ICOIL: JULY 11 2007 meeting cancellation and related Official

Sometime after I checked my e-mail (yesterday, the day before the ICOIL
meeting), and before today (the day of the ICOIL meeting), I recieved the
following notice from the chair of the council indicating that today's
meeting was cancelled. The subject was: ICOIL JULY 11 2007 MEETING
CANCELLED. 

The e-mail I recieved was: I am emailing you as a courtesy.  The July 11,
2007 ICOIL meeting has been cancelled. No quorum. 

While I am thankful I recieved some notice before I completed my trip, I
am frustrated and confused. In light of how this cancellation.  I sent the
following official request to the council. 


------------------------------------


Dee Ann, (and council),

I am grateful that you actually e-mail me.  It would have been nice if I
actually recieved the information before now.  I could have actually saved
time and money if you had actually provided me with the legally required
notice of 48 hours instead of less then 24. 

I am frustrated because not only did I not recieve the legally required
48-hour notice of cancellation of this meeting (required by open door
law), when I checked the FSSA a website calendar, On Tuesday, July 10,
2007 at 10:30 a.m Evansville time, 11:30 am Indianapolis time., the
meeting was not listed as cancelled, and as I know 48 hour notice is
required for a meeting to be cancelled, I planned my day and travel plans
accordingly, Your notice did not come with adequate time for me to avoid
considerable grief and yet again wasted time and money. 

I am just the members of the public from Bloomington who indicated that
they would be attending get the message the meeting was cancelled before
they needlessly waste time like I did trying to get to Indianapolis. 

Also confused, because according to the precident set in Sept, of 2006 a
chair is not allowed to cancel a meeting even when appropriate 48 hours
notice is given to the public, just because of a reasonable belief that
ther will not be a quorum. 

In light of this situation, I officially requesting three things. 

1) I again request that you keep me and other interested parties,
informed, of meetings, meeting changes, and other pertainant information,
actually be kept informed of meeting changes via mailing and e-mailing
lists, and that notice cancellations be provided at least 48 hours notice
in accordance to the Indiana open door law.  Basically asking you to stop
ignoring the law when it comes to notifying interested parties of public
meetings. 

2) I am also now officially requesting, that you please add to the next
months agenda, time to clarify how it is that you have the authority to
cancel a meeting without providing proper notice to the public, but when
Jodi James attempted to do so in accordrance with the bylaws, and with the
support of the executive committee she was slandered, told she did not
have the authority, and removed from office without being allowed due
process. 

Jodi had a reasonable belief that there would not be a quorum, in fact as
secretary, that was my reason for supporting her decison.  Look at the
attendence evidence yourself it is found at
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents/ICOILmembershipattendancemay-nov.doc
The color coded attendence records are relatively self explanatory and
based on official records.  But if you need help understanding the charts
just ask, I would be happy to work with you. 

I know there are a few differences between the September 2006 cancellation
and the Current July 2007 cancellation (which I will outline below for
you), but there are also many simularities.  That is why I am again
specifically requesting that you allocate time on your August 2007 Agenda
to discuss how the situations are different so that I can better
understand and many confusing points can be cleared up. 

-- Areas of confusion or concern that I would like the council to address: 

A) When Jodi James cancelled the meeting she did so in accordance with all
existing ICOIL policy and proceedures in accordance with the bylaws, and
with the majority support of the Executive committee who made that
decision at meeting open to the public where the public was given 48 hours
notice. 

However, in this case since there has been no committee meetings that were
open to the public of any sort, much less executive committee meetings. 

Note: it was determined in August of 2006 (see
http://onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents) - when I was secretary of the
council that no decisions could be made at a meeting that was not open to
the public and that if decisions were made committee meetings those
meetings must be open. 

B) When Jodi James cancelled the meeting she provided over a weeks notice
to the council and the the public.  You have not, provided me with less
the 24 hours notice, and I have to drive 3 hours through a time change to
get to the meeting... and because you like to leave early to avoid talking
with the public who may show up, I have to arrive early just to avoid
missing your 10 minute meetings. 

C) When Jodi James cancelled the meeting there was not meeting a schedule
that the council had voted on.  In this case there is.  The council voted
on a specific schedule at a public meeting in December of 2007 (again see
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents ), Given the debate which
occured regarding whether an official schedule had been set and whether or
not Jodi would have the authority to cancel a meeting even for cause if
that was the case - it would seem that you would have even less authority
then Jodi did to cancel a meeting. 

I know very minor changes have been made to the bylaws that I signed as
secretary (these also found at http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents)
but no changes have been made with regards to this issue of chairs
authority to cancel a meeting. 

Note: Please do not confuse this request with my long standing and
continuing request that I actually be provided with evidence of the as yet
unsubstantiated allocations against me.  These are two seperate issues. 

I am specifically trying to understand the councils policies and
proceedures with regards to the chairs authority to cancel a meeting
without reprocussions.  Could you please explain how Jodi was Derelict of
her Duty when all she did was honestly try to follow the laws that are
supposed to be governing the council? 
 
3) Lastly, I again request that my official request originally submitted
in May 2007 be addressed at the next ICOIL meeting in August.  If you lost
it, again it can be found at
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents/officialrequestHB1001.doc This
document has now been submitted to you for the 9th time.(In case you are
wondering, I checked the FSSA when I did on July 10th specifically because
I wanted to make sure that you would not just cancel the meeting simply to
avoid addressing my concerns). 

I would appreciate you addressing official request and concerns at the
next meeting in August, and providing proper notice of meeting changes to
members of the public, so that I don't have to wake up at a friends house
the day of a meeting only to find that you have decided arbitrarily that
it is okay to cancel meetings without providing the proper notice required
by law. 

Thank you,

Ramona

We the people with disabilities can think for ourselves.  We can ask our
own questions and come to our own decisions.  We know what it is like to
be treated differently, and we know what it is like to be excluded because
we cannot get in the door or because people are afraid we will be hurt. 
We are important.  Our lives, needs, and dreams are important and we
deserve respect.  We are just like every other person driving down the
road. We demand our needs be met and that we be included in the decisions
that impact our lives - we do not wish to sit on the sidelines anymore and
watch others play.  We want to be allowed on the playground just like
anybody else. www.onecandream.com