Board members present:
Walt Thompson (WT)
 Jerry Mills (JM)
 Leo Slaton (LS)
 Eileen Glover (EG)
 Connie Curtiss (CC)
Cat Smith (CS)

Board Members Absent:
 Ken Beck (KB)
Lee Bass (LB)
Erika Mott (EM)

Non-Board members present:
Ranger Dan Chapman – Travis County Parks & Wildlife
Jan Yenawine – VVFD Fire Chief

WT called the meeting to order at 7:10PM

Poll members for additional agenda items – WT requested TV for Fire Station be added.

Minutes
Minutes of previous Board meeting (CS) – After approval, email to Lonnie to put on website.

Motion for approval - CC
Seconded - LS
All in favor

To speed the information flow, WT wants to institute a new procedure to approve minutes on-line.  Minutes will be emailed to the Board members within 1-2 days and approved within 5 days of meeting.  Start with August minutes.  Board members will review minutes and if approved, will be posted on the website.

Treasurer’s Report
Funds expended:
 $100.00  Volente sign
 $98.51 newsletter printing/folding.
 $39.91 newsletter postage
Balance as of 9/10 $4,103.60
(There was an error in the balance reported in the 8/9 minutes. The correct balance, as of 8/9, was $4,176.02 not $1,176.02.)

Standing Committees Reports

1. Lake Travis Committee – CS (chair), JM, LS
VIP Marina Gas Spill- On Sat. 8/18 there was a fuel spill reported at VIP Marina. On 9/10 CS discussed the incident with Mr. James Dunnam, LCRA. Mr. Dunnam discussed his inspection (report below) and conversation with Alan Cunningham VIP marina manager.

On August 27, 2001 I performed an inspection of the fuel system at this marina facility.
I met the manager (Alan Cunningham) at the facility and discussed the fact that we had a complaint regarding the fueling operations. I told him the complaint said that gasoline was spilled on a Saturday when a patron was filling her own boat.

Mr. Cunningham said that the woman was a neighbor of the marina and was very impatient and wanted fuel immediately. The marina staff was busy with other duties and apparently turned the pump on and let her fill it herself. When she was filling the tank it overflowed. Apparently the fuel dispenser nozzles had latch open devices and when this device was being used, the woman went to do something else and let the fuel overflow. Mr. Cunningham said he thought there was about a cup or two of fuel that went into the water. He said marina staff cleaned up the small amount with absorbent pads.

Mr. Cunningham removed the latch open devices on all dispensers. He said that under no circumstances would the staff allow customers to fuel their own boats without an attendant on duty on the weekends. He said other than this particular circumstance the marina staff has always attended customers fueling boats on weekends and even on weekdays during the summer.

Mr. Cunningham said he did not report the spill because he thought someone else had reported it. He said the staff has access to spill containment booms and pads in a storage locker next to the front door of the ship store facing the fuel dock. I verified the locker contents and location. I told Mr. Cunningham that the marina owner/operator is responsible for reporting all fuel spills to TNRCC and the LCRA within 24 hours.

I told Mr. Cunningham that the Highland Lakes Marina Ordinance requires that a spill control response plan be prepared for each marine service station and readily available and accessible to marina facility personnel. The plan must be developed, implemented and submitted to LCRA within one year from the effective date of the Ordinance or by May 23, 2002. I told him that I would send a letter with some guidance on how to develop a plan to Rick Redmond and copy him. He said he would make sure a spill control response plan was developed as soon as possible."

Fire Chief Jan Yenawine related to board the VVFD responded to a gasoline spill at VIP Marina on a Saturday. Reportedly, a patron was filling his own boat gas tank (no attendant) and went off and left it going. Jan estimated the amount of gasoline spilled was gallons not cups. He did not want to guess at the number of gallons.
There was enough spilled that Jan felt it advisable to have all swimmers get out of the water.
Jan did not see any spill containment equipment in evidence or in use when he responded to the 911 call.  Marina store employees used liquid soap to disperse gasoline on water surface.

The VIP Marina Agreement, of which, both VVFD and VNA are parties, tried
to address this potential fueling risk in item 2:
"2. VIP Marina will not allow self-serving of gas on Saturdays, Sundays,
and/or holidays."
This provision was specifically trying to prevent this type of occurrence.

The agreement can be found at:
http://www.volente.org/vb/vipagreement1996.html

From Jan's comments, CS does believe the spill was reported to TNRCC, the appropriate authority. If the marina did not report it, that may be a violation in itself.
LCRA hotline was not functioning when Jan tried to report it on 8/18.

Four main issues – automatic nozzles installed when not allowed, no attendant on the dock during a Sat. fueling, dock personnel were not trained nor did they know where the spill equipment was stored, and the spill was not reported to the proper authorities (TNRCC). What can the VNA do? General opinion is that we could do little if anything that hasn’t already been done except to ascertain whether the incident was reported to TNRCC. LCRA does not have the regulatory “teeth” to fine the marina – they would have to take them to court and since there is no longer any evidence of the spill this would most likely be impractical.
CS contacted TNRCC, to verify the spill was reported. TNRCC is checking to determine whether or not it’s been reported. If not, CS and Jan will report the incident, as concerned neighbors so that it is entered into the TNRCC database.

LCRA Cleanup, September 16th – VNA will do Sandy Creek Park if we get volunteers (free T-shirt and barbecue to volunteers). So far no response from neighbors. WT will call Travis Co. parks Friday to let them know if we have volunteers.
 

2. Business/Development Committee – LS (chair), KB, & Lonnie Moore

LS – Questioned  notice of Hudson Bend condo development forwarded by Lonnie. WT said it should no impact on Volente. (Information received on 9/17, after the VNA board meeting and prior to posting the minutes, reveals there will be some impact- more to follow)

Incorporation – WT wants the board to be aware there is evidence that incorporation actions may be resuming and wants to invite some knowledgeable person to give the Board (hence the community) an update.

3. Membership Committee – EM (chair), EG, CC
No report. Membership figures will be reported at the Oct board meeting.

4. Roadways/Safety/Common Areas Committee – WT (chair), LB, EM
Volente Park Adoption – Dan Chapman updated the board on the adoption program. He delivered a copy of the governing instructions and an application for Adopt-a-Park. According to Dan, the only requirement is for completion of least one service project during each adoption period. Cleanup, tree trimming, permanent beautification, small construction tasks are some appropriate projects.

Adopt-a-Park coordinator – Dan would act as our field coordinator.

If we elect to adopt the park, Travis Co. Parks will have a sign made stating that park has been adopted by VNA (residents of Volente).

 VNA newsletter asked for volunteers from neighborhood for park work.
So far there have no volunteers. We can’t move forward on the park without “Volunteers”.

5.   Community Relations Committee – LB (chair), EG, CS, & Lonnie Moore
Newsletter and review of mailing list
WT  - too much of a delay in publishing – need to work newsletter on an ongoing basis to have articles ready in time. WT wants to include updates on commercial developments in area as a regular item in the newsletter. (E.g. VG subdivision, VBC (site development plan for 7 acres?), The Crossings, Twin Creeks etc.). CC suggesting summaries of existing businesses in area.

Litter pick-up – JM suggested VNA support the cost of a dumpster. (JM did not get a newsletter). WT mentioned that group efforts recommended in the newsletter would put trash in their own trash cans etc.

Mailing list – Route 3,covering most of Volente, has been changed to eliminate some residents on Lime Creek and Travista therefore some of our folks did not get a newsletter. VNA will need to pay individually for those residences now excluded. The Membership Comm. will identify the paid VNA members no longer in Route 3 and ensure they get their newsletters. 92 newsletters were mailed to non-residents  outside of Route 3 (out of town property owners, LCRA, the county etc.) Mailing list will be checked for accuracy.
 

Location of Volente Sign
Intended location of the “Welcome to Volente”(opposite VJs) is now taken up with real estate sign – want to revisit w/Ann. JM, CC and CS think it should be at “start” of Volente, nearer Bullick Hollow. CS commented it should be where “Leaving Austin City Limited Purpose Annexation Area” sign is. JM will call county to revisit sign location. CS will call Ann to stop placement of the sign while the Board reviews potential locations.

Volente Web Site links
Discussion on web-links to various businesses on webpage. WT commented that some of the businesses are not physically located in Volente. CS commented that links to web pages should be paid for since these amount to advertising. Board agreed to review lists and determine which businesses are located in Volente. A neighborhood organization web page is perhaps not the appropriate place for links to businesses. LS and CC will review and talk to Lonnie.

Crime statistics
WT will get contact person changed from Lonnie Moore to LB to relieve Lonnie of some of his burden.

 Additional items
$200.00 was previously allocated toward the purchase of copier for VVFD. VVFD indicated they’d rather have money to purchase a new TV. The TV would replace an old inadequate one used for EMS and firefighter training. LS motioned to reallocate the $200.00 to purchase a TV for VVFD; CC seconded, all in favor.

Meeting adjourned at 8.30 PM.