PRESENT:
Dennis Cavanaugh, Chair
Larry Porn, Vice Chair
Solomon Johnson, Secretary
Beverly Duval, Board
Charles Wright, Board

ABSENT:
Chad Cramer, Website
Scott Gifford, Board
Georgia Kitchen, Board
Les LeMieux, Board
Kenny Thomas, Systems

Call to order at 5:17pm. Chair Dennis Cavanaugh presiding.

Chair Dennis Cavanaugh announced receiving a letter from OTC indicating that iFlint dial-up service was being discontinued and that GFN would be recommended to iFlint subscribers as replacement dial-up service provider. Subscribers switching to GFN will be offered a $15 discount off GFN membership contribution. GFN will need to execute a new co-location contract with OTC in about five (5) months.

Board Elections.
Vice Chair Larry Porn offered a proposal for the annual meeting for Board members to run for 3-year terms with no term time limits. Currently there are eight (8) Board positions vacant of fifteen (15) possible Board positions. Larry will review the bylaws and recommend amendments for consideration at the 2006 annual meeting. Larry will have Kenny Thomas make the email broadcast call for Board members and announcement of the annual meeting.

Finances.
Chair Dennis Cavanaugh distributed copies of IRS Form 990-EZ for 2005 recently filed by Plante & Moran Accountants. Gross receipts were $55,987 and total program service expenses were $57,851.

Distributed copies of ELGA credit union statement for August 31, 2006 showed GFN had $56,956.72 in its saving account and $4,249.31 in its business checking account. By September 28, 2006, paid expenses had reduced the business checking balance to $917.92. Receipts to be deposited were about $1600.

Marketing.
Suggested was developing an approach to small businesses and small nonprofit organizations. Change the GFN mission statement. Offer Web hosting highlighting no advertising. Communicate with the Chamber of Commerce. Provide tools for Web page development and list of page developers willing to assist with Web page creation. Contact nonprofits and offer discount off GFN account plan contribution for advertising GFN in their newsletters. Query new members for comments on what attracted them to GFN and lost subscribers for comments and why they did not renew.

Board member Beverly Duval submitted for consideration a marketing insert for inclusion with the December account renewal letters. The insert will highlight GFN Gift Certificate offering, that volunteers are needed to keep the GFN organization functioning, emphasize that account holders are participating GFN members and offer a discount of renewal fee for recommending a new member. Wording modifications were made and Dennis Cavanaugh will develop the final layout. Sixty (60) renewal letters are expected to be mailed for December account renewals.

Chair Dennis Cavanaugh questioned whether Merit dial-in access numbers should be added to the dial-in number listing on the GFN Web site. There appeared to be little support for doing so.

Office.
Board member Beverly Duval has been working in the office to become familiar with office duties. She is not ready to work alone in the office and will be away on travel the next month or so.

Larry Porn indicated that the office database needs work in a couple of areas, including handling of Organization Accounts and implementation of Family Accounts.

Web Site.
Chad Cramer reported by email that the Web server has been upgraded to Apache version 2.2.2 with php5 on www.gfn.org and that the database server has been upgraded to MySql 5.0.24 on www.gfn.org. Chad will upgrade MySql to the same version on gfn.org when he gets the 'kinks' worked out.

Systems.
Larry Porn reported on the need to get from Kenny Thomas the best approach for setting up Family Accounts. Also waiting for development of the procedure to automatically reset the Portmaster equipment.

Annual Membership Meeting:
Set for Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 7pm at the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 316 Water Street. Applicants for Board positions will be announced. Revision of the bylaws on Board member term limits may be considered.

Adjournment: 7:12pm.

Next Meeting:
The Genesee Free-Net annual membership meeting, Thursday, October 26, 2006, at 7:00pm at the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 316 Water Street.

Respectfully Submitted,

Solomon T Johnson, Secretary