Wed. August 8, 2023 ACM minutes

Topics: 

Present:  Laraine, Laura, Lynda, Cheryl, Joe, Jorge, Carol, Lila, Mike, Kay (notes), Robin, Eliza, Ben, Gheybin, Jordan(?), Kerry, Vinnie, Amy

Time/Venue: 7:00-9:00 p.m.  Common house sitting room & online

Feelings

Presentation by Laraine.  Handouts: list of classes of emotions, anger iceberg, brain structures

Feelings are not just in the head, they are felt in the body.  If you don't acknowledge you are feeling something, it doesn't go away, it goes underground and appears in other forms.  Your ability to hear what is actually said deteriorates when you are upset.  Anger is an expression of a lot of feelings.  It helps manage a feeling if you can identify it and acknowledge it.

Pre-Proposal Discussion about Tree Decisions

Proposed:  All tree-related decisions will be made by the landscaping committee rather than the community as a whole, including planting, trimming, and removal. Removal will only be by recommendation of qualified arborist. Plans will be communicated to the community before being acted on. Draft by Ben.

Community opinions range from advocating removing all the Siberian elms to keeping all trees if at all possible and holding prayer services for any tree being removed.

Concern that Landscaping committee should represent at least a minimum number of households; maybe provision to discontinue policy if Landscaping committee becomes only a couple of people.

Keep people empowered to do landscape projects.  

Create documents that help people, like recommendations on tree species, proper planting techniques, distance from structures.

Concern that the most recent landscaping meeting was scheduled very last minute; some people couldn't rearrange their schedules. Concern that this proposal was discussed after some people had to leave.  It was an organizational meeting, agreeing when meetings would be held, that we should create a grid of what gets done when, etc.  [Note:  It wasn't really discussed by the committee; Ben said he wanted to bring a proposal and those present said they'd be interested to see it.  --Kay]