Minutes of SWANA Rocky Mountain Chapter Monthly Board of Directors Meeting

23 August 2005, 7 am, Teleconference

ATTENDANCE:

Present: Curt Ahrendsen (left early), Debby Barton, John Briest, Leonard Butler, Kathy Claes, Roger Doak, Cindi Etcheverry, Stephen Gillette, Dick Sprague (left early) and Cathryn Stewart (arrived late)

Absent: Laurie Batchelder Adams

Minutes are in order of the agenda and not necessarily in the order of discussion.

CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 7:02 as 6 of 11 directors present.

ADOPTION OF AGENDA: Briest/Sprague moved/seconded to adopt agenda. Motion carried unanimously

MINUTES: Ahrendsen/Briest moved/seconded to approve minutes of 18 July 2005 board meeting. Motion carried unanimously.

TREASURER:

Treasury Status: Checking balance is $12,375.34, Savings is $16,985.82 and e-loan investment loan is $10,000. Money is coming in for the annual meeting and all known bills for meeting to date have been paid including bus contract. No outstanding bills are known at this time.

Program Budget Status Report: No report.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Membership/Newsletter: There are 137 members of which 5 are suspended for non dues payment. Sprague will make follow-up calls this week to the suspended members to encourage their dues payment. One of the five suspended members is from Washington County. Butler had sent a letter to Washington County listing some of the benefits of SWANA membership and training available. Butler will forward 31 August SWANA membership list to Claes to prepare annual chapter membership directory for the annual meeting handouts.

Annual Meeting: There are 26 preregistered (some are speakers). Several of the board members have not yet sent in their registration. There is a commitment for $3,600 in sponsorships with another $400 to $600 in the works. This is below last year’s $4,800 but meets target goal for the meeting. Many of the speakers have not yet sent in their bio and related info. Etcheverry will send out the information to the various moderators for them to follow-up with the speakers to get the info. Substitutions on moderators are needed. Cathryn Stewart unable to be present during her session, Cathy Claes volunteered to be her substituted for the 8:30 am session. Roger Doak will be substituting for Cindi Etcheverry for the 11:15 am session. Etcheverry will work on the introduction for the luncheon speaker. One of the vendors has requested clarification on any discounts available to them as a sponsor and well as supporting a speaker. Discussion held on the various sponsorship level “discounts” on attendance. Speakers are exempt from paying registration. The following detailed items were discussed:

Speaker cards/gifts: Batchelder Adams is in handling the gifts and cards. There are a total of 16 speakers.
Name Tags/Attendee List: Barton will prepare name tags and attendee list when she receives registration list from Ahrendsen. Batchelder Adams will send to Barton the card stock and plastic holders coming from National SWANA.
Member Packets: Packets are to contain CEU form, member directory, attendee list, and survey. CEU form approved. Claes will prepare member directory. Barton will prepare attendee list. Survey has been prepared in draft form - Batchelder Adams will be bringing the final survey to put in with the member packets. Etcheverry will prepare the final program agenda with confirmed speakers and moderators for the packets.
Door Prizes/Raffle Prizes: Barton has many of the prizes already purchased. Etcheverry has received some videos from Blue Ridge Services to be used as raffle prizes. Butler received information from Adam Tracy, National SWANA, that three training video packages from Blue Ridge Services will be sent for use by the Chapter at the meeting. Discussion held that we need to develop a library and the three videos be made available for members for training, especially smaller entities that do not have a large training budget to purchase the videos.
Raffle Tickets/Drink Tickets: Barton will obtain and/or prepare the tickets needed. Discussion held to use raffle ticket for the drink tickets as well as door prizes. Discussion held at using different colors for Thursday event versus Friday events.
Vendor/Registration Tables: Discussion held on hotel preparing the tables. Etcheverry/Doak will follow-up with hotel on the table preparation and layout. Discussion held to put vendor names on assigned tables as well as preparing a “map” of the table locations for use at the registration table. Etcheverry volunteered to “captain” the registration table. Claes and Briest volunteered to assist. Batchelder Adams has assisted in the past and probably will also be available during this event.
Luncheon/Invocation: Butler was asked to again play his bagpipes for the presentation of the flags. Gillette, Batchelder Adams, and Barton will work with Butler on the presentation of US, Colorado and SWANA flags for the luncheon. The lunch will be held in a room separate from the actual conference.
Ribbons: Ribbons for speakers, exhibitors, guests, members, etc. have been ordered and will be available for the name tags to help determine who may attend the various functions as well as to see at a glance if the individual is a speaker or attendee. Batchelder Adams will be bringing to the meeting as they are coming from SWANA.
Banner/Display Table: There will be no chapter display board but there is will be a new banner which will be at the registration desk. Batchelder Adams proofed and will be bringing to the meeting.
Outstanding Member Nominations: Butler asked for any board member to contact him if there is any Colorado SWANA member that should be recognized for outstanding service to the solid waste industry and SWANA. Information on this should be on the website also.

Any last minute comments, ideas or concerns should be sent to Doak or Etcheverry. The consensus was that the annual meeting program was in good shape and with the early registration should have a good attendance.

Partnering: Nebraska Cornhusker annual meeting notice was sent e-mail to SWANA members. They will be reciprocating by posting our chapter annual meeting notice to their members. In addition, information about the annual meeting will be stated at their meeting this week.

Scholarship: Briest asked that the survey include a question to ask members if we should contribute to the national scholarship program, retain funds locally, or do both. Butler will follow-up with Sprague on status of the scholarship in memory of Kip White. Doak reported that Sean McCormick of Gunnison County verbally thanked the board through Doak for the scholarship that helped him attend the training needed for his MOLO. He is planning on attending the annual meeting.

Nominating: Ballots were sent out and to date about 20 have been received.

Legislative: No report.

International Board: No report.

OTHER BUSINESS:

Webmaster: Briest commented that he is not releasing the meeting minutes for posting until they are approved which means there is up to one month lag time. Discussion held and consensus reached that Barton will send minutes out to board for comments, Butler will ask for motion to approve and voting will be done electronically so the minutes may be posted sooner.

SWANA Chapter Access: Butler reported that the chapter’s annual meeting is now on the National webpage for 2006 instead of the original 2016. The next officer’s call will be held during WasteCon.

RMOC Partnering: Barton reported that the Rocky Mountain Organic Council (RMOC) is interested in partnering with SWANA on hosting workshops and training on composting and to open dialog on how to divert organic waste from landfills/transfer stations without going to mandated bans. Doak reported that CDPHE will begin looking at compost regulations and will be developing guidance beginning this fall. He will be the CDPHE lead person. Consensus was Barton will continue to be liaison for board to RMOC and will work with Doak for inclusion in any training.

Board Meeting Dates: Discussion held on keeping third Tuesday open for the SWANA board meeting. Consensus was this was still a good date for all on the call. Therefore, the first board meeting of the newly elected board is scheduled for 18 October.