North Carolina Interpreter/ Transliterator Licensing Board Meeting
DHHS Bldg,  1100 Navaho Dr.      9:00am       DATE:  08-05-11
Raleigh, NC      

Board Members Present:
Valerie McMillan - Chair 
Danette Steelman-Bridges – Secretary
Jane Dolan – Vice-Chair / Treasurer  
Ashley Benton
Jan Withers
Connie Jo Lewis

Board Members Absent:
Wayne Giese
Keith Cagle
Robert Taylor
Staff Present:
Jim Wellons – Attorney
Laurie Shaw – Executive Secretary

Interpreters:
Liz Belk
Lee Williamson
Karen Magoon  
Theresa Evans

Visitors:
None

Call to Order:  9:17 am

Conflict of Interest Statement: “Does any member have any known conflict of interest or appearance of conflict with respect to any matters listed on this agenda?”   None stated.

Welcome/Announcements:
•	Introduction of Theresa Evans as interpreter
•	Introduction of Board members and interpreters

Previous Meeting Minutes:

Jan:  Motion made to accept 04-08-11 minutes as presented.
Jane:  Second
PASSED	

Action Items:  Will be discussed during reports 

Financial Report:
$110,802. 34  balance
Purchased 2 locked filing cabinets for the Central Office

Licensing Review Committee Report: Danette Steelman-Bridges, Committee Chair 
Due to conflicting schedules, could not get the cmte together so will meet today after this regular Board meeting
Central Office Report:    Laurie Shaw
•	January Board minutes were placed on the website in April 2011.
•	2011 Renewal Packet was emailed to Mark on 7-20-11.
•	NBDA used 4 out-of-state interpreters and all the necessary paperwork has been filed.
•	Board owns now 4 filing cabinets and 1 shredder.
•	IRS has increased the business standard mileage rate from 51 cents to 55.5 cents.  ( Board voted in a prior meeting to pay the max amt of mileage reimb as allowed by the NC State Budget Office)
•	Report on responses to the questions submitted to Ben Marchbank (Hand-out distributed.)
•	Suggestions regarding website changes:   Having a “members only” tab, a “suggestions” tab, and a way to automatically update status of application.   Jim: “Administrative Procedure Act” – we need a website that complies with this Act.   Jane and Valerie: we should move on securing a new webmaster ASAP.

MOTION 
Jan: I move that the Board establish a standing committee called The Website Committee  to develop the requirements for the Board’s website and to monitor the development and maintenance of the website.  The Board chair shall appoint a member to serve as chair of the committee.
SECOND     Ashley
PASSED	
•	An ad hoc website committee was appointed by the chair:  Jan Withers, Ashley Benton, and Connie Jo Lewis.  Ashley appointed as chair.

•	Laurie made new tabs for each Board member’s handbook and distributed them to the Board members.  The new tab topics were approved at the April 2011 meeting.

•	Lee Denney sent a letter to Laurie to inquire if the Board is in need of his investigative services.  (Board confirmed that hiring an investigator is on-hold.)

•	Laurie is experiencing a long delay in receiving information back from the SBI (probably due to budget cuts).

•	440 renewal packets were sent on July 20th.  Took the copies to Office Max for a cost of $598.65.  This was almost the same cost as the mailing in 2010 which was copied, folded, and compiled solely by Laurie.

Chair Report:    None

Old Business:
•	Educational ad hoc committee report by Jan Withers -- cmte met by phone conference (Jan Withers, Connie Jo Lewis, Jim Sewell, Danette Steelman-Bridges & Pat Hauser).   Committee agreed:   1. Remove 90D-79(b)  b/c it is redundant.    2. Need to amend 90D-8 but cmte not ready to make specific recommendations at today’s mtg but hope to have recommendations ready for Nov mtg.   The cmte acknowledges that there is ample time to provide amendment suggestions to the General Assembly for their short session in the spring.
•	Board Attorney’s Report
1.	Copies of the RFP information can be sent to all Board members for them to read before the Nov meeting and the RFP cmte can meet again before the Nov to make final recommendations

2.	Liability License Insurance Report –  After talking with the head of NC State Tort Claims, Jim has concluded that the Board needs liability insurance and may also need Directors and Officers (D &O) insurance.  He located an agency in Raleigh that insures licensing boards, but couldn’t get a quote b/c this is uncommon insurance and there are very few underwriters.   Must fill out an application and they will craft a quote for the D & O insurance.  Liability insurance is more common and easier to get quotes. 

Liability Insurance (e.g. slip/falls or auto accidents on the premises).  MCI has its own insurance so ours would be secondary on MCI premises.  The state of NC has insurance regarding our meeting location; ours would be secondary.    Insurance premiums would cost ~$1000-$2000/year.
D & O would cover all the members of the Board for all our decisions (we would have to explain to the underwriter exactly what we do).    Insurance premiums would cost ~$3000-5000/ year.

Jim: recommends that we file applications to get quotes on obtaining Liability and D & O insurance.

Jan:  Maybe the state of NC has insurance that will cover situations that have been mentioned ?    Jim:  I don’t think so.

Danette:  Maybe other state licensing boards have insurance or maybe they’ve decided to not purchase insurance because they feel they are covered by the state

Jim:  What other boards decide to do should not affect our decision.

BOARD’s DECISION:  Give Jim permission to file the application to get quotes on Liability and D & O insurance.

3.	Proposed Rule Amendment: The Board can assess penalties but we do not have a practical way of collecting those penalties.  We voted to change The Rules regarding this issue in Nov 2010 and posted the proposed change in March 2011.  No  verbal or written comments have been received. 
Rule 21 NCAC 25.0209: Suggested addition  “(e) Any person who has not paid or timely appealed a civil penalty assessed pursuant to G.S. 90D-14 shall be ineligible to apply for license renewal until the civil penalty has been paid. Any person who has exhausted all appeals without overturning a civil penalty shall be ineligible to apply for license renewal until the civil penalty has been paid.” 
90D-14  Civil Penalty 
    
MOTION:   Connie Jo.   I move that the Board adopt Amendment 21 NCAC 25.0209 as published in the March 1, 2011 NC Register.
SECOND: Jan Withers
PASSED 	

MOTION:  Connie Jo:  I move that NCITLB authorize legal counsel to obtain quotes for liability and D & O insurance from 2 or 3 local insurance agencies to determine the cost to the Board of such insurance
to help the Board decide if it is prudent to purchase such insurance.
SECOND:  Jane
PASSED	

4. Laurie had asked in a previous meeting what information can be shared with the public regarding licensees’ information.  Here are the items that are relevant to NCITIB as pertains to the Public Record Law……Confidential info and cannot share EIN #, SS#, fingerprints, and  DL#.  Not confidential info:  email addresses.   If DL# is in a law enforcement record, then that # is not protected.
5.Can a member of the military person living in NC use the “20-Day” application under the law?   If this situation arises, then Jim should be contacted for a legal response.
6.	RFP:  Can post the RFP on the IPS?  No, this system is not for licensing boards.  How many quotes do we have to receive?  It is prudent to solicit multiple bids, and then deal with whatever bids come in.

•	Development of By-laws.   Jan Withers.   We need something to instruct us on facilitating our Board;  by-laws serve this purpose.   With by-laws we can focus on content in our meetings instead of having to deal with procedural issues.

MOTION  Jan Withers:  I move that the NCITLB establish an ad hoc committee to develop by-laws for the Board.   Rationale: The Board needs by-laws to broadly govern its operations.
SECOND   Connie Jo Lewis   	
PASSED	

•	NCRID/NCITLB Survey – Connie Jo Lewis -  will follow up with Jennifer Johnson
•	Update from Representative Martha Alexander -  Connie Jo Lewis – Rep Alexander is willing to continue discussing our issues/needs and present amendments at the Short Session.    Connie Jo and Jane will serve as the Board’s primary contacts with Rep Alexander. (The Board agreed that if neither one of them can attend meetings, then they will see if Jennifer Johnson is willing to assist.)
•	We do not have a formal declaration from MCI that MCI will terminate Laurie Shaw as of Nov 1.  Laurie felt it was incumbent to inform the Lic Board so that this Board can make plans when she is no longer working for MCI after Nov 1. 

1:20pm   Board went into closed session to discuss the status of our contract with MCI per the information that Laurie Shaw will no longer be employed by MCI as of Nov 1. 

2:29pm   Board returned to open session.

New Business: 
(closed session from 1:20 -2:29pm)

Adjourned:
2:30pm                                 Meetings for 2011:   (at DHHS @ 9:00am - 2:00pm) Nov 4