MINUTES

La Plaza Telecommunity
Board of Directors Regular Meeting

Casa Marisa Restaurant, Questa NM
September 14, l999


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
--The l998 audit has been completed. A review needs to be scheduled.
--An amended budget was approved.
--La Plaza has approval for the use of Picuris Peak and facilities
  for wireless service to the Penasco area.
--The La Plaza equipment upgrades will allow state-of-the-art services.
--The amended budget has a $2,000 line item for use by the board.
--The deadline for board candidates for the November election to
  declare their intent will be October 5.


AGENDA Call to Order Thomas Myers, President Approval of Agenda Thomas Myers, President Approval of July Minutes Thomas Myers, President. Executive Director Report Judith Pepper, Executive Director Technology Report Oban Lambie, System Administrator Treasurers Report Reva Suazo, Treasurer Committee Reports Membership Thomas Myers, Chair Public Relations Peter Alexander, Chair Nominating Alexander/Redpath, Co-Chairs Youth Advisory Thomas Myers, Chair Fund Raising Dawn Redpath, Chair Education Ira Schwartz, Chair Bylaws Thomas Myers, Chair Board Discussion Thomas Myers, President List Serves Standards and Etiquette Members Comments Thomas Myers, President Next Meeting Need to set date and location for October Meeting. Adjournment Thomas Myers, President
Call to Order by President Myers at 6:20 p.m. Present: Alexander, Goetz, Lambie (System Administrator), Myers, Schwartz, Suazo, Pepper (Executive Director), Wichmann, and members Judy Cuddihy, Bill Reifsnyder, Absent: Lopez, Redpath Approval of Agenda MOTION to approve agenda: Alexander SECOND: Suazo VOTE: Agenda approved. Approval of the minutes of July 13, 1999 MOTION to approve as amended: Wichmann SECOND: Alexander VOTE: the minutes of July 13,1999 were approved, with Schwartz abstaining.
Executive Director's Report See separate Report. Judith Pepper highlighted six areas for the board: 1. In August, total new accounts opened were 129. 148 were closed. 46 were 50 days past due and received notices. Of these, 26 reactivated. 2. There was concern many secondary accounts would be closed when the rate increase was announced. Only 57 did so, or 11.88%. 3. The 1998 Audit is completed and must be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Board. A date and time will be set for this prior to the next meeting. (Two possibilities were suggested: 9/29 at 2:00, 10/6 at 2:00.) One concern was about inventory and how properly to handle depreciation. 4. The amended budget was distributed, authorizing technology upgrades (most of the monies for these upgrades received in a grant from the LANL Foundation). It shows a net operating balance of $27,989. Although these funds are unencumbered, it was noted that several additional technology upgrades are needed: Taos is suffering busy signals again so more modems may be needed; and the Taos lab equipment is outdated and needs replacing. The budget does not reflect the $10,000 promised by the AOL Foundation because nothing official has been received to confirm that award. The board requested to hear the Technology Report before voting. 5. If the Department of Education Communications Technology grant, in the amount of $860,000, for which La Plaza has applied is received, the plan is to use it for one new lab in Taos in year 1, a new lab in Questa in year 2 and and a new lab at Siete del Norte, Embudo, in year 3. 6. At this point La Plaza has verbal approval for access to and use of Picuris Peak by all concerned parties. Work is going forward. La Plaza hopes to be up and running by first snow (roughly 10/31).
Technology Report A Technology Upgrade report and a Y2K Compliance report were circulated to the board. Oban Lambie noted for the board: 1. the old server is `held together by duct tape' and needs to be replaced. 2. with the changes, La Plaza will no longer be a `mom and Pop' operation, but a state-of the-art ISP with ability to develop web sites it could not host earlier. 3. new training will be needed to address new services and to educate the public to use the new capabilities in the most simple ways possible.
Budget Amendment Discussion re: approval of the amended budget included consideration of a line item for minor board expenses and development, including an orientation for current and new board members in the use of the technology to better manage the obligations of the board. $2,000 was suggested for this line item. MOTION to approve the amended budget, including the $2,000 line item for board expenses: Schwartz SECOND: Alexander VOTE: Budget approved as amended.
Committee Reports Membership No Report. A notice will be sent to members re: voting. Public Relations Peter Alexander has prepared two excellent articles about La Plaza, one for the newsletter for the Association of Community Networks on the survival of rural telecommunities, the other for the Philanthropy Journal for Nonprofits explaining who we are. Both position La Plaza very nicely. Nominating Incumbents not planning to run again: Lopez. Incumbents planning to run again: Alexander, Myers, Suazo. Two candidates have expressed an interest: Jerry Simpson and Jose Careno. Two others are unconfirmed: Tammy Gomez and Rick Daub. It was noted the board needs a member with financial background and experience to help in tracking the recommendations made in the audit report. The Chair announced that Chris Gunn's position is officially vacant; this based on his not being able to attend the last three board meetings and that attendance via the internet is not considered sufficient. Youth Advisory The discussion centered on role of a youth advisory group and the need for La Plaza to have its own youth advisory committee. Fund Raising No report Education No report. Bylaws Discussed were the absence of recall provisions, residency requirements and physical presence at board meetings, the fact proxies were not needed and the notice of meetings, 15 to 45 days.
Board Discussion MOTION to table discussion on List Servs Standards and Etiquette: Alexander SECOND: Schwartz VOTE: Motion to table approved. The completion and approval of the ballot must be within thirty days of the election. Since the board meeting is only two days beyond that deadline the board elected to move the deadline to October 5, l999. MOTION to move the deadline for approval of the ballot to October 5,l999: Wichmann SECOND:: Alexander VOTE: Motion passed
Members Comments The question was raised as to the status of the wireless project; this because Questa is experiencing more and more busy signals. Noted that the wireless project does not affect busy signals, which are a factor of the number of dialin phone lines available, however the wireless would relieve the congestion currently being experienced on the 56k line used by the dialups once a connection is made. Responsibility for the wireless rests with the State Information Services Division, who wants La Plaza to take over the project. The State is seeking an agreement on this signed by October 1. La Plaza will also be working with US West to request more modem lines.
Adjournment: 9:00 pm MOTION to adjourn: Alexander SECOND: Suazo VOTE: to adjourn Next Meeting October 5, l999, 6:00 pm, Casa Marisa, Questa, NM.