DONNER SUMMIT AREA ASSOCIATION

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

December 29, 2005, 6:30 P.M.

Donner Trail School

Meeting Minutes

Present: President Dan Wexler, Vice President Carrie Hoyt, Secretary Pat Malberg,

Treasurer Ron Kolbe; Board Members John Kirrene, Sara Taillon and Jim

Thomson. In addition, there were 33 others in attendance.

Acknowledgments:

• Susan Phoebus, Principal of Donner Trail School, for arranging for the meeting place and for getting it heated;
• Gary Rhodes for snow removal in the school parking lot;
• Ron Kolbe for the projector, making it possible to show the slides;
• Maria Montano for providing meeting space for the Board at DSL.

1. What is the DSAA anyway?

Dan presented an overview of the mission and vision of the organization, the membership requirements, composition and term of office of the Board, and other bylaw-related topics; the organization’s 501(c)(3) status has been approved and this means related requirements/opportunities. The easiest and least expensive way to contact members and interested persons is via email, but getting the word out will also be done in press releases and on the website. In speaking about the organization’s vision, Dan stressed the importance of input from community members in creating a voice for the area that is the most representative possible.

2. Treasurer’s Report

Ron Kolbe stated that the organization’s account has been opened with Plumas Bank in Truckee with about $500 in funds currently. As of the beginning of the meeting, there were 14 paid members; membership will be renewed each June. One can join through the website. Non-profit organizations cannot endorse candidates or take sides in political issues.

3. Update on Donner Trail School

Principal Susan Phoebus has been in that position for 11 years, starting when there were only 9 students enrolled. Now the school has 65 pupils, 25 of whom are from the Summit area and the balance from Truckee. Last year it appeared the school would have to close, but as a result of strong community support, there is now a two-year reprieve. If it can be shown that local enrollment is growing, it may never close. Currently the K-3 enrollment is predominantly Donner Summit youngsters; the goal is to have 10-12 pupils enrolled in each grade level. The API scores for the school are the highest in the District; the teachers are great.

4. Railroad Update

Tom Applebaum (accompanied by his wife Jeanie), is a railroad enthusiast and keeps current on the area’s train situation. Two years ago, there were 18 trains a day going through Soda Springs; this year it’s 14/day. Volume depends on the economy, and often increases temporarily when the Feather River is flooded. Many of the current UP workers are former SP employees and are also local residents.

It is doubtful that Amtrak will create a stop at Soda Springs – there just isn’t the funding and this Administration is not in favor of subsidizing interstate trains; they operate at a deficit and receive nothing like the funding that highways and airports do. The only reason Amtrak still exists is that representatives from rural states lobby to keep the service. The only way it might be possible to have a stop in the area is if there were a ski train to Sugar Bowl, or something of that nature. Perhaps the Foster family might promote that, but there would need to be an economic base with customers to support it, such as hotels, motels or development. The other possibility is that the Capital Corridor train could run up to the summit, but that is not likely. UP does not like dealing with passenger trains. The only choice currently is to take the Zephyr to Truckee and then get a ride back up the mountain.

5. Update on Other Key Issues

Among the other issues that the DSAA has been following are:

· the upgrade of the railroad track crossing;

· signage on old Highway 40 – “Share the Road”, “Historic Highway 40” are in place and “Soda Springs” is yet to be sited;

· the sale of Royal Gorge (more later in the meeting);

· the new cell tower, erected by T-Mobile, shared with Cingular;

· DSPUD Elections – candidate needed, must be a resident of Soda Springs;

· SLCWD Elections – you can vote even if you’re a homeowner without being a resident; to change this bylaw would require action by the state legislature;

· And, the merger of the Donner Summit and Truckee fire departments.

6. Royal Gorge’s Van Norden Project Update

· Revised EIR submitted to the County

· County has asked for additional edits

· SLPOA allocated $30,000 for the legal fund

· DSAA has pledged to help SLPOA

7. Royal Gorge Sale to Foster Enterprises

· Meeting of DSAA and a few other interested persons with Jeanie(?), a private consultant who is concerned with community relations, will be scheduled sometime around the 12^th of January. (She will also attend the SLPOA Board meeting on 1/14). The Foster group has been very open to meeting with DSAA and asking for feedback. To that end, the group brainstormed some of the questions/concerns that might be raised during meeting on 1/12/06:

1. List/map of the properties purchased, and which businesses are

involved.

2. List of people involved in the Foster Enterprises.

3. Plans for development, in view of the legal restrictions. Apparently, $9

million has been allocated to bring the sewage treatment plant up to

code, though not to expand its capacity; there are no plans for the latter,

as yet, but any future large development would require it.

4. Regarding any planned development around lake Van Norden, what

mitigation is planned for replacing open space; include the Placer side

of the lake, on the ridge between Serene Lakes and Lake Van Norden.

5. What are the plans for Soda Springs Road in Serene Lakes (Olympic

Park, and for the other side of Hillside.

6. What about traffic, in and out of Serene Lakes and from Sugar Bowl;

what can be done to mitigate the pollution and insure a safe railroad

track crossing when traffic is bumper-to-bumper.

7. What is planned for affordable housing for those working on any

development construction.

8. In regards to upgrades to the sewage treatment or to water

acquisition/delivery systems, what are the plans for paying for these

and do they include the local residents having to bear any/all of the

burden?

· There is a dearth of demographic data on this area specifically. Questions such as how many people are in the area on weekends in the winter, what are land-use patterns and plans, what is the frequency of non-resident homeowner visits, how many residents are full-time and how many are part-time, family information, how many living here depend on employment in the area for their livelihood, what businesses are here; these are currently unanswered. The Foster Enterprise is also interested in gathering this information. This research will be a primary focus of DSAA’s efforts in the next year or two. It would be easier to hire professionals as consultants, with DSAA members doing the groundwork.

· DSAA can also monitor and investigate issues connected with development; check public records, including county land deeds, forest service permits, zoning change requests, sewage and infrastructure requirements.

· DSAA’s intention to create a Community Development Plan will help guide any development planned by Foster. Issues such as zoning, signage, traffic, etc., can be included in this CD Plan.

8. DSAA Future Plans

Board Member Sara Taillon gave an overview of DSAA planned activities and led

the discussion:

• Grant Proposals

This would require membership help. Tamara Lieberman, for one, volunteered. DSAA has looked into the Tahoe-Truckee Foundation and plans to submit an application by the deadline in January. Tamara suggested requesting start-up funds for this new organization, to help pay for staff and insurance, eg. Other ideas for grants are to support the demographic study and a community newsletter to keep everyone informed. DSAA is open to other ideas.

· Community Development Plan

This would be used by both the organization and by others, for example, by the Board of Supervisors, developers and businesses. The purpose of such a plan would be to define our vision and give it voice – how do we want the community to look in 2010, 2020, and how to get there. This will help us be pro-active. First we’ll need to define the process to be used, then we’ll need to get feedback in a workable way. This will require subcommittees, and possibly an area-wide survey. We may also be able to use other community development plans, or parts of the one that was done here a few years ago, but there is wide variation in costs and types.

• County Politics

We have ongoing contact with the area’s supervisors and they are very supportive of DSAA. We need volunteers to attend the Board of Supervisors’ meetings – in Auburn and Nevada City – and to keep the rest of the organization informed of what happens there. Board agendas are available on-line. From time-to-time we will also want to meet in person with supervisors.

• Guest presentations at monthly working meetings

This has been happening on a regular basis, both at the monthly Board Meetings and at the General Meetings.

9. Sugar Bowl Update

Nicole Huseby clarified that the request by Sugar Bowl to construct a ski

lift on Crow’s Nest has gone through the SEQA process.

As for affordable housing, most people working at the resorts have to

commute from Reno or Grass Valley. Discussion by the group centered around the idea that in order to have a true community, people have to be able to live close to where they work. If developers have to come up with housing for their construction workers, perhaps this could be converted to housing for the area’s seasonal workers and others (teachers, firefighters, resort management, etc.).

There is a new urgent care center at Sugar Bowl at the Mount Judah facility which is open to the public; it is staffed by a doctor on weekends and holidays, otherwise staffed by Tahoe Forest Hospital nurses, 9AM to 4PM daily. Any ambulance cases are taken to Truckee.

10 Next Membership Meeting and DSAA Contact Information

President Dan Wexler brought the meeting to a close at around 8PM

(people were encouraged to stay on and mingle), with mention that the next

general membership meeting would be held in June or July, with election of a new Board of Directors at that time. Every effort will be made to schedule the meeting for a time and place convenient to the greatest possible number of members. In the meantime, the public is welcome to attend monthly “Working” Board meetings.

Those interested in being informed of DSAA events will be contacted by email only, unless they specify that they need to be contacted by regular mail

.

Contact information for the organization:

DSAA

PO Box 674

Soda Springs, CA 95728

Email: info@donnersummitareaassociation.org

Respectfully submitted,

Pat Malberg, Secretary