Saginaw Collaborative Meeting Minutes - November 7, 2019

Saginaw Collaborative, Inc.

Minutes

Attendance – Cathy Macomber, Jim Williams, Dawn Goodrow, Vanessa Brooks-Herd, Stacy, Roger Scovill, Debbie

Missing – Charles, Joyce, Wardeen, Evelyn

1. Minutes – not available

2. Treasures Report – WTA will be paid tomorrow. Money is owed for the CAN grant. This will bring the balance down to approximately zero.

Presbytery funds can be used for utilities and building expenses over and above the rents we are receiving.

Conversations with tenants regarding rent now that we have a property agreement.

Administrative Commission agreed with the idea that there should be a lease with option to buy related to the building so that grant funders know that we have that in place. Expecting language for this to be approved by November 15.

We have drafts of rental agreements. Jim will get these to the tenants as well.

Michelle from First Ward would like one of the after-school programs to be housed here. This would be another source of income through her grant funding.  We can set up a time to meet as a group to discuss options.

3. JAC/SCI Board Meeting – Good conversation according to Roger. Process was reviewed. It was out of those conversations that the Administrative Commission was able to meet to agree to the Presbytery funds for use for building expenses.  Ideas regarding down the road when the building is turned over to use, there may be some matching funding from the Presbytery.  This is in the conversation stage only. Much work needs to be done before any step related to the release of matching funds.  They need to see progress before anything else happens.

Money needs to be deposited in Huntington Bank prior to our submission of a grant to them later this month.

Program committee will discuss rental fees and back rent with tenants at a meeting in the near future.  This is contingent on the completion and agreement to the rental agreements.

8. Including occupants in decision making – How will we get them involved? Program Committee should be involved in having conversations with tenants to discuss their involvement and decision-making process. This may be something that will firm up more as the Backbone Organization becomes better established.

4. Fund raising update and 5. Revised 2019/2020 Budget - Revised draft budget was distributed (please see Secretary’s files). Grant requests are in to Saginaw Community Foundation – decision making in December. Huntington Bank was approached by Jim and Joyce – a grant request will be submitted by the end of the month – this will be for building repairs and safety. CDBG grant is for the roof. Consumers energy grant is for the Electrical and HVAC – to be submitted in December.

If we get two out of the three grants, we could go to the Presbytery to say we are ready to take over the building. We have not heard from the Historical Society regarding the repairs vs. being a historical site.

Jim is investigating Mott Foundation.  The fundraising committee will work on a letter that would go to Mott.  The Fundraising Committee will work on the grants noted and on others as they come up.

The budget is a draft and we will not approve one until we have additional information.

7. Community Engagement Conference – Cathy and Vanessa described this conference that took place November 7 at SVSU.

9. New Business – A board member asked how often the tenants are in the building. WoC 2-3 days per week. Basketball cannot come in because of the roof leaking on the gym floor. Good Neighbors is 2 days per week.

Jim is trying to get an appointment with the superintendent of Saginaw Public Schools. Wardeen and Cal Talley have spoken about grant funding which would allow us to collaborate with the school district for a yearlong program to train school district and teachers.  This might be related to truancy and chronic absenteeism.

We will need to get the word out once we are able to say that we have something to offer.

Adjourned 7:41pm.