Update on DCVA Tax Status

Despite some bureaucratic glitches that had arisen over the past few months, Ed Wilson reported in April that the IRS had finally granted the DCVA the tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status that it had been seeking.  Revising our Articles of Incorporation and obtaining membership approval of these revisions at our Annual Meeting proved essential in meeting the IRS’ requirements.

DCVA Annual Membership Meeting

Villa Chanticleer was the site of the 2009 annual membership meeting on March 15th.  Charlee Schanzer, Events Committee Chair, oversaw a successful and fun evening for all participants.  The keynote speaker was Kara Heckert, Executive Director of the Sotoyome Resource Conservation District.  More about the meeting can be found under Events/DCVA.

Planning & Zoning:

Two winery use permit applications that the Board had previously objected to were the subject of public hearings in March and April. Both wineries had proposed hosting large numbers of special events, and the P&Z Committee had met with them and had recommended that their event plans be scaled back. However, both wineries persisted in asking the County to approve their plans with only minor modifications, and this led to representatives from the DCVA appearing and testifying on behalf of the Association.

The Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate (4155 Wine Creek Road) was seeking retroactive approval for more than 50 special events per year, while Pech Merle Winery (4543 Dry Creek Road) was seeking approval for 30 special events per year (in addition to industry-wide events, such as Passport or Barrel Tasting).

Hearings before the Board of Supervisors on these winery use permits are scheduled for April 14 and April 28.

Natural Resources:

For months, this committee has been preparing for the day when the DCVA and its Clean Water Committee (CWC) partners could publicly challenge the Water Agency’s final environmental report (EIR) on NSCARP – the project to deliver partially treated wastewater to the valleys of Dry Creek and Russian River.  The day for this hearing is now set, and the Water Agency’s Board of Directors (aka the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors) will be asked to certify this EIR at their meeting on May 12, 2009.

The CWC recently held a press conference at Passalacqua Winery, which resulted in articles on opposition to NSCARP being published in both the Press Democrat and the Healdsburg Tribune.  The CWC also put on two informational meetings for the general public, one at Healdsburg City Hall and the other in Alexander Valley.

For more information about the NSCARP project and what is at stake, please read Judith Olney’s two other postings on this website, “DCVA Hires Water Experts” and “Wastewater Disposal Options in Sonoma County.”

In addition to challenging the Water Agency’s NSCARP project, the Natural Resources Committee also asked the County to reconsider its plans for constructing a pipeline that would convey water from Lake Sonoma to its infiltration galleries in the Russian River.  The DCVA Board approved sending the Water Agency a long, thoughtful letter opposiing this pipeline project authored by Olney and Fred Corson.

Legacy Fund

Our Fund is now up and running, and at its April meeting, the Board approved the “DCVA Legacy Fund Policy” that Richard Kagel had drafted. This document spells out the purpose, the objectives, and the operational procedures of the Fund. The Fund is to be managed by a board of three trustees appointed by the DCVA Board of Directors. Trustees for the 2009-2010 year are Ed Wilson, Richard Kagel, and Fred Corson.  In addition, a five-member Legacy Fund Committee was created, responsible for educating the Association’s membership as to the purpose of the Fund as well as soliciting and acknowledging donations to the Fund.  Kagel indicated that the Committee would be expanded in the near future to include both major donors as well as skilled fund-raisers.

The Board – Officers and New Directors

Two new directors were elected at our Annual Meeting on March 15, 2009 – Cecile Isaacs and Debra Mathy. (See entire Board of Directors under “Association” tab, then “Organization” tab.)  At the April 9 meeting, the following slate of officers for 2009-2010 was selected:

            President:                  Ed Wilson

            Vice President:           Charlee Schanzer

            2^nd Vice President:      Don Wallace

            Chief Financial Officer: Cecile Isaacs

            Secretary:                  To be determined

Submitted by Richard Conrad