I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND
a) Facilitator – Kate Culver
b) Roll Call – Budd Dickinson, Tamar Yager, Jeff Turner, Starlene Rankin, Audrey Clement, Karen Young, Charles Ostdiek, Darryl! Moch
Absent – Jesse Townley
Observer – Jody Grage
II. OLD BUSINESS
a) Moving the office
Jeff sent terms of current lease. Swap in current building would be $1200/mo and moving would be $900 mo at the Orchard Street location, which would have several amenities. We would have to pay at current lease until we found a substitute tenant. Moving to MD costs additional in worker’s comp $400 annual and in addition to IL and DC, may have different and higher state employment tax. Darryl! feels it too small and does not like the aesthetics. It is in an industrial/mixed-use area which may not be good for walking in the evening. Commute is at least a mile, partly uphill, from metro though there is a bus connection. Moving within the building would be relatively easy.
Audrey asked for a spreadsheet of comparative costs & benefits. Brian will be asked to do a spreadsheet with Jeff’s help.
b) Review of Brainstorming from meeting at ANM
Especially structure and roles of SC, suggestion for dedicated meeting on the topic; date needs to be set, and we need a concrete proposal. Darryl! can put something together by end of October; Karen said we should do it by end of year; Jeff can help by early November.
Schedule it for first meeting in December. Jeff will be in DC at the end of October and beginning of Nov.
c) Forum Transition SR
Starlene will compare Delegate Directory with Forum List. There is little use of the forum now. Suggestion to drive people to forum with announcements on listserv. Outreach Committee is making calls to recruit for committees and could ask about forum. There was a proposal to terminate listserv mid- November rather than mid-October because of election season. The forum not easily accessible from smart phones like listserv is, but someone said it can be accessed from smart phones. We could do a periodic newsletter from SC about what we are working on and that could be on the forum. Also we could possibly have a call once a month so delegates can ask questions. Starlene will ask David Doonan and Jesse about extending the time. They are both busy with elections and are needed for the forum transition.
There was consensus to postpone the termination of the listserv to 11/15 or 12/1.
d) Brief rebranding update. KY
Font company will let us have the licenses at no charge; we bought two licenses already. Rebranding is being used on Facebook. Letterhead and banner have been designed. Business cards are being prepared for SC and staff.
III. STANDING BUSINESS
a) Treasurer’s Report
Jeff didn’t get info from Brian until today but report sent just after meeting started. Cash report: $7k in general operating and $18.5 in earmarked, and $13k in reserves. Under Accounts Payable Macalister is owed $16k, which is much higher than expected. Paying for SC and staff travel was expensive. Food and registration money was adequate but lodging wasn’t. Registration was lower than expected. Will they do a payment plan? Jeff is holding off on new expenses like merchandise.
b) Budget Process – Chart from Jeff of SC, Fincom and Fundcom meetings: Special SC meetings on 5 and 19 October. Some had problem with four SC calls in October. Suggestion to have joint call(s) or have longer regular SC calls. October meetings are tentative depending on progress made online.
c) Fundraising Report – mailing projected to have income this coming week.
d) VOTING QUEUE
In the queue:
ID 764 – PROPOSAL TO AMEND ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING COMMITTEE RULES (From
ANMC for SC sponsorship) -Voting thru 9/14.
From Audrey C: Pull Proposal 764 and offer a substitute in its place. Audrey didn’t offer a substitute or findings but maintains it has the wrong threshold. Charles seconded pulling it. Vote: Yes to pull. TY no, AC yes, KY abstain, DM no, BD no, Charles yes, SR abstain, and Jeff abstain. It does not pass and proposal will be left in queue.
ID 765 – Approval of ETC report (from Election Tabulation Committee) –
Voting 9/15-21.
Received for the Queue: None
e) Liaison Reports Discussion: All
Charles – IC: Bahram and Jack Alley are asking for reimbursement for unauthorized travel expenses from last year; no actual proposal received from IC.
IV. New Business
a) Strategic Plan Goal #2 Approval – Electing & Running More Candidates –
SR sent corrected copy earlier today hoping to get into queue; will go up next Sunday with 3 week discussion. Floor manager – Starlene.
b) Review & short discussion of Michigan platform-related items & next steps (if any needed)- (Jesse) – tabled to next call.
c) Draft budget & organizing plan. KY
This has been presented to Fundcom. Many on SC haven’t looked at it and should do so. We need to use 2015 to prepare for 2016. Actual amounts are just a starting place. Someone suggested conference call with relevant committee chairs. Consensus to continue with this effort.
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Budd Dickinson
Secretary