The meeting was by Zoom.
Present: Mike Savino, Mitch Pearlman, George Lombardi, Paula Pearlman, Matt Kauffman, Liz Gemski, Chris Powell, Tom Scheffey, Michele Jacklin, Colleen Murphy, Jeff Daniels, Mary Connolly.
The minutes of the May 20, 2020 meeting were accepted.
President’s report: Savino said legislative activity was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic. CCFOI did score an important victory. The Partnership for Connecticut, the public/private organization created by Governor Lamont and Barbara and Ray Dalio, was dissolved. The partnership’s goal was to give additional financial assistance to struggling schools, a goal that was widely supported. But the Dalios wanted to operate in secret, using public and private funding, and not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The immediate cause of the dissolution was an internal dispute about the removal of the executive director. From the start, however, the partnership struggled with questions about transparency and oversight. The Dalios said they would continue their philanthropy efforts in another form.
Treasurer’s report: Lombardi reported a balance of $10,288.45. A $4,000 contribution from Hearst Connecticut Media Group was received.
Legislative report: There was discussion of initial plans for a special session in July, focusing on issues related to the pandemic and absentee voting. There also is discussion of police accountability proposals to be addressed in a special session.
Election of officers: Unanimously re-elected were President Mike Savino, Vice President Matt Kauffman, Treasurer George Lombardi, Secretary Mary Connolly, legislative co-chairs Michele Jacklin and Jeff Daniels. The original incorporators of CCFOI who were present at the meeting (Mitchell Pearlman, Mary Connolly, Tom Scheffey, Chris Powell and George Lombardi) voted unanimously to formally adopt the attached bylaws and to ratify the current board of directors and officers as indicated in these minutes.
New treasurer needed: Lombardi announced he is retiring and moving out of state at the end of 2020. The group thanked him for his service. A new treasurer is being sought.
Looking ahead: After a summer break, the next CCFOI meeting will be Sept. 16 at noon, via Zoom.