MO-RIVER.NET BOARD MINUTES |
DECEMBER 1997
NEXT MEETING: 10:30 a.m. Jan. 16 Boonslick Industries Meeting Room
Mo-River.Net Board of
Directors
December 12, 1998
Boonslick Industries Meeting Room
Board Members Present: Nick Clark, Art Schneider, Melanie Spencer, Harry Stone, Bill Sullivan, Ginger Wenger, Virginia Wessing, Tom White and Bill Wood.
Guests: Dave Oswald and Greg Gettings
Bill Wood opened the meeting at 10:30 a.m. He announced he would not be able to attend the January, February and March meetings and that Ginger Wenger, vice president, will be presiding in his absence..
No additional items were added to the agenda.
OLD BUSINESS
Minutes--The December minutes were approved as sent by e-mail.
Treasurer's Report--Art reported Boonslick Bank has become a corporate sponsor and Darin Johnston a new individual member. This brings corporate sponsorship to four and individual membership to 13.
501(c)(3)Application--Art requested authorization for an accounting firm to assist with the 501(c)(3) application. He also asked about a proposed budget for the application and an addition to the by-laws:"ARTICLE VI COMPENSATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS SECTION 1. No part of the income or property of the Corporation shall be distributable to the directors or officers of the Corporation, or to the members of the Corporation, is these Bylaws are subsequently amended to provide for members; except that payment of reasonable compensation for services actually rendered to the corporation, other than as a director, is authorized, if approved by the board of directors. Distribution of income or property of the corporation, upon dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation, shall be made for purposes exempt, under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code as now existing or hereafter amended."
After discussion he moved for authorization to proceed on the application and budget and to have the by-laws amended. Nick Clark seconded. Unanimously approved.
Budget to be submitted with 501(C)(3) application is:
July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998
Income (memberships and grants) $1300 Expenses
Incorporation $25 Fundraising/Printing/ Promotion $200 CIN
Conference $200 Software $300
Accounting/Banking Expenses $350 Contingency $225
July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999
Income (Membership and Grants) $6810 Expenses
Fundraising/Printing/ Promotion $400 CIN Conference $400 Software
$500 Accounting/Banking Expenses $200
Public Access Stations/Phone Lines/Internet Access
(1 site per county) $4220
Stipend Volunteer to coordinate $720 Training (General Public)
$320 Contingency $500
July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000
Income (Membership and Grants) $13300 Expenses
Fundraising/Printing/ Promotion $400 CIN Conference $500 Software
$500 Accounting/Banking Expenses $300
Public Access Stations/Phone Lines/Internet Access
(1 site per county) $8400
Stipend Volunteer to coordinate $1440 Training (General Public)
$1260 Contingency $500
NEW BUSINESS
Employer Identification Number--Art reported that Mo-River.Net has received an employer identification number from the IRS.
Sales Tax Exemption--Art reported that until a 501(C)(3) status ID is acquired, Mo-River.Net is not eligible for a sales tax exemption.
Promotion Campaign--Bill had asked Greg Gettings, superintendent of schools for the Boonville School District, to attend. Earlier, Bill had talked with him about the school assisting in the Mo-River.Net effort.
Greg Gettings reported that the district had received a $35,000 grant to bring Internet access to the two elementary and middle schools. By spring, he hopes the schools' labs will be ready for access. The schools will be connected to the Vo-Tech Center via a wireless connection. Signals will go between the Vo-Tech and Laura Sped Elliott and then to the two elementary schools. He indicated a willingness for Mo-River.Net to utilize the labs for educational programs on how to use the Internet and possibly for developing information stores.
Art reported that one of Debbie Arnold's classes at Boonville High School is developing a number of web pages for Mo-River.Net and also is keystroking some information. The semester end in mid-January and the material should then be ready for placement on Mo-River.Net.
Greg said John Sponaugle would be our contact at the Vo-Tech Center if we would like to use the center.
Art Schneider reported he had contacted Mid-Missouri Printing on the cost of sheets approximately 24 inches wide and 12 inches high to post in local retail and commercial outlets. Cost would be about $100 for one-color.
Consensus discussion was that Mo-River.Net needed to be widely promoted and that there was a need for both a Promotions Committee to develop a strategy and a Design Committee to develop materials.
PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE: Bill appointed an ad hoc Promotions Committee to be chaired by Nick Clark and composed of Bill Sullivan;, Jene Crook and Jeff Maddy.
DESIGN COMMITTEE: Bill Wood appointed Ginger Wenger to chair and Tim Nadeau to a design committee for promotional materials.
STRATEGIC PLANNING REPORT--Nick Clark reported that he felt the day-long process in November was successful and laid the groundwork for future strategic planning. He believes this will be particularly valuable as efforts are made to secure grants and other funding. He will prepare a list of action items from the planning meeting and ask the board to rank first, second and third priorities for the next six to ten months. Nick believes this also may be a step in attracting Gates Library Funding.
This led to inclusion of the next item on the agenda, Kellogg Meeting--Bob Hodge, a physician in charge of evaluating the medical aspect of the tele-medicine project between UMC and ten outlying hospitals--including Cooper County Memorial Hospital, learned of a Managing Information With Rural America RFP (Request for Proposal) due near the end of December. The grant is to assist rural people to use information technologies as a tool to meet current and future needs.
The initial effort requires Clusters of Community Teams. This would then lead to the development of Community Support and Policy Support Organizations. The initial teams selected would receive $15,000 to build capacity. The teams would then receive $50,000 for team workshops and up to $150,000 (ten $15,000 grants) to implement proposals by community teams. (Up to one-third could be used for equipment.)
To submit a request requires a 501(C)(3). The meeting in Columbia included--from Mo-River.Net--Nick Clark, Art Schneider, Linda Allcorn, Tom White--representatives from the tele-medicine project and from Macon County, a second site of the tele-medicine project. Macon and Boonville would file a joint proposal. The board expressed interest in participating. Bill Wood, Ginger Wenger and Tom White were appointed by Bill to serve as a core group for Mo-River.Net in the process.
Calendar Program--Mark left word with Art that he has not found an Internet calendar program with which he is satisfied.
Meeting adjourned at 12:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Art Schneider
Secretary/Treasurer