Proxies in effect, when needed, until further notice:
For Carson: Cody, or in his absence, Melanie (Nov 12, 2015; copy in Minute Book)
For Brenna: Cody, or in his absence, Melanie (Nov 03, 2015; copy in Minute Book)
For Cody: Melanie, or in her absence, Carson (April 15, 2021; copy in Minute Book)
For Sheila: Joel, or in his absence, Stephen (June 09, 2022; copy in Minute Book)
For Duane: Vic (sent by email)
Motion to approve the agenda
Sharyn moves, Sheila seconds.
Length of Meeting – until 8:30 pm; Duane to timekeep. Agenda items are presented in priority. Items which cannot be addressed on June 26 will be shifted to the agenda of a subsequent meeting (either the next ad hoc Zoom meeting or the upcoming AGM as per the outcome of item 7).
Role of younger generation(s) and spouses present at this meeting. Your ideas and perspectives add a significant point of view to our discussions and are greatly appreciated; reminder that voting is limited to Shareholders.
Timekeeper: Stephen. Meeting starting at 7:38 until 8:40.Sheila asked if members of the 2nd generation bring forward motions? Vic answered that only shareholders can bring forward motions.
Cody asked if anyone minded recording the meeting for future reference, and Vic started recording.
2. Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting Signant Two 2022 AGM Part II Minutes Sheila moves we approve the minutes, Sharyn seconds. All in favour. 3. Use of Cabin Bedrooms Background: Some family members have expressed disapproval of pets being allowed to sleep in beds at the cabin. Sheila believes that this very personal request or preference needs to be respected and that we, therefore, need to discuss a protocol in this regard. Motion to be presented by Sheila: I propose that we respect the desire of some family members who do not wish to sleep in a bed where pets have been present, by designating two of the three cabin bedrooms as “Pet Free Bedrooms,” to which pets would not have access, thereby allowing pets to sleep in two areas: in the additional bedroom, to which they would always have access, and in the living room area, where they will already have constant access during the day. Seconder: ____________________ Note: Melanie Hoffarth will not be present to begin our discussion of this motion but has shared a note on her perspective, attached below. “It has already been stated explicitly and clearly the effects that pets in the cabin have on people with allergies or, more seriously, asthma induced attacks. I feel strongly that pets should not be allowed in the cabin at all, but it seems that the preferred way forward is to try to find a solution that appeases both. Air quality improvements and the new flooring, furniture covers etc should & I hope will help the situation. That being said, I do believe that pets should at least be strictly kept out of the bedrooms. Nighttime/sleep is the most dangerous time for asthmatics as attacks can & do often start while sleeping. I can remember many times when, in my dream, I am struggling for breath and taking my rescue inhaler, but it’s not working. When I finally wake up, I am in a full blown asthma attack. I assume the dream was my body’s way to try to wake me up to take my inhaler, but sometimes that doesn’t happen right away and an attack can be at a critical point. This is dangerous enough when I’m at home in a city with a hospital 5 mins from my home, but at the cabin there is no such option. I feel that at least while I’m sleeping (a person’s most vulnerable state) I should be protected as much as possible and would hope that family would understand this. I hope this clarifies my position & experience regarding pets being excluded from the cabin bedrooms.“ Sheila introduced the motion (Motion 1) as written in the agenda. Seconded by Cody. Cody read the note from Melanie. Vic stated that he thinks we should enact all the air quality improvements decided upon and address air quality that way. He said that he will vote against the motion as worded and that it’s Duane’s instruction to vote against it also. Sharyn asked Vic to clarify if he thinks all bedrooms should have pets, and he said he doesn’t see the necessity at the present time to make any restriction on pets. Mike raised the point that if dander gets into the mattress someone with allergies will know no matter what. Cody clarified that at the last meeting we agreed to get allergy covers for mattresses and pillows, which should keep dander out, and that he wants to provide a safe environment for everyone to sleep in. Vic noted that for some people pets are as important as family. Sharyn emphasized that they aren’t as important as a human being. Vic stated that people have different perspectives, and that you can’t argue against someone’s perspective. Cody stated that we don’t know how effective the air quality improvements can be, and Sheila added that it makes more sense to be proactive and take a careful approach, and maybe at some point revisit the question. Vic said that the decision would never be revisited. Mike pointed out that the motion on the table was a compromise, and Sheila agreed that her intent was to find a compromise. Joel said he appreciated the current motion was a compromise between two perspectives. Cody suggested we keep the motion as is, and should revisit this once a new furnace and vents are installed. There was a discussion about whether to amend the motion to indicate an intent to revisit the question after a furnace, but Sheila decided to leave the motion as is. Vic called the vote and the votes were as below. In favour: Sheila, Cody Opposed: Sharyn, Vic, Duane Motion 1 fails. Sharyn moved that no pets be allowed in the bedrooms of the cabin. (Motion 2). Second: Sheila Cody said he was concerned about pushing forward with this while Uncle Duane is absent, since he was aware of Auntie Sheila’s motion, but would not have been aware of this one. Vic said he has Duane’s proxy but not any instructions on this motion since he hasn’t heard of it. Cody and Sheila expressed that it would be good to have an agreement on this issue now since we are heading into a heavy usage period of the cabin in the summer. Sheila suggested we could have a provisional agreement not to allow dogs in the bedrooms, until we are able to have a meeting with all shareholders present. There was a discussion about scheduling around July 12th-14th, and about online meeting logistics, since Vic’s zoom license will soon expire, after which there will be a time limit of 1 hour. Cody will reach out to Uncle Duane after this meeting to determine when he is available for a followup meeting. Vic will set it up as Teams or Zoom. Vic will also see how large the recording of this meeting is and see how to transfer it to Cody to put on the Google Drive. Sheila noted that we have never had a vote about having pets come back into the cabin. Sheila moved (Motion 3): that pets not be allowed in the bedrooms in the cabin prior to our ability to meet as a group of all shareholders to discuss the motion that has been put forward. Seconded by Sharyn. Vic asked for the minutes to indicate that he’s opposed to the motion on grounds of fundamental unfairness given that Duane is not present at the meeting, is already at the cabin, and has no knowledge of the motion. Sheila said that in the interest of compromise, she would introduce a new motion. Sheila moved that until we can discuss Sharyn’s motion as a full complement of shareholders, that the pets be allowed in the 3rd bedroom only. (Motion 4) Seconded by Cody. Mike indicated he was good with with Sheila’s initial motion, and supports this one as well. Vic asked to clarify if pets would be allowed in the common area as well? Sheila amended her motion as follows (Motion 4A): I move that we designate the main and middle bedroom as “Pet Free Bedrooms,” to which pets would not have access, thereby allowing pets to sleep in two areas: in the additional bedroom, to which they would always have access, and in the living room area, where they will already have constant access during the day, until we can discuss Sharyn’s motion as a full complement of shareholders. Seconded by Cody. The vote was taken as follows: In favour: Sheila, Cody, Sharyn Opposed: Vic Abstention: Duane The amended motion 4A carries. Cody will update Uncle Duane as to the discussion and ask about his availability for the followup meeting. Before the end of the meeting, Sheila noted that she believes in the fall we need to have a meeting dedicated to the new furnace and heat pump/AC. Carson and Sheila will bring information. Sheila strongly urged we discuss this at a separate meeting from the AGM. As the meeting was 10 minutes over time, none of the remaining agenda items were discussed, and the meeting was adjourned. 3. Underused Housing Tax Auntie Sheila has completed the HUT form (uht-2900-fill-22e.pdf) however we are missing a Business Number. She has reached out to the CRA again on June 22. 4. Contingency Fund Background: Interest has been expressed in developing a fund that would be available for emergencies, repairs and special projects. Vic initially proposed a target of $30K; however, at the 2021 AGM Part II Meeting, Feb 6, 2022, Vic suggested we could possibly set a lower initial target of, for example, $10K, and then build from there. Note: A special assessment would likely be needed to accomplish the establishment of a Contingency Fund because, while User Fees and the Annual Assessment are presently covering numerous recent projects such as the underground water valve replacement, the laminate purchase (vinyl plank), and the registration of Signant Two in the BC Land Owner Transparency Registry, there is no “extra” or “reserve” left over to seed a Contingency Fund per se. Note: the new furniture purchase was funded on a per share cost basis. Note: Jim has mentioned the option of simply sharing major expenses as they arise.Discussion:
Action:
5. Issues and Projects Previously RaisedAdministrator for Cabin Maintenance Document
Many thanks to Cody and Ron for setting this up. It is invaluable in terms of history, keeping track of what has been done and what needs to be done regarding maintenance of the cabin. Accessibility by everyone is invaluable in terms of sharing information and updating information. Family members are asked to review the document periodically and add any missing details regarding repairs and maintenance performed by their family.
Link to access the Cabin Maintenance Document through the shared drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c55XXEwX1nrgLmAjrfXxCMXpHfHCAJGH?usp=sharing
At our 2021 AGM, there was discussion regarding the benefit of someone overseeing that the Cabin Maintenance Document is updated with work done and projects completed.
It was noted that it would be ideal if everyone who performed any maintenance or acquired any item for the cabin would update the document themselves; however, in order for it to be an effective and accurate document, there needs to be someone who oversees this and ensures that it is updated. Sheila has taken care of several updates and it would be helpful if someone else took responsibility for this oversight on an ongoing basis.
Leaky Water Valves under Cabin and Removal of Stumps on Property
Valves were not replaced nor were stumps removed last fall by Wayne or Shayne Watson because time did not permit.
Cabin Deck
Repairs needed for rotting boards (or consider replacing entire deck).Friends of Fintry (Stephen)
Hot Water Tap in Main Bathroom
No longer rattling, but must be turned several times to tighten it once the water has stopped flowing. Needs attention.Pavers Pathway Storage Room to Spiral Stairs and Storage Door
Second Ladder for Dock
Second Buoy
Suggested that we need to check on regulations (no follow up to date).
Boat Motor
Mike plans to repair it with “carb kit” Winter 2022, although he is having difficulty finding one. He hopes to have the repair complete prior to doing the flooring Apr/May 2023. If the boat still won’t run, he will explore other engine repair needs.
Landscaping
Backyard — Duane has done research and knows someone who could help regarding low to zero maintenance yards, including using native plants. “Sheep’s Fescue” was identified by Darryl Arsenault, our QEP for the boat ramp removal, as one excellent native plant option for our area. Duane has suggested that a committee be struck to explore a plan for all elements of the back yard and he may or may not be willing to lead the committee.
West Property Line – Plan to Remove Dead Trees (2 or 3 remaining)
Possibility of Transferring Ownership of Cabin to the Next Generation
6. Signant Two Website For close to two years, Ron has been working on a Cabin website, including digitized information from our original “Cabin Manual” in its brown binder. The website continues to be a “work in progress” and Ron will soon welcome your feedback and input, including photos of work bees and other pertinent Cabin History! The website is set up with a database which will allow us to do a search for keywords in the Meeting Minutes, a capability which will prove invaluable. The planned launch date for the website is March 31, 2023. Family members will receive a Username and Password via two separate emails. Note: There is overlap of documents between Cody’s Shared Drive and the Signant Two Website. In future, there will likely be consolidation between the two. For the moment, the Calendar and Cabin Maintenance Task Sheet on the Website are READ ONLY; however, these documents can be edited on Cody’s Shared Drive.) Discussion and feedback regarding the website will happen at a future meeting. Although the present “Family Email List” includes only Shareholders, and their children, any member of the third generation who would request to have access to the website would certainly be given it. It would naturally follow that their names would be added to the Signant Two Recipient List (copy attached). The following question will be addressed at a future meeting: Given that there are now family members in the third generation who are in their late teens and twenties, at what age would we like members of the third generation to automatically have access to the Signant Two website? For example, should they be included at 16 years of age? 18 years of age? 20 years of age? It would naturally follow that their names would be added to the Signant Two Recipient List (copy attached). 7. Additional Special Meeting(s) Alignment on whether there is a need for additional Zoom meetings between now and the November AGM. If needed, decision on scheduling. 8. Closing of Meeting