Present : Geoff Murray (Chairman), Stuart Coughlan (Secretary), James Robinson, Dorothy Hanbridge, Hania Norman, Bill Rice, Noel Marshall, , Laurie Watson, Margot Claringbold, David Carter.
Apologies: Craig Hollway, Mary Beare, Marilyn Kellett

Minutes of 20 July Committee Meeting
The minutes were agreed and approved.

CCB Status
Council has advised that the Berry Forum is now recognised as the CCB for the Berry region. We will now need to adjust the website, take responsibility for the noticeboard, investigate obtaining a PO Box and check with the bank about setting up an account.
ACTION: Stuart/website and PO box. Craig/noticeboard. Geoff/bank account

Strategic Master Plan
The legal status of the SMP needs to be checked with Council. The ‘Thought Starter’ list was agreed to be a good basis for a scope document.
ACTION: James, Stuart and Noel to meet with Jessica Rippon on 6 August

Constitution
The final draft was agreed, with a minor inclusion of ‘ratepayers’ in Section 5a. We will check with Council and upload it on the website, prior to emailing it to Forum members for endorsement at the AGM.
ACTION: Stuart to check with Jessica Rippon and upload to website.

AGM
It was agreed that we would seek nominations for Committee membership and officer roles by email up to seven days before the meeting. A ballot to elect the thirteen-person committee will be held at the meeting. We will advertise the meeting in the Town Crier, the website & the noticeboard and advise members by email. We will also check the SCR.
ACTION: Stuart to prepare TC article draft.

 Website
The Committee commented favourably on the ‘look & feel’ of the berryforum.org.au website. We will investigate ways to improve our ‘Google ranking’ and check on the possibility of using Facebook.
ACTION: Stuart to follow-up on Google. James to look at Facebook requirements.

Council funding for School of Arts work
Geoff provided details of Council’s priorities for spending the $300k of federal funding (kitchen $150k, leaking roof $40-60k, Art room redecoration, internal redecoration). There is no funding for toilets or road at the rear of the building.

Federal funding for tree planting
It was agreed that the Forum would support Landcare in this initiative.
 ACTION: Stuart to follow up with Will Armitage. Craig to post on noticeboard.

Next Meeting: Monday 17 August at 10.15am at the School of Arts.

Meeting closed at 12.10pm.