This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. Please email Kristin Shulder, Village Manager, at [email protected] for login information if you would like to attend.
CALL TO ORDER
A virtual meeting of the Wilde Lake Village Board was called to order by Kevin McAliley, Chair, on July 12, 2021 at 6:34pm in a Zoom meeting. Members present were Kevin McAliley, Laura Torres, Christian Gourdin (arrived at 7:15pm), Tracey Manning (left at 8:30pm); Tina Horn, Columbia Council Rep; Kristin Shulder, Village Manager; Carole Black, Board Secretary. Also present were Carl McKinney, Covenant Advisor; Greg Reed, Vice President Development, Kimco Realty; Jenna Mielke, Director of Leasing for Wilde Lake Village Center, Kimco Realty; Genie Wessel, Wilde Lake Representative to the CA Senior Advisory Committee; and Judy Templeton, Columbia Center of Spiritual Living.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
- Ms. Torres requested the addition of discussion of the new board vacancy and Mr. McAliley requesting additional time for Christian Gourdin to discuss the Neighborhood Reps Committee.
- Ms. Manning made a motion, seconded by Ms. Torres, to approve the amended agenda for July 12, 2021. All in favor.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Ms. Manning, to approve the minutes of June 7, 2021. All in favor.
RESIDENT SPEAKOUT
There were no residents who wished to speak out.
SPECIAL GUEST: Greg Reed, Vice President of Development, Kimco Realty
Mr. Reed provided an update on status of the Wilde Lake Village Center. Currently the vacancy rate at WLVC is 15%. This is much higher than the other Columbia Village Centers and the small shop average. Since the Melting Pot closed, Kimco is unable to re-tenant the space without major upgrades to the building. Ms. Mielke added that it has been difficult to fill the vacancies due to the pandemic. Kimco is considering other uses for the building site. Mr. Reed suggested the option of a day care center, but Board members did not support this proposal.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Request for Free Use: Columbia Center for Spiritual Living
- Judy Templeton, a member of this group, requested free use of the theatre and the lobby to hold a Thanksgiving dinner for those in need on November 17. This event is sponsored by the Columbia Center for Spiritual Living Church.
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Ms. Manning, to approve free use for the Columbia Center for Spiritual Living on November 17 to hold a Thanksgiving dinner. All in favor.
Senior Advisory Committee Report
Genie Wessel, who is the Wilde Lake representative to the CA Senior Advisory Committee, provided updates on the Committee’s initiatives. She provided information on new health programs through the Department of Health, which is sponsoring a Walk Columbia event in October. Ms. Wessel also talked about the Village in Howard, which has many senior activities.
FY 2021 4th Quarter Financial Report
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Mr. Gourdin, to accept the FY2021 4th Quarter Financial Report. All in favor.
Request for Capital Funds: Rolling Ladder for Theatre
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Mr. Gourdin, to approve funds to purchase a rolling ladder for the theatre. All in favor.
Discussion: Village Board Meeting Format
The Board agreed to continue meeting via Zoom at this time.
Village Board Vacancy
Adriana Sanchez-Benitez has resigned from the Village Board. This vacancy will be advertised and an application will be posted on the website.
Neighborhood Reps Program
Mr. Gourdin suggested a shift in the program to a more practical use. He suggested a new format to get more people involved. He proposed changing the name of the committee to the Marketing and Communications Committee. Ms. Torres suggested creating a new committee with this name but not disbanding the Neighborhood Reps committee.
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Ms. Manning, to form a new committee, Marketing and Communications Committee with Mr. Gourdin as Chair. All in favor.
REPORTS
Columbia Council Rep: Ms. Horn reported that there a discussion about the village cash reserves funds. There will be a new budget meeting schedule for the Board. There was a discussion about the minority business enterprise program. There will be a meeting every Thursday in July. There will be a focus on the advisory committees and the budget.
Committees:
Wilde Lake CARES: Ms. Manning reported that she and Co-Chair Bess Caplan held 3 organizational meetings and developed two initiatives:
- A walkable watershed program similar to Oakland Mills’ Yards Alive program. They will highlight yards that have native plants and environmental gardens. They will create a Google map to highlight yards and gardens.
- An HOA outreach program to contact HOAs and offer environmentally friendly landscaping plans.
The committee is also planning a fall plant exchange, adopt-a-spot, tree giveaway and clean up days.
Health and Wellness – Ms. Torres is planning a yoga event in September for the Wilde Lake “Backyard Bash”.
Education: No report.
Neighborhood Reps: Mr. Gourdin had no additional report.
AC Liaison: The RAC continues to meet via zoom. There is good attendance by homeowners.
Manager: Ms. Shulder reported that there is the Wilde Lake pool party on August 9. She is advertising for facility assistants to work upcoming weekend events.
Chair: Mr. McAliley reported that discussions continue for the stream restoration. He is promoting Wilde Lake as the pilot village for the climate change assessment.
ADJOURNMENT
- Ms. Torres made a motion, seconded by Mr. Gourdin, to adjourn at 8:42pm. All in favor.
Submitted by
Carole Black
Board Secretary
Approved 08/02/21