Minutes for the regular National Finance Committee meeting May 10, 2011.<br />
<br />
Meeting convened at 8:37 PM (ET) a quorum being present, the Chair being<br />
absent and the Secretary being present.<br />
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Attending: Ken Aaron, Jim Boyd, Bill Crosier, Campbell Johnson, Kim<br />
Kaufman, R. Paul Martin, Tracy Rosenberg, Barbara Whipperman, Lavarn<br />
Williams, Bruce Wolf, also attending was Executive Director Arlene<br />
Englehardt.<br />
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Agenda:<br />
<br />
1. Approve Minutes of April 26th<br />
<br />
2. Approve Agenda<br />
<br />
3. WPFW Business Manager has access problem<br />
<br />
4. WPFW time table to move accelerated.<br />
<br />
5. Midyear Budget Reviews - KPFK, KPFA<br />
<br />
6. Discussion re Executive Session<br />
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<br />
Ken Aaron took the Chair pro tem without objection.<br />
<br />
Motion: (Ken Aaron) "To approve the agenda." (Passed without objection)<br />
<br />
Tracy Rosenberg joined the meeting and took the Chair at 8:41 PM (ET).<br />
<br />
The committee briefly discussed which stations would report. The Executive<br />
Director told the committee that it would have to take a hard look at the<br />
cash flow statements when we get them.<br />
<br />
Approve Minutes of April 26th 8:51 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
Motion: "To approve the minutes of the April 26, 2011, NFC meeting."<br />
(Passed without objection as amended)<br />
<br />
It as noted that the WPFW Business manager, not the General Manager had<br />
trouble accessing the financial software, and that KPFT was letting KTRU<br />
using their HD-2 channel, not their HD-1 channel. The corrections were<br />
accepted.<br />
<br />
WPFW Business Manager has access problem 8:53 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
It was reported that the WPFW Business Manager was having trouble<br />
accessing the Great Plains software and so can't generate financial<br />
reports. The committee discussed this problem. Other stations reported a<br />
similar problem. The CFO said that there had been a problem with the FSRX<br />
report writing software because a Business Manager had changed the<br />
formatting, so to avoid this happening again the Business Managers were<br />
being locked out of the software. There are training sessions on the FSRX<br />
module before and after each meeting between the CFO and the Business<br />
Managers. The Chair said that the committee should revisit this item at<br />
the next meeting.<br />
<br />
WPFW time table to move accelerated 9:06 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
It was reported that WPFW is negotiating on properties, the WPFW General<br />
Manager has been on a trip around the country looking at other radio<br />
stations. A consultant is working with WPFW to look for sites. It was<br />
suggested that lobbying Congress might help restore some funding that has<br />
dried up. WPFW's lease expires at the end of November 2012, they are<br />
trying to leave their current site by July 2012. They are seeing if they<br />
can keep their antenna and transmitter at American University despite that<br />
organization's lead abatement program schedule being moved up by a year.<br />
WPFW is reaching out to major donors in an effort to fund the move. It's<br />
possible that the station might move to one space temporarily and then to<br />
another after the second one has been prepared.<br />
<br />
Midyear Budget Reviews - KPFA 9:28 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
The committee heard a report on KPFA's compliance with its FY11 budget at<br />
the mid-year mark. There were some questions with regard to some of the<br />
figures which seem to be small typos. The way to read variances was<br />
explained by the CFO. The issue of numbers being plugged into some parts<br />
of the budgets by the National Office was brought up. The CFO said that<br />
some adjustments had to be made and that the differences were minor, she<br />
asked that examples be sent to her.<br />
<br />
Discussion re Executive Session 10:01 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
The committee discussed when it was proper to go into executive session,<br />
what could be discussed at executive sessions, what could be said publicly<br />
about what had gone on at public sessions and how the committee should<br />
report out what had gone on in executive sessions. It was agreed that the<br />
discussion of the policy should happen in open session. It was agreed that<br />
when the committee goes into executive session that the last item of<br />
business of that executive session should be to decide what to report out<br />
on the executive session's activities.<br />
<br />
The committee discussed a proposal that will be voted on by the WBAI LSB<br />
that would allow non-LSB members of the WBAI Finance Committee to<br />
participate in executive sessions of that committee. The possibilities of<br />
lawsuits from disclosure of confidential information was discussed. The<br />
different structures of the various LSB's Finance Committees was<br />
discussed.<br />
<br />
Motion: (Tracy Rosenberg) "To adjourn." (passed without objection)<br />
<br />
Adjourned 10:54 PM (ET)<br />
<br />
Submitted by R. Paul Martin, Secretary<br />