11-11-2008 Meeting Minutes

The WHNA meeting was held at the home Tami and Eban Ross of Georgian Road, and was called to order at 8:00pm. Attendees included: Lucille Knapik, Lauren McQueeney, Treloar Medd, Steve and Robin Jenkins, Sue Walter, Jennifer Santori, Monica Boswell, Tami Ross and Michele Lucas.

Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the last WHNA meeting held July 29, 2008 were reviewed and approved by Sue Walter. A new process will be implemented whereby meeting minutes will be distributed to the WHNA Board for approval via email (instead of at the next Board meeting). Once approved, the minutes will be distributed to residents of the Association via email. This will allow residents to have timely and relevant updates on what was discussed at the WHNA meeting.

WHNA Board Members for 2009-2010
President: Sue Walter
Vice President: Jen Santori
Treasurer: Monica Boswell*
Corresponding Secretary: Tami Ross
Recording Secretary: Michele Lucas

* Any resident interested in assuming the Treasurer position should contact Monica Boswell or Sue Walter

Treasurer’s Report
As of November 11, the WHNA checking account had a balance of $2981.29, after Halloween event expenses were deducted and 2009 dues collection was added. Dues collection for 2009 began on Halloween; 64 families have already paid totaling $1117. (In 2008, a total of 145 families paid dues.) Collection for 2009 will continue into the new year, with a dues drive planned for February. Monica Boswell will be preparing the WHNA budget for 2009, based on planned neighborhood events, Chronicle Newsletter printing, and other miscellaneous expenses.

WHNA Neighborhood Reps
Neighborhood Reps are needed. An opening exists for Normandy Parkway. Treloar Medd will follow up with several proposed candidates. If no response/interest, Sue Walter will solicit a volunteer via the WHNA email distribution list. A final option would be to mail our Chronicle Newsletter to dues-paid Normandy Parkway families. (Note: Shannon Riley of Normandy Parkway has since volunteered to be the new WHNA Rep.)


Old Business

WHNA Directory
The 2009 WHNA Resident Directory is in the process of being updated by Lucille Knapik and will be printed in January. Lucille is actively attempting to reach any WHNA resident whose information is not currently available. All dues-paid residents from 2008 and 2009 will receive a directory delivered via their designated neighborhood rep. Approximately 250 copies will be printed at an estimated cost of $1.08-$1.10 per.

Halloween Party Recap
The Halloween Block Party was co-chaired by Tami Ross and Lisa Sabato, with great assistance from Jen Santori and Lauren McQueeney who both chaired the event in 2007. The event is gaining momentum and this year’s party was deemed “best yet”. Resident turnout was great, and positive feedback was received on the various contests and prizes. Event spending came in under budget. An event re-cap will be written by the chairs and filed in the event binder for future reference.

Holiday Party
The 2008 holiday party is scheduled for Friday, December 5th and will be hosted by Cary and Alice Lloyd of Georgian Road. Co-chairs for this event are Annie Acken, Treloar Medd and Lauren McQueeney. They will meet with Alice to lock-down party details. A flyer announcing the event will be distributed to residents mid-November. Residents will be asked to bring their favorite drink (BYOB) as well as a hot or cold appetizer. The Association will provide beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as various desserts.

Holiday Caroling
The holiday caroling event is scheduled for Sunday, December 14th. Residents will gather at the home of Lauren and Dave McQueeney of Valley View Drive at 6pm. An invitation to residents will be distributed in conjunction with the Holiday Party announcement.


Walkability Study/Traffic Calming
Chris and Aaron Turner of Washington Avenue, WHNA’s representatives on “walkable community” initiatives, are holding a meeting at their home on December 17th to prepare for an upcoming County of Morris Workshop and review options/needs for Morris Avenue, Washington Avenue and Lafayette Avenue.

Two traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements were recently made in the neighborhood. On Washington Avenue, in-street “Pedestrian Crossing” signs were installed by the Town of Morristown. This resulted from the work of the Town Council Traffic Calming Subcommittee, including Rebecca Feldman, Raline Smith-Reid and Alison Deeb. The signs’ effectiveness is being monitored and more may be added. Also with the help of Rebecca Feldman, Valley View Drive West now has parking in designated spaces on both sides of the street near Jacob Ford Village, which has created more available parking and will improve safety.

New Business

WHNA Goals for 2009-2010
Key objectives of the WHNA Board for the 2009-2010 term include:
• Increasing Resident Participation - Obtaining neighbor feedback via a survey, holding varied and more frequent events throughout the year, designating a WHNA event planner/coordinator
• Improved Organization – Frequent communication among WHNA Board Members, holding efficient and effective meetings, and maintaining event binders


2009 Event Calendar
The 2009 WHNA Calendar of Events will be scheduled at the next Board Meeting in January, and will be published to residents in the February 2009 Chronicle.

Suggestions for new and innovative events include group participation in Fred Astaire dance lessons, “Pineapple Parties” as held in Cromwell Heights, a wine tasting party, resident kitchen or garden tours, a “neighborhood challenge” with other communities such as Normandy Blvd, and “Fridays in the Driveway” (of which Rebecca Feldman will host the first one next Spring).

A survey will be developed by Michele Lucas and Sue Walter and distributed via email or the WHNA Blog to obtain feedback on what residents expect from the WHNA and what types of events would increase participation and generate excitement/enthusiasm.

WHNA Blog
A new WHNA Blog has been developed by Sue Walter and is now live on the web at http://whnanews.blogspot.com. It will be used as a central home base for the WHNA, including the calendar of events, a photo library, links to Morristown and Morris Township websites, archival of WHNA meeting minutes, and more. Residents are encouraged to check it out and provide ideas on how to make the site more useful and robust.

Chronicle Publication/Distribution
The 2009 WHNA Chronicle publication is scheduled for February, May and September. A holiday flyer is also planned to announce the Holiday Party and Evening of Caroling. Electronic distribution is being considered.


The meeting was adjourned at 9:30pm. The next meeting is scheduled for 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 20th at the home of Tami and Eban Ross. A reminder will be sent to residents via email.