Minutes
Minutes of 2007 Annual Meeting
Oct. 18, 2007
Members Present: Tim Waltner, Jack Marsh, Chuck Baldwin, Dave Bordewyk, Todd Quinn, Tena Haraldson, Mary Arnold and Betty Breck
The annual meeting of South Dakotan’s for Open Government was called to order by President Baldwin at 12:02 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Watertown Convention Center.
Tim Waltner presented the following slate of officers from the nominating committee:
President: Tena Haraldson
Vice President: Todd Quinn
Secretary: Mary Arnold
Treasurer: Dave Bordewyk
Marsh moved that the slate of officers as presented by the nominating committee be accepted. The motion was seconded by Bordewyk and passed unanimously.
Haraldson, the newly elected president, took over the meeting. She thanked Baldwin for his years of service as SDOG president. She also announced that the nominating committee had recommended establishing the position of executive director, that they had offered the position to Baldwin and that he had accepted pending board approval. Compensation was set $2,000 for the first year to be reviewed after one year.
Marsh moved that the board approve the nominating committee’s recommendation and that Baldwin be hired as executive director for the first year. The motion was seconded by Quinn and passed unanimously.
The board expressed gratitude to the Freedom Forum for providing office support, phone line and a mailing address for SDOG.
Board members expressed concern that the Web site is out of date, that it must be updated and that information about the contests and rules be posted. Arnold will organize a meeting between Baldwin, Matt Cecil and an SDSU graduate student to update the site.
Treasurer Bordewyk presented a financial report showing a balance of $3,682.54.
Haraldson reported that little progress had been made on obtaining the 501 (c)3 tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. Baldwin was directed to find a lawyer who will work on it for a reasonable cost and in a timely manner.
Marsh moved that the board elect (or re-elect) the following board members for designated terms of office:
Mary Arnold 3 years
Stu Huntington 3 years
Todd Quinn 3 years
Mark Johnston 3 years
Michelle VanMaanen 2 years
Cindy Eikamp 2 years
Maricarrol Keueter 1 year
They will join current board members who, with their remaining terms in office, are listed below:
Dale Blegen 2 years
Jack Marsh 2 years
Mark Millage 2 years
Dave Bordewyk 1 year
Tena Haraldson 1 year
Tim Waltner 1 year
The motion also included that the meeting would adjourn at the completion of the vote due to the lack of a quorum for the new board. The motion was seconded by Waltner and passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 12:37.
Follow the adjournment of the meeting, Breck gave an overview of the 10 open meetings complaints that she had filed with the Brown County states attorney. All but one of them were dismissed and forwarded to the attorney generals office where they were paced in the “no merits” file. The one that was forwarded to the attorney general had to do with a meeting for which no agenda or notice was posted.
Submitted by
Mary Arnold, Secretary