BOARD MINUTES
February 28, 2000
Vice President Steve Rissberger called the meeting to order. In addition to Steve, board members Bruce Black, Daina Upite, and Erika Hadlock were present. President Charlotte Rutherford and board members Lynne Wehrlie and Abbie Herman were absent.
1. Minutes from the January 27, 2000, meeting were approved with one change.
2. Treasurer's report:
Daina reported that the current balance in the OAALJ checking account is $320.14. Daina received dues from four more members, paid last month's bill for the meeting room at the Phoenix Inn, and wrote checks totaling $165.64 for expenses associated with mailings for the annual meeting and the ethics code. The association has slightly over $10,000.00 in its money market account.
Erika mentioned that Bill Young had indicated that the bill for the web site might be past due. The board approved Daina's request for authorization to pay the web site bill for an entire year in advance.
3. Ethics Committee report:
The ethics committee had no new news to report. Daina suggested that, whenever OAALJ holds its next training, a writing session would be very useful. Steve would like to see a session on how to handle expert testimony.
4. Membership Committee report:
It was mentioned that Salem attorney Chess Trethewy wants to be on the OAALJ mailing list. He is on the advisory board for the Central Hearings Panel. Steve will investigate whether all advisory board members should be on the OAALJ mailing list.
5. Communications/Newsletter Committee report
Erika reported that Bill Young was unenthusiastic about having a bulletin board feature on the OAALJ web site. He said that the web site used to have a bulletin board and that only two postings ever were made to it. However, Bill also said that there is no additional cost associated with having a bulletin board feature. Erika will talk to Bill to find out whether there would be any down side to adding this feature to the web site. Erika also mentioned that the web site is missing minutes from the last few months of 1999, and somebody will need to get copies of those minutes to Bill Young so he can post them.
Erika reported that there will be sufficient content for the upcoming issue of the newsletter. Steve will be submitting one or two pieces, and reported that Tom Ewing has started an article. Bruce will write a case note on the Court of Appeals' decision in Baurle, which discusses an ALJ's duty to inquire into the relevant facts.
Bruce mentioned that he has received positive feedback on the article on administrative rules in the last issue of the newsletter.
6. Education Committee
The education committee had no news to report. Steve volunteered to become a member of the committee.
7. Other business
Daina has investigated the possibility of using the Employment Department's telephone conferencing system to hold board meetings, with the calls being charged to a board member's calling card. Daina will set up a five-minute test conference call to see what the cost would be.
Bruce and Daina mentioned that they had not liked the telephone conference the board had to discuss OAALJ's comments on the proposed Central Hearing Panel rules. The board members discussed possible ways to optimize use of a teleconferencing system, including having several people present at a meeting in person, with only a few participating by telephone.
The next board meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on April 3, 2000, at the Phoenix Inn in Wilsonville.
There being no further business, the board meeting adjourned shortly after 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Erika Hadlock,
Secretary