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December 2001
Volume 13, Number 8
Historic Preservation Gains Momentum?
Saturday, January 26, noon - 2:00
Library Community Room, 585 Franklin St.
Featuring Jane Powell, Author of Bungalow Kitchens
- We'll start the year by working together to establish OMVNA's goals and priorities for 2002
- Then Jane Powell will explain how to remodel an older kitchen and still preserve your home's charm & character
- Vote on By-Laws changes
Reinventing OMVNA
By Bruce Karney, OMVNA Chair
Last Winter we were long on jobs and short on electricity. Now it's the opposite. As OMVNA's new Chair, I want to solve today's problems, not yesterday's or last year's. My number one objective is to understand what concerns you, the residents of our neighborhood. Please write or e-mail me regarding the things that concern you, what's bothering you and what you think should be done.
My number two objective is to find five to ten people who are ready to increase their involvement with OMVNA and become leaders or co-leaders of projects that will improve the quality of life here and bring new perspectives. OMVNA wants new ideas and new energy--if you've got them, please get in touch with me! By the way, renters are just as welcome as homeowners.
I'd like to make a special appeal to those who were recently laid off. I know that many of you went from 60 hour weeks to unemployment practically overnight. Now that you're not killing yourself on behalf of your employer, how about getting connected with your neighborhood? We'd be thrilled to have your help!
In closing, let me say that I'm looking forward to helping neighborhood
residents identify what matters to us now and taking action to make our
vision become reality. In the corporate world they call this reinvention,
and I think the term is appropriate. I hope you will come to the Winter
General Meeting and that you will get in touch with me to share your ideas.
Send e-mail to chair@omvna.org or write
me at 833 Bush St., MV 94041.
Historic Preservation Gains Momentum?
By Jean McCloskey
Did you know the current home of the C&C body shop on Moffett Boulevard is the building where famous Disneyland rides like the Matterhorn were designed?
This is just one of the many interesting facts that the Mountain View Preservation Alliance (MVPA) is uncovering about our city's architectural history. MVPA is a newly-formed group that is investigating options for preserving our historic buildings while building a sense of community for historic preservation. We hope to raise visibility to architecturally significant historic properties such as the 1880s property at 902 Villa. We are pleased that the city council and many members of the community are concerned about the fate of 902 Villa. We have offered to help in any way possible.
We are tapping into resources at the State level for advice and consultation. We are also learning how other cities, such as Redwood City, have succeeded in obtaining official protection for their buildings and what the resulting economic and quality of life benefits are. A sobering fact for Mountain View is that it is one of only three cities in Santa Clara County without official historic preservation guidelines.
Our current priorities are to:
- Build a community for historic preservation; encouraging appreciation and awareness of Mountain View's historic places.
- Track the fate of 902 Villa.
- Form a good partnership with the Historical Association and city staff
- Leverage resources at the State level; including investigating funding sources.
Like the adventure and learning of a start-up? Join us! Check out the website at mv-pa.org to learn more about MVPA.
Contact Jean McCloskey at jeanmccloskey@hotmail.com.
Amendments to By-Laws
OMVNA's by-laws were adopted in 1992 and have been amended only once,
in 1995. After examining problems and opportunities for improvement, the
Steering Committee has recommended several changes.
Generations of experience in other organizations has shown that by-law changes
should not be made quickly or without due consideration of the members.
Therefore, Article X of our by-laws requires that the changes be submitted
in writing, proposed and seconded at a General Meeting, distributed in writing
to the membership, and approved by a two-thirds vote of the members present
at another General Meeting. This vote will take place at the OMVNA Meeting
on January 26.
The 9 proposals that were moved and seconded at the Oct. 14 General Meeting are shown below. Deletions are shown between brackets[], additions are in bold font.
Our current by-laws are on the web at www.omvna.org/by-laws.html
Proposal #1
Article III -- Steering Committee Members (duties of officers)
1. The Chairperson shall preside at all membership meetings. The Chairperson
shall appoint all committees not otherwise provided for herein with the
advice and consent of a majority of the Steering Committee, and shall be
an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
The Chairperson shall serve as delegate of OMVNA to all federations, organizations,
committees, or conferences to which OMVNA belongs or decides to send
representatives. The Chairperson may request that another Steering Committee
member serve as OMVNA's representative, and may also revoke such a request
at any time without prior notice.
Proposal #2
Article III -- Removal of Officers
A Steering Committee Member may be removed from office [only upon the] by
the Steering Committee if the Steer-ing Committee member knowingly breaches
the OMVNA by-laws. Related charges shall be brought before the Steering
Committee at one of its monthly meetings. Removal from office will require
a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee members. A Steering Committee
Member may also be removed from office by a process starting with a written
complaint of 3 or more OMVNA members. Such complaint shall be submitted
to both the Chairperson and Secretary. A hearing of the charge or charges,
before the membership, shall be scheduled for the next general membership
meeting, or at special membership meeting not less than two weeks nor more
than six weeks after the submission of the complaint. Disposition of the
charges shall be determined by secret, written ballot. Removal will require
two thirds of the members present and voting.
Proposal #3
Article III -- Steering Committee Vacancies
In the event that a Steering Committee Member position becomes vacant prior
to the completion of the elected term, whether caused by resignation,
removal, illness, relocation, or any other reason, the Steering Committee
may appoint one of the "Members at Large" or other qualified
OMVNA member to the vacant position until the next general membership
meeting at which elections are to be held. If the office of Chairperson
becomes vacant, the Vice Chairperson will automatically become the Chairperson.
Proposal #4
Article III -- Steering Committee Attendance (new paragraph to follow
the one above)
A Steering Committee member who fails to attend 3 out of any 4 consecutive
meetings (counting both Steering Committee Meetings and General Meetings)
shall be considered to have tendered his or her resignation from the Committee.
An individual who arrives more than 15 minutes late or stays for less than
one hour (if the meeting lasts more than an hour) shall be recorded as having
failed to attend the meeting. At the third missed meeting, the Committee
shall vote to accept or not accept the resignation. If the resignation is
accepted, the office the individual held will be declared vacant.
Proposal #5
Article III -- Steering Committee Members (duties of officers)
5. The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for the publication of the
OMVNA newsletter. [Each issue of the newsletter shall contain reports of
Steering Committee and General meeting.] All official actions and
decisions of OMVNA or its Steering Committee shall be reported in the
Newsletter.
Proposal #6
Article VI -- Nominations
1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate one or more candidates for each
position to be filled. These nominations shall be presented to the general
membership in writing at least thirty days prior to the annual election
meeting of OMVNA. If no candidate can be found for one or more of the
Steering Committee Offices, those offices shall be presented to the general
membership as "TBD." The Nominating Committee shall continue to
search for a qualified candidate up until the Election meeting. If the position
is not filled by election, the procedures for filling vacant offices described
in Article III shall apply.
Proposal #7
Article VII -- Election of Officers
2. All individuals shall be elected for a term of twelve months, from November
1 to October 31[, and until their successors shall be duly elected. For
the first election only, those elected shall begin their term immediately
following the election.]
Proposal #8
Article VIII--Financial Affairs
3. The Treasurer shall collect and deposit all OMVNA moneys in a local bank
that is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation[, except that
a twenty-five dollar petty cash fund shall be maintained].
4. [The annual budget shall be submitted by the Treasurer for the approval of the membership at the fall meeting of OMVNA. Approval of the budget shall constitute authorization for disbursements thereunder. Except as provided herein, all other d]Disbursements shall [first] be approved by the Steering Committee and shall be made by check signed by the Treasurer [and countersigned by the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson. The Treasurer is authorized to make disbursements from the petty cash fund].
Proposal #9
Article IX -- Meetings
1. Members
a. The [annual election meeting] meeting at which the Steering Committee
[& Subcommittee Chairs of OMVNA] is elected shall be held in [the Fall]
September or October.
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The OMVNA Newsletter is published and distributed to more than 2000 homes by the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the OMVNA Steering Committee. Let us know what you think! Editor:George Harris Columnists: Julie Lovins, Lisa Windes Phone: (10 AM - 6 PM only) 969-8464 E-mail: editor@omvna.org Mail: OMVNA Newsletter, PO Box 987, Mountain View, CA 94042-0987 |
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Chair: Bruce Karney BKarney@aol.com Vice-Chair: Anita Grossman Anilou@aol.com Treasurer: Aaron Grossman aaronlg@aol.com Secretary: Tim Johnson tdj@best.com Community Liaison: Valerie Harris valerieh@best.com Newsletter Editor: George Harris editor@omvna.org At Large #1: Alison Hicks Alison_H@pacbell.net At Large #2: Julie Wrobel jwrobel@oni.com |