11/19/2024
KOTO Radio San Miguel Educational Fund
To whom it may concern: The San Miguel Educational Fund Board of Directors, KOTO’s governing board, in adherence with (47 U.S.C. § 396 (k)(4)), held a closed executive session Monday evening, 11/18/24 to discuss staff compensation.
A. The Communications Act provides as follows:
Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent any such board, committee, or body from holding closed sessions to consider matters relating to individual employees, proprietary information, litigation and other matters requiring the confidential advice of counsel, commercial or f inancial information obtained from a person on a privileged or confidential basis, or the purchase of property or services whenever the premature exposure of such purchase would compromise the business interests of any such organization.
If any such meeting is closed pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, the organization involved shall thereafter (within a reasonable period of time) make available to the public a written statement containing an explanation of the reasons for closing the meeting. §396 (k)(4)
The term ‘meeting’ means the deliberations of at least the number of members of a governing or advisory body, or any committee thereof, required to take action on behalf of such body or committee where such deliberations determine or result in the joint conduct or disposition of the governing or advisory body’s business, or the committee’s business, as the case may be, but only to the extent that such deliberations relate to public broadcasting.” §397(5)
B. When may a meeting be closed? The Act allows stations to hold Closed Meetings, or to close an Open Meeting, when discussing any of the following:
1. matters concerning individual employees;
2. proprietary information;
3. litigation and other matters requiring confidential advice of counsel;
4. commercial or financial information obtained from a person on a privileged or confidential basis; or
5. purchase of property or services, if the premature disclosure of the transaction would compromise the station’s business interests. §396(k)(4)
C. Closed Meeting Documentation: The Act requires stations to document and make available to the public the specific reason(s) for closing a meeting within a reasonable time after the meeting. CPB also requires that the written statement be made available for inspection, either at the CSG recipient’s central office or posted on its station website, within 10 days after each closed meeting.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, October 21 st , 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW), Grey
Rembert (GR), Norman Squier (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI),
Kathleen Bonneau (KB)
Absent: Meghan Knowles (MK), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP)
Public: Brian Wolahan
I. Call to Order – GW called the meeting to order at 5:32pm.
II. Public Comment – Brian Wolahan stated that he is interested in
running for the SMEF board of directors in the upcoming election,
and is attending this meeting to observe and see if it’s a good fit.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of September Meeting Minutes – KB moved to
approve; LS seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. KOOK Update – CP reported that KOOK-FM is officially on
the air in Ridgway/Ouray County. KOTO News and the Telluride
Planet have run news stories. Exposure in the Plaindealer is
planned. Kudos to the property owners of Gold Mountain
Ranch, and to our engineers Scott Henning of Durango and
Axel Koch. Next steps will be to continue to get feedback from
KOOK listeners, and plan a future kick-off event in Ridgway,
possibly in the spring/summer.
C. By-laws Amendments – Each of the proposed by-law
amendments, which have been discussed at three previous
board meetings, were presented to the board. Each
amendment was voted on separately:
Vote #1: Amendment to set term limits for elected officers – GW moved to approve; KB seconded. Passed unanimously.
Vote #2: Amendment to extend voting rights to ex-officio board members in special situations – GW moved to approve; KB seconded. Passed unanimously.
Vote #3: Amendment to require an annual meeting in January to interview appointed board applicants prior to the regular January meeting– KB moved to approve; GW seconded. Passed unanimously.
Vote #4: Amendment to reduce the number of required regular board meetings to a minimum of seven per year – NS moved to approve; KB seconded. Passed unanimously. MI, KE, and CP will get the ballot language to Scott Printing by Wednesday, November 6 th . Ballots to go out before Friday, November 15 th .
D. Events – KB reported that the KOTO 50 th Anniversary will be
Saturday, October 4 th , on Colorado Avenue. Three bands are
under consideration. Coordinated museum event in process.
Halloween Bash – 10/31 at the Elks Lodge with local musicians.
E. Fundraising – GW, CP, and GR to reach out to larger donors
with a year-end push. MI offered additional support.
IV. Financials – The proposed 2025 budget will be presented at next
month’s meeting and approved by the new board in January.
CP and GW met with Alpine Bank regarding our investment
accounts. Alpine Bank to present a report and proposal in an
upcoming board meeting.
V. Staff Reports – CP stated that Luis’s role at KOTO has expanded
from Spanish language news reporter to include Latin Community
Outreach Coordinator. Also, the news department is engaging in
more rural reporting with the hiring of Mason Osgood. CBP is
working on a new website design with contracted designers. The
Ski Swap is November 8th-10th at the library. BK reported that the
Stillwell transmitter at the Town’s water treatment facility has to be
moved per the Town. A new US Bank site has been located. The
equipment move will be coordinated as the snow allows.
VI. Adjournment – GW adjourned the meeting at 6:47pm.
The next SMEF board meeting is scheduled for Monday, November
18th , at 5:15pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, August 19th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW),
Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR), Norman Squier (NS),
Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Bonneau (KB)
Absent: None.
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP),
Julia Caulfield (JC)
Public: None.
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:18pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of July Meeting Minutes – MK moved to approve.
GW seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. On-Air Fundraising Update – Guest DJ Day is scheduled for
Friday, August 23 rd , with lots of long-time locals on the
schedule. Theme is Roots, Rock, Reggae. Mailers have already
gone out. Posters are up. On-air fundraising will run through
September 6 th . The DJ pep rally was combined with the public
Live @ The Drive event. Thanks to KE and Barbel for selling
KOTO merch at these events. Thanks to MK for lining up a new
sponsor for the event.
IV. Committee Reports
A. Events/Fundraising Committee
1. Live @ The Drive, July 31 st – LS thanked the board and
staff for their work. Great turnout. All board members are
expected to help follow-up with prospective larger donors. CP
and GW will be available to join other board members in follow-
up meetings with prospects. An interactive donor spreadsheet
was presented and has been emailed to all board members to
help facilitate the process of contacting donors.
2. Halloween Bash – KB is working on talent and a venue.
SOH and Drew Emmitt are targets. SOH provides for about 100
more attendees than the Elk’s Lodge.
3. 50 th Anniversary Party – Theme will have gold in it, since
it’s KOTO’s Golden Anniversary. KB reported that we’re getting
closer in determining bands. Discussion ensued over the
specific location on Colorado Avenue to maximize exposure.
The museum will also be partnering with us on a KOTO exhibit.
B. Finance Committee – GW reported on previous discussions
with our contacts at Citizens State Bank (CSB) in Ouray
regarding sponsorships and our partnership with them. KE and
GW suggested moving some funds from our investment
account to CSB. The purpose is to spread our investment risk
by diversifying among financial institutions.
V. Financials – KE stated that the annual financial audit has been
submitted to the CPB. The tax return is the next important deadline,
which is November 15 th .
VI. Staff Reports
A. News Department Hiring Update – JC reported that a new
rural reporter has been hired. Local, Mason Osgood, will start
in September. He was previously the ED of Sheep Mountain
Alliance.
B. Pledge Balance Update – CBP informed the board that the
outstanding winter fundraising pledge balance is being whittled
down. A few large pledges are expected to be paid prior to
year-end. GW to follow-up.
C. KOOK-FM Update – Axel Koch and Scott, our Durango radio
engineer, are working closely together on the KOOK project in
Ouray. The transmitter has been successfully tested. Electrical
service at the site has been upgraded. Equipment is still
arriving. Antenna has been ordered but must be tuned before
shipment. Still on track to broadcast before the snow piles up.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:38pm.
The next San Miguel Educational Fund board meeting is scheduled
for Monday, September 23, 2024 at the Wilkinson Public Library at
5:15pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, July 15th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW),
Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR), Norman Squier (NS),
Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI)
Absent: Kathleen Bonneau (KB)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP)
Public: Janice Zink, Franz Rassman, Michael Haberkorn, Trish Shilling
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:17pm.
II. Public Comment – Janice Zink discussed suggested ideas with the
board for the KOTO 50 th anniversary event scheduled for October
3, 2025. Talent and size of the event were addressed. More details
to follow.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of June minutes – GW moved to approve. MK
seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) Survey – Ms. Shilling, Mr.
Rassman, and Mr. Haberkorn presented details of the
completed listener survey to the board. The survey had 250
respondents, and revealed results such as: listener
demographics, listening habits, programming
preferences/concerns, and Spanish language programming.
Listener feedback was mostly positive, with just two negative
comments. The board discussed results with the CAB
members. Future ideas include taking an in-person listener
survey at the yet to be scheduled KOOK launch party.
IV. Committee Updates –
A. Events/Fundraising Committee – The next Live @The
Drive/Elevated Fundraising event is scheduled for July 31 st .
Emailed invitations have been sent to donors with RSVPs due
by July 25 th . Board members were asked to take volunteer shifts
at the event, and to follow-up with larger donors.
B. KOOK Committee – All additional equipment has been
ordered. Our engineers are working together in preparing for
final installation to hopefully begin broadcasting in the fall.
V. Financials – CBP is still working on receivables from winter
fundraising. KE is continuing work with Blair Accounting firm to get
the final report ready for submission to the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB). She asked that the deadline be extended to
August 13th due to the delay in completing the audited report.
VI. Staff Reports – Members of the board shared positive feedback on
the Bluegrass Festival broadcast, as well as the Jerry Greene
Legacy Fund (JGLF) flyer solicitations prior to the event, once
again with BIT pastries given to people standing in line. CP
reported that the search is continuing for a new Ouray County/rural
reporter. The board discussed staffing/housing concerns and
options.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 8:32pm.
The next meeting of the San Miguel Educational Fund is on Monday,
August 19th at 5:15pm in the Wilkinson Public Library and via Zoom.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, June 17th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW),
Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR), Kathleen Bonneau (KB),
Norman Squier (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: Jim Berkowitz, Janice Zink
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:19pm.
II. Public Comment – Jim Berkowitz stated that he was speaking on
behalf of some of the weekend DJs who would like to request new
speakers and a new computer in the broadcast studio. He said
that these upgrades were needed due to the age of the
equipment, and the quality of sound in the studio. CP replied that
those items are on staff’s upgrade list, as we are currently
upgrading the broadcast console board and telephone equipment.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of May Minutes – GW moved to approve. KB
seconded. Passed unanimously.
IV. Committee Reports
A. Events Committee --
1. 50 th Anniversary Event –
a. Janice Zink presented some talent suggestions for a
large, ticketed event in Town Park. Following discussion
revolved around talent options, cost and risk involved,
getting an outside producer, and size of the event.
b. LS and KB presented a draft of a proposed budget for
a smaller, free event on east Colorado Avenue, similar to
our previously held Fall Street Dances. Talent costs would
be much less and revenue could come from VIP patron
passes, sponsors, vendors, and KOTO merchandise
sales. General discussion was favorable. CCAASE has
approved the October 3, 2025 date for the event. CP also
reported that the Telluride Museum is
scheduled to open a new KOTO exhibit around the 50 th
anniversary.
2. July Live @ The Drive Event – This large-donor
fundraising event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 31 st ,
in the KOTO driveway, and throughout the station. Events
committee to meet with fundraising committee soon. KB
discussed catering, giveaways, and entertainment. KB
and LS are coordinating details. Emailed event invitations
will be going out in early July.
B. Fundraising Committee – The committee met to
discuss ways to make the most of this event. The
committee will also coordinate the 3 rd annual handing out
baked goods from BIT to folks in line for Bluegrass to
promote the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund.
B. KOOK Committee – The transmitter, paid for by the DOLA
grant, has come in. The remainder of the equipment
purchases are on temporary hold pending the outcome of
the FEMA grant. We have set an internal deadline for this
grant of July 1 st , in order to make our December 31 st FCC
broadcast deadline. Equipment has already been budgeted
and will be purchased in early July, regardless of the FEMA
outcome. BK and CP have recruited KOTO DJ Axel Koch to
assist in some of the engineering. BK and Axel toured the
Ouray site recently and are working out details for
completion of the project to start broadcasting in the Fall.
V. Financials
A. Raffle Update – KOTO will be the beneficiary of the Martin
guitar raffle during Bluegrass. KE and CP to coordinate raffle
details. Planet Bluegrass’ beer booth gratuities are now
distributed via lottery to local non-profits. This year we will only
get raffle proceeds.
B. Audit Update – KE reported that she will receive a full draft of
the completed audit soon, and will report our full financials to
the CPB by the current extended deadline.
VI. Staff Reports
A. Reporter Hiring Process – CP reported no luck on hiring a
Ouray/ Ridgway/rural news reporter. News Team to
coordinate more partnerships with neighboring stations until
a good candidate is landed. Summer college graduates are
being pursued through various means.
B. Studio Equipment – The new broadcast console board and
new phone equipment have been installed, and the DJs are
getting familiar with both.
VII. Adjorn -- LS adjourned the meeting at 6:21pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, May 20th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW),
Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR), Kathleen Bonneau (KB),
Norman Squier (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP),
Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:19pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Approval of March Minutes – Motion to approve by NS, GW
seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. Street Dance Recap – CP and CBP reported a solid Street
Dance. Good news on the groove and the financials. The
addition of accepting credit cards was a plus. Raffle income
was up $3K over last year. Suggestions were to order more
wine, and to come up with incentives to entice more
volunteers for security and tear-down.
IV. Committee Reports –
A. Finance Committee – KE reported that we still have not
received the Covid relief Federal Employee Retention Credit,
but it is still expected soon. She also stated that we will file
our financial reports with the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting by the July deadline.
B. Events Committee –
1. The initial “Live @ The Drive” event in KOTO’s new
driveway will be Wednesday, May 22nd . Two more are
planned for the summer.
2. The 2nd annual SMEF-hosted “Elevated” fundraising event
will be the second “Live @ The Drive” concert. It will be
held on July 31st on the KOTO driveway and throughout
the building. Major donors will receive save-the-date
communication soon. Specific details being developed.
3. 50th Anniversary Event – Broad ideas were discussed
about planning the main event for October 2025. Dates
for possibly a large event in Town Park are being
proposed to CCAASE. The events committee is in
discussions with local promoters, however the talent
expense and financial risk is a major concern for the
board. Events committee will provide a detailed budget to
the full board once specifics have been worked out.
C. Scholarship Committee – Aizy Luna Alvarez Lezcano is the
recipient of the $2K scholarship award. We received six
applications this year. KOTO News will broadcast the High
School Scholarship Night at 6pm on Tuesday, May 21 st .
Thanks again to Robert Allen for creating and co-contributing
to the SMEF/KOTO scholarship.
D. KOOK-FM Committee – Transmitter is ordered, should arrive
soon. Still waiting on possible FEMA grant for funding of
remaining equipment. Committee has set an internal
deadline of July 1 st to determine our next moves, if they still
haven’t awarded funding. Our FCC deadline is December
31 st for the expansion into Ouray/Ridgway.
E. Bylaws Committee – Initial edits of previously discussed
possible bylaw changes have been submitted to the
committee members. Once they meet again to finalize
changes, a proposal will be presented to the full board for a
vote. If approved by the full board, bylaw changes will be on
the November SMEF ballot.
V. Financials – KE working with Colorado Department of State on
previous and future raffles. Working on online option for next year.
KE also stated that the 2023 audit will be completed by Blair
accounting firm soon. Still working through a few details.
VI. Staff Reports – The new console board for the broadcast studio
has arrived. It, and the new phone system, will be installed this
week. Congratulations to Gavin for getting another story picked up
by NPR. JC and CP continuing to pursue Ouray “rural” reporter.
VII. Executive Session (Compensation Structure) – LS moved board
out of the public meeting and into executive session at 6:21pm.
She brought board back into public session at 6:30pm.
VIII. Adjournment – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:31pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, March 18th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW),
Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR), Kathleen Bonneau (KB),
Norman Squier (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP),
Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:20pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Approval of February Minutes – Motion to approve by GW,
KB seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. CAB Survey Presentation – BK presented the results of the
most recent listener survey. The results were very positive,
but several suggestions were made by respondents. BK
requested input as to the most effective way to make use of
the data. Trish Schilling was thanked for the compilation of
the data and will be invited to a future SMEF meeting to
further discuss data utilization.
C. Fundraising/Guest DJ Day Update – CP reported that the
first day of on-air winter fundraising was excellent. Thanks to
GW for his record-breaking closing hour. CPB reported the
strong numbers. Overall, for the day, we had fewer total
donors, but larger dollar amounts per donor.
D. Tiny Driveway Concerts – As a new trial series, KOTO will
begin hosting occasional local Tiny Driveway Concerts, with
the initial show on Wednesday, May 22 nd , from 4-6pm.
E. Street Dance Forecast – CP stated the need for more
volunteers. The number of sponsors is solid and growing.
Expenses are expected to be greater than usual due to the
rental of a new stage from Montrose. Fiji raffle tickets are
being sold by DJs once again and will be sold at the Street
Dance. KE oversees raffle administration and is working with
the CO Department of State for an online ticket sales option
next year.
F. April SMEF Meeting – LS asked the board if skipping the
April regular SMEF meeting could be considered. There was
consensus amongst the board that a full board meeting
would not be necessary. Committees will continue to meet
during the recess. The next full SMEF board regular meeting
will be on Monday, May 20 th , in the library.
G. Discussion of Bylaw Revisions – LS led discussion on
consideration for a few bylaws changes that had been
discussed in previous board meetings. Board member term
limits, the number of regular board meetings per year, the
size of the board, and establishing a mandated meeting
each year to interview candidates for appointment to the
board. BK also suggested a change that could impower
ex-officio board members with special voting privileges, if it is
known in advance that a quorum is not possible. KB
suggested the board review the bylaws every four years.
The KOTO membership voted in favor of the last SMEF
bylaw revisions on December 10, 2019.
H. Vote on Establishment of Bylaws Revision Committee –
Motion made by MI to move forward with possible bylaw
changes with the creation of a bylaws revision committee.
KB seconded. Passed unanimously. LS, GW, CP, and MI
volunteered to be on this committee.
IV. Committee Updates –
A. Finance Committee – Financials look good on all fronts. GW
reported that the committee voted to move excess funds to
the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund (JGLF) from our investment
account. The committee also voted to rebalance the JGLF
portfolio to a slightly higher percentage of equities versus
fixed income.
B. Events Committee – KB reported that the committee is
beginning to plan KOTO’s 50 th Anniversary Event(s). The
marquee event is being scheduled for October 3 rd , 2025.
Jereb Carter has been contacted about production
assistance for this large, ticketed event. Also, KB stated that
the “elevated” board fundraising event is tentatively
scheduled for July 23 rd . Locations are being scouted.
V. Staff Reports – CP reported that the phone system must be
replaced soon. It went down again just before Guest DJ Day and
required a last-resort scramble to get it operational. A new phone
system, and a new broadcast console for the main studio, are
being ordered and will be installed as soon as possible. No further
questions from the board members or staff regarding the detailed
monthly staff reports provided in advance.
VI. Adjournment – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:55.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting/Annual Retreat Minutes
Weil Residence and Via Zoom
Monday, February 19th, 2024 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Mark Izard (MI), Gene
Weil (GW), Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR)
Absent: Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Norman Squier (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caulfield
(JC), MacKenzy Brewer (MB), Ben Kerr (BK), Luis Tavares (LT), Gavin
McGough (GM)
Public: None
I. Call to Order –
LS called the meeting to order at 5:20pm.
II. Staff Strategic Planning Update –
CP presented to the board the staff’s goals and strategic plan for 2024, along with a review of
accomplishments during 2023. The board was presented with a
staff wish-list for the year. Discussion revolved around how the
board can best assist staff.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Committee Assignments --
KOOK - Mark Izard (chair),
Norman Squier, Ben Kerr, Cara Pallone, Mark Dollard.
Fundraising Committee - Gene Weil (chair), Grey Rembert,
Cara Pallone.
Events Subcommittee - Kathleen Bonneau (chair), Laura
Shaunette, Claybrook Penn.
Scholarship Committee - Meghan Knowles (chair), Jennie
Thomas, Robert Allen, Julia Caulfield.
Finance Committee - Kathleen Erie (chair), Gene Weil,
MacKenzy Brewer, Cara Pallone, Meghan Knowles.
Executive Committee (also adhoc Bylaws Committee) – Laura
Shaunette (chair), Gene Weil, Mark Izard, Cara Pallone.
B. Approval of January meeting minutes –
GW moved to approve. MK seconded. Passed unanimously.
C. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund (JGLF) Update –
GW reported that the JGLF posted a gain of 6.8% in 2023, and the SMEF
investment account earned 4.5%. A decision will be made soon
regarding moving excess funds from the investment account to
the JGLF, to achieve more growth. GW stated that the JGLF
asset allocation will be moving slightly more toward equities vs
bonds in the near future.
IV. Consideration of Bylaws Revisions –
As previously discussed, the board pondered the possibility of making three changes to the
bylaws: board meeting frequency, term limits, and establishing an
annual early-January meeting for elected board members to meet
with candidates who have applied for the board’s three appointed
seats. Discussion to continue when full board is present.
V. Review of KOTO’s Strategic Plan/2024 Goals –
The discussion focused on objectives and goals, which included: equipment and
projects on the wish-list, as well as how to solicit larger donors.
The board asked for more input from the Citizens’ Advisory Board.
A new website design is on the short-list, and a web designer has
been contacted. A more comprehensive news archive will be a
part of the new website. LS stated that Street Dance will see a
potential revamp with an attempt to draw a broader demographic.
KOTO’s 50 th anniversary in 2025 was also generally discussed.
The events committee will partner with fundraising committee as
we get closer to next year’s festivities. The board also discussed
staff capacity-building with CP.
VI. LS adjourned the meeting at 8:18pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, January 16th, 2024 ~ 5:00pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Mark Izard (MI),
Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Gene Weil (GW), Kathleen Erie (KE), Norman
Squier (NS), Meghan Knowles (MK), Grey Rembert (GR)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caulfield
(JC), MacKenzy Brewer (MB), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order –
GW called the meeting to order at 5:10pm; and, without objection, entered into executive session at 5:11pm.
II. Executive Session --
Discussion of appointed board seats. Public meeting resumed at 5:22pm.
III. Public Comment – None.
IV. Nomination of Appointed Board Seats and Election of 2024
Officers –
LS made a motion to appoint KE, KB, MK, and GR (ex-
officio) to a one-year term on the SMEF board. NS seconded.
Passed unanimously. NS made a motion to elect LS (president),
GW (vice-president), KE (treasurer), and MI (secretary) for 2024.
KB seconded. Passed unanimously.
V. New Business / Old Business --
A. Approval of November Meeting Minutes – LS moved to
approve. KB seconded. Passed unanimously. (No December
SMEF board meeting was held.)
B. KOOK Committee Update – MI reported on the recent
committee meeting, in which the site internet provider was
confirmed. DOLA grant was secured. Awaiting word from the
FEMA grant before more equipment purchases will be made.
C. Finance Committee Update – The committee has been
focusing on finalizing the 2024 budget, and finalizing 2023.
D. Discussion of New Employee Handbook – The board reviewed
the language regarding how staff should utilize the state family
leave program (FAMLI), to which we contribute) prior to taking
advantage of the KOTO plan.
E. 2024 Visioning Retreat and Board Planning Session – Board
discussion revolved around three items to take priority at the
February board retreat: Possible By-laws revisions, Long-term
planning, and Committee assignments.
VI. Financials –
KE and MB presented the proposed 2024 budget to
the board in detail focusing on the increased profitability, while
reducing many expenses. GW reported on the growth of the Jerry
Greene Legacy Fund and the separate investment account within
the SMEF operating budget. MI made a motion to approve the
2024 budget, KE seconded. Passed unanimously.
VII. Staff reports –
Grants are coming in at or above budget. Board
discussed the news department schedule for February, as well as
the new rural reporter position that is currently being advertised. A
staff 2024 planning/visioning session will occur prior to the
February board retreat.
VIII. Adjourn – GW adjourned the meeting at 8:42pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, November 27th, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Mark Izard (MI),
Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Marti Prohaska (MP), Gene Weil (GW), Kathleen
Erie (KE)
Absent: Norman Squier (NS),
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caulfield
(JC), MacKenzy Brewer (MB), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:22pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Approval of September Meeting Minutes – Motion by GW,
seconded by KE. Passed unanimously.
B. Fall Events – CP reported that the Halloween Bash was sold out,
with great response from the attendees. The production costs were
higher due to the addition of a haunted house in the Elk’s Lodge
basement. However, we made a small profit, and it generated lots of
goodwill in the community. Ski Swap was more profitable than the
previous year. Event producers, Lollie Lavercombe and Maddie Dougall were
terrific in every aspect. Locals Bluegrass ticket sales via KOTO will
occur for the second time this fall on Wednesday, November 29th , and
this has become a community event in itself. Next year, there will be
only one locals tickets sale day. The relationship with Planet
Bluegrass continues to be excellent in every aspect.
C. Election/Board Appointments – Since no SMEF election occurred
this year, due to zero applicants, discussion arose regarding the
process of the three appointed seats. Board members were
encouraged to recruit applicants instead of advertising the appointed
seats. The deadline for applicants for the three appointed seats will
be 12/22/23. Letters of intent should be emailed to the SMEF
secretary. The meeting to interview the new board applicants will be
on Monday, January 8th .
D. Ridgway/Ouray Expansion -- CP reported that progress is being
made on tower site. The ice bridge and the lightening protection are
near completion. Acquiring internet service to the site has been
challenging due to provider companies changing ownership. CP
requested that the KOOK committee reconvene. CP has applied for
two grants that could help cover costs of equipment. However, the
grant money cannot be used retroactively, so we are waiting to make
any more equipment purchases until we hear from those grantors.
IV. Staff Reports –
A. Colorado Gives Day – On December 5th , KOTO will once again
open the mic up to other non-profits in the region to encourage
year-end donations.
B. News Department Grant Match -= A special “Off the Record”, also
on December 5th , will encourage donations to support the news
team via a matching grant from the Colorado Media Project.
C. Silver Tongue Awards – The DJ party will be held at Amy Peters’
house once again. Thank you Amy and Donny!
D. News Department – JC stated that the news team completed 10
hours of live election coverage, with all of it archived for the
community. The Engaged Elections Fellowship workshop was
completed, and considered valuable. News headlines and links
are now on Instagram, based on requests from community
members. The news team will be adding a new rural reporter
soon. Ads are currently running.
V. Financials – The finance committee (CP,MB, KE, and GW) reported on
the forecasting work they have done, and presented the 2024 proposed
budget in detail to the board, along with projections of year-end 2023.
VI. Executive Session (Staff compensation and reviews) -- To address
salaries and staff reviews, LS led the board into executive session at
7:02pm. The board returned from executive session at 7:45pm.
VII. Adjournment -- LS adjorned the meeting at 7:46pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, October 16th, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Marti Prohaska (MP), Gene Weil
(GW), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Absent: None.
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caulfield
(JC), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:21pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Approval of September Meeting Minutes – Motion by MP,
seconded by KB. Passed unanimously.
B. Presentation from Citizens State Bank – Doug Price, Alexander
Price, and Alison Wright presented CSB’s history in Ouray. They have a
new Mountain Village branch, and would like to partner with KOTO in some
capacity. CSB recently was a sponsor of the 2023 Halloween Bash.
C. Election Timeline Update – KE and MI to instruct CP on running
promos and language required. Promos to run on-air asap. Deadline for
applicants’ letters of intent is October 31 st . Board discussed the timeline,
and added a deadline of December 22 nd for applicants for the three
annually appointed board seats. A special board meeting will be held on
January 8 th , to allow the four elected members to interview any new
candidates prior to the regular January meeting.
IV. Financials – 2024 budget timeline was presented by CP, KE, and GW.
The finance committee will meet in the next two weeks to discuss the 2024
budget that CP and MacKenzy have been preparing. The proposed budget
will be presented in the November board meeting, and approved during the
December meeting.
V. Staff Reports –
A. Ridgway – CP reported that the Ridgway/Ouray expansion is
progressing, but timeline for ordering equipment is contingent on a new grant. The application will
be completed soon. Mac is working on an updated project budget to be
shared with the board by year-end. The ice bridge and lightning protection
have been ordered, and hopefully can be installed before winter snow/ice
accumulation.
The board publicly congratulated Cara on her 10 year anniversary with
KOTO!
B. KOTO News Election Coverage – JC reported that the news team
has done extensive local election reporting, and hosted several election
shows. She is encouraged by KOTO’s partnership in the new election
fellowship, and the focus on fair reporting. JC also announced that the
news team will host an inaugural “pop up” event for community members to
share their feedback on KOTO’s news reporting and broadcasting.
The board congratulated Julia for producing a terrific 2023 Blues & Brews
broadcast!
C. Telluride Arts/KOTO Broadcast Miniseries – CBP announced a
new live music collaboration with Telluride Arts. KOTO will be broadcasting
live from TAHQ, in partnership with local non-profit Augment. The
broadcasts will be one hour, on three Wednesday evenings during October.
MP applauded the success of the first live broadcast, but reminded staff
about the stress off taking on more work with an already full calendar.
D. Engineering – BK updated the board on some of the equipment
repairs and updates that Eric, our engineer, has been working on. He also
reported on a new DJ training class with five folks, and some possible new
6am DJs.
VI. Executive Session (Staff Recognition and Compensation) – LS started
executive session at 6:38 pm. Returned to public meeting at 6:51pm.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:52 pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, September 25th, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Marti Prohaska (MP), Gene Weil
(GW), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Absent: None.
Staff Present: Claybrook Penn (CBP)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:20pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business --
A. Approval of August Meeting Minutes – GW moved to approve.
Seconded by NS. Approved unanimously.
B. Blues and Brews Broadcast Recap – LS noted that, once again, Julia
“crushed” the production of the live broadcast. The broadcast team
was excellent, and the interviews were well coordinated. CBP stated
that we could not thank Julia enough for her efforts. The board
expressed kudos to staff and the volunteers. LS and CPB stated that
the partnership with SBG Productions is excellent. The support
received from their entire team is enormously helpful on every level.
There were no major issues, and the feedback from the community
has been favorable. Streaming listener numbers stayed consistently
around 1300-1400 throughout the festival. MI suggested that we
always send at least one email-blast to our members prior to each
broadcast festival. CBP echoed that, and stated that she had the
same suggestion in the staff de-brief meeting, along with pre-
recorded embedded fundraising messages on the internet stream.
IV. Financials –
A. Employee Retention Tax Credit Update – KE reported that the
ERTC application to the IRS is still awaiting approval. But, she is still
confident that we will receive the applied for funds. The approval
process is taking some time due to the large number of applicants.
B. Federal Tax Return -- The tax return is being finalized, and is due
on November 15 th . KE recently sent some final minor changes to the
accountants, so the return should be completed and filed soon.
V. Staff Reports –
MP expressed that the “elevated event” was a great success, and
thanked GW for being the ringleader for the fundraising party. She
initiated a discussion about the overall value of the event, and how
we continue to improve on such an event, with follow-up meetings, in
the future. KB stated that she expects to see more money coming in
before the end of the year, and maybe into next year. This is really
about relationship-building for the future. We are establishing,
hopefully, long-term funding relationships for future capital
campaigns. GW echoed KB’s comments, and suggested that the
finance committee should do an analysis for the board to see the
financial breakdown of the event. We are going through a new
learning- curve in this type of fundraising, and should continue to
strategize for the future. GW also suggested that the year-end
donations from the event should be coming in, and that we should all
look at the final numbers in January. KB also suggested that we
should have a conversation in the future to discuss if we should make
a direct ask at the event. CBP said addressing possible scheduling
concerns for staff, particularly the ED, should also be considered in
the future.
VI. Executive Session --
Personnel Matters and Staff Compensation -- LS moved the board
into executive session at 6pm. The board returned to the public
meeting at 6:47pm.
VII. Vacation Policy –
After discussing, in executive session, the current State regulations
regarding employees’ accrued vacation, MI moved to adjust KOTO’s
vacation policy to begin a procedure of paying down employees’
accrued vacation time to no more than 400 hours of accrued time.
GW seconded, but amended the motion to include that employees
with 400 accrued hours may not accrue more vacation time for the
remainder of the calendar year. MP seconded. Passed unanimously.
VII. SMEF Board Election –
GW reminded the board that we need to allow time in the
election/appointment timeline to allow for future board candidates to
each speak publicly before the entire board, prior to the election and
appointments. The 2024 open seats for election are currently held by
LS and GW. MI requested that we start running on-air SMEF
election/appointment promos as soon as possible. KE’s timeline
suggested that October 31 st could be the deadline for elected and
appointed board applicants to submit letters of intent. KE will
coordinate with Cara on the election promos and overall timeline.
VIII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 7:00pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, August 21st, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Bonneau (KB), Marti Prohaska (MP), Gene Weil
(GW), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Absent: None.
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caufield
(JC), Ben Kerr (BK)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:25pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business --
A. Approval of July Meeting Minutes – MP moved to approve. Seconded
by NS. Approved unanimously.
B. Approval of the August 1 st special meeting minutes – MP moved to
approve. GW seconded. Approved unanimously.
C. Fundraising Update – CP and CBP updated the board on the current
state of on-air fundraising and Guest DJ Day (GDJD). The “Good
Vibrations” theme was successful and positive. The phone calls were
non-stop. GDJD raised $25,391. We are currently at roughly $60,000
with pledges and donations. The goal is $70,000.
D. Elevated Event Update – CP has been holding follow-up meetings
with event attendees. Several people have already donated as a
result. More meetings will be scheduled. KB, GW, and MI offered to
assist in follow-up efforts.
E. Jazz Festival Recap – Kudos to JC for producing the Jazz broadcast.
It was a great team effort.
IV. Financials -- KE reported that the annual audit has been completed.
She will review and file with the CPB as soon as possible.
V. Staff Updates –
A. Ridgway Expansion Update -- BK reported that the old Greyhead
equipment will not be sufficient to work with the new broadcast site.
Once it is tested with a power load, we may be able to use it in the
interim until the new equipment arrives. All of the additional
equipment that is needed to begin broadcasting may not arrive
before the snow flies and access to the site will be limited. The
current estimate to begin broadcasting is late spring of next year.
We have until December 2024 to be up and running according to
FCC regulations.
B. Driveway Project – The new driveway is almost complete. The
retaining walls and surface coating are all that remain. The Pine
Street neighbors who donated to the project are pleased.
C. Journalism Fellowship – JC reported that KOTO was one of 12
news departments selected for the Colorado Engaged Elections
Fellowship, to assist these newsrooms in reporting on elections with
a focus on community collaboration and trust.
VI. Executive Session (Staff recognition/compensation) -- LS led the board
into executive session at 6:38pm. The public portion of the regular meeting
resumed at 6:57pm.
VII. Adjourn -- LS adjourned the meeting at 6:58pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, July 17th, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Bonneau(KB)
Absent: Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caufield
(JC)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:21pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business --
A. Approval of June Meeting Minutes – KB moved to approve.
Seconded by NS. Approved unanimously.
IV. Committee Updates --
A. Events Committee / Fundraising Committee (re: July 27 Event) -- LS
and KB shared the timeline and plans for the upcoming elevated
fundraising event with the board members in attendance. All board
members and staff are expected to attend and mingle with event
guests. CBP shared with the board the hats and Bluetooth speakers
that will be given out at the event, as well as the new hat for summer
fundraising.
V. Financials --
A. Audit Update – KE to update the board at the next board meeting. CP to
follow up with KE.
SMEF July 2023 Meeting Minutes – Pg. 2
VI. Staff Updates --
A. CPB funding – CP relayed to the board the recent concern from CPB
regarding proposed funding cuts from certain Washington politicians.
CP and JC to follow up on getting the call to action out to the board
and our listeners.
B. Ridgway Update – The broadcast engineer on the KOOK project has
had to quit due to health issues. A back-up engineer has been hired,
and is expected to test the old Greyhead equipment soon. The tower
is to be constructed within the next couple of weeks. Concrete for the
base has already been poured.
C. News department update – JC and CBP discussed ways in which
more news stories could be posted on the KOTO website. There is a
current word limit for our website. CBP regularly monitors the amount
of verbiage on the website to stay under the ceiling, and allow for as
much news coverage as possible. JC and CBP to further explore
alternatives to allow for more news content.
D. Halloween Party – CPB stated that the KOTO Halloween party will be
at the Elk’s Club on Saturday, October 28 th .
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:09.
The next SMEF monthly board meeting will be on August 21 st at the
WPL at 5:15pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, June 26th, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen
Bonneau(KB), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP),
Julia Caufield (JC)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:20pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of May Meeting Minutes – GW moved to approve. Seconded by KB.
Approved unanimously.
B. Bluegrass Broadcast debrief – CP praised the staff, broadcast team, and board.
Staff met after the festival and determined what new equipment is needed for future
festivals, specifically a new Comrex and two new iPads. Fundraising was good
during the festival for the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund and the general raffle fund.
Overall, feedback was positive from the public. Lots of positive comments from
board members regarding the quality of the broadcast and effort of the staff.
IV. Committee Updates
A. Events Committee / Fundraising Committee (re: July Event) – KB reported on
RSVPs for the event, and suggested the full board follow-up on the invitation list to help
increase the attendance. Committee to meet again before the event.
B. Ridgway Expansion Committee – MI stated that concrete is soon to be poured
for the new tower. It will be more expensive than expected, but the overall budget is still
on track. BK and NS were able to retrieve the transmitter from the old Last Dollar
broadcast sight. No kick-off event can be planned yet, until we are closer to an actual
broadcast date.
V. Financials
A. Raffle Funds/Equipment Update – KE reported on the raffle account. The
Bluegrass guitar raffle monies will be added to the Fiji raffle funds in the general raffle
account. These funds may only be used for equipment purchases.
B. Audit update – KE is beginning the CPB reporting process, but asked CP to file
for an additional deadline extension due to the time needed for Blair Accounting to finish
the annual audit.
VI. Staff Updates (Monthly written reports provided to board prior to the meeting.)
A. Driveway – BK and CP reported that they are still trying to confirm contractors to
do the work. They have one new bid that is looking promising.
B. Norwood Translator – BK and CP stated that the broken translator has been
repaired, returned to KOTO, and installed. It was only offline for about two weeks, and
the signal seems stronger than before.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:04pm.
The next SMEF board meeting will be on Monday, July 17, 2023, at 5:15pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, May 15, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen
Bonneau(KB), Kathleen Erie (KE)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP),
Julia Caufield (JC)
Public: None
I. Call to Order –LS called the meeting to order at 5:21pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business --
A. Approval of April Meeting Minutes – GW moved to approve the
minutes as presented. MP seconded. Minutes approved unanimously.
IV. Committee Updates --
A. Events Committee / Fundraising Committee – KB reported on the
details of the large donor fundraising event on July 27 th , to be held at
GW’s home; including: the venue choice, a rough budget, invites, gifts,
and entertainment. All board members and staff are requested to attend.
Board members should review the current invitation list, and encourage
any people they know on the list to attend.
B. Scholarship Committee – MP reported that the winner of the 2023
annual KOTO/Robert Allen scholarship will be Fentin Cole. MP will
present the award at the upcoming THS graduation event.
V. Financials – KE updated the board on the recent finance committee
meeting. The application for the employee retention tax credit has been
filed with the IRS, and we are awaiting the approval. GW confirmed that
we are currently on-budget for the year, so far.
KE also stated that the annual audit is moving along, and that the CPB
paperwork will begin soon.
VI. Staff Updates -- BK stated that the Ouray County expansion for KOOK-
FM is moving along. The current issue is getting a cement contractor for
the job, and getting them coordinated with the property owner. NS reported
that the sheriff department’s helicopter will be available soon to help
attempt to retrieve equipment from the old Coonskin transmission location.
BK and NS will be transported to the site when it becomes available.
CBP and BK reported on the recent new DJ training. Some new DJs have
already been on the air and others have been encouraged to pick up a
show via email.
CP reported the Planet Bluegrass that all non-profits will now have to apply
each year to become a donor recipient. KOTO is one of the recipients this
year. Next year, Bluegrass ticket sales for locals will be handled through
KOTO, as they were this year. Locals’ tickets sale dates are TBA.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 5:58pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, April 17, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS), Mark Izard (MI), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen Bonneau(KB)
Absent: Kathleen Erie (KE)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP), Julia Caufield (JC)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:20pm.
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business –
A. Approval of March Meeting Minutes – MP moved to approve. Second by GW. Unanimously approved.
B. Street Dance recap – Board agreed that the Street Dance was a success, and complimented staff on all the hard work. CP stated that expenses were higher overall, but we still made a profit on the event. Some board members shared some ideas on how to make more in income going forward. One suggestion was to add hard liquor to the bar. CP suggested more in sponsorships would really help. Also, the Fiji raffle could be enhanced by starting ticket sales earlier, and possibly offering online ticket.
IV. Committee Updates –
A. Events Committee and Fundraising Committee joint update – KB reported that the two committees met, and determined that July 27th would be the date for the “elevated” board fundraising event, to be held at GW’s house. A list of potential invitees was shared with the board. A target of about 50 attendees was suggested. LS offered to produce a performance of “The Down Low” at the event that would be related to KOTO history. GW stated that we need to come up with some donor levels to mention at the event, and that we need to secure some music. LS stated that the two committees would be meeting again in a couple of weeks. MP questioned what our messaging should be around this event. How do we attract these potential larger donors, and what will be our ask during the event? MI suggested that our selling points should be the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund (JGLF), and KOTO’s expansion into Ridgway/Ouray.
B. KOOK-FM Committee update – MI reported that the committee met, and added Mark Dollard to the committee. He resides just outside Ridgway, and is starting to talk up the expansion in the area, particularly with the Weehawken Arts group. The new tower is in transit, and should be arriving soon. We have until December 2024 to complete the expansion into Ridgway/Ouray, and launch KOOK on the air. An event in Ouray county will be held (probably sometime in the fall) after we begin broadcasting. NS contacted the sheriff’s department regarding the use of their helicopter to try and retrieve our equipment at the old Last Dollar broadcast sight. NS and MI are to look into solar power options for the site. BK stated that he didn’t think an additional permit from Ouray County would be necessary. He confirmed that the tower would be delivered directly to the broadcast sight. Concrete will be poured for the tower platform, even if an additional contractor is necessary. CP said that getting power to the site has been challenging, but progress is being made with a good crew of workers. The committee will meet again sometime in June.
V. Financials –
A. Alpine Bank accounts update – GW updated the board on the investment accounts, including the JGLF, and the investment account. It has been almost a year since we began investing with the Alpine Bank brokerage department, and have made adjustments along the way to optimize the current volatile financial markets. GW stated that moving the board-approved additional funds into the money market/T-bill ladder fund has allowed us to take advantage of the higher interest rates being paid out. Currently, in the JGLF, we have 35% stock/50% bonds/5% money market for a total of about $286K. In the investment account, we have 40% 3 mo.T-bill/40% 6 mo.T-bill/20% money market for a total of about $692K. He will relay the report from Jesse Bop at Alpine to the rest of the board.
VI. Staff Reports –
MP stated that she really appreciates the news story links that JC provides to the board each month, particularly the recent Spanish language spelling bee story. MP and GW thanked the staff for such comprehensive reports each month. CP thanked those board members who volunteered for Street Dance. Such a great team effort.
VII. Adjournment – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:15pm.
The next SMEF meeting will be on Monday, May 15th, at 5:15pm in the Wilkinson Public Library.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Wilkinson Public Library and Via Zoom
Monday, March 20, 2023 ~ 5:15pm
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS),
Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska
(MP), Kathleen Bonneau(KB)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP)
Public: None
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:18pm
II. Public Comment – None.
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of February Meeting Minutes – Two spelling corrections.
GW moved to approve. NS seconded. Passed unanimously.
B. Fundraising Update – CP reported an excellent Guest DJ Day to
kick-off Winter Fundraising, and thanked GW for forwarding some
names of large donor prospects, which CP met with. CBP reported
that the DJs really kicked in to help reach the $80K goal, which was
exceeded. Pledges are being pursued with email follow-up. MP
suggested board members could make phone calls to pledges after
the email campaign. Fundraising and events committees to have a
joint meeting later in the week to discuss a board fundraising event.
C. Street Dance and Fiji Raffle – CP asked for a final push for
volunteers. KB and CP sold raffle tickets in MV plaza, and DJ
volunteers and staff sold tickets at main street table in Town. Goal is
to sell 800 tickets. LS to assist in judging costumes.
D. Strategize Review and Revision of By-Laws – Board recap from
the February retreat. MI suggested revisiting several items, such as:
the number of meetings each year, size of the board, strategy for
board appointments, term limits, and possibly codifying that with
revising the SMEF by-laws. The current by-laws were revised in
2019. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of updating the by-
laws, ballot specifics, and the necessary timeline. KE stated that the
ballot printing deadline is prior to November 15 th each year. MI
suggested a vote to decide if the board wanted to revise the by-laws
this year. LS called for a vote, but MP stated that a vote should be
delayed until it’s declared on the agenda. GW suggested a list of by-
law changes be made before the April meeting to then facilitate a
vote. GW and LS to spearhead. CP also reminded the board that a
new board member packet is needed, as suggested in the retreat.
IV. Committee Updates --
A. Scholarship Committee – MP reported that Robert Allen has
decided to increase his scholarship donation to $1000 per year, up
from $500. She suggested the board consider the same increase.
GW made a motion to vote to increase the SMEF donation to $1000.
Seconded by NS. Passed unanimously.
V. Financials --
A. Audit Timeline – KE reported that the Blair Accounting firm will
send the board the engagement letter asap. The tax return deadline
is May 15 th , and CPB deadline is May 31 st . KE stated that neither of
those deadlines is possible. She asked CP to file for an extension
with the CPB to July 15 th , which has occurred the last several years to
allow for the tax return, and the CPB application, to be completed
accurately. MB and KE are close to getting all the necessary
information to Blair.
B. New Account Update – GW reported that the new investment
account with Alpine Bank has been opened to allow the JGLF to earn
more in interest, with less risk from investments. KE stated that
SMEF may have more tax due on the 2022 return because of income
earned in the Legacy Fund.
VI. Staff Updates – LS congratulated Julia and Gavin on their recent CBA
awards. CBP noted that a representative from RMCOR called in to
“Off the Record” with praise for Gavin, Julia, and the KOTO News
Team for their continued high level of news reporting that is
recognized state-wide.
CBP also gave a merch update that included some new items that
will be ready for the summer.
BK thanked LS for her help on the new CAB survey. The survey is on
the website, with a pop-up to encourage web visitors to take the
survey. BK also reported that the new Ouray/Ridgway antennae
tower should arrive at the station within a week or so.
VII. Adjourn – LS adjourned the meeting at 6:24pm.
The next SMEF board meeting will be on April 17th at 5:15. The
meeting will be a hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Gene Weil’s House and Via Zoom : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85014802434
Monday, February 27, 2023 ~ 5:15pm MDT
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS), Mark
Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen
Bonneau(KB)
Absent: MacKenzy Brewer (MB)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook
Penn (CBP), Gavin McGough (GM), Luis Tavares (LT)
Public: Jennifer Bassignani (JB)
BOARD RETREAT/MONTHLY MEETING
I. Call to Order – LS called the meeting to order at 5:23pm MT.
II. Introductions – JB, from Durango, introduced herself as the moderator for the
board retreat, and gave her background in HR and non-profit board consulting.
III. Recognize KOTO’s 2022 successes and goals --
A. Staff Individual accomplishments/goals: JC stated hiring LT and
expanding Spanish language news coverage. CBP stated learning graphic
design and logo creation. CP stated finding new grant opportunities, and
specifically the new Spanish language news grant. LT stated the growth
and increased awareness in the Latinx community. GM stated that his
internship and ability to work with Matt Hoisch were beneficial to his
first months as a news reporter. BK stated that working with CP on the
Ridgway/Ouray expansion work is an accomplishment and a goal.
B. Organizational accomplishments/goals: CP stated the establishment
of the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund and the promotion during Bluegrass
weekend was a major accomplishment. Goals: CP stated the launch of
KOOK-FM, and presented a rough timeline. BK stated the completion
and execution of a CAB programming survey to provide necessary
listener data. GW suggested having the surveys at events, particularly
Street Dance.
CBP suggested enhancing KOTO’s events, including adding an annual
“elevated” board event to encourage large donors, with more logo
presence and branding.
IV. Financials –
GW followed up on a discussion the board had in the January SMEF
meeting regarding moving some of the excess cash in our operating
funds to an interest-bearing account. He stated that the finance
committee met with our Alpine Bank representative, and decided to
create the new investment account with the excess funds, while
leaving six months’ worth of cash needed for operations in the
checking account. This would be a separate account from the Jerry
Greene Legacy Fund. It would be a laddered T-bill account, which earns
monthly interest at the current rates, which are favorable. After
lengthy discussion by the board, KE moved that we move forward with
the establishment of the account, and transfer the excess funds. MP
seconded. Motion passed unanimously. JB suggested that the finance
committee document the procedure of how/when the money may be
accessed when needed, and offered to facilitate putting it in writing.
V. Board Roles, Responsibilities & Expectations –
A. JB led the discussion of:
o Fiduciary Responsibilities – Require understanding of
financials by board members.
o Board, Executive Director, and Staff Roles – Board should be
big-picture in scope. Review ED annually.
o Fundraising – GIving and getting funds by board members is a
must. Develop “elevator speech” for new prospects.
o Time Commitment - Be prepared to work outside of board
meetings.
B. Job Description & Expectations Document:
Establish packet for all new board members, including: job
description and responsibilities, minutes, bylaws, financials, etc. CP
and LS to facilitate pulling packet together. JB also suggested
considering expanding the board to a maximum of nine members, if
desired to maximize the top recruits and volunteers.
VI. Committees –
A. JB discussed the role and structure of committees and
suggested that all board members should serve on at least one
committee. Each committee should meet at least quarterly,
except for the scholarship committee. One staff member and
one member from the public should be on each committee.
Staff members should take notes and report back to ED after
each committee meeting.
B. 2023 committees established:
Executive – LS(Chair), GW, KE, & MI.
Fundraising – GW(Chair), MP, CBP, & CP.
Events – KB(Chair), LS, CPB, plus one member TBD from the
public.
Finance – KE(Chair), GW, CP, & MB.
Scholarship – JC, MP(Chair), Robert Allen, & Jennifer Thomas.
KOOK – BK, NS, MI(Chair), & Mark Dollard.
GW stated that the fundraising and events committees should
meet together in a joint meeting as soon as possible to begin
planning the “elevated” board fundraising event.
VII. Board Appointment Process --
The deadline for applications of appointed board members was
discussed in detail. It was determined that December 15 th should be
the deadline for applicants each year, to allow the current board
members to interview the prospects individually. Those prospects
should be invited to speak before the board during public comment
in the January meeting to express their desire to be on the board.
The board could then discuss the different candidates in executive
session before voting on the applicants in the public meeting. At
some point in the near future, this could be codified in updated
bylaws that must be approved by the membership.
VIII. Frequency of Board Meetings /Bylaws revisions–
A discussion ensued regarding how often the board should meet. A
bylaw change would be required to change the frequency of
meetings. JB suggested the board stipulate a minimum of meetings
each year, leaving room to add meetings if necessary. The bylaws
could be revised this year to include various proposed suggestions
from this meeting, as specified in these minutes.
IX. Adjourn –
LS moved to adjourn at 8:14pm MT.
Minutes transcribed by Mark Izard, SMEF Secretary.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Minutes
Via Zoom
Monday, January 30, 2023 ~ 5:15pm MDT
Board Members Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Norman Squire (NS), Mark
Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP)
Absent: None
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook
Penn (CBP)
Public: Rosie Cusack(RC), Kathleen Bonneau(KB)
I. Call to Order
LS called the meeting to order at 5:18pm.
II. Executive Session
A. Elected board members, LS, NS, GW, and MI, entered executive
session at 5:19pm session to discuss the 2023 SMEF board member
appointments. LS concluded executive session at 5:59pm.
III. Nomination of Appointed Board Seats and Election of 2023 Officers
A. LS thanked the five candidates who asked to be considered for the
three board-nominated seats for 2023. She expressed how fortunate we were to
have such great candidates from which to choose for the three board positions.
LS asked those who were not appointed this year to consider serving on a
committee, and/or consider an appointment next year. The candidates were
thanked again by LS and CP.
B. LS moved to re-appoint KE and MP to their currently held seats along
with new appointee Kathleen Bonneau (KB). Motion was seconded by NS. No
further discussion resulted. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Officer elections: NS moved to elect KE as treasurer. LS seconded.
Motion passed unanimously. Due to the lack of interest in a full-time secretary,
BK suggested a rotating secretary. GW, MI, and NS offered to rotate the role
through the year, with each taking four months each. GW moved to nominate MI
as the initial secretary. NS seconded. Motion passed unanimously. NS moved to
nominate GW as vice-president. KE seconded. Motion passed unanimously. MI
moved to nominate LS as president. GW seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
LS suggested committee considerations and appointments be tabled until the
retreat. All agreed.
IV. New Business/Old Business
A. There was no further discussion of the proposed 2023 budget. GW
moved to accept the budget as is. MI seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. The December Meeting Minutes were approved unanimously. GW
made the motion, seconded by MI. NS abstained from the vote due to his
absence at the December meeting.
C. A Lip Sync Recap was given by CP. She thanked Barbel for producing
the event again, and asked the board individually to thank her as well for all that
she does for KOTO. Lip Sync sold out more quickly than the last few years, and
had 14 acts. Overall, it was a very successful, fun event that was enjoyed by all.
D. The upcoming board retreat, which is a part of the February 27th SMEF
board meeting, was discussed. The preliminary agenda has been previously sent
to board members and feedback was requested. LS encouraged board members
for their input on the retreat. MI suggested that some of the focus be on long-
term goals and the strategic plan. LS stated that will occur during the beginning
of the retreat, when staff is present. An HR consultant from Durango has been
invited to attend the retreat to guide the board and suggest ways to improve. The
meeting is scheduled for 5:15 - 8pm at GW’s house.
V. Financials
A. GW gave an update on the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund. He asked CP to
forward to the board the most recent report from Alpine Bank. The fund is still
slightly down from the original investment, but more funds are being allocated to
CDs and fixed income instruments. Alpine is in the process of reallocating the
portfolio. GW, KE, and CP plan to meet with the bank later in the week. GW
stated that Alpine is doing a good job, and that he will present a proposal in the
March SMEF meeting regarding investing more of the excess cash into the Fund.
Full board approval will be requested at that meeting.
B. KE reported that the final 2022 SMEF financials should be on schedule
to send to the Blair accounting firm by late February. GW and KE expressed
kudos to MacKenzey Brewer, SMEF bookkeeper, for her excellent work and the
detail of her monthly reports.
VI. Staff Reports
A. Ridgway/Ouray update - BK reported that the KOOK tower has been ordered,
and should be arriving in approximately ten weeks. CP stated that the Ouray property
owners have told her that May would be the earliest time to begin installation, so
storage will need to be arranged. More equipment is scheduled to be ordered, and the
engineer from Denver will be on tap to be on site when the concrete is ready to be
poured for the tower. MI suggested a KOOK committee meeting next month to discuss
the overall roll-out, and will follow up via email.
B. Driveway/Sidewalk Project - BK reported that he is attempting to meet with
two potential contractors for the project. Stay tuned….
C. News Department - MI complemented the new reporters. He suggested that
the KOOK growth, and budgeting, for the news department should be discussed at the
retreat.
VII. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:52pm.
The next SMEF meeting will be on February 27th, at 5:15pm, at GW’s house.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room
Over Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81240543040
Monday, December 5, 2022 ~ 5:15pm - 6:15pm MDT
Board Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP)
Ex-Officio Board Present: Delton Poole (DP)
Absent: Norman Squier (NS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP), MacKenzy Brewer (MB)
Public: None
DECEMBER 2022 SMEF AGENDA
Call to Order
LS called the meeting to order at 5:20p MDT.
Public Comment
No public in attendance or comments received.
New Business/Old Business (15 minutes)
Approval of November Meeting Minutes
GW moved to approve, MI seconded. Passed unanimously.
Fundraising Committee Update
GW expanded on JW’s prior email to the board, proposing a new annual event open to major donors ($1k+ at any point in the past) in the form of an elevated cocktail party. The date and time of the event are still TBD, pending scheduling, availability and optimal reach (likely towards the end of summer). Guided by the board, the party will aim to be fun and funky, embracing KOTO and its history, while also posing an opportunity to solicit large donations. GW also reminded the board of the end-of-year outreach to target specific donors from the year and reach out with gratitude, a list which has been distributed amongst the fundraising committee and other board members. Funds raised would ultimately contribute to the board fundraising line items in the annual budget. CP clarified that this event would be separate from a fundraiser for the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund, which is planned to take place over Bluegrass weekend. LS mentioned a couple of other major fundraisers during midsummer, including the Telluride Theatre gala and Telluride Arts dinner for consideration in scheduling the cocktail event, so as to avoid over saturation.
#GivingNewsDay and Colorado Gives Campaign Update
CP reported that #GivingNewsDay, held the previous Tuesday, was an incredibly fun event. CP shared that the day was focused on the matching grant offered by the Colorado Media Project. CBP on #GivingNewsDay, the team raised $4,545, en route to the $5000 goal for the grant match.
CP told the board that for Colorado Gives Day, staff programmed 1-hour slots for various non-profits in the studio from 9a-5p on Tuesday, 12/6. CP added that during Colorado Gives Day, KOTO would aim to raise the remaining funds needed for the Colorado Media Project matching grant, while also giving local non-profits an opportunity to use the airwaves to raise money for their respectives causes.
Review of Proposed Meeting Calendar
Board discussion on proposed 2022 meeting dates with some general date moves to accommodate Festivals and proposed Board retreats. CBP will post the approved calendar to the website.
Upcoming Board Seat Appointments
LS reminded the board of upcoming board seat appointments. For those wishing to reapply, letters of intent need to be submitted (no deadline was specified).
9. Financial Reports (20 minutes)
2023 Budget Discussion
MB walked the board through the draft of the 2023 budget. Items below were presented by MB unless otherwise noted.
Payroll budget increased, due to staff compensation as discussed in the board’s November executive session.
There was also an increase in programming expenses, which CP explained was due to KOTO’s use of a designated RMCR employee that is shared among several stations. This person will perform as a managing editor, and the expense is split between the stations receiving their work. They will help with broadening our audience as well as professional development. There was also a small increase in NPR costs.
The Repair and Maintenance portion is based on the equipment quotes that CP and BK have gotten from contractors for the Ridgway project, with consideration for depreciation over time. Insurance costs increased slightly because the Coonskin site was added.
Office Expenses lowered slightly, as some things were reallocated in Equipment from Supplies, where they had been listed in previous budgets.
Fundraising Expenses include the Finance Committee’s recommendation that a percentage (12%) of donations be reinvested in fundraising, including meals for volunteers and merchandise (primarily merchandise). This percentage was based on COGS and sales of merchandise over the previous 6 years (avg. 11.6%). The station’s eTapestry account is up for renewal, staff decided to move to an annual contract from a 5-year plan, to allow the opportunity to shop around for a better platform. Credit Card Fees decreased in this year’s budget, as eTapestry has started offering donors the option to cover the fees with their donation. The remaining CC Fees budgeted are for sales at the Ski Swap, when the team uses the Square platform for transactions.
We will no longer get the Telki reimbursement for Coonskin, so Utilities have gone up.
Net Ordinary Income increased
Budget for Special Events was kept similar to our actual numbers from 2022, lowered slightly for Ski Swap due to a flagship year this past November. MB added that the proximity to the previous budget is impressive considering it does not include income from the Ride Festival. MB noted the work that went into drafting this budget, thanks to KE and staff. She also praised the value of having successful KOTO-driven events, rather than depending so heavily on outside entities. MB and CP added that we should see added income this year since we are taking over the locals’ ticket sales for Planet Bluegrass. She also said that KOTO is not guaranteed a tip day at the festival as they have been in the past, but we will need to apply for one alongside other local nonprofits. MB went on to say that the Board Fundraising Goal was lowered with hopes of making it more attainable. GW added that this goal should be attainable, noting the importance of board outreach to specific friends and donors, as well as support of events. MI added that hopefully the annual event (proposed Cocktail Party) will help the board to meet the goal.
MB shared that Grant income is projected to be higher than the previous year, due to an increase in grants available as well as the amount that was awarded in 2022. CP reminded the board that we should not expect an increase in CPB funding. MI supported this thought as the monies available are often dependent on the national political climate. In comparison to previous years, GW suggested that this number didn’t reflect a conservative approach. KE said the amount awarded is also dependent on our audience and the amount that we are able to raise on our own as an organization. MI reminded the board that we can alter this later in the year if needed.
CP and BK have been meeting with Telski’s attorney to renegotiate the lease for Coonskin. CP shared that KKXK (KIX Country) also has equipment on the site, and they have not been paying rent on that space. We are asking them to pay rent in addition to our other tenant on the site, to hopefully offset the lease with Telski.
MB went on to say that an Event Coordinator position had been added, with hopes of hiring Lollie LaVercombe to help with both Ski Swap and Street Dance production.
MB mentioned some equipment that would be depreciating, as well as the driveway for the station, which brought the Net Ordinary Income down a bit.
MP expressed concern about the board’s fundraising goal, saying that it might be prohibitive to the breadth and diversity on the board if there is pressure on all members to bring in major donors. MB said that time donated also added value to board contributions. CP clarified that the goal of the line item was to encourage board members to engage in the fundraising. LS agreed with MP, and the board agreed that a board-hosted fundraising event is essential to meeting the goal. KE reminded that board that all in-kind donations (a service you would normally charge someone else for) must be invoiced to the station so the value can be reflected.
MB said engineering, equipment and promotional costs were included in the Ridgway Expansion line item. MI thanks MB, CP and the Fundraising Committee for their work on the budget draft.
KE recapped the previously discussed Employee Retention Credit, noting that the amount we were likely to receive was less than originally projected, as we are not eligible for any 2021 reimbursement. The board thanked her for her work.
MI reminded the board about the Family Medical Leave Insurance plan, and the board discussed whether the cost should be covered by the station or whether it should be covered by the employees. KE recapped that the insurance is mandatory for employees, it’s just a question of who will cover the cost. Due to a more extensive and beneficial PFML plan that the organization already offers employees, the board majority agreed that the station would not cover this expense, and it would be automatically passed to employees.
10. Adjourn
LS adjourned the meeting at 7:00p MDT.
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Via ZOOM
Telluride, CO
Monday, November 21st, 2022
Board Present: Laura Shaunette (LS),), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW)
Ex-Officio Board Present: Delton Poole (DP)
Absent: Norman Squier (NS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Marti Prohaska (MP)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Julia Caulfield (JC), Ben Kerr (BK), Claybrook Penn (CBP)
Public: None
Meeting Minutes
Call to Order
LS Called the meeting to order at 5:30pm
Public Comment
No public in attendance or comments received.
New Business/Old Business
Halloween Debrief
CP and LS thanked GW and JO for volunteering at the event. CP said the event went well, though not as well attended as last year, which may have been due to a variety of factors (weather, off-season scheduling, etc). Staff recommends an indoor venue for next year (specifically considering Elks Lodge). CBP said feedback from the public was very positive.
Ski Swap Update
CP praised staff and organizers for an incredible team effort executing the event. CP reported that net revenue came in just under $17k, breaking the previous record by a couple thousand dollars. CP said staff is reviewing notes from the event to determine how to maintain quality moving forward while growing in efficiency, also while preserving the goodwill and “Telluride spirit” behind the energy behind the swap.
Approval of October meeting minutes
GW moved to approve. MI seconded. Passed unanimously.
Fundraising Committee Update
GW recommended we push this to the December meeting, so it could be adjacent to the discussion of the annual budget and so the JO could present on an event proposal.
MI asked CBP to update the SMEF meeting minutes on the website.
Financial Reports
Discussion of Financial Reports
MI asked about a year-end campaign for the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund (JGLF) and volunteered to write a promo to broadcast on air. CP said the notion of the year-end campaign had been discussed at the Fundraising Committee meeting, with the addition of outreach from board members to thank donors. GW said the committee discussed focusing JGLF active fundraising efforts around the Bluegrass Festival. GW referenced the finance report and that we are over budget, which he praised as outstanding. CP mentioned that the Finance Committee recommends a future board discussion around potentially transferring some of these funds (save one year of operating costs) to the JGLF.
Employee Retention Tax Credit
KE reported that upon further review, the credit we are eligible for is not as much as she had originally thought. She explained that we must demonstrate a substantial decline in gross revenue every quarter from 2019, and she believes only a few quarters may be eligible. Also, since KOTO was never forced to cease operating during the pandemic, she doesn’t believe we are eligible for all credits. Still, KE said she should have the application completed within the next two weeks, and have more specific numbers to share at the December meeting.
V. Staff Reports
Ridgway Update
CP reported that the agreement with the property owners was signed on Friday. CP thanked Janet Humphreys for her legal review of the agreement. In the next phase, BK will work with a team to order the tower and install concrete for the tower base. MI added that he spoke to BK about rendering dormant equipment from the Grayhead site to save costs. However, access to that equipment is very weather dependent, so MI suggested it be considered as a backup, given any time constraints.
CP said staff had a list of purchases under $2500 that they planned to move forward with before end of year.
MI asked if any funds had been budgeted for marketing/promotion of KOOK in Ridgway and Ouray, suggesting all local papers. CP said there had been staff discussion of a launch party and asked the board for thoughts around whether it should be planned and thrown before the station was live. LS and GW recommended waiting until the station was live for the maximum ROI on a promotional event. CP said she would include upcoming KOOK promotion in the budget.
MI said (via BK who was without a mic at this meeting) that the property owners were apologetic for the delay in finalizing the contract, and confirmed that the terms came through as expected. CP added that she spoke with KOTO’s insurance provider and KOOK will need to be added to our coverage.
MI mentioned, per the board reports, that the CPB grant exceeded expectations. MI and the board thanked the staff for all of their incredible work.
CP reminded the board to tune in for #GivingNewsDay/Giving Tuesday on Tuesday for special programming and fundraising with a grant match.
VI. Executive Session
LS called the board into executive session regarding staff compensation at 6:15p
LS adjourned executive session at 7:03p
MI moved to approve the pay raise and bonus structure as discussed in executive session. KE seconded. Passed unanimously.
VII. Adjourn:
Meeting adjourned at 7:06p MST
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room
Monday, October 17, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-6:15pm
OCTOBER 2022 SMEF MINUTES
Present: Board Members: Jennifer Ogilvie, Delton Poole (Ex-Officio), Laura Shaunette (Virtual),
Gene Weil (Virtual), Norman Squier, Mark Izard (Virtual), Marti Prohaska; Staff: Claybrook
Penn, Ben Kerr (Virtual), Cara Pallone, Julia Caufield (Virtual)
Not Present: Kathleen Erie
I. Call to Order: 5:19pm; No Public Comment
II. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of the September meeting minutes: Edited and Approved; JO Move
to Approve, GW seconded; passed
B. Election Update: Both LS and GW have put their names in to renew their
board seats, which will be held for the next two years.
C. Ridgway Update: CP reported that the meeting with Patrick Neelin, the engineer,
took place the week of Sept. 26. As suspected, it was determined the signal will need
to be internet based. All in, the estimated costs of equipment, labor and installation are
approximately $25,000-$30,000. That is estimated on the high end, but gives a good
estimate. And always, thanks to Janet Humphries for lending some lawyer review.
Important to note: MacKenzy Brewer suggested that the station purchase any
equipment of $2500 or less before the end of the year. If we could pour the concrete
now, we could get the tower up during the winter. Goal is to be on the air next Spring.
MI Suggested it might be time for a board vote because we have more concrete costs.
Ask questions now: Are we confident that the internet connection will be stable and
consistent and will there be a delay? For November, agendize it as a voting item and
bring in the Strategic Plan and Budget.
IV. Financial Reports:
A. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund Update: Q&A w/Jesse Bopp
Buy-ins were spread out between June and July, based on a recommendation from
the Board.
Performance: $268,352 (Fees are 0.7% against the account or $153/Mo)
GW: Thanks to Jesse for the presentation; Move to have Jesse send over quarterly
reports and then the committee will meet with Jesse twice a year.
V. Staff Reports:
A. Spanish news programming: From Julia Caulfield - Reports that it is going well. This
is the 4th broadcast and Louis is doing great. He is editing all by himself and people in
the community are already reaching out to him directly with story ideas.
B. Outstanding pledges: Claybrook says we are down to $6400 in outstanding
pledges. Year end fundraising begins Nov. 1.Strategy is targeting major donors.
C. Upcoming events & volunteer needs
D. Upcoming RMCR conference
E. Fundraising committee: Target 5-10 donors to make a specific ask. Committee
will shoot for a meeting in November.
F. NEED Ski Swap volunteers. We are at 39 signup out of 104
VI. Discussion of adding a Board Retreat in February 2023
VII. A limited discussion on financials for the month: We are coming in lower on expenses for
Koto events. Something to look at in 2023 to try and budget more accurately.
VI. Adjourn: LS called at 6:31pm
The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for November 14, 2022 at 5:15pm
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room
Monday, Sept. 26, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-7:00pm
SEPTEMBER 2022 SMEF MEETING MINUTES
I. Call to Order – 5:15 PM - Board members present: Gene Weil (GW), Laura
Shaunette (LS), Norman Squier (NS) Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark
Izard (MI); Staff present: Julia Caulfield (JC), Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK),
Claybrook Penn (CBP)
II. Public Comment (10 minutes) - No public comments
III. New Business/Old Business (20 minutes) - Approval of August Meeting
Minutes – approved unanimously with one name correction.
Events updates:
a. KOTO Getdown - CP thanked Laura and Marti for working the door. Event was
well-attended. Thanks to sponsorships, made $2K. Not sure how it will look next
year. It feels crammed in between everything else, especially if RIDE Fest gets
dates approved at end of September/start of October. TBD. Biggest takeaway is
that the “suggested donation” at the door is the way to go for smaller events.
People give more than the suggested amount, and Venmo code is a huge benefit.
b. LS said the board decided not to hold a film screening benefit around
fundraising because of density of calendar and other complications. Will hold off
until can do something properly.
c. Blues & Brews went off without a hitch. Staff agreed that it feels like SBG is
really leaning into the partnership with KOTO. Very grateful for their support and
partnership. Livestream of interviews during set breaks was a huge bonus. They
had a link where people could donate to KOTO (and other nonprofit partners) and
also gave us 3,000 emails that were captured during the festival. CPB said staff is
figuring out how best to utilize those emails. MI had previously suggested a
newsletter prior to next summer’s festival season targeting those emails. LS heard
great feedback on the streets from people who were listening. Almost every set
break was programmed!
Upcoming events:
a. Halloween Bash is Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Warehouse. DJ Seano will open and
Chrome Velvet will headline. Admission will be $20. CP is seeking sponsorships
and volunteers for the doors. Kids 14 and under will be admitted free. There will
be a costume contest and empanadas by Chef Perse! GW asked if kids should be
encouraged to come. CP said it’s really up to the parents. Probably not suitable
for kids after a certain time. MP said it’s nice to capture people who aren’t going
to get a babysitter for their kids but still want to stop by earlier.
b. Ski Swap – Lollie LaVercombe is getting started on it. Staff will start getting the
call out for volunteers soon. LS asked where we promote for volunteers. CP said
over the airwaves, social media, website and calendar are the main spots.
c. Election – GW and LS are up for re-election in this term. CP thanked KE for
election timeline notes. Gives a good picture of deadlines. Will get out
announcement for letters of intent and the number of candidates will determine
next steps for election.
VI. Financial Reports (10 minutes)
a. Budget timeline – Based on bookkeeper’s suggestion so that we can have a full
picture of the year’s finances, CP proposed changing the budget timeline so that
the preliminary budget is presented to the full board in December and finalized in
January. There was discussion about scheduling as well as the board needing
more than one meeting to review and approve the budget. It was determined
that the finance committee would meet in November, present to full board in
December and finalize in January, so there would be two opportunities. MP said it
will be difficult for potential brand new appointed board members in January to
approve budget. Consensus was to agendize budget discussion before
appointments take place.
b. Employee Retention Credit – KE said she will file with quarterly report that’s
due Oct. 31. She said we will not qualify in every quarter but there will be some
money for KOTO.
c. GW asked for clarification on grants revenues thus far in 2022.
Per bookkeeper: MacKenzy explained that while we previously booked our grants
as they were paid (when the checks were actually deposited), at the end of 2021
we switched to “accrual based accounting” which means that all grants were and
will continue to be booked on the dates they’re awarded. Therefore, in 2021,
most of the 2021 grants that were actually awarded in 2020 but paid in 2021
were booked in 2021. Therefore, the SMC, Town of MV, part of the CPB and the
Telluride Foundation grants were booked twice in 2021, creating what appears to
be a large budget anomaly in grants revenue for 2021. In 2021, KOTO also
received two rounds of the PPP and a large COVID relief grant from the CPB.
Those will not be occurring in 2022. The majority of 2023 grants will be awarded
and therefore booked over the next three months, so the final 2022 P&L will show
us meeting or exceeding our 2022 total grants budget.
VI. Staff Reports (10 minutes)
a. Grants update: CP gave rundown on grants. Applied for Mountain Village, San
Miguel County, Colorado Media Project & CCAASE. Will also apply for Just for
Kids, Telluride Foundation and potentially SMPA & EcoAction Partners. Heard
back on Colorado Media Project grant and we were awarded $5,000 for a
matching grant challenge to take place Nov. 29th on GivingNewsDay. Need to
raise $5,000 in order to receive the $5,000 match award in January 2023.
b. JC said Luis Tavares has been hired as the new Spanish language news reporter.
First segment hit the airwaves on the night of this board meeting! Really excited
to have news in Spanish and Luis on board.
c. BK provided an update on the last Citizens Advisory Board meeting. He said
there is a new CAB member who is a great addition to the board. They primarily
discussed was a survey and how to word the survey and what they want to know
from listeners.
D. MI asked about Ridgway contract. Still waiting on property owners to sign
agreement; there’s no reason to believe they won’t. CP & BK said they expected
to have more information on equipment needs and a budget after meeting with
engineer the week of Sept. 26.
VII. Adjourn - 6:24 pm
The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for October 17th
SMEF: Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room + Zoom
Monday, August 22, 2021 ~ 5:15pm
AUGUST 2022 SMEF Minutes
I. Call to Order: 5:15pm
Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook Penn (Claybrook), Jennifer Ogilvie
(JO), Mark Izark (MI), Norman Squire (NS), Kathleen Erie (KE), Gene Weil (GW), Ben Kerr (BK),
Marti Prohaska (MP) ; Ex-Officio: Delton Poole
II. Public Comment: None
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of the July meeting minutes: Thanks to Claybrook! JO move to approve, MI
seconds. Passed unanimously
B. General Updates/Recaps
a. Duck Race: From BK: conditions were perfect. Sold all 800 ducks and made
over $8000 (Gene reported it was his dog’s best day ever!)
b. Jazz Fest: From CP: Mark, Laura, Claybrook, Ben were all involved.
Debriefing with SBG this week and then planning out Blues. It was great
publicity leading into summer fundraising. MI suggested that there be a
planning/schedule email so people have a plan to listen and be involved. CP
said that it can be added for B&B. CP pointed out that SBG did promote Koto
quite alot through their channels - email, social media, etc. LS ready to help with
any content and/or graphics.
c. Guest DJ Day / Summer Fundraising: Bärbel has brought in over $11,000.
Again, always an amazing community day. In follow-up mode right now - lots of
fundraising still to do, lots of thank you notes. Claybrook is keeping track of
pledges and mailing out merch. Raised $62,587, $12,000 of which is pledges.
Goal is $65,000 and it will end Sept. 2.
No questions, just a lot of thanks and praise for all the work of the staff during
the month of August.
IV. Financial Reports
A. Audit/CPB Report Update: KE, we are totally finished with the audit and the CPB
report.
B. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund Update: GW, there will be a more comprehensive
update during the Sept meeting. But great timing of investing the initial $250,000 in
May. We caught the downdraft in the market. YTD (since May 24) we are up 2.8%
where the broader market is generally down so that worked out nicely in our favor. GW
and CP met with Jessie from Alpine last week to discuss investing the additional
$35,000 raised during Jerry’s birthday. What they came up with is to invest a little bit in
equities right now. Plan is to keep it pretty short - 30/60/90 day investments. Jessie
could attend the Sept meeting with more updates. Interest earned will always be
outside of operating income.
V. Staff Reports:
A. Personnel update
a. Swap coordinator, Spanish reporter candidate, news reporter:
Ski Swap Coordinator: Lolly Lavercombe; she will be able to have an assistant
for the weekend. Contract is ready for her to sign. Date of the swap is the 2nd weekend
of November, the 11th-13th. She will keep track and document. We already have
confirmations of vendors. Venue is still the library garage. Telski will be doing the Rail
Jam as well and last chance Early Bird tickets. They will also promote Koto in their
marketing.
Spanish Reporter: In other exciting news, Julia announced that the staff has
been working with Luis Tavares; he is interested in the position and has engineered a
few shows. Budgeted for up to 10/hrs per week. Right now, we want to expand our
once a month Spanish news program, but we see that growing. His interest in the
position came from the Spanish Open House.
News Reporter: Julia reported that we have five applications to review. She and
Cara will conduct the interviews starting this week. Matt’s last day is Sept. 7 and there
was an audible booooo :( .... The News Department is holding their on-air fundraising
tomorrow, Tues. Aug 23 from 6-7. And Cara will be hosting Off the Record on Sept 6
from 6-7 with Matt.
B. THS Radio Club: Ben said that Marti P. came up with 4 young teenagers
who were interested in Radio Club. Ben got them trained and they have already been
on-air. It will be Tuesday 3-5pm and take the occasional council time. (This was also an
item on the strategic plan.)
VI. Executive Session: Enter at 5:57pm; Out of Exec at 6:15pm
A. Copyright Settlement
VI. Adjourn: 6:16pm
The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for September 26, 2021 at 5:15pm
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room
Monday, July 18, 2021 ~ 5:30pm-7:00pm
JULY 2022 SMEF MEETING MINUTES
I. Call to Order - 5:29PM - Board members present: Gene Weil (GW), Laura Shaunette
(LS), Marti Prohaska (MP), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI); Staff present: Julia
Caulfield (JC), Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK)
II. Public Comment (10 minutes) - No public comments
III. New Business/Old Business (20 minutes) - Approval of June Meeting Minutes - CP has
a couple edits (misspellings, financials) for June meeting minutes. LS has chatted with
Board Secretary Jennifer Ogilvie (JO) about getting minutes out to the board & staff
sooner. MI comments Executive Sessions should have a general topic listed in the
meeting minutes. MP comments the same for meeting agendas. CP thanks the board for
awarding staff with a generous group outing to the Chop House. GW motions to approve
June meeting minutes; MP seconds. Motion passes unanimously.
A. Summer Fundraising Plan
a. Jazz Festival - CP lays out plan: August 12-14, broadcasting from 4pm
on/headliners only, Staff & 2 interns on the broadcast team. CP invites
the board to join the broadcast team; MI volunteers to join the team as he
will be visiting town this month. CP is awaiting artist contacts from the
festival production team. CP details donation agreement with SBG
Production in exchange for broadcast, including Jazz Festival and Blues
& Brews ticket donations to be used as Duck Race prizes & Summer
Fundraising incentives. This helps us recoup the missing Ride Fest
budget line item.
b. Guest DJ Day - CP details the GDJD schedule. The theme is “Across the
Universe,” and the schedule is as follows:
■ 9a-10a - Pinhead Institute/Sarah Holbrooke & punk science kids
■ 10a-11a - Brewster Shaw & Joe Tanner - local astronauts
■ 11a-12a - SMPA - Terry Rhoades, Brad Zaporski, Rube Felicelli -
represents Ridgway expansion
■ 12a-1pm - Maribeth Clemente - Travel Fun host
■ 1pm-2pm - Peter Sante & architect team? - this slot may be open
■ 2p-3p - Barbel Hacke - Beatles hour
■ 3p-4p - Laura Shaunette & Steven Gluckstern family - tribute hour,
“Lucky Stars” & universal impact
■ 4p-5p - Erik Dalton & Richie Parkhill of SOL Paddle Boards -
Happy Hour with big paddle board drawing (SOLGalaxy paddle
board)
CP mentions that Jumpin’ Jan recruited Chuck Horning of Telski to donate both a
2022-2023 ski pass for the grand Duck Race prize & also a 2-night Peaks hotel &
spa package, to be used for a Summer Fundraising/GDJD incentive. We have
the sun shirts on order for the $50 donation incentive. MP mentions an idea if
Sante Architects drop out of their GDJD slot: the Moonbeam Girls - local Girl
Scouts who raised money to attend space camp, had extra money & gave a
scholarship to a graduating senior pursuing STEM fields. They are 12-13 year
olds; might be able to be called upon at the last minute. CP also mentions K2
Event planning company as a possibility. LS mentions Natalie Binder of Camp V;
GW has good friends with connections to Natalie & Camp V as well.
c. Fall Street Dance - CP talks about the plan to move this event to the
Transfer Warehouse; awaiting confirmation on venue availability for the
September 10 date. Due to conflicting schedules, CP & BK are the only
staff able to work & attend the Fall Street Dance. If moved to the Transfer
Warehouse, it becomes an event run by Telluride Arts, with less impact
on KOTO staff, but KOTO can still get donations from the door. Alan
Booradley and Dave Jordan & the NIA are already booked as the talent &
CP didn’t want to cancel on them. The caveat to moving this event from a
CCASE-approved, town-owned location is that, according to Parks
employee Amanda Baltzley, we would lose the previously-approved dates
for this event. CP not sure if we want to keep doing the Fall Street Dance,
as it’s a busy time of year, MP agrees, commenting on heavy volunteer &
staff labor requirements. LS mentions that Jereb Carter of the Transfer
Warehouse has told her he is on board & excited to partner with KOTO
for this event. The move seems mutually beneficial for Telluride Arts &
KOTO staff, and especially alleviates stress for CP.
IV. Committee Updates (10 minutes)
A. Events Committee - LS details recent committee meeting: CP has blocked out a
date (August 15) prior to Guest DJ Day that has been offered to us at no cost
from the Transfer Warehouse for a possible board fundraiser event - screening
the film Across the Universe. LS has also talked with Jameson of the Nugget
Theater about using that space, but hosting the event there requires the approval
of Telluride Film Festival, which may be difficult to obtain. There is licensing
required to promote & screen films publicly. LS spoke with Joanna Spindler of
Wilkinson Public Library about partnering for this event & using the library’s
license. All seems to be in order. LS will work on poster design, asks board to
invite friends to attend, possibly volunteer as greeters at the door. Event can start
any time, but film needs to start by 6:45 to meet the 9pm quiet hours
requirement. GW is somewhat concerned about if it will be dark enough in the
open-air Transfer Warehouse for a film screening at 6:45. LS looks up the sunset
time of 8:08pm for August 15th. MP & LS discuss sending out personalized
invitations, and stresses the importance of this being a board-driven & organized
event. GW questions if it is too much to have the film event on a Monday & Guest
DJ Day on the Friday. MP responds that it could be moved to after Guest DJ
Day. CP proposes September 2nd, August 25th or August 26th as alternate
dates; something midway through fundraising. MP mentions liking that the event
is family-friendly & not on a weekend, as weekends are busy & booked for
everyone. MP offers to take on finding a caterer or concessions vendor. There is
discussion about possible options: costco snacks, hiring a local chef, expired
candy from the Nugget. KE asks about seating at the Transfer Warehouse; LS
responds that there are folding chairs on site.
V. Financial Reports (10 minutes)
A. Audit Update - KE updates the board. CPB report filed on time. KE mentions
there are many variances from the previous year: target non-federal funding is
$300k; we are over $700k in 2021, largely in part to result of the capital-type
campaign to pay off the Purple House mortgage. Capital campaigns & large gifts
can be amortized over 3 years; KE will push for approval re: any variances in the
audit report. KE is working on a draft of 990 non-profit tax return & has sent it to
the board. KE requests of the other board members that they submit to her how
many hours per week they spend working on SMEF. CP asks about Employee
Retention Tax Credit; KE is still working on that & will have it done before 2nd
quarter payroll tax reports. GW discusses Ready Capital, an offshoot of his firm,
that is helping other local organizations apply for and obtain the Employee
Retention tax credit. GW will share information with KE & CP, as an option for
applying for this credit. MI asks for an update on the Jerry Greene Legacy Fund:
how much has been invested & what’s the most recent statement? CP will follow
up with MI. CP asks the board if they think we should wait until the end of the
year to make a large contribution to the JGLF. GW responds that money for the
JGLF should be invested as it comes in. GW thinks the JGLF, as an asset of the
organization & separated from the general operating budget, should be a line
item on the balance sheet. GW asks when do we get funds from CPB; KE
responds that it comes in 3 lump payments. CP will look up when those are
scheduled to come in & send it out to the board in a follow-up email.
VI. Staff Reports (10 minutes)
A. Duck Race update - LS mentions hoping for some board support for selling
ducks. BK has sent out emails to DJs & volunteers. Duck sales start Thursday
July 21. BK has shifts covered for July 21 & 22. BK will send out another email to
solicit volunteer Duck Wranglers. GW comments on having fun as a Duck
Wrangler in 2021. CP comments on the generosity of local businesses: we have
about 30 prizes lined up.
B. Pledge Reminders - CP reads a quick update from Claybrook Penn (CBP,
absent) on the pledge balance from Winter 2022 Fundraising & the plan to collect
outstanding pledges. The pledge balance for 2022 is currently $8206.50. CBP is
currently drafting a pledge reminder email to the accounts with outstanding
pledges, and that email will offer to roll their pledge towards Summer 2022
Fundraising, with a goal of chipping away at that remaining pledge balance. GW
asks if the $8200+ balance is a lot. CP responds with some previous years’ total
outstanding pledges, and estimates we will end somewhere around $8k for the
whole fundraising year.
LS mentions excitement about the KOTO News team’s recent stories, including being excited
about Gavin, the news intern. MP mentions trying to listen to the news on demand. CP
responds that there are featured news stories broken out in addition to full newscasts available
on KOTO.org via Soundcloud and as a podcast. GW asks about having our other intern, Ava,
work on surveying other radio station websites, merch, membership levels, etc. CP responds
that Ava is currently working on rounding up Duck Race prizes & we will start her on a station
survey soon, and comments that staff is excited about both our interns this summer. GW asks
for status update on Ridgway & are there problems with the location lease? BK responds that
the site owners are very busy this summer, and CP is going to the site on Friday for a tour.
VII. Adjourn - 6:27pm
The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for August 22, 2021 at 5:15pm
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Via ZOOM
Monday, June 27, 2021 ~ 5:30pm
JUNE 2022 SMEF MINUTES
I. Call to Order: 5:31pm by Laura Shaunette (LS)
Present: LS, Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Cara Pallone (CP), Marti Prohaska (MP), Norman
Squier (NS), Gene Weil (GW), DP, Julia Caufield (JC); Kathleen Erie (KE) joined a
little late
Absent: Mark Izard (MI), Claybrook Penn (CP), Ben Kerr (BK)
II. Public Comment : No one present
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of the May meeting minutes: Approved by NS; Seconded by JO
B. Bluegrass Update by CP: It was a lovefest for KOTO! Record numbers
of comments for social media; AxeMan was a huge help; Had some
troubleshooting for things that the station needs - only had two people
cancel all weekend so interviews were great; The happy birthday to Jerry
was amazing
C. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund - “Jerry Day” : Multiple touches- hitting people
in several ways; the MC’s on stage were a huge help; Awesome donut team;
the promotion out of the DJs was great; Mark recorded a promo that ran over
the airwaves; we had the “match” from Gene and his wife Katherine; A big
thank you to Gene and Katherine; finally getting the chance to sit down and
talk to people about what the JG Legacy Fund is and seeing that people
are ready to lean in; Saturday was Tip Day for Koto as well which really
helped.
D. Latinx Open House Update: Held Sunday June 25; Never sure
how many people will show up because of weather, but Cara estimates that
there were around 20 who showed up; great group of people and they
really enjoyed KOTO; Really cool event; 6 people signed up to be trained to
be DJs; Noted by LS - the action items just keep rolling through from our
Board Retreat; all ages showed up; Claudia from the Library; Julia
spearheaded all of this; Domie engineered the show; Maria from Tri-County
was present as well.
IV. Committee Updates
- Finance Committee Meeting Report: MacKenzy presented the finance committee's
report. Projections show that we are doing really well so far.
- Haven’t hired the Spanish reporter yet.
- Loss of ride, but extra income will have us ending at about the same as was budgeted;
hoping to do Net $0 for this year
- Projecting fundraising to be around $20K over budget, if you add in Jerry Greene
Legacy Fund donations, it more likely to be $66K.
- Board still has $15,460 to raise
- The percentage between fundraising and merch - Average over 5 years has been
13%. This year should be about 9.25%. Keep it at 9% of income to go toward merch.
B. Fundraising Committee Meeting Report: Gene, Claybrook, Cara; GW talked about the
JG launch which went well; look at what other commercial-free stations are doing; great
discussion on that; A piece of work for one of our summer interns to do a survey of
stations that look like Koto - come up with a summary of who is doing what and what is
working well; especially around merch; thank you gifts and membership levels;
Claybrook is taking the lead on that and can follow up at the next meeting
V. Staff Reports
A. Ridgway update: Ben spoke with Keller and he was going to finalize
the agreement but haven’t heard back since.
B. Other: Shout out to those who have completed Harassment training;
photo has been rescheduled for the next meeting; we can start using the
tagline that we are powered by solar energy; Events: any thoughts on Elks
idea? Movie idea? No alcohol at the Nugget Theater; Ride isn’t the best for
movie screening; date is mid-august; curfew for weekday is 9 at the Transfer
Warehouse; guest dj day is the 19th of August; After this discussion, it was
decided by the board to move this to the Events committee.
C. Driveway Update: We got our CA, Certificate of Appropriateness; Delton
Poole had a sit down with the CEO and he was wondering if it was
approved by the town and now it is;
D. Extra: Julia: wanted to reiterate a huge thank you to Matt; The staff and the
board are going to miss him and we send him off with all the well wishes
on his next adventure.
VI. Executive Session: enter into exec session at 6:28; Out of Exec session at 6:42
and adjourn
VII. Adjourn
The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for July 18, 2021 at 5:15pm
San Miguel Educational Fund
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room
Monday, May 16, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-6:30pm
MAY 2022 SMEF Minutes
Present: Norman Squire (NS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Laura Shaunette (LS), Gene Weil (GW), Kathleen Erie (KE), Mark Izard (MI), Marti Prohaska (MP)
Ex-Officio: Delton Poole (DP)
Staff: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook, Julia Caulfield (JC)
I. Call to Order: LS called to order at 5:18pm
II. Public Comment: No one present
III. New Business/Old Business
A. Approval of the April meeting minutes: GW moved, MI Second.
Approves unanimously
B. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund launch plan: CP shared her screen with a great poster; Discussed at the fundraising meeting; for the June 18 launch, board members and volunteers hand out flyers and donuts from BIT; 150 to
people standing in line.Talked to Neil from BIT, and a possible donation from GW; have a cheatsheet for the broadcast team broadcasting it over the
airwaves; news release to the Planet; most exciting we got a free ½ page ad in the Bluegrass program ($1,000 value); A few more steps in the finalization of the paperwork. Jessie with Alpine is confident everything will be ready in two weeks. Scotts in Montrose is doing the printing so maybe 500 prints.
The flyer is also the ad you will see in the Bluegrass program. We could
consider this for a postcard campaign with an intentional targeting. KE thinks the poster is wonderful. Lead the crowd in a Happy Birthday to Jerry!
C. Solar Panels: MP and Cp have reached out and requested proposals
from two local providers - alternative power out of Ridgway, Atlasta out of GJ; There are still the 26% tax credits which will be expiring soon; What we
are finding is that with a 31% offset, the ROI is not really there from a long-term investment. Total cost is roughly $19,000. MP: Glad that we went through the process, but as an investment, it is not a solid call. On another note, we are enrolled in the Totally Green program through SMPA. It is a few years old, and basically it costs $300/yr and we agree to contribute 1cent per kilowatt hour. We are then listed as a “Totally Green” business. KE had the idea to do a special Fundraising campaign that would directly go towards the purchase of the panels. GW - as we look at being more energy efficient, have we looked at anything else? There has been an energy audit - and CP (Eco Action grants) informed the board that we have been ticking smaller things off. For example, replacing the windows, the blinds, etc. A whole list of items we have been working on.
*Final discussion is that this is of interest to the board and we will keep exploring more energy efficient options. Start compiling these specific costs.
IV. Committee Updates:
A. Fundraising Committee: Met April 27 and have plans to meet again May 26. MI asked about event planning. GW: Impromptu dance party over xmas and do it as a KOTO fundraiser, and it got disrupted by Covid. We will bring up more event planning at the next meeting as well as membership levels of giving and its associated perks.
B. Scholarship Committee: Met via email and selected the scholarship winner. Great applicants which always makes it fun. And a big thanks to Robert Allen for matching the Koto scholarship amount. Will announce on-air May 24.
V. Financial Reports:
A. Audit Update: KE confirmed that the auditors confirmed bank balances. KE has started working on the report. GW: Do we feel that we are on track for the budget? After the first quarter, we are just a little behind on revenue. CP/GW/KE will get a Finance committee on the books to review the quarter.
VI. Staff Reports:
A. Bluegrass broadcast plan: CP, Claybrook and JC all met last week; Artist management contracts went out; got a flood of positive responses right off the back; A slew of artists have already signed up for interview; NS will do the kick-off interview with Sam Bush; Will update the website to Bluegrass-theme to listen and donate.
B. CPB Harassment training - requirement for Board members. Do it by September!
C. Latinx Open House - Changed the date to Sunday June 26; Wonderful flyer; Job description for the Spanish reporter and there are already a few
names circulating for candidates.
D. Ridgway update - Engineer will provide an equipment list so that Ben can start rounding up those materials.
E. Merchandise update - Claybrook and CP showed some new merch pics; New pics uploaded to the website; Both adults and kiddos!
F. Wednesday the 25th at 6pm - KOTO showing a Tenancious D movie in honor of Jack Black’s appearance at Bluegrass
G. Driveway Update - DP set to meet this week with FinBro Construction
VII. Adjourn: 6:25pm
** The next SMEF is meeting scheduled for June 27, 2022 at 5:15pm Photo first at 5:15, then walk to the library for the meeting.
San Miguel Educational Fund ~ Board of Directors Monthly Meeting Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room + Zoom
Monday, April 18, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-6:30pm
APRIL SMEF MEETING MINUTES
Present: Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Norman Squire (NS), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Marti Prohaska (MP), Delton Poole (DP)
Staff: Cara Pallone (CP), Claybrook, Julia Caulfield
I. Call to Order: Called to order by NS at 5:20pm
II. Public Comment: None
III. New Business/Old Business:
A. Approval of the March meeting minutes; A few changes by CP. Move to approve: MI, GW seconds. Passes unanimously.
B. Winter Fundraising Update: Claybrook has the most updated numbers: Total raised, $93,455.49. That includes a received (paid) amount of $82,086.79 and pledges outstanding: $9,568.70. For the people who don’t pay their winter pledge balance, Claybrook will reach out to them and ask if they would like to apply to summer fundraising. Want to collect in a calendar year, if possible, for bookkeeping. Board held a discussion about how best to collect outstanding pledges. With board input, the staff will send out pledge reminders within two weeks of the close of fundraising. MI pointed out the logistics of the board’s financial commitment of $30,000. It’s a line item in the budget, outside of fundraising. JO and GW agree that it should be kicked to the fundraising committee. CP suggested that this issue should also be addressed by the finance committee as it is a line item in the budget. For summer fundraising, CP suggested that board members inform Claybrook how they want their donations to be listed. For this year, in-kind donations aren’t set up to be listed so that is something that the finance committee can address as well.
C. Street Dance Recap: A record crowd, according to all in attendance. Went through 20 kegs, however wine sales weren’t as high. Definitely want more sponsors for next year and based on the response, don’t think it will be difficult. Stage is always a problem. A rental from Viking is cost-prohibitive, as is a rental from Grand Junction. Koto netted $8k from the event. (Projections were $5k). Shakedown draws a crowd and they are already on the calendar for next year. However, staff requested an official volunteer coordinator who is paid next year.
IV. Financials:
A. Jerry Greene Legacy Fund launch preparations: CP signed the paperwork today; LS has signed; KE will sign Wednesday and GW needs to sign. CP will have a FAQ sheet done for DJ’s to read on the air. First, CP will get with representatives from Alpine to come up with language to use and then the Fundraising committee will determine the exact rollout. Launch over the week of June 16-19, which would have been Jerry’s birthday week.
V. Staff Reports:
A. Latinx Community Open House: June 5 in the works. Tentative time is afternoon at the station. There were no participants at the last two DJ training days. Could be a few reasons, such as the April snow storm. How to get the word out to a large number of people? Options are to send flyers to 5 or 6 local businesses like Clark’s, BIT, La Cocina, etc. Other ideas include the food bank, free box and local churches.
B. Driveway update: No big updates yet
C. Congratulations to Julia and her awards! The award winning KOTO news!
D. Solar Panels - brought up by MP. Telluride is not participating in the Uncompahgre Solar Network, but they might in the future. And this is something to keep on the radar for the station. Maybe a budget discussion for the future. In the past, it was a HARC thing. SMPA will provide your historical data and then there are two local companies that will provide estimates. Lots of money out there, we just need some direction as to what Koto would qualify for.
VI. Adjourn : 6:37pm
The next regular meeting of the SMEF Board is scheduled for May 16 at 5:15pm. Scheduled for in-person at the Library
San Miguel Educational Fund, BOD Monthly Meeting
Wilkinson Public Library, Telluride Room + Zoom
Monday, March 21, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-6:30pm
MARCH SMEF MEETING MINUTES
I. Call to Order: 5:21pm, by Laura Shaunette (LS)
In Person: Laura Shaunette (LS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Marti Prohaska (MP)
On Zoom: Mark Izard (MI), Norman Squire (NS), Gene Weil (GW), Kathleen
Erie (KE)
Staff: Julia, Cara, Ben and
II. Public Comment: No one waiting for public comment
III. New Business/Old Business:
A. Approval of the February meeting minutes:
(MI) moved to approve, LS second. All passes unanimously
B. Winter Fundraising Recap: Claybrook told the final numbers:
$70,778.79 PAID. Raised, which includes pledges: $84,427.49
Silver Tongue winner: The Burd, winning with over $8,000 raised.
Others mentioned: The Schuler Spectacular with over $3,300 and
Telluride Brewing with over $4,300.
CP: Thinking about a SOL paddle board for summer fundraising
C. Merchandise Committee: New committee that is in formation.
Working with Claybrook as the staff liaison. JO volunteered.
IV. Committee Updates:
A. Finance Committee
1. Update on Jerry Greene Legacy Fund
*Committee met and chose an investment approach. GW will
have one more conversation with Jesse at Alpine. No word
from Jesse yet. MI now confident that Alpine Trust is ready to
open account. GW - met two weeks ago and settled on an
investment strategy - 60/40 split. A little more conservative
than originally planned, but now everyone is on board. KE -
invest $250k.
B. Events Committee
1. Street Dance, Friday April 1: LS gave updates. CP updates
- finished poster. Supporters include Alpine Bank, Teddy
Errico and Telluride Green Room. Need volunteers. Going to
celebrate the Burd on stage at intermission. Have a trophy
ready. Liquor permit was approved. Alpine Bank ordered
cups.
2. Halloween: LS gave updates. Met with Jereb because he
has a hold on the warehouse for us. Three options:
warehouse, sheridan and the conference center. Jereb wants
to help - moving forward with a nice, big event at the
warehouse. It will also be the last party on their calendar.
Occupancy is 500. No venue fee. No gondola problems. The
band, March 4. Getting a quote from them.
C. Ridgway Expansion Committee: BK from staff. MI - we have until
2024 but BK believes we can accomplish this year. NS is the third
person. On the marketing front, we can get going. So exciting to
broadcast into Ridgway and Ouray. It involves us putting in a 35 ft
tower, find out if other stations have used the existing internet there.
Have spoken to the property owners - Sandra and Rick. Their original
proposal was 14k, Koto suggested 3k. They came back and said
rent-free the first year, then negotiable for the next 5 years. The
property owners just asked that Gold Mountain Ranch be announced
as the place of broadcast. Offered the Wright Opera House in Ouray.
They are wanting more news coverage in Ridgway and Ouray which
Koto is excited to help provide.
5. Fundraising committee - GW and JO. Just recently formed and
have not meet officially.
V. Financials:
KE has submitted all info for the audit. MP question: what is the percentage of
pledges that become “un-collectable”? It’s much better than it used to be.
Update: CP followed up with the following information:
* CP: I do believe we will be able to decrease this balance in 2022.
2019: $9815
2020: $7092
2021: $8960
VI. Staff Reports:
A. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D.E.I.) Update
CP: Promo that was on Instagram, DJ training tomorrow evening with
an interpreter. There have already been sign-ups. A second one
scheduled during the off-season. Scheduled a date for the LatinX
OPen House - Sunday June 5. Are able to use CPB funds. Colorado
Media Grant - DEI Training for the staff. Julia and Matt are signed up
for that.
B. Phone System Update: Another checklist item! CP, switched to
Deeply Digital - sister company of Clear Channel. Port over all the
phones - bills were 620 a month, now around 300 a month and the
internet bill is better too.
Julia - picked up two awards for the news department. 1) short term
rental tax and TAB! Big Congratulations!
C. CAB met last week.
D. Driveway plans today from Beth Bailess - with Caribou Designs.
(Did pro-bono work)! Get with Delton to take them to his boss and
also get an estimate from Matty Templin and Finbro. HIghlights of the
plan are: lowered sidewalk, steps in front of front door, small
retaining wall with a reduced grade. Level sidewalk and down into the
street. Cost will be the big thing however a donation of $10k came in
specifically for this project and then Koto has another $10k budgeted.
The question came up over ADA Compliance, however the building
isn’t required to do some.
VII. Adjourn: 6:07pm A RECORD!
The next regular meeting of the SMEF Board is scheduled for April 18 at
5:15pm.
San Miguel Educational Fund Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Over Zoom
Monday, February 21, 2022 - 5:15pm-6:50pm
Board Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie
(KE), Norman Squire (NS), Gene Weil (GW), Marti Prohaska (MP)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Julia Caufield (JC)
Ex-Officio: Delton Poole (DP)
No Public present
February SMEF Monthly Meeting Minutes:
Call to Order: 5:15pm, LS
Review of Board Retreat Notes; Added development of an app beyond the Koto
website and Koto Go; Increase staff to 5 full time to include an events coordinator; Noted that an
actionable item discussed was to create the Ridgway subcommittee which would include Mark
and Norman, with Cara and Ben’s oversight.
LS Updated the Board Retreat Notes and emailed to eh Board 2/21/22
Approval of January 2022 Board Retreat Notes: Move to Approve by NS, seconded
by GW. Motion passes unanimously (LS, JO, GW, MI, KW, SQ, MP voting members)
Committee Updates: Given by CP
Winter Fundraising / Guest DJ Day: CP included her updates in her board report that
included plans for upcoming Guest DJ Day, scheduled for March 4. Full day of programming will
end with Disco Fuego dance party at the Transfer Warehouse from 5-7pm, admission granted
with a suggested donation to KOTO. Also benefits from Telluride Gay Ski week events going on.
CP added that there are lots of incentives to donate on Guest DJ day including new trucker
hats, custom Wagner Skis, and an overnight stay at the Sheridan hotel. In DJ news, Koto is
hosting a DJ Pep Rally, organized by Claybrook and Ben at the Ride Lounge.
Merchandise: DP suggested new partnerships with local retailers and business owners,
including Two Skirts and Jagged Edge. Shows that there is definitely interest in the KOTO brand
and logo, and it was decided that CP will lead joint branding opportunities with the help of a
newly formed committee.
Jerry Greene Legacy Fund: Discussion was had around the topic of when to announce
the newly created fund. It was decided that winter fundraising and Guest DJ day is not the time.
The board is in agreement that there needs to be some specific language around the
announcement, and that the best time would be this summer at the end of June to corespond
with Jerry’s birthday. With more specific language, it will also be a great addition to the Koto
website and it can be it’s own exciting rollout. The finance committee will flesh out the specifics.
Street Dance: That is what the station will focus on immediately following winter
fundraising. After the community returns from Spring Break, there will be promotions on-air and
the date is April 1.
Ride Festival: It has been announced by Todd Creel that the Ride will not be produced
in Town Park this summer. Like last summer, it will be held in smaller venues around town. In
Koto’s budget, the Ride was listed at $20k and Todd has indicated that he may be able to
earmark half of that amount to be donated to Koto. It was discussed by the board what alternate
events might look like in the future such as a larger Halloween party and even the Do-Da
Festival. It was collectively decided that a Halloween concert this year at the MV conference
center is not the best route (the Gondola will still be closed). This discussion was passed to the
Event Committee to determine the best use of Koto funds and staff.
Financials:
A report was given by KE covering the upcoming audit. MP asked that a new column be
added on the financial reports that addresses the % of change year to year.
Legacy Fund:
GW gave the update that the Legacy Fund given by Jerry Greene is ready to be
invested. Jesse with Alpine Bank has sent the different scenarios and mix of portfolios and that
the sooner it is put into effect, the sooner it will be working for its purpose. Board members,
including MI gave opinions on investment strategy, noting that the funds are public money and
that the risk should remain as low as possible. The actionable item is that one final call will be
organized by the finance committee but that all are welcome to participate in order to make a
final decision before the March SMEF meeting.
Staff reports:
CP: Recapped the retreat and shared that as soon as the retreat meeting was over, the
KOTO staff gathered to start with action items. The following week there was front page
newspaper coverage on the Koto Radio Club and its plans for the future. Also local DJ, Sista
Seaweed (Joanna Kanow) has agreed to jump back in with coordinating volunteers for the
street dance. A possible new idea is to host a mixer party at the end of the year (time to be
determined later) for donors that give more than $1000.
BK - Ridgway Expansion: BK gave updates on the Ridgway expansion project that
centered around the current property owners. They also lease land to larger radio stations, so
the cost of the lease is still under negotiations. There had been a potential meeting in-person in
the works but that has not happened yet. Both CP and BK are hopeful and positive that the land
owners will work with Koto and its budget. On the slight chance that an agreement cannot be
reached, the engineer Michael Brown who found the site would start work on locating a new
possible site.
Claybrook: Starting to dive into the arena of merchandise and identifying “evergreen
merchandise” which are products that have no expiration date.
It was confirmed that the Finance Committee, Ridgway Committee and Events
Committee will meet before the next meeting, scheduled for March 21, 2022, 5:15pm
Meeting adjourned at 6:27pm
KOTO Board Retreat
Feb. 7, 2022
5:15pm
Present (At the home of Gene Weil)
Cara, Laura, Gene, Marty, Kathleen, Ben, Norman, Mark (via Phone), Delton
*A big shout out to Robert Stenhammer was also given and that he will be greatly missed for all of his insight, input and support!
To open the meeting, President of the Board Laura Shaunette and ED Cara Pallone led the board members through an introductory session that included hometown, duration of life in Telluride, occupation(s) and favorite Koto memories. It was the perfect setting to both reminisce on Koto’s storied past and to set the stage for future growth and development. It also perfectly encapsulated our diverse board members.
Staff Accomplishments:
Matt: Emergency and election coverage
Julie: News team coverage of the pandemic; proven source of reliable information
Claybrook: Picking up the website duties quickly; DJ training; DJ development and interest
Ben: Design of the bumper sticker logo!
Cara: hiring Julia, Matt and Claybrook; service to the community and paying off the mortgage
Staff Appreciation:
Julia: 3rd anniversary at KOTO; spearheading DI initiatives
Matt: marked 2nd anniversary; Harvard grad; produced some incredible features; up for an Edward R. Murrow award in 2021
Ben: marked 35th anniversary; voice of calm and reason
Claybrook: talented drummer and singer; former board member
Cara led a discussion called, The WHY? It is a concept that is particular useful in goal planning that she observed at the RIMCorp Conference. For Koto, keeping people company during the isolating time of the Pandemic is a huge one. We are present in people’s homes, cars and lives and that is something we always want to keep at the forefront of the discussion.
Board Accomplishments:
Think back to what we have accomplished in the past two years. This community saw the value of KOTO in a way they probably had not in the past.
Goal Setting:
The board’s accomplishments; the archives held at the Telluride Library; streaming Bluegrass archives for the first time in it’s long history; coming back with a bang with Lip Sync; putting a comprehensive family medical leave policy in place for staff; bringing compensation to a more competitive level; financial stability in a very uncertain time.
Strategic Plan, 2022:
9 goals
*The board would like to see a short line item at every monthly meeting that addresses how certain goals have been addressed and achieved so that the strategic plan really does become a working document.
*It was noted that for small, community radio stations a big challenge is always feeling like you have your hand out for donations. As a board, we want to continually give the public something tangible.
*Discussed the possibility of public signage.
*High School Radio Club and its growth. (Note: The Daily Planet has already run a feature on the club and its need for new membership!)
*The need to have real outreach to second homeowners, via the Realtor community.
*In addition, more outreach to all the newbies in town via TAR, word of mouth, the boarding house, Big Billies, Shandoka and the VAC.
What audiences are we missing?
The board is in agreement that we are missing the youth of town, second homeowners and the local musicians.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
We are taking the small steps now, with our small staff of five. We are already looking for more representation from Ridgway in both management and board involvement.
Ridgway KOOK Signal Expansion
The big ideas:
Expand merchandise offerings, capital expansion that could include a staff apartment and/or more performance space; audience expansion, KOTO’s involvement in the Transfer Warehouse, technology within the Purple House on Pine, new Legacy Fund and Planned Giving initiatives, website update, development of app beyond KOTO GO web shortcut, increase staff to 5 full-time people (potentially to include an events coordinator), creation of Ridgway subcommittee (Mark, Norman, Cara and Ben).
San Miguel Educational Fund Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
Over Zoom
Monday, January 24, 2022 ~ 5:15pm-7:00pm
Board Present: Laura Shaunette (LS), Mark Izard (MI), Kathleen Erie (KE), Norman Squier (NS), Jennifer Ogilvie (JO), Gene Weil (GW)
Staff Present: Cara Pallone (CP), Ben Kerr (BK), Julia Caulfield (JC)
Public: Delton Poole (DP), Marti Prohaska (MP), Jesse Bopp - Alpine Bank
JANUARY SMEF MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES
Call to Order
LS calls meeting to order 5:23pm
Executive Session (10 minutes)
Discussion of Board appointments
LS welcomes Delton (DP) & Marti (MP), thanks them for their support of KOTO & interest in serving with the SMEF board.
Nomination of Appointed Board Seats and Election of 2022 Officers (15 minutes)
LS calls vote to re-appoint KE & JO & newly appoint MP as voting board members; appointments pass unanimously (LS, GW, MI, & NS voting members).
Discussion of ex officio position. MI motions to offer ex officio board position to DP, seconded by GW, motion passes unanimously (LS, GW, MI, KE, JO, NS & MP voting members). DP accepts.
Board officer elections
KE & MI nominate LS as President, NS as Vice President, & KE as Treasurer; GW seconds. Motion passes unanimously (LS, GW, MI, KE, JO, NS & MP voting members).
JO expresses interest in serving as Secretary. NS nominates JO for Secretary; MP seconds. Motion passes unanimously (LS, GW, MI, KE, JO, NS, & MP voting members).
New Business/Old Business (30 minutes)
Approval of the December meeting minutes
JO motions to approve; GW seconds. Motion passes unanimously (LS, GW, MI, KE, JO, NS & MP voting members).
Jerry Greene Legacy Fund update with Jesse Bopp from Alpine Bank
Jesse Bopp introduces Alpine Bank Wealth Management & proposed investment strategy for JGLF as previously discussed with CP, GW, & KE.
CP relays message from Jerry Greene’s family in full support of the JGLF & moving forward with regard to long-term security & continuation of KOTO Community Radio.
JO inquires about maximum fees based on account growth. Jesse answers to JO’s satisfaction, and adds that he supports public radio & has personal interest in developing this account & relationship.
MI expresses concern about percentage of investment in equities. Jesse responds that he’s not married to the particular percentages & Alpine Bank will ultimately invest however the SMEF board desires.
MP inquires as to comparable investment portfolios/strategies for similar regional non-profits. Jesse responds that investment is based on the organization’s goals, offers to put together more conservative options if the SMEF board wants to see it.
GW & KE discuss their satisfaction with the “moderate conservative” & balanced investment strategy, with a slight weight of investment in equities over bonds, as both strategies involve some risk and equities leverage a growing fund slightly better.
MP motions for Alpine Bank to serve as the fiduciary investment house for the JGLF; JO seconds. Motion passes unanimously (LS, GW, KE, MI, NS, JO, & MP voting members). The balance of the portfolio will be determined based on further discussion and receipt of information on possible portfolios with somewhat more fixed income. [Generally, we should not use the term “trust” to refer to this account since that has specific meanings re taxation and beneficiaries.]
Committee volunteers and assignments
Fundraising Committee
GW & JO commit. JO will serve as chair & set meeting.
Finance Committee
KE & GW commit. KE will serve as chair.
Events Committee
LS & MP commit. LS will serve as chair.
Scholarship Committee
JO commits & will serve as board member along with committee members Cara Pallone (staff) & Robert Allen (financial support).
Financials (15 minutes)
2021 year-end financials – KE wants to review before finalizing, should be available for next meeting
CPB reporting timeline – first deadline is end of the 5th month after year-end (May 31st); first 45-day extension makes deadline July 15th ; third extension of 30 days makes deadline August 14th. KE will work with auditors with goal of making the first on of July 15th. CP will file for the first extension.
KE discusses the audit and CPB report process & benefit of having a party in addition to the primary financial statement originator involved. While it is valuable to have our bookkeeper become more knowledgeable about the CPB process, the Treasurer or another qualified person should be the primary contact.
Staff Reports (15 minutes)
DEI Initiatives – CP discusses multi-lingual programming, adding pronouns to staff signatures, new DEI grant from Colorado Media Project that will assist with DEI goals & new staff recruiting, bilingual DJ training, & staff goals of learning Spanish
MP discusses being part of Latinx Advocacy Committee & connecting that group with KOTO to further develop our outreach goals, specifically with the news dept.
Events Update
Lip Sync – Thank you to Barbel Hacke for all her efforts in organizing & coordinating the event. 11 acts (now 14!) signed up. COVID safety protocols in place.
Street Dance – Alpine Bank sponsoring the cost of beer ($2000), band is booked (Shakedown Street), event is Friday, April 1. CP discusses new stage design by Anton Viditz-Ward in collaboration with Telluride Arts District, KOTO, & Camp V. If stage is not completed, KOTO has back-up plan for stage rentals
Winter Fundraising update
Guest DJ Day: Friday March 4th. Theme is “Made in Telluride,” & will include Telluride Brewing Co., Gondola hour (25th anniversary of the Gondola), custom Wagner skis. 3 or 4 slots still open for Guest DJ’s fitting the theme.
Ridgway update
New call sign (KOOK) is approved. BK is in contact with land manager for the equipment site to finalize dates for construction start & equipment installation. Signal will likely be transmitted via Internet network to the Ridgway translator site.
Adjourn – LS discusses upcoming board retreat. Board welcomes new members. CP offers public thank you to Robert Stenhammer for his service to KOTO Community Radio.
The 2022 SMEF Board retreat is scheduled for February 7 from 5-7:30pm at Gene’s house (319 W. Galena) and will be a visioning work session. The public is invited to join via Zoom.
The next regular meeting of the SMEF Board is scheduled for February 21 at 5:15pm
Minutes submitted by Claybrook Penn.