NCF Board of Directors
Minutes of Meeting
May 18, 2015 

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

• Executive Director to review NCF's DSL subscriber packages. 
• Election of officers.
• DSL membership continues modest climb.

Minutes of a meeting of the Board of Directors

The meeting was called to order at 7:20 p.m. with Mike Kelly as Chair and Graeme Beckett as Secretary.

INTRODUCTIONS

Board members present:
Mike Kelly (fm342) Chair
Peter Chapman (fx720) 2nd Vice-Chair
Graeme Beckett (aw958) Secretary
Lynn LaHam (fy504) Treasurer
Christopher Cope (bz787)
Tom Moore (fw054)
Robert McRae (fy409)

Regrets:
Peter MacKinnon (fr198) 1st Vice-Chair
Phil Linttell (fx714)
Jennifer Barrigar (bc839)

NCF Management/Staff present:
Executive Director: Shelley Robinson

Guests:
Gary Eikenberry (aa353)
Jim Elder (aa456)

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.

1. Confirmation of Quorum
   
   Quorum was confirmed.
    
2. Review of the Agenda 
   
   MOTION: To accept agenda as circulated.
   Moved by: Christopher Cope (bz787)
   Seconded by: Lynn LaHam (fy504)
   VOTE: All in favor. 
   VOTE: Adopted
    
3. Review of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting
   
   MOTION: Motion to accept the minutes of March 17, 2015 as circulated.
   Moved by:  Christopher Cope (bz787)
   Seconded by: Tom Moore (fw054)
   VOTE: All in favor
   VOTE: Adopted
    
4. Ongoing Business 
    
   1. None
       
5. Reports  
    
   1. Executive Director's Report (Shelley Robinson)
      
      Shelley provided her report in advance of the meeting.
      
      Operations
      - A more equitable snowbird plan needs to be worked out, flat fee or plan based. 
      - DSL membership continues a modest but steady climb.
      - Formal policy on network upgrades implemented.
      - Shelley to meet with Ottawa based Bell DSL manager
      - Meeting arranged with Bell regarding Sagemcom issues and wholesale purchasing
      - Further work ongoing on internal modem tracking.
      
      Admin/Outreach
      - Change of NCF signing authorities underway. 
      - Awaiting property manager to sign lease.
      - Canada Summer Jobs hiring confirmed.
      - Lunch and Learn for volunteers planned for May.
      - Shelley met with the director of CIPPIC about possible future partnerships and funding.
      
      Marketing
      - Online ads - halted to gauge effect
          
      MOTION: To receive the Executive Director's Report
      Moved by: Tom Moore (fw054)
      Seconded by: Peter Chapman (fx720)
      VOTE All in favor.
      VOTE: Adopted
       
6. New Business
    
   1. Discussion on NCF's DSL Plans
      
      The Executive Director began the discussion by providing the Board with a breakdown on retail and wholesale DSL service costs and assorted fixed one-time costs for modems, installs and dry loop fees. Shelly Robinson with assistance from Jim Elder provided the operating cost per subscriber along with the usage costs per GiB during peak hours and per GiB per full day.
      
      Robert McRae provided feedback from one of our local user groups with specific concerns about a lack of a low priced entry level DSL plan and also the limited hours of office support. Shelley indicated during her ED report that providing Saturday office support might be workable. A low priced entry level plan had been discussed previously when NCF switched directly to Bell wholesale however the service costs, many of which are regulated by the CRTC, along with rapidly growing bandwidth consumption and associated fees plus NCF's own operating costs precludes a particularly low priced entry level package. Very low priced packages are typically offered only as a fixed term promotions.
      
      There was considerable discussion on NCF's DSL plans. The consensus was that the Executive Director would continue analyzing NCF's services and make recommendations on any new DSL plan(s) and possible changes to existing plans with an keen eye on NCF's 2015 budget. Jim Elder offered to assist with the data and analysis.
      
      In an addendum Graeme Beckett suggested a couple of avenues that the NCF could consider pursuing to reduce bandwidth costs.
       
   2. Election of Officers (Mike Kelly)
      
      MOTION: To appoint Chris Cope as Chair, Tom Moore as 1st Vice-Chair, Peter Chapman as 2nd Vice Chair, Graeme Beckett as Secretary and Lynn LaHam as Treasurer.
      Moved by:  Robert McRae (fy409)
      Seconded by: Mike Kelly (fm342)
      VOTE All in favor.
      VOTE: Adopted
      
      MOTION: To thank former Chair Mike Kelly and former 1st Vice-Chair Peter MacKinnon!
      Moved by:  Christopher Cope (bz787)
      Seconded by: Tom Moore (fw054)
      VOTE All in favor.
      VOTE: Adopted
      
      MOTION: To add Chris Cope as a signing officer for the NCF.
      Moved by:  Peter Chapman (fx720)
      Seconded by: Lynn LaHam (fy504)
      VOTE All in favor.
      VOTE: Adopted
       
7. Announcements
   
   Mike Kelly announced that he was resigning from the Board.
    
8. Date of Next Meeting
   
   The next regular meeting will be June 16, 2015,
   NCF Offices, Suite 206 Richmond Square, 1305 Richmond Rd.
    
9. Adjournment
   
   The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.