BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES – Meeting of April 6, 2020

Meeting conducted over Zoom because of social distancing protocols.

PRESENT (electronically): Matt Ruben, President; Claire Adler, Vice-President; Steve Richman, Treasurer; Janet Finegar, Secretary; Avery Amaya; Melanie Coffman; Jacek Ghosh; Joe Mikuliak; Don Phillips; Barbara Saverino; Amy Sweeney; Renya Wasson; Kevin Wilkins.

ABSENT:  Kristen Ainscoe; Michael Coyne.

The meeting was called to order by the President at 6:31 p.m.

Motion: By Jacek Ghosh, seconded by Kevin Wilkins. “To approve the minutes of the March Board meeting as presented.” – Passed 11-0-1

President’s Report: Matt Ruben written report attached and reviewed.

NLNA President’s Report, April 2020

1. PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND POLICY

• Construction Impacts: Most construction became illegal at 5:00 p.m. on March 27. We have received some questions and complaints about potentially prohibited work since then, and have directed folks to make 311 complaints, per the City’s guidance. We have made at least one such complaint directly as well. There is pressure from the PA legislature, in the form of a bill, to force the Governor to allow the resumption of construction. No word on the chances of the bill passing both chambers, or what the Governor will do if it reaches his desk.

2. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

• NLNA Financial Position: We are taking a hit because of the closure of the Community Center and the cancellation of upcoming events this spring and likely summer. However, the negative impact on the NLNA appears to be less significant than one might fear, which is good news. Details in the Treasurer’s Report.
• NLNA Reserves: As board members know, the good work of our Treasurer and Finance Committee has created a Reserve Fund; and we also have a modest sum that is neither in the Reserve nor specifically committed to budgeted programs or services for this year. I would like to get the Board’s approval to allocate a set amount of available funds to neighborhood aid.
• Rules Governing Use of the NLNA Office, Community Center, and Liberty Lands: We’ll review what’s been decided and done, and Barbara and Janet can address questions about this for the Operations Committee and Liberty Lands Committee, respectively.
• NLNA Board Election: Board members and the Election Committee have discussed this extensively. Paula Gansky has created a dedicated email address to receive board nominations later this month. In recent years we already instituted an email nomination period, so this year will be the same, with the only change being that the nomination period will simply end at a certain point, rather than ending with in-person nominations on the evening of the April general membership meeting. As for May elections, it seems certain now that these will have to be done electronically. Claire Adler has some ideas for that, mainly involving Google Forms, and Renya Wasson can no doubt help with that. We’ll also have to confer with the Election Committee of course. Finally, it is worth noting that because of a series of anticipated vacancies, combined with some anticipated uncontested officer elections, we might be in a position where the number of people running for seats matches up very closely with the number of open seats. If so, that will take some pressure off of us as we enter into our first-ever electronic election process.

3. EVENTS AND OUTREACH

• Outreach for Mutual Aid. Renya Wasson has done tremendous work, with web assistance from Katrina Mansfield, in setting up the “help.nlna.org” address, Google Form, and back-end database. Renya will provide an update and details.
• Fundraising for Neighborhood Aid. We have a grant application in to the PTSSD for $25,000 for aid to neighbors and local businesses. We are also in constant communication with the NL BID, which is reallocating some of its budget to business assistance and taking many other measures. Details at our meeting.
• Police/Public Safety: The 26th District has reached out asking for an opportunity to have its new Captain meet with us remotely. We have proposed a Zoom meeting with the NLNA board, and possibly making a recording of the meeting available afterwards to the community. We are waiting on the 26th to give us a couple of dates and times that work for them.
• PA Primary Candidates. Obviously all conventional candidate events have had to be cancelled. Per board email discussion last month, we are still planning on having the candidates record brief video statements to the Northern Liberties community and on making those available to the neighborhood via YouTube or similar method. We also are planning on soliciting questions from neighbors via the Facebook group, and asking the candidates to address the 2-3 most popular questions in their statements. Claire Adler is heading up this effort, and I am assisting as needed. Center City Residents Association was planning on staging a live streamed debate between 1^stPA Senator Larry Farnese and his challenger Nikil Saval; my understanding is that has been postponed or cancelled. If it will happen, though, I will continue to gain access to the video link for our neighbors.

4. OTHER ITEMS

• Board Polls – Ratification of any online board polls since last month’s board meeting.

• Renya updated the group on the volunteer efforts she's been organizing. At this time there have been 79 offers to help and only 2 requests for help. She mentioned some possible options for assistance that can be given,  including being “phone pals” with people who need human contact. Amy is making cloth masks and Mike Fausey has volunteered to have a distribution box for the masks at his store. Matt noted that other nearby neighborhoods are having similar rates of volunteerism and requests for help, but we all predict that demands may change in the next few weeks. 

• Claire gave some quick details of ideas how an electronic election could be structured. There was some suggestion that postponing the elections might make more sense, but concerns were raised about how long the delays might be necessary. There was general agreement that electronic voting with a non-electronic option provided would be the best solution but that the final decision should be made by the Election Committee.

Treasurer's Report: Steve Richman: written report distributed and reviewed.

 TREASURER’S REPORT – APRIL 2020

1. 2019-20 Budget: March  Financials - tables attached

• For the six months ended on March 31st All Funds Income was $101,014; this was $8,100 more than projected.  All Funds Expenses totaled $80,691, which was about $12,300 less than anticipated.  Current Year Net Income was $20,323.  This was $20,400 more than anticipated.     
• If we limit the calculation to income and expenses from the General Fund and Liberty Lands accounts, our two major operating funds, our financial position after the first three months of the fiscal year is as follows:
  1. GF & LL Income (rounded): $96,800 -- $7,650 more than anticipated.
  2. GF & LL Expenses (rounded):  $78,200 -- $12,700 less than anticipated.
  3. GF & LL Net Income:  $18,600 -- $20,350 more than anticipated.
• Significant variations from budgeted projections through December include:
• Higher than anticipated income from grants (+$10,000). We received a second $10,000 grant from the Smart Family Fund, which was not expected when we adopted this year’s budget. Absent this grant our income would be approximately $2,350 under our budgeted projections.  Specific shortfalls are described below.
• Lower than anticipated income from donations and fundraising activities (-$2,300).  The shortfall in this category was primarily attributable to shortfalls in the Fall Fest (-$650), Clean Streets (-$650) and Individual Donations (-$850).  Rental income is also running significantly behind projections (-$3,800). This is largely due to lower than anticipated income from community center rentals.
• Higher than anticipated income from administrative fees (+$1,697). Garden Hub, a program we co-sponsored and was funded by Penn Treaty, did not fully expend its grant. We were able to apply a portion of the unexpended funds to administrative expenses incurred by the NLNA in support of the program.
• Higher than anticipated income from corporate donations (+$1,075).  This is mostly due to a $1,000 donation from Heirloom Market.
• Refunds totaling $953 from prior year purchases. The most significant portion of this ($918) was for yard equipment that arrived damaged.
• Lower than anticipated spending for professional services (-$8,500), repair and maintenance (-$1,850) and program services (-$800).  Several factors contributed the lower level of spending:  staff vacations; part-time staff not yet hired; seasonality and delayed billing.
• Potential Impact of COVID-19 Health Crisis on the 2019-20 Budget
• Scheduled Events: While we cannot yet predict with any certainty how long the current restrictions on social gatherings will last, it is possible that at least one or maybe two of our remaining three events will have to be cancelled.  The  events and the budgeted net revenue for each is as follows:

• Plant Sale (May): $4,900
• Spring Music Fest (June): $2,500
• 2nd Street Festival (August): $6,500
• Rental Income: Rental income is already lagging significantly behind projections as interest in renting the community center has waned. No rentals have occurred in the past month and none will happen as long as social distancing guidelines remain in effect. This will extend to Liberty Lands rentals as well, which normally would commence in the spring.  Under a worst case scenario NL Arts would not be able to hold its summer camp, essentially wiping out any remaining rental income.  Budgeted revenue from rentals for the remaining six months of the fiscal year are as follows:
  1. Community Center: $8,500
  2. Liberty Lands: $3,300
• Grants: We have budgeted for five more grants (totaling $13,900) from Penn Treaty this year.  They are as follows:
  1. Spring Music Fest: $3,500 – lost revenue of $2,500 shown above
  2. 2nd Street Festival: $2,000 – lost revenue of $6,500 shown above
  3. E-Waste: $1,400 – not a fundraiser; no lost revenue projected
  4. Recycle Bins: $3,500 – no sales if community center closed (-$1,000)
  5. Park Clean-Up: $3,500 – not a fundraiser; no lost revenue projected

The Park Clean-Up grant has been approved by Penn Treaty but because it will have to be rescheduled no check has been issued to us yet.  The Spring Music Fest grant is pending action by Penn Treaty.  Applications for the remaining three grants have not yet been submitted.  

Last week we did submit a grant application to Penn Treaty for $25,000 for a COVID-19 emergency response program.  Funding would be used to address problems being experienced by neighborhood residents and businesses as a result of the current health crisis. The application will be considered at the April Penn Treaty board meeting.

• Expenses: The good news – at least from a budgetary perspective – is that expenses are running significantly below budgeted levels, affording us the ability to cushion the blow from lost income.  The most likely areas where we will see savings during the balance of this year and the full year impact of those savings is as follows:
• Staffing:  Savings of $12,000 in total is possible if we do not hire part-time staff. This includes $8,500 in savings accrued to date.
• Communications: $3,000 in prior year carry-in funding was budgeted for website redesign, systems development & marketing.  No expenses have been made yet for these activities.
• Discretionary Programming: Approximately $7,200 was set aside in this year’s budget for potential additional programming.  No expenses against this set-aside have yet been made.
• Summary Impact:  Based on the above it is possible we could see a loss of up to $15,000 or more in income this year if the social distancing guidelines remain in place into May and June. Fortunately, we have the ability to offset these expenses through reduced spending, although doing so would eliminate the ability to increase community center office hours and limit our ability to institute new programming.

• Steve reviewed the current situation of the NLNA's budget with the predicted losses of rental revenue, fundraising events, and anticipated grants. Lower than anticipated spending so far this year has put the organization in a strong enough position that the rather substantial anticipated losses are not devastating, but the Board will need to continue to monitor our financial position through the crisis.  

Motion: By Amy Sweeney, seconded by Joe Mikuliak. “To accept the Treasurer's report as presented.” – Passed 12-0-0 

• Matt made the case that the NLNA should show some substantial support to the local businesses through this crisis in recognition of the essential role these businesses play in our neighborhood. 

Motion: By Don Phillips, seconded by Amy Sweeney. “To authorize the NLNA to spend up to  $10,000 of reserve or operating funds to provide support to community businesses through the COVID-19 shutdown.”  – Passed 11-0-1

• There was some discussion of the structure for making such contributions and general agreement that we must be careful, fair, and aboveboard. An ad hoc committee of Amy, Claire, Steve,  Don,  Matt, and Renya volunteered to discuss these issues and develop a plan. 

Election Committee: 

Barbara and Kevin will consult with the rest of the committee about plans for an electronic election. 

Liberty Lands Committee Report: Janet Finegar: written report attached and reviewed.

            Liberty Lands report – April 2020

• The organizational reconfiguration process was put on hold until after the pandemic recedes. Janet, Liz, and Joan Reilly agreed to postpone indefinitely and reconvene when the time seems right. Joan suggested a phone conversation between the core volunteers to determine which activities are  essential to keep the park going through the quarantine period and, ideally, using the messaging that will be  necessary  through this period anyway (asking patrons to carry out their trash when possible,  for instance) as a way to begin to introduce more of a sense of volunteerism about the park into the community. As yet, such a meeting has not taken place.
• Tom can continue to take out the trash for the time being on a winter schedule. We will not go to twice a week on trash until the restrictions lift. Ott's is able to continue to cut  the grass under an agriculture exemption. All repair work and workdays are postponed indefinitely. Several people are weeding on their own time  and schedules while practicing distancing.
• The community gardens and City Harvest program are operating since gardeners are naturally distanced by their plots. The garden coordinators have sent out several messages reminding gardeners to distance. They are discussing a Zoom or phone meeting in the near future, since the garden meeting scheduled for March was canceled. 
• At the request of the community, the playground equipment was festooned with caution tape and Janet has put up about 20 signs reminding people to socially distance at the park. Facebook complaints about people being too close continue to bubble up occasionally. Matt has created a  second sign  design that includes NLNA resource information and there has been discussion  of other neighborhood volunteers printing, laminating, and posting those signs at the park. Given the impossibility of “closing” the park (and the importance of the park to the community as a place where safely socially distant exercise can happen), no further action is planned. 
• During the last weeks of March, it appeared that Sokka and some of his possessions had returned to the park (several sightings were reported), but as of early April the things are gone and he has not been seen lately. The park coordinators agreed that under the circumstances there was nothing more to be done about it. 

Operations Committee Report: Barbara Saverino: 

There was brief discussion of the need for more advertising of the Center for rentals in the future and of need to schedule hiring a new part time office staff person. 

Zoning Committee Report: Joe Mikuliak; No March meeting held.

Joe reported that he and Larry have agreed that electronic meetings will not work for the Zoning Committee. Because the ZBA is not currently holding meetings either, a different format for Zoning meetings will probably not be needed. 

The meeting was adjourned by acclaim at 7:45 p.m.