Danbury Preservation Trust, Board Meeting audio, 1995-05-26 (Oral History)

Danbury Preservation Trust, Board Meeting audio, 1995-05-26

Danbury Preservation Trust

~62 minutes; 1 microcassette

1995-05-26

0:00-10:00
There is no financial report; Meeting brought to order; Minutes of last meeting approved; Skip to financial report- no financial report; Have no checkbook because had to refile for corporation status because had been defunct; Then need to bring checkbook and certificate to bank to get finances back in operation; Have between $2,500-$3,000 dollars; Not sure if they need to refile with IRS; Attorney suggested they play dumb with the state to determine if they need a new tax id, etc.; Found list of old members - six years old; Going to compile a mailing list; Need to formally pass a resolution which decides which persons are signatories on the bank account; Need to get a corporate resolution from the bank as well; Checking bylaws to determine if the proposed resolution is already in bylaws; Rewording bylaw article 8; Will talk to Mayor regarding the information meeting with Senator Dodd in coming week; Hoping to have Dodd event during Preservation Week, which is second week in May

10:01-20:00
Discussion of possibility of new brochure; Discussing possibility of raising amount of dues - last rates set 15 years prior; Movement to double rates; Discussion that might still be too low; Family dues will be $25, individual $15, students $5, and senior citizens $10; In past membership was mostly an even split of individuals and families; Patron raised to $50, corporate raised to $150, Sustaining raised to $500; Don’t think brochure will be ready by the time Dodd speaks, so planning on having a fact sheet present; Want to update logo as well, 17 years old; All listening to answering machine message; New logo should be catchy, appeal to kids, etc.; Decide to create a sub-committee to create logo; Should take direction from New Milford’s recent logos; Simple roof and a hand was suggested, or an umbrella

20:01-30:00
Most creative board members suggested for subcommittee; Tomorrow's meeting regarding castle; Talking about a castle friend in England; Discussing prospective builders, developers, etc for outbuilding on castle grounds; Walking tour for fall suggested; Annual dinner suggested for spring; Discussion about exhibit about flood of 1955; Roger Baldwin photos from downtown found in office; Herb said he’ be interested in creating new exhibit for DPT that would be on display in Danbury Public Library, open in May 1996 and run for 3 months, 2 dimensional; Form passed around asking for volunteers to conduct interviews, etc. for exhibit; Herb interested in creating exhibit book as well; Have VCR running all day of oral history interviews related to flood suggested for exhibit

30:01-40:00
Suggested that WCSU facilities be used for this; Reminder that the relationship of the trust is the redevelopment of downtown after the flood

Side B; 31:00-40:00
Redevelopment office took a photo of each building before they could rip it down and rebuild it; Going to check if those photos are still around; Herb needs a list of at least 15 people willing to be interviewed; president is hoping for list of folks who will agree to audio interviews and group that will agree to video interviews; Discussing possible interviewees; Save money by using someone else’s photos that have already been enlarged; All forgot they were taping themselves; Suggesting to still interview people who do not want to be taped or videoed; Suggesting WCSU host, record and edit video interviews; Continue to discuss potential interviewees; Trying to keep mtgs short

40:01-50:00
List of bills that will need to be paid when treasurer gets checkbook; President will coordinate informational meeting; Community feedback tells them that people really loved their newsletter and walking tours back when they were functioning; President asks board if they would like to adopt creating a newsletter again, she is willing to serve as editor to start; President throws out ideas of things that might be in the newsletter and that it go out twice a year; Board has interest - decision to schedule another meeting to coordinate that; President presents chart she created of each board member and lists of activities that each board member can get involved in; President goes down list stating board members and what activities she’s matched them with; States how this address short range goals and once they are up and running again, can address long term goals; Asked for volunteers to put together committee to address mission statement, politics, etc; Question as to whether they will again get involved with surveys of town; Only area not surveyed was mill plain, but not sure what historic buildings are left there or where money would come from; Surveys are at museum; Again suggesting that they get interns from WCSU to work on their projects, such as updating surveys

50:01-60:00
Discussed keeping abreast of current legislation - also suggested that WCSU students should do this; Janick said if they could solidify projects he would see what students he might have that would want to be involved and could handle the projects; Discussed aesthetic of new RR station and suggested they should keep an eye on old station; It was asked whether school has any role in what happens downtown re: design and development; It was decided Danbury is too large to tell people what they can and can’t do downtown; Someone states that just because it’s an old building anyone can buy it and put whatever they want in that building in Danbury; Public mtg April 3rd to discuss City Center Danbury 2000 and Beyond; Much discussion regarding the Walgreens that is slated to go in on Main Street; Argument that modern buildings will become old and each building depicts the time that it’s from

60:01-70:00
Agreement that suggestion can be made to Walgreens and hopefully Walgreen will choose to incorporate elements of an older style building; Discussing various building previous building projects in town; Tape Ends