Minutes

Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Manor Road United Church
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

DRAFT MINUTES

Attendance
Present: Jim Walker, Brad Buss, John Holland, Paul Pelton, Margaret Walker
Regrets: Paul Newbigging (Treasurer), Joseph Pacitti (Past-President)

  1. The Secretary recorded that a quorum of the current Board was present so the meeting could proceed. 
  2. Approval of the December 2004 Minutes and January 2005 Agenda
    • The December 2004 Minutes were approved subject to the deletion of -reference to an editorial board for the OWL.
    • The Agenda for the January 19, 2005 Meeting was approved.
  3. Business Arising from the Minutes of the December 15, 2004 Meeting
    1. Accounts Payable in January 2005
      2. General Operating Account Balance Aug 23, 2006 $2,125.31
      Legal Trust Fund Balance May 23, 2006 $1,853.24
      Corra Appeal (Paid by OPA) invoice outstanding
      Balance of SERRA Accounts January 2005 (Treasurer)
      General Operating Account $ ?
      Legal Trust Account $2, 053.24
    2. The OWL Spring edition 2005
      • Paul Pelton volunteered a free service from his company to put together the Spring edition of the OWL. Material for the OWL had to be received by February 4 to meet the time-line required by Paul's company for formatting, publication, and printing of the OWL. (Noted that several articles outstanding were urgently required: Margaret Walker, AGM 2004.)
        • Brad Buss, Greenfield School expansion. SERRA Website
        • John Holland, CORRA Appeal of the Yonge-Eglinton Part 2 Official Plan
      • All items were promised by the due date.
      • It was decided that individual copies of the OWL Spring edition would be mailed ONLY to south eglinton residents with current memberships in SERRA, to limit rising mail costs.
    3. Attendance at Association Meetings since December Board Meeting.
      • CORRA and FoNTRA Members met with City Representatives on December 16 at Metro Hall to discuss and recommend word changes to the Yonge/Eglinton Official Plan Part 11. John Holland represented SERRA and advised the Board that the Minutes of this Meeting, documenting the points of agreement and dissention, would become available through Wm. Roberts (lawyer) at a later date. The Board would review these Minutes in March, if available.
      • FoNTRA Meeting January 18 - John Holland represented SERRA and mentioned a number of on-going items on the FoNTRA Agenda that should be discussed by the SERRA Board on a regular basis because of the future impact on residents' of south eglinton. These items to be on the Agenda for the March Meeting of the Board.
    4. SERRA Mail Box Notices (Margaret Walker)
      • Notices received from the Committee of Adjustment give a very short time to organise or respond to the variances requested unless local residents have attended a Public Meeting and/or received an earlier individual mailing with plans enclosed.
      • These Notices are reviewed and items of significant importance to the south eglinton residents of St. Paul's - Ward 22, are duly noted by the SERRA Executive Board. A record is kept by the Secretar (see Board Minutes - October 26, 2004 Item (4:1).
      • Cheques received for membership fees are recorded and delivered to the Treasurer
    5. Minto Midtown Site - Construction Liason Group (Jim Walker)
      • Margaret Walker represented SERRA at the monthly meeting of this group at the Minto site on January 19. In addition to the on-going items, three additional items were discussed and recorded.
        • Drainage of the Yonge St. boarding sidewalk to avoid ice build-up.
        • Proposal to close a further traffic lane on Yonge St. for 12-14 hours One Saturday morning in Spring for the task of continuos concrete pouring. Date TBD by agreement with Minto, the City and Toronto Police Services 5.3 Division.
        • Traffic Study by BA Group issued to the City, will be presented to the group by Robert Runnings (City) at the February Meeting.
      • The Minutes are available for review by SERRA Board Members.
    6. Status of serra-board Website and future costs
      • Brad Buss advised that the website was live until March 2005.
      • He had renewed the annual fee for US $40. There would be further discussion on the use of the Website and e-mail addresses at the March Board Meeting.
  4. New Business
    1. SERRA Membership Cards (2004-2005)
      • These have not been supplied to members following the November 2004 AGM and the Secretary has had enquiries. New ones need to be purchased, written and distributed (by hand if possible to save costs).
      • The Board decided to reduce mailing costs by attaching the new membership card(s) per residence to the Spring edition of the OWL and mailed directly to SERRA members. Jim Walker suggested this would be a task for Board Members during the March meeting.
    2. Recognition of recent Donations to SERRA.
      • Several members included a donation to SERRA with their membership renewal. A general "Thank you to our generous supporters" to be included in the Spring OWL (maybe with names-tbd). But a single large donation of $100 by a longtime member would be acknowledged a.s.a.p. by letter from President Jim Walker.
    3. Re-establish a relationship with local Newpaper Publications.
      • It was noted that the Town Crier and North Toronto Post provided an on-going opportunity for SERRA to be visible and report activities of the Board (for the association). This is an opportunity used by other FoNTRA associates (ARECA, LOPA in February Town Crier) to stay in the public view with non-members of their associations.
      • Josh Cobden and Patricia Welsh previously shared responsibilities for SERRA. Replacement(s) is essential if SERRA is to remain in public view between editions of the OWL A contact person should be sorted out.
      • Substitute Board Members to attend meetings of significant importance to SERRA. - establish a "buddy system". THIS ITEM WAS NOT DISCUSSED
  5. Other Business - at the discretion of the Chair
    None presented at the Meeting.
  6. Date and Place of the next 2005 Board Meeting
    Wednesday March 2, 2005, at Manor Road United Church (Friendship Room) from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Items for the Agenda for March 2 should be received by the Secretary no later than Sunday February 27, 2005.