Minutes of Genesee Free-Net Board of Directors Meeting December 5, 2002

Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Room
Flint, MI

PRESENT

Garry Viele, Board, Chairman
Vahid Lotfi, Board Vice Chair
Les LeMieux, Board
Pat Peterson, Board Secretary
Kay Schwartz, Board Treasurer
Jerry Preston, Board
Georgia Kitchen, Board
Larry Porn, Board 

Also present:
Kenny Thomas, Staff

Absent: Chad Cramer, Jon McCarron, Scott Gifford, Lynette Griffin, 

Call to order 5:15 pm. Meeting conducted by G. Viele.  

TALL PINE COUNCIL REQUEST FOR DYNAMIC DATABASE

K. Thomas reported on the Tall Pine Council request to be able to have a dynamic website. The Technical Committee investigated that possibility and the need to provide security for the  TPC site and the Genesee Free-Net server.  The committee recommended buying VMWare.  This product would allow the Genesee Free-Net to create a "virtual" server on the GFN web server.  This would allow the GFN to establish limits on memory, space, and bandwidth.  The cost of the software is $350.00.  J. Preston made a motion to accept the Technology Committee's recommendation to buy VMWare and install it.  K. Schwartz supported the motion.  Discussion followed.  J. Preston amended the motion to include that there would be a six month trial during which the  TPC would not be charged.  K. Schwartz supported the motion to amend.  The board voted unanimously for the amendment.  The board then voted unanimously for the main motion, to accept the committee's recommendation.

Officer Comments:

Chair

Nothing to report at this time.

Vice Chair

Election Results:  V. Lotfi reported the results of the online election for board members.  There is one new member of the board, Larry Porn.  Two members, G. Viele and K. Schwartz, were re-elected, and there was one resignation, Ann Chow.  Matt Groulx withdrew.  The Board can appoint two more people.  V. Lotfi will put that information out to the membership in January asking if anyone is interested in the positions.

Secretary

P. Peterson reported last month's minutes were posted to the GFN web site.

Treasurer

As of November 30, the cash assets of the Genesee Free-Net was $86,085.75. By year's end the assets should be as good or better than last year's end, $91,375.00.  Kay will be preparing the 2003 budget for the next meeting.  If a committee will be needing funds, please contact her.  V. Lotfi moved that the Treasurer's report be accepted.  L. LeMieux supported.  The board passed the motion unanimously. 

Committee reports

Web Site Committee

K. Thomas reported that all links are now checked every night.  If a link does not work for five days, it is deleted.  The usual maintenance is being done.  The Board discussed the need for a new web mail program.  It was also agreed that a new program does not need to be free, we could pay.  K. Schwartz volunteered to look into re-doing instruction sheets for GFN members. 

OLD BUSINESS 

New Plan Implementation Committee

L.Porn reported that the organizational accounts are not completely converted yet.  There are two databases, one for members and the one used for generation of accounts.  Field names need to be changed so that the office staff can be limited as to what information they access.  He agreed that March 1, 2003 is possible to have the New Plan ready to go. The two hours per day limitation for "free" members has to be completed by the Technology Committee.  K. Thomas and L. Porn will report at the next meeting if additional help is needed to accomplish these things by March 1.

Technical Committee

K. Thomas reported that some domains that have provided spams are blocked.  20% to 25% of e-mail is spam, and that does not include Hotmail and Yahoo mail.

Educational Partnership

V. Lotfi reported on the Login and Learn Workshop proposal from the Office of Extended Learning at UM-Flint.  GFN would advertise the classes to its members and the Office of Extended Learning would administer and teach the classes.  Discussion followed.  The Board decided to postpone the decision until the next meeting.

Maintaining and Preserving Legal and Other Records of the Organization

J. Preston reported that this is a responsibility of the Secretary.  The Board will discuss at the next meeting.

OLD BUSINESS 

Custom Account Upgrades

L. Porn presented a proposal that the cost of upgrading to a Custom Account from a Standard Account, when a partial year of the account membership remains, be pro-rated based on the quarters remaining as in the following schedule:

• $40 additional contribution during the 1st quarter of Standard Account with 12 through 10 months remaining.
• $30 additional contribution during the 2nd quarter of Standard Account with 9 through 6 months remaining.
• $20 additional contribution during the 3rd quarter of Standard Account with 6 through 3 months remaining.
• Renew as Custom Account with a contribution of $100 during the 4th quarter of Standard Account with less than 3 months remaining.

The Office Staff has reviewed this schedule and the consensus was this was an acceptable solution.

K. Schwartz made a motion to accept the proposal and schedule.  J. Preston supported.  The motion passed unanimously.

Next Meeting:  January 23 at 5:15 pm at the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Respectfully submitted,

Pat Peterson, Secretary