Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tenaya Estates Board meeting minutes - October 5, 2011
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Brad Stevens
Board member absent:
None
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:10 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
It was m/s/c to approve the minutes of the July 20, 2011, Board meeting as presented.
Paul Heath gave a financial report. A request for reimbursement was submitted to the County in late August. The reimbursement arrived in late September so there is now money in the bank. These monies must carry operations until assessments are collected with taxes in December and January. The annual general liability insurance premium has been paid. Currently, there is $12, 813.02 in the checking account.
It was agreed we need to proceed with trimming the trees. Vern Grant will get bids from several vendors. A cost of $3,000 is likely.
Mapping of the Park’s irrigation system still needs to be done. Hiring a specialist to assess the playground flooring also needs to be done. These projects need to be completed by the next Board meeting.
The Board explored the possibility of hosting the Fourth of July as a fund raiser for the Park. A final decision will be made by the January Board meeting.
The Board agreed to spend $400 to plant ficus vines along the walkways.
The possibility of forming a separate entity to take ownership of the Park was discussed.
It was agreed that Jim McKelvey and Cynthia Downing now need to meet with County Supervisors Judy Case and Debbie Poochigian.
The cost to replace the basketball backboards is about $1,900. Donations of approximately $955 have been collected. Janice Normart will work to raise the balance so there are funds to replace the basketball backboards. It was agreed to table any decision on the part of the Board until the January Board meeting.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Tenaya Estates Board meeting minutes - July 20, 2011
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Board member absent:
Brad Stevens
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:02 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
It was m/s/c to approve the minutes of the April 6, 2011, Board meeting as presented.
Paul Heath gave a financial report. He presented a report of actual compared to the budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. At year end, there was $6,772.03 in the checking account. Expenses for the fiscal year had been budgeted at $29,500; actual expenses were $28,598.46. Paul proposed budgeted expenditures of $29,500 for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. It was m/s/c to approve the proposed budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
Paul Heath recommended the Board consider repairs to the irrigation system. He also advised that repairing the playground flooring will cost between $12,000 and $17,000. For $800, a certified playground specialist will assess the actual cost of repairs to the playground. It was m/s/c to authorize Paul Heath to arrange for the specialist with Cynthia and Tom Downing donating to cover this cost.
Paul Heath reported on the rocks that were put in front of his house to block off access to the Park. The Heaths had agreed to split this cost with Tenaya Estates. The total cost for the rocks was $850. The Heaths will be donating $425 to the checking account. The County will be asked to reimburse us for $850.
Jim McKelvey reported he talked to Deputy County Counsel Mike Rowe. Rowe has been ordered to charge $113 per hour for his time. He indicated we can adopt the rules but the CSA would have to pay to put the items on the agenda. The staff report would cost $5,000 to put on the Supervisors agenda. Mr. McKelvey also suggested we could create our own district with an elected board of directors as an alternative to staying under County control.
It was agreed that Jim McKelvey and Cynthia Downing will meet with County Sueprvisors Judy Case, Phil Larsen, and Debbie Poochigian to discuss political support for the rules or forming a separate district.
Janice Normart presented a report from Jim Yager and Matt Angell on mapping the Park’s irrigation system. Janice will schedule a meeting with Vern Grant, Michael Jenkins, and herself on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.
Janice Normart advised that Randy Priester has offered to create signs with the Park rules if the Park will cover the material costs.
Vern Grant reported that 10 plants have finally been installed on the eastern walkway.
Michael Jenkins gave a report on Fourth of July activities.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 7:31 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tenaya Estates Board meeting minutes - April 6, 2011
Board Members Present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Brad Stevents
Board Members Absent: None
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:08 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
It was m/s/c to approve the minutes of the February 26, 2011, Board meeting as presented.
It was m/s/c to take the approved version of the rules without any ordinance citations to the County Board of Supervisors with a request that County staff help us finalize the rules for adoption without any cost to the County Service Area. It was m/s/c to add a rule that will prohibit open fires without a permit.
Paul Heath reported there is $9,514.96 in the bank. Although the budget remains tight, it appears we'll have enough money to cover repairs and maintenance.
The garage and bake sale is set for May 14, 2011.
Janice Normart reported on a meeting she had with Matt Angell of Madera Pumps. He explored the possibility of mapping the Park with GPS to identify where sprinklers are located. It was m/s/c to hire Mr. Angell to perform the study on Tenaya Park sprinklers for an amount of up to $500.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:51 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tenaya Estates Board Meeting Minutes - January 5, 2011
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Board member absent:
Paul Heath
Brad Stevens
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:06 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
It was m/s/c to approve the minutes of the September 18, 2010, special Board meeting; the October 6, 2010, Board meeting; and the December 4, 2010, special Board meeting.
The question of tree trimming arose. Janice Normart suggested we could skip tree trimming again this year.
The survey of homeowners was discussed at length. Questions were modified and clarified. It was m/s/c to send the survey to homeowners out as revised.
Dates for 2011 and 2012 Board meetings were discussed. Meetings will be held on April 6, July 6, and October 5, 2011, and January 4, 2012.
A special Board meeting was scheduled February 2, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. at Janice Normart’s house to tally survey results.
It was agreed to hold a garage and bake sale on May 14. Carla Grant will host this event.
Janine Gallego will run the Fourth of July festivities in 2011.
Vern Grant proposed the Board send letters to homeowners with trees that hang over onto Park walkways. A draft letter will be brought to the February Board meeting.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tenaya Estates Board Meeting Minutes - December 4, 2010
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Brad Stevens
Board member absent:
None
Guests Present:
Jeff Kollenkark from Weed Man
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 9:15 a.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
Since this was a special meeting of the Board, minutes of prior meetings and financial statements were not presented.
Jeff Kollenkark from Weed Man presented information about the condition of the turf at the Park. Bermuda grass looks good in the summer but turns brown in the winter. If other kinds of grass are allowed to grow during the winter, the turf looks mottled and not as attractive. Recently, the Park was seeded with rye grass. It was seeded late this year because there were so many organized soccer and rugby teams playing at the Park. As a result of the late seeding, the Park has mottled dead spots and muddy areas.
To maintain the turf in reasonable shape, the Park should be reseeded and not used between Labor Day and the end of November. After seeding, there should not be any sports activities for 30 days to allow the turf to germinate. The turf needs an additional 60-day period to restore itself. Cleats are harder and provide more wear and tear on the turf.
One possible suggestion was to rope the Park off for maintenance for 60 days. Everyone would not be allowed to use the Park during this period.
The irrigation system should provide uniform coverage and water efficiency.
It was agreed that Dave Sodolsky from the Water Technology Institute at Fresno State will come evaluate the turf and irrigation system.
It was agreed to mail out surveys to determine what the neighbors want in terms of use of the Park. The Board will comment on and approve the draft survey that Michael Jenkins prepared by December 11, 2010. Neighbors will be asked to complete and return the surveys before the January 5, 2010, Tenaya Estates Board meeting.
It was agreed to leave up the signs and tape for the time being in the hopes of deterring rugby players and other sports teams.
The County took more than $1,900 out of the Park budget this year to pay for PG&E costs. The Park now has three service accounts on its PG&E bill. The Park has about $2,000 less to spend than it did before.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Tenaya Estates Board Meeting Minutes - October 6, 2010
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Brad Stevens
Board member absent:
Janice Normart
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:43 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
Paul Heath presented a financial report. The County has unexpectedly discovered PG&E accounts for which Tenaya Estates has not been billed. After paying PG&E costs of about $1,900 for the year, Tenaya Estates will be on an extremely tight budget.
The question of whether to appeal Tenaya Estates’ 501(c)(4) status with the IRS was discussed. It was agreed to table this issue until the Board determines if the Park should remain public or be turned into a private park.
Replacement of the playground mats was discussed. After determining the financial impact of the newly discovered PG&E service accounts, it was agreed to get bids for repairs. Vern Grant will get three bids at the end of the year or as finances permit.
Fourth of July festivities at the Park were discussed. It was noted that Janine Gallego had done an outstanding job of organizing a very successful event and proceeds were more than expected. The Board decided the event should not be run as a fund raiser for the Park. Instead, the person organizing the event will keep the proceeds and use them to cover costs of next year’s event. It will be up to the event organizer to decide whether to donate some of the proceeds to the Park.
Issues with respect to use of the Park were discussed at length. It was agreed that neighbors should be surveyed to see how they felt about use and activities at the Park. Michael Jenkins volunteered to develop the survey in conjunction with Brad Stevens and Cynthia Downing.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 7:54 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tenaya Estates Board Meeting Minutes - September 18, 2010
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Brad Stevens
Board member absent:
Janice Normart
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 9:20 a.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
Since this was a special meeting of the Board, minutes of prior meetings and financial statements were not presented.
Vern Grant provided a recap of recent events at the Park. Renovations of the pool and track at Bullard High School left the Fig Garden Youth Soccer League with nowhere to practice or play League games. Over the past few weeks, League teams began using the Park for practice and games every night of the week but Friday. Some evenings, as many as four League teams were at the Park simultaneously with up to 200 coaches, parents, and other family members.
Tenaya Park Board members began getting complaints from neighbors who were impacted by cars parked in front of their driveways or children urinating along walkways. Concerns were raised about increased amounts of litter, overflowing trash cans, and increased costs of sprinkler repairs. Vern requested a meeting with the head of the League to discuss these concerns and look for possible resolutions. This gave rise to a misunderstanding that the Tenaya Park Board was trying to prevent children from playing soccer in the Park. The County began receiving calls about the situation which is a concern. If the Park becomes a political issue, the County might decide to take management of the Park back. From past experience and given the County’s current budget shortfalls, that would likely mean returning to a Park that is poorly maintained with weeds, areas of dead grass, broken sprinklers, standing water, trees that aren’t trimmed, graffiti, and similar problems.
Paul Heath and other Board members worked diligently to dispel the misunderstandings. It was noted the League voluntarily agreed to limit the number of teams practicing at the Park to two teams per night. The Tenaya Park Board unanimously authorized Jim McKelvey to work with the County to better define the authority of the Tenaya Estates Board to develop guidelines for use of the Park. The guidelines will take into consideration the Park’s lack of public parking, lack of restroom facilities, lack of insurance coverage for organized sports teams, and an infrastructure that was not designed for organized team sports. It was also agreed that a newsletter and survey will be mailed to the Tenaya Park homeowners who pay assessments to determine their vision and preferences for Park usage.
After the results of the survey have been compiled, the Board will convene a neighborhood meeting to share the results and obtain additional feedback and input.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tenaya Estates, Inc. Board meeting minutes - July 15, 2010
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Board member absent:
Brad Stevens
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:35 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
The minutes of the July 15, 2010, Board meeting were approved as presented.
Paul Heath presented the financial report for the period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010. Income was $27,755,11. Expenses included $15,000 on Park maintenance; $2,878 on facilities and grounds repairs; $672 on new trees; $2,589 on irrigation water; #765 on electricity; $1,361 on liability insurance; and $1,180 on administrative expense. There is approximately $10,350 remaining in the Tenaya Estates checking account. The bank statement was included in the financial report and tied back to the financial statements.
It was noted that the IRS had waived $1,941 in penalties that had been imposed due to late filing of tax returns. Tenaya Estates will not have to pay any fines or penalties for late filings.
The State Franchise Tax Board has approved non-profit status.
A proposed 2010-2011 budget was presented for discussion. It was agreed that one garage and bake sale and the Fourth of July Festivities will be used as fund raisers for the Park in 2011. It was noted that although the water is metered, it doesn’t appear that anyone is reading the meter. The proposed budget includes reserving $5,000 for major repairs; this reserve would be at our ready access and would not require us to request the reserve funds on deposit with the County.
Paul Heath will talk to County staff about the possibilities of tapping into reserves on deposit with the County to replace the playground flooring.
It was m/s/c to approve the proposed budget as presented.
Vern Grant discussed proposed improvements to the Park. One drainage project per year for the next 3 years is proposed. It was m/s/c to approve drainage improvements at a cost of about $500 per year over the next 3 years.
Vern Grant wants to plant ficus vines along the Lazarus fences. The vines cost $15 apiece. A budget of $200 for planting focus vines was approved.
Sharing the expense of installing rocks in front of the Heath’s house to prevent vehicles from driving into the Park was discussed. This is the last area of access to the Park that would be needed. The Heaths will pay half and Tenaya Estates will pay the other half for the rocks and installation. The Board authorized and expenditures of up to $400 for this purpose.
A draft Rules of Engagement was presented for review.
The Board agreed to sponsor an ice cream social on Saturday, October 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Monday, June 14, 2010
Annual 2010 Fourth of July Festivities at Tenaya Park
$10.00 Tri-tip Dinner includes Rice pilaf, Beans, Salad, and Drink
$5.00 Hot dog Dinner includes: Chips and Drink
Please bring a potluck dish that serves 8-10 people: Bring Hors d"oeuvres, Desserts and side dishes.
Here is a schedule of the Activities for the day:
12:00 p.m. Water slide/Bounce House, Kiddy pools, and pick-up sports (bring your gear)
5:30 p.m. Please bring Potluck Dishes and Cake Walk items to the park
6:15 p.m. Dinner and Potluck Buffet
7:15 p.m. Children's Patriotic Parade (prizes for best in show, originality and most patriotic).
7:30 p.m. Cake Walk
8:30 p.m. Basketball Court: Fireworks!!!! Safety First! Bring your own and you are responsible for your clean-up.
If you have any questions, please contact Janine @ 559-431-4233 or via email j9smunch@earthlink.net.
Please RSVP and buy your tickets by Saturday, June 19th. You can mail or drop donations off to Janine Gallego 1366 W. Tenaya Way. Volunteers are needed for setup, decorations, serving of potluck and cake walk. Please notify Janine if you would like to volunteer.
Our Tenaya Park neighbors are awesome, and we're looking forward to another relaxing Independence Day with our Family and Friends.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Garage and bake sale
This is a great chance to clean out that old stuff, and help the park financially.
All money collected will go towards park maintenance, and we appreciate your help. Monetary donations also are gratefully accepted.
Past garage/bake sales have generated about $1500 each, and have kept us above water financially.
drugs in the park
To counteract this trend, I have adjusted to irrigation to wet those areas in the afternoons, shortly after school. Although the watering times are short, they are repeated, and are long enough to wet the grass and make it uncomfortable for furter drug related activities. No other areas of the park will be watered in the afternoon.
If you walk on the south or west walkways in the afternoons, you should not get wet as the sidewalks stay pretty dry. I would appreciate it if you recognize the children involved in drug activities to report them to their parents, the sheriff or me. I will be working with Bullard High to identify them as well, so we can contact the parents and have these activities removed from Tenaya Park.
Should you have other ideas of how to nip this in the bud, please feel free to call the park hotline, 228-3543 and leave me a message.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tenaya Estates Board Meeting Minutes - April 7, 2010
Board members present:
Vern Grant
Cynthia Downing
Paul Heath
Michael Jenkins
Janice Normart
Board member absent:
Jim McKelvey
Brad Stevens
A quorum of the Board of Directors was called to order at 6:05 p.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
The minutes of the January 17, 2010, Board meeting were approved as presented.
Paul Heath had already presented the financial report at the April 3, 2010, Tenaya Estates homeowners meeting.
Vern Grant advised that John Alsdorf was requesting a 3% increase in his Park maintenance contract. The contract is cancellable with 30 days notice. Tree trimming will be removed from Alsdorf’s contract. Tree trimming will be subcontracted out to California Growing Concerns. It was moved, second, and approved to offer John Alsdorf a 1% increase for the first year of the renewed contract; 1% for the second year of the renewed contract; and 1% for the third year of the contract for a total increase of 3% over three years.
The Board discussed whether to have a garage and bake sale to raise money for the Park. It was agreed to schedule one if Carla Grant is willing to coordinate it.
Most of the routine maintenance in the Park is being done by Vern Grant. The Park reimburses Vern for equipment and supplies but doesn’t pay for labor. If the Park had to pay for labor, routine maintenance would cost a lot more.
The Board agreed we will try to work with Supervisor Judy Case and other supervisors to try and waive the remaining reserve requirement, opt out of PeopleSoft, and reduce administrative fees.
Tenaya Estates’ contract with the County renews every year. Jim McKelvey wants to accompany Paul Heath when meetings with the County about renewal begin. Jim’s concern is making sure that the contract corresponds to Tenaya Estates’ organizational documents.
The Board discussed light bulb replacement. It costs about $125 per light to hire a vendor to replace light bulbs. The light bulbs cost $15 per bulb plus the cost of labor. Paul Heath will ask the general liability insurance carrier if we can obtain casual labor coverage. Vern Grant will ask the Electric Motor Shop for a fixed cost to change light bulbs.
The Board agreed that Tenaya Estates should appeal the decision to change our non-profit status from 501(c)(3) to 501(c)(4).
On May 22, the Park will hold a bake and yard sale.
The Board then discussed issues surrounding use of the Park. Michael Jenkins will draft guidelines to be handed out to groups at the Park.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________________
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Tenaya Estates Fiscal Report through April 1, 2010
Tenaya Estates Fiscal Report 4/03/10
For the period 7/1/09 to 4/1/10
Income
County Reimbursement $21,117.35
Donations 425.00
Expense Refund 200.00
Total Income $21,742.35
Expenses
Park Maintenance $11,250.00
Facilities and Grounds Repair 2,839.03
New Trees 672.00
Irrigation Water Expense 1,414.15
Electricity Expense 671.66
Liability Insurance 1,361.86
Administration Expense 410.00
Total Expenses $18,618.70
Balance in bank at 6/30/09 $ 7,045.29
Deposits from Income 21,742.35
Total Expenses (18,618.70)
Present Balance in Bank $10,168.94
Final Reimbursement from County for this Fiscal Year $ 5,012.76
Balance of funds available in County contract 5,023.87
Total Funds available (Money in bank plus final reimbursement) $15,181.70
Expected Expenses for 3 months remaining.
March – June Maintenance $5,000.00
Repair 1,000.00
Irrigation Water 2,000.00
Electricity 500.00
Administration 600.00
Total $9,100.00 (9,100.00)
Expected funds at Fiscal Year end $ 6,081.70
Special Note: During transition from County to Tenaya as bill payor, the County paid two bills to the city of Fresno for irrigation water that were later charged to our contract thus reducing funds available. We took over on paying all bills on 7/1/09 and they hadn’t paid for the 4/15/09 to 6/15/09 water bill which amounted to $1,581.65. Later in the year they mistakenly paid the 6/15/09 to 8/15/09 bill which amounted to $2,358.78. The total charged to our account was therefore $3,940.43. We are responsible for irrigation water and electricity expenses as part of our contract.
Tenaya Estates annual membership meeting minutes - April 3, 2010
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. with Vern Grant, President, presiding.
Vern Grant appointed Janine Gallegos to head the Elections Committee. The Elections Committee was charged with counting the secret written ballots that had been received for election of the Tenaya Estates Board of Directors.
Paul Heath presented the financial report for the period from July 1, 2009, through April 1, 2010. It was noted that the Internal Revenue Service has designated Tenaya Estates as a 501(c)(4) which means that donations to the Park are not tax deductible.
Vern Grant reported on Park repairs and maintenance. Replacement of the playground flooring is needed but will be expensive. Additional drainage systems are also needed. The Board will continue to manage repairs and maintenance on an extremely tight budget.
The question of liability and responsibility for fixing sidewalks was discussed. It was agreed that the Tenaya Estates Board would send a letter to the County requesting clarification of this question.
Jim McKelvey reported on the possibility of annexation to the City of Fresno. All annexations have been placed on hold pending resolution of a lawsuit brought by a property owner in Sunnyside. The lawsuit alleges that annexations violate Proposition 218 which requires a 2/3 vote to increase taxes because upon annexation, property owners are charged an override for City pensions without having voted in favor of the override. Until this issue is resolved, Tenaya Estates will not explore the possibility of annexation.
Carla Grant reported on the next garage and bake sale that is planned for May 22, 2010. She asked for volunteers to help with this fundraising event.
It was noted that Robin Stevens was retiring from her many years of service organizing the Park’s Fourth of July festivities. It was agreed to provide official appreciation to Robin for her work on the community’s behalf. Janine Gallego has volunteered to coordinate this year’s Fourth of July festivities and she will let neighbors know how they can help in the near future.
Park finances are extremely tight but it was agreed that Tenaya Estates should not attempt to increase assessments at this time.
Janine Gallego reported on the results of the annual election to the Tenaya Estates Board of Directors. 38 ballots were cast in the election, meeting the quorum requirement in the Tenaya Estates Bylaws. The following Board members were elected to serve 2-year terms:
Vern Grant, President
Paul Heath, Treasurer
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Brad Stevens
There being no further business to discuss, the annual membership meeting adjourned at 11:20 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tenaya Estates annual meeting on April 3, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.
Vern Grant, President
Paul Heath, Treasurer
Cynthia Downing, Secretary
Michael Jenkins
Jim McKelvey
Janice Normart
Brad Stevens
The Tenya Estates Board meets four times a year. If anyone is interested in serving on the Board, please let Cynthia Downing know by noon on Monday, March 22.
Turnout at our annual meetings has been low so we plan to mail ballots to the neighbors in the hopes of improving the elections process. The names of additional nominees for the Board (if any) will be included on the ballot that will be mailed on March 22. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person to Cynthia Downing, 1214 W. Tenaya, Fresno, CA, 93711. Ballots must be returned by 10:00 a.m. on April 3, 2010, to be eligible to be counted. Each household is entitled to one ballot. Ballots will remain sealed until the April 3 meeting. At the April 3 meeting, an Elections Committee will be appointed to open and count the ballots and announce the results of the election.
If you have any questions between now and then, please don't hesitate to let Cynthia Downing know. Otherwise, we hope to see you on April 3.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lights and water
The drinking fountain is in fine working order.
Water to the sprinkler system is back off, my bad. The herbicide needs to sit on top of the broad leaf weeds for 48 hours to work. Since we had problems with the water, it never got the park wet any way, and by the time 48 hours is up, it will probably rain.
JOB OPENING: Still looking for a volunteer web master so we can put all of this on our web site rather than this blog.
Vern
Drinking fountain redux
Jon,
The fountain is working fine, lots of pressure. The main valve for the entire system was off. The problem with it running then slowing down to a dribble is consistent with the main valve in the off position, with a small leak, pressurizing the pipe for short operation only.
What I did not get to tell you is the back flow valve is leaking, especially so when the water was off. The leaking part is the 6" plate with 6-8 bolts holding it together, looks like some sort of diaphram.
Probably is a good idea to get the part numbers so we can replace them next time
Vern
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Drinking fountain and other news
In a message dated 2/17/2010 08:21:39 Pacific Standard Time, vgapp@comcast.net writes:
Jon,
Tried the fountain this morning, and it is the same as prior to being fixed. The water runs normally for a few seconds, then goes to a dribble, too small to get a drink.
Vern
I asked Daniel to go by and check it again and get the exact part number for the part that controls the flow. We may as well order a replacement now once Daniel confirms the part number... and hopefully he can flush it out again.
Jon
We have experienced some spray painted graffiti on the south walkway fences, which I removed last Thursday (2/11). Please report any graffiti to me at vgapp@comcast.net. Please don't call, email is better for me. Graffiti grows exponentially if not removed immediately.
The entire lawn was treated with a broad leaf herbicide today, so I have turned on the water to wash the product off the surface and into the grass so it will not affect pets. When we have another rain event, I will turn it off again.
Vern Grant
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Repairs underway
The small interior trees have been trimmed, and the next tree trimming will be at least a year out, unless there are some other problems.
I am aware of a blinking overhead light, which means the bulb is burnt out. We are working to replace the lamp. Unfortunately I won't do it since it is 20 feet in the air. We have a volunteer electrician but he is busy. If any of the local residents have experience in overhead lights and would like to help, please contact me at vgapp@comcast.net .
The floor matting at the playground area is in poor shape, but the price to replace it is between $12,000 to $15,000 (yes, you read that right); needless to say we don't have that much money. All of the similar play equipment in parks in the general area, and I have seen many, have engineered wood chips, a cheaper alternative. Unfortunately, the way our play area was designed precludes use of the cheaper product, but I am looking for ideas to redesign the floor system. If any one has ideas, or is an engineer with an disability access background, I would like to hear from you.
Please stay tuned for information about the upcoming garage/bake sale.
Vern Grant