Board Members Present:                                
Lonnie Moore (LM)
Erika Mott (EM)
Walt Thompson (WT) – (late due to VVFD fire call)
Sam Love (SL)
Anne Cole-Steichen (ACS)
Sally McLaughlin (SM)

Board Members Absent
 Leo Slaton (LS)
Jerry Mills (JM)
Catriona Smith (CS)

Guest: Jan Yenawine

 Call to order at 7:10pm.

 Lm polled board members for any new agenda topics.  None were added.

 Minutes of the 10/3/00 meeting were reviewed.  EM reviewed aloud by topic.  Several corrections and changes were made.  SL made a motion to accept the minutes with changes, SM seconded and all were in favor.

 Treasurer’s Report - ACS reported the VNA has $3,792.68 in the checking account. EM was reimbursed $561.82 for the fan VNA donated to the VVFD 9/7/00.  SM was reimbursed $31.12 for refreshments.  Motion to accept the report was made by SL and seconded by SM, all were in favor.

 Membership Committee – LM reported that there have been no additional members paid since the October report, keeping the total at 101 members paid for 2000.  LM also added that in the past, any dues collected after November are applied to next year’s dues.  LM made a motion to accept the report EM seconded and all were in favor.

 Roadway/Safety Committee – EM asked about a part of the VNA agreement with Sandy Creek Yacht Club (SCYC), with regards to the “No Parking” signs that SCYC is to “…work actively with VNA to get Travis County to install…along Lime Creek road…”.  LM thought it would be a good idea for the roadways and safety committee to pursue with Travis County and SCYC.  LM brought up the issue of the timing of the traffic light at Bullick Hollow and FM 620.  He says it is extremely short, and would like the committee to also check into that.  SM asked if anyone knew what was being developed at Dies Ranch Road and FM 2769 on the left side of Dies Ranch road.  LM said it is proposed to be a golf course and housing.  ACS said the extension of Cypress Creek Road, at the other end of Dies Ranch Road, is part of that development and will extend to FM 1431 near the school.  SM said she thought that was the road that was on hold.  LM confirmed that part of it is on hold.  He said the road is being put in as far as necessary for the development going in, and the remainder of the road is still on hold.  SM asked if the board thinks the development in that area would be of interest to residents in Volente.  EM suggested SL looks into specifically what is going in there, and report back to the board.

 VVFD Liaison Committee – Lm reported that ESD #14 and VVFD think Cedar Park Fire Dept. should serve The Ranch at Cypress Creek subdivision.  There have been meetings with attorneys from Cedar Park to see how to transfer that service.  The change would only affect new homes built, because existing homes had already been dis-annexed from our fire district and are served by Cedar Park.

 Liaison to Other Organizations – LM reported that City of Austin is offering a seminar about white-tailed deer at Precinct 2 in February.  It pertains particularly to the land in the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP).
LM recently participated in LCRA training regarding the BCCP held for members of the Comanche Trail Community Association. The LCRA McGregor Tract in Comanche Trail is part of the BCCP, and the training is to allow residents to enter the tract under certain conditions. Only residents who have completed this training are allowed to enter the McGregor Tract.
He feels it could be helpful to Volente residents in the future because there are currently 5 tracts of land in the Volente area belonging to the BCCP.  If the trial program for the McGregor Tract is successful, the program may be extended to other BCCP areas.

 Newsletter – LM opened the discussion about the November newsletter.  He suggested the newsletter have an update on incorporation, something about the BCCP land and an announcement of CS’s inclusion on the LCRA  task force consisting of representatives from LTNC and Lake Travis Marina Owners Assoc. that will be reviewing the new marina ordinances.  ACS suggested adding information about the new postal drop box.  On the incorporation update, LM said we can ask both pro and anti incorporation sides to submit an update, or he can do a basic update himself from information he can gather.  SL said we have already been there, (having both sides submit articles), and WT agreed.  It was decided that LM would do the incorporation update article.  ACS will label the ones that are not in route 3, and will take all the newsletters to the post office.  SL also added that it might be a good idea to include something about the recent tax rate increase for ESD #14.

 Incorporation Committee – LM informed the board that he spoke to Ben Luckens at City of Austin (COA).  He says that VG has not filed for any permits through COA yet, but they have been there for discussions.  COA sent a letter about 2 weeks ago to Mattie Adams, Save Our Volente (SOV), to tell her that the staff recommendation is for the council to deny the request for release from the ETJ.  The issue is scheduled to be on the council agenda on 11/30/00.  Mr. Luckens told LM that the letter also says if SOV chooses to take the next step, of requesting annexation by petition, they will respond quickly – within 30 days.  LM says in previous discussions he has had with Mattie Adams, she told him she had been meeting with COA council members and the mayor’s office.  WT reported that Preserve the Volente Community (PVC) has also been meeting with those same offices, speaking for the opposition of incorporation.

LM made a recommendation that the incorporation committee of the VNA be dissolved because it has become too difficult for the committee to report to the board.  LM thinks we can discuss the topic of incorporation during the board meetings, without the need for the committee’s report.  LM suggested two alternatives, one is that he gather information from both sides of the issue, and lead the discussion at meetings, or the second option is for he and SM to head the committee, and give reports at meetings.  LM made a motion to dissolve the incorporation committee, and he will make attempts to gather information on the issue prior to board meetings then lead the discussion, ACS seconded the motion.  EM expressed concern that residents are not getting enough information from both sides, and this wouldn’t help the matter.  WT said he thinks that after the 11/30/00 council meeting, this chapter of the current incorporation attempt will be over, and a new chapter will open.  After a vote, all were in favor with the exception of EM who was opposed.

 Business/Development Committee – SL had nothing to report, but said he will look into the previously discussed recommendation to see what the development at Dies Ranch Road and FM 2769 consists of.  WT had a question about the function of the Business and Development committee and the other standing VNA committees.  He stated that there are a lot of changes in Volente right now, including single-family residential building, VG spec. houses, driveways, and commercial establishments.  He thinks the VNA has a responsibility to report to the community what is going on around them.  WT also said this is especially important when the residents aren’t specifically asking the questions, and the developers aren’t offering much information about what they are doing.  He also mentioned that he feels after John Shipley of VG made a presentation of the general ideas of what they were developing, the business and development committee should be following up on that in more detail.  WT thinks we should research and give known information to any resident that poses a question, and even publish appropriate information on some of the growth in newsletters.  WT also suggested when we see or are told of things such as driveways, homes being build, etc. without permits we should look into the matter.  WT says that task could fall under the Business and Development committee, or perhaps a new committee.  WT asked that the role of the Business and Development committee be defined, or refined.  He also said he thinks that committee should not be an “enforcement” committee, but be providing information to the board and/or the proper enforcement agencies.  SM asked if the board thinks we should be running around Volente making sure everyone is in compliance.  SL said he agrees that the role of the committee should be defined.  He said he feels like the driveways, homes being built without permits and septic systems are safety issues, and should be addressed by the roadways and safety committee rather than the business and development committee.   EM said a neighbor asked about Café Bleu at Sandy Creek Yacht Club.  She said she found out it is nearly finished, and proposed to open around Thanksgiving.  (Jan Yenawine said he didn’t think it would actually open that soon, he said January was hopeful).  EM also said the last update the VNA board received about Café Bleu was that LCRA was not going to permit it to be on the marina; however, no one has updated the board that it is being built on the land.  She feels that the business and development committee should have informed the board of the restaurant before it was near completion.  WT said maybe driveways are a safety issue, but someone needs to be doing something about the runoff, erosion into the road, and the lack of permits and such with the development in Volente.

LM asked, where do we draw the line, do we get involved when someone is building a home without a permit?  WT said it is not difficult to see if there is a permit because there are specific posting instructions.  He said the house number has to be displayed visible from the road, and the permit has to be posted on a tree or pole visible from the road, so all it would take is driving by.  EM asked when drawing the line, how can you make one establishment comply, and not everyone else, it needs to be an even hand.  Jan Yenawine said he thinks we should ask the question of whether it impacts the whole community.  SM said that she is not in favor of going around looking into people’s back yards, but that where we draw the line is the key.  She also said that what our goal is will help determine where the line is.  She said the Milburn Ranch development for instance does impact the whole community with water runoff and traffic.  She stated we really have no power to enforce, we can only report to the proper authorities.  WT said all he thinks we need to do is see if the posting is done correctly with the permit and address.  JY thinks that with the home building, the individuals near the building site should be the ones responsible to check out any compliance requirements, and VNA should stay with only commercial issues.  EM pointed out that permits have a purpose, and they keep development in compliance by requiring surveys and safe driveways etc.  LM suggested the board take time to think about this issue, and discuss it further at another meeting.  WT said he thinks it might be a good idea to put information about permit requirements in a future newsletter. EM asked, that with all the talk about wanting more control of development with the incorporation issue, why would the residents not want to make the most of the current permitting requirements in effect? SM said an action item should be for the committees to draft a purpose scope for their committee, and we can discuss it at the next meeting.

SL volunteered to bring refreshments to the next meeting on December 5, 2000.

 Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM.
 
 

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