On 2/8/12, Finance Committee reached consensus to hold one meeting a week. We will meet at Rincon on Wednesdays at 2 PM. Go to the website under Finance Working group to email finance and download the Request for Funds form. One or all of us will be at every GA if you need a hard copy of the Request form and/or have any questions. We don’t in any way want to exclude those occupiers who don’t have ready access to the Internet.

2/15/12 Finance Meeting
Attended by: Robb, Shael, Susan, Deitrich, Chris, Mike, Belle, Ricahrd

Agenda

INTRODUCTIONS-if anyone is new
READING OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING’S MINUTES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
REPORT BACKS

• Petty cash officer vs banking window
as laid out by Shael:

I think we should discuss the ELIMINATION of any DISCRETION with regard to the Disbursement of OSF Funds.  We’ve moved along in the right direction..but I think for that “burden” to lay on anyone person’s shoulders is unfair.  I’m thinking about a TransactionalWindow Of Time…Basically Banker’s Hours during our Wed. meeting.  Any funds requests, be they PettyCash/Check/etc should come during our meeting.  That way  the whole committee can make those decisions instead of a single person.  We’ll need to establish some protocols/procedures…in as far as emergency funds, communications, etc. I don’t really see that as being much of a hurdle.
ALSO, I see the procedures I was just mentioning being implemented by ANY/ALL funds bearing the name OSF on them..meaning, we can come up with a simple yet elegant procedural system which is both transparent & accessible for our accounting…for WG’s accounting..for donations..NO MATTER WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM OR WHERE IT’S GOING.

Please bring your receipts, documents, ephemera relating to finance. Shael created a rough draft of an editable version of our R4F form. It needs a little work aesthetically, but is navigable via the TAB button or by using ARROW KEYS.  The fields could be a little tighter.  I’m looking more for input on the CONTENT rather than the layout..though that is still encouraged. We need to get one up on the Finance Page ASAP.

• How to get funds approved by GA and our response
How to get request for funds from the GA
Make sure all of the total requested is time sensitive. If it isn’t, separate the expenses that need to paid immediately. At this point, we will have to deal with the inconvenience of going to the bank twice.

• Food Committee
Kitchen WG
Richard brought an emergency proposal that was approved by the GA to get $300 to buy a refrigerator so leftover food doesn’t go bad.
We don’t want ad hoc emergency proposals presented to the GA. We agreed that this was a self-created emergency.

Susan explained the current situation and its relevance to future food needs for OSF. We have lost two people from the OSF kitchen WG. This will impact when and how we can provide food. It will now falls to Richard and Robin, if they want to do this.

We will report back to the GA that we didn’t spend the $300 because a refrigerator wasn’t bought. So we have that money because there is no one who has room for a refrigerator. Noisebridge was willing to have it but Richard rejected that idea. Any future request for funds for a refrigerator have to be a new request based on what was written the original proposal.

•Robb said that there is a need for paint and other materials for banners and signs. Susan requested that people should check SCRAP before buying new supplies.

Susan submitted petty cash for two expenditures for a total of $29.72. She will pay herself out of petty cash.