[previous private MINUTES] 2024-01-22

As one of its tasks, the current board is looking into decisions and meeting minutes taken in the past that were not yet published according to our statutes. What follows are previously private minutes from the 2024-01-22 meeting of the previous board, which are now made public. Some elements in the minutes might be redacted as there is a need for confidentiality, or as individuals are mentioned in specific contexts.

Disclaimer: The following private minutes from the previous board are published as is. They have not necessarily been confirmed by the respective session’s chairperson or keeper of the minutes, nor approved by the respective board.

Member-Private Section

none this time.

Board-Private Section

6. Discuss: Budget 2024 - first outlook (Florian Effenberger, Thorsten Behrens, 5 mins)

Possible scenario’s with respons on outcome audit and financial impact of each, with ballpark number for (if reasonably possible)

  • [REDACTED: four lines of potential risks]
  • just ballpark numbers (Florian)
    • [REDACTED: sensitive legal statement]
    • happy to do it collectively
    • coming up with ideas
    • reserves
    • free reserves will be ~1m
    • plan in issues from the past affecting budget 2024
    • 2023 was good wrt income
    • taxes from the business to be figured in
  • express hopes and opportunities (Simon)
    • focus on what we will get achieved
    • less look on worst case scenarios
  • have to carry on with processes (Paolo)
    • could be a worst case scenario
    • work on legal recommendations
  • didn’t spend money on tenders (Thorsten)
    • 3m in the bank
    • entire year of free reserves
    • problem is budgeting should be followed by action
    • foundation authority wasn’t happy with the spending
    • obligation to spend
  • maybe have a more detailed discussion by end on Feb, beginning of march
    • problem with Berlin afaik amount of money
    • main thing is to agree what to do/spend
    • what can we do reallisticly
    • discuss abot this during FOSDEM
  • IMHO end of march to finish budget should be feasible (Simon)
  • normally was to have budget around march (Florian)
    • interactive discussion
    • risk to have to much here
  • discuss during FOSDEM meeting what to put in the bucket (Simon)
    • can start a budget once we are sure about a worst case scenarios
    • so we have to b careful
  • new tendering process has to be in before (Thorsten)
    • up to the new board how to handle
    • anounce, fermenting, discussing
    • calculate backwards two months
  • at last two months is realistic (Florian)
  • advantage that no more eco-system bidders on the board (Thorsten)
  • ESC involved (Paolo)
    • members of staff involved
    • then board
    • we know where we failed
  • things take time, try to decouple (Thorsten)
    • with money coming in maybe adjust budget later on
  • explain how budget works technically (Florian)
  • hiring (Thorsten)
  • unrealistic to have it before FOSDEM (Florian)
  • sustainable way lower (Paolo)
    • explore fundings
    • working with institutions
  • think twice, thrice before hiring (Thorsten)

7. Status Report, Discuss: Onboarding new board members (Florian Effenberger, Thorsten Behrens, 10 mins)

  • what info needs to be provided?
  • what urgent actions need preparation?
  • what challenges / mitigations are needed for the directors-cum-employees?
  • quite good on track (Florian)
    • majority is done
    • some accounts still missing
    • check bank account access and paperwork
  • new board has to discuss wrt to bank accounts (Simon)
  • clearing and get rid of some bank accounts (Florian)
    • Florian, Sophie, Stephan having access currently
  • no urgency here (Thorsten)
  • good experience with WISE (Simon)
  • have sth there from ancient times (Florian)
  • usually had charitable stuff to share w esp. new board members (Thorsten)
    • would offer that in any case
    • sync w Uwe

8. Discuss: Last minute item(s) (tdf-board, 5 mins)
Rationale: if there is time left, and anything is popping up after sending the agenda

  • [REDACTED: five lines of sensitive HR information]

The board-private section ends at 18:28 UTC / 19:28 Berlin time.