Common Ground Board Meeting Agenda for Aug. 28, 2023

This Meeting will be held in person at Common Ground: 358 Springside Ave. New Haven 

(Outdoor Picnic Pavilion)

There will be no Zoom link or recording for this meeting 

New Haven Ecology Project

August 28th  

Welcome 

Public Comment (5:30) (two minutes per person for a total time limit of 30 minutes, or by email; see instructions below) Sign up for Public Participation HERE

Business Requiring Approval (6:00)

Minutes of the June 26th Board Meeting

Minutes of the June 27th Annual Meeting

Invoices Needing Approval

• Zangari Cohn: $15,246.27 
  • June invoice for Union contract negotiations split between NHEP and CGHS
  • July Invoice for Union Contract Negotiations split between NHEP and CGHS
• Uni-Kem Chemicals, Inc.: $11,682.55
  • New Industrial Dishwasher for Cafeteria Kitchen 
• Corporate Systems Consulting
  • $20,940.00 for 60 student chromebooks plus licensing and set up
  • $14,235.00 fo 15 staff laptops, plus licensing and set up 
  • $8925.00 for insurance on 255 student chromebooks
• Powerschool $5542.42
  • Annual Subscription
• Schoology $13,972.00
  • Replacing Buzz learning learning management system – budgeted expense
• SAVVAS $11,825.00
  • Spanish class textbooks with e-licences for spanish level 1-3
  • Budgeted expense
• Thurston Foods $7527.16
  • Food for beginning of semester

Executive Director Report (6:15) (Monica)

Audit Committee (7:00) 

No meetings until Fall 2023: FY 23 Audit in progress

Development (Feast) Committee Report (7:00)  (Audrey)

Audrey and her team have met with the Feast Committee 2x times a month for the past 2 months including 1:1 meetings with different committee members. 

Finance Committee Report (7:05) (Jeff)

The finance committee met on August 24th  to review the Unaudited Budget vs Actuals as of June 30, 2023 and a Revised Accounting Manual. For more info contact Jeff Carter.

Motion: The Finance Committee requests that the board approve the revised Accounting Manual. 

Governance Committee Report (7:15) (Alexis)

The Governance Committee met on August 22nd  to discuss new members and committee structure for FY 24. Bob will lead an ad hoc Strategic Planning Committee and is looking for Board Member volunteers. We bring forward for your approval tonight the following candidates for Board membership, with terms starting September 1, 2023 and ending on June 30, 2025:

• Kelahan App, Kelahan Resume
• Cox App, Cox Resume

Ky has agreed to serve as Acting co-chair through the end of the calendar year, at which time the Board will seek volunteers among its members for a second co-chair. 

The next meeting of the committee is on September 12th.  For more info contact Bob Parker.

School Committee Report (7:15) (Monica)

The School Committee met on August 23rd to review school-specific policies prior to presenting to the Board. The School Committee asks that the Board approve the following

• Revised SY 23-24 calendar for CGHS to resolve a miscount of the number of days.
• Student Handbook Change of Cell Phone Policy

New Business (7:20)

• Proposal to move April board meeting from April 22 to April 29 to reduce conflict with Passover. 

Executive Session (7:20)

Adjourn (7:30)

Next Meeting: September 18th

Public Comment: 

In order to comply with adjusted Connecticut Open Meeting laws, any member of the public wishing to participate in the meeting must sign up on the Public Participation Sign-up Document. Sign-ups for Public Participation will open at 5 pm on the last business day before the meeting (Friday, August 25th ) and will close at 5:00 pm on the day of the meeting (Monday, August 28th) Public Participation is limited to 2 minutes per person up to 30 total minutes. Anyone wishing to make a statement to the board can also submit testimony in writing to Alexis.Smith@nhep.com  by 5:00 pm on the day of the meeting. All submitted documents will be included in the publicly shared meeting minutes.