Meeting Notes March 7, 2007

Davis Community Network Resource Allocation Committee
Regular Meeting Mar 7, 2007 6:30pm City Training Room

Members present (7): Tsui Chang, Alan Bodenhorn, Alan Brattesani, John Chiles, Anne Evans, Anne Hance (chair), Richard Yamagata. Absent: Diane Crumley

Before the meeting started Anne distributed a one-page summary of the service provided by the RAC. This is to be given to applicants to help them put the RAC resources they use into the context of DCN's nonprofit mission.

1. Called to order at 6:35 PM
2. We approved the agenda
3. We reviewed the application from Yolo Compassionate Friends, which was represented by Don Ranstrom. The organization is a chapter of the International Compassionate Friends Organization.Approved by consensus on a motion by John Chiles, seconded by Alan Bodenhorn:
1 SimpleSite 2.0
1 Calendar
1 Mailman List
4. Proposal to approve Calendar use by default
We considered the proposal to offer Calendars to UCD Sororities and Fraternities and agreed to automatic approval so long as the applicants were bona fide nonprofit groups as determined by the DCN Webteam. RAC members will review the applications as they arrive on the RAC form and will alert the WebTeam with any concerns.We reminded ourselves that any not-for-profit, legitimate group can apply for DCN resources on the RAC form. 501(c)(3) status is not required but the group needs to have some structure and a clear purpose.
5. Discussions / Information / Conversations to keep RAC members up to date with DCN happenings.
Reported by Anne and briefly discussed:
a) Grad. School of Management Team Project. This needs-assessment project will start in mid April
b) DCN's Volunteer Management Project. This is an ambitious plan to develop teams of trained volunteers to carry out some of the work that arises as DCN services its strategic plans and its mission. A key outcome in addition to a volunteer corps will be a volunteer training and management 'kit" on a CD or DVD
Anne Evans pointed out the real need for more public resources to be made available for people with special needs where they might be able to use online computers individually or with help - in an unhurried situation. She reported helping someone recently at the City Hall public access computer but noted that it was not set up for the use of headphones or other accessibility tools. However, it is in a quiet, public, accessible place.
c) DCN's Community Media Project. This is an outcome of recent DCN stratigic planning and is allied with the Volunteer management project.
d) DCN's CTC Vista Proposal. DCN applied for an Americorps CTC Vista 'volunteer' and is hopeful that the application will be approved and the person interviewed (via conference call last weekend) be hired.
e) DCNs nomination of SimpleSites for a "Techie Award." This a long shot but thought worth trying.
6. Announcements
a) Anne will have knee replacement surgery next week that will require recuperation for a month or more and we thanked Alan Brattesani for agreeing to chair the April 4 RAC meeting
b) John Chiles brought up the issue of Spam being received by members of the RAC Mailman List. Anne said she has recently removed the old form that had been distributing ponographic and pharmaceutical links to the list. (This is done by spammers intending that the links would populate a web page but our form did not do this - it simply irritated Listers with the unnecessary mail.) It is assumed that it will take a while for spammers to find the new form on DCN's plone site.
It was suggested that changing the name of the list would slow down the spam and Anne agreed to work on that while recuperating from her knee surgery.

Adjourn at 7:50 PM
Next meeting: Wednesday.April 4, 2007
Anne Hance <rahance@dcn.org>