LPCA Renaissance First Notice

This is the first email blast sent out to LPCA members January 16, 2009


LPCA Renaissance
2709 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95818

To: Members of the Land Park Community Association

From: LPCA Directors Craig Powell and Terry Grimes

Re: Notice of Special Meeting of LPCA Membership; Reform Proposals

Date: January 16, 2009

This past year has not been an easy time for the LPCA board of directors. In a board blow-up last year, three board members resigned in protest and the long-time board majority sacked the LPCA president. In September, a new director resigned in protest.

In the current issue of Inside the City magazine is an article that details the large number of highly negative comments directed to the board by residents responding to a recent neighborhood survey. Further, the closely divided LPCA board has been recently hamstrung by a series of deadlocked votes, including one that killed a “transparency proposal” that would have opened up the LPCA to real participation by you, its members.

We believe that the LPCA is a community asset that has tremendous, untapped potential for doing a great deal of good for Land Park. But its effectiveness is currently impaired by its governance problems. It is in need of reform, accountability to its members and restoration of “Land Park” civility.

In response to this need, we have joined with several other LPCA members to launch a new campaign: “Land Park Renaissance.” Our group is widely diverse ideologically and is resolutely non-partisan. Our campaign’s sole goal is to help give the LPCA a new start, unburden it from the legacy of past board conflict and infuse it with fresh, new leadership that is both attuned and responsive to the membership.

In the past month, 62 membersof the LPCA filed petitions with the LPCA president calling upon her to convene a special membership meeting so that members can consider the adoption of a set of three major governance reforms. Regrettably, the LPCA president and current LPCA board majority (dominated by several 20-year board members) has failed to convene such a meeting, despite its duty to do so under California statute.

With the LPCA board’s inaction, the petitioning members now have the legal standing and authority to call a special meeting of the LPCA membership to consider the reform proposals.

Accordingly, we have scheduled a special meeting of the LPCA membership for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at the Eskaton Monroe Lodge, 3225 Freeport Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95818 (First floor main conference room).

Members will be asked to consider the following proposals:

Adopt amendments to the Bylaws that would, in general terms (1) increase the number of authorized directors; (2) generally limit the function of the Nominations Committee (to be re-named the “Elections Committee”) to acting as a conduit for information provided by candidates who seek election to the LPCA board; and (3) impose limits on the total number of years that an LPCA director may serve.

We urge you to attend this critical membership meeting and participate in an open debate on the proposals. We seldom have the opportunity to have a lasting impact on the future of our own neighborhood. This is your chance to shape Land Park’s future.

To give members an opportunity to ask questions about the reform proposals, discuss their likely impact on the LPCA and to meet with us, LPCA Renaissance invites you attend a “Townhall” meeting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at the Eskaton Monroe Lodge (one week before the Feb. 11th membership meeting and at the same location). Refreshments, snacks and fruit will be available at both meetings.

Additionally, you can find out more about LPCA Renaissance and greater detail on the reform proposals by visiting our blog site at http://lpcarenaissance.blogspot.com/ If you wish, you can post your own comments on our blog site. You can also e-mail us at: LPCARenaissance@gmail.com or phone us directly at our numbers listed below. Also, we welcome the help of those who wish to volunteer to support our efforts to bring about an LPCA Renaissance.

Thank you for your continued support of the LPCA. Please do not forget to mark your calendars!
Craig K. Powell, Director and Chair, Parks Committee
Phone: (916) 456-9839

Terry Grimes, Director and Chair, Commercial Revitalization Cmmte.
Phone: (916) 447-0758