TVMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

August 15, 2006
YO Ranch Resort, Kerrville, TX

There being a quorum present, Vice President Jim Cruser called the August 15, 2006, TVMA Board Meeting to order at 9:00 am. The following members were present: Ray Erwin, Jim Cruser, Myron Rabalais, Paul Northcutt, David Wall, Robert Lane, Steve Prather, Howard Pierson, Michelle McAfee, Rick Bennett and Christie Going.

Paul Northcutt read the minutes of the April 27, 2006 Board Meeting. A motion was made, seconded and approved to accept the minutes as read.

Officer Reports were received as follows:

President: Jim wanted to add to the Agenda the names for vacant board members and VP. Jim Cruser wanted to add the 2007 Conference location to the Agenda and to discuss multi-year contacts.

Vice-President: Jim Cruser distributed the 2006 conference update. Jim advised that we would have a walk-through of the facility today. Jim discussed the speaker list and advised that all speakers have confirmed. Grant Ehlen and Karen Woodard has volunteered as back-up speakers. Golf tournament has been switched to the Schreiner Golf Club due to the Buckhorn is overseeding in October, as is Schreiner, but they feel it would not interfere with the tournament; the Buckhorn could not guarantee play quality. Stan Jones is taking care of prizes and TVMA will provide a sack lunch. Texas Hold-em night was discussed. Craig Johnson is providing guns and trophies. Christi Going introduced herself as a visitor. No events are planned for Monday evening.Texas Hold’em will provide a complete operation for Tuesday night. We start limit the tournament to 100 players and by 9:00 pm, the top three players will be announced. The Board discussed entry fee levels and prizes. Paul will add a signup sheet at the registration desk. Jim asked for all Board Members to seek silent auction items. A MOTION WAS MADE, SECONDED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD TO HAVE 1^ST, 2^ND AND 3^RD PRIZES AT TEXAS HOLD EM; $250 FOR 1^ST, $150 FOR 2^ND AND $100 FOR 3^RD. BASF is providing $250 in gift certificates (a $150 and a $100) to go along with the $250 gift certificate being donated by McCoy Tree Surgery. Jim has budgeted approximately $12,000 for food / beverage. Current estimates even with miscellaneous and extra billing are around $4,000 under the $26,000 conference budget given by the Board. Thank you speaker gifts are being provided by the Kerrville CVB. Only two speakers (Beard, Grayson) have asked for comp rooms. The exhibitor list was discussed. AV support was furnished. Paul Northcutt is furnishing a LCD projector for the training, TxDOT is furnishing computers and LCD’s for the main session, Rick will bring an LCD and a computer. Paul will create a PowerPoint presentation for the Business Session. Paul recommended that noon would be a good time to begin set-up of exhibits, but the hotel will remain open late. No exhibitors plan on bringing outdoor exhibits to Paul’s knowledge. The agenda was discussed. The student poster session was discussed.

Treasurer: Myron Rabalais handed out and discussed the current Treasurer’s report. The current total net worth of TVMA is approximately $31,830.85. Many of the on-line checks have not been received as Acteva cuts checks on a two-week basis. Myron maintains 5-month CD’s in order to move funds from checking to CD as needed. A MOTION WAS MADE, SECONDED, AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD TO ACCEPT THE TREASURER’S REPORT AS READ.

Secretary-Editor: Paul asked for any suggestions on articles needed by the Board for the next issue of the CLIP to be published in early September. This issue will concentrate on the conference. Paul updated the Board on 2006 conference registration status.

Past-President: David has selected the Mountain Lake Vegetation Management Council 2006 annual conference to attend during November, 2006. They normally have over 500 members in attendance and the conference will be in Williamsburg VA. No cost estimates are currently available as registrations have not been placed on their web site, and they have not offered comp registration. They have held annual meetings since 1955.

Committee Reports were given as follows:

Research: Howard Pierson advised that Shane Melcher is currently working full time for UAP, and that by the end of September, the TVMA project will be completed. He feels the data found will be very usable for the TVMA memberships; he needs to follow up with manufacturers to make sure nothing was overlooked. Howard will check with Shane to see if he is interested in attending the Conference.

Membership: Scott was not present, but Paul Northcutt advised that Scott and Michelle had distributed a “call for papers” to the universities. Scott and Michelle have also been doing a web search to find “vm-related associations” and will be talking to those agencies/associations to possibly secure membership in TVMA. No prizes are planed for the student poster sessions; this is simply to help them get practice making presentations. Hopefully there will be additional poster presentation submissions. Ray suggested a “where are they now” follow-up for scholarship winners on a two or three-year basis, perhaps given at the annual business meeting.

Scholarship: No scholarship report was received.

Training: Rick Bennett provided the Training Committee report. An agreement from Northcutt Communications for a Lubbock CEU training on 10/6/06 at the KoKo Palace in Lubbock. The agreement calls for payment of $1,650 to Northcutt Communications, which covers full compensation for all work and travel expenses required to design, deliver and manage the training. TVMA will provide for the meeting room, coffee and lunch expenses. A MOTION WAS MADE, SECONDED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD TO ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN NORTHCUTT COMMUNICATIONS AND TVMA FOR THE CEU MEETING IN LUBBOCK. Rick Bennett was directed to sign the agreement. Paul advised that Don Telge is pulling away from the training business, but that he will continue to provide this service for both the conference and the mid-year workshops. Paul will furnish the PowerPoint presentation for the TDA training again this year and for any future ceu workshops. David Wall will help Rick give the presentation.

Legislative: Jim Cruser requested that we discuss the value of a formal, sit-down dinner for legislators and their staff. Jim discussed how hard it is to get the legislators at such a dinner; many times the only attendees are staff; legislators seldom attend. Jim asked the board to consider how valuable this is to our goals? Should we go to the legislator’s offices rather than a dinner? Are we receiving a value from the dinners? During discussion, there was no clear consensus from the Board that the formal legislative dinner held during the legislative session was helpful to TVMA’s mission. Jim was directed to research Texas legislative subcommittee makeup, talk to Rich Hendler, and during the next Board Meeting present a plan on the future of a formal legislative dinner. Ray Erwin asked if we should take more of a pro-active role to review the bills before their committee so that we could provide input for or against certain bills? A board member recommended that we present legislators with a specific position on bills rather than just hoping they remember TVMA when a vm-related bill is presented before their committee. A board member agreed that the material is readily available via the web, but that it will take someone who will regularly monitor the bills and facilitate comments/position statements by TVMA. Ray indicated that that should be the function of the legislative committee.

The meeting was adjourned to tour the Y.O. Ranch Resort facility. The meeting continued after the break.

Nominating: Jim Erwin discussed possible new members. We may need to replace up to 5 members; 1 if a Board Member runs for VP, and Richard Karber will resign after the conference, plus 3 outgoing Board Members. Matt Churches, Don Fields, Tee Cotton have agreed to run for the Board. A member discussed the need to change the TVMA By-Laws to remove. A MOTION WAS MADE, SECONDED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD THAT THE TVMA BY-LAWS BE CHANGED FROM 4 “AT-LARGE” POSITIONS TO 5 “AT-LARGE” POSITIONS AND THAT THE LOCAL CITY / COUNTY POSITION BE ELIMINATED. Paul was directed to advise and notify the membership of the proposed by-laws change at least 30 days prior to the 2006 Annual conference.

Internal Audit: No report was received

Advisory: David Wall provided the advisory report. The Texas PUC regulate investor-owned companies. They do not regulate municipalities. There are some potential significant changes that may come in the vm side of electric utilities, due to the damage created by recent hurricanes. Due to the hurricane season, the PUC created a team to see what could be done to strengthen and harden the transmission system for future hurricanes. The recommendations they are looking at will effect transmission companies statewide and telecommunications companies. Telephone companies will be required to develop a VM program; which has never been done. They will be required to submit their plan during April of 2007. On the electrical side, they will be required to do more than done in the past. Utilities have been asked to give estimates to aggressively clear ROW corridors and address danger trees. Electrical utilities (distribution and transmission) by April, must submit their plan to the PUC; and must commit for the 1^st time to a maintenance cycle, and must commit to funding that cycle. This must be based on the National Electrical Safety Code Tree Clearances (vague), but which will be likely interpreted by the PUC. In the future, there will be a lot more VM work on investor-owned utilities because PUC has recognized that vegetation must be managed properly to protect the system. One of the PUC’s recommendations that during the upcoming legislative session, they will introduce a bill that gives utilities the rights on private property to do tree clearance; we do not have those rights now without an easement. Currently the PUC will allow the utilities to determine the cycle, as long as the guidelines are met. This will likely generate a significant increase the need for VM-related companies to help do this type of work.

Awards: Ray Erwin discussed the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Board authorized Paul to secure plaques for upper-level sponsors, and make certificates for bronze sponsors, outgoing board members and scholarship winners. Certificates will also be presented to special sponsors for food & beverages. Paul was directed to create posters or banners for the upper-level sponsors.

Unfinished Business

Paul previewed the PowerPoint presentation on TVMA.

New Business:

The 2007 conference location was discussed. Jim Cruser wanted to discuss whether we stick with a one-year contract or approach it from a two-year or multi-year basis. Currently, the Hilton in College Station want to host our conference, Kerrville is interested in having us back, and the Holiday Inn Riverwalk is interested in our conference. Steve advised that TxDOT holds many conferences in Bryan/ College Station, Dallas and Waco, and that San Antonio might be a better draw. The concept of a multi-year contract was discussed. Corpus Christi and Galveston was discussed as other good conference site alternatives. The Board authorized Jim and Paul to start with San Antonio, then Corpus Christi, and solicit multi-year proposals. The Board directed that we should look at locations between San Antonio, Corpus Christi, College Station and Galveston for future sites. Once a 2-year proposal for 2007 and beyond was received, Paul will send out an electronic vote for the Board.

The next Board Meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at the YO Ranch Resort and Hotel in Kerrville, TX, following the close of the 2006 Conference.

There being no further new business, A MOTION WAS MADE, SECONDED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD TO ADJOURN AT 11:45 pm, 8/15/06.

Respectfully submitted:

Paul Northcutt, TVMA Secretary-Editor