South River City Citizens (SRCC): minutes for meeting of executive committee, November 19, 2012

South River City Citizens (SRCC): minutes for meeting of executive committee, November 19, 2012 return to SRCC home page

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF SRCC
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012
6:00 PM
GRACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
205 East Monroe; Austin, Texas

MINUTES

CALL TO ORDER/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. 6:00 Meeting procedures, etiquette, welcome newcomers.
Presenter throughout: Marc Davis, President, unless otherwise noted.
2. 6:05 Membership & voting announcements. Reminder that SRCC current dues status is required to participate in SRCC business and actions such as voting and making motions.
Presenter: Carol Martin, Vice President and Membership Chair
3. 6:10 Approve minutes from March 19, 2012, last regular monthly meeting
MOTION: Sam Martin / Brian Talenti - to approve the minutes from March 19th, 2012 = PASSED

NEW BUSINESS
4. 6:15 Finance Committee Report
Presenter: Sam Martin, Finance Committee Chair
We shared a copy of the most recent report.
5. 6:20 Proposed Dues Structure for multiple year membership
To provide an incentive for members to pay dues in advance for multiple years, reduce the fee for years paid in advance.
Single membership: 1-yr $20; 2-yr $35; 3-yr $50
Family membership: 1-yr $35; 2-yr $65; 3-yr $95
Presenter, Carol Martin, Membership Chair
The option to allow stakeholders to pay membership dues for multiple years in advance with a discount. The website and membership signup forms would need to be updated to allow for this. Garret will explore the option to add a PayPal subscription option to the website.
MOTION: Carol Martin / Brian Talenti - that we adopt a revised dues structure that provides a discount for multiple year payments as outlined in the updated membership form as well as adding a PayPal subscription option to the website = PASSED
6. 6:30 SRCC to fund GUMC meeting room expense for Neighborhood Planning Contact Team, Neighborhood Watch training sessions and process for tracking expenses.
Presenter: Sam Martin
There was some confusion about how the fees by GUMC were being tracked and if we could support the NPCT by covering the room expense. Should we pay to reserve the room every month given the demand for regular meetings between the various committees or can we carry a balance and work from credit? We would create a process for reserving the room and cancel the reservation in advance to save the expense if no one needs it. Another option discussed
MOTION: Garret Nick / Sam Martin - to budget $700 to prepay GUMC for the reservation of a room for our eleven general membership meetings and three executive committee meetings = PASSED
MOTION: Garret Nick / Carol Martin - to budget $500 to allow dues paid members (including the NPCT and committees) to contact GUMC directly to pay to reserve a meeting space and be reimbursed by SRCC upon turning in a receipt and minutes = PASSED
7. 6:35 Austin Parks Foundation account fees.
Presenter: Sam Martin on behalf of David Todd
From David Todd, SRCC co-chair of Parks, Schools, Environment committee: My experience with both personal and non-profit accounts is that it's difficult to find accounts that do not have fees. I looked at fund fees at the Austin Community Foundation, which seems like the most likely replacement for the APF, and it looks like the ACF charges are higher - $100/year (vs. $50/year at APF) maintenance fee and a 5% (vs. 2% at APF) charge on each deposit. Also, I think that having our fund at the Austin Parks Foundation, with their expertise in parks issues, gives us some legitimacy in the eyes of donors to the work in Stacy Park and Blunn Preserve. Last, Austin Parks Foundation has been our largest financial supporter, and a long-time tool lender and event sponsor, so I think that it's worth keeping the relationship intact. So, I'd recommend that we accept the new conditions on the APF account, and continue using the Foundation as the Blunn Creek Partnership fiscal sponsor.
from Jessica Wassenaar | Operations Manager, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION |: As our Donation & Fund Management Program (formerly known as our Fiduciary Services Program) continues to grow it is taking an increasing amount of staff time to manage this Program. To partially offset the service expense, APF is implementing a nominal fee for these services.Going forward there will be a $50 yearly maintenance fee assessed as well as a 2% charge on each contribution added to your fund after January 1, 2013. This fee is not retroactive and will not impact any prior donations made to your account. Attached is an amended Funds Donation Agreement for you to fill out and sign that details out these changes. Please return a signed agreement to me no later than December 1, 2012 via email to jessica@austinparks.org
MOTION: Les Case / Brian Talenti - to pay APF accounting fees per David Todd's recommendation = PASSED
8. 6:45 Austin Community Foundation. Finance committee recommendation that SRCC spend remaining available funds in ACF and close the account.
Presenter: Sam Martin
MOTION: Sam Martin / Garret Nick - that SRCC spend remaining available funds in ACF and close the account = PASSED
9. 6:50 Proposals for capital projects to be funded by remaining available ACF funds. Discuss process for reviewing proposals, documentation to be submitted, criteria to be considered.
A sample form was presented with some initial ideas on how to collect information on proposed projects. We will work to create a downloadable or digital form for accepting this information. This plan will be announced at the annual potluck and take proposals for three months (June 30th) before starting the vetting process with the goal to be voting on the accepted proposals at the November meeting. The final vetting and voting process will be determined once the submission process is complete.
MOTION: Carol Martin / Brain Talenti - to announce at the annual potluck a process for accepting project proposals for spending down the ACF balance with the deadline for submissions being June 30th and the final voting on the proposals being at the November General Membership meeting. The final vetting and voting process will be determined by the EC once the submission process has ended = PASSED
10. 7:15 Announcements

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