SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING
October 23, 2015
Eatonton, Georgia
Members in Attendance:
- Ken Patton, President
- Allison Slocum, Vice-President
- Norman Pope, Secretary/Treasurer
- Mike Mastrario
- Lisa Jackson
- Mary Teter
- Randy Mannino
Members Absent:
- LaMeisha Kelly
- Richard Osborne
- Tom O’Bryant
Staff in Attendance:
- Jean Lord (UGA)
- Brandon Mecikalski, UGA
President Ken Patton called the scheduled board meeting of GAZA to order at 11:05 a.m.
Minutes of the previous board meeting held on August 19, 2015, in Savannah, Georgia, had been e-mailed to everyone in attendance. Copies were also made available at this meeting. After review one correction was made in that GAZA was represented at the Georgia Bar Institute training session held in Atlanta by Ken Patton, Randy Mannino, and Allison Slocum. Allison made a motion, seconded by Mary Teter, to approve the minutes as written with the correction. Unanimous approval.
A financial report was provided to everyone in attendance. Norman Pope reported on the current financial position of the county. After review, Lisa Jackson made a motion, seconded by Mike Mastrario, to approve the financial report as submitted. Unanimous approval.
Jean Lord from UGA had previously e-mailed a breakdown of the revenues and expenses associated with the Summer 2015 conference held in Savannah, Georgia. Attendance of 99 participants resulted in fees of $32,175 .00 along with additional revenue of $632.00 generated by guest meals for a total of $32,807.00. Total expenses for the conference amounted to $28,785.95 resulting in a profit in a profit of $4021.05. The amount of profit was reduced by $799.05 (the loss from the 2015 Winter Conference) which resulted in a credit balance of $3,222.00 for GAZA as of 10/16/15.
The Scholarship Committee reported that the 2015-2016 Betty Gecoma Scholarship winner has been notified, and scholarship applications for the 2016-2017 year are available thru the website and will be available at the 2016 Winter Conference.
President Ken Patton reported for the Legislative Committee and he said that revisions to the “fireworks” law passed in 2015 may be subject to revisions in the upcoming session. He also indicated that all our members need to be aware of the new federal regulations regarding small cell towers and how it may impact their jurisdictions.
Allison Slocum reported on behalf of the Newsletter Committee and indicated another edition would be published before the Winter 2016 conference. The deadline for articles for the newsletter will be November 16, 2015.
The AICP-CM Committee reported that the number of members taking advantage of the continuing education credits has remained relatively steady, but continues to be a small percentage of our GAZA membership. The upcoming 2016 Winter Conference will not have the AICP-CM credits available. Any impacts on the conference attendance will need to be evaluated by the Board at their next meeting.
The Certificate Program Committee reports a lot of uncertainty by our membership on this lengthy proposed project. After much discussion, Norman Pope made a motion that a decision be made at the February, 2016 conference as to
whether we develop a certificate program or continue to provide the educational information needed by zoning professionals. Lisa Jackson seconded the motion. After additional discussion, motion was approved.
Membership committee report indicated the current 2015 membership for GAZA at 155 members.
After reviewing several sites and costs associated with those sites, the Board chose to have the 2016 Summer Conference at the new Spa and Lodge at Callaway Gardens. Dates for the conference will be August 17 thru August 19 and the room rate will be $131.00 per night. The Board requested Jean Lord from UGA provide us some possible sites for the 2017 summer Conference to be reviewed at the next board meeting.
Reviews of the 2015 Summer Conference held in Savannah were generally positive and the Board was very pleased with 99 registered conference attendees.
Sessions and speakers were determined for the GAZA 2016 Winter Conference to be held in Athens, Georgia, on February 3 thru February 5, 2016. A copy of the proposed sessions and presenters is attached to these minutes.
Allison Slocum made a motion to review the current mission statement and strategic plan to determine if it needs to be revised or updated. Randy Mannino seconded the motion. After discussion, motion passed unanimously.
Discussion was held regarding GAZA’s involvement with the Georgia Bar Institute and their educational activities, and it was determined that GAZA should continue with this involvement as it is a very positive impact on zoning, land use, and the legal profession. Ken Patton, Allison Slocum, and Randy Mannino will represent GAZA in this project.
The next scheduled board meeting of GAZA will be held in Athens at the Georgia Center on February 3, 2016, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Meeting was adjourned at 2:25 p.m.