Minneapolis Telecommunications Network

Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, November 13, 2003

Board Members Present: Julie Wallace, Tamir Nolley, Floyd Child, Tomas Gonda, Joan Higinbotham, Mark Engebretson, Robert Vose

Board Members Absent: Todd Barnes, Vusi Zulu

Ex-Officio Present: Lance Leupold

Others Present: Pamela Colby, John Akre

Vose called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.

  1. Opening Business
    1. Comments from public, staff, and board

      2. Vose apologized for missing the Member's Meeting. Colby apologized to Leupold that notice did not reach him about the cancelled Board meeting in October.

    2. Approval of agenda MSP Child, Engebretson
    3. Minutes from the September board meeting. MSP Wallace, Child
  2. Reports
    1. City of Minneapolis report – C. John Harrison was not present.
    2. Minneapolis Public Schools – Melissa Winter was not present.
    3. Time Warner Cable – Lance Leupold presented

    There were 79,022 customers on the system. Child asked about the lack of growth in the customer number. Leupold said that cable companies are reporting stagnant or receding growth presently. Engebretson commented on the very good service he has received from Time Warner Road Runner.

    D. Executive Director’s Report – Pam Colby presented

    She attended a Media Reform Conference in Madison.

    Tony Riddle will be presenting information about the Media Justice Fund on Nov. 18.

    Producer Abdi Abdiaar was suspended for 3 months for commercial content violation.

    A party will be held on December 5th; at this gathering, surveys for the Needs Assessment will be distributed.

    Vose asked about the commercial content suspension. Colby explained that a store was underwriting the program and 7 minutes of the show featured the display of products at that store.

    Gonda asked about the Media Justice Fund. Colby explained this Ford Foundation program to help local organizations use the media.

    Colby announced MCN 6’s fundraiser on Nov. 22nd.

    E. Treasurer’s Report – Engebretson reported.

    There will be enough revenue at the end of year to pay for the first installment on the Needs Assessment. Colby explained that depreciation is now included in the operating budget. Vose asked if MTN should switch its DSL connection to cable modem. Colby said that the cable modem would cost more because MTN is presently provided free internet service. Motion: Accept Treasurer's report. MSP Nolley, Wallace.

  3. Priority Items
    1. Needs Assesement – Vose presented.

      2. The city asked MTN to share in the expense of completing a Needs Assessment, which must be completed as part of the re-franchising process. The original estimate for the Assessment was given as $40-60,000. The MTN Executive committee met with consultant Tom Robinson and an attorney representing the city. They agreed that MTN would support the study at below the low end of their estimate. The consultant has prepared surveys that will be used to judge the community’s cable and access needs. Colby will e-mail the survey for producers to the board. Vose said that Robinson has proposed surveying separately these groups: (1) customers and non-customers of Time Warner, (2) access users, and (3) institutional and business users. Vose said that city expects this Needs Assessment to be done soon. Vose said that the document will be accepted by the City Council and presented to Time Warner. There was some discussion about what role MTN would have in re-franchising discussions. Vose said that that local cities other than Minneapolis are entering this process, and they will also be looking to defend community programming.

    2. Facilities Report - Colby reported.

      3. MTN's landlord has not yet provided MTN with a renewed lease. Colby informed the board that the company subleasing from MTN will be leaving, but that the landlord said that he would pay the sublease. He has told Colby that he has not had time to work on the lease. Motion: directing Colby to get a signed contract from the landlord. MSP Engebretson, Higinbotham.

    3. 2004 Board Officers

    Colby said that Wallace and Gonda’s terms expire at the end of this year. Child suggested that officers be in place and functioning before new board members come in. Wallace suggested that she and Gonda be a committee to recruit applicants to officer positions. Motion: that the ad hoc nominations committee return to the December meeting with their slate of officers, that the approval of officers be made at the January meeting, and that at the January meeting committee appointments be made. MSP Child, Engebretson.

    Nolley said that some of the committees have not been active, and that the board should reassess which ones are most needed at the January meeting. Colby said that there has been interest in the upcoming board openings.

  4. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. MSP Engebretson, Nolley.