Category: Annual Meeting

Moving right along, so to speak!

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Candidate Forum, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Family Fun, Home beautification, Mayor's Race, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership, Newport Mesa Unified School District, Parks & Recreation Commission, Parkway Trees, Safety & Security, School Board

Greetings, Mesa Verde!

To say that we’ve just gone through a year of hell would be an understatement! Which is why I haven’t posted as often as I otherwise would have. But here we are…March 11th marked the 1-year anniversary of the Coronavirus Pandemic. It has NOT been pleasant and many folks that I know – including Laurie and I – were infected. The good news is that nearly all of us made it through that gauntlet and we’re witnessing a huge uptick in vaccines getting into the arms of our citizens. And happily, the ‘powers that be’ have seen fit to move us into the more relaxed “Red” status where we can start returning to “normal.” And THAT is good news, indeed!

From time to time, I and many of our board members are asked, What IS Mesa Verde Community, Inc., and what do you do? These questions have been answered, but with so many moving into the neighborhood recently, and to serve as a refresher for some of our “legacy” residents, I thought I’d share a few of the things we do.

  • Host City Council/Mayor Candidate forums every other year
  • Conduct Annual Meetings featuring presenters of interest to our neighborhood
  • Advocacy
    • One Metro West
    • Bikeway & Walkability Committee’s initiatives (Tanager Drive bike trail, Canary Drive bike ramp to Fairview Park)
    • Tanager Park pool initiative
    • Small Cell tower initiative
    • Various issues with CMPD (speeders through the neighborhoods)
    • Parkway (easement) tree program (under Beautification)
  • Ongoing interaction with CMPD, CMFD and NMUSD
  • Supporter of Mesa Verde Living magazine, distributed monthly to 3,000 households in Mesa Verde
  • Manage, restore and replace Mesa Verde community signs in a timely manner
  • Redesigned community website
  • Created social media presence (Facebook, Nextdoor)
  • Community newsletters, email blasts and surveys
  • Several “Info Nights”
  • Community picnic in 2018 and 2019
  • …and so much more!

As was mentioned earlier, the pandemic created a huge distraction and one of the things that may have “fallen through the cracks” is membership in MVCI. Membership has always been voluntary, and this includes the MVCI Board of Directors. Membership dues are the lifeblood of the organization and without them, none of the activities would be possible. Dues are only $20 a year…less than a few trips to Starbucks, and we need your help so that MVCI can continue its 50+ year record of service to the community. Please join or renew today! The membership app is on this website and PayPal is available. Also, feel free to share your input with us at admin@mesaverdecommunity.org.

MVCI is continually looking for “new blood” to participate, including joining the Board of Directors and we encourage residents to get involved. I will be stepping down at the end of March, as is “President Emeritus” Bob Juneman. We haven’t been able to hold an Annual Meeting for two consecutive years due to the pandemic, but the remaining board members have agreed to remain in place until elections can be conducted. The board has also unanimously selected Robin Leffler as President.

Although I am stepping out of my role as MVCI President, I will be staying on as the organization’s technical advisor. To that end, I want to express my gratitude for all the kind words and graciousness that have been sent my way.

See you around the neighborhood! ~Terry

 

Thoughts From The Neighborhood

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Candidate Forum, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Mayor's Race, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

As many people know, for the last few months, the “President’s Corner” has been published in the neighborhood magazine, “Mesa Verde Living.” Because I felt it redundant to post the same article on the website, I have refrained, having not done so since the January/February edition.

That being said, there is still a lot going on that’s worthy of commentary, so for those who look forward to these posts, here we go…….

The COVID-19 debacle has left us reeling and wondering just what “normal” is going to look like. As a business owner myself, my heart goes out to all those entrepreneurs scrambling to resurrect their businesses, and their livelihoods. Some actually did fine during these last 2+ months and they are to be applauded. Some were able to “pivot” their businesses to be of support to others, and businesses designated “essential” were supremely helpful to everyone and all of our first responders deserve our most sincere gratitude.

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As I’m sure everyone knows by now, MVCI’s Annual Meeting was postponed. The board ultimately reached a decision to cancel the meeting until its regularly scheduled time in 2021. All incumbent board members who were scheduled for re-election will hold their seats until next year. Officers will remain in place, as well. One bit of sad news is that board member John Leffler resigned for personal reasons. We will miss John and his many contributions, and wish him well, going forward. The MVCI City Council Candidate Forum will likely not take place this year, either, but be aware that Districts 1, 2 and 6 have candidates up for election (four-year term), along with a two-year term for Mayor. Elections are scheduled for November 3.

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One Metro West is still out there under consideration. The City Council would prefer to enact an amendment to Measure Y that would effectively exempt developments north of the 405 Freeway, and in the process, grant Rose Equities a “green light” to proceed without going before the voters. As it stands now, the project and any amendments to “Y” have been tabled, in favor of a broader review of development in the city. There are several parcels that should be considered in earnest, including those on Harbor Boulevard, so stay engaged! All development isn’t bad, and we all have a stake in how Costa Mesa moves forward. Remember: Good development has a positive effect on the city’s income and a robust growth strategy can help minimize the need for new or increased taxes for residents.

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Restaurants are opening again, as are many other retailers, barbers, hair and nail salons! Be sure to go and patronize them and thank the ones that stayed open during the pandemic!

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Sadly, racial disharmony has crept back into our lives. We have GOT to find a way to get through this barrier…once and for all. I watched an interview with former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson and he really captured the essence of what we need to be doing: In order to make any meaningful change, “…we have to be willing to be uncomfortable, willing to be honest, a willingness to not be offended and not to offer ‘what-about-isms’ when people talk about the way they feel.” If we’re not willing to move into this kind of dialogue – family, friends, neighbors and loved ones, nothing will change. If that happens, we all lose. If you’d like to see the full Ben Watson interview, click here.

That’s it for now. Let’s all take the high road and make our community and the broader world around us a better place.

Until next time, stay well, and stay safe!

~Terry

Mesa Verde Community, Inc. Annual Meeting — 2020

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Home beautification, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

Greetings everyone! The MVCI Annual meeting is coming soon. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Our featured speakers will be distinguished executives from Mesa Water District, including Director Jim Fisler, General Manager of MWD, Paul Shoenberger, and Water Use Efficiency Analyst, Justin Finch.

Come join us!

President’s Corner – September/October, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Candidate Forum, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership, Safety & Security

Please forgive me! It’s been a blur since my appointment and September had me very busy with work related projects. But we finalized our arrangement with Mesa Verde Living and you can expect to see your august board on the cover of the November issue! In the meantime, this will serve as my commentary for September and October!

For this post, I want to answer a few questions that often come up related to the organization and the board. The goal is to have an informed constituency and in so doing, validate that joining MVCI is desirable and relevant.

What does the board of directors do? The board runs the organization and ensures that it is financially stable and able to operate within MVCI’s three established pillars, “Inform, Protect, Beautify.”

What does a board director do? MVCI has a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and immediate past-president. There are also “at large” members and the board currently has a total of 11. We work together to set policies, develop budgets and execute plans consistent with our mission.

What makes a good board? A willingness to work together for the good of the community, using Roberts Rules of Order, which provides a guideline for a professional forum, policy making and forward thinking to ensure ALL of the current residents of Mesa Verde are served.

What makes a good board director? First and foremost, common sense. Directors come from varied backgrounds, educationally, culturally and professionally. All have something to contribute to the board and our community. All are volunteers. Only by being engaged can we, collectively, achieve success. Professionalism and common courtesy are vital for a board to work together for the good of the community.

Is being on the board worth it? I think so! There is great satisfaction in serving our fellow residents while helping to preserve the character of the community we all love. It is not just a once-a-month get together! There are lots of activities going on in any given month and the monthly meeting is where we get to see how we’re doing against plan, and deciding “what’s next?”

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If you have any thoughts or questions that you’d like addressed, feel to send an email to admin@mesaverdecommunity.org. I promise we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

Until next month…

~Terry

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t make the monthly pitch to join MVCI. The application can be found here:

President’s Corner — August, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Candidate Forum, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Home beautification, Mayor's Race, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership, Neighborhood Survey, Newport Mesa Unified School District, NMUSD, Parks & Recreation Commission, Parkway Trees, Safety & Security, School Board, School District, Volunteers

Greetings Mesa Verde! As a result of the board’s unanimous vote, I have been appointed to be MVCI’s president for the next two-year term. The last two years have seen significant progress in the endeavors of the organization and can be seen in Bob Juneman’s final message to the community, the July “PC.” While I’m at it, I want to sincerely thank Bob for his marvelous stewardship, and only hope that I can be as successful in the upcoming term.

Going forward, there will be several things I’d like to see us accomplish as your board. But for the purposes of this first message to the community, I want to focus on one issue: Membership! As has been shared several times by Bob and all the members of the board, membership is our lifeblood. We are not a homeowner association in the sense most people understand. There are no mandatory CC&R-based (covenants, conditions and restrictions) HOA fees for common areas, external building surfaces, roofs, pools, etc.

Think of MVCI instead as more of a civic association. All board members are volunteers and all dues collected are also voluntary. The funds the organization takes in allow us to advocate on behalf of the residents with the City Council and the various city commissions, Police and Fire Departments, School Board, Water and Sanitation Districts, to ensure our collective voices are heard. These dollars also help to defray the costs of our Annual Meeting, the MVCI City Council Candidate Forum, newsletters, surveys, the MVCI website and projects associated with beautification, like the entry signs to the community.

I want to appeal to every homeowner in Mesa Verde to join MVCI! With roughly 3000 homes in our community, there is no reason that we can’t get twenty percent membership. If you’re a member, ask your neighbors. I have seen dozens of new homeowners move into the “Upper Bird” streets just in the last few years…ask them! Membership is only twenty bucks a year…4 or 5 visits to Starbucks!

What’s it gonna take to get you to participate?

As part of this task, I will be producing a video, with the working title, “This is Mesa Verde” to help tell the story. We will create a YouTube channel to help communicate with internet-savvy folks. We just formed a partnership with the new magazine, Mesa Verde Living, which is mailed monthly to the aforementioned 3000 homes. To simplify signing up and renewing memberships, we are looking at online methods and will have a robust solution chosen in the next 60 days.

Are you with me? According to a few of our veteran board members, our membership roster has been as high as 500, so the 20% ask (which would be around 600 members) should be “do-able.”

Let’s do this! To get to the membership application, click here.

See you again next month!

~Terry

President’s Corner — April, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, City Council, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Family Fun, Holiday Wishes, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

I hope you all had a Happy Easter and that the Bunny was good to you. Now, as we move on into Spring, let’s talk a bit about what’s going on in Mesa Verde.

First, at our Annual Meeting in March, we elected and welcomed our newest Board member, Geri Hidalgo, as our Data Manager. And, thanks again to Bill Burke for his exciting narrative and video of his mountain climbing exploits. We gained 31 new MVCI members last fiscal year ending March 31st; 15 regular, 12 platinum, and 4 lifetime.
Our membership dues are our lifeblood, our only source of revenue, so we again solicit your support in your own membership and recruiting your friends and neighbors.

Things are moving along at “The Shops at Mesa Verde”. Carmen Twork at C. J. Segerstrom and Sons reports that Dylan Blue Nail Spa has officially opened next to the Broken Yolk Cafe. Dylan Blue is offering 30% off all their services for a limited time according to Carmen, so check,’em out.

Descanso Mexican Restaurant was just named one of Orange Coast Magazine’s Best New Restaurants. I’ve been there- it’s nice.

Negotiations are underway for the space next to Descanso’s for a new restaurant, to be announced in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Donna Stapleton presented to the MVCI board an overview of a unique musical instrument project being installed at the Mesa Verde branch of the Public Library, under the auspices of the “Friends of the Costa Mesa Library.” “Freenotes” instruments were developed by Grammy winner musician Richard Cooke in 1995 to help people of all ages experience the freedom of playing music instinctively without worrying about wrong notes. Besides being aurally pleasing, the four instruments are visually pleasing. They will be available daily and year-round. Playing music in the library/park setting will be a community-building opportunity that encourages creativity, self-confidence, stress release, curiosity, and joy. The instruments are finely tuned with carefully chosen notes that invite easy improvisation with little musical skill. To get a short sample of what this will sound like, you can watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coukN9bWh2o

“Freenotes” are being subsidized by local public and private funding and anyone interested in supporting this endeavor should contact Donna at stapleton4@sbcglobal.net.

Our Costa Mesa Fire Department sponsors the Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.), designed to aid our first responders in emergencies, and also to serve our community in a variety of other ways. This team consists of citizen volunteers, and led by the exceptionally capable and effervescent Brenda Emrick, CMFD’s Fire Protection Specialist and Community Education expert.  I had the distinct honor of serving on this team for six years, under Brenda’s leadership, and it was an exceptional and educational experience. I encourage you to check out their website www.costamesacert.org. The next class is scheduled for May 17-19. C.E.R.T. will be a hosting “Preparedness in the Park” series in the Fall and are looking for neighbors to share preparedness skills and activities. Brenda can be reached at brendaemrick@costamesaca.gov.

One Metro West is a proposed mixed commercial/residential project destined for the NW section of Costa Mesa, north of the 405 freeway and east of Harbor Blvd. The City Council has approved going forward with further study and review, and because of the size of this project, would require approval of voters at an upcoming election. At this juncture, MVCI has taken no position, pro or con, but we urge you to become familiar with this proposed project, and the effects it could have on Mesa Verde, both positive and negative. You can see a digital brochure for the development here: http://onemetrowestcm.com/ and the synopsis presented to City Council here: http://ftp.costamesaca.gov/costamesaca/council/agenda/2019/2019-03-05/NB-1-Attach-1.pdf

**SAVE THE DATE** MVCI’s second annual neighborhood picnic has now been set! The date is Saturday, May 18th and will again be on the lawn in front of the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Details will follow, so keep an eye on this website for more information.

You are always encouraged to communicate with us via our website

www.mesaverdecommunity.org, or e-mail me, bob@juneman.com.

Let us hear from you!

Best,
Bob

ANNUAL MEETING REMINDER!!

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Civic Activity, Community Action, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

Don’t miss Costa Mesa’s biggest event of the year: Our MVCI ANNUAL MEETING, March 26. Come cast your vote for the re-election of four of our Board members, plus a discussion of membership opportunities and our avenues of communication. Then sit back and listen to Mesa Verde’s own Bill Burke thrill you with his record setting mountain climbing exploits.

March 26th
Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall
1701 W. Baker Street, Costa Mesa (Corner Baker and Mesa Verde Drive West)
6:30 Refreshments, meet and greet.  7:00 Meeting

President’s Corner — February, 2019

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Civic Activity, Community Action, Community Beautification, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Fire Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Home beautification, Mesa Verde, MVCI Board of Directors, MVCI membership

Don’t miss Costa Mesa’s biggest event of the year: Our MVCI ANNUAL MEETING, March 26. Come cast your vote for the re-election of four of our Board members, plus a discussion of membership opportunities and our avenues of communication. Then sit back and listen to Mesa Verde’s own Bill Burke thrill you with his record setting mountain climbing exploits.

March 26th
Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall
1701 W. Baker Street, Costa Mesa (Corner Baker and Mesa Verde Drive West)
6:30 Refreshments, meet and greet.  7:00 Meeting

Calendar it now! You won’t want to miss this one.

On February 5th, we held our first joint meeting with the Newport Mesa Unified School District, to inform Mesa Verde residents about what’s going on in our schools.  Board President Charlene Metoyer moderated a panel consisting of five of our school principals, discussing what their schools are offering our students. Thirty or so brave souls ventured out despite the rain, State of the Union address, City Council Meeting, and maybe even a hangover from the Rams’ Super Bowl loss.  Our first attempt; if demand calls, we’ll give it another go next year. Let us know.

We are still working with CMPD on slowing down the speeding in Mesa Verde. Please keep us informed of violations you observe, keeping in mind that the police need specifics to work with. All part of keeping Mesa Verde a safe place to live.

Last month we announced the creation of our new MESA VERDE BULLETIN BOARD, for your use in posting information of interest to MV residents. It will be up and running soon, so keep your eyes out for it. When it goes “live,” you will see a separate tab for it at the top of the page. In the meantime, if you’d like to share any upcoming activities of events, please forward them to admin@mesaverdecommunity.org.

We are looking for a volunteer Data Input Manager. Because of the privacy associated with handling these records, this incumbent will also be a Board member. The position requirements are detailed in the PDF that can be accessed by clicking this link: Membership Database Manager

Our membership count continues to grow, albeit slowly. Renewals are due by March 31st, so why not take care of it right now? You can download a membership application from this website (https://mesaverdecommunity.org/services/).  Also, please help us recruit your friends and neighbors residing in Mesa Verde. Our members are our assets, and the lifeblood of this association, and your dues our only source of revenue.

Finally, look for our March MVCI NEWSLETTER to hit your mailbox around mid-March. And thank you to our MVCI VOLUNTEERS who are joyfully preparing to help us with labeling and mailing. Would you like to serve your community as a MVCI VOLUNTEER? Please contact me at bob@juneman.com and I’ll be happy to explain what is involved.

See you at the Annual Meeting!

Cheers, Bob

President’s Corner — February, 2018

Posted on by Terry Wall in Annual Meeting, Civic Activity, Community Action, Costa Mesa, Mesa Verde

Happy Valentine’s Day.  I hope you are all celebrating this happy occasion with your loved ones. Our world can use a little more love and caring, and what better time to express it?

A reminder that we will hold our annual meeting on March 28th.  As usual, it will be at the United Methodist Church, 1701 Baker St.  Doors open at 6:30, meeting at 7:00. Our theme this year will be “Family and Neighborhood Safety”.  All residents of Mesa Verde are welcome, member or not. So, come meet and greet your neighbors and enjoy an informative evening. If you are not yet a member, we will make it easy for you at the meeting.

Our Board consists of nine members, each serving a two year term.  But, there is always a lot to accomplish in pursuing our mission statement to “ Inform, Protect, and Beautify” Mesa Verde.  And, as we are all volunteers, we have limited time and resources. So, we would like to enlist a cadre of volunteers whom we could call on from time to time for special projects.  This would be a great opportunity to serve our community without committing to any time or schedule.  If this idea appeals to you, please contact us, either through this website, or respond to me at bob@juneman.com

I’ll talk to you again in March.  In the meantime, we hope to see you at our Annual Meeting.

Bob Juneman