Minutes

Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Manor Road United Church
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

DRAFT MINUTES

Attendance
Present: Jim Walker (President), Joseph Pacitti (Past-President), Harold Pidduck, Dan Scott, Margaret Walker (Secretary)
Regrets: Josh Cobden, Wendy Tamminen (Membership Chair)
Guests: Neil Carter (from Councillor Michael Walker's Office)

  1. Minutes of the February 18, 2004 Meeting
    • Approved without amendment by the Directors present.
  2. Business Arising from the Minutes for February 18, 2004
    • These items were discussed at the discretion of the Chair
    1. SERRA accounts year to-date
      • No change in the General Operating Account ($1,413)
      • Three accounts are outstanding; for SERRA Website (?), FoNTRA Membership 2004 ($50) and money owed to Patricia Welsh.
      • SERRA cheques can now be counter signed either by Jim Walker or Margaret Walker, as arranged with the RBC at Yonge/Orchard Blvd.
      • Legal Fund No Change ($2,053. 21)
    2. Spring Edition of the OWL 2004
      • Deferred - Patricia Welsh was not present.
    3. Articles for the Town Crier and Toronto Post papers local editions
      • Deferred - Josh Cobden and Patricia Welsh not present
    4. Future Board Meetings - Change of site reviewed
      • Harold Pidduck inquired at the Maurice Cody Community Centre. The dollar cost would be $17.50/hr for Mondays in Spring, rising to $36.00/hr for Wednesdays or Fridays in the Fall of 2004.
      • Board members present agreed that this is too expensive for our currrent financial position. It should be reviewed again IF memberships in SERRA increase substantially. Mt. Pleasant Library could offer Saturday mornings (10:am-12 noon) free of charge. At other times when the library is closed SERRA would have to pay for a Security Guard.
    5. Main Focus for SERRA in 2004
      1. Membership Campaign
        • Deferred - pending availability of Membership Chair to join in discussion with Board Members. Highly Important Item
      2. Communications and Public Relations
        • Deferred - Josh Cobden and Patricia Welsh not present
      3. North Toronto Collegiate - Public Meeting on-site
        • February 19, 2004. (Chair, Josh Matlow TDSB Trustee)
        • Harold Pidduck and Margaret Walker reported attendance was low considering the importance of the issues being discussed. The presentations were excellent also the opportunity for questions to TDSB representatives and the Architects. Two reports.were presented at 4 break-out groups. "Renovation and Addition Options" and "New School Options".. This was an "information only meeting ". No firm plans have been presented to the Board.
      4. Reports from the March Meetings of other Member Associations (CORRA. March 2, and FONTRA, March 9)
        • Deferred - SERRA representatives attending these meetings in March were not present and the Minutes were not circulated.
      5. Applications by South Eglinton Residents to the Committee of Adjustment
        • Harold Pidduck attended the March Public Hearing to support the resident opposing the application to develop the property at 3 Hoyle Avenue. No judgement was given just a suggestion that the two residents try to reach an agreement in principle (single story addition only).
      6. Proposed Development of the Bethel Baptist Church site Public Meeting on March 9
        • John Holland attended this meeting and investigated local reactions to the proposal. Dan Scott discussed the impact of this "Not for Profit Seniors Only Affordable Housing units " (4-story building), on the Church with the current Pastor. Little local opposition to this proposal which will go to the Committee of Adjustment for review sometime in the summer.
  3. New Business
    1. The re-naming of Davisville Park to June Rowlands Park
      • Councillor Michael Walker presented this suggestion at a Public Meeting attended by 70 South Eglinton residents including Harold Pidduck.. There was very little local support for this change and some strong opposition also surfaced. Neil Carter (from the Councillor's office) outlined the specifics for proposing this change. Councillor Walker requested the SERRA Board of Directors to endorse his proposal for the change, with a supportive letter that he would take to City Council.
      • Not all board members present were agreeable to the proposed change and one was strongly opposed. Therefore further discussion is necessary with the board members not present. Possibly a decision could be reached at the May Meeting.
      • Neil Carter was asked to give this information to Councillor Walker.
    2. Request from Dr. Carolyn Bennett MP
      • Complete information on SERRA was requested by Caroline Johnson, the new Assistant for Community Relations.for Dr. Bennett's Riding of St. Paul's.
      • It was decided to refer Ms. Johnson to the SERRA web-site, which now carries full information on the Association thus eliminating the need for correspondence. This request had been sent by e-mail to the past Chair and Secretary of SERRA.
    3. Reversing a decision by a previous Board of Directors in 1999
      • From the Meeting of the SERRA Board of Directors in February 1999, the Minutes recorded a decision that members serving on the Board would be exempt payment of the annual membership fee during their term of office.
      • Due to the current status of the General Operating Account, which also reflects a reduction in paid memberships, the Board decided to set-aside this Minute of February 1999 until the number of memberships increase.
  4. Other Business
    1. Improvement of the green space in Don Valley trails (Sunnybrook Park)
      • A Mountain Biking Group and a City Planning Group are taking a look at the Crothers' Woods Trail near Sunnybrook Park - information from Dan Scott.
    2. Restriction on Collection of non-recyclable garbage bags from homes
      • A system to limit the number of bags (2 bags per household proposed) of non-recyclable garbage picked-up by the City garbage collectors will soon be in effect. Joseph Pacitti stated that some community discussion of this issue is absolutely necessary and should be initiated as soon as possible, through the print media (Town Crier and Post) including the OWL and on the SERRA web-site. This unfavourable proposal may become an unpleasant fact throughout the summer months when the average garbage collection from households is increased.
    3. Formulation of a Policy and Procedure for Planning and Development issues
      • Dan Scott suggested that there was a real need for the current SERRA Board of Directors to formulate a Policy and Procedure to deal with the many Planning and Development issues which confront residents of south eglinton now and in the future. Also other local residents' associations with memberships in FoNTRA or CORRA on occasions will require support from SERRA. Such a Policy and Procedure would avoid any unilateral decisions by an existing Board of Directors for SERRA.
        • There would be further discussion of this item at the May 12 Meeting.
  5. Date of the Next Board Meeting
    • May 12, 2004 at the Manor Road United Church at 7:00 pm
    • ***** NOTE This Meeting will be in the Nursery NOT the Friendship Room *****