November 2018 Minutes – ~ OHA ~ cpy 01.21.21 ..

Board Meeting Minutes 11-8–2018

Orinda Horsemen’s Pasture

PO Box 904, Orinda CA 94563

Reminders:

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Either Dec 22 or 23: In-hand move from Middle/Forest Meadow to the Lower Sullivan Ranch pasture. Then open gate to Beer Can on Dec. 25

HEADS-UP: More information to come: Herd splits into two groups on either Jan 5 or 6. The “unfed” move to the Plateau and the “fed” move through the gate in the Lower Pasture.

DISPLAY PARKING PLACARDS: Eddie Reiter has OHA yellow-colored placards that should be displayed on your card dashboard while parked at OHA.

EMERGENCY notification process for emergencies at OHA on EBMUD property:
- For emergency services – fire or police – call the East Bay Regional Parks Emergency Number 510-881-1121
- If emergency services have been called, contact either Heather, as President or Wakean, as EBMUD liaison so that they can contact EBMUD
- If neither Heather nor Wakean can be reached, call another Board member: Linda, Diane, Alix, Elise or Lisa, or call the EBMUD Emergency number at 1-866-403-2683.

MINUTES

Board Members Attendance (held at Lisa’s house) – Meeting commenced around 6:55 pm:

Board Members Present at Meeting:Alix, Diane, Elise, Heather, Lisa, Linda
Non-Board Members Present:Kim and Tal Zvik, Sally Weare, Elka Karl
Board Member Absent from Meeting: Wakean

Approve Agenda – Approved Heather’s Agenda with 2 additions
1. Added review of probationary member status – Larry Hunt
2. Discussion of additional hay needed
Consent/Standing Items
1. Minutes of last meeting approved with the following change:
  - ADD IN: From October agenda needed to defer review of probationary membership for Michael Bowen until November Board meeting.
2. Review of the Planning Grid
  - Key items under Month of November.
    - Propose capital improvements to EBMUD
    - Continue to feed on weeds
    - Renew CSHA membership – Diane received and will handle
    - EBMUD lease payment due 11/15 – Diane has not yet received so will ask EBMUD about.
  - Key items under Month of December.
    - Provide wormers at herd move – Cheryl handling wormer purchase.
  - Membership Issues
    1. Member request to discuss rule re: proprietary memberships within same family
      - Tal Zvik spoke: addressed Board stating he wants to become a probationary member when he is old enough, until then wants his father Assi to have a proprietary membership. . Requested to move Rader into a new horse space.
      - Kim Zvik presented 2 attachments: excerpt from March 2018 Board Meeting minutes; reference to OHA Rules and Procedures – Jan 2017. Kim presented argument that the rule was not enforceable because it has not yet been reflected in the rules document on the website.
      - Board reviewed the historical process for implementing rule in March 2018.
      - Board stood by the process that was followed in March 2018; that rule had been sent out for comment twice and has been passed, written in minutes and implemented as a rule. Rules have historically been commented on, approved by the Board and implemented with an effective date of the Board meeting at which the rule was approved. The updating of the rules document on the website may not be done until a later date and does not impact the effective date of the new rule.
    2. Status of Open positions
      - 3 open spaces – Eddie as Membership Coordinator is working on current openings.
      - 2 interviews are scheduled for the next week.
      - No other people on waiting list are eligible for/interested in interview now.
    3. Request to review one horse limit for Probationary Members – DEFER this agenda item to the next Board meeting.
    4. Review of Probationary Members
      - Michael Bowen – Motion was made to accept Michael Bowen as Proprietary member. Board took a vote and unanimously approved proprietary membership (so off probationary status).
      - Larry Hunt – Since the last discussion to extend the probationary status for 6 months was under a different Board, the current Board voted on a motion to invite Larry to the next Board meeting in December before further discussing membership status. Vote was unanimous to request Larry attend next Board meeting in December.
      - General discussion regarding need to look more in-depth at structure of mentoring assignments and check-points and what improvements could be made. DEFER detailed discussion of this until next Board meeting.
    5. New Horse Integration
      - Discussion over Popper’s behaviors and difficulty integrating to herd so that all Board members could be up to date on circumstances.
      - Additional discussion was around keeping an eye on and observing herd dynamics as there has been a lot of herd change.
      - Given that there was most recently rescue efforts needing Emergency Services to rescue Popper out of a ravine the Board wants to outline for future needs what the appropriate procedures for notification should be.
      - EMERGENCY notification process for emergencies at OHA on EBMUD property:
        
        For emergency services – fire or police – call the East Bay Regional Parks Emergency Number 510-881-1121
        
        If emergency services have been called, contact either Heather, as President or Wakean, as EBMUD liaison so that they can contact EBMUD
        
        If neither Heather nor Wakean can be reached, call another Board member: Linda, Diane, Alix, Elise or Lisa, or call the EBMUD Emergency number at 1-866-403-2683.
      - Interview of Prospective Associate Member – Elka Karl
        
        Being sponsored by Sally Weare.
        
        Background equestrian involvement.
        
        Leased horses for 13 – 14 years
        
        Has ridden at Anthony Chabot
        
        Takes lessons from Chris Ellsworth and also a dressage trainer.
        
        Been involved at Rawking Horse Ranch.
        
        Lives close to OHA in Berkeley.
        
        Outstanding question was if her son can also participate at OHA if she is Associate Member? Board will respond to Elka on this matter.
        
        Elka also has a Proprietary membership application into Membership Secretary (Eddie)
        
        Motion was made to accept Elka Karl as Associate Member. Board voted unanimously to accept Elka as an Associate Member.
      - Priorities for 2018-19
        
        Capital Improvement Projects – the Board reviewed the membership survey results which are attached and discussed items to take to the EBMUD meeting. The Board came up with this short list.
        
        Maintain Taj Manure structure.
        
        Upper Sullivan Pasture – new water source
        
        Upper Sullivan Pasture – water trough
        
        Lower Sullivan Pasture – water source
        
        Mowing weeds
        
        Non-Capital Improvement Projects – DEFER discussion to next meeting.
        
        Survey membership for Priorities
        
        Thanks go to Lisa M. for putting out a survey to the membership so they could express their opinions.
        
        Attached as an Addendum, prepared by Lisa of the consolidated results of that survey.

EBMUD report
1. AGP Meeting scheduled for Wed., Nov 14.
  - Board members planning to attend: Wakean, Alix, Heather, Linda, Lisa.
  - Also, Erica will attend in her role as Grazing Rotation Manager
2. Updates from Wakean:
  - Bridge has been checked and will have weight limit sign posted..

Treasurer Report
1. Draft budget for 2018-2019: Diane was going to have the budget at this meeting but still had a couple missing items. She will bring draft budget to the Dec. meeting to be reviewed.
2. Membership dues were due by Sept 15.
  - All membership dues have been paid.
  - Outstanding still are some late fees for dues not postmarked by Sept 30. These late dues will be assessed a $10 late fee per month. If these are not paid promptly the late fees will continue to be assessed and Diane as the Treasurer will send out monthly emails with the billing. Please pay any outstanding late fees you have been assessed so Diane doesn’t have to chase these items.
3. Work Hours were due Sept 30 to Diane
  - As previously stated, we are moving to an electronically consolidated format for future years so can track hours according to tasks and not have to separately consolidate individual work hour reporting. Most everyone did report on the online form.
  - Diane wants to thank EVERYONE who embraced using the online tracking form! It makes her job so much easier reporting this detailed information to EBMUD.
  - For members that have not submitted completed work hours in entirety they should expect a communications from the Treasurer about options of how to complete.
4. Diane brought the Board’s attention that the State and Federal tax status has not been consistently or correctly filed for OHA from year to year. And there have been different interpretations over the last 3 years of what needed to be done.
  - Diane has sorted through the issues, filed for tax-exempt status now and will document for future Treasurers what needs to be filed and why so there is not future confusion.
  - We, the Board, thank Diane profusely for her diligence in sorting through the issue and documenting what needs to be submitting going forward.

Volunteer Task List
1. DEFER to next Board meeting..
2. Elise requested she talk to several members regarding the Herd Move Coordination role given the next move is in December.
Debrief on Feeding scheduling – DEFER to next Board Meeting
Additional Hay – DEFER to next Board Meeting
Next Meeting Agenda Items – already on list
1. Contagious disease protocol
2. Horse sign-out sheets

Next Board Meeting – Thursday, Dec 13 at 6:45 pm. Lisa McLaughlin’s house.

Thank yous: (Send info to Elise if you want to “Toot your horn” and be included in the next Minutes)

Pond fencing work party in Oct: Sarah C., Lianna, Becky, Michael and Tanya. Repaired barbed wire fence along the fire road in the pond pasture.
Kim cleaned dead animal out.of water trough in Old Dairy.

Meeting Adjourned around 9:15 pm

Minutes of 11/8/18 Board meeting respectfully submitted by Elise Geske.