JTC Running BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Location: Zoom Video Conference
President Larry Roberts called the meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. Directors present for the meeting were Doug Alred, Jane Alred, Nicole Andress, Christy Astorga, Bonnie Brooks, James Bryant, Errol Daniels, Susan Haag, Angela Harris, Dennis Harrison, Franz Lerch, Todd O’Donnell, Ty Payne, Larry Roberts, Larry Sassa, Paul Smith, and Jim Van Cleave. Directors Douglas Tillett and Stuart Toomey were absent.
Approval of 3/3/20 (March meeting) minutes: On a motion by Ty Payne and seconded by Dennis Harrison, the March board meeting minutes were approved as submitted.
Approval of 4/7/20 (April meeting) minutes: On a motion by Franz Lerch and seconded by Paul Smith, the April board meeting minutes were approved as submitted.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Bonnie Brooks discussed in detail the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Detail Statement through May 4, 2020. She then thoroughly reviewed the reports, line by line, with the board. Line items discussed included income and expenses from Gate River Run, Dick Beardsley’s expenses, reimbursement for audio video equipment to Stuart Toomey, reimbursement to Jennifer DeSantis for GRR training class shirts and miscellaneous expenses, memberships, newsletter for March and April, and the Eco Counter. No questions were posed by the board following the report.
OLD BUSINESS:
Eco Counter – Larry Roberts reported that the Eco Counter is here with the City of Jacksonville, however due to the shutdown and work from home order they are still planning the installation.
Water Fountains at Jax Beach – Larry Sassa reported that the city has been working and currently getting ready to pour the foundation for the water fountains. The plaques have been delayed but should be here within the next 2 weeks. Pictures of the Seawalk Pavilion were displayed.
Summer Running Camp Scholarships – Currently there have been 35 applications for summer camp. Discussion whether to offer camp scholarships this year due to the current uncertainty regarding large group gatherings. Brevard has not confirmed if the camp would be open as planned. Dennis Harrison stated that Brevard’s website currently has not confirmed the status of this year’s camp, but a decision would be updated in June. Issues brought up included awarding scholarships to other camps and the responsibility and liability of sending kids to camp during the uncertainty of health risks. The option to skip and forgo this year was mentioned, discussed, and voted on, which was passed by the board unanimously to skip this year entirely.
NEW BUSINESS:
No new business was presented at the meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Track Series 2020 – The track meets will be held only if Bolles School is open and the restrictions and rules on social distancing have been relaxed. Niclole Andress mentioned that we should not have the tracks meets if we are not going to have the summer camps, as they could put our members, participants, and spectators at risk. The board agreed and decided that if current social distancing requirements are still in effect then the track meets would be cancelled.
Bolles Wednesday Workouts and Where to Run in Jax – Paul Smith reported that we will need to initiate a new event registration as we update our track waiver to include social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines. The plan is to open track for Wednesday mornings and evenings again. Guidelines and ground rules would need to be established for members and partnering groups, but participants would need to take responsibility for their own safety and actions.
Gate River Run (Sat 3/7/20) – Financials for the GRR are not completed but will be reported when completed.
Tijuana Flats Summer Beach Run – No report Doug Alred gave an overview of the upcoming race schedule as he had been in recent talks with the City of Jacksonville. He stated that we may not see another race for a long time as city officials discourage events and gatherings with large crowds. Doug mentioned that he was hoping that Run For The Pies would run as scheduled and other events getting back to normal as early as August. There may not be another group or special event until the start of the Jags season. Currently this depends if COVID-19 cases go up again or if a vaccine is created. At this point we will have to wait and see. We will not open registration for Summer Beach Run until we get closer to the date. This also depends on the outcome and predictions related to health concerns leading into the summer months. He mentioned that smaller events may be a possibility if cases don’t go back up. He also mentioned that recent surveys have given insight to changes in attitudes toward events and coronavirus safety.
Vystar Emerald Trail 5K – No Report.
Finance – Bonnie Brooks stated that the Finance Committee had a meeting on April 18th. She discussed the details of their meeting, which included a recap of the Groundwork Jacksonville proposal from the board’s last meeting.
Bonnie made a motion per the recommendation of the Finance Committee, seconded by Franz Lerch, that we award $50,000 to Groundwork Jacksonville for the next segment of the Emerald Trail. The motion was passed unanimously by the board.
Community & Public Relations – Larry Sassa reported on the status of the water fountains earlier in the meeting, so there was not much to add.
Classes & Clinics/Awards Banquet – Jane Alred stated that we may want to skip the banquet this year or either postpone it to later in the fall.
Membership – Current membership was reported as 1,367, which included a substantial amount of membership renewals.
Communications: Social Media – Larry Sassa mentioned that he would delve more into Facebook and other social media tools to increase our posts. He stated that in terms of the newsletter the big story has been COVID-19. Talking points include how people are coping, exercising, and staying active during these unusual times of staying home. He asked members of the board to send stories and pictures to our social media committee when they see something that would educate, motivate, or entertain our members. This is a great opportunity for us to focus on running whether it be getting started or staying motivated. He asked Jane and 1st Place Sports to participate by taking pictures and telling stories on how they are adjusting as a local running store, which was just allowed to reopen.
Vision & Planning – No report.
NEXT MEETING – The next board meeting will be Tuesday, June 2, at 6:30 pm via Zoom Video Conference.
The May meeting was adjourned at 7:25 pm.
