<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff">Dear Dennis:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff">I trust everyone connected to, or interested in, our community station, KZYX, can agree that the amount of time, energy and consideration you have given the governance of the station is extraordinary and exemplary.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff"> I am confident that the KZYX Board, and management, will give due consideration, and respect, to what you have put forth in your document below: Twelve Proposals for Good governance.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff">Respectfully,</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large;color:#0000ff">Richard</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align:center"><div style="text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,153);font-size:x-small"><font face="times new roman, serif">Richard Louis Miller, M.A., Ph.D.</font></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,153);font-size:x-small"><font face="times new roman, serif">Clinical Psychology</font></span></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font size="1" color="#000099" face="times new roman, serif">Wikipedia: Dr Richard Louis Miller</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font size="1" color="#000099" face="times new roman, serif">Wikipedia: Wilbur Hot Springs</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><div><font size="1" color="#000099" face="times new roman, serif">MindBodyHealthPolitics.org</font></div><div><font color="#000099" face="'times new roman', serif" size="1">Psychepedia.org</font></div></div><br><br><br><font color="#000066"><br></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 12:26 PM, Dennis OBrien <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dennisobrien@sharejerusalem.com" target="_blank">dennisobrien@sharejerusalem.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">"KZYX&KZYZ is a non-commercial community radio station of Mendocino County. Its programming and operational philosophy is controlled by its membership, which is open to all." - from The Mission Statement<br>
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[The following was sent to MCPB/KZYX Board of Directors]<br>
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. . . are below. They are specific changes to the written Policies and Procedures for the Board and for Elections. Briefly, they are:<br>
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1. Allow members who join in January and February to vote in the election that year.<br>
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2. Announce Simple Living and Volunteer memberships.<br>
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3. Facilitate communication between candidates and the media/public.<br>
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4. Provide written notice of the annual membership meeting.<br>
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5. Prohibit use of the organization's resources by board and staff for campaigning.<br>
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6. Establish written procedures for replacing ballots.<br>
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7. Create member email list for periodic notices, schedules, outreach.<br>
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8. Establish/announce an interactive internet discussion service.<br>
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9. Create a Programmers Page for information about programmers.<br>
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10. Improve outreach for committee membership (standing and advisory).<br>
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11. Provide all requested non-confidential information.<br>
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12. Fully implement the Programming Policy, including the Program Advisory Committee.<br>
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Here are the details, with specific language for each Policy section:<br>
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Proposed Changes to<br>
KZYX&Z Policies and Procedures for Board Elections<br>
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1. Extend the deadline for becoming a member eligible to vote from December 31 to February 28, the date the Election Monitor certifies the eligible voter list. (Note: although February 28 is the certification date given on the chart, the wording in the Policy itself says February 20.)<br>
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Amend Section IV, Paragraph 6, to begin "February 28 is the deadline to become a member eligible to vote in that year's election. On February 28, the MCPB Election Monitor certifies . . ."<br>
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2. Publicly announce the availability of simple living and volunteer memberships during the election period, e.g., the winter membership pledge drive and the January mailing to the members.<br>
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Amend Section IV, Paragraph 2, by inserting "Membership requirements, including simple living rate and volunteer option" in the first section and "included in membership mailings" in second section.<br>
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3. Ask candidates for their email addresses and permission to disclose to any media or other person/group seeking to contact them.<br>
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Amend Section IV, Paragraph 3, by adding "Requests from each candidate their email address or other contact information along with permission to disclose to any media or other person/group seeking to contact them." Amend Candidate Application to request the information/consent.<br>
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4. Either establish an interactive internet discussion service on the <a href="http://kzyx.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">kzyx.org</a> website, or announce the availability of member-established services, e.g., KZYXTalk.<br>
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Amend Section IV, Paragraph 2, by adding "Availability of interactive internet discussion services established by either the organization or its members" to the first section.<br>
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5. Notify the membership in writing of the annual membership meeting, the final step in the process, when they are sent their ballots.<br>
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Amend Section IV, Paragraph 7, by adding "along with an announcement of the annual membership meeting" at the end of the first sentence.<br>
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6. Prohibit the use of organizational resources, including internal email lists, for campaigning for or against any candidate for the board of directors.<br>
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Amend Section IV by adding: "14. Use of the organization's resources, including internal email lists, to campaign for or against any candidate is prohibited. Exceptions: 1) the candidates' official statements; 2) an interactive internet discussion service that can be accessed the public.<br>
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7. Establish written procedures for controlling ballots and providing replacement ballots to those members who did not receive one.<br>
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(The Election Timeline (Section III) will be updated to reflect the above changes.)<br>
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Proposed Changes to<br>
MCPB Board of Directors Policies and Procedures Manual<br>
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1. Improve outreach to members for standing committees and advisory committees. Appointments to the Community Advisory Board must guarantee its diversity and independence, as required by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Program Advisory Committee established in 2008 will be fully implemented.<br>
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Amend Section 5.9, Division of Authority, by striking: "Encouragement should be given to station volunteers to participate in committee work. It shall be staff responsibility to communicate committee position openings to volunteers."<br>
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and adding: "Any current member who is not in the immediate family of a current director is eligible to serve on any Standing Committee and/or Advisory Committee. Each year there shall be an announcement - on air, on the website, and in the notice of election - of the current standing and advisory committees and the process for applying to serve on them."<br>
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(See KZYX&Z Programming Policy for details of choosing members of the PAC)<br>
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2. Provide requested information. Although public comment is permitted at the board meetings, requests for information are not always honored, even if the information is not protected by any confidentiality laws. A public radio station, supported by public funding, must share all non-confidential information with the public. A written policy requiring an informative response is necessary to give direction to future boards and staff.<br>
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Amend Section 9.1, Board Meetings, by adding: "The Board and Staff will respond to questions from the public, within reasonable time limits. All requested information will be provided unless its confidentiality is protected by law."<br>
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3. Improve station communication with members by establishing and maintaining an email list (non-interactive) that would allow station management to communicate directly with the members for limited purposes (e.g., the program guide required by Section 13.2, the notice of election, possible quarterly newsletter, outreach).<br>
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Amend Section 13, Public Relations, by adding "13.3: A membership email list shall be maintained and used for periodic announcements, including the notice of election and the program guide. The list will include all email addresses submitted by members; each message will include a method for opting out."<br>
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4. Improve programmer communications with the members and the public by creating a Programmers Page on the website. Each programmer would be allowed to post a paragraph about their work and interests and how people can contact them. A link to the page would be included on the main page along with the other drop-down menus.<br>
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Amend Section 13, Public Relations, by adding "13.4: A Programmers Page will be maintained on the website where current programmers can post brief information about their work and interests and how they can be contacted."<br>
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Finally, the Programming Policy, including the Program Advisory Committee, must be fully implemented.<br>
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These proposals address the issues of governance that have been raised over the past two years. They deliberately do not address finances or personnel, substantive issues that will require more discussion. They are intended to bring our policies and procedures in line with federal and state law, and our own bylaws, while increasing membership, increasing member participation in the elections and other governance, and improving communication between and among the board, staff, members, and the public. Please consider these proposals for adoption in the near future. They will be of great benefit to the organization, its members, and the listening public.<br>
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Sincerely,<br>
Dennis O'Brien<br>
Member<br>
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_______________________________________________<br>
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