Minutes for December 17, 2019

Doug called us to order at 6:15pm

Attendance

Present: Doug Walter, Robert Nickerson, Jim Frame, Matt Williams, Steve McMahon

Absent: None

Agenda approved by consensus

Minutes for August 27, 2019

Matt moved approval, Jim seconded

Approved unanimously

Report on expired contract with Yolo ACE office

Steve reminded the board that DCN’s web-services contract with the Yolo County Assessor/Clerk/Elections (ACE) office expired last summer and DCN since has been providing web CMS and database services on a goodwill basis. This is becoming problematic because the two sites (Recorder and Elections) are running on older hardware with OS versions that are out-of-maintenance. This is a particular problem for the Recorder’s site, which is running on a server that is getting old and may no longer be reliable. Normally we would have replaced or updated these machines (which are running very little other than these sites), but the ACE office had indicated last year that it expected to move these sites by this point in time, so we had no expectation they’d still be in use for this purpose.

Agreed action: Steve will draft a letter to Jesse Salinas, letting him know the sites are already at risk for outages.

Escalate further in January, noting intent to retire machine. Mention PG&E situation and relocations.

Hardware report

Rob offered a hardware update report.

Omsoft is In the process of getting everything necessary for network operations to be moved out of Davis to alleviate risk from PG&E outages.

Omsoft has a rack in Sacramento, already in use. Rack has some space. E-mail is already over there, Omsoft’s web site to travel soon. Have begun migrating Mailman lists. Two domains have already moved; DCN’s are being evaluated for a move now. Priority is for moving what’s on Crank, which is old hardware running an old OS.

Rob is also working on the davis.ca.us domain. Jack Crowell is still admin of record and it’s been hard to get it updated. This needs fixing before the final move to Sac can be completed in order to keep the subnet united.

Board members were agreed that we expect Omsoft to be submitting bills for this work at their customary rates, and instructed Steve to include this in the minutes.

DCN website has old addresses and bylaws; Steve to update.

We discussed officer and membership updates and there was general agreement that we expect to continue membership and officers on schedule at our January meeting. Steve noted this will be recorded in the minutes.

General discussion on role of DCN in the absence of a likely municipal broadband effort to support. Doug noted a lack of urgency given that our financial situation is stable. Rob noted that the community is still interested in broadband even in the absence of a municipal initiative.

Rob reported on North Davis Meadows broadband deployment, for which there may be a DCN role at some point.

Brief discussion of possibilities involving a consumer cooperative.

Next meeting, adjournment

Next meeting January 21. Kobe Mini Mart a possibility.

Matt moved adjournment. Approved by consensus.