minutes, All-Community Meeting, Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Topics: review of good things in this past year
Present: Alex, Lynda, Kerry, Renae, Vicky, Lila, Joe, Robin, Kellie, Laraine, Kay (notes), Jorge (7:50)
slide presentation
Finding more ways to build community -- events
Book club is hoping to start up again in January.
Increased involvement in work parties during 2024.
Giveaway
Keeping inside spaces beautiful
Eliza offered dining room chairs, Jorge picked them up, moved out the old chairs. Inspired more changes. Organizing kitchen pantry, shelves in bedroom, rearranging upstairs sitting room, coat room. Dryer repair.
Enthusiasm growing for organizing workshop.
Keeping outside spaces beautiful
Used a lot of produce from Farmette for anniversary. Basil & plums (170 lbs) preserved for later use.
Planted four new trees this year. Increase landscaping supplies to fix things when things break. Lots of mulch..
Improving communication and collaboration
Instagram account, born September 2023, expanded in advance of anniversary.
Project coordination meetings to talk about what needs doing over the next months, scheduling work parties to avoid conflicts
Protecting Each Others' Health & Safety
AED purchased by fund-raising, one person advocating and others taking it on. CPR trainings at ACMs. Training to add emergency medical information to cell phones. Health & emergency info in internal mail folders. Common house playground is safer. Fire mitigation, dead limbs & trees removal from west berm & wild area. Change locks on common house.
Investing in Wasatch Commons future
Installation of new gutters & downspouts. Protect fascia with aluminum in spots with no gutters. Uninstalling six decks to replace roof membranes. Eleven of thirteen decks have had membranes replaced in last three years, other two were about ten years ago.
Soil enrichment. Compost & cover crops.
Upgrading irrigation systems to conserve water, repairs, drip conversion
Saving Money with community DIO (ourselves) projects
Vinnie arranged a boom lift & wood chipper to do tree work, about $5K cheaper than a contract.
Farmette grew 1,500 lbs of produce, total market value $7,000 based on organic, living wage growers. Got a micro-grant from the city.
Common house playground restoration. Had known for years it needed a lot of work, with lots of ideas thrown around. Coleman headed up the project, retained the character of it. Multi-generational picture at anniversary of children who've played on it.
Deck removal (and upcoming reinstallation) for roof membranes to be replaced.
Tree stump treatment. Alex advocated, Cheryl researched. Cost of grinding average $400/stump. Results are promising. Work in progress, learning as we go.
Vinnie got parts & he & Ben fixed dryer.
Drip irrigation conversion on east berm, mostly Vinnie. Upgraded wild area drip, mostly Kellie & Kay.
Money Management
Fund-raised over $6,000.
Expanded use of cash-back card for community purchases, $1,100.
Jorge improved return on our savings with money market accounts and cds, $5,800
"Unity is strength ... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can b achieved."
There's More
Michael organized & scanned photographs.
Vicky put together a list of the eleven people who've lived here and are deceased.
Got microphones for meetings.
The slideshow of the community's history from the anniversary gave a lot of perspective for new people and long-time people alike.
Announcements
Vicky's sister & her husband will be here with their RV on Utah Street by clothesline.
October 19, Peace Corps slide show in common house, hosted by Vicky & Victor.
November 16, Laraine's birthday party, will have a band.