Please find below a draft agenda for our volunteer and student year-end meeting. Please forgive formatting issues and feel free to email suggestions to harborlab@gmail.com. Note that this agenda is more detailed than the one posted to Facebook earlier and circulated among some administrative volunteers.

HarborLAB 2015 Year End Meeting DRAFT Agenda

 

Location:	Communitea Café, 11-18 46th Road LIC, NY 11101
Date:	Sunday, 13 December 2015
Time:	5PM-6:30PM

 

We encourage HarborLAB volunteers, educational partners, and the students we serve to participate in our 2015 review meeting. We’ll also look ahead to 2016!

It’s not too late for you to suggest additions and amendments to the agenda!

This meeting has three essential goals:

• Help prepare an update to the HarborLAB board. In turn, the board will use this document as a draft for our official annual report to the community and sponsors.
• Catalyze participation in our “crews” (or committees): gardening, infrastructure, administration, finance, etc. (Because of the level of detail and time constraints, we’ll go quickly through topics in this meeting and delve deeper in crews. Crews have Google and Facebook groups to foster regular communication.)
• Speed our 501(c)(3) incorporation.

 

Agenda:

I.             Finances.

a.    Account activity, balance. Note: Funds owed to some volunteers, especially Patricia Erickson. Receipts needed.

b.    Urgent: Bookkeeper needed for routine updates. CPA needed for board or for annual filing and further organizational development.

c.    Prospects and fundraising approaches: Events, special tours, sponsorships (especially renewals) grants, Foundation Center, crowdfunding, program and facilities branding.

d.   Insurance for 2016 prepaid.

II.          501(c)(3) Incorporation and Governance.

a.    Proposed: Student and Volunteer seats on the board. The board maintains the power to select new members. Students and volunteers will nominate or self-nominate to serve. Questions: Is this desired as described in part or entirely? What qualifications should be required, or should this position be open to all?

b.    Distribution of NY State Incorporation papers from 2012. Volunteers and students are invited to review and suggest changes based upon our greater experience with actual programming.

c.    Legal team overview: Tushara Saint Vitus, Sally Attia, Board member Joel Kupferman.

d.   Urgently needed: CPA for application. Snafu: 501(c)(4)?

III.      GreenLaunch Progress.

a.    Site cleared and organized to prepare for winter and new assets.

b.    Vernon Blvd butterfly bioswale (swamp milkweed) proposal.

c.    Gardening progress and plans: “Fig Fish” planter, soil slope, native plants, tree planting and pruning.

d.   Water supplies: Collection, distillation, and NYCDEP permit.

IV.       Infrastructure.   Patricia Erickson, Facilities Manager.

a.    Security cameras. Budget and installation info.

b.    Dock status. Related: Sunken sailboats.

c.    Security cameras. Budget and installation update.

d.   New structures: Field station, lab, boat storage (including private), boat building shed, composting toilet, shower. Design and budget teams needed for projects in sequence.

e.    State of boats and repair/maintenance needs.

V.                    Education and Stewardship.

a.    Cleanups.

b.    Student and community group outings. Esp. CUNY, Hour Children, East Harlem youth groups, public school visits.

c.    Seed gathering and seed ball making.

d.   Water quality sampling and testing: Gantry and Hallets. Next, microbeads? Statement from Josue Silvestre. Internship program for 2016?

e.    Opportunities at Gantry, Lemon Creek, Orchard Beach Lagoon.

f.     Spartina budget and plan.

g.    Talks and presentations, Libraries, NWF, etc.

 

VI.                 Communication and Outreach.

a.    Diversity efforts. Serving a diverse community through schools, CUNY, and Partner Paddles. HarborLAB leadership is already far more diverse than most groups on the harbor, but how we can cultivate an even more diverse next generation? Engagement and retention of youth from underrepresented cultures.

b.    Shirts, new shirts.

c.    New literature? Regular press releases?

d.   Maximize online presence: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube. We’ve dabbled but need a more concerted effort.

 

VII.             Tours, special programs and events.

a.    Gantry. Need volunteer to organize and count waivers.

b.    Harbor Camp.

c.    Urgent: Neversink Reservoir team needed.

d.   Slate of events — Clearwater, City of Water Day, Swim Across America and other cancer swims (how can we tie this to education about environmental factors?), Night Circ, other?

e.    Camping beyond Clearwater and City of Water Day?

f.     Boat building, at last?

g.    Trip proposals from the group! Survey?

 

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