North Carolina Community Development Association
Board Meeting

May 21, 2008

Board Meeting Minutes

Present: Karen Kiehna, Yvonne Gibbs, Lori Jones, Stanley Watkins, Todd Hefner, Michelle Ball, Sandra Anderson, Adrian Lowery, Teresa Johnson and Tara Fikes, Guest: Vice-Mayor Jan Davis.

Absent:

• Call Meeting to Order at 11:30 a.m. by Karen Kiehna
• Adoption of March 7, 2008 Board Minutes
  Motion by Stanley Watkins, seconded by Todd Hefner. Motion passed unanimously

President's Report

• Meeting with Director of NCLM - (See attached minutes of meeting.) In light of John Spurrell's resignation, NCLM needs to reduce our relationship. We have one year to redesign our relationship. Their focus is that they must be working with the Local Government and Legislators to push issues forward. There is a resource and staffing issue of their time in working with us.
• Questions: 1. Are we the first affiliate to have this discussion with them? Yes, they want to primarily remove conference and events from tasks. 2. Can we remain members of the league? He (Mr. Hankins) will be willing to bring it up to the league members. It would be a by-law change. We can bring any new relationship ideas to the table to be considered.
• We need to ask Mr. Hankins to come to a NCCDA Board meeting to replicate the request to the entire NCCDA board not a few.
• It is a consensus that NCCDA was singled out. It (NCLM) was unprofessional in the way the message for termination of contract was delivered. Note: Look at the termination clause of the contract to see how the process should proceed.
• Reactive process - To have a meeting with NCLM in Raleigh in June.
• NCCDA to sign a contract for one year of service.

Financial Report

• Discussion - Many members are having trouble reading the current format. Report needs to be user-friendly/readable.
• Our concerns were the membership dues. Concerns of the correct membership fees.
• Also, need the budget totals with actual expenses to date.

Spring Conference

• We are at the conference and things are going well.
• Sponsorship - The Wooten Company, NCHFA, HUD, DCA, Jeffrey Brown Consultant. We got a lot of no's this year.
• 80 Registrants.

Committee Reports

• Meetings/Training - Stanley Watkins and Karen Kennedy
  • The League will secure the location of the Fall conference (Brownstone or Sheraton Downtown) for a two day format (November 19,20,21 2008). We are to partner with PHRANC.
  • Spring Conference 2009 (May 2009) in Wilmington, NC. We discussed the possibility of partnering with NC Healthy Homes, and PHRANC. Proposal from Wilmington Hilton was received.
  • Dinner Boat was suggested.
  • Rooftop dining
  • Concerns: being committed to the 2008 Fall and 2009 Spring conference - do we have the resources to continue two conferences per year? Based on our membership and the economic times will our members be able to attend two conferences? We may need to piggy back other conferences to help save conference funds.
  • Concern: the amount of people who had to attend the DCA training. The site was crowded and cramped. Room was not accommodating to the response of the required meeting. It was offered the day after Easter whereas people had to travel distances on a holiday. We need to work with DCA to help them to find sites that will accommodate the mass crowds for trainings. We address this concern at the round table session.
  • Concern: In the Round Table Session - Ask DCA why all County Managers are now required to attend the training session.
  • Concern: The amount of expenses that is required to go into a project prior to the submission of names in the grant to DCA.
  • Comment: We can professionally respond to DCA about concerns.
• Advocacy - Todd Hefner and Annie Thombs
  • Housing Legislation: (see attached) request that we contact our Senators to support. Concern: of how funds will trickle down to the smaller communities.
  • Annexation Moratorium
  • Critical issues: It may help if NCCDA writes a letter around the most important issues around grants administration at DCA. The timeliness of the correspondence from DCA. Suggestion: have a sub-committee to develop a formal letter that highlights concerns that deals with current funds and administrating the grant. This letter will help to determine some format to help address these issues. Michelle, Todd, Tara, Karen Kiehan will be the sub-committee.
• Membership/Nominating - Adrian Lowery and Teresa Johnson
  • Received membership list: The listing so far has 64 entities, many entities are missing. The previous report had 74 entities. 14 counties are listed; non-county membership are 15. Began the cross reference the NCHFA URP and SFR participant list to see where the gaps are.
  • Committee needs a current updated listing from NCLM - Tisha.
  • Will start a membership drive. 14 counties out of 100 is not a good representation.
  • Committee would like to receive a hard copy of conference registrations to document information.
  • The number of people/persons per membership. The issue has been the type of membership since the League has to categorize each membership. Individual vs. Agency membership. Primary goal to increase membership. Tracking entitlements vs. small cities.
  • Nominations: Review memo, the next year is part of the two-year cycle. Election will be every two year beginning in the Spring of 2009.
** Comments of Jan Davis: Appreciated being invited to our board meeting. He will offer his prospective of the local government view on things. **
• Communications/Marketing - Michelle Ball and Sandra Anderson
  • Follow-up with Jennifer to merge SOG listserv.
  • New logo to open up for the thirty anniversaries.
  • Webmaster - League will post information. Send information to the Liaison for posting.
  • Previous Minutes will be sent to Michelle for posting on the web.
  • New logo has not been adopted by the membership in the fall 2008. Michelle will get copies or all choices out to all executive board.

Old Business

• NCCDA 30th Anniversary in Wilmington, planning is underway.

New Business

• Insurance Property Liability Renewal Application to cover 6 conference days and cover 80 members to 100 members get the final number from NCLM. Motion by Teresa Johnson, seconded by Karen Kennedy. Motion passed unanimously.

Adjournment - 1:32 p.m.