Board Minutes September 2015

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These minutes were approved at the October 2015 board meeting.

EBC Board Meeting Minutes for September 16, 2015

Board meetings are open to the EBC members and the public.

  • Location: Room 113, Education South, U of A
  • Start Time: 6:30pm

Please RSVP to [board@edmontonbikes.ca] if you plan on attending. Please include a brief summary of any agenda item you would like to table. Thank you!

Attendance

  • Meeting Chair: Adrian
  • Minute-taker: Geoff
  • Food by: Dan
  • Board attendance: Jon, Dan, Alexey, Adrian, Alex, Nancy, Geoff, Anna, Chris
  • Staff attendance: Chris, Coreen
  • Regrets: Rachel
  • Absent: none
  • Guests: none

Call to Order

  • Meeting called to order by Adrian at 6:40 pm.

Logistics for Next Meeting

Annual General Meeting

  • Date: Sunday October 4, 2015
  • Location: TBA
  • Chair: Jon
  • Minute-taker: Anna
  • Food by: TBA

Board Meeting

  • Date: TBD after general meeting
    • October 21 conflicts with the active transportation forum EBC is organising
  • Location: Room 113, Ed South, U of A
  • Chair:
  • Minute-taker:
  • Food by:

Approval of Agenda, Minutes, Reports (5 min)

  • Motion: To approve this September agenda, the August 2015 minutes, and reports as presented below. Moved by Jon . Seconded by Anna . Motion Carried.

President's Report - Jon

  • Letter From the President for Annual Report - DRAFT
  • Discussion:
    • Got lots of responses on what to include in the letter and it is longer than desired.
    • Jon would like any feedback on additions, deletions, etc.
    • Update on hiring progress for program coordinator.
    • 75% of the way through application for charitable status. Next steps to sit with Chris and Neil and fine tune things.

Treasurer's Report

  • Discussion:
    • Staffing costs up but sales up too.
    • Question about grants - down from last year. Not much in grants other than YCR2 so far. YCR2 will be funding for most of one of our staff positions.
    • Looking to see if Les is working / helping us get more grant revenue.

Executive Director's Report - Chris Chan

Policy Committee Report - Dan

  • August/September 2015
  • 1) Dan followed up with Chris Chan on the final few comments regarding the financial management policy. The policy version for board approval can be found here
  • 2) Dan met with Anna regarding existing committee Terms of Reference (TORs) for existing (and inactive) committees on September 9th. Dan is reaching out to the committee chairs through the rest of September to draft proper TORs for active EBC committees, with an emphasis on an active review and renewal process for those TORs. The following TORs need to be revisited or created: advocacy (Jonathan?), policy (Dan), HR (Nancy), executive (Jonathan), strategic planning (Alexey). Dan will make skeletons and meet with individual committee chairs.
  • 3) A start of a work plan for the Policy Committee for the remainder of 2015 and 2016 was developed. Some items include:
    • the initiation of a charter process better define the relationship between EBC, YCR2, and the Spoke.
    • creating a travel policy to ensure the safe and economical travel for EBC staff, board, and others on EBC-sponsored travel
    • amending the Spokesperson policy to reflect and encourage the delegation of spokesperson status to staff and key volunteers when appropriate.

Current & Completed Business

Updates on Action Items From Previous Meeting (5 min)

  • Everyone log your 2015 board volunteer hours for the past month.
  • Everyone sign reports that you have reviewed each month.
  • Committee Chairpersons to post all committee meetings to EBC calendar - public ones go on "EBC Events", other committee meetings go on "EBC Internal" calendar.
  • May 2015: Geoff, Nancy will draw up an Executive Director performance plan by June 30 2015.
  • May 2015: Dan, Anna, Rachel will review existing TOR and draft new TOR and Policies to clarify responsibilities and accountabilities for committees and board members by September 30 2015.
  • Jul 2015: Jon, Nancy, Anna, Chris Chan will meet to get an orientation and see if Asana can be used for board tasks/to do list too.
  • Aug 2015: Nancy will update the Strategic Plan doc with completed things and in progress things by Sept meeting.
  • Aug 2015: Neil will update draft budget with changes that we discussed and send us update to pass at Sept meeting.
  • Sep 2015: Jon to book a meeting with Anna, Neil to make adjustments to budget as discussed

COMPLETED

  • Jul 2015: Anna will investigate north side venues within the AGM budget line. Will update by August meeting.
  • Aug 2015: Jon and Nancy will sign and return copy to landlord by Sept 1.
  • Aug 2015: Anna will share HR folder of past bookkeeper.
  • Aug 2015: Nancy, Anna will work on wording for bylaw amendment to board term max for exec positions only. Tabled to 2016 AGM.
  • Jul 2015: Jon will connect with Janine and the bank to get clarity on accounts. Chris Ch will follow up with where YCR2 cheques are begin deposited.
  • May 2015: Jon, Neil will conduct a complete EBC Budget Review by September 30. The review should be conducted after EBC Charitable Status and BWN lease issues have been addressed.

Financial Management Policy (10 min) Dan

  • Motion: To approve policy as amended by comments. Moved by Dan, seconded by Jon. Motion Carried.
  • Action: Anna to post final policy to wiki.

Budget (10 min) Anna

  • Review updated draft 2015-6 Budget
  • Discussion:
    • fiscal year starts Sep 1 (already started)
    • increase budget for bookkeeping position
    • Bike builder position to go from April to August
    • our donations to other donations would be a max of $1000 vs previous $5000
    • put in room in budget for cost of living adjustments to wages
    • BikeWorks south and north have their own tabs, why not Spoke and YCR2?
      • currently confusing for program coordinators to know what they have available.
      • implementation by the new bookkeeper makes sense, but Neil knows best what is going on now
      • YCR2 should be straightforward - have own bank account - Should attribute revenue/grant separately
      • Spoke doesn't have revenues. Show show revenues and expenses on financial statements.
      • YCR2 has a lot of adapted bicycles - how should these be treated on balance sheet? Belong to rotary club because they funded? Or was this a donation so should they be on EBC balance sheet? Should have a sub-set of financials for YCR2 - will have a line item for almost every item
      • YCR2 - issue (assets) not new
      • separate tabs for BWN/S apply only to income statements, YCR2 probably need for balance sheet as well
      • try to change now, or start tracking this in the upcoming year?
      • might have to do it this year depending on what is asked for for charitable status application. But we can do this backwards and amend financial statements to do this. Have all the records. This would be Jon's recommendation. Rather split it out for 2015/16 fiscal year - not redo budget, just change what we do on financial statements/tracking for the upcoming year.
      • approving right budget for EBC, but not approving budget for YCR2 - they have assets, expected grant revenue
      • not going to have changes for our AGM - suggest leave budget as presented. Big discussion to be had about how programs fit in with EBC
      • tabs don't get presented at AGM anyway
      • using tabs as an internal tool - spoke and YCR2 see what is going on
      • we (Chris/staff) were already planning to develop budgets for the programs
    • AGM - work off budget that was approved at the last meeting

AGM Plans (10 min) Anna

  • AGM reports should be out 21 days in advance (Sunday Sept 13) for circulation to members. This will require internal board approval prior to Sept 13, which is before out Sept 16 board meeting.
  • Annual Report check-in on drafts so far...
  • Discussion notes:
    • Norwood booked 1pm-3pm - rental starts at noon. Need board members on site to set up, etc.
    • Anna will email out tasks, please sign up for them
    • Bylaw changes would be the only reason we'd need to alert 3 weeks in advance. Because there is no urgency to making the bylaw changes, we don't need to do this. But we should send the annual report soon to give people enough notice - we should have a deadline for finalizing report. suggest at least a week before the AGM (Sep 28).
    • Need notice at least 2 weeks in advance - the report can be available later
    • WHAT REMAINS - finalize proposed budget (minor changes), finalize president report, ED report
    • Anna suggests these reports be sent to board for approval by Sep 23rd
  • Action Items: Anna will share AGM task list. Everyone to sign up!

New Business

Round table on Board Involvement

  • Most excited about... / most challenged by...
  • Adrian
    • excited we have a lease on BWN and we don't have to concern ourselves for next three years
    • challenged - managing own time, and participating enough in board business
  • Dan
    • excited to see how charitable status changes things much / changes books/finances
    • challenged - getting process better for policy development - feedback, doing things in google docs
  • Alexey
    • exciting - how charitable status came into place / moving it forward
    • challenging - finding time in summer to keep up on ongoing business
  • Anna
    • exciting - see how the fairly different changes in last years budget have been implemented - hard to see impacts just within a year, but particularly with staff joining team - injection of new ideas, perspectives
    • challenging - squeaky wheel of the bunch - things discussed before, sounding like the grandmother "you don't know what's good for you" - seeing people drop out and remaining people saying they are time crunched
  • Jon
    • exciting - what this (charitable status app) has already delivered - excitement from YCR2 people and how we can work together - connection; Nathan taking on the spoke. See these programs are going to carry on into the future and get stronger. Stability for BWN and serving community. Excited about the board - great year but tough year - a real set of accomplishments under belt. For a board almost entirely new that is worthy of celebration, and 8 board members wanting to continue on into the next year.
    • challenges - need a treasurer, bookkeeper, financials in order, banking arrangements a challenge
  • Geoff
    • challenges - too many commitments, not enough time, what can commit to, getting to know the organization
    • excited - dropped other board, more time,
  • Chris Chan
    • exciting - new staff and changes it has meant, lots of progress, better connections with YCR2, progress on things we wanted to work on, work on longer term bigger picture projects not just day to day issues
    • challenges - managing additional staff and additional responsibilities along with the day to day issues
  • Coreen
    • great feedback on volunteers - better base of people at a high skill level than every before. Seeing shops being crushing busy and how much our services are needed and utilized, being able to focus a bit more with new staff
    • challenges - thieves! how do we spread the wealth of the organization in the community (earn a bike), and get more from the people than can afford it. Workload and busyness - some times 6 volunteers that know what they are doing is not enough
  • Nancy
    • exciting - how do we develop our group as a board - how do we as individuals get personal and professional growth in addition to all the great work we do for the organization
    • challenging - time commitments - how do we get a good strong board - more active process

ED quarterly meetings w staff (5 min) Chris

  • From Aug 2015 report: "Individual quarterly meeting completed with Coreen. Goals set." Jon requested details.
  • Discussion notes:
    • Goals were not 'to do' level, but higher level / larger projects;
    • BikeWorks - inventory (tracking,stocking,shrinkage) and labeling (bins, tools)
    • Ext - recruitment of volunteers, non-BikeWorks goals, arranging for interns in new year; establish partnerships for fundraising, developing budgets for programs, ready-to-fund project proposals

Casino Dec 30−31 (5 min) Jonathan/Chris

  • Determine responsibility for organizing Casino
  • Dan expressed interest in being key volunteer
  • Discussion notes:
    • what do we do for volunteers at these casinos?
    • Need to fill a number of key positions (6) full applications
    • Need another (15) volunteers
    • Have casino advisors booked, at Baccarat
    • suggestion: get signup sheet at AGM, try to book them all then - make an AGM agenda item
    • Hours are 10am to 3am, split into 3 shifts
  • Action Items: Anna will put on the AGM agenda.

Bookkeeper Job Posting (5 min) Jon

  • See description on EBC website: http://edmontonbikes.ca/job-opportunity-ebc-is-hiring-a-non-profit-bookkeeper/
  • Posting closes October 1, 2015
  • Submissions will be received at board google group.
  • Discussion notes:
    • Anna: Will HR Committee be taking lead to review applications, follow up with applicants, schedule interviews?
    • Application going to board email address, Jon will share good applications with the executive

Update on Security at Shops (10 min)

  • Discussion notes:
    • Break in at BWS. We only lost a bike, pieces of which came back to us, going through insurance
    • Ordered camera for BikeWorks south
    • BikeWorks north, someone cut power to the newly installed camera - fixed yesterday and routed cables through steel tubes
    • try to get on camera and turn over to police
    • can we communicate that if they need to fix a bike come over when we are open and we'll help you?
    • alarm DID go off when this happened
    • put brightly colored u-locks on bikes in the window
    • any thoughts on reflective film on window? Showing bikes in window has attracted customers
      • 3M makes a clear film you can put on glass, and the glass breaks but it doesn't give way. This was looked into when we did renovations. BUT ... they might not do it twice.
      • roller shutters? Got a quote on that and it was into 5 digits - negotiation with landlord?

AB Bike Commuters Conference - Nancy

  • Professional development budget - is there a practise of covering any expenses?
  • Chris: We don't have a policy
  • Anna: We have used that line item for staff training, and board facilitation - this is an optional thing, not something we are requiring a staff member to go
  • Jon: down the road, if our financial position returns to a surplus, we may want to have a conversation about what costs we might want to consider covering for networking purposes, etc.

Adjournment

  • Motion: To adjourn the meeting at 9:10 pm. Moved by Jon, seconded by Dan. Motion Carried.
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