Board Meeting Minutes: 2025-11-09

by

Brookfield Heritage Neighborhood Association 

Board Meeting Minutes

Date: November 9th, 2025

Board Members:  Steve Beckman (Secretary), Mike Benedict (Communications), Nella Davis-Ray (President), John Hays, Matthew Kazmierski (Vice President), Denise Moore, Judy Putnam, Alice Schehr (Treasurer), Rhoda Wolff

Call to order: Nella Davis-Ray called to order this meeting of the Brookfield Heritage Neighborhood Association Executive Committee at 5:36 p.m. on November 9th, 2025 in a meeting at 252 Oakland.

Roll Call:

  • Roll Call: Mike Benedict, Nella Davis-Ray, John Hays, Matthew Kazmierski, Denise Moore, Judy Putnam, Alice Schehr, Rhoda Wolff
  • Absent: Steve Beckman
  • Others in attendance: None
  • Quorum present: Yes

Approval of Past Minutes: A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes from the Board meetings held on July 20th, 2025, and September 21st, 2025, as presented. The motion carried without objection.

Treasurer Updates: 

  1. The current MSUFCU account balance is $3,067.82
  2. Unpaid annual dues
    • 38 reminder messages were distributed to property owners on Maplewood, Oakland, and Roseland that had not yet paid their annual dues. $750 was received after the annual picnic and after distributing the reminders. 24 households on those streets remain unpaid.

Old Business:

  1. Environment Committee updates
    • City of East Lansing Arborist Andy Gordon has resigned. The vacant position has been posted by the city.
    • The city is planning on trimming street trees between now and the end of winter
    • Stumps left behind after street tree removals are only grinded down six inches by the city. An additional 24 inches of grinding is recommended.
      • Top Notch charges $555 per stump if they remove the debris and fill with topsoil and $315 without the debris removal and filling
      • Stump Busters charges $6.50 per inch including debris removal. The full price is estimated to be $260-$475 depending on the size of the stump.
      • Other companies reported prices between $650-$750
    • Nella will draft a board resolution stating the association’s goals to replace aging street trees with new trees that are planted in line with the existing tree locations and are in accordance with the City of East Lansing’s tree species requirements and spacing to avoid old tree stumps and roots that could negatively affect the replacement trees
      • The location of new replacement trees and the companies hired to grind the old stumps will be determined on a property-by-property basis
  2. Social Committee updates
    • Winter Solstice Luminaries
      • The preparations for placing 1,000 luminaria along Maplewood, Oakland, and Roseland on Sunday, December 21st are on track. A neighborhood gathering later that evening is being considered. Notice will be sent out via the neighborhood Facebook group and/or a printed newsletter that includes the address if a gathering is held.
    • BHNA Centennial Celebration
      • The 2026 annual picnic may include a new display about the history of the neighborhood. Mike would be willing to help create an audio-visual display with the assistance of his son. Former residents, including the adult children of past property owners, would be invited to attend.

New Business

  1. New property owners
    • Nella reported a potential home buyer was concerned about the racial restrictions that are still included in the neighborhood covenant. John volunteered to compose an item for a future newsletter that would provide property owners with information about what they could do to update their records with the Ingham County Register of Deeds to indicate that they denounce the specific clauses in the existing neighborhood covenant.
    • Nella will draft a welcome letter that could be sent to new property owners

Open Discussion:

  • None

Action Items: 

Name Action Deadline
Nella Draft board resolution regarding street tree replacement guidelines 
Nella Draft welcome letter for new property owners
John Draft newsletter item informing property owners how to update their records to denounce the racial clauses contained in the neighborhood covenant

Adjournment:

  • A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:53 p.m. The motion carried without objection.

Next Meeting Date, Time, and Location: 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 8th, 2026 at 155 Oakland Dr.

 

Minutes submitted by: Steve Beckman

Minutes approved by: BHNA Board, 2/8/2025