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The Social Committee Wants Your Feedback…

garage-sale.jpg

What: Sunnyhill Garage Sale

When: Saturday, May 12 (The busiest day of the CBC Book Sale at the Curling Club!)

Who: Sunnyhill will provide tables. Any member who would like to participate can sign up for a table or choose to share a table with another member depending on their needs. Each table will then be responsible for setting up and managing sales. Any money made will be for the members to keep.

One table will be reserved for donations of quality items. A group of volunteers will manage this table and all of the profits will then be put back into the Social Committee fund and/or donated to charity. Anything not sold will then be donated to charity.

Where: Two locations: The Circle Garden & the Sidewalk on 3rd street across from the Curling Club (we will ask for volunteers on 3rd street who don’t mind having the sidewalk and/or driveway used for this.)

How: The Social Committee will provide signage and advertise the sale. We will also manage table sign up, distribution and the donation table.

What do you think?

Please share any questions, concerns, or feedback with anyone from the Social Committee.

Social Committee Update

Submitted by Rachel Rose

Are You Interested in Playing Board Games? 

The Social Committee is starting a monthly board game club. All levels of interest and skill are welcome to join! If you would like to learn more please email the Social Committee Chair Rachel at Rachelroseconsulting@gmail.com or call at 587-433-9386. 

Join the Social Committee for a St. Patricks Day Pub night at the Curling Rink. Watch the website, look for the posters, and keep an eye on the facebook group for official date and time once they have been determined. We hope you can join us for a fun relaxed evening!

Buildings Committee Update

Submitted  by Andrea Bergen

The Buildings Committee would like to welcome Nathan Erickson of #12 Sunnyhill Lane to the Committee, we are very glad to have him.

The Committee continues to meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Always looking for new Members to join the Committee.

The Buildings Committee has purchased 6 space heaters for use if Members have furnace issues that cannot be rectified immediately. These heaters are located in the garage. The Emergency Buildings Committee Member have a key to the garage and their contact information can be found on the phone list. Please also remember to never leave space heaters unattended.

Calgary Aging in Place Cooperative (CAIP)

Information submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

Some of us senior Sunnyhill residents may be interested in the services that this (relatively) new co-op – the Calgary Aging in Place Cooperative – offers.

Here is information from their website (http://www.calgaryaginginplace.ca):

“Essentially, our role at CAIP is to find services needed to stay in your own home. Whether it is house cleaning, handy persons, snow removal, lawn-care, a plumber or an electrician, we find the services for you. Then, we negotiate the best rate possible.”

CAIP services that Sunnyhill residents may be interested in include:

  • House cleaning service
  • Yard work and landscaping
  • Home maintenance or renovations such as carpentry work, painting and flooring
  • Junk removal
  • Home safety evaluations and upgrades.

Services are then billed to you by CAIP - not directly from the service provider.

Membership with the Calgary Aging in Place Cooperative is $60.00/year.

Here is a link to the membership form:
http://www.calgaryaginginplace.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CAIP-Membership-Application-Form.pdf

Their phone number is 403-774-7247.

Another service offered through CAIP is the Personal Injury Prevention for Seniors. Information on their website says:

“It is a FREE educational and interactive offering, featuring information for seniors on stretching for longevity, how to safely enter or exit a tub or shower, standing defensively, and carrying items without strain or injury. Book now by email pips@calgaryaginginplace.ca

The 60 or 90 minute program is free of charge to groups of 20 or more. For information about CAIP or to book your program contact us by phone 403-774- 7247 ext 1 or by email at pips@calgaryaginginplace.ca.”

Planning and Development Committee Update

Submitted by Phil Cox

Our mortgage pre-payment application has been submitted to CMHC.  With the help of Communitas, we made the deadline of February 1st.  

If  successful, Sunnyhill will be free of its original mortgage that came with a high interest rate. 

Of course we still have principal to pay and that will happen through financing from First Calgary Financial.  It is the margin between the interest we have paid up to now (a little lower than 10%) and the interest on the new financing (closer to 3%) that is the savings to us.  

We have the option to borrow additional funds to help pay for the upgrades we want for Sunnyhill, but we are a bit limited at the moment in what we can borrow because of the time horizon on our lease.  

So, about the lease;  On February 1st, we met with Councillor Druh Farrell, her team and representatives of their leasing department and Calgary Housing (the City’s own corporation mandated to provide safe and affordable housing solutions).  

We are excited by the outcome.  Here are the main points:

  • Our lease is clear in stating that the land is to be returned to “commercial”.
  • As it happens, there are alternatives where land agreements are being made to satisfy City goals
  • Calgary Housing has mapped out affordable housing needs in the City (including in Sunnyside) and Sunnyhill shows up
  • The study also shows a deficit of affordable housing stock in Sunnyside
  • Calgary Housing can make land available at under market rates based on an affordability formula that takes into consideration two things: a)  rent in comparison to market thresholds, b) number of households requiring affordable housing
  • We do very well on the first criteria, our housing charges are well under market values for this part of Calgary even at the surcharge end of our subsidy-surcharge continuum.   
  • What complicates things from their perspective is that living here is also a lifestyle choice.  And the very idea that we choose to operate a voluntary subsidy surcharge system is, well, unique
  • All this to say that, as a housing cooperative, we don’t quite fit the affordable housing mold; a getting acquainted process is clearly needed

So that is where we are at today.  Druh suggested the process of building a case and getting a request before City of Calgary could take as long as a year.   The good news is that we have a strategy to do just that and with all the key players in the City on side. 

Next up… we need to clarify our options under the National Housing Strategy.  There are two parts to this.  One is to understand whats available, the other is to figure out what we want.  We have Communitas with us for a few more weeks to help us through these steps.  Stay tuned.

Notes from the Building Committee

Submitted by Andrea Bergen

The Buildings Committee is aware that some of the eavestroughs have been failing lately however due to the weather there is not much that can be done until it warms up. There has been extra money added to the 2018 budget request to make the required repairs.

As a note: There are several containers around the co-op that contain gravel in them and can be used on the ice so that it’s not so slippery and dangerous.

The Buildings Committee is always looking for new Members to join us. If you are interested in attending a meeting to see if this Committee is the right one for you the next meeting is on February 21st at 6:00pm in the Sunnyhill office.

Report on the Potential Member Orientations

Submitted by Belle Auld for the Education Committee

The Education Committee organized and hosted two Potential Member Orientations in November. We did the orientations a new way this time – thanks to Patrick Nicholson for the idea.  Instead of people sitting in a large group and listening to us talk, we had people circulate, round table style, to sit and listen to representatives from the different Sunnyhill committees talk about the Co-op and their committees.

This worked well. Twenty people filled out evaluation forms and the response was great: everyone who answered the evaluation said they found the orientation helpful. We asked several other questions and had people rate the orientation on a scale of 1 – 10 (ten being the best).

  • The information available – all responses were between 8 – 10. Fourteen people rated the orientation at 10 – the best.

  • The way the information was presented – all responses were between 8 – 10. Thirteen people rated the orientation at 10.

Comments included:

  • “I like the format you’ve chosen – personable, easy to ask questions, tailored, etc.”

  • “Rotation of table for different topics is a great way to meet the different committees and have some closer (one-on-one) kind of interaction and have our questions answered”

  • “Subgroup presentation was helpful, informative”

Thanks to the following committee members for representing Sunnyhill so well: JP, Mark, Phil, Jane, Janice, David, Bob, Pam, Buzz, Marzena and of course Andrea. (Apologies if I have missed anyone…)


 

Member Selection Update December 2017

Submitted by Lisa Rouleau

Member Selection met this fall and discussed how the waiting list is updated and what notes are included regarding contact. We wanted to ensure that accurate information gets passed along to the office, and to the committee as volunteers come and go. We were kept busy phoning lots of people on the lists and interviewing quite a few, and we removed applicants who had not renewed their status. At this point in time, the lists are still closed. 

We welcomed Jaime Muneoka and Laura Doram to the committee and said a sad farewell to Janine Morigeau who has moved away from SHC.

MS also was part of the latest Orientation sessions held at the curling club in November. In anticipation of that, the info sheet we provide to potential new members was updated by our chair, Susan Russell. It includes information about how our waitlist works, renewals, what is needed for interviews (proof of income, references, volunteer experience), expectations around involvement in the co-op, income limits and share payments.

Sending very warm welcomes to Nathan and Hannah Erickson, their daughter Eloise and son Spencer who’ve moved into #12 SHL, and to Coeur Riley and daughter McKenna who’ve moved into #823 – 3rd.  Glad to have your families with us!

New Inglewood Bridge

Submitted by Bob Bott

Grand opening December 9th. Photos attached. Nice bridge, with wide bike/ped segregated lane. Lovely day for 2nd week December in Calgary. Too crowded for good pix on bridge itself. Santa, wagon rides, food and beverage tent, music, dance, people, kids etc.

Last slides are public art by bike/ped bridge to St. Patrick Island. The “tinker toy” sculpture is called Bloom and becomes a light show at night.

http://micheldebroin.org/bloom-2/

SACHA FALL EDUCATION EVENT

Submitted  by Herta Fidler

The SACHA Fall Education event held November 18 was a great success judging from the number of people attending. Attending from Sunnyhill Co-op were David Broadhead, Herta Fidler and Jacky Durrie. The following are minutes of the workshops attended by Dave and Herta.

Workshop - Aging in Place

Presentation by the Kerby Centre

The Kerby Centre offers many services including consultation about the availability of housing that meet individual needs.  Other services offered include volunteer lawyers, help with guardianship, help with filing taxes, and shelter for abused seniors.

Presentation by the Calgary Aging In Place (CAIP) – A Co-op Organization

This organization offers help to members who wish to construct secondary suites (Granny Suites). Other help includes finding services such as plumbers, housekeepers, property managers, and contractors etc. all of whom are members of and have been vetted by CAIP. At present CAIP has helped with seven applications for this type of housing. All have been approved by the city.

Presentation by the HMC Lawyer

A presentation of the legal implication for a Co-op when a member has physical difficulties staying in their unit or presents a safety concern was presented. First and foremost Human Rights (rights of the individual versus rights of the group) is the essential underpinning in any intervention. It is the responsibility of a Co-op to provide aids (i.e. handrails, ramps) within its financial ability, to help members remain in their units. However a co-op is liable for any injuries caused by such installations.

When a member becomes a danger to themselves and/or others a co-op needs to take steps to assess the situation. The fire department can intervene in cases of fire hazards or hoarding, police can be called upon to take the individual to hospital under the mental health act and the Alberta mental health response team can also help assess a situation.

Workshop - Co-op Finances

A thorough review of ‘Everything You Need To Know About Your Co-op’s Finances’ was presented. The most important highlights for the sake of this report are what to look for.

INCOME STATEMENT: Look for large budget variances, unusual trends, unexpected items, negative numbers, declining maintenance, large vacancies and projected surplus or loss.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: Look for changes in balance sheet accounts, accounts receivable (members’ arrears), accounts payable, cash flow (reserve funding, share funding, idle cash), and accumulated surplus/deficit.

Saturday morning conversation with Communitas about the new National Housing Strategy and options for us - Saturday December 9th

Submitted by Phil Cox

We have hired Communitas to help us respond to the new National Housing Strategy announced in the last ten days.

The first activity in this new engagement is a planning discussion with Sunnyhill's Planning and Development Committee. Brian Scott will be present at the meeting and Lynn Hanley will pipe in from Edmonton. All members are welcome to attend as Brian and Lynn will pass along what they know about the new strategy and its implications for us.

Saturday, December 9th - 9:30am till noon
Curling Club

SACHA Board of Directors' Workshop

Submitted by Andrea Bergen

Board of Directors’ Workshop
Getting Management and Governance Right

Saturday, February 10th
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sunnyhill Housing Co-op to host at
Calgary Curling Club
720, 3 Street SW

This workshop focuses on the board's role in management and governance. It is a great way
to introduce board members to their position or to inform potential candidates of what is
involved. It can also be a refresher course for those who have been around for a while. It will
provide some practical ideas to help boards, members and staff work effectively together.

It is an excellent opportunity for members who currently serve on committees and members
who want to become involved to learn more about how the board functions. It is a secure
stepping stone for future involvement on the board.


As well, the core management standards will be reviewed in this workshop and we will talk
about how your co-op can get the desired results from:

  • Good Governance
  •  Sound Management
  • Building an Open and Healthy Community
  • Maintenance
  • Financial Literacy
  • Marketing
  • Legal Obligations

COST: $100.00 for members,  $200.00 non-members
(Snacks and beverages will be supplied, please provide for your own lunch)
We require a minimum number of ten people to hold the workshop. Workshop fees are not refundable unless the workshop has to be cancelled due to insufficient registrations. If the person registered cannot attend their workshop, they or their co-op should find someone else to attend in their place.

See the SACHA website for details

Bird feeders

Submitted by Belle Auld for Education and Grounds Committees

Let’s keep mice away from our homes and our wild birds healthy

We live in a beautiful natural setting that includes mice and birds. If we choose to feed birds during the winter, we need to be careful to not encourage mice as well. During cold weather mice will look for a warm place indoors. It is costly and messy once mice get in our homes. They can bite through wiring and woodwork and some mice may also spread diseases like Lyme disease and hantavirus. One of the ways we can help avoid mouse infestations in our houses is to practice good bird feeder habits. If you have a bird feeder, please follow the advice below to keep mice away from feeders and our houses, and to help keep our birds healthy.

Bird feeders:

  • Limit the amount of bird feed  - If it takes a couple of days for the birds to eat the seeds, reduce the amount of seed. Not only does this reduce the chances of mice being attracted, but helps keep birds healthy. When seeds mix with droppings (birds or rodents), it increases the chance of infections in birds.

  • Clean the feeder and tidy around the feeder – Clean the feeder regularly (preferably with a 5% disinfecting solution). Sweep up fallen seeds and keep the area free of clutter. Clean up droppings and mouldy seeds from (and around) the feeder. Water containers should be changed daily. This will help keep the birds healthy.
  • Location – Do not put your bird feeder right outside your window. Distance it from your house so mice are not encouraged to find a way in and look for more food.

  • Deterrents – Do not place the feeder near the ground. Hanging it from a branch that is not near tall hedges or another tree branch is ideal, as is using metal poles that a mouse can’t climb. As an added measure, attach baffles to prevent mice from climbing all the way to the feeding station. You could even sprinkle cayenne pepper into the mix to make it undesirable to many rodents – without affecting the birds’ enjoyment.

  • Limit spills – Some feeders come with a tray that will catch the seeds and provide a landing platform for birds. No-waste bird seed blends are also available that will help by eliminating the filler seeds and hulls that birds discard.

Storage should be inaccessible – Make sure that you store your feed in a canister that seals and cannot be chewed into by a mouse’s sharp teeth. Use containers made of metal or glass, or keep it inside, away from the outdoor critters.

from http://www.victorpest.com/articles/do-bird-feeders-attract-mice and https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/read-and-learn/helping-birds/feeding/hygiene.aspx

November Board Bytes

Submitted by Helen Wirrell on behalf of the Board

Firstly, we’d like to welcome our new Board Member, Sarah Reimer – thanks for stepping into this new challenge, Sarah.

Policy Reviews

Over the summer, a subgroup of Board members reviewed the Buildings Committee’s policies. The revised document will be returned to Buildings for their feedback and should soon be available to present to the membership for review and approval.

General Meetings

The next will be held January 26th (Australia Day) – we will send out further details closer to this date. Following feedback from the last GM, Phil Cox will be bringing a projector to future meetings so that when items such as policy revisions, are being discussed, members will be able to view them more easily.

NOTE: if you have already indicated that you want to receive all SHC office notifications via email, all GM paperwork (i.e. agenda, budget info) for an upcoming meeting will be sent to you by email. You won’t be receiving paper copies.

General Business

  • Motion Sensors ~ will be installed when the weather improves.
  • New Contractor ~ The Board is reviewing the process of hiring co-op staff and ensuring this meets co-op policies, including the Board’s responsibilities for overseeing contracts and terms of work.
  • Annual Inspections ~ have been completed for 2017.
  • Finances ~ the SHC term deposit is not being renewed due to the very low interest rates being offered. The Board and Finance are currently looking for more competitive rates.
  • SACHA (Southern Alberta Co-operatives Association) ~ has asked if Sunnyhill would be interested in hosting the SACHA 2018 city-wide Board course. This would take place on a Saturday in late January or during February. Providing we can get space at the Calgary Curling Club, we think this would be a great opportunity in terms of making this excellent course convenient for our members to attend.
  • Smoking in Units ~ as various members have expressed a concern regarding smoking in units, the Board has been exploring various resources and ideas, and has found the following website provided by the Canadian Cancer Society ~ http://smokefreehousingab.ca/ . This website can help us “learn ways to implement smoking policies in [our] co-op”. With the upcoming legalisation of marijuana usage, we feel it particularly important to start this discussion in an informed way. so please review the website if you find this an area of concern.
  • Andrea’s holidays ~ Andrea will be on vacation from December 20th to January 5th. SACHA will be supplying a replacement office co-ordinator for this time period.
  • New Members ~ one of the areas we identified as a concern during our retreat a few months ago was how to help new members feel engaged in the co-op. One idea discussed was having individual Board members ‘adopt’ new members and offer to accompany them to various co-op events such as General Meetings. We will start doing this for our next big event – the annual Christmas party

Christmas party – will be held December 9th!!

Our next Board meeting will be held December 6th.

 

Smoke free at SHC??

Submitted by Andrea Bergen for the SHC Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has been faced with the question “Does Sunnyhill want to go smoke free” and would like Member’s feedback on this topic.

The below information has come to us from The Canadian Cancer Society…

“The Canadian Cancer Society has created a guidebook and a website to help multi-unit housing providers to implement smoke-free policies.  The website is: http://smokefreehousingab.ca/”

Please submit any questions/concerns/feedback to Andrea at the SHC office.

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