General Meeting, Monday, April 7, 2008

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

Date: Monday, March 3, 2008

Present: 107 people signed in (see sign in sheet images below for names)

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA President Stanton Truxillo called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm.

MOTION: Accept the minutes of the previous meeting as published in the Southwest Cycling News.
Moved: Bob Farr
Seconded: Jane Dewayne
PASSED, without opposition


Laura King encouraged people to volunteer to help with the ACA's Armadillo Hill Country Classic ride on May 10th.

MOTION to adjourn
Moved: Daniel Norton
Seconded: Monte Morast
PASSED, without opposition at 7:03 PM 4/7/2008

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General Meeting, Monday, March 3, 2008

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

Date: Monday, March 3, 2008
Location: Texas Bicycle Coalition, 1902 E. 6th St, Austin, TX
Present: Kaye Childress, Dale Childress, Deanna McMillen, Jerry Kollath, Michael Portman, Michael Wellman, Freddie Summer, Charles DeCarlo, Fernando Martinez, Brenda Chuleewah, Mark Stine, Stanton Truxillo, Bill Shea, Tommy Eden, Eileen Schaubert, Ron Burzese, L (?) Bailey, Thuy Truong, Fred Meredith, Nancy Meredith, Marc Miller, Monica Leo, Gilbert D. Martinez, Daniel Norton, Courtney Jeffries, Clemmie Cummins, Ralph Smith, Bob Farr

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA President Stanton Truxillo called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm and asked everyone present to individually introduce themselves and respond to the question of the night: "What was the most severe weather change that you encountered on a bike ride? Almost all present participated with an answer.

Motion: Marc Miller moved to accept the general meeting minutes as published in the previous edition of Southwest Cycling News. Gilbert Martinez seconded.
PASSED: without opposition or abstention

EXECUTIVE REPORTS

ACA Vice President Gilbert Martinez discussed the importance of the upcoming ACA Candidates Forum and membership attendance. ACA President Stanton Truxillo urged attendance and urged all to spread the word.

ACA Treasurer Ralph Smith reported that the ACA has $6940 in its checking account and $37,184 in its money market account. He also mentioned that he is in the process of moving the bookkeeping process to a web-based service.

Legislative Liaison Tommy Eden reported that Legislative Committee meeting are generally held after each ACA Executive Committee meeting. The committee recommends support of the Street Smarts Task Force report with an amendment to provide for transport of bicycles on mass transit. The name of the "Political Pedal" (which the ACA does not directly organize) is likely to remain so named, but that details has not been absolutely determined.

Education Committee Chair Marc Miller reported that the spring season is bringing plenty of bike rodeos. Four or five are currently planned from late March into April.

Ride Committee Chair Eileen Schaubert reported that the ride committee is making use of the ACA website forum (not to be confused with the ACA-List Google group). Rides are currently scheduled through April and the committee is working hard to start "hosted" rides in May. The first hosted ride training session is scheduled for April 5.

On behalf of Membership Chair Susie Truxillo, Stanton Truxillo reported that the ACA now has about 1477 members, of which about half are family members. 259 of those members are supporting members.

Volunteer Coordinator Brenda Chuleewah reported that the AHCC needs many more volunteers. Prospective volunteers are invited to sign up on the ACA website. Someone asked "What if you would like to volunteer, but would also like to do the ride?" Brenda replied that there are volunteers needed for many pre-ride tasks and that volunteers are invited to a "volunteer appreciation ride" a few weeks following the AHCC.

Southwest Cycling News Editor Fred Meredith reported that he brought to the meeting many periodicals from around the country and invites people to take them home for keeps. He also invites "Aprilish" articles. He also reports that advertising is up.

Webmaster Bob Farr reports the previous spam problems in the forum are now under control and that 1200 people are registered for access to the maps. Someone asked if there are "hit counter" reports for the website, and Bob reported that there were not.

On behalf of Outreach Coordinator Laura King, Stanton Truxillo reported that the AHCC remains in need of lots of volunteers, both the day of the AHCC and for weeks before. One day-of task, for example, might be to drive a supply truck to rest stops.

CONTINUING BUSINESS

Bike Month Coordinator Monica Leo reported that the Bike Month committee is working with TSU students to help get the word out about Bike Month. She also reported that this is a great Bike Month calendar on the ACA website (follow the Bike Month link). People are invited to organize their own bike month event and the committee will consider adding it to the publicized calendars. Monica asked for volunteers for the Bike-to-Work Day breakfast stations on the morning of Friday, May 16.

Motion: That the ACA support the Street Smarts Task Force Final Report Draft as passed out at the February Meeting.
Tommy Eden so moved.
Eileen Schaubert seconded the motion.
The motion PASSED with one abstention.

Motion: That the ACA recommends that bicycle accommodations includes recommendations to approve providing for bicycle carriage on mass transit and carpool vehicles.
Tommy Eden so moved.
Fred Meredith seconded.
The motion PASSED unanimously.

Motion: To Adjourn
Daniel Norton so moved.
Michael Wellman seconded.
The meeting adjourned at 8:01 pm.

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General Meeting, Monday, February 4, 2008

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

Date: Monday, February 4, 2008
Location: Austin Yellow Bike Project, 2013 E 51st St, Austin, Texas
Present: Bob Farr, Daniel Norton, Stanton Truxillo, Angelina DiCarlo, Steve Coyle, Scott Korcz, Michael Portman, Richard Gebhart, Mark (Hardle?), Monica Leo, Joel Schaubert, Eileen Schaubert, Patti Summerall, Tommy Eden, Jen Schaffer, Ron Burzese, Tom Robicheaux, Mike (Seaborne?/Seguine?), Mark Stine, Brenda Chuleewah, Tammy Gustafson, Bill Allen, Ira Kaplan, Gilbert Martinez, Fred Meredith, Laura King

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA President Stanton Truxillo called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm and asked each person present to introduce himself or herself and respond to the question of the night "How many parts do you have at home that you could give to Yellow Bike Project?" Almost all present participated with an answer.

Motion: Bob Farr moved to accept the general meeting minutes as published in the previous edition of Southwest Cycling News. Michael Portman seconded.
PASSED: without opposition or abstention

EXECUTIVE REPORTS

Laura King reported with regard administrative activities that the ACA is working out the final details of switching treasurers. She reported that the ACA currently has 1490 memberships (about half of which are family memberships) and 268 supplemental memberships.

Ride Committee - Patti Summerall reported that the ride committee has overseen updates to 12 ride maps and is currently working on additional updates to maps. The ride committee has updated the pre-ride brief for ride starts.

Newsletter Editor - Fred Meredith reported that the mailing of Southwest Cycling News was a few days later than planned or desired. He urges all to meet the news submission deadline strictly this month (the 15th of each month) as he will be unavailable almost immediately afterwards. Fred was recently in Houston with Preston Tyree, evaluating bike safety course trainers.

Website - Bob Farr reports that 1200 people are registered for access to the approximately 50 ACA maps. ACA President Stanton Truxillo suggested a Wiki system for rides, as road conditions change often, e.g. road construction. There was some discussion on other online methods for communicating ride updates and some discussion about using something like Wikipedia.

Bike Month - Monica Leo reports that "Bike Month will arrive sooner than you realize." The planning committee is working with a PR class at Texas State University and is considering the possibility of recommending that the ACA hire Scott Johnson to help with promotion. Monica reported that City of Austin mayor Will Wynn has expressed interest in Bike Month activities and asked to be kept apprised of plans and events. ACA President Stanton Truxillo reiterated that the Mayor expressed particular interest at a recent luncheon that Stanton attended with the Mayor.

Armadillo Hill Country Classic - Laura King reported that planning for the 2008 AHCC is well underway. It is scheduled for May 10, 2008 in Liberty Hill and will have route options from 14 to 105 miles. The planning committee seeks pre-ride and ride-day volunteers who are invited to contact Laura at staff@austincycling.org. Some typical volunteer responsibilities are for staff for rest stops, people to place and remove signs, scout routes, coordinate parking and seek sponsors. Volunteers receive free registration for the ride and are invited to a volunteer appreciation bike ride and party in June. Registration and volunteer sign-up is available online now.

Legislative Liaison Committee - Tommy Eden reports that the committee will have its first meeting this week. Five people are now on the committee. One task is to consider renaming the annual "Political Pedal" in order to encourage wider participation.

ACA President Stanton Truxillo reports as a follow up from last month's brainstorming session, notes are being reviewed by the Executive Committee, possibly to organize the suggestions into categories related to a "mission statement" of "access," "safety," "education," and "enjoyment."

ACA Secretary Daniel Norton said he would follow up with Preston Tyree regarding a facilitator for an ACA retreat for helping plan the future of the ACA and that he would contact Marc Miller regarding organization of the ACA's formal, written by-laws.

NEW BUSINESS

Ride Committee - Eileen Schaubert reports that the ride committee is launching a new rides program over the next few months called "hosted rides," by which a ride "host" chooses the location, time, date, ride speed and creates a ride map. Existing ACA rides could be among such rides. Eileen asks for interested members to contact her at eileenstx@yahoo.com.

Laura King announced that there were copies of the "Street Smarts Task Force Report", available at the meeting for review. Scott Korcz described the report and reported that it avoided issues that didn't have clear consensus support, such as the mandatory helmet law. Scott will provide a final draft on the ACA website of the version that will be presented to the City Council for a vote for its inclusion into the City of Austin Bike Plan. The date of presentation is expected to be February 28th, and Scott encourages individual members of the cycling community to attend that city council meeting.



Motion: Mark Stine moved for the ACA to approve and support the Vision Statement and the Mission Statement of the Street Smarts Task Force Report and to ask the legislative committee and executive committee to review details in the report on behalf of the association, namely, to
Transform Austin into a World Class Cycling Committee, and
To create and promote the best environment for the friendly co-existence of bicycle riders and other transportation users in Austin.
Eileen Schaubert seconded the motion.
PASSED: without opposition.

ACA Vice President Gilbert Martinez announced that the next general meeting of the ACA will be at the offices of the Texas Bicycle Coalition, 1902 East 6th St, in Austin. See the ACA website for confirmation or additional details.

It was announced that Sheldon Brown, of Newtonville, Massachusetts, passed away recently. Sheldon Brown was best known for his support of cycling, specifically through his technical support at his website and various online forums.

Motion: John Howell moved to adjourn at approximately 8:00 pm. Bob Farr seconded the motion.
PASSED: without opposition

General Meeting, Monday, January 7, 2008

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

Date: Monday, January 7, 2008
Location: Texas Bicycle Coalition, 1902 E 6th Street, Austin, Texas
Present: Bob Farr, Gilbert D. Martinez, Daniel Norton, Stanton Truxillo, Eileen Schaubert, Joel Schaubert, Brenda Chuleewah, Jane Dewane, Pat Dewane, Patti Summerall, Ron Burzese, Richard Gebhardt, Preston Tyree, Robin Stallings, Greg Campbell, Shelli Nichols, Kay Childress, Dale Childress, Ralph Smith, Fred Meredith, Tommy Eden, Mark Stine, Michael Portman, Lynn Wild, Ron Wild, Bill Allen, Tami Gustafson

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA President Stanton Truxillo called the meeting to order at 7:38 pm and asked each person present to introduce his or herself and respond to the question of the night "What is your usual ride venue or start point?" All present participated with an answer.

Motion: Bob Farr moved to accept the general meeting minutes as published in the previous edition of Southwest Cycling News. Jane Dewane seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Newsletter Editor - Fred Meredith urged everyone to submit articles and letters to the editor and to submit all material by the 15th of each month for publication in the following month's issue of Southwest Cycling News.

Treasurer- Ralph Smith reported that he received six boxes of archives from the former treasurer, Mick Koffend. He also had a copy of this year's budget available for reading.

Legislation - Tommy Eden invited members to join the legislative committee to help provide legislative support for area cyclists. He reported that the ride formerly known as the "Political Pedal" will have a new name this year.

Education - Preston Tyree reported on behalf of Marc Miller that Marc is seeking suggestions for his list of contacts of people and organizations interested in cycling safety education for children, those who coordinate such events and for those interested in helping train the trainers. Preston also mentioned that there is a 2008 schedule of Austin-area "Road I" courses published in the November-December issue of Southwest Cycling News and at www.streetcycling.org .

Ride Committee - Patti Summerall reported that she has agreed to serve as Ride Coordinator and will assume full responsibility of related tasks beginning in May. Ron Burzese reported that the committee is researching and asking for input and feedback on more rides, including weekday rides, rides of varying difficulty, and training for ride leaders. He is inspired by the success of the Twin Cities Bicycle Club [of Minnesota] which has 120-150 ride leaders and thousands of rides each year.

Website - Bob Farr said to look for new improvements to the ACA website, particularly regarding the upcoming Armadillo Hill Country Classic.

Volunteer Coordinator - Brenda Chuleewah has agreed to serve in the newly created position of Volunteer Coordinator.

Motion: Preston Tyree moved to confirm the appointment of the following appointed officers:
- Michael Zakes, Representing local shop owners
- Jen Shaffer, Representing the Austin Yellow Bike Project
- Fred Meredith, Editor of Southwest Cycling News
- Susie Truxillo, Membership Coordinator
- Marc Miller, Education Chair
- Bob Farr, Webmaster
- David Foster, Representing Austin Carshare
- Cynthia Weisinger, Representing the Austin Ridge Riders
- Patti Summerall, Ride Coordinator
- Brenda Chuleewah, Volunteer Coordinator
Eileen Schaubert seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

It was noted that the executive committee has yet to appoint a chairperson for the Armadillo Hill Country Classic.

Vice President Gilbert Martinez offered thanks to Robin Stallings and the Texas Bicycle Coalition for sharing their office space for the ACA General meeting and the executive committee meeting the week before. Gilbert reported that he is coordinating with the LCRA to have meetings at their new "Redbud Center" as soon as it becomes available.

There was some discussion as to whether or not the 2012 Brainstorming session should be held during the meeting or as a program immediately following the meeting.

Motion: At 8:10 pm, Preston Tyree moved to adjourn. Eileen Schaubert seconded. The motion passed overwhelmingly with one objection.

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General Meeting, Monday, November 5, 2007

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

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Date: Monday, November 5, 2007

Present: Michael Portman, Patrick Dewane, Jane Dewane, Stanton Truxillo, Tommy Eden, Jimmy Hudson, Susie Truxillo, Bob Farr, Scott Korcz, Steve Coyle, Fred Meredith, Ron Wild, Roger Wolf, Maureen Howell, Frank Irwin, John Howell, Joel McCorquindale, Tami Gustafson, Ron Burzese, Brenda Chuleewah, Gilbert D. Martinez, Mick Koffend, Ralph Smith, Richard Gebhardt, Monica Leo

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA President Steve Coyle called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm CST and began with the question of the day, "What in 2007 was your favorite ACA event?" All introduced themselves and responded. Some of the responses included various ACA rides, the Armadillo Hill Country Classic, the Tour de Fat, free helmet events and bike safety events.

Motion: Stanton Truxillo moved to accept the meeting minutes as published in the October issue of Southwest Cycling News. Frank Irwin seconded and the motion passed without opposition.

Officer Reports

Treasurer - Mick Koffend reported that the ACA cash position increased by about $7,000 in October from revenue from various sources including the Tour de Fat, Southwest Cycling News advertising sales and membership fees. As of October 31, 2007, the money market account balance was $41,068 and the checking account balance was $5,337.

Membership - Susie Truxillo reported that the ACA now has 1553 member households and 298 contributing members.

Ride Committee - Ron Burzese reported that committee members are busy working on maps and considering new routes and additional rides during the week. Pat (?) reported that a call made to Williamson county will result in additional street signage on County Road 129.

Newsletter - Fred Meredith reported that the next issue of Southwest Cycling News will be a double issue for both November and December. He is seeking someone to do distribution and someone to do commission-based advertising sales.

Website - Bob Farr reported that 145 members are registered for online maps access.

New Business

2008 Budget - President Steve Coyle introduced the proposed 2008 Budget that was published in the October issue of Southwest Cycling News. Treasurer Mick Koffend fielded questions about specific line items.

Motion: John Howell moved to accept the proposed budget as published in the October issue of Southwest Cycling News as the ACA budget for 2008. Stanton Truxillo seconded and the motion passed without opposition. Fred Meredith abstained.

2008 Officers

Steve Coyle reported that Marc Miller withdrew his name as nominee for ACA president. Scott Korcz nominated Stanton Truxillo for president. Susie Truxillo nominated Ralph Smith for treasurer.

Motion: Roger Wolf moved to accept the following slate of officers for 2008:

President: Stanton Truxillo
Vice President: Gilbert Martinez
Secretary: Daniel Norton
Treasurer: Ralph Smith
Legislative Liaison: Tommy Eden

Susie Truxillo seconded the motion. The motion passed without opposition.

Steve Coyle announced the new slate of officers. Pursuant to organization bylaws, the officers immediately assumed office.

The meeting adjourned at 7:52 pm CST.

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General Meeting, Monday, October 1, 2007

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

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Date: Monday, October 1, 2007

Present: Steve Coyle, Daniel Norton, Marc Miller, Gilbert D. Martinez, Laura King, Fred Meredith, Tommy Eden, Annette Kobus, Annick Beaudet, Tom Wald, Mark Stine, Michael Portman, Rick Byrnes

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA president Steve Coyle called the meeting to order at 7:08 pm CDT on October 1, 2007. He asked to minimize formal reports to allow more time for the following TXDOT presentation.

Motion: At 7:09 pm Marc Miller moved to accept the minutes of the previous meeting as published in the September issue of Southwest Cycling News. Gilbert Martinez seconded and the motion passed by consensus.

Steve Coyle invited nominations for officer positions. Fred Meredith nominated Tommy Eden for the position of Legislative Liaison Chair.

Laura King reported on the upcoming "Tour de Fat" on Saturday, October 20. It will start with a parade organized by the Austin Ridge Riders which will end at Festival Beach where there will be fun stuff, music and beer. All profits from beer sales will be distributed among the Austin Cycling Association, the Yellow Bike Project and the Austin Ridge Riders. More volunteers are needed.

Laura King reported on the Kryptonite-sponsored bike parking being arranged and organized by the ACA. Events provided with bike parking included the Austin Farmers Market at the Triangle on WEdnesday evenings. Events planned are the Green City Festival on Saturday, October 15 and First Night on December 31st. Volunteers are sought and their associated non-profit organizations will be paid.

Laura King reported that the next Armadillo Hill Country Classic is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2008. Volunteers at all levels are sought to help organize, prepare for and work this event.

Laura King reported that this year's ACA Holiday Party is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, 2007 from 6pm to 11pm at the Wild Basin Preserve. The exact price is yet to be determined, but will be within the range from $10 to $15.

Motion: Daniel Norton moved to adjourn and Frank Irwin seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 7:19 pm CDT.

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Sign In Sheet

General Meeting, Monday, September 10, 2007

DRAFT VERSION: See the Southwest Cycling News for the version submitted for approval by the general membership.

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Date: Monday, September 10, 2007

Present: Steve Coyle, Bob Farr, Gilbert Martinez, Annette Kobus, Laura King, Fred Meredith, Monte Morast, Frank Irwin, Roger Wolf, Nadia Barrera, Stanton Truxillo, Dyann Collier, John Howell, Lauren McClendon, Kirtna Charavda, Whitney Goss, Rick Byrnes, Eric Anderson, Scott Korcz, Preston Tyree, Daniel Norton

Submitted by Daniel Norton, ACA Secretary

ACA president Steve Coyle called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm CDT September 10, 2007, and began with the question of the day, "Have you ever used the city bike map?" All present participated with an answer (almost all had).

Motion: At 7:16 pm Preston Tyree moved to accept the minutes of the previous meeting as published in the August issue of Southwest Cycling News. Marc Miller seconded and the motion passed by consensus.

Old Business – Reports

Membership – Laura King reported on behalf of Susie Truxillo that there are now memberships in 1528 households, including 1228 Individual and Family Memberships, 298 Contributing Memberships and 2 Life Memberships. 2577 copies of Southwest Cycling News were mailed the ACA members, to 205 members of the Austin Ridge Riders, 521 members of the San Antonio Wheelman and to 277 various others.

Legislation – Preston Tyree reported on the $4 million CAMPO project bridge across Barton Creek and that CAMPO is soliciting feedback at their meeting concurrent with this ACA meeting. Preston announced his resignation of his office effective when a replacement is enlisted.

Education - Stanton Truxillo described upcoming activities in a couple of bicycle safety seminars for area businesses, including the American Cancer Society and SigmaTel. Marc Miller described a number of safety sessions and rodeos, including for VFW Child Safety, rodeos at Lakepoint Elementary, Lee Elementary, helmet-fitting training at the Travis County Sheriff's department, an event in Round Rock and another at AMD. Members are encouraged to volunteer to assist with rodeos and helmet fittings.

Yellow Bike Project – Gilbert Martinez reported that the biggest problem facing the YBP is space. The city has suggested that they might provide space to substitute for the space that YBP will be losing at the end of the year.

Fall Tour - Steve Coyle announced that plans for the ACA Fall Tour were canceled due to lack of interest.

Newsletter - Fred Meredith seeks articles for Southwest Cycling News, particularly about your summer bike tours, of length of 700-1500 words. Fred pointed out the newsletters from various cycling organizations from around the world available free for the taking from the table. As usual, the deadline for newsletter content is the 15th of the month.

Website - Bob Farr reported that the number of registered map users continues to rise, 12 additional this week. Bob described the upcoming "Tour de Fat" on Saturday, October 20th, hosted by the ACA, Austin Ridge Riders, and Yellow Bike Project. The "TdF" will have a bicycle parade with costumed riders and bikes, stunt riding and more. After the parade there will be live music and beer. The ACA will split the proceeds with other hosts. He will be sending an E-mail seeking volunteers.

Outreach - Laura King reported that the ACA is still taking orders for the new ACA jersey, expected to arrive in October. Orders may be placed via the ACA website (requires registering an account separate from the maps account). Orders may also be placed for the quickly declining stock of ACA mirrors. Laura is also coordinating the Kryptonite Valet Parking program. The next valet service will be provided at the City of Austin Green City Festival on Saturday, October 13.

Ride Committee - Rick Byrnes reports that several ride maps are undergoing changes, "Jake's Hill" particularly. Ride starters are always sought. The ride committee is exploring reinstating rides on non-weekend holidays, possibly in-town rides. A new route starts this month on September 29th, to be detailed in the Southwest Cycling News.

New Business:

Stanton Truxillo announced a slate of officer nominations:

• President - Marc Miller
• Vice President - Gilbert Martinez
• Secretary - Daniel Norton
• Treasurer - none identified
• Legislative Liaison - Preston Tyree offers to serve until a replacement is identified
• AHCC Chair - none identified
• Bike Month Chair - Monica Leo
• Education - none identified
• The past president position will automatically be assigned to Steve Coyle.

Gilbert Martinez announced that the ACA is planning a Strategic Planning Process to help guide the future of the ACA and he seeks participants to help plan the Strategic Planning Process. He announced that there will be a series of budget meetings, the first on Monday, September 17.

Motion: At 7:55 pm CDT, Preston Tyree moved to adjourn, Scott Korcz seconded and the motion passed by consensus.

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Sign-in Sheet