September 13, 2022 Board Minutes
River Hill Board of Directors
Meeting Minutes
September 13, 2022
Opening (Agenda Item 2):
Mr. Bruening called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. The meeting was hybrid held in person at Claret Hall and virtually via Zoom. The following members attended: Kevin Bruening, Jim Kirk, Janet Munro, and Jian Ni. Renee DuBois, Village Manager and Eric Greenberg, Columbia Council Representative were present. The following guests attended the meeting: Muyiwa Odeniyide, Rohit Shah, Jennifer Gao, Arthur Wang, Harry Dunbar and Jennifer Lynott.
Approval of the Agenda (Agenda Item 3):
Ms. Munro made a motion to approve the agenda. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
Announcement of Executive Session (Agenda Item 4A)
None held. An Executive Session was scheduled to occur after the conclusion of the Board Meeting.
Board Meeting Minutes – June 21, 2022 and August 1, 2022 (Agenda Item 4B):
Mr. Greenberg made a motion to approve the June 21, 2022, Minutes. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
Mr. Greenberg made a motion to approve the August 1, 2022, Minutes. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous consent.
Resident Speak Out (Agenda Item 5)
None.
BOD Structure
Board of Directors Vacancy Interviews (Agenda Item 6A):
Mr. Bruening made a motion to postpone the interviews until the October meeting. Mr. Ni seconded the motion. The motion failed (2-2).
The Board of Directors interviewed Mr. Muyiwa Odeniyide and Mr. Rohit Shah for the vacant position.
Mr. Bruening made a motion to table the appointment of a new Board member until the October meeting to allow for more time to expand the pool of candidate and conduct more interviews. Mr. Kirk suggested the Board conduct the interviews for the Student Advisory Member and then come back to discussion about the Board vacancy. There was no dissent.
Student Advisory Member(s) Interviews (Agenda Item 6B)
The Board of Directors interviewed Miss Jennifer Gao and Mr. Arthur Wang for the Student Advisory Member position(s) on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Bruening made a motion to accept both candidates to serve as Student Advisory Members to the Board of Directors. Ms. Munro seconded the motion. The motion was adopted by unanimous consent.
Mr. Bruening called for a 5-minute recess at 8:39 p.m. The Board reconvened at 8:44 p.m.
Board of Directors Vacancy Interviews (Agenda Item 6A continued):
Mr. Bruening made a motion to vote by text to Ms. DuBois for the appointment of a new Board member to fill the vacant seat. Mr. Greenberg seconded the motion. The results of the vote were two votes in favor of Mr. Odeniyide, one vote in favor of Mr. Shah, and 1 abstention. Student Advisory votes were two in favor of Mr. Odeniyide.
At 9:03 Student Advisory Members Ms. Gao and Mr. Wang left the meeting.
Election of Officers (Agenda Item 6C)
Mr. Bruening nominated himself for Board Chair. Ms. Munro nominated Mr. Kirk for Board Chair. Mr. Ni nominated Mr. Bruening for Board Chair. Mr. Greenberg nominated Mr. Odeniyide for Board Chair. Mr. Bruening nominated Ms. Munro for Board Chair; she declined. The nominees for Board Chair were Mr. Bruening, Mr. Kirk, and Mr. Odeniyide.
Voting by text to Ms. DuBois occurred. The results of the vote were three votes for Mr. Kirk and two votes for Mr. Bruening. Mr. Kirk was elected Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the term to end on April 30, 2023.
At 9:21 p.m., Mr. Kirk took over as Board Chairperson. Mr. Bruening remains Vice Chair.
Old Business
FY22 CA Financial Reports (Agenda Item 7A):
Ms. DuBois provided information about the Statement of Cash Reserves and remittance amount.
Mr. Greenberg made a motion to accept the FY22 Financial Statement as presented. Mr. Kirk seconded the motion. The motion passed (4-0-1). Mr. Ni left the meeting at approximately 9:25 p.m.
New Business (Agenda Item 8)
Ms. DuBois shared that the Village has been asked to co-sponsor an event with the Village of Oakland Mills. The event relates to the history of Columbia and covenants. It was agreed that this information will be shared with residents via email blast.
Development Advisory Committee Liaison (Agenda Item 8Ai):
Discussion of the Scott Property development plans (S. Trotter Road next to Clarksville Middle School) included an update on the appeal process and environmental factors. Mr. Bruening announced the upcoming “HoCo by Design” meeting scheduled for September 28.
Traffic & Safety Committee (Agenda Item 8Aii):
The committee was reactivated in early September and plans to address issues related to the need for a traffic signal at Route 108 and Linden Linthicum Lane, unsafe vehicle operation in the greater River Hill/Clarksville area, loud noise emitted from modified cars, and the presence of food trucks in the Village.
It was reported that the HCPD has established a task force to examine state and county laws for better enforcement. Ms. Munro stated that she has noticed an improvement/decrease in the amount of noise coming from modified cars lately.
Watershed Advisory Committee (Agenda Item 8Aiii):
None.
Sound Barrier Liaison (Agenda Item 8Aiv):
Ms. Munro will follow up with State Delegate Jen Terrasa’s office to explore how to address State Highway Administration (SHA) claims the highway (Route 32) was there before the Village of River Hill was developed and therefore, they don’t have to do anything to address the noise. Ms. Munro will collaborate with Del. Jen Terrasa on addressing the eligibility requirements.
Village Manager (Agenda Item 8B):
None.
Columbia Council Representative (Agenda Item 8C):
Mr. Greenberg reported that Columbia Association Board of Directors is revisiting a tot lot in Hickory Ridge known as the “Sixpence Tot Lot,” which has been closed for many months as it was deemed unsafe due to the deterioration of the wood play structure. CA has proposed replacing this tot lot and has developed a concept to replace all tot lots over the next 15 years. The proposed plan is to replace all tot lots with essentially the same type of design called a “Rascal” design which has limited appeal due to its cheaper, smaller equipment. The Board has requested that CA hold a Town Hall for residents to provide input on their vision of play areas in Columbia.
Board Chairperson (Agenda Item 8D):
None.
Board Speak Out (Agenda Item 10):
Ms. Munro requested that the Board members have input on the agenda items before they are posted and sent out. She also requested that Board members communicate more via their RHCA email accounts between Board meetings to follow up on issues discussed at Board meetings for quicker resolution.
Adjournment (Agenda Item 11):
At 10:15 p.m., Mr. Greenberg made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Munro seconded the motion. The motion passed with unanimous consent.