Minutes of the September 26, 2016 Meeting of the Common Ground Board
Present: Frank Mitchell, Mike Doolittle, Bob Parker, Jane Lee, Monique Frasier, John Jessen, Kerry Lord
Staff: Joel Tolman, Rebecca Holcombe, Melissa Spear, Liz Cox,
Guests: Cornell Wright
Regrets: Wendy Battles, Claudia Merson, Beth Klingher
Welcome: After some congratulations on the Feast celebration and the construction progress, Melissa distributed COI forms for members to complete.
Minutes: John moved the motion to accept the minutes and Mike was the second. The members voted to accept the minutes of the June meeting.
Business Requiring Approval: Members reviewed the invoices from summer construction and John moved the motion to accept. Jane’s voice was the second on the motion. Members affirmed the payments.
September invoices included one from Shipman & Goodwin for $5984.00 for contract work on the renovation and solar panel leasing: Corporate Systems for $8400.00 for a 3 year lease for student laptops: Gray Organschi for $10, 424.02 for renovation services: Shea Electric $10, 550.00 for all renovation design build HVAC: Newfield $126,972.51 for building renovation through July 30: Performance Plumbing $91,710. 28 for HVAC:
Newfield $146, 138.14 construction/renovation through Aug 31:
NEWFIELD ? $346, 355.19 renovation thru Aug 31
$183, 925.57 Aug 31 Springside Building
Melissa quickly recapped the final details of the construction which include a review which will required a resolution accepting the completed product. There will be state forms to file, an audit, and the final release of funds.
Entrance to the old building is not finished, and there is a $30,000 grant to build an outdoor/field trip bathroom but there is a process. A number of projects have proceeded nicely because Steve from Newfield has been onsite. He will leave Sept 31. Bob made a motion to accept the current invoices and Jane was the second. The board approved the payments.
Melissa presented resolutions that needed board approval: First was a resolution to allow the signature of Performance Environmental monthly payment of checks over $5000 but not more than $7000 for the cleaning service:
A resolution for board approval of signature for checks to cover monthly health insurance premiums for $10,000 and not more than $30,000:
2 CDBG resolutions— one to accept $14,555 for School Garden Resource Center and another to accept $30,000 for field trip bathrooms: and a DEEP resolution supporting work on a pavilion.
Mike made a motion to accept the resolutions and Kerry’s voice was the second. The members approved the motion for monthly payments to health insurance, cleaning service, for CDBG funds, and DEEP sponsored site improvements.
School Program: Liz reminded the body that we started the school year in two new buildings and everyone is slowly feeling comfortable in both places. There were some new hires and surprising departures. There are 4 new teachers in the building and 200 students enrolled for the Oct 1 deadline. The entering class seems to be over 20% SPED so there is some need. Work has begun to interpret and respond to the Mastery test results. There was an end of summer some alignment intensive and there will be an increase in non fiction reading, a school wide approach to data interpretation, and mapping language convention skills to strengthen skills.
Community Program: Rebecca described a good summer. Nature year program started and field trip were scheduled to begin Oct 1. The program year is shaping up in different way with afterschool and nature year and even a winter afterschool. Many of these programs are close to full which will create opportunity for deeper connections because participants spend the year at Common Ground. The year long relationship may allow for experiments with restorative justice and respect circles. With so much program growth there is new staffing and morphing of jobs.
Interviews are scheduled for the farm director position and there are plans for an administrative assistant for management staff too.
Budget: budget numbers on the dashboard showed that revenues are higher than the pro rated budget and expenses are below which looks good though this is generally the case at this point in the year. Summer camp brings in income and even with the expenses there is a balancing. Revenue category is high because the payment arrived early. There haven’t been any transfers yet and the cash balance and days cash on hand look healthy because of construction money.
FY 17 Budget: Melissa presented the updated budget which was adjusted for the new hires and revenue from the new full year program. There was a discussion about depreciation and how to handle which Jane and Melissa both researched. As a non-profit without large savings or investments, our capital expenditures are grant funded and not drawn from operating revenue. There was a question as to whether we should include a statement with our views on depreciation to accompany our financial documents. After a final review Bob mad a motion to approve this FY 17 budget and Kerry was the second. The members passed the budget.
Development: Joel reminded everyone that Newman’s Own’s support of Common Ground for Giving Tuesday was coming up in November. He also described some changes to the dashboard and queried members about the best uses of this tool. The top of the board shows strategic priorities and some indicators move. Is this the right data, how should board engage around this? That conversation will continue.
Bob and Mike completed the reconciliations of the financial documents.
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