St Charles County Master Gardener

 

Steering Committee Meeting Minutes

 

Thursday, 19 November 2020

 

Attendees:  Kevin Minard, Jan Carron, Rebekah Davis, Joe Walker, Justin Keay, Cindy Platzer, Marsha Brown, Patti Kolek, Libby Wilson

 

Call to Order:   Kevin Minard called the meeting to order at 9:02 AM

 

Secretary’s Report:   Rebekah Davis-  Steering Committee (SC) Meeting Minutes for 12 October were approved as written.

 

Treasurer’s Report:   Joe Walker-    Joe reported the net monthly change for October

($xxxx.xx).  End of October 2020 cash in bank was identified.   Revenue and expenses from 2019 were shown for comparison.  Unallocated dollars are N/A.  Remaining Demo Garden allocation are

N/A.  An end of October totals based on annual income statement was shown.  Joe mentioned the net monthly change was due in part to the greenhouse repair (furnace) and that there is expected to be plant sale expenses in December.

 

MU Horticulturalist Specialist:   Justin Keay- 

Selecting Master Gardener of the Month and Communicating Selection with Alexandra McKinney:  Alexandra is the Extension’s new part-time social media marketing person who is wanting to highlight a Master Gardener (MG) on the Extension’s Facebook page each month.  Justin Keay wants to give the responsibility of selecting the Master Gardener each month to the Steering Committee who would then communicate with Alexandra.  The group agreed to this and will start adding this topic to each month’s SC meeting agenda, the MG President will be communicating the descisions to Alexandra.  Cindy Platzer suggested selecting MGs to highlight events and gardens at specific times.  Joe Walker suggested that perhaps groups could be highlighted in addition to individuals.  The Master Gardener to be interviewed by Alexandra for the January highlight will be Jan Carron.

                       

Update for the Dig-In 2021:  Dig-In is scheduled for 27-Feb-2021.   Justin Keay reported that the Education Committee is trial testing Zoom’s multiple meeting rooms function to see how it works; another trial run will be scheduled before the Dig-In.  Justin gave a brief overview of the event’s scheduling (date and times for the day’s activities) and mentioned that the event will be using Eventbrite to handle registration and payment.  The Education Committee will continue to meet and plan for the event, including further discussing a marketing strategy, of which is currently using social media to advertise the event.

 

Update on Creek Bank stabilization project:  The project has been completed in accordance to the bid.  Justin Keay mentioned receiving emails expressing concern of the project being completed appropriately.   Alex Reichert will be releasing a Q&A Statement explaining the project’s process to satisfy some of these concerns.  Justin stated that the project was designed by an engineering firm that works on creek bank stabilization and the construction was completed according to plan.  The area around the project has been stripped of vegetation and seeded with a grass mixture (also according to plan).  The Steering Committee discussed possible plans for replanting the project area and it was agreed to investigate getting the MG Leads Committee to partner with Master Naturalists (MN) to form an exploratory Committee that would work with Justin on planting around the creek project.  Marsha Brown mentioned that many of the existing plants will return on their own, if we wait for that.   Justin recomended inviting an MG and MN to an Extension Council meeting to formally pursue a proper planting project with Extension’s approval.  Nothing around the creek project is to be done without Justin’s approval.  The creek planting project will require outside consultation- Joe Walker is pursuing a contact with the Missouri Department of Conservation that may be of help.  

                                               

 

MU County Engagement Specialist:  Alex Reichert-  No report

 

Committee Reports-

 

Membership:  Waneta Parmenter, Bonnie Winkeler-  No report.  Cindy Platzer mentioned that there is an online class going on and there needs to be a discussion on how to bring those Trainees into the fold once classes are finished.  It was agreed upon that this topic will be discussed further at the December Steering Committee meeting.

 

Demo Gardens:  Cindy Platzer-  Demo Leads will meet in December to discuss annual plans and budgets, Cindy will email the proposed budgets. 

 

Cindy reported that the Monarch Waystation Garden has been replanted.  The amendment beds have been moved back in place- shifted slightly east, to allow a vehicle to pass to the southwest, but in same area.   Cindy is coordinating arranging amendments to be ordered/delivered.

 

Greenhouse:  Laura Stiemel, Nancy Torke- Marsha Brown reported that the Greenhouse is setup and ready to go.  Pots and Promix have been ordered.  The furnace has been repaired.

 

Plant Sale:  Marsha Brown, Laura Stiemel-  The Steering Committee discussed approval and details of opening an outside checking account for Master Gardeners to ease the plant sale payment process using PayPal, per Director David Trinklein’s suggestion.  Marsha Brown and Libby Wilson have been working on this, wanting to get signature authority, working with Extension Council on needed paperwork, transfering of basic amount, etc.

 

Marsha made the motion:  That the Steering Committee approve opening an incoming checking account used for fundraising and educational purposes.  Motion was approved.  To expedite the process SC agreed to review the minutes early and approve them by voting via email before 1-December.

 

Speakers:  Val Mertz- Paul Hendricks Award: The plaque has been ordered and is being kept at Val’s house.  Kevin will announce winner at the January monthly meeting (which will be on Zoom). 

 

Potential speakers for 2021 are being investigated, planning for many of them to be Zoom presentations.  Education Committee will further discuss this in January.

 

Hort Line:  (10:25) Patti Kolek-  Patti reported that the Hort Line is moving slowly.  There is currently an issue being worked on with Google security blocking volunteers from accessing the Hort Line email. 

 

Education:  Jan Carron-  Jan reported that the Committee will be discussing goals at their next meeting in December.  Cindy Platzer and Justin Keay mentioned a new MG (Zack) who does video editing, and is interested in the Education Committee.  Joe Walker suggested that once the Education Committee’s structure is more organized there should be a proposed amendment to the by-laws that allows the Committee Chair to be a member of SC like the Demo Garden Lead.

The SC discussed possibly opening restructuring itself, including bringing the Education Committee Lead as an officer, inviting members at large.  This will be discussed further in January.  

Joe discussed looking at the Polk County, Iowa MG group, sharing some of their activities and structure that he noted.   Group discussion.

 

New Business:   None reported

 

Old Business:   Kevin Minard-  2021 New Steering Committee Officers will be Laura Steimel and Rebecca Poon.

 

Good of the Order:   Cindy Platzer: MOMGA wants Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) to be reviewed/approved. (From MOMGA newsletter of November 2020, Dr. David Trinklein, State Master Gardener Coordinator states, “In a (virtual) meeting of MU Extension specialists... last month, a number of “action items” were passed. They include: … Encourage all local chapters to review the MOU they have with their County Extension Council to determine if revisions are needed...”).  Justin Keay is investigating whether our MOU needs new wording or to be rewritten.  This will be discussed further in January.

 

Justin Keay will see if MG could possibly use Extension’s Room C next year for small meetings (SC and possibly some committee meetings), or if Greenhouse could be an alternative for meeting in person January and February.

 

Next Steering Committee meeting will be 11-December, likely on Zoom.

 

 

Meeting was adjourned at 10:56 AM.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

                                   Rebekah Davis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AS APPROVED    24 November 2020