PRESENT: (in person) Jennifer Burke, Susan Cheesman, Chelsey Fortin-Trimble, Bill Guindon, Ninette Irabaruta, Janet May, Tom Meuser, Kelsey Preecs, Pam Proulx-Curry, Betsy Sawyer-Manter, Tade Sullivan, Jenni Tilton-Flood, Ruben Torres, Michael Williams; (remote) Celeste Branham, Kelly Day.
STAFF: Maryalice Crofton, Jamie McFaul, Tilan Copson, Kirsten Brewer
Before the meeting, the following people were sworn in by Dedimus Steven Couture: Betsy Sawyer-Manter, Tom Meuser, Ninette Irabaruta, Ruben Torres, Tade Sullivan, Kelsey Preecs. Reappointments were Michael Williams, Jennnifer Burke, Luke Shorty.
PUBLIC COMMENT. No one requested time for comments. No members of the public were observing.
Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 10:15 am by Pam Proulx-Curry, Chair-elect. She is chairing the meeting in the absence of Chair Shorty who is unable to attend.
Welcome, Announcements, Agenda Adjustments. Everyone present was asked to introduce themselves and new Commissioners were welcomed. The Commissioner quiz answer was submitted correctly by Tom Meuser. Tilan Copson and Kofi Bofah are new staff at the Commission. Proulx-Curry reviewed the requirements for hybrid meetings and declaring conflicts of interest.
The first announcement and appreciation was for Kirsten Brewer who will leave the Commission for a position with USDA Rural Development. The success of the Maine Climate Corps launch is totally due to Kirsten’s efforts and she will be hard to replace. Everyone wished her well and thanked her for the contributions over these 3 years.
Other announcements. 1) Commissioners all received an invitation to the 30th AmeriCorps Anniversary and reunion at the Blaine House on September 27. The morning reception will be followed by speakers and the AmeriCorps commitment to service. Currently serving members will move to Bond Brook in Augusta for lunch and an afternoon service project. 2) The federal Inspector General will be at the Commission office on October 15. The meeting with grantees is part of a series of visits to states that the new person is making. Interested Commissioners are welcome to attend.
CONSENT AGENDA. MOVED by Williams to approve the consent agenda. SECOND by Torres. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
Items approved by the motion: June 21, 2024 Commission minutes; July 2, August 13, and September 3 Executive Committee reports; June 28 Communications Task Force report; August 21 Climate Corps Task Force report.
PLANNING AND FUTURE INITIATIVES.
Approval of Commission negotiated work plan with Maine Volunteer Foundation. The copies of the work plan were missing a page so this item was held for the next board meeting.
Reorganization of Task Forces. As discussed at the June board meeting, there is a strong case for folding the work of three task forces (Climate Corps, Maine Service Fellows, Excellence and Expertise) into one Service Program Task Force. Their work is intersecting and there is a need for some efficiencies related to meetings and task force assignments.
The proposed mission for the new Task Force is as follows:
The Service Program Task Force oversees development and implementation of the community service programs for which the commission is responsible through initiatives or statute.
This work includes
– setting Commission policies, procedures, and participation requirements as needed
– establishing and coordinating a comprehensive system of professional development for leaders of community volunteer programs;
– ensuring there is accessible, consistent training and technical assistance to support high-quality volunteer program operations by organizations;
–identifying appropriate responses to issues impacting Maine’s volunteer sector and Commission grantees
–considering effectiveness of sponsored service programs, recommending actions to increase or sustain effectiveness, and keeping the full board apprised of operational challenges or successes
-- advising Public Policy on legislative issues that impact service programs
-- coordinating with other task forces and the Foundation on public or private funding opportunities that could support Commission service program goals.
Concerns raised by the Climate Corps Task Force were acknowledged. The members do not want to see the emphasis on this work diluted. A suggestion to review this decision after 4 months was accepted and added to the motion.
MOVED by Fortin-Trimble to establish the Service Program Task Force and charge it with the mission as previously stated. This action will be reviewed in four months to ensure the decision is having the intended result. SECOND by Tilton-Flood. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
MOVED by Tilton-Flood to retire the Maine Service Fellows, Climate Corps, and Excellence and Expertise task forces. SECOND by Guindon. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
Annual Meeting Calendar. The board sets its anticipated meeting calendar for September through June. Public notices are based on this calendar. For the coming cycle, the meetings scheduled will be October 18, November 15, December 20, January 17, February 21 OR March 21, April 18, May 16, and June 20. In the event there are no actions to come before the board in a particular month, Executive Committee will cancel a meeting.
MOVED by Guindon to adopt the proposed meeting calendar. SECOND by Preecs. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
FOCUS ON MISSION RESPONSIBILITIES
Commissioner Ambassador Reports on program visits. Proulx-Curry explained the Ambassador Program for new Commissioners. It is a way for Commissioners to have direct information from programs about their work and operations. It is not a monitoring activity – that is a staff duty. There were no reports from summer visits. As new board members go through orientation they will be assigned to a program.
BUSINESS REPORTS
Public Policy. Did not meet over the summer. Tilton-Flood and Burke are the current members. Jenni has three more people she wants to add and will be in touch with them.
Grant Selection and Performance. The task force met before this board meeting to finalize recommendations. The process timeline was hampered by events beyond its control.
Guindon started with the AmeriCorps Formula operating competition. MOVED by Guindon that the Alpha Legal Foundation AmeriCorps program be funded for year 1 of the 3-year grant, at the level of $84,000, supporting 3 MSY distributed over 3 slots, at the proposed cost per member service year of $27,000 with the stipulation that the source of funds be identified. SECOND by Preecs.
Discussion. Concerns were raised that the budget did not have detail and the narrative didn’t fill in budget information sufficiently. In particular, there is no apparent provision for translator services which can be a significant expense. Commission staff clarified that fixed amount budgets do not require detail for either the grant share or local share of the project. Funds are awarded as a flat amount for each 1700 hours of member service planned and reimbursed based on enrollment and service performed. Commissioners could request the narrative section discuss such items. A second concern related to the absence of information under Source of Funds. The narrative states that the local share is covered by a private donation but there is no indication of whether the funds are secured or promised nor whether they cover all three grant years. Another issue was the plan for experienced legal guidance. The proposal would fill an important role but the AmeriCorps members would not be seasoned legal professionals. The supervision plan did not indicate whether the program director would have that expertise. Board members felt this is a significant flaw. After further discussion, a friendly amendment was offered and accepted by Guindon and Preecs. The final motion was as follows:
“that the Alpha Legal Foundation AmeriCorps program be funded for year 1 of the 3-year grant, at the level of $84,000, supporting 3 MSY distributed over 3 slots, at the proposed cost per member service year of $27,000 with the conditions that the source of funds be identified and that a plan be outlined for the legal education and ongoing legal support for the AmeriCorps members.”
Vote on the motion as amended (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Abstain—Irabaruta. Motion passed.
The next set of grant recommendations pertained to AmeriCorps planning grant applications. Several Commissioners stated they were unable to vote on the recommendations because they had no advance information about the applicants. Proulx-Curry asked if it would help to take a 15 minute break so board members could read reports. There was consensus this would be needed. After the break, Commissioners still felt ill-prepared to act. They’d been given the full proposals but not the analysis. Discussion moved to consideration of next steps. The funds need to be used within a set timeframe so holding action to the October meeting is not an option. However, the board could hold an extraordinary meeting in two weeks which would give time for public notice. A second option would be to empower Executive Committee to act on behalf of the entire board at its October 1 meeting. Between today and that meeting, Commissioners would have time to read the analyses and convey their sentiments to Exec members. Several Exec members committed to being available for such discussions and ensuring those were related to the full group.
MOVED by Guindon that the Executive Committee be empowered to act on the funding recommendations of the Grant Selection and Performance Task Force at the October meeting. Second by Burke. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Abstain— Day. Motion passed.
Executive Committee. Proulx-Curry reported that the Executive Committee held a special meeting (as noticed to the full board) on September 16 to discuss how to cover the need for staff leadership starting January 1, 2025. Of the three options identified, Exec members settled on accepting an offer from Executive Director Crofton to delay her retirement until March 31. She made it clear she cannot stay beyond that date but state Human Resources is predicted to clear the way for the hiring process to begin in late February. There may need to be an interim for a very short period – possibly 8 weeks. Because the Department of Education is the hiring authority for Commission staff, the Commission needs to express its decision in a motion and vote. MOVED by Meuser that the Commission recommends acceptance of Crofton’s offer to delay her retirement until March 31, 2025. SECOND by Burke. Vote on the motion (roll call): In favor– Branham, Burke, Day, Fortin-Trimble, Guindon, Irabaruta, May, Meuser, Preecs, Proulx-Curry, Sawyer-Manter, Sullivan, Tilton-Flood, Torres, Williams. Opposed – none. Abstain— none. Motion passed.
Communications Task Force. Tilan reported that, as a result of attending the Governor’s Service Awards last spring, Adjutant General Dunn offered Camp Chamberlain’s training and meeting facilities for events. Tilan visited the building which is fairly new. It has the capacity for 180 people and several flex spaces as well as a food service area. The task force has not met over the summer but expects to resume this month.
Maine Service Fellows and DEI Task Force have not met. Celeste is trying to get a meeting date for DEI so it can resume its work.
Climate Corps Task Force. There is no board member on the task force so Kirsten reported. A delegation from the American Climate Corps in Washington, DC, kicked off a national tour of states with a visit to Maine on September 9 and 10. Kirsten organized their agenda so it included site visits, a round table with programs and policy makers, and a meeting with members serving in Maine Climate Corps programs. The feedback from visitors was extremely positive and they have taken the idea of a roundtable with policy makers and programs to other states.
Excellence and Expertise Task Force. Meuser reported that moving the Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference to August and co-locating with the Dept of Education Summit led to a very successful event. The summer date does seem easier for people to attend. The new task force will need to talk about planning for 2025.
AmeriCorps (federal agency) update. Susan Cheesman noted she was glad she could attend in person and meet everyone. She reviewed the funding opportunities the federal agency has open now. As always, the federal agency is waiting to see what happens with the federal budget given the new fiscal year begins October 1.
Commission Staff Reports. The two Margaret Chase Smith college interns completed their summer positions. May Whelan redesigned and rebuilt the asynchronous course for a Certificate in Volunteer Management. Michael will have a group of volunteers beta-test the course and the goal is to offer it publicly in January. Colin Boutin-Marquis did a lot of research and development for recruiting Maine Service Fellows that can also be used by AmeriCorps grantees. This government intern program is extremely useful because projects that are urgent but staff have no time to accomplish can be tackled. May has returned to Bates for her senior year as an RA and Colin landed a position at the Maine State Bar Association. They were amazing to work with.
Kirsten summarized a new grant she received for Maine Climate Corps Network Members. It came through Service Year and will fund training for those serving. The training focus is preparation for employment in the green energy field. It is one year and $12,000.
There was no other business on the agenda. MOVED by Burke to adjourn the meeting. SECOND by Williams.
The meeting adjourned at 11:48 am.