Minutes of the 10th RIPE NCC Executive Board Meeting
Version: 0.2
Present: Keith Mitchell, Frode Greisen, Kees Neggers, Wim Vink, Mike Norris Daniel Karrenberg, Rob Blokzijl (invited guest)
-----------------------------------------------------
1) NCC Operational Report
2) Membership Survey
3) NCC Financial Report: 1988 Results (pre-audit)
4) Personnel Fund
Investment Plan
Approval of payment to Fund
5) Personnel Matters
6) ICANN/ASO
7) AOB
Keith Mitchell chaired the meeting. The minutes from the previous telephone meetings were approved.
1) NCC Operational Report
Daniel Karrenberg gave a number of short operational reports for the board's information:
A total power failure at the Amsterdam Internet Exchange on December 26th 1998 caused the RIPE database server to go down. The machine sustained damage to a RAID controller and service was transferred to the backup machine at the NCC premises.
A number of customer e-mail messages were lost due to unforeseen interactions between a new auto-responding robot and an upgrade in the mail system. All messages were recovered in cooperation with the customers. The availability of ticket history on the web site helped greatly with the resoloution of this problem. Customers could easily verify whether they had been affected, without those queries causing additional delays.
As expected, CENTR had given formal notice for the service contract to terminate on 30th of June; it was also agreed that this termination can be sooner subject to approval of both parties. CENTR is now on course to to incorporate a separate legal entity in the first half of 1999. Today CENTR members are electing an initial executive committee to progress this forth. The board welcomed this development.
The previously planned building extension to the kitchen had been cancelled as the cost was much higher than foreseen and the demand for kitchen space during peak times being less than expected.
The board liability insurance has now been effected as of 18 November 1998. Finding an insurer proved difficult given the specific nature of the RIPE NCC, in that it is difficult to explain what we do and what our liabilities are.
2) Membership Survey
The board reviewed the Membership Survey.
The survey proved to be very satisfactory and will be used as a base line for repeated studies. Some respondents made suggestions to improve documentation for registration services and the database. These suggestions will be taken up and some of them are requesting things that are already being prepared. Other suggestions were made to improve the web site which is already in progress. In general there is a positive perception of the RIPE NCC amongst its membership base as well as a high level of satisfaction with the services and support provided.
Kees van Draanen joined the meeting for points 3 and 4.
3) NCC Financial Report, 1998 Results (pre-audit)
Management presented preliminary results for 1998. Audited accounts are expected to become available during February.
Revenues are slightly higher than budgeted due to membership demographics. Expenditures are lower than budgeted mainly due to lower salary costs which in turn were caused by slower-than-expected hiring. Also the database re-implementation project did not make use of external consultants because no appropriate consultants could be retained.
A provision of ECU 456k was taken in July for bad debts also including outstanding amounts of previous years. This may turn out to be too conservative as the more serious sanctions being phased in result in unexpected recovery of outstanding amounts. This will be further discussed with the auditors. Over the second six months of 1998 time of invoices outstanding has been significantly reduced by formal procedures and more serious sanctions.
On the draft balance sheet the cash in hand is higher than estimated because the personnel fund has not yet been paid as was planned and that expected corrections for social premiums had not yet been received.
Revenues billed in 1998 that pertain to 1999 are included on the balance sheet but will be added to the 1999 income statement as the year progresses. Accrued interest has not been added to income statement and not included in receivables either. The auditors will probably want to correct this.
As agreed with the tax authorities the balance shall not show a profit as any surplus will be distributed to members' accounts in the clearing house. This is to avoid a corporate tax liability.
In summary the financial situation of the RIPE NCC is quite strong.
4)Personnel Fund
The investment plan of the fund was approved with the recommendation to look into 6 months investments and to stagger them if this will generate better interest.
The board approved payment of the outstanding amounts for 1997 to the fund.
The board approved cal