July 2020 RNA Board Meeting

P.O. Box 1123
Highland Park, IL 
60035-1123
email: RNA@ravinianeighbors.org 
www.ravinianeighbors.org

Ravinia Neighbors Association Board Meeting

VIRTUAL MEETING - Dial-in Number: (267) 930-4000 Participant Access: 429-481-402 

Minutes – Thursday, July 9, 2020 

I.                   Call to Order 7:03pm.

Governing Board Attendees 
Mike Stroz, President; Brett Tolpin, Vice President; Mike Babian, Treasurer; Doug Purington, Membership, PR; Beth Grey, Secretary

Members at Large Attendees
Ed Kugler, Jeff Levin (until 8pm), Shruthi Potocek, Katie Alland

Absent Board Members
Jeff Stern, Paul Silverman

Guest
Virginia Gordon

Approval of June Minutes: Motion to approve June minutes by Doug, Katie seconded, unanimous approval of minutes.

II.                President’s Report (Mike Stroz).

Mike welcomed new board members, thanked Justin Kee who is stepping down, and urged everyone to read the RNA by-laws. 

III.              Residents Time: Address Items Not on Agenda: 

Discussion of new outdoor eating area on Roger Williams continued later in meeting.

IV.              New Governing Board • Results of Member Voting (Jeff L.).

·         52 responses to internet voting for board were received, with 52 yes votes and 1 no vote (Jeff explained why that no vote was not really a no vote). RNA has approximately 200 official members, so this is a 25% response rate which is by far the best response rate that RNA has received.

·         Backup Support for Officers (Mike S.): Mike clarified that board members who agree to be backups do not have to fill in if someone can’t make it to a meeting. If board member were unable to continue to fulfill his or her duties, the backup would fill in until a replacement board member could be found. An email will be sent out to see who might want to be a backup.

V.                Treasurer’s Report (Michael Babian).

Checking Balance $7495.21 (includes the $4000 donation which we will need to discuss how to use). $4000 will continue to be reported out separately from what was raised from memberships and ads.

CD Balance $5526.29

PayPal Transfer $225.78

Total Balance $13,247.28 

Mike B. still has the following deposit from Doug that needs to be made: $860! 

Payments issued over $50: 

$60 – To the City of HP for Farmers Market Permit. 

VI.              Publicity/Membership/Ravinia District Report (DougPurington). 

·         Doug will upload minutes onto website with supporting documentation, e.g. poll results, letters in support of Green Bay Trail. Doug will figure out which supporting docsuments should be uploaded.

·         Update on Use of Mailchimp for Ravinia District Marketing and Members Renewal Campaign. 

a.       Mailchimp works great and is so much more professional in appearance

b.      Monthly cost staying at under $15, even with our many emails

c.       Contacts not opting out!

d.      Recognized the 20th anniversary of Tanya at Ravinia Barber Shop on June 14th

e.       Posted re: Live Music Schedule for the Al Fresco Dining Area aka the Piazza

f.        Many of these emails are also posted on our Facebook page for extra coverage

Renewal Campaign

g.      First emails went out May 8th

h.      Second emails went out June 1st

i.        Additional personal emails and other pleadings went out in June

j.        Several renewals for those who never renewed in 2019

k.      Renewals went from 45% to 73%

                                                              i.      43 members still not renewed

                                                            ii.      More promised and still to come

l.        Monies received = $1,030

                                                              i.      Includes 1 ad for 1 time = $85

                                                            ii.      Last minute ad for 3 times = $170

Will be paid for next month’s monies

·         Update on Summer 2020 Newsletter put together by Kim, not more than $600 and no postage and no labels so a lot cheaper than last time. Virtual copy will be sent to Mail Chimp group-360-400 members. One article about Susan Benjamin’s book about properties.

a.       Done except for redo of 1 ad

b.      12 articles submitted by 9 persons including 4 by Jeff Stern

c.       10 ads totaling 5.75 pages

d.      Size is 28 pages

e.       Will only print 100 copies

                                                                                                  i.      50 to Ed Kugler

                                                                                                ii.      Copies to all content writers

                                                                                              iii.      10 copies @ train station

f.        Will provide on website via Facebook and via email

VII.           Previous Action Items:

 • E-Mail Voting Process (see Proposed Internet Voting Protocol document) (All). Mike S. suggested the Proposed Internet Voting Protocol document should be a codicil to the By-laws. Doug sent the document out to all of Board Members. Doug will send it again because it may not have gone to new board members. Mike S. is not calling for a vote tonight but just wants a discussion. There was also discussion regarding timeliness questions for internet votes. Comments may be sent to Mike S. We’ll vote on the proposal at the next meeting.

VIII.        New Business.

• Green Bay Trail Lighting: Board’s virtual vote to send letter to City of HP in Support of City’s Grant Application for Lighting. Update (Mike S). 

Mike S. contacted Melissa Rosen at the City of HP. He received no response so he contacted Carolyn Hirsch, Drew, and the City Engineer, Ramish, and all of them said that they learned of a possible grant for lighting and they quickly filed an application for solar lighting or other sustainable power-- low level lighting to be installed on the Green Bay Trail between the Ravinia Festival and Roger Williams. They have no idea whether the City will receive the grant. 

• RNA Farmers Market T Shirt Vote and Update on the Purchase of the T Shirts (Paul & Mike B). 

Ed put in the t-shirt order on Friday, Mike B. received the bill, Ed paid for them, Ed will pass out the shirts to those who want them on the board. We discussed the various options as to what to do with the extra shirts. No vote on this is needed. It’s up to Ed.

Ed mentioned an idea for natural food wholesalers who wish to give away their products at the entrance to the Farmers Market. They propose to donate a pallet of food, e.g., individually sealed protein bars, and receive a thank you donation letter from the RNA. Ed will ask for a certificate of insurance from manufacturers, naming RNA and additionally insuring RNA and board of directors and he will inquire about quality control. No decision needed to be made at this meeting so we decided to table the request and give it some more thought. 

If RNA wants to renew the permit for next year’s market, it should be put on the next meeting’s agenda. 

There was discussion of asking the PDHP if a Ravinia Farmers Market banner can be placed in Jens Jensen Park. Ed made a motion that PDHP be asked to allow a Ravinia Farmers Market banner to be placed in Jens Jensen Park at some location of their choice until the market is closed on Oct. 28. 2020. Ed will submit a copy of the letter and banner to the board, and if approved, we will probably include the RNA logo on it and cover the cost. Doug seconded it. The vote in favor was unanimous (although Jeff L. was absent at that point in the meeting. Ed will draft a letter on his company letterhead, to Dan at PDHP requesting placement of a Farmers Market banner in Jens Jensen Park, with a copy of the present banner to be included with the letter. The letter should say that at a recent RNA board meeting we discussed the need for such a banner.

IX.             Other Business/Additional Comments or Concerns from Board Members  

·         Future of Roger Williams Al Fresco Dining or “piazza” (All). We discussed a move afoot by local merchants to make the Roger Williams piazza permanent as it’s configured now or slightly different, e.g., down to the sushi shop, perhaps year-round, possibly with fire pits and curling in winter. At least one business contacted the City of HP about making the piazza permanent. Mike S. thinks this is something the RNA Board should consider and should poll the membership. Mike S., Brett, and Doug will reach out to merchants, Al Klairmont, and the City for more information and to get a sense about whether this is being given serious consideration. If it is, we should ask RNA members whether they like this idea, want it to be seasonal, year-round, and/or permanent. We will table this for now. 

·         Vacancies. Mike B. mentioned a vacancy 477 and 479 Roger Williams. Sunshine Arts and Crafts has closed. They were there a little over 12 years. There is one large space - 3800 sq. feet - that can be divided into 2 spaces. Mike asked if we could try to put the word out. Mike said the number to call him or his grandfather with inquiries is 847-432-5570. Doug says there are now a total of 10 vacancies. The City has a data base for vacancies in each HP business district. Carolyn Hirsch is in charge of that. The owners of Sunshine Arts and Crafts took the opportunity with the covid slowdown to retire.

X.                Adjournment (approx. 9:00pm) (Next Board Meeting August 6, 2020).