Photo From Don Allen'sFacebook Page
As reported near the end of my previous post, Don Allen tried to attend tonight's Northside Marketing Task Force meeting, but as Don entered the room he was told--by Vice Chair Mike Kestner--"We just went into executive session."
This is the same Mike Kestner who told Don "F*** you" when Don tried, earlier tonight, to find out when and where the meeting was. (This is according to Don. Mike is free to say his side in comments, which I'm sure I'll be happy to approve)
Don, however, told me he's "smarter than the average bear" so, while excluded from the meeting of this state certified non-profit organization, Don managed to get his hands on a copy of the agenda. According to Don, there was...
...nothing on the agenda about an executive session.
"Couldn't it come up under New Business?" I asked.
Don pointed out there was no "New Business" on the agenda, either. Don read the agenda to me over the phone. The most interesting item was the resignation of a "Crystal Christian" and a "Jeremy Morris" from the Task Force. Don had never heard of anybody named "Jeremy Morris." I asked if it might be a typo for "Jerry Moore," but Don said no, he didn't think so.
Don said there were six people at the meeting. Jerry Moore was not one of them. However, Don reviewed the bylaws and said there might not be any quorum problems after all.
Other items on tonight's meeting included a treasurer's report and "election of a new treasurer." This makes Don suspect the person who resigned may have been a treasurer, because a new one is being elected.
Other items included "Next Meeting, April 15," applications for new board members, feedback from the Northside Housing Fair, the status of the Carney Group contract, and the "future of the task force--election of c0-chairs, temporary chairs."
My Opinion, And I Do Have One
I have to editorialize at this point. I can't help myself. The co-chairs model is a bad and unworkable model. It's hard enough to get anything done when ONE person is in charge, but when two people are in charge? Chaos.
One of my recent posts discussed the shocking lack of transparency on this task force. Tonight sounds like another example of the ongoing pattern. What is so secret, so sensitive, that it must be shielded from public view? PERSONNEL MATTERS?
WHAT personnel matters? This is an all-volunteer, unpaid board. Furthermore, the Carney Group represents a contract for services, not "personnel." I can't think of any reason why this board should be in an executive session over "personnel matters."
12 comments:
Jeremy Morris is my neighbor here in Old Highland.
Donny Allen needs to visit the man-cessorie's store, I think he would like it.
Megan - I have underwear already that have holes in the front!
"Yeah Baby - Your making me Randy!"
Hey Austin Power's - I was thinking more along the lines of the luxury shaving essentials, etc - but whatevs! :)
As much I know better than to weigh in on this topic I have to say "Wow"... the amount of attention being paid to this Task Force within certain circles is just astonishing. If there are other groups out there making differences and changing perceptions about the Northside why would they care and carry out a veritable cabal against another group whose goal is to do the same thing? I really don't get it.
I'm Jeremy Morris, and I was the Treasurer for the NMTF for the past several months. I resigned both from my role as Treasurer and from the Board at large for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the leadership structure of the NMTF. In the six months I sat on the Board I never once felt that it was a platform to promote Jerry Moore or Mike Kestner outside of their roles as Chair and Vice-chair. Those roles, furthermore, were mainly to serve in the officiating capacity and to represent the Board as spokespeople. Self-promotion was hardly on the agenda.
As for how the NMTF can have "Personnel Issues"...
per·son·nel (pûrs-nl)
n.
1.a. The body of persons employed by or active in an organization, business, or service.
b. (used with a pl. verb) Persons.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/personnel
If we are meeting and working on the Board's behalf then we are "personnel" right? And as a board we have the right, as stated in our bylaws, for closed session. And as it was pointed out to Don Allen, the agenda he received was significantly edited and altered before it was approved.
I think the Northside has enough room for improvement that any number of organizations can take a crack at making a dent and that if one succeeds where another fails then so be it. So long as public funds aren't being misallocated there is no crime in giving it a shot and having any number of stumbles. If the NMTF makes good, they should be supported for their effort, not demonized for personality conflicts. If they fail they should be applauded for trying. I hope to see that you are all keeping this in perspective and consider where bringing something down is valuable and when it's wasted energy. Thank you.
Well, thank you for a very substantive and detailed contribution to the discussion.
At the end of the day, yes, we are all trying to do something good for North Minneapolis as far as marketing is concerned. I don't think that airing information about personality conflicts and a perceived lack of progress by NSMTF is "demonizing" anybody.
Now, is there something in bylaws or state law that you're aware of which would require any form of public notice prior to a non-profit having a closed executive session?
And, by the way, the dictionary is not always the best source when it comes to a LEGAL definition of what would be "personnel," in regard to a non-profit in the State of Minnesota going into executive session.
Hey Numb-Nuts,
The problem is with the NMTF "process" you can not change the agenda mid-stream and go to a closed meeting cause a Black man walks in the room.
As for how the NMTF can have "Personnel Issues"...
per·son·nel (pûrs-nl) n.
1.a. The body of persons employed by or active in an organization, business, or service.
Your missing the point - but I expected that.
Don - Seriously? "Numb-nuts"? You're a fine, upstanding, respectful specimen of a human being. We’ve obviously never met and the fact that your response to my other post was to regard me that way speaks volumes about the poison that must run in your veins. I feel sorry for you because until that point I had a mind to give you the benefit of the doubt. John, as you’ve said about Jerry and the McFarlane machine, maybe it’s a good idea to be wary of the company you keep.
To several key points... 1) the group is not yet an official non-profit and therefore has no legal obligation to anyone but bill-collectors and it's fiscal agent. 2) We were in executive session that evening, in advance of your arrival, to ensure that that part of the discussion was off the public table. And there was already a "Black man" in the room so please don't flatter yourself by suggesting racial motives. 3) When told we were in executive session discussing our non-legal personnel issues (Mike could just as easily said "board issues") you said, "fine, I'll leave. But you're in violation of several laws, including holding a meeting in this public space" and left. We were invited to that private space by another organization so there was NO illegal assembly. At this point the NMTF is little more than a community organization, striving to become something bigger.
I understand that you have deep concerns about the transparency of the organization. But what is it you really want to know? Typically when someone talks of transparency it's really because they suspect something but don't want to outwardly accuse someone because that could be defamatory. Kind of like suggesting that they are racist and "change[d] the agenda mid-stream and go to a closed meeting cause a Black man walks in the room." I know you have a battle to wage but you should really double-check your motivations. Check yo self before you wreck yo self. Take stock of what really matters before you drive yourself nutty.
And for the record this will be the last I say on the subject. Thanks for the opportunity, John.
Jeremy - thank you for expressing another side of things. Let's all agree that the more info shared, the better off the community will be.
And also the higher we raise the bar for our personal conduct standards, the better off the community will be.
Thank you all for the different roles you contribte.
In regard to the "company I keep."
Don Allen is an interesting and colorful character. All the EFFECTIVE marketing people I know have that quality. (It may be, however, the NMTF knows so little about marketing that they are unaware of something like that, or unable to apply that knowledge to who is on the board)
Since I've been excluded from NMTF despite the vast amounts of publicity I put out about the Northside, who exactly SHOULD I be talking to or, as it were, "keeping company?" If being a colorful character were a crime, I'd be locked up for life.
I mean, where else am I supposed to go to talk about the Johnny Northside blog becoming part of a systematic North Side marketing effort? To the Task Force? I tried once already, several months ago. Now I'm still waiting to hear something back from Mike. (I have to wonder if his negative opinion of me has miraculously changed since the LAST time I tried to get on the NMTF)
As far as marketing, there's NMTF, there's NOMI, and there's Don's group. (There's the Carney group, too, and their complex relationship to the NMTF)
So that doesn't leave a lot of options. really, a lot of places to "keep company."
Also, I can't help but notice that Don Allen was expressing disaffection with Jerry Moore long before there was a much larger movement in that direction. There's no other way to slice it: Don Allen was way ahead of the curve.
Also, when Don Allen says something to me like, well, why don't they just TURN ON THE CARNEY GROUP'S WEBSITE CONTENT? THEY CAN ADJUST IT WHILE IT'S HOT...when he says that I think, "Well, duh, that's how you do it. GET THE CONTENT OUT THERE. Quit having one committee meeting after another and GET SOMETHING DONE."
Don and I surely have big areas where we don't see eye-to-eye. How interesting that Don is able to overlook that and just see our common ground: wanting to effectively market North Minneapolis. So I'll keep company with Don and see where it goes.
And I'm also open to talking to the NMTF. Again.
In North Minneapolis, organizations what folks with professional experience to come in and "turn on the lights."
It has been my observation that once you do that, they will pay someone else to do the work, rather that paying the person that "hit the switch" for them.
The NMTF needs a serious overhaul with its board, mission and collaborative efforts. To many items are being left on the floor.
To change the perception of North Minneapolis is to have a task force that looks like the neighborhood it represents. Most times, boards in north Minneapolis are majority mainstream with no Asians, Hispanics, Somali or Russian neighborhood folks.
With the NMTF electing a chairman, without having a full board, per their charter in 2008; and the NMTF changing the bylaws to adjust for a smaller core group of board members, shows exclusion and power manipulation where there should be transparency.
North Minneapolis business suffers at the hands of several organizations in North Minneapolis, due to the fact that most folks that have worked in the "non-profit" arena - have never ran a shoe shine shop, hence - no business experience.
Business and "pure" community engagement will get the "a" task force dollars to move forward.
The current plan of the NMTF will continue to fail, based on current adjustments to benefit a few.
If a local politician thinks a board member for the task force is a "little crazy" your chances to move ahead are gone. (HINT, HINT)
Don,
Like I said when I met you Saturday, I may not agree with everything you say, but I like your style! Especially the shoe shine stand.
Yes,I have been in business, domestic & International, heavy Iron to I/C's since the late 70's.
I can relate,
DLW
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