BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Jeff Neidich, President
Allan Brenner
Tony Candela
Tom Scott, Vice-President
Jeff Neidich

BOARD MEMBER ABSENT
Judy Karau, Secretary

BOARD STAFF PRESENT
Jane Brackman, Executive Officer
Albert Balingit, Staff Legal Counsel

DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Antonette Sorrick

GUESTS
Sherrill Neidich
Nelly Emerson
Stephen Emerson
Sheila Styron
Mark Castillero
Elizabeth Ware
Anna Thomasina
Gary Thomisina

GUIDE DOGS OF THE DESERT INTERNATIONAL [GDDI]
Kathie Flamm
Kim Laidlaw
Roccie Hill

Bob Wendler

President Neidich called the meeting to order at 2:05 PM and welcomed attendees. Roll was called and the present four members constituted a quorum for doing business. Alice Hackney who has served on the board as the designee of the Department of Rehabilitation [DOR] since 2002 was thanked for her service (Alice was not present). New DOR appointee Anthony Candela was introduced. Allan Brenner moved and Tom Scott seconded the minutes of the September 28, 2007 meeting. The Board voted to accept the minutes as written.

EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT: 1) New Board Member Orientation Manual distributed.; 2) Budget discussed with an explanation of the Guide Dog Fund including how a reserve may be accessed by a board. When a board's reserve gets close to 24 months, the Board needs to consider adjusting its fee structure meaning reducing fees. Guide Dog Board currently has 14 to 16 months reserve. 3) Strategic Plan Facilitator will cost about $1500 for a one-day workshop. The Board directed the EO to come up with a list of goals for the strategic plan revision.

WRITTEN EXAM WORKSHOPS
The February, 2008, written exam will be modified and updated, based on the results of the five written exam workshops attended by Subject Matter Experts throughout the fall and winter of 2007-08. The overall cost to the Board for the updated written exam was $20,000 of which $5000 to be paid this Fiscal Year (FY) (07-08) and the remaining $15,000 to be paid next FY.

EYE DOG FOUNDATION
The Board was given an opinion by its Legal Counsel Albert Balingit that the Eye Dog Foundation, which trains dogs in Arizona but not California, need not obtain a license prior to soliciting funds in California. Mr. Balingit based his opinion on a 1971 opinion that he independently analyzed and concluded hat the opinion was still valid.
A letter dated April 26, 1973 from EDF to the Board was read by Jane Brackman stating that EDF amended its Articles of Incorporation so that it "no longer performs any of the functions over which your agency has any control." Although the letter stated that the revised Articles were attached, the document was missing.

SCHOOL LECENSING RENEWAL FEE (B&P § Code 7200.7): Tom Scott made a motion to "come up with a proposal related to the future of funding the Boards activities with authority to submit a spot bill by the new Executive Officer." Allan Brenner seconded. Tom Scott and Tony Candela to meet and discuss. Budget Analyst Huy Tang and Legislative Analyst Rachel Hongal are available to advise the Board on this matter. The board instructed the EO to immediately initiate a Budget Change Proposal to address the possibility of a future downturn in funds based on excluding direct costs incurred by the Oregon campus from the "total expenses." This would mean approximately $28,000 reduction in the fee paid to the Board.
The Board requested Jane Brackman to schedule a meeting with Guide Dogs for the Blind to discuss the fee amount which is to be paid by GDB. Allan Brenner volunteered to attend the meeting as well.

AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
Strategic Plan, Guide Dog Day, Survey, Language revisions in regulations, Statute change: (B&P Code 7200.7)

MEETING CALENDAR
Agreed as posted

PUBLIC COMMENT
Bob Wendler, Director of Training, Guide Dogs of the Desert gave a 15-minute presentation on the elementary foundation of guide dog work, (Part of on-going continuing education program for the Board). Eye Dog Foundation puppy raiser Anna Thomasina thanked the board for looking into its jurisdiction over Eye Dog Foundation, and presented an overview of the "problems" at the school.

CLOSED SESSION
[Closed pursuant to Government Code section 11126 (a) (1).]
The Board interviewed four candidates for the EO position.

OPEN SESSION
Board announced it had selected an executive officer, and after notifying the candidate of her selection and her acceptance, the Board would announce who the new executive officer of the Board would be.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Jane Brackman