OHA Minutes 2004

November/December 2004

Orinda Horsemen’s Member Newsletter & Board Meeting Minutes

Board Meeting – November 18

Present: Morris Older – president, Bronwyn Evans – vice president, Elise Geske – treasurer, Heather Pineda – EBMUD liaison, Erica Braun – pasture manager liaison, Renee Benoit – secretary/newsletter editor Not Present: Christie Larner – communications officer

Sunday Dec. 12

10:00 a.m.

MOVE TO LOWER PASTURE

(worm horses)

Move Coordinator – Renee Benoit:

Home Phone 510-528-8090 Cell Phone 510-528-8090

The Plan:

Meet at the Red Barn at 9:45 a.m. –

We will start walking up the hill at 10:00 a.m. SHARP.

We will walk up as a group to catch ALL of the horses AS A GROUP that are in the upper pasture at that time. NO horses will be left to run around frantically looking for their buddies and causing havoc with the people who are handling horses. That means if you are late or forget we will handle your horse and take it to the Lower Pasture with the group.

If you’re not ok with this BE ON TIME.

Wednesday Dec. 15

Membership Dues due

($275 per space per 6 months; $550 per year)

On the Horizon: January

·         Jan 2 – Member Dues late

·         Mid-January: Move to Upper Pasture

Other things to remember

·         For problems between members that can’t be solved by good old fashioned talkin’ it out, please contact Linda Furtado: OHA member mediator 925-299-1036

·         When you make a change to the feeding schedule please tell the whole member ship as best you can. (through email or other means is fine)

·         Purchases over $75 must be cleared with Board President Morris and subsequently the Board before you make the purchase. Let Morris know and he will give you the go-ahead right away if he can. Note to budding philanthropists: unless, of course, you feel like the purchase you make can be considered a gift to OHA. J

·         The OHA Yearly Planning Grid is available to membership upon request.

·         Don’t use the arena when it’s wet. “Wet” = the ground is moist enough for horses to leave a 1/4-inch deep hoof print. From page 20 (XIV-A) of the Rules.

·         Always separate recycling from trash!

·         Clean up your horses’ droppings!

·         FEEDERS: Feed 2-1/2 bales except when the weather is extreme and then feed 3 bales

Lower Pasture Hay Delivery

It turns out that, due to a misunderstanding, hay for the lower pasture has already been delivered to the red barn. By the time you read this our hay delivery people will probably have already moved it over to the lower pasture because the double layer of pallets will have most assuredly been set up. As I write this the emails have been flying back and forth about volunteers moving the pallets over there in preparation.  (Thanks to Tony R. and Cheryl F.) Because of this we won’t have to buy more hay and this will result in savings that could be passed on via a June dues reduction IF the rest of our budget allows it. We will not know until later in the year how that will work out. We will keep you posted.

EBMUD Report Update

Heather Pineda’s meeting with Penny Spear and possibly Rod Tripp had to be re-scheduled for Thursday December 2 at 3:15 pm. Topics for discussion:

1.       The new bid for replacing a major section of the water line to the upper pasture.

2.       How to get the work done using last year’s capital improvements credit.

3.       Approval of the drainage work suggested for the Pavilion

4.       Annual Grazing Plan and Capital Improvements.

5.       The fence (which has seen better days) along El Toyonal by the Lower Pasture

We’ll update you in the next newsletter.

Meanwhile…Back at the Ranch….

We still need to keep the Old Stalls and the Pavilion Stalls from degrading any further. The tricky part is coming up with non-permanent cheap stopgap solutions. This is time to use our Creative Ingenuity! Not capital investments! Bronwyn is going to experiment with tarps installed in a safe way until we can talk to EBMUD about a real solution. She’s looking into remove-able tarps.

With regard to the wood chips in the stalls: they’re fine but check your horse’s feet because wood chips can get stuck easily.

Capital Improvement Process

Was the information given out in last issue of the Minutes was sufficient to answer your questions about the Capital Improvement process? We want your feedback!

On Other Fronts

Bring on the Empty… Horse Spaces!

Fred, Christie and Renee will be interviewing people on the waiting list.

Sponsorship Wanted: Diane Livoti who lives at 7379 Terrace Drive in El Cerrito is interested in sponsoring a horse at OHA. Call her at 510-815-7387. She recently asked to be put on our Membership Waiting List. She taught riding at the Oakland City Stables, is a professional animal handler, and knows advanced first aid.

Be on the Lookout for …the New Riding Partner

Liza Rose Wallace is a new Riding Partner for Cheryl Ann Fulton.

Contact Info: 510-559-9255; 852 Balra Dr., El Cerrito 94530

Make a Note of it

Marcia Furtado’s new address:

5746 Nottingham Drive; El Sobrante, CA 94803 (510-222-6553)

Socrates

Socrates is away from the pasture temporarily while he recuperates from a nasty nasal infection requiring him to be subjected to a roto-rooter like procedure at Pioneer.

From Erica – Pasture Manager Liaison’s Report

Lower Pasture erosion: the cracks were filled but the ground is still unstable, and will need some more attention before the LP move. Cheryl and Erica are keeping an eye on it. You can, too!

Erica wants to do a survey of the membership as was suggested at the pasture managers’ meeting last year. She will bring proposed questions to the next board meeting. The idea is to get in touch with all the members and ask what each person is interested in doing for work hours, what skills and resources they have to contribute, and how they like to work. The information will help the pasture managers know who to call on when work needs to get done, and make it easier for more members to get involved.

If you see a problem and want to fix it, let the pasture/area manager know so that we can coordinate our efforts. The pasture/area manager can help bring problems to the board, if necessary.

We will try to prioritize the work projects at each board meeting, beginning in December.

·         Next Board Meeting (will meet if Heather’s meeting with EBMUD goes as planned)

Thursday Dec. 9^th at 7 p.m.

Renee’s house – 1022 Evelyn Ave., Albany

Note: Send Agenda topics to Morris Older

Agenda Items deferred to the next Board Meeting:

·         Confirmation of pasture managers

·         Division of responsibility between Board & Pasture managers

·         New member integration problems/process/mentors

·         Process for decision making between meetings

·         Yahoo Groups

·         Tee shirts/sweatshirts

·          Pear orchard

·          Re-institute work hours credit for herd inspection when feeding season ends

·          Garbage

·          Capital improvements

·          Pavilion

·          Member survey

And Last But Not Least….

A standing ovation goes to:

Lucy Swan who saved the two horses recently. One was at the Pinole shelter. It was originally found wandering the streets of Oakley and was emaciated. After a stay at the Pinole shelter and no one coming forward Lucy got on Craig’s List where Joelyn Stables in El Sobrante heard about it. Upon arrival at Joelyn a farrier and vet were waiting to minister to it. We’ve heard the horse is giving little kids rides around the property now. The second horse was at the Martinez shelter and had been there for 18 months. It was kind of crazy after being cooped up for so long according to sources. Lucy once again got on Craig’s List and this time the horse went to a shelter in Napa a day before it was going to be euthanized. Good going Lucy!

And a round of applause for:

Erica, for working on the fence line in the upper pasture,

Morris, Cheryl, Wakean and Fred for filling in the lower pasture crack

Heather H. for hauling garbage

October/November Orinda Horsemen’s Member Newsletter

Board Meeting – October 28

Present: Morris Older – president, Bronwyn Evans – vice president, Elise Geske – treasurer, Heather Pineda – EBMUD liaison, Christie Larner – communications officer, Erica Braun – pasture manager liaison, Renee Benoit – secretary/newsletter editor

Next Board Meeting

Thursday Nov. 18^th at 7 p.m.

Bronwyn’s house – 1738 Delaware, Berkeley

Note: Send Agenda topics to Morris Older

Just Around the Corner: December

EBMUD lease payment due Dec. 1

Prepare Lower Pasture for move

Move to Lower Pasture (worm horses) Dec. 12 or 19

Member Dues due Dec. 15

On the Horizon: January

Member Dues late on Jan 2nd

Move to Upper Pasture Mid-January

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION TO OHA MEMBERS

EBMUD is increasing pasture rents area-wide. (See more information within newsletter). Therefore the Board had pretty much no choice but to approve an increase in dues by $50 per space per 6-month period starting in December. ($275 per space per 6 months; $550 per year)

Linda Volunteers to Mediate

For problems between members that can’t be solved by good old fashioned

talkin’ it out, please contact Linda Furtado. She has volunteered to help with disputes between members. But before you go there: this is

What our Rule Book suggests:

XIX. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

A. Disputes Between Members

1. All members are encouraged to resolve disputes amongst themselves through rational, cooperative communication.

2. If a dispute persists, members may contact the President [Linda Furtado] to act as mediator of the dispute.

(Editor’s note: please refer to rest of Rule Book text on page 22).

Clarification of Duties

Communications officer Christie Larner: She will be in charge of special letters that need to be written, notification of pasture rotation dates to membership, worming and vet clinic dates notification to members, dissemination of information to individuals from board members; sharing information w/ membership about horse issues. Pasture Manager Erica Braun: She will act as liaison between pasture managers and board and assist in facilitating and implementing ideas and plans concerning maintenance and improvement of pastures.

OHA Yearly Planning Grid

This item is available to membership upon request. It gives monthly information on anticipated pasture rotations and other cyclical pasture events.

Treasurer’s Report

The Board approved the budget for the coming year. (See enclosed report). EBMUD is increasing pasture rents area-wide (Moraga Horsemen’s Association is getting dinged too). Therefore the Board had pretty much no choice but to approve an increase in dues by $50 per space per 6-month period starting in December. ($275 per space per 6 months; $550 per year)

1. 2003 – 2004 Actual: Expenses $26,203 to Income $19,819 leaving OHA in the red year by $6,384. Partially due to the EBMUD adjusted rent increase and paying for previous years’ hay.

2. 2004-2005 Budget: Projected expenses of $22,562 to projected income of $23,025 (which includes the Board approved membership dues increase).

Dear Landlord (with apologies to Bob Dylan) EBMUD Report

Heather Pineda is meeting with Penny Spear and possibly Rod Tripp the week of November 15 before the next Board Meeting and will discuss the new bid we have received for replacing a major section of the water line to the upper pasture. She will try to find if there is any way to get that work done using last year’s capital improvements credit, the extension expired on Oct.31st. She will also seek approval of the drainage work suggested for the Pavilion and see if it can be a capital improvements project. They will also discuss the Annual Grazing Plan and Capital Improvements. In a preliminary meeting earlier this month Penny mentioned subdividing the upper and lower pasture more in the coming year with more water sources (we fence as a capital improvement; they source water as needed)

Segue from there into Pavilion Stall Improvement

We believe we have a reasonable plan to propose to Penny and Rod and we are going to pursue it immediately so we can have dry, sanitary stalls this winter when we need them. As a back-up we talked about the options of a fourth wall with a door on two stalls or installation of rain sheets which are impervious to weather but impermanent i.e. removable.

On Other Fronts

·         The Board approved the development of a mowing plan to control unwanted vegetation this year, which Erica will develop in consultation with Alice and Emily.

·         We incorporated elements from last year’s ground rules for meetings into this year’s ground rules.

Other Member News:

·         Jane Binder has taken Shirley Delsart’s space.

·         Carolyn Colson resigned her space. At her request her name was placed at the bottom of the waiting list.

·         Everyone on the second horse list declined the new space created by Carolyn’s departure.

·         A committee of Fred, Christie and Renee will be interviewing people on the waiting list.

·         We are reviewing the status of members that have had horses off the pasture for longer than allowed by the by-laws. We are trying to find out what these members are planning to do with regard to their spaces.

Items from the Oct. 28 Agenda that had to be deferred to a future Board Meeting:

·         Confirmation of pasture managers

·         Division of responsibility between Board & Pasture managers

·         Work parties and projects

a. Winterizing

b. 0ld stalls

c. Manure management

d. Clean-up

e. Lower pasture

f.   Project list management

·         New member integration problems/process/mentors

·         Process for decision making between meetings

·         Communicating feeding changes to entire membership

·         Yahoo Groups

·         Tee shirts/sweatshirts

·         Pear orchard

·         Move to lower pasture-Dec 12 (or 19) and worming

Pasture Manager’s Report to the Board

– By Erica Braun

One of the goals that came out of the pasture manager meeting last spring, was to be informed about and participate in the planning calendar so that the pasture managers can (a) be better point people, and (b) do better at involving the rest of the membership in the maintenance tasks. We wanted to plan ahead for work parties and have some skill-sharing clinics.

Proposals for Board Acceptance from Spring Meeting

1. Share the planning grid with the membership – distribute it and post it in the white shed.

2. Give the pasture managers a mandate to poll the membership about what each member can and wants to contribute.

3. Work parties & skill-sharing calendar É I think this can be an elaboration of what’s on the grid already, so Erica’s suggestion is something like:

Oct/Nov winter-izing party (fill in holes, gutters, drainage, brush, trails, etc)

March spring-izing party (fences, trails, etc)

May Pear Orchard party

June teaseling & star thistle party

Communications to EBMUD

1. Thank you, Penny, for great job on LP teasel control!

2. Please fix up (or let us know what we can do) LP fence line along El Toyonal – it’s getting pretty old and is hazardous in a few spots.

Work Projects That Warrant Some Board Attention

1. Best fix for crack in LP – Ms Long, Jane, Cheryl, Morris & Erica has all examined. It’s in area that abuts the EBMUD teasel control project. It needs attention before the move to LP, and are suggesting that the crack be widened in spots and filled in others with hand tools – while encouraging the improved ground cover that is helping to reduce the danger of further cracking and discourage the teasel.

2. Mandate for Erica to work up a spring mowing proposal – including some weed eater work. I’d like to ask Alice and Emilie to work with me again. I want to also do some grass identification for the membership, and help us have a shared record. Penny was great to work with last year.

I want the mandate now so that I don’t have to go through the multiple requests and delays that happened last year. Of course there are different opinions in the group about weeds, grasses, grazing and overgrazing – if we don’t take a positive working approach, we end up with a pretty destructive polarization that never goes away. There’s a potentially fruitful range of knowledge and opinion in the group (including my own pre-OHA experiences with grazing rotation, some restoration, some mowing and some involvement in the California Native Grass Association’s conferences about rangeland management – which was, by the way, pro-grazing. (Mind you, I’m a total amateur)) This is a good time to plan for work in May.

Note on Board vs. Manager’s Responsibilities

I’d like to second Renee’s suggestion that maintenance problems or proposals to fix problems come first to the area manager who then does one of three things: (1) puts it on the work list (2) gets it done (3) works with the initiator(s) to bring it to the board.

Miscellaneous Work List

1. Lower Pasture fire road gate opening on El Toyonal fix up – Cheryl to report

2. Lower Pasture fence line work (and water supply check) before Move – Cheryl

3. Lower Pasture hay delivery in early Dec.: move pallets & participate in Tarping 101 – Morris & Cheryl & volunteers

4. UP/USR cross fence on-going fix up before spring – Erica

5. Pond Barn enclosure continued cleanup and dump run. – Volunteers needed.

6. Additional winterizing: gutters, trails, pathways, etc

7. SE pavilion feeder needs securing or replacing

8. Manure maintenance – Erica making some calls to gardening projects

9. PO trail (the part where it is deeply rutted. Just at the pylon at the “tree root” section and then a little lower down where it curves around and is also rutted. Perhaps also by the creek just to cut back the brush to widen the passing area.) – as discussed by Renee & Morris

10. Pavilion back paddock drainage: not included in pavilion proposal

11. Pavilion tie posts: fill and fix drainage – included in pavilion proposal, probably

12. Pavilion railroad ties: finish installing

13. Pavilion: buy large white board board (magnetic) and hang – (Cheryl did this)

14. Saddling enclosure hose stand next to old stalls

15. Ring enclosure hose hydrant moved toward Wildcat Canyon Road to avoid mud at gate

16. Trail work: UP from saddling enclosure; lower forest trail – Morris

17. Brush removal: around ring; around LP corral

18. LP corral: electrify

19. Bat encouragement: remove screens at top of red barn &/or install bat house.

– Erica B.

Pasture managers:

Upper Sullivan Ranch – Vibeke Norgaard & Nina Stradtner

Upper Pasture – Erica Braun

Saddling Area – Jane Binder

Pavilion – Heather Pineda

Lower Pasture – Cheryl Ann Fulton

Pear Orchard – Renee Benoit

Standing Ovation goes to:

All who volunteered to take Carolyn’s feedings

Carolyn and Alice for addressing the problem of pavilion drainage

Alice and Richard for getting bids on the waterline and pavilion

Cheryl for supplying dry-stall in 2 pavilion stalls

Kim for installing 1/4 by dust in one of the old stalls

Cheryl for replacing the whiteboard at the pavilion

Morris for replacing the whiteboard at the pond barn–note the fluid on

the wall inside

Wakean, Erica and Morris for tarping the hay at the pond barn

Richard for repairing the flat on the wheelbarrow

Richard for fixing the drainage on the hay platform outside the red barn

Heather Hafleigh (as always) for hauling off our trash and recycling

David, Renee and Kim for installing brand new high intensity weatherproof lights at the Pavilion

Cheryl & Jane who met with Mrs. Long about the Lower Pasture erosion.

Erica who ordered a new pond barn charge and Morris who installed it.

Wakean who did work at the pond barn

Remember!

1. The riding arena is not to be used when wet. “Wet” is defined as when the ground is moist enough for horses to leave a 1/4-inch deep hoof print. (From page 20 (XIV-A) of the Rules:

2. Always separate recycling from trash!

3. Clean up your horses’ droppings!

Letter From the Board President

Dear OHA Members,

Several members have expressed concern and disappointment that we somehow managed not to take full advantage of our capital improvements credit from EBMUD for the 2003-4 grazing year, which ended October 1. Rest assured that this was not the result of a lack of effort on the part of the Board. If anything it was the result of unreasonable price expectations and the total lack of interest in the contracting world in the job that we had to offer.

Last year we did get a credit of $608 for hand removal of yellow star thistle and teasel, but our maximum of $2700 credit for the pipeline replacement has expired because we were unable to solicit an acceptable bid to do the work.

Please understand that we have not lost money, but rather the opportunity to rehabilitate the water system this past year. Instead of paying a contractor to do the work, we have instead paid the same amount as rent to EBMUD.

Either way we would have paid the same. But consider the hoops and hurdles that we have to jump through to get a capital improvements project done on time to activate the credit.

A little background on this project: Four years ago, we had replaced water line in the lower pasture, which was about twice the length of the section in the upper pasture, for about $4,200, and in November 2000 we had received a bid for replacing the upper pasture section for $1,735. (EBMUD preferred that we use that year’s credit for fencing and hazard removal in the Sullivan ranch properties that were being added to the pasture at that time.) So it seemed reasonable that we could get the work done with the remaining credit this last year.

Here is the timeline of how we attempted to get the work done: Last year by December, EBMUD had specified the pipeline as the major portion ($2,700) of our capital improvements credit. They suggested we contact John Fouhy and Scott Carr, although it was clear that the work could not be done until the ground dried up in late spring. Erica volunteered to solicit bids and called both John and Scott in January, but they kept putting her off. When spring came they were both clear that they would be unable to help until the end of weed abatement season, around July 4th. John did suggest some other contractors to call, but Erica tried and was unable to get a bid from them. In April she returned the task to me. By May 11th I had the first bid, but it was higher than expected ($6,600) and EBMUD rejected it. In June, EBMUD wrote up our Annual Grazing Plan (AGP), leaving space in it for the pipeline project to be filled in when we got an acceptable bid. Note that generally the AGP cannot be finalized until the project has been approved and a bid accepted, and that the work cannot be done until the AGP has been finalized. Although in the past EBMUD has allowed us credit for work completed after the year ends on October 1, they are no longer open to this. This year, however, they did say that we could finish the pipeline project by October 31st if we got an acceptable bid.

From July through September, both John and Scott and our other referrals were called several times each, messages were left, but they did not call back. On one occasion John referred us elsewhere, to people who declined to bid on the job. Throughout all of this, EBMUD has considered the possibility of doing the work themselves, and they may do so yet. In September we received a second bid, which was about $3,000 higher than the first bid–this bidder is trying to re-bid. Last week John Fouhy submitted a bid, which, although less than the other bids, still comes to about $5,000, or $2,300 more than the credit we were allowed against last year’s rent, and about $500 more than the credit for the coming year.

Given that the AGPs are usually not written until May or June, because of delays by EBMUD itself plus the fact that the work must be done by October 1st, it is a miracle that we have ever succeeded in finishing on time to be able to deduct the cost of these improvements. As the owner of the pasture, and all the buildings and fences on it, EBMUD has the right to approve or deny any project regardless of who is paying for it. In the past they have repeatedly refused to consider projects that some members thought important. They do not want OHA to be a stable, and do not want horses confined except in emergencies. If a horse cannot make it on the pasture, their theory is that it belongs somewhere else. We have struggled with this attitude and we have not had success in changing it.

In the next few weeks we will meet with EBMUD to discuss the latest bid and the capital improvements budget for the current year. We are interested in waterline replacement and pavilion drainage; we know that EBMUD is interested in further dividing fences in both the upper and the lower pasture. The Board will meet again later this month and hopefully we will be able to move forward on attaining some of these priorities, using the capital improvements budget and/or paying for them ourselves.

If you were one of those wondering, I hope this clears things up.

– Morris

Notice: OHA has set up an e-mail group on Yahoo Groups. This provides an easier way to send and receive your important OHA e-mail – you no longer have to make sure you have everyone’s current e-mail address in your address book! If everyone with e-mail signs up for the Yahoo group, then we can distribute the minutes using the group. Avoid duplicate e-mails – sign up today! Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohassoc/. Contact Kim Zvik if you have any questions about signing up for the group.

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Minutes of the Board Meeting

September 23, 2004

Present: Bronwyn, Erica, Elise, Heather P., Morris

Absent: Renee, Christie

Notice: OHA has set up an e-mail group on Yahoo Groups. This provides an easier way to send and receive your important OHA e-mail – you no longer have to make sure you have everyone’s current e-mail address in your address book! If everyone with e-mail signs up for the Yahoo group, then we can distribute the minutes using the group. Avoid duplicate e-mails – sign up today! Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohassoc/. Contact Kim Zvik if you have any questions about signing up for the group.

1. Board Elections:
   1. President: Morris
   2. Vice President: Bronwyn. Please note that the Vice President will play an active role this year, by serving a “triage” function for issues presented to the Board. Please call Bronwyn with any agenda items or issues you have for the Board’s consideration or discussion.
   3. Treasurer: Elise Geske will continue for a second year.
   4. Recording Secretary: Renee.
   5. Membership Secretary: Fred Goff agreed to continue in this position, even though he is not on the Board. His assistance is greatly appreciated! The Recording Secretary will be responsible for communicating information from Board meetings to Fred.

1. Feeding: Members have been feeding 2.5 bales per day. Even though the Rules state that the horses shall be fed one flake per day, the Board believes that this was intended as a minimum amount. Due to the fact that there are fewer horses on the pasture right now, the horses are getting more than one flake per horse. The horses are eating all the hay that is being put out, and some of the horses are quite lean, so the Board supports feeding 2.5 bales per day.

1. Ground Rules for Board Meetings: In order to emulate a cooperative organization, the Board discussed goals it would like to strive for in conducting it’s meetings over the coming year. The Board encourages all members to take these “ground rules” to heart when interacting with board members and other members:

1. 1. Be respectful
   2. Communicate in advance of meeting

                                                               i.      So that issues can be reviewed in advance of discussion

                                                             ii.      Erica will print out critical emails for Bronwyn

1. 1. Meetings start and end on time
   2. Meeting dates set well in advance
   3. Use a consent calendar to approve non-controversial items without spending time on unnecessary discussion
   4. Be inclusive
   5. Actively listen (do not interrupt)
   6. Be concise when expressing your opinion.

1. Budget: The Board discussed the final status of the budget for the current fiscal year, which ends September 30th. We will discuss next year’s budget at the next meeting. Due to the method EBMUD uses to calculate the cost of our lease, our payments have increased by $4,400 per year (please contact Morris if you want an explanation of how EBMUD calculates the cost of the lease). The Board may have to discuss whether to increase dues.

1. Capital Improvements: We were not able to complete our capital improvements project so far this year, due to lack of interest by contractors in bidding on the project. Morris just received a bid for $11,190, but the length of the distance involved may not have been calculated correctly. Morris asked the contractor to re-measure and submit a corrected bid. If the bid is accepted by EBMUD quickly and completed by end of October, EBMUD is willing to credit it to the current fiscal year. This would be ideal, so that we would have capital improvement funds to use next year on other projects, such as Pavilion stall drainage.

1. Next Meeting: The Board will next meet on October 28^th at Heather Pineda’s house at 7:00 pm.

Gold Stars to…

…Richard for improving the safety of the upper pasture fence across from the pavilion!!

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather Pineda

Orinda Horsemen’s Association
Meeting Minutes
September 12, 2004

Congratulations to our newest pasture member, Camilla Norgaard Martin, born Friday, September 3, and her parents, Vibeke and Ian!!  Camilla weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz.  Mom is recovering after 25 hours of labor!

12:00 pm – Meeting of Outgoing Board

1.      The Board reviewed and approved the agenda for the annual membership meeting.

a.      The Board recommended that at future general membership meetings, the membership should recognize the top 3 work-hour earners rather than top 5.

2.      Due to the sudden and untimely passing of Christie’s new horse (which had not yet arrived at the pasture), Morris requested, on her behalf, an extension of the amount of time she has to fill her space.  The Board approved an extension, granting Christie six months to fill in her space with a horse (her own or by leasing the space).  She will have 12 months to put her own horse in the pasture.

3.      The Board interviewed and approved Doug Ross as an Associate Member.  He will sponsor Fred and Edie’s horse, Heather.
4.      Elise passed out a budget summary for the year and asked Board Members to review it.

1:00 pm  Annual Meeting of the Membership

1.      Bev, the outgoing President, called the meeting to order.  Everyone was asked to introduce themselves, and state the year they became members of OHA.

2.      Penny Spear from EBMUD spoke to the group and answered many questions from members.

a.      Grazing reports:  Penny congratulated us on the timeliness of our monthly grazing reports  all but one were on time this year (Thanks to Renee!!).  In addition to tracking how many horses are on the pasture each day, EBMUD is monitoring when we rotate through the pastures, to determine the best times of year for us to graze each pasture.

b.      Biodiversity:  Our pasture has the most biodiversity of all the EBMUD land in this area, and it is steadily increasing.  The biodiversity is measured in a 100-foot long, 3-foot wide transect located southwest of the upper pasture hay barn. Every year for the past 6 years, EBMUD has counted every species of plant in the transect.  Our pasture is home to two endangered species, the Alameda whipsnake and the red-legged frog.  The horses’ role in improving biodiversity is that they help keep the cattails from taking over the whole pond, which creates a better environment for the frogs.
c.      Weed control:  Penny also congratulated us on our weed control efforts.  We have done a great job controlling teasel (through mowing) and yellow-star thistle (by hand-pulling it).
d.      Pond culvert:  A member said she had observed the shape of the pond changing. The culvert that drains the pond has become clogged several times this year.  It may need to be replaced.  The clogging of the culvert may have contributed to the pond becoming to full and temporarily expanding during the last year.
e.      If A Tree Falls in The Forest…: Members asked if EBMUD has any plans to remove the dying pine trees in the forest.  Several trees have fallen over the road, in 2 cases crushing passing cars.  Penny said that the pines were planted simultaneously on many EBMUD properties many years ago, thus all the trees are reaching the end of their lifespan at the same time.  She thought that removal of trees at EBMUD’s recreational areas would take precedence over removal of trees in our pasture.
f.      Status of North Corral:  Penny says we can now use the North Corral.  It should only be used for horses new to the pasture, or when there is no other place to put an ill or injured horse.  Members remarked that there were a number of injured horses at present, and most of the stalls were full.  Penny stated that if a horse is facing a lengthy recuperation, is chronically ill, or is elderly, the owner should consider moving the horse off the property until the horse can be put back out into the pasture.
g.      Drainage in Pavilion Stalls:  Members expressed concern about the lack of good drainage in the pavilion stalls.  Penny said we should come up with a proposal for improving the drainage, and that EBMUD might consider it for a capital improvement.
h.      Seaview Fence:  The Easy Bay Conservation Corps has repaired the worst parts of the fence between our pasture and Tilden Park along the Seaview Trail.
i.      EBMUD’s Priorities:  The main purpose of having the horses on the watershed is to control fuel for possible fires, especially where developed areas (houses) adjoin the watershed.

In the coming years, EBMUD would like to continue to subdivide our pastures, by cross-fencing and creating new water sources.  In the upper pasture, they would consider adding a cross-fence west of the pond, and build a trough from the spring in the small pond by the forest. In the lower pasture, Penny suggested a cross-fence about mid-way between the top of the pasture and the existing trough.

3.      President’s Report:  Bev thanked the Board members for their services and provided a summary of events of the past year: A trip to the Grand Nationals, a great Family Day at the pasture, birthday parties for our herd elders Alex, Socrates and Monte, OHA joined the Bay Area Barns and Trails Council, successful weed control through mowing, a greatly improved and well-documented member selection process (thanks to Fred), updated Rules & Regulations (thanks to Morris), organized trail rides from the Pear Orchard, new locks on all the gates, new tool box in the shed, and a dedicated and well-organized team of Pasture Managers!

4.      Treasurer’s Report:  Elise briefly provided the state of the OHA budget, including passing out the 2003-2004 actuals-to-budget summary report to the general membership in attendance. We stayed on track for our budget this year, although the lease payment to EBMUD was a bit higher than we expected.  Our main source of income is member dues, and our main expenses are pasture lease payments and buying hay.
5.      Announcements:

a.      Morris gave a report on the recent 6-day trail ride benefiting the Bay Area Ridge Trail.  It was a great success.

b.      East Bay 50 Endurance ride to be held September 25th in Bort Meadow in Chabot Park is looking for volunteers to work the ride. Please contact OHA Associate member Kathy Campbell if you are interested in volunteering.

6.      Handouts:  The newly updated Rules & Regulations, Membership List, Horse List, Board Responsibilities, and Feeding Schedules were handed out.  Members not present will be mailed these materials.

7.      Feeding Schedule:  Many thanks to Bronwyn and Vibeke for creating the feeding schedule. Feeding began on September 15th.  Please remember to place the flakes 25-30 feet apart.  If you are feeding from a truck, please do not encourage the herd to gallop behind the truck  it is very dangerous for the horses.
8.      Work Hour Awards:  Our heartfelt gratitude to these wonderful members who went far and above the call of duty, by completing an amazing number of work hours:

a.      Richard and Alice Brown

b.      Morris Older
c.      Elise Geske
d.      Bronwyn Evans
e.      Erica Braun and Wakean McLean

The new member who completed the most work hours was Cheryl Fulton. Way to go!!

9.      Election of Board Members:  Three Board members, Christie, Elise and Heather, have one year remaining in their two-year term. Bev and Fred completed their terms and declined to run again. Morris was eligible to run for another two-year term.  Anna has completed her second consecutive two-year term and was therefore not eligible to run again.  There were four Board positions to fill.

The membership elected Bronwyn Evans, Erica Braun, Renee Benoit and Morris Older to the Board.

10.     Discussion Items:  The meeting was opened to discussion of issues of concern to the membership.

a.      The Pear Orchard:  Members expressed several areas of concern regarding the Pear Orchard.  50% of members present do not like to put their horses in that pasture.  Concerns include:

i.      the prevalence of poison oak and certain members’ sensitivity to it that prevents them from caring for their horses when they are in that pasture

ii.     the level of nutrition available to horses in the upper portion of the pear orchard is not sufficient for any except the “easy keepers.”
iii.    The steepness of the pasture is dangerous for the horses.

Ideas to remedy these problems included:

i.      Assess the feasibility of having goats graze the upper portion of the PO

ii.     Let the members who don’t mind the PO keep their horses there longer, and provide them with an incentive such as work hour credit for doing so
iii.    Cross-fence above the “saddle” of the PO and get EBMUD permission to not graze the upper area
iv.     Mowing the most treacherous areas, with weedwhackers if necessary
v.      Build a holding pen at the pear orchard for sick or injured horses who cannot be walked up the trail to the stalls
vi.     Have a controlled burn?
vii.    Improve the trails in the PO
viii.   Build a parking lot at the Orinda end of the PO

b.      Lower Forest Trail: Some members would like to revive the lower trail through the forest.  Let Morris know if you are interested in helping.

c.      Fire Prevention: Richard reminded members that we need to clear brush around the buildings to help prevent fires.  In particular brush needs to be cleared around the hay barns and at the pavilion.
d.      Some of the newer members asked for clarity about how to manage maintenance projects.  It was suggested that we appoint project managers for ongoing maintenance issues, such as trails or stalls drainage.  Carolyn Colson volunteered to create a planning calendar of maintenance issues, using the annual planning grid maintained by the Board as a starting point. Thanks Carolyn!
e.      Next Board Meeting:  Will be held Thursday, September 23rd at 6:45 pm at Bronwyn’s house.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather Pineda.

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Minutes of the Board Meeting

August 16, 2004

Important Dates

Upcoming Fall Vaccination Clinics: Dr. Hansen September 4, 10:00 am; Dr. Parker September 11, 10:00 am. Please remember that horses should be wormed when they get their fall vaccinations.

Annual General Membership Meeting: September 12, 2004, 1:00 pm. Potluck Lunch; please bring a dish to share with the group. BYOC (bring your own chair).

Work Hours for this year must be completed by September 12, 2004.

Present: Beverly James, Fred Goff, Morris Older, Anna Johnson, Christie Larner, Heather Pineda. Absent: Elise Geske.

1)      Approved Agenda.

2)      Consent Calendar: The Board approved the following:

a.       Minutes of 6/30/04 Meeting

b.      Extension of work hour completion deadline to September 12, 2004.

c.       Dates and times of the Fall vaccination clinics, listed in box above.

3)      Treasurer’s Report: The Board reviewed and approved the banking activity and statement of accounts sent by Elise.

4)      Annual Meeting Planning

a.       Penny Spear, who manages our lease for EBMUD, will attend the meeting.

b.      Motion made and passed to approve funds for purchase of awards for the top 5 members with the most work hours, and for the new member (admitted within the last year) with the most work hours, to be presented at the General Membership meeting. Motion made and passed to budget funds for this purpose on an annual basis.

c.       Board acknowledged members’ concern about the safety of the Pear Orchard (for people and horses), and brainstormed some ideas for ameliorating the situation, such as cross-fencing the PO at the saddle area and/or cutting a new trail to the PO from the Lower Sullivan pasture, creating a parking area along Camino Pablo at the Orinda end of the PO. These and other ideas can be discussed with the membership at the meeting.

d.      The Board brainstormed which members might be persuaded to serve on the Board in the coming year.

e.       Bev will bring a few extra chairs. Please bring your own chair.

f.        The meeting will be a potluck lunch. Please bring a dish to share.

5)      TWHA 6-Day Ride

a.       The Board approved granting OHA work hours for volunteering at the ride.

b.      Morris is desperately seeking volunteers to help with the ride. Please call him immediately if you would like to help a good cause and earn work hours!

6)      EBMUD Liaison’s Report

a.       Morris sent to Penny a request to allow us more credit for weed control than previously agreed upon. Morris has not heard back from her on that yet. He also informed her that none of the contractors who had previously been approached about replacing the water line have shown willingness to submit a bid. They just are not interested in the job. We will likely pay rent this year rather than paying for capital improvements.

7)      Membership Secretary’s Report

a.       Fred and Edie requested that Doug Ross be interviewed for Associate Membership. He will be interviewed at the Board Meeting that immediately precedes the General Membership meeting next month.

b.      Shirley Delsart has relinquished her membership at OHA, leaving an open horse space. We are very sad to see her leave. Dusty has been diagnosed with ringbone and can no longer live on the hilly pasture. Fred is in the process of contacting the members on the second horse waiting list to see if any are interested.

c.       Renee Benoit, Cheryl Fulton and Vibeke Norgaard were approved for Proprietary Membership. Congratulations…now wouldn’t you three like to serve on the Board? J

d.      If you have recently changed your e-mail address, or are no longer receiving minutes via e-mail, please let Fred know your current e-mail address.

8)      Response to Pasture Managers’ Questions: Following their meeting in late June, the pasture managers sent a list of questions to the Board, asking for clarification of their responsibilities. The Pasture Managers’ responsibilities are oversight for the pastures, and notifying the Board of problems. It is not their responsibility to do all the work themselves, but rather to help coordinate the response to the problem.

9)      Minor Improvements: The Board approved purchase of a digital fence charge tester (about $60), a relatively cheap fence charger, a good set of hay hooks, and a new large white board for the pavilion.

10)  Rules Revision: Morris has completed an update of the Rules & Regulations. Fred will write an Acknowledgements section. Morris will have them printed in time to distribute at the General Membership.

11)  President’s Report:

a.       Please remember to worm your horses when they get their fall vaccinations.

b.      Reminder that non-members of OHA are not allowed on the pasture at any time for any purpose, with the exception of veterinarians, farriers and other horse care professionals.

12)  New Horse and Request for Exception: Anna and Linda have purchased a horse together – a PMU foal from Canada. The horse will be jointly owned, and will occupy Linda’s open space. Linda is requesting an extension of the 12/24 rule, as the foal is not expected to arrive until October. The Board approved her request.

13)  Next Meeting: The next Board meeting will be held at noon on the day of the General Membership meeting, September 12, 2004.

Our sincere THANKS to:

Ø      Bronwyn for clearing even more star thistle

Ø      Kim for ongoing web site updates

Ø      Vibeke and Bronwyn for planning the winter feeding schedule

Ø      Cheryl and Kim Christlieb for their work on the lower pasture water line.

Work Party Suggestions – the deadline for completing work hours is fast approaching!!

Ø      Buy a large white board (preferably magnetic) and hang it at the Pavilion.

Ø      Fill trench in Pear Orchard fire road

Ø      Manure hauling

Ø      Paint the barn

Ø      Remove brush around the hay barn

Ø      Finish replacing the railroad ties separating pavilion paddocks from stalls

Ø      Set up a hose stand at the corner next to the old stalls

Ø      Move the hose faucet  at the ring pasture gate towards Wildcat to avoid mud at the gate

Ø      Repair trail into upper pasture from saddling area

Ø      Revive the lower forest trail. 

Ø      Drag the arena.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather Pineda.

Orinda Horsemen’s Association
Minutes of the Board Meeting
June 30, 2004

Important Notices:

J       The annual General Membership meeting will be held at 1 pm on Sunday, September 12th, at the horse pasture.  The Board will meet at noon prior to the general membership meeting.

J       Work hours must be completed by August 15th.  A list of suggested tasks is at the bottom of these minutes.
J       Dues were due June 15th and late if postmarked July 2 or later.  If you mailed your dues July 2 or later, please send a $10 late fee.

Present: Beverly James, Morris Older, Fred Goff, Elise Geske, Christie Larner, Heather Pineda, Allison Bloodworth (guest).  Absent: Anna Johnson.

1)      Agenda approved.

2)      Approval of Previous Minutes:  Minutes of the May 25, 2004 meeting were approved.

3)      Interview of Proposed Associate Member:  Allison Bloodworth was interviewed and unanimously approved as an Associate Member to sponsor Bev’s Casey.  Allison is a graduate student at Cal who has been riding and training horses, mainly in hunt seat and 3-day eventing, for most of her life.

4)      Meeting Rules of Order:  The Board agreed to observe the following ground rules at our meetings:

a)      Start on time, agree on agenda and keep to it.

b)      Create agendas with realistic time allotted for discussion of issues. If we are running out of time, stop meeting and re-prioritize the remaining items.
c)      State in advance the actions or decision points necessary on each agenda item.
d)      Distribute items that need to review one week before the meeting, to allow people time to read in advance.
e)      Listen respectfully and allow others to complete their thoughts.
f)      State your point as clearly and briefly as possible.
g)      Have a “consent calendar” that allows Board members to review routine items, such as approval of minutes, outside of the meetings.
h)      Have a brief evaluation at the end of each meeting to determine how well we followed these ground rules and how we can help the meetings be most efficient.

5)      Treasurer’s Report:  Elise provided a brief update on the state of OHA finances.  In sum, we are progressing in accordance with our budget.

6)      EBMUD Liaison’s Report:  Morris reported that he has not been successful in obtaining additional bids for the capital improvement project of replacing the water line to the Lower Pasture.  He will be following up on the bids he did receive after July 4th, when the weed abatement season ends.

7)      Pasture Rotation Issues:

a)      Morris estimates that we will only spend 2-3 weeks in the Lower Pasture.

b)      Christie mentioned that she and some other members plan to circulate a petition to the membership to assess how members feel about having the herd graze the upper Pear Orchard..  She hopes this will lead to a proposal to EBMUD to eliminate that section of pasture from our grazing rotation.  She feels that goats or other solutions would provide more effective and safer reduction of the fire hazard.

8)      Membership Secretary’s Report:

a)      Fred sent letters to seven members regarding the “12/24” rule and is awaiting clarification of the dates that members’ horses were on or off the pasture.  There was some additional discussion of the rule, with an agreement to discuss outside the meeting and add it to the next agenda if needed.

b)      Fred will compile a list of when recently-admitted members are eligible to be released from probation.  This will help the Board stay on track with granting proprietary membership in a timely manner.

9)      Special Requests to the Board

a)      Elise requested permission to lease her vacant space to Bronwyn.  She made this request for financial reasons, as she cannot afford to buy or lease a horse at this time, or pay her dues, due to her unemployment.  Bronwyn would bring her new horse, Kismet, to the pasture. Alex is not expected to live through the winter. In light of the fact that Elise has been a highly contributing member, the Board does not want to see her relinquish her space out of financial hardship, and granting this request immediately brings another mouth to eat grass, the Board approved her request, for a strictly limited time of six months.

b)      Heather P. requested permission for Deborah Todd, her Riding Partner and owner of the horse she is leasing, to be able to come to the pasture to show Chisco to potential buyers. The Board approved an exception to the rule that all Riding Partners must be accompanied by a proprietary member while at the pasture.  This exception is for 3 months only starting July 1st, is for the sole purpose of showing Chisco to potential buyers, and will end once Chisco has been sold.

10)     Yellow Star Thistle Control: Bronwyn is the self-appointed yellow-star thistle destroyer this year.  Please notify her if you see yellow star thistle growing in the pasture, and she will remove it.

11)     Update to Rules & Regulations:  Morris compiled a list of all changes to the rules that had been documented in Board minutes since the last time the rules were published.  He also surveyed the rules for anomalies and ambiguities.  The Board reviewed the changes and approved them, with slight modifications and clarifications.  The revised version of the rules will be finalized when the discussion of the 12/24 rule has been completed (see 8a, above).  We hope to have the updated rules & regulations published in time to distribute at the general membership meeting in September.

12)     Feeding Schedule: The Board delegates to Vibeke and Bronwyn, who were gracious enough to volunteer to prepare the feeding schedule, the authority to decide how many feedings each member must do this year, based on the number of horses on the pasture and members in the organization (the change is not to fluctuate greater or less than 2 feedings per member without further review by the Board).  Last year members fed 8 times for one horse and 14 times for two horses.  The Board discussed and agreed to maintain the historical feeding dates of mid-September to mid-February.  For this year, the dates will be September 13th to February 13th.  If we start feeding earlier or end feeding later than these dates, the membership will be notified.

13)     Ridge Trail Council:

a)      Morris asked permission to provide the Ridge Trail Council with OHA membership addresses for fundraising purposes.  The Board asked instead that Morris get the materials from the Council and forward them to OHA members. Morris agreed to do so.

b)      Morris asked for permission to recruit OHA members to volunteer to help with the 6-day Ridge Trail ride.  The Board approved this request.

14)     Meeting Date: The next meeting will be held Monday, August 16th at 7 pm at Heather P.’s house.

Work Suggestions
(Remember, those work hours are due in August!)

Ø       Fill trench in Pear Orchard fire road

Ø       Teasel and yellow star thistle weed removal
Ø       Manure hauling
Ø       Paint the barn
Ø       Remove brush around the hay barn
Ø       Finish replacing the railroad ties separating pavilion paddocks from stalls
Ø       Set up a hose stand at the corner next to the old stalls
Ø       Move the hose faucet at the ring pasture gate towards Wildcat to avoid mud at the gate
Ø       Repair trail into upper pasture from saddling area
Ø       Revive the lower forest trail.
Ø       Drag the arena.

Thanks to Kim, Bev, Jay, Anna’s mother, Tony, Nina, Karen, and Marcia for shoveling 6 truckloads of manure!

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather P.

Minutes from Pasture Manager’s Meeting on Jun 7, 2004 follow.

A Pasture Manager Meeting was held June 7, 2004 at Cheryl’s house. Attending were Cheryl, Erica, Renee and Vibeke. Absent were Bronwyn, Alice, Nina, Heather P., and Jane.

The list we have of current Pasture Managers is:

Upper Pasture (UP) – Erica Braun
Upper Sullivan Ranch (USR) – Nina Stradtner & Vibeke Norgaard
Lower Pasture (LP) – Cheryl Ann Fulton
Pear Orchard (PO) – Renee Benoit
Pavilion – Heather Pineda
Ring pasture & North Corral/Red Barn Area- Jane Binder
Lower Pasture Paddock- Bronwyn Swan

Feeding – Bronwyn Swan & Vibeke Norgaard
Fly Control- Erica Braun
Weeding – Alice Brown & Erica Braun

The agenda for the meeting was:

-Clarify the role and responsibilities of pasture managers. Develop a list of the functions and responsibilities of the pasture managers, such as coordinating the preparation of pastures prior to horses moving into them, monitoring maintenance needed on fences and troughs, etc.

-Clarification with the OHA Board. Decide what we can and can’t do and bring to the Board for review and approval.

-How can pasture managers help each other? Determine what has to be done, how much each of us can do, and talk about how the rest gets done without too much pressure.

-Specific projects and issues: Work parties, Teaseling, Herd moves, Improving drainage of pavilion stalls and stall flooring before the rain starts.

-Some kind of recognition/thanks for Richard Brown for his help and guidance?

Each of us agreed to compile a list of the particular issues, what needs to be done and lay of the land for each pasture. We will read and edit them amongst ourselves and then submit them to the Board for review and approval. The main goal of this is to have a body of information that can be passed on as new pasture managers take over.

One issue we want to clarify with the Board is that as pasture managers we agree to manage the situation as best as possible but do not agree to do or be responsible for all the actual work involved.

Specific Issues:

Fencing. Who is responsible for what fences? Is EBMUD responsible for the entire perimeter? the corral? fencing along El Toyonal? The fence along El Toyonal is in need of repair and strengthening. What is the grid? Will the Board share the grid with the Pasture Managers? How knowledgeable does the Board expect each Pasture Manager to be about all the details involved in electric fencing, water trough valve functioning and maintainence and any other sort of technical issues?

Herd Moves. Will the Board supply the Pasture Mangers with the general rotation plan? We suggest drawing up a set of guidelines for herd moves. We advocate that vet clinics NOT be scheduled at the same time as herd moves. What does the Board expect as protocol for the moves? As pasture managers we agree to help but do not want to be responsible for the moves.

Hay. Who is responsible for ordering hay and supervising the delivery? Is this a Pasture Manager issue or not?

Trail maintenance. Who is responsible for what trails and who does the work on them?

Should feeding, fly control and weeding managers be part of the Pasture Manager committee?

We have the following ideas and suggestions:

1) Develop a questionnaire to give out to the membership listing all the various work hour tasks available and get feedback about who likes to do what. Give the Pasture Managers copies of the returned forms so they can call people to get help with specific tasks.

2) Organize a series of afternoon workshops and sharing of skills parties. These could be combined with work parties. For example:
Tarping Hay 101 by Morris Older. Elementary Electric Fence, Intermediate Electric Fence, Advanced Electric Fence – Erica, Richard & Fred?, Water Trough Management- (where do the lines go? how to test and maintain valves), Fences – Maintenance and Safety.

Respectfully submitted:
Cheryl Ann Fulton
30 June 2004

Minutes, May 26, 2004

Ø      Dues are due June 15^th, late if postmarked July 1 or later. $225 per horse, Associate Members $50, Riding Partners $25.

Ø      Missing weed eater: Did anyone borrow a weed eater from the red barn? If so, please return it – it belongs to an OHA member, not the Association.

Ø      If you use a tool, please return it to the toolbox. Morris is purchasing a new tool box which will be kept in the red barn.

Ø      Join your fellow OHA members to explore the great trails accessible from the Pear Orchard on May 31^st and June 3rd. Details below.

1)      Agenda approved.

2)      Minutes of April 14, 2004 Board meeting approved.

3)      Treasurer’s Report: The amount in the CD account now slightly exceeds the amount of liability the organization carries for member deposits for work hours. The Board voted to roll that amount forward into another CD.

4)      Fly Control: The Board approved the purchase of additional fly predators, which may slightly exceed our budgeted amount. The flies have been especially prevalent lately due to early heat and abundant rain this spring.

5)      Tack Shed Space: The tack shed is getting quite crowded. If you have any extra cans or other excess materials in the tack shed, please remove them. Please store your stuff in as organized a manner possible, so that all members may have space in the shed. Please put your name on your can.

6)      Capital Improvements Update: Morris obtained a bid for replacing the water line to the lower pasture. The estimate was $6,500 to replace 650 feet of pipe – EBMUD will not approve a bid this high. He is trying to get another bid. None of the prospective bidders would be able to complete the job before July, so it is not likely that we will get credit in this fiscal year for our capital improvements.

7)      Pear Orchard Rotation: The following horses are approved to stay off the Pear Orchard: Sadie (injury), Buck (new), Chica Puede (injury), Monte H., Alex and Socrates (medical reasons).

8)      Membership Secretary’s Report:

a)      Horse in & outs: Frank Strauss left to go to Moraga Horsemen’s pasture on 5/24. Jane brought in a new horse, Buck, a buckskin, 3 yr old 7/8 Arab gelding, on 5/24. Ginny in leasing Leo’s space to Jane in order for Jane to try out the new horse.

b)      As required by the rules, the Board reviewed and approved all Associate Members for continuation for the next year.

c)      The Board approved accepting the member selection process developed by Fred. Updated criteria for membership will be incorporated into the rules. A written summary of the member selection process (similar to what he handed out at last year’s General Membership meeting) is available upon request from Fred.

9)      Clarification of Rules Regarding Vacant Horse Spaces: OHA has two rules regarding vacant horse spaces, as follows:

Changes of Horses (Rules & Regulations, section IX.I.): “If a member vacates a horse space for any reason, it must be refilled with his or her own horse within one year from the date vacated or the member forfeits the space.”

and

Changes of Horses (Rules & Regulations, section IX.L.): “Members may keep their horses elsewhere, or have an empty space, for up to 12 consecutive months; however, the member must have a horse occupying their space, and on the pasture, for at least 12 of every 24 months.”

The Board discussed whether the rules could be interpreted to conflict with one another, and decided they do not. While these rules may not have been enforced in the recent past, the Board is going to begin holding members to these rules, in order to promote full participation by members and to fulfill our grazing obligations to EBMUD. Members have 6 months to come into compliance with Section IX.I. Members currently in violation of Section IX.L. will soon receive a letter notifying them, and they will have 3 months to comply with the rule. The Board will consider appeals for extensions for extenuating circumstances.

Members may also want to recall Section IX.J., “A Proprietary member may lease another member’s space for a maximum of one year, provided the member has no more than two horses in the pasture at any time.”

Morris has volunteered to update the rules and regulations based on decisions documented in the minutes over the past several years, since the last revision. He will bring to the Board for discussion any contradictory rules or rules that have not been enforced.

10)  E-Mail Addresses: Please note Katherine (Bubs) Schaaf’s new e-mail address: bubskmas@comcast.net. Morris is going to coordinate updating OHA e-mail addresses – please respond to his upcoming query regarding your address.

11)  Trash Removal: The Board approved getting a dumpster later in the summer to remove garbage and debris from the pasture areas. Look in future minutes for a work party announcement.

12)  Report from Upper Pasture Manager: Erica forwarded the following updates:

a)      Upper Pasture Cross-fence: I plan to improve the gate on the South side and finesse the insulators between the charger and the gate when I have time. Generally, I think the new rope is working well.

b)      Pond: We have overflow again. (Editor’s note: Morris will follow-up with EBMUD regarding unclogging the overflow pipe from the pond).

c)      Pond Hay Barn: I plan to call for a workday in July to clean up and replace pallets.

d)      Weed Control: At the last Board meeting, Alice, Bev and Erica were delegated to decide on a mowing plan within the OHA budget to control Teasle and Milk and Italian Thistle in the pasture. We targeted all the teasle on level enough ground for a tractor and experimental patches of thistle on the fire road between USR and the water tanks. John Fouhy was hired to do the mowing. After Alice and Erica rode and discussed the patches, Erica reviewed them with Beverly, and Alice flagged the weeds; Penny (from EBMUD) and Erica walked the areas and marked them on a map; the EBMUD biologists then walked the areas and monitored them for birds’ nests and protected plants. We all ruled out the area around the tanks as too wet. After EBMUD gave approval, the mowing was completed. John Fouhy’s rig is very handy, precise and able to handle slopes. Alice and I were pleased at the results even though we could have done a lot more. The preliminary discussion within OHA and with Penny should give us a good foundation and benchmark for the future. It was probably the best possible moment to mow the thistle. We have enough of a sample to maybe tell us something about how effective mowing is in controlling thistle seed production over the next couple years. The teasle would have been better cut a little later, but it still looks effectively controlled in the selected patches. Penny and I also reviewed the work she’d done in the lower pasture teasle. We found iris, reeds and needlegrass making a comeback in some of the contested areas. Follow-up: Alice has notes from the mowing to help us track effectiveness. We need to look at the next couple years at a minimum because of how long the seeds stay viable. I want to survey the grasses more systematically and will save some specimens to help others in OHA identify species. Request to Penny to try to get us the transects of the grasses that EBMUD has, plus, if possible, a copy of her nifty map of where we mowed (aerial topo).

13) Work Hour Deposit Clarification: Unworked work hours will be charged to members at $15 per hour. However, the work hour deposit will not be increased; it remains at $10 per hour. Should a member leave the pasture, s/he will owe $15 per hour for any pro-rated, unworked hours.

14) Trail rides from the Pear Orchard: Bev had the great idea of leading trail rides from the Pear Orchard, to encourage members to ride from the Pear Orchard and to show them the trails on EBMUD land. Rides depart Monday May 31^st at 11:00 am and Thursday, June 3^rd at 6:30 pm from the Pear Orchard saddling area. If members show interest, additional dates will be added.

15) Next Meeting: June 30^th at 7:00 pm at Heather P.’s house. Christie will provide food.

Work Suggestions – Only three more months to do your work hours for this year!

Ø      Fill dumpster with trash

Ø      Fill in trench in fire road in Pear Orchard

Ø      Teasel and other weed removal

Ø      Manure hauling

Kudos, Thanks and Gold Stars to:

J   Erica for her efforts to control those pesky flies!

J   Kim for conceiving of and planning the wonderful Family Day, and Renee, Vibeke, Christie, Bronwyn and Heather P. for helping make it a success. Let’s make it an annual tradition!

J   Upper pasture weed destroyers Morris and Wakean!

J   Alice and Erica for proactive noxious weed control strategizing!

J   Hard-working pear-orchard preparers: Renee, Richard, Kim, Wakean, Georgia, Bev, Lisa, Morris, Anna, Alice and Elise!

J   Everyone who is signing their horses in and out on the pasture census sheet!

Minutes respectfully submitted by Heather Pineda.

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Minutes of the Board Meeting

April 14, 2004

Reminders:

¨       OHA Family Day is Sunday, May 23rd at 11:00. Join us for fun, games, a celebration of Alex’s & Socrates’ birthdays, and a potluck lunch! Contact Kim Z. or Heather P. if you plan to attend.

¨       Dues are due June 15th. $225 per horse for Proprietary Members. Associate Members $50. Riding Partners $25.

¨       Please sign your horse out of the pasture on the Pasture Census sheet if your horse will be off the grass for more than 24 hours. Don’t forget to sign your horse back in to the pasture, also! The census sheet is in the white shed.

¨       Trailer parking at the pasture is limited to 5 consecutive days.

Present: Elise Geske, Anna Johnson, Fred Goff, Morris Older, Christie Larner, Erica Braun, Heather Pineda

Approval of Minutes of 3/3/04 Meeting: The Board received feedback from members about the fact that names of those owing money to OHA were published in the minutes. The Board wishes to convey that the intent of publishing the names was to remind members to send in their payments; no other meaning was intended or should be inferred. The Board regrets any misunderstandings that occurred.

Treasurer’s Report: Elise reviewed the current financial situation relative to the budget – so far we are on track this year.

Weed Control: Erica presented a proposal she and Alice developed for mowing thistle. Ideally the thistle should be mowed twice for optimal control of these weeds. EBMUD plans to mow teasel in the Lower Pasture only. The Board delegated authority to Erica, Alice and Bev to find a contractor to mow the thistle, with the cost not to exceed $1,500. EBMUD will need to approve the mowing plan in advance. Erica was asked to report back to the Board when a plan is developed. Editor’s note: Since the meeting, mowing has been scheduled for May 13^th, pending EBMUD approval.

Pasture Managers: Erica proposed holding a meeting of the pasture managers to develop a list of the functions and responsibilities of the pasture managers, such as coordinating the preparation of pastures prior to horses moving into them, monitoring maintenance needed on fences and troughs, etc. The pasture managers will develop this list and present it to the Board at a future meeting.

EBMUD Liaison’s Report:

Move to the Pear Orchard: we will soon hear when EBMUD wants us to move the horses to the Pear Orchard. Please remember that you must request written permission from the Board to keep your horse out of the Pear Orchard.

Capital Improvements Update: Despite much effort, we have not been able to get estimates for the replacement of the pipeline to the Lower Pasture. We have not been able to find a contractor willing to take on the job. We may not be able to complete the work before we receive the bill for our last lease payment this year. If this occurs, we will not get credit for the capital improvements until next fiscal year.

Pond Overflow: Morris has asked Penny to investigate why the pond continues to overflow. Editor’s Note: Since the meeting, pond overflow has slowed.

Membership Secretary’s Report: 

Vacant Horse Spaces: Fred has not yet sent letters to members who are approaching or have exceeded the amount of time they can have a vacant horse space. Once Fred does send the letters, the board will consider appeals if you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from filling your space. Please contact Fred directly if you wish to file an appeal to the Board.

OHA has two rules pertaining to situations in which a horse space may be vacant for an extended period of time, and these rules can be interpreted to conflict with each other. The Board will discuss this issue at the next Board meeting and will clarify the rules.

New Probationary Proprietary Member: The Membership Committee interviewed Kirsten Whitsett on March 29, 2004 and unanimously decided to offer her the space given up by Anna when she relinquished her second horse space (Dakota’s). Kirsten accepted and became a Probationary Proprietary Member as of Tuesday March 30, 2004. Her contact info is: 17 Middle Road, Lafayette, 94549; (925) 283-1997; Kirsten@i680n.com.

Waiting List Inquiries: Between March 6 and 12, 2004 the first seven people on our Waiting List declined to be considered for membership (to fill Anna’s relinquished second horse space when Dakota left the pasture on 2/23/04). All of them declined for the second time since we passed the new three strikes rule and realize they have one more chance. [The space was not offered to the OHA second horse space waiting list people because they had all declined on 2/22/04, 12 days before, when called about the second horse space relinquished by Heidi when Macho left 2/7/04]. Number eight on the list, Kirsten Whitsett, was anxious to be interviewed and accepted membership when offered (see above). Kirsten’s acceptance reduced the number of people on the Waiting List to 21.

New Riding Partner: Morris has a new riding partner as of 4/18/04, Bonnie Slatkin, 3111 Hambletonian Dr., Walnut Creek 94598; (925) 210-0966.

Horse Ins & Outs: Kirsten Whitsett’s horse Ginger arrived at OHA 4/19/04. She is a bay mare, 1/2 Arab, 1/2 Quarter Horse with a white blaze, 17 years old,. Liz Strauss’ horse Frank rejoined the herd, and the Schaaf family’s horses, Corazon and Troubador have relocated temporarily to Grizzly Peak Stables.

Ride to Pass Through Pasture: Prior to this meeting, the board approved (via email correspondence) passage through our pasture by the Labor Day Week Ride to Benefit the Ridge Trail on Thursday, September 2nd. This ride is being organized by TWHA and the Metropolitan Horsemen’s Association. It is likely that the horses will be in the upper Sullivan Ranch at that time.

Thanks:  Our sincere appreciation to Vibeke, for arranging the manure removal party and hauling off 40 bags of manure.

Next Meeting: The next meeting will be held Wednesday, May 26th at 7:00 pm at Heather P.’s house.

Orinda Horsemen’s Association

Minutes of the Board Meeting

March 3, 2004

Present: Beverly James, Morris Older, Elise Geske, Christie Larner, Fred Goff, Heather Pineda

Absent: Anna Johnson

Important Date: Herd moves to Upper Sullivan Ranch on Saturday, March 20^th.

1.      Approval of the Agenda: One item was deferred to the next meeting: Proposal of setting ground rules for meetings.

2.      Minutes of 1/28/04 meeting were approved.

3.      Treasurer’s Report

a.       Several members owe for hay purchased and for missed feedings: Braun/MacLean, Evans, Norgaard, Schaaf, Stradtner, Zvik. Please send your payment to the OHA PO Box.

b.      OHA Budget: See attached budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year. The deficit is due to the fact that we paid for two years’ worth of hay out of one year’s budget – this will even out next year. We need to get the capital improvements approved by EBMUD soon in order to get credit for it this year. If we don’t, we will overspend the budget by the capital improvements amount ($3,383), although we will be refunded this amount next year.

4.      EBMUD Liaison’s Report:

a.       Capital Improvements: We are still in the process of getting bids for replacing the water line to the lower pasture.

b.      Pasture Rotation: At the time of the meeting, we thought we would soon be moving to the Lower Pasture for 2-3 weeks, then move to the Upper Sullivan. However, since the meeting EBMUD has asked that we move first to the Upper Sullivan Ranch pasture for 2-3 weeks, then to the Lower Pasture. The move is scheduled for Saturday, March 20^th.

5.      Membership Secretary’s report:

a.       Open horse spaces: Anna and Heidi have relinquished their second horse spaces. Erica and Wakean were offered and accepted a second space (they have been leasing Christie’s second space). There is one open space to be filled; an interview committee (Fred, Anna, and Christie, with Morris as backup) will interview prospective members.

b.      Fred is making an effort to update our records on how long horses have been away from the pasture.  He would appreciate your assistance in filling any holes in his information.

With seven horses off pasture (nearly 20% of our horse spaces), and wanting to promote full member participation as well as having the ability to bring in new members rather than maintain long-term empty horse spaces, the Board is seeking to ensure compliance with our rule stating that : “Members may keep their horse(s) elsewhere, or have an empty space, for up to 12 consecutive months; however, the member must have a horse occupying their space, and on the pasture, for at least 12 of every 24 months.”

The Board will send letters to those members who have horses off the pasture, informing them of how long they have left before being in violation of the rule. Three members who have exceeded the allotted time will be given notice that they have 3 months to install a horse in their space or forfeit the space.

c.       Heidi asked us to share an update on Macho – following are excerpts from a letter sent by his new owner: “Macho did great on his trip here. He looked stiff when he got out of the trailer, but by Tuesday he had worked all of his kinks out. He has a new buddy – a big TB named Maybe. They share a super-sized paddock, ¼ acre approx. They eat out of the same pile and stand happily next to each other. Macho doesn’t have to fight for his meals – he loves his equine senior goodies…One of my barn girls, Shannon, is already in love with him – he will have fun here!!”

6.      Penalties for Missed Feedings: The herd was not fed 5 times this winter, and a total of 13 individual members did not feed on their assigned days. The Board requests input on how to encourage members to remember their assigned feeding dates. Ideas proposed include increasing the fee for missed feedings, prohibiting members who were assigned to feed together and missed a feeding from feeding together again (including couples), and reminding everyone a week or two ahead of time that their feeding days are coming up. Contact one of the Board members with your two cents!

7.      A motion was made and approved to have OHA join the Bay Area Barns & Trails. The membership fee is $50. Following is more information about this organization:

Bay Area Barns and Trails is a land and trails trust that helps community organizations and public agencies preserve publicly accessible barns, stables, pastures, staging areas, horse camps, and trails in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma Counties.

Since 1999, thirteen equestrian organizations have been awarded $42,656 in acquisition, stewardship, education and capacity building grants. Last year they matched the funds raised ($5,000) by TWHA on the Labor Day weekend ride, and also matched the $3,000 raised by the Martinez Horsemen’s Association  on behalf of the Muir Heritage Land Trust. They also donated $1,500 to the Back Country Horsemen for improvements to the Lake Sonoma Horse Camp.

They are currently driving to expand their base so that they can solicit donations from larger foundations. In order to do so they need to demonstrate community support for their program, and are looking to build their individual and organizational memberships. This would ultimately benefit us all whenever we go riding. For example, one of the projects they are currently considering is to support TWHA in its efforts to bring a permanent water tank and water trough to the Es Anderson Equestrian Camp in Tilden Park.

8.      Work parties:

a.       Christie will organize a work party to load manure, which she will haul to her garden.

b.      The Board approved the installation of “high-output” fluorescent light fixtures in the Pavilion.

9.      The next meeting will be Wednesday, April 21^st at 7:00 pm at Christie’s house.

The following members get Gold Stars this month!!:

«     Morris, Liz, Heather, James, Bella, and David Whittal for launching the rehabilitation of the North Corral

«     Morris and Wakean for putting up fence around the drag in the arena

«     Renee for taking manure

«     James for repairing the plumbing leak at the Pavilion.

Minutes prepared by Heather Pineda.

OHA Board Meeting Minutes

December 17, 2003

Present: Beverly, Morris, Fred, Christie, Anna, Heather P.

Absent: Elise

1)       Minutes of November 19, 2003 Board Meeting were approved.

1)

2)       Treasurer’s Report: The Board reviewed a report submitted in advance by Elise. Balances in OHA bank accounts are:

2)

a)       CD $9,003.34 (work hour deposits)

b)       Checking $11,471.69 (before paying for Lower Pasture hay)

c)       Total $20,475.03

c)

3)       2003-04 Budget: The Board reviewed the proposed budget for this year. Most budget line items will stay the same as last year. The following changes were proposed that differed from last year’s budget:

3)

a)       $500 additional allocation for weed control, bringing total allocation to $1,500.

b)       $250 additional for trash removal, brining total allocation to $300, in order to rent a dumpster to remove accumulated waste.

c)       $50 increase in allocation for ring rototilling, bringing total to $350.

d)       $300 for plumbing repairs

e)       Decrease secretarial amount due to less postage and copying as most minutes are now e-mailed.

f)         Increase tools allocation from $300 to $500 for projected wheelbarrow repair/replacement.

g)       $200 allocation for replenishing the medical supplies.

g)

g)The budget will be approved at the next meeting when the Treasurer can attend. A copy of the budget will be sent with the next minutes.

g)

4)       Membership Secretary’s Report:

4)

a)       A reminder that members’ contact information, including home, work and cell phone numbers, is in a binder in the white medical cabinet in the red barn.

a)

b)       Fred will send membership information updates (e.g., addresses, phone numbers) to Kim for posting on the website. Check the website if you need info about a new member or if someone’s info has changed.

b)

c)       Please remember that riding partners need to sign a release of liability form and send it with their Riding Partner application and $25 annual dues payment to Fred, who must acknowledge receipt before they are allowed on OHA property. Blank Riding Partner Applications are in an envelope on the bulletin board in the white shed. Please note that the following riding partners are current with their payment and a release is on file with OHA:

i)         Sarah Morrill (Heather Hafleigh )

ii)       Meghan Toledo (Edith Black )

iii)      Malina Weitkemper (Nina Stradtner)

iv)      Claudia Weitkemper (Nina Stradtner)

v)        Crystal Hurley (Anna Johnson)

vi)      Carmi Weininger (Elise Geske)

vii)     Kim Christlieb  (Elise Geske)

viii)   Katherine Palau (Bubs Schaaf)

ix)     Steven Wright (Gailyn Johnson)

x)       Deborah Todd (Heather Pineda)

If your riding partner is not on this list, s/he is not allowed on the property until the annual $25 dues payment has been made and a release has been signed!!

5)       EBMUD Liaison Report

5)

a)       Pasture Census Reports: Renee will assume responsibility for submitting these monthly reports to EBMUD, which show how many horses were on and off the pasture each day. Thank you, Renee! All members, please remember to sign your horses in and out on the census sheets in the white shed!

a)

b)       Annual Grazing Plan 2003-04: The main capital improvement project for this year will be replacing the pipe from the lower spring box in the Upper Pasture to the green box alongside the fire road heading into the Upper Pasture just above El Toyonal, or possibly to where the pipe goes under El Toyonal. If there are any funds remaining, we may add cross-fencing to the Upper Pasture, but this would require development of additional water sources, which EBMUD may not be able to get done. The third priority is weed control.

b)

b)The first step towards replacing the pipe is to get bids for the project. As this project is located in the Upper pasture, the UP managers, Erica and Wakean, will be asked to coordinate getting the bids.

b)

b)The Seaview fence line will be replaced in 2005 by EBMUD; since that is a boundary fence it will not be charged to our capital improvements budget.

b)

c)       Pasture Rotation: The pasture rotation schedule will remain as planned for last year. We will move back to the Upper Pasture in mid to late January. We may have hay left over that will need to be moved to the red barn (Plan now for this prime work-hour-earning opportunity!).

c)

d)       Important Feeding Update: Morris has learned that EBMUD measures the “residual dry matter” (i.e., grass) in the Upper Pasture in precisely the location that we feed the horses hay during the wet months – near the back gate from the pond barn. This could be affecting our residual dry matter calculations, by which EBMUD measures the condition of our pasture. Please note that there is a surveyor’s pole about three feet tall in the ground near the fence as you walk to the right after you leave the gate behind the pond barn. Please do not feed within 100 feet of this pole, especially on the uphill side of it.

d)

e)       North Corral Rehabilitation: EBMUD is requiring us to reduce our use of the North Corral and embark on a rehabilitation plan that will bring back vegetation in the corral. Please read Morris’ e-mail on this subject dated December 18th. If you receive the minutes by postal mail, a copy of the e-mail is attached.

e)

f)         EBMUD is going to provide us with gravel next summer to help reduce water retention at the Upper Pasture hay barn.

f)

f)

6)       Pasture Moves: Please remember that when we are moving horses to a new pasture, OHA policy requires horses to be moved at the scheduled move time. If you need to move your horse at another time, you must remove your horse from the herd more than one hour before the scheduled move time. For example, if the scheduled move time is 10:00 am, you must remove your horse before 9:00 am. Do not remove your horse from the pasture between 9:00 and 10:00 am. In addition, horses should not be released into the new pasture until the rest of the herd is ready to be, or has been, released. The scheduled move time is the time that members meet at the pasture gate to walk in to catch the horses. Your cooperation is much appreciated and will help keep everyone – people and horses – safe during pasture moves.

6)

6)

7)       Next Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 27th at 7:00 pm at Heather Pineda’s house.

Looking for Something to Do?? Work Projects:

1.       Tarp hay in Upper Pasture hay barn

2.       Replace fluorescent bulbs in Pavilion

3.       Spread wood chips or gravel at the tie posts in the Pavilion

4.       Install gutters along Pavilion on the side of the big corral

5.       Improve stall drainage

6.       Haul manure

7.       Repair fence in Lower Pasture corral

8.       Bring excess hay down from Upper Pasture barn (if roads dry enough), and from Lower Pasture, to Red Barn