SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING
November 2, 2018
Eatonton, Georgia
Board Members Present
- Richard Osborne, President
- Lisa Jackson, Vice-President
- Norman W. Pope, Secretary/Treasurer
- Randy Mannino
- Tom O’Bryant
- Jeanne Anne Marsh
- Mike Mastrario
- Ethan Calhoun
- Allison Slocum, Past President
Others:
- Jean Lord, UGA
- Precious Cooper, GUA
Absent
- Mary Teter
President Richard Osborne called the scheduled board meeting of Georgia Association of Zoning Administrators (GAZA) to order at 11:00 a.m. in a room located in the Putnam County Administrative Center.
Minutes of the previous board meeting held on August 22, 2018, on Jekyll Island, Georgia were distributed to all in attendance. Minutes had also been emailed to everyone in attendance. After review, Randy Mannino made a motion, seconded by Lisa Jackson, to approve the minutes as written. Unanimous approval.
A financial report was distributed to all in attendance. Norman Pope, Secretary/Treasurer, gave a short report on current financial condition. After review, Lisa Jackson, made a motion, seconded by Allison Slocum, to approve the financial report. Unanimous approval.
Jean Lord, UGA CVIOG, presented a report detailing the evaluations on the recent GAZA Summer Conference held at Jekyll Island, Georgia. There were 146 registered attendees and revenue exceeded expenses by $7,020.38. The current GAZA credit account with CVIOG shoes a credit of $13,487.78 as of 11-01-18. Evaluations indicated the conference was well received with high marks for the sessions, the facilities, and the food.
The scholarship committee reported that Gillian O’Bryant was the winner of the Betty Gecoma Scholarship for 2018-2019. She is the daughter of Tom O’Bryant. Applications for the 2019-2020 scholarship must be postmarked by May 30, 2019.
No report was received from the legislative committee but it appears that the 2019 Georgia legislative session will need to be monitored closely since we will have a new governor along with many new members in both the House and Senate.
Since e-mail appears to be the most efficient and inexpensive form of communication with our membership, the board has decided to discontinue the newsletter for the current time. It was also decided that the newsletter committee will be changed to the communication committee.
Membership committee reports that our current membership in 2018 stands at 190 members.
Norman Pope, Secretary/Treasurer, brought to the board’s attention problems associated with the webhosting company, Rochen Inc in England. The problems center around timely invoicing and their inability to accept any form of payment other than electronic. President Richard Osborne asked Ethan Calhoun and Allison Slocum to solicit some info and potential bids to secure a web host here in the U.S.
The GAZA Winter Conference will be held in Athens, Georgia, on February 7 and 8, 2019. The UGA Center for Continuing Education will be the site. The GAZA Summer Conference Will be held in Savannah, Georgia, in August of 2019. The Savannah Marriott on the Riverfront will be the host site with a rate of $168.00 per night. Giveaways for the Summer Conference will be discussed at the next board meeting.
Discussions were held concerning potential sites for the GAZA 2020 Winter Conference. Jean Lord, UGA CVIOG, had a number of sites available. After review, Randy Mannino made a motion, seconded by Jean Anne Marsh, to select Great Wolf Lodge near LaGrange, Georgia, as the site for the 2020 Winter Conference.
The board requested Jean Lord to secure info on Brasstown Valley, Helen, or other North Georgia sites as possible sites for the GAZA 2020 Summer Conference.
Certificates of attendance will be handed out at the beginning of the 2019 Winter Conference. During the business meeting, it will be necessary to elect two board members for four-year terms. Mary Teter and Randy Mannino terms will end at the conclusion of the Winter Conference. President Richard Osborne appointed Lisa Jackson, Tom O’Bryant and Allison Slocum to the nominations committee to fill the two positions.
Sessions and potential speakers were discussed at length. A very informative program is on the agenda for the 2019 Winter Conference. Confirmations should have been sent to Jean Lord by November 16, 2018.
Door prizes will be given away at the Winter Conference at the conclusion of the business meeting on Thursday. Bingo for all attendees will follow. Lisa Jackson will check with potential sponsors about sponsorship of food and drink during the social hour. All attendees will be responsible for their Thursday evening dinner.
Meeting was adjourned at 1:25 p.m.