FOSC Board of Directors Meeting July 1, 2020

Minutes

Present (via videoconference): board members: Mike Smith, Melinda Villanueva, Dee Clarkin, Julien Katchinoff, Paul Chrostowski, Kit Gage (taking minutes), Christine Dunathan (website and database consultant)

Website:

• Christine will put up the next event on the new calendar.
• She estimates it’ll be well before the end of the month.
• The board agreed to have a soft open to Roundtable for comments for a week or so before hard launch.

July letter to FOSC list

• Mike Smith will draft (maybe send to a couple of us) letter that solicits donations and at the same time promotes the new website.

Salesforce auto-notifications

• Mike will send thank you notes to bigger donors.
• Paul will agree to respond to those folks who check water quality when they join. He’ll also think about how we might handle this for the rest of the groups.

Fran Rothstein

• Unanimously voted to ask Fran to join the board. There was a quorum.

Advocacy

• Kit has been working some on pushing Climate Change issues with a coalition in the county.
• Beltway expansion – we’re signed on to a call for at least 90 days’ notice on an anticipated Environmental Impact Statement
• With a committee, wrote two testimonies and did a video testimony to the county Planning Board opposing use of artificial turf on Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring. The Board voted to approve the use of turf and we have now asked for a rehearing.
• Mike will ask Jim Anderson of the RIP committee about considering some kind of tax or education or prohibition on commonly sold invasive plants – like ivy, vinca, – a ‘dirty dozen’. Kit suggested this should be a committee and reach out to the other watershed & environmental groups.

Programs

• Michael Wilpers will be asked (by Mike) to come up with some more ideas for natural history programs we can Zoom.

Kiosks

• Julien suggested something like a QR code on the kiosks to facilitate donations on the run so to speak.
• Dee will do the next display that is a “What is FOSC, what we do and so why you’d want to donate to us”. Where your money goes.

Financial Report

• Dee sent YTD figures out before Bd mtg.
• Giving is down; just like most non-profits during this time.
• Expenses down (except webmaster) due to not paying for program space.