Attending: Bob Gray, Chris Hoess, Anna Hull, Tracy Raymond, David Ross, in person; Molly Anderson, Henry Whitesel via phone 5:00pm at Lincoln University.

A) Key Dates

1. Our next board meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7, 2:00-4:00 at Lincoln University, Room 235
Conference Dial-in Number: (716) 748-0224 (potential toll call)
Host Access Code: 445962*
Participant Access Code: 445962#

2. Hikes, Talks, Work Days and Other Commitments

Wednesday, January 20, GH Work Day, 10 am – Henry leads
Sunday, January 24, Lower Chrome Work Day, 1pm – Molly leads
Sunday, January 31, GH Work Day, 10 am – Henry leads
March 4, Oxford First Friday
Friday, March 24, GH Work Day, 9 am – Anna leads
Saturday, April 16, Upper Chrome Work Day, 9am
May 6, Oxford First Friday
Saturday, May 7, NCP Work Day, 9am – David leads
Saturday, May 28, New Texas, 9am – Chris leads
Friday, June 3, Deloitte Work Day at GH – Molly leads
June 3, Oxford First Friday
Friday, June 10, GH Work Day, 9 am – Anna and Henry lead
Saturday, June 25, Lower Chrome Work Day, 9am – Bob leads

B) Action Items Going Forward

Molly Anderson
Will lead January 24 Serps Day at Lower Chrome 1pm to prepare for spring mowing;
working out details of spring mowing with Bob Folk.

Mike Bertram:
Point person for our history initiatives

Bob Gray:
Will assist Anna in completing annual report.
Point person for strategic planning initiatives.

Chris Hoess:
Will lead May 28 work day at New Texas
Will look at potential of Google Docs to meet our databases needs for keeping track of contact lists.
Will lead end of July 2016 fame flower walk at Goat Hill

Anna Hull:
Leads March 25 work day at Goat Hill, 9-2 and co-leads June 10 work day there.
Will ask Kent to lead April 16 work day at Chrome [Upper or Lower?] and obtain conflict of interest form for annual report.
Will introduce Tracy to OMI for First Friday tabling.
Will contact Oxford Public Library to set date for spring talk.
Will obtain conflict of interest form for annual report and scan copies for David.
Will complete annual report.
Point person for science and education initiatives.

Tracy Raymond
Will propose March-June hike themes for February meeting.
Will circulate itemized tabling budget for February meeting.
Will follow up with Harold Sweetman about date for summer fund raiser.
Will circulate a summary of members structure research for February meeting.
Point person for membership and outreach initiatives.

David Ross:
Monitor that SerpsDay leaders have correct liability forms.
Will lead May 7 work day at NCP
Will work with WCU on GIS initiatives.
Will identify the owner of the race-track property bordering the S end of Upper Chrome.
Point person for administrative initiatives.

Kent Wagner:
Complete conflict of interest form for annual report.
Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives.

Henry Whitesel:
Leads January 20 and 31 work days at Goat Hill to prepare for March mowing.
Co-leads June 10 work day at Goat Hill.
Will propose March 5 or 12 as mowing dates (weather permitting) to Jim Herr.
Will identify who else is mowing at Lower and Upper Chrome.
Complete conflict of interest form for annual report.
Point person for conservation/maintenance planning

C) Agenda Items Considered

Welcome and Agenda
Approved minutes of December 11, 2015 minutes
Approved agenda
Next Meeting Date: Our next board meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7, 2:00-4:00 at Lincoln University, Room 235
Activity Schedule, Spring and Summer 2016

• Workdays with leaders
See 2016 Tentative StewDay Schedule file in Dropbox for listing; discussion under Action items
for tasks.

• Hikes with leaders
Schedule hikes on 2nd Saturday of each month for March – June
Discuss details and leaders in February
Discussed potential hike from NCP to Goat Hill with camping at Goat Hill; need follow up with Jay (NCP), Joe (Goat Hill) and intervening landowners.

• Fundraisers with organizers
First Friday tabling: See Oxford First Friday Presence below
Harold Sweetman fund raiser around the theme of blue grass music, beer and native plants. Goal is to have a date for February board meeting.

• Talks
We concluded that we could not see an obvious tie-in between FSLSB and Grandma
Gatewood’s Walk, one of the book Longwood Gardens is sponsoring for this year’s Community Read initiative. [Oxford Public Library is sponsoring a book discussion at Ware on January 26]
We are sufficiently confident we can find a theme/presenter to have Anna schedule a date for a public talk at Ware sponsored by Oxford Public Library.

• Education
Nothing to report beyond tie-in to our hikes and tabling activities
Report on Action Items from December Board Meeting

• NCP workdays (David) and shed (Anna, Chris, Henry, Tracy)
Jay has gotten permission to share mapping information with West Chester faculty. David will follow up. Goal is to develop a GIS-based site identification scheme comparable to that at our other properties.
Park staff are aggressively removing obstacles to mowing in the previously burned areas in the eastern area of the park. David will follow up with Jay to decide whether we can support that effort or continue working on the SW corner savannahs.
The former public toilet shed seems promising as a potential FSLSB resource at NCP. Jay is seeking to obtain permission to make it available to us. Anna will follow up. Chris will contact a colleague to see if architectural options might emerge from a class project. Short-term goal would be to use it store equipment; use grant funding to make it more of an FSLSB headquarters.

• Goat Hill mowing prep and permit/liability (Anna, Henry)
1/20 and 1/31 clearing for Goat Hill mowing; Henry leads 10 – 2. Henry and Mike removed rebar from scraped areas in December. Substantial progress has been made along Rose Trail for mowing.
SerpsDay leaders are responsible for providing the correct liability forms.
Agreed that we want a minimum of three volunteers for the March mowing dates with Jim Herr.
Recommend scheduling Deloitte Day at Goat Hill this year with goal of tackling encroaching saplings.

• Chrome mowing (Henry, Molly)
Molly is drafting a revised lease agreement with Bob Folk to include a protocol for mowing sites 9 and 14.
She reports that Liz Johnson is excited by the idea of pursuing a stream restoration project at Lower Chrome.
Henry still intends to identify who else is mowing at Lower and Upper Chrome.
David will identify the owner of the race-track property bordering the S end of Upper Chrome.

• Funds (Chris, Tracy)
Annual dinner follow-up:
Chris and Tracy resolved accounting questions with PPFF finances.
Chris reports current balance at PPFF of $1220.90 before subtracting 2015 transaction fees of approximately $14.
Future expenses: Tracy estimates her request to cover costs for tabling needs will likely be around $200.
Grant applications: On hold

• Mailing list(s) (Tracy)
We agreed to discuss our wants, needs and options in February.
Chris will look at capabilities of database component of Google Docs.

• Eagle Scout Project
Henry is still waiting hear back from the scout. Options remain Upper Chrome kiosk or Goat Hill camp site.

• Annual Report
Anna indicates that she is close to producing a final report for PPFF

• Greatest Challenge
Gathering sufficient volunteers to carry out our mission.

• Highlights/Greatest Accomplishments
Expanded outreach and annual dinner.

• Current work plan
Agreed that we are operating under the targets identified at the start of last year. Will work on developing a new plan this spring. We’d like to ensure that our maintenance and restoration work reflects best practice for protecting animals and insects as well as plants.

• Budget
We are comfortable with the estimates Bob and Anna have developed.

• Conflict of Interest Signature Page
Need to obtain from all voting members of the Board; Anna will send in what she has by end of month and scan copies for David.

2016 Goals
Tabled to February

Membership Structure
Tracy has researched membership options at similar organizations. We will discuss in February.
She will circulate a summary of she learned before the meeting.

Oxford First Friday Presence
Tentatively agreed to do March, May and June.
Share trail maps and FSLSB outreach material.
Items for resale.
Could share table with NCP.
Tracy to circulate itemized budget for tabling material before February board meeting.
Anna to connect Tracy with Oxford Mainstreet to get on schedule

Other Business, Adjournment
Adjourned, 7:03 pm with appreciation for Anna for her chairing and agenda setting