CPVA MEETING MINUTES

February 20, 2006

7:30 p.m.

Presiding:   Gail Carney, President

Location:    Montgomery County Community College, Rm. A-102

Topic: The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce

Board Attendance:

Absent:
Ron Schultz
Glen Bernstein
Seth Bienek

* designates new board member for the 2006 season

President’s Report: Gail called the meeting to order at 7:30.  Three seats on the Conroe Independent School District board are open; two of them are being contested by residents of The Woodlands.  The MUD board meets every 3rd Wednesday at noon in the JPA building in The Woodlands and two Harper’s Landing residents will be running for re-election.  Please support your fellow Woodlands residents in the polls. 

Gail also requested that the joint board meeting, set by the College Park by-laws to fall the second Monday of March, be changed to accommodate spring break schedules and be scheduled for the 6th of March instead.  The board agreed.

TWA Representative Report: Ted Stanley indicated the street light at Donwick and 242 is still on the radar of Entergy.  He keeps receiving promises from them that it will be completed soon, but we’re still waiting.  :On the City of Conroe City Council, Jerry Streater has competition, Duke Coon is not running again.  Let the challengers to these positions know how you feel about the annexation issue – for or against.

Committee Reports: Cori, as Communications Chair, has recently sent out an updated newsletter.  Please contact her if you would like to receive it and are not on the email list.  Susan, as Social Chair, noted that changes to the budget for 2006 events would soon be forthcoming.  Scholarship applications are due in March.  Gail Carney is head of the scholarship committee.  Committee meetings to select a scholarship winner will be set during the joint board meeting on March 6.

Resident Concerns: Resident Stanley Fowler asked if the CPVA website could list contact numbers for voter registration, emergency services, etc.  Excellent idea.  Most of those numbers are already listed on the website of The Woodlands Associations.  The board will strongly consider the idea of adding them to the CPVA site and discuss it in depth at the March 6 meeting. 

The wife of Monte Lane asked us to vote for Monte in the County Commissioner’s Race.  She spoke a little about her husband and indicated that he is very much against the idea of Conroe annexing Harper’s Landing.

Guest Speaker: Christine Clements, Director of Membership for The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce. 

The chamber has been in existence for 27 years.  It is a tremendous resource for non-profit businesses; many of its 1400 business members are non-profits.  The chamber hosts Economic Development Partnerships with large corporations to entice them to relocate to The Woodlands, provides seminars on marketing, employment law and general topics of interest to business owners, and supports a roundtable for Women on Business – a resource available to women beginning their own businesses. The chamber offers a CD with volunteer opportunities available throughout The Woodlands, showcasing the various organizations that need help by business name, type of assistance needed and other sort criteria.  Information on leadership in Montgomery County can be obtained from the lmctx.org site.  Site with details and activities of the chamber: www.woodlandschamber.org.  

A resident asked that the Chamber look into providing more activities for teenagers in the Marketplace.  Ms. Clements indicated they had heard the request quite often before and were pursuing it.  It’s a difficult situation for the businesses in the area, to offer open doors to teenagers but to avoid driving away paying customers.

Next meeting:
March 20, 7:30 p.m.
Rm. 102, Bldg. B   Please note change in building from A to B.
Montgomery Community College
College Park Dr.

Upcoming events:
March 18: Official opening of Tapestry Park in Grogan’s Forest, 10:00 a.m.
April 8: Earth Day at The Woodlands High School, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Volunteers needed.
September 23: Annual trip to the Astros game.  Estimated $11/ticket.  Astros v. St. Louis.
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