April 29, 2010 Board Meeting

Peace and Environment Resource Centre

Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Agenda

1. Run through of PERC's meeting rules (2 mins)

2. Check-in (5 mins)

3. Select Time Keeper (1 mins)

4. Approval of Agenda (2 mins)

5. Approval of minutes from last meeting (2 mins)

6. Round Table (20 mins)
 * Informal intro of board members and new employee

7. Financial Report (10 mins)
 * Since you're talking to Mike about the internet machine, can you ask him the status of switching internet and phone providers... I am not able to make any changes as Mike and Lotar have authority to make changes or cancel the services..
 * Joe and I will need to do the year-end work in May.
 * The good news is that I deposited the chque from the Trillium Foundation yesterday. It was $10, 300. Our bank balance then became $13,856.53.
 * Would you please ask Mike to retrieve the cheque book, and be sure that there are two signatures on the next 8 cheques, before it is put back.
 * Please let me know by e-mail how and when I can recommence my role as "payroll administrator". I believe the first step is to fill out deduction application forms with the employee. If you give me contact information for the employee, I will arrange for a meeting with him or her.

Break (10 mins)

8. PEN (5 mins)
 * the May-June PEN will be out next week.
 * The July-August issue will be on water issues.
 * PROBLEM: we don't have a Hello Volunteer candidate for the next issue. Suggestions from the Board are requested.
 * Is the PERC budget sufficiently strong (in the black) for purposes of Trillium so that I can cash the other cheques that Joe left for me (total $1400)?
 * Rate card

9. AGM (20 mins) *Tasks
 * Update of past year
 * Introduction of employee
 * Finacial
 * Election
 * Other

10. Discussion on PERC Policy (2 mins)

11. Other Business (5 mins)

12. Check-out (5 min)

Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 5:30pm. Kristin Miller chaired the meeting and Valerie Doucette took minutes.

Present: Diana Brushey, Mike Kaulbaurs, Kristin Miller, Kristina Inrig, and Valerie Doucette.

1. Run through of PERC's meeting rules.

2. Check in.

3. Select Time keeper: Mike.

4. Approval of agenda.

Kristina wanted to add something under other business, not official. Kristin noted this down. Asked if could have conversation about the website, separate meeting after the meeting or after the board meeting - depends on how time goes. Valerie moves to approve the agenda, Kristina seconds. Motion carried.

5. Approval of minutes from last meeting

Kristina's action items: section 7 - 1) conduct interviews, 2) finalize contract with finance committee and arrange that with new employee, work with Margaret on next PEN issue, follow up on partnerships in number 7 bullet. ACTION: Valerie to add this into the minutes. Kristina moves to approve minutes, Mike seconds. Motion carried.

6. Round Table Introductions.

7. Financial Report

Rob was not present but gave Kristin notes for this subject. On switching internet and phone providers, he notes that only Mike and Lotar have the authority to make changes. Kristina notes that this was an email sent around about a month ago. If we're not going to use our own server, are there other options for phone/internet? Krishna's contact information? Kristina had tried with emails he had founded online but was unable to get the information. Rob trying to look at saving money so attempting to find a cost saving option for phone/internet services. We also provide it to the church. Diana inquires as to Krishna's role? Technology expert. ACTION: Mike will contact Krishna. Valerie asked if he could email the group to let them know his progress.

Joe and Rob will have to do the year-end work before the AGM. Trillium Foundation cheque deposited, bank balance now $13, 856.53.

On retrieving the cheque book and signing cheques - this is done

Joe requests to see how he can become a payroll administrator once more and would like to arrange meeting with new employee ACTION:  Kristina will connect him with Diana to fill out the proper forms.

Break

8. PEN

Diana is suggested as a Hello Volunteer candidate. Cheques? Returning it to us? ACTION: Kristin to copy Joe and ask to clarify on issue with Margaret and cashing her cheques.

Rate card: Margaret sent this to Rob - Kristin notes that it needs a lot of work. Kristina and Margaret met with Heather Hamilton - Canadian Biodiversity Institute, she's doing a Green Zine, transition Peterborough. Proposed to write joint rate letter and she would solicit ads for both organizations. Margaret to follow up with Heather (asked by Kristina). Another way to do it instead of doing a separate rate card. Paid ads. ACTION: Kristina to send Heather Hamilton's email address to Kristin. We should add things before we send rate card to Heather. Article that will appear in both Green Zine and PEN. Water, then food for the fall, piece issue for December, another Faith issue before the end of our fiscal year.

9. AGM

Board meeting before, AGM to follow. Diana is asked to come. At 5:30 will be a potluck, a short meeting beforehand. If the financials aren't ready we should still have AGM, should note that we will review the complete financial statements at the next meeting. Also Mike suggests that a draft can be presented - a purpose of the AGM is the presentation of the finances. Did the room get booked for the AGM? ACTION: Mike will look into that.

New vision - ask people if they have ideas for the new website. Are there any places being vacated at this point? Kristina's appointment is up. Mike asks if she will stanad for re-election? Kristina asks if she could be replaced part way through the year. Reducing the amount of meetings would make her commute easier. Check in with Rob, he might be at 2 years as well. Kristina notes that PERC really needs new board members. Copies of the agenda and minutes from last year's board AGM must be brought to this year's meeting.

10. Discussion on PERC Policy

Human resources policy not yet developed. Kristina reviewed the new contract with Kristin and the finance committee. Mike notes that we are missing a board member who was specifically concerned with the staff, particularly in regards to conflicts - a board member who acted as staff advocate. Kristin provisionally appointed in this role until we have further discussion. The policy is roughly as in the event of a staff concern, go to the chair, but if it is a matter of the chair, the employee should go to the vice chair. Kristina moves to designate chair as staff advocate and alternate being vice chair. Mike seconds this. Motion carried.

11. Other Business

Reviewed draft budget for this fiscal year - one of the questions that came up was status of office rental. Tucker House has decided not to renew office at Bronson centre, suggestion that we rent out that office to Tucker House and that way that PERC does not give it back to church. Tucker House could pay 1/3 of rent directly to PERC, share that space with coordinator. Brings NCEN right to PERC, closer collaboration. Same note: Isabelle MacGregor was going to send her videos and collection to Tuckerhouse, may bring them to PERC since they would be rented out more clearly than Tuckerhouse. Kristina asks: 1) What's the status of office cleanup?  2) do we have an interest in this shared office arrangement?

1) Mike: in terms of cleanup, has been focusing on files, a lot has been cleaned up. Many file cabinets are virtually empty. Moving over what remains, files, and removing filing cabinets or other pieces of furniture is fairly straightforward.  More macro stuff that remains.  Tucker House would rearrange room, but might need to share other rooms for staff meetings.  Kristin asks if the space is useable or if there is more work needed? Will need to rearrange space to make room and discard clutter.

2) Mike notes that this is a wonderful idea. PERC coordinator could go back into the other office. Officially one is PERC, one is Tucker House, but still shared - files should be in different areas. We should be able to have board meetings in that room. Shared internet, cost saving.  When?  ACTION: Kristina to pursue conversation with Bronson centre to see when lease could be finalized. Kristin notes that she is happy to help clean up to help move stuff over into the other room.  Kristina asks about parking, noise levels in the building, keys, etc.  Mike notes there have been difficulty with keys, should be careful about who gets copies. Kristina suggests that Tucker House have five sets of keys for their staff, and they could keep track of who has them.   ACTION:  get sets of keys for Tucker House members, not for main PERC office, however.  PERC staff and chair have keys.  Need to get keys and code to Diana. Kristina notes that there is no need for a separate computer network for Tucker House, since mostly all web-based. Tucker House is looking into open source tools that deal with memberships, so could be a point of collaboration with PERC. Mike moves to approve the use of that space for Tucker House, assuming it works out, and to explore all other possible synergies such as internet. Valerie seconds that. Motion carried.

Added in web discussion - 20 minutes. Valerie makes several suggestions. In terms of web tools, she recommends to start out with setting up a basic Facebook fan page in order to make announcements (should not be too frequent), incorporating a blog function to allow comments, and a newsletter. Later on, a great tool to get into would be Twitter since many in the community use it. The blog could incorporate special articles, PERC articles, and ideas about local events. Key to build in mandate of supporting environmental community into the website.

Kristina had spoken with Margaret about the idea of the newsletter, but recommends that Twitter and Facebook should be later when more established. Would be great to have videos, interviews, podcasts, things like that in collaboration with local non-profits. Interactive features. Questions are asked about the PEN archive. Mike notes that while missing three years, most of PEN is available in the archive. PDF versions of PEN are now available. CMS? Joomla is recommended as a tool that both Diana and Kristina have both used before, not a huge difference between Joomla and Drupal. ACTION: Mike to give contact information to Diana for Krishna.

What about the PERC logo? Mike notes that we do not own the PERC logo, Nancy Shaver owns it. Condition of use is we can use it as is, colours and all, as much as we want, we can't alter it in any way. Now is the time to change the logo with a new site if we ever want to change the logo. Broader discussion needs to be had about this. Discussion of history of PERC, Mike references Milan Kundera towards the idea that imagination is unbalanced if it isn't coupled with memory. Remembering that PERC has been a long time organization.

Keep place for old site so that we can refer to it, don't totally take it offline. Internally we know that we have it there for memory, slowly transition things over to the site and link back to it. Next steps: program committee, sits down and really focuses on web presence and plan for it and moving forward with it. Program committee needs to establish itself and pursue some of the design initiatives, other people can join or just wait for updates. Mike speaks up to empower committee to make the decisions, is happy to have whole new look and feel. Mike moves that the committee be empowered to make that decision. Kristin seconds this. Carried. Committee will speak to Krishna, work with Diana, work with Margaret, and present ideas to the board.

12. Check-out

Meeting adjourned at 7:23 pm.