With regret, I must pass along the news that Calvin Sims is resigning from the Board of Directors. He gave his notice March 22. His note to the Board stated:

After careful consideration I have made a decision to resign from the Board of Directors of the CDC, and also the newsletter committee. During my short time on the board, it has been a pleasure working with you, and I look forward to continued collaboration.
Rest assured that the Chapman Mill Redan Park Community remains committed to supporting the mission of the CDC.
Sincerely,
Calvin E. Sims, Sr

 

Minutes: Board of Directors Meeting

Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC)
Mainstreet Community Center, Feb. 22, 2014, 10 a.m. -11:00 a.m.

Attendees: Jan Costello, Calvin E. Sims, Sr., Nadine Rivers-Johnson, Joyce Russell, Erica Weaver, Char Taylor

Absent: Phyllis Frierson (work commitment)

1. Welcome. Jan led off with a reminder about the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. The Food Bank began with a talk around a kitchen table and grew into a robust food-sharing and advocacy movement. Executive Director Bill Bolling says that at the root of all great movements is “collective imagination unencumbered by any past failures.” He notes that there is still too much “hunger in a land of plenty” and still much to do; nevertheless, his hopeful message and perseverance is inspiring, as is the commitment of hundreds of volunteers.  Jan noted that we are a few steps beyond the kitchen table phase. We are committed and looking for more volunteers. We are following the advice of businessman, author, and motivator Stephen Covey: Live out of your imagination, not your history.

2. Finance

Checking account status. Calvin found out that Georgia United Credit Union charges an annual fee of $10 for an “Easy Business” account, with no minimum and no monthly fees. The Board unanimously voted to open an account. The Board decided that checks would require two signatures: the president’s and the treasurer’s. Jan will get with Phyllis to open the account.  Joyce said she would consider serving as a back up.

Accountant status. Nadine reached out to Jerome Chavis, a partner and CPA at NTRC and a resident of Mainstreet. He volunteered to work pro bono, set up our accounting structure, and provide tax advice. We are planning to become a 501(c) (3), and we welcome his advice so that we create the right reporting structure. He is busy through April 15, but Nadine will invite him to our April 22 meeting.

3. Blueprint for DeKalb County. This initiative by Commissioner Gannon is to slow down the creation of more cities in DeKalb County until we assess the impact. The Board decided not to endorse the effort as a group, but individuals are encouraged to sign the petition. The concern of the Board was that a non-profit must be careful not to take on anything that could be construed as political advocacy because it could affect our future 501(c) (3) status.

Commissioner Gannon held one public meeting on the initiative, and more will be scheduled. If those reading these minutes are interested in getting more information about the Blueprint, please read below:

The Blueprint is the foundation for a community discussion to address the issues facing DeKalb County.  The Blueprint process has been endorsed by more than 60 community leaders to date. The blueprint addresses the Grand Jury recommendations, ethics, government operations and cityhood.

The complete Blueprint is available at www.kathiegannon.com. Citizens are encouraged to visit the site, read the Blueprint, sign on to show your support.

4. Board of Directors Insurance. Our corporation will need “Directors and Officers” liability insurance and general liability insurance. Jan asked Williams Turner & Mathis, Inc. for a quote. It is about $500-$600 per year. The Board asked Jan to get more information about the coverage; in particular, does the quote include fidelity insurance (coverage for theft of cash or goods). Jan will provide information at the next meeting.

 

5. Marketing:

Newsletter Update. Calvin submitted a proposal for a newsletter. (Background: He met with journalists Donna Lewis Johnson and Leslie Williams Johnson, Jan Costello, and graphic artist Charlie Lundy on Feb. 15 to gather input. The newsletter would be distributed in hard copy and electronically. It would be paid for with advertisements.

The Board suggested that we aim for a 4-page first edition June 1. If enough ads were sold, it would be expanded to 8 pages. (The layout is 11 x 17, folded, so that each sheet has four pages.) We discussed the name and made revisions. We asked that whoever lays out the newsletter be required to meet certain stipulations (such as deadlines and provide the original electronic file). The prototype (the initial design) would have to be provided pro bono. We would work out a payment schedule for the layout of the newsletter. Nadine and  Jan will provide details to Calvin, and he will discuss it with the graphic artist. Calvin has many more details about the launch. If you would like to volunteer for this service, please contact him at cesims@bellsouth.net

Nadine will make inquiries about getting seed money from the county.

Brochure. The brochure has been reformatted to work on the Mainstreet photocopier. We are ready to print copies as needed.  You may see the brochure by clicking here:  Brochure – Copy  A copy of the brochure is posted on the website under “About Us”: www.GreaterHiddenHillsCDC.org

                Letterhead/Logo.  Still in production. Char suggested that we visit LogoGuru.com to bid out the job. Jan will do so.

 

6.  Streetscape. Char reported on a website that helps neighborhoods get their problems to the right government department. It is called www.SeeItClickItFix.com  Her committee met after the board meeting. She will provide a report. She urged us to review the site.

7. Postponed until next meeting:  Dues analysis. Budget analysis.

8. The next meeting will be March 22, 10 a.m., at the Mainstreet Community Center.

The Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation is moving forward with a marketing brochure and plans for a kick-off meeting. The Board of Directors met Jan. 18 (minutes attached). We are working on creating a bank account and a strong accounting system.  If you know of a CPA who would help us set up the financial reporting structure, please let me know: janrcostello@gmail.com

The minutes of our last meeting are attached. The next board meeting will be Feb. 22, 10 a.m., at Mainstreet Community Center.Minutes Jan 18-2014

Minutes 

Board of Directors  — Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC) .  Meeting held at Mainstreet Community Center, Nov. 23, 2013, 10 a.m. -12:05 p.m.

Attended: Jan Costello, Larry Coles, Joyce Russell, Charlene Taylor, Calvin Sims,  Phyllis Frierson, and Rod Frierson

Absent: Nadine Rivers-Johnson

We began at 10:10 with introductions. We reviewed our board responsibilities.

President – Jan Costello

Marketing and Communication (chaired by Nadine Rivers-Johnson)

Finance and Budget (chaired by Secretary-Treasurer Phyllis Frierson)

Ad Hoc Streetscape Committee (chaired by Charlene Taylor)

Fundraising (chaired by Calvin Sims)

Membership Development (To be determined)

 

New Board Member: Joyce Russell has agreed to serve on the Board. She represents the Muirfield neighborhood. We will have an official election process next year.

Photos – Board members will send headshots to Jan so that they can be posted on the website.

 

Update:  Adcox Road Proposed Gas Station/Convenience Store Development

Our understanding is that the owner intends to seek a Special Land Use Permit to build a gas station and a convenience store at 1332 S. Hairston (Hairston/Adcox Road intersection). This is an inappropriate us for that area, and many representatives of the area made that point at the first meeting with the developer Nov.5. The owner is out of town through late December. The architect has provided no new information. Jan will call the owner and ask for a meeting between the GHHCDC Board and the owner/architect to discuss ways to develop a thriving business plan that meets the conditions of the overlay zoning. Wendall Ervin plans to update the Community Council about our objections. We will continue to watch the matter closely and keep the community informed.

 

Treasurer’s Report – We have $108.22. The report is attached and on http://www.greaterhiddenhillscdc.org

 

Banking Account – We discussed where to set up a checking account. Calvin Sims suggests that we open the account with Wells Fargo because there is a branch in Tier Two of the overlay zone and the bank has a strong community reinvestment commitment. The discussion concerned the costs of the account. The Wells Fargo Gold Business Services Package does not have service charges, but it seems to require that $150 be deposited in a savings account each month. Calvin suggested that we set up automatic transfers between the checking and savings account. Some people expressed concern about the time and hassle of monitoring the activity. Calvin said that another option would be to leave $500 in the checking account at all times.

 

Larry Coles and several others suggested we open an account with whichever institution gives us the best rate. We can always change accounts later when we have more money.

 

Calvin will check further on the options at Wells Fargo and at other banks. If others know of a good rate for a non-profit checking account, please let the Board know.

 

To open a banking account, Calvin mentioned we would need a Corporate Resolution. Charlene will forward a sample of such a resolution to Jan. We already have the Articles of Incorporation, Employer Identification Number, and state incorporation.

 

Grants – Joyce said she would research grants available the Foundation Center (http://foundationcenter.org/) and other institutions and select the top possibilities for the GHH CDC to pursue in 2014.

 

Membership – Board members thought it would be a good idea to visit the business meetings held by the Tucker Main Street Alliance. Jan learned from co-found Honey Van de Kreke that businesses pay $125/year for membership. The Alliance attracts businesses to meetings by offering food and guest speakers who address business development issues. The Alliance has had tremendous success over the last 10 years. Jan said she would get in touch and let the Board know about upcoming meetings.

 

Promotion – The logo and website masthead are under development. The layout of the flyer will follow the creation and acceptance of the logo.

 

Calvin shared his ideas for including the names of all the neighborhoods in and adjacent to the overlay zone. Phyllis and Jan shared an idea. The Board does like the idea of using all of the neighborhood names. Phyllis and Jan will work on incorporating that element into the design. He suggested changing the “kicker” under the organization’s name as follows: “a nonprofit collaborative initiative to market and develop our community.” The Board agreed.

 

We discussed reaching out to businesses. Wendall Ervin reported that he now has a list of businesses and contacts in more than 50 percent of the area. We plan to invite the businesses to be part of this economic development organization. We discussed having a kickoff meeting with refreshments and speakers if the first quarter 2014. There is a new meeting facility on Redan, and Jan will approach the owner about hosting the meeting.

 

 

New Business – The South DeKalb Improvement Association asked that we network with the Wesley Chapel area on economic development issues. We received and made new contacts. We are already sharing experience and collaborating with each other through David George, and we will continue to do so.

 

Our next board meeting will be Jan. 11, 2014, 10 a.m. at Mainstreet Community Center.

 

Minutes :Board of Directors

Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC)
held at Mainstreet Community Center, Oct. 19, 2013, 10 a.m. -11:15 a.m.

Attended: Jan Costello, Charlene Taylor, Calvin Sims, and Nadine Rivers-Johnson

Absent: Phyllis Frierson could not attend due to a family medical emergency

We began at 10:10.

Making sure all neighborhoods feel represented. Calvin asked that all neighborhood names be displayed prominently on published material (both electronic and print). We discussed the need to keep the website easy to read and memorable. Jan will create a map that shows all neighborhoods and put a direct link to the map in the toolbar under the masthead. We will consider other options as they become available.

All of the neighborhoods can be listed on printed material, as part of the letterhead design. These projects are under construction and will be reviewed by the board.

The logo is still in production.

We voted to approve the Conflict of Interest statement. It was unanimous.  Jan will prepare a form that each board member will sign, showing intent to abide by the bylaws, Code of Ethics, and Conflict of Interest policy.

Charlene emphasized the need to get a brochure done. She and Nadine volunteered to help prioritize the content for the brochure. We decided on a trifold, color brochure. Jan is working on the layout.

Banking. Calvin said he would talk to the local banks and find the best deal for our account. He will also ask about the banks’ community investment initiatives and find out how the GHHCDC may qualify.

We briefly discussed budgets. The Streetscape Committee continues to work on a budget.

We briefly discussed getting the 501c(3) status. Nadine advised us that we would need help from an accountant at some point.

We took a photo of the four board members attending. Jan’s plan was to post a picture of the full board, so we will try again or include a separate picture of Phyllis Frierson.

(from left: Calvin Sims, Nadine Rivers-Johnson, Jan Costello, Charlene Taylor)

Our next board meeting will be in mid-November at Mainstreet Community Center. The date will be announced.

 Minutes:  Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation (GHHCDC)
held at Mainstreet Community Center, Sept. 28, 2013, 11 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

Ten  people attended: Jan Costello, Harry Sullivan, Sandra Sullivan, Larry Coles, Joyce Russell, Marian Long, Lois Dunlap, Char Taylor, Phyllis Frierson, and Evora Ritchie.

The following neighborhoods were represented: Chapman’s Mill, Hidden Hills, the Highlands, Muirfield, Redan Park, and Scarbrough.

Incorporation Status

1.  Jan Costello reported that the State of Georgia approved our charter to be a registered nonprofit corporation. We are listed on the Secretary of State’s website. The corporation must be advertised in the journal of record, The Champion. The ads will run the weeks of Oct. 10 and 17. Then we will receive a certified affidavit saying the requirement has been met.

2.  We have an address:  P.O. Box 1811, Stone Mountain, GA 30086.

3.  Jan will pursue getting an Employer Identification Number so that we can open a bank account.

4.  After that, we will work on getting the federal 501(c)(3) designation.

Purpose

A participant asked what the purpose of the organization is. It is important to keep our purpose fresh in our minds – we are about the economic development of the Greater Hidden Hills area. The overlay code specifies that types of businesses that may open in our commercial areas, and it sets an aesthetic standard for new development.   The code is on our Google Groups page and at this website:

http://planningdekalb.net/?page_id=1043

In short, our purpose is specified in the bylaws:

These bylaws of the Greater Hidden Hills Community Development Corporation have been established at a meeting of the Board of Directors (hereinafter the Board). This corporation operates as a not-for-profit business for the purpose of marketing and developing the Greater Hidden Hills community (including the options to purchase, sell, and lease property for economic development and job creation). This community covers the area described in the Greater Hidden Hills Overlay zone, established by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners in December 2011. The bylaws have been adopted by a vote of consensus by the Board and shall govern by its terms the general operation of the corporation, until the Board authorizes any changes pursuant to the guidelines as stated herein.

Streetscape Committee

The Streetscape Committee toured the main corridors of the overlay district and made a list of probable code violations. Members met with the new director of Code Enforcement, Marcus Kellum. Committee chair Charlene Taylor says the meeting was enlightening and productive. Please see the attached file for a complete report.StreetScape Report

Business Contact Committee

Phyllis prepared prototypes of a logo. We applauded her efforts and let her know which design we preferred.  She will finish her drawings. Jan offered to put it into Adobe InDesign for final production.

We are still working on the fliers to leave with businesses and interested individuals.

Website Update

We have a domain name and a website. The website is still under development.

Treasurer’s Report

1.  Phyllis gave the treasurer’s report. We spent $241.71 from Aug. 17 – Sept 28. We have $98.22 in the account. Please see the attached file for a complete report. Treasurer’s Report Sept 28

2.  We discussed contributions and dues. The group agreed that we need to establish short-term financial goals so that we will know how much money to ask for.  That matter will be taken up by the Board of Directors at the next meeting. Meanwhile, Marian Long offered to poll at least two community organizations to find out what their dues structure is.

Other Business

We deferred the planning of a celebration of incorporation.

Jan Costello noted that we have accomplished a significant amount since our first meeting on June 22. All of the involved members have many commitments, including work; yet, we have approved bylaws and a code of ethics, elected a Board of Directors, filed the necessary papers for incorporation, and became registered as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Georgia.

The next general meeting will be set by the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors will meet Oct. 19, 10 a.m. This meeting is open to all interested people.

Prepared by Jan Costello, 10/1/2013