Board Minutes March 2010

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Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society

Meeting Minutes: March 5, 2010

Attending

Derek, Jason, Neil, Michael, Sharon, Lauren, Keegan, Chris, David (non-voting)

Regrets

Bill

Task Items

  • Lauren will contact Jim to submit time sheets, will write up job postings based on grant proposals by March 8th.
  • Sharon will help Chris finish up the AHC report, and investigate conference call
  • Neil will email Velo committee about additional funding requested
  • Michael will contact charity wanting bikes donated
  • Lauren, Michael and Chris will meet as ad hoc committee about staff /volunteer training.


Called to Order at 6:20

Approval of Agenda

  • Sharon, Jason

Approval of Minutes

  • not done. Everyone is to have the minutes from the February and March minutes done by the April meeting so we can approve them

Acting Executive Director Report (Chris Chan)

  • We need to submit Jim’s time sheets in order finish reporting for the AHC grant. Lauren will contact Jim to submit time sheets.
  • Met with Alex and Esjay (paid mechanics). Staff had no concerns to bring forth. Both will handle some emails coming in and post events to website and Google Calendar.
    • Alex has created a schedule of supplementary courses and events that will take place on Thursday nights from March 11th until at least the end of April.
    • He will post them on the website. They are up on Google Wave for the Board to view. Some examples are bike maintenance, wheel care, etc.
    • Discussion: Should we send out a press release for the first event? Michael will write a press release and the Board decides it is an Executive decision if Chris wants to market the event as such or not.
  • Summer Hours- start full time May 1. With any media or advertising we

should indicate that people should check our website for our update hours.

  • CSL students
  • Grants- Lauren will write up job postings based on grant proposals. Sharon will help Chris finish up the AHC report
  • TRPAC meeting coming up March 15th in the evening Chris will be attending
  • Job postings- Chris will ask people to post on Google Wave once they have been written up. Possible to post on the U of A CAPS job postings. It costs $50 for registered charities.
  • Donations of bikes to other organizations- Someone contacted us about donating bikes to a church to put in a shipping container and be sent overseas. Possible we could donate the ones that we would normally scrap metal.Sharon and Jason- we should focus on here.Michael- we should deal with this on a case by case basis and leave it up to staff discretion.Chris- doesn’t want it to be an unsustainable project. Michael will follow up with

contact person from the charity and we can look at donating older bikes that we would likely recycle.

  • ABA (ab bicycle association) committee seat is available to us and on March 9th at 6:30 pm there will be a conference call of the Rec and Transporation committee. Sharon will look into this to see if she is available to take part.

Financial report (Neil)

  • This month we got $10,000 from Action for Healthy Communities so our shortfall then became $15, 000, which is good considering that we do not have a casino this year. We have some flexibility when it comes to hiring new staff. Extra money that Bike Month has asked for can feasibly be spent.
  • Neil: The request from the VELO committee came after budgeting $4000. They are now asking for $6000 total. Neil proposes we give them $4000 because this is what was budgeted.
  • Derek: the additional funding would be used for the Cyclovia event. They will close down the streets and have it only open to bikes and pedestrians.
  • Discussion: What is the overall vision of Cycovia and how is this extra money going to increase and/or benefit cycling in Edmonton? Ask them to present at next board meeting. Board members would like the proposal to be more clear. Neil will send them questions over email about this and we will vote on additional funding over and above the 4000 by the next meeting.

Update on action items

  • HR Committee (discussion of the role of project manager (sub-committee))-
  • NOTE: The staff grant proposals are on Wave
  • The sub committee decided on two staff members (Project Coordinator and Summer Programs Director) with the possibility of a third person who would be the Outreach Coordinator .
  • Discussion: The overall vision for this structure is that the paid staff will recruit volunteer mechanics and train them so that they will be able to run the shop.
  • Coreen and Keith- concerned about not having full time staff in summer because of high volume and lack of the necessary mechanical skill of volunteers.
  • Chris- In response to this concern- the Outreach Coordinator position would help. with this. We need to change our pattern of moving from summer to summer where the power and knowledge lies with some staff versus many volunteers. They need to be trained and empowered to help this organization.
  • Michael- There are ways to tweak what we are looking for when we hire ex. “Technical experience is an asset”. Our current cycle is not sustainable and we need to look long term. We should make our mandate known that we are 100% volunteer run and lay out the expectations people should have when coming to the shop.

Overall thoughts from the board

  • We need to emphasize community environment.
  • Sustainability is a huge factor influencing this move
  • We need to come up with a training system for the new staff and volunteers so that they can sustain the service and move EBC forward.
  • Ad hoc committee created to plan training of new staff and volunteers and to create a volunteer process:
  • Membership is Lauren, Michael, and Chris. Coreen and Keith wish to be kept in the loop. Erich was nominated by the other board members to help out with this committee.

Grant Proposals- see ED report for STEP and federal applications

  • Access and Activity grant proposal submitted on March 3rd 2010 by Derek for $8050 for the Bicycle Rental Program. We should hear within 10 weeks. The Board discussed helmets and agreed that we will not force people to rent them but will make them available for free with a bike rental. We can talk to MEC separately to buy a few helmets for the program.

Neil- submitted a STEP proposal as well so he will pull his because it’s a duplicate.

  • Charitable status info session (Neil) No additional information at this time

Community events

  • Upcoming:
    • Heritage Days- Chris will contact Jack Little with Heritage Festival, He is ok with EBC offering mechanic and bike services although still their racks.
    • Grant MacEwan sustainability week- Wednesday March 9th and 10th. – Keegan and Chris can be there. EBC will have a table and one hour workshops both days. Volunteers are need if possible.
  • Past:
    • Faculty of extension tabled at university farm March 3 for office ECO carnival and it was very effective for us. The light bike worked! Lunch hour basic course possible- getting in touch with Chris in the future
    • Bike lights workshop went well with 15 people in attendance. Smaller workshops are to come.

Newsletter (Keegan’s report attached)

Next meeting date

  • April 1 6:00. Lauren will bring food