Minutes for the regular National Finance Committee meeting March 12, 2013. Meeting convened at 8:37 PM (ET) a quorum being present, the Chair and Secretary being present. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attending: Jim Boyd, John Cromshow, Marcus Jetter, R. Paul Martin (Secretary), Tony Norman, Michael Novick, Tracy Rosenberg (Chair), Richard Uzzell, Barbara Whipperman. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agenda: 1. Roll Call 2. Approve agenda 3. Approve minutes 4. Orientation and Housekeeping - committee make-up/Yahoo Group/documents file/budgetary schedule/meeting schedule 5. Appoint/elect 2013 secretary 6. Appoint/elect 2013 chair 7. Requests for non-voting member status and/or guest privileges (2) 8. Review of preliminary consolidated financial statement 9. Work Plan re: quarterly monitoring, cash management, centralization, etc. until budgets kick in in June. 10. Policy re simulcasted programs and pledge handling 11. Archive issues (Brian DeShazor) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Motion: (R. Paul Martin) “To adopt the agenda.” (Passed without objection) Approve minutes 8:44 PM (ET) Motion: (Jim Boyd) “To approve the minutes of the February 19, 2013, meeting.” (passed 4 for, 0 against, 4 abstentions) Orientation and Housekeeping 8:48 PM (ET) The Chair explained the function of the committee, it’s mailing list and the long history contained in the E-mails and files posted on the committee’s Yahoo! group Web site. The Chair asked the Secretary to post the past year’s budget timeline to the committee’s mailing list. (This was done.) The committee discussed meeting dates. Appoint/elect 2013 secretary 8:57 PM (ET) Nominations were opened for the office of Secretary of the committee. John Cromshow nominated R. Paul Martin. R. Paul Martin accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations. R. Paul Martin was declared to have been elected Secretary by acclamation. Appoint/elect 2013 chair 8:59 PM (ET) Tracy Rosenberg stepped down from the chair for this agenda item. R. Paul Martin took the chair at 8:59 PM (ET). Jim Boyd nominated Tracy Rosenberg. Tracy Rosenberg accepted the nomination. There were no other nominations. Tracy Rosenberg was declared to have been elected Chair by acclamation. Tracy Rosenberg resumed the chair at 9:01 PM (ET). Requests for non-voting member status and/or guest privileges 9:01 PM (ET) The Chair told the committee that two Directors who are not members of the NFC had requested status as non-voting members of the committee. The committee discussed this. Motion: (John Cromshow) “The NFC welcomes participation by Directors as listening participants to both open and closed sessions of the NFC, but verbal participation would be limited to the members who have been elected to the NFC and the CFO.” (Passed 6 for, 3 against) It was agreed that draft agendas and approved minutes will henceforth be distributed by the Chair to any Directors who request them and the Chair will tell the two Directors who had requested observer status, and any other Directors, about this new policy so they can know about it. Review of preliminary consolidated financial statement 9:27 PM (ET) The Chair noted that there were some errors in the income statements. She suggested that at the next meeting the Treasurers should report on their station’s budget compliance. Committee members requested that we be sent spreadsheets by the National Office instead of Portable Document Files (.PDFs). Work Plan re: quarterly monitoring, cash management, centralization, etc. until budgets kick in in June 9:36 PM (ET) The committee discussed FY14 budget consideration and quarterly monitoring of the actuals vs. budgets for FY13. Adherence to the budget timeline was urged. Committee members voiced a desire to get more information from the National Office. The Chair suggested that the committee make a list of exactly what we want from the National Office. The Chair noted that the issue of centralization came up at the latest PNB meeting. There is a question of whether money would flow more smoothly within Pacifica if we had fewer banks and accounts to deal with. She suggested that the NFC could take up this issue. It was suggested that the NFC could play a role in getting the most pressing financial issues at each station posted on those stations’ Web sites. There was a discussion of lock boxes and it was brought up that some stations do not appear to be using them yet. The committee agreed to meet next on Tuesday, April 2, and then on Tuesday April 23. After that the committee will meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, with adjustments to the schedule as necessary. Policy re simulcasted programs and pledge handling 10:04 PM (ET) The Chair explained the issue of handling pledges during on-air fund raisers for programs that are being simulcast. She said that the committee should think about this issue for the future. Archive issues 10:06 PM (ET) The Chair informed the committee that Pacifica Radio Archives (PRA) Director Brian DeShazor wants to discuss the problem that PRA is having with income because stations aren’t making their “shared services” payments. He wants to make a recommendation to the NFC. The committee agreed to invite PRA Director Brian DeShazor to the April 2, meeting to make a presentation to the NFC. Adjourned 10:10 PM (ET) Submitted by R. Paul Martin, Secretary.