Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Minutes from 10/26/15 Meeting (approved 11/17/15)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, October 26, 2015

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM and Director Hayhurst led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, and Hayhurst were all present. Director Wilkey was absent. There were no guests in attendance.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Stapp motioned to accept the Minutes of the September 29th, 2015 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for September of 2015 as presented. President Jacobs seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. President Jacobs reported on the correspondence from the County Elections office. The Secretary had confirmed by email and with a follow up phone conversation that Daryl Schendel was set to appointed in Lieu of Election, just as the Board had recommended. The item will be listed on the agenda for approval at the November 3rd meeting of the County Board of Supervisors. President Jacobs also reviewed the invitation to all of the Directors from the Mojave Water Agency to attend the November 17th Newly Elected Officials Orientation meeting.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. Director Hayhurst had nothing new to report about working out a time that the gas cartridges can be set off inside the fenced area surrounding the water tower. President Jacobs reported that he found four new holes around the outside of the Office Compound, so he had set off four gas cartridges to remedy them and will continue to keep an eye on them.

The Board discussed the final plans for the Dedication Ceremony at Barstow Heights Park on Wednesday, November 4th starting at 10:00 AM.  Director Hayhurst confirmed that the City of Barstow will be bringing their portable PA system for our use. The order and specifics of the program were determined. The Secretary will purchase and bring the refreshments (muffins, cookies, and fruit from Costco). A recording of the two speakers (Beverly Lowry and Dick Jacobs) will be made, so the Secretary can type up a transcript of what was said, to be given to Barbara’s daughter, Jan Fowler, as a keepsake (and to preserve the history of the District). The Secretary will also type up and have programs printed to be given out to guests as they arrive.

The list of Long Range Plans for Barstow Heights Park was addressed. Bid 01-15 was discussed first. Two bids had been received; one from Linebaugh Construction and one from Siembab & Sons Construction, Inc. President Jacobs motioned to accept the bid from Linebaugh Construction and hire them to install the new shade canopy and picnic tables on the West side of the park for $49,584.00. Further discussion clarified that prevailing wages are included in the bid and that the cost of the engineering (including new site plans) would also be included for that price. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Secretary had nothing new to report about progress on the Street Lamps. The quote from Ellis Fence Company to install 40 additional feet of hand-railing with skateboard deterrent knobs along the West side of the sidewalk ramp was reviewed. Director Stapp motioned to accept and approve the estimate from Ellis Fence Company to do the work for $2,650.00. Director Hayhurst seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The Board reviewed the items on Director Schendel’s list (Long Range Plans) and merged those ideas with the other list of ideas that had been started back in January of 2015. The Secretary will use her notes from the discussion to revise and type all of the ideas into just one new Long Range Plans List. Director Stapp encouraged the Board to make the Shade Covers for the playground equipment at both parks the highest priority, so that they can be completed by next summer when the hot weather returns. The Board also agreed that new Wood Chips are needed again and should be purchased and replaced early next year. The Secretary was directed to get an estimate from Unique Landscaping to remove the shrubs in front of the office and put in rocks (preferably not white rock) and desert landscaping/plants around the outside of the office compound. The Secretary was also directed to add the engineering for a retaining wall and sidewalks at the front (North) side of the park to the agenda for the next meeting.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. President Jacobs reported that he had been researching Shade Covers for parks online and had compiled a list of nine different companies that do that kind of work. President Jacobs volunteered to call and start requesting estimates from those companies that are interested. The Secretary will look into finding some companies that are based in Las Vegas also, since they might have more experience installing the kind of Shade Covers that hold up best in desert climates.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed. The Secretary reported that she was very pleased and excited about the repairs and painting of the interior walls/ceiling that was done by JDR Construction recently. The work was completed in two days (October 6th and 7th) and was paid for upon completion on October 8th. She did take a few photos of the work as it was in progress to add to the history book. President Jacobs and Director Hayhurst will determine a “work date” that works best for both of them to come assist the Secretary with cleaning out the kitchen cupboards some time in mid-late November or early December.

The Purchasing Policy was addressed. The Board discussed the new draft of the Purchasing Policy briefly and decided to wait and review it again before approving it. The Secretary was directed add the item to next month’s Agenda.

The General Manager reported that as usual, she had been kept very busy at the office during the past month. She unexpectedly found herself needing to work three extra days (on a Monday and two Fridays) to make up for the two days the office was closed for renovations and the third day when the paint fumes were still so strong that she couldn’t stand them long enough to get any work done. The Auditor had also contacted her that week to let her know that he would be unable to attend the October Board Meeting as planned, and would need to reschedule for the November meeting (preferably, Tuesday November 17th, if that will work for the Board of Directors). The Director’s agreed that the new date would work for them.

President Jacobs asked if any of the Directors had any Reports they wanted to discuss. There were none.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there was one new bill that had just arrived from California Special Districts Association (CSDA) for $226.00 (annual membership fee). Director Hayhurst motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Schendel seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session was requested.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, November 17th at 6:00 PM.
The meeting adjourned at 7:17 PM.

Submitted by:
Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Agenda for 11/17 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, November 17th, 2015 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests  

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Audit Report

5.   Consent Items:      Minutes – October 26th, 2015
                                 Financial Reports – October of 2015
 
6.   Correspondence

7.   Parks:        Barstow Heights:         Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                                 Long Range Plans List
                                                                        Update on Bid 01-15 (one shade canopy and tables)
                                                                        Shade Covers over playground equipment (both parks)       
                                                                        Engineering for retaining wall & sidewalks (in front)
 
                        Venner Park:               Safety Check List
                                    Long Range Plans List
                                   
8.   Office Building & Compound:       Long Range Plans List
                                                                         “Work date” to clean out kitchen (mid-late November)
 
9.   Safety Review Report

10.  Policies and Procedures Manual – Purchasing Policy

11.  General Manager’s Report

12.  Directors’ Reports

13.  Bills:         Edison - $89.77           Terminix - $40.00

14.  New Business

15.  Executive Session – Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

16.  Adjournment

Minutes from 9/29/15 Meeting (approved 10/26/15)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and the Secretary led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. Director Schendel was absent. There were no guests in attendance at the start of the meeting.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Stapp motioned to accept the Minutes of the August 24th, 2015 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for August of 2015 as presented. Director Wilkey seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. President Jacobs highlighted two letters from the County Elections office. One letter confirmed that Directors Jacobs and Wilkey will be appointed in Lieu of Election. The other letter confirmed that one vacancy was left on the Board and it gave instructions as to how the Secretary should proceed to have another candidate appointed in Lieu of Election by the County Board of Supervisors. The Secretary will recommend that Daryl Schendel be appointed to fill the open position.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. The Secretary reported that the new shipment of gas cartridges used to control the Ground Squirrels had arrived. Director Hayhurst will talk with the water company to work out a time that the gas cartridges can be set off inside the fenced area surrounding the water tower. The Secretary reported that she hasn’t seen any ground squirrel activity near the office compound in recent weeks. Director Hayhurst wondered if perhaps the new electric fence was enough of an irritant to them that it was keeping them away.

The Board discussed plans for the Dedication Ceremony at Barstow Heights Park. Director Hayhurst suggested Wednesday, November 4th starting at 10:00 AM.  She had already confirmed with the keynote speakers (Beverly Lowry and Dick Jacobs) that the date and time works for them, as well as for the groundskeepers of the park and city employees. Donuts, muffins, and cookies/lemon bars, were all suggested as possible options for the refreshments. Director Hayhurst will try to get a portable PA system that can be used. The Secretary will call and personally invite Barbara Kelley’s daughter (Janet Fowler), as well as create a flyer/invitation to send out to the media (Kay Lovato at the Desert Dispatch), City of Barstow officials and employees, and especially Mark Gerardi and all of his workers/crew. She will also promote the event on the blog, office bulletin board, Facebook, and the Next Door online community page.

The list of Long Range Plans for Barstow Heights Park was reviewed. The Secretary had nothing new to report about progress on the Street Lamps, but she had made progress on the “Fence alongside Ramp” project. Ellis Fence Company was scheduled to come for a job walk through the next morning, so an estimate/proposal for that job was expected to be received in the coming week. The Board decided to review more of the items on Director Schendel’s list at the next meeting and merge his ideas with the first list of ideas that had been started back in January of 2015. The Directors agreed that Shade Covers for the playground equipment at both parks and setting a more specific timeline of when the Board would like projects started and completed would be a priority at the next meeting.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no safety or maintenance issues reported in the past month. The Board briefly reviewed the Long Range Plans for Venner Park. A resident and guest, Gene Lowe, entered the meeting at 6:24 PM. He was welcomed to the meeting.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed. The new office Bulletin Board had been received and was hung securely on the outside of the chain-link fence by President Jacobs near the end of August. The Secretary had purchased and added a small lock to the cabinet and is happy about the extra space it now gives her for posting things. The Secretary also reported that John Rowe was scheduled to begin the repairs to the interior walls/ceiling of the office within the next week or two, so she was anticipating that the job was likely to be completed before the next board meeting in October. A “work date” to assist the Secretary with cleaning out the kitchen cupboards will be set for mid-late November at the next meeting. Director Wilkey added that the dumpster gets emptied on Thursdays, so a Wednesday might be a good day to fill it up.

The Purchasing Policy was addressed. The Board reviewed the Purchasing Policy shared by Helendale CSD for the District to use as a starting point and reference. The Board discussed at length all of the details of the policy to determine which parts were relevant and which parts should be revised to better fit the needs of the District. Director Hayhurst will give her revised copy that includes notes on all of the changes to the Secretary, so a final draft copy can be ready for board approval next month. The Secretary will then begin working on updating the Banking Policy (formerly known as the “Check Signing” and “Fund Transfer” Policies) in November and the Secretarial Procedures list (adding a new technology “Back-up Policy”) in December.

The General Manager reported that she had talked with the Auditor about the accounting mistake she had been making (the wrong amount deducted from her pay for social security). He assured her that because the District had always paid the correct amount required to the government and because she had reported it to him and to the Accountant right away as soon as she discovered the error, there was nothing further that needed to be done or to worry about, as long as the correct amount is deducted from now on. She also reported that Deb from Stewart’s Business and Tax Service would be coming to the office on Wednesday to reconcile the last few months of accounting done on QuickBooks. Lastly, she reported that her supply of official District letterhead (and envelopes) is running out and inquired about whether or not the Board would like the opportunity to design a new logo for the District or keep it the same. The Board agreed that it would be a good time for her to update the logo if she would like to, but suggested that she keep the design simple.

President Jacobs asked if any of the Directors had Reports to discuss. There were none, but President Jacobs did want to know if anyone else had received a questionnaire in the mail from the U.S. Census Bureau similar to the one he pulled out to show everyone. He was just curious if it was something that all were being required to fill out or if it was more of a voluntary survey or scam that only he had received. Only Director Hayhurst had ever received something similar.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there were two new bills that had just arrived; one from The Pun Group for $2,800 (the audit) and one from Hi Desert Alarm for $336 (annual service fee). Director Hayhurst asked that a check payable to the Secretary for $75 also be included with the bills to be approved, so it can be noted in the minutes for the benefit of the Auditor and Accountant. The $75 check was to reimburse the Secretary for pay she was owed (since she had been deducting $25 from her pay for the last three pay periods) when she had mistakenly believed that she would owe money back to the District because of the social security deduction mistake. Director Wilkey motioned to pay all of the bills as presented and discussed. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session requested.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Monday, October 26th at 6:00 PM.
The meeting adjourned at 7:22 PM.

Submitted by:
Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Friday, October 23, 2015

Agenda for 10/26 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, October 26th, 2015 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests  

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Consent Items:    Minutes – September 29th, 2015
                              Financial Reports – September of 2015

5.   Correspondence

6.   Parks:        Barstow Heights:    Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                            Dedication Ceremony – Wed. Nov 4th at 10am
                                                            Long Range Plans
                                                                        Bid 01-15 (two bids received)
                                                                        Street Lamps East of Basketball Court
                                                            Director Schendel’s List
                                                                        Bid from Ellis Fence (fence alongside ramp)
                                                                        Merge list with the first Long Range Plans list

                        Venner Park:               Safety Check List
                                    Long Range Plans
                                                Shade Covers over playground equipment (both parks)
                                                Exercise equipment
                                   
7.   Office Building & Compound:       Long Range Plans
                                                                        Interior wall/ceiling repairs and painting (done)
                                                                        “Work date” to clean out kitchen (mid-late November)

8.   Policies and Procedures Manual – Purchasing Policy

9.   General Manager’s Report

10.  Directors’ Reports

11.  Bills:         Edison - $96.09           Terminix - $40.00       Verizon - $70.47
                        Stewart’s Business & Tax Service - $387.50 (accounting)

12.  New Business

13.  Executive Session – Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

14 .  Adjournment

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Dedication of Barstow Heights Park on Wed, Nov. 4th at 10:00am!


You are invited to join us for a
Dedication Ceremony
at Barstow Heights Park
(located on the corner of H Street and Rimrock Road)
10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, November 4th, 2015
 

 
Come Celebrate with us…
(The Barstow Heights Community Services District Board of Directors)
the completion of recent park improvement projects!

  Our brief ceremony will honor the memory of two very special ladies;
Barbara E. Kelley, who gave more than 36 years of dedicated service to our community as a Director of the BHCSD, and Dorothy Davis, whose generous contributions funded the recent additions of new shade canopies, picnic tables, barbecues, trash cans, sidewalks, and trees to beautify the park.

Keynote speakers will include Beverly J. Lowry and Richard (Dick) P. Jacobs. Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the ceremony.

 

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Receive Telephone Emergency Notification Alerts

Do you know about TENS?

In an effort to quickly communicate information on impending dangers, the San Bernardino County Sheriff and Fire Departments send high-speed mass notifications via telephone and text messages. This system is known as the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS).

The County uses a database of landline telephone numbers, which is updated every six months, to send emergency messages to landline phones only. By signing up below, residents can also receive emergency text messages on their cell phones.
 
to sign up online.
 
Those without internet connections can sign up by calling 2-1-1 or (888) 435-7565. TENS alerts do not generally go out to the entire County but instead are targeted to affected areas.
 

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Minutes from 8/24/15 Meeting (approved 9/29/15)

BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, August 24, 2015

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:01 PM and Director Wilkey led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. Director Schendel was absent. There were no guests in attendance.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Hayhurst motioned to accept the Minutes of the July 27th, 2015 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for July of 2015 as presented. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review. Each Director received an invitation from the Helendale Community Services District, to attend the upcoming grand opening of Helendale Community Park on September 12th.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no deficiencies noted on the list. Another shipment of Gas Cartridges used to control the Ground Squirrels had been ordered and were expected to arrive soon. Director Hayhurst reported that she had talked with Perry (of Golden State Water Company) and he had confirmed that the small chicken wire fence that was just put in close to and around the water tank is electric. It may take a few weeks to determine how well it is working, since it was so newly installed. President Jacobs and Director Hayhurst agreed that they would work together to get permission/access from the water company to set off a few gas cartridges just inside the outer edges of their fenced-in compound during the first week of October.

The Board discussed choosing a date for the Plaque Dedication and Cake-cutting ceremony at Barstow Heights Park. Director Hayhurst will make a few phone calls to determine what day of the week and time would work best for the city employees to stop by during their work-day for a quick ceremony, so that a specific date in October or November can be decided on at the next meeting.

The updated list of Long Range Plans for Barstow Heights Park was reviewed. President Jacobs reported that he had already started to type up the list of desired specifications for another Bid Sheet (Bid 01-15). The work to be done would include the addition of two more covered picnic areas. The Directors agreed they wanted to get started on the project right away, even if the work wasn’t likely to be completed until next Spring. Director Stapp mentioned his concerns about putting up two more canopies that would take away so much of the open grass areas that guests want and need to put up their bounce houses. He suggested that just one more canopy be added (not two) and the Board worked out all of the specifications they wanted to include on the final Bid Sheet. The Secretary will mail out the Bid Sheets in early September, which will then be due by October 13th, so the Board can review them at the October 26th Board Meeting. Next, the Secretary reported that she had submitted the “project information sheet” to Southern California Edison to request that a service technician come to determine what options the District has for adding new street lamps/lighting on the East side of the Basketball Court, but no further progress had been made on that yet. President Jacobs also reminded everyone that the Shade Covers over the playground equipment (at both parks) are needed before it gets hot again next summer and that project should be pursued quickly also. He will call Angel (the one from Ft. Irwin that Director Schendel had recommended previously) to request a job walk-though and bid after he returns from his vacation next month.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no deficiencies noted on the list. The updated list of Long Range Plans for Venner Park was reviewed. Director Hayhurst reported that she had received a few ideas (including pull-up bars) from a friend that exercises with the group at Venner Park. They were so thrilled to have been asked for their input and she will follow up with them again to see if they have any more ideas/requests for the fitness area.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed. The Bulletin Board (ordered from Belson Outdoors) will be delivered in the coming week. The Contract from JDR Construction to fix up and paint the office interior was reviewed. Director Hayhurst suggested that kitchen be renovated also once the rest of the office has been improved. She also suggested that the Board of Directors plan a work day when they can come to the office and assist the Secretary with cleaning out the cupboards in the kitchen. The Board resumed discussing the Bid/Proposal from JDR Construction. Director Wilkey motioned to accept the bid as presented. Director Hayhurst seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The Secretary will notify JDR Construction that they are hired to do the work.

The Secretary reported that once she receives the sample Purchasing Policy document from Helendale CSD, she will begin writing the new Purchasing Policy. She will also be revising the Outline and Review Schedule for the Policies and Procedures Manual as suggested by Director Hayhurst.

The General Manager reported that she had talked with the County Elections Office about what is needed to get Director Schendel “appointed in lieu of election” to fill his vacancy on the board next year. She also reported that she had attended the Neighborhood Watch meeting at Barstow Heights Park along with President Jacobs and Director Stapp on Thursday morning 8/20. Three officers presented and it was attended by approximately 25 people. She now has new and current resources she can share with anyone who wants to know more about the Neighborhood Watch program and she learned more about community safety in general. President Jacobs added that the meeting had reminded him about some Neighborhood Watch Signs that the District had purchased and put up many years ago. He found that there are now just two of those signs left (one on Rimrock road and one on L street) out of the many signs that had been put up. Lastly, the General Manager let the Board know that she had been making a mistake on the amount she was taking from her paychecks to pay social security. She hadn’t been aware that the law (and deduction amount) had changed in January 2013, so she kept deducting the same amount she had since she began working for the District. The accountant and auditor were told of the situation as soon as she realized it and it is now being calculated correctly. The good news was that the District has always paid the correct amount required to the government, so there are no late fees, penalties, or legal issues as a result. There are still a few questions for the Auditor that need resolving, but the Secretary will continue to work with him and the accountant to make sure the District receives from her any money that might be owed back to it.

President Jacobs asked if there were any Directors’ Reports to discuss. Due to vacations and a variety of personal scheduling conflicts, Director Stapp brought up the concern whether enough Directors would be available to meet on the 4th Monday in September. They agreed to move the next meeting to the 4th Tuesday night instead. Director Stapp also asked if anyone was aware of what had been going on with the Yermo CSD. He had read in the newspaper that they were in some trouble for not being in compliance on certain things. He wanted to be sure our District has always complied with those same requirements and the President and General Manager confirmed that the District has and does. Director Wilkey shared another idea to add to the list of park improvements:  Bicycle racks. Another idea that had been suggested to him is to add a “walking path” of some kind around the park(s). He suggested that this could most easily be added at Barstow Heights Park where there is an easement between the homes and fence on the West side where a sidewalk could be added that extends all around the entire property. Director Hayhurst suggested the pathway could be made of the recycled rubber material that is cushioned to walk on. A retaining wall and steps added to the front (North) side of BHP was then mentioned as a possibility (to create room for a level sidewalk/walking path). The Secretary was directed to add all of these ideas to the Long Range Plans list.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there was one new bill from USDA APHIS Wildlife for $249.06 (to purchase rodent gas cartridges). Director Wilkey motioned to pay all of the bills as presented. Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session requested.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 7:06 PM.

Submitted by:
Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager

Friday, September 25, 2015

Agenda for 9/29 Board Meeting

A G E N D A
BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 - 6:00 PM

1.   Call to Order and Flag Salute

2.   Roll Call and Recognition of Guests  

3.   Public Comments/Questions

4.   Consent Items:      Minutes – August 24th, 2015
                              Financial Reports – August of 2015

5.   Correspondence

6.   Parks:        Barstow Heights:         Safety Check List and Ground Squirrels
                                                            Plaque Dedication Ceremony – choose date
                                                            Long Range Plans
                                                                        One additional Covered Picnic Area (Bid 01-15 sent)
                                                                        Street Lamp added to East side of basketball court
                                                                        Fence alongside Ramp
                                                                        Director Schendel’s List

                        Venner:                       Safety Check List
                                    Long Range Plans
                                                Shade Covers over playground equipment (both parks)
                                                Exercise equipment
 
7.   Office Building & Compound:       Long Range Plans
                                                                        Bulletin Board (done)
                                                                        Interior wall/ceiling
                                                                        Work Date (to clean out kitchen cupboards)

8.   Policies and Procedures Manual – Purchasing Policy and Schedule/Outline (revised)

9.   General Manager’s Report

10.  Directors’ Reports

11.  Bills:         Edison - $113.40         Terminix - $40.00       Verizon - $94.31
                        Jennifer Rubio - $149.61 (extra nine hours worked – audit completion)

12.  New Business

13.  Executive Session – Litigation GC54956.99 (A) and Personnel GC54957.1

14 .  Adjournment

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Minutes from 7/27/15 Meeting (approved 8/24/15)


BARSTOW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, July 27, 2015

President Jacobs called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and Director Stapp led the group in the flag salute. Directors Jacobs, Schendel, Stapp, Wilkey, and Hayhurst were all present. There were more guests in attendance than usual, including residents, Mike and Rindy Hughes, Rick Kastner, Terri Walters, and Naydean Williams. Retired teacher, Terri Walters, was given some time to tell the Board of Directors about the new neighborhood group she had started in early June on a free and private online networking community (nextdoor.com). She was pleased to report that 22% of her neighbors had joined thus far. The number one goal of the site is to help the community connect and increase neighborhood safety.

The Consent Items were reviewed. Director Schendel motioned to accept the Minutes of the June 22nd, 2015 Meeting, along with the Financial Reports for June of 2015 as presented. Director Hayhurst seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

The Correspondence file was offered for review.

Barstow Heights Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no deficiencies noted on the list. The report specified that the park had been sprayed with weed killer and pre-emergent inside and out. The Ground Squirrels are somewhat under control, but continue to be seen running in and out of the park. The Secretary reported that more gas cartridges have been ordered and should be arriving soon. Director Hayhurst will follow up with Golden State Water Company again to ask how their attempts to control the Ground Squirrels inside the water tower compound are going.

The updated list of Long Range Plans for Barstow Heights Park was reviewed. President Jacobs reported that all of the new park equipment that was ordered had arrived in mid-July and that John Rowe had already been able to assemble and install all of it in both Parks. The Secretary reported that she had just received a “project information sheet” from Southern California Edison that she is filling out and submitting to request (again) that a service technician come and help determine what options the District has for adding new street lamps/lighting on the East side of the Basketball Court. Director Schendel reported that he had walked through and inspected Barstow Heights Park recently, and had compiled a list of projects/improvements he would like to suggest be considered. He read the list and explained his recommendations. The Secretary will type up a copy of his list for the Director’s to refer to and review again at the next Board Meeting.

Venner Park was addressed. The Safety Check List from the City was reviewed. There were no deficiencies noted on the list. The report specified that the park had been sprayed with weed killer and pre-emergent inside and out. The updated list of Long Range Plans for Venner Park was reviewed. Director Wilkey reported that he had asked a City grounds-keeper about replacing the missing support pole for a young tree, and that it was taken care of quickly. President Jacobs reported that he was pleased with the work John Rowe had done recently also. He dug holes by hand in order to avoid damaging any sprinkler/water lines when he cemented in the foundations of the Benches and other new equipment he assembled and installed at both parks.

The Office Building and Compound were addressed. The Secretary reported that she would call again for an update on the status on the Bulletin Board (ordered from Belson Outdoors) this week. She had been told to expect it to arrive by early August, but she hadn’t received the shipping confirmation yet. The Secretary had also received a Bid/Proposal from JDR Construction to remove the old air conditioning unit and patch the inside and outside of the wall where it sat, as well as, repair/patch the cracked dry-wall on the inside of the building and paint the interior also. The Board asked that a more detailed description of the work to be done be included in the written contract. The Secretary will talk with John Rowe to request a revised Bid/Proposal so the Board can review it again at the next Board Meeting. President Jacobs reported that he had sprayed weed killer around the outside of the Office Building again.

The Notice of Election and Candidate Filing information was reviewed. The Secretary reminded the Board which three seats would expire in December of 2015 (Jacobs, Schendel, and Wilkey) and that if they wished to re-apply as a Candidate for another 4-year term, the paperwork filing deadline needed to be met very soon (5pm on August 7th).

The Board reviewed the new Outline and Review Schedule for the Policies and Procedures Manual that the Secretary had prepared and provided in their agenda packets. Director Hayhurst suggested there be a more visible way of checking off the items on the list that had been completed, so the Secretary will revise the documents again. Director Hayhurst also updated the Board that she had requested and is still expecting to receive the sample Purchasing Policy document (from Helendale CSD) for the Secretary to use and draw content/ideas from as needed to write the new Purchasing Policy.

The General Manager reported that she had talked with the Auditor about scheduling the date he will be attending a Board Meeting to review the Audit. He suggested that he could come as early as the October 26th Board Meeting, provided the District complies quickly with all of the steps required to complete the Audit before the end of August or September. The Auditor will be calling her this week and had invited Director Hayhurst to join in on the Conference Call also to begin the process.

President Jacobs asked if there were any Directors’ Reports to discuss. Director Wilkey reported on his assignment from President Jacobs to review the current insurance policy that covers the District and share his professional opinion on whether it is adequate and/or lacking in any areas. He believed that there are other insurance company options that could save the District money while offering the same or better coverage. Since the current insurance policy is pre-paid until next May, Director Hayhurst suggested that the Board begin discussing insurance policy options again in January before the re-enrollment period begins. The Secretary will add the item to the January 2016 Agenda.

President Jacobs asked the Secretary if there were any additional bills to be presented. She indicated that there was one new bill not listed on the Agenda. Director Wilkey motioned to pay all of the bills as presented including a payment of $2,200.00 (invoice #369) for labor to assemble and install new park equipment (2 picnic tables, 4 trash cans, 2 barbecues, and 8 benches). Director Stapp seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. There was no New Business to address and no Executive Session requested.

The next Regular Meeting was scheduled for Monday, August 24th at 6:00 PM. The meeting adjourned at 7:15 PM.

Submitted by:
Jen Rubio - Secretary/General Manager