was was adjourned.
* * *
Second Steering committee meeting.
Attending – Tom, Britta, Laura, Stan, Kathy, Yaeko, Bruce and Mark. There were several members absent so it was decided to vote in new officers the following tuesday at 7:30 pm, place to be announced.
The Second Steering Committee meeting was adjourned.