Minneapolis Telecommunications Network
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, July 14, 2005

Board Members Present: Floyd Child, Robert Vose, Joel Rainville, Marido Huber, Tom Cassidy, Joan Higinbotham
Board Members Absent: Tamir Nolley, Kevin Jenkins
Ex-Officio Present: Lance Leupold, John Harrison
Others Present: Pamela Colby, John Akre, Jim Derks

Child called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.

I. Opening Business

A. Comments from public, staff, and board – Akre announced screening night on Friday.

B. Approval of the agenda. MSP Huber, Higinbotham

C. Minutes from the June board meeting. MSP Huber, Rainville


II. Reports

A. City of Minneapolis – C. John Harrison reported
Four applications have been received for the open MTN Board position. This is a Council approval seat. Harrison estimated that the new Board member will be approved in three weeks. Vose asked about responses to the city's RFP for wireless internet. Harrison said that he has not been involved, but that 81 vendors applied.

B. Minneapolis Public Schools – no report
Colby announced that the MPS has a new representative to MTN, but she was not present at the meeting.

C. Time Warner Cable – Lance Leupold reported
77,845 is the current number of subscriptions. Time Warner will be recording the Aquatennial Torchlight Parade. They will present a copy of the parade to MTN for cablecast. Vose asked about the rollout of telephone service. Leupold said that service was launched last November. Vose asked about the proposed transfer of Time Warner to Comcast. Vose asked if at some point a Comcast representative could attend the MTN Board meeting to present their view of PEG to MTN. Huber asked how the deal with Comcast would impact the franchise negotiations. Leupold said that Time Warner would still negotiate with the city.

D.Executive Director?s Report – Pam Colby presented
Colby returned from the Alliance for Community Media Conference. Her report on the conference will be in the upcoming Monitor. She said that phone companies will be entering the cable market, and that this could have an impact on PEG access. Colby passed out a Call to Action statement from the Alliance for Community Media released today. Colby was impressed by the level of commitment by people at the conference to keep community media going. Huber announced that the conference will be here in 2007. Huber encouraged people to press for the conference to be in downtown Minneapolis rather than Saint Paul.
MTN will share a booth in the technology building of the state fair with other regional access centers.
Northeast Parade coverage went off well with new van cameras performing.
MTN will be upgrading the old Canon beginning cameras with Sony PDX-10 models. These are industrial grade cameras. Child asked if MTN is able to financially able to carry this load of new purchases. Colby said that MTN is still waiting for second half payment from the city. Derks said that cost of a new van would be $250,000.

E. Treasurer's Report – Huber presented
Huber presented the MTN audit to members. Huber said, "The bad news is that we are poor but the good news is that we are healthy." Production income is down. Huber suggested that this is due to MTN's lack of current equipment. Huber suggested that MTN analyze whether to move funds from operation to equipment in the future. Motion to approve the audit. MSP Vose, Rainville
Motion: to approve the content and all the attachment of the Charitable Annual Report to the State of Minnesota. MSP Huber, Rainville.

Rainville asked that in lieu of August meeting, that Board members sign up for a shift at the State Fair.

Colby presented the lease addendum concerning the space that MTN gave up last year. Motion: to accept the addendum to the lease subject to review of board members. MSP Higinbotham, Huber

Rainville asked about board meeting attendance guidelines. The bylaws state that if a member misses three consecutive meetings, they are understood to have resigned. It was suggested that Harrison contact Nolley, to see whether he wishes to continue on the board.

Next meeting will be in September.

III. Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m. MSP Rainville, Vose