SNA General Membership Meeting Minutes - March 12, 2024

Sedgefield Neighborhood Association General Membership Meeting
Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Location: Sedgefield United Methodist Church
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Attendance: 49 adults

Pastor Tom kicked off the meeting, welcoming all in attendance

Current SNA Board Secretary, Laurie Hofer - kicks off the meeting, gives an overview of the agenda, then begins the introductions of the board election candidates.

Managing board, candidate introductions - each candidate took a brief moment to introduce themselves to the neighbors in attendance:

• Dan Kapfhammer

• Duncan Robinson

• Neil Boss

• Jeremy Whelan

• Kevin Hofer

• Steve Lonnen

• Brian McHugh

• Jamie Reis

Four candidates were not present at the meeting and therefore did not speak: Brad Bissell, Nicole Frambach, Chris Spencer and Jen Virion.

Note: for those that may not have seen the announcement on social media, two candidates (Beth Johns and Will Johns) withdrew their names from consideration, and therefore did not address the membership.

Moment of recognition of previous board members / volunteers - Laurie Hofer requested that any and all previous members of the SNA board please stand, so those in attendance could recognize their service with a round of applause.

Proposed bylaw discussion - existing SNA board officer, Duncan Robinson, ran neighbors through some of the proposed changes and the rationale behind why they were being made.

The floor was then opened up to membership for comments. A brief synopsis of their feedback is outlined below:

• Maureen Krueger

• Indicated that there may have been some confusion about which version of the bylaws was up for consideration / vote.

• Kyle and Lisa Kallander

• Expressed their feelings of discomfort with the overall transparency of the process (namely that the discussion and vote on the bylaws updates happened on the same night), and that the process overall felt a bit rushed.

• Regarding memberships for renters, the terminology needs to be more specific as "long-term" could mean different things to different people.

• While not necessarily opposed to offering hardship memberships, this type of approval should require a full board vote, and not the approval of just the President and Treasurer. This would limit the potential of any sort of impropriety among the executive committee.

• Will Johns

• Noted that the last set of bylaws passed before those up for the vote at the meeting, took 1 and 1/2 years to implement. Highlighting the concern that feedback from the membership should be accounted for in a more expedient manner. In response, Dan Kapfhammer committed to providing another draft of amendments in 45 days or less.

• Ann King

• Shared her feelings that voting in an election after the bylaws seemed illogical and maybe even a bit suspicious.

• As a resident of the neighborhood of 20+ years, of primary concern to her, is ensuring that control of the association remains "with the people" (i.e. is representative of the neighborhood overall).

• Noted that Marsh Rd. was misspelled in bylaws.

• Janelle Travis

• Advocated that the association use the fellowship hall at the church for membership meeting, so everyone can see and interact with each other more easily.

• Commented that she'd love to see more women in positions of leadership.

• Noted that she saw and spoke with a developer who indicated that the city council is not a fan of the UDO, and encouraged the membership to engage civic leaders to let their feelings on the UDO be known.

Announcement of vote / election results

• All ballots were completed and corrected

• Two volunteers were solicited from the membership to assist in the count. Thank you to Maureen Krueger and LG Hillebrand for their help in managing the vote tallying process.

Bylaw vote results - the updated bylaws were accepted with ~87% of the votes cast in favor of the changes.

	In-person	Absentee	Total
Accept	23	74	97
Reject	8	1	9
Abstain	1	5	6

Board election results - because the new bylaws were adopted, the new board election was officially triggered. The five executive committee position candidates were all running unopposed, which meant that the only contested positions were the at-large seats. The vote totals of the four candidates receiving the most votes follow below:

Candidate	In-person	Absentee	Total
Jen Virion	22	63	85
Nicole Frambach	22	56	78
Brian McHugh	27	50	77
Steve Lonnen	25	40	65

Congratulations to the newly elected board of directors:

President: Dan Kapfhammer
Vice President: Duncan Robinson
Treasurer: Neil Boss
Secretary: Jeremy Whelan
Communications Officer: Kevin Hofer
Member at large: Nicole Frambach
Member at large: Steve Lonnen
Member at large: Brian McHugh
Member at large: Jen Virion

Membership Meeting Agenda, March 12, 2024

The meeting agenda for tonight’s neighborhood association meeting has been published below and is also available for download here.

• Member check-in, ballot distribution
  

• Meeting called to order (existing SNA Board Officer)
  

• Managing board, candidate introductions (existing SNA Board Officer)

• Optional, limited to two minutes per candidate
  

• Dan Kapfhammer

• Duncan Robinson

• Neil Boss

• Jeremy Whelan

• Kevin Hofer

• Brad Bissell

• Nicole Frambach

• Steve Lonnen

• Brian McHugh

• Jamie Reis

• Chris Spencer

• Jen Virion

• Proposed bylaws discussion (Duncan Robinson, existing SNA Board Officer)

• Public comment welcome, limited to two minutes per individual

• Bylaw votes / managing board election
  

• Vote results tallied and shared

• Adjournment

Absentee Ballot is Now Live!

Members in good standing of the Sedgefield Neighborhood Association who are not able to attend the in-person meeting but wish to vote on official business can do so via the online absentee ballot available at the link below. There are potentially two issues up for a vote at the meeting on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.

• The membership will vote to adopt an updated set of bylaws.

• Should that vote be successful, the membership will subsequently elect a new managing board for the association.

In an effort to expedite the voting business of the meeting, both the bylaw vote and board election will be included on the ballot. Members will be asked to complete the ballot completely. If the bylaw vote fails, the automatic board election will NOT be triggered and the board election results become moot. However, if the bylaw vote passes, the board election votes will then be calculated and tallied immediately.

Note: Absentee ballots will be accepted until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12.

Voting Process Revealed

The existing bylaws are vague on the process by which voting is conducted as required during the regular business of a neighborhood association membership meeting. For this reason, the existing board has drafted and approved the following guidelines which will govern the votes during the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, March 12.

This might seem like a lot, but we felt the membership is entitled to a process that is clear, robust, and carried out with integrity.

• Each paid membership is entitled to up to two votes (one per adult) per household.

• In-person voting will be done on paper ballots, distributed, collected and counted at the association meeting.

• The existing board will call on two random volunteers from among the members attending the meeting to help tally the votes, in an effort to reinforce the integrity of the count.

• Only votes from due-paying members will be counted. Therefore, each ballot must be verified against the roll of active members. Due-paying members that wish to participate in the votes at the meeting will check-in at the door, confirm their membership and receive their ballot(s).

• Advanced validation of the ballots will expedite the voting process, and ultimately, the tallying of the votes. Ballots will be filled out by members at the appropriate time and then collected for counting.

• In an effort to expedite the voting business of the meeting, both the bylaw vote and board election will be included on the paper ballot. Members will be asked to complete the ballot completely.

• If the bylaw vote fails, the automatic board election will NOT be triggered and the board election results become moot.

• However, if the bylaw vote passes, the board election votes will then be calculated and tallied immediately.

• For those that are unable to attend the meeting, an online absentee voting option will be provided. The absentee ballot will be powered by a Google form. A link to the absentee ballot will be posted on the neighborhood website, and will also be distributed via email.

• Just like the in-person ballots, the absentee ballots will be validated against the active member roll.

• The absentee ballot will request the voter’s email address, as well as the primary email address with which their membership is associated. This is how the ballots will be validated against the two votes per active membership.

• Similar to early voting in municipal elections, the absentee ballot will be available for completion / submission before the start of the in-person votes. The online absentee ballot will be available for 48 hours, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 10. Absentee voting will close at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 12, coinciding with the beginning of the in-person meeting. The absentee votes will be totaled and available to add to the in-person votes the night of the meeting.

• For the at-large positions, members can vote for up to 4 candidates (one per open seat), and the four candidates receiving the most votes are declared the winner(s). In the event of a tie in the at-large election, a run-off will be held. A "blank" ballot (essentially a blank sheet of paper) will be distributed with the original ballot. Members would then be asked to write down their favored candidate from among those in the run-off.

Notice of Final Version of Proposed Bylaws

Per the existing bylaws that govern the operation of the neighborhood association, any amendments to the existing bylaws must be posted at least 10 days before a vote. This post serves as that written notice to the membership as dictated by the existing bylaws.

There have been no changes to the version of the bylaws originally posted here, so that is the version of the bylaws that will be voted on at the neighborhood meeting on March 12. Several neighbors engaged exiting members of the board with feedback and suggestions. While the proposed bylaws remain unchanged, the feedback from the community has been documented and will be considered for future updates to the bylaws.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at: sedgefieldneighborhood@gmail.com.

List of Board Nominees Finalized

The list of nominees for the upcoming board election - should the updated bylaws be adopted - has been finalized. Thank you to the 14 individuals who stepped up to vie for a leadership position, and pledged to volunteer their time and talents to push the neighborhood association forward. Additional information about the candidates will be posted in the coming days to help the neighborhood get to know them in advance of the membership meeting on Tuesday, March 12.

Update: Meet the nominees! Review the list of nominees, along with the position for which they are running and a brief introduction outlining their experience and credentials. Note that these descriptions were submitted by the individual that nominated the candidate. » View the list

President

• Dan Kapfhammer

Vice President

• Duncan Robinson

Treasurer

• Neil Boss

• Beth Johns

Secretary

• Jeremy Whelan

Communications Officer

• Kevin Hofer

Board Member at Large

• Brad Bissell

• Nicole Frambach

• Will Johns

• Steve Lonnen

• Brian McHugh

• Jamie Reis

• Chris Spencer

• Jennifer Virion

Proposed Bylaw Amendments, Explained

Update, 3/2/2024 - there have been no changes to the version of the bylaws originally posted here, so that is the version of the bylaws that will be voted on at the neighborhood meeting on March 12. Several neighbors engaged exiting members of the board with feedback and suggestions. While the proposed bylaws remain unchanged, the feedback from the community has been documented and will be considered for future updates to the bylaws.

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In preparation for the general membership meeting on March 12, the existing board wanted to provide some information and context on why we have proposed an updated set of bylaws. You can find links to the existing bylaws that govern the association, as well the full draft of proposed changes below:

• Existing SNA Bylaws

• Proposed Bylaw Modifications

However, instead of compelling each resident to read through the documents and compare them side-by-side to see what has changed, we have compiled a summary highlighting where notable changes have been made. And more importantly, why those changes have been proposed.

The primary goals of updating the bylaws are three-fold:

• To bring the bylaws up to date from a best practice standpoint - relative to how a neighborhood association should be structured and conduct its business

• Eliminate confusion among the board and the membership by using much more clear and detailed language in certain portions of the document.

• Finally, to provide a clearly defined structure within which the board not only understands its mandate, but is able to fulfill its obligations to the membership and do the business of guiding the neighborhood association in a more inclusive and efficient manner.

The governing spirit of the neighborhood association remains consistent as set forth previously. At a high level, the SNA intends to foster engagement within the community to make the Sedgefield neighborhood a great place for its residents to live. Exactly HOW that is done is outside the scope of the bylaws, but it should be noted that the intent is to continue to operate the association with this spirit in mind.

Notable sections of the draft under consideration include:

• Membership Eligibility (Article 2, Section 1) - the revised bylaws are much more explicit and specific with respect to who can be member of SNA. The geographic boundaries of the neighborhood are documented, and specific membership requirements are outlined.

• Dues (Article I, Section 3) - the cost ($50) and terms (up to 1 calendar year) of membership remain UNCHANGED. All memberships within a calendar year expire at the end of that year (12/31). Residents must renew their membership each year to remain in good standing with the association. Also adds an option for an individual membership at $40.

• Voting (Article II, Section 2) - one of the primary benefits of SNA membership is ability to vote on issues presented to the membership. This is a great way for members to make their voice heard and influence how the association impacts the neighborhood. The revised bylaws clarify an issue that was, to this point, not clear. That is, how membership and voting are related. It is proposed that each paid household membership (tied to single a household / address) is entitled to a maximum of two votes, one per adult who resides at the address. While individual memberships entitle the member to a single vote.

• Governance and Officers (Article III) - this is one of the areas of the biggest change over the previous version of the bylaws. The current bylaws identified four Officers / named positions who are largely responsible for steering the organization.

  The new bylaws propose the expansion of the governing board from 4 officer positions to nine board positions, in total. Those nine board positions will consist of five executive members and four at-large board positions. The named executive positions include those previously defined (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) along with a new Communications Officer position.

  This new configuration reinforces some of the strategic philosophies behind the proposed changes. An expanded board not only becomes - almost by definition - more representative of the membership at large, but it also does something even more basic. Spreading the work of running the organization among more people. Further, one of the criticisms we've heard in the community of late is an overall lack of communication. Creating the executive member position with discrete and specific responsibilities in this area is intended to specifically address this concern.

  The duties and responsibilities of each of the executive board position have been more clearly defined in the updated draft of the bylaws.

  Finally, the current iteration of the bylaws dictates that officers are (only) elected by other officers. Again, in the interest of creating as inclusive a leadership team as possible, the updated bylaws specify that these positions are elected by the membership at large.

• Operations (Article IV) - by and large the existing bylaws are silent on how the board does its business. This isn't all together a bad thing, as it does provide the board leeway in what it does and how it does it. However, our belief is that the board needs be accountable to the membership, and the only way to do that is to outline, specifically, WHAT the board is responsible for and what the membership should expect of the governing body (i.e. (establishing / publishing a budget, conducting general meetings at a specific cadence, conducting a minimum number of expected board meetings, etc). The revised bylaws address this at a high level, while still providing the board flexibility in HOW it executes its responsibilities.

• Bylaw amendments (Article V) - this section of the bylaws remains unchanged. Any amendments to bylaws (which would include this draft under consideration) requires adoption by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership (either in-person, or by proxy) at any regular or special meeting.

In accordance with the existing bylaws, the final draft of bylaws considered for adoption will be posted no later than ten (10) days prior to the vote. If you have input on the existing draft, please send us your input by email, so it can be considered before the final draft is posted on 3/1.

Transcript of Remarks from Dan Kapfhammer

Dan and Olivia Kapfhammer

We received a few requests for a transcript (or, a copy) of the remarks delivered by Dan Kaphfammer at the last community meeting. Dan - who has come forward as a candidate for President of the association - provided a copy of those remarks and they have been posted below. If you are interested in connecting with Dan, you may contact him directly via email (kapfhammerdaniel@gmail.com), or by phone (502-641-0996).

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Hi, I see a few people here that I don’t know. For those that don’t know me, I’m Dan. And I’ve been involved with the neighborhood association ever since I moved to the neighborhood. Overall, my experience with the organization has been a positive one.

First of all, I want to take this opportunity to thank those involved with the neighborhood association. As an entirely volunteer-supported organization it takes a lot of work to keep things going, and those that do volunteer their time deserve our thanks.

However, I also want to acknowledge some of struggles of the SNA in recent weeks and months.

• Membership has been stagnant, if not declining

• As of 2/13/2024, there are only 14 memberships with paid households

• Overall community engagement is down

To add to that, some of the things we've heard anecdotally:

• Sedgefest is great, but what else does the SNA do?

• What are my dues actually going towards?

• I don't ever really hear about anything going on

• There's an overall erosion of trust based on a lack of transparency

There are also some structural issues that need to be dealt with. Specifically, the status of SNA as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. There is a plan in place with the highest priority to reestablish this.

This isn't a shot at the existing membership / leadership. In fact, they deserve credit for shepherding the group through the pandemic and keeping the organization afloat and operational. Pulling off an event as big as Sedgefest is no small feat!

However, I think we can all agree that just keeping things afloat, today, should NOT be our goal. We have a naturally thriving and growing community - inside of which great things are starting happen organically. It's the job of the SNA to take those positives, run with them, and push things even further.

This is my call to action

We, as a community, need to re-shape the organization. This isn't about one person's vision. The goal of the reorganization is to establish a framework that will build credibility and legitimacy back to the organization.

It is unfair for the rest of us in the community to expect the association to do more, if we - as a community - don't also get involved. We can't lean on a small number of people to continue to do the heavy lifting and expect better results.

That's is why I am here today. We want repair the negative perceptions out there about the SNA. I will push for transparency in the operations of the board and the operations of the association (including detailed reporting on financials and expanding access to operations). We want to Inspire others to get involved and push the organization forward.

So what does this mean? What is possible? What are some of the things a re-energized Sedgefield Neighborhood Association accomplish? 

Some examples, not necessarily concrete plans include:

• As part of a plan to improve overall communication with the membership, make it easier for the community to engage with, and keep up with the operations of the organization (think zoom-enabled meetings, distribution of meeting minutes, etc)

• Build a sense of community, and drive engagement throughout the neighborhood (think social events, community service projects, etc.)

• Ensure that the collective rights and interests of homeowners are respected and preserved. Development in and around Sedgefield is booming. A functioning neighborhood association can advocate for the community, preventing individuals from having to handle such things on their own

• Provide resources to the community - bringing experts in to discuss topics of interest, organizing / coordinating resources and services (think, new resident welcoming committee, neighborhood babysitting lists, etc.)

• Improve the quality of life, enhance living conditions in the community (think neighborhood beautification projects)

• Foster a sense of pride among those that live within the boundaries of the Sedgefield neighborhood

• Above all, we want to provide an open forum where community members can provide input on what THEY want to see the SNA do.

The PATH FORWARD

• An immediate goal is to encourage residents to join the association as paid members

• Reengage long-standing inactive members with transparency and innovative community contributions

• Engage new members through “new neighbor” outreach and increased visibility to SNA happenings Membership drives and social events

• Realignment of dedicated efforts

• Reinstate review of financial status at SNA quarterly meetings

• Reinstate community outreach through a newsletter, regular social media and website posting, increased community events and participation

• Creation of sub-committees to allow more focused efforts on larger quarterly events ( i.e. Sedgefest, Back-to-School event, Fall Family Movie Night, Chili Cook-off)

How Will This Be Done?

• Today, during the new business portion of the meeting, I will raise a motion to convene another general association meeting and call for a vote, open to the entire community where we hope to accomplish the following:

• Vote to adopt an updated set of by-laws. The bylaws will be distributed for review immediately after today's meeting. There will be an opportunity to provide input on the draft. A finalized version will be updated and published no later than 10 days before the next community meeting.

• Voting at the next meeting will be subject to the rules outlined in the EXISTING bylaws

• Should the motion to adopt the new bylaws pass, this will immediately trigger the election of a new board.

  • Per the revised bylaws, the board will be comprised of an executive council with the following positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Communication Officer, as well as four at-large board positions

  • Candidates to include current board members wishing to run again, as well as new board member candidates

This neighborhood is growing and thriving, and I get the sense that there is some pent up energy that we can capitalize on within the community to bring the SNA back to the level we know that it should be.

SNA Quarterly General Meeting Minutes - February 13, 2024

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Sedgefield Neighborhood Association Quarterly Meeting
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Location: Sedgefield United Methodist Church
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Attendance: 47 adults (inclusive guests, speakers, visitors, etc)

Current SNA President, Nicole Frambach - kicks off the meeting and introduces Pastor Tom

Pastor Tom - welcomes everyone and runs down upcoming events on the calendar

• Tomorrow, 2/14, Ash Wednesday - the sanctuary will be open between 12:00 - 1:00, and again from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. for quiet meditation time and imposition of ashes.

• March 9, new date for the Sedgefield Neighborhood chili cook-off. Pastor Tom highlighted this as a great example of the productive partnership between SNA and Sedgefield UMC.

• March 16, Easter activities and Egg hunt on the church grounds

• All Wednesdays in March, lunch partnership with Woodlawn Community Fellowship. The schedule is as follows: March 6 and March 20: Sedgefield United Methodist Church March 13 and March 27: Woodlawn Community Fellowship.

• More information about all of these events can be found on the Sedgefield UMC church website.

Matt Montgomery - Community Officer, CMPD

• Crime report review, handout with all reported incidents (Download PDF).

• More fraud than larceny

• Fish tables / arcades issues, email officer Montgomery directly: mmontgomery@cmpd.org.

• During Q&A, the subject arose of what the community could do to help the police with the problem of juvenile incidents / crime. It was suggested, while the issue is complicated, that the public could pressure the DA's office. Charlotte City Council Rep, Danté Anderson, joined the conversation and noted that:

• It's perhaps less about pressuring DA, as they are understaffed / under budget.

• Instead, pressure the general assembly, as they are the group respondible for allocating the money which could be used to support law enforcement / the DA's office locally.

Garden Club Update

• No new business, just a note that the club is entering its 75th year, making it the oldest in NC

• Garden club meets 4th Monday of the month. More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page.

Laura Heiser - Recycle Right (Mecklenburg County Reduction Educator)

• Distributed handouts and made a presentation to the group on the dos / don'ts of recycling.

• The biggest thing we all can do to help is keep plastic bags out of our recycling bins

• More information can be found at: wipeoutwaste.com.

Jake Fingers, City of Charlotte Landscape Management

• "Here to talk about trees"

• Provided a handout with what trees they manage (Trees Near Your Residence)

• If you want to plan a tree in areas they maintain, you can submit a request via 311

• Charlotte achieved Bee City USA status. Another handout was provided with information on advocating for establishing pollinator gardens

Danté Anderson, Charlotte City Council Rep, Mayor Pro Tem - reviewed some of the business before the City Council recently (and into the future):

• Just had a big vote (yesterday), to bring back on the books some quality of life drive ordinances. Conversation around this was focused uptown (public urination, defecation, masturbation). Brought 6 of 8 ordinances back on the books. These are not just uptown ordinances, they apply to the entire city of Charlotte.

• All meetings (when 6 or more are gathered together) are public domain - available and accessible as a resource for citizens to stay informed.

• Big year for Charlotte, as the city is in negotiations with the Panthers - for extension / lifecycle of Panthers staying in Charlotte. They are also retouching contracts with Charlotte Hornets.

• Mobility very important to council, they feel it's critical to be able to navigate a city without depending on a car as first priority. Looking at micro-modal opportunities. Authority to tax to expand public transportation opportunities.

• Just started budget season, had 1st workshop, continues for a couple months. The budget will ultimately be codified at the beginning of the summer.

• Decided not to raise taxes last year, but that makes it a possibility to happen this year.

Carl Hedberg

• Past Chairman of SNA

• Spoke on the impact of the UDO, where a multi-unit building was being constructed on a lot where one home used to stand.

• Encouraged the neighborhood to check out what's happening at 237 Marsh Rd.

Dan Kapfhammer

• Introduced as prospective candidate for President of the SNA.

• Outlined vision for a reinvigorated association. Key takeaways include:

• Goal to get to 100 new members in the next month. Current membership stands at 14 households

• Introduces draft of new bylaws to govern the association

• An ad-hoc neighborhood association meeting was called and scheduled for 3/12 for the primary purpose of adopting updated bylaws.

• If the new bylaws are adopted, that would trigger an immediate election of a new board, to be held at that meeting.

• Full text of the bylaws will be posted - along with a summary of how they differ from the current version - on the SNA website.