Water Valley Community Association

Meeting Minutes, Oct. 15, 2008

1. In attendance:

Ally Dunham (President), Stacy Miller (Treasurer), Judy O’Leary(Secretary), Veronica Ramsay, Brad Teigen. Absent Directors: Colin Swarbrick.

2. Minutes

Minutes from the last meeting approved. Moved by Stacy Miller, Seconded by Ally Dunham.

3. Treasurer's Report:

Stacy Miller.

4. Presentation by Lorna Oltrop

Lorna Oltrop stated that she was terminated from her position at the Water Valley Public Library “with cause” on August 11, 2008. She is requesting the WVCA to retract these causes and make an apology in the local paper (later defined as The Hitching Post). She also wants the apology read aloud at a meeting of the Friends of the Water Valley Public Library Society by the President of that Society while her husband, Don Oltrop, is present.

If this is done, Lorna Oltrop gives her word that she will drop the issue and make no further claims on the Water Valley Community Association, the Friends of the Water Valley Public Library Society or any of the members of these two organizations.

The executive of the WVCA will respond to Lorna as soon as possible on this request.

Lorna has submitted her resignation as a member of the WVCA Board.

Old Business

• a. Review of financial reports by accountant
  • Stacy is still working on locating an accountant to do this.
• b. Bylaw Subcommittee Report
  • Dick Jarand presented draft sections of the proposed new bylaws. Once these are approved by the executive, they will be sent to the province for registration and then presented to the AGM. Some details will be dealt with as separate addendums.
  • Suggestions made to the subcommittee:
    • Change miles to kilometres
    • Define children as under 18
    • Make financial benefits to members more general, i.e, receive reduced rental rates, and a schedule of rates can be developed later.
  • At the AGM a motion should be passed authorizing the Board to select two members to act as auditors rather than electing these auditors at that time. Memberships and dues would be collected at the AGM.
  • Draft policies and procedures were also presented.
  • Input on any of these documents should be sent directly to the Bylaw Subcommittee.
• c. Building Subcommittee
  • The Building Subcommittee will invite the executive of the WVCA and past members of the building subcommittee to a meeting to review the current building proposals. Tentative dates for the meeting are Thurs Oct 30 or Thurs Nov 6
• d. Internet Tower
  • All appeals have been denied and the project is proceeding with construction.
  • Moved by Veronica Ramsay, seconded by Stacy Miller to hire a lawyer to assist the WVCA draw up a contract between the community association and Corridor/Cochrane Lake Gas Coop with respect to issues such as the land lease agreement, revenue sharing and the chance to renegotiate should the standards change in subsequent contracts.
  • It was suggested that we negotiate with Corridor/Cochrane Lake to have our costs of drawing up this contract covered.
• e. Library Subcommittee
  • Judy O’Leary presented the results of the investigation into possible renovations of the Chinook Creative Arts building to allow for possible library expansion:
    • Represented at the meeting on Oct 3 held at the Chinook Arts Building: WV Play School, Friends of the WV Library, Chinook Creative Arts, WVCA, Province of Alberta Heritage Conservation advisor Rino Baso, and Norman Webster, structural engineer and local volunteer
    • The building is currently a municipal level historic resource with little protection but will likely become a provincial resource in Jan/Feb 09 and will have more restrictions on changes, but more funding will be available for restoration (up to $100,000 no matching required)
    • the kinds of renos contemplated ( opining up the upstairs wall and putting doors across the top of the stairs) would be permissible from the perspective of both heritage conservation(even at the provincial resource level) and structural engineering
    • follow-up: Norman will contact an architect specializing in heritage restoration to get more information on what is possible/reasonable
    • costs will be estimated
  • A representative from Axia inspected the building today (Oct 15) and indicated that the SuperNet facility could be easily moved at no cost to the WVCA. A good location would be the broom closet under the stairs. Axia would do all the finishing carpentry and electrical work for us. They will soon forward a written plan for our review.
  • A new librarian, Jaymee Shea, has been hired. Library hours have been expanded from 6 to 8 hours per week:
    • Tuesday 11-1
    • Tuesday and Thursday 7:00-8:30
    • Saturday 10-1
• f. Turkey dinner
  • This was very successful with good attendance and $1,000 profit.

6. New Business

• a. Halloween Party
  • Jodi Litzenberger will run this again this year. This year she has received some funding from FCSS, but is asking the WVCA for a donation of $100 for each of last year and this year. Request approved.
  • Veronica will provide 30 bales of hay for the event.
  • Thanks to Jodi for putting on this great event.
• b. Insurance
  • Elise Gareau-Smith reminded the treasurer that the Chinook Creative Arts Foundation pays part of these costs.

Meeting adjourned.