Public Comment Period: Jeff McCabe stated this his employer, Maine Service Employees Association, is pursuing goals related to equity, the environment, and Maine’s labor force that are complementary to Volunteer Maine’s current goals.
Present: Jenifer Tilton-Flood, Ed Barrett, F. Celeste Branham, Margaret Brownlee, Becky Hayes-Boober, Gary Dugal, Stacie Haines, Susan Hawthorne, Diane Lebson, Zachery Maher (remote), Robert Meinders, Thomas Meuser, John Portela, Pamela Proulx-Curry, Rob Meinders, Nathaniel Rudy (remote).
Guest: Jeff McCabe, Maine Service Employees Association
Call to Order: Chair Tilton-Flood called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m.
Welcome, Announcements, Agenda Adjustments: Commissioners introduced themselves and stated which seats they held on the Commission. Staff were also introduced. Executive Director Crofton announced that Meuser, Hawthorne, Tilton-Flood, and Lebson answered the quiz question correctly by submitting that the federal AmeriCorps living allowance for State/National, if broken into hourly wages, would be equivalent to $10.55 per hour. The Commission clarified that while donations to Maine Volunteer Foundation’s annual appeal are appreciated, Commissioners are not required to contribute.
Consent Agenda: There were no concerns about the consent agenda. MOTION by Tilton-Flood to approve the agenda. SECOND by Barrett.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
Items approved by the motion were the Commission meeting minutes for June 17, 2022, the reports of the Executive Committee meeting for August 9, 2022 and September 6, 2022, the reports of the Communications Task Force meeting for July 12, 2022 and August 16, 2022, the report of the Excellence and Expertise Task Force meeting for June 1, 2022, the reports of the Grant Selection and Performance Task Force meetings for July 8, 2022 and August 12, 2022, the report of the Research an Evaluation Task Force for July 20, 2022, and the report Maine Service Fellows Advisory committee meeting for July 27, 2022.
Business Reports
A. Grant Selection and Performance Task Force (Barrett): The task force completed the selection process for AmeriCorps planning grants. The final recommendations are presented as motions for board action.
New Planning Grants
Maine Emergency Medical Services. MOTIONED by Barrett that the Maine Emergency Medical Services’ AmeriCorps grant proposal for a 1-year planning grant be funded for no more than $60,000 with the stipulation that budget be adjusted before the federal submission deadline to reflect the federal match elimination. The AmeriCorps funds awarded do not require a match. SECONDED by Branham.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
Kennebec Valley Council of Government
Kennebec Valley Council of Governments. MOTIONED by Barrett that the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments' AmeriCorps grant proposal for a 1-year planning grant be funded for no more than $60,000 with the stipulation that corrections and clarifications described in the report from reviewers are addressed before the federal submission deadline. The AmeriCorps funds awarded do not require a match. SECONDED by Branham.
The Commission discussed that this potential grantee should have conducted further research and outreach into Maine’s other immigrant welcome and support groups when developing their proposal.
Amendment. MOTIONED by Proulx-Curry that the motion must include a provision that requires the grantee to engage in meaningful conversation with administrators and immigrants involved in existing immigrant welcome centers.
Vote on the amendment: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Amendment passed.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Abstained – Brownlee. Motion passed.
Unity College Sky Lodge. MOTIONED by Barrett that the Unity College Sky Lodge’s AmeriCorps grant proposal for a 1-year planning grant be funded for no more than $60,000 with the stipulation that corrections and clarifications described in the report from reviewers are addressed before the federal submission deadline. The AmeriCorps funds awarded do not require a match. SECONDED by Lebson.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders. Opposed – Brownlee. Abstained– Rudy.
Amend Policy on Minimum Living Allowance for Maine AmeriCorps Members Serving Full-Time
MOTIONED by Barrett the Commission must require any 3-year operating grant awarded after October 1, 2022, be required to provide a living allowance to qualifying AmeriCorps members equivalent to no less than the state minimum wage multiplied by the hours in the term of service. To support consistency and compliance with the AmeriCorps law stating living allowances may not be paid as wages, the Commission will determine the required minimum living allowance annually prior to fall competitions and use the same minimum for all competitions in a program year. SECONDED by Branham.
Discussion clarified that that the member allowance is a stipend, not a wage, and that the increase would not cause issues with reimbursing grantees that are using Formula fixed amount awards.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
B. Research and Evaluation Task Force (Brewer, Haines): The task force’s present objective is implementation of Climate Corps. Current focus areas include developing Climate Corps as an apprenticeship to connect future alums to green employers in Maine and researching how Climate Corps members could help mitigate the effects of natural disasters.
C. Communications Task Force (Roche): Despite recent scheduling issues, the task force will be meeting again soon. Roche explained how advertising revenue from PSAs can be used to generate match revenue and used radio broadcasting as an example.
D. National Public Policy Committees (Crofton): States for Service is discussing how to further strengthen the working relationship between the state service commission and the AmeriCorps federal agency.
E. Commission Staff Reports (Various): The AmeriCorps federal agency now requires a part-time position in every state service commission for recruiting members; Volunteer Maine will have to plan for this addition to the 2023-2024 budget.
Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference has been postponed until November; it will be hosted as an in-person event in Belfast.
The Commission was made aware of a new federal procurement requirement during a federal monitoring review. There were no findings related to Commission policies or processes but the expectation that DAFS procurement staff should keep a list of minority and women-owned vendor opportunities will be an issue.
Planning and Future Initiatives
A. Adoption of the Commission meeting schedule for 2022-2023 (Tilton-Flood): The Commission meetings would occur in October, November, December, February, April, May, and June. MOTIONED by Branham to adopt the proposed Commission meeting schedule for 2022-2023. SECONDED by Lebson.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
B. Items from the Board Requiring Immediate Action (Tilton-Flood): AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith will be visiting Maine on September 26th and 27th. Volunteer Maine staff and Commissioners will be guiding Smith through some of the state’s AmeriCorps service projects during his stay. Commissioners are asked to sign up for one of the stops and represent the board. The itinerary was passed around for this purpose.
Focus on Mission Responsibilities
A. Maine Service Fellows: Community Applications Open: A reminder to the Commission that Maine Service Fellows is seeking applications from community organizations and town governments.
Business Wrap-Up: The next Commission meeting will be on October 21st, 2022.
MOTIONED by Portela to adjourn the business meeting. SECONDED by Branham.
Vote on the motion: In favor – Tilton-Flood, Barrett, Branham, Brownlee, Hayes-Boober, Dugal, Haines, Hawthorne, Lebson, Maher, Meinders, Meuser, Portela, Proulx-Curry, Meinders, Rudy. Opposed – none. Motion passed.
Chair Tilton-Flood adjourned the business meeting at 12:30 p.m.