Brookfield Heritage Neighborhood Association
Board Meeting Minutes – DRAFT
Date: September 21st, 2025
Board Members: Steve Beckman (Secretary – previous term), Mike Benedict, Nella Davis-Ray (Communications – previous term), John Hays, Matthew Kazmierski (President – previous term), Denise Moore, Judy Putnam, Alice Schehr (Treasurer – previous term), Rhoda Wolff
Call to order: Matt Kazmierski called to order this meeting of the Brookfield Heritage Neighborhood Association Executive Committee at 4:05 pm ET on September 21st, 2025 in a meeting at 252 Oakland.
Roll Call:
- Roll Call: Steve Beckman, Mike Benedict, Nella Davis-Ray, John Hays, Matthew Kazmierski, Denise Moore, Judy Putnam, Alice Schehr
- Absent: Rhoda Wolff
- Others in attendance: None
- Quorum present: Yes
Treasurer Updates:
- Alice reported that $1,270 in annual dues was collected at the annual meeting on September 14th
- Several households that paid dues in previous years have not paid and were not at the annual meeting. Efforts will be made to notify the unpaid household in hopes of collecting their dues.
- Alice, Matt, and Mike will work on a message to post on Facebook and the BHNA website that will also be printed on flyers to be left on the doors of each home
- Several households that paid dues in previous years have not paid and were not at the annual meeting. Efforts will be made to notify the unpaid household in hopes of collecting their dues.
Old Business:
- Environment Committee updates
- Five replacement street trees were planted on Thursday, September 18th with help from neighborhood volunteers
- A stump grinding service may be needed after street trees are removed in the future. A typical cost is $100 for each stump. Consider having multiple stumps done on the same day in hopes of getting a volume discount. Judy or Nella will contact a service used in the past to ask about options.
- Alice will contact the city arborist to ask when the neighborhood trees are scheduled to be trimmed and/or removed in 2026 in order to help with scheduling of the stump grinding service
- Social Committee updates
- Consider a post to the BHNA Facebook group and website about Halloween activities near 252 Oakland in order to encourage participation in centralized trick-or-treating and the Halloween tunnel at 245 Oakland
- Consider organizing an event in 2026 commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the neighborhood’s founding
- Explore ideas for fundraising opportunities during the event to help with funding for replacement street trees
- Consider providing information to property owners that could make it easier for them to have the restrictions in the covenant’s language removed from their individual property records with Ingham County
New Business
- Appointment of Board Officers
- The following appointments were nominated and approved unanimously:
- President – Nella Davis-Ray
- Vice President – Matthew Kazmierski
- Secretary – Steve Beckman
- Treasurer – Alice Schehr
- Communications – Mike Benedict
- Nella will add Mike as an administrator of the BHNA Facebook group and share the files used for previous newsletters and announcements with him
- Mike will contact former board member Mark Warner to ask for the files that were used to print previous versions of the neighborhood directory
- Matt will update the board@brookfieldneighborhood.net email distribution list to remove past board members and add the new members
- Members at large – John Hays, Denise Moore, Judy Putnam, Rhoda Wolff
- The following appointments were nominated and approved unanimously:
- Vacated term of Elizabeth Hoffman (2024-2027)
- New board member Rhoda Wolff was assigned the vacated term
- Quarterly Meetings
- The following quarterly meeting dates were agreed upon:
- Sunday, November 9th, 2025 at 4:00pm, location to be determined
- Sunday, February 1st, 2026 at 4:00pm, location to be determined
- Sunday, April 26th, 2026 at 4:00pm, location to be determined
- Sunday, August 9th, 2026 at 4:00pm, location to be determined
- September meeting to plan for annual meeting (if necessary), date and location to be determined
- Annual meeting scheduled for Sunday, September 13th, 2026, at 4:00pm on Maplewood Dr. Rain date will be Sunday, September 20th, 2026.
- The following quarterly meeting dates were agreed upon:
Open Discussion:
- None
Action Items:
| Name | Action | Deadline |
| Alice, Matt, and Mike | Draft communications for neighbors that have not paid their annual dues | 2025-10-01 |
| Alice | Contact city arborist to ask for the dates in 2026 when the city will inspect, trim, and/or remove neighborhood street trees | 2025-10-01 |
| Judy or Nella | Contact stump grinding service | 2025-10-01 |
| Nella | Add Mike as an administrator of the BHNA Facebook group and share the files used for previous newsletters and announcements with him | 2025-10-01 |
| Mike | Contact Mark Warner to ask for the files used to print previous versions of the neighborhood directory | 2025-10-01 |
Adjournment:
- A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 5:06 pm. The motion carried without objection.
Next Meeting Date, Time, and Location: Sunday, November 9th, 2025. Time and location to be determined.