Meeting Minutes  2007-2020

Elk Forest Civic Association


Meeting Minute Index


November 17, 2020
March 6, 2020
October 10, 2019
August 11, 2019
July 25, 2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Elk Forest Civic Association Quarterly Meeting – November 17, 2020

Attendees:

  • Christine LaPense
  • Christian LaPense
  • Cris Brookmyer
  • June Estock
  • Mike Leshner
  • Dave Mitchell
  • Lule Megahed
  • David Silverman
  • Joanne Silverman
  • Kathy Alzos

Welcome/Approve Agenda – Christine

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we held a virtual meeting on Zoom conferencing software.  The Quarterly Meeting was called to order by President Christine LaPense at 6:10 p.m.  Minutes of the meeting are detailed below:

Christine reviewed the proposed agenda:

  • Holiday get together
  • Mosquito control for 2021
  • Game nights
  • Traveling dinner nights
  • Fall/winter cleanup date
  • Spring cleanup
  • Providing membership (not mosquito spraying) to those those outside of ElkForest
  • Updating website (officers/directors)
  • Anything more anyone wanted to discuss

David Silverman made a motion to approve the agenda which was seconded by Kathy.  All attendees were in favor and the motion was approved. 

  • Holiday get together – Due to Covid, will be postponed
  • Mosquito control for 2021– Christine had suggested contacting Kirkwood Pest as an alternative to Erlich. Cris suggested first separating the role of mosquito control away from Treasurer. Traditionally the President had the responsibility. Christine agreed to take on the role of mosquito control purveror and contract administrator.
  • Traveling dinner nights– Due to Covid, will be postponed
  • Spring cleanup-Moved to March before undergrowth becomes an obstacle to cleanup efforts.
  • Providing membership (not mosquito spraying) to those outside of ElkForest– David Silverman reinterated that due to the by-laws, only ElkForest Community property owners could join. There was a question of Mrs. Stubbs joining and whether she still owned property in the community.
  • Updating website– Dave Mitchell would be more than happy to post officers/directors list or anything else. Just send him the info. Dave reminded everyone about the new host/server.
  • Anything else– June brought up the idea of updating the by-laws and including the webmaster as an officer. Kathy mentioned that it had been updated under her reign as President. At that point, it had not been updated in over 20 yrs and had been a lot of work. Good idea to revisit.

Treasurer’s  Report/Mosquito Spraying Cris Brookmyer

Dave Silverman made a motion to approve the financial report ; Mike Leshner seconded the motion. All in favor.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting – A motion was made by Christine to adjourn the meeting; Kathy seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

 Officers

  •      President:  Christine LaPense
  •      Vice-President:  Joanne Silverman
  •      Secretary:  Lule Megahed
  •      Treasurer:  Cris Brookmyer
  •      Immediate Past-President: June Estock

    Directors

  • Kathy Alzos
  • Christian LaPense
  • Mike Leshner
  • David Silverman

Respectfully submitted,

Lule Megahed, EFCA Secretary


Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting – August 10, 2020

Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Attendees: 15 households (26 residents) including the following Board Members:
Cris Brookmyer
Janet Curran
June Estock
Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchel
Susan Schlotzhauer
David Silverman
Joanne Silverman
Excused: Kathy Alzos
 
Welcome/Approve Agenda – June  Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we held a virtual meeting on Zoom conferencing software.  The Annual Meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:10 p.m.  Minutes of the meeting are detailed below:
June reviewed the proposed agenda:

 

  • Welcome/Approve Agenda – June
  • President’s Annual Report – June
  • Treasurer’s Annual Report – Cris
  • Mosquito Spraying – Cris
  • Election of Officers and Directors – June/Group
  • General Business – Group

           –  Fall Clean-up         

           – Holiday Party

 

Cris Brookmyer made a motion to approve the agenda which was seconded by Judy Leshner.  All attendees were in favor and the motion was approved. 

President’s Annual Report/Board – June Estock

The Board’s activities/achievements for this past year are described below. 

June thanked the Board for meeting all year and for all their contributions.  

We tried to go paperless last year, but we were not reaching enough people.  We only had the emails of 50% of our community.  In order to reach the most people we returned to sending flyers, using our website and emails.  We also made an effort to obtain more emails addresses from community households and are now up to 60%.

In the Fall, we purchased two message boards with interchangeable letters.  One board is at the entrance of the community, and one is on the corner of Elk Forest Rd and S. Forest Rd.  Thank you to David Silverman for posting messages of value to our community.

On January 1, we had a holiday party at the Chesapeake Inn which was a success. There were 45 attendees and included 4 new families.  Many thanks to Sherri Mitchell for setting this up. 

We welcomed 6 new households to our community and provided each with New Neighbor Welcome Packages,

We added a tab to our website for Mosquito Spraying information including the spraying schedule and whom to contact with questions or issues (currently Cris Brookmyer).  Thanks to Cris for managing Mosquito Spraying and to David Mitchell for maintaining the website.

The Board posted several messages on our website in the Spring keeping the community informed of pertinent local information and links related to the Coronavirus pandemic and offered help to those residents needing assistance during the stay-at-home orders. June thanked everyone for all they are doing to keep our neighborhood safe. We were unable to hold our Spring Cleanup day and Annual Picnic to due the Coronavirus pandemic. 

David Silverman upgraded the structure of the The Little Free Library (location – 98 South Shore Road).  David weatherproofed it and put on a new roof.  Many thanks to David.  The library is closed right now due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  We celebrate that the library has been on the Little Free Library World Map for one year which lists locations with GPS coordinates, pictures and other information. We expect to have the library open again when it is safe to do so.

Treasurer’s Annual Report/Mosquito Spraying

Cris Brookmyer

Attached is the FY2020 annual Treasurers Report and Mosquito Report => Link

It is a Powerpoint document that was prepared by our Treasurer, Cris Brookmyer.  It is an excellent, thorough, and easy to follow presentation. 

Election of Officers and DirectorsJune/Group

Four Board members are stepping down from their current positions

Janet Curran, Judy Leshner, Sherri Mitchell and Susan Schlotzhauer.

June gave special recognition to the members that were leaving their positions.

June thanked all the Board members for volunteering their time and for all their contributions to the community.

Prior to voting on the new candidates, June communicated that per our Bylaws, each household has one vote. She asked for hands to be raised for all in favor.  All were in favor.  She asked if anyone opposed.  No one opposed.  The majority vote was yes in favor of the Board candidates.

The 2020-2022 Board was approved as follows:

    Officers

President:  Christine LaPense    

Vice-President:  Joanne Silverman    
Secretary:  Lule Megahed    
Treasurer:  Cris Brookmyer    
Immediate Past-President: June Estock

    Directors

Kathy Alzos    

Christian LaPense    
Mike Leshner    
David Silverman

 

General Business  — Christine LaPense

June turned the meeting over to our newly elected president, Christine.  Christine said she was happy to accept the position and responsibility.  She would like to have more social events this year if the Coronavirus allows.  She would like to have two community cleanups each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. 

Joanne Silverman discussed the speeding that takes place in the community.  At the Silverman’s request, the Sheriff recently placed a speed monitor in front of their house on S. Forest Drive.  A car’s speed was clocked at 85 miles/hr.  The community speed limit is 25 and 35 mph.  We have extra concern now about the speed of vehicles on our streets because more adults and children are walking in the neighborhood due to Coronavirus restrictions. We agreed to initially spread the word of concern by mouth, after which if we can’t get the issue resolved, we will request the Sheriff to monitor our community by another speed monitor sign.

Christian LaPense suggested a document be created with official letterhead from the association stating EFCA is a Civic Association, not an HOA (Home Owners Association) and does not have mandatory dues membership.  Lawyers and realtors are requesting  this document for use in the sale of homes. Cris Brookmyer will create the letter and provide it to Christian.   Dave Mitchell will post the document on our website so that others have access to it when needed. 

Jerry Truitt mentioned that in order to reduce mosquitos on your property, eliminate all standing water.  He said the spraying for mosquitos must be when the mosquitos are flying. That is why we have our mosquito spraying by our vendor at night. 

Christine noted Kirkwood Pest Control is another local company that does community mosquito spraying. The Board will evaluate mosquito spraying options at their next meeting.

Jerry Truitt also recognized the dog walkers who pick up trash when walking.  He said he sees it a lot.  Many thanks to them. 

Motion to Adjourn Meeting – A motion was made by June to adjourn the meeting; Joanne Silverman seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran, EFCA Secretary

 

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting July 7, 2020
Virtual Meeting
Attendees:
Kathy Alzos
Cris Brookmyer
Janet Curran
June Estock
Christine LaPense
Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
David Silverman
Joanne Silverman

 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we held a virtual Board Meeting on Google Meet conferencing software.  The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:07pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda:

  • Approve Agenda – June
  • Review agenda for Annual Meeting -June
  • Review Treasurers Report – Cris

        – Cash Activity       

        – Mosquito Spraying       
        – Dues

 

  • Open Discussion – Group

Approve Agenda  – June
June reviewed the agenda and inquired if there were any changes.  The primary purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the Annual Meeting. There were no proposed changes.  June requested the meeting attendees approve the items.  Susan made a motion to approve which was seconded by Judy.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Annual Meeting –  June 

The Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Monday, August 10 at 7PM via Zoom conferencing software.
Information about the annual meeting was included with the dues notice letter sent out by Cris with an opportunity to RSVP by July 14. Response as of July 7 were as follows: 16 residents are planning to participate, 11 residents declined, 1 undecided, and 28 residents did not indicate plans.
June will send an email invitation with Zoom meeting log-in details and agenda to those residents who indicate they will participate. This will help maintain meeting security.
The agenda for the Annual Meeting will include: the Presidents Annual Report, the Treasurers Annual Report, Mosquito Spraying Status, Election of Board of Directors, and General Business/Community Events.
 
Elections will take place using the Zoom voting function.  All Board positions are up for election this year. All candidates will be voted on in aggregate. Directors shall be elected by majority vote of the members present. Voting is restricted to members in good standing, defined as members who are current in the full payment of annual dues. Cris and June will confirm member standing prior to the Annual Meeting.
 
June will post the Agenda and list of candidates for the Board on our website and via email to meeting participants prior to the August 10 meeting.
 
Treasurer’s Report/Cash Activity – Cris
Cris Brookmyer reviewed the Treasurer’s report as of July 7, 2020. Total cash and CD’s is $38,567.54.
Board members noted the process for deciding appropriate use of  association funds is per the Boards discretion. Large purchases such as an entrance sign are taken to the residents for a vote.

 

Dues – Cris 

Cris reported fifty six residents out of 111 have paid dues so far. This is consistent with previous years at this time.
 
Mosquito Spraying  – Cris
Cris reported we had our first spraying on June 25 and a second spraying on July 2. No sprayings were done prior to that in April, May and early June due to weather and miscommunication between Ehrlich’s Central Customer Service Reps and their District Manager regarding our unique service.The District Manager has apologized and agreed to resume our once a week spraying schedule through September per our contract. Sprayings are usually done on Thursdays beginning at 10:30pm. Board members noted concerns from residents regarding lack of mosquito spraying prior to June 25.
 
Board members suggested we inquire with Ehrlich about twice a week spraying to boost mosquito control. Sherri offered to consult with an entomologist for efficacy of twice a week spraying.
Update: The entomologist indicated the life span of mosquitos is short, adaptable, and irregular. You get better control from dumping anything that holds water which breaks the life cycle. 
 
The Board will evaluate options for 2021 mosquito spraying service at the October Board Meeting. A local lawn company offers community spraying at double the cost of Ehrlich. Options to offset the cost to residents using association funds will be considered.

 

Other – Christine

Plans for future community events such as a fall clean-up and holiday party will be discussed at the annual meeting.
Motion to Adjourn
A motion was made by Sherri for the meeting to adjourn.  Susan seconded the motion. All in favor.  Motion approved. Meeting adjourned at 8pm.
 
Respectfully submitted,
June Estock
EFCA President

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting May 26, 2020

Virtual Meeting

Attendees:Kathy Alzos, Cris Brookmyer, June Estock, Judy Leshner, Lule Megahed, Dave Mitchell, Sherri Mitchell, Susan Schlotzhauer, David Silverman, Joanne Silverman, Janet Curran

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we held a virtual Board Meeting on Zoom video conferencing software.  The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 2:00 pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda:

  • Approve Minutes/Agenda – June
  • Treasurer’s Report – Cris

        – Annual Dues 2020 Mailing

  • Mosquito Spraying – Cris
  • New Neighbors – June
  • Little Lending Library – June
  • Website – Dave Mitchell
  • Community Events – June/Group
  • Annual Meeting/Elections
  • Other

Approve Minutes/Agenda  – June

June reviewed the minutes/agenda and inquired if there were any changes.  There were no proposed changes.  June requested the meeting attendees approve the items.  Susan made a motion to approve which was seconded by Judy.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Treasurer’s Report  – Cris

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s report. There were no exceptions.

A motion was made by Sherri to accept the Treasurer’s report; Joanne seconded it.  All in favor.  Motion approved.   

Mosquito Spraying  – Cris

Cris reported at our last meeting (March 6) that our current mosquito vendor, Ehrlich (formerly APM), had significantly increased their price and that she would seek other quotes. Cris contacted Mosquito Joe and Sharp Tree Services:  (1) Mosquito Joe advised they only do individual property spraying, and (2) Sharp Tree failed to provide a quote.

As agreed at the last meeting, Cris reduced the spraying schedule with Ehrlich to once a week for the entire season, April to Sept., and signed a contract with them on April 17.  No sprayings were done in April or early May due to low temperatures.

Dues Notices – Cris

Cris will be mailing the annual dues notices in early June. The dues remain the same at $85

The dues notice will include a listing of services routinely provided:

Mosquito Spraying, Web Site Maintenance, Quarterly Newsletter, Local Government Interface, Street Clean-Up, and Annual Meeting and Picnic.

Information on event changes due to the coronavirus pandemic will be noted in the mailing. (See Community Events below.)

Community members will be asked to provide a current email address.

New Neighbors 

Susan confirmed that she gave a welcome package to the Palko’s. 

June reported a welcome package was placed in the mailbox of 1735  (formerly Guttendorf; now Harper). Sherri personally welcomed the Harpers to the neighborhood.

June reminded the Board that if we learn of any new neighbors that we need to advise her and Cris, so that June can ensure the new neighbors receive a personal welcome and a welcome package, and so that Cris can be notified as she maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.

Little Lending Library  

The library has not been reopened since its recent maintenance. It has been weatherproofed and sanitized.  Due to the coronavirus pandemic we are going to wait longer to open it up.  

June advised that books have been donated in response to our request posted in our recent newsletter. 

Thomas Puig, created a rainbow of hope picture which is now on our library structure.  It reads, “Stay Safe”.  Thank you Thomas for your beautiful picture and message. 

Website – Dave Mitchell

Dave reported that hits on the site have increased.

June asked Dave to update the link to the minutes in the welcome package which he did today.

Signage/Reminder Signs – David Silverman

David Silverman posted congratulations to our 3 Bo Manor graduates:  Brooke Walz, Morgan Koehler, and Garrison Martino.

Congratulations on your graduation.   We are wishing you great success for the future!!  We are proud of you.

Go Eagles!!!!!!!!!

David will post information about the Annual Meeting next.

Community Events

 

Annual Meeting Virtual Meeting, Monday August 10 at 7 PM.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic there will be no picnic this year. The Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Monday, August 10 at 7PM via Zoom.

Information about the change in the annual meeting will be included with the dues notice letter sent out by Cris in early June. An RSVP will be requested for those planning to participate in the virtual meeting.

June will send an email invitation with Zoom meeting log-in details to those who indicate they will participate.

Elections – All Board positions are up for election this year.  If anyone is interested in a position, please advise June Estock. Elections will take place on August 10 during the virtual meeting using the Zoom voting function. A majority of the votes present at the meeting determines who is elected.

June will email participants the names of the candidates prior to the  August 10 meeting.

Other – Street Clean-up has not yet been held yet this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Plans for a fall clean-up will be discussed at the annual meeting on August 10.

Motion to Adjourn

A motion was made by Sherri for the meeting to adjourn.  Susan seconded the motion. All in favor.  Motion approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Curran

EFCA Secretary

 

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – March 6, 2020
Estock Residence

Attendees:

Kathy Alzos
Cris Brookmyer
June Estock
Christian Lapense
Christine Lapense
Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
Joanne Silverman
Janet Curran
Excused: David Silverman

The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 2:00 pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda:

· Approve Minutes/Agenda – June
· Treasurer’s Report – Cris
· Mosquito Spraying – Cris
· New Neighbors – June
· Little Lending Library – June
· Community Events
– Spring Cleanup April 4 – June
– Annual Meeting/Picnic – June
– Proposed Date August 8 or 9
· Other Community Social Events (Group)
· Adjourn

Approve Minutes/Agenda

June reviewed the agenda and inquired if there were any changes to the agenda or the past meeting meetings (October 10, 2019). There were no proposed changes. June requested the current meeting attendees approve the items. Sherri made a motion to approve which was seconded by Susan. All in favor. Motion approved.
June thanked Sherri and acknowledged her significant contribution for leading our annual holiday party which was held at the Chesapeake Inn on January 1, 2020. Forty-five community members attended which is a significant increase from prior years. While the cost was more than when we hold the event in a community member’s home (when food is donated by Board/Community Members) the Inn was much less expensive than other area restaurants that have a banquet room. We held it in the restaurant as no one volunteered for the event to be held in a community member’s home. People enjoyed the social camaraderie they shared with community members.

Treasurer’s Report

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s report. There were no exceptions.

Cris reviewed cash activity since 9/10/19 which included the purchased message board sign, the holiday party, newsletter, dues collected, website fees. She also reviewed the CD’s of which there was not much change.

In our last meeting, Cris proposed a possible reduction in future dues if our mosquito vendor retained the same pricing. See below “Mosquito Spraying”, which indicates our vendor is proposing a price increase. With this fee increase, Cris reported the dues reduction proposal is no longer viable.

A motion was made by Judy to accept the Treasurer’s report; Susan seconded it. All in favor. Motion approved.

Mosquito Spraying

At our last meeting we reported in our minutes that Cris proposed our dropping dues by $15 from $85 per year to $70, assuming APM/Ehrlich continue to charge the same amount of $230 for each spraying.

Cris recently received a proposal from Ehrlich (formerly APM) indicating they want to raise the cost from $230 to $395 per spraying. Cris is going to contact them and try to negotiate a lower price. Cris is also going to contact other vendors (e.g. Mosquito Joe, Sharp Tree Service, etc.) for competitive pricing. Cris will keep the Board informed by email.

In the past, weather permitting, mosquito spraying was done twice a week in April and May; once per week during June, July, August, and September. To save costs, Cris proposed cutting back spraying frequency to once per week in April and May, continuing as in the past with once a week during June, July, August and September and shortening the season from April 1 through September 15. Judy made a motion to approve, Susan seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

New Neighbors

June reported that she will give Susan a Welcome package for Andy and Vanessa Palko. The Palko’s will be moving into their new home in a near time frame. June reminded the Board that if we learn of any new neighbors that we need to advise her and Cris, so that June can ensure the new neighbors receive a personal welcome and a welcome package; and so that Cris can be notified as she maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.

Little Lending Library

In David Silverman’s absence, June reported that David is
currently providing maintenance to the library. The maintenance includes weatherproofing. David is adding a peaked roof to the structure to aid in water drainage. Many thanks to David for all the contributions he has made to the library since its inception.

June advised that new books need be donated. June also mentioned the need for children’s books to be donated. Board members agreed to donate books.

June is going to add this item to the next newsletter.

Since we are partnering with the Chesapeake City Library to replenish our books and to provide info on library happenings, June will contact the library and take some of our donated books to them.

Elk Forest Spring Cleanup – 9 AM Saturday, April 4, 2020 (Rain Date April 5)

Responsibilities:

Website – June Estock will post spring cleanup info on our Elk Forest website including time/meeting location (South Forest and Elk Forest Roads), etc. June will also post the info on Nextdoor Neighbor. She will also use our website contact list to email community members.

Signage/Reminder Signs – David Silverman will post the message sign in our community as a reminder a few weeks prior to the event. (Since David did not attend our meeting, June will confirm with him.)

Coffee/Donuts – David Silverman will purchase the coffee/donuts and do the set up. (Since David did not attend our meeting, Joanne is confirming with him.)

Trash bags – June Estock has plenty of bags from last year.

Coffee cups/napkins– June Estock has the EFCA supply so these will not need to be purchased.

Truck – Mike Leshner will collect all the filled trash bags and take them to the dump as he has in the past. (Since Mike did not attend our meeting, Judy will confirm with him.) June reported that Jeff Estock will assist as needed.

Annual Meeting/Picnic Sunday, August 9, 2020 , 1-4pm (June)

The Annual Meeting/Picnic will be held at the Estock’s.

All Board positions are up for election this year. If anyone is interested in a position, please advise June Estock.

Sherri informed the Board that Lule Megahed is interested in Sherri’s position.

Extract from current bylaws: (A) The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall be composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer (Officers), the immediate Past- President, and four elected Directors.

Other Community Social Events (Group)

Holiday Party – The Lapense’s volunteered to hold the Holiday Party as an appetizer event – tentative date Saturday, January 9, 2021.

Other potential community social events identified as possibilities:
– card games
– progressive dinner – possibly April/May – Christine will coordinate
– Bunco (aka Bunko) – Sherri will look into before summer.

Send any suggestions to June.

Motion to Adjourn

A motion was made by Christine for the meeting to adjourn. Susan seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

 

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  – October 10, 2019

Estock Residence

Attendees:

Cris Brookmyer
June Estock
Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchell
David Silverman
Joanne Silverman
Janet Curran

Excused: Kathy Alzos and Susan Schlotzhauer

 The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:00 pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda:

  • Treasurer’s Report – Cris
  • Mosquito Abatement Program (Cris)
  • Dues Reduction Proposal – Cris)
  • New Neighbors (June)
  • Elk Forest Website (Dave Mitchell)
  • Holiday Party/Open House (June)
  • Adjourn
  • During the meeting we also discussed (1) the need for a message board sign and (2) status of Halloween event, if any. These topics are noted in these minutes.

A motion was made by Cris for attendees to accept the proposed agenda; Joanne seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

A motion was made by Cris for the attendees to accept the meeting minutes from the previous meeting of August 11; Judy seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

   Minutes of the October 10 meeting are provided as follows:

Treasurer’s Report Cris Brookmyer

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s report. There were no exceptions. 

Dues for 2019.  So far, we have received 87 payments.  This is 78% of the households, which is better than last year’s participation rate of 75%.  We have had increased participation during the past couple years.

A motion was made by David Silverman to accept the Treasurer’s report; Joanne seconded it.  All in favor.  Motion approved.   

Mosquito Abatement Program Cris Brookmyer

Cris reported we had 17.5 sprayings.  There are no more sprayings scheduled for 2019. This is the least number of sprayings we have had for a number of years.

(Weather permitting, mosquito spraying is done twice a week in April and May; once per week during June, July, August, and September.)

Dues Reduction Proposal – Cris Brookmyer

Cris provided an excellent dues reduction analysis. She proposed dropping dues by $15 from $85 per year to $70, assuming APM/Ehrlich continue to charge the same amount of $230 for each spraying. Cris is expecting to receive the new contract in March 2020, after which she will make her detailed proposal to the Board.  The Treasurer makes this analysis each year after thorough review of our cash in flow and out flow. 

June stated that this item, Annual Dues Recommendation, will be added to the agenda at the end of each fiscal year.

     Background: 

Extract from EFCA Bylaws – Article I, Board of Directors – Section 9:  The Treasurer shall also develop a recommendation for annual dues to present to the Board of Directors, with an objective that the Association maintains a balanced budget. This recommendation shall be based on a forecast budget of expenses and revenues for the upcoming fiscal year.

 Extract from EFCA Bylaws Article III – Dues – Section 2:  The Board of Directors shall determine dues for each fiscal year with a recommendation from the Treasurer, such that the Association maintains a balanced budget.

New Neighbors – June Estock

June provided four new neighbors with a Welcome Package and her personal contact information.  New neighbors are encouraged to provide their contact info to Cris Brookmyer.  Cris maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.  It is imperative to obtain email addresses as well because the majority of our communications are electronic other than dues mailings and events*.

*The Board agreed at this meeting to resume the practice of placing  flyers of special community events in mailboxes to encourage increased participation.

Elk Forest Website – Dave Mitchell

Dave Mitchell reported 20 views per week.  In the summer, our website averaged 75 hits per week, not unique visitors.   

Cris requested a “Mosquito Spraying” tab be added to our website.  The tab will include the Treasurer’s contact info, since the Treasurer manages our mosquito program with the vendor. 

Message Board Sign, Changeable Lettering – David Silverman

Routinely David Silverman posts events info (annual picnic, elections, annual cleanup) by our Elk Forest Community Entrance Sign and at the intersection of Elk Forest Rd and South Forest Road.   The current signage being used has limited spacing.  The Board gave David permission to spend $120 for a new sign that has larger interchangeable lettering and will also provide more space to insert additional information, e.g. contact info for RSVP’s and inquiries. 

Holiday Party/Open House –  June Estock

Sherri Mitchell volunteered to contact Schaeffer’s for party info and will email the info to the Board. 

Halloween Hayride – June Estock

Sherri Mitchell is contacting a neighbor(s) to verify if community members are having an event.  The Halloween celebration is usually led by a family that has young children.  It is not a Board event,  though we usually notify the community of the event in our newsletter. 

Newsletter

During the meeting we discussed what needs to appear in the next newsletter.  We identified:

  • Holiday Party/Open House
  • Halloween Events
  • Little Free Library
  • Reminder to provide email address and periodically check com website to stay updated on community happenings
  • Welcome New Community Members

Motion to Adjourn

A motion was made by Sherri for the meeting to adjourn.  Joanne seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Curran

EFCA Secretary


Elk Forest Civic Association
Annual Meeting/ Picnic – August 11, 2019

Estock Residence – 12 p.m.-3 p.m
Board Attendees:
Cris Brookmyer
June Estock
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchel
Susan Schlotzhauer
David Silverman
Joanne Silverman
Janet Curran
Excused: Kathy Alzos and Judy Leshner

We had a great turnout of approximately 37 community members at the event. We were each given a name tag upon arrival which made it easy for attendees to introduce themselves and enjoy conversation. In summary, we enjoyed good food, good company, and a beautiful sunny day.

Many thanks to the Estock’s for hosting the annual event and to everyone who helped with the set up/clean up. Thank you also for the delicious food dishes that were provided by attendees.

The Annual Meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 1:45 p.m. Minutes of the meeting are detailed below:

June reviewed the proposed agenda:

▪ President’s Report – June Estock
▪ Treasurer’s Report – Cris Brookmyer
▪ Mosquito Abatement – Cris Brookmyer
▪ Open Forum – All

Attendees agreed upon the proposed agenda and had no items to add.

President’s Report/Summary of Board Activities– June Estock

June kicked off the meeting by welcoming community members and those new to the community. June introduced the Board Members and thanked them for their help with the civic association activities this year.

The Board’s activities/achievements for this past year are described below.

Little Free Library

June communicated that our Little Free Library is operational at the end of her driveway (98 South Shore Road). The library provides the opportunity for wonderful neighborhood time sharing, where an individual can leave a book or pick up a book. The library is officially registered with the Little Free Library Sharing Network and will show on the Little Free Library World Map which lists locations with GPS coordinates and other information. Many thanks to: (1) Sherri Mitchell for initiating this project and bringing it to fruition; and special thanks to (2) David Silverman for building and maintaining the library; (3) the Estock’s for providing the location and (4) June for initiating our partnering with the Chesapeake City Library (Branch Manager, Madison Giffits) to replenish our books on a routine basis.

June encouraged our community members to stop by, leave a book, and borrow a book. June said that she knows the library is being used as she has seen new books on the shelves placed there by community members.

New Neighbor Welcome Package

The New Neighbor Welcome Package on our elkforest.com website was updated to include information on the Little Free Library and Annual Meeting.

During this past year, we agreed to always have the Welcome Package listed as a Board agenda item for discussion at each meeting so that we consistently are aware of new neighbors and ensure that we personally welcome them to our community. The package can be printed out from our website and be handed to each new community member.

Financial Record Retention Document

A financial record retention document was prepared by Cris Brookmyer, accepted by the Board and posted on our website. The document clarifies time periods for keeping hard copy and electronic documents.

Special thanks to Cris for her initiative and thoroughness in creating this valued adding document.

Spring Cleanup

We had a very successful spring cleanup day on April 27, 2019. June thanked everyone who participated and helped clean the entrance of the community where the growth on the side of the road was especially heavy. Meeting attendee, Christine Swanson, suggested that we have the clean up day earlier next year so that the growth is not so thick when we are searching for trash to pick up. June recorded the request.

“Announcements” Added to elkforest.com Website

Under the “Community/Help Wanted” tab, people can now also request announcements to be posted. Instructions appear on the website on how to request to have an item added/posted.

Webmaster Transition Document

A webmaster transition document was prepared by Dave Mitchell and posted on our website. Thank you to Dave for preparing the document as it will be of great assistance to future and backup webmasters.

Elections

There are no Board elections this year. There will be elections in 2020 for officers and directors. If anyone has an interest in serving on the board please contact June.

Communications

Dues mailings are done each year at the end of June thru U.S.surface mail. All other community communications are now being done electronically by using our Elk Forest website, email, and the Nextdoor Neighbor app. June noted the Nextdoor Neighbor app is able to push notices out to users. Our website requires users to check the site for updates. Please check our Elk Forest Website frequently for information pertinent to our community. Thank you to all residents who provided their email address for inclusion on our email distribution list.

Treasurer’s Report – Cris Brookmyer

Treasurer, Cris Brookmyer, presented the detailed Treasurer’s report for the fiscal year August 1, 2018 thru July 31, 2019.

Patty Truitt recently performed an annual review of the financials to assure the residents of the accuracy of the Treasurer’s Report. Cris extended thanks to Patty for doing the review.

In summary:
For the fiscal year just ended, 7/31/19, the finances are as follows:
Beginning Funds $33,800 in checking and CD accounts
Ending Funds $36,100 in checking and CD accounts

TOTAL RECEIPTS $ 7,000 member dues/cd interest

TOTAL *DISBURSMENTS $4,700 thru July 31, 2019

*Disbursements:
$4,000 mosquito spraying (did not receive July invoice yet)
$200 web site maintenance
$300 last summer’s annual meeting
$100 Little Library
$100 for postage and supplies
$4700 total disbursements

Dues Collection – Dues notices were sent on June 7. Cris stated that as of August 5, we collected dues from 71 out of 111 property owners (64%). Last year, after sending third notices, we received dues from 84 out of 110 property owners (75%). Cris is hopeful we will get to that same level after second and third notices are sent.

Mosquito Spraying – APM – Cris reported that due to an exceptionally rainy spring and early summer, we had far fewer sprayings than routine. The cost of spraying remained the same as the past 5 years at $230 per spray. We only pay when they spray. We are scheduled to be sprayed twice per week in April and May (weather permitting; otherwise spraying is not effective) and once a week June through Sept. Due to weather (cold, rain, wind) we were sprayed 14 times through August 5.

Cris mentioned that APM is merging with another company (Ehrlich). We don’t know yet how that will impact our contract or service.

Community member, Jerry Truitt, who formerly worked for the Health Dept, reported that if you have any stagnant water on your property to get rid of it because mosquitoes can breed in a capful of water and spread disease. He recommended purchasing Mosquito Torpedos to kill larvae.

Open Forum

Cris informed attendees that some neighbors on the Elk River have had erosion/chasm/environmental issues with their backyards and each are approaching the issue in different ways. If you would like to discuss this issue with any of the people who have done so, you can contact, Troy Gunden and/or Anslie Baxter. Each said they are willing to show neighbors what they have done to resolve their issue on their property.

Meeting attendee, George Dalphon, noted that county regulations can prevent home owners from making desired improvements regarding land erosion issues.

Meeting attendee, Christine Swanson, suggested that people experiencing these environmental issues may want to contact the State of MD Environmental Department to see if there is any financial assistance available to them for their issue.

It was noted that people occasionally discard furniture and other large items on the street in our community rather than their taking the item to the dump. Please report this to the DOT and they will arrange for pickup. If you have a large personal item to dispose of, your waste collector will take from you for a fee.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting – A motion was made by Sherri Mitchell to adjourn the meeting; Cris Brookmyer seconded the motion. All in favor. Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran, EFCA Secretary

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Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – July 25, 2019

Estock Residence

Attendees:
Kathy Alzos
June Estock
Dave Mitchell
Sherri Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
Janet Curran

The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:00 pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda. The primary purpose of the meeting was to finalize plans for the annual meeting/picnic to be held at the Estock residence on Sunday, August 11, noon-3 p.m.

A motion was made by Susan for attendees to accept the proposed agenda; Kathy seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

A motion was made by Susan for the attendees to accept the meeting minutes from the previous meeting of June 6 and Kathy seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Cris Brookmyer

Cris was excused from the meeting. In advance, Cris provided the Treasurer’s Report to June. June reviewed the report with the Board. There were no exceptions

Dues for 2019 – In early June, Cris mailed the summer 2019 dues notices. To date 60% of all households have paid their dues.

A motion was made by Susan to accept the Treasurer’s Report; Kathy seconded the motion. All in favor. Motion approved.

Mosquito Spraying – Cris Brookmyer

Cris was excused from the meeting. In advance, Cris provided June with the Mosquito Spraying report to review with the Board. We haven’t had as many sprays this year due to weather. Depending on the weather we may need to extend the spraying season; thus we need people to continue to pay their dues.

Website/Welcome Package – June Estock

June noted that our Welcome Package made no reference to the annual meeting/picnic. Dave, Webmaster, agreed to update the package on our website, elkforest.com.

Little Free Lending Library – June Estock

June reported that the library book enclosure had some problems with mold and mildew. The enclosure was cleaned and painted, and air vents have ben added to improve the area. It was agreed that we would put the books in plastic ziplock bags to protect them from mold.

Since we are partnering with the Chesapeake City Library to replenish our books and to provide info on library happenings, June is contacting the Branch Manager, Madison Giffits, to inform her about the annual meeting date in the event she would like to add any informational material that may be of interest to Elk Forest residents attending.

Annual Meeting/Picnic, Estock Residence

No Elections for 2020

During the month of June 2019, June Estock posted a hold-the-date for the annual meeting on our EFCA website and on Nextdoor. In late July, she posted annual meeting information and asked residents to (1) RSVP by August 1, (2) bring a folding chair, and (3) a side dish/dessert. June also emailed this information to the residents as well.

During tonight’s meeting, we agreed that June will open the annual meeting before desserts are served.

Annual Meeting Agenda

• June will review the agenda and ask for additional items/changes.

• June will provide the President’s Report, introduce Board Members and Welcome New Residents.

• Cris Brookmyer will present the Annual Treasurer’s Report.

• There will be an open forum for announcements.

Picnic Prep

All of the below items were discussed at the meeting and assigned to Board Members as needed. June willl contact you if she needs anything addtional.

Name tags
Tables/popup tents
Trash bags/paper supplies/table cloths/name tags
Bottled sodas (2 quart)
Water bottles
Wine/Beer
Two large spigot containers
Coolers/ Ice
Hamburgers/hot dogs/bratwurst/buns
Ice Cream – A variety pack of cones, bars, and ice cream sandwiches will be purchased at a super market to obtain best price.
Condiment Platter
Porta Potty Rental
Neighborhood Signs and RSVP have been posted by David Silverman,

Some Board members will arrive at Estock’s at 11:30 on the day of the meeting to help set up.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting – A motion was made by Susan to adjourn the meeting; Kathy seconded the motion. All in favor. Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Back to Index


Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – June 6, 2019

Estock Residence

Attendees:

Kathy Alzos

Cris Brookmyer
June Estock

Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer

David Silverman

Joanne Silverman

Janet Curran

The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:00 pm.

A motion was made by Judy Leshner for the attendees to accept the meeting minutes from the previous meeting of April 4. David Silverman seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

June Estock reviewed the proposed agenda.

A motion was made by Cris Brookmyer for attendees to accept the proposed agenda; Susan Schlotzhauer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Treasurer’s Report Cris Brookmyer

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s Report.  There were no exceptions.

Dues for 2019 Cris plans to print and mail the summer 2019 dues notices within the next couple days.  At our meeting, she provided a draft copy of the dues notice letter to each Board member for review.

Cris included the date of our annual meeting and picnic in the dues notice letter. The date is August 11.

The envelopes for the mailing routinely include a return envelope and payment stub.  In this mailing, Cris also plans to insert a brightly colored half sheet of paper in each envelope that will indicate the August 11 annual meeting /picnic date.

Cris reminded attendees to keep her advised when a resident moves or when there are new residents so she can keep the billing files up to date.

A motion was made by Kathy Alzos to accept the Treasurer’s Report; Judy Leshner seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Mosquito Spraying – Cris Brookmyer

APM has sprayed as many times as weather permitted.  If weather does not permit (too cold, too windy or rainy) on the scheduled day, they try to spray the next day if conditions permit.  Beyond that, missed sprayings are not made up.

June Estock posted our mosquito spraying schedule on our Elk Forest website. An additional posting next month will advise community members to contact Cris Brookmyer for concerns about spraying.

Website – David Mitchell

Dave reported that our website, www.elkforest.com, is receiving 20 hits a day.

He said pictures of our Little Free Library are posted on our website.

New Neighbors Welcome – June Estock

June Estock reported that we have identified all new neighbors and provided them with a personal greeting and our “New Neighbor Welcome Package”.  The new neighbors were also advised to provide their contact info (including email addresses) to Cris Brookmyer, who maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.

Little Free Lending Library – June Estock  Sherri Mitchell officially registered the library with the Little Free Library Sharing Network.  Special thanks to Sherri for this achievement.  There is a sign on our library that indicates it is registered. With the registration the library will show on the Little Free Library World Map which lists locations with GPS coordinates and other information.

Sherri plans to take pictures of our library to post on the LittleFreeLibrary.org website.

David Silverman sanded and painted the library as it was in need of fresh paint.  It looks very nice.  Many thanks to David for doing the needed maintenance.

June met with The Chesapeake City Library and they agreed to donate to our library.  June will be discussing the process with the branch manager next week. Several of the used books from our library were donated to Chesapeake City Library as well.

The board agreed the Welcome Package should be updated to indicate the Little Lending Library has been registered and that the Chesapeake City Library will be supplying us with some books. The revision will be done after the donation process is determined.

Annual Meeting/Picnic, Estock Residence

 Sunday, August 11, 12-3 pm  – June/Group

The Board will meet again the last week of July to review plans for the annual meeting.  Date of planning meeting to be determined by June Estock.

During the month of June, June Estock will post a hold-the-date for the annual meeting on our EFCA website and on Nextdoor.  In mid-July she will post additional meeting information including the agenda and ask residents to (1) RSVP by August 1, (2) bring a folding chair,  and (3) a side dish/dessert.

Board Assignments:

Tables/popup tents – June, Cris and Joanne

Trash bags/paper supplies/table cloths/name tags– June has

Bottled sodas (2 quart) – June

Water bottles (4oz) – Judy

Wine/Beer – David and Joanne Silverman

Two large spigot containers – Judy

Coolers/ Ice – June

Hamburgers/hot dogs/bratwurst/buns – June has

Ice Cream – Price shopping will be done by June (Cowolines and Costco) and Joanne (Rita’s); Cris volunteered to pick up the ice  cream the day of the picnic. Sue offered use of her freezer.

Condiments – Dave and Sherri Mitchell

Porta Potty Rental – June

Neighborhood Signs and RSVP will be posted by David Silverman 3 weeks prior to the meeting.

Some Board members will arrive at Estock’s at 11:30 on the day of the meeting to help set up.

There are no elections this year.

Motion to Adjourn MeetingA motion was made by Joanne Silverman to adjourn the meeting; Cris Brookmyer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Curran

EFCA Secretary


Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – April 4, 2019

Estock Residence

Attendees:

Cris Brookmyer
June Estock
Christian LaPense

Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
David Silverman

Janet Curran

The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:00 pm.

A motion was made by David Silverman for the attendees to accept the meeting minutes from the previous meeting of October 15, 2018. Cris Brookkmyer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

June Estock reviewed the proposed agenda as follows:

  • Treasurer’s Report – Cris Brookmyer
  • Mosquito Spraying – Cris Brookmyer
  • New Neighbors – June Estock
  • Little Lending Library – June Estock

–    Maintenance

  • Spring Cleanup, Saturday, April 27 – June Estock

–   Signage/Web Info

  • Supplies
  • Coffee/Donuts
  • Annual Meeting/Picnic – June Estock

–   Proposed Date Discussion:  Sunday, August 11

–   Planning Meeting:  June TBD

A motion was made by Cris Brookmyer for attendees to accept the proposed agenda; Susan Schlotzhauer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Cris Brookmyer

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s Report.  There were no exceptions.

Dues – Four payments were received after third notices were sent to 28 homeowners on Oct 4.  This brings collections for last season to 75%, the highest since 2014.

The 2019 dues bills will be mailed the first week in June. The envelopes routinely include a return envelope and payment stub.

Email Address – In the 2019 dues bill, Cris will also include a separate reminder note to recipients that have not provided their email address.  It is imperative for Cris to obtain all email addresses because all of our future communications will be electronically transmitted other than dues mailings.  (See New Neighbors Welcome Section below.)

Cris reminded attendees to keep her advised when a resident moves or when there are new residents so she can keep the billing files up to date. Cris also routinely reviews the property tax files for new/revised info, but the tax files generally lag behind, sometimes by months.

A motion was made by Judy Leshner to accept the Treasurer’s Report; Susan Schlotzhauer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Motion approved.

Mosquito Spraying – Cris Brookmyer

The annual contract with APM was signed in March.  The price remains the same at $230 per spray. The spraying frequency remains the same at 2 times/week for April-June and 1 time/week for July-September.  As in the past, spraying cannot be done when it is raining or windy.  Also it is ineffective when temperatures are below 40 degrees:  Thus APM did not spray on April 1, but will do so as soon as conditions allow.  APM always tries to make up for missed sprayings.

June Estock agreed to post our mosquito spraying schedule on Elk Forest website. The posting will advise community members to contact Cris Brookmyer if APM does not spray.

New Neighbors Welcome – June Estock

We identified new neighbors who need to receive a personal greeting and our “New Neighbor Welcome Package”.  June agreed to handle the neighbors we identified.  June will also request the new neighbors to provide their contact info (including email addresses) to Cris Brookmyer, who maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.

Little Lending Library – June Estock

June advised that she sees very little activity lately at the Little Lending Library that is at the end of her driveway, 98 S Shore Rd.    In the next newsletter, we will request a change of books from community members.

June reported that Sherri Mitchell is proceeding to register the library.

David Silverman volunteered to paint the library white as it is in need of fresh paint.  David will purchase the paint and provide the receipt to EFCA for reimbursement.  Many thanks to David for volunteering to handle the needed maintenance.

June mentioned there is a solar light on the library which lights up when there is enough sunlight.

Meeting attendees commented that they thought the library is in a good, safe location.

Elk Forest Spring Cleanup –  9 am –  April 27*-Sat/ Rain Date April 28-Sun

Responsibilities:

Website – June Estock will post spring cleanup info on our Elk Forest website including time/meeting location (South Forest and Elk Forest Roads), etc.  June will also post the info on Nextdoor Neighbor.

Signage/Reminder Signs – David Silverman will post initial sign in our community and a reminder sign one week prior to the event.

Coffee/Donuts – David Silverman will purchase the coffee/donuts and do the set up.  He will provide receipts to the EFCA for reimbursement for the purchased items.

Trash bags – June Estock will purchase the trash bags. She will provide the receipt to the EFCA for reimbursement.

Coffee cups/napkins– June Estock has the EFCA supply so these will not need to be purchased.

Truck – Mike Leshner will collect all the filled trash bags and take them to the dump as he has in the past.  Jeff Estock will assist as needed.

It is suggested that if you are sensitive to insect bites, spray yourself with insect repellant prior to participating in the clean up.

Annual Meeting – Preparation Meeting

Preparation Meeting – June Estock will soon propose some June dates for the annual preparation meeting.

At the Preparation Meeting, the Board will confirm the annual meeting agenda.  One item we are going to add to the annual meeting agenda is an open discussion regarding the erosion/chasm/environmental issues that some neighbors are experiencing on the Elk River. We believe it will be informative for the community to learn what is occurring and what can possibly be done to provide a positive impact on the owners/community.

The Annual Meeting will be held at the Estock residence. Currently June Estock suggested Sunday, August 11, for the Annual Meeting, but the date is not yet confirmed.

Website Update – Dave Mitchell and June Estock will update the website to include Board positions and term lengths.

Dave Mitchell reported that the website is averaging 45 hits per week.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting – A motion was made by Judy Leshner to adjourn the meeting; Cris Brookmyer seconded the motion.  All in favor.  Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet Curran

EFCA Secretary

******************

Footnote

*April 27 is also Cecil County Trash Bash 2019 date.  This also coincides with month long Earth Day festivities which is the world-wide celebration designated to preserve and protect the environment.

When participating in any clean-up day, Cecil County reminds us of the following:

  • Do not pick up any hazardous or questionable materials, including hypodermic needles. Contact your local law enforcement agency immediately for assistance.
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand.
  • Supervise children at all times.
  • Stay away from busy roads.
  • Wear gloves and brightly colored clothes.
  • Only plan to participate during day time hours.
  • When finished, place your collected debris and garbage bags in your household receptacles for proper disposal.

Back to Index


Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – October 15, 2018
Estock Residence
 
Attendees:
Kathy Alzos
Cris Brookmyer
June Estock
Judy Leshner
Dave Mitchell
Susan Schlotzhauer
David Silverman
Joanne Silverman
Janet Curran
 
The meeting was called to order by President June Estock at 7:00 pm. June reviewed the proposed agenda. We agreed to review/discuss the following:
    • Treasurer’s Report (Cris)
    • Financial Records Retention/Destruction  – discussion/approval (Cris)
    • Mosquito Spraying Update (Cris)
    • Little Free Library Status:  Registration, Feedback (Sherri/June)
    • New Neighbor Welcome Letter: Updates, New Neighbors (June)
    • Website Updates (Dave Mitchell)
    • Holiday Party/Open House (June)
Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Treasurer’s Report

Cris Brookmyer presented the Treasurer’s report. There were no exceptions. Dues collected to date (through 10/3/18) are the highest since 2014 at 72% of households. Third notices were sent on 10/4 to 28 homeowners, after which one more homeowner paid.  Historically 3-5 more homeowners pay upon receiving the 3rd notice. 

We thank all of those that have paid their dues. We encourage owners that have not yet paid their dues to please pay as soon as possible so that the same services can continue to be provided to our community.  We thank all property owners for their continued cooperation.
 
A motion was made by Kathy Alzos to accept the Treasurer’s report; David Silverman seconded it.  All in favor.  Motion approved.    
 
Financial Records Retention/Destruction  – discussion/approval
 
Cris prepared and presented a proposed Record Retention document to the Board for review and discussion.  The document includes record retention periods for hard copy documents and electronic records.
 
The details of the document were thoroughly discussed by meeting attendees.  One minor change was proposed and agreed upon:  CD maturity notices will be retained 1 year after maturity vs. 7 years.
 
David Silverman moved to accept the record retention document with the change; Kathy Alzos seconded it.  All in favor. Motion approved. 
 
Cris will revise the document and forward it to Dave Mitchell for posting on our elkforest.com website.  The responsibility of maintaining the document is the Treasurer’s; Cris will add it to the Treasurer’s responsibilities list.  We applaud Cris for her initiative and thoroughness in creating this valued adding document.
 
Mosquito Spraying Update
 
Cris reported we had 21 sprayings.  There are no more sprayings scheduled for 2018.  Mosquito spraying is done twice a week in April and May; once per week during June, July, August, and September.   Because the mosquitos were so heavy this year, there was some individual interest in additional sprayings after our spray season was over.  While we think the rainy weather was an exception this year (as usually September is cooler and more dry), Cris will proceed to investigate with the vendor on what the possibilities/cost would be for next year if individuals wanted to add a couple more weeks of additional sprayings on an exceptional basis.
 
Little Free Library Status:  Registration, Feedback
 
The Little Free Library has been installed at the Estock residence at 98 S. Shore Rd.  Since the library is new to our community, we agreed we needed to increase communications to our community about the library.  June is going to prepare a library instruction sign. Cris will laminate the sign.  The sign will be posted by the Little Free Library.   June is going to include information about the library in her upcoming newsletter.  David Silverman is going to update the Welcome Package to include a reference about the Little Free Library.   Sherri Mitchell is working on registering the library.  An update will be provided as soon as it is available.
 
New Neighbor Welcome Letter (Updates, New Neighbors)
 
To ensure each new neighbor receives a personal greeting and “New Neighbor Welcome Package”, we agreed to add this agenda item to every board meeting agenda.  At the meeting we will confirm if a new neighbor has already been welcomed by a Board member or needs to be welcomed.
 
In addition to greeting a neighbor and providing him/her with a Welcome Package, the Board member will request the new neighbor to provide his/her contact info to Cris Brookmyer.  Cris maintains the list of community homeowners for dues mailings.  It is imperative to obtain email addresses because all of our communications will soon be electronic other than dues mailings.  
 
Cris provides this very same list to the Webmaster to post on our elkforest.com website as our contact list.  Access to the posted contact list is password protected.  This list includes: last name, first name, address, phone numbers, email.
 
Cris requests that we notify her of any changes as soon as we become aware of them so that she can update the list.  Cris also reviews County records for changes but they run a little behind.
Every time Cris updates the list, she sends a copy to the Webmaster for posting. 
 
Website Updates
 
Dave Mitchell reported our website averages 75 hits per week, not unique visitors.    Dave has created a Webmaster Transition document.  It is on the google drive account of our Gmail address.  It contains all the passwords and vendors required to support our website.  This will be useful to future webmasters as the assignment transitions to others.
 
We thank Dave for proactively creating this document of vital importance.
 
We are removing the password from appearing on any website documents.  Community members can contact any board member to obtain the password.  Ongoing, the Treasurer will include the password in dues letters sent to property owners. 
 
Holiday Party
 
The Mitchell’s tentatively agreed to host the party/open house if some date issues can be resolved.  The date will be determined.
 
Newsletter
 
During the meeting, we intermittently discussed what needs to appear in the next newsletter.  We identified:
    • Holiday Party
    • Little Library  – Borrow a Book
    • Communicate that this will be our last hard copy newsletter and future communications will be electronic (email/ website/nextdoor.  Encourage residents to provide their email address to Cris Brookmyer who maintains the list that is posted and password protected on elkforest.com website; this is the same list that will be used for future communications.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting/Elections Picnic – August 26, 2018

Alzos Residence – 12 p.m.-3 p.m

 
We had a great turnout of approximately 50 community members at the event.  We were each given a name tag upon arrival which made it easy for attendees to introduce themselves and enjoy conversation.  In summary, we enjoyed good food, good company, and a beautiful sunny day with a lovely breeze coming off the water.
 
Many thanks to the Alzos for hosting the annual event and to everyone who helped with the set up/clean up.  Thank you also for the delicious food dishes that were provided by attendees.  For the record, this is the first year we had ice cream from Sweet Cowoline’s which was yummy.
 
The Annual Meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 1:45 p.m.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Kathy reviewed the proposed agenda:
    • Little Library Update
    • Website Update
    • Treasurer’s Report
    • Officer/Board Elections
Little Free Library 
In our October 2017 meeting, the Board agreed that our community would benefit by having a “Little Free Library”.  Little Free Library is a nonprofit global organization that aims to inspire a love of reading, build community, and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges.
 
David Silverman volunteered to build the library structure at minimal cost using his own personal material.  The structure is now complete, is in the attractive shape of a lighthouse, and can accommodate 20-25 books. The lighthouse was recently painted by Sherri Mitchell, Judy Leshner, and Dave Mitchell and is ready to be installed.  Jeff and June Estock, 98 South Shore Drive, have kindly agreed for the structure to be placed on their property.
 
The Board will notify the community when the Little Free Library is in place and ready for use.
 
Sherri Mitchell will register our library.
 
Many thanks to Sherri Mitchell who initiated this project and brought it to fruition with the help of Board Members and the Community.
 
Website Update
Website Master, Dave Mitchell, provided an update on our community website, elkforest.com.  Our website now contains tide charts and real time weather.  Currently our website has 225 views per day, not unique visitors.
 
General discussion from a couple attendees indicated they would like to put notices on the website.  Dave agreed to accommodate the requests as our website has an area designated for notices.  The attendees will forward their notices to Dave for posting.  Dave will post them on our website under the Community, Help Wanted tab.
 
Specifically, these are the two items that were discussed:
(1) Deb Koehler requested old towels, old sheets, newspapers, and financial donations for a local animal shelter.
(2) The Leone’s requested old computers/laptops.
 
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Dick Guttendorf presented the detailed Treasurer’s report for the fiscal year August 1, 2017 thru July 31, 2018.  Dick said it is very similar to last year’s annual treasurer report.
 
Cris Brookmyer recently performed an annual review of the financials to assure the residents of the accuracy of the Treasurer’s Report.
 
In summary:
For the fiscal year just ended, 7/31/18, the finances are as follows:
Beginning Funds             $34,310 in checking and CD accounts
Ending Funds                  $33,871 in checking and CD accounts
 
TOTAL RECEIPTS          $  7,064 member dues/
                                                       cd interest
 
As our cd’s mature, Dick moves the monies to CD’s of a higher rate.
 
Dues Collection – Dick stated that we have currently collected dues from 76 out of 109 property owners.  Last year 67 had paid to date.  A follow-up letter will soon be sent by our new treasurer, Cris Brookmyer, to those who haven’t paid.
 
Dick’s treasurer’s report was accepted and all are in favor.
 
Mosquito Spraying – Dick reported that through July 31 that APM has sprayed the same number of sprays as last year.  The sequence has been different due to the weather.  We are scheduled to be sprayed twice a week. Dick monitors their spraying.  Sprayings will continue thru September so we will have additional billings to pay for mosquito spraying.
 
We pay $230/spray.  APM has not changed their price since 2014.
We pay approximately $3 per property for the service which is a very economical price.
 
Sprayings will continue thru September so we will have additional billings to pay for mosquito spraying.
 
Kathy Alzos commented that our July 2018 Newsletter indicated that  one of the EFCA board members did a ride along with one of the APM drivers during one of the sprays.  Some properties had closed gates preventing spray access, extensive vegetation overhanging the driveway, safety cones restricting access, equipment in the driveways, etc.  Removing impediments will enable us to have a more effective spray program.
 
Community member, Jerry Truitt, who works for the Cecil County Health Dept., communicated that the West Niles virus is active in MD. A number of tips were provided by Jerry and meeting attendees: for example, keep rain gutters clean of water, remove any standing water on our properties, wear long sleeved clothing, use repellant (spray your clothes, not your body), use low voltage mosquito zappers, etc.
 
Officer/Board Elections
Outgoing President – Kathy Alzos
Incoming President – June Estock
 
Outgoing Treasurer – Dick Guttendorf
Incoming Treasurer – Cris Brookmyer
 
Outgoing Board Member – Troy Gunden
Incoming Board Member – Kathy Alzos
 
All attending the meeting were in favor of the changes.
 
Kathy and Dick were both recognized and thanked for the many contributions/achievements they gave to our community during their tenure and give to us on an on-going basis.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 2:10 p.m.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran, EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – July 16, 2018

Alzos Residence

Attendees:  Kathy Alzos
                   Dick Guttendorf
                   Judy Leshner
                   Dave Mitchell
                   Sherri Mitchell
                   David Silverman
                   Janet Curran
 
The meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 7:00 pm. The primary purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the Annual Meeting to be held at the Alzos residence on Sunday, August 26, noon-3 pm, rain or shine.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Annual Meeting/Picnic
    • Board members will be responsible to provide:
                   –  tables (two) and popup canopies (three)
                   –  bottled water, bottled sodas (no cans), wine, beverage
                        coolers
                   –  tablecloths and water/lemonade pitchers
                   –  hamburgers/hot dogs/ buns (Kathy will purchase the items.)
                   –  Kilby ice cream truck will arrive 1:00-1:30.  (Kathy to
                        arrange.)
                   – Signs for the annual meeting and RSVP signs will be posted
                          by David Silverman 3 weeks prior to the meeting.
    • Some Board members will arrive at the Alzos residence at 11:30 on the day of the meeting to help set up.
    • Residents are asked to bring chairs and can provide a side dish/dessert (optional).
    • Meeting flyers will be hand-delivered to community mailboxes this week by Board members.  Kathy will post the flyer/newsletter on Nextdoor and will also distribute it by email. Dick Guttendorf will provide the current email list to Kathy.
    • Meeting Agenda – Kathy will prepare the agenda for the meeting.  The agenda currently includes voting on EFCA Officers, Treasurer’s Report, community communication mechanisms, Little Free Library update, and EFCA website dynamics.
    • Voting – Kathy will prepare the list of candidates/positions to be voted on at the meeting. All board positions are up for election this year.  The President, Treasurer and one board member will rotate off and we have volunteers to run for these positions. Members in good standing are eligible to vote on Civic Association matters at the annual meeting.  Dick Guttendorf will have the payment records with him at the meeting for reference.
    • Communications – At the annual meeting, we will seek input from attendees on the best communication mechanism we should utilize in the future, for example, email, hard copy delivery to mailboxes, Nextdoor, etc.
Treasurer’s Report
Dick Guttendorf will present the treasurer’s report at the annual meeting.
Dick advised that 61 people in the community are current with their dues payments. This is the same number as last year.
After the annual meeting has been held, a follow-up letter will be sent by our new treasurer to those who haven’t paid.
Banks are now requiring additional information on Board members (email addresses, etc.) and have provided us with the new forms. The forms will be completed by the new Treasurer after our August 26 elections.
 
Mosquito Spraying
A current summary is included in our July 2018 Newsletter.
 
Little Free Library 
In our October 2017 meeting, the Board agreed that our community would benefit by having a Little Free Library.   Dick Guttendorf and David Silverman agreed to build the structure at minimal cost, mostly using personal materials.  The structure is currently being painted and will be rolled out at the annual meeting.
 
Sherri Mitchell will register our library.
 
Webmaster
Dave Mitchell reported we have over 200 hits on our website each month.  At the annual meeting we will inform community members of the various information it contains and seek opportunities to expand its use.
 
Our meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  March 19, 2018

Alzos Residence

Attendees:  Kathy Alzos
                   Dick Guttendorf
                   Dave Mitchell
                   Sherri Mitchell
                   Susan Schlotzhauer
                   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 reported that our Maryland Annual Personal Property Tax Return has been filed as well as the EFCA Federal Form 990-N IRS form.  The IRS requires that small organizations file the 990N form annually in order to retain its nonprofit, tax exempt status.
 
Dick advised that 76 people in the community are current with their dues payments. Our next dues mailing will be issued by Dick in May.
 
Mosquito Spraying
Mosquito spraying is done twice a week in April and May; once per week during June, July and August.  During the next week, Dick Guttendorf will contact our vendor, APM, and together will seek ways to ensure that all driveways that are accessible will be sprayed.  One option Dick will propose to APM is that a Board Member ride with the driver at the beginning of the season to familiarize the driver with the route. We currently pay $3 per property for the mosquito service which is a very economical price. The Board continually investigates competitive bidding for mosquito spraying.
 
Spring Cleanup
This year’s spring cleanup date is Saturday, April 21, at 9 AM.  The rain date is Sunday, April 22, at 9 AM.  Signs will be posted.  Kathy Alzos will prepare a newsletter which will will be distributed in advance.  Coffee and donuts will be provided at South Forest and Elk Forest Roads at the beginning of the event.  Contractor trash bags will be provided; we have some in inventory.
 
Annual Meeting – Preparation Meeting
Kathy Alzos will soon propose some June dates to the Board to meet and prepare for the annual meeting.  This year’s annual meeting will include elections.  Flyers and a newsletter will be distributed two weeks prior to the annual meeting.
 
Little Free Library 
In our October 2017 meeting, the Board agreed that our community would benefit by having a Little Free Library.   Dick Guttendorf and David Silverman agreed to build the structure at minimal cost, mostly using personal materials.
 
Sherri Mitchell reported tonight that government agencies advise the library must be placed on private property.  In our upcoming newsletter, we will communicate the need for a community member to volunteer to have the Little Free Library on their property.
 
 Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  December 4, 2017

Alzos Residence

Attendees:
                   Kathy Alzos
                   Dick Guttendorf
                   Judy Leshner
                   Dave Mitchell
                   Sherri Mitchell
                   Susan Schlotzhauer
                   David Silverman
                  Joanne Silverman
                  Janet Curran
 
The meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 7:00 pm. Kathy reviewed the proposed agenda. The primary purpose of the meeting was to plan for the Annual Winter Holiday Party.   Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Annual Winter Holiday Party
The party is being hosted by Dave and Sherri Mitchell on January 1, 2018, from 4-8 pm.  Many thanks to the Mitchell’s for opening their home to the community.  As in the past, it was agreed that Board Members will provide the main dishes; responsibilities for each were assigned at the meeting.  All other attendees will be requested to bring an appetizer, side dish, or dessert.
 
Kathy Alzos prepared a flyer which has been approved by the Board.  The flyer will be placed in community mailboxes within the next few days.   The flyer requests that R.S.V.P.’s be emailed to Sherri Mitchell by 12/23.  The email response to Sherri should include whether or not an invitee plans to attend, the number of people in his/her party, and which appetizer, side dish, or dessert will be brought to the party.
 
On 12/7, the flyer was posted on our website by Dave Mitchell.
 
David Silverman will post an RSVP request on our community entrance sign two weeks prior to the party.
 
Community Entrance Sign
The community entrance sign has been installed.  All positive feedback has been received.  Many thanks to Sherri Mitchell for her leadership.   Thank you to the Board Members who installed the sign.  Dave Mitchell is adding a light to the sign.
 
Welcoming New Neighbors Process
Kathy Alzos confirmed that all new neighbors have been officially welcomed.  For reference, the detailed welcome package is easily accessible on our www.ElkForest.com website.
 
Little Free Library 
A site for the library has not yet been determined. Sherri Mitchell volunteered to research easements to ascertain if the library can be posted on an easement and if there are any associated liabilities.
 
August 2018 Annual Meeting Item
It was agreed that the Board will invite a County Council representative to our annual meeting to inform our community on current county activities and to provide our community members with an opportunity to ask any questions on any issues.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 8 PM.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  October 9, 2017
Alzos Residence
 
Attendees:
                   Kathy Alzos
                   Bill Alzos
                   Troy Gunden
                   Dick Guttendorf
                   Judy Leshner
                   Dave Mitchell
                   Sherri Mitchell
                   Susan Schlotzhauer
                   David Silverman
                  Joanne 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.  Dues have been collected through October 9, 2017 from 69% of our property owners.  This dues payment performance is typical to last year’s at this time.
In November, a followup request will be sent to all property owners that have not paid 2017 dues.  We thank all of those that have paid their dues.  We encourage owners that have not yet paid their dues to please pay as soon as possible so that the same services can continue to be provided to our community.   We thank all property owners for their continued cooperation.
 
Mosquito Spraying
Sometimes community members advise that their driveways do not get sprayed.  Dick Guttendorf reported that there are a number of reasons this occurs:  for example, driveways are obstructed or are not accessible due to closed gates; sometimes, in error, a driver misses a driveway.
Spraying season is over now until April.  To prevent/reduce driveways being missed in the future, the Board will provide a detailed community map to our vendor, APM, and will review it with them.  In addition, the Board will propose to APM that a Board Member(s) ride with the driver prior to the start of the next spray season to show the driver all the driveways.
We pay $3 per property for the mosquito service which is a very economical price.  A number of people have reported that the spraying noticeably reduces the mosquito population in our spraying area.
 
Community Entrance Sign
Sherri Mitchell provided an update on the new entrance sign.  It is enroute and will be delivered later this week.  A team from the Board will install the sign shortly thereafter.
 
Welcoming New Neighbors Process
We now have a process in place to consistently welcome new neighbors to our community.  David Silverman led this project and drove it to fruition.  We thank David for his leadership, persistence, and contribution.
 
In summary,
    David Silverman prepared the packed which includes:
    • Welcome Kit Cover & Welcome Letter
    • Constitution & Bylaws
    • Annual Meeting Minutes (2017 Sample)
    • EFCA Phone Listing (2017)

• Dave Mitchell posted the packet on our website on October 10.  Anyone can access the website and print the package.

• Kathy Alzos and Dick Guttendorf will review County tax records to identify new owners in our community during the past 12 months.  As directed by Kathy, welcome packages will be provided to the identified owners.

• Ongoing, and in coordination with the Board, each Board member accepts the responsibility to be alert to any new neighbors and ensure that each new neighbor receives a personal welcome, an invite to the annual meeting, and a welcome packet.
 
Holiday Party/Open House
The Mitchell’s volunteered to host the party.  It will be January 1, open house, at 4 PM.
 
Halloween Hayride/Party
Troy Gunden advised that the hayride/party will be held on Saturday, October 28.  Flyers will be distributed within the next couple days.
 
Little Free Library 
Sherri Mitchell proposed that our community have a Little Free Library.   The suggestion was well received by the Board.  It was proposed that the library be located at the SW corner of South Forest and Elk Forest Roads.  The Silverman’s will communicate with the owners of the property. Dick Guttendorf and David Silverman will build the structure at minimal costs, mostly using personal materials.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary
 

Elk Forest Civic Association Annual Meeting/Picnic – August 6, 2017
Alzos Residence
  • 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.
********************
The Annual Meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 1:15 pm.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Kathy Alzos reviewed the proposed agenda.  The agenda focused on two items:  the Treasurer’s Report and the proposed Community Entrance Sign which required consensus.  Property owners that had not paid their dues were not allowed to vote.
 
We had a great turnout of approximately 50 community members at the picnic/annual meeting. Kathy introduced and welcomed the new members to our community,  Kathy thanked them for joining us and encouraged them to attend and participate in our quarterly/annual meetings.  Each person attending the event was given a name tag.  The tags were a great addition and made it easy for attendees to introduce themselves to each other and enjoy conversation.
 
The Kilby Ice Cream Truck was scheduled to arrive at 1:30 pm.
 
Elections (None)
 
 No elections were held this year because Board members serve two-year terms.  The current Board members were elected at last year’s annual meeting ( August, 2016).
 
We had some Board Members that couldn’t attend today’s meeting due to other conflicts.  In our last meeting they delegated their voting power to the consensus of the Board in their absence.  This was documented in our last meeting minutes dated July 17, 2017.
 
Treasurer’s Report
Dick Guttendorf  presented the detailed Treasurer’s report for the fiscal year August 1, 2016 thru July 31, 2017.
 
Dick reported that Cris Brookmyer recently performed an annual review of the financials to assure the residents of the accuracy of the Treasurer’s Report. Dick gave Cris special thanks for providing the “check and balance”, so that the community is assured that the financials are accurate.
 
In summary:
For the fiscal year just ended, 7/31/17, the finances are as follows:
 
Beginning Funds             $32,832.54  in checking and CD accounts
Ending Funds                  $34,310.30  in checking and CD accounts
 
TOTAL RECEIPTS          $  6,946.86  member dues/ad in meeting
                                                            flyer/savings account interest
 
Check disbursements for period 8/1/16 thru 7/31/17
Mosquito Spraying           $4,600.00
Annual Meeting                $   480.54
Spring Cleanup                $     58.89
Winter Meeting                 $       0.00
Dues Postage/Supplies    $   137.91
Web Site                           $   191.76
TOTAL
DISBURSEMENTS:         $5,469.10
 
Dick stated that we have currently collected dues from 70 out of 109 property owners.
 
APM is spraying for mosquitos according to their contracted schedule.  Dick monitors their spraying. Sprayings will continue thru Sept so we will have additional billings to pay for mosquito spraying.  A work order is placed in Dick’s mailbox each time they spray; plus he observes their activity with his personal property cameras.  We pay approximately $3 per property for the service which is a very economical price.
 
A motion to accept Dick’s report as read was made by Cris Brookmyer and seconded by Ben Roth.  All in favor.
 
Community Entrance Sign
Sherri Mitchell presented the mockup sign for consensus.  She described the sign as being more contemporary and reflective of our community.   The sign is 5’ by 3’ and will be installed by some of our community volunteers.  It is expected the sign will not need any maintenance for up to 10 years.
 
The sign will be paid for from CD interest, not dues money.
 
The sign was discussed by attendees.  The Board Members unanimously agreed to the sign.  When the issue was presented to the attendees for consensus, the majority of people attending were in favor of the sign; no nays were received.
 
General Discussion from Attendees
 
     – County Road Maintenance and Littering
 
Community members reported that there are many areas of our community roads that need repair.  They also reported that some people are using our community areas to dump trash, furniture, etc.  Dick Guttendorf and Kathy Alzos encouraged attendees to call the Cecil County Road Division anytime they are aware of these types of issues or have concerns.   (The Road Division is a division of the Cecil County Public Works, phone 410-996-6270.)
 
A citizen made us aware of a mattress that is currently on the side of Elk Forest Road.  Dick agreed to call the Road Department and report the issue.
 
     – Deer Population
 
It was noted by residents that the deer population is increasing and inquired what can be done to reduce it. Some residents commented that they like to hunt and that there are designated hunting areas in our community.  For reference, the MD Department of Natural Resources has the responsibility to maintain deer population levels and to keep citizens informed.  Inquiries can be directed to them, phone 877-620-8367.
 
     –  Dirt Bikes
 
The Dalphons reported that dirt bikes are being ridden on the private property that they own which is across the street from where they live.  Others commented that dirt bikes are also being ridden on public roads.  It is illegal for each and should be reported to the Cecil County Sheriff’s Dept., phone 410-996-5500.    It was suggested that a notice be sent to anyone who may be riding dirt bikes on the Dalphon’s private property.
 
     – Dredging
 
A community member asked if there had been any date set for dredging in our water area.  A recent check with the Army Corp indicated that no date has yet been firmed up.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 pm.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
Secretary
 

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting – July 17, 2017
Alzos Residence
************************************
Attendees:
  • Kathy Alzos
  • Bill Alzos
  • Dick Guttendorf
  • Judy Leshner
  • Mike Leshner
  • Sherri Mitchell
  • David Silverman
  • Joanne Silverman
  • Janet Curran
The meeting was called to order by President Kathy Alzos at 7:00 pm. The primary purpose of the meeting was to prepare for the Annual Meeting which is scheduled to be held at the Alzos residence on Sunday, August 6, noon-3 pm.  Minutes of the meeting are provided as follows:
 
Annual Meeting/Picnic Preparation 
Kathy Alzos reported that she and Bill Alzos had distributed the annual meeting flyers the previous week.  Kathy reported that she had received positive attendance responses from three families. (Addendum July 24, 2017:  As of today, two weeks in advance of the meeting, Kathy reports that she currently has received attendance confirmation from 12 families, totaling approximately 24 people.)
 
• Arrival Time – Some Board members plan to arrive at 11:30 to help set up for the meeting/picnic.
• Tables and Popup Canopies – Various Board members will provide tables and popup canopies.  It was agreed that one or two popups should be enough if it is not raining.  A shaded area is available under the deck.
• Sodas – The Board has a supply of sodas from last year.  David Silverman will review the dates on the cans to ensure the sodas are not past their expiration dates.
• Food – Kathy and Bill Alzos will purchases the hamburgers, hot dogs and buns.  Residents can bring appetizers/desserts (optional).
• Tablecloths/Water Pitchers – The Board has tablecloths and water pitchers.
• Chairs – Guests are asked to bring chairs.
• Signs – Signs for the annual meeting will be posted by David Silverman.  David also has an RSVP reminder sign that he will post.
• Kilby Ice Cream Truck – Kathy has called Kilby for the truck and is waiting for a response.
 
Four Board Members (Judy Leshner, Mike Leshner, David Silverman, Joanne Silverman) will not be able to attend the annual meeting due to other conflicts.  They each delegated their voting power to the consensus of the Board in their absence.
 
Treasurer’s Report
Dick Guttendorf reported that the Association has CD’s maturing at Cecil Bank. Upon maturity the funds will be withdrawn from Cecil Bank and deposited into Columbia Bank where we have an existing checking account. We will purchase Columbia Bank CD’s.
Dick reported that 55 people have paid their dues in full.
There are property owners that have not paid their dues. Property owners that do not pay their dues are not allowed to vote.   Dick will bring this list to the meeting for reference.
 
Community Entrance Sign
Sherri Mitchell will present the mockup of the proposed entrance sign for consensus at the meeting.
The sign will be paid for from CD interest, not dues money.
 
Welcoming New Neighbors – Status Report
David Silverman is putting the welcoming packet together and then it will be posted on our website.
In our last meeting, 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.
 
Webmaster
Mike Leshner, our current Webmaster, suggested that Dave Mitchell assume the Webmaster role.  Mike agreed to contact Dave for discussion.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 9 pm.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

Elk Forest Civic Association Meeting  –  June 5, 2017

Alzos Residence
************************************
Attendees:  Kathy Alzos
                   Troy Gunden
                   Dick Guttendorf
                   Judy Leshner
                   Mike Leshner
                   Sherri Mitchell
                   Susan Schlotzhauer
                   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.
 
Dues
The Board had a follow up item from our last meeting to reexamine dues.  At our current meeting (June 5), the Board reexamined the dues vs. budget.  After discussion, it was determined that in order to continue to provide the same services to our community, dues need to be raised from $75 to $85 per year.
 
We expect the $85 dues invoices will be mailed within a short time frame.   Part of each invoice is a letter which summarizes the benefits provided by EFCA and a request for dues payment for the 2017 year.  There are two versions of the letter that we will utilize.  The letters were drafted by Dick Guttendorf. The Board reviewed the drafts and provided input.  Minor changes are currently being made to the letters.  The Board will review the letters again prior to the mailing.
 
Letter Version 1 –  Owners that have paid dues in 2016 will receive a letter/ invoice thanking them for their support and requesting that they continue support in 2017.
Letter Version 2 –  Owners that have not paid dues in 2016 will receive a letter/ invoice reminding them of the valuable mosquito spraying service that is provided and encouraging them to do their part in supporting the Elk Forest Community activities by contributing in 2017.
 
Community Entrance Sign
Sherri Mitchell provided a mockup of the proposed entrance sign. The sign will be 5 ft. by 3 ft.   The Board liked the sign and will present it to the communty for consensus at the Annual Meeting, Sunday, August 6.
 
Our sign resides on a current neighbor’s property. Troy Gunden agreed to advise the neighbor of our plans to replace the sign.
 
Welcoming New Neighbors
David Silverman suggested we have a system in place to provide new community members with a “Welcome Packet”.  The packet will include our EFCA website access, community phone numbers, dues information, etc.
  • 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.
Annual Meeting
The annual meeting is Sunday, August 6.  The Board plans to meet on Monday, July 17, at Alzo’s at 7 p.m. to prepare for the Annual Meeting.  Kathy Alzos will draft a newsletter/flyer for the annual meeting.  The newsletter/flyer will include the meeting agenda. The newsletter/flyer will be distributed two weeks prior to the annual meeting.  Signs for the annual meeting will be posted.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Curran
EFCA Secretary

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

************************************
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

************************************
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 17th.  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 23rd with rain date of April 24th.  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 21st.  The next board meeting will follow in June on a Thursday tbd by Kathy.  The Annual meeting prep will be on July 28th and the Annual Meeting will be on August 21st.  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 25th with a rain date of the 26th.  It was determined that a meeting would be needed prior to that date to organize the event.  April 8th 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 15th.  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 2nd 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 15th 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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