January 2024 Board Meeting

Nicole emphasized that the board needs to be collaborative.

Everyone introduced themselves and their professions.

Nicole – president – works for Red Cross ethics board and handles complaints

Maia – secretary– environmental engineer

Bill – VP of communications – graphic designer

Julia – self-employed dog-walker, in the neighborhood all day every day – sees what’s going on.

Molly – research scientist, expertise in grant-writing

Syrus – medical student, just became a tree keeper in the City, on ARC

Paul – parliamentarian, works in museums – MD center for history and culture, and on ARC

Gerri – data analyst, focus on beautification, safety and parking in the neighborhood

Sy – VP of operations, lecturer at UMBC in information systems, wants to promote social aspect of the community

Billy huffnell (absent) - treasurer

Linda Smith – Safety committee chair, passed out write up of information gathered from CRC meetings at the Southern District

Finance committee – standing committee in the bylaws – advises the board and association on fiscal matters, must review accounts in June

Molly is chair, Julia and Billy will be members

Membership committee – Gerri will chair along with Nicole

Nominating committee – Bobby, Sharon - chair, Nicole (need two more members and Nicole will think about a few more to nominate – hopefully non-board members)

ARC – Paul Rubensen is the chair, CHAP requires a liaison for each historic neighborhood – can be a single person or a committee. Recently there were several members that no longer lived in the neighborhood. Other members include Syrus, Cameron Coe, Nicole, Bobby Goodfellow, Ab Bear, Clarissa Howison, Jeff, Matt Hilldoerfer, and some others – to be updated.

At the end of 2023, Paul emailed all previous members to say that they would only remain on the committee if they replied in the affirmative to the email.

Paul to write up proposed procedure for how the ARC committee will make decisions to present to the board for a vote.

Finance update – Current balance is $9,783.70 ($8,089 true cash balance as $1,315 is from the SBGP and allocated for Quigley’s planters/beautification efforts).

1 check is out ($3,769.42) to Karin L for gala and holiday party expenses. Majority ($3,612.39) is to pay Groundwork Kitchen directly.

Holiday party – cost $405 + $180.20 in invitations. We collected $325 in cash at the door so the net cost was $260.20.

Nicole thinks that events are important to the neighborhood. Wants people to think of potential events we could have to get more community participation.

• National night out

• Field day

• Gala – Bobby interested in leading

Email president@ridgelysdelight.org – give to community members.

Bill explained the SBGP – money available to nearby communities from the casino revenue. SBGP board made up of community members, business members and political appointees. Any non-profit in the area can apply for a community grant which are pretty competitive. Small grants (less than $1000 easy to get).

Paul will reach out to Bobby to get more information on the mural to bring up to the community association in February meeting.

Nicole passed around a survey that was conducted in Fall 2021.

Had 71 respondents. It was a personal project that Bill put together to see why community members don’t attend meetings and what they want from the RDA. It was used for discussion amongst the board.

It was emphasized that the board needs to be transparent.