Ann Cole-Steichen (AC-S)
 Lonnie Moore (LM)

Absent: Jerry Mills

WT called to order at 7.10pm

Poll for additional agenda items: LM – Cypress Creek update

AC-S re: Volente sign
Recap re: April mtg board agreed to sign. AC-S wants board to make motion from board (<$100 for actual sign excluding mounting) to make sign. AC-S is willing to organize and has got bids from several companies. WT recapped April minutes – placing sign possibly on Garden Club property. Accurate Signs quoted $100, but final sign price will depend on final wording etc.
* “Welcome to Volente, www.volente.org” possible wording for sign.
AC-S stated that Garden Club is not willing to have it on their property. KB pointed out that unless it is setback from road, needs TXDOT permission.

KB wants to have TX DOT permission, get guidance on content etc. Community Relations committee should handle sign.

AC-S will call TX DOT re: set-backs and final location of sign.

EM motion for above wording *, CC seconded. AC-S will email wording/text etc of sign to board and they will email back concurrence. Location somewhere around firehall, or possibly between Anderson Mill Marina and Bullick Hollow. Budget $100.

LB and CS opposed. Rest of board agreed to motion.

Minutes of previous meeting (EM). Motion to accept minutes as read: CS, KB seconded. Approved.

Treasurer’s report:  balance $4,161.02 (as of 4/23/01)
Previously in personal account under the name of VNA, using AC-S SS# as tax ID. EG does not want her SS# or name/address on account or checks. Bank OK with VNA account without SS# but needs tax ID# from filing with IRS etc. EG will call county tax office for info. KB thinks VNA should apply for Tax ID for VNS. IRS form SS4, available on web. EG will pursue tax ID.
Need to have additional signatures, EG suggested EM or WT. They will go to bank and sign signature cards. EM motion, KB seconded – approved.

Board members and positions:

WT discussed secretary position, EM doesn’t want to be and CS volunteered to do minutes. CS voted in as secretary. EM wants description – WT said anything and everything he delegates! KB volunteered as VP- voted in unanimously.

(WT) Discussion of committees:

Lake Travis: Committee purpose – anything floating is covered by this committee. Cypress Creek Marina sewage issue – apparently LCRA did underwater survey and found a valve but no evidence of a release. Marina was asked to block valve.

CS gave update on LTAP meeting re: reservoirs for San Antonio. 7 year EIS, before construction to access impact on bay. San Ant will pay for whole project but LCRA own everything up to and including valve. 80 year contract with San Ant. They can only have a certain amount of water and if they want more it will cost them 500% more. After 80 years, LCRA do not have to provide that water again. Lake average low will be higher. Currently LCRA are at approx 60-70% water capacity committed. Reservoirs will also provide additional water for Austin area.

LM commented that Mattie Adams contacted him re: VBC infractions and had met with LCRA, who said that VNA said it was a conflict of interest for LCRA to have a patrol boat docked at VIP. LM suggested she talk to Tom Ashcraft.

LB asked if anymore complaints have been registered re: live music at Café Bleu. Nothing more has been heard by board. Music is being advertised locally but is not very noisy, amplified and is generally acoustic in nature. Speakers could be re-positioned towards bar instead of across lake.
 

Business/development: interface with businesses and community.
Discussion re: AC-S notification on condos on Lime Creek (Mary St) at 2769. LS investigated Martha Norris’ conversation with COA (Christopher Johnson) re: site development permit application and COA has received one but it is vague since it didn’t specify numbers of condos, water supply, configuration etc. COA said it could probably not be approved in this format current. Permit was submitted under the watershed protection and development program. WT suggested, and KB agreed, to contact Rick Redmond to ask what his plans are, to provide the community with information.

LM Twin Creeks update – went to Cedar Park planning committee and approved all plats etc proposed (May 15). May 22 rec’vd draft ER form Lauren Ross re: sewage etc, which don’t comply with NPSP ordinance re: lift station, water quality ponds and golf course. May 28, spoke to Bob Vann PLTA. Wanted to know if LCRA were delegating authority to organizations who were not enforcing ordinance. Cedar Park purposefully has reputation of anti-environment and pro-business. Wanted to know if C4 were ready to go to legal action. May 29, met with Joe Beal, Suzanne Zarling at LCRA to discuss. LCRA did not have legal basis to intervene but agreed to get involved if C4 wrote letter asking for help. May 30, LM took letter over the LCRA requesting assistance with this issue, and gave copy of Lauren Ross’ ER. LM suggesting that if no move by Twin Creeks to come to table and negotiate within a week, C4 probably will take legal action through PLTA. TNRCC involvement will probably be very minimal. Suzanne will call owner of development next week. LM also asked about water testing in creek and got very evasive answer saying they would revisit subject after golf course supervisor is hired – read “after everything is built”.

Membership:
WT asked LM on newsletter distribution with zip code – question re: non-paid members getting newsletter and should it be distributed only to paying members? LM discussed how mailing was set up originally. Mailing to all of route 3 has more than paid for itself in memberships. 89 paid members this year. (Whole mailing is usually about 600).
Targeted mailing to those on mailing list that haven’t yet paid dues. WT asked about including list of members in newsletter – problem is privacy rights. KB commented use of “marker” on label to indicate whether you have or not paid dues. Could also send broadcast newsletter through web etc and have on-line form to fill in to find out (and pay?) whether you have paid or not.
 

Roadways/safety/common areas:
Coordinate repairs upkeep of roads/common areas with community and local officials. Refer complaints to appropriate local official. Consider appropriate use of common areas/facilities.

Discussion re: does VNA own any land – No, VNA is not that type of org, and encompasses many neighborhoods. Some subdivisions have common lake access points.

Status of proposed road work – no update.

EM reported on “No Parking” signs at Sandy Creek marina. Called county every month since January with no response. County said that if there weren’t a problem they wouldn’t put up signs. They want to wait til problem areas are identified and then they will put up signs. WT commented that new parking lots could cause someone crossing road to be struck. WT has not noticed any problems with Café Bleu yet. Will monitor situation and report to county any problems that arise.

LB asked about zero-curve bend at Randolph/VJs, re: being pulled into oncoming traffic and asked if there was anything county could do. EM asked county about FM 2769 improvements between Bullick Hollow and 620, but nothing proposed. EM will call about the Randolph/VJs corner. County currently caught up with Anderson Mill extension and will be putting bond items on ballots soon to fund it. EM asked WT to ask county about that corner, and WT pointed out that county will keep statistics but won’t do anything until accident rate is “significant”. KB suggested one person develop relationship with county/tax official. EM suggested WT.

Wharf Cove update – EM wanted to know whether WT had asked VVFD re: writing to county for additional “no parking” signs on Wharf Cove. EM said county also suggested contacting LCRA re: public access policy – what is description - boats or cars, both or neither, and what can LCRA do to prevent the parking problems. CS will contact LCRA. WT points out that VNA do not want to prevent access to lake. EM mentions that folks turn around in lime creek road intersection and cause hazardous conditions. WT will ask VVFD to write letter to county. EM would like to see “no turn-around” sign, as well as “no parking”.
EM will research boat access points/hours/cost in Volente area for next meeting.
General discussion of launch points etc.
 

Community relations: added CC to committee.
Newsletter – LB looking for folks who would like to contribute articles etc to newsletter. LM will contribute articles but does not want to publish it. Kinko’s have been doing copying and folding. General opinion is that newsletter is a lot of work but it would be interesting to investigate a more in-depth newsletter/paper. LB is investigating options for putting it on newsprint etc. KB suggesting finding local people/person who will drive the paper? WT wants to do next newsletter as before and putting info in there to solicit input and people who are interested in contributing. Also send out email newsletter/request to LM’s VNA email group.

WT suggestion on publishing by-laws in newsletter. EG would like to see them. Or reference to website, or mail to those who don’t have web access. General agreement was to put reference to website.

Area cleanup – WT – issue re: trash on roadways. Organize some kind of local cleanup effort twice a year? Could look for sponsor etc or tie into Lake Cleanup. WT is suggesting local effort maybe road by road, to organize groups to do cleanup on a regular basis. KB recommending statements in newsletter asking for volunteers to pick up trash, or suggest people take ownership for their own areas/streets.

Volente Park – WT – piece of land to right of VJs (w/picnic table) is Travis Co Park. Discussion on suggestion of dedicating the park to local volunteers. With an appropriate request to County from a local entity (e.g. VNA) they would turn over the area for local use and allow you to name it, fix it up, fence it etc. LB suggested the “dedicated brick” concept.