Alpine Community Center

Alpine CC Board Minutes
6:00 pm Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 at ACC

Present: Joyce Long, Dorothy Brinckerhoff, Rachelle Payne, Melissa Meyer, Roger Irvin, John Scott, Jeanne Lindsay, Kerry Hastings

1. Discuss & approve minutes of the previous meeting

Approved.

2. Review board email votes since last meeting

3. Prioritize Agenda

4. Reader board sign design options

Roger emailed a design sketch, based on the design of the Willamette Grange sign. Board discussed moving ahead with that design. Roger did some prep research on railings, and so far found only plastic rails. The people who did Willamette Grange’s sign may have a lead on metal rails, or we may be able to fabricate our own. Roger to consult with them, Dorothy and Jeanne to make sure he has all available contact info.

5. Review and Accept Financial Reports

Board reviewed the financial reports for November. The highlights included:

• Preschool poinsettia fundraiser netted around $700 over expenses,
• State of OR charged us a fine because we didn’t report last year that we weren’t holding bingo.
• We spent about $1330 in materials to get Resale Shop up and running at the new building. About $500 of that should be reimbursed by the building owner, for light fixtures we installed.

The Board Accepted the reports.

6. End of Year Appeal Letter Donations

Dorothy reported that we have received about $3290 so far in donations in response to the end of year appeal letter. The effort required an expense of about $133.

We received a large donation designated for preschool scholarships, but at this time don’t have any families asking for assistance. Joyce, Rachelle, and Melissa will work on more strenuously promoting student recruiting in January, featuring the availability of scholarships. Joyce to revise the trifold brochure before our January board meeting.

7. Reopening of the Resale Shop

Dorothy reported that we still have not been able to connect with Andi Hooper to formalize a sublet agreement on 5^th street side of the 540 Main St. building for the Resale Shop.

Kerry reported that we had a powerful opening weekend at the shop, with many positive comments. The second weekend included being open Sunday to capitalize on the Barn Store’s final opening, and we did heavy sales on the second weekend, too.

Our challenge will be in recruiting volunteers to support more open times. (As it has been often in the shop’s history.) We have one new volunteer, but the new one is not comfortable doing solo.

We have had one customer try to enter without a mask. That person ended up choosing not to come in when Kerry asserted our enforcement of the state mask policy.

For all volunteers, including school and resale shop, the board consensus is that if you have had elevated temperature or visible symptoms of illness, you must be symptom-free for at least 10 days OR have a negative COVID test within 48 hours before you can return to your volunteer activity.

8. Furnace Failure to Heat (late November edition)

On the heels of the Nov. 2^nd repair of the loose wire between the thermostat and the furnace, the furnace went out again on Nov. 29^th. Montgomery Heating & AC was not able to come out to inspect it until 11/30. The diagnosis was that the 45 year old controller circuit board was malfunctioning. They were able to locate a replacement board in the Midwest. They fixed the furnace on 12/8. Rachelle had to cancel preschool several days because even with space heaters the preschool rooms could not be warmed sufficiently.

9. Preschool Status

Rachelle & Joyce reported that enrollment is low and unchanged, with seven 4 yr olds and four 3 yr olds. At that level, the needs for co-oping parent participation have been covered.

Between travel, district days off, and so forth, there was only 1 day in November with all 4 yr olds in attendance.

The parents are still discussing and planning the play yard repairs.

A new printer (a refurbished HP color LaserJet) has been purchased and received. Joyce is still working through connection/communication issues.

The parents’ plan for a bazaar fundraiser has morphed to a FaceBook online silent auction event scheduled for 12/15^th to 18^th.

Nicole Nystrom did a GivingTuesday fundraiser for the preschool on 11/30, and raised $200.

The schedule for field trips is lining up through the winter.

The parents will start Scamper planning in January.

10. Background Checks for Co-Op Parent Volunteers

Joyce reported that the list for the batch of checks to submit to ODE has been prepared, but was still awaiting printing, due to delays with the new printer.

11. Equipment Rentals Application/Agreement Form

The Board tabled review of draft equipment rental form that Melissa is preparing.

12. Move from MadMimi to MailChimp

Tabled. Dorothy to work with Melissa on this migration during January.

13. Recommendation for Fencing the Back Yard

The Board tabled discussion of design options and recommendations.

14. Budget for FY 2021-2022

John had not completed preparation of the draft 0 budget. The board tabled discussion.

15. New Business

16. Proposed agenda for January

Developing a coordinated plan for using the Kindersport funds to improve the back yard and play structure area for preschool play use.

17. Schedule

ACC Board 1/12

 

Alpine CC Board Minutes
6:00 pm Wednesday, October 13th, 2021 at ACC

Present: Joyce Long, Dorothy Brinckerhoff, Roger Irvin, Rachelle Payne, Melissa Meyer, John Scott, Kerry Hastings, Jeanne-Anne Lindsay

1. Discuss & approve minutes of the previous meeting

Approved

2. Review board email votes since last meeting

None

3. Prioritize Agenda

4. Review and Accept Financial Reports

Board reviewed the financial reports for September. We have received the historically annual year-end donation from Starker Forests. (Thank you, Starker Forests!) ACC’s checking account balance is low because of delays in depositing some tuition payments, but they are going to be deposited 10/14/21. The board Accepted the financial reports.

5. New Location for the Resale Shop

Kerry reported that paint was applied to the exterior, half the interior walls, and half the floor during the 10/8-9 painting party. (Thank you, volunteers!) Painting should be completed 10/16-17. Light fixtures have been purchased and an electrician recruited for installing them. The temporary signs are up on the building. We need to work out an arrangement so that Andi can have access to the hose cutoff (in the Resale Shop’s part of the building), and some finish details on the new interior wall. The team has scheduled October 29-30 for a donation reception and moving party to move the clothes racks (etc.) from the Community Center to the new building. They are hoping to open the shop in mid-November.

6. Preschool Status

Rachelle reported that we currently have 5 students in the 3yr-old and 7 students in 4yr-old class. On 10/15 they are going on the first field trip of the year, to Detering Farms.

This last week one of the preschool families had a COVID infection. The preschool closed for 2 days in caution to give exposed people time to get tested and to disinfect all materials that may have been in contact with the infected individuals. Rachelle has been tested and was negative. The experience has reinforced the value of our protocols and our insistence that any sign of illness of any sort is reason to stay home from preschool.

The parents are moving forward on a poinsettia fundraiser. The Nystrom family are going to put up trees in their businesses for selling the preschool crafts that we have customarily sold at the Holiday Festival. Parents are working toward putting on the Scamper next spring.

Joyce intends to do more advertising to recruit more students.

Rachelle gave the board 14 months notice that we will need to cover her absence during the first week of January 2023.

A cat has been pooping in the gravel of gravel of the play area. A parent is willing to set a trap, and work to find the owner. Parents are interested in replacing the gravel with some other material, such as sliver-free bark. We brainstormed other ways to deter cats from doing this.

Rachelle needs training on adjusting the thermostat. Dorothy will forward the thermostat user guide to Joyce and John, who can work with her to set up the daily schedule.

Rachelle wants to use the Halloween costume season to purchase some clothes and accessories for the dramatic play corner. Dorothy moved we authorize expense up to $200 for purchases, John seconded. Approved.

Rachelle and Dorothy agreed on a mid-month payroll draw schedule.

7. Recommendation for Fencing the Back Yard

Melissa brought a picture of a fence at a Philomath preschool (4ft tall, with spaced slats). Others reported observations of other preschools with 4ft chain link or 4ft solid wood fences around their play areas. Rachelle reported that the parents are excited to invest energy in upgrading the condition of the back yard. Roger suggested we consider designs that use cattle panels or sheep panels, with wood posts and a wood top rail. We will continue to consider design options.

8. Background Checks for Co-Op Parent Volunteers

Joyce reported that she has received only one background check form back from the parents. Rachelle has received CPR and vaccination cards for all 5 parent volunteers. Joyce will remind the parents. Rachelle will help her remember and act.

9. End of Year Appeal Letter

The Board reviewed John’s draft letter based on last year’s. We found a few small edits. John will complete the edits & return the letter file to Dorothy for printing. Dorothy invited other board members to meet for a stuffing party at 6pm on Oct 19^th.

10. Budget for FY 2021-2022

The Board briefly discussed and then tabled the Draft 0 budget.

11. Servicing Building and Equipment Rentals

The Board debriefed the rental incidents in August and October in which some aspect of the start or completion surprised Rachelle. We discussed creating an equipment rental agreement form, to do a better job at capturing an agreement with the renters about the condition the chairs/tables should be returned in, and the timing for picking up and returning the equipment. Melissa will draft a form.

12. New Business

Signage. Jeanne-Anne Lindsay is interested in pursuing a grant from Benton County Cultural Coalition for a sign for ACC that would incorporate a reader board. She distributed a list of sign vendors and invited the board to review the offerings and develop a list of what features we would expect in a sign. Jeanne will return to the board meeting in December to set a target, so that Jeanne can write the grant proposal. We discussed other signs around the community and their advantages and disadvantages.

Plat map. Jeanne has a copy of the original plat maps for Alpine, and is offering them to ACC to serve as an art piece in the main hall. The board gratefully accepted her offer.

13. Proposed agenda for November

Fence progress

Reader board sign

14. Schedule

Envelope party 10/19, Parents meeting 11/3, ACC Board 11/10

 

Alpine CC Board Minutes
6:00 pm Wednesday, August 10th, 2021 at ACC

Present: Dorothy Brinckerhoff, Rachelle Payne, Melissa Meyer, John Scott, Joyce Long, Roger Irvin (by phone)

1. Discuss & approve minutes of the previous meeting

Approved.

2. Review board email votes since last meeting

None.

3. Prioritize Agenda

4. Review and Accept Financial Reports

Financial reports for July. Dorothy sent the reports out during the meeting. We will review them and vote to accept them in a couple days, via email.

5. Sublet Negotiations for New Location for the Resale Shop

John reported that he saw that Shirley’s stuff was out on Andi’s side of the building in late July, but there is still much to do.

Melissa displayed the “Coming Soon!” banner she has had printed.

Dorothy reported that she has not had any further discussions with Andi about formalizing our sublease or a schedule for moving in.

6. Hiring Rachelle Payne as Our New Preschool Teacher

Joyce & Melissa reported that the recruiting committee interviewed Rachelle Payne, found that she meets our requirements for our preschool position and was enthusiastically interested in the position. They offered her the job as our new teacher, and she accepted.

The board discussed how Rachelle’s new status as an employee affects her service as a board member. Article IV, sections 8 & 11 of our bylaws address this, and specifically provide for the possibility that directors may serve as compensated staff or contractors of ACC, as long as the disinterested directors approve and all aspects are openly disclosed.

All directors (excluding recused Rachelle) agreed that Rachelle can continue to serve as a director, get paid to attend part of the period of our board meetings as an employee, and can attend the balance of the meeting period without compensation in her role as a board member.

7. Planning for Preschool Reopening

Joyce, Melissa, and Rachelle have spent much time on preparing the classrooms and materials for the new school year. .

Enrollment Status: we have 11 or 12 in the 4 yr olds class, have 9 probable students in the 3 yr olds class, but the roster is still in flux.

Rachelle will be organizing the toy sanitation schedule and procedures.

There is a new requirement from Oregon Early Learning Division for all operators and volunteers to be in their central registry for background checks. We are still confirming the details, but assertions about the requirement differ between PCPO and the Oregon ELD site. Joyce will continue the research to figure out what we need to do for the parents. Rachelle will work on signing up in the registry.

Keeping tuition the same as we charged in 2019-2020, but will probably need to add a fee for the background checks.

We have scheduled the Meet The Teacher meetings for Wednesday, August 18^th. In addition to the check-in experience, this will mostly be paperwork for parents, but Rachelle will also ahve an activity for the kids.

Fire Extinguishers are out of certification and need service. Dorothy will send Rachelle and Joyce the contact info for contractors who can do this. The Center’s fire alarm monitoring service is off right now, but the smoke detectors are believed to be active. Monitoring is not a requirement for the level of service/licensing we are intending to operate.

Yellow-jackets are nesting in a couple places around the property. Dorothy recommended an exterminator service.

Melissa, Rachelle, & Joyce believe that we should replace the wire mesh fence around the center’s back yard with a more substantial privacy fence. Dorothy & John are unconvinced and believe this idea would benefit from more discussion and planning. The proposal was tabled.

The new curriculum includes a unit on special costumes. Rachelle, Joyce, and Melissa proposed that we purchase a kids’ play clothes storage unit. John moved we approve an expense not to exceed $100 on a kiddy armoire to hold the clothes for use. Melissa seconded, the board Approved.

8. Updating the Preschool Parents Handbook

Joyce, Melissa, and Rachelle have edited the parents handbook and are nearly finished. They expect to publish the revised handbook in another week or so (prior to the Meet The Teacher open house).

They have structured the COVID guidelines as a short addendum to the handbook. The board reviewed the current draft of that addendum and concurred. Our understanding is that on August 10th a state of Oregon rule was going into effect requiring all students (including our 3- and 4-year-olds) to wear masks at school. We will be using a free app for recording health status of parents and students at checkins. For the Meet The Teacher meetings, Joyce will screen attendees at the door to preview the daily checkin procedures.

9. Budget for FY 2021-2022

John led a discussion about budgeting for the current fiscal year. Our current forecast is that this new year will differ from 2019-2020 in these ways that will affect the budget:

• We will be at full enrollment for the 4 year olds, and about 3/4s full for the 3 year olds;
• We only expect to have one family depending on tuition assistance this year;
• We also will only have one staffer this year, in contrast to most recent years when we have had an assistant teacher on payroll;
• There is also uncertainty about the count of parent co-oping volunteers, and how that affects both coverage need and tuition income;
• We have cancelled the 2021 Alpine Holiday Festival, and the status of other historic annual fundraisers is uncertain.

Joyce, Melissa & Rachelle haven’t put out much messaging so far to the parents about co-oping expectations, other than asserting that the preschool relies on co-oping parents.

John reported that he has not yet compiled the customary base draft of the budget, but will work on that this month.

10. New Business

None.

11. Proposed agenda for September

Launch of the new school year at the preschool

12. Schedule

Meet The Teacher open house 8/18, ACC Board 9/8

 

Alpine CC Board Minutes
6:00 pm Wednesday, June 9th, 2021 on Zoom

Present: Joyce Long, Dorothy Brinckerhoff, Roger Irvin, Rachelle Payne, Melissa Meyer, John Scott

1. Discuss & approve minutes of the previous meeting

Approved.

2. Review board email votes since last meeting

None.

3. Prioritize Agenda

4. Review and Accept Financial Reports

The financial reports for May were not yet available. Dorothy will email them to the board within a few days.

5. New Location for the Resale Shop

Over the last 4 weeks, Dorothy, Melissa, and others have had conversations with Rayna about the storefront at 160 5^th Street and with Andi Hooper (current leasee) & Jeri Butler (owner) about sharing the building at 540 Main Street (which would be 120 5^th Street, if it was treated as an address on 5th). A sublet from Andi has advantage over leasing Rayna’s storefront. The plan is for the resale shop to occupy the 5^th Street side (East/front) of the building while Andi maintains her kitchen in the West/back side of the building.

We are expecting a two-stage move. First, Shirley Kuhnley is moving her equipment from the 540 Main Street building to Eugene, and Andi needs to shift around material that is in the building. That will make space sufficient for us to store our shelves and fixtures at the 540 Main building. Then, after some remodeling of the interior dividing wall and bathroom access, Andi expects to move her material entirely to the back half. That will free up the front half of the building for the Resale Shop. The first stage is expected by mid-June, and the second by autumn.

Owner Jeri Butler is willing to pay for materials for the interior wall shift, other repairs, and for painting the exterior. Andi is providing labor. We will try to move fixtures to the new building (for storage) the weekend of 6/19-20.

Melissa will contact the editor of the Tri-County Tribune to source a story about the Resale Shop closing for the summer with plan to reopen in the fall. We will ask community members to save donations, and await our reopening.

We have paid Cory Wall rent on the 190 5^th Street storefront (at our historic rate, not the new rate he demanded) for June.

5. New Preschool Teacher

Melissa reported that we still have not received any applications from qualified applicants. (We have received applications from people with no post high school education, or with experience in early childhood education.) Melissa has been publicizing our opening in every forum she can think of. We brainstormed on ways to publicize the ad.

6. Planning for Preschool Reopening

Discussion, setting goals and assignments. Tabled.

7. Updating the Preschool Parents Handbook

Discussion, setting goals and assignments. Tabled.

8. Status update: Alpine Water Company

John reported on the May 23^rd Water Company subscribers meeting. The only attendees were current and outgoing board members and administrative staffers. John relayed to the AWC stakeholders that Rachelle is willing to serve on the board as a second representative of ACC. The board is moving ahead to have Nicholas Ritch take over administrative duties from Jeanne Lindsay.

9. New Business

Return to in-person board meetings. We discussed and agreed to meet in person at the Community Center for our next board meeting, on July 14^th. Dorothy’s schedule currently calls for her to work that night, but she thinks she will be able to trade with a coworker.

10. Proposed agenda for July

Preparations for reopening the Resale shop at 540 Main
Recruiting a teacher for the preschool
Alpine Water Company transition

11. Schedule

ACC Board 7/14