Thanks, Taya, for your response. I appreciate you taking the time to
address my email and to ask for additional info re: any concerns to be
brought up at the next COVNA meeting.
I do have some follow up questions for the board at large (i.e. not
directed at you specifically, even though I'm replying to your email):
1. Would you please expand on why the Facebook group needs to remain
separate due to the non-profit status of COVNA as an organization? Having
worked with non-profits in the past, not to mention seeing many of them
active on Facebook, I'm not clear on this reasoning.
2. I am disheartened to learn that the board has not met since early
last year. This feels like a missed opportunity to have coordinated to do
good in our community, particularly during those early days of COVID and
specifically knowing how many of our residents are elderly aging in place.
We certainly learned how valuable and appreciated those efforts are during
the power and water outages in February. All that said--perhaps the mission
of COVNA has changed over the years, and is now more narrowly focused on
neighborhood events that bring people together in person. Is this the case?
3. re: membership drives, I understand members join on an honor basis
via the website or community events, and that there is a set deadline, but
is there any structure around planned efforts toward bringing more
neighbors into the fold?
4. Where can general COVNA members, i.e. not board members, access board
meeting minutes?
5. Are board meetings typically held on a regular schedule? If so, what
is that schedule? (Adjacent to this was a question about how residents can
bring up concerns to be discussed by the board, but Taya has answered that;
thank you.)
6. Same question but re: meetings to include all members of the
neighborhood association. I've not heard of any neighborhood-wide meetings
since we've moved in, but surely these do take place from time to time?
I've also learned in talking through some of these questions with neighbors
that there are quite a few who do not receive any of these emails--even
though they are active, dues-paying COVNA members. Aside from paying dues
via the website link, is there some action needed on the part of a resident
to sign up for these emails?
Lastly, I know tone can be misinterpreted across the written word, and I'd
hate for this to be misconstrued as anything other than my genuine interest
in and desire to be active as a resident within this beautiful
neighborhood. Now that my partner Charles and I have been here for 2.5
years we feel settled, and especially after the amazing collaborative
energy I saw during our snowmageddon efforts, I truly want to see our
neighborhood continue to come together to grow that kind of camaraderie.
Again, thanks for your responses and for your efforts in our community,
Katy
(with the blue hair and the front yard garden, on Crownspoint at
Heatherwood)
On Mon, May 24, 2021 at 8:36 AM Taya Olivas <tayaeubanks@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Katy and all,
Thank you for your email. I want to address your questions/concerns about
COVNA Board activities. We have mostly been on a break for the past year
due to the pandemic. While we largely deal with neighborhood gatherings,
the board certainly wants to be kept abreast of concerns in the community.
That being said, not all board members, or COVNA members are on Facebook.
Additionally, the Facebook page must be kept separate from the Neighborhood
Association due to its nonprofit status. If an issue needs to be addressed
by the board, it will have to come through in email form. That is not to
say that Facebook topics are not discussed at board meetings, but everyone
must be aware that without official notification to the board, we may not
know the concerns you have without combing through all comments on Facebook.
The board plans to meet in the next few days and updates for the
neighborhood will be forthcoming. We look forward to getting back to normal
soon with Newsletters, gatherings, and Website updates.
We will discuss the recent uptick in vehicle break-ins (which is typical
this time of year), as well as traffic issues in our next meeting. Please
feel free to add any additional topics you'd like addressed. Also note, the
speeding traffic on Crownspoint has been a hot topic for years with the
neighborhood opposing the city's plans to install bike lanes and traffic
control measures.
Thank you,
Taya Olivas
Secretary, COVNA Neighborhood Association
On Sun, May 23, 2021 at 11:50 AM Katy Hamill <kaydeebugg@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi all,
Hope everyone is enjoying this extended spring weather! For those of us
with gardens I know it's been wonderful, and surely Ken is staying nice and
busy with lawn care--ha!
I'd like to check in to see what's the latest with the neighborhood
association and board activity. It's been some time since I've seen an
update, or a newsletter, or heard anything about a membership drive. The
last blog article was in November 2020, but other than that I don't
see much in the way of active updates on the website.
Are board meetings open to residents, or have they been in the past? Is
there perhaps a way we could view minutes from recent meetings in order to
stay informed? I'd really like to understand what current agenda items are
being acted upon and/or discussed, however that information can be given.
I know the neighborhood Facebook page is not an "official" COVNA group,
but it is extremely active with nearly 200 members, and there are regularly
substantive, pertinent issues being raised in that forum. There's been a
recent uptick in thefts, break-ins, and general criminal activity both in
and surrounding our neighborhood; this in addition to the general concerns
about speeding drivers have gotten a lot of conversations going there. Thus
far I haven't seen much board interaction or updates, though, hence my ask
here for input on what issues the board is currently discussing/addressing.
Thanks for your work and I look forward to hearing more!
Katy
