Minutes for the regular National Finance Committee meeting December 15, 2009.

Meeting convened at 8:38 PM (ET) a quorum being present, the Chair and Secretary being present.
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Attending: Sherry Gendelman, Luzette King, Alberto Luera, Simon Pius, R. Paul Martin, Jamie Ross, Lavarn Williams, Susan Young, also attending were Executive Director Arlene Engleheart, Grigsby Hubbard interim General Manager of WPFW and Director Nia Bediako.
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Agenda:

1. Budget monitoring motion
2. WBAI fulfillment
3. Budget adoption schedule
4. WPFW budget
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Motion: (Jamie Ross) “To adopt the agenda” (Passed without objection)

Budget monitoring motion 2045

Motion: (Susan Young) “The National Finance Committee recommends that the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer put in place a schedule of reporting to the Board and National Finance Committee or other appropriate committee regarding meeting budgeted cost and revenue goals for all Pacifica divisions and the implementation of contingency measures as they are needed.” (Passed without objection)

WBAI fulfillment 9:00 PM (ET)

CFO Lavarn Williams reported that after its recent on-air fund raiser WBAI’s fulfillment rate had not increased. Upon investigation, with the help of Susan Lee, she found that WBAI’s business reply envelopes had the wrong ZIP code on them, and there were mistakes on the invoices. She reported that a new P.O. Box had been opened two years ago, but the old one had not been closed. The new P.O. Box rent had not paid, the old one had been paid. Over one thousand pieces of mail have been there sitting there since at least October 15. The old box had forwarded mail to the new box, but new P.O. Box account hadn’t been paid. She wants to pay for it all. It will cost about $485. The imprint will cost about $4,000. That’ll get us the mail. After that the old P.O. Box will be closed.

The committee discussed this report.

Budget adoption schedule 9:21 PM (ET)

Budgets were to have been adopted by October 1. The committee discussed the scheduling of the budgets. WPFW is the largest budget outstanding, with the National Office and Pacifica Radio Archives just waiting to drop in the numbers from the stations to complete their budgets.

The committee discussed its next meeting date. It was decided that January 5, 2010, would be the next meeting date.

WPFW budget 9:32 PM (ET)

The committee discussed the WPFW FY10 budget proposal with input from WPFW interim General Manager Grigsby Hubbard. He reported that Paid Staff will be held at the same 11.38 FTEs as in FY09. The station needs to relocate its antenna. Some of the GY09 actuals were not available.

Motion: (Jamie Ross) “The NFC recommends that the National Office use the current listener support numbers in the WPFW draft budget to complete the National Office, Pacifica Radio Archives and consolidated budgets.” (Passed without objection)

Motion: (Jamie Ross) “To adjourn.” (passed without objection)

Adjourned 10:31 PM (ET)

Submitted by R. Paul Martin, Secretary