Regular Meeting
Odyssey Charter School
6510 Zane Ave. N.
Brooklyn Park, MN55429
January 16, 2002
6:30 P.M.
Call to Order A regular meeting of the Odyssey Charter School Board of Directors was held on Wednesday, January 16, 2002. The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. and was facilitated by Tony Spears.
Roll Call The following Board members were present: Tony Spears,. Lyle Clemmenson, Tim Wollenzien, Jeni Holm, and Nathan Disch.
Additions to Agenda There were no additions to the agenda.
Acceptance of Agenda A motion by Tim Wollenzien, seconded by Nathan Disch to accept the printed agenda. The motion carries unanimously.
Community Comments No community comments were offered at this meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2002.
Consent Agenda A motion by Jeni Holm, seconded by Nathan Disch, to approve items in the Consent Agenda as follows:
Approval of Minutes
A motion by Jeni Holm, seconded by Tim Wollenzien, to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 19, 2001. The motion carries unanimously.
Donations
A motion by Jeni Holm, seconded by Lyle Clemmenson to accept donations of a piano valued at $800.00, Plexiglass valued at $45.00, four tape recorders values at $60.00, and cassette tapes valued at $10.00.
Old Business Bylaws
There was discussion among the board members about the bylaws. Lyle Clemmenson offered an edited version of the bylaws, and suggested that all board members review the changes. Further discussion was tabled to the February 20 board meeting.
New Agent for Benefits
Mary Beth Frank discussed changing the agent for benefits. She will have RJ Ahman make a presentation to the board, at which time they will offer several different proposals for the board to review. Lyle Clemmenson asserted the importance of insuring that all employees are in the correct workers compensation classification.
New Business New Payroll Company
May Beth Frank discussed changing payroll from ADT to BVKT. She feels that Odyssey would receive better service for a lower fee from this local company. She has requested three references from the company, and she intends to contact the Better Business Bureau to check for any complaints regarding the company. She stated that there would be a $300.00 charge to switch companies, and that Odyssey would save $30.00 a month. Lyle Clemmenson stated that he acquire a report regarding the reputation of the company.
Line of Credit
May Beth Frank requested that the board approve an unsecured $50,000.00 line of credit from Anchor Bank. Our current line of credit expires January 28, 2002. A motion was made by Lyle Clemmenson, seconded by Nathan Disch to renew the line of credit, and to allow treasurer Jeni Holm to sign the required papers. The motion carries unanimously.
Bids for auditor
Mary Beth Frank stated that our three year agreement with LarsonAllen is up, and we need to take bids for new a auditor. Tony Spears stated that he would draft a Request for Proposal before the February 20 board meeting. Mary Beth Frank will then send the RFP to six auditing firms.
Finance Team
The Finance Team met to discuss more budget cuts. It was proposed that payments to some creditors be postponed to the next fiscal year if possible. Mary Beth Frank noted that the updated budget did not include any merit pay that was paid out. The $3750.00 fund balance was discussed. A motion was made by Lyle Clemmenson, seconded by Nathan Disch, to accepted the amended budget. The motion carried unanimously.
Non Profit Solutions
Mary Beth Frank discussed renewing Odyssey's membership with Non Profit Solutions. There was discussion regarding the purpose of Odyssey's relationship with Non Profit Solutions. Mary Beth Frank pointed out that the $1000.00 a year membership fee would allow for a decreased hourly fee should we need the services of this company. Mary Beth Frank agreed to provide the board with more information. The discussion was tabled to the February 20 board meeting.
Administrative Report
Anne Lindgren, Executive Director, responded to the community comments made on the December 18 board meeting. Please see the attached for more information.
There was discussion of the transition of Odyssey to a K-8 school. Administration requested that a special work session be scheduled to create a plan for the transition. A special session was scheduled for January 30 at 4:00. Lyle Clemmenson requested that board member exchange ideas via email before the meeting. He also asked for preliminary staff input to use during the meeting. It was agreed that Mary Beth Frank would collect this information. Nathan Disch asked that relevant financial information also be prepared for the special session.
Anne Lindgren reviewed the merit pay process. She provided the board with the surveys the staff filled. There was some discussion of the feelings the staff had about the evaluation process. Anne Lindgren stated that she felt the process should move forward if there is enough money in the budget. She also stated that she realized it may be necessary to freeze the merit pay process for budgetary reasons. Lyle Clemmenson and Tim Wollenzien stated that t hey felt the merit pay process should move forward. Mary Beth Frank asked if she should continue to try to figure merit pay into the budget, and Lyle Clemmenson said that she should. He added that the amount of merit pay may have to be adjusted to fit into the budget.
A letter to SAGE Academy written Anne Lindgren was reveiwed. There was some discussion of the content. It was decided that Odyssey would offer transitional support to SAGE, and that the letter should be sent as is. Motion by Lyle Clemmenson, seconded by Nathan Disch, to send the letter immediately.
There was discussion about the upcoming legislative session. Anne Lindgren asked that parents be made aware that lease aid may be severely affected by upcoming legislation. Tim Wollenzien asked that a note be put in the newsletter urging parents to contact their legislators.
Adjournment: Motion by Lyle Clemmenson, seconded by Jeni Holm, to adjourn at 7:55 p.m. Motion carries unanimously.
Next meetings: Wednesday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. at Odyssey Charter School.