Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce

Board of Directors

May 14, 2009

Present: Marc Kingsley, Becky Davidson-Nielsen, Jane Duel, Scott Dunlop, Yvette DiMaggio, Mike Otis, Deb Taylor, Ken Meifert, Will Green, Steve Elliott, Anne Geddes-Atwell, Andrew Marietta, and MJ Kevlin

Absent: Margaret Savoie and Bridgette Priem

Staff: Susan O’Handley

• Meeting called to order @ 8am
• March 12, 2009 board minutes approved
• 1^st by Jane and 2^nd by Anne
• Request made to send out minutes day before board meeting as a reminder
• Committee Reports and Discussion/Action Items
• Finance Committee
• Insurance expense
• Lower than expected (higher increase expected due to sidewalk fall)
• Broker is Lee Malone
• Request broker to attend next board meeting to overview policy
• Facilities assessment planned
• 1722 tickets sold as of right now (in the black)
• Need to revisit ticket sales relationship with Village in the future
• Only other concert responsibility is helping with handicap parking
• Amend line #128 from gross to new
• Executive Committee
• Bridgette notified board of resignation.
• 1^st by Anne and 2^nd by Jane to accept resignation
• Government relations will be dissolved
• Jane 1^st and Deb made 2^nd
• What do we need to address to protect ourselves
• Local issues will be monitored by exec
• Government committee minutes from Otsego County Chamber will be distributed to board
• Motion Approved
• Tourism Committee
• Discussion about founding
• Will work with Otsego County Tourism and Otsego County Chamber
• More welcoming
• Reciprocal program with rack cards
• Packaging
• Better mechanism to inform people what there is to do here
• Will this be a function of marketing committee
• Sub-committee under Marketing
• Next steps
• Form sub-committee or ad-hoc committee to further investigate
• Need to have more regular presence at county board and committee meetings
• Packaging Seminar set for 5/27
• Sponsored by Otsego County Tourism and SUNY Oneonta
• Cost is $20
• Strategic Planning
• Overview of planning retreat
• Continue discussion about kiosk volunteer idea
• Need to develop formal proposal and budget for board’s review in July or September
• Membership
• Review potential members
• Need to be careful about how we recommend
• Jane motion to accept, 2^nd by Becky
• Monitor and revisit Hickory Grove Inn probationary member
  (change suggested by SMOH)
• Follow up at next board meeting
• Parade review
• Up to $4500 committed
• $2750 in hand
• 30 out of 40 unites confirmed
• Income will determine expenses
• Discuss in-kind offer
• Need cash for sponsorship
• Parade sponsor breakfast
• 85-100 possible, but don’t have that many attending
• Discussing increasing benefits for sponsors and board members
• Bring a guest that doesn’t compete with our sponsors
• Send invitation to board to bring a guest
• Pumpkin Fest
• Next meeting 5/18, 4:45 pm
• Annual Dinner
• 80-100 attended in past
• Look at different venue and look at format for spring
• Finance needs to address $1000 revenue goal for budget
• Look at Nov date at Hall of Fame
• Marketing
• Area guide
• Finalized
• Addressed issues
• Discussed distribution budget and plans
• Guide now available online
• Web
• Banner ads moving forward
• Tiers and ad structures
• Revamping website
• New membership benefits
• Constant Contact, MOZY online data back-up, Rx Program, etc will approved soon
• Waiting for review of contract
• Board Development
• Putting call out to members and board for suggestions for board
• 2 openings
• Ideas by 6/10
• By-laws
• Will revisit after marketing and tourism meet to discuss new committee structure
• Amendment proposed
• 3.2 Vice President. In the absence of the President, or in the event of his/her inability to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The Vice President shall meet regularly with the President to discuss current chamber affairs. He/she shall also be responsible for oversight of committees, including the appointment of committee chairs and members, subject to the approval of the President and the Board of Directors. The Vice President shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President and/or the Board of Directors.
• Motion by Steve to approve by-laws revision and 2^nd by Scott
• Approved
• Director’s Report
• Summary handed out
• Old Business
• IRS Penalty
• Dismissed
• Marketing still discussing mailing Area Guide and fee for mailing
• Meeting adjourned
• Motion by Marc and 2^nd by Mike
• Next meeting July 9th
• Submitted by Andrew Marietta