01-09-02 Conrad Mansion MinutesCONRAD MANSION BOARD MEETING
MINUTES
A meeting of the Conrad Mansion Directors was held Wednesday, January 9, 2002 at 8:00am at Everit Sliter's
office.
Members present were Rita Fitzsimmons, Rick Champoux, Norb Donahue, Everit Sliter and Gayle Vidal.
Norma Happ was also present.
The December 19th minutes were approved as read.
Rita noted that she attempted to contact Major Boharski to discuss Tia Robbins' candidacy for the Board but he
was unavailable. At present the seat remains unfilled. No one chose to recommend another candidate.
A lengthy discussion of Mansion operations ensued. All agreed that it is important to formalize job descriptions
and employment personnel policies (including sick and personal leave) and to reconsider salaries in
comparison with those of persons in comparable museum positions. Rita, assisted by Norb, Rick and Gayle,
will request information from other museums. Members of this subcommittee will also assist Rita in
interviewing present and perhaps past Mansion personnel to gather information from which to develop job
descriptions and appropriate other personnel polices. Rita stated that she had had preliminary discussions
with Lynn and that Lynn was eager to assist in whatever areas the Board requested.
General operation of the Mansion was then discussed. Donna Carr informed Rita that Sam is now buying spring
seeds for his gardens and for the Mansion. Each year he arranges for Hoopers to start the seeds and in the
spring he has them planted. Rita will ask Sam is he is planning to continue this process for the Mansion.
')hould Sam not be in a position to do so, Rita reported that there is a possibility the FHS Ag Dept students could
assist, but we will first look to Sam.
Board members agreed that an Operations Manual should be created, detailing all the tasks which need to be
done at the Mansion. Rita will ask Lynn to begin recording information we will need.
Everit reported that two payroll checks, together totaling about $170.00, were taken from Larry's vehicle
and later cashed at Sykes. Rick moved and Norb seconded a motion to reimburse Sykes for their loss.
Rita recommended and Broad members agreed that the Board should plan to meet monthly. We will be
developing staff job descriptions and personnel policies, completing work on the foundation, overseeing general
operating tasks, and redefining our roles and responsibilities as board members. Because, as Sam's secretary,
Donna Carr has been so intimately involved with managing Mansion affairs, the possibility of hiring her as a
Secretary to the Board was raised and will be considered again at a future meeting.
Everit announced that Chuck and Cathy Mercord have donated 25 shares of Glacier Bank stock to the Mansion
Foundation in Sam's honor --a gift valued at about $500.00. He noted that we will need to decide how to manage
stock gifts --whether to sell or keep the stocks. Discussion followed about how/who we will want to manage
funds and about the format we will develop to permanently memorialize people who give gifts in their own
name or to remember another person.
Everit will contact Dave Meredith soon to evaluate our roof needs.
The foundation and fund raising ideas will be two major agenda items at our next meeting which will be
'uesday, January 15th at 8:00am at the Mansion.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30am.
Conrad Mansion Board Meeting Agenda for January 9th, 2002 8 a.m.
Item I Approval/corrections of last meeting's minutes
Item2 Discussion of Mansion operations
a. Staff job descriptions
1. How detailed do we need to be?
2. Have staff write up their own as a guideline for us?
b. Staff job evaluations .h.
1. Comments on current situation ? i r' i
2. Criteria and frequency of evaluations
3. Salaries/raises—how are they determined?
c. General operations/specific needs
1. Annual budget?
2. Garden seeds, plants and labor
Item 3 Discussion of Board responsibilities
a. Review/define our roles as board members
1. Taking on specific jobs or projects
2. Meeting more frequently (once a month?)
Item 4 Any other business board members would like to bring up
Adjournment