MO-RIVER.NET BOARD MINUTES |
August 20, 1999
Keller Memorial Hospital
Fayette, MO.
Board Members Attending: Jene Crook, Art Schneider, Darin Starr, Bill Sullivan, JoAnn Sullivan, Marty Tichenor and Bill Wood.
Call to Order: Darin Starr called the meeting to order at 10:45 a.m.
Minutes: Bill Sullivan moved and Jene Crook seconded that the June and July minutes be approved as distributed.
Treasurer’s Report: Art Schneider reported the treasury has $845.55. JoAnn Sullivan moved and Jene Crook seconded that the treasurer's report be accepted.
Election of Officers: Harry Stone moved Darin Starr be re-elected president. Bill Wood moved the nomination by accepted by acclamation. Unanimously approved. Art Schneider nominated Jene Crook for vice president and Harry Stone nominated JoAnn Sullivan and after brief discussion a secret ballot was held in which board members voted for one for vice president and one for secretary-treasurer. JoAnn Sullivan was elected vice president and Jene Crook secretary-treasurer.
Checking Account: Jene Crook moved that the Mo-River.Net checking account be transferred to Marshall so she could conveniently make deposits and withdrawals. Bill Sullivan seconded and motion passed.
Calendar: As word has not been received from Mark Eslick on a calendar for Mo-River.Net. It was tabled until next month.
Missouri Association of Community Information Networks: Bill Sullivan, JoAnn Sullivan and Darin Starr attended. Bill Sullivan reported he was "impressed by the lack of progress Missouri Express CINs had made" and he raised concerns that the money was "squandered." He said not a single Missouri Express site in Missouri has one-tenth of what Mo-River.Net has on it. "I was appalled at the poverty of the other sites compared to Mo-River.Net."Missouri Association of Community Information Networks:
Darin Starr said technology expansion has been the focus of most CINs, not content. He noted some do have calendars, but they are underutilized. Darin suggested it is hard to compare CINs because of the different emphases. Only two CINs in Missouri are not Mo-River.Net projects. Darin said he expects the Missouri Association of Community Information Networks (MACINs) will emphasize building content and services in the future.
Harry Stone said that some CINs have to deal with a large number of phone services and this had impeded progress in some areas.
Darin said he thinks content should be first priority and attractiveness secondary. He said that the purpose of the legislation in the future will be to build content and the question becomes how we might tap into those funds.
Bill Sullivan advocated making contact with legislators to assure this happens.
JoAnn Sullivan suggested Mo-River.Net visit with Mark Eslick, Unlimited Data owner, to discuss future needs for the system.
Bill Sullivan said he had some negative concerns about MACIN as the meeting progressed, suggesting the members were there largely to find ways to tap into public coffers rather than building partnerships with private constituencies as well.
Asked about MACIN board members, Darin said most were from MoreNet, Missouri Express and MU, not operators of CINs in communities.
Community Connection also was discussed. Mo-River.Net attendees expressed a concern that Community Connection was pushed as being the best example of community networks. One delegate noted that "they just emphasized tax dollars. They were blind to private partnerships. They like the government dollar."
Overall there will be an effort to secure $2.5 million, $2 million to expand and $500,000 to sustain Community Connection.
Harry Stone asked if the MACIN people listened to Mo-River.Net delegates. He was told they listened, but were not inclined to consider Mo-River.Net suggestions.
Darin noted that originally Mo-River.Net was not listed among MACINs and that this was pointed out to the delegates. It was suggested in the discussion that Mo-River.Net was not included because it did not get Missouri Express money.
Harry Stone expressed concern about the quality of Community Connection searches and Marty Tichenor said the options for listing were limiting and did not adequately cover the possibilities.
JoAnn Sullivan said it appeared to her that the executive board, while asking for input on priorities for state funding, "they wrote it (the proposal) like they wanted to. They did not seem to change it very much" after input was received.
Promotional Ads: JoAnn Sullivan said Classic Cable has an offer that it will do 30-second slots for not-for-profits for $250 in production costs. There would be no costs for airing the commercials. The ads would be locally run on CNN, Fox and other stations. She will investigate whether Classic would do the tape and make copies for use at other cable stations and see if Classic Cable holds a copyright on the tapes. She also was asked to get a list of communities in Mo-River.Net served by Classic Cable.
New York Company: Darin noted that a New York company offered to list the Mo-River.Net home page for $60 a year and $10 renewable to an audience that serves 300,000 in New York. Board agreed not to pursue this. New York Company:
Mo-River.Net URL on Stationary: Bill Wood suggested that companies and organizations in the three-county area be asked to put the Mo-River.Net logo and URL on their stationary as a way to promote our CIN. It was also suggested that Arrow Rock tourism people be asked to include Mo-River.Net in their brochures.
Australian Contact: Bill Wood reported that he had received contact from an Australian who had found the Mo-River.Net site.
Banner: Art Schneider said he had contacted Sheri Tinsley and she will make another banner without cost to Mo-River.Net. It is uncertain when it will be completed, but it is expected in the near future (before the next board meeting).
Missouri Division of Tourism: JoAnn Sullivan asked if Mo-River.Net was linked to the Missouri Division of Tourism. Board members did not know.
Heritage Days: Harry Stone suggested that the board consider having its own booth at Boonville Heritage Days next year.
Noting Location and Names of County Seats for Cooper, Howard and Saline Counties on Logo: Bill Sullivan requested the board consider this logo change. Darin Starr will check into the possibility and draft a sample for the next board meeting. Marty Tichenor moved and JoAnn Sullivan seconded that action be tabled until the sample is seen at the next meeting. This would apply to the logo on the home page and on the brochures. Unanimously approved.
Meeting adjourned at 12:01 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Art Schneider
Retired Secretary-Treasurer
Updated 03/16/08