Alpine CC Board Minutes
6:00 pm Wednesday, October 13th, 2021 at ACC
Present: Joyce Long, Dorothy Brinckerhoff, Roger Irvin, Rachelle Payne, Melissa Meyer, John Scott, Kerry Hastings, Jeanne-Anne Lindsay
1. Discuss & approve minutes of the previous meeting
Approved
2. Review board email votes since last meeting
None
3. Prioritize Agenda
4. Review and Accept Financial Reports
Board reviewed the financial reports for September. We have received the historically annual year-end donation from Starker Forests. (Thank you, Starker Forests!) ACC’s checking account balance is low because of delays in depositing some tuition payments, but they are going to be deposited 10/14/21. The board Accepted the financial reports.
5. New Location for the Resale Shop
Kerry reported that paint was applied to the exterior, half the interior walls, and half the floor during the 10/8-9 painting party. (Thank you, volunteers!) Painting should be completed 10/16-17. Light fixtures have been purchased and an electrician recruited for installing them. The temporary signs are up on the building. We need to work out an arrangement so that Andi can have access to the hose cutoff (in the Resale Shop’s part of the building), and some finish details on the new interior wall. The team has scheduled October 29-30 for a donation reception and moving party to move the clothes racks (etc.) from the Community Center to the new building. They are hoping to open the shop in mid-November.
6. Preschool Status
Rachelle reported that we currently have 5 students in the 3yr-old and 7 students in 4yr-old class. On 10/15 they are going on the first field trip of the year, to Detering Farms.
This last week one of the preschool families had a COVID infection. The preschool closed for 2 days in caution to give exposed people time to get tested and to disinfect all materials that may have been in contact with the infected individuals. Rachelle has been tested and was negative. The experience has reinforced the value of our protocols and our insistence that any sign of illness of any sort is reason to stay home from preschool.
The parents are moving forward on a poinsettia fundraiser. The Nystrom family are going to put up trees in their businesses for selling the preschool crafts that we have customarily sold at the Holiday Festival. Parents are working toward putting on the Scamper next spring.
Joyce intends to do more advertising to recruit more students.
Rachelle gave the board 14 months notice that we will need to cover her absence during the first week of January 2023.
A cat has been pooping in the gravel of gravel of the play area. A parent is willing to set a trap, and work to find the owner. Parents are interested in replacing the gravel with some other material, such as sliver-free bark. We brainstormed other ways to deter cats from doing this.
Rachelle needs training on adjusting the thermostat. Dorothy will forward the thermostat user guide to Joyce and John, who can work with her to set up the daily schedule.
Rachelle wants to use the Halloween costume season to purchase some clothes and accessories for the dramatic play corner. Dorothy moved we authorize expense up to $200 for purchases, John seconded. Approved.
Rachelle and Dorothy agreed on a mid-month payroll draw schedule.
7. Recommendation for Fencing the Back Yard
Melissa brought a picture of a fence at a Philomath preschool (4ft tall, with spaced slats). Others reported observations of other preschools with 4ft chain link or 4ft solid wood fences around their play areas. Rachelle reported that the parents are excited to invest energy in upgrading the condition of the back yard. Roger suggested we consider designs that use cattle panels or sheep panels, with wood posts and a wood top rail. We will continue to consider design options.
8. Background Checks for Co-Op Parent Volunteers
Joyce reported that she has received only one background check form back from the parents. Rachelle has received CPR and vaccination cards for all 5 parent volunteers. Joyce will remind the parents. Rachelle will help her remember and act.
9. End of Year Appeal Letter
The Board reviewed John’s draft letter based on last year’s. We found a few small edits. John will complete the edits & return the letter file to Dorothy for printing. Dorothy invited other board members to meet for a stuffing party at 6pm on Oct 19th.
10. Budget for FY 2021-2022
The Board briefly discussed and then tabled the Draft 0 budget.
11. Servicing Building and Equipment Rentals
The Board debriefed the rental incidents in August and October in which some aspect of the start or completion surprised Rachelle. We discussed creating an equipment rental agreement form, to do a better job at capturing an agreement with the renters about the condition the chairs/tables should be returned in, and the timing for picking up and returning the equipment. Melissa will draft a form.
12. New Business
Signage. Jeanne-Anne Lindsay is interested in pursuing a grant from Benton County Cultural Coalition for a sign for ACC that would incorporate a reader board. She distributed a list of sign vendors and invited the board to review the offerings and develop a list of what features we would expect in a sign. Jeanne will return to the board meeting in December to set a target, so that Jeanne can write the grant proposal. We discussed other signs around the community and their advantages and disadvantages.
Plat map. Jeanne has a copy of the original plat maps for Alpine, and is offering them to ACC to serve as an art piece in the main hall. The board gratefully accepted her offer.
13. Proposed agenda for November
Fence progress
Reader board sign
14. Schedule
Envelope party 10/19, Parents meeting 11/3, ACC Board 11/10