Minutes of the board meeting of October 14, 2019
"philip.chimento--- via foundation-announce" <[email protected]> Mon, 4 Nov 2019 21:50:30 -0800
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Wiki location: https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20191014
=3D Foundation Board Minutes for Monday 14 October, 15:30 UTC =3D
=3D=3D Attending =3D=3D
* TristanVanBerkom
* FedericoMenaQuintero
* CarlosSoriano
* NeilMcGovern
* RobertMcQueen
* PhilipChimento
=3D=3D Regrets =3D=3D
* AllanDay
* BrittYazel
* RosannaYuen
=3D=3D Agenda =3D=3D
* Approve minutes of September 23, September 30, and October 7
* Adjust spending authorization limits
* Approve Neil's attendance at China Open Source Conference (COSCon) to
keynote in November
* GUADEC 2020 and 2021 for Mexico and Latvia
* Appoint Jonathan Blandford to membership and elections committee
* Announcements
=3D=3D Minutes =3D=3D
* Carlos is chairing the meeting, due to Allan's absence and Rob's
internet connection.
* Approve minutes of September 23, September 30, and October 7
* Neil and Carlos submitted textual clarifications.
* There was an instance in the minutes of September 23 where it wasn't
clear who said something, and no-one present can remember who said it. We
decide to amend it to say "Someone mentioned ..."
* Minutes are approved, with the proposed amendments.
* Adjust spending authorization limits
* For background, see https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/124
and https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/BudgetAndSpending.
* Neil: When we originally put the spending authorization limits in
place, they were based on public guidelines and scaled down to the size of
organization that we were at the time. Now we are a considerably larger
organization, so we should update these limits. The limits were put in
place by the board, so the board needs to vote if we want to change them.
For comparison, the situation before we had the authorization limits was
that the board would need to discuss and approve everything, down to minor
purchases.
* Tristan: Is this a per-expenditure limit?
* Neil: Yes.
* Tristan: What would this allow that the previous policy didn't allow?
* Neil: For example, renewing the warranty on our servers would now
fall within the approval of the executive director.
* Carlos: Does this apply both to expenditures that we have a budget
line for and ones that we don't?
* Neil: No, things that aren't budgeted for, still require explicit
approval.
* '''VOTE''': approve the following updated spending authorization
limits:
* < $1,000 - Budget holder
* < $5,000 - Executive Director
* < $20,000 - Executive Director AND ( President OR Treasurer )
* =E2=89=A5 $20,000 - Board
* +1 unanimous
* Approve Neil's attendance at China Open Source Conference (COSCon) to
keynote in November
* Neil: I've been invited to give a talk at COSCon. This is something
we've done in the past and is worthwhile. Note that the dates are very
close to LAS. It should be possible to attend both, but there's a risk if
the flights are delayed that I would miss some of LAS.
* Tristan: This reminds me that we should fix the board hackfest at
FOSDEM.
* Philip: It's important to attend LAS, but it seems worthwhile to do
this as well if you are able to attend both.
* '''VOTE''': Approve Neil's travel to COSCon in November.
* +1 unanimous
* GUADEC 2020 and 2021 for Mexico and Latvia
* Neil: I have started a Discourse thread on this; please send any
comments there. Summarizing, GUADEC is our main annual event, and it does a
disservice to us to tie it to Europe.
* Carlos: Our attendance is around 70% European.
* Neil: It is important to recognize that GUADEC is not our European
conference; it is our flagship conference. Therefore we need to make it
visible worldwide, and hence move around instead of it always being a
European event.
* Carlos: Did you look at the concerns that Allan and I raised last
time [in the September 30 meeting]?
* Neil: Yes; I think the concerns can be overcome, given the larger
concept. I think assuming GUADEC is a European event comes from a position
of privilege =E2=80=94 where we say it should be European based, and requir=
es
people from outside Europe to come here. This means it's more difficult for
those outside Europe to attend.
* We will keep this on the agenda next time for further discussion.
* Appoint Jonathan Blandford to membership and elections committee
* Neil: Jonathan expressed interest in joining, and the committee is in
need of members.
* '''VOTE''': Appoint Jonathan Blandford as a member of the membership
and elections committee.
* +1 unanimous
* '''ACTION''': Neil to inform Jonathan and the committee.
* Announcements
* Carlos: The next session will be 21 October, and will be a working
session.
=3D=3D Actions =3D=3D
* '''Neil''' =E2=80=94 Communicate the results of the vote to appoint Jona=
than
Blandford to the membership and elections committee.
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Wiki location: <a href=3D"https://wiki.gnome.org/Foun=
dationBoard/Minutes/20191014">https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minute=
s/20191014</a></div><div><br></div><div>=3D Foundation Board Minutes for Mo=
nday 14 October, 15:30 UTC =3D</div><br>=3D=3D Attending =3D=3D<br><br>=C2=
=A0* TristanVanBerkom<br>=C2=A0* FedericoMenaQuintero<br>=C2=A0* CarlosSori=
ano<br>=C2=A0* NeilMcGovern<br>=C2=A0* RobertMcQueen<br>=C2=A0* PhilipChime=
nto<br><br>=3D=3D Regrets =3D=3D<br><br>=C2=A0* AllanDay<br>=C2=A0* BrittYa=
zel<br>=C2=A0* RosannaYuen<br><br>=3D=3D Agenda =3D=3D<br><br>=C2=A0* Appro=
ve minutes of September 23, September 30, and October 7<br>=C2=A0* Adjust s=
pending authorization limits<br>=C2=A0* Approve Neil's attendance at Ch=
ina Open Source Conference (COSCon) to keynote in November<br>=C2=A0* GUADE=
C 2020 and 2021 for Mexico and Latvia<br>=C2=A0* Appoint Jonathan Blandford=
to membership and elections committee<br>=C2=A0* Announcements<br><br>=3D=
=3D Minutes =3D=3D<br><br>=C2=A0* Carlos is chairing the meeting, due to Al=
lan's absence and Rob's internet connection.<br><br>=C2=A0* Approve=
minutes of September 23, September 30, and October 7<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Nei=
l and Carlos submitted textual clarifications.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* There was =
an instance in the minutes of September 23 where it wasn't clear who sa=
id something, and no-one present can remember who said it. We decide to ame=
nd it to say "Someone mentioned ..."<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Minutes ar=
e approved, with the proposed amendments.<br><br>=C2=A0* Adjust spending au=
thorization limits<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* For background, see <a href=3D"https:/=
/gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/124">https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Bo=
ard/issues/124</a> and <a href=3D"https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/BudgetA=
ndSpending">https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/BudgetAndSpending</a>.<br>=C2=
=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: When we originally put the spending authorization limits =
in place, they were based on public guidelines and scaled down to the size =
of organization that we were at the time. Now we are a considerably larger =
organization, so we should update these limits. The limits were put in plac=
e by the board, so the board needs to vote if we want to change them. For c=
omparison, the situation before we had the authorization limits was that th=
e board would need to discuss and approve everything, down to minor purchas=
es.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Tristan: Is this a per-expenditure limit?<br>=C2=A0 =
=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: Yes.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Tristan: What would this allow =
that the previous policy didn't allow?<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: F=
or example, renewing the warranty on our servers would now fall within the =
approval of the executive director.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Carlos: Does this app=
ly both to expenditures that we have a budget line for and ones that we don=
't?<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: No, things that aren't budgeted =
for, still require explicit approval.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* '''VOTE=
''': approve the following updated spending authorization limit=
s:<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0* < $1,000 - Budget holder<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =
=C2=A0* < $5,000 - Executive Director<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0* < $20,=
000 - Executive Director AND ( President OR Treasurer )<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =
=C2=A0* =E2=89=A5 $20,000 - Board<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* +1 unanimous<br><br>=C2=
=A0* Approve Neil's attendance at China Open Source Conference (COSCon)=
to keynote in November<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: I've been invited to gi=
ve a talk at COSCon. This is something we've done in the past and is wo=
rthwhile. Note that the dates are very close to LAS. It should be possible =
to attend both, but there's a risk if the flights are delayed that I wo=
uld miss some of LAS.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Tristan: This reminds me that we sh=
ould fix the board hackfest at FOSDEM.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Philip: It's i=
mportant to attend LAS, but it seems worthwhile to do this as well if you a=
re able to attend both.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* '''VOTE'''=
;: Approve Neil's travel to COSCon in November.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0=
* +1 unanimous<br><br>=C2=A0* GUADEC 2020 and 2021 for Mexico and Latvia<br=
>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 * Neil: I have started a Discourse thread on this; please se=
nd any comments there. Summarizing, GUADEC is our main annual event, and it=
does a disservice to us to tie it to Europe.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 * Carlos: Ou=
r attendance is around 70% European.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 * Neil: It is =
important to recognize that GUADEC is not our European conference; it is ou=
r flagship conference. Therefore we need to make it visible worldwide, and =
hence move around instead of it always being a European event.<br>=C2=A0 =
=C2=A0 * Carlos: Did you look at the concerns that Allan and I raised last =
time [in the September 30 meeting]?<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 * Neil: Yes; I =
think the concerns can be overcome, given the larger concept. I think assum=
ing GUADEC is a European event comes from a position of privilege =E2=80=94=
where we say it should be European based, and requires people from outside=
Europe to come here. This means it's more difficult for those outside =
Europe to attend.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 * We will keep this on the agenda next t=
ime for further discussion.<br><br>=C2=A0* Appoint Jonathan Blandford to me=
mbership and elections committee<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* Neil: Jonathan expressed=
interest in joining, and the committee is in need of members.<br>=C2=A0 =
=C2=A0* '''VOTE''': Appoint Jonathan Blandford as a=
member of the membership and elections committee.<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0*=
+1 unanimous<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* '''ACTION''': Neil =
to inform Jonathan and the committee.<br><br>=C2=A0* Announcements<br>=C2=
=A0 =C2=A0* Carlos: The next session will be 21 October, and will be a work=
ing session.<br><br>=3D=3D Actions =3D=3D<br><br>=C2=A0* '''Nei=
l''' =E2=80=94 Communicate the results of the vote to appoint J=
onathan Blandford to the membership and elections committee.<br><br></div>
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