The American Council of the Blind (ACB) Board of Directors met by conference call on Monday and Tuesday, December 8 and 9, 2014.
December 8, 2014
President Kim Charlson called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. central time on Monday, December 8. At the call of the roll, the following board members were present: Kim Charlson, Jeff Thom, Marlaina Lieberg, Ray Campbell, Carla Ruschival, Mitch Pomerantz, Berl Colley, Katie Frederick, Michael Garrett, George Holliday, John McCann, Allan Peterson, Patrick Sheehan, Dan Spoone and David Trott. Board member Sara Conrad was absent. Board of Publications Representative Denise Colley was present. Staff present: Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, and Lane Waters, ACB Controller.
President Charlson reviewed the agenda. Melanie Brunson requested that a brief Executive Session be added to discuss a legal matter. Pomerantz moved and McCann seconded adoption of the agenda as amended, the motion carried.
The minutes of the November 13 board meeting were presented by ACB Secretary Ray Campbell. He indicated that all corrections requested have been incorporated. Lieberg moved and Peterson seconded adoption of the November 13 minutes as corrected, the motion carried.
ACB Treasurer Carla Ruschival briefly discussed preliminary numbers from the ACB Radio Holiday Auction. She indicated that while monies are still coming in, it looks like we will do quite well. A number of ideas and thoughts about the auction were discussed.
Carla and ACB Controller Lane Waters began presenting the proposed 2015 ACB Budget to the board. Lane summarized some changes in how items are being presented and how allocations are shown in the document. He also discussed steps being taken, shown in the budget, to reduce ACB’s budget deficit to under $50,000 by the end of 2016. Carla and Lane then went through the revenue side of the proposed budget with the board. The following changes were agreed to by consensus:
- Remove the Internet Contributions ACB Radio line item and roll those into the Internet Contributions line item.
- Increase the Advisory Board Gifts line item from $4,800 to $5,000.
- Decrease the New Event fundraiser line item from $5,000 to $3,000.
- Increase the ACB Holiday Auction line item from $5,000 to $7,000.
McCann moved and Lieberg seconded that the board go into Executive Session to discuss a legal matter. The motion carried, and the board went into Executive Session at 9:06 p.m. central time.
The board returned to open session at 9:29 p.m. central time. President Charlson reported that the following motion was adopted: Lieberg moved and Holliday seconded that ACB join with Eric Bridges as a plaintiff in potential litigation against District of Columbia taxi companies for documented incidents of discrimination against individuals with guide dogs.
Lieberg moved and McCann seconded that the meeting be recessed until Tuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. central time. The motion carried, and the meeting recessed at 9:30 p.m. central time.
December 9, 2014
President Charlson reconvened the meeting at 7:05 p.m. central time on Tuesday, December 9. At the call of the roll, the following board members were present: Kim Charlson, Jeff Thom, Marlaina Lieberg, Ray Campbell, Carla Ruschival, Mitch Pomerantz, Berl Colley, Katie Frederick, Michael Garrett, George Holliday, Allan Peterson, Patrick Sheehan, Dan Spoone and David Trott. Board member Sara Conrad was absent. Board member John McCann joined the meeting shortly after roll call. Board of Publications Representative Denise Colley was present. Staff present: Melanie Brunson, ACB Executive Director, and Lane Waters, ACB Controller.
Lane briefly discussed and answered questions on the balance sheet sent out earlier in the day to the board. He and ACB Treasurer Carla Ruschival led the board through discussion of the expense side of the 2015 ACB Proposed budget. The following changes were adopted by motion:
- Pomerantz moved and Lieberg seconded increasing the development services line item from $21,000 to $24,000. The motion carried.
- Pomerantz moved and Campbell seconded increasing the World Blind Union (WBU) line item from $2,000 to $3,000. The motion carried.
- Thom moved and Campbell seconded increasing the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) line item from $3,000 to $4,000. The motion carried.
- Thom moved and McCann seconded increasing the Insurance – General Liability line item to $3,800 and the Insurance – Officers and Directors line item to $7,500. The motion carried.
- Campbell moved and Lieberg seconded increasing the ACB Radio line item to $30,600. The motion carried.
- Campbell moved and Lieberg seconded that a new expense line item called “Holiday Auction” be added, with a 2015 budgeted amount of$600. The motion carried.
- Spoone moved and Pomerantz seconded that we increase the Buehl fund line item to $3,500. The motion carried.
- Thom moved and Campbell seconded increasing the Sponsor Subsidy line item from $-2,500 to $-5,000. The motion carried.
Lieberg moved and McCann seconded adoption of the revenue side of the 2015 ACB Budget, totaling $1,040,115. The motion carried.
McCann moved and Frederick seconded adoption of the expense side of the 2015 ACB Budget, totaling $1,358,869. The motion carried.
McCann moved and Lieberg seconded adoption of the 2015 ACB Budget in aggregate. The motion carried.
There being no further business, Pomerantz moved and McCann seconded that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 9:37 p.m. central time.
Ray Campbell,
Secretary
Date submitted: 12/29/2014
Date approved: 2/21/2015