“There is no zoning crisis" : Planning Meeting Recap 1/6/26

These notes cover topics in the planning meeting that were discussed in sufficient detail. Elle Burger was the notetaker. The full transcription of the planning meeting was transcribed by AI, and exists as a board record.

Alicia Frank led the board through the meeting, covering a list of topics which had been bookmarked for review. Those topics may be addressed in a specific article reviewing the board agenda once it is received.

Directors in attendance included: Mike Gowrylow, Fred Yancey, Alicia Frank, Louise Becker, and Susan Lindquist

When the meeting opened, all board members were in separate locations. The video and chat for participants was turned off.

The board asserted that this was not a formal meeting. A quorum was present, which enables voting. No votes were taken.

Ratifications

Frank noted that collections policy and zoom account decisions had already been decided “voted on electronically,” and would need to be ratified in the next board meeting. The discussion for these items took place on Basecamp.

Additionally, Yancey had proposed a slate of board officer positions in the November 26, 2025 executive session, which would need to be formally ratified. We are unsure if a vote was taken at that meeting, or electronically.

Newsletter

Due to limited volunteer capacity, the board stated that the newsletter would be discontinued until further notice.

Notifications

The board discussed which residents should receive formal meeting notices and links, given that the current email list includes both owners and renters.

Lindquist and Gowrylow indicated that renters could be included and that notices could go to everyone. This represented a change from an October meeting, during which a renter was removed from a Zoom board meeting.

Becker raised concerns about differences in investment between owners and renters, and whether renter participation should influence board decisions.

During this discussion, a member of the audience attempted to raise a hand but was not recognized. No alternative solutions—such as segmented mailing lists or owner-opt-in for proxied renter notifications—were discussed during the meeting. It is unclear what else was missed in this moment.

Participation

Frank put it to the board to ask if members should be recognized. Gowrylow and Yancey both stated that there was no problem hearing from community members. Yancey advocated to hear community ideas.

Frank responded that she believed planning meetings should be reserved for board members in order to keep business moving, and that allowing participation could be unfair to members who were unable to attend.

The member was not recognized, and the Frank lowered her hand for her.

Why We Care About Community Involvement

In Ken Lake, we operate with a volunteer board of directors. Those volunteers bring values, experiences, and training into their role - however often that training is not specialized in every role. We expect the board to seek solutions which may be unfamiliar to them, to do the research, and make a decision based on recommendations. That's all part of the work.

Our community is also rich with values, experiences, and training that can support our board and our community - if we provide opportunities to interact and be in conversation. Not everyone can be tuned in all the time, and this means that it is imperative that we engage with members wherever they are available - in a meeting or by email.

Further, we have to think about transition constantly. As volunteers move through stages of their own lives, board turnover is expected, and also very healthy. As a volunteer coordinator, the first thing I had to recognize is that it is very difficult for someone to step into a position they know nothing about and do a good job.

This means that finding ways to reward members who take the time out of their own day, often over dinner, to attend a board meeting is essential to promoting engagement and, effectively, training our successors.

Clerk Position

The clerk position has received no applications. Yancey suggested that the role description may overstate the workload or understate compensation. The board agreed to review the position description.

Zoning

Yancey asked about how we are zoned in the context of development, and whether we were considered an urban growth zone.

Gowrylow stated “There is no zoning crisis, the city is not pulling a fast one on us as far as I can tell.”

This is a stark contrast to Gowrylow's earlier position that the city upzoning would mean "crowded streets and parks."

Announcing Committee Meetings

With new notice requirements, the board discussed how committee meeting times would be announced and circulated.

Frank invited suggestions. A technology committee member proposed using automated tools, such as a public calendar with subscription options, to allow interested residents to receive updates.

Frank raised concerns about calendar access on personal devices. It was noted that public calendars are, by definition, optional and user-controlled.

Community Input and Chat Availability

The board discussed developing new rules for community input and addressed the availability of chat during Zoom meetings.

Yancey stated that opportunities for input should be frequent, varied, and occur at points of relevance, positioning board meetings as an opportunity for discussion.

Frank stated that chat was distracting and compared it to whispering during an in-person meeting, which she viewed as inappropriate. Chat has previously been enabled without issue, and that Frank herself has participated.

No decision was reached regarding whether chat could be enabled with moderation or alternative handling.

Do Zoom Meetings Look Like In Person Meetings?

Currently, board meetings are not held in person. They are held on Zoom, and there is no reason to pretend that this is an in-person meeting. In in-person meetings, I cannot be muted during a conversation. I can whisper to my neighbors. I can pass notes. We can make eye contact to silently discuss who will comment on a topic. We can all rise up and address a board member’s wayward comment, as we have done before. We have a voice. 

On Zoom, we have different kinds of tools. Mics on or off. Videos on or off. Screen sharing & breakout sessions. Chat. These choices have consequences. Mics on or off controls who gets to make noise. Screens off saves bandwidth but strips homeowners of the choice to be more than a name on a black background. Chat enables discussion - or bans it when turned off.

These tools have been used to control the room. Elle has been muted while speaking in meetings multiple times now. That cannot happen in an in-person meeting.

We have many different tools in Zoom, plus volunteers to help moderate them. It is within our power to avail ourselves of those tools in service not to the board, but to the membership. Chats do not need to be distracting to the board, because the board may state how the chat will be addressed (not at all, through a volunteer) and then continue business.

Documentation Requests

Four board members confirmed that there is currently no policy guiding the release of association records.

VIS management has board authority to release appropriate documents.

Gowrylow expressed uncertainty regarding specific legal requirements.

Frank gave tour of Basecamp, stating that she prefers ‘not to have discussion on Basecamp because it is subject to records request’

Agenda Adjustments

It was noted that two items approved prior to January 1, 2026 had been voted on electronically and later modified to include a third item that had been proposed during a prior work session. These items included:

• Collections policy

• Zoom account

• Board officer positions

All were identified as requiring future ratification, as they had been ratified either online, through basecamp, or in a previous work session.