Document:LNC Minutes 5 July 1998
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LNC Meeting Renaissance Hotel Washington, DC July 5, 1998 Present: David Bergland, Chair Hugh Butler, Vice-Chair Mark Tuniewicz, Treasurer Steve Givot, Secretary John Buttrick, At-Large Representative Mike Dixon, At-Large Representative Jim Lark, At-Large Representative Mary Ruwart, At Large Representative Bette Rose Smith (CO), Region 1 Representative Joe Dehn (CA), Region 2 Representative Scott Lieberman (CA), Region 2 Alternate Ken Bisson (IN), Region 3 Representative Chris Spruyt (NC), Region 4 Representative Gary Ilardi (FL), Region 4 Alternate Amy Rule (MD), Region 5 Representative Muni Savyon (MA), Region 6 Representative Bob Franke (IL), Region 7 Representative Jackie Bradbury (MO), Region 7 Alternate Geoff Neale (TX) - Region 8 Representative Deryl Martin (TN) - Region 8 Alternate Absent: Bill Hall, At Large Ed Hoch (AK) - Region 1 Alternate Terry Savage (NV), Region 2 Representative Barbara Goushaw (MI) - Region 3 Alternate Jim Turney (VA) - Region 5 Alternate Ken Lindell (ME) - Region 6 Alternate Vacant: Region 2 Alternate Staff: Ron Crickenberger Steve Dasbach Nick Dunbar George Getz Dan Smith Kris Williams Bill Winter The meeting was called to order by David Bergland at 3:05 PM EDT. Item: Introduction of LNC members and staff LNC members and alternates introduced themselves. Staff members Crickenberger, Winter, Williams introduced themselves. Staff members Getz, Smith, and Dunbar entered the meeting after it began. Item: Chair's remarks Bergland reviewed the nature of the LNC acting as a board of directors rather than as a management or operating committee. Item: Proposed letter agreement to employ Steve Dasbach Bergland introduced the topic of hiring former LP Chair Steve Dasbach to execute LNC policy and to manage the day-to-day operations of the LNC, Inc. Bergland presented the LNC a draft letter agreement offering terms of employment to Dasbach. (See attached copy.) Bergland clarified that the draft letter agreement was drafted prior to the vote of the Convention that rejected a proposed ByLaws amendment that would have enabled the Chair to designate, with LNC approval, another person as the LNC's Chief Executive Officer. He said that the final agreement would not include that title in deference to the existing ByLaws which assign that responsibility to the Chair. Bergland also noted that he proposes adding to the letter a payment to Dasbach for reasonable relocation expenses in an amount not to exceed $8,000. Butler said that a more appropriate title for Dasbach would be Executive Director. Butler asked if there was a need to take action on this matter immediately. Bergland said that it was not necessary to do so. Dehn said that the LNC Policy Manual already defined the scope and authority of the National Director and said that assigning some of those roles to another person would be inconsistent with the Policy Manual. In response to a question, Bergland said that any arbitration of the letter agreement would take place in the District of Columbia. Lark requested that the LNC Policy Manual be distributed to new LNC members. Crickenberger said that would be done. This was done by the end of the meeting. It was noted that the draft would call for no relocation expenses at the expiration of the contract. Bergland agreed that this was the intention of the letter. Tuniewicz said that he felt the salary level and relocation benefits represented a bargain to the LNC. He also said that he felt the term was too short. However, he said, he did not object to the agreement. In response to discussion that Dasbach be given the title of Chief Operating officer, Bisson said that Section IV.2 of the policy manual states that the National Director is the Chief Operating Officer. Dasbach clarified that taking the title of National Director from Crickenberger and giving it to Dasbach would not result in any contractual costs to LNC, Inc. Dehn moved approval of the agreement to employ to Dasbach as proposed in the draft letter adding a provision for as much as $8,000 for reasonable relocation expenses, deleting the title of Chief Executive Officer, and granting Dasbach the title "National Director." Neale seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Item: Appointment of member to Executive Committee Bergland said that all four officers are members of the Executive Committee. He proposed that one additional member be appointed to the Executive Committee. Bisson moved that Dehn be appointed to the Executive Committee. Spruyt seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Dasbach said that the Executive Committee meetings were open to attendance by telephone by all LNC members and alternates. Tuniewicz said that he had attended Executive Committee meetings for some time prior to his election as Treasurer. He recommended that new LNC members sit in on the monthly Executive Committee teleconferences. Item: 2000 National Convention Site Bergland said that the Convention Planning Committee previously consisted of Butler, Givot, Neale, Candi Copas, and Sharon Ayres. He said that immediate action to finalize the convention site in the Los Angeles area should be taken. Neale discussed the possibility of switching the convention from the Bonaventure Hotel to a site in Anaheim or elsewhere in the Los Angeles area. Williams described some of the considerations in selecting convention sites. Dasbach said that there was no need to reappoint committees, since the Policy Manual calls for continuity in committee assignments until December, 1998. Neale said that committee involvement in the site selection process was critical at the current time. Bergland said that if no action is taken, the current Convention Planning Committee will proceed to work with staff to finalize the site of the 2000 convention. Dehn said that the LNC had approved both the city and hotel site for the 2000 convention and that LNC approval would be required if the hotel or convention hall site were other than at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. Neale moved that the Convention Planning Committee be given authority to recommend alternative hotel and convention sites in the metropolitan Los Angeles area and that the Executive Committee be authorized to enter into a contract for such other site. Givot seconded the motion. With the consent of the committee, Mark Hinkle, Chair, Libertarian Party of California, spoke. Hinkle said that the downtown Los Angeles area where the Bonaventure Hotel is located is not the most desirable area for a convention. He said that the Anaheim area offered additional attractions for delegates and other attendees. The motion passed unanimously. Item: Dates and locations of future LNC meetings Franke moved that the next meeting of the LNC be held on December 12-13, 1998. Butler seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Franke moved that the December, 1998 LNC meeting be held in Washington, DC. Givot seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Givot suggest that a future LNC meeting should be held in Los Angeles to visit the convention site. Dasbach suggested that the August, 1999 meeting might be the best time to do so. Franke suggested that the Libertarian Party of California would be able help host an LNC meeting to visit the 2000 convention site. The committee deferred action on selection of meeting dates or locations other than December, 1998. Butler moved to adjourn. Neale seconded. Passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 4:20 PM EDT.