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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>Dear Ms. Courtney,<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>As you should know by now, MCPB has had a unique policy regarding</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Form 990s over the past five years. It states very clearly on the Form</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>990s: "No review was or will be conducted." That policy appears on</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>"Schedule O" -- as an organizational policy. It appears on Form 990s</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. You can see them all here:</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/680050440/popup/1" target="_blank">http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/680050440/popup/1</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>That policy was exercised by MCPB's Executive Director, without the</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>involvement of MCPB's Board of Directors. And grant revenue hasn't</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>changed much over that five-year time period. The Executive Director</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>for that entire time period was John Coate. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I believe that Mr. Coate was mistaken about the existence of this </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>policy. Please see your email of April 10, 2016 below.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to Mr. Coate's resume, he was once the chief fundraiser at </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>the <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Electronic Frontier Foundation in 2002-03. His resume is here:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br></span></div><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoate" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncoate</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>EFF had a completely different policy about reviewing its Form 990s.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>You can see those Form 990s here:</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/043091431/popup/1" target="_blank">http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/043091431/popup/1</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Here's the policy: "After the Form 990 is prepared, but before it is filed </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>with the IRS, the completed form will be presented to all members of</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>the board of directors, who will be given at least one week to review</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>and provide feedback and revisions. The Form 990 may be filed with</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>the IRS only after all board member comments have been addressed</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>and at least one board member has given final approval." That policy</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>can also be found on "Schedule O." Over the same time period, EFF's</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>grant revenue has grown from approximately $2.5 million to well over</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>$13 million.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>So my question to you is this. Do you see any apparent cause-and-effect</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>relationship between Form 990 review policy and grant revenue?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Scott M. Peterson</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mendocino</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>PS: I'm copying this email to a newly seated MCBP Board Member, Mr. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Jonathan Middlebrook for his information. And also to Mr. Coate for his</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>information as well.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Scott,</span><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"></div><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px;">According to our ex- GM John Coate, there IS NO policy. Where did you get this information? </div><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px;">John did not know what I was talking about when I inquired. Please let us know why you think this is the case?</div><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"></div><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 15px;"><br style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><div style="line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2; font-size: medium;"><span class="ecxApple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; border-collapse: separate; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><div style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px;">Meg Courtney</div><div style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px;">Board President</div><div style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px;">KZYX & Z</div><div style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px;">Mendocino County Public Broadcasting</div></div></span></span></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div> </div></body>
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