FICRA Building Trust Board Meeting Minutes
Thursday, June 13, 2024, 7:00PM
Nichols Community Center, Fox Island, Washington
| Weston King | President |
| Arlyn Lawrence | Vice President |
| Candy Wawro | Secretary |
| Hal Goodell | Treasurer |
| Craig McLaughlin | Director |
| Jacob Paukert | Director |
| Peggy Wright | Director |
FICRA Building Trust Monthly Meeting
June 13, 2024, 7:04pm
Attendees: Weston King (President), Arlyn Lawrence (Vice President), excused, Hal Goodell, (Treasurer), Candy Wawro (Secretary), Jacob Paukert (Director), Peggy Wright (Director), Craig McLauglin (Director), Laura Paukert, Joan Broughton.
Public Comments: Joan recommended that the minutes be posted online before the approval process and then after approved.
Approval of May minutes: Craig made a motion to approve the minutes. Jacob seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous to approve the minutes. Motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report (Hal Goodell):
Trust Checking
Beginning Balance $26,036.94
Checks and Payments 15,642.94 (insurance, EP web, prop tax, deputy)
Deposits and Credits 3,697.00
Ending Balance $14,091.00
Trust Savings
Beginning Balance $ 731.94
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits .03 Interest
Ending Balance $ 731.97
Building Trust PayPal (ending 5/31/24)
Beginning Balance $ 1,004.13
Checks and Payments 1,032.16
Deposits and Credits $ 705.00
Ending Balance $ 676.97
Trust Capital Checking
Beginning Balance $ 382.30
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 382.30
Trust Reserve Checking
Beginning Balance $ 153.20
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 153.20
30-Month Flex Certificate
Beginning Balance $105,697.51
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 357.29 (May Interest)
Ending Balance $106,054.00
5-Month Certificate
Beginning Balance $ 83,441.07
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 363.11 (May Interest)
Ending Balance $ 83,804.08
Trust Money Market (General, Capital, Reserve, EP, NW)
Beginning Balance $199,051.29
Checks and Payments 340.35
Deposits and Credits 678.48
Ending Balance $199,389.40
Trust General Money Market
Beginning Balance $102,126.39
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 338.11 ( May Interest)
Ending Balance $102,464.50
Trust Capital Money Market
Beginning Balance $ 33,045.22
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 33,045.22
Trust Reserve Money Market
Beginning Balance $ 40,802.47
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 40,802.47
Trust Community Events/Activities Money Market
Beginning Balance $ 12,100.96
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 12,100.96
Trust Emergency Prep. Restricted Money Market
Beginning Balance $ 6,591.59
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 6,591.59
Trust Neighborhood Watch Restricted Money Market
Beginning Balance $ 4,384.66
Checks and Payments 0.00
Deposits and Credits 0.00
Ending Balance $ 4,384.66
Trust Money Market Other
Beginning Balance $ 0.00
Checks and Payments 338.11 (Interest)
Deposits and Credits 338.11Transf Int)
Ending Balance $ 0.00
Sum of Sub Money Markets $ 199,389.40
Buildings and Grounds (Jim Braden):
Buildings and Grounds: We have one estimate of $27,000 for irrigating the sports field after the scope change. No funding is available currently. We need a Board decision on go/no go and its priority. On the replacement of the front doors, we have one estimate at $10,400 (not installed) and the other estimate at $10,800 (fully installed). The funding has been approved and is available. Peggy made a motion to approve $10,800 for the front doors’ replacement. Craig seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously approved. Motion carried.
Nature Center (Ed Burrough): The nature center team has installed several native plants from the Pierce County’s Conservation District. All are staked and identified. Visitation seems to be up from the trial use.
Emergency Preparedness (EP): The website FI-ready.org has been made available to the public. Some details remain to fully integrate the FI-ready website with the Ficra.org website.
The Medical Reserve Corps (M is no longer going to be actively supporting our EP medical inventory and trailer. The medical inventory is ours, and we have asked to take ownership of the trailer. We are first in line to take it over, hopefully as a donation. If, however, there is a cost for that, Emergency Preparedness will work to justify our acquisition of it.
We are working with Heart Church as a possible shelter. We have met with the UCC trust representatives on the UCC shelter also. That is on track for a formal agreement.
The school district radio station KGHP is built into our emergency response system. More to come on that as Jim is on the study team formed by PSD 401 pertaining to that issue.
Neighborhood Watch: The car accident on May 4th had limited notice of the bridge being closed. We are working to get a more immediate advisory like PFC Alert to work. Jim is still investigating.
FIARC (Fox Island Amateur Radio Club): FIARC continues to improve the communication system for Emergency Response. Next step is for a repeater tower on a Fox Island high point.
Other Items in the Works
- Neighborhood Watch Charter: Jim, Hal and Craig to follow up.
- AED status: We have acquired a new battery and necessary items to give our AED unit two more years of use. We are still in line, after District 5 personnel, for a Fire Department surplus unit. A second unit would be kept as part of the Emergency Response inventory.
- The ballot box is being planned with Pierce County. Jim will stay apprised of that and will monitor. They have promised to keep us advised on construction timing to ensure it is installed in the correct location.
Finance Committee: Nothing to report.
Old Business:
Summer youth baseball/softball camp update (Wes): Investigation is ongoing.
Fraud Resolution/Training (Craig): Board members were sent by email the FICRA Building Trust Resolution 2024-001 as follows:
FICRA Building Trust Resolution 2024-001
Subject: Response to Phishing Email Incident Affecting FICRA Members
Details: A phishing email was sent to each board member’s FICRA website public email address. These emails were then forwarded to each member’s private email. The email led the recipients to believe that the FICRA board president was asking them to contact someone and forward money as part of the web development. A sum of $3,000 was wired by a board member victim before it was discovered this was a phishing attack.
Investigation: The incident was reported to the authorities, but the funds could not be recovered. This event, known as a spear phishing attack, was carried out in a highly targeted and convincing manner, leading a victim board member to believe it was indeed from the Board president.
Despite law enforcement reporting, this incident was not pursued by either the State or Federal Courts. The incident was initially reported to the U.S. Secret Service Financial Fraud (Elder Fraud) Task Force and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Under law enforcement guidance, substantial information was turned over to law enforcement. However, challenges related to evidentiary standards and case prioritization ultimately led to non-pursuit of prosecution.
Although the individual Board member’s personal addresses are not made public on the FICRA website, each Board member does have a public email address listed. Emails sent to these public addresses are then forwarded to the board members’ personal email addresses. When the Board members receive the forwarded emails, they do not know that they were initially sent to the public addresses.
Resolution:
- Reimbursement: The FICRA Building Trust Board agrees to reimburse the affected Board member using FICRA funds, recognizing the Board’s responsibility for the phishing email reaching the Board members’ personal emails.
- Email Contact Policy: The Board agrees to remove all Board members’ public email addresses from the FICRA website. Henceforth, email contact with the board will be through a generic “CONTACT US” email address.
- Expense Procedures: The Board establishes the following procedures for handling all expenses:
- Payment Authority: All expenses shall be paid by the Treasurer or a designated person (agreed upon by the Board) in the Treasurer’s absence (see item (d) for reimbursement procedures).
- Approval Requirements: The Treasurer will only pay expenses if they are within the app0roved budget and/or have been approved by a majority vote of the Board.
- Verification for Large Expenses: All expenses exceeding $500 will require a second Board member’s approval. For check payments, a second board member’s signature is required. For credit card payments, a voucher must be filled out with the payment information and signed by both the Treasurer and a second Board member. Wire transfers will not be used for payments.
- Reimbursement Policy: Expenses supporting a budgeted item may be paid by a person other than the Treasurer. Such expenses will be reimbursed if a voucher form with attached receipts is signed by the payee and submitted to the Treasurer.
- Training Implementation: The Board will receive training on Preventing Phishing and Spear Phishing Attacks to combat any future attacks to the organization. (Attachment 1).
Resolution 2024-001 Approval Date: _________________________________________
Signed by Board President: __________________________________________________
Attachment 1 (is as follows):
FICRA Training Program: Preventing Phishing and Spear Phishing Attacks
Objective: Equip FICRA Board members and staff with the knowledge and tools to recognize and prevent phishing and spear phishing attacks, ensuring the security of communication channels and financial transactions.
- Introduction to Phishing and Spear Phishing
- Definition and Types of Phishing:
- General Phishing: Broad attacks sent to many recipients, often with generic messages attempting to trick users into providing sensitive information.
- Spear Phishing: Highly targeted attacks aimed at specific individuals or organizations, using personalized information to appear legitimate.
- Real-World Examples:
- Case studies of phishing attacks on similar organizations.
- Overview of the FICRA phishing incident as a case study.
- Impact of Phishing Attacks:
- Financial loss due to unauthorized transactions.
- Data breaches compromise personal and organizational information.
- Reputational damage leads to loss of trust from stakeholders and the public.
- Definition and Types of Phishing:
- Details of the Recent FICRA Incident:
- Incident Overview:
- Description of the phishing email: an email pretending to be from the FICRA Board president asking for funds to be transferred.
- Execution of the attack: emails were sent to public addresses listed on the FICRA website, then forwarded to private addresses.
- Financial loss: $3,000 was wired before fraud was discovered.
- Investigation Findings:
- Role of agencies: U.S. Secret Service Financial Faud (Elder Fraud) Task Force and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
- Challenges in prosecution: evidentiary standards and prioritization led to non-pursuit.
- Incident Overview:
- Recognizing Phishing Emails
- Common Characteristics:
- Unusual sender address: Check the sender’s email address for inconsistencies or strange domains.
- Generic greetings: Phrases like “Dear Customer” instead of personalized names.
- Urgent or threatening language: Emails that create a sense of urgency or fear to prompt quick action.
- Suspicious links or attachments: Hover over links to see the actual and be wary of unexpected attachments.
- Spear Phishing Specifics:
- Personalized content: Use of specific names, titles, or other personal information to make the email appear legitimate.
- Mimicking known contacts or organizations: Emails that closely resemble those from trusted sources.
- Examples and Red Flags:
- Detailed analysis of the phishing email received by FICRA Board members.
- Highlighting red flags in the phishing email such as slight variation in the sender’s address or unusual requests.
- Common Characteristics:
- Preventive Measures and Best Practices
- Email Security:
- Use secure email gateways and filters to block suspicious emails.
- Educate staff to verify the authenticity of emails before responding or clicking on links.
- Communication Protocols:
- Remove public email addresses from the website to reduce exposure.
- Use a centralized “CONTACT US’ email for all external communication to ensure proper routing and monitoring.
- Financial Transaction Policies:
- Implement strict verification processes for financial requests.
- Avoid using wire transfers for payments due to higher fraud risk.
- Email Security:
- Updated Expense Procedures
- Payment Authority:
- Designate the Treasurer or a Board-approved individual to handle all expenses.
- Ensure backups are in place to maintain operations in the Treasurer’s absence.
- Approval Requirements:
- Require expenses to be within an approved budget or have majority Board approval.
- Verification Process:
- For expenses over $500, require a second Board member’s approval.
- Use a voucher system for credit card payments, signed by the Treasurer and a second Board member.
- Reimbursement Policy:
- Allow reimbursements for budgeted items if proper documentation (voucher and receipts) is submitted and approved.
- Payment Authority:
- Reporting and Responding to Phishing Attempts
- Internal Reporting Procedures:
- Establish a clear process for reporting suspicious emails or potential phishing attempts.
- Encourage prompt reporting to mitigate risks and investigate incidents.
- External Reporting:
- Collaborate with relevant authorities like the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement.
- Ensure proper documentation and evidence collection for any incidents.
- Internal Reporting Procedures:
- Conclusion
- Commitment to Security:
- Emphasize the organization’s commitment to maintaining security and preventing fraud.
- Highlight the importance of continuous training and staying updated on emerging threats. Training Schedule:
- Commitment to Security:
Approval:
Board President Signature: _________________________________________________________
Date: __________________________________________
Old Business (Continued):
Boy Scout Library and FICRA Activity Sign Location: The lending free library will be placed by the pine tree instead of its primary location to give FICRA ample opportunity to place a FICRA events sign in its place. The lending library will still be situated in an area that cars can easily access. Both the lending library and the new NCC event sign will be cemented in place.
FI Summer Games: The adjusted date for the FI Summer Games has been moved to August 24th. Craig suggested using “FormStacks” as a registration tool.
Labor Day Car Show and Concert: The band “Sixtiesmania” will begin at 6:00pm with the Jewel Tones opening at 4:00pm. There is a one-hour intermission between the groups. The sound guy has been booked as well. Food trucks are also booked.
Summer Solstice: The Beagles band is booked from 5-8pm. A new food truck was also booked when the last cancelled at the last minute.
FICRA Website Update: Website is close to being released. Still trying to manage the FI-Ready website correlation.
Young Men’s Service League: This is a group of about 15 teen boys and their moms. They were going to pull weeds at the NCC but got rained out. Candy put them in contact with Ed Burroughs to work on the Nature Center with guidance. Both Ed and the group are anxious to begin volunteer service as an on-going project.
French Toast Theater: Contact was made with Madeline to rent space at the Nichols Community Center. A new contract was sent to French Toast with amended dates (per French Toast). FICRA is asking for one check to cover the month of July and the first week of August a current certificate of insurance and a $500 damage deposit. We are awaiting a signed contract with the stipulations as posted in the Rules for Renting the Venue (a copy of the rules was also sent).
FICRA Fair: Wes asked Hal if he would like a co-chair to manage the numerous tasks associated with the Fair so that someone else might learn the ropes. Hal declined and said right now it wasn’t needed.
Acknowledgement Plaques/Bricks Update: Wes mentioned that his son, Talon, had the idea of building a baseball field and yet there was no acknowledgment. Jim remarked that although Talon has the idea, there were many hands that put the field together and that they all should be acknowledged. Jim explained that the bricks with names on them were financial supporters but not necessarily hands-on volunteers. Candy asked if the walkway from the building to the gazebo might also be a fundraiser for the FICRA Trust (replicating our front walkway). Jim replied, “absolutely”. Wes will get a listing of all those individuals that worked on putting the field together so that FICRA might recognize all our volunteers.
Red Cross Blood Drive: A firm date has been established for September 26th from 1-6pm due to lack of air conditioning. Windows must be closed to protect individuals from bees. We need to guarantee at least 30 people to donate. The Red Cross staff came to view the premises. They were thrilled with the back door ramp. They bring all their own equipment, snacks, etc. We just need a few volunteers to greet.
Audit Update: The Audit Committee will begin in late July. Kellie Carmichael (a recent resident), Joan Broughton, and Candy will form the Audit Committee that will be voted on at our July FICRA Building Trust meeting. Candy will send out notices on Constant Contact and on our social media site to inform our community of the election. Jacob made a motion to qualify an election for the Audit Committee. Craig seconded. The Board vote was unanimous. Motion carried.
RAD Class: Board members received a detailed explanation of what the RAD (rape, aggression, defense) class entails. We will have to wait for some cooler weather to hold the class since we have no air conditioning. Candy will contact the instructors.
FICRA DBA (Doing Business As) Update: Jacob made a motion to change the articles of FICRA to Read FICRA Trust. Craig seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously approved.
New Business
Retroactive Approval for $212 to cover the FICRA retreat: Craig made a motion that we approve the expenditure of $212 for the FICRA retreat. Candy seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously approved.
Follow-up Vote to Support 2024 Fall Soccer League and the budget needed of $2700 to support youth soccer. Carolyn will again coordinate the leagues. Hal made a motion that we proceed with the fall youth soccer as proposed with the budget of $2700. Craig seconded the motion. The vote was unanimously approved.
Interest for a 2025 FICRA baseball league, t-ball and teen 13-15 years: Wes would like to solicit interest from our community. Candy did remind the Board that Saturday games/practices are cumbersome and should be avoided with our renting the venue.
Party With A Purpose: Candy to take the lead. A co-leader is needed. The theme is “An Evening In Paris”. We need to solidify what the “purpose” is as a Board. There was much discussion on whether it should be for lawn irrigation or air conditioning. Air conditioning is needed as a rental venue as summers are getting increasingly warm. Wes suggested that the burnt-out green space is not visually appealing to families who use the facility grounds. Candy remarked that everyone’s green space dies off due to the porous nature of the soil. Would the community want green space or air conditioning. Discussion did not solidify the Board’s decision. Candy did seek interest to planning from Hannah Jay to make the night memorable.
Movies-in-the-park: Candy and Jacob set up the movie projector and screen one evening. Due to the amount of sunlight, the projector would not be useful until 8:30-9:00pm. The darker the sky, the better the picture. Starting a movie at 9:00pm may eliminate the younger children. Renting 3 movies at $400 apiece keeps us from violating the copyright laws. We could serve beer and wine, serve popcorn, etc. which may defray the cost of the movie rentals. No decision was reached as Board members considered more thoroughly the expenditure.
Next Month’s Agenda: Discussion about raising rental rates and/or membership rates was postponed until the July meeting due to the extended June Board meeting agenda.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting by Wes and was seconded by Jacob. Meeting adjourned at 8:45pm.