THE LONG BEACH RECREATION DOG PARK ASSN.
Summary of BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING: Feb. 1, 2001

Remarks

President Jim Knutson reported an enthusiastic turnout for the Jan. 28 quarterly meeting, in spite of the fact that the day was Super Bowl Sunday.

Old Business

1. Gerry Facon reported the revised Articles of Incorporation and a new set of Bylaws will be sent to the California Secretary of State as soon as the treasurer can write a $46 check to cover the filing fee. Copies then can be sent to other local, state and federal agencies.

2. Jim Knutson and Jim Walters informed the board that the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine favors one more public meeting over proposed changes in the City Code that would affect the Dog Park once the issue clears the City Attorney's Office. Both said that no date has been mentioned. Mr. Walters said that Dave Ashman of the Parks Department told him that the final sticking point is the issue of children in the park; Mr. Ashman provided no other details but said he would be in touch.

3. The Jan. 6 yard sale at Karen Embry's home in Seal Beach added $564.25 to the treasury.

New Business

1. Jim Walters informed the board that 15 questionnaires that were mailed out to members in early January for their opinions on fund-raising activities had been received. The most popular ideas:

• Dog walk, pet fair, picnic at the Dog Park
• Matinee at Musical Theatre West, Cal State Long Beach Carpenter Center
• Night at Concert on the Green, Signal Hill

And then further back were:

• Continuation of Pet Promenade
• Belmont Shore Christmas Parade of Lights Boat Parade
• Day at the Long Beach Jazz Festival
• Day/Night at Los Alamitos Race Track
• Day at the Long Beach Greek Festival
• Night With Spike and the Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team
• Write-ins for yard sales, ice cream socials

Mr. Walters pointed out that the least popular, the hockey game night, was one of the organization's most recent fund-raisers -- and quite successful in that it garnered the association $384!

2. In an effort to encourage continued openness between the board and the association's members, the board discussed the merits and pitfalls of consolidating four of the regular board meetings with the four members quarterly meetings and opening the remainder to members. Gerry Facon said that one association member said that even if the board's regular meetings were open, he wouldn't feel comfortable coming to a meeting in someone's home. Mr. Facon also said a public meeting site would better accommodate guest speakers in the future. Jim Walters expressed concern that regular board meetings, which usually run from two to two-and-a-half hours, would grow even longer with more people attending each one. However, Fred Nicas pointed out that, with the implementation of the new committees, the board's future agendas would be streamlined as a healthy portion of them will be reviewing what transpired at committee gatherings. He and Jim Knutson noted that the board would be able to meet in closed-door executive session should the need arise, and only after informing members as to the general nature of the pending issue. All agreed that a change in meetings had merit.

• MOTION by Mr. Facon, second by Mr. Nicas, to have the president look into securing a public facility for regular monthly meetings and to consolidate the regular board meetings in January, April, July and October with the quarterly members meetings in those months at the Bruins Den. Approved, 5-0.
  Mr. Knutson said he would begin his quest with the Parks Department, to see which venues were open and on what days as the board would like to keep its regular meeting date consistent. He is to report his findings next month.

3. The board discussed the establishment of the five standing committees. It was agreed that the board member/members on each panel should try to recruit volunteers to join their committee, meet at least once before the next quarterly meeting and compile a list of goals and suggestions that the board can review at the April quarterly meeting. Committee members will be sought via word-of-mouth, 2001-02 membership forms and email received at the organization's website. In other committee news:

Projects & Fundraising: Lori Edwards has agreed to chair this group, which will coordinate fund-raising events. Board member Gerry Facon will serve on this panel. Results of the recently conducted fund-raising questionnaire and ideas compiled at the previous two quarterly members meetings will provide initial input
Maintenance & Planning: Board members Jim Knutson and Fred Nicas will co-chair this group which will coordinate maintenance efforts with the city, organize park cleanups and help develop a list of long-range improvements for the Dog Park. The first of what will be a regular cleanup / raking party will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3; Dave Ashman of the Parks Department informed the secretary that additional trash cans will be dropped off along the fence on Friday. Regular cleanups will be on the first Saturday of each month. Mr. Knutson and Mr. Nicas will see if the Parks Department and its contracted landscaper, Mariposa, can shorten the window it uses on Mondays to perform usual maintenance.
Membership: Board member Carolyn Reed will be a member of this committee and serve as acting chair. This group will try to broaden our membership base and try to re-enlist former association members. Several names of possible volunteers were forwarded to her. Ms. Reed agreed to compose a letter that will be sent to '98, '99 and '00 members along with a 2001-02 registration form; Jim Walters agreed to give it a final edit. It has also been suggested that cleanup / raking parties provide an opportunity to recruit members. Several volunteers have agreed to staff a table at the entrance to the park Feb. 3 for this purpose and Mr. Knutson said that he will provide the last of the association's old fifth-anniversary shirts as giveaways at that table.
Communications & Advertising: Board member Jim Walters will chair this committee which will publish the Paw Prints newsletter, maintain the Bark Board and website, publicize association events and oversee brochures and other publications. Mr. Walters said he would need help getting the next issue of Paw Prints put together, primarily assistance with ads and distribution because of his current physical limitations.
Nominations & Elections: Mr. Walters volunteered to chair this panel during this first election under the new Bylaws. (In the future the vice president will chair it; at present the association has no vice president.) The nomination process and schedule were announced at the Jan. 28 quarterly meeting and posted on the website. Mr. Walters said he would need several volunteers to help mail out ballots June 15 and count them before the July 28 meeting.

4. Gerry Facon presented the board with the results of his fact-finding visit to Huntington Beach's dog park, which are attached. While that park's more-labor-intensive mulch groundcover project was seen as less appealing, other facets of the park piqued interest. He and Carolyn Reed said that a board member or some type of official presence seemed to be at the at all times. However, both noted that the Huntington Beach park draws on a large more-affluent community. The board will continue to evaluate area dog parks in an effort to find ways to improve its own.

5. Jim Walters noted the March 16 deadline for articles for the April edition of Paw Prints. Jim Knutson said that he will prepare a short "message from the president" for that issue. Mr. Walters has budgeted the following list of articles for the next issue:

• Board resignations
• Elections
• Website
• Groundcover update
• Fundraising update
• City Code issue update
• Calendar through July
• Articles & Bylaws passage
• April 28 quarterly meeting agenda items
• Formation of committees
• Membership form

6. Jim Walters presented the board with a proposal to makeover the Bark Board, the association's bulletin board at the park. His plan called for three sections: a static section that will include what the association is about, where copies of its official papers can be found, website address and board members' names; a periodically updated side section for committee news, the latest meeting summaries, treasury reports, membership drive numbers and calendar of events; and a central star-attraction section that would feature whatever item or subject is on the association's front burner. Gerry Facon also suggested portions of those sections be dedicated to health news and contacts for other animal-friendly organizations. During the discussion questions arose about the board itself: what stipulations the Parks Department had over the board and its location; whether the rear of the board which faces the parking lot could be used; whether the board could be moved to the center of the park for greater visibility. Mr. Walters agreed to look into the matter and report his findings at the March meeting.

7. The potpourri of signs at the park was briefly discussed, with Carolyn Reed bringing to the board's attention that the signs noting the park's hours of operation are missing. The board agreed that a consolidation of signs would improve the appearance of the park but that until the City Council makes a decision on changes in the City Code as it pertains to the Dog Park, it would be premature to pay to have new signs created at this time. Jim Walters said he would contact the Parks Department to see if replacing the hours-of-operations signs were its responsibility or the association's.

8. Jim Walters suggested that it might be prudent for the association, the Parks and Police departments, the City Attorney's Office and Animal Control to establish and post a list of procedures at the park so that park users would know what to do and whom to contact should the following incidents occur:

• What to do if a dog bites another dog
• What to do if a dog bites an individual
• What to do if a stray dog is found
• What to do if there is an altercation between people
• What to do if an individual attacks a dog

Posting such a list, Walters said, would clarify where responsibilities lie and show park users how to proceed with their grievances or problems. The board agreed and gave Mr. Walters the go-ahead to contact the other entities to get their reactions.

9. The future of the stalled Pet Promenade sidewalk was briefly discussed. It was noted that 30 donors are still owed squares in the walk but that the board's former treasurer, Miriam Yarden, had said that 100 squares had to be sold in order to make the pour cost effective. Board members agreed that the walkway suffers from poor planning: trash cans have to be put on top of it; the sidewalk can't be directed around cans because the trash trucks would eventually destroy the walk to get to the cans; people walking their dogs along the promenade prompt dogs in the park to rush the fence; and some of the first square-buyers were under the impression that they would be able to add mementos to the wet cement.

• MOTION by Gerry Facon, second by Jim Knutson, for Fred Nicas to talk to the Parks Department to see if the association could hire a city-approved contractor to pour the remaining 30 squares that have been paid for and to see if the city would assist the association in continuing the fund-raising effort. Approved, 5-0.

10. The 2001-02 membership drive is under way. Jim Walters reports that five memberships have been recorded: two individuals ($25), two supporting ($50) and one patron ($100) for a total of $250. Four of the five memberships were renewals; one was new.

11. In maintenance matters:

--JIM WALTERS, Secretary, Feb. 3, 2001