Meeting Minutes

February 18, 2008

Board members present: Tommy Taylor, Myrna Coleman, Bill Schlautman, Rose Klein, Jim
Klein and Kris Meek. Neighbors and Guests: Stacie McBride, Matt Kortum, Randy Meek,
Andrew and Michelle Brown, Lise Thibodeaux, Mark Canney, Tami Soper, Ken Haar and Vern
Barrett.

President Tommy Taylor called the meeting to order. The membership voted to allow three
candidates for the 21st District of the Legislature (Vern Barrett, Ken Haar, and Tammy Soper)
to speak and answer our questions before the regular meeting.

Ken Haar has a background in teaching and computers. He started a small consulting and
computer development company to help nursing homes with federal program compliance. He
and his wife live in a house he built south of Branched Oak Lake. Mr. Haar was Chairman of
the Lancaster Co. Democratic Party for five years and spent eight years on the Lincoln City
Council with one year as chairman.

Ken Haar said that his four main focuses are 1. Property Taxes, 2. Quality Education and
Teacher Pay, 3. Affordable Health Care, and 4. Renewable Energy.

Tami Soper is a Highlands Neighborhood Association member and a Nebraska native. Her
parents built the 13th house in the Highlands and Tami and her husband live in it now. She
has a public service background and was in the Air National Guard for six years. Ms. Soper
has worked for Health and Human Services and Region 5 Systems. She is now a Legislative
aide for Senator Gwen Howard and has experience writing bills for the legislature.

Tami Soper says that her priorities in office are: Health Care coverage for families, children
and seniors; To not just do a study on issues, but actually fund solutions; Quality of education,
not unfunded mandates, but educational funding; Ground Water quality and quantity; and
good planning for protecting our resources.

Vern Barrett said that he has 30 years experience solving problems. He taught High School
for 15 years and now teaches Ag Leadership at UNL. He was an advisor to a Governor in
Chile, South America. Mr. Barrett said he grew up on a farm milking cows. He is married and
has six grown children.

Vern Barrett said that he is a problem solver and loves challenges. He believes that term
limits is a problem; because after this term everyone with experience in the legislature will be
gone. Mr. Barrett said that Medicaid need is going up and revenue is flat. He is working on
Home Health Care so that elders can stay in their homes. He wants small business
development for rural areas, not just for Omaha.

There was a question and answer session where members of the association asked the
candidates their views on specific topics such as taxes and health care.

Lise Thibodeaux of Merry Maids provided refreshments for the participants at the meeting.
She had handouts of information about the Merry Maids home cleaning company which
included coupons for up to $50 off your first three cleanings. Merry Maids phone number is
402-434-2199 or check merrymaids.com.

Park Planner Mark Canney of Lincoln Parks and Recreation is working on a Landscape
Master Plan for the Highlands. He said that West Highland Blvd. was designed in 1999 and
installed in 2000 and up until the last year it was maintained by a contractor, at which time the
city took over maintenance of the Blvd. Mr. Canney said that Amur Maples will be removed
and they will install shrubs and additional prairie grasses such as Little Blue Stem. He will
landscape additional boulevards and the traffic circle on NW 12th. Mr. Canney said that he will
develop a timeline and funding plan and possibly apply for a grant. He will come back to the
next meeting to fill us in on the details.

Andrew Brown suggested that we start an Adopt-A-Blvd. plan for members of the
neighborhood. Possibly we could also sponsor a neighborhood clean-up day.

The Highlands Egg Hunt is scheduled on Saturday, March 22nd at 1 p.m. with a rain date of
March 29th.. We expect 250-300 children to attend. The residents of Lancaster Manor will fill
approximately 3,000 eggs for us. Tommy Taylor is contacting Wal-Mart for donations. Tami
Soper said that Mike Wolf of CVS Drug Store will donate candy or supplies if we give them a
request in writing, so she will take care of that.

Stacie McBride of St. Mark’s Northwest Church offered their help with the Egg Hunt and
asked if they could set up a table with refreshments and literature about their church for any
people who are interested. The board said that they could set up a table if they keep it
separate from where the Association sets up under the shelter. We do need volunteers to
help set up the Egg Hunt. Anyone who is interested in helping should come to the park at 11
a.m.

Kris Meek said that the newsletter will need to go out by the 1st week in March so please
contact her with information to put in the newsletter. She will contact the Boy Scouts to make
sure that they can deliver the newsletters for us the two weekends before the Egg Hunt.

Election results: There were no contested seats, with only one person running per office so
these members were elected by acclamation.

President - Myrna Coleman

Vice President - Bill Schlautman
Treasurer - Jim Klein
Secretary - Rose Klein
Webmaster - Andrew Brown
Director - Tommy Taylor
 Director - Dianna Wright
Director - Kris Meek
Director - Tami Soper
Director - Michelle Brown

The next meeting will be Monday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Fredstrom School. This meeting
adjourned at 9:30 p.m.