PLAIN Meeting Minutes
April 2, 2009
Attendees: Gwyneth Butera, president; Lalah Manly, vice president; Mary Stuckey, treasurer; Ella Johanaber, PLAIN Talk editor; Paula Clancy, Matt Pulsts, Kathie DeNobriga, Faye Ridling.
Called to order at 7:43 by Gwyneth Butera.
Review of March Meeting Minutes: passed as amended.
Treasurer’s Report: made no deposits. One check returned. Mary will send the account holder a letter. PLAIN balance is $2327.32.
509(a)2 / 990 Status Update: Kathie. When you apply for non profit status you get an advanced ruling, good for 5 years. At end of 5 years, you fill out another form for them to figure out what kind of charity you are going to be (based on data from the last 5 years). They didn’t’ get anything from us, so then they automatically label us as a private foundation. At that status, we have to file a 990pf no matter what. We were supposed to start filing that form. Now, we need to fill out their form to become a Public Charity (501c3). With that title, we would be responsible for much less stringent filing. Having not filed a 990 form, there’s a penalty, but there’s a cover letter we can write to ask for an extension. We need to file the 990 for the year ending in June, and to do so, we need to know what we brought in and paid out. Kathie to work with Mary on the form. Once we get the bottom line on the 08 year, we need to fill out a second form with 5 years’ worth of proceeds. With that goes a letter saying we’d like to be designated a Private Charity. After that, the reporting is very, very simple. Filing instructions, blank forms went to Mary. Mary will pull the raw information together, then we may see if there are folks in PL who can help with this. Kathie will help craft the cover letters.
Status of New Signs: all are laminated and given to James, but we haven’t seen them up.
PLAIN Talk: Brainstorming
There was some discussion about reducing the size of the latest PLAIN Talk file to make it more accessible online.
Ella needs feedback about how the PLAIN Talk is doing, whether it is having the impact we intend, whether it is on the track we desire. Are they being picked up? There have been no responses to advertising blitz. She feels it needs fresh energy, especially since we want it to be a USED part of the community. Kathie finds it helpful as a council member – it goes with her to meetings. They are out at breakfast if printed in time. We need to continue to work on the communication cycle for knowing that the PLAIN Talks are ready so that the community signs (“PLAIN Talks are available at…”) can go up. She will continue tapping people who write to send in articles. Kathie will send in a picture and article about Alice’s book. It might be fun to have coupons in there, but what for? That might fall under advertising, and the help we thought we would have with that has fallen through. We can talk to DDA about contacting businesses. Since we have this source for printing that is cheap, how about going back to a more newsletter looking thing? The size of the ad with the cost in the last issue was useful. Maybe redo that every other issue.
We really need someone else to do advertising. What if we offered someone 10% of the ad revenue to be in charge of the advertisements? No one opposed to that. Price breaks for advertisers willing to pay ahead. Ella recommitted to getting it out before the first of the month. There is still no one asking for home delivery. Those who do want it delivered appear to be afraid to ask for that. Don’t want to be any trouble.
Yard Sale Planning: Gwyneth has forms to take to breakfast. Bitsy has put something in newspapers, Lalah will do Craig’s List. Form + $5 to a PLAIN person or city hall. Lalah to make signs. Gwyneth will be out of town that weekend. Susan Ahl had big wooden signs that go up on Rockbridge to draw people in. Kathie will ask Phil where they are – maybe in the maintenance garage – and she’ll ask him to ask the city staff to put the signs up on Friday or earlier in the week. We may need to adjust them – add “Saturday” the signs.
Easter Egg Hunt Planning: Lalah will provide Dunkin Doughnuts coffee for volunteers. Faye to provide continental breakfast foods – how much to buy? Plan for 50. We have 30-50 bags. Gwyneth to get keys to Mary. Mary to make coffee at 7:30. Gwyneth to help set up food. Breakfast at 8:30. Kids with most eggs win prizes, so we need volunteers to count. Three prizes for each age group (under 5, 5 and up). Kids will turn in the eggs to use again next year and get a prize bag in exchange.
Memorial Day Activities Planning: Kathie will not be there though she can organize the shopping in advance, etc. A couple of people have volunteered to help out. Faye will do ice cream. Music from Mike Stuckey again (also for Luau? Aug 5). Still need more volunteers for cooking, etc. Need someone to do the parade (this is the mayor’s baby, so we’ll see what he’s doing). City does meat, potluck sides from residents – more fun, better food. 2pm for ice cream social – part of the potluck.
11:30: parade
12:00: lunch
2:00: ice cream social (Faye here to help with that)
PLEAS: Potluck for Spring Fling on April 18th.
New Business:
Preparations for the General Membership Meeting (June 4) and elections June breakfast – free if you renew. Needs to be in May PLAIN Talk. Membership forms should be available at Memorial Day (recycle the back of the PLAINTalks) Ella to make a few more for May.
Pine Lake Web map discussion:
Kathie DeNobriga brought a handout describing the proposed updates for the Pine Lake website.
What’s missing? Discussion Forum? The listservs currently in use could be listed under community and neighbors, or have a link to PLAIN’s website where there is already a link. Each link opens a new page. Each group will be asked to write the page. Add a “donate now” and/or “join now” on to the PLAIN site. Move Ella’s Summer Theater Camp to this site rather than maintaining her own? Jeff is to have the shell up by the end of the month, then we’ll have to write the texts that go on each page. Ella is willing to help with that. Hopefully live by end of May.
Lakefest: planning is coming along. The Lakefest planning committee is asking different city groups if they want to propose an activity as a fundraiser, and they’ll want those ideas within a couple of weeks. There are two afternoons available. Cake walk? PLamingo parade? Bail out or pay to have someone arrested? Silent Auction for Neighborhood Watch? The planning committee will be closing the beach house for the VIPs and vendors to use.
Gwyneth will be out for May meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 8:42.