Board Meeting Minutes
Attendees: President
Lorrie Stromme, Jim Hermann, Ken Holman, Robert Slater, Mike Max, Rich
Hauer. Absent: Kathy Widin, Fletcher
Johnson, Gary Johnson.
Guest:
Lara Newberger, Chair of Publicity and Awards Committee.
Call to Order. The
meeting was called to order at
Approval of Minutes. Minutes for
Discussions:
Mr. Max
Has
noticed an orange goo on buckthorn. What is it: rust etc. is it a possible
bio-control.
Mr. Holman
Federal
oak wilt suppression money of $390,000 will be rolled into MN/ReLeaf.
Close to receiving NUCFAC grant for
outreach to the Southeast Asian Community.
To be administered through Tree
Trust and DNR
Mr. Max
The "Tree Book for City of
Mr. Hauer
Anne
Selness will be Mr. Hauer's replacement from the Department of Agriculture on
MnSTAC Board of Directors.
Pres. Stromme:
Administrative
Assistance: There is a person interested
in doing administrative work for MN/STAC.
She charges $20.00/hr for doing meeting minutes, enews, web updates,
mailing lists etc. Estimated
time 150 hours a year or more.
Dave Garland's contract will not be renewed; these funds can be
allocated to clerical assistance for MN/STAC.
Pres Stromme will provide an itemization of the time need to perform the
various tasks required by MN/STAC.
Pres.
Stromme announced that she would not be running for re-election as President of
MN/STAC. Pres. Stomme will contact Ken
Simmons about starting a search for her replacement.
Ms. Newberger,
Chair, Publicity and Awards Committee
Ms.
Newberger requested a discussion as to the Board’s direction for future awards
presentations. The State’s $50.00 limit
on expenditures is unrealistic and has become a problem, since the cost of
recent awards, plaques, and photos are each costing more than the limit. There has been an understanding that there is
a $50.00 limit for awards from the DNR . Ken Holman will look into it.
Discussion
of whether the MN/STAC Awards and the Tree City USA Awards should still be held
on the same day. No action taken;
consensus was that they should continue together.
Discussion of
annual MN/STAC Volunteer recognition at an evening meeting.
Discussion of MN/STAC's 30th
anniversary celebration for
Mr. Holman:
Budget: Discussion of the reasons for no information
from DNR yet. DNR budget is in flux,
leaving MN/STAC's budget up in the air.
There is shifting within DNR to make the budget work in the new
biennium. Mr. Holman stated that there
will be some answers at the July Board meeting.
General
questions to Mr. Holman concerned what was happening to money intended for UCF
and would there still be money for UCF work.
Is money being shifted away from UCF or spread so thin that it would be ineffective. Mr.
Holman will try to have some answers about Federal guidelines about
accountability for how federal funds are spent.
After
Mr. Holman brings the Board further information next month, the Board will have
to decide whether a letter to the DNR Directors Management Team is needed. The letter, if needed, will contain our
recommendations and comments on the appropriateness of the spending of UCF
dollars by DNR.
Pres. Stromme:
The
new MN/STAC brochure should be reviewed and updated next meeting. Pres Stromme will check with Janette Monear
concerning the cost of printing the MN/STAC brochure and the funds that were
needed to host MN/STAC's 25th anniversary event.
Adjournment. Motion/Second/Carried: Mr. Slater, Mr. Max, Approved. The meeting was adjourned at
Respectfully submitted: Robert Slater