FinAL Notes and DECISIONS
Clark Family Trust Board Meeting
Clark Ranch, June 12, 2010
I. Roll Call and Contact Information
a. Board Members Present:
i. Henry (via phone; all others present in person)
ii. Gerry
iii. Mary
iv. Fred
v. Tim
vi. Kiley
b. Board Members Not Present:
i. Lynn was not present; her absence is excused because of family medical emergency.
c. Other Family Members Present (for portions of the meeting):
i. Pat
ii. Ben
iii. Connie
iv. Gina
d. Operational behavior:
- Be respectful
- No cutting each other off; Let all complete their thoughts
- Make sure everyone has a chance to speak
e. Decision Making:
Ø Board Decision: Decisions of the Board require at least 5 out of 7 votes. Consensus is preferred.
II. Roles of Board Members: General Considerations
a. Aspects of Management
o Timber
o Roads
o Grazing
o Buildings
o Water
o Surface water
o Machinery
o Livestock
o General assets
o Air
o Graveyard
o Property boundary
b. Oversight of ranch management activities
o Fiscal & budget
o Getting together – both the Board and the Family
o Communications
o Collecting dues
o Determining proper etiquette and behavior
o What can be done with the property
o Involvement in all aspects of the ranch activities
o Consequences/rules for not following the rules
c. Bringing folks together
o Regular meetings of the Board
o Communications tools
Ø Board Decision: All Trustees accept their responsibility as a Trustee to participate in all of those aspects
III. Dues
a. Agreement (by signature) on dues structure
i. Board Member/Family Group
Ø Board Decision: Annual Dues amount per family group, including those under 21 is $500.
ii. Adult Family Member
Ø Board Decision: Annual Dues amount per contributing family member 21 or older is $100. This does not include spouses. There is no exemption for contributing family members attending college/higher education.
iii. Schedule for dues
Ø Board Decision: Dues are due by the end of the calendar year for that year. New accounting year begins January 1.
iv. Where dues are to be sent
Ø Board Decision: Dues will be sent to the Treasurer, who is responsible for receipt, deposit and tracking. The Treasurer will send receipts when dues are received.
v. Consequences for not paying dues
Ø Board Decision: Each Trustee is responsible for identifying their own family’s contributions, though it will be tracked by the Treasurer as well. If persons expected to pay annual dues do not do so,
1. Individuals or Trustees will receive a letter from the Board that explains their infraction and the consequences;
2. Individuals will lose their ability to access the ranch as a whole;
3. They will lose access to their family lot; the Board will assume control of any permanent structures on the family lot. The owner will have the opportunity to regain control once back dues are paid.
IV. Trustee Succession
Ø Board Decision: Each Family Group can decide to change their Trustee. The Board must acknowledge the change formally, to ensure that all are informed. While the Board has no decision-making role in changing Trustees, the Board can recommend changes.
V. Fiscal matters
a. Accounting for funds (Report from Gerry)
i. The Clark Family Trust currently has $2000 in checking (in the First Valley Bank) and $25,000 in savings (in the Whitefish Credit Union savings account). The Trust started with $68,000. The monthly average cost of utilities (electric) is $200 per month, which includes Tim’s house. The most recent annual taxes were $2283.91.
ii. The pasture fencing, which encloses only part of the Ranch, will require no additional expense to the Ranch.
b. Priorities for funds
Ø Board Decision: Priorities for spending funds from the Clark Ranch Trust shall be, first, for taxes and, second, other priorities as determined by the board.
c. Funds needed for upcoming expenses:
1. $500 in general fuel fund
2. $1400 for parts for bull dozer
3. $300 for backhoe. Henry will take care of that.
4. $120 for garbage pickup.
5. $?? for insurance coverage on the buildings. (Gerry will check out bundling the insurances)
6. $?? for vehicle insurance and plates for dodge pickup and trailer –
a. Gerry will look into ways to lower the insurance costs.
d. Board controls on expenditures
Ø Board Decision: Managers will get clearance from the Board for any expenditure over $500. (FC note: For clarification, this is a total cost figure, so several smaller payments for items/services/etc. that together total over $500 are not allowed without Board clearance.)
e. Other individual responsibilities
Ø Board Decision: Tim will pay the taxes on his house separately from the taxes on the Ranch as a whole. Payments will be retroactive to January 2008. Tim has been and will continue to pay $300 per year as fee for the water system. Tim will continue to pay for propane separately from the Ranch. Tim will pay for electricity separately from the Ranch from now on (not retroactively).
f. Income possibilities for the Ranch
Ø Board Decision: Business ventures on or involving the Ranch need Board clearance.
i. Grants
1. Gerry has arranged a grant through Swan Valley Ecosystem Center for brushing, for $5,800. Gerry has submitted a stewardship plan, which was accepted by the Department of State Forestry and which can be the foundation for further grants.
ii. Logging
1. From logging cleanup, the State takes out a slash/fuel reduction fee from each load of logs. It is held back until the cleanup is done. It is to ensure that the private land owner does not leave a big fire hazard. There should be $588 dollars (half) coming to the ranch soon. The remaining held-back funds should come once the slash piles are cleaned up.
iii. Sales
Ø Board Decision: The Jeep will be sold and the funds will go into the general account. Kiley will take the Jeep to Kalispell to sell. If documentation shows up that indicates that Mom wanted Mary to have the Jeep, Mary will be compensated from the general fund at the amount at which it was sold.
Ø Board Decision: The portable welder will also be sold and the funds will go into the general fund. Tim will sell the welder.
Ø Board Decision: Tim and Gerry are mutually responsible for getting the donkey to make money for the ranch or sell it within two years.
iv. Possibilities for leasing property, buildings
Ø Board Decision: Ranch assets may be leased or rented only if funds are need for taxes.
v. Possibilities for family joint ventures
1. This is an important topic, and if individuals have ideas they should submit them. Opportunities can be addressed by the Board as they come on an individual basis.
Ø The Board tabled this topic for discussion at a future meeting.
VI. Guidelines for using Ranch assets
i. Mary asked about Clain’s family having a family reunion at the ranch.
Ø Board Decision: Family Group use of the Ranch for Family Group gatherings are OK in principle. In addition, gatherings need to be:
a. Proposed to and evaluated/decided on by the Board
b. Scheduled ahead of time
c. Assessed a user fee
d. Have guidelines for attendees
ii. Guidelines for use of ranch structures
Ø Board Decision: Mary will draft guidelines for use of the cabins, shops, etc. and then distribute to the rest of the Board for feedback and modification.
Ø Board Decision: A “pack it in, pack it out” policy will be implemented immediately.
VII. Residential Area
a. Survey and assignment of property areas
i. Brandon has created an autocad drawing of the residential area, which he and/or Kiley will distribute to the Board electronically.
Ø Board Decision: Six lots north of the road will be ground-truthed and surveyed. The survey will be approximate and not legally binding. Lots with permanent structures will be assigned to the owners of those structures (i.e., Fred and Gerry); the rest of the lots will be assigned by lottery (number each lot and draw number). Tim’s house will have 1 acre associated with it south of the road; the other six lots will be of a size approximately equal to each other, based on the total available acreage in the area between the road and the dropoff to Owl Creek. Lots are tradable between family groups, but not sellable. Trades must be in writing and acknowledged by the Board. The lots are for family groups’ access and use, not legal ownership. That is, lots may not be deeded, divided or subdivided from the Ranch as a whole.
b. Expectations/Requirements for personal structures.
Ø Board Decision: Permanent structures must be approved by the Board.
Ø Board Decision: Permanent structures must be insured.
VIII. Roles
Ø Board Decision: The Board assigned these roles to Trustees and each Trustee accepted that responsibility.
a. Co-managers: Gerry and Tim
b. Treasurer: Kiley
c. Coordinator/Convener: Fred
d. Secretary: Fred
e. Patriarch: Henry
f. Matriarch: Mary
1. The Patriarch and Matriarch will be responsible for coordinating the next Family Reunion.
IX. Communication
a. Each Trustee will compile a list of names, addresses, emails, phone #s, birthdays, anniversaries, for everyone in their family and provide that information to Fred.
b. Fred will write and distribute a letter that outlines the dues, structure, timing, who to send the dues to (Kiley)
c. How does each Trustee like to be communicated with?
i. Email first and then a phone call.
ii. If immediate, call first.
iii. Henry: phone first.
d. Fred will figure out a better electronic communications media and will share that with the Family.
X. Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Easement
a. Tim gave an overview of the proposal from the flyer provided to him by FWS.
Ø Board Decision: Tim and/or Gerry will look into this more and share what they find out with the Board.
XI. Stream and Pond reconstruction
a. Gerry is coordinating with the Swan Ecosystem Center to have them redo the stream and pond with an out-of-stream pond. That should come together in the next month (July).
XII. Getting Mom’s headstone engraved:
a. The dates have yet to be engraved. Tim will investigate how to get that done.
XIII. Next Board Meeting:
a. Discussion focused on mid-August as a set-aside each year for a family gathering, which would include a Board meeting. It is usually good weather, conducive to camping and swimming. The Board would like to set it up around Grandma’s birthday. Consensus was that an August meeting/family reunion in August of 2011 would be the target.
Ø Board Decision: The next Board meeting will be September 4, 2010
XIV. Meeting adjourned
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