East Mountain Chamber of Commerce
Board Meeting—March 5, 2009

Meeting was called to order at 11:40 am.

Present: Betty Miller, Peggy Moeller- Mead, Loretta Olson, Deea Emmons, Julie Albright, Jim Dobier and Ellen Ashcraft

Absent: John Hembree, Bill Walters

Agenda Item I. Treasurers Report- Betty Miller

The East Mountain Chamber bank account currently has $7,027.88. We have 55 paid members and 27 more have been invoiced.

Agenda Item II. Executive Board Report – None

Agenda Item III. New Member Presentation, BBVA Compass Bank- Barb O’Neil, Jacob Sena and Bucky Mr. Sena introduced Ms. O’Neil and Bucky and introduced BBVA Compass Bank. 477 Branches in the Sunbelt and 12 of these locations are in Albuquerque. BBVA is the 7th largest bank in the world, 20th largest in the USA. BBVA has been in USA for 40 years and Compass joined BBVA in November of 2007. BBVA Compass is listed 13th by Rand in the world. The headquarters are located in Madrid Spain and Birmingham Alabama. The bank offers community banking as well as global banking.

Currently if you open and a checking account with online statement and direct deposit BBVA will give you $100.00. There is a sweepstake for a Mini Cooper with the bank paying the taxes on the prize. A 4 month certificate of deposit with a minimum $500.00 deposit is currently yielding 3.01% interest. The bank offer personal, business, executive and employee accounts without ATM or service fees. The bank also provides business loans, education on managing cash flow, loans and long term planning. BBVA Compass is providing more small business loans this year than last year. They would consider a branch in the East Mountains. BBVA Compass did not have sub-prime loans. BBVA Compass provided handouts.

Agenda Item IV. Current Member Presentation, Campbell Corporation- Mark Lautman Mr. Lautman has joined the Campbell Ranch project as of two weeks ago. He will be studying how the economic development will impact and effect the East Mountain Area. Mr. Lautman has spent 26 years in the State of New Mexico providing this type of information for various projects. In 1986 through 1998 he worked on the economic development plans of Rio Rancho. His job is to develop a plan that grows the economy faster than the growth of the new residents. Mr. Lautman then went on to work for 5 years on the Mesa del Sol development. The build out of this large project would 100,000 people making it the second largest city in New Mexico with a 50 year projected build out. The project must develop its own economy and must provide jobs that sell outside of the economy as well as some service jobs. Mr. Lautman is meeting with Campbell Ranch this afternoon for a briefing on the Master Plan

Agenda Item V. Guest Speaker, Principal Doug Wine East Mountain High School Principal Wine provided a handout that covers EMHS vision, mission, profile, accomplishments and commitments for East Mountain High School.

EMHS is the only ABQ School that has made AIP for the first four years. EMHS strives to engage, challenge and inspire their student body in English, technology and math, every class prepares the students for college. EMHS is one of three charter schools with full athletics. The school has behavioral expectations and is asking their juniors and seniors to mentor the younger students. EMHS students participate in service learning; require 20 hours community service and one major project in four years. Principal Wine also talked about this generation requiring 21st century skills they do not even exist yet and that he believes the best teaching occurs when the teacher learning too. He would like EMHS to be a model in education, alternative energy and used a measure of excellence. Albuquerque is rated 49th in the US school system and he would like to that change. He was very much interested in working with the communities regarding a summer job connection program. EMHS future growth; there is 26 acres with 10 to 12 acres that building can be placed, however, EMHS is unable to grow beyond 350 student at this point. Currently there are 50 students on a waiting list and EMHS wishes to keep the age ratio through the grades fairly even.

Old Business

Low response in regards to Edgewood and Moriarty mass emails. A joining of the three Chamber of Commerce was discussed.

New Business

Cyd Morgan – Fire season is here and it’s ugly. Announced CIUDAD’s “Aware & Prepared” educational event taking place Saturday, March 7, 2009 at Roosevelt Middle School. The fuel moisture is not good the pinon is at 87% and for the green trees to burn like dead wood the rate is 80%. Mountainair will be on stage 1 restrictions beginning Monday, March 9, 2009 and the East Mountains should follow in the next week to two weeks. The Fire emergency agencies will be using severity funds to extend staff hours. Most homes here are not defensible and a forest fire would mean a loss of homes in the double digits. CUIDAD has a 70/30 cost split to work onsite and thin and reduce ground fuels and create defensible space for your home. On average a 1 acre parcel is a total of $1000.00 and the homeowner only pays 30% which often is less than their home insurance deductible. During fire season residents should have at least a half tank of gas in their vehicle; water stored in the vehicle and should be able to drive out of their driveways not back out (due to forest fire smoke and panic).

Meeting adjourned at 1:12pm