MINUTES
Amherst Community Television
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
7:00 pm
Call to Order: 7:00 pm, following the pot-luck dinner, Paulette Brooks presiding.
ACTV Members Present: Approximately 50 ACTV members were in attendance over the course of the evening.
Welcome and
Announcements by Vice-President Paulette Brooks
After a review of the agenda, VP Brooks explained the decision by the Board at its October 3rd Special Meeting to reject the proposal by the “Friends of ACTV” to suspend Article 12 of the Corporation’s by-laws in order to allow a membership vote on their proposed package of by-law revisions. Since the October 3rd Meeting, the Executive Committee had sought legal counsel on the matter, and had been advised that such an action by the members present at the meeting would violate the rights of other parties to whom ACTV is accountable, including members not present, viewers, the Select Board as the Issuing Authority, and the Schools. Before getting down to the business of the elections, Ms. Brooks introduced the staff and the board, and asked for a round of applause for the staff, who have kept the station running for more than two years without a permanent ED.
Nominating Committee
reports on the election process
Nominating Committee Member Jeff Lee reported on the
election process for the two member-elected Board seats up for election, one
regular seat and one replacement seat.
The Regular Election
Each of the two candidates, Bruce Arbour and Alan Root, made a brief statement.
After the ballots had been cast, two members of the Nominating Committee (Jeff Lee and Mary Jane Laus) will withdrew to count the votes and to tally that count with the initials on the voters’ list.
Results of Regular Election:
Alan Root won the election with a vote of 29-23.
Special Replacement
Election
Each of the candidates, Bruce Arbour and Ruth Backes, made a brief statement. As before, two members of the Nominating Committee conducted the election and withdrew to count and double-check results.
Results of Special Election:
The first vote came back as a 19-19 tie. The voting and
tallying process was repeated, and Ruth Backes won the election with a vote of
21-17.
Presentation of
Annual Report
Vice-President Paulette Brooks presented the Annual Report, and looked back on achievements of the past year.
Review of ACTV
By-laws
Bruce Arbour, ACTV member and part of the group, Friends of
ACTV, took up the question of the review of the Corporation By-laws.
MOTION
The following motion was made and seconded:
So moved that
within 120 days, the Board of Directors examine, review, and recommend to the
Corporation by public notice and special meeting as warranted, a process of
amending the By-laws.
The majority of
those members present approved the motion, with 4 No votes, and 5 abstentions.
Introduction and
brief remarks, Jim Lescault, new ACTV Executive Director
Jim Lescault conducted the raffle, and the winners collected a host of prizes generously donated by local businesses.
Adjournment
The Annual Corporation Meeting adjourned at 9:11 pm.
Board of Directors
Meeting
Call to Order:
The
meeting was called to order at 9:16 pm. after the Annual Meeting, with Paulette
Brooks presiding, in order to elect its officers for the coming year.
Board Members Present: Paulette Brooks, Anna Carter, Jeff Lee, Josna Rege, Alan Root, Eduardo Suarez
Board Members Absent: Isaac BenEzra, Jean Haggerty
Quorum status: This constitutes a quorum of the Board.
Election of Board
Officers
MOTION:
A
motion was made and seconded to:
Re-elect Isaac
BenEzra to a third one-year term as President
The
motion passed unanimously.
MOTION:
A
motion was made and seconded to:
Re-elect
Paulette Brooks to a one-year term as Vice-President
The
motion passed unanimously.
MOTION:
A
motion was made and seconded to:
Re-elect Josna
Rege to a third one-year term as Clerk
The
motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
Ratification of Executive Committee vote (as authorized at October 3rd Board Meeting) to approve purchase of laptop and printer for ED (as per Board decision at 10/3 meeting).
With rebate, the total expenditure
is $1,930.48.
MOTION
A motion was made and seconded
To ratify the Executive Committee vote to approve purchase
of a laptop computer and printer for the Executive Director.
The motion passed unanimously.
Cell phone for use by ED: Additionally, Mr. Lescault has requested a cell phone exclusively for ACTV use. He has researched a rate of $59.98/month from AT&T, with 450 rollover minutes and free nights and weekends.
MOTION
A motion was made and seconded
to approve the cost
of a cell phone for the ED, exclusively for ACTV calls.
The
motion passed unanimously.
Ratification of Nomination and Executive Committee vote
to allow ACTV
members who renewed starting in July 2007 not to have to renew for 07-08, and
to allow members who renewed starting in July 2006 to be eligible to renew and
vote. The Nominating Committee did not see this as a permanent decision, but a
member-friendly one for this year, which would have to be reviewed as part of
the anticipated by-law review.
MOTION
A motion was made and seconded
to ratify the Nomination and Executive
Committee vote on voting eligibili9ty for the 2007 Annual Meeting, to be
reviewed during the forthcoming By-law review.
The motion passed unanimously.
ED Travel Expenses:
A motion was made by the Executive Committee and seconded
to approve ACTV reimbursement of the ED’s travel expenses to Plymouth for training purposes, at the rate of 40 cents per mile.
The motion passed unanimously.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted by
Josna Rege
Clerk, ACTV Board of Directors