Friends of Daley Ranch Board Meeting Minutes

July 19, 2007

Present: Board members Fred Woods, Rick Paul, Carol Stanford, Jerry Harmon, Sally Thomas, Tracey Brown, Rick Mercurio and guest Vincent Kahaler.

President Fred Woods opened the meeting at 7 p.m. at the Train Depot in Escondido. Rick Paul moved to approve the minutes from June, and Jerry seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Irene was not able to attend so there was no treasurer report. Sally told us that the annual webhost fee of $83 was due at the end of the month. We discussed other potential web hosts and Carol and Fred will explore other options by the next meeting. Jerry moved to name Jay Miars as the “financial representative of record” for the FODR investment fund. Rick M. seconded, and discussion included the fact that our money has earned a healthy rate of return over the past year and a half. The motion passed unanimously.

The board discussed the problem of illegal trail usage at Daley Ranch. Carol, Tracey and Sally have begun to draft a letter to Daley Ranch neighbors expressing reasons that the use of illegal trails in both legally and environmentally wrong. Tracey presented the board with flyers indicating sound environmental practices and energy-saving tips that could potentially be included in the mailing. We also discussed the merits of educating realtors about the illegality of accessing Daley Ranch from adjacent properties. The consensus of the board was that this was a good idea, and could be handled through written communication with the Board of Realtors.

We are still looking for the photos of wildlife taken by the remote cameras in the Stanley Peak area earlier this year.

Under new business Rick P. reported that County Supervisor Pam Slater Price replied to the signatories of the Rancho Guejito preservation effort. She indicated that she would like to meet and discuss the issue. FODR is one of those parties, and we welcome the opportunity. Rick P. is our liaison with this group. Rick P. also spoke on the phone with the new director of CRN, Doug Prescott, who will meet personally with Rick on the next Daley Ranch hike. This is a positive connection for FODR.

Sally reported on the meeting of the Conservation Committee, which included Tracey and Carol. They brainstormed ideas, including the need to educate the public on the value of conservation, to promote responsible recreational use, and to look into communications in Spanish. Actions to support these goals include dealing with illegal entry into the ranch and contacting realtors about the issue.

The Board expressed its appreciation to our guest, Vince Kahaler, for attending and showing an interest in FODR. The next meeting will be August 16 at 6 p.m. at Sally’s home.

Respectfully submitted, Rick Mercurio, Secretary