Ok, so maybe not a revolution, but the Columbia Association Board of Directors will be holding a series of worksessions on changes in Symphony Woods this week. There will be a meeting tonight:
7:00pm, CA Board Room
10221 Wincopin Circle
Agenda (Transcribed)
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of the Agenda 1 min.
3. Resident Speakout 15 min.
4. Topics Discussion regarding Upcoming Meeting with the Inner Arbor Trust Board of Directors 100 min.
(a) Status of the Inner Arbor Project
(b) Timeline for the Inner Arbor Project
(c) Funding Expectations for the Inner Arbor Project
(d) Opportunities for Public Input to the Inner Arbor Project
(e) Inner Arbor Response regarding the Naming of the Park
(f) CA-Approved Inner Arbor Plan in relation to the Submitted Inner Arbor Plan
5. Adjournment – Approximately 9:00 p.m.
There will also be a meeting tomorrow night: This meeting will include both the CA Board of Directors and the Inner Arbor Board of Directors.
7:00pm, CA Board Room
10221 Wincopin Circle
Agenda (Transcribed)
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of the Agenda 1 min.
3. Resident Speakout 15 min.
4. Topics Discussion regarding Upcoming Meeting with the Inner Arbor Trust Board of Directors 100 min.
(a) Status of the Inner Arbor Project
(b) Timeline for the Inner Arbor Project
(c) Funding Expectations for the Inner Arbor Project
(d) Opportunities for Public Input to the Inner Arbor Project
(e) Inner Arbor Response regarding the Naming of the Park
(f) CA-Approved Inner Arbor Plan in relation to the Submitted Inner Arbor Plan
5. Adjournment – Approximately 9:00 p.m.
There are lots of questions leading up to these meetings, but there is little time to explore them, because this meeting schedule is going to start in less than five hours. Given the short notice, I have no ability to make either meeting. I hope that someone can attend and let the residents of Columbia know what is going on.
What is particularly interesting is how I came to know about these meetings. As of this writing, there is no mention of the CA Board meetings on the CA Facebook page, the CA twitter account is silent on the subject. The RSS Feed has not mentioned the meetings. The local press has not put anything up on Baltimore Sun (Howard Section) website. If you click through on the Columbia Association Board website, the meetings are listed on their Google calendar, and the agendas are there. Other than that, there has been little in the way of notice of these meetings.
You know where I found out about this –email! The local Village Community Associations have been putting out information via email about this meeting (and posting on their Facebook pages), but that is about the extent of the notice. I am not sure if it is either irony or hypocrisy that one of the items to be discussed (at both meetings) will be public input into what happens in Symphony Woods.
Please forgive this paragraph in which I don a tin-foil hat and start speculating, but absent any meaningful attempt of meeting notice, I have to wonder – “Who is to gain if the only conduit of information about this meeting is an email campaign?” Email is not broadcasting, email is narrow and selective. It is known that two CA Board members are known for being closely associated with active Yahoo Groups in two Columbia Villages. Each of these Board members has a stated position on what should happen in Symphony Woods.
Now, speculation aside, given the particular way that notice was given about this meeting, it is my hope that during the resident speakout portion of the meeting, the CA Board will ask each resident how they found out about the meeting. Given the narrow notice platform, I also ask the CA Board to listen to the residents, but recognize that most people in Columbia do not know about these meetings, and the resident remarks, taken as a whole, do not represent the thinking of all Columbia.
In addition, it makes little sense to hold this meeting when the new CA President starts in less than a week. To the best of my knowledge, he will hold ex-offico member status on both the CA Board and the Inner Arbor Board. Common sense would dictate that the new CA President be seated before these meetings happen. To have these meetings when a change in board membership is to occur in less than a week is mind boggling.
Lastly, these meetings must have been scheduled in this way because of some external demands. I believe that all the CA Board members care about the Columbia Association and believe in its stated purpose. To conduct business in this way appears counter to what the Columbia Association does. If possible, I hope that CA Board members are open and honest as to why these meetings have to happen this way. If you have the ability to attend these meetings, I encourage you to do so. Comment on the subject of discussion and let your voice be heard. If you cannot attend, I suggest you contact all the CA Board members and let them know how you feel about this quickly scheduled, and limited notice meeting process. Ask that your voice be heard on the matter at hand.
hocoblogs@@@
What is particularly interesting is how I came to know about these meetings. As of this writing, there is no mention of the CA Board meetings on the CA Facebook page, the CA twitter account is silent on the subject. The RSS Feed has not mentioned the meetings. The local press has not put anything up on Baltimore Sun (Howard Section) website. If you click through on the Columbia Association Board website, the meetings are listed on their Google calendar, and the agendas are there. Other than that, there has been little in the way of notice of these meetings.
You know where I found out about this –email! The local Village Community Associations have been putting out information via email about this meeting (and posting on their Facebook pages), but that is about the extent of the notice. I am not sure if it is either irony or hypocrisy that one of the items to be discussed (at both meetings) will be public input into what happens in Symphony Woods.
Please forgive this paragraph in which I don a tin-foil hat and start speculating, but absent any meaningful attempt of meeting notice, I have to wonder – “Who is to gain if the only conduit of information about this meeting is an email campaign?” Email is not broadcasting, email is narrow and selective. It is known that two CA Board members are known for being closely associated with active Yahoo Groups in two Columbia Villages. Each of these Board members has a stated position on what should happen in Symphony Woods.
Now, speculation aside, given the particular way that notice was given about this meeting, it is my hope that during the resident speakout portion of the meeting, the CA Board will ask each resident how they found out about the meeting. Given the narrow notice platform, I also ask the CA Board to listen to the residents, but recognize that most people in Columbia do not know about these meetings, and the resident remarks, taken as a whole, do not represent the thinking of all Columbia.
In addition, it makes little sense to hold this meeting when the new CA President starts in less than a week. To the best of my knowledge, he will hold ex-offico member status on both the CA Board and the Inner Arbor Board. Common sense would dictate that the new CA President be seated before these meetings happen. To have these meetings when a change in board membership is to occur in less than a week is mind boggling.
Lastly, these meetings must have been scheduled in this way because of some external demands. I believe that all the CA Board members care about the Columbia Association and believe in its stated purpose. To conduct business in this way appears counter to what the Columbia Association does. If possible, I hope that CA Board members are open and honest as to why these meetings have to happen this way. If you have the ability to attend these meetings, I encourage you to do so. Comment on the subject of discussion and let your voice be heard. If you cannot attend, I suggest you contact all the CA Board members and let them know how you feel about this quickly scheduled, and limited notice meeting process. Ask that your voice be heard on the matter at hand.
hocoblogs@@@