ARROYO
SECO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
Letter about:
Issues with the new DONE Funding Information Bulletin
Some examples of reimbursements needed
|
Issues with the new DONE Funding Information Bulletin (2007-08 2-23-07) Thanks for your willingness to carry my concerns about the new DONE Funding Information Bulletin (2007-08 2-23-07), specifically about the statements: "Only members of a Neighborhood Council's executive board qualify for reimbursements. Members of Neighborhood Council committees, including board committees, are not eligible to receive reimbursement." Here are our concerns, with a few examples:Arroyo Seco NC does not have an Executive Board. Nowhere in our Bylaws has that been defined. Instead, we have 5 officers with specific responsibilities, but they are not authorized to execute any actions other than those specified. Likewise for any other Board member or Committee chair. The ability to execute any actions on behalf of the ASNC, or pay for any items, is decided by a combination of the Approved budget and Board motions. And those motions could be assigned to any of our Board. Examples: Our budget allocates $50 per meeting to cover any incurred meeting costs, except that we have a $75 budget allocated for the General Meeting. So, if the committee chair of one of our Local Issues committees holds a meeting and needs to pay $25 for use of a local room, that chair has always gone ahead and reserved the room, paid for it, and been reimbursed. And usually purchased some water and soft drinks to help make attendees feel comfortable. I am assuming that we can continue to reimburse these small costs via Petty Cash, as we will be given the receipts or invoices? We undertake several (quite a few) special events throughout the year. An example is Lummis Day, a day-long celebration of our NE LA local history and the arts-and-crafts movement that flourished here in our area. This project is in conjunction with many other local organizations, and we have musicians, artists, poets, environmentalists, local organizations, etc. participating. While the artists have been paid via a Demand Warrant, there are many things that some poor soul has to drive around, purchase by putting on their credit card, and do all the set up. An example is paying for the audio-visual rental for the historical slide show. This reimbursement was made last year to one of our Board members who had lead the coordinating committee, and who, of course, donated hundreds of hours of his own time and expertise to make the event happen. Last year, these items totaled to $435.17, paid 8/3/06 (the event was 2 months earlier, so he had had to wait that long), and this is too much to pay out of Petty Cash. If I may not reimburse some hardworking Board member like him, who will do the work and the fronting of money for items needed at the last minute? Last year, one of our communities held a Jazz Festival at the end of August. The ASNC Board voted to pay for up to $10,000 of costs for this event. However, in working with our Board member who was doing all the coordination, we had trouble getting the company delivering the tables and chairs to agree to wait for a check via our DW system, although we were submitting the DW in advance of the actual delivery the day of the event. Finally (on the last day before the event), the company agreed, provided we paid half up front. While I could pay up to $1,000 via the Debit Card, they insisted that they be given another $1000 check (the rest of the 'half up front') when the items were delivered. Our Board member fronted that payment for us, and the DW, paid 9/21, reimbursed her. Again, the Board member who ended up paying and waiting to be reimbursed had already donated many hours of her own time and experience in organizing. This project would have failed seriously, at the last minute without the ability to reimburse Board members. Our ASNC has undertaken several smaller neighborhood beautification projects, which involved recruiting volunteers, purchasing plants, and organizing the work days. One Board member has travelled to purchase the native plants that will survive without irrigation, but must, of course, pay at the time he picks up the plants. We have reimbursed him, via the DW system, $481.91 on 1/19/07, which was within the Board motion for up to $500. This is another project that could not have gone forward without the ability to reimburse other Board members. Thanks. Pat Griffith ASNC Treasurer patgriffit@earthlink.net |
.