On the mild early summer evening of June 27th, the KZYX Board of Directors met at Anderson Valley High School. Approximately 15 people attended including four members of the Community Advisory Board (CAB). Excepting newly elected Director, John Azzaro, all Board members were present.
In the few minutes before I arrived the Board noted that the minutes to the March 7th meeting had not been approved at its previous meeting and Board President, Meg Courtney, made a motion to approve the minutes of both meetings which was agreed upon by the other members.
Upon arriving, I had been told by facilitator and Director Jenness Hartley, that the meeting had just begun but was not informed that the minutes had been approved. I requested that the minutes to the March 7th meeting be amended to correct the misstatement which read “a reporter and a candidate interrupted frequently and claimed the Board President was not following clear procedures.” I reminded the Board that I had called a point of process and was recognized to speak when I pointed out the lack of consistency in agenda protocol. I wished the minutes to reflect that President Courtney had agreed that the agenda had been “fluid” under past and present Board Presidents and made a commitment to stabilize the agenda format. It was the same Director Courtney who was noted in the minutes of a March 2014 meeting, a full two years prior, as having stated that as a part of “improved meeting protocols,” the Board had adopted a standard format for their agenda.
As the past several meetings have been contentious regarding several members' comments as to how poorly the meetings had been conducted, followed by requests for acknowledgement of what rules were being used to run their public meetings, the current Board reaffirmed the decision of the 2002 Board to abide by Roberta's Rules of Order by Alice Collier Cochran. Members had the support of General Manager, Lorraine Dechter, in urging the Board to take action in this area.
Courtney described the rules as less formal, more feminine and more flexible than Robert's Rules of Order which she described as antiquated, dating back to the Civil War era. Motions and seconds to motions are out in favor of making proposals. Final decisions when consensus can not be reached will be decided by majority rule. The cover of Roberta's Rules depicts a gavel encircled with a slash line through it. Consequently, the gavel has been retired.
While stating that the rules do not address interaction with the public, Courtney answered affirmatively to Director Hartley's question of whether Public Comment was permitted on Action Items. In response to the question of whether a point of process or clarification could be called by the public, she stated that such specifics were not addresses in the new rules.
Courtney reported on the success of the house party in Willits in April for “large donors.” According to Director Futcher, $400 was raised. The Church of the Boogie Woogie event in June featuring Wendy DeWitt and Spencer Brewer was a rollicking good time for all, bringing in a similar amount of funds.
She noted the Fundraising and Membership Committee is meeting monthly as is the Executive Committee consisting of herself and Directors Futcher, Campbell and Hartley. The GM has also been invited to attend.
The Bylaws and Policy Committee, chaired by Campbell has been delayed in meeting due to Campbell's duties as Finance Chair and the demands of developing a budget for fiscal year (FY) 2016-17.
Director Benj Thomas requested that the Board be informed through Committee Reports at its public meetings.Matters from the Board
The Chair of the Audit Committee, Clay Eubank, stated that the same auditor that was used last year will be working again with the station's accountant. She believed her familiarity with the station's financial records will make the audit an easier process.
Director Jonathan Middlebrook helped Benj Thomas sort through personnel files at the station. He also tabled several times in front of his local market and did outreach to some “disaffected” community members resulting in what he determined to be moderate success.
Director Hartley chairs the Frequently Asked Questions Committee. Questions about the station will be solicited from the public, answered and put on the station's website. She plans to have a meeting in late July.
Board member, Futcher announced that a house party in Ukiah is planned for August 28th with friends of Director Ed Keller. Another party is scheduled in October for Fort Bragg.
As Chair of the Personnel Committee, Futcher stated that work is being done to create a “360 review” of the GM's performance. Asked for clarification, she explained the process will include interviews with colleagues as a way of getting feedback to the GM from staff. The same process may be used in staff evaluations. The Board is responsible for evaluating the GM while the GM evaluates staff.
(To Be Continued)
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