Meeting Minutes  2007-2020

Elk Forest Civic Association

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Meeting Minute Index

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November 17, 2020 August 10, 2020 July 7, 2020 May 26, 2020 March 6, 2020 October 10, 2019 August 11, 2019 July 25, 2019 June 6, 2019 April 4, 2019 October 15, 2018 August 26, 2018 July 16, 2018 March 19, 2018 December 4, 2017 October 9, 2017 August 6, 2017 July 17, 2017 June 5, 2017 March 20, 2017 October 24, 2016 August 21, 2016 July 24, 2016 June 2, 2016 March 17, 2016 October 12, 2015

August 16, 2015 August 1, 2015 April 15, 2015 January 7, 2014 August 10, 2014 July 17, 2014 April 4,2014 November 7, 2013 August 25, 2013 July 10, 2013 March 14, 2013 October 18, 2012 August 18, 2012 August 14, 2011 August 16, 2009 June 16, 2009 August 17, 2008 July 22, 2008 April 10, 2008 November 28, 2007 August 19, 2007 June 26, 2007

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• Thank you to our community members for attending.
• A special thanks to the Alzos for hosting the annual event.
• Thank you to everyone who helped set up the event.
• Thank you to each of you that provided side dishes.

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• Kathy Alzos
• Bill Alzos
• Dick Guttendorf
• Judy Leshner
• Mike Leshner
• Sherri Mitchell
• David Silverman
• Joanne Silverman
• Janet Curran

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  June 5, 2017

• David agreed to put the packet together.
• Mike Leshner agreed to post the packet on our website.
• Each Board member accepted the responsibility to be alert to any new neighbors and ensure that each receives a personal welcome, an invite to the annual meeting, and  a welcome packet.

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  March 20, 2017
Alzos Residence

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Attendees:  Kathy Alzos
Dick Guttendorf
Judy Leshner
Mike Leshner
Sherri Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
Joanne Silverman
David Silverman
Janet Curran

The meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 7:00 pm. Kathy reviewed the proposed agenda.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:

Treasurer’s Report

Dick Guttendorf gave the Treasurer’s report.  There were no exceptions.

Dick advised that 78 people in the community have paid their dues.  Since our last meeting, Dick sent out 42 reminder letters and received 6 responses. It was agreed that Dick will draft two letters that will be sent for the coming dues mailing (in June/July).  One letter (positive) will go to those who have paid in 2016 and a second (more strongly worded) letter will go to those who have not paid in the past year(s).   Dick will review the letters with the Board prior to mailing.

It is important that community members pay their dues in order for the EFCA to be reimbursed for monies spent, the majority of which is mosquito control.

Follow-up item:  The Board will reexamine dues for 2018 before our next meeting.

Mosquito Spraying

Mosquito spraying is done twice a week in April and May; once per week during June, July, and August.  Our vendor is APM.  The Board continues to investigate competitive bidding for mosquito spraying.

 Website  (www.elkforest.com)

Community members are encouraged to add their email addresses to the Elk Forest website.  If all members add their email addresses, communications could be mailed electronically.  This would greatly reduce the need for flyers to be hand delivered to mail boxes. We would also be able to reach community members that don’t have mailboxes (for example, PO boxes, etc.).

Spring Cleanup

This year’s spring cleanup date is Saturday, April 22, at 9 AM.  The rain date is Sunday, April 23, at 9 AM.  Signs will be posted and flyers will be distributed in advance.  Coffee and donuts will be provided at South Forest and Elk Forest Roads before, during and after the cleanup.  Contractor trash bags will be purchased for our use.

A week prior to the event, the Board will identify areas in the neighborhood that need attention.

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting is Sunday, August 6, 2017.  Kathy Alzos will draft a newsletter to accompany the flyer for the annual meeting    The newsletter and flyer will be  distributed two weeks prior to the annual meeting.  The Board will meet Monday, June 5, to prepare for the meeting.

Nextdoor Social Media

Feedback received is positive on the Nextdoor site, especially the police reports.

There is a way on the site to select neighborhoods of your interest.

Community Entrance Sign

Many options were discussed.    The discussion will continue at our August meeting.  We will view a mockup of what the sign may look like when it is refreshed.

Donation – Property Located at 39N Lockewood

The owner of the 39N Lockewood is trying to sell the property.  If he is unable to sell it, the owner asked the Civic Association to accept it as a donation.  The Board has asked the owner to keep us advised.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

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Elk Forest Civic Association Fall Meeting  –  October 24, 2016
Alzos Residence

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Attendees:  Kathy Alzos
Bill Alzos
Dick Guttendorf
Judy Leshner
Mike Leshner
Sherri Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
Joanne Silverman
David Silverman
Janet Curran

The Fall Meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 7:00 pm.

Kathy reviewed the proposed agenda.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:

Treasurer’s Report

Dick Guttendorf gave the Treasurer’s report.  There were no exceptions.

Dick advised that  66% of the community has paid its dues.  It was agreed that Dick will send a second reminder to those that have not paid.

Dick reported that former Treasurer, Susan Schlotzhauer, filed the EFCA 990N IRS form in a timely manner.  The IRS requires that small organizations file the form annually in order to retain its nonprofit, tax exempt status.

Website  (www.elkforest.com)

Mike Leshner is continuing as Webmaster.  Dave Mitchell is the Webmaster Backup.

Mike Leshner took pictures of all the Board members attending the meeting and they will be posted on our website.

The updated phone list and email list will be provided to Mike Leshner by Dick Guttendorf and Kathy Alzos for posting on website.

The EFCA webpage has some recent updates, including local weather and a map-based homeowners contact list (in addition to the spreadsheet).  Please contact Dave Mitchell at rdavidmitchell@gmail.com with any suggestions you have to improve the site

Nextdoor Social Media

A recent article in the Cecil Whig described the benefits of
Nextdoor Social Media which is like a neighborhood watch.  The board agreed to test it themselves to evaluate its benefits and ease of use.  If appropriate, the Board will roll it out to our community.   Thank you to Dick Guttendorf for bringing this article to our attention.  Thank you to Sherri Mitchell for initiating electronic invites to the site.

Community Entrance Sign

Sherri Mitchell volunteered to obtain pricing quotes for our community entrance sign to be updated. She will keep us informed.

Donation – Property located at 39N Lockewood

The owner of the 39N Lockewood is trying to sell the property.  If he is unable to sell it, the owner asked if the Civic Association would accept it as a donation.  The Board agreed to accept the donation.

Annual Winter Holiday Party

The Board wants to continue having the annual winter holiday party as it has been well received.  Dates and location are still to be defined.  It is expected it will be held in January.  The Board likes the way the Board provides the main dishes and all other attendees have the option to bring a side dish or dessert.  Many party attendees say they enjoy the party.

Meeting House Cereal Drive

The cereal drive was a success and it was agreed we would like to continue to support this event as it occurs.  In addition, Laurie Leone is looking for volunteers to assist the Meeting House with their every Tuesday lunch program.  If you are able to assist, please contact Laurie.

Residents in our neighborhood are having “Elk Forest Halloween” on Saturday, October 29, 4:30-5:30; after which, a festive gathering is graciously being provided by the Gundens at their home, 1525 Elk Forest Road.  A flyer has been provided to all homes in Elk Forest.  The flyer contains all details.   Please direct any inquiries to Laura Gunden.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

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Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting – August 21, 2016

Alzos Residence

     The Annual Meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 1415.  There was a great turnout of members despite the inclement weather!  Kathy reviewed the proposed Agenda with the first order of business being the update of the Bylaws and Constitution.  A committee spent the last year reviewing and revising the outdated Constitution and Bylaws and members were given opportunity to see the revisions on the website.  Kathy reminded those present that they needed to be current on dues payment to vote.  Mike Leshner moved to vote on revisions as written and Judy Leshner seconded.  All were in favor.  Thank you to the committee for their hard work.

Susan Schlotzhauer gave the Treasurer’s report.  (See attached copy).  Cris Brookmyer has reviewed the financials for the annual check to assure the residents of accuracy.  Motion to accept report as read was made by Judy Leshner.  Second by Troy Gund.  All in favor.

As is traditional at the annual meeting elections needed to be held.  With new revisions to Bylaws officers and directors will serve two year terms.  Outgoing officers are Patty Truitt VP, Joanne Silverman Secretary and Susan Schlotzhauer Treasurer.  Nominations for these positions are:  Joanne Silverman VP, Janet Curran, Secretary and Dick Gutendorf Treasurer.  Request for nominations from floor was made.  David Silverman made motion to vote which was seconded by Sue Schlotzhauer.  All in favor.

There are 5 director positions.  This past year, Carlos Brannon resigned from his position as past President and Troy Gund graciously accepted an appointment by President, Kathy Alzos to fill the vacancy.  He will continue to serve another term as will David Silverman.  There are 3 vacancies being created by outgoing Joanne DeMartino, Bill Alzos and Len Edwards.  Nominations for these positions are Sherry Mitchell, Susan Schlotzhauer and Judy Leshner.  A request for nominations from the floor was made.   A motion was made by Gayle Hertz and seconded by Joanne DeMartino to vote.  All in favor.

Kathy Alzos continued with agenda items.  Discussion about Community yard sale ensued.  It is scheduled for September 17^th.  A $5 fee for participation will be required for signage etc.  Please contact Kathy if you wish to participate.  Thus far, there has been minimal interest.

Mike Leshner will continue as webmaster but he requested assistance with a backup person as there are times he is not available for updates.  Ed Hoffman graciously volunteered to help.

Laurie Leone brought up discussion of a community service project.  The Meeting Ground is a local organization that provides services for the homeless in our area.  They are in need of breakfast items for their clients and Laurie would like to organize a Cereal Drive sponsored by EFCA.  All were in agreement that this is something we would like to do as a community.  Joanne Silverman volunteered to assist Laurie.  Laurie will contact the Meeting Ground Representative and get information on how to proceed.

The Kilby Cream Ice cream truck arrived and it was agreed that it was a good time to adjourn and continue our neighborhood festivities!  A motion was made by Bill Alzos to adjourn.  Seconded by David Silverman.  All in favor!  Meeting adjourned at 1435.

A big thank you to Kathy and Bill Alzos for hosting this annual event.  Thank you to all who helped set up and provided additional shelter for the event.  A bigger thank you to all who attended and brought the delish eats!  A good time was had by all!

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary, EFCA

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Elk forest Civic Assocation Board Meeting – July 24, 2016

Alzos Residence

The meeting was called to order at 1904.  Present were Kathy Alzos, Joanne Silverman, Sue Schlotthauer, Bill Alzos, David Silverman, Len Edwards, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino and Mike Leshner.

Kathy read proposed agenda for the meeting.

Picnic preparation:  Only 2 families plus board members have responded so far.  The revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws will be presented at the picnic which is the annual meeting.  There will also be an election for officers and board members.  Terms ending are VP, Secretary and Treasurer.  Joanne DeMartino and Bill Alzos step down from the Board.  Sherry Mitchell and David Silverman will fill board slots.  Joanne Silverman will fill VP, Janet  Curran, Secretary and Treasurer is yet to be decided between Dick Gutendorf and Cris Brookmyer.

The picnic is at the Alzos Residence on August 21 from 1300 to 1700.  David has secured the Moo truck for 1430.  Kilby Cream agreed to no minimum.  They will set up in Alzos second driveway.  Set up for the event will be the morning of.  Len and Mike have tables and popup canopies.  Guests are asked to bring chairs.

David will distribute another flyer with reminder for picnic.  There was also discussion about a better, less expensive way to communicate with members.  It was suggested we communicate by email but we do not have emails for all members.  David will review the membership list and make a list of those emails that are missing.  A separate attachment will be put in mailboxes of those with no email.

It was also decided that a list of members and nonmembers will be posted at the annual meeting.  Joanne DeMartino volunteered to put the list together.  A request for emails will also be posted.

Schlotthauer gave the treasurers report.  The current balance is $3320.81.  Full report is on file.

Meeting was adjourned at 1945.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association Board Meeting – June 2, 2016

Alzos Residence

The meeting was called to order at 1900.  Present were Kathy Alzos, Patty Truitt, Joanne Silverman, Sue Schlotzhauer, Bill Alzos, David Silverman, Len Edwards, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino and Troy Gunden.

Kathy read proposed agenda for the evening.

Kathy introduced Troy Gunden who has graciously accepted to fill vacancy created by Carlos Brannon.

First order of business was to review the revisions to the Constitution and By-laws.  Len brought up question about the addition of the $500 Emergency Fund that board could spend without approval.  Conversation about this ensued and it was the consensus of opinion that this may tie the board’s hands in the event of an emergency.  It is already determined that the Board should manage the affairs of the community.  Len moved to drop the paragraph and Bill seconded.  All were in favor accept David.  Motion was passed.

David made a motion to accept the revisions to the Constitution and By-laws.  Susan seconded.  All were in favor.  Kathy indicated that the next steps in the revision process is to obtain the signatures of 15 members in good standing so the revisions may be presented to general membership at the August meeting for a vote.  The revisions will be posted on the website for viewing before the meeting and information that there are revisions to be viewed will be included in the dues notices to be going out shortly.  Kathy requested that the necessary signatures be obtained by the end of June.

Sue presented the treasurer’s report.  We currently have a balance of $1080.66.  That should get us through until new dues payments start coming in but it will be tight.  There will be a letter included in the dues notices regarding the August 21 Picnic and membership meeting.  David moved to accept the report, Troy seconded.  All in favor.

It was agreed that discussion concerning the issues with mosquito spraying will be postponed until the fall meeting.

There was discussion about the Annual meeting.  Date is August 21 from 1p to 5p.  David will arrange for the Moo truck.  The board will provide the usual tents etc.  Members will bring main dish or dessert.  Elections will be held.  Several officers and board members are creating vacancies this year.  Kathy asked if a member was vacating he/she find a replacement to fill the position.

It was agreed we need a Newsletter to go out about 2 weeks before the meeting.  Kathy will work on that.

The idea of a community yard sale as a neighborhood activity was suggested by Kathy.  There was quite a bit of interest and it was agreed to finding a date that is agreeable in Sept/Oct.

Kathy asked if there was any other business to discuss.  Joanne D.  moved to end meeting.  Second by Patti.  Meeting adjourned at 2020.

Respectfully submitted.

Joanne Silverman Secretary EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association Board Meeting – March 17, 2016

Alzos Residence

The meeting was called to order at 1910 by President Kathy Alzos.  Present were Kathy Alzos, Patty Truitt, Joanne Silverman, David Silverman, Joanne DiMartino, Ralph DiMartino, Len Edwards, Bill Alzos and Ben Roth.

Ben reported on Mosquito spraying for this year.  He did investigate another company for comparison but got no call backs which does not foster confidence for conducting business with this company.  APM is responsive and will continue same service as before for an annual cost of $7820.  This breaks down to about $230 a spray.  Len brought up questioning the details of the spraying and that will be discussed with APM.  Kathy will follow up with Susan (treasurer) as to billing and having a detailed report on spraying.  It was agreed that the spraying is beneficial and a definite decrease in mosquito activity is seen with consistent spraying.

There was no treasurer’s report as Susan was not present.  David mentioned that is Susan is unable to attend she should send a report to Kathy for the meeting purposes.

Kathy provided update on the committees work on the Bylaws revision.  So far they have corrected typos and done some editing for clarification and redundancy.  They will continue with a rewrite of Constitution for intent and purpose of the Association and further evaluation of the Bylaws for clarity on meetings and how we do things.  They would like to change the term of office to be a 2 year term with a max of 2 consecutive terms.   There is thought about combining dues and fees (mosquito spraying) together.  Another meeting of the committee is needed to firm things up.  It then can be presented to the board so a decision can be made how to get needed signatures required to bring the changes to the annual meeting for a vote.

Spring Cleanup will be April 23^rd with rain date of April 24^th.  David will do flyers, sign and he and Bill will distribute flyers.  David will handle donuts and coffee.  I will email Mike Leshner to verify he will be garbage pickup man and that he will post the date on the website.

There was discussion about the foreclosure at 39 Lockewood.  Mike received notice from the lawyer handling questioning if we had HOA fees due etc.  As we are not an HOA, no fees are mandatory.

Kathy spoke with Cecil County and Del Marva about all the orange fencing that is leftover.  It is scheduled to be picked up in mid-May but very possibly will require another call.

Dates were set for the next meeting.  There will be a meeting of the Bylaw revision committee April 21^st.  The next board meeting will follow in June on a Thursday tbd by Kathy.  The Annual meeting prep will be on July 28^th and the Annual Meeting will be on August 21^st.  Time and place of these meetings tbd.

There were no further agenda items.

David motioned to adjourn meeting.  Second by Len.

Meeting adjourned at 2010.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – January 7, 2014

Alzos Residence

Meeting called to order by Carlos Brannon, President.   Board members present, Patty Truitt, Joanne Silverman, David Silverman, Kathy Alzos, Bill Alzos, Len Edwards and Mike Leshner.  Absent, Joanne DiMartino and Susan Schlotzhauer.

Minutes of August meeting were read and accepted.

Carlos brought up that meetings for the year should be planned more in advance.  David mentioned that we tried to have 4 meetings a year.  Conversation ensued as to possible future dates.  It was decided to have the Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 25^th with a rain date of the 26^th.  It was determined that a meeting would be needed prior to that date to organize the event.  April 8^th at 7p seemed agreeable to all.  Site of meeting TBD.

In regards to the spring cleanup, David has the signs and a flyer will need to be formulated and distributed.  Mike will be sure information is on the website.  The flyer is a reminder and should go out 2 weeks to 10 days before cleanup.

The topic of mosquito spraying came up.  Ben Roth has agreed to continue being a liaison with APM.  Carlos will discuss and confirm with him but there was much conversation in regards to having a central person (contract administrator) to deal with resident issues about the spraying.  All agreed the terms of the contract should be made available for the residents to read and will be distributed with the spring newsletter.

Everyone agreed that the newsletter is an important method of communication and David agreed to continue to be responsible for its production.  Bill Alzos will help with the distribution.  First issue is planned for the first weekend in April.

Mike reminded everyone to review the website.  Anything that needs to be changed should be brought to his attention via email as well as anything that needs to be published for communication to the residents.

It was agreed that the Holiday Party should be revived.  The last one was well attended and we can make it affordable by making it covered dish and BYOB.  It is a nice way for residents to stay connected.

A date was set for the summer gathering to be held August 15^th.  That is traditionally held at the President’s residence and Carlos is prepared for this.

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman (Secretary)

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Elk Forest Civic Association Board Meeting – October 12, 2015

Alzos Residence

The meeting was called to order by President, Kathy Alzos at 1910.  Board members present were Kathy Alzos, Patty Truitt, Joanne Silverman, Sue Schlotzhauer, Joanne DiMartino, David Silverman, Len Edwards, Bill Alzos. Also present was resident member, Ralph DiMartino.

Old Business:

Minutes of the last meeting were presented.  David made a motion to accept, seconded by Joanne.  The motion passed unanimously.

New Business:

Sue presented financial report.  See attached.  David pointed out that we have 109 properties in the community, 100 homes but not all are inhabited.  At this time it appears that 85 members have paid dues.  All agreed this is a good response.  David made a motion to accept financial report, second by Len.  All in favor.

Kathy pointed out that she has reviewed the Bylaws and she feels there are areas that need revision.   She said the bylaws state a board member should coordinate the mosquito spraying.  At this time, Ben is negotiating the contract.  He is no longer a board member.  He agreed to negotiate because he had done it in the past but he does not coordinate or answer resident questions regarding the spraying.  That is more or less handled randomly.  Len pointed out that in the past the treasurer handled the spraying.  It was agreed that there are several issues of concern with the spraying with the biggest concern being are we actually receiving the service agreed to and how are we being notified.  Ralph made a motion that Kathy should get in touch with Ben, seconded by Sue.  The motion passed unanimously.

Kathy also brought up that it would be nice to revive the neighborhood Holiday Party.  There was a great turnout for the picnic and everyone seems to enjoy getting together.  Alzos home was offered as venue.  The association will supply Beer, Wine and soft drinks.  The board members agreed to supply a main dish and members will be asked to bring a dish, appetizer, side or dessert.  The event will be held on Saturday, January 2^nd from 4p to 8p.  Sue made a motion to accept this plan, seconded by Patty.  All in favor.

It is time for another newsletter.  David agreed to prepare one.  It will recap the year and give information about the holiday party.  In addition, Joanne DiMartino will prepare an official invitation to the party which will go out separate to the newsletter and require an RSVP to Kathy by Dec 15.  Kathy made a motion to accept, Joanne S. seconded.  All in favor.

Discussion returned to bylaws.  It was agreed we need to “clean them up” to be more reflective of the changing times.  David made a motion to have the President appoint a committee to review and make suggestions for revision.  Joanne D. seconded.  All in favor.  Kathy appointed Patty, Bill, David and Len to assist her in the review.

Bill brought up discussion about the $29,000 CD that is held for the association.  David and Len reviewed the history for the board as to why the association tries to function on annual dues and not touch this fund unless absolutely necessary.  This is meant to be a “just in case” fund and all agreed it needs to remain as such.

David tried to revive discussion about a Welcome Committee.  There has not been as much activity in home sales and all agreed board members should make an effort to stop by if a new neighbor moves in.  There is no real interest in forming an official committee at this time.

A motion was made by David to adjourn, seconded by Sue.  Meeting adjourned at 2035.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting and Picnic – August 16, 2015

The meeting was called to order by President, Carlos Brannon at 2:30 pm.  Carlos introduced the current board members and thanked them for their year of service.

Susan Schlotzhauer, treasurer, provided financial report.  (See attached).

Carlos reviewed the need for residents to support membership as it promotes camaraderie in the neighborhood and supports the mosquito spraying.

Old Business:  Discussion was brought up about the lack of mosquito spraying in April due to rains.  Spraying and funding will be shifted to the fall.

New Business:  Fred Stapleford brought up that he felt there was no benefit into shifting spraying as he doesn’t see any difference in the amount of mosquitos with spraying.  A majority of the membership felt that the mosquito spraying was beneficial and could clearly see a reduced amount of the number of mosquitos.

Carlos announced he would not be seeking re-election as president.  Kathy Alzos indicated she would be interested in a nomination for the position.  Carlos opened the floor for additional nominations for vacant positions.  David Silverman agreed to fill the vacant position as a board member created by Kathy Alzos moving to president position.  No further nominations were made and a vote was held with unanimous acception of the slate of candidates.

Kathy Alzos took over the meeting and with no further business; Mike Leshner made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  The motion was seconded by Len Edwards.  Meeting adjourned at 3:05 pm.

A good time was had by all with thanks to the Brannons for hosting!

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary, EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association Board Meeting – August 1, 2015

Brannon Residence

The meeting was called to order by President, Carlos Brannon at 0925.  Board members present Carlos Brannon, Mike Leshner, Len Edwards, David Silverman and Joanne Silverman.  Absent Patti Truitt,  Susan Scholtzhauer,  Kathy Alzos,  Bill Alzos and Joanne DiMartino.

There was discussion about the upcoming election.  Carlos will not continue as president.  The presumption is other officers will run another term but that will have to be clarified with each.  Carlos suggested an email be sent to membership to see if there is any interest in joining the board.  Mike noted that we don’t have email addresses for all the members.  It was determined a mailing needed to be done ASAP.  Carlos will generate the letter and talk to Sue about stamps and address labels.  It was decided a second flyer will be included in the letter with details of the annual meeting.

David hand delivered the flyers to the mailboxes of residents yesterday.  Signs will go up tomorrow.  David also made the arrangements for Kilby Moo Mobile  to be at the Picnic/meeting.

The Picnic/meeting will be August 16 at 1300 at the Brannon residence.  We reviewed the items needed and the shopping list was formulated.  There was talk about possibly getting a water slide for the kids.  Pam Brannon will investigate.  The plan is to set up on Saturday August 15^th at 1500.  Mike will put a note up on the website for others to be aware if they want to help.

Mike brought up that he renewed the Domain Name of website.  The cost is $90 for 5 years.

The meeting was adjourned at 1010.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary EFCA

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Elk Forest Civic Association – August 10, 2014
Silverman Residence

Thirty-seven members of the community attended the Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting.

David Silverman, outgoing President, thanked the attendees coming out and for bringing food.  He introduced the current board members.

Joanne DeMartino, Treasurer, presented the financial report.
Elk Forest Civic Association has a fiscal year that runs from August 1 through July 31.

For the fiscal year just ended, July 31, 2014, the finances are as follows:
Started the year with $32,897 and ended up at $34,799 in checking and CD accounts
Received $6,405 in dues from property owners
Received $372 in interest from the CDs
TOTAL RECEIPTS:                $6,777
Paid out the following:
$4,190 for mosquito spraying (did not receive July 2014 invoice yet)
$72 for web site maintenance,
$440 for last summer’s annual meeting
$67 for the spring clean-up
$106 for postage and supplies
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS:   $4,875

This year, dues notices went out on June 6, with reminders sent out August 4.  As of today, we have collected dues from 74 out of 109 property owners (67%).   In comparison to approximately the same time last year, we collected dues from 79 out of 109 (72%).   The final total for dues received last year, was 87 out of 109 property owners, (79%). It is important to note that of the 109 billable addresses, 9 are not occupied or have no owners of record.

On the mosquito front, Ben Roth coordinated the spraying contract with APM. The cost of spraying increased from last year’s $210 a spray to $230 a spray.   Spraying began in May at twice per week (weather permitting).  From June through September, it is once a week (weather permitting).  There have been a total of 14 sprayings to date.

In closing, I’d like to thank Cris Brookmyer for her assistance with the accounting spreadsheets and mailings and for reviewing the financial records for this year.  Her efforts provided the “check and balance”, so that the community is assured that the financials are accurate.

The financial report was approved unanimously.

The following slate of board candidates was presented:
President – Carlos Brannon
VP – Patty Truitt
Treasurer – Susan Schlotzhauer
Secretary – Joanne Silverman
Web Master – Mike Leshner
Past President – David Silverman
Board members – Bill Alzos, Kathy Alzos, Joanne DeMartino, Len Edwards

The new board was approved unanimously.

Carlos Brannon said that the civic association is in good shape, so he is not anticipating any big changes.  He suggested that we communicate when anyone plans to rent big equipment like chippers, so that we can share the usage.  To expedite communication, Mike Leshner suggested that we create an email group list of residents who are interested in sharing rented equipment.

Carlos adjourned the meeting and invited everyone to the Kilby Ice Cream truck.

Respectfully submitted,
Cris Brookmyer, outgoing Secretary

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – April 15, 2015

Brannon Residence

Meeting called to order by President, Carlos Brannon at 7pm. Board members present:  Kathy Alzos, Bill Alzos, Susan Scholtzhauer, Len Edwards, Mike Leshner, David Silverman and Joanne Silverman.   Absent, Patti Truitt and Joanne DiMartino.

Motion was made by David Silverman and seconded by Kathy Alzos to accept the minutes from the last meeting.  All approved.

Carlos questioned how long the term of office is.  He will not be able to accept another term.  He says his life circumstances have not given him much time left to appropriately function in the position of president.  David said it is a one year term, although traditionally most have stayed for two terms.

Spring cleanup is schedules for April 25th.  David has put signs up and David and Bill have distributed the newsletter and flyer.  David will set up meeting area on the corner of South Forest and Elk Forest.  Coffee and Donuts will be available.

There was some discussion about the existence of a 1980 revision of the By Laws.  There was no conclusion because no one could confirm and no document has been found.

There was no treasurers report available.  Sue will send out dues notices June 1 and have a report available for the next meeting.

Annual meeting in scheduled for August 15th at Carlos’ home.  He requested to change it to August 16 as there may be more people available on a Sunday.  All agreed and meeting is set for August 16 at 1 PM.  David will arrange for Kilby Moo Mobile to arrive at 230 PM.  Mike will investigate securing the Blue Grass Band for entertainment.  David will make a flyer, put a notice in the summer newsletter and put up the signs.  Mike will put a notice on the website.

Mosquito spraying started on April 6th.  It was noted that they are coming late at night.  It was mentioned in the newsletter that residents should contact a board member with any concerns about the spraying.

Everyone likes the idea of an area on the website for requests for “help wanted”.  Great place to advertise services or need for help with household chores!  Carlos mentioned that he will be renting a backhoe soon and anyone having need of one should contact him.

Next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 1 at 9 AM at the Bannon residence.

Motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 755 PM by Mike Leshner.  2nd by Kathy Alzos.  All agreed.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Silverman

Secretary EFCA

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION – July 17, 2014

Attendees:   Bill Alzos, Carlos Brannon, Pam Brannon, Cris Brookmyer, Ralph DeMartino, Ben Roth, and David Silverman.  Joanne DeMartino and Mike Leshner were not available.  Joanne Silverman was present.

Minutes – the minutes from the prior meeting, held on April 29, 2014, were approved unanimously.

Finances – Joanne sent a financial summary.  The CD balance is $32,800 and the checking account balance is $8,200 in checking account.   As of this week, 54 residents have paid their dues and 52 have not paid yet.  This is comparable to last year at this date.  Joanne will send second notices next week.  Bill suggested changing our Civic Association to a Home Owners Association to require dues or incur a lien on their property.  Carlos and David each had prior experience with HOA’s.  Converting to one is really difficult to do.  It would require approval of all existing residents, which is unlikely.

BoD Candidates –
President – Carlos Brannon
VP – Patty Truitt
Treasurer – Susan Schlotzhauer
Secretary – Joanne Silverman
Board – Kathy Alzos, Bill Alzos, Len Edwards, Joanne DeMartino
Web Keeper – Mike Leshner
Past President – David Silverman

Nominating Committee –  David will ask the two new families if either want to join the board.

Annual Meeting –  the annual meeting will be held on August 10 from 1-4 PM at David and Joanne’s home.  Ben arranged for Kilby Cream to bring their truck from 2-4.  Jerry Truitt arranged for Cecil County EMS to demonstrate breathless CPR.   We will hold the officer election.

The picnic signs are up. The picnic flyers were distributed.  Cris & Len will bring 2 canopies & 6 ice chests. Ben will bring 2 folding tables.

Mosquito Spraying – some residents are not hearing the APM truck and assuming that they are not coming every week. Ben said that APM is instructed to come down every undated driveway.  They only go as far down as they can turn around.  Bill suggested that one of us do a drive along.  Bill volunteered to do it on Monday.

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION BOARD – APRIL 4, 2014

Attendees: Pam Brannon, Cris Brookmyer, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino, Deb Koehler, Mike Leshner, Ben Roth, and David Silverman.  Bill Alzos and Carlos Brannon were unavailable. Joanne Silverman was also present.

Prior minutes:  Mike made a motion to approve the minutes from the prior meeting, November 7, 2013.  Joanne seconded it and it passed unanimously.

Financial report:  Joanne handed out the financial report from July, 2013.  She said that since July, she has received 3 checks.  Cris made a motion to approve and Deb Koehler seconded it, and it was passed unanimously.

Boundaries:  We discussed where Elk Forest starts.  The residents of 1235 Elk Forest asked if they could join the civic association. The house next door is in our civic association, but not being sprayed for mosquitoes.  David will contact the residents at 1235 and discuss the issue.

APM contract:  Ben spoke to Hans at APM.  He is awaiting a new contract.  Either David or Joanne can sign it.  We agreed to start spraying April 15 and end September 15. APM only sprays when it is above a certain temperature and not windy.  There will be a slight fee increase.

Spring clean up:  We chose Saturday April 26 and a rain date of April 27.  There will be coffee and donuts on hand. This allows enough time for the trenches to drain.  David has the signs and will get the newsletter announcing it out ahead of time.

Welcome Package/Committee update:  No activity since the last meeting.  Ben will give Deb the welcome letter he used.  He has some coupons from local vendors.  When any of us know about a new resident, we will email the entire board.

2015 Board nominations: Bill will remain on the board.  Joanne, Mike and Cris are willing to be board members.  Susan Schlotzhauer is willing to be Treasurer.  David will become the Past President. That means that we need to fill the President, VP, and Secretary positions.  We will put a notice on the website, put a note in the newsletter, and ask for volunteers at the break during the spring clean up.  We will each ask folks about their interest.  If that does not yield results, we will create a nominating committee.

Web Site update: Mike reported that we had 355 visits to the web site since we started the web counter last summer.

Newsletter: David and Bill will work on the newsletter.  He plans to distribute it 2 weeks before the spring clean up.  He will include the following:
Standard association purpose note
Dues update list of non paying residents/Balanced Budget amendment/assessment increase by $15.00. (New bill to be $75.00)
Spring Clean-up date
Thank you note from Ruth & Dave for people who donated holiday stockings to service people
Call for 2015 Board nominations
Note about being responsible for your dog
Mosquito spraying start date
Web Site reminder

Adjourn: David adjourned the meeting at 8:24.

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION – NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Present: Bill Alzos, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino, Mike Leshner, David Silverman, Joanne Silverman

Absent: Ben Roth, Pam Brannon, Carlos Brannon, Deb Koehler, Cris Brookmyer

The meeting was called to order @ 7:30PM

Agenda:

Annual meeting recap – David – reported that the final count for the annual meeting and picnic indicated that 26 residences were represented with 49 adult attendees and “countless” kids.  The final cost of the event is at $439.76.  David thank (for the minutes) the board members and spouses for support, supplies and effort.

Financial report – Joanne- provided an “unofficial report” as she is waiting for a review and check off by Cris Brookmyer. The reported balance (checking and CDs) is $32,897.27 with $5,885.69 available in our checking as of this report. – 11/17/13 – Fiscal year 2013 has been validated by Cris Brookmyer and FY 2014 reviewed and check off completed.

Joanne also provided a listing of those addresses that have not yet paid their 2013 dues/abatement bill (24 addresses). Joanne presented the breakdown as follows: Mosquito spraying costs for the 2013 season = $5,880. Abatement fees collected = $5,100. EFCA funded costs to pay bills = $780.  Outstanding fees (non paying addresses) $1,440.

A lengthy discussion ensued regarding options to address the issue and a motion was made by Bill Alzos to institute a balanced budget requirement for the 2014 fiscal year. This was seconded by Mike Leshner, passed without opposition.

After additional lengthy discussions, a motion by David Silverman was made to NOT fund the 2013 holiday party which would offset an expense of ~$800, seconded by Ralph Demartino, passed without opposition.

A motion to raise the annual (effective for the 2014 billing period) mosquito assessment by $15.00 was made by Mike Leshner, after much discussion a second was made by Bill Alzos and the motion was passed without opposition.

It was felt by all that these actions would address the projected 2014 shortfall and deliver a balanced budget.

Additionally, Ralph raised the idea of approaching Cecil County to research a grant for Mosquito control activities.  David asked Ralph if he would take on this project.  Ralph will pursue. – 11/17/13 – Ralph has discovered that the county does have a mosquito spraying program, details on specifics are still unclear, Ralph to continue to investigate.

“Good and Welfare” fund, new assessment? – David- raised the idea of developing a new assessment fee for the annual billing, it was felt that in light of the previous activity (balanced budget) this was not a good it idea at this time.  No action taken.

Non paying residents, next steps – all – after lengthy discussions which included spray painting a big X on in front of their driveway, having APM not spray large clusters of non paying addresses (N. and S. Lockewood) knocking on doors and confronting these people, it was decided that we would publish a list of non paying addresses in the next newsletter and continue to offset the revenue loss with other means (see balanced budget).

Web Site update – Mike – reported that there are sine new pictures posted, the previous newsletter and an updated residence mailing list.  Mike reported that we have had over 200 visitors to our site since we put a counter on at after the last board meeting. Mike will update the web site with current minutes, newsletters, pictures, address as soon as they are available.

Winter News Letter – all – will be developed and published later this month and will contain a welcome letter to the new residents of EF, a reminder to visit the web site, the list of non paying addresses, the new balanced budget amendment and why (connected to the non paying list J) as well as “other stuff”

Holiday party – all – cancelled – see balanced budget amendment

Prowlers – Ben, all – As Ben was not in attendance; David related what he knew (which was not much) about a potential prowler at Ben’s house. Item tabled.

New residents – welcome package – all

David raised the issue that EFCA needs to have a premade, ready to go welcome package of information and designated people that would knock on any and all new residents’ doors and welcome them to the neighborhood and present them with the package of information.

It was discussed that this package should contains items like all past newsletters, a current address mailing list, information about the web site, a list of cable, phone, trash companies etc. All agreed that this was a good idea.  David indicated that he would ask Pam Brannon and Deb Koehler to take this activity on.

Open discussion – all

It was discussed and agreed to that the non “dues paying” residents would now be referred  to (despite other suggestions less civil) as ‘those that have chosen not to participate in the community association”.  Any future publications will reflect this terminology.

TO DO:

1. Joanne/Cris to finalize 2013 financial sheets – Complete
2. Ralph to contact Cecil County on mosquito control grant – in process
3. David to publish Newsletter
4. Pam/Deb to organize, create, stockpile welcome packages and follow up with current new residents
5. Mike to update web site as updated materials are provided to him.

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 PM, passed without opposition. Coffee and cake was served.

Side Note: many thanks from those in attendance to Joanne Silverman for the exceptional Crumb Cake.

Respectfully submitted on 11/17/13,

David Silverman

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Elk Forest Civic Association – August 25, 2013

David Silverman called the meeting to order.  Forty-five adults and fifteen children/teens were present.  David introduced the Board:
President: David Silverman
Vice President: Deb Koehler
Treasurer: Joanne DeMartino
Secretary: Cris Brookmyer
Board members: Bill Alzos, Carlos Brannon (not present), Pam Brannon, Ralph DeMartino, and Ben Roth (past president)
Webmaster: Mike Leshner

David proposed that the current Board remains in place for the upcoming year. It was approved by unanimous vote.  He emphasized that next year a new slate will be proposed.

Joanne De Martino gave the treasurer’s report.
Elk Forest has a fiscal year that runs from August 1 through July 31.

For the fiscal year just ended (i.e., July 31, 2013), the Civic Association finances are as follows:
Started the year with $33,627 and ended up at $32,897
Collected $5,400 in dues
Paid $5,040 for mosquito spraying
Received $404 in interest from the CDs
Paid $54 for the web site, $344 for last summer’s annual meeting, $35 for the spring clean-up, $850 for winter meeting, and $212 for postage and supplies

This year, dues notices went out on June 8, with reminders sent out July 27.  As of today, we have collected dues from 77 families out of 110 (70%).  We plan to pursue those residents who do not pay their share and attempt to encourage them to do so by sending a third notice.  By way of comparison, at this time last year, we had received dues from only 74 families out of 110 (68%).  We eventually collected dues from 88 families out of 110 (81%), which is the highest collection rate ever!

On the mosquito front, Ben Roth coordinated the spraying contract with APM.  He got them to agree to the same rate as last season.  Spraying began in April.  From April through the end of May, they sprayed twice per week.  From June through August, it has been once a week, for a total of 26 sprayings to date.   There will be one more spraying before the season ends.  The additional spraying has clearly paid off, as the mosquitos are less plentiful than in past years.

Finally, I’d like to thank Cris Brookmyer for all her assistance in helping me with the accounting spreadsheets and mailings; also, for reviewing the financial records for this year.  Her efforts provided the “check and balance”, so that the community is assured that the financials are accurate.

The financial report was accepted by unanimous vote.

David talked about the potential need to draw down on the CD if the price for mosquito spraying goes up.

Barking Dogs – There have been some complaints to the board about barking dogs.  As a civic association, we cannot force residents to do anything, but we can inform them.   We did so via the most recent newsletter, which contained the latest Cecil County dog ordinance.  It is the responsibility of the dog owner to be sure that the dog does not disturb the neighbors.  The ordinance puts the onus on any person who has an issue to contact the dog owner to resolve it before contacting the county.

Sludge dumping – There had been a request for a permit to use human waste (sludge) as fertilizer on the fields on Locust Point and McKeown roads.  One farm removed its request due to the outcry.  Supposedly, it takes 3 years for the sludge to be safe to walk or drive upon.  This waste is processed by the waste treatment plant prior to distribution.  Some believe this renders it harmless other than the heavy metals that remain.  Others are not so sure that all of the hazardous pathogens can be removed.  Human sludge has been used by farmers in other parts of the US.  There was a public meeting last Wednesday.  Deb Koelhler will follow up with one of the meeting attendees.

Accomplishments – The Board has been very active this year. It updated the website; published quarterly newsletters; reinstated and enlivened the holiday party; conducted the annual road clean up; as well as coordinating the mosquito spraying.

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Cris Brookmyer

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION – July 10, 2013
Attendees: Pam Brannon, Cris Brookmyer, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino, Mike
Leshner, Ben Roth, and David Silverman. Deb Koehler, Bill Alzos, and Carlos Brannon
were not available.

Finances – Last summer, we collected $5,280 in dues and paid $5,070 for mosquito
spraying. It was our best collection year at 88%. Joanne sent the dues notices out the
first week of June. We have collected $3,420 (56 residents) and disbursed $3,990 for
the mosquito spraying. Currently, we have $31,900 in cash and certificates of deposit.

Annual Meeting – the annual meeting will be August 18 at 1 PM at David’s home. Ben
will get in touch with Kilby Cream about their availability for the picnic. There will not be
an election, as the current officers and Board will continue on for a second year.

Barking Dogs – we talked about the noise of barking dogs on South Shore. One
suggestion was to call Animal Control. Another is to mention being considerate in the
next newsletter. Pam volunteered to look up the rules about dog barking and music
noise. What she learns will be included in the next newsletter in addition to numbers to
call.

Public Mowing – the county mowed Locust Point, McKeown, and Elk Forest

APM – APM is spraying once per week for the rest of the summer. APM only sprays in
the driveways, not in the streets. The spray kills live mosquitos only, not the larvae.
Web site update – After this meeting, Mike will update the phone list and enter the
annual meeting date. When the newsletter is done, he will add it.

Newsletter – David will issue the next newsletter and combine it with notice of the
annual meeting. David and Bill plan to deliver them by August 3rd. Ralph suggested
asking restaurants about putting an advertisement in our local newsletter.

Historic files – Mike gave Joanne a packet of historical files from Pat Jannsen. He
suggested that someone read them and update the historical summary.

Follow up to this meeting:
Mike – investigate getting a web counter
Mike – add a link to the Cecil County GIS website from our web site
Mike – update the phone list and enter the annual meeting date
Pam – look up the rules about dog barking and music noise
Ben – get in touch with Kilby Cream about August 18

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION – March 14, 2013

Attendees:  Bill Alzos, Pam Brannon, Carlos Brannon, Cris Brookmyer, Joanne DeMartino, Ralph DeMartino, Deb Koehler, Mike Leshner, Joanne Silverman, and David Silverman.  Ben Roth was not available.

Holiday Party – The party was a real success with 32 attendees.  David thanked Ralph and Joanne for hosting it.  We plan to do it again.

Finances – We had $33,627 on cash and cd’s at August 1, beginning of the year.  We have collected $1,320 and disbursed $2,482 since then.  There are 22 residents who had not paid dues.

Public Mowing – Deb asked what prompted the mowing last month.  No one knew what led the County to do the mowing.  They stopped at Deer Haven.

APM – Ben Roth met with Hans Wild at APM.  The rate will stay the same ($210.00) per spray.  Ben was authorized and did sign the contract for the 2013 season for the Elk Forest Assoc.  As usual, the billing will go to Joanne Demartino. Ben will give her the original contract.  APM also asked if we would put a plug in our news letter offering free termite inspection.  They will also give a 20% discount on some of their services. All agreed that we will put this in the newsletter and on the website.

Web site update –David asked if we have a counter to determine web site usage.  Mike said we do not, but can, and will look into it.

Newsletter – David has the framework for the next newsletter. The back side will be the notice for the spring clean up. David and Bill will hand deliver the newsletter to all mailboxes at the end of March.

Spring clean up – We scheduled it for Saturday April 20, with a rain date the next day, We will start at 9AM.  There will be refreshments before the pick up at the corner of Elk Forest and South Forest Road.  There will not be a meeting afterward.  Mike volunteered to drive his truck for bag pick up during the clean up   David will contact Ben to ask Lule Megahed to bring over the clean up signs.

Follow up:

David- ask Ben to ask Lule to give him the signs that attach to our Elk Forest sign

Mike – investigate getting a web counter

Mike – add a link to the Cecil County GIS website from our web site

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ELK FOREST CIVIC ASSOCIATION – October 18, 2012

Attendees:  Pam Brannon, Carlos Brannon, Cris Brookmyer, Deb Koehler, Mike Leshner, Ben Roth, Joanne Silverman, and David Silverman.  Bill Alzos, Joanne DiMartino, and Ralph DiMartino were unavailable.

Board transition – Cris turned over the treasury files to Joanne in August.  David and Ben did their transition.  Joanne and David are now check signers.

APM – The contract is over for this year. They have one other customer for mosquito spraying, which helps us.  Ben will begin negotiations for next year soon.  They are pretty much the only company providing this service.  Their service this past year has been good.  Due to temperature, they did not begin spraying until mid-May.  Had they been able to spray from the beginning of April, it would have cost roughly $2,000 more.

Web site update – Mike Leshner and Jerry Truitt manage it.  They make updates as members present them.  Carlos suggested an email group list. Joanne Silverman suggested a Facebook page.  Ben agreed to set one up.

Newsletter – David wants to start a newsletter. Some of the items to include are mosquito spraying cost and benefit, rented equipment available for sharing, lost dogs, and stranger sightings.   Cris, Bill and David will develop a draft newsletter.  We only have email addresses for half of the neighborhood.  Ben offered to do the printing.  Mike said that it can also be put on the web.  He suggested a flyer as a starter.

Welcome package – Ben used a welcome letter that Lule created last year.  David will build a welcome package, including the phone list without email addresses, and information about the website.

FIOS – there is a federal mandate that by August 2013 fiber optic cable laterals be laid.  After that, the “last mile” from the laterals to homes will be done by telecom providers.  Ben has heard that it is unlikely that our neighborhood will get it in the near future.  Pam heard the same thing when she contacted Verizon.  They said that if there is enough demand, they will consider it.

Kayak ramp – Joanne and Ralph asked whether the civic association would provide a ramp for launching kayaks.  David mentioned that there is a ramp at Welch’s Point that can be used by the public.  It does not require a non-trespass pass to use the ramp.

Holiday Party – Joanne offered to host an adult holiday party if the Civic Association pays for it. We voted to do it.  We will check with Joanne about when she wants to hold it.

Fall clean up – we liked the idea. Mid-September is a good time.  It is too late this year, but we will do it.

Board Meetings – Dvid suggested 4 times a year.  After the new year, before the spring clean up and before the annual meeting.

Halloween – Deb is working on setting up the Halloween parade for Saturday October 27

Follow up:

Cris – check with Joanne about whether any street has non-payers.  Ask Joanne to add language to next year’s dues about the cost of spraying and what we took in for dues.

David, Cris, Bill – work on newsletter.  Send draft to Board.

Ben – set up a Facebook page for Elk Forest.  Check with Jerry about getting email address with “@ElkForest.com“.

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Elk Forest Civic Association – August 18, 2012

Prepared by: Susan Deeney, Secretary

The meeting was held at the home of President Ben Roth and was opened by President Roth. A delightful barbecue, backyard games, a nature walk and the Kilby’s ice cream truck made for a pleasant afternoon.

The topics discussed were as follows:

I. Current Business

1. 1.      Treasurer’s Report

Cris Brookmyer, Treasurer, made her report, highlighted by the following:

• EFCA Finances for the fiscal year (8/1/2011 – 7/31/2012) began at $32,541 and ended at $33,627  with  $684 interest earned.
• Collected $4,160 in dues; Paid $4,020 for mosquito spraying.
• Other expenses: $54 for the website; $571 for 2011 annual meeting; $58 for spring clean up; $54 for dues notices.
• Two years ago, we agreed to have more frequent mosquito spraying.  To fund it, starting last year. we raised the dues to $60. This summer (vs. fiscal year) we are on track to pay out as much in spraying fees as we collect in dues.
• As of August 18th, seventy four (74) families out of 109 families (68%) have paid their dues.  We are ahead of last years collections at this time – last year ended at 73%.
• Cris thanked Patty Truitt for reviewing the financial records for this past year, which assures the residents that the proper checks and balances are in place and that our finances are accurate.

2.      Mosquito Spraying

• Ben Roth took over coordinating with APM and got them to reduce the fee.  Due to cool and wet weather in the spring, APM did not begin spraying until mid-May. From then thru the end of June, they sprayed twice per week. Since June, it has been once per week for a total of 20 sprayings.  There will be 2-5 more sprayings before the season ends.
• It was noted that the mosquito spray is a ‘contact spray’, just killing those mosquitos in contact. All agreed that this additional spraying has made Elk Forest much more pleasant.

1. 3.       River Dredging/Water Quality

• Vice President Debbie Koehler continues to work with the government to explore getting the government to dredge the Elk River.
• The Army Corps of Engineers has acknowledged that they were at fault in causing the shallowness of the river.
• Debbie has worked hard with government officials on our behalf, and would welcome others to assist.  It is a slow process, made harder by turnover in the government positions that can help us.
• All agreed that the quality of the water has improved in the last few years, lack of seagrass etc.  It was noted that perhaps this was due to opening of the locks on the Susquehanna or due to improved waste handling by the water treatment plant in Elkton.

1. 4.      Elk Forest Website

• Jerry Truitt and Mike Leshner have done a great job improving this site which is an asset for all of us.
• It has a new password ‘elk1for’

II. New Business

1. 1.      Election of Officers

The election of new officers was held and they are as follows:

Officers

• David Silverman – President
• Debbie Koehler – Vice President
• Joanne DeMartino – Treasurer
• Cris Brookmyer – Secretary

Board Members

• Ralph DeMartino
• Pam & Carlos Brannon (alternating)
• Bill Alzos

All attendees wished to thank the previous officers, most notably Ben Roth and Cris Brookmyer for all of their efforts on behalf of our community.

III. Other

Youngest Resident Attendee

Liam Marriott, of Elk Forest Road, just born in June, was able to attend his first meeting and seemed quite delighted to be there. We look forward to seeing him at future meetings.

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting Minutes – August, 14, 2011

Prepared by:  Susan Deeney, Secretary
The meeting was held at the home of President Ben Roth, Sunday August 14th, 2011 at 1pm. Despite the rain, the food , ice cream truck  and neighborly conversations made it a nice afternoon.

President Ben Roth opened the meeting, and turned it over to Ms. Chris Brookmeyer, Treasurer, to summarize the financial state of the Association.  The financial report is available to ElK Forest Civic Association members. During the report, the increase in mosquito spraying/costs was discussed and all in attendance agreed that the increase in fees was worth it.

Ms.  Brookmeyer went thru the financials and acknowledged the helpful assistance of Mr. Dick Guttendorf.

It was highlighted that Ms. Chris Brookmeyer’s term as Treasurer is up, and according to the By-Laws, can no longer serve the Association in this capacity.  A new Treasurer is being sought and recommendations are welcomed. Please provide them to President Roth.

Also discussed was the improvement in the quality of the river water this year – i.e. less grass, less algae – there does not seem to be a clear reason why, but the difference is noticeable and has made the river more enjoyable for all.

Ms. Debbie Koehler, Vice President, gave a report on her dealings with the Office of Senator Cardin regarding the depth of the Elk Forest river, and potential dredging.  Ms. Koehler noted that the Office has been cooperative, that the Army Corps of Engineers has acknowledged fault in the flow of spoils into the river, but the path to what, if anything will be done, or in what time line, is unclear.  It appears that other local rivers may be targeted for funding, but what funding is available, how you get it, is not easy to discern. Copies of reports/correspondence with the Senator’s Office are available to Association members.  A few residents offered other contacts that might be of assistance.  Another resident, said she read an article in the local paper indicating that the Elk River would be dredged, Ms. Koehler committed to look into this.

The opportunity to expand on the ‘Nice People’ section of the website was discussed.  There is a desire to promote good businesses to neighbors, while alerting neighbors to ‘not good ‘ businesses.  Also, it was mentioned that a small group of selected, preferred businesses   could pay EFCA a small annual fee for advertising,  making our website self-funding.

The Association member list was updated during the course of the meeting.  All are encouraged to ensure that their contact info is accurate. Please send updates to President Ben Roth.  Also, if the password for the site is needed, please contact President Roth.

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Elk Forest Civic Association – August 16, 2009

The following are notes from the annual meeting supplied by Mike Leshner:

1. The basic dues remain at $5 and the additional fee for mosquito spraying has been increased from $15 to $25, for a total of $30.

2. We have doubled-up on mosquito spraying for much of this season, and it seems to be effective. We will budget for similar frequency of spraying next year. We will set up a method for feedback from residents to report on whether (and when) the mosquito spraying truck has been to their home – to improve accountability.

3. The past 2 years interest on our CDs (about $2,000) has been used to cover the current budget shortfall, and the dues/fee increase should keep the treasury stable in the coming year. Our CDs remain at about $30,000.

4. Chris Brookmeyer has been elected Treasurer for the coming year. All other officers and Board members will serve another year. Many thanks to Pat Truitt for her 2 years of excellent service as Treasurer.

5. The holiday party has been set for December 5th at St. Rose Hall in N. Chesapeake City.

The annual picnic was fun and the food was yummy. We had Kilby Cream’s “Moo-Mobile” to serve our dessert. Entertainment was especially good, thanks to the local band “Chain Reaction” who played old-timey folk, bluegrass and country tunes. See the attached photo and the band’s business card. The band is available for private parties, and they are nice guys, too. Thanks to all who participated. We really have a bunch of nice neighbors in Elk Forest.

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Elk Forest Civic Association –  June 16, 2009

In attendance:

Mike Leshner, Len Schlotzhauer, Pat Truitt, Jerry Truitt,Lule Megahed

Agenda:

Mosquitoes – Laurie Leone has taken over as the contact person for mosquito spraying.  She will be the liaison with APM.  We have increased spraying to twice a week for the past few weeks due to the wet weather and fierce mosquitoes.  We should be back to once per week soon. There are extra costs for the extra spraying.

Our expenses have been running ahead of income (mainly mosquito spraying), and the board voted to increase dues from $20 to $30. Invoices are going out in July.  The increase should cover the increased cost of mosquito spraying.

Len Schlotzhauer will call potential candidates and suggest nominations for treasurer, since that is the only office filled by the same person for two years, requiring a replacement.

The Annual Meeting and Picnic is scheduled for August 16 at the Leshners – 47 N. Lockwood Drive.  We will try to get the Kilby Moo-Mobile again, since it was a hit last year.  Check the sign on Elk Forest Road for the time.

The Elk Forest website will be moved to a new server and John Poole will assign the domain name to the Civic Association.  Jerry Truitt and Richard Montgomery will work with John to effect a smooth transition and begin taking responsibility for the website.  An additional “assistant webmaster” will be recruited at the annual meeting.

Submitted by Mike Leshner, 6/24/09

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Elk Forest Annual Meeting Minutes – August 17, 2008

Truitt’s house

The meeting was called to order by President Jerry Truitt at 1:15 p.m.

1. The Holiday party has been scheduled for December 6th 2008 at St. Rose Hall in North Chesapeake City.

2. John Poole reviewed the Elk Forest website and asked for feedback from the community regarding suggestions for improvements.  Richard Montgomery and Jerry Truitt have volunteered to assist John with maintenance of the website.  John also reviewed some emergency preparedness issues, including the “Vial of Life” and database of community resources.  Emergency Alert radio Stations (EAS) are listed on the Elkforest.com website.

3. Pat Truitt gave the Treasurer’s report.  About 90% of the
residents have paid their dues, and reminders will be sent to those who have not paid.  There is approximately $3,600.00 in the checking account and we have received approximately $1,100.00 in interest this year on our CD’s.

Due to an anticipated increase in the cost of mosquito spraying, the dues may increase next year.

4. Elections were held, confirming the following slate of nominated officers and directors for the 2008/2009 term.

President – Mike Leshner; Vice President – Len Schlotzhauer; Secretary – Stacy Montgomery; Treasurer – Pat Truitt; Board – Jerry Truitt; Board – Jane Squibb; Board – Richard Montgomery; Board – Lule Megahed; Board – David Silverman

5. Roger Singley asked residents to consider signing a petition to delay approval of the County’s proposed deal with Artesian Water Company.

6. Weeds in the Elk River have been particularly heavy this year.  There is a service that will cut and remove weeds, listed on the website.

The meeting was adjouned at 1:45 p.m.

Following the meeting, Tanya Adams from the Cecil County Central Landfill presented a summary of the County’s recycling program and recent improvements to the single stream recycling procedures.  The landfill has facilities to dispose of sharps (needles) and other hazardous items such as flourescent bulbs.  The Hazardous waste day will be Sunday, October 12th, when you can bring paint, chemicals, medications and other hazardous items not usually accepted.

County Commissioner candidate  Jim Mullen gave a brief presentation on the County’s future needs.

Respectfully submitted,

Mike Leshner

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Elk Forest Civic Association Association Meeting – 7/22/2008

Location – Home of John & Renie Poole

In attendance:John Poole, Re Megahed, Richard Montgomery, Jerry Truitt, Pat Truitt, Sandy Cope, Mike Leshner

After discussion, the following (nominations) were (suggested) for 2008/2009 Board of Directors:
President – Mike Leshner
Vice President – Len Schlotzhauer
Secretary – Stacy Montgomery
Treasurer – Pat Truitt

Members of the Board:Jane Squibb, Jerry Truitt , Richard Montgomery, Lule Megahed
(The names for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be submitted for vote at the annual meeting. Other nominations will be accepted prior to the vote. The Members of the Board are assigned positions.)

Administration of the Elk Forest website was discussed. Jerry Truitt and Richard Montgomery agreed to begin sharing administration duties with John Poole, so that any of the three will be able to perform administrative functions going forward.

The bylaws are in need of some minor revisions, and Pat Truitt will attempt to gather the revision notes made by Karen Singley. Due to increased cost for mosquito spraying, the annual member dues will need to be increased. All of the above items will be shared with the membership at the annual meeting August 17th.

Respectfully submitted,
Mike Leshner

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Elk Forest Civic Association – April 10, 2008

Location – Home of Jerry & Pat Truitt
In attendance:  Jerry Truitt, Pat Truitt, Richard Montgomery, Sandy Cope, Re Megahed, Mike Leshner

1. Mosquito Spraying – Sandy Cope has investigated several alternatives to APM, which has served us in the past. Although the board has not been entirely satisfied with the service from APM, none of the alternatives investigated so far appear to be more attractive. We will contract with APM for the 2008 season, and Sandy will continue to follow up on alternatives.  Jerry will write up some suggestions for minimizing mosquito breeding areas in the community, and send them to John Poole for publishing on the Elk Forest website.
2. Treasurer’s Report – Pat Truitt reported that 82 families have paid dues for 2007 (of approximately 100 homes in Elk Forest). The checking account has a balance of approximately $3,200.00Our 3 CD’s have a value of $30,500.00
3. August 17 was chosen for the Elk Forest Picnic and Annual Meeting, to be held at the Truitt’s.
4. After the April 19 clean up, Debi Patterson from Wildlife Treat and Release will be joining us to talk about the wild life in our area. We’ll meet at Jerry’s house – 1420 Elk Forest Road.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm.
Submitted by Mike Leshner, 4/14/08

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Elk Forest Board meeting – November 28, 2007

Submitted by: Jerry Truitt

The following notes were submitted by Jerry Truitt concerning the special Board Meeting held 11/28/07

“I wanted to update everyone on the status of community secretary. As you should know Karen Singley resigned as secretary due to personal reasons. Mike Leshner agreed to take the post. At a board meeting Wednesday night November 28, 2007 those in attendance Ray Megahed, Sandy Cope, Patty Truitt and myself approved this appointment. Rodger Singley spoke to me by phone and gave his approval of this appointment also. Gene Monaco also attended the meeting. I will announce this appointment to the community at our Holiday Party Saturday.”

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Elk Forest Civic Association Association Meeting – 8/19/2007

The Elk Forest annual Civic Association meeting was held at the home of president Jerry Truitt on August 19, 2007. The meeting time was advanced to 11:30AM this year to make it easier for families with small children to attend. There were approximately 40 adults in attendance in spite of the rain.
John Poole read the minutes from the August 2006 meeting. A motion was made and seconded to accept them as read.

Jerry Truitt introduced the current (2006 – 2007 elected and appointed Board members.

Len Edwards gave the Treasurers report.
Balance as of July 31,

$33,671.36
Receipts for period 8/1/06 thru
7/31/07
$ 2822.54
Disbursements for period 8/1/06 thru 7/31/07   $-1795.78
Balance as of July 31,
2007
$34,698.12
The treasurer’s report was audited and approved by Dick Guttendorf on 8/8/2007.

Len reported that the safe deposit box that the Civic association has held for many years was empty. The rental has been terminated.

One of Len’s neighbors was cleaning out some old documents and found a copy of the minutes from the 1968 Civic Association meeting. He brought them to the meeting and they were put on display.

There was more discussion about where the money came from that the Association received for land associated with Welch Point. The money is currently invested in CD’s with Cecil Federal. Charley Wright indicated he thought it was money paid to a Paul Quigley to gain Corps of Engineer access rights to the spoils area on Welch Point. Paul in turn gave the money to the Civic Association. Charley said he had some documentation from that timeframe and would pass copies on to the Association.

President Truitt announced that he had asked Joyce Monaco to review the bylaws and update them from the current 1976 version. Pat Truitt and Karen Singley will assist. A motion to move forward with the effort was seconded and voted in favor.

The nominating committee proposed the following slate of elected
officers:
President: Jerry Truitt (2nd year)
Vice President: Roger Singly (2nd year)
Secretary: Sue Schlotzhauer (new)
Treasurer: Pat Truitt (new)
Although Sue was not at the meeting to accept the nomination, a vote was taken and the proposed slate was accepted. Renie Poole called Sue to let her know and she said she would prefer to not serve as secretary but would consider another position. In view of this, a request was made for a nomination from the floor and Karen Singley volunteered to take Sue’s place so she was then voted in as the replacement

Gene Monoco asked John Poole to replace him as a member of the Nomination Committee and John accepted. The final slate of elected and nominated members are:

Elected Officers:
President: Jerry Truitt
Vice President: Roger Singly
Secretary: Karen Singley
Treasurer: Pat Truitt

Board members:
Tom Cole (past president)
Richard Montgomery
Sandy Cope – nominating committee
Ray Megahed
John Poole – nominating committee

It was requested that the contract for mosquito spraying be put on the Elk Forest website. We will do that for next year’s contract.

John Poole announced that the Elk Forest phone directory was now available from the www.elkforest.com website but is in a password protected area. The username and password was given out to the members in attendance at the meeting.

The Elk Forest master database has some email addresses in it and John asked the association members if they would like that information published with the phone directory or put into a mail list server or neither. The majority voted to have the email addresses included in the phone directory although there were some people that would prefer to not have their email addresses included. It was explained that the email address can be inserted so that current search engines and SPAM bot’s can’t identify it.
For those that are willing, John will add their email addresses to the phone directory.

There was some discussion of whether or not the explosive growth of seaweed in the Elk River should be a “Civic Association” concern. President Truitt asked for a vote and it was voted to be an issue the Association should address. Tom Cole was asked, and agreed, to head up a “Waterways committee” to address the issue. There were a number of volunteers for the committee and Tom will post a note on the Elk Forest website announcing when the first meeting will be.

The meeting was adjourned when it started to rain but was followed by a “picnic in the rain” with ice cream, games and live music from a Bluegrass band.

Submitted by Secretary John Poole

Note: The subject of the purchase of an AED for the community was not discussed at this meeting due to the early adjournment because of rain.

Diane Poore, president of the Deer Haven Civic Association was an invited guest. After the meeting, she gave a short presentation on their association. Many thanks to Diane for leading the development of their association and for attending our meeting.

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Elk Forest Civic Association Association Meeting – 6/26/2007

Submitted by: John Poole

In attendance: Jerry Truitt, Sandy Cope, Gene Monaco, Roger Singley, Len Edwards, John Poole

Items discussed:

Association Officers and Members of the Board of Directors can be elected yearly with a term maximum of 2 years. The nominating committee is responsible for proposing names to serve in elected positions each year. Other nominations can be accepted from the floor (at the meeting) or anyone in good standing as members of the Elk Forest Civic Association can contact Gene Monaco or Sandy Cope and offer to be nominated for any position available. The Board members are then selected by vote at the
August meeting.

Len Edwards has been serving as our treasurer and his term expires this year. Jerry Truitt as President, Roger Singley as Vice President and John Poole as Secretary have served 1 year and are willing to serve a second.

After some discussion, Pat Truitt was selected as a proposed candidate for the position of treasurer. John Poole as secretary, Roger Singley as Vice President and Jerry Truitt will be proposed for their second term.

An amendment to the bylaws to officially change the meeting to the 3rd week of August was discussed. Although the meeting has been held in August for many years, the bylaws state that the annual meeting will be held in May. It was decided to propose the change to the bylaws to read that the annual meeting will be held the 3rd Sunday of August.

John Poole will contact the State Highway Administration concerning continuing safety issues with the intersection of Elk Forest Road and 213. The issue we are concerned with is the lack of a right turn lane for southbound traffic on 213. When a southbound vehicle is making a right turn onto Elk Forest Road, traffic that is behind it tends to pull out to the left to pass the turning vehicle. That places them in a head-on position with anyone northbound that is in the left turn lane to turn onto Elk Forest Rd. There have been several near misses reported to us and we feel the issue needs to be addressed by the SHA.

There was much discussion concerning the proposed purchase of an AED for neighborhood use. This issue has been on the table for over a year. The justification for making an AED purchase is based on the issue of possible delayed response of EMT’s in the event of a heart attack emergency situation. If an AED is available in the neighborhood and, we have an adequate number of people trained to use it, it could possible save someone’s life.

The following plan will be proposed at the annual meeting:

The CERT team will meet and develop a plan defining how to implement the purchase and use of an AED. The following items were discussed and agreed upon:

• If an AED is purchased, it would be located at the residence of
  Jerry and Pat Truitt on Elk Forest Road.
• The AED would be housed in an outside enclosure designed for that
  purpose.
• People that have had AED training would have access to it.
• If the purchase of the AED is approved by the association, then the
  next step would be to identify a minimum of 8 people that would commit
  to taking the AED training. (Note that there are additional people in
  the neighborhood that are RN’s or EMT’s that would already have the
  required training.)
• Once the training has been completed, then the Board would make the
  purchase of the AED.

Roger reminded the group about the need to be sure your driveway is wide enough for fire equipment to get to your house. When the CCVFC was here a year ago, we had them look at some questionable driveways. There were several that were either too narrow or tree branches were too low for their equipment to pass through. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to have those problems corrected. This issue will be discussed at the annual meeting.

John Poole stated that the new Elk Forest phone directory is available on-line. He requested feedback if anyone knew of errors or omissions. It will be updated frequently as changes are given to John. It can be found at https://elkforest.com/phone

Roger Singley and Jerry Truitt had met and discussed possible ways to improve attendance at the annual meeting. One idea was to make it more family friendly by providing activities for the kids so parents could attend the meeting. A second idea was to move the meeting to an earlier time (11:30AM) so families with children that needed “nap time” could be home in time for that.

Roger will explore the possibility of having an ice cream truck there for part of the meeting.

The next board meeting is scheduled for 7/26 to discuss the annual meeting details.

Respectfully Submitted by, John Poole, Secretary

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