1. business and industrial
2. company
3. annual report

GERMAN VILLAGE SOCIETY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AGENDA
June 8, 2015
Call to Order
Heidi Drake
Public Participation
Communications Task Force Report
Heather Whaling, Joshua Miller, Brittany Gibson,
Jeanne Tranter, Sarah Irvin Clark, Megumi Robinson
Mark Weiss
Report of the Officers
Report of the President
Jeanne Likins
Report of the Vice-President
Welcome new Board member John Barr
Appointment of Joe Kurzer to the Historic
Preservation Fund Board
Appointment of Susan Sutherland to the
Organizational Development Committee
Heidi Drake
Report of the Secretary
Minutes approval
Bill Curlis
Report of the Treasurer
Accept Treasurer’s Report for Audit
Tim Bibler
Strategic Plan Committee Reports
Preservation
Historic Preservation
written report
Bill Curlis
Kathy Fortener
Advocacy
Parking
Kelly Clark
Tim Bibler
no report
Civic Relations
written report
Parks and Public Spaces
written report
Friends of Schiller
written report
Nelson Genshaft
Sara McNealey
Carol Mullinax
Katharine Moore
Community Quality of Life
GV Business Community
written report
Long Range Planning
written report
Art Committee
no report
Greg Gamier
Marie Trudeau
Development
Events
Dennis Brandon
Haus und Garten
written report
oral report
Monster Bash
Tea 4 Two
written report
Village Valuables
Art Crawl
Village Lights
Membership
written report
Corporate Outreach
no report
Finance
Finance Committee
Next meeting: July 29, 2015
Investment Committee
Next meeting: July 29, 2015
Budget Committee
Next meeting: October, 2015
Governance
Organizational Development
no report
Josh Miller
Nick Reshan
Brittany Gibson
Shiloh Todorov
Darci Congrove
Shiloh Todorov
Greg Gamier
Greg Gamier
Susan Sutherland
Joe Kurzer
Tim Bibler
Tim Bibler
Tim Bibler
Shiloh Todorov
Dave Wible
Dave Wible
Staff Reports
Executive Director
written report
Shiloh Todorov
Curator of Archives and Facilities
written report
Russ Arledge
Historic Preservation Advocate
written report
Sarah Marsom
Digital Coordinator for Business Development
written report
Mark Weiss
Old/New Business
Heidi Drake
Executive Session
Heidi Drake
Adjournment
Heidi Drake
GERMAN VILLAGE SOCIETY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF
May 11, 2015
Present:
Tim Bibler, Bill Curlis, Greg Gamier, Brittany Gibson, Joe Kurzer,
Jeanne Likins, Jeff McNealey, Susan Sutherland, and David Wible.
Staff and Guests:
Colleen Boyle, Matt Eshelbrenner, Dan Kline, Gary Seman and Shiloh Todorov.
The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by President Likins.
Public Participation
As a result of the high-wind and rain storm passing through the area, none of the public participants had
arrived. President Likins moved to the Report of the President as the first order of business.
Ms. Likins gave the Board a report on the first months of progress on the Strategic Plan including the
revised Board agenda format. A lengthy review of that agenda format and the role of the ‘Pillars’ and
how they are to report to the Board was discussed. A realignment of assignments of the pillars and a
recruitment of additional pillars will continue.
With the arrival of Dan Kline, Co-chair (with his wife Marie Logothetis who was not able to be present)
of the 2015 Haus und Garten Tour, the discussion was interrupted for an up-date on the 2015 tour
plans.
Mr. Kline reported that all of the homes and gardens were selected early this year and all of them fit
nicely into the Preserving the Past, Celebrating Tomorrow theme of this year’s tour. Trustee Brittany
Gibson, noted the early success of the pre-tour ticket sales with only 57 seats in homes and 70 tickets to
the Party on the Platz remaining. Ms. Todorov noted the importance of selling all of the remaining
tickets to meet budget. In response to a question from Mr. Kurzer, Mr. Kline said that he and his wife’s
second year of experience leading the tour had proven very helpful to understanding the logistics of the
Tour and understand the ‘big picture’ of the entire Tour and its importance to the Society and the
community. On behalf of the Board, President Likins thanked Mr. Kline and Ms. Logothetis for their
leadership and support.
President Likins thanked Matt Eshelbrenner for his five years of service to the Society as Chair of the
Long Range Planning Committee and accepted, with great regret, his resignation from this responsibility.
Ms. Likins noted his leadership and organizational skills that moved the committee forward including the
founding of the Southside Stay and Village Connections organizations. She presented Mr. Eshelbrenner
with a Certificate of Appreciation and the Board thanked him with applause.
Colleen Boyle, Supervisor of the Gifted and Talented, Columbus City Schools, reported to the Board on
the new Columbus Gifted Academy at Beck located in the Beck Street school in Schumacher Place.
Students, Grades 3 through 8, will be offered accelerated curricular opportunities in classes of up to 20
students by full-time teachers who possess a special license to teach gifted students. Ms. Boyle noted
that the first year there will be approximately 300 students attending the Academy. The mission of the
program is to provide an “appropriate and challenging learning environment. . . ” to gifted students and
to promote “opportunities for parents, the community, and schools to collaborate in accomplishing this
mission.” The Board thanked Ms. Boyle for her enthusiastic presentation and invited her back to keep
the community up-dated on the new program’s achievements and successes.
Reports of the President and Officers
President Likins returned to the discussion on the Strategic Plan and handouts that explained the
Strategic Plan. Ms. Todorov provided multiple copies of volunteer recruitment forms for implementing
the strategic plan to every Board member to encourage the Board to seek further community
participation. Ms. Todorov also noted that the Communications Committee continued to work on these
documents as well as new initiatives promoting the strategic plan and planning process.
Secretary Bill Curlis presented the Minutes of the meeting of April 13, 2015.
MOTION:
Approve the Minutes of the meeting of April 13, 2015. [Curlis, McNealey]
Motion approved.
Treasurer Tim Bibler, presented the April 2015 Treasurer’s report as well as financial highlights notes to
the monthly report reporting no significant issues.
MOTION:
Accept the Treasurer’s Report for April, 2015 for audit.
[Bibler, McNealey]
Motion approved.
Committee Reports
Written reports were provided to the Board from many committees and President Likins called upon
Board members to give oral reports that required action or special notice.
Trustee Bill Curlis, as the Pillar for Historic Preservation asked questions of the Board regarding new
Board reporting procedures by the Pillars both before the Board meetings (by the committees chairs
assigned to the Pillars) and to the Board itself. He also noted that the alignment of committee
assignments under the six pillars needed to be continually monitored to coordinate all of the
committees’ education and advocacy initiatives. He further reported that the first meeting of the
Historic Preservation committee using the new strategic planning process was a very substantive
discussion on the number one priority of the plan: brick sidewalks. The initial discussion resulted in a
plan of action with a timetable for accomplishment to include a sidewalk and curb assessment of the
entire Village. Each committee member has been assigned a portion of the Village to make a block-by block review of the current status of sidewalks and curbs. The information will be compiled and turned
into a planning guide to seek improvements and repair.
A continuing annual task of the Historic Preservation committee is the recommendation of candidates
for appointment to the German Village Commission and the committee recommended the reappointment of Ned Thiell.
MOTION:
Pursuant to the Procedures for the Recommendation of Candidates for
Appointment to the German Village Commission and upon the recommendation
of the Historic Preservation Committee, the Board of Trustees hereby
recommended the re-appointment of Ned Thiell as one of the German
Village Society recommended members of the German Village Commission
and authorize the President to send a letter to the Mayor of the City
of Columbus with this recommendation.
[Curlis, McNealey]
Motion approved.
The committee and the Board noted that it was very pleased that Mr. Thiell was seeking reappointment,
thanked him for his many years of service to the Commission and community, and looked forward to his
continuing experience and leadership on the Commission.
Treasurer and Parking Committee Chair Tim Bibler reported on recent meetings with City Parking staff
on several topics and noted that the City is very receptive to a review of parking issues unique to our
historic district that conflict with code and regulation. He and his committee will continue to work with
the City regarding these unique issues.
Mr. Bibler also initiated a discussion regarding Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus’ request to the
German Village Commission for support of a parking zoning variance. This relates to Schmidt’s request
to add space for approximately 90 additional guests to the restaurant, without increasing parking spaces
as required by City Code. The German Village Commission, which can only recommend or not
recommend a parking variance to the City Zoning Commission voted unanimously to oppose (or, not
recommend) the Schmidt’s application for a parking zoning variance. In light of the GV Commission’s
opposition to the parking zoning variance, the GV Commission did not consider a Certificate of
Appropriateness for the proposed changes to the existing structure pending the Zoning Commissions’
response to the application. After considerable debate concerning the Schmidt’s proposal, a motion
was offered:
MOTION:
In order to maintain the existing parking balance among residents,
businesses, and visitors in German Village, the German Village Society
supports the German Village Commission’s decision to deny the
request for recommendation of a parking zoning variance for Schmidt’s
restaurant’s physical expansion.
[Curlis, McNealey]
Motion approved.
Mr. Bibler additionally reported that the City would permit parking on the east side of Jaeger at Schiller
Park with signage going up as early as next week.
Haus und Garten Board Liaison Brittany Gibson reported tour day tickets will be on sale at Giant Eagle
locations across Columbus starting June 1st for $18 and are available now at GermanVillageTour.com for
$20. Additionally, the “hunt” for volunteers for Pre-Tour and tour day has begun. Sign-up to volunteer
at GermanVillageTour.com/volunteer. Reminder: Tour weekend is June 27-28, 2015.
Organizational Development Committee chair Dave Wible reported that the committee was moving
forward to bring additional expertise to the Board in human resources and finance.
MOTION:
To elect Heidi Drake to the unexpired term on the Board of
Trustees ending September 30, 2017; to accept the resignation
of Heidi Drake as the non-voting/10-year resident member of
the Board of Trustees; and to approve the president’s
appointment of John Barr as the non-voting/10-year German
Village resident member of the Board of Trustees for the
term ending September 30, 2015.
[McNealey, Wible]
Staff Reports
Ms. Todorov again noted that everyone needed to help sell the remaining Pre-Tour tickets to make
certain the Pre-Tour budget was met.
New Business
President Likins reported that Bert Stevens was being recognized at the Wednesday Caretakers of a
Legacy award ceremony for her dedicated commitment to the Huntington Gardens and the Huntington
Garden endowment and offered the following motion to add to that recognition:
MOTION:
That the Huntington Garden Endowment Fund be re-named the
Alberta Stevens Fund for the Huntington Garden Endowment.
[McNealey, Curlis]
Motion unanimously and enthusiastically approved.
The business of the May 11, 2015, meeting of the German Village Society Board of Trustees having been
concluded, the meeting was adjourned at 8:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Attest:
Jeanne Likins, President
William L. Curlis, Secretary
German Village Society
Financial Highlights
June 8, 2015 Trustee Meeting
Tim Bibler, Treasurer
This report attempts to highlight certain line items of the attached financial reports and other
financial activity that is presented to the GVS board. It is not meant to summarize the reports,
but rather represent denotations of the treasurer or staff because of their impact upon the
financials.
May 2015 Highlights
1. Balance Sheet for May 31, 2015 - (April)
Operations: There is $82,878.63 ($53,987.70) in checking. The contingency
savings account is $88,318.16 ($88,311.17).
Designated Checking: The various designated projects and committee accounts
total $219,068.24 ($226,942.84) of which some of the major accounts include
GVBC $61,192.45 ($73,588.18), Historic Preservation 58,789.28 ($53,190.68),
Historic Preservation Expert Restriction $16,453.60 ($16,453.60) and Friends of
Schiller Fund $15,148.46 ($24,566.36).
2. To Date Operational Budget
Income accounts are reasonably aligned with the budget and therefore to date
income is reasonably meeting expectations. All expense accounts are reasonably
aligned with the budget and therefore expenses are reasonably meeting
expectations.
German Village Society
Balance Sheet
As of May 31, 2015
Total
ASSETS
Current Assets
Bank Accounts
Bank Accounts - Operations
Operations Chase Checking - 6039
82,878.63
Operations Chase Contingency - 4693
88,318.16
0.00
Operations Fifth Third Checking - 5113 (deleted)
Total Bank Accounts - Operations
$ 171,196.79
Board Designated Bank Accounts
0.00
Board Designated Checking - 1362
0.00
Bicentennial Fund
Council of Historic Neighborhoods
1,777.87
For the Good of the Neighborhood
32,789.46
Frank Fetch Park/Maintenance
50.00
Fund for Historic Preservation
58,789.28
German Village Business Community
61,192.45
1,590.59
Highfield Garden
16,453.60
Historic Preservation Expert Restriction
9,455.73
Huntington Garden/Maintenance
4,296.61
Schiller Bloomin Fund
Schiller Friends of Schiller Fund
15,148.46
Schiller Park Enhancements
10,827.49
841.27
Schiller Park/Arboretum Fund
-1,433.30
Schiller Park/Bench/Trash Can Fund
0.00
Schiller Trash Can Fund (deleted)
1,000.00
Southside Stay
0.00
Village Connections
6,288.73
Village Singers
Total Board Designated Checking - 1362
$ 219,068.24
Board Designated Funds
199,808.34
Meeting Haus Maint/Replacement
5,170.17
Village Singers Fund - 14126
Warner Maintenance - 0330
169,511.70
Warner Maintenance - 2342
0.00
Warner Maintenance - 5402
0.00
0.00
Warner Maintenance - 8188
Total Board Designated Funds
Total Board Designated Bank Accounts
$ 374,490.21
$ 593,558.45
Permanently Restricted Fund Accounts
0.00
Frank Fetch Endowment
753.93
Fund at Columbus Foundation
203,868.40
Huntington Garden Endowment
Total Permanently Restricted Fund Accounts
$ 204,622.33
100.00
Petty Cash
Total Bank Accounts
$ 969,477.57
Accounts Receivable
60,979.69
Accounts Receivable-General
Total Accounts Receivable
$
60,979.69
Other current assets
Credit Card Receivables
736.05
Designated Funds GVS Receivable
178.88
0.00
Inventory
0.00
prepaid Expenses
2,713.20
Undeposited Funds
Total Other current assets
Total Current Assets
$
3,628.13
$1,034,085.39
Fixed Assets
Building 588 South Third Street
Page 1 of 2
German Village Society
Balance Sheet
As of May 31, 2015
Total
759,990.66
Cost
-586,436.35
Depreciation
40,000.00
Land
Total Building 588 South Third Street
$ 213,554.31
102,386.64
Leasehold Improvements
-46,390.05
Depreciation
Total Leasehold Improvements
$
218,939.23
Cost
-211,524.39
Depreciation
Total Office Equipment/Furniture/Paintings
55,996.59
22,999.00
Office Equipment/Furniture/Paintings
$
30,413.84
Office Furniture
0.00
Cost
Depreciaton
Total Office Furniture
$
0.00
Office Paintings
0.00
Cost
Total Office Paintings
Total Fixed Assets
TOTAL ASSETS
$
0.00
$ 299,964.74
$1,334,050.13
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable
0.00
Accounts Payable
Total Accounts Payable
$
0.00
Other Current Liabilities
0.00
Deferred Revenue
Deferred Revenue-Property Taxes
0.00
Designated Funds GVBC Payable
178.88
2,498.88
Designated Funds GVS Payable
Other Current Liabilities
0.00
Prepaid GVBC Membership Dues
0.00
Prepaid GVS Advertising Fees
0.00
Prepaid GVS Membership Dues
0.00
0.00
Sales tax payable
Total Other Current Liabilities
Total Current Liabilities
Total Liabilities
$
2,677.76
$
2,677.76
$
2,677.76
Equity
Designated Earnings
0.00
Non Restricted
Permanently restricted fund
190,572.59
Restricted
523,524.40
Temporarily Restricted
Total Designated Earnings
Retained Earnings
Net Income
Total Equity
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
6,000.00
$ 720,096.99
529,487.76
81,787.62
$1,331,372.37
$1,334,050.13
Tuesday, Jun 02, 2015 08:40:57 PM PDT GMT-4 - Accrual Basis
Page 2 of 2
German Village Society
2015 Designated Budget Variance by Class
January - May, 2015
For the Good of
Fund for
Historic
the
Neighborhood Preservation
Actual
Total
German
Village
Business
Community
Highfield
Gardens
Actual
Actual
Actual
Historic
Preservation
Huntington
Expert Restriction Endowment
Actual
Huntington
Garden
Maintenance
Fund
Schiller
Aboretum
Fund
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Schiller
Bench/Trash
Can Fund
Schiller
Bloomin'
Fund
Schiller
Friends of
Schiller
Fund
Schiller Park
Enhancements
Southside
Stay
Village
Singers
Village
Singers
Fund
Warner Fund
TOTAL
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Income
Admission/Event Income
Advertising Income
50.00
Contributions
947.20
1,272.77
1,000.00
16,990.01
750.00
0.00
210.00
1,000.00
5,900.00
250.00
5,555.00
500.00
0.00
Grants
2,429.97
17,990.01
525.00
500.00
15,030.00
2,000.00
2,000.00
650.00
In-Kind Donations
650.00
0.00
Interest Income
1,781.93
1,731.08
1,390.73
18,075.00
Membership Dues -GVBC
18,075.00
160.00
Merchandise Income
160.00
0.00
Miscellaneous Income
1,000.00
Sponsorship
4,903.74
3,230.00
3,230.00
2,000.00
3,000.00
Total Income
$
1,050.00
$
2,697.20 $
39,147.78 $
1,000.00
$
0.00 $
1,781.93 $
5,900.00
$
1,731.08 $
250.00
$
0.00 $
5,555.00 $
0.00
$
2,000.00 $
500.00 $
3,965.00 $
500.00 $
1,390.73
$ 67,468.72
Gross Profit
$
1,050.00
$
2,697.20 $
39,147.78 $
1,000.00
$
0.00 $
1,781.93 $
5,900.00
$
1,731.08 $
250.00
$
0.00 $
5,555.00 $
0.00
$
2,000.00 $
500.00 $
3,965.00 $
500.00 $
1,390.73
$ 67,468.72
Expenses
3,782.00
Advertising
3,782.00
4.00
Bank/Credit Card Fees
13,208.63
Consulting Fees
377.39
369.90
1,115.62
0.00
1,023.75
1,355.00
1,866.91
15,587.38
Equipment Rental
0.00
Food/Beverages
0.00
In-Kind Expense
650.00
650.00
License/Fees/Permits
150.00
150.00
Meeting Haus Groundskeeping
0.00
Miscellaneous Expense
0.00
0.00
1,250.00
1,250.00
0.00
2,775.00
362.66
773.75
910.00
4,821.41
589.70
Payroll Taxes
Postage
Printing/Signage
589.70
0.00
333.39
9,100.50
875.00
333.39
0.00
Repairs & Maintenance
10,258.00
282.50
6,813.00
6,813.00
7,708.30
Salaries/Wages
Security
0.00
Supplies
0.00
7,708.30
0.00
569.33
200.00
96.49
980.00
1,337.61
3,183.43
0.00
Transportation/Towing
0.00
Total Expenses
$
0.00
$
13,208.63 $
21,984.50 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
377.39 $
569.33
$
369.90 $
200.00
$
2,775.00 $
1,208.39 $
9,545.90
$
1,753.75 $
0.00 $
3,885.11 $
0.00 $
1,115.62
$ 56,993.52
Net Operating Income
$
1,050.00
-$
10,511.43 $
17,163.28 $
1,000.00
$
0.00 $
1,404.54 $
5,330.67
$
1,361.18 $
50.00
-$
2,775.00 $
4,346.61
9,545.90
$
246.25 $
500.00 $
79.89 $
500.00 $
275.11
$ 10,475.20
-800.00
-20,096.00
800.00
-$20,096.00
-$
Other Income
0.00
Transfers In
-1,750.00
Transfers out
Total Other Income
0.00
0.00
-$
1,750.00
$
0.00 $
Total Other Expenses
$
0.00
$
0.00 $
Net Other Income
-$
1,750.00
$
0.00 $
Net Income
-$
700.00
-$
10,511.43 $
0.00 $
-17,546.00
0.00
-$
17,546.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00
-$
17,546.00 $
17,163.28 $
1,000.00
-$
17,546.00 $
0.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00
-$
2,495.16 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00
2,568.32 $
0.00
$
2,495.16 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
3,972.86 $
5,330.67
$
3,856.34 $
50.00
-$
2,775.00 $
0.00
$
0.00 $
0.00 $
0.00 $
9,545.90
$
246.25 $
500.00 $
79.89 $
0.00
-$
Other Expenses
0.00
Deferred Gain/Loss Investments
0.00 $
-2,568.32
0.00
-$
2,568.32 $
-2,495.16
-33.95
0.00 $
4,346.61
-$
-$
-2,047.84
-7,145.27
2,047.84
-$ 7,145.27
33.95 $
1,247.84
-$12,950.73
533.95 $
1,522.95
-$ 2,475.53
33.95
-$
German Village Society
2015 GVS Budget Variance By Month Operations
January - December 2015
Jan 2015
Actual
Budget
Feb 2015
Actual
Budget
Mar 2015
Actual
Budget
Apr 2015
Actual
Budget
May 2015
Actual
Budget
Jun 2015
Actual
Budget
Jul 2015
Actual
Budget
Aug 2015
Actual
Budget
Sep 2015
Actual
Budget
Oct 2015
Actual
Budget
Nov 2015
Actual
Budget
Dec 2015
Actual
Budget
Total
Actual
Budget
Income
Admission/Event Income
2,350.00
Advertising Income
Contributions
In-Kind Donations
7.23
Interest Income
130.00
130.00
5,463.38
2,573.00
40,532.65
49,012.00
52,900.00
10,000.00
0.00
0.00
46,126.03
114,615.00
23,958.75
26,706.76
1,091.00
1,061.00
17,905.24
1,401.24
1,638.10
1,500.00
2,000.00
2,000.00
1,500.00
3,500.00
416.00
3,416.00
424.00
46,943.09
43,925.00
1,093.94
1,093.94
130.51
127.51
2,166.98
2,278.55
561.93
0.00
500.00
2,500.00
1,000.00
0.00
2,500.00
5,000.00
0.00
3,953.36
15,000.00
215.53
215.53
38.97
38.97
0.00
0.00
91,245.50
0.00
0.00
2,500.00
0.00
0.00
254.50
94,000.00
6.75
0.00
7.71
7.23
6.99
35.91
0.00
Membership Dues - GVS
32,490.00
32,490.00
5,405.00
5,405.00
7,555.00
7,400.00
9,805.00
7,000.00
5,770.00
7,000.00
5,000.00
3,405.00
2,000.00
1,500.00
6,800.00
0.00
0.00
61,025.00
78,000.00
Membership Dues -GVBC
3,600.00
3,775.00
975.00
975.00
3,475.00
3,225.00
350.00
500.00
225.00
775.00
75.00
75.00
150.00
150.00
300.00
0.00
0.00
35.00
Merchandise Income
-94.51
Miscellaneous Income
8,625.00
10,000.00
20.00
105.00
65.49
0.00
0.08
200.00
200.08
0.00
609.00
609.00
595.00
595.00
2,486.00
2,486.00
836.00
300.00
1,749.00
310.00
250.00
250.00
500.00
Sponsorship
500.00
3,850.00
24,500.00
24,000.00
5,750.00
5,250.00
17,000.00
1,650.00
2,500.00
1,000.00
1,000.00
1,000.00
Tour Income
5,000.00
5,000.00
490.00
490.00
1,010.00
250.00
734.00
260.00
0.00
0.00
Total Income
$ 44,591.23 $
45,724.00
$ 56,785.46 $
59,121.23 $
21,044.27 $
20,078.48
$ 54,543.83 $
15,952.79
$54,022.67 $
59,857.00
$ 0.00 $
61,725.00
$ 0.00 $
100,475.50
$ 0.00 $
6,400.00
$ 0.00 $
5,900.00
$ 0.00 $
24,016.00
$ 0.00 $
10,716.00
Gross Profit
$ 44,591.23 $
45,724.00
$ 56,785.46 $
59,121.23 $
21,044.27 $
20,078.48
$ 54,543.83 $
$ 0.00 $
61,725.00
$ 0.00 $
100,475.50
$ 0.00 $
6,400.00
$ 0.00 $
5,900.00
$ 0.00 $
24,016.00
$ 0.00 $
10,716.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
Rental Income
500.00
500.00
300.00
400.00
6,275.00
7,000.00
1,000.00
0.00
750.00
1,750.00
2,500.00
50,250.00
43,750.00
250.00
250.00
250.00
250.00
0.00
7,234.00
7,000.00
$ 0.00 $
3,324.00
$ 230,987.46
$ 413,290.00
$ 0.00 $
15,952.79
$54,022.67 $
59,857.00
3,324.00
$ 230,987.46
$ 413,290.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,083.00
1,087.00
5,415.00
13,000.00
85.00
75.00
45.00
4,000.00
4,000.00
100.00
600.00
75.00
225.00
700.00
75.00
130.00
9,850.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,475.00
0.00
5,225.00
6,700.00
Expenses
Accounting Expense
1,083.00
1,083.00
Advertising
Audit Fees
3,000.00
3,000.00
2,225.00
2,225.00
0.00
305.45
345.45
208.33
208.33
309.73
107.53
580.88
341.00
300.42
1,400.00
1,400.00
1,000.00
425.69
491.00
691.00
291.00
299.00
1,704.81
7,000.00
Computer Related Costs
1,104.01
1,104.01
702.27
702.27
2,240.84
2,240.84
1,083.94
1,750.00
2,753.13
4,750.00
750.00
952.88
750.00
1,750.00
1,750.00
1,750.00
1,750.00
7,884.19
20,000.00
Consulting Fees
4,820.00
4,820.00
5,850.00
5,850.00
187.50
187.50
180.00
142.50
690.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
150.00
11,727.50
12,200.00
Dues & Memberships
1,310.00
1,310.00
60.00
60.00
115.00
115.00
40.00
0.00
250.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,775.00
1,485.00
Equipment Rental
922.27
922.27
341.27
341.27
1,371.95
1,371.95
341.27
575.00
745.44
575.00
975.00
3,264.51
575.00
575.00
575.00
675.00
575.00
3,722.20
11,000.00
Food/Beverages
100.00
100.00
97.12
97.12
228.83
228.83
141.75
41.00
100.00
41.00
1,288.05
1,691.00
41.00
41.00
741.00
41.00
49.00
667.70
4,400.00
Gifts & Awards
123.74
123.74
516.80
516.80
450.00
180.62
200.00
659.46
1,000.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
821.16
3,000.00
38.97
38.97
94,000.00
100.00
100.00
19.80
19.80
98.00
98.00
180.60
180.60
82.80
82.80
95.80
95.80
87.40
82.00
1,585.41
1,585.41
1,284.91
1,284.91
1,116.29
1,116.29
1,288.06
42.00
42.00
7.50
7.50
24.00
24.00
Property & D/O Insurance
1,150.00
1,150.00
9,240.75
9,240.75
Repairs & Maintenance
1,157.90
1,157.90
1,341.99
1,341.99
767.53
19,140.88
19,140.88
13,915.88
13,915.88
1,020.00
1,020.00
188.89
188.89
3.00
3.00
987.21
987.21
Bank/Credit Card Fees
215.53
In-Kind Expense
License/Fees/Permits
Meeting Haus Cleaning
Meeting Haus Groundskeeping
Miscellaneous Expense
Payroll Processing
Payroll Taxes
215.53
784.40
784.40
725.00
725.00
137.00
137.00
260.25
260.25
0.00
Salaries/Wages
Transportation/Towing
1,237.34
1,237.34
Total Expenses
$ 35,500.40
$ 35,540.40
$ 30,291.10 $
30,291.10 $
Net Operating Income
$
$ 10,183.60
$ 26,494.36 $
28,830.13
9,090.83
0.00
0.00
2,500.00
0.00
0.00
254.50
0.00
200.00
0.00
0.00
400.00
0.00
100.00
0.00
657.25
1,000.00
744.80
750.00
744.80
750.00
750.00
1,970.80
750.00
750.00
1,250.00
750.00
750.00
3,018.80
10,000.00
75.00
75.00
75.00
102.75
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
397.25
1,200.00
83.00
3,249.00
83.00
83.00
83.00
83.00
83.00
87.00
98.00
4,015.00
95.20
82.00
82.00
82.00
82.00
82.00
82.00
82.00
84.80
541.80
1,100.00
1,200.00
1,079.88
1,200.00
1,200.00
1,200.00
1,113.39
1,100.00
1,100.00
1,100.00
1,100.00
6,354.55
14,300.00
485.10
282.00
402.50
2,382.00
1,500.00
210.00
282.00
282.00
482.00
282.00
298.00
887.60
6,000.00
74.85
216.00
982.75
816.00
3,292.50
2,916.00
966.00
466.00
716.00
214.00
324.00
1,131.10
10,000.00
0.00
0.00
759.25
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
10,390.75
11,150.00
767.53
190.00
336.00
336.00
336.00
336.00
200.00
200.00
312.58
336.00
340.00
3,457.42
6,000.00
13,915.88
13,915.88
14,348.81
13,915.88
16,116.17
15,915.88
18,665.88
12,270.00
12,270.00
12,270.00
12,270.00
12,270.00
12,269.72
77,437.62
169,090.00
0.00
2,300.00
0.00
400.00
0.00
315.00
2,700.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1,020.00
1,020.00
187.18
187.18
87.42
600.00
1,623.93
150.00
100.00
200.00
400.00
350.00
100.00
593.70
4,000.00
0.00
497.00
6,500.00
0.00
0.00
1,000.00
0.00
0.00
5.00
8,000.00
1,000.00
1,400.00
1,200.00
1,000.00
1,500.00
1,000.00
1,000.00
5,428.46
14,000.00
20,438.52
$ 151,061.36
$ 446,210.00
$
79,926.10
-$ 32,920.00
$
20,096.00
$
15,758.95
315.00
0.00
130.21
100.00
2.00
0.00
1,059.31
1,226.26
1,400.00
918.34
1,216.14
35,507.41
$ 22,753.33 $
23,097.38
$26,806.92
$ 35,655.02
$ 0.00
$ 45,836.07
$ 0.00
$ 127,679.69
$ 0.00 $
7,144.59
$27,215.75
$ 24,201.98
$ 0.00
$ 15,888.93
$ 0.00
-$ 27,204.19
$ 0.00
-$ 14,373.83
$
$
0.00
$ 0.00
$
0.00
$ 0.00
$
17,632.00
$ 0.00
$
0.00
$
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
0.00
Supplies
Utilities
91,245.50
232.25
83.00
Security
Storage
0.00
200.00
75.00
Postage
Printing/Signage
0.00
325.00
1,059.31
35,709.61 $
-$ 14,665.34
-$ 15,428.93
$
0.00
$
0.00
$
3,151.79
$
3,151.79
0.00
$ 31,790.50
-$
$
0.00
$
0.00
3,151.79
3,151.79
$
3,151.79
$
3,151.79
$ 3,151.79
$
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
3,151.79
$ 0.00
0.00
20,773.83
$ 0.00 $
0.00
21,098.00
$ 0.00
$ 27,460.58
$ 0.00 $
$ 0.00
-$ 15,198.00
$ 0.00
-$ 3,444.58
$ 0.00
-$ 12,116.00
22,832.00
$ 0.00
$
0.00
$ 0.00
$
0.00
$ 0.00
$
0.00
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
$ 0.00 $
$ 0.00
-$ 17,114.52
$ 0.00
$
0.00
3,151.79
$ 0.00
$
3,151.79
Other Income
17,546.00
17,633.00
$ 17,546.00
$ 17,633.00
Transfers In
Total Other Income
2,550.00
$
2,550.00
$
3,151.79
0.00
$
0.00
$
3,151.79
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
17,632.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
20,096.00
35,265.00
$
35,265.00
$
37,821.48
2,345.00
Other Expenses
3,151.79
Depreciation
3,151.79
3,151.79
$
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
3,151.79
15,758.95
37,821.48
Total Other Expenses
$
Net Income Before Depreciation
$ 26,636.83
$ 27,816.60
$ 29,044.36 $
28,830.13
-$ 14,665.34
-$ 15,428.93
$ 31,790.50
-$
7,144.59
$27,215.75
$ 24,201.98
$ 0.00
$ 15,888.93
$ 0.00
-$
9,572.19
$ 0.00
-$ 14,373.83
$ 0.00
-$ 15,198.00
$ 0.00
-$ 3,444.58
$ 0.00
-$ 12,116.00
$ 0.00
-$ 17,114.52
$ 100,022.10
$
Net Income After Depreciation
$ 23,485.04
$ 24,664.81
$ 25,892.57 $
25,678.34
-$ 17,817.13
-$ 18,580.72
$ 28,638.71
-$ 10,296.38
$24,063.96
$ 21,050.19
$ 0.00
$ 12,737.14
$ 0.00
-$ 12,723.98
$ 0.00
-$ 17,525.62
$ 0.00
-$ 18,349.79
$ 0.00
-$ 6,596.37
$ 0.00
-$ 15,267.79
$ 0.00
-$ 20,266.31
$
-$ 35,476.48
84,263.15
German Village Society
2015 GVS Operations Previous Month Comparison
January - Mau 2015
May 2015
Actual
Budget
Total
Budget
Budget
Actual
Budget
Budget
Budget
Income
Admission/Event Income
Advertising Income
Contributions
40,732.65
49,012.00
-8,279.35
83.11%
46,326.03
51,715.00
-5,388.97
89.58%
1,638.10
1,500.00
138.10
109.21%
46,943.09
30,669.00
16,274.09
153.06%
561.93
0.00
561.93
3,953.36
3,500.00
453.36
112.95%
0.00
0.00
254.50
254.50
0.00
100.00%
6.99
35.91
0.00
35.91
In-Kind Donations
6.99
Interest Income
5,770.00
7,000.00
-1,230.00
82.43%
61,025.00
59,295.00
1,730.00
102.92%
Membership Dues -GVBC
225.00
775.00
-550.00
29.03%
8,625.00
9,250.00
-625.00
93.24%
Merchandise Income
105.00
65.49
0.00
65.49
Membership Dues - GVS
105.00
0.08
0.00
0.08
Rental Income
1,749.00
310.00
1,439.00
0.00
564.19%
6,275.00
4,300.00
1,975.00
145.93%
Sponsorship
2,500.00
1,000.00
1,500.00
250.00%
50,250.00
35,750.00
14,500.00
140.56%
Tour Income
734.00
260.00
474.00
282.31%
7,234.00
6,000.00
1,234.00
120.57%
Miscellaneous Income
rounding on reoccuring payment
Total Income
$54,022.67 $
59,857.00 -$
5,834.33
90.25%
$ 230,987.46
$ 200,733.50 $ 30,253.96
115.07%
Gross Profit
$54,022.67 $
59,857.00 -$
5,834.33
90.25%
$ 230,987.46
$ 200,733.50 $ 30,253.96
115.07%
Expenses
Accounting Expense
Advertising
1,083.00
1,083.00
0.00
100.00%
5,415.00
5,415.00
0.00
45.00
4,000.00
-3,955.00
1.13%
130.00
4,075.00
-3,945.00
3.19%
0.00
0.00
5,225.00
5,225.00
0.00
100.00%
70.97%
Audit Fees
100.00%
300.42
1,400.00
-1,099.58
21.46%
1,704.81
2,402.31
-697.50
2,753.13
4,750.00
-1,996.87
57.96%
7,884.19
10,547.12
-2,662.93
74.75%
Consulting Fees
690.00
150.00
540.00
460.00%
11,727.50
11,150.00
577.50
105.18%
Dues & Memberships
250.00
0.00
250.00
1,775.00
1,485.00
290.00
119.53%
Equipment Rental
745.44
575.00
170.44
129.64%
3,722.20
3,785.49
-63.29
98.33%
Food/Beverages
100.00
41.00
59.00
243.90%
667.70
507.95
159.75
131.45%
Gifts & Awards
180.62
200.00
-19.38
90.31%
821.16
1,290.54
-469.38
0.00
0.00
254.50
254.50
0.00
100.00%
License/Fees/Permits
232.25
0.00
232.25
657.25
300.00
357.25
219.08%
Meeting Haus Cleaning
744.80
Bank/Credit Card Fees
Computer Related Costs
In-Kind Expense
Ordered Caretakers plaques early to
63.63% take advantage of 20% off offer.
750.00
-5.20
99.31%
3,018.80
3,029.20
-10.40
99.66%
Meeting Haus Groundskeeping
75.00
-75.00
0.00%
397.25
547.25
-150.00
72.59%
Miscellaneous Expense
83.00
-83.00
0.00%
98.00
264.00
-166.00
37.12%
95.20
82.00
13.20
116.10%
541.80
523.20
18.60
103.56%
99.50%
Payroll Processing
1,079.88
1,200.00
-120.12
89.99%
6,354.55
6,386.61
-32.06
Postage
402.50
2,382.00
-1,979.50
16.90%
887.60
2,664.00
-1,776.40
33.32%
Printing/Signage
982.75
816.00
166.75
120.44%
1,131.10
1,105.50
25.60
102.32%
100.00%
Payroll Taxes
0.00
0.00
10,390.75
10,390.75
0.00
336.00
-336.00
0.00%
3,457.42
3,939.42
-482.00
87.76%
15,915.88
200.29
101.26%
77,437.62
76,804.40
633.22
100.82%
Security
0.00
0.00
315.00
0.00
315.00
Storage
0.00
0.00
1,020.00
1,020.00
0.00
600.00
-512.58
593.70
1,076.07
-482.37
55.17%
0.00
0.00
5.00
3.00
2.00
166.67%
-471.54
92.01%
Property & D/O Insurance
Repairs & Maintenance
16,116.17
Salaries/Wages
87.42
Supplies
Transportation/Towing
918.34
14.57%
1,216.14
-297.80
75.51%
5,428.46
Total Expenses
$26,806.92
$ 35,655.02 -$
8,848.10
75.18%
$ 151,061.36
$ 160,091.31 -$
Net Operating Income
$27,215.75
$ 24,201.98 $
3,013.77
112.45%
$
$
$
$
Utilities
79,926.10
5,900.00
100.00%
9,029.95
94.36%
40,642.19 $ 39,283.91
196.66%
Other Income
0.00
Transfers In
Total Other Income
0.00
20,096.00
0.00
$
20,096.00
17,633.00
$
17,633.00
Other Expenses
Depreciation
3,151.79
3,151.79
0.00
100.00%
3,151.79 $
0.00
100.00%
$
$27,215.75
$ 24,201.98 $
3,013.77
$24,063.96
$ 21,050.19 $
3,013.77
114.32%
Total Other Expenses
$ 3,151.79
$
Net Income Before Depreciation
Net Income After Depreciation
15,758.95
15,758.95
0.00
100.00%
15,758.95
$
15,758.95 $
0.00
100.00%
$ 100,022.10
$
58,275.19 $ 41,746.91
$
$
42,516.24 $ 41,746.91
84,263.15
198.19%
German Village Society
Transaction Report
January - December 2015
Date
Transaction Type
Num
Name
Memo/Description
Account
Split
Amount
License/Fees/Permits
01/15/2015
Check
21303
City of Columbus, Dept of Public Safety
False Alarm
License/Fees/Permits
Bank Accounts - Operations:Operations Chase Checking - 6039
04/04/2015
Check
21379
City of Columbus, Dept of Public Safety
Street Closure Permit
License/Fees/Permits
Bank Accounts - Operations:Operations Chase Checking - 6039
-75.00
04/28/2015
Check
21397
City of Columbus Treasurer Office
Place of Assembly Permit
License/Fees/Permits
Bank Accounts - Operations:Operations Chase Checking - 6039
-250.00
05/14/2015
Check
21414
Ohio Department of Commerce of Liquor Control
Liquor Permit (H&G Pretour)
License/Fees/Permits
Bank Accounts - Operations:Operations Chase Checking - 6039
-100.00
-150.00
05/14/2015
Check
21413
Dan Pullen
3rd Street Lane Permit
License/Fees/Permits
Bank Accounts - Operations:Operations Chase Checking - 6039
-82.25
Total for License/Fees/Permits
$ -657.25
TOTAL
$ -657.25
Tuesday, Jun 02, 2015 09:21:35 PM PDT GMT-4 - Accrual Basis
Historic Preservation Committee
The HP committee discussed curbs and felt that granite is not appropriate due to its differences in
composition than sandstone. The people in attendance were interested in knowing how pre-cast fauxsandstone holds up during winter and believed that using that to do patchwork repairs would be
appropriate in the neighborhood. Pre-cast faux-sandstone would be the preferred alternative if
sandstone curbs are not a viable option.
No commissioners were in attendance, so Sarah Marsom provided my highlights from the evening –
Schmidt’s & the Brass Foundry on Thurman. The committee discussed possible alternative development
options for the Thurman property.
Committee members were asked to assist in finding grants that the Society can apply for to continue the
archive and digitization projects
Committee members were shown a map, which details current architectural classifications based on the
20+year old surveys and told how a new map will be created once the Re-survey is underway to show
improvements to data.
The committee members present seemed to have a consensus that they liked the data collected from
the survey. The primary suggestion was to consolidate the data to use less paper and once the data has
been collected to cross compare residential properties with the rental database collected from the
Franklin County Auditor, so that we can have specific approaches based on if the property is
commercial, rental, or single-family household. New survey format will be created ASAP and
distributed.
Civic Relations Nelson Genshaft, Chair
June 2015 Report
The Civic Relations Committee met on 5/26.15 to review and
finalize its recommendations to the Board on the Third St. Project and for GV
priorities for the use of UIRF funds.
1.
Third St.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
The committee will recommend the following:
Resurfacing of Third St, not brick surfacing due to
expense of brick and City’s unwillingness to provide
brick. The addition of bike lanes should have a traffic
calming effect;
Utility poles on two sides of the street, with no cross-over
wires, which will eliminate much of the clutter;
Pedestrian lighting, tabled for future study. We have
asked the City to let us know if OHM can devote some time
to review and let us know if there are options for lighting
other than the standard Schiller Park fixture;
Curb materials, tabled for future study. We have met with
a Deputy Director in Development with the City (Jennifer
Gallagher) and we are exploring other options, in particular,
faux concrete and sandstone;
Landscaping. We want mature trees, not the “bioswale”
that the City is using in some places downtown. The
bioswales we have seen on Rich and Town Streets are not
attractive;
Signage. We want updated signage and elimination of
sign clutter, but that is under further study;
Livingston Ave Gateway to GV will be designed by City
Development and we expect to have an opportunity to
comment;
We expect the total cost of the project to be about $8 million, and
funding will largely come from the City. The City will expect GV to
pay some portion of the total, and funds will come from a
combination of grants, donations, naming rights and other
fundraising. There is a committee in place that will look at ways to
fund the GV portion of the project.
2.
UIRF Funds. The committee will recommend that GVS make
repair of brick streets and curbs its priority for the use of UIRF
funds, and to focus on the worst brick streets that get the most
public use. We are developing an updated list of those streets we
want to prioritize for repair with UIRF funds.
To: Members, Parks, Public Spaces & Community Events Committee
From: Katharine Moore, Friends of Schiller Park
Date: 1 April 2015
The Blooming Fund mailing was posted last week…fingers crossed for a terrific response. I received one
confirmation of an on-line contribution, but nothing more. I know that other online transactions have
taken place, so will ask GVS for help to sort that out.
City Council Woman Jaiza Page, the chair of the Recreation and Parks Committee, will recognize Lindy
Michael for her extraordinary commitment to the trees of Schiller Park in celebration of National Arbor
Day. The presentation will be made on Monday, April 27. I will confirm the timing ASAP with hopes that
as many of you as possible can join in the salute.
Our burl bowl project is well underway! Mike Trucco, the bowl turner, cut the burl away from the tree
log and transported both the burl and some left over wood from the historic chinkapin to his workshop.
He anticipates being able to make 22 burl bowls and some number (TBD) of plain wood bowls with Haus
und Garten weekend as the anticipated timing for the unveiling. The bowls will be offered to Friends of
Schiller Park first, in anticipation of a greater demand than inventory situation. Our goal is to raise
$5,000 and LOTS of awareness for the Friends of Schiller Park’s arboretum efforts.
The Schiller Park bridge will be stained in the next few weeks.
And just when you thought we’d made the whole thing up…the new signs for the Schiller Monument are
being shipped this week! We have a local fabricator who will make the wrought iron fasteners that will
allow the signs to be mounted to the fence.
April 29, 2015 is the 148th anniversary of the City’s purchase of what was initially called City Park. We
are exploring a collaboration with Stewart Elementary’ s 3rd grade students to celebrate the “birthday”
and to thank those who supported the restoration of the Schiller monument, the fabrication of new
signs, and the bridge project.
The annual “Dig In” effort to plant the Welcome Gardens and to tidy up the Schiller Circle garden and
the Caretaker’s Cottage will take place on Sunday, May 17. The timing is tied to the anticipated
contribution of flowers by Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
We have finally gotten the quotes for both materials and labor for the Umbrella Girl stone replacement
project, and with this data we can now seek funding to replace the 24 pieces surrounding the fountain
and to utilize some of the pieces that haven’t failed to go in place of the broken pieces in the walkway.
The Friends of Schiller will partner again with the German Village Garten Club on Marketplatz at Haus
und Garten Tour.
It is time to get serious about our October fundraisers…the men and women’s steering committees will
schedule a date and location for each of the parties ASAP.
The Friends of Schiller Park have developed a three year time-line as requested by the German Village
Society and I have participated in the meetings held to guide the implementation of the group’s
strategic plan.
Parks, Public Spaces and Community Events
Minutes of the April 2, 2015 meeting
Members in attendance: Carol Mullinax, Craig Seeds, Lindy Michael, Wayne Owens,
Frank Wickham, Linda Friedman, Mark Weiss, Jeanne Likens, Ann Lilly, Jerry Glick,
and Sara McNealey.
Committee Chair Sara McNealey called the meeting to order at 9:00am.
Linda Friedman made a motion that the minutes of the March meeting be approved and
Mark Weiss seconded it. The minutes were approved.
Actors’ Theatre of Columbus
Carol Mullinax updated the committee on Actors’ Theatre’s ongoing activities, including
a Mulch Sale, a Beers and Buccaneers Fundraiser, and the upcoming Annual Tent
Dinner.
German Village Garten Club/Friends of Frank Fetch Park
Jerry Glick reported that the Garten Club is talking to the city about the process for
replacing the picnic benches in Frank Fetch Park. The current benches are not in good
shape. The water spigots in the back of the park are hard to access and Jerry asked
Craig Seeds if it would be possible for the city to address that problem. The electricity
also needs to be checked out. Clean up for FF is scheduled for May 18 and planting day
is May 23. This year, in an effort to save Monarch butterflies, the club is creating a
Monarch Butterfly way station. Katharine Moore asked about having a station on
Schiller Park.
Linda Friedman updated the group on the plans being made for Jazz and Juleps/Garten
Markt. Vendors and sponsors are still being sought. Next month’s topic for the Garten
Club meeting is succulents.
St. Mary Church & School.
Frank Wickham reported that the church’s Sesquicentennial Jubilee Concert is planned
for April 12 at 2 pm with many other celebratory events planned throughout the summer
and fall.
Including the St. Mary’s homecoming, which will be held on August 14 and 15. The
original parade was held in 1865. The parade will honor the founding members of the
parish, whose relatives have been asked to participate in this parade. Plus, an ancestor
of the original parade marshal will serve as marshal for this parade.
Village Singers
Wayne Owens reported that, thanks to the overwhelming success of its scholarship
fundraising program, Village Singers would be awarding scholarships in theatre,
singing, dancing, and art.
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Other upcoming events are a Wine Tasting at the Hey Hey Bar and Grill and a golf
outing. Village Singers recently donated 24 chairs for Fest Hall seating, much to the
appreciation of the German Village Society and other groups that meet there.
Fun Committee
Mike Cornelis was unable to attend the meeting but reported by email that the next big
event will be The Meat Ball at the Meeting Haus starting at 6:30 on Saturday April 25.
He encouraged all committee members to attend.
German Village Society Report
Shiloh Todorov reported that she was able to secure an alternate space for people who
wish to take part in the Village Valuables sale but who are now prohibited from setting
up stands in Schiller Park. It is located at Fourth Street and Thurman.
The new, brighter German Village Map has been printed, plus the mobile app has been
beefed up, all part of the effort to draw more people to the village and making sites
easier to find.
Friends of Schiller Park
Katharine Moore submitted the attached written report. The big news is that the new
signs for the Schiller Monument are being shipped this week and should be installed
shortly thereafter. Plus, progress is being made to convert the Chinquapin burl into
decorative bowls. The artist has reported that the burl is in good shape and anticipates
being able to make 22 bowls, plus a number of plain wood bowls that will be unveiled
Haus und Garten Weekend. Lindy Michael will be recognized by City Council for her
commitment to the trees in Schiller Park as head of the Arboretum Fund.
Arboretum Fund
Lindy Michael said she needs to review pending projects with the City and with
Davey Tree in order to make decisions on cost versus priority. She asked Craig
Seeds for help from the city for signs to protect the Schiller Pond ducks.
Highfield Gardens
Ann Lilly reported that the Grace Highfield Garden is scheduled to be cleaned.
German Village Farm
Connie Swain reported that the lettuce has been planted in the community garden.
Huntington Garden
Linda Friedman reported that at this point, the Deadheaders are waiting for the garden
to dry out before planting can start.
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Recreation and Parks Department
Following up on the weather comment, Craig Seeds reported that, with the advent of
warm weather, the department is receiving numerous requests for water turn-ons in
public parks. Interviews are continuing to find a new forester for the parks.
Old Business
None.
New Business
None.
There being no further business, Sara adjourned the meeting at 10:05 am. The next
meeting will be held on May 7, 2015.
Attached:
Friends of Schiller Park Report by Katharine Moore
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Parks, Public Spaces and Community Events
Minutes of the May 7, 2015 meeting
Members in attendance: Craig Seeds, Lindy Michael, Wayne Owens, Frank Wickham,
Linda Friedman, Jerry Glick, Connie Swain, Ann Lily, Mark Weiss, and Sara McNealey.
Committee Chair Sara McNealey called the meeting to order at 9:00am. Reading and
approval of the April minutes was delayed until the June meeting.
Actors’ Theatre
Carol Mullinax was unable to attend and had asked Mark Weiss to let the committee
know that Tent Dinner is May 22 at 6 p.m. at the Schiller Amphitheatre and it’s still not
too late to get tickets. Mark also volunteered to act as Secretary to the Committee in
Carol’s absence.
German Village Garten Club/Friends of Frank Fetch
Jerry Glick reported that over 35 bags of yard waste were hauled away from April’s
cleaning of Frank Fetch Park. The soil was repaired with enhancement and the planting
is set for May 23. Craig Seeds and his crew are working to bring the fountain in FF up to
code as it was discovered the motor was running and the water level was down below a
couple inches. A butterfly way station is in place and some pretty chill bees have been
imported from California, including the queen; it’s rather far out. Rack cards have been
printed to promote FF 3rd Sunday concert series.
Linda Friedman reported that Jazz & Juleps was pretty much sold out as of May 7 and
the only way to get tickets would be to call Sara or be a lucky walk-up. Will Eylar inkinded $2400 worth of catering, there will be a Coney station, Jim Beam juleps and a
special raffle, for ticket holders only, for a $50 gift certificate to Lindey’s or $50 to Salon
Lofts. GartenMarkt runs from 8 am to 3 pm on May 9. Sponsor-raised funds exceeded
$4K in cash this year between J&J and GM. Sponsors were a huge part of this year’s
success as GVGC’s typical costs range $4-5K.
Village Singers
Wayne Owens reported that both May 2-3 performances of “A Salute to the USO” were
sold out. He offered a big thanks to Greg Gamier and Jeff Lowe who handled ticket
control throughout the weekend. Thirty-one veterans were part of the program and
veteran Bob Wexner was honored. Pepsi donated 500 products and what was left from
the weekend was donated to the GVS. Three students from Columbus Kinderchor were
awarded scholarships to the McConnell Arts Center. The money for the scholarships
were from the group’s endowment fund, which no has more than $6,000. Next year’s
performance will be “A Salute to the Grammy’s.”
German Village Society
Mark Weiss reported that Village Valuables is all set. The police will be enforcing a novendor policy around Schiller Park and all attendees are encouraged to visit/setup at 4th
and Thurman at the Big Red Rooster parking lot. A Columbus travel blogger (Breakfast
With Nick) is visiting the Village on May 9 to write a two-part post that features Frank
Fetch Park, GartenMarkt, Meeting Haus, Golden Hobby, Harvest Pizzeria, The
Sycamore and more. PreTour sales continue as many dinners have already sold out.
Tickets are online, but can be purchased out of the Visitor Center. GVS is participating
in the Big Give this year, but the brakes are being pumped to a degree to battle donor
fatigue. A photo shoot of the Schiller statue will be incorporated into any messaging
leading up to the May 12, 24-hour giving window whereby The Columbus Foundation
will amplify the overall funds raised through the Big Give.
Friends of Schiller Park
Katharine Moore was unable to attend but, as usual, had a report ready, which is
attached. The committee all agreed Katharine did a fantastic job of presenting. It was
noted that Katharine is sometimes so busy thanking other people that she sometimes
doesn’t get the credit she deserves for everything she continues to do for the
community and her leadership has been outstanding, something we are all very thankful
for!
Arboretum Fund
Following her honor from City Council for taking tree-hugging to a whole new
level, Lindy Michael was very grateful to all who showed and especially Bill Curlis
for throwing the after party back at his residence. It was noted that instead of
‘thank you’, in a way that only Lindy could, she said at the ceremony, “we need
more money for ashtrays.” Laughs were had. Chad Hoft is pruning on May 8.
There had been some lawn mower damage to a few trees, but Craig assured us
that his crew would be more careful in the future. Mulching some new trees very
soon!
Highfield Garden
Ann Lilly shared that many of the 3rd graders made their way over to the
Umbrella Girl during the Schiller dedication thanks to Craig Seeds for making the
statue presentable and accommodating to the crowds. Additionally, the Grace
Highfield Garden Fund has now reached $116,496.62 – a testament to hard work
of Ann herself, along with the Columbus Foundation.
The Farm
“The Farm is good.” – Connie Swain
Huntington Gardens
Linda Friedman reported Bert Stevens is being honored at Caretakers of a Legacy on
May 13. A few hours after the Schiller dedication the gardens were looking much
better. Weather had been very uncooperative leading up to Monday’s festivities, as
debris had been blown into the beds. It’s a large task w/ lots of people needed to pitch
in, but the beds are expected to be ready by June 1, “at the whim of the weather gods.”
FUN Committee
Mike Cornelis was absent but sent a written report.
Name – Wayne Owens tried to convince me to change the name of the Fun Committee
to the Fun Bunch. He seems to think that it used to be called this or something. And
after just enough wine on a Friday at Hausfrau…he seemed to start making sense. So,
we have started to use the Fun Bunch name in some of our announcements and
promotions. We’ll see.
Meatball Fun! – Our April 25 event was a huge hit. We had an 8 person committee who
each brought 3 friends, wine or beer, and a tray of 24 meatballs. And a few of us
brought a side dish for 20. We also coordinated on who was bringing chicken, meat, or
veggie balls in order to accommodate any dietary restrictions. Thankfully the weather
was crappy so it seemed like folks wanted to be inside in the fest hall. (the previous
Saturday had awesome weather…so I was concerned that everyone would be ginned
up & on some patio somewhere.) We ended up with around 50 people for dinner and 16
entries into the meatball contest. Winners were posted on Facebook and N4N. Then
around 36 or so stayed on for a Grease movie (the show tunes only) sing-a-long….and
then more singing along to Norm’s IPod disco mix…seriously. 
The FUN committee also thanked the GVS for the crazy good new audio / video system
in the fest hall. Spectacular! And thanked John Clark for running the A/V system for us.
May 20 – We are planning to help the friends of Schiller with Mulching & porch party
after
June 13 – Summerfest party at Germania
July 12 – Cupcakes Vs. Muffins in Schiller – party after
August – Clippers game?
September 25 – Oktoberfest Keg Tapping party
Columbus Recreation and Parks
Craig Seeds reported that a new position had been created (Irrigation Specialist). Nate
Weaver has a major in Plant Pathology and has been brought on for Phase 2 of the
Scioto Mile project. Eventually, they’re working on a computerized solution to automatic
irrigation. A recent canopy assessment concluded 22% coverage in Columbus. If
everyone within the Columbus city limits went out and planted a tree in their backyard,
goal would be hit overnight. By comparison, Pittsburgh has 40% canopy coverage. It’s
a monetary issue, but ultimately a higher canopy percentage improves air quality, water,
etc., for the city. 130,000 more trees are needed, and there’s a link online for public
viewing of the study. Mickie Hamilton is currently educating community volunteers on
how to maintain park gardens. It’s pretty basic stuff for now, but even learning “what’s a
flower and what isn’t” is a start.
There being no old business or new business, the meeting was adjourned. The next
meeting is on June 4, 2015.
Attached:
Friends of Schiller Park Report
Amended June 4, 2015
To:
Members, Parks, Public Spaces and Community Events Committee
From: Katharine Moore, Friends of Schiller Park
Date: Cinco de Maya 2015
When Ann Lilly, Connie Swain and I called on City Councilman Zach Klein to appeal for
funds that we could NOT squeeze from any other source for the Schiller statue repair
and waxing, Connie got carried away and promised a ribbon cutting when the project
was complete…so on May 4 we delivered. Nice turn out, GREAT fun with the first and
third graders from Stewart School, lots of German Village-style pitching in: John Clark
brought a sound system and played Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Connie Swain
contributed cookies…in the shape of Billy Goat Gruff and the laurel wreath in Schiller’s
hand (they cost almost as much as the waxing!), Elspeth Willoughby, and Janet Druen
helped move the students around (we had two activity stations…the Umbrella Girl
where wishes were made, and the newly restored and stained bridge where Actors’
Theatre performed Billy Goat Gruff…complete with a Troll!). Connie, Janet and Elspeth
formed Friends of Schiller Park 34 years ago AND THEY ARE STILL SHOWING UP TO
HELP. Amazing, amazing women. P. Susan Sharrock and Lindy Michael were super
helpful too. The Schiller Monument project included:
Repaired and restored monument
Landscaped garden
Lighting (it really does look beautiful at night)
Painted wrought iron fence
Elegant sign solution that allowed us to tell a BIG story without ruining the historic
site
The bridge across the Schiller pond was repaired last fall with Friends of Schiller Funds,
and was stained just this week. Many thanks to Bill Hugus for selecting the color and to
the Commission for approving it.
Our group celebrated Arbor Day with a City Council Resolution recognizing Lindy
Michael for her volunteer efforts in Schiller Park. We have indications that the City is
unlikely to fund the next 2 rounds of Ash Borer treatment (2017, 2019) so it was timely
to give Lindy a pat on the back, as she will have her work cut out to raise the $10,000+
needed to complete the ten-year treatment plan to save our 25 trees. I worry about
what that means for trees in other parts of Columbus. Bill Curlis generously hosted our
merry group after the City Council meeting for a champagne toast to Lindy. It was also
a nice surprise to be on hand to see German Village Commissioner Charissa Wang
Durst recognized on her firm’s 25th anniversary. Hardlines Design Company was the
architectural group that designed the Stewart School expansion. We all owe Charissa a
salute!
We applied for and will receive 30 flats of flowers and 40 bags of mulch from Nationwide
Children’s Hospital. The Schiller Welcome Gardens will look beautiful once again,
thanks to their generosity and Paul Soehnlen’s design touch.
I am very pleased to report that The Friends of Schiller Park secured funding for the
replacement of the stone around the Umbrella Girl fountain! $8,000 from the Wobst
Family Foundation and $2,000 from the Little Garden Club of Columbus. The stone has
been ordered and the project should be completed by the end of July.
Response to the Blooming Fund solicitation has been terrific…it is a happy problem to
have so many thank you notes to write (and orders for elf magic to fulfill)!
Our burl bowl project has craftsman Mike Trucco in his workshop every day, working
towards our goal of unveiling the collection on Haus und Garten Tour Sunday in the
Park.
The Friends of Schiller Park fall fundraisers are scheduled for Friday, October 30 and
the steering committees are developing plans for both the men and the women’s
events. Can’t give away the details…but let’s just say it is fitting that I am writing this
report on Cinco de Maya.
Third GREATERS at Schiller Pond with Billy Goat Gruff
GVBC
Village Valuables proved to be a good day for our businesses. Many experienced higher volume, and
had lines early in the day.
The marketing committee has made arrangements to have bloggers feature GV in a grass roots
approach to bring attention to GV. They are built as “A Day in German Village.” Breakfast With Nick was
the first one to be published through social media.
At our last general meeting, Colleen Boyle, supervisor of the new Columbus Gifted Academy, spoke to us
about the plans for the new program in the Beck School building. They are very excited about the
potential for the program. As they are starting from scratch, they welcome donations, particularly to
build a library for 3rd – 8th graders. They can also use some help in August sprucing up the outdoors and
unpacking for the indoors.
Our Pin Back Give Back Program has officially launched. Guests at the visitor’s center will be given a
souvenir 1” pin back button to wear, and a bookmark that will contain deals from various businesses. It
will give businesses a way to measure who’s coming from the visitor center. After a trial run through the
end of this calendar year we’ll decide what direction to take project. 23 businesses are listed on the
bookmark who have agreed to offer something special to the visitors that stop in with the pin and
bookmark.
Details of the Art Crawl are falling into place. The festivities will be on Saturday, 7/18, rain, shine or
unbearable heat. We can still use volunteers. If interested, please contact
Mark. [email protected]
The membership committee is working on ways to attract new members and serve our current
members. Plans are being formed for a representative from the Huntington Bank to hold a Small
Business Seminar for our members.
We’re still distributing maps. Please help yourself.
Our next general meeting will be on July 15, 9:00 am at the meeting haus.
Long Range Planning Committee
May 2015 Report
YP Outreach/Monster Bash Kickoff - Social kickoff event July 9th at El Arepazo on High St. in
the Brewery District. Goal is to secure at least 5 volunteers for Monster Bash as well as general
volunteer outreach for residents who may otherwise not be familiar with GVS, LRPC, MB, etc.
Now that venue has been selected the invites will be distributed through social media.
OSU vs Indiana Football Party – Saturday October 3rd party in the Meeting Haus & Platz. Room for 3
food trucks, invites to those particular vendors will be going out in June. Volunteers will be needed for
cleanup. This will be a free in response to survey results which called out high expense as a negative
aspect of the neighborhood events. Green light given for a “bring your own refreshments” scenario.
Once the network is announced the committee will be tackling the technical aspect of broadcasting it.
Success Metrics:
• Provide outreach to the neighborhood
• Make the Meeting Haus more inviting
• Bring all neighborhood demographics together/ice breaker
• Ability for attendees to sign up for involvement in future events
Bricklaying Workshop/Activity – 1st weekend of June on Mohawk, learning while doing and planting
seed for future brick initiatives. 10-15 people per day – T-shirt included with “Let Them Eat Bricks”.
Registration link included in latest N4N. A second workshop this fall is possible if June session is
successful.
Southside STAY
Stewart/Southside Stay seeking volunteer tour guides for Haus und Garten weekend. Via Facebook:
“Join our team for one of the three 2-hour shifts. Includes Donato’s-sponsored training meal and
Katzinger's-sponsored thank-you party! Sign-Up Here: http://eepurl.com/bpl9PP”
Family Fun Night @ Stewart was held May 22nd.
Pre-K program begins next year. Southside Stay has the ability to tie in and bridge YP gap/initiative.
Outside our Borders
Local Cantina bar opening in old Einstein Bros Bagels location at 743 S. High St., timeline TBD
however seems to be moving fast, May agenda from Brewery District Commission includes application
for exterior changes.
Huntington National Bank submitted an application to build a new suburban style branch on SE corner
of Willow & High, would require the demolition of the 2-story office building built in 1975 currently on the
site.
A new CoGo station in the neighborhood, likely by Giant Eagle – Exact location still TBD
Yellow brick building at SE corner of Blenkner & High undergoing extensive rehab. Lower level will
contain new Jazz club “Notes”, a new farm-to-table restaurant “Copious” on ground floor, and 7,000 sqft
of private event space on second floor. August timeframe for opening is rumored.
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Open Discussion & New Ideas
There is a renewed interest in highlighting differentiation and roles of GVC and GVS after a couple new
examples of residents bypassing GVC process altogether. Besides Realtors, neighbors, GVS making
the new residents/buyers aware we discussed possibility of posting a few informational flyers around
the village, e.g. bulletin boards in the coffee shops, something non-confrontational but still likely to be
seen, goal would be for an easy win by using existing collateral.
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GVS Board Report
Please email to
<[email protected]
Committee: Development
Board Chair/Rep:
Brandon
Number of Attendees:
There are no regularly
scheduled meeting.
Due One week Prior to
Board Meeting
Meeting Date: NA
New Members: 0
Executive Summary:
1. Dennis corresponded with Jay Smith, Joe Kurzer and Jim Nichols regarding
coordination of development activity.
2. Dennis and Shiloh approached Byers Auto through Louis Smith re sponsoring
HUGT. He has reported back that the owner have declined to participate.
3. Dennis and Jay are developing more details on the proposed 1960 Club of
sustaining givers.
Meeting Objectives/Highlights

Next Steps: Refine draft, circulate for consideration.
There will be a meeting on Thursday June 11 of the development pillar leadership
to discuss coordination of efforts.
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Haus Und Garten Tour
planning committee report
June 2015
We're 20 days from the start of tour weekend and $48,500 shy of budget.
We’ve made great progress, but now it’s June – which means it’s on.
And although Thursday's Fred and Howard Award breakfast (congratulations, again, to
Madeline Hicks) was the official kickoff to HGT -- as everyone knows, planning has been
underway for months and months.
That means this month is the icing on the cake! And what a beautiful cake it will be when we hit
our budget—and especially if we exceed it! We're still looking to sell 90 PreTour tickets and
would love to engage with to new sponsors and advertisers (the program goes to the printer on
June 15).
Plus, of course, we’re crossing our fingers and toes for great weather, since we know how that
affects weekend-of-Tour ticket sales.
We ARE in need of about 40 additional volunteers to welcome visitors to homes on PreTour
night (Saturday) and golf-cart drivers, water-sellers and others on Tour day (Sunday). Can you
volunteer, or know someone who can? Sign up here:
http://www.germanvillagetour.com/volunteer. And thank you!
Thanks to our amazing planning team, volunteers, dinner hosts, tour-home owners and artists
are all set up and ready to go! We celebrated our amazing PreTour dinner hosts on Wednesday
night at Square One Salon downtown (thanks for a great time, Square One!) and will do the
same with our Haus Und Garten owners next weekend, thanks to the hospitality of Bryan and
Sarah Martin.
Tour-day tickets are available online now for $20 at GermanVillageTour.com and are on sale at
Giant Eagle locations across Columbus for $18. A seriously big thanks to Phyllis Driscoll, Sue
Riley, Heidi Drake, Lindsey Combs, Sarah Marsom and Shiloh Todorov, who divided up and
distributed tickets to all 22 Giant Eagles.
Haus Und Garten Tour is, as always, the last weekend of June – this year, June 27-28, 2015.
Brittany Gibson
HGT board liaison and program editor
TEA 43206
The event is scheduled for August 22, 2015 at 4pm, rain or shine. The garden party event will feature
food, drinks, music, a live auction, a wine raffle, and a best hat contest.
Ticket prices will remain the same as last year, $75 in advance, or $100 at the gate. Sponsorship
packages for individuals or businesses are available at $250, $500, and $750. Tickets with each package,
respectively, are 2, 4, and 6. Sponsors will receive recognition on the GVS website, all promotional
materials, event signage and in the event program. The larger packages come with reserved seating at
the event. Custom sponsorship packages are available as well.
New this year: concierge service for an additional $25/ticket. Patrons will be assigned someone to refill
their beverages and food, and to check on their silent auction bids. This option will allow more time to
simply enjoy the party!
Cash sponsorship committed to date is $2,000, and there are more than a dozen great silent auction
items already on the list. The silent auction is expected to yield $12,000 or more. Budgeted net
proceeds from the event are $25,000.
SIGNAGE PROJECT STATUS
The research and discovery phase of the comprehensive signage project is wrapping up. BHDP will
present the final deliverables to the GVS staff in early July, after which the information will be shared
with the GVS Historic Preservation Committee and the Board.
The Fund for HP contributed $2,500 toward the Friends of Schiller statue sign project, which is now
complete. BHDP led the design work on this project as well.
Organizational Development Committee
Board Report
June 2015
Submitted by: David Wible
1. The Call for Election of Trustees announcement as called for in our Bylaws was made late May
in N4N.
2. Following the Board meeting we will be making the announcement for petitioning of members
for the slate.
3. We had identified a potential candidate for the slate that would bring legal expertise to the
Board. Unfortunately, that candidate dropped our. We are currently attempting to identify a new
candidate with legal expertise for this year’s slate.
4. Susan Sutherland has joined the ODC as our third Board member on the committee as called for
in the Bylaws.
The first event of our six-event, staff-involved season got under way May 16 with Village Valuables.
Depending on who you talk to, it was the biggest and the smallest they’ve ever seen. So…
We netted $3,800 on income that included 26 private-home sales listings, 29 vendors in the lot loaned
graciously to us by Big Red Rooster, two cash-sponsor booths, and 15 advertisers who mostly bought
their position in this printed piece by way of our bundled ads. On the expense side, we had to pay $630
for two bike police officers to patrol Schiller Park from 5 a.m.-noon to keep vendors out of the park –
that was at the request of Rec & Parks. Our other expenses were some signage to help people find the
new vendor area at 4th and Thurman, and our cost to print 25,000 copies of the event listing and
distribute it through 12 neighborhood editions of This Week News. I want to thank GVS member Rita
Wolfe for helping us save $1,200 this year on printing that piece compared to last year. It helped offset
our police cost.
All of this said, and as we brainstormed during the strategic planning retreats, this is an event that needs
review for our continued effort. Russ will correct my history here, but I believe Fred & Howard started
the event SIMPLY by setting a date for garage sales that did NOT correspond with Haus und Garten Tour.
From there, the Society didn’t manage much about it.
I’ll submit for your consideration that the toll it takes on staff to do signage, round up advertisers,
manage vendors and listings, and then be on site during the day – just 6 weeks before Tour – is not well
balanced by $3,800 in income. In order to allow the event to go back to organic, we would need to: 1)
revise the bundled ads to reflect a change in printing/distributing the event info; 2) work with Rec &
Parks about keeping folks out of Schiller; 3) reset neighbor expectations about the Society’s managerial
role beyond setting the date.
Brittany’s report will update H&G activity. Nelson’s report will update Third Street and UIRF. Those are
the two projects eating up virtually all of time this month, but I won’t double-up on their details.
It was so great to celebrate my friend Madeline Hicks with the Fred & Howard honor. She rolls up her
sleeves constantly for us.
June 8, 2015
Monthly Report to the German Village Society Board of Trustees
Submitted by: Russ Arledge, Curator of Archives / Facilities
►The new art exhibition “Outside and Inside – Images” by Brooke & Eric Albrecht had a
good run and was very well received. The exhibit just closed June 7th 2015.
►The Police Luncheon was held on May 28th. They had a really good turnout of residents
and the program presented by the Police was full of useful information as always. The
Police Luncheons will be sponsored for the next two years by German Village Insurance.
The lunch this month was provided by Gresso”s..
►I was out of the office for two-plus weeks during the month of May, so not much else to
report. Of course I made my yearly pilgrimage to Green Lawn Cemetery on Memorial Day to
visit the gravesite of Eddie Rickenbacker and his family. Eddie’s parents lived on Pearl, just
north of Sycamore when he was born in 1890.
It’s been a busy month… all for now.
1
Explore sidewalk strategy- Registration for the June 6, Brick Sidewalk Workshop has been positive. The
event reached capacity for registration. Due to the enthusiasm for sidewalk restoration and hands-on
education, I intend to coordinate another workshop for Fall 2015. Feedback from the initial brick
sidewalk workshop will affect planning of the second workshop to ensure it is as educational and
informative as possible. One of the unique aspects of the workshop is Jeff Stahler created a unique “Let
Them Eat Bricks” cartoon design exclusive for workshop participants. These shirts are a recreation of
the 1980s shirts created by Fred & Howard. The event will be taught by Bello Giardino and lunch will be
provided by Pizza Rustica. I believe this workshop will be a positive step towards making preservation a
neighborhood activity and learning experience.
COA coaching- With the warm weather there has been a significant uptick in people seeking assistance
in understanding the neighborhood design guidelines, the application process, and overall
understanding of preservation. Neighbors4Neighbors articles seem to be educating people who are
already engaged and introducing me to people new to the neighborhood.
Real estate brochure- The real estate has been edited by real estate brochures and the design has been
finalized to be sent to the printer. Once brochures have been printed, we will then actively engage
realtors to utilize the brochures as part of their neighborhood marketing and open-houses in the
neighborhood.
Education- Tours are being scheduled for the remainder of 2015 and I am beginning to schedule tours
for 2016. This year we added three new tour options. Adults can have fun now with their own
scavenger hunt, which tells the stories of nude sunbathers and prohibition in addition to the important
historic themes of preservation and the German immigrant/discrimination experience; if the group is in
a hurry and doesn’t have an hour for a tour they can sign up for a 30-minute experience where they get
to watch our video and have a Q&A session to learn additional information while sitting down in
Scheurer or Fest; our final newest tour offering is our Gay Pioneers of German Village. While we are still
trying to figure out ways to market the Gay Pioneers tour (after another successful group of travel
writers went on it last month), our two other new offerings are proving to be very successful with
groups.
UIRF/Infrastructure- Following Civic Relations Committee discussions, additional brick streets are being
surveyed by OSU graduate intern Effy Yin as part of a conditions assessment to prioritize addition road
repairs.
Grants – The German Village Society is waiting to hear results from grants. Grants include the Columbus
Foundation, Ohio Humanities, and the Columbus Volunteer Challenge.
Communications Task Force Proposal – May 22, 2015
A) Identifying the Problem
Neighbors who have lived in the Village forever still have a hard time knowing where to find information
on everything from tickets to events to how to volunteer to the difference between the Society and the
Commission. We know this for two reasons: It came up time and time again in the strategic plan survey;
our task force is made up of people from across the spectrum – all of whom are pretty plugged in to GVS
– and they don’t know where to find things. This task force set out to discover a solution to bridge this
gap in communication with our neighbors, but have found that our communication platforms in general
are not optimized to meet the end-user’s (be that neighbors or visitors) demands.
The task force focused ONLY on neighbors’ needs, NOT on the needs of visitors or tourists.
Heather Whaling – President, Geben Communications
Joshua Miller – Project Manager, SkillSoft Corp.
Brittany Gibson – Marketing Copywriter, Victoria Secret
Jeanne Tranter – President, Tranter Communications
Sarah Irvin Clark – President, Irvin Public Relations
Megumi Robinson – Associate Director PR, Experience Columbus
Mark Weiss – Digital Coordinator for Business Development, German Village Society
The goals of our task force were comprehensive. We assessed our current websites, social media,
newsletter and mobile platforms with an eye to the future and how we think our neighbors would like
to be reached with our messaging. We surveyed neighbors, studied Google analytics and brought
communication professionals to the table to evaluate solutions as to what can be done in the short-term
and what we need to think about in the long-term.
Over three months of research, feedback and discussion the task force has identified the following areas
where improvement is needed:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Navigation through germanvillage.com
Mobile optimization for device and browser
Consolidation of GVBC platforms (gvbusinesscommunity.com and Facebook page) under same
site
Redesign of Neighbors4Neighbors e-newsletter
Addition of a mailed newsletter
Social media connectivity
B) Research and Feedback
A sample size of 76 neighbors polled ranked 1-5 their preferred method of receiving information from
the German Village Society as the following: (1 being the most preferred)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Neighbors4Neighbors
Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Germanvillage.com
Mobile device or text message (not currently used, but there’s a desire)
Gvbusinesscommunity.com
68 % actually ranked N4N number 1, and while almost 43% ranked the website number 2, social media
had a better balance of a 1- 2- or 3- ranking.
While it was no surprise that ‘What’s happening in German Village’ and neighborhood events and tickets
were the most sought after types of information, neighbors seem to care about neighborhood history,
preservation education and volunteering equally. Open-ended responses revealed a deeper
dissatisfaction with our messaging. 51 responses were generated that included comments on how
“busy” our site looked, how N4N was too long and information couldn’t be disseminated quick enough.
A need for “clearer navigation” in addition to terms like “mobile-friendly” and “user-friendly emerged as
themes in a negative light. Some even went as far to say social media was the only way they get
German Village news.
A Google Analytics snapshot reveals where our end-users originate. If a quarter of our followers start on
a tablet or mobile device and they get error messages as has been reported over the past few months,
then we need to act as quick as possible to make sure we are optimized for all devices. Our current
solution is to have our technical team insert plug-ins on the back end, but this is a temporary fix and
patchwork at best.
Another interesting analytic is illustrated below. While we know what our neighbors are saying, those
who visit our site are actually new users almost 75% of the time. If our neighbors are struggling to
navigate our site, one can infer that we’re not making the best impression on new users to the site.
Taking that a step further, we’re not doing the best we can to educate outsiders of our mission as
Caretakers of a Legacy.
Especially, if a potential guest to our neighborhood can’t find the information they’re looking for with 3
clicks and 2 minutes
C) Proposal
The task at hand is going to take resources, both financial and staff. There are short term and long term
actions that need to be taken before we decide to apply any budget. The task force would like to
propose a two-phase approach over the next 6 months.
Phase I: Short Term
Social media improvements need to go through A/B testing- creating two separate groups of
information (posts, mentions) that track exposure over an extended period of time to discover optimal
engagement. Volunteers’, interns’ and some staff time will need to be dedicated to experimenting with
our current social platforms to discover a structured approach that can be copied by anyone in the
future as to how we release messaging through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some of this is
already underway through free scheduling services that help organize a content calendar. And this is
something new volunteers and summer interns will be helping with.
Neighbors4Neighbors needs a redesign. Content needs to be shorter, image-driven and in theory this
could cut back on staff time dedicated to creating the letter itself, currently 4-5 hours a week. We
propose new templates be tested among focus groups. There are many templates within our current
provider (Constant Contact) from which we can choose to meet the needs of our constituents. Another
provider, Mail Chimp, has been brought up in discussion as an improvement over Constant Contact with
which we have had issues in the past.
Consolidation: We recommend merging the GVBC site under the GVS site, as well as eliminating the
Facebook page of the GVBC. From a social media perspective, the same exact content is being posted
on both the GVBC and GVS sites. Growth is extremely limited and staff resources should be dedicated to
where messaging can be maximized, where we have the biggest following.
Facebook boosting is the only short term recommendation that would require funds, but has been a
universal must among the task force. It’s our second most popular platform in terms of messaging and
it’s very inexpensive. Boosting allows us to determine a budget (typically $5-$30) for a single post that
maximizes its reach as we can target the audience by zip code, interests, etc. Boosting is only to be
applied to messaging surrounding tickets/fund raisers, posts that can most immediately affect our
bottom line.
Phase II: Long-Term
Real assessment, by professionals in web design and navigation, who know how a site is supposed to
work is necessary. Our current content management system (CMS) is WordPress, and while we have the
staff that can manage the content day-to-day, we do not have staff equipped with the know-how to
design a functional, mobile-responsive, user-friendly website.
There are two parts to a redesign: 1) RFP for an audit/assessment 2) the actual design.
An audit will not be as expensive as the actual design, but an audit will provide data-driven results that
prove we need the redesign. Yes, that’s what we’ve started here, but an audit will go beyond our
“expertise” to prove what content is needed, what content is accessed most, the ebb and flow of our
website will be discovered through this process.
We need to be as honest as possible in the RFP process. We need financial parameters that are within
our means, and we can’t be shy about offering sponsorship of our digital channels if this can in fact be
used as a negotiating chip. The same can be said about potential sponsorship of our e-newsletter.
Lastly, we propose a mailed newsletter twice a year. We know that Neighbors4Neighbors covers weekto-week fairly well, but there’s still some neighbors we’re missing because they don’t open the digital
version or they have no email altogether. These newsletters will have content that’s sustainable year
over year (i.e. events, preservation guidelines, membership reminders, etc.). The obvious concern here
is printing and mailing costs, but a bi-annual newsletter that’s directly mailed to neighbors with valuable
information they want to read could be very tempting to potential advertisers. A presenting sponsor
would cover those costs and then some.