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Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development Survey Results

Submitted by Rachel Rose, James Jordan, Meghan Synnott & Eric Moschopedis

The Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development subcommittee is pleased to invite you to join us in our next steps. Participate in the following ways:

1. Take a few moments to read through the survey results from last Spring. 

We recognize that some of the results may feel challenging to read or conflict with, your own experience in Sunnyhill. Take note of your reactions, thoughts, feelings, or even ideas that come to mind?

2. Share your initial reactions in the short survey at the end. 

It has been a while since we first asked these questions and things may have shifted or changed for you. We hope that these 3 simple questions will give us a sense as to what the current “temperature” is in the co-op as we move forward to the next steps. 

3. Plan to participate in an open house.

We want to welcome everyone to participate in an open house where we can safely talk about what this all means for Sunnyhill and gather your specific feedback about the priority areas outlined in the survey (i.e., Relationships & Trust, Education & Training of Co-op Members, Constructive Communication etc.) Specifically, we will be facilitating conversation that asks the following questions: 

“What would be different?”

“What does this look like?

Take some time to think about these questions in advance. We are asking members to RSVP for the open house so that we can prepare & plan. Our intention is to hold these outside (weather & COVID restrictions permitting) the dates will be: 

Watch for the dates and an RSVP link to be sent in the next few weeks!

Thanks to everyone who already offered their thoughts and ideas through this survey. We look forward to cooperatively determining what the next step of this process should be as thoughtfully collaborate, share & create ways to meaningfully advance this work. 

Cooperatively yours, 

Rachel Rose, James Jordan, Meghan Synnott & Eric Moschopedis 

Continuity Planning & Social Fabric Development Survey Results

Spring 2021 - Total Number of Respondents: 50 

Questions #1-3 Final Results of Priority Rankings 

First Priority: Relationships & Trust

Second Priority: Education & Training of Co-op Members

Third Priority: Constructive Communication


*This is a summary of the data. Full results for each priority are listed in the P & D files on the website. 

Question #4

In your opinion what is the best way for the co-op to best heal and work together towards a vibrant future?

*Please see Sheet 2 in the P& D files for the full data. Each response was assigned a theme, the themes were then ranked in order of their frequency mentioned

Question #5 

What single word would you use to describe how you feel about Sunnyhill Co-op in March 2021?

*The largest words appeared with the greatest frequency. 

Share your initial reactions…

Sunnyhill Grounds Clean-up Day September 25

Submitted by Jaée on behalf of the Grounds Committee

Mark your calendars!

Sunnyhill Grounds Clean-up Day

Saturday, September 25th, 10:00-3:00

Time to do a final weeding, water our trees, sweep the pathways, get tree suckers snipped, and generally prepare for the changing seasons. Birds have finished nesting so this is the ideal time to trim hedges so they will be healthy next year.

There are common space tasks to work on together, and we encourage members to also take care of their yards at this time. Remember, members are responsible for trimming hedges on both sides of their yard fence.

We will have a pick-up of trees, branches, and leaves after the clean-up event to take yard waste to the City Compost, so now is the time to get all compostable waste into brown bags. Please store your bags in a weather-protected area by your unit until we identify and announce the pick-up location

Note: SOD IS NOT COMPOSTABLE, and COMPOST BAGS MUST BE FREE OF WEEDS AND GARBAGE. Weeds, garbage and sod go to the City landfill.

And - if you haven't checked out the shed for a while - there are new clippers and an electric hedge trimmer available to help you tackle unruly hedges. We also have a small wood chipper that can take branches up to 2" in diameter. It is only to be used once you have training, so bring branches out to the Clean up day on the 25th to be chipped.

See you on Saturday the 25th! In the case of really bad weather, we will postpone by a week.

Sunnyhill and Lead Water Pipes

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

We have had our water tested for lead and it came back negative (less than .5 micrograms/litre). This falls well below the allowable lead concentration levels set by the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and the Health Canada limit of 5 micrograms per litre.

Based on these results, we can say that Sunnyhill probably does not have lead water pipes.

Reminder about Recycling Old Batteries and Light Bulbs

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

We now have two containers for old batteries and certain types of old light bulbs in the garage. Education Committee members monitor these containers and take them to be properly recycled.

Batteries

  • Everything except car batteries can go in the plastic bin labelled Batteries in the garage

Light Bulbs we can recycle

  • Compact fluorescent bulbs – go in the box labelled “Light Bulbs” in the garage

Light bulbs we cannot recycle

  • Incandescent light bulbs (regular old fashioned bulbs) or halogen light bulbs – these can go directly into our garbage bins

  • Fluorescent tubes no longer than 4 feet in length – you must take these to a designated fire hall. A maximum of three (3) fluorescent tubes can be taken to a *designated fire hall

  • Fluorescent tubes longer than 4 feet in length and/or more than three (3) tubes need to go to one of the city’s free **Throw 'n' Go landfill areas

*Our closest designated fire halls are:

  • Vista Heights Fire Station #4 (1991 - 18 Avenue NE)

  • Varsity Fire Station #17 (3740 32 Avenue NW)

**Free Throw 'n' Go landfill areas:

  • East Calgary Landfill (68 Street and 17 Avenue SE)

  • Shepard Landfill (12111 Avenue & 68 Street SE)

  • Spyhill Landfill (69 Street and 112 Avenue NW)

To find out how to recycle other things, go to What Goes Where Calgary https://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/What-goes-where/A-to-Z-Listing.aspx

City Solutions for Sunnyhill Lane Water & Ice

Submitted by Pam Boyd

Regarding Sunnyhill Lane Stream from a neighbourhood friend:

I attended a flood-related meeting with the City and GHD Engineering last night, where they described what they are considering to be the solutions for Sunnyhill Lane water & ice.

They will be twinning the pipes on 7th Avenue, south of Sunnyhill Lane, to take away more water. They know that they need to improve the grade, from 9th Ave below the bluff, enabling the water to flow from the base of the hill to 7th Ave. They will also be looking at options of a slotted drain running down the middle of Sunnyhill Lane, that would empty into 7th Ave. Our fearless leader (Charlie Lund) also wants them to look at draining the water at the base of the hill into 9th Ave (to the west) towards 5th Street. The engineers know they have to do a few things to bring solutions to Sunnyhill Lane drainage issues.

They are only about 60% through their design right now, but we see progress and we are leading them in the right direction. It probably won't be in place for another year or 2, but work is being done!

Committee volunteers needed!

Submitted by Buzz Viberg on behalf of the Board

Dear members,

We have Committees in desperate need of your participation, not just because it is a Coop responsibility fundamental to your becoming a member of this community but also to build stronger connections. During the Member Selection process, the assurance you gave about joining a committee was one of many qualities that made you a good fit for community living and therefore lead to your recommendation. Committee involvement helps prevent burnout of members already serving and ensures that committees like Buildings, Finance, Grounds and Social (just to name a few) continue to provide a strong foundation, on which our community is built.

Together we are stronger! If you have tried a committee and it wasn't the right fit or if you needed a break, then please consider other options moving forward. It is a great opportunity to make positive connections with people other than your neighbours. Each and every one of us has unique qualities and skills that are needed to help in the smooth running of our Coop. A big thank you to the many members who are working tirelessly on committees. It is appreciated.

Please join a committee, make a friend and make a difference towards positive change to ensure the Coop remains strong. The Board always welcomes member suggestions about ways in which committee involvement could be improved. Please feel free to contact me, Buzz at (403) 283-9443 if you would like assistance with finding a committee that you would feel best suited to.

The Committees most in need of new members that have come to the Board’s attention are:

  • Finance Committee (contact Kevin Chaney, (403) 313-5773)

  • Social Committee (contact James (403) 585-4247)

  • Buildings (contact Heidi Mighaug-Cook (403)-700-8525)

Many thanks,

Buzz (on behalf of the Board)

Callout for New Members for the Finance Committee

Submitted by Meagan Synnott on behalf of the Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is seeking new members:

  • What we do - we help coordinate the budget requests of the various committees, ensure money is spent in keeping with housing co-op regulations, monitor spending throughout the year to ensure the priorities of the co-op as approved by members are being carried out. Make recommendations to the board and membership regarding changes to the housing charges. Help ensure long-term viability of the co-op.

  • Opportunity for people interested in helping co-op be responsible for its own finances and gain knowledge about how the co-op operates on a financial level. You do not need to have a lot of pre-existing knowledge. Great way to learn about the breadth of what the co-op does—if you are new to committees it is a great one to join.

  • We meet every one to two months depending on what is needed from us, usually for an hour. We try to meet outside as much as possible. Most importantly, we will bring snacks now that Covid restrictions are relaxing :)

Meet & Greet with Ward 7 Candidate July 19

Submitted by Bob Bott

Erin Waite, one of the more progressive-sounding Ward 7 councillor candidates, would like to have a “meet and greet” with interested Sunnyhill members. She said she’s available Monday evening, July 19, so I suggested we gather around 7:30 by the Little Library and chat for a while or walk over to the picnic tables. Please spread the word among the members.

Several other candidates sound like they might be supportive of our values and aspirations, and it would be good to get to know them before the October 18 municipal election. Here’s the current list of those running in Ward 7, in alphabetical order, with links to their websites:

Ward 7

Incumbent: Druh Farrell

Daria Bogdanov

Bogdanov is an executive council member of the Progressive Group for Independent Business, the right-wing advocacy group that created Take Back City Hall. She is the Take Back City Hall candidate for Ward 7. Originally from Russia, Bogdanov touts her extensive business background—including marketing for Samsung and sales for a medical equipment company.

Matt Lalonde

Lalonde has a master's degree in city planning from the University of Calgary, which he says gives him the ability to provide hands-on policy and design solutions for the city. Lalonde wants to provide incentives to encourage small businesses, to strike a balance between inner-city redevelopment and preserving community character, and to promote "freedom of choice" for transportation.

Heather McRae

McRae is running a campaign calling for more civility at city hall. Having previously done communications work for Cenovus and Encana, she currently works at Decide Campaigns, which is run by her husband, Stephen Carter. In 2013, McRae worked as the campaign manager for incumbent Druh Farrell.

Marilyn North Peigan

Peigan, a member of the Piikani Nation who was appointed to the Calgary Police Commission in 2017, announced her candidacy on the day of the Women’s Memorial March honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women. She says she wants to enhance diversity at the city and help establish a "sustainable approach" to municipal governance.

Erin Waite

Waite has worked the past decade as the director of Connections, a counselling and consulting organization for those with disabilities, and prior to that worked in corporate communications and investment relations at Principal. She wants to find new uses for empty downtown office buildings and partner with various stakeholders on downtown revitalization.

Derek Williams

Williams supports downtown revitalization, the Green Line and the new arena, and wants to expand the city's cost-cutting programs, such as SAVE, as well as affordable housing. He's also the founder of a business that sells designer medical scrubs, and the sales manager for a janitorial services contractor.

Terry Wong

Wong has served as the executive director of the Calgary Business Improvement Area and is currently the president of the Hounsfield Heights Briar Hill Community Association. He has also been critical of the Guidebook for Great Communities. Wong says council needs to do a better job balancing its municipal infrastructure projects and broader planning goals.

AGM Postponement and Update on the Coming Months

Submitted by Richard Harrison, Chair, on behalf of the Board

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to let you know that due to the complications created by Andrea's departure at the beginning of May, the materials necessary to close out the co-op's year will not be ready for the end of June. In a year of the unexpected that this one has proved to be many times over, this probably shouldn't be a surprise, and it is not what we wanted. The Board has worked hard to catch up and keep the administration of the co-op on track. Despite the challenges, the co-op is functioning well at present, and, as we've seen many times over, our members are actively contributing to the co-op's good, and our committees are engaged in productive and forward-looking work.

In that light, we have appealed to the provincial government for an extension in order to get the necessary work done. They have been very understanding. Our co-op has an excellent record of fiscal and social responsibility, and we are not alone in needing more time in this regard. We anticipate that our financial documents will be ready by the end of July; to give ourselves room to deal with anything we haven't foreseen in making that estimate, we've requested a deadline that will schedule our AGM at the end of August, which has been granted.

We know that the bylaws calculate the date of the AGM according to the fiscal year and put it at the end of June; however the Co-operatives Act, under which we have requested this extension, takes priority, so we are still operating properly under our governing documents.

That said, the next two months will be busy ones that will set the stage for the end of August to be an excellent time to consider the year ahead. As some of you know, also near the end of June, the Planning and Development Committee were setting up to give us an update on negotiations with the City and a recommendation regarding their offer. The City, however, has delayed their reply to us, so the needed information was not provided in time. We expect that it will be ready for mid-July instead.

We are also looking forward to hearing from P&D regarding the Social Fabric Survey that they conducted over the past few months; the results have been compiled and they plan to hold informal focus groups to follow up. Their work will provide a much-appreciated picture of where we are as a community and inform the discussion of our future directions.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate our way through a year of obstacles that I see us over and over meeting in a truly cooperative spirit.

All the best,

Richard Harrison, Chair,

for the Board.

Welcomes & Farewells

Jaime Muneoka on behalf of Member Selection Committee

Apologies for this long overdue update! We've had lots of action in Member Selection over the past few months.

Back in March we bid farewell to Greg and Laura in 811, which resulted in a tiny waterfall of units. Gabriela and her family shifted over to 811, leaving room in 783 for Kris and Debbie to take over. The resulting vacancy in 34 was filled by new member, Ella Pisarska and her 12-year-old daughter, Hannah.

More recently we said goodbye to Janice and Meghan Way and said hello to Dave Robinson and Ximena Gonzales in 819.

All of our new members have been longtime Sunnyside residents, so you likely already know them from the neighborhood. Welcome Ella, Hannah, Dave and Ximena!

News about news: Thanks to Erin. Introducing Jessica. And Congratulations to Joe

Submitted by Richard Harrison on behalf of the Board

Hi everyone,

Just to keep you all up to date, the contract for Erin, who has done great work for us in the office on a temporary basis this past month, is up now. The new person, likewise on a short term contract, is Jessica, and we welcome her to the Co-op.

In other news, I just want to draw your attention to the fact that our own Joe Nunn, the man behind the wheel of Joe's Garage and also behind the smooth spinning of the wheels of many of Calgary's bicycles ridden both for business and pleasure has a feature in this month's Avenue magazine has a piece on his work (pages 11 and 12). And not only there. A recent issue of the Globe and Mail contained an article on him in its insert section. Congratulations, Joe.

All the best,

Richard Harrison, Board Chair.

Coop Housing Board of Directors Descriptions 

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

(Editor’s note: the Board of Directors descriptions in this article do not refer specifically to Sunnyside Housing Co-operative but to housing co-operatives in general. For information about Sunnyside’s bylaws, please see the documents page on our website. Marion Gauzer, Communications Committee)

  • Chair: this position provides leadership to the board and the co-operative. The chair serves as chair for all board and general meetings, maintains a strong relationship with management, and often serves as the face of the organization. The chair should be familiar with important policies and procedures governing co-operatives.

  • Vice-chair: this position is tasked with fulfilling duties assigned by the chair or filling in when the chair is not available.

  • Treasurer: this position is often combined with the secretary position. The duties of the treasurer require some understanding of financial reporting and accounting practices and are often given to a manager or hired expert (e.g. an accountant) that can perform them efficiently. The treasurer often oversees the co-operative’s finances, filing the annual return, preparing a budget, and keeping the board and shareholders informed on financial matters.

  • Secretary: this position maintains the records of the co-operative including policies and procedures, meeting minutes, and an up-to-date membership list. In many co-ops, the secretary serves as a point of contact for members on matters including share redemption, submitting resolutions, or concerns with the co-op.

Coop Housing Board of Directors Responsibilities

The board of directors is central to the operation of a co-operative business. Directors discuss matters affecting the co-op, make decisions that shape and guide the co-op, and prepare information and recommendations to members to discuss and decide on. Much of what a board does is responsive, reacting to events, ideas, and opportunities facing the co-operative. It’s important for directors to think about the future, and look for ways to improve their practices and the co-op’s well-being. This list gives an overview of the important responsibilities of the board of directors:

  1. Manage financial matters of the co-operative: It’s important for the board to have a strong understanding of the co-op’s financial position. This can be done with support from staff or an accountant (depending on the size of the co-op). The board should lead the creation of an annual budget, monitor revenue and expenses, and present the annual return and budget back to the members at the annual meeting. Some members of the board will have signing authority on the co-op’s accounts and their signatures will be required for items like cheques, agreements, chequing accounts, annual returns, and applications.

  2. Strategic Planning: The board provides leadership to the organization and shapes its direction. It creates, updates, and maintains strategic plans that include the co-op’s agenda, goals, and key opportunities. The board should regularly identify projects and manage the co-op’s investments.

  3. Create policies and procedures: The board will create policies when first incorporating the co-op, and on an ongoing basis. Some policies will be created in response to the co-op’s business, or as challenges and opportunities arise. These policies relate to things like finances, membership, conflict of interest, information and technology, safety, and elections.

  4. Give the co-operative a voice: Both the board and the management will promote the co-op to the public. The board, as representatives of the members, should speak on behalf of the co-op when working with partners, funders, media, or other audiences. They should provide information to members at meetings and give direction to staff. It’s good to have a communications strategy for the board and management that outlines how the co-op communicates with other parties, so everyone is sharing a consistent message.

  5. Management: Depending on the size of the co-operative, the board may directly manage the day-to-day affairs. In larger co-ops, the board usually provides oversight to managers or an executive team. The board will have the final say on many important decisions and may have to deal with conflict or debate that could arise. For example, it’s the board’s job to decide how to allocate the co-op’s profits. To do this, it needs to take a number of things into consideration: adding to reserve funds, investing in the co-op, and distributing profit to members. Decisions like this can lead to conflict, but the co-op can help avoid this by including members in the discussion (and listening to their ideas).

  6. Engage the members: At the end of the day, the co-op exists to serve its members. The board should engage members in important decisions and happenings with the co-op. The board can help ensure members have a sense of ownership with their co-op by communicating openly with them

 https://coopcreator.ca/resource/being-a-board-member-in-a-co-operative-business/

Gardening Time and Updates from Grounds

Submitted by Cristian Badea-Hasa on behalf of the Grounds Committee

Start Gardening Time

Every time I say “spring” after mid-March, snow is there shortly. I put in place a protocol to avoid saying it. First step is replacing the capricious word with “gardening time”.

But, better, let’s start digging! Or, NO DIG, as it is the buzz in the last few years.

More than ten years ago, after many attempts to repair the lawn, I was inspired by a landscaping guy from Oregon. Covered everything with flyers and then mulch. After a while (few years, but gardening takes some patience) mycelium was there and, underneath the wet paper, wonderful, alive soil. Ready for gardening it was.

Yes-yes! But, poor grass ☹… What grass? It is no grass around! Is a mix of stupid genetically modified cereals with very short roots, which do not sequester the carbon dioxide back in the soil. It is a realtor’s marketing scam from about a hundred years ago.

Simply saying: weeds (let them grow and you’ll see).

Slowly gardeners realized that mulching around important plants will help with water retention in the area, obviously preventing some pests coming to the feast (slugs, bugs don’t like “stepping in mulch). Cooling the friendly plant in the summer and a good blanket during the winter. And, yes, fewer weeds.

BIG EVENT: Mulching At Sunnyhill 2021

A garden-size woodchipper was acquired by Grounds. Works fine for up to 1 ½-inch branches, sticks, dried stems. It will be available to book for use in the garage. Because it grinds things it will be locked and some brief training will be provided for safer use.

It’s not only that you get rid of branches but save some bucks for the coop garbage bill. Make some mulch for your use or simply compact the wooden materials for easier disposal.

Coop has large common areas and has lots of trees and bushes. We need lots of mulch and mulching and “mulchers” every gardening season.

TIME: Weekend of June 5th and 6th . Starting time 10 am.

WHO: Everybody is invited to give a hand (or two). Will be a lot of work, but plants will be happy, tidy, hydrated, and grateful.

If you are not into No Dig thing, please notice that any digging happens after calling 811 to locate the possible lines below ground level.

But if you care to see the promoter and teacher of NO DIG way (youtube channel) Charles Dowding, I am positive you will be hooked.

Other news worth mentioning:

Pest Control products are located in the - newly remodeled – shed. Hope you will do not need it, but, wasp spray is in there. If you are afraid or not sure how to use it please email Grounds.

One wheelbarrow is broken. Will purchase a replacement, most likely a lighter model using fiberglass.

Please join the Garden Club.

Next Grounds Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 15 in the Playground area. Please join us and maybe share an idea or two. Or just listen first hand.

Plants are our babies from Mother Nature. Family, eh?

From Grounds, Cristian

Confidentiality, Privacy & New Technology

Submitted by Belle Auld on behalf of the Education Committee

Confidentiality, Privacy & New Technology workshop presented by Blair Hamilton, Canada Housing Federation (CHF) Canada

I attended a Southern Alberta Co-op Housing Association (SACHA) workshop about confidentiality and privacy especially as it relates to the new technologies co-ops are using these days.  Here are some brief notes. 

Confidentiality:

  • There are three types of confidential info:
    -business info – e.g. HR
    -board discussions and votes
    -private info about members

  • Personal/private info includes any identifying info about a specific person

  • Directors are bound by confidentiality while on the board and after leaving the board 

Privacy and new technology:

  • Coop meetings should not be recorded without
    -a) a good reason (minute taking is a good reason)  and 
    -b) consent of those involved 

  • Minutes record decisions, not debates 

  • Taking photos at co-op events should have an opt-out notice

Resources:

More detailed notes that might be of interest to Board members are with the office.

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