April 11, 2023 Board Minutes
River Hill Board of Directors
Meeting Minutes
April 11, 2023
Opening (Agenda Item 2):
Mr. Kirk called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. The meeting was held via Zoom. The following members attended: Kevin Bruening, Jim Kirk, Muyiwa Odeniyide, Janet Munro, and Eric Greenberg. Renee DuBois (Village Manager) was present. The following guests attended the meeting: Jennifer Lynott (Communications & Events Coordinator), Jennifer Gao (Student Member Representative), Ron Briggs, and April Battle.
Approval of the (Agenda Item 3):
Ms. DuBois requested that the agenda be modified by adding an Administrative Item (4C -Appointment of Amy Wheeler to the Architectural Committee). Mr. Bruening requested to add an Administrative Item (4D – selection of different meeting date instead of May 9) to the agenda.
Mr. Kirk made a motion to approve the agenda as amended. Ms. Munro seconded the motion. The motion passed. 4-0
Administrative Items
Announcement of Executive Sessions (Agenda Item 4A)
None held. None scheduled.
Board Meeting Minutes – March 14, 2023 (Agenda Item 4B):
Mr. Bruening requested that the March 14, 2023, Board Minutes be amended to reflect that during Resident Speak Out, the Board agreed to take a resident’s concerns under advisement regarding the sharing of Association events via social media on pages not maintained by RHCA. The Board Chair, Mr. Kirk, suggested that RHCA staff limit social media posts onto the official RHCA platforms and pages.
Appointment of Amy Wheeler to Architectural Committee (Agenda Item 4C)
Discussion.
Mr. Kirk made a motion to appoint Ms. Amy Wheeler to the Architectural Committee for a 2-year period ending April 30, 2025. Mr. Odeniyide seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0
Date for May Board Meeting (Agenda Item 4D)
Mr. Bruening made a motion to change the May 9 Board Meeting to May 4 with an alternate date of May 16. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0
Resident Speak Out (Agenda Item 5)
None.
Teen Advisory Report (Agenda Item 6):
Ms. Gao reported that the Teen Advisory Committee (TAC) held a successful Half-Day BINGO event in March. Donations totaled $80 and will be donated to the Best Buddies Friendship Walk and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Ms. Gao mentioned the upcoming Technology Troubles help session planned for April 20. The Teen Advisory Committee will help anyone that needs some assistance with their device(s).
The Committee will be meeting soon to discuss the annual Independence Day Parade and making plans for decorating the RHCA trucks.
Old Business
Background Checks (Agenda Item 7A)
Board members raised several questions about the proposed policy. Mr. Odeniyide stated that it would be best to decide what questions to raise with legal counsel regarding the process, terms of the background check, and the use of some type of disclosure statement/questionnaire before a person can run for a seat on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Bruening made a motion to table the Background Checks item. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0
Food Trucks (Agenda Item 7B)
The food truck scheduling activity/process was discussed which would enable Village staff to coordinate food trucks.
Mr. Kirk made a motion to send the food truck policy as written to Ms. DuBois to decide on action. Mr. Odeniyide seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0
FY24 Budget (Agenda Item 7C)
Ms. DuBois explained that the budget contains general increases from 6% – 8% and that it shows a loss of about $39,000. Board members requested that the budget be reduced in the areas of repairs, professional fees, and capital spending. The budget will be revisited at the April 25 meeting.
Boy Scout Troop Free Use Request (Agenda Item 8A)
Boy Scout Troop 618 is chartered by the River Hill Community Association and has requested one free use of the Meeting Room for their Court of Honor celebration to recognize new Eagle Scouts.
Mr. Kirk made a motion to approve the free use request for the use of the Meeting Room by Boy Scout Troop 618. Mr. Bruening seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0.
Open Meeting Policy (Agenda Item 8B)
Mr. Kirk made a motion to approve the Open Meeting policy as written with a deadline of August 31, 2023, to implement the new listserv containing email addresses of only River Hill residents. The motion failed for lack of a second. Ms. Munro stated that in the interim, a statement could be included when sending out Board Meeting Agendas and Architectural Committee Meeting Agendas such as, “This announcement is intended for River Hill residents only. Meetings are limited to RHCA members (Village of River Hill residents).” The item was Tabled for Ms. DuBois to consult with legal counsel about the specific wording.
Reports
Committee/Liaison Reports
Development Advisory Liaison (Agenda Item 9i)
Mr. Bruening discussed APFO (Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance) in relation to HoCo By Design’s planned increase of housing units, up from 25,000 to 27,000 by 2040 and the potential ban on single family housing zoning. He suggested that RHCA hold an information session for the community and that a comparison can be drawn to the recent changes in zoning and development currently impacting Arlington, VA. He also mentioned that CAI is not doing anything to fight it.
Traffic & Safety Committee (Agenda Item 9ii)
No report.
Sound Barrier Liaison (Agenda Item 9iii)
Mr. Kirk stated that he plans for more sound measurements to be taken. It was reported that County Councilperson Deb Jung wants to propose this project.
Village Manager (Agenda Item 9B)
Ms. DuBois stated that the Association is currently focused on preparing for Village Elections.
Columbia Council Representative (Agenda Item 9C)
Mr. Greenberg shared that the next Board of Directors will be selecting the new President/CEO of Columbia Association, setting up new committee structures, and determining a 5-year strategic plan. He stated that there are concerns with HoCo By Design and that New Town Zoning should be preserved.
Board Chairperson (Agenda Item 9D)
No report.
Board Speak Out (Agenda Item 10)
None.
Adjournment (Agenda Item 11)
At 8:50 p.m., Mr. Kirk made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Munro seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4-0