Minutes
North Brunswick Humane Association
October Membership Meeting
7:30pm-Tuesday – 10/15/13
North Brunswick Township Complex
710 Hermann Road
Courtroom- 1st Floor
The Meeting was Called to Order by Jay Soloway, President at 7:30pm
In Attendance: Michele Andrea, Jay Soloway, Donna Hildreth, Diana Sichta, Judy Kosior, Carole Christopher, Connie Hambel,Sharon Weinstein-Canavan, Dan Smith,Jocelyn Caffrey, Annmarie Walters, Erica Bundy, Karin Miller, Linda Sheehan, Vincent Sheehan, Nancy Scalzone, Barbara Hillenmayer, Ellen Beagle and Carol Paszamant.
Opening & Introductions were made by the Membership
The September Minutes were read and accepted by the Membership
Treasurer’s Report – Vincent Sheehan reported a Bank Balance as of 9/21/13 of $45,617.26 with YTD -Total Revenue of $11,859.89 and Total Expenses of $13,650.89 with a Net Loss YTD of $1,820.73.
MONTHLY ASSOCIATION UPDATES:
Dog/Cat Food Bank – Update- Sandi Erickson-No update provided
Donation Cans Update – Update – Sandi Erickson –No update provided
Discussion Points:
Interim Board Member– Jay Soloway spoke to the membership about the fact that Eileen Lorner had to resign from the Board due to health reasons. Diana Sichta has accepted the replacement position on the Board which will be for the balance of this year.
By–Law – Jay Soloway proposed a change to the By-Laws. A motion was made and the Membership was in favor and the change passed.
Old: Section 4.1- Classes of Membership- Any person may become an Individual member
with an annual payment of a membership fee of $10.00.
New: Section 4.1– Classes of Membership- Any person may become an Individual member
with an annual payment of a membership fee to be determined by the board and approved by the membership.
Bowl-a-Thon– Jay Soloway provided an update on this event – 8 bowlers – $101.00 and $61.00 from donation, for a total of $162.00. It was suggested this should be the last year for this event; it is not as popular as it use to be.
10th Annual Dog Walk-a-Thon– Committee Members Updates were provided and the event is on track. Special thank you to Karin Miller for helping us get some giveaways for the event. We are looking for volunteers for the NBHA table.
NBHA TNR – Donna Hildreth provided an update to the members as follows:
- Donna Thanked Connie H. who requested assistance from NBHA on trapping and who actual assisted us in the process.
2013 – TNR Related Expenses – a remaining balance of $3500 we had the following expense items:
6 donated feral cat winter shelters were distributed. 5 in the target area; 1 in a non-target area.
Purchasing a Ferret Cage for Vince – est. $150
Reduce allotment for printing/literature to use for equipment purchases. We need a trap isolator.
Call for volunteers to help out at Katie’s Pet Depot to clean cages and feed animals. Instructions will be provided.
Needs for TNR project – recordkeeping, trappers, holding/recovery space, foster care, socializing kittens
South Brunswick area – dedicate $600 to start working on this area where there are possibly 100 free-roaming cats. Have some trappers who can begin on the block where the woman lives. We will dedicate this amount once the PFA account is set up.
Fundraising Plans for TNR:
Grants – Donna, Cheryl and Diana will be consulting with APLNJ regarding available grants
Houlihan’s – Diana – details to be confirmed
Spay-ghetti Dinner – Jan/Feb to raise TNR & SN funds. We will be asking for volunteers to work on this at the November meeting.
Puppy Mill Legislation – Jay Soloway—there will be 2 separate ordinances for dogs and cats. Time line for the legislation concerning the proposed ordinances banning puppy and kitten stores is as follows: October 7th– First reading, October 21st– Second reading, October 24th- Final ordinance published. On November 13th – Twenty days after the publication of the ordinance, it becomes law. In addition, the Township Clerk has offered to forward the resolution to all of the Clerks in Middlesex County to spread the word and hopefully get other townships to come on board. North Brunswick will be only the 7th town in the entire state and the first in Middlesex County
New Business:
- New Officers and Board Members for 2014- Jay Soloway announced the formation of a Nominating Committee of Michele Andrea, Donna Hildreth and Nancy Costello. If anyone is interested in a position on the Board, please send your interest and qualifications to these 3 individuals. A separate email will be sent to paid members in good standing with the committee members email addresses. Also, it was requested to have the By-Laws with the description of the Officers Positions be sent out to the members.
- Barking Spa Raffle Program-Michele spoke about a program the Barking Spa at 32 South Main Street in Milltown is starting in November. They will sell raffle tickets on a daily basis to their customers and pick a winner once a month with the prize being a free grooming. The proceeds from the monthly raffle will go to NBHA.
Good & Welfare:
Beyond the Myth- Jay Soloway informed the membership about a Documentary called -The Truth About Pit Bulls- airing on Wednesday, November 13th at 7:30pm-9:04pm in New Brunswick, NJ at the AMC Loews New Brunswick 16 & IMAX – General Admission is $11.00
(Reserve in advance). Info is on the NBHA FACEBOOK PAGE.
The Meeting Adjourned at 8:30pm
Due to the Veterans Holiday the next Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at 7:30pm in the Historian Room – basement floor