The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. with Chris Cope as
Chair and Graeme Beckett as Secretary.
-
INTRODUCTIONS
Board members present:
Christopher Cope (bz787), President/chair
Gary Eikenberry (aa353) 1st Vice-president
Graeme Beckett (aw958) Secretary
Alan McRae (fl334) Treasurer
Amy Yee (fp017)
Don Francis (ba990)
Mark Mielke (al278)
Jim Nubel (fm776)
Doug Hull (aa800)
Regrets:
Peter McKinnon (fr198)
NCF Management/Staff present:
Rowland Few (fp085), Executive Director
Once around the table . . .
Informal pre-meeting conversation, with Directors taking turn
offering personal views and commentary on interesting things
that might not make it to the Agenda.
- CONFIRMATION OF QUORUM
Quorum was confirmed.
-
REVIEW OF THE AGENDA
(see
draft agenda)
The agenda was adopted with the addition of the 2010 AGM
discussion.
MOTION: That the agenda be adopted as revised.
Moved by: Mark Mielke (al278)
Seconded by: Alan McRae (fl334) Treasurer
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried.
-
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
(see
minutes of prior month)
MOTION: Accept the minutes of the March 2009
meeting as presented.
Moved by: Gary Eikenberry (aa353)
Seconded by: Jim Nubel (fm776)
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried.
-
ONGOING BUSINESS
- None
-
REPORTS
-
Executive Director's Report
(see
accompanying report)
Of note:
Financials (July - September)
- Net income -$1,180
-
Donations from dial-up 3k above target but with 6%
downward trend
- DSL subscription margin 7k below target for the
period
- DSL hardware margin 1k above target
- Marketing expense $0 for quarter
DSL
- DSL users increasing by 20 to 30 a
month
- 2,300 DSL users at end of period
Infrastructure:
- New web hosting server operational
- New Back-up server with PC Cyber - Operational October
09
- New dial-up lines:
VPOP successfully tested
Operational Fall/Winter
- Architecture review continues:
Redundancy
Server lifecycle
Staffing/Volunteers
- Front line support
team in place
- New volunteer for Monday PM – in training
- Thank you to Adam Hunt:
For providing Freeware/Open Source SW
on CD for members visiting the office
Covers browser, anti-virus, desktop
and Linux
- Thank you to NCF development community:
Supported VPOP testing
Marketing
- Improve support and meet with Ottawa Public Library in
October
- NCF interview with 24hr paper - mission to tackle the
digital divide
- Metrics:
Dial-up membership down 12% yr/yr
DSL membership up 20% yr/yr
- Survey summary:
153 members volunteered a response in
past 12mths
Appreciate local support
Improve community
outreach/awareness
- Work with Marketing committee:
Tell a friend
Community outreach
New Initiatives:
- Network hardware:
New Gateway server for
redundancy: Winter 2009
- New Dialup lines:
Fall roll-out to
members
Opportunity to reduce costs
- Carleton Upgrades:
Final move in November 09
- New Web mail:
Team to select new service and trial:
Winter 2009
- New conferencing service for Organizational
accounts:
Open Source project Big Blue
Button
NCF development community to be asked
to field trial system
MOTION: To receive the Executive Director's
report.
Moved by: Doug Hull (aa800)
Seconded by: Amy Yee (fp017)
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried
-
Treasurer's Report and
financial statements
Variances to date were minimal in expenses and
income. The Treasurer plans to distribute to the Board,
activity breakdown statements including a summary of
revenue and expenses and a summarized balance
sheet.
MOTION: To receive the Treasurer's report.
Moved by: Don Francis (ba990)
Seconded by: Graeme Beckett (aw958)
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried
- Report of Executive Committee (Chris Cope)
The Executive Committee met on August 24th and
October 15th. Items of discussions included:
- Hardware
- strategies moving forward
- UBB - Usage based billing (about 100 members
affected)
- Upcoming HST (Harmonized sales
tax)
- Impending changes to the Federal Corporations Act.
- Disillusion - costs vary through the time of year
- Cash flow - in regards to next year's budget
- Discussion on the random 150 member survey -
lots of seniors and low income
- The future of
wireless
MOTION: To receive the Executive Committee report.
Moved by: Jim Nubel (fm776)
Seconded by: Amy Yee (fp017)
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried
- Report of Strategic Planning Committee (Jim
Nubel)
Although the Strategic Planning Committee did not
meet as a whole, Jim Nubel did have discussions with the
Executive Director.
-
NEW BUSINESS
- Discussion of 2010 budget (Alan McRae and
Rowland Few)
The 2010 budget is expected to be available in
early January. The Executive Director will distribute the
proposed budget in advance of the upcoming Board meeting.
- Discussion of 2009 NCF end of year dinner and
social
The year end dinner will take place on Tuesday
December 15. Don will arrange the venue and Chris will do
the mail-out.
- 2010 AGM Discussion
Five seats on the board are open to elections this
year. The board members who's terms expire include
Alan, Don, Gary and Chris. A nominating committee was
formed and will have a preliminary report back to the board
at the January meeting. The AGM Chair was also
appointed.
MOTION: To appoint Graeme Beckett as AGM chair and
to create a Nominating Committee consisting of Doug Hull,
Amy Yee, and Rowland Few.
Moved by: Jim Nubel (fm776)
Seconded by: Gary Eikenberry (aa353)
VOTE: All in favor.
VOTE: Carried.
-
ANNOUNCEMENTS
None
-
NEXT MEETING
January 19, 2010, at 7 p.m.
Suite 302, Trailhead Building
1960 Scott Street
-
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
