Minutes of the Mueller Neighborhood Association (MNA) Steering Committee
January 11, 2023
The Zoom meeting was called to order at 7:17 pm by Committee Chair Greg Keller. The meeting was recorded and archived.
Steering Committee (SC) Members present: Joy Butler, Ann Hart, Greg Keller, Meisha-Ann Martin, Chris Ruzin, Sarah Seraj, Preston Tyree, Kaz Wojtewicz and Koreena Malone, ex officio.
Guests present: Shelly Baldwin, Andrew Clements, Kathy Sokolic, Marta White
Greg thanked everyone for attending and reminded everyone that we would use Robert’s Rules of Order to guide the meeting. He noted that tonight’s meeting was limited in scope, focusing on a couple items that weren’t covered in depth on January 4th.
Koreena provided history and answered questions regarding 2022 noting that when she came on as SC Chair last year, 17 people had access (and, in turn, posting capabilities) to the website.
Ann moved to extend the discussion for 10 more minutes. Seconded and passed.
In the ensuing conversation, several big questions surfaced for the SC to wrestle with. Should MNA posts (e.g. minutes, meeting announcements, event dates) be separate from the on-line Front Porch Flyer that contains community-building articles? Where should opinion pieces that are potentially controversial be posted? Should we rebuild the Front Porch Editorial Board to study all this and come up with recommendations?
Preston moved to extend the discussion for 5 more minutes. Seconded and passed.
Preston observed that strengthening the MNA’s committee structure is critical and related to this topic. He and Joy agreed to determine the current status of the existing Standing Committees and report back to the SC.
General consensus was that we need to develop criteria for what type of post requires approval, what doesn’t, and, in general, what’s allowed on the MNA platforms.
Chris R. moved to extend the discussion for 15 minutes. Seconded and passed.
Conversation continued about the need for processes and a clear way to differentiate between MNA posts and the on-line Front Porch Flyer.
Greg moved on to other business as we prepare for the next MNA General Meeting on January 21st.
Chris R. is working with former Treasurer Jason Sears to prepare a budget for the year.
Preston provided some history regarding the MNA’s Committee Structure. He and Joy will go deeper, as noted above, and report back. They will use a 2021 document describing the various committees as a starting point.
Koreena reported that she had already reserved the Pavilion for the four big MNA events (i.e. Spring Fling, Eid, Fourth of July, and Fall Fest). They all need an event chair and a liaison. She didn’t remember the dates off the top of her head but said they were in the “Events” Folder on the Google Drive.
Greg reported that Wagging Labs, our website support company was raising its rates. We currently pay $600/year. Greg will report the new rate as soon as possible. Depending upon the size of the increase, we may want/need to make other arrangements.
Greg moved to allow Purple Fig to take the Business Spotlight spot on January 21st because they missed their original meeting due to illness. Seconded and passed.
Preston moved to adjourn the meeting. Chris R. seconded. Motion passed.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Hart, MNA Secretary
Note that all documents mentioned in these minutes are considered part of the meeting record.
Addendum: A few days after the meeting, Wagging Labs sent a new annual contact for $1000 plus $75/hour for additional support. Greg shared the contract with SC members via e-mail and set up an electronic vote. As of close of business 1/18/23, there were enough “aye” votes to accept the proposal. Greg will sign the contract on behalf of the MNA.