[Approved]
KPFA Local Station Board
Regular in-person meeting, March 8, 2014, 11am-4pm
SEIU Local 1021
100 Oak St., Oakland, CA
Note: An audio archive of this meeting is available at www.kpftx.org/archive.php
Present: Craig Alderson, Tina Bachemin, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, Paula Erkkila*, José Luis Fuentes*, David Gans, Donald Goldmacher, Cynthia Johnson*, Janet Kobren, Joy Moore, Andrea Prichett, Mel Sanders, Lewis Sawyer, Franklin Sterling, Ramsés Teón-Nichols, Carole Travis, David Welsh, Barbara Whipperman, Burton White, Margy Wilkinson.
*Arrived after roll call.
Absent: Mal Burnstein, Kate Gowen, Mark Hernandez, Jack Kurzweil, Samsarah Morgan.
1. Call to order
Meeting called to order by chair C. Travis at 11:15 am.
2. Roll call and excusing of members
Moved (J. Kobren) to excuse all absent members. Approved unanimously by voice vote.
3. Approve agenda
Chair reported that S. Morgan said she will reschedule the “Cracking the Codes” workshop on racism to the May meeting.
Moved (C. Alderson) to add PNB report as item 5.5. Amendment approved unanimously by voice vote.
A. Prichett requested to place policy on police on April agenda. Moved (A. Prichett) to add report on San Jose development to follow PNB report. Amendment approved unanimously by voice vote.
Moved (B. White) to approve agenda as amended. Approved unanimously by voice vote.
4. Minutes
Moved (B. Edwards-Tiekert) to amend February 8, 2014, minutes in item 9.B by inserting after “Moved (M. Burnstein)” the words “as substitute for resolution submitted by A. Prichett.” Amendment approved: 12Y, 1N, 5A. Minutes as amended approved 13Y, 0N, 5A.
5. Public comments
No comments (but see below).
5.5 PNB report (B. Edwards-Tiekert)
First meeting of year was Feb. 8. New board directed executive director to begin election process and suspended consideration of proposals for local marketing agreement (LMA) for WBAI. LMA turns control over to another entity, which may keep what they raise while paying Pacifica to cover costs of running station. FCC prevents reimbursement for more than cost, hence Pacifica cannot use LMA to raise additional money. Board also directed Pacifica management to produce financial assessment of station within 30 days and gave WBAI local station board chance to develop its own financial plan. Still no hire of KPFA general manager.
PNB representative J. Kobren offered additional remarks. See written report, attached. PNB representative J.L. Fuentes said he believes finances are not as dire as portrayed and that we will be able to turn problems around.
During discussion, executive director Summer Reese posted her explanation of delay in KPFA GM hire, which was read into record beginning at 35:10, part 1, of audio recording.
Moved (B. White): “The KPFA local station board requests of the Pacifica national board that it direct Summer Reese to hire a KPFA general manager prior to the April 2014 meeting of the KPFA local station board.”
Moved (B. Edwards-Tiekert) to table motion until end of questions. Approved unanimously by show of hands.
Moved (D. Goldmacher) to insert words “from among the four candidates provided to her by the KPFA local station board” between “KPFA general manager” and “prior to the.” Approved by show of hands: 3A, 0N.
Main motion as amended, approved: 13Y (C. Alderson, T. Bachemin, B. Edwards-Tiekert, P. Erkkila, J.L. Fuentes, D. Gans, D. Goldmacher, M. Sanders, L. Sawyer, C. Travis, B. Whipperman, B. White, M. Wilkinson); 4N (C. Johnson, J. Kobren, J. Moore, F. Sterling); 3A (A. Prichett, R. Teón-Nichols, D. Welsh).
5.6. San Jose development (A. Prichett)
Meeting at San Jose Peace and Justice Center was positive. About 15 people from San Jose, 15 from KPFA including staff and outreach volunteers. Good discussion about frustrations and inconsistencies with KPFA presence in area and how to build listener base. Proposal to co-sponsor May 12 event featuring Angela Davis at SJ State raised questions about how to co-sponsor events and what co-sponsorship might mean. This was good first step; still hoping for bus billboards and visibility campaign. Next meeting about San Jose project is Mar. 16 at KPFA.
5. Public comments (resumed)
With arrival of listeners wishing to speak, board resumed public comment item. Public comments begin at 38:25 of part 2, audio recording. Virginia Browning, Daniel Borgstrom.
Moved (C. Travis) to make all agenda times advisory. Approved without objection.
Moved (C. Alderson) to remove time-certain feature of special orders of business on agendas. Approved by show of hands, 2N.
Moved (C. Travis) to revise agenda to move to Treasurer’s report, then to special order of business. Approved without objection.
6. Treasurer’s report (B. Whipperman)
TR1 comes from data manager Chris Stehlik and analyzes last fund drive. $643k raised in total; KPFA portion is $597k. TR1 is about KPFA’s portion only. Fulfillment rate is 56% right now. “Acquisitions” means new members; “additional gifts” denotes donations from people who already belong. Average pledge is $123.
In bank, $300k. Accounts payable is $35k, including $17k earthquake insurance.
TR2 is 4-month preliminary unaudited statement. We’ve exceeded listener support expectations by $45k. We’re under expected total revenue by $58k but we haven’t received CPB money yet. CPB is holding whole network responsible because it is given to Pacifica in lump sum and then divided, and some stations have failed to file CPB reports. Expenses are $80k less than expected.
7. Special order of business: Financial priorities – setting priorities
The board brainstormed on budget priorities for 2014-15. Discussion begins at 37:18 of audio file, part 3. Ideas included using 65th anniversary events for fundraising; overhauling sustainer program; and developing budget for planned giving campaign.
Moved (F. Sterling) resolution on First Voice Program (see attached). Following discussion, chair raised question whether it was appropriate to vote on particular proposal when special order of business was to be devoted to brainstorming. Chair conducted straw poll on how to proceed. Chair ruled motion out of order on grounds that order of business should be devoted to brainstorming session and not to particular proposals.
8. KFCF report (M. Sanders)
See attached.
9. Announcements
J.L. Fuentes: Mar. 13 Youth Together is having Ethnic Studies conference at UC Berkeley. Will be giving KPFA $2k to webstream keynote speakers on KPFB website. This will happen next year as well.
P. Erkkila: 1) Attended hearings in Sacramento by Loni Hancock about prison solitary confinement. Organized by coalition from LA with relatives in solitary. 100 to 150 people participated, many African-Americans, Latinos, Caucasians. Broke up into lobby groups afterward. On April 3, 8am-12 in Sacramento, there will be further public comments at hearing on changes being proposed by Calif. Dept. of Corrections. 2) Amy Goodman announced that Eddie Conway has been released. 3) Celebrated victory of Finnish hockey teams in Olympics. 4) Commemorated passing of Tanya Russell, former LSB member.
J. Moore: Congratulated women doing 12 hours of programming in honor of International Women’s Day. She’s involved in healthy child initiative to limit sweetened beverages for children. Funding for that program has been cut from $1.4m to $300k.
F. Sterling: Apprenticeship Program has extended application deadline by one week.
10. New business
A. Pacifica by-laws amendments
i. Amendment 1: Reduce size of LSBs and delegate assemblies to 16
Moved (B. Edwards-Tiekert). Approved: 15Y (C. Alderson, T. Bachemin, B. Edwards-Tiekert, D. Gans, C. Johnson, J. Kobren, J. Moore, L. Sawyer, F. Sterling, R. Teón-Nicols, C. Travis, D. Welsh, B. Whipperman, B. White, M. Wilkinson); 0N; 2A (P. Erkkila, J.L. Fuentes)
ii. Amendment 2: Reduce size of PNB to 17
Moved (J. Kobren). Failed: 4Y (C.Johnson, J. Kobren, R. Teón-Nicols, D. Welsh); 12N (C. Alderson, T. Bachemin, B. Edwards-Tiekert, P. Erkkila, J.L. Fuentes, D. Gans, J. Moore, F. Sterling, C. Travis, B. Whipperman, B. White, M. Wilkinson); 1A (L. Sawyer).
iii. Amendment 3: Change of meeting notice provision
Moved (J. Kobren).
Moved (B. White) to close debate. Approved by show of hands.
Failed: 2Y (J. Kobren, R. Teón-Nicols); 6N (C. Alderson, T. Bachemin, C. Travis, B. Whipperman, B. White, M. Wilkinson); 8A (B. Edwards-Tiekert, P. Erkkila, J.L. Fuentes, D. Gans, C. Johnson, J. Moore, F. Sterling, D. Welsh).
B. PNB committee assignments
Committees needing LSB members who are not already on the PNB are:
Governance
Audit
Inclusion (local committee of the LSB, with 1 PNB rep and 3 LSB members)
Election
Programming
KPFA needs two members for each committee, except for Inclusion, which needs three.
Governance
Nominated: M. Burnstein, A. Prichett. Elected by acclamation, with confirmation of acceptance needed from A. Prichett. [Sec. note: she subsequently confirmed.]
Audit
Nominated: D. Goldmacher. Elected by acclamation, with confirmation of acceptance needed. [Sec. note: he subsequently confirmed.]
Inclusion
M. Wilkinson volunteered to be coordinator. As no LSB member volunteered, board agreed to leave nominations open.
Elections
Nominated: C. Johnson, M. Hernandez. Elected by acclamation, with confirmation of acceptance needed from M. Hernandez. [Sec. note: he subsequently confirmed.]
Programming
D. Welsh volunteered. Elected by acclamation.
Task forces needing participants from LSB:
Development
Technology
Affiliates
Spanish language programming
Archives
No volunteers were forthcoming. At suggestion of board, B. Edwards-Tiekert agreed to post invitation for volunteers on staff bulletin boards in station.
Adjourned 3:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Craig Alderson
LSB Secretary