January 2003

January 27, 2003

The Board of Directors of Triangle Greenways Council met for a regularly scheduled meeting in the offices of Tiangle J Council of Governments on Monday, January 27, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. Barb Oslund presided. Other Board members attending were Allen de Hart, Bill Bussey, Leslie Kennedy, Bill Hamilton, Dean Kanipe, Jeff Brewer, Judy Weseman, Dan Jewell, Bill Flournoy, Norman Camp, Wendy Olson, and Don Belk. Also attending was Larkin Kirkman.

Barb announced that Larry Bailey had reported that for this one meeting he would be unable to attend.

Barb passed out an agenda and information about a facilitated retreat for the Board. This included a letter from C. Perry Colwell, Project Manager at ESC, setting out plans for and cost for a Board self-assessment process, a self-assessment questionnaire, and a sample of results with another Board. She called attention to the previously circulated minutes and a proposed schedule for meetings.

Introductions: Each person introduced himself or herself. Judy stated she would have to leave by 9:00 p.m. and Barb stated her intention to end this meeting and other meetings by 9:00 p.m.

Minutes: The secretary asked for confirmation that Benson Kirkman had attended both the Board meeting and the Annual Meeting on November 25, 2002, and with the amendment showing his attendance at both meetings, the minutes for both meetings were approved.

Old Business:

Web site: Barb brought up the question of management of the web site and where it should be located. She wondered what would be entailed in making the transfer from Mike Cinoman, who set up the current site and has run it for some time. There was discussion of what such a transfer of information and authority actually entails and how the web site should be set up. There was a discussion of location and of fees. It was stated that Mike had been paying a substantial fee to maintain the site. There were questions of registration of name in several forms.

It was agreed that Dean will meet with Mike and work out all the details of a transfer, conferring with Bill Bussey; and the two of them will bring back a proposal for the next meeting. It was suggested that this proposal include a plan for management of the web site.

Bill Flournoy pointed out that he has received information of a company in Winston-Salem that does a good job of building well-working web sites for non-profits corporations at no charge.

New Business:

Facilitated Retreat: Barb and Dan met with Perry Colwell to discuss strategic planning. This had already been discussed last year but not pursued. The group that Colwell works with conducts a facilitated retreat in a three step process at a charge of $400.00. There is a preliminary assessment of all members of the Board. There is a retreat. There is criticism and development of a plan. Reference was made to the materials circulated at the beginning of the meeting. There was discussion of asking each Board member to pay $25.00 to cover the expense of this retreat and the offer of Ben Hitchings and one or two others to pay expenses for any Board member who should find this expense too great.

There was consensus to work with Mr. Colwell and his group and to ask each Board member to pay the expense for one share of the fee, namely, $25.00. It was agreed that we would try to set this retreat for Monday, March 24, starting at 3:00 p.m. Each Board member is asked to make this time available and to plan to meet on time from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. If available the location will be in the meeting room at Triangle J Council of Governments.

Motion: It was moved and seconded that the treasurer pay the $200.00 initial fee as deposit for the facilitation and that he receive payments from Board members and redeposit the money in the Council’s funds. This motion was passed without opposition.

Calendar of meetings for the year: Other Board meetings for the year will be on February 24, April 28, June 23, and September 22. All of these meeting are on a Monday night at 7:00 p.m. and notice will be given by Barb to the Council of Governments of our intention to meet there. In addition the Board will meet in retreat on Monday, March 24 (unless that date cannot be established) and the time before the Annual Meeting on November 24 and Monday, December 8 will be held in reserve for meetings.

Barb stated that it is her hope that the Board will be able to accomplish much of its work through committees and that the meeting will receive regular reports of these committees.

Each Board member is requested to enter on one’s own calendar now the following schedule of meetings:

February 24 Monday 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting
March 24 Monday 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Board Planning Retreat
April 28 Monday 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting
June 23 Monday 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting
September 22 Monday 7:00 p.m. Board Meeting
November 24 Monday 7:00 p.m. Annual Meeting of Council
(and possible Board Meeting)
December 8 Monday 7:00 p.m. Reserve date for contingent
meeting of Board

All meetings will be at Triangle J Council of Governments unless notice is given otherwise.

Bill Flournoy, chairman of the Land Trust Committee, asked that the Board recognize that, because of the inflexibility created in the process of receiving land, there may be occasions when the Board will be asked to meet outside this schedule of times. He stated his desire that the Committee will structure its work so that these occasions do not arise.

Barb asked that Bill utilize some to the next meeting for a presentation on the Land Trust function and what it requires of the Board.

Dean was requested to make a reservation with Satisfactions in Durham for the date of the Annual Meeting.

Other Business:

Bill Flournoy passed out information about a $60.00 gift certificate from the Mellow Mushroom and a letter in which he discusses the conflicts associated with personal gifts to directors.

Dan reported on an “Active Living by Design” project in Chapel Hill sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This Foundation is sponsoring 25 grants of $200,000.00 around the country. Dan has received word that Triangle J COG is assembling (under the direction of John Hodges Copple) groups and projects in the Triangle area, in anticipation of making application for one of the grants. He would like to have the Council volunteer to be one of these participating groups.

Motion made by Bill Flournoy and seconded by Bill Bussey: The Council asks Dan to get back with John Hodges Copple to get the Council entered as a participant to work on this proposal. The motion passed without opposition.

Dean reported that he had not clarified the situation with the Postal Service before our mailbox in the Research Triangle Park was closed. (This box is located off Alexander and three persons have had access, but apparently no one has regularly checked the box.
Dean, Jeff, and Bill Flournoy have had keys. Dean lost his. Jeff had given his to Dean. Bill Flournoy in the meeting gave his key to Bill Bussey, who was to check the box.)

The secretary pointed out that we now receive mail directed to TJCOG, to the Council’s Box, and to his own box. Bill Flournoy added that mail pertaining to land trust matters often goes to him also. It was suggested that Dean come up with a proposal for mailing.

The secretary also pointed out that he has responsibility for keeping the correspondence of the Council and requested that copies of any correspondence be given to him. This applies also to contracts and other documents of the Council.

Motion: Dean is to renew the post office box for the shortest period allowed and the Treasurer is to reimburse him for this charge. Dean is to develop a proposal for a new postal strategy. The motion passed with Don Belk opposing.

Treasurer’s Report: Jeff passed out two documents.
The first was a financial statement for the year 2002 (the fiscal year). This showed a final balance of $8,056.14 distributed as follows: TGC Membership, $2,622.89; Sam Wiley Endowment, $3,878.25; Land Accumulation Fund, $1,555.00.

The second was the report through the date of the meeting and a list of current members. The balance reflects the receipt of a $10,000.00 gift which was received with the Crabtree Creek land donation. The total balance is $19,486.14, which is held as follows: Sam Wiley Memorial Fund, $4,125.75; Land Accumulation Revolving Fund, $2,355.00; Crabtree Endowment Gift, $10,000.00; TGC General Checking Account, $3,005.39.

Jeff pointed out that the $10,000 gift is to go into the Sam Wiley Endowment. Bill Flournoy pointed out that that it is to go for stewardship of property, but is not limited for that. Jeff stated that we had gotten behind in acknowledging memberships but that now all new members have been written to.

The Treasurer’s reports were accepted by motion of the Board.

Bill Flournoy suggested that at some stage we may wish to transfer the endowment to a new manager.

Refund from Postal Service: We have had a mailing permit but have not used it in the last two years. The Postal Service requires use during this period and reimbursed our balance, revoking our permit. There was discussion of renewal and how to evaluate the refunded money. Decision on this matter was put off until after the retreat. Jeff will put the $238.00 refund into the checking account.

Committee Reports:
Land Trust Committee: Bill Flournoy reported and passed out a number of descriptive and policy documents..

[During the course of this report both Judy Weseman and Barb Oslund had to leave the meeting. The secretary has requested that Bill supply each and the three members who were not in attendance with copies of the documents. If these have not been made available, please contact Bill for these.]

Bill passed out:
1 A booklet called “North Carolina’s Land Trusts: Seeing the Places You Love, Saving the Places You Love.”
2 A packet of documents attached to a Certificate of Authenticity, dated April 28, 1998, incorporating documents of the Council:
A Mission Statement.
Land Trust Alliance’s Standards and Practices for Land Trusts.
Criteria for Land Accumulation: Triangle Greenways Council: Land Trust.
TGC Endowment Policy.
TGC Land Accumulation Revolving Fund Policy.
TGC Trade Lands Policy.
Copy of July 23, 1985, letter from the IRS discussing the exempt status of
the Council.
3 Letter from Land Trust Alliance, dated January 18, 2003: News
4 Letter from Jason Walser, dated January 20, 2003: Meet your Legislators.
5 Letter from Jason Walser, dated January 20, 2003: New ZSC Grant.
6 Triangle Greenways Council Strategic Plan Survey.
7 Application for Property Tax Exemption, dated January 23, 2003.
8 Fact Sheet: TEA-21—Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

Bill pointed out that in 1997 the Council completed an exercise in deciding whether the land trust function was something we wanted. The materials are generalized. He pointed out that to act as a land trust requires a fully functioning organization which can provide the framework in which the land trust committee works. He asked each member to read and become familiar with the materials that he passed out so that the Board may be in a position to respond with awareness to reports about the accumulation of land when those opportunities are available.

Bill listed a number of properties that the Committee has looked at or contemplates looking at, including one property which will not come to the Council until the Council is able to construct trail on it and maintain that trail.

Bill pointed out that we receive a discount on insurance by virtue of being a member of the Land Trust Alliance; that the Conservation Trust of North Carolina is involved in organizing legislative support activity; that we have asked Wake for recognition of exempt status for the new parcel.

Bill also pointed to opportunities available to the Council:
Raleigh is up-dating its comprehensive plan for parks, recreation, and greenways and a draft should be available in March. He expects that the response time will be very short. He stated that in the last two years he had participated in the process in his own name; consequently he felt others should respond.
White water training area: There is now a group organized to promote that.
Bond issues: There are bond issues expected in at least Raleigh, Wake , and Cary.
Trail construction: He felt that we have a trails construction committee in name only. He saw the possibility of participation in construction:
1. At the Museum of Art.
2. On a 20 acre tract that could come to us. The owner wants boardwalks and observation decks, and is able to find donors of supplies, and is able to make introductions to adjoining landowners.
3. At Shearon Harris. David Carter wants our help there. (Leslie and Bill Bussey discussed their understanding of overtures to the horse users.)

At the end of Bill’s report Dan made an appeal to the Board membership to be cognizant of the time requirements on all members, to recognize that two members, including the president had had to leave the meeting because it had run too long, and to think in terms of using the Board time for reports and planned business, restricting less significant matters to committee discussion.

The meeting adjourned at 9:22 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Larkin Kirkman
Secretary