[APA-InfoTech Leaders] APA-IT DIVISION: 2005 - 2006 Archive Meeting Minutes
Ken Snyder
ken at placematters.org
Fri Apr 6 20:23:33 CDT 2007
Hi Harsh,
Sorry I did not call you. We have been in a marathon session of
interviews and I had no time to catch up on calls. If you can change
your plans to stick around monday, I am fairly certain we will be
able to get permission for you to help both at the booth and at the
business meeting. Let's talk further on monday about this.
Another question: Do you have a quick sense of how much it has cost
to print and mail the newsletter in the past. Jocelyn is getting
quotes in the $1800 range for printing, stapling, labeling, and
preparation for mailing. This letter is 16 pages, so it is longer
and more expensive than the typical length of 12 pages. Mailing to
members will be bulk rate of $.39/newsletter to 400 members.
Ken
On Apr 6, 2007, at 4:58 PM, pi at spatiallink.org wrote:
Archive
***
Executive Committee Meeting
Information Technology Division
American Planning Association
December 9, 2005
Mike Gritz, Chair, called the Executive Committee Meeting to order
at2:35 EST. Susan Turner, APA Divisions Coordinator, checked for
therequired quorum. Mike then expressed his desire to step down from
theposition of Division Chair citing professional reasons.
Motion: Nomination of Ken Snyder, Vice-Chair, as Division Chair
*
Move: Milton Ospina, Communications Chair
*
Second: Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer
*
Discussion: None
*
Vote: Aye- 6/11 [Mike Gritz, Chair; Milton Ospina,
CommunicationsChair; Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer; Robert E.
Smith,Telecommunications SIG Chair; Ken Snyder, Vice-Chair;
JudyTjiong, Division Coordinator]Nay- 0/11 Abstain- 0/11 Absent- 5/11
*
Result: Motion Carried
The committee briefly discussed the possibilities for the vice-
chair,but decided to postpone its discussion. Mike thanked all those
presentand promised to continue providing a supporting role. Ken also
thankedthe committee members and signed-off citing previous engagements.
The committee then discussed the upcoming APA Annual Conference
andreviewed the division’s booth and presentation topics. In response
to aquestion, Milton clarified that only booth costs will be covered
by ESRI. The location of the booth was also discussed. It was decided
to contact Deene Alongi, ESRI, for further guidance.
Robert then offered PCIA’s assistance on setting up wireless access
atthe booth. He also suggested the possibility of conducting a
quicksurvey at the booth. Harsh pointed out that such a survey
methodologymay lack statistical validity. Mike later offered to
coordinate withRob to get more details on booth setup.
Harsh then informed the committee about the new printer for
theirnewsletter- B&B Print Source, Inc. He estimated that
approximately$1,000 would suffice for booth paraphernalia. It was
also agreed toreview the provision of extra laptops on a need-by-need
basis. Thecommittee estimated that approximately $3000-$5000 would
cover thesnack expenses for an expected audience of 50.
The members then discussed the upcoming paper competition.
Mikementioned searching for an email from Jennifer that contained
thecompetition details. Milton told the committee that he had found a
copyof the said email in his inbox and would soon forward it to the
membership.
The committee then reviewed banner setup for the booth. In that
regard,it was agreed to send related graphics to Milton. Milton also
broughtup the possibility of scheduling the next conference call in
the 3rd week of January on the 17th [2:30 EST]. This tentative
schedule wasaccepted by all those who were present.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary/Treasurer
***
***
Executive Committee Meeting
Information Technology Division
American Planning Association
December 9, 2005
Mike Gritz, Chair, called the Executive Committee Meeting to order
at2:35 EST. Susan Turner, APA Divisions Coordinator, checked for
requiredquorum. Mike then expressed his desire to step down from the
positionof Division Chair citing professional reasons.
Motion: Nomination of Ken Snyder, Vice-Chair, as Division Chair
*
Move: Milton Ospina, Communications Chair
*
Second: Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer
*
Discussion: None
*
Vote: Aye- 6/11 [Mike Gritz, Chair; Milton Ospina,
CommunicationsChair; Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer; Robert E.
Smith,Telecommunications SIG Chair; Ken Snyder, Vice-Chair;
JudyTjiong, Division Coordinator]Nay- 0/11 Abstain- 0/11 Absent- 5/11
*
Result: Motion Carried
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary/Treasurer
***
***
Executive Committee Meeting
Information Technology Division
American Planning Association
January 17, 2006
Ken Snyder, Chair, called the Executive Committee Meeting to order
at2:05 PM EST. He informed the meeting about his loss of emails to a
hacker and requested Judy Tjiong, Coordinator, to email the
meetingagenda to him.
Then Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Education Chair, talked about the
awardcompetition. She said that a total of 18 nominations had been
receivedand that the winners will be notified by the 1st week of
February. Shealso talked about Robert Smith’s [Telecommunications SIG
Chair]suggestion regarding a Telecom award for next year and
possiblerevisions to the award categories. Milton Ospina,
Communications Chair,asked her about the result notification process.
Jennifer answered thatshe would write a result summary.
Later Judy raised a question about possible uses of the extra
moneythat ESRI had generously added to the prize. There were a couple
ofsuggestions made in that regard: gift certificate for APA’s
bookstore;award plaque; award certificate; cash-in-hand. Ken settled
the issue bydeciding that the winners be allowed to select their
options.
Then Jennifer talked about the award presentation format at
theupcoming business meeting. Mike Gritz, Immediate Past Chair,
suggesteda summary format since that meeting would only last for 1 ½
hours. The Executive Committee agreed to let Jennifer present a
summary withcopies of bios of the award recipients.
At this point, the following motion was considered after Harsh
checkedfor required quorum:
Motion: Nomination of Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Education Chair,
asDivision Vice-Chair
*
Move: Ken Snyder, Chair
*
Second: Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer
*
Discussion: None
*
Vote: Aye- 7/11 [Ken Snyder, Chair; Harsh Prakash, Secretary/
Treasurer;Mike Gritz, Immediate Past Chair; Milton Ospina,
CommunicationsChair; Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Education Chair; Robert
E. Smith,Telecommunications SIG Chair; Judy Tjiong, Coordinator;]Nay-
0/11 Abstain- 0/11 Absent- 4/11
*
Result: Motion Carried
Following this motion, Jennifer suggested 2 candidates for the
nowvacant position of Education Chair. Ken asked her for the best way
toapproach the 2 candidates and suggested that she personally
encouragethese candidates to apply when the nomination process is
opened to theentire membership. Judy referred to the newsletter as a
possible forumfor notifying the membership of this nomination.
However, Ken opined that it would be best to email this announcement
before the APA national conference and then share its result in the
newsletter or on the website. Then Jennifer signed-off citing
previous engagements.
Mike brought up the topic of booth location and his talks with
DeeneAlongi, ESRI. He informed about the mailing of sponsorship
packets. Robstated that he had forwarded his packet to PCIA, but
still had somebudget-related questions. Ken informed that Susan
Turner, APA DivisionsCoordinator, is working on a sponsorship form
which is nearly complete.
At this point, Mike talked about booth setup and reception fliers.
Hestated that the booth location is a 10’*10’ corner location. Milton
urged the leadership to take charge of booth setup. Mike, Judy, Harsh
(online assistance) and Rob (wireless setup assistance) volunteered
tobe part of the Booth Committee. Harsh said that he would mail
lastyear’s banner to help with this setup.
Then Ken polled the members to see who all would be present at
theconference. Both Ken and Mike assured the meeting of their
attendance,while Milton and Harsh informed that they may not be able
to attend.Mike suggested Judy’s name for the complimentary ticket to
help hermake the trip.
Later Mike offered to moderate the By Right Session. Ken suggested
theidea of handing out survey forms after the session. Rob added
thatpreparations for his session are on course inspite of their loss
of 1 speaker.
Then Ken brought up the topic of transiting to e-newsletter.
Hesuggested a hybrid arrangement with more frequent soft copies and
1hard copy for distribution at the annual conference. Harsh stated
thatsuch an arrangement will serve the budget well. He also asked
themembers if they would need a check from him so that there is cash-
in-hand at the conference. Mike suggested an arrangement similar to
lastyear’s where conference receipts where later reimbursed.
At this point, Rob brought up the topic of SIG wireless website.
Hementioned that the website lacks good design and is looking for
asuitable host. Ken said that Harsh’s idea of capturing the
website’scontent in word or PDF files would be a good first step.
Harsh repeatedhis offer of help on this website. Mike asked Rob to
also look forexternal hosts. While on website hosting, Harsh
mentioned thedivision’s existing website account and the monthly fee
that thedivision is still paying which he had talked about with Ken
earlier.
Later Ken proposed to bring up membership outreach for discussion
inthe next meeting. Judy informed all about the next meeting date
andtime- 02/03rd/2006, Friday, 4:00 PM EST. Rob offered to setup
arecurring call for the next meeting. The committee agreed to meet
twiceevery month until the national conference.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary/Treasurer
***
***
Executive Committee Meeting [Conference Call]
Information Technology Division
American Planning Association
February 03, 2006
Ken Snyder, Chair, called the Executive Committee Meeting to order.
...
Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer, thanked Milton Ospina,
Communications Chair, for his email containing the conference call
numbers.
As decided in the previous meeting, Ken opened the topic of
membership outreach and called for ideas to increase membership. He
offered to take the first cut on the proposed membership survey. He
expressed his hope that proper communication about division
activities would increase its membership.
Robert Smith, Telecommunications SIG Chair, offered to help broadcast
this message. Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Vice-Chair, suggested that the
division include its business meeting schedule in the proposed
broadcast. Milton suggested that a list of division activities for
the upcoming conference be added to the said broadcast. Harsh
suggested that the division leave a copy of this broadcast on its
website. Ken agreed to these suggestions.
Ken also mentioned Susan Turner’s [APA Divisions Coordinator] idea of
using the listserv for membership and division outreach.
Then Ken brought up the topic of field trips at the conference as
referenced in Rob’s email to him. Rob mentioned that he is still
trying to figure out the logistics- buses etc.
In regards to division outreach, Jennifer talked about audits and
surveys of divisions’ websites and recommending general best
practices. She mentioned that last year’s funding application was not
successful. At this point, Ken suggested using SurveyMonkey [http://
www.surveymonkey.com/] to help offset the cost. Jennifer expressed
her concern regarding the restrictions associated with that service.
Rob advised the committee to include in any survey questions
regarding how divisions and their members use technology solutions.
In response, Ken said that it would be a good idea to include such
questions in the earlier discussed survey. He offered to setup a
draft questionnaire. Milton also offered to help map the membership
of all APA divisions.
Then Ken talked about the division newsletter. He said that articles
need to be submitted by February-end so that the newsletter is ready
for distribution at the conference. In reply to a question by Harsh,
Ken said that articles should be emailed to Ric Stephens, Newsletter
Editor, with copies emailed to him.
Later the committee discussed booth sharing with the National
Association of County Planners [NACP]. Harsh said that the NACP could
help offset some of the booth paraphernalia cost. Milton replied that
the NACP probably has no money for sharing. Judy suggested using the
Personal Communications Industry Association [PCIA] as a resource.
Finally, Ken decided on having some agreement with the NACP. Harsh
proposed that in return of this sharing, the division ask for a
similar booth presence at NACP’s conference. Jennifer added that the
division inform the NACP about permissible handouts since there would
be a shortage of display area. Ken requested Milton to coordinate
with NACP/NACO in this regard.
Following up on Jennifer’s comment, Rob asked about display rules
against vertical stacking. Ken said he would be able to arrange that.
Judy reminded the committee that having a corner location for its
booth meant more display room.
At this point, Harsh asked Ken to consider the following motion after
checking for the required quorum:
Motion: Approval of Minutes from Last 2 Meetings
*
Move: Ken Snyder, Chair
*
Second: Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer
*
Discussion: None
*
Vote:Aye-6/11 [Ken Snyder, Chair; Jennifer Evans-Cowley, Vice-
Chair; Harsh Prakash, Secretary/Treasurer; Milton Ospina,
Communications Chair; Robert E. Smith, Telecommunications SIG Chair;
Judy Tjiong, Coordinator;] Nay- 0/11 Abstain- 0/11 Absent-5/11
*
Result: Motion Carried
Then Jennifer presented the following breakdown of response to the
student paper competition:
• 1 submission in the "Information Technology in Disaster Mitigation
and Recovery along the Gulf Coast" category
• 8 submissions in the "GIS and Planning" category
• 3 submissions in the "Telecommunications in Planning" category She
said that she hopes to be able to release the final results in 2 weeks.
Milton asked Jennifer about the receipt of ESRI’s sponsorship check.
She replied that checks should be mailed to Harsh. Rob asked her to
email related information so that he can pass it onto PCIA.
Then Rob talked about 'Government Technology' and asked if the
division would be interested in advertising in the magazine. Milton
informed the committee that ESRI advertises in 'Government Technology'.
Finally, Ken wrapped up the proceedings. He informed those present
about the next meeting date and time-02/17th/2006, Friday, 3:30 PM
EST. Rob reminded the committee that the conference call number would
remain the same [724-338-8001 015342x, 086411x].
The meeting was then adjourned.
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary/Treasurer
***
***
Information Technology Division of the American Planning Association:
Executive Committee Meeting Notes
7th April 2006
Ken called the meeting to order. Harsh rejoined the conference noting
that he was unable to talk with Susan about the division checkbook
after he had disconnected.
Ken brought up the meeting agenda.
First, Mike offered to bring the poster board to the conference.
Ken talked about the background color for the booth banner. He
mentioned a discussion with Milton regarding the logo: Ken had
expressed his desire to have a logo, while Milton had opined
otherwise. Ken asked those present to share their views on the logo
and resolve the issue. The meeting agreed that a logo looks better.
Mike said that Milton would try to get a cleaner background image for
the banner.
Then Ken opened questions and comments for the Booth Committee. Mike
informed that Judy had obtained pricing for carpet, chairs, tables
etc for a total of $634. He inquired about a division credit card
since the amount had to be paid by the end of the day.
Ken and Harsh informed that the division does not have a credit card.
Harsh added that he had earlier talked with Julie, and that the modus
operandi from the last conference wherein members were reimbursed
after-the-fact would be adopted this time too. Ken offered to use The
Orton Foundation’s credit card to meet the urgent requirement.
At this time, Ken searched and found the Booth Order Form. He asked
Mike to send it to him as a PDF, to which Mike promptly agreed.
Ken said that before the discussion moves onto other topics, the
committee discuss all aspects of booth setup. Mike replied that he is
still working on a fishbowl and handouts. He informed those present
that the booth setup is nearly complete.
Mike also asked for volunteers to fill empty slots for manning the
booth. Ken urged the volunteers to fill-in whenever they can.
At this time, Mike raised the possibility of using the banner from
last year's conference. Harsh asked him to email the address where he
wanted the banner sent. Harsh informed those present about having
discussed this use of the old banner with Ken. He described the old
banner as being similar to the header image at http://www.apa-
it.org/ . Mike said that he would check-in by next Friday and
therefore, the old banner could be sent to his hotel address. It was
finally agreed to have the banner mailed to Ken's office. Harsh
offered to email Ken a picture of the banner before mailing it to
ensure that it meets the booth's aesthetic requirements.
Then Judy talked about booth paraphernalia and furnishings. Ken told
her that she can make the decisions necessary to ensure completion of
booth setup.
At this point, Mike informed the committee that the price quoted by
Judy applied only to 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations. Harsh
offered to ask APA for the Tax ID to avail of this benefit. Given the
urgency, Ken suggested using The Orton Foundation's Tax ID instead.
Then Ken described the sponsorship fund that he and Julie had raised
for this year's conference.
Later Jennifer talked about the division's award ceremony. She
expressed her limited availability for the ceremony since she would
also be receiving an award from the Economic Development division.
She requested that the division's ceremony be postponed by 15 minutes
to allow her time to manage both engagements. Ken voiced his approval
but expressed concern about the short time interval since as he said,
award ceremonies tend to linger.
Jennifer also mentioned that since only 2 recipients would attend the
award ceremony, she would keep the presentation format flexible. She
told those present that the presentation would last for approximately
20 minutes. Ken asked her to ensure that after the welcome message,
she talk about the sponsors and ‘2006 overview’.
Later Judy informed Jennifer that Keith Pizzoli- a 3rd award
recipient also planned to attend the ceremony. She requested that
given his interest in division activities and the nature of his
project, he be given time to talk about his work. The committee agreed.
Then Harsh raised the topic of division's name change. Ken informed
the committee that in all, 61 responses (more than 10%) were received
to the division name change survey. Of these, 25 votes were cast in
favor of maintaining the status quo, while 17 votes were cast to
change the name to Technology Division of APA. He said that Susan
wanted a recommendation from the division by Monday so that she can
present it before the National Board for approval. Given that and the
near-split in vote, Ken polled the committee for votes. He said that
he would also talk with Milton before he makes his recommendation to
Susan.
Later Ken talked about his talk with Paul Farmer and how APA, the
division and The Orton Foundation hoped to expand their collaboration
in the future. He specifically mentioned collaborating on newer
display technologies for future conferences. Mike added that since
the next conference is scheduled to be held in Philadelphia, this
coming together is very timely.
At the end, Harsh reminded those present that he would be unable to
attend this year's conference as notified earlier.
Finally, Ken adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary / Treasurer
***
***
Information Technology Division of the American Planning Association:
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
29th September 2006 [1:00 - 2:00 EST] 1-866-238-8001 1-724-338-8001 X
023652
Attendees
•
Ken Snyder, Chair
•
Harsh Prakash, Secretary / Treasurer
•
Mike Gritz, Immediate Past Chair
•
Milton Ospina, Communications Chair
•
Robert Smith, Telecommunications SIG Chair
Ken called the meeting to order shortly after 1:00 and brought up the
meeting agenda for review:
•
Review Agenda items
•
Hosting the website
•
APA 2007 Conference logistics such as booth and reception
•
Maximizing volunteers
•
Increasing membership
•
Next Steps/next meeting
•
Other
He started the discussion on potentially hosting the division's
website with an outside host. Harsh informed that although the
division had web pages on http://www.planning.org/ , the workflow of
updating those webpages was reminiscent of the pre-internet era in
that it took a minimum of 2-3 days with 2-3 routings before any
'fresh content' found its way to the website. Ken mentioned the delay
following his newsletter article when he had encountered a similar
problem with no one to hold accountable. Mike shared his similar but
unsuccessful attempt as Chair to move the division website away from
the folds of http://www.planning.org/ . Rob shared his ongoing search
for a better website host for PCIA, the wireless infrastructure
association.
Milton recounted his experiences with other groups where membership
communication was done using non-internet based tools and suggested a
similar approach through Phone Banks. Ken responded by saying that
the Information Technology Division ought to have certain tools and
tool types given its intrinsic technology focus. Mike mentioned his
work with the Global Planning Educators Interest Group (GPEIG), an
interest group within the Association of Collegiate Schools of
Planning (ACSP), and how GPEIG used tools to communicate with its
membership.
Milton cautioned the attendees of the earlier resistance from APA
National. Harsh also cautioned against 'biting more than what can be
chewed '.
Eventually, Mike offered to coordinate with Ken and Harsh on possible
options towards a more responsive website. He agreed to email his
suggestions as a first step. Ken decided on taking the lead on that
coordination. Rob suggested studying how state chapters operated
their websites within the folds of APA National. Ken and Harsh agreed
on a 'trust us before we break it' workflow mantra. Milton commented
that that would be difficult to follow and advised the committee on
ensuring that its actions do not lead it 'back at the same junction'.
The attendees also floated the idea of a Content Coordinator to
address some of their website concerns. Rob offered his full support
to any action that the division undertakes. In essence, the committee
agreed to reassess its status-quo, and talk with other divisions like
the Federal Planning Division and state chapters, before marching ahead.
At the end, Harsh shared his vision for the website wherein it
becomes an integral part of 'things that members check on coming to
work'. He shared his idea of having a group blog since he felt that a
lot of members would be interested in reading about the planning work
of Ken, Jennifer, Mike etc. Ken responded that he is currently busy
blogging for Planetizen. Mike offered his compliments to the good
work done by Planetizen, and suggested possible website coordination
with Planetizen.
Ken ended the discussion by reminding the attendees of their e-
newsletter at http://www.itinfotext.org/ and his pleasant experiences
working with Joomla Content Management System [CMS]. All of the
attendees complimented the new look.
In other matters, Ken briefed the committee of the upcoming
retirement of Ric Stephens from its editorship. Milton shared his
impressions of the many years of excellent service performed by Ric.
Harsh offered to write a profile of Ric for their next newsletter.
Ken also brought up the topic of 'division name change' and the
urgent need to have an agreement on it. All attendees agreed to have
the division's name changed from 'Information Technology' to
'Technology'.
Milton ended with the topic of the two by-rights sessions at the next
APA National Conference in Philadelphia. Rob talked about his panel
on 'Wireless Communications'.
Finally, Ken talked about taking up the topic of 'Membership
Outreach' in the next meeting scheduled for 3rd November 2006 [1:00 -
2:00 EST], and adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully recorded
Harsh Prakash
Secretary / Treasurer
***
<Archive.Executive_Committee_Meeting_Minutes.2005_2006.pdf>
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____________________________________________________________
Ken Snyder
Executive Director
PlaceMatters
1536 Wynkoop Street; Suite 307
Denver, CO 80202
P 303.964.0903
F 303.265.9632
ken at placematters.org
www.placematters.org
PlaceMatters is an independent affiliate of the Orton Family
Foundation (www.orton.org)
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