APPROVED-December-2013-Board-Mtg-Minutes

Approval Date January 13, 2014 Approval Signature APPROVED MINUTES East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District December Board Meeting Monday, December 9, 2013 - 5:00 PM 5211 N Williams Ave, Portland OR 97217 Atendance: Directors Associate Directors Laura Masterson, Chair Jill Kuehler, Vice-Chair Rick Till, Treasurer Bob Sallinger Dianna Pope, Secretary Mike Guebert, Associate Director Allison Hensey, Associate Director Not atending Staf Jean Fike, Executive Director (ED) Lissa Adams, Finance and Grants Manager (FGM) Julie DiLeone, Conservation Technical Assistance Supervisor (CTAS) Kathy Shearin, Sustainable Urban Landscapes Supervisor (SULS) Rick McMonagle, Land Conservation Program Specialist Francine Martin, Administrative Assistant (AA) Guests Steve Fedje, NRCS Tim Sester, Sester Farms (arrived at 6:24 PM) Roy Iwai, Water Quality Program, Multnomah County Road Services Jeff Pietka, Public (arrived at 6:00 PM) Greg Prothman, Prothman (via Skype at 7:00 PM) Lynn Stokesbary, Prothman (via telephone at 7:00 PM) Agenda Item #1 Welcome, get refreshments Review/ revise agenda Review of previous action items Approval of November minutes Presenter Masterson Board Meeting called to order at 5:05 PM Agenda: - Item #6 – Search Firm representative will not be available until P.M - Pope requested a discussion of future meeting dates at the end of the meeting - Masterson added an item re: gift presentation for Jean Fike, from Board and staff; she gave Jean the plaque that will go in the ground in front of the tree that will be planted in Jean’s honor in front of the District office - Sallinger asked about holding an Executive Session to discuss some of the items related to hiring the new ED; Fike replied she spoke with the District’s Attorney, and the agenda item was OK for public discussion, noting that it didn’t appear that any discussions should be private; hiring discussions are typically done in public - Sallinger stated he didn’t think that was right, the entire hiring process has aspects that should be confidential - Hensey asked if he was thinking of the appointment of an Interim Executive Director, and he replied he was; Fike replied an Executive Session had not been noticed, but staff could be asked to leave the room; Till added that he would like to know if that discussion qualified for an Executive Session - Masterson stated that the staff would be asked to leave the room for discussion of the Interim Executive Director if the Board wanted to request such at the time that item is discussed Action Items: - Getting on the agenda for an NRCS State Technical Meeting – has not happened yet; DiLeone will follow up on it - Personnel Meeting was held - Long term lease process for OxBow started– Adams will handle this - FTE for SUL was approved at the Personnel Committee Meeting, and it has been advertised - New Associate Director – Allison Hensey was approved; she and Fike had an orientation meeting Minutes: - Pope requested that her office/title, Secretary, be listed next to her name in the minutes - Sallinger had some changes re: his remarks (pages & 4); it was decided to hold the November minutes for approval either at the end of the meeting, time permitting, or at the January, 2014 Board Meeting Agenda Item #2 Time reserved for public comment Presenter No public comments Public Agenda Item #3 NRCS District Conservationist report Presenter Fedje Fedje stated that his last day on the job would be 1/11/14 (NOTE: it turned out that January 10 was actually Fedje’s last day of employment), and the January Board meeting would be his last - Program sign-ups continue, and work is being done on a transition; until a hiring decision is made, Multnomah County will be split, with west going to Hillsboro and east to Clackamas - Hensey asked if Fedje had staff, and he replied he did not, but the Lower Willamette Basin engineer is located in his office, and that person’s life may get turned upside down Agenda Item #4 Consider funding SPACE grants (recommendation not received in time a for packet) A B C D Approve SPACE # 14-012 Approve SPACE # 14-013 Approve SPACE # 14-014 Approve SPACE # 14-015 Presenter Masterson A 14-012: Foster our Block - Adams will check if the City of Portland plans to make planting trees a priority on Foster, and if so, this project will not be funded B 14-013: Portland State University MOTION: Till moved to approve #14-013; Masterson seconded; all approved C 14-014: Humboldt Neighborhood Association – Adams stated this project is a separate group than a similar project funded for Verde; efforts are being coordinated; she will confirm that all necessary permits have been obtained MOTION: Sallinger moved to approve #14-014; Kuehler seconded; all approved D #14-015: PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human) – Sallinger and Till expressed concerns re: the value and use of the proposed information materials MOTION: Kuehler moved not to approve #14-015 Discussion: - Sallinger asked if there was any argument for approval of this project, how it would improve things, if there was a demand and a target group for it - Till added the number of posters (2500) was too much - Pope asked if the message could help change attitudes among people - Till stated PHLUSH has been previously funded for community events - Hensey asked about the SPACE Grant approval process re: how funding decisions are made MOTION (con’t.): Sallinger seconded; all approved Agenda Item #5 Preparations to date for E.D Fike’s impending departure, answer any questions and related discussion Presenter Fike ED Fike recapped what had been done re: recruitment for a new Executive Director; summarized what she had done re: office preparations for her successor; gave a brief description of her new position in Washington state - Sallinger asked if an exit interview would be done, stating he would like Fike to have that opportunity to provide candid feedback; Fike responded it may need to be done via telephone; Masterson stated she would coordinate/schedule it with herself and another Board member - Sallinger asked if Fike needed anything from the Board; Fike thanked members for their letter; she stated she had some concerns re: the length of the transition and suggested the Board move with haste to fill her position - Sallinger stated it was important to have enough time for an inclusive process; the beginning can be the most important time; Fike replied that should be discussed with the Prothman rep - Sallinger also asked about Fike’s preparation to ‘disentangle’ herself from the organization and hand things over to her successor (i.e., a checklist, list of tasks, etc.) - Fike replied she had made a comprehensive list; has labeled files; delegated what could be done by others; was updating work plans; completed interim evaluations for two staff whose evaluations are due in February, 2014 - Sallinger stated he wanted to make sure that staff, whose evaluations were close to being due, have evaluations done under Fike’s tenure; make sure that needed security steps/systems were in place; handling of confidentiality issues/materials; Fike replied steps were being taken to assure all was in order - Hensey asked if Fike had any recommendations for the Executive Director’s job description, and Fike replied she had updated her job description to match her current duties and had spoken with Masterson; she had two recommendations for her successor: 1) experience with an elected Board; and 2) proven track record of working with a strong collaborative management team and staff (not a ‘top down’ management style) - Sallinger stated he would not ask to clear the room, as it creates more paranoia than it’s worth; he would like to find out when an Executive Session could be used in discussions of the hiring process - Fike stated that an Executive Session could be used to consider employment of a public official, but not to discuss salary or general hiring policies - Sallinger stated he was withdrawing his request for an Executive Session; he felt comfortable making his remarks in public - Masterson stated the Board and the search firm should clearly understand when an Executive Session could be used in the hiring process Agenda Item #6 Conversation with (recommended search firm still TBD at time of writing) regarding selection process for new Executive Director Presenter Fike/Guest Discussion began prior to calling Prothman, the selected search firm, at P.M - Fike described the research she had done re: search firms and described why she had selected Prothman: > Experience and specialize in working with Government agencies > Close geographically, based in the Seattle area; work regionally and nationally > Excellent reputation; had good recommendations – “gold standard” > Lower fee; Fike negotiated an even lower fee than originally proposed > Strong network in the region - She added that Prothman’s revised time schedule (shorter than originally proposed) might be a challenge - Pope stated the job announcement should go to OACD and NACD, and Fike replied that the Board could tell the firm where to send and post the job announcement - Pope added that the revised schedule looked too aggressive - Kuehler stated she favored sticking to the revised schedule as much as possible - Sallinger stated his bias as a Board member, was towards more hands-on involvement vs using consultants (he has an inherent distrust of them in general); he appreciates the amount of work the process will take; he would like to have whatever committee is created have more involvement than is stated in the proposal - Fike replied this should be discussed with Prothman and the Board can set whatever parameters they want for the process - Sallinger added for him it helps to see a range of applications, in order to compare up and down; he also asked about Prothman’s experience with non-profits, as he feels the District functions like a non-profit in many ways - Fike replied she mentioned to Prothman that potential applicants could be in the non-profit world; they were open to including non-profits in their search process - Sallinger commented on the packaging of the written proposal and the use of too much plastic; he would like the materials to represent the District values - Pope stated she agreed with Fike’s two recommendations, adding that she felt experience working with nonprofits would be helpful, adding that natural resources experience also was important; and asked why the decision was made not the recruitment ‘ourselves.’ - Masterson replied that it didn’t seem the capacity existed among Board and staff to the type of search that was needed - Pope responded she would support doing much of the work ‘ourselves;’ have the search firm the initial work; have a hiring committee look at a workable number of applications, i.e., 50 applications that a committee may review - Masterson stated it was important to be realistic about what could be done - Till stated Board involvement should be assured, and Pope agreed even if it slowed the process down - Hensey stated she supports looking for someone who has experience with Government organizations, as well as a conservation background and ethic - Fike reiterated that Prothman would whatever the Board told them to - Till stated there was a benefit to having someone else organize/structure the process - Kuehler stated she felt it was important to move as quickly as possible; quality won’t be lost in keeping to a three month timeline - Sallinger asked how members felt about 1) staff involvement and 2) community engagement; he would like: > A committee consisting of Board and Staff > Final candidate(s) have a day for meetings with the staff > Have a community open house for candidate(s) to meet outside groups – important to see social interaction skills - Guebert and Kuehler agreed that the finalists should meet with staff, all staff - Masterson stated there would be a subset of the screening process with a Board and Staff committee involved in the winnowing process, adding that the Board should hear Prothman’s recommendations before final decisions - Hensey stated an open house was a good idea and stated her organization has had external stakeholders on an interview panel - Sallinger stated staff should have input into this part of the process; are there staff questions about/for Prothman; staff should contribute when Prothman was on the phone - Masterson stated the Board would like management team input - Fike added that the management team had seen Prothman’s proposal, and she briefly described the interview process for her new position in Washington as an example of what could be done - Pope stated that significant partners the District works with could be included in the process - Sallinger asked what the process was from here - Masterson replied a decision needed to be made on how to proceed, i.e., hire Prothman; assign a committee with tasks or determine if a full Board discussion is preferable - Sallinger suggested shifting to a committee quickly; he wanted a change in the contract that included more reviews of candidates; too much was in Prothman’s bucket in this proposal - Pope stated she would like to be on a hiring committee - Masterson stated that Kuehler and Sallinger were also interested - Pope asked about staff, and Masterson replied the management team would be included; Pope stated work could be divided among sub-committees Break at 6:12 PM for refreshments Meeting resumed at 6:24 PM Discussion continued: - Masterson stated that the tentative Hiring Committee members would include Sallinger, Pope, Kuehler and the management team - Neither Guebert nor Hensey expressed an interest in being on the committee, but would like to be kept abreast of developments, and Till agreed with that Discussion moved to Agenda Item #7 to use the time remaining until the scheduled call with Prothman at PM Agenda Item #6 resumed at PM with call to Prothman: Introductions were made; Greg Prothman was Skyped into the meeting, and Lynn Stokesbary participated via telephone (note, he could not hear Greg Prothman’s comments) Masterson stated that the Board had a lot of questions Below is a summary of questions/responses: Board and Staff involvement in the search process – Prothman stated there were many options to accomplish this Non-profit recruitment experience – Prothman stated most of their experience was with Government; they had some limited experience with non-profits, but they felt they had the expertise to identify where to find good Executive Directors At the end of the search process, how would they include the community (from Sallinger) - at the front end, Prothman would conduct stakeholder interviews; at the end, for the final interviewees, they would schedule a “meet and greet” event, inviting stakeholders; they would also supplement the Board panel with other panels that included outside groups; this was included in their costs How would they involve stakeholders at the front end (from Hensey) – they would be invited to meet with Prothman and asked what they are looking for in the next ED; meetings could be in group settings or one on one How would Prothman reach out to candidates who are employed – they compile a list of SWCD EDs and a direct mailing to them ($2.35 each) a Fike mentioned the concerns re: Prothman’s packaging of their proposal b McMonagle asked about their involvement with Land Trusts; Prothman replied they worked with the Wood River Land Trust in Idaho c Sallinger asked if they had worked with anyone in Portland; Prothman replied they had not, but had worked with cities in the surrounding area Sallinger also noted that although the District was a Government organization, it was more like a non-profit in many ways; it was less of a bureaucracy than some and functioned in a collaborative, not a top down manner; he asked if Prothman was comfortable with that d Prothman stated, in response to the proposal packaging concerns, that their process was paperless; the entire review would be done online e Hensey stated the District was not like most SWCDs; Prothman would need to go beyond Government management; she asked if they had worked with agencies outside of local Government management f Pope stated that the District served a broad base of constituents and asked if the Board could be involved in creating the letter that would be sent out, and Prothman replied they could be - Masterson stated that they would be contacted regarding moving forward; DiLeone would be the contact - Prothman gave the Board their cell phone numbers: Greg (206-714-9499) and Lynn (206-714-5754) Given the time, the Board decided to table the remainder of the CTA Planning discussion Agenda Item #7 Discuss recommendation regarding interim Executive Director Presenter Fike Fike stated she had looked at the upcoming 3-4 months in terms of what needed to be accomplished > Masterson had favored using an outside Interim ED > Fike had spoken with one person who could provide this service and discussed it with the management team; DiLeone was willing to be Interim ED > From the staff perspective, there would be more time required if an outside person was used in educating/preparing that person when decisions were needed vs having an internal Interim ED - Guebert stated that Metro used internal interim appointments which provided better continuity; Hensey agreed that appointing an internal person was better - DiLeone stated the Board should feel free to fully discuss her interim appointment, assuring them she did not take any opinions personally - Masterson stated she was concerned about the workload and some things not getting done, and Sallinger asked what things wouldn’t get done - Fike responded that the budget was the next big thing to be accomplished; the compensation study would get done; the Land Conservation Committee would need to step up in giving direction to McMonagle - Sallinger asked about the effect on DiLeone’s current job - DiLeone replied that she had identified items she could come off her responsibilities, as well as what could be delegated to others, noting that the effect on her time would be the same with her as Interim ED as it would be if an outside person were used; her staff could handle program tasks; CTA work would not suffer; she might step back from some partnership opportunities - Till asked about Board Meeting preparation - Masterson replied that was a big issue; she was committed to helping; she would not sit on a hiring committee; she would meet with the management team monthly - Fike stated she recommended the Board focus on the search for a new ED - Till asked what the benefits were for using an outside Interim ED - Fike replied it would provide ‘fresh eyes’ for the Board - Masterson stated that the Non-Profit Association of Oregon only provides Interim EDs for non-profit organizations; the person that had been interviewed provided this service independently and had a mix of government and non-profit experience - Fike added that the independent person stated he usually consults or comes in during organizational crises (his resume was handed out) - Guebert stated no turmoil existed in the District’s situation - Fike stated her recommendation was to go with an internal Interim ED and hire out the search for a new ED; appoint DiLeone as Interim ED; she would not have check signing authority; increase DiLeone’s salary as Interim ED to the level of Fike’s current salary; overall costs would be less since Fike would be off the payroll - Sallinger asked why the Interim’s salary would be the same as the Fike's, and Till asked what the outside consultant would cost; Fike replied the consultant’s salary would be negotiated with him; Sallinger stated Fike’s reply made sense - Kuehler stated she had looked into the cost for an outside Interim ED, and it was very high; Masterson added that the outside person would be paid by the hour - Pope asked why DiLeone would not be able to sign checks, and DiLeone replied it required a process with the bank to add her as a signer MOTION: Kuehler moved to approve DiLeone as Interim Executive Director; Pope seconded; Discussion: - Sallinger asked if more staff capacity was needed; Pope asked if the management team could help; Masterson stated that if more capacity was needed, it would be brought to the Board MOTION (con’t): all approved Agenda Item #8 Consider resolution accessing contingency funds to cover expenses associated with the transition Presenter Adams Adams stated the contingency funds would cover the maximum cost of the search process, the fee plus expenses - Kuehler asked if $20K was enough, and Sallinger proposed increasing the amount to $25K MOTION: Sallinger moved to approve the resolution for $25K; Kuehler seconded; all approved Agenda Item #9 Planning conversation for CTA continued Presenter DiLeone DiLeone presented her summary in a handout - Pope asked how urban streamside landowners in dense areas would be reached in the future - DiLeone responded she is talking with the District’s partners about it; a PIC grant application may be submitted - Pope asked about culverts - DiLeone replied funding options were being researched; work would take place the summer of 2016; in the future, projects would be funded, with the District stepping in to assure success - Till stated he liked the plan Discussion of this agenda item was paused at this point in order to return to Agenda Item #6, the telephone call with Prothman (search firm) Agenda Item #10 Initial discussion regarding continuation of Land Conservation and Headwaters Incubator Programs beyond the 24 months currently authorized Presenter Masterson Masterson asked Board members to email any comments to either her or DiLeone, and this item was postponed for discussion to the January, 2014 Board Meeting Agenda Item #11 Consider recommendation from Personnel Commitee Presenter Fike This agenda item was postponed for discussion to the January, 2014 Board Meeting Agenda Item #12 Update on compensation study Presenter Fike With ED Fike’s departure, the entire compensation study is now being outsourced to HR Answers Agenda Item #13 Authorize staf to research the issue and write a leter from the District in support of continuation of NRCS District Conservationist for Multnomah County based on findings Presenter DiLeone/Fike - Fike stated she spoke with Leo Preston at NRCS re: what arguments could be made re: replacing Fedje, and she has started to draft a letter that should go out within the next few days - Pope stated she could call Ron Alvarado, with whom she had spoken at the OACD Conference; she suggested that other elected officials (Wyden) should be included - The letter needed to arrive before a 12/13 meeting between Preston, Alvarado and others MOTION: Masterson moved that Pope work with DiLeone on a leter from the Board; Till seconded; all approved Agenda Item #14 Next steps Grant Bute - Consider commitment of $1 Million toward Metro’s purchase, contingent on appraisal Presenter McMonagle MOTION: Till moved to empower staf to sign a commitment leter to Metro following the recommendation of the November Land Conservation Commitee Meeting re: Grant Bute; Sallinger seconded; all approved Agenda Item #15 Update and discussion on Lusted Road property, USDA’s Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program and an important upcoming speaking opportunity McMonagle Presenter Lusted property: - McMonagle stated he would like direction from the Board re: pursuing a conservation easement purchase of this property, fee simple or simultaneously look at both options - Till stated he needed more information; real estate negotiations would need to be discussed in an Executive Session; he was fine with staff having conversations, but he still had outstanding questions with the process; he would like to see Columbia Land Trust(CLT) involved; he would like to see the use of the acquisition criteria worksheets; he would like priority areas to be defined - Sallinger asked who would take the easement; he stated he feels ‘gun shy’ after OxBow re: purchase; clear objectives are needed, as well as an exit strategy - Till stated that he would like a discussion of priorities with CLT at a future meeting FRPP: - McMonagle stated that to be a qualified entity for FRPP funds, it is necessary to hold, manage and monitor conservation easements on agricultural lands - Masterson stated this will be discussed at the next Land Conservation Committee Meeting Speaking engagement: - McMonagle has been asked to speak at an Agricultural Summit being put on by Tim Bernasek’s law firm Discussion: Hensey asked if the District interest in the Lusted was to protect farmland or as habitat, and McMonagle replied it was all farmland; it was for farmland protection Agenda Item #16 Consider recommendation for changes to fiscal policies including approval of R.Steele as an additional District credit card holder Presenter Adams Adams stated the new policy increases the check signing authority for the Executive Director to $50K - Sallinger stated he was OK with the increase to $50K - Adams stated there were probably six times per year when these types of large checks were cut - Sallinger asked about other safeguards - Adams replied she checks each payment; the District is audited; the ED cannot cut a check; the Board Treasurer looks at the financials - Sallinger asked what other Government organizations of a similar size to the District do, and Adams replied she didn’t know - Till stated he favored keeping the signing limit at $25K - Pope suggested postponing the decision and looking at what other similar organizations - Masterson asked Adams to bring some numbers to the next meeting re: $50K signing limits - Adams asked about the HIP Program credit card; it was approved - Sallinger expressed his concern re: moving things piecemeal, adding that a flat limit is a safeguard - Adams stated the signing limit would remain at $25K MOTION: Till moved to approve the recommended changes, without the changes to the check signing limit; Pope seconded; Pope voted NO; all others voted YES; Motion carried - Masterson stated the check signing limit could be discussed again Agenda Item #17 Treasurer’s Report Presenter Till & Adams Adams reported that all looks good with District finances Agenda Item #18 Announcements and Reminders Review action items Adjourn Masterson Presenter Announcements: - Guebert reported that interviews for next year’s HIP farmers had taken place; there were new applicants; or were strong candidates - January and February Board Meeting dates: Monday, January 13 and Monday, February - Action Items: - Agenda Items #9, #10 and #11 from today’s agenda will be on the January, 2014 Meeting Agenda - Pope and DiLeone will work on a letter re: an NRCS replacement for Fedje - A Hiring Subcommittee Meeting may be held; DiLeone will contact members re: a date Action Items: Date Generated Action Items Responsible Parties 12/9/13 Today’s Agenda DiLeone Items #9, #10 & #11 postponed for discussion at the January, ‘14 Bd Mtg Due Date Jan – Packet for Jan 13 Mtg to be sent out Current Status as of Date of Draft Minutes On Jan 13 Draft Agenda 12/9/13 12/9/13 Letter to NRCS re: Pope and DiLeone filling Fedje’s position after his retirement Determine need for DiLeone and schedule Hiring Committee Meeting Post-December Mtg Done PostDecember/preJanuary Mtg Meeting held Next meetings: Meetings held at 5211 N Williams Avenue Commitee Meetings: Executive Director Hiring Commitee Meeting: Date TBD Land Conservation Commitee Meetings: Monday, 1/13/2014, 5:00 PM Monday, 2/3/2014, 5:00 PM Board Meetings: Monday, 1/13/2014, 6:00 PM Monday, 2/3/2014, 6:00 PM 10