July 18, 2000

FRIENDS OF DONALD PARK, JULY 18, 2000, 7:00 -10.00 P.M.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, September 18, 2000, Springdale Town Hall. Please be prepared to discuss agenda and preparations for the annual meeting in October. Please submit all bills to be paid by the FoDP, Inc.

VIP REMINDER: PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERY MINUTE YOU SPEND WORKING FOR THE FRIENDS OF DONALD PARK, INC. THESE HOURS SERVE AS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION FOR MATCHING FUNDS. THANK YOU!

DRAFT MINUTES - FRIENDS OF DONALD PARK, August 22, 2000, 7:15 -10.00 P.M.

ATTENDEES: DIRECTORS: PAT HITCHCOCK, DAVE HUGHES, STEVE O'NEILL( BY PROXY), MARY SPAAY, BOB WOODBURN ( BY PROXY), , BOB GEIMER, MOLLY MURRAY, AND VICKI ANDERSON

FOUNDERS: JACKIE GEIMER, CONRAD ANDERSON

GUESTS: TIM WHITE-WEBMASTER, LOUISE GOLDSTEIN - DANE CTY. PARKS

ACTING PRESIDENT: MARY SPAAY , ACTING SECRETARY: VICKI ANDERSON

CALL TO ORDER BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS by Mary Spaay

AGENDA - MOTION Murray/Hitchcock to approve meeting agenda. Motion carried unanimously.

MINUTES-MOTION Murray/Hughes to approve the minutes of 5/16/00 and 7/18/00. Motion carried unanimously.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Report deferred until next meeting.

* MOTION by Anderson/Hitchcock to authorize President M. Spaay to draft a letter to the Friends of Dane County Parks Foundation, President Libby Lewis and Treasurer Jim Mueller, to arrange the transfer of the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars, $50,000.00, contributed by Delma Woodburn for development of the picnic area, to the Friends of Donald Park, Inc. for the development of the picnic area. DISCUSSION: Attorney Zilavy reported to Spaay that the Friends received tax-exempt status effective July 31, 2000. The tax ID# is 31375. In his opinion now is the appropriate time to transfer the funds mentioned above. Motion carried unanimously.

* MOTION by Anderson/Murray to authorize the officers of the FoDP, Inc. to distribute the funds ($50,000.00) to the appropriate institutions: for development of the picnic area; for the legal fees and other start -up costs; to maximize the interest to be earned, etc. and to authorize B. Woodburn to research a financial plan and to report back to the Board. Motion carried unanimously.

* DISCUSSION: It was requested that in the future the reports from the Treasurer and Membership Committee be coordinated to indicate all revenues and expenses of the FoDP, Inc. in one report which includes grant monies, membership fees, donations, etc.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

* MEMBERSHIP REPORT by B. Geimer: Three new members since the July meeting. Memberships now total 41.

* PICNIC AREA COMMITTEE - Discussion with Conrad Anderson as follow-up to correspondence to Mick Klein Kennedy, Dane County Parks Dept. Kennedy will not be unavailable until after 9/6/00. He is eager to proceed in 2000. Topics discussed included:

-2000-First Stage of Improvements: Access from State Hwy. 92, road, parking, sanitary facilities, signs, gate

-Funding - $50,000.00 donation could be used for the capitol improvement projects listed above, rather than operational costs. To research samples of agreements between the Dane County Parks Dept. and Friends groups for funding issues.

-Road/Parking - Due to experience, insurance, liability issues, etc. it may be easier for the Dane County Parks Dept. to plan and layout the road/parking and begin the bidding process. Suggest Bob Sutter be contacted for a bid for gravel since he has worked with the Woodburns and county departments in the past. Friends would donate to the County Park Dept. the required sum to cover the bills.

-Highway Access Permit - Kennedy has the paperwork for state highway access permits. Question re: the standards for a road in a county park vs. town road standards and status of town of Springdale involvement in this process.

-Signs-Probably funded by the Cty. Parks Dept., built consistent with other Cty. Park signs. Friends could provide input into the design and interpretive language and provide the labor to assemble signs. Suggest a picture of the Woodburns at a picnic back then, the typical menu for a picnic, etc.

-Gate-Due to past history of adolescent parties in parks, gate will be required. Other parks contract with Friends members or park neighbors to monitor the gates.

-Porta Potties: Kennedy recommended disguising the porta potties behind a three-sided wooden structure reminiscent of an old-fashioned outhouse, complete with a crescent moon over the doorway.

-Wheelchair Access: Suggested a minimum of one path each to the creek for fishing and the picnic area. To research the requirements for wheelchair accessible paths...hard surface, level lawn, etc.?

-Archeological Input: Dane County Parks Dept. to research appropriate contact.

-Ongoing costs: mowing, gate keeping, plowing, porta potty maintenance probably need to be funded by the Friends in order to use the Park now. Grants may be good source of funds for Friends, some grant funds are not available to Dane County Parks Dept.

-Proposed Committee Members to be contacted: C. Anderson, Deb Anderson, B. Geimer, M. Sutter, and Pat Hitchcock

* WEB PAGE - Presentation by Tim White, volunteer webmaster . White outlined the following five sections in the Donald Park website:

-Photo Section: Please scan a photo to e-mail to him or send actual photos to be included.

-History Section: Contributors could include Brian Bigler, Henry Bunn, articles re: native European settlement, etc.

-Links: To encourage more awareness/publicity please send Tim the names/addresses of organizations which could link to us.

-How To: Please send him ideas, resource people for articles. For example: Ray Glew to be contacted to submit bluebird report.

-Newsletter: Calendar of events at Donald Park. For example, Pat agreed to generate a report of the activities of the Tuesday work parties.

* HORSE TRAILS by D. Hughes.

-Guest Jean Warrior, a member of the MARES, (Madison Area Recreational Equestrian Sisters) Jean and D.Hughes will solicit membership and volunteers at upcoming meeting of MARES.

-Ken LePine and D. Hughes have been finalizing insurance and landowner permit forms for horse trail. The trail within the Park will be covered by Cty. insurance. The portion outside of the Park will be covered in a separate policy for under $500/year.

-Development goal...fall 2000 - layout trail, finalize landowner agreements, surface trail. Spring 2001-ride trails

-Horse Trail Committee & horse trail funds could be separate but affiliated entity with FoDP, Inc. D. Hughes request Board consider holding funds for trail development because the MARES and Sugar River Horsing Around Club cannot acccept funds like FoDP can.

* GRANT/FUNDRAISING by M. Murray-Murray will research trail development fund sources. DNR-Stephanie Brauer, #275-3218 may be a contact for park development funds.

* VOLUNTEERS by P. Hitchcock-B. Geimer presented a topographical map of the Park to be used in trail marking. Walking/hiking, skiing, horse trails to be laid out this fall.

OLD BUSINESS:

* UPPER SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)- Signed by M. Spaay and K. LePine - 8/22/00.

TEXT OF CTY. BOARD RESOLUTION: "Dane Cty. Parks was recently awarded a grant of $10,000.00 from the State Rivers Protection Program. The funds have been made available to the County to help three local groups organize and become partners with the County in its efforts at preserving and improving the Sugar River Watershed. The three groups the County is working with are the Sugar River Watershed Association, Friends of Donald Park, and the Deer Creek Sportsman's Club. Each of the groups is in some state of organizing to become a bigger partner in conservation efforts in the Sugar River Watershed.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Dane County Board of Supervisors and the Dane County Executive hereby accept a grant award from the State Rivers Protection Program in the amount of $10,000.00 to be used for capacity building in the Sugar River Watershed, Park restoration, and that the Parks Director be authorized to act as the County's representative in administering the grants..."

DISCUSSION: We have received $4000.00 of this grant money. Please note that volunteer hours, including

committee and board work, are an important part of the match we have to provide as our part of the grant.

Please go back and keep track of all your volunteer hours since the first meeting in 1/00.

ADJOURN: MOTION by Geimer/Anderson. Motion carried unanimously

Respectfully Submitted, Vicki Anderson