42nd Annual Membership Meeting

Notes

You may also download the 2008 Annual Report and 2009 Budget.

From left: New board members Jim Holstun, Erin Robinson, and Sharon Benz, and Executive Director Elea Mihou.

1. Introductions
Those attending (approximately 30 in all) introduced themselves. Those on the Board-Endorsed slate were all present except for Marty McGee, who is currently out of town. He was appointed by the board in mid-2008 and needed to be formally elected.

2. Board-Endorsed Slate
The six persons on the Board-Endorsed slate to be voted on by the membership were: James Holstun, John Curr, Erin Robinson, Sharon Benz, Marty McGee, and Phil Smith (see the Annual report for bios). The slate was passed unanimously and the membership welcomed the new board members.

3. Events in 2008 and 2009
The (very long) events listing for 2008 was published in the Annual Report and on the website. Elea Mihou highlighted some upcoming events in 2009, which can be viewed on the website's event listing page. These include: Camp Peaceprints, the LASC 28th Annual Fr. Joseph Bissonette Event, the Peace Center$rsquo;s Annual Dinner, and other Taskforce events and actions. Elea also mentioned plans to expand our website and newsletter to take advantage of the Peace Center’s 42 year history of public education.

4. Peace Center Building Issues
The basement flood has caused a number of issues and the staff, board, and membership seem to be at a general consensus that moving needs to be a priority. All options regarding renting vs. buying a new building, selling the building, and where we might rent/buy are on the table. Some members suggested talking to MAP and PUSH about sharing space, having Buffalo Reuse help dismantle the building, and other people to contact including Manny Freid. One member stated that the Peace Center is not a physical place but a membership. The Grimms, whose daughter the garden is to be named after, and Tom Potts, who donated the building, should be contacted about the situation. Another member suggested that what is considered a curse-- the basement flood-- can be turned into a blessing as it speeds up action on moving out.

5. 2009 Proposed Budget
The budget was passed unanimously by the membership, with the understanding that due to the possibility of moving some building expenses would be lowered, balanced by an offset in rent income and that some aspects of the budget will change to accomodate unforseen circumstances resulting from moving and damage to the building.

6. Other Announcements
The Service for Alison Des Forges at the Elmwood Villiage Inn on Tuesday Feb. 24th from 4pm-8pm was announced, along with other taskforce events.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30pm. The staff would like to thank all who attended for their encouragement and pledge to be of assistance to us should we move out of our current building.