Meeting Minutes 7/13/04

Presiding, Chairmen Pro Tem: Carol Tutzauer

VP of Networking Pro Tem: Henry Sontag

Secretary Pro Tem: Alex Murphy

Call to Order

• Sign In
• Seating
• Roll Call, 7:15, In attendance: Pamela Rose, Alex Murphy, Clara Miller, Carol Tutzauer, Suzanne Laba, Rita Gallagher, Gale Ferris, Kim Folger, Rosanne Higgins, Tracy Doldan, Dennis Gallagher, Henry Sontag, Frak Tutzauer, Danielle Darrow-Pepper

Business Transacted

• Reading of Minutes from 6.22.04 by Alex Murphy;
• Motion to vote Minutes into record by Carol Tuztauer, unanimously supported;
• Report from The Nomination Committee: Presented by Suzanne Laba. It was determined that after this election, a standing Nomination Committee will be formed and that the current committee is a temporary one. Progress of the committee was impeded by vacation and injury of member, as well as uncertainty in terms of long-term implications of policies used (this was clarified by the consensus that this was a temporary committee and the procedures were to be considered temporary as well). Platforms are being accepted. A policy to handle votes through a proxy process will be worked out. An updated of progress is expected next week, but finalized procedures are not expected at that time;
• Report from the By-Law Reconciliation Committee: Presented before the assembly by Clara Miller, representative of By-Law Reconciliation Committee. Changes determined at the time the By-Laws were passed have now been incorporated into the formal document. This document is available through SOSBuff and is in the shared files section under the folder for Governance. The file name is Final_bylaws.pdf. It is now ready for review by the attorneys;
• Report on Recent Fundraising Events: First presented by Danielle Darrow-Pepper. The event at Porters sponsored by Friends of Pound Hounds was a success, raising over two thousand dollars. This money is already being applied to spay/neuters for both cats and dogs. Rita Gallagher presented report on the results of the Dog & Cat Baret in conjunction with Heart, Inc. This event was also a success, and brought in something the neighborhood of five thousand dollars. The event garnered publicity and the group is still expecting funds to come in from the playbill and additional donations made. Monies to be dispersed will be distributed via consensus/approval of the organizations (Heart Inc.) BOD;
• Floor Opened for Comments. The distribution of funds was discussed and various uses considered for this money. Consensus was to first push for formalization of the organization, and then to form committees to address the needs the funds might be applied to. Current status of what is going on at the City Shelter and how the funds should be applied to the spay/neuter process was discussed. Consensus is that a permanent Spay/Neuter committee be formed once our organization is established;
• Motion Presented by Alex Murphy: Our group should write a formal letter of recognition and gratitude to both Friends of Pound Hounds and Heart Inc. for their effort. Motion seconded by Carol Tutzauer, and passed unanimously. Both organizations will present a formal report to Alex Murphy within the next week so that the letter can be composed, approved, sent and entered into our permanent records. The letter should be sent within two weeks. Additional letters of recognition will be reviewed for the theater community as well as an open letter to the community to thank them for their concern and support;
• Motion Presented by Carol Tutzauer: A committee should be formed to look into the recent licensing drive (“The Legal Beagle”). This committee should consider and document events that affected the outcome and ways to improve and expand the effort to get dogs in the city licensed. The committee will send a formal letter, to the Buffalo News. Frank Tutzauer named as chair, and volunteer committee members are Rosanne Higgins, Dennis Gallagher, Tracy Doldan. Motion seconded by Henry Sontag and accepted unanimously. This committee will present an initial report at our next meeting;
• Floor Opened for Comment: Desire not to alienate anyone or point fingers at disappointing turn out. Emphasis should be on what did work, in spite of adverse situations, and how the process can be streamlined and improved. Our organization is committed to increasing the rate of licensing while also maintaining positive relations with the community;
• Motion Presented by Clara Miller: We must choose a name. Everyone should come up with two names and either post them to the SOSBuff list or bring them to the next meeting. We cannot move forward or begin to establish ourselves in the community without an effective name. Motion accepted unanimously and name will be chosen at our next meeting;
• Proposed Agenda for Next Meeting: The following topics have been proposed and approved for space on next weeks agenda (in the order listed):

1. Selection of Name
2. Report from the Nomination Committee
3. Presentation of drafts for Letters of Thanks and Recognition
4. Presentation of Op-Ed letter by Licensing Committee

• Meeting Adjourned

· Meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM

· Next meeting scheduled for 7/20/04, at 7:00PM, location, The Sterling Tavern.