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GERMAN VILLAGE SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF May 11, 2015 Present: Tim Bibler, Bill Curlis, Greg Gamier, Brittany Gibson, Joe Kurzer, Jeanne Likins, Jeff McNealey, Susan Sutherland, and David Wible. Staff and Guests: Colleen Boyle, Matt Eshelbrenner, Dan Kline, Gary Seman and Shiloh Todorov. The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by President Likins. Public Participation As a result of the high-wind and rain storm passing through the area, none of the public participants had arrived. President Likins moved to the Report of the President as the first order of business. Ms. Likins gave the Board a report on the first months of progress on the Strategic Plan including the revised Board agenda format. A lengthy review of that agenda format and the role of the ‘Pillars’ and how they are to report to the Board was discussed. A realignment of assignments of the pillars and a recruitment of additional pillars will continue. With the arrival of Dan Kline, Co-chair (with his wife Marie Logothetis who was not able to be present) of the 2015 Haus und Garten Tour, the discussion was interrupted for an up-date on the 2015 tour plans. Mr. Kline reported that all of the homes and gardens were selected early this year and all of them fit nicely into the Preserving the Past, Celebrating Tomorrow theme of this year’s tour. Trustee Brittany Gibson, noted the early success of the pre-tour ticket sales with only 57 seats in homes and 70 tickets to the Party on the Platz remaining. Ms. Todorov noted the importance of selling all of the remaining tickets to meet budget. In response to a question from Mr. Kurzer, Mr. Kline said that he and his wife’s second year of experience leading the tour had proven very helpful to understanding the logistics of the Tour and understand the ‘big picture’ of the entire Tour and its importance to the Society and the community. On behalf of the Board, President Likins thanked Mr. Kline and Ms. Logothetis for their leadership and support. President Likins thanked Matt Eshelbrenner for his five years of service to the Society as Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee and accepted, with great regret, his resignation from this responsibility. Ms. Likins noted his leadership and organizational skills that moved the committee forward including the founding of the Southside Stay and Village Connections organizations. She presented Mr. Eshelbrenner with a Certificate of Appreciation and the Board thanked him with applause. Colleen Boyle, Supervisor of the Gifted and Talented, Columbus City Schools, reported to the Board on the new Columbus Gifted Academy at Beck located in the Beck Street school in Schumacher Place. Students, Grades 3 through 8, will be offered accelerated curricular opportunities in classes of up to 20 students by full-time teachers who possess a special license to teach gifted students. Ms. Boyle noted that the first year there will be approximately 300 students attending the Academy. The mission of the program is to provide an “appropriate and challenging learning environment. ” to gifted students and to promote “opportunities for parents, the community, and schools to collaborate in accomplishing this mission.” The Board thanked Ms. Boyle for her enthusiastic presentation and invited her back to keep the community up-dated on the new program’s achievements and successes. Reports of the President and Officers President Likins returned to the discussion on the Strategic Plan and handouts that explained the Strategic Plan. Ms. Todorov provided multiple copies of volunteer recruitment forms for implementing the strategic plan to every Board member to encourage the Board to seek further community participation. Ms. Todorov also noted that the Communications Committee continued to work on these documents as well as new initiatives promoting the strategic plan and planning process. Secretary Bill Curlis presented the Minutes of the meeting of April 13, 2015. MOTION: Approve the Minutes of the meeting of April 13, 2015. [Curlis, McNealey] Motion approved. Treasurer Tim Bibler, presented the April 2015 Treasurer’s report as well as financial highlights notes to the monthly report reporting no significant issues. MOTION: Accept the Treasurer’s Report for April, 2015 for audit. [Bibler, McNealey] Motion approved. Committee Reports Written reports were provided to the Board from many committees and President Likins called upon Board members to give oral reports that required action or special notice. Trustee Bill Curlis, as the Pillar for Historic Preservation asked questions of the Board regarding new Board reporting procedures by the Pillars both before the Board meetings (by the committees chairs assigned to the Pillars) and to the Board itself. He also noted that the alignment of committee assignments under the six pillars needed to be continually monitored to coordinate all of the committees’ education and advocacy initiatives. He further reported that the first meeting of the Historic Preservation committee using the new strategic planning process was a very substantive discussion on the number one priority of the plan: brick sidewalks. The initial discussion resulted in a plan of action with a timetable for accomplishment to include a sidewalk and curb assessment of the entire Village. Each committee member has been assigned a portion of the Village to make a block-by - block review of the current status of sidewalks and curbs. The information will be compiled and turned into a planning guide to seek improvements and repair. A continuing annual task of the Historic Preservation committee is the recommendation of candidates for appointment to the German Village Commission and the committee recommended the re- appointment of Ned Thiell. MOTION: Pursuant to the Procedures for the Recommendation of Candidates for Appointment to the German Village Commission and upon the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Committee, the Board of Trustees hereby recommended the re-appointment of Ned Thiell as one of the German Village Society recommended members of the German Village Commission and authorize the President to send a letter to the Mayor of the City of Columbus with this recommendation. [Curlis, McNealey] Motion approved. The committee and the Board noted that it was very pleased that Mr. Thiell was seeking reappointment, thanked him for his many years of service to the Commission and community, and looked forward to his continuing experience and leadership on the Commission. Treasurer and Parking Committee Chair Tim Bibler reported on recent meetings with City Parking staff on several topics and noted that the City is very receptive to a review of parking issues unique to our historic district that conflict with code and regulation. He and his committee will continue to work with the City regarding these unique issues. Mr. Bibler also initiated a discussion regarding Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus’ request to the German Village Commission for support of a parking zoning variance. This relates to Schmidt’s request to add space for approximately 90 additional guests to the restaurant, without increasing parking spaces as required by City Code. The German Village Commission, which can only recommend or not recommend a parking variance to the City Zoning Commission voted unanimously to oppose (or, not recommend) the Schmidt’s application for a parking zoning variance. In light of the GV Commission’s opposition to the parking zoning variance, the GV Commission did not consider a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed changes to the existing structure pending the Zoning Commissions’ response to the application. After considerable debate concerning the Schmidt’s proposal, a motion was offered: MOTION: In order to maintain the existing parking balance among residents, businesses, and visitors in German Village, the German Village Society supports the German Village Commission’s decision to deny the request for recommendation of a parking zoning variance for Schmidt’s restaurant’s physical expansion. [Curlis, McNealey] Motion approved. Mr. Bibler additionally reported that the City would permit parking on the east side of Jaeger at Schiller Park with signage going up as early as next week. Haus und Garten Board Liaison Brittany Gibson reported tour day tickets will be on sale at Giant Eagle locations across Columbus starting June 1st for $18 and are available now at GermanVillageTour.com for $20. Additionally, the “hunt” for volunteers for Pre-Tour and tour day has begun. Sign-up to volunteer at GermanVillageTour.com/volunteer. Reminder: Tour weekend is June 27-28, 2015. Organizational Development Committee chair Dave Wible reported that the committee was moving forward to bring additional expertise to the Board in human resources and finance. MOTION: To elect Heidi Drake to the unexpired term on the Board of Trustees ending September 30, 2017; to accept the resignation of Heidi Drake as the non-voting/10-year resident member of the Board of Trustees; and to approve the president’s appointment of John Barr as the non-voting/10-year German Village resident member of the Board of Trustees for the term ending September 30, 2015. [McNealey, Wible] Staff Reports Ms. Todorov again noted that everyone needed to help sell the remaining Pre-Tour tickets to make certain the Pre-Tour budget was met. New Business President Likins reported that Bert Stevens was being recognized at the Wednesday Caretakers of a Legacy award ceremony for her dedicated commitment to the Huntington Gardens and the Huntington Garden endowment and offered the following motion to add to that recognition: MOTION: That the Huntington Garden Endowment Fund be re-named the Alberta Stevens Fund for the Huntington Garden Endowment. [McNealey, Curlis] Motion unanimously and enthusiastically approved. The business of the May 11, 2015, meeting of the German Village Society Board of Trustees having been concluded, the meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m.

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