Author Archives: Lou Bernard

About Lou Bernard

Current Secretary of FPCA 2019-

2024 Budget Meeting Minutes

2024 FPCA Budget Meeting

17 April 2024

Epworth United Methodist Church

Attendance: Ed Vanasdale (President), Trevor Secord (Vice President), Lou Bernard (Secretary), Cheryl Lutman (Treasurer), Daryl Van Mercetta (Supplemental Security), Mary Sguerra (Public Relations), Rita Woeste (Forester Editor), Andrea Philipsen (Social Committee), Laura Hayes (Welcome Committee), Scott Biggs (Website Administrator)

Meeting called to order at 7:04 PM

  1. Cheryl did a quick review of the budget and asked for questions or suggestions. 
  2. Laura needs money for printing for Welcome Committee
    1. There was $500 raised in 2023 for the Welcome Committee. That money was allocated to the WC for 2024.
    2. Thank you Mark Bell!
  3. Andrea has $500 to spend. If more money is needed, it could be allocated.
    1. National Night Out falls under the Social Committee and is not a separate line item in the budget. 
    2. Trevor will try to secure grant money to increase the FP involvement in NNO.
  4. Mary will be looking into finding someone to cut and maintain the grass at the 2 main island entrances off of Karl Rd. She will look into possible grants to help with the upkeep.
  5. Rita needs $100 for printing supplies for the Forester delivery. It was voted on and passed.
  6. By reallocating some funds, we are left with $641 in the black.
  7. Discussed giving possible discounts for year long ads taken out in the Forester. The Board decided the advertising price is reasonable enough (compared to other places where one could advertise) that discounts do not need to be given.
  8. A discussion was held about trying to find someone to write grants for the FPCA.
  9. The new budget was voted on and approved to be put forth before the members at the next meeting for a vote.

Meeting adjourned at 8:32 PM

To see new and revised 2024 budget CLICK HERE.

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: April 9, 2024

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 9 April 2024

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:02 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Thanked everyone for the great turn out and great job at the annual membership stuffing over the weekend.
  2. FPCA Volunteers of the Year: Laura Hayes and Andrea Philipsen for all of the work that they have done over the last year. They will be honored at the NCC Banquet on Tues., April 16th at Villa Milano.

Guest Speaker:

Jamie and Larry Middaugh from “The Peach Cobbler Factory” off of 4691 Morse Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230, Stoneridge Plaza. They are going to be the kickoff food truck of the 2024 Social Activities season on May 1st – 6-8pm at the North YMCA. Come and get your “cobbler flights”. They have cobblers, churros, brownies, etc. We are very excited to have them kick off our summer of fun! We had lots of free samples at the meeting. Yum!!!

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu  Absent  No Report

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, LB, CL, MS, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, EM, AP, KG
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: TS, CA, DP, SB
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 
  • Area Reps Absent: 5, 6, 8, 10, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 25
  1. Reviewed minutes from March, no changes or corrections were needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru April will be available on the online version of the minutes on the website. Attendance thru April

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1.  A copy of March’s Treasurer’s Report and draft budget are available in the online minutes of the website.
  2. Mulch sales are already starting to roll in, and more are coming. We also received 5 new household memberships. The bulk of our annual mailing printing has been paid, but the last sheets for the mulch sale will be in 2024, and booked as an expense against the sale.
  3. The biggest item of note – we finished the year in the black! We had total income of $31,911.98, and total outflow of $29,151.28, resulting in a balance carry forward of $2,760.70.
  4. Notes for the 2024 – 2025 budget: we need at least 480 household memberships and at least 10 business memberships. If folks have items they want included, now is almost past time to speak up.
  5. A quick shoutout to Mike Stone who figured out how to navigate the new USPS system for our annual mailing. We have some work to do with the post office to get everything the way it should be, but he is definitely the hero of our mailing this year!

Public Relations Mary Sguerra – marysguerra@howardhanna.com

Forest Park Spring Garage Sale: May 18th. $5.00 to get your ad in the Forester

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Rita needs to buy bags to stuff the Forester in, money was approved from the budget.
  2. Made a motion to put a 1 month ad in the Forester for Schoedinger Funeral Home as a gift for their services in letting us use their facility for the membership stuffing. The motion was voted on and passed.
  3. May Forester articles are due April 19th. June articles are due May 17th.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

Crime in the greater FP area is down 23% for the first quarter.

See full report in the Forester.

Business Representative 

Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  Cynthia Alkire – 1classicyn@gmail.com Absent

Nothing new. Getting ready to start heading to businesses.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. Two homes were sold in Forest Park in the month of March, in Area 8 and Area 2. Laura contacted all the area reps to ask if the Welcome Packets that were passed out at the past few meetings were getting distributed.
  2. Laura contributed an article to the annual mailing edition of the Forester (April) about the welcome folder and to encourage neighbors to connect with new residents of the neighborhood.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – volunteerfpca@gmail.com

Membership drive envelope stuffing was a success, we had 29 people attend. Thank you all for participating. Extra thanks to Penny and the Schoedinger Funeral Home, for all of their help.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Thanked all those involved in the stuffing, especially Katie, Dave, Rita, Lou, Mary, Erin, and Cheryl for all of the behind the scenes prep work. We had 29 volunteers in attendance. It took 2 hours to complete–that’s a record folks! Thanked Andy Hunt for the use of his truck to take all 2800+ membership envelopes to the USPS. 
  2. We will be having drawings throughout the spring for all those who have sent in their membership application (gift cards as prizes.)
  3. People who have sent in their membership will be recognized in the Forester.

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

  1. Andrea hope you all enjoyed “March Madness” on Facebook – 14 days of Forest Park social event announcements! Please take note of the upcoming events column featured in all upcoming issues and check our neighborhood page on Facebook for all the latest.
  2. Now accepting candy donations for the July 4th parade. Please bring candy donations to the June meeting. Call 614.264.3846, Andrea – for more info or drop off.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

See NCC report in separate article in the month’s Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

The committee met on March 27th and heard 5 cases. None of the cases pertained to the FP area.

Website Administrators 

Scott Biggs – sbiggsmail@yahoo.com  Absent       Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org  Absent

Our website/Facebook page is always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

OLD BUSINESS

Updates on the 2nd Annual Mulch Sale:

Mulch Sale:

  • We have received several online orders and expect many more when the flyer hits mailboxes with the membership mailing. We will need volunteers on Saturday, May 4, from 9 am to about Noon or 1 pm for delivery. 
  • Delivery Central is Sequoia Pro Bowl parking lot at Sandalwood and Yellowwood Dr.
  • We will need: trucks and trailers, physically fit adults and teens, drivers, navigators, lifters, and a few on-site managers to keep everyone coordinated. We will again provide route maps and a list of addresses for delivery crews.
  • If we do not get enough big trailers volunteered, we will rent a Uhaul trailer(s). 
  • Our highest need is physically fit people to load and unload mulch for a few hours.
  • The deadline for orders is Friday, April 19th. The final order is due to Ohio Mulch on April 22nd. 
  • Orders and delivery is limited to Forest Park.

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

Secretary, Lou Bernard, asked for suggestions for possible guest speakers in the future. He received a list of great ideas, and will coordinate with Erin (Volunteer Coordinator) to begin making contacts.

Meeting adjourned at 8:11 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: March 12, 2024

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 12 March 2024

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:01 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

Guest Speaker: Zach Williams, Community Development Officer from State Bank. He spoke on the state affordable housing in central Ohio–affordable housing in the area is a real problem. Interest rates are coming down slowly, mid to high 5’s by the year’s end. There are many programs out there to help first time homebuyers, including many grants. Contact him at 614.336.7779  Zach.Williams@YourStateBank.com

Social Activities Coordinator, Andrea, discussed financial education events that she and Zach have planned for the upcoming year:

  • Tues., Apr. 23rd, 6:00-6:30 pm, Home Buyers Seminar – Open to the public (free) at the North YMCA
  • Wed., May 29th 10 am, General Financial Literacy – Open to the public (free) at the North YMCA – for adults, teens, all are welcome – discussing types of accounts, credit scores, etc.
  • Tues., June 4th, 6:30 pm, Buyers and Sellers Seminar – Open to the public (free) at the North YMCA

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

Trevor had the names for the NCC Volunteers of the Year. Delivered names to the President of FP, nominees will be voted on by the executive board.

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, TS, LB, CL, MS, DVM, KVM, LH, EM, MS, AP, KG, DP
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: RW, SL, CA, SB
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12
  • Area Reps Absent: 5, 6, 8,10, 13, 14  (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 25
  1. Attendance Sheet thru March available here.
  2. Reviewed minutes from February, two corrections were made: 1) Andrea Philipsen’s name was spelled wrong, and 2) the starting time was written as 8:01 instead of 7:01. Changes were approved, minutes were voted on, approved, and were entered into the official records.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. One new household membership. 
  2. Expenses were security, Forester printing and bags.
  3. We are trying to figure out how to do bulk mail through the post office’s online account. There does not appear to be a clear way to do it. We cannot limit the mailing to just households in our neighborhood, as the postal routes extend all the way to Cleveland and down to Morse in FP East. In FP West, they cross into Woodward Park, and so the USPS wants to charge for too many pieces. We may need to continue to take the mailing to Citygate, just as we have done.
  4. If any committee chairs have items that they will need money for, please submit requests to Cheryl to make sure they get allocated in the budget.
  5. The February monthly report was voted on and approved.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. FPCA’s “Gather at Gabby’s” is back on! The last Thursday of every month, beginning in March from 6:30-8:00 pm. Join officers, volunteers, and other Forest Park residents for an informal night of socializing at Gabby’s Neighborhood Tavern in Tamarack Circle. Meet neighbors and FPCA representatives, talk about any neighborhood issues or just enjoy a night out. Every last Thursday of each month.
  2. June 8th: Potluck at Gabby’s for FPCA residents. More info to come.
  3. Also, Gabby’s has a grill going every Thursday during the summer at dinner time. Great deals (inexpensive) for a cookout dinner.
  4. FPCA Spring Garage Sale will be May 18th. Look for more info in the Forester.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org  Absent

  1. Deadline for articles is Friday, March 22nd.
  2. A great article for the front page for the April /Membership Issue is needed. Ed said he would write the letter/article.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

  1. There is a new branch manager for the security company and we will be meeting with him the week of March 18th.
  2. See Block Watch report in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  Cynthia Alkire – 1classicyn@gmail.com             Both Absent – No Report

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

One house sold in Feb. in Area 12. Welcome folder will be put out for the Area Rep. Thanks to all Reps (especially Jane Dean) for helping out, last month there were 10 folders. Area 5 Rep, Scott Biggs, sent word to Laura that he had very positive responses from new homeowners who received the folders he delivered.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – volunteerfpca@gmail.com

  1. Membership Stuffing Day: Happy to report that we have made contact with several people who have agreed to volunteer on Saturday, April 6th at 1:30 pm at Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services by Schoedinger-North at 5554 Karl Rd.
  2. Erin reported that she was granted access to the volunteer email account.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone –  msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. Membership Stuffing Day: Saturday, April 6th at 1:30 pm at Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services by Schoedinger-North at 5554 Karl Rd. If you are interested in helping out and spending time with some fun neighbors, please contact Erin or Mike.
  2. Mike thanked many people who were there for streamlining the process even before he took over. 
  3. Dave Paul and others are coordinating an effort to get all of the pieces for the stuffing day printed and gathered up.
  4. Committee Chairs should write an article about what your committee does for this month’s Forester. It is a great time to call for volunteers.
  5. Discussed the issues revolving around the USPS and bulk mailing that he and Cheryl (Treasurer) are trying to work out.
  6. Thanked Andy Hunt for volunteering his truck to drive all the membership envelopes to the USPS. 
  7. The committee will continue to meet in order to come up with new ideas for increasing memberships over the summer.

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

  1. Bikes/Trikes volunteers have been organized for the 4th of July Parade.
  2. Andrea has planned 14 events from now until Halloween. Look for a list coming soon. She is always looking for volunteers to help out and give support where/when needed.

Here are a few of the events from FPCA at the North YMCA :

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

See NCC column in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

3 cases were heard this month (only 2 relative to FP):

  1. Case #1 Application to permit use of existing structure for a shared living facility – Tabled December 2023. 2433 Teakwood Dr., 43229 • The Committee approved (14-2 w/ 1 abstention) a motion to RECOMMEND APPROVAL of the application.
  2. Case #3 Application for a special permit to allow the location of a mobile pop-up store in a parking lot. DHL Express is moving from Columbus Square parking lot to 2400 Corporate Exchange Dr., 43231 • The Committee approved (17-0) a motion to RECOMMEND APPROVAL of the application. (FPCA secretary’s note: This will be across the street from Home Depot/McDonald’s on Cleveland Ave. near I-270).

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – sbiggsmail@yahoo.com  Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

OLD BUSINESS  – None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

Cheryl Lutman (Treasurer): Any thoughts on doing a mulch sale in 2024? It was a big hit (but it was a lot of work). The monies we made were a big help to our budget last year. As she works on the budget for 2024-2025, she noted that we could use another home run like that! Lou Bernard said he will contact Scott Biggs and see if he is willing to organize the sale this year. Lou will contact the Board members and Committee Chairs with Scott’s response and see what is needed to move forward. Note: 3-17-2024, Scott Biggs has agreed to head up the mulch sale again. He will be looking for lots of volunteers to help.

Meeting adjourned at 8:01PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: February 13, 2024

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 13 February 2024

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:01 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

None-due to extensive time needed for Membership Coordinator to plan.

Guest Speaker: None

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu Absent

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, LB, CL, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, CA, LH, MS, EM, AP, KG
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: TS, MS, DP, SB
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 23
  1. Reviewed minutes from January, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru February is available online.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. Not much activity this month.
  2. Two new household memberships.  The one coming through PayPal paid the fee – thank you!
  3. Advertising revenue has come in.
  4. Paying the last couple of months of security invoices

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. Save the Date for this year’s SPRING Forest Park Community Garage Sale to be on Saturday, May 18th.
  2. Mary is volunteering to help with the Forest Park Membership drive by applying the labels on all of the envelopes like in the past.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Items are due this Friday, February 16th for the March Forester.. Delivery will begin as early as Feb. 23 thru the following week.
  2. Bags will be ordered for 4 months of Foresters.
  3. April Forester articles are due on March 22nd.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org  614.645.1418

We would like more folks to attend Block Watch. Officer Yandrich was here and it didn’t look good to have such a small crowd. We originally split the time to give people the chance to speak with a member of the CPD. A more complete Block Watch report will appear in the Forester.

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com   Cynthia Alkire – 1classicyn@gmail.com 

  1. Sheridan has been out visiting area businesses, and trying to drum up more business memberships.
  2. Cynthia has been hitting up area business, too. She has been working in the area of Columbus Square shopping area, especially Bakaro International Market, trying to get them to become business members.
  3. The Happy Druggist has closed. We are sad to see them leave.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. This month we have 5 new Forest Park homeowners. So we have new Welcome Folders to distribute.
  2. Thanks to all those who helped pass out the folders last month.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu – mmateru@hotmail.com

  1. We have filled the position of Membership Coordinator, thank you Mike Stone; and have found people to support Mike in this process.
  2. We are still looking for an Area 14 Rep. This position has been vacant for years. If you are interested, please contact Erin.

Membership Coordinator  Mike Stone – msto0103@yahoo.com

  1. The most critical point is that the earliest that we could (should) do the membership stuffing and delivery would be for the April edition.
  2. There are a number of new procedures and protocols which will need to be followed through the USPS and this will take some time.  
  3. We are still doing a bulk mailing with the Forester-this has been protocol for the last 7+ years. We will need lots of help pulling this thing off.
  4. Things to try: competition between areas with the highest percentage of members, weekly reminders to previous members, have area reps get more connected with people in the neighborhood, setting up tables at area events, yard signs to remind people of membership drive, etc.
  5. There will be a meeting with the executive board to iron out the final details this week.

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

  1. March 8th Family Fun and Movie Night postponed due to staffing change at YMCA.
  2. The Forest Park Social Season kicks off in the YMCA parking lot on May 1st with “Peach Cobbler Factory” from 6-8pm!
  3. More event announcements in the weeks to come!

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

February Meeting Minutes

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

No cases pertaining to the Forest Park Area were heard this month.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – sbiggsmail@yahoo.com    Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org   

Our website/Facebook page is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!! Please subscribe/follow us.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

March Guest Speaker: Our guest speaker will be Zach Williams, from State Bank. (Zach was going to be our Nov. ‘23 guest speaker, but he was unable to make it due to illness.) Zach is an expert in all things home loans, and he’s ready to speak on a variety of topics including hosting financial literacy classes, if there’s interest! You can find Zach on Instagram (@loanswithZach), and we look forward to seeing him and YOU on the 12th! (Copied from Facebook post by A. Philipsen)

Meeting adjourned at 8:12 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: January 9, 2024

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 9 January 2024

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:03 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Sarah Pomeroy, Senior Assistant Columbus City Attorney, swore in all FPCA board members, committee chairs, and area representatives. 
  2. Ed thanked Sarah for all of her hard work for the Northland area. He thanked returning FPCA officers, chairs and reps, and welcomed all  new members to their positions.

Guest Speaker: State Representative Munira Abdullahi

Munira Abdullahi is the representative for Ohio House District 9 – Northland area. She gave a brief introduction on how she came to live in Forest Park and how she became our District Representative. Her biggest passions are healthcare (focusing on lowering the cost of insulin and other diabetes services) and education. She is here for us and is interested in helping to make FP a better place. Please call her with any questions or concerns you have, Munira Abdullahi, 77 S. High Street, 10th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215; office: (614) 466-2473; email address: Rep09@ohiohouse.gov

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

Northland Community Council (NCC) Report

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, TS, LB, CL, MS, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, AP, KG
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: MS, DP
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 3, 4, 9
  • Area Reps Absent: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 23
  • 2024 FPCA January Attendance
  1. Reviewed minutes from December 2023 meeting, no changes or corrections needed; minutes were approved and entered into the official records.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 3 new household memberships – and two paid their PayPal fee, so thank you!
  2. Two expenses – First, a $15.00 bank charge for the returned check due to a stop payment on a membership check. Attempted to contact the residents with no success. Second, Andrea used some of her social committee funds to help with the teen Christmas present program.
  3. We are still about $2,000 under budget on household memberships. At $30/each, that equals about 66 households. We are also down on business memberships. We need 6 more to make budget.
  4. Anything anyone can do in these last couple of months is helpful.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com  Absent – No Report

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Will bring a handout of due dates for the 2024 year of when to expect article/ad submission and when Forester will go to print. 
  2. January Forester will go online by Sunday January 6.
  3. As of this date, February Forester will be online as well. 
  4. Jan 23rd is the due date for the online version of the February Forester.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

Block Watch meeting at 6:00 pm.

Code Enforcement/Issues meeting at 6:30. 

The regular FPCA meeting  at 7:00 pm. 

Business Representative Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com    No Report

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

We have 14 Welcome Folders to be delivered. Area Reps will be contacted by Laura to pick up their folders.

Volunteer Coordinator Erin Materu mmateru@hotmail.com    No Report

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

Andrea is planning and preparing lots of fun events for the upcoming year. She will keep us posted with a list of events in the Forester.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

Northland Community Council (NCC) Report

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com  No Report

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – sbiggsmail@yahoo.com, Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org  

Our website is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!!

OLD BUSINESS

  1. Compost Exchange is trying to make Forest Park a hub. We need 25 neighbors to sign up and commit to the exchange in order for that to happen. Right now we have 10 people interested. If you would like to find out more about it, contact Laura Hayes, our Welcome Committee Chair. Laura is putting a hold on this project. The city of Columbus has opened a recycling and composting center at Busch Park (Olentangy and Bethel)
  2. It was proposed that Councilman Remy come as a guest speaker. Ed will contact him.
  3. Andrea is proposing a local craft fair in the Spring. This idea has been taken off the table and canceled.
  4. The sign for the main entrance for Forest Park East was vandalized. It is in the process of being repaired by the Sign Team. The frame has been repaired, and the sign will be replaced within the next few weeks, weather permitting.

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

News From Area 5 Rep Scott Biggs concerning work done in Woodward Park concerning power outages.

Meeting adjourned at 8:08 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: December 12, 2023

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 12 Dec 2023

Location: Casa Mezcal Restaurant (Holiday dinner/meeting)

Meeting called to order @ 6:07PM by Ed Vanasdale 

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Thanks to all of the officers, committee chairs, area reps, and volunteers for their service this past year. We have accomplished some great things and we could not have done it without you. Looking forward to another great year in 2024!
  2. The January meeting will be the election and swearing in of all FPCA officers, committee chairs, and representatives and alternates. Sarah Pomeroy will swear us in. Everyone please attend. 
  3. State Representative Munira Abdullahi (District 9-Northland Area) will be at our January meeting to introduce herself.
  4. The Forest Park sign at the main entrance to FP East off of Karl Rd. was ripped off (literally) by vandals. The Sign Team (Ed, Daryl, and Lou) will be working over the next week to repair or replace it.

Guest Speaker: none

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu  Absent

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, LB, CL, MS, RW, DVM, KVM, MB, LH, SB, AP, KG
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: TS, SL, DP
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 2, 4, 5, 7, 12
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 22
  1. Reviewed minutes from November, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. We had 4 new household memberships, but had a returned check from October.  No new business memberships in the same period.
  2. Advertising revenue was $1,550.
  3. Our main expenses were a couple of months of security patrols, more bags for the Forester, and some funds for our social committee – notably candy for the wildly successful Trunk Or Treat!  We also renewed our liability insurance for another year.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

  1. While decorating the islands at Karl Rd & Sandalwood on Saturday I noticed the large metal Forest Park sign was missing from the stone wall on the East island. I called a few people to inquire if anyone had any knowledge of what happened to it with no success. I spoke with a Columbus Police patrol and asked if they knew of any accident that might have damaged it but still no one had any idea. Later that week, I spotted the sign now resting up on the hill on the east side of the YMCA building and I was able to go with my son and pick it up and keep it in my garage until the Forest Park sign team will be reinstalling it later this month. I was so happy we found it!  Happy Holidays!   🙂

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

We need articles for the January (ONLINE only) Forester by Dec. 28th.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418 Absent

See report in the Forester.

Business Representative Marty Biggs – Marlynabiggs@yahoo.comSheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  Absent 

This is Marty Biggs last meeting as Business Rep. We need help in this area. Please contact Erin Materu (Volunteer Coordinator) mmateru@hotmail.com if you are willing to help find business members to join the FPCA.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com No Report

Volunteer Coordinator Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com

This was Scott’s last meeting as Volunteer Coordinator. Erin Materu will be taking over his position. Don’t be surprised if you get a call from her asking for your help!

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

2023 has been a year to always remember for the FPCA Social Committee! From food trucks, to hot and cold treats (shaved ice and coffee beverages!), to an amazing turn out for Trunk or Treat, we thank you for your enthusiasm, participation and support of these events. 2024 is already shaping up to be an incredible year of memorable, neighborly fun, so please be on the lookout for announcements this winter regarding the 2024 social season in Forest Park.

In December, we enjoyed Breakfast with Santa at the North YMCA, and Andrea Philipsen, Social Committee Coordinator, had the opportunity to represent on behalf of the FPCA at the Naturalization Ceremony that took place on Dec 6th, also at the North YMCA. 148 people became US citizens and selected Columbus, OH to be their home. Wishing all of Forest Park a very happy new year and see you soon!

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu Absent

No Report

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

No Report

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com, Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org Absent  

Our website is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!!

OLD BUSINESS

  1. Compost Exchange is trying to make Forest Park a hub. We need 25 neighbors to sign up and commit to the exchange in order for that to happen. Right now we have 10 people interested. If you would like to find out more about it, contact Laura Hayes, our Welcome Committee Chair.
  2. It was proposed that Councilman Remy come as a guest speaker. Ed will contact him.
  3. Andrea is proposing a local craft fair in the Spring.

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

  1. Sign stolen.

Meeting adjourned at 6:37 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: October 10, 2023 and Budget Meeting Minutes: October 5, 2023

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 10 October 2023

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 8:01 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

Budget Meeting Report (see the Budget Meeting Minutes in this Forester or at the end of these minutes-online only).

Guest Speaker: Gifting Youth Joy (non-profit organization)

Ziggy Cicchella (Secretary) (who lives in Forest Park) and their social work colleagues, Eryca Rivera (Treasurer), and Ellie Church (President) have started a non-profit organization called “Gifting Youth Joy.” Teens are often passed over in gift and toy drives, and they want to bring attention to the large number of teens in our community who are without during the holidays. Most toy drives stop gifting to kids when they reach 12 yrs old. They are hoping to fill that gap and give teens the wonderful holiday they deserve. They are accepting donations at giftingyouthjoy.org

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu   NCC Report in this issue of the Forester.

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance: 
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, TS, LB, CL, MS, RW, MB, SL, SB, AP, KG, DP
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: DVM, KVM, LH
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 3, 4, 6, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 35
  • Attendance Record Sheet Thru October

2. Review minutes from September, no changes were made. Minutes approved.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 13 new household memberships – one person noted they moved to the neighborhood 8/2023!
  2. Advertising revenue of $1,145. Note that we have billed an additional $1,380 in advertising that has not been paid yet. In addition, we have $200 “on account” from those who have prepaid their ads for the year. Plus we deposited the rest of the Welcome Committee funds, including the match. We raised $505 for that effort – well done, all!
  3. Expenses are in line. The August Forester printing was $985, we had bags for $91.38 and security was $675. We also paid for the garage sale ad of $51.96

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

We had a garage sale in the fall with 21 participants. We made $51 after all advertising bills were paid (i.e. The Columbus Dispatch ads)

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Nov/Dec. Forester will be combined into one issue. This helps with cost, but also with deliverers.
  2. Articles for Nov/Dec are due by Nov. 3. Delivery around Nov. 12th and beyond.
  3. We are still looking for delivery help. If you are interested in becoming an active part of your community, please contact Rita.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418 Absent – No Report

Business Representative Marty Biggs – Marlynabiggs@yahoo.com,  Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  – No Report

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

Welcome folders are almost ready to be sent out.

Volunteer Coordinator Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com   

  1. We are creating the slate of volunteers for positions for the 2024 FPCA year. We are always looking for new members and people interested in serving their community. Please contact Scott if you are interested in helping.
  2. We are also creating a new “Membership Coordinator” position and are looking for a motivated volunteer who loves working with people and is comfortable working with a database or spreadsheet.

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

  1. Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Food Truck 5 pm Monday 10/16 at the YMCA.
  2. TRUNK OR TREAT! I am using budget money to buy some extra candy, so I simply need extra volunteers! Trunks and kids needed too! 🙂 Trunk or Treat at the YMCA on 10/30 – Monday 6-8 pm. Please contact Andrea if you are willing to open your trunk for kids!
  3. More info forthcoming on Veterans Day ceremony at the YMCA in November and Breakfast with Santa on December 2nd.
  4. No pressure to have an FPCA table set up at events – it’s merely an opportunity to bring in more revenue for our organization. Andrea is unable to host and monitor a table simultaneously. She gets that volunteering is becoming more and more “a lost art” these days, but as leaders of our neighborhood, everyone should make an appearance at these organized events from time to time, show your support and interact with our Forest Park neighbors!
  5. New postcards were made and put in the Welcome Folders to describe the FPCA and what we do.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net, Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

See NCC Report in this issue.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

2 cases were brought before the committee, only one pertained to FP. 

  • Application to permit use for window tinting and car rental services; concurrent Council variance to add storage uses – 2050 E Dublin Granville Rd, 43229. The Committee approved (13-0) a motion to TABLE the application, as requested by the applicant.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com, Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org  

Our website and Facebook pages are always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check them out!!

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

None

Meeting adjourned at 7:59 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

(Budget meeting minutes follow.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Budget Meeting

Date: 5 Oct 2023

Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order by Ed Vanasdale @ 7:00 PM

The following Executive Board Members, Officers, and Committee Chairs were in attendance: 

Ed Vanasdale (Pres), Trevor Secord (VP), Cheryl Lutman (Treas), Lou Bernard (Sec), Mary Squerra (Pub. Relations), Rita Woeste (Forester Editor), Daryl Vanmercetta (Security), Marty Biggs (Business), Laura Hayes (Welcome), Scott Biggs (Volunteer), and Dave Paul (Website)

The meeting was called to make sure the budget is balanced now that most of the memberships have been collected. As of 10/5/2023, we had 387 paid memberships since the beginning of the budget cycle (April 1). Last year we collected 480 paid memberships. Last year, items were cut from the budget (i.e. the number of Supplemental Security patrol hours) in order to balance the budget. This meeting was scheduled knowing that we are almost 100 memberships down from last year.

Items that were discussed, voted on, and passed are as follows:

  1. The budget was reviewed and it was decided that we could not cut the Forester or Supplemental Security since those were promised through this budget cycle. A motion was made and passed to supply any budget shortfall (approximately $895) with money from the reserves in the savings account. Noting that if membership does not increase next year, Supplemental Security may take a major hit.
  2. In order to save money, the November and December Forester will be combined into a single issue. January and February issues will be online like they have been since Covid. 
  3. The membership drive mailing will be moved to March instead of May to correspond with the beginning of the budget cycle, April 1st. If any money is needed to make this happen, because technically it was not budgeted for in the 23-24 budget, the money will be borrowed from the reserves.
  4. A letter will be included in the March/Membership newsletter explaining budget cuts to the 24-25 year if the membership count does not increase.
  5. $500 was reallocated to the Social Committee to help Andrea continue to plan, promote, and expand the many activities she is coordinating.
  6. We are in GREAT need of a Membership Drive Committee Chair, the Volunteer Coordinator will be looking to fill this role.
  7. Welcome Committee and Volunteer Committee chairs will be working to contact Area Reps to deliver the new Welcome Folders. 
  8. The December meeting, to follow tradition, will be held at a local restaurant for the Officers, Committee Chairs, Area Reps and their families. Restaurants were discussed and a meeting place will be announced shortly. (Note: None of this meeting is paid with FPCA funds, each person/family is responsible for their own bill.)

Meeting adjourned 8:36 PM.

Budget Meeting Minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: September 12, 2023

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 12 Sep 2023

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:02PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com No Report

Guest Speaker:  Devin Deal : Neighborhood Liaison DDDeal@columbus.gov  (614) 645-7964

Devin was hired 2 months ago replacing Alfred Akainyah.

  1. Goal is to support the area civic associations, and escalate the concerns that people have. He will help us find the right people in order to solve local problems.
  2. A neighbor had a concern about the excessive speed on Sandalwood Ave. He wanted info about how to get speed bumps installed. Devin’s suggestion is first we need to submit 311 about speeding on Sandalwood, Satinwood, etc. Start taking note of time when speeding is most prevalent. A traffic calming committee will be established to draft a letter and get signatures to petition the city.
  3. A neighbor had a concern about the area surrounding the old pool behind Sequoia Bowl. Devin will drive by and take a look at the property. He will see if there is a possibility to get the organization who owns the property connected with organizations for cleaning up the property.
  4. A neighbor was concerned about the amount of vandalism happening in FP. Devin will be coming back with people from the City of Columbus to hear concerns.
  5. A neighbor had a concern about the lack of green space that has been removed due to the roundabout project along Rt. 161. Devin will follow up with the neighbor.

Vice President Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu Absent  No Report

Secretary Lou Bernard – loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, LB, CL, MS, RW, DVM, KVM, SL, LH, AP, KG, DP
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: TS, MB, SB
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant)
  • Total meeting attendance: 23
  1. Reviewed minutes from July, no changes or corrections needed, minutes have been approved and were entered into the official records.

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 24 new household memberships, 1 new business membership.  It came in through Hadler Companies.  They also requested we continue their ad with no changes. We continue to receive contributions toward our other function areas.
  2. Primary expenses were the Forester printing, security patrols and the cost of mowing the islands.
  3. Cheryl is working with the advertising chair to provide an update on outstanding advertising invoices. She will amend this report with that detail later this week. 

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com

We have the Fall Garage Sale this Saturday and the Bowling Outing on Sunday.

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Needed money to buy bags for the Forester. Money was approved.
  2. Articles by this Friday, Sept. 15th. 
  3. We need one extra delivery person for 3 months. Please contact Rita.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, 

Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com, 

Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) – dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

See report in the Forester.

Business Representative Marty Biggs – Marlynabiggs@yahoo.com  Absent,  Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  No Report

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Laura Hayes – hayeslaura2@gmail.com

  1. Hello! I am excited to be the newest member of the Forest Park Civic Association! I want to thank the previous chair – Ellin Ray – for all of her hard work and many years of support to the community. 
  2. This month we stuffed 50 welcome folders! They should be ready to get delivered by all area reps in the very near future. Thanks to everyone who made this possible. 

Volunteer Coordinator Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com Absent

  1. I staffed the FPCA table at the YMCA Food Truck in August with Andrea Philipsen. No new memberships, but we spoke to several people who were already members and handed out info on home property valuations and the 311 service.
  2. I delivered extra Foresters to businesses (Donato’s, Gabby’s, Library, YMCA, Sequoia Pro Bowl, Epworth United, etc.) and have started dropping off newsletters to Prince Pizza in Tamarack Circle for their customers. The Manager was very friendly and receptive to future advertising in the Forester. All businesses are always happy to get the newsletters and have remarked often about how people ask for them.
  3. I have started promoting a new FPCA Membership campaign called “Be a Part of the Park!” to run from September through December to increase memberships and volunteers. The campaign features photos of diverse people to show that everyone is welcome. Andrea has shared some good photos of residents at events that I will work into the campaign. Samples are on the fpcivic.org website and our Facebook page and on the vinyl membership sign with a QR code to our website (color version will replace the black and white poster soon). I also submitted a half page ad to Rita for the next Forester if she has space.
  4. Website and Facebook updates continue weekly with upcoming events. Andrea Philipsen has joined the Facebook team and has added upcoming events as Facebook events so residents can save the events as reminders. We will promote this weekend’s Garage Sale and Bowling events. 
  5. Questions and comments on Facebook about street lights continue to appear. I replied with an explanation and invited all interested parties to attend meetings for more info on this topic, especially tonight’s meeting with Devin. We may want to print an article/update about this in the next Forester from Ed or someone who knows more details.
  6. I printed 200 Membership/Volunteer sheets for the new Welcome packets and delivered them to Laura. Many thanks to Laura and the volunteers who initiated and facilitated the new Welcome Packets!

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen – andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

Planning lots of events. Look for an infographic in this month’s Forester.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net  Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu Absent

See report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

3 cases were heard. None were in the immediate Forest Park neighborhood and were of little concern for its residents.

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com Absent, Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org  

Our website is always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check it out!!

OLD BUSINESS

Mark Bell (Area 13 Rep) offered to match any collected funds to help restart the Welcome Folders. $250 was collected from members, and matching funds were met. Some Welcome Folders were found, more will be purchased with these new funds. The money collected will also be used to cover printing costs for the items in the folder. Thank you Mr. Bell!

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS

We are looking for 3 or 4 people to form a committee concerning having speed bumps installed on the streets of Forest Park. If you are interested, submit your name to the secretary, Lou Bernard, loubernard3@gmail.com, and he will get your info to the appropriate people.

Meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting Minutes: July 11, 2023

Forest Park Civic Association Meeting

Date: 11 July 2023

Location: Epworth United Methodist Church

Meeting called to order @ 7:03 PM by Ed Vanasdale 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Attendance was taken via role call.

OFFICER REPORTS

President Ed Vanasdale  ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. Discussed the parade and the great time that was had. The Bikes-n-Trikes event was very successful. Thank you to all those that helped or participated. Thanked Catharine Gilbert for helping to organize all the cheerleading groups!
  2. Block Watch and Code Issues meetings are now at new times. Please be aware.
  3. Thanks to Andrea for the great job organizing the Dirty Frank’s Hotdog food truck on Monday.
  4. There will be no August FPCA meetings (Block Watch, Code, and Civic Assoc.). In August, we will attend the NCC Picnic. (See the NCC report below)

Guest Speaker: none

Vice President Trevor Secord  tsecord@une.edu

  1. National Night Out event at the North YMCA on Tues., August 1st for the Forest Park Civic Association. The event will be from 5-8pm. There will be food, inflatables and games.
  2. See 11 July NCC meeting report in the Forester. 

Secretary Lou Bernard –  loubernard3@gmail.com

  1. Attendance:
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Present: EV, LB, CL, DVM, SL, SB, AP, RW 
  • At the NCC Meeting: TS, KG, DP
  • Officers/Committee Chairs Absent: MS, MB, AR, ER, KVM
  • Area Reps in Attendance: 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13
  • Area Reps Absent: 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 14 (Area 14 remains vacant )
  • Total meeting attendance: 23
  1. Reviewed minutes from June, there were a few email errors and typos. They were all corrected on the online version and official record of the minutes.
  2. Attendance Sheet thru July: https://www.fpcivic.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-FPCA-Attendance-Thru-July.pdf

Treasurer Cheryl Lutman – cllutman17@gmail.com

  1. 109 new household memberships – thank you! Of the 21 coming through PayPal, 17 elected to also pay the fee – thank you!
  2. Additional sums were donated to our functional areas of security, beautification and the Forester – thank you as well!
  3. Advertising revenue for the month was $645.00 – covering approximately 65% of the cost of printing.
  4. Major expenses include US Protection for our security patrols, our annual membership in NCC, the garage sale ad, and the maintenance of the islands. We also paid to print the Forester and Rita ordered bags.
  5. The other major item is the bank assessed a fee of $45.50. It was found out that 5th/3rd is now charging a fee on all checks processed. We are looking for a new bank with lower or no fees.

Public Relations Mary Sguerra –  marysguerra@howardhanna.com  Absent  – no report

Forester Editor Rita Woeste – forester_ed@fpcivic.org

  1. Next Thursday, July 20, is the deadline for the August Forester, the first week in August will be the delivery date.
  2. Blue Ash still needs to be covered. Lou Bernard and Laura Hayes are now covering routes on the Forester delivery squad. 
  3. Lowell Lutman has been doing a great job getting ads for the Forester.

Supplemental Security Daryl Van Mercetta – dvanmercetta@gmail.com, Katie Van Mercetta – kvanmercetta@gmail.com  Absent, Dan Yandrich (CPD Liaison Officer) –  dyandrich@columbuspolice.org 614.645.1418

Don’t forget about the Block Watch meeting at 6:00-6:30 pm before the Civic Association meetings except in Aug. See the complete report in the Forester.

Business Representative Marty Biggs – Marlynabiggs@yahoo.com  Absent Sheridan Landon – slandon52@gmail.com  Alan Ray – aray.bergahorn@gmail.com  Absent

  1. Reached out to Hadler Companies once again and spoke with Mindy. She said she would forward emailed information to the president and expressed interest in a business card size ad, as well. We will follow up again via email next week.
  2. Does anyone know any local business owners that might be interested in a business membership? Or are YOU a local business owner who would like a reasonable place to advertise? Contact Marty Biggs at the above email address.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Welcome Committee Chair Ellin Ray – eclaire1226@gmail.com Absent

Report by Lou Bernard

  1. We are in the process of bringing back the Welcome Folders for new homeowners. I have been running around this week gathering materials and finding them online to put into the folders. The plan will be that when everything is gathered and ready to go, that we will do a folder stuffing. We will stuff approximately 200+ folders (enough) for the whole year. The committee chair only needs to find the names and addresses of the new homeowners and bring the folders to the meeting or get them to the area reps for delivery. We are hoping to get these back by September at the latest. We feel some of the lack of membership has been because of lag in getting new homeowners to join right away.
  2. We will need 2 things: 1) about 4 or 5 volunteers to help stuff the folders and 2) approximately $300-500 to cover the cost of the printing of the folders and any copies that will go into the folder. There was a discussion about the need for folders. Some members were worried about the cost, then Area 13 Rep, Mark Bell, stepped up and made an offer to match dollar for dollar the amount raised to cover the cost of the supplies and the printing. We collected $165 at the meeting! Thank you to Mark and all those who have donated!!! If you are interested in donating, contact Lou Bernard, Secretary, or Cheryl Lutman, Treasurer. Their emails are in the minutes.

Volunteer Coordinator Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com

  1. Thanks to everyone who was in attendance at the meeting and those who marched in the parade, helped with the parade, and judged the Bikes-n-Trikes.
  2. We received 5 new memberships from members at the Dirty Franks event. We are looking for people to volunteer to sit at the Forest Park Membership table at the Buckeye Shaved Ice event at the YMCA this Friday, July 14.
  3. Prince Pizza is taking over the old Dairy Queen Spot in Tamarack Circle.

Social Activities Andrea Philipsen andrea@yellowumbrellahomes.com

  1. Thanked everyone for their support at the Dirty Frank’s event. We need to continue to have a table at all upcoming events. Dirty Frank’s was a success. 60+ people attended. Lou B. & Scott B. had a FP table collecting memberships. Thanks to all who came out!
  2. Upcoming Events:
    • THIS Friday, July 14, 4-6pm Buckeye Shaved Ice at the YMCA
    • Aug 11th (Friday) 8pm: Karaoke at Sequoia Bowl
    • Aug. 21st (Monday) 5-8 pm: Tortilla Mexican Street Food Truck at the YMCA 
    • Aug. 26th (Saturday) 7-8:30 pm: Concert on the Driveway at the Dove Household (5785 Lindenwood Rd). For more info, see “The Forest Park Gardener’s” article in this month’s Forester.
    • Aug. 28th (Monday) 8-10 am: Bushel and Bean Coffee Truck at the YMCA
  3. Check Facebook and Forester for upcoming events.

NCC Representatives Ken Gilbert – kgilbert78@att.net Trevor Secord – tsecord@une.edu

  1. Catherine Gilbert attended the Stakeholder Open House for the 161 Roundabout Project. She passed out packets from the meeting to those in attendance at the civic association meeting.
  2. NCC Picnic Info: From the Northland Community Council:  Instead of our usual meeting in August, we will be hosting our annual NCC Picnic on August 8th at Blendon Woods Park, Dogwood Area. We have the pavilion for the entire day so feel free to come out early and enjoy all that the park has to offer. Dinner will be served at 6:30. NCC will provide hamburgers, hot dogs and brats, please bring a dish to share. At 7pm we will have a very brief meeting and please be sure that your community is represented as it does count towards attendance. We encourage you to invite your communities to join us for a day of fun and camaraderie. I have attached a flyer for the picnic for your convenience.

See 11 July NCC meeting report in the Forester.

NCC Development Representative Ed Vanasdale – ed1vanasdale@gmail.com

  1. The old “Olive Garden” or “Buckeye Crazy” has been razed by the owner to sell as land only.
  2. 4 cases were heard, only 1 case pertains to our area: Application to use variance to permit four 40′ x 8′ permanent storage containers to be installed and maintained on the site (it was tabled March 2023). The NCC Committee recommended disapproval.
  3. The old China Dynasty (next to the Chipotle on Rt. 161) is being renovated into a Mexican restaurant. 
  4. Don’t forget about the Development/311 Meeting at 6:30-7:00 pm before the Civic Association meetings. No meetings in August–the next meetings will be held on Tuesday, September 12th. 

Website Administrators Scott Biggs – volunteerfpca@gmail.com Dave Paul – dwpaul@fpcivic.org  

Our website and Facebook pages are always – always being updated with new and upcoming info! Please check them out!!

OLD BUSINESS   None

NEW BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/IDEAS   None

Meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM

Meeting minutes submitted by Lou Bernard, Secretary, FPCA