Easy Does It
Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes for March 26, 2002

Present: Jonah Markowitz, Leslie Gordon, Hale Zukas, Jonathan Gold, Todd Groves, Felix Knauth, Peter Trier, Winston Ching, Daniel Drake, Williard Harris; Jesse Townley on telephone; Dina Valicenti; Kimberly Oxner; Kyle arrives at approximately 7:45 pm

Meeting Started at: 6:30 pm; Peter Trier, Chair

Public Comment:

Daniel: need amplifier at meetings, can't hear; Peter says he'll pass this on to the office

Daniel: Ralph died, infection on his lung and bad accident in wheelchair; muscle exercise that Christopher Reeve was using does not work.

Peter: Appreciate people who went to Sacramento

Approval of Minutes 3/28/02

Jonathan's corrections: Spelling of Chuahua-Oritz wrong; Hale's first name spelled incorrectly; Ken Crow spelled incorrectly

Hale's corrections: Jonah in public comments: left out word symposium; Change SSI to advanced pay for IHSS; Dion Aroner spelled incorrectly

Peter: suggests that we try to fix these before meetings; Jesse agrees that spelling changes and minor changes should be done beforehand.

Changes to Agenda
Peter: go into executive session at 8:30 pm; Williard wants to speak for 10 minutes, need board's approval.

Dina makes motion to approve agenda with above changes; motion seconded; motion approved.

Williard plays voice mail. Felix: Point of order; in some states its not legal to record if both parties don't know. There followed some discussion; Williard says it is legal, that a voice message was left on his telephone.

Williard: says he's taken a straw poll of the disabled community and they would ask Felix is to resign. He (Felix) has alienated EDI clients.

Peter corrects some of Willard's statements: Rose was not Executive Director; Felix lives in Marin; Felix does not make $70,000

7:10 pm Williard leaves

Board Members

Jonathan: candidates: Kyle, Jesse and Jonah; currently 8 members, free to add 3 more members

Dan: need a service provider (attendant) to be on the board; more people we add the slower the communication

Dina nominates Jesse; Dan seconds it; motion passes

Daniel: there needs to be a wider call for new members on board

Jonathan: now 9 members; adding Kyle and Jonah means there are no more seats available.

Jesse: Tanya Stallworth has expressed an interest and she's a part time attendant

Jonathan: we can change the bylaws and add more board members

Peter: no more than 6 employees on board

Jonathan nominates Jonah; Todd seconds
Dina abstains; Jesse nay; Motion approved.

Motion for Kyle to be attendant made by Dina; Jonathan seconded; Daniel and Hale abstain. Motion passes.

Jonathan: regular elections will take place in September.

Consent Calendar

Jesse: customer complaint procedure in ED report: "… need to do more work…" what does that mean?

Peter: does anything need to be approved right now?

Leslie: where is the president's report?

Peter: computer not working, nothing written; some you'll hear about in executive session; I've been working with the city about the one year contract; I have heard concerns about EDI but no one gives me anything in writing: Leslie and I are here and have been working together closely.

Jonah: If concerns heard tonight come in writing, will you let us know?

Peter: If something comes in in writing, board members will be informed; lots of rumors going around; the rumor about drug testing is false.

Dan: not a supporter of medical marijuana; the newsletter should counter balance rumors.

Peter: we are responsible for how we respond to rumors.

Jesse: President and ED's responsibility to answer rumors; comp time and rapid response, are they on the agenda? Felix: yes, on executive director's report; Jesse: I want to pull them off the consent calendar

Peter: drug use at the office, would be inappropriate; our attendants do not have a legal right to help others take illegal drugs; drug-free, fragrance free policy in office means no marijuana use in the office

Peter: is there a consent calendar? Is there anything that has to come forward?
Dina: motion to approve consent calendar; Dan seconds; motion passes.

Executive Directors Report

Rapid Response: met with them 3 times; they are currently handling the telephone with B&G. Want us to handle their dispatching for them; we could do that for $1000 a month; about 148 calls; have not talked about it with the city

Daniel: could we charge them $2000?

Felix: I came up with the number because it was hard to come up with the number of calls they actually get; I've heard they spend $2000 a month; I don't know how the city will consider this.

Jesse: I think this is what we should be doing; Felix needs to use all his negotiating skills; as long as we can show on paper the difference between city funded and non city funded activities.

Peter: it would really help if we had more income

Jonah: I'm in support of Felix negotiating with them.

Hale: do they do their own dispatching during the daytime hours?

Felix: part-time person during day time

Dina: will this be 24 hour?

Felix: yes

Dina: not enough money

Jonathan: means we'd have to keep their records

Felix: Chaim has been hired by us and used to dispatch for them so he can be helpful

Hale: What makes you think they don't want to continue their dispatching?

Felix: they asked me if we'd take over their dispatching

* * *

Felix: read out loud temporary/modified duty policy

There followed some discussion.

Motion to accept Felix's policy instead of 6 weeks in general to 8 weeks and ED can extend if appropriate. Motion passes with Daniel abstaining.

-Alzheimer's Services
No discussion

-Attendant Management Services
Need input so that we can do a brochure; would like to start outreach talks in April;

Peter: we'll give you an answer next meeting

Jonathan: this has been out since Feb. why aren't we ready?

Felix: puts outreach off another month

Jesse: Makes motion to accept proposal now; Jonah second; Jesse withdraws motion.

Brochure passed around for board approval at next meeting.

Secretary's Report

Apologies for not making Jan and Feb meetings; will read notes more carefully; call/email secretary to add items to agenda.

EC Report
Did not meet

Development Committee Report
No discussion

Action Items
Jonah makes motion to table the mission statement; Winston seconded; Kyle, Jesse and Jonathan abstain; motion passes.

Hale: Moves that comp time is earned in any quarter must be used by the end of the next quarter; Jonah seconds; Leslie: nay; Dan: nay; Winston: nay; Dina: yes; Kyle: abstain; Jonah: nay; Peter: nay; Todd: nay; Jonathan, Hale, Jesse yes; motion fails

Peter: Moves that we adopt policy as written, and can be reviewed later
Jesse, Hale, Jonah: nay; Leslie, Dan, Dina, Peter, Jonathan, Todd, Winston: yes; Kyle abstains; motion passes.

Jonah makes motion we go into Executive Session; Jonathan seconds; motion passes.

Peter: Makes motion that Executive Director stay for Executive Session; no vote taken but Board moved immediately into Executive Session.