MINUTES OF THE
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
DIVISION III MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
Gaylord Palms January 5, 2007
Participants:
Jennifer
Braaten,
Valerie Cushman, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College
Jone Dowd,
Patricia
Epps,
Tim Gleason,
Kristen Hall,
Kayla
Hinkley,
Rudy Keeling,
Del Malloy,
Heather
Mathis, student-athlete,
Kevin McHugh,
The
Michael
Miranda,
Jack Ohle,
Garnett
Purnell,
Rosy Resch,
Sandra
Slabik,
Richard
Strockbine,
Steven Suggs, Stevens Institute of Technology
Kay Whitley,
Charlie
Wilson,
Frank Arredondo, NCAA
Matt Banker, NCAA
Jack Copeland, NCAA
Gayle Davis, NCAA
Daniel T. Dutcher, NCAA
Jay Jones, NCAA
Jennifer Kearns, NCAA
Debbie Kresge, NCAA, recording secretary
Shana Levine, NCAA
Leah Nilsson, NCAA
Myles Brand, president of the NCAA; Elsa Cole, NCAA General Counsel; Bernard Franklin, NCAA senior vice-president for governance and membership; Eric Hartung, NCAA associate
director of research for academic performance and governance; Delise O’Meally, NCAA director of governance and membership services; Chris Walker, University of Redlands; and Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion, attended portions of the meeting.
[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken
(formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting") in accordance with
NCAA policy regarding minutes of all Association entities. While certain items on the Council's agenda were acted on at various times throughout
the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these
minutes for convenience of reference.]
Friday, January 5
1. Welcome
and Announcements. Mr. Miranda
welcomed members to the meeting, as well as acknowledging new student-athlete
representatives and NCAA staff. The
Council
reviewed the schedule for the day as well as the Convention expectations.
2. Rosters, Future Meeting Schedule and Division III Newsletter. The Council reviewed the roster, future meeting schedule and newsletter, noting no changes.
3. Previous Minutes. The Council reviewed the minutes of its October 16-17, 2006, meeting; the October 26, 2006, Presidents Council meeting; the October 26, 2006, Executive Committee meeting; and the November 6, November 10, December 4 and December 5 Administrative Committee actions.
“That the minutes of the Management Council’s October 16-17, 2006, meeting; and the November 6, November 10, December 4 and December 5, 2006, Administrative Committee actions be approved.”
4. Committee/Subcommittee Reports.
a. Association-Wide
Committees.
(1) Honors Committee. The Council:
(a) 2007 Silver Anniversary Award Selections. Accepted the information that the committee selected the following honorees for the Silver Anniversary Award: Gail Koziara Boudreax, Ambrose “Rowdy” Gaines, Steven Jordan, Patricia Melton, Ann Woods Smith and William Stetson.
(b) 2007 Today’s Top VIII Award Selections. Accepted the information that the committee selected the following individuals to receive the Today’s Top VIII Awards:
· Division I: Allison Crocker (Dartmouth College); Laura Gerraughty (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill); Beth Mallory (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa); Heather O’Reilly (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill); Catherine Osterman (University of Texas at Austin); Kate Richardson (University of California, Los Angeles).
·
Division II: Ryan Koch (
·
Division III: Adrianne Musu Jackson-Buckner (
(c) 2007 Theodore Roosevelt Award Selection. Accepted the information that the committee selected Paul Tagliabue as the Theodore Roosevelt Award recipient.
(d) 2007 Inspiration Award Selection. Accepted the information that the committee selected David Denniston to receive an Inspiration Award.
(e) 2007 Award of Valor Selection. Accepted the information that the committee selected the late Derek Hines to receive the Award of Valor.
(f) 2007
Honors Celebration. Accepted
the information that the 2007 Honors Celebration will be held Sunday, January
7, 2007 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in
(2) Postgraduate Scholarship Committee. The Council:
· Spring Sports Awardees. Accepted the information for the following awardees:
o Men awardees. Andrew James Allstadt, University at Albany; Roy Gordon Bryan, Gustavus Adolphus College; Shannon Patrick Buck, U.S. Air Force Academy; Jared Burek, Mesa State College; Jeremy D. Clark, University of Louisville; William Weatherford Clayton, Stanford University; Nicholas Keith Cochrane, Central College (Iowa); William Brian Dowis, Coastal Carolina University; Adam Scott Duerfeldt, Central College (Iowa); Samuel Z. Fayne, Washington University in St. Louis; Jesse Ferlianto, Emory University; Thomas Carlton Garrison, University of Oklahoma; Justin Stanley Gordon, Emory University; Frank Hemingway, University of New Mexico; Nicholas Joseph Johnson, Augustana College (Illinois); Timothy Ryan Kerr, Washington College (Maryland); Ryan Aurthor Koch, St. Cloud State University; Zvi Ofer Lantsberg, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Ian Patrick Mayne, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Christopher Michael Minaker, Stanford University; Colby Lyle Parks, Rockhurst University; Hector M. Rincon, Presbyterian College; Zachary Michael Robinson, Oklahoma State University; Zachary Matthew Sabatino, University of Tennessee, Knoxbille; Ben Andrew Sherer, Gustavus Adolphus College; Andrew Gregory Silver, Rockhurst University; Sage Austin Thames, Texas Tech University; Joel Edwynn Wells, Abilene Christian University; Gabriel McCravey Wood, Middlebury College.
o Women awardees. Monique Tara Abrishami, Wellesley College; Alice Joanna Barnes, Stanford University; Susan Caroline Bierbaum, Columbia University-Barnard College; Linda C. Blake, Seattle Pacific University; Laura Chaddock, Haverford College; Elizabeth Ann Dittrick, Marywood University; Laura Lynn Gerraughty, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Elizabeth Hollister Guernsey, Trinity College (Connecticut); Natalie Dee Hanson, Concordia College, Moorhead; Adrianne Musu Jackson-Buckner, State University College at Oneonta; Brenda Michelle Jarman, University of North Carolina,
Wilmington; Caroline R. Kinzenbaw, Wartburg College; Gena Louise Lindsay, Northwest Missouri Sate University; Amber Christine Liu, Stanford University; Jennifer M. Mongeau, Assumption College; Linda B. Mullen, Central Washington University; Jamee Paoloemilio, Canisius College; Angela Nicole Pfeiffer, Concordia College, Moorhead; Meghann Marie Reifenrath, University of South Dakota; Kelly Ann Richards, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; Erika T. Rothbauer, Northern Kentucky University; Jaclyn A.M. Sanders, St. John’s University (New York); Amy Lynn Schmidt, Muhlenberg College; Christyn C. Schumann, Trinity University (Texas); Scotti Nicole Shafer, Stanford University; Melissa Kathryn Smith, Calvin College; Tiffany Nicole Stewart, University of South Florida; Allison Marie Toomer, Northeastern State University; Caitlin A. White, Seton Hall University.
(3) NCAA Research Committee. The Council:
(a) Discussion of the Research Committee Graduate Student Research Grant Program. Accepted the information from the committee regarding the numerous issues discussed, including:
· Timing of the Call for Proposals. The committee requested NCAA staff to disseminate the Call for Proposals in mid-January and establish a deadline of May 1.
· Possible refinement of the topics areas noted in the Call for Proposals. The committee agreed to maintain the topic areas as they are presented in the current Call for Proposals.
· Future presentations by the grant winners. The committee recommended that in subsequent years current grantees and grantees from the previous year that have completed their studies make presentations at the annual Research Committee meeting.
· The inclusion of undergraduates in the Call for Proposals. The committee decided to table the inclusion of undergraduates in the Call for Proposals until a future meeting.
· How the Call for Proposals is disseminated. The committee requested NCAA staff disseminate the Call for Proposals through a press release in the NCAA News, forwarding an email to the contact person in each Sports
management department at member institutions and to forward an email announcing the Call for Proposals to faculty athletics representatives at each member institution.
·
The role of NCAA staff and consultants in the
review
process. The committee
requested NCAA staff include in the review documents a staff review of each
proposal focusing on an assessment of the study methodology; analysis plan and
possible overlap with current NCAA research initiatives.
(b) Future Meetings. Accepted the information that the committee agreed to continue holding its annual in-person meeting in conjunction with the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives Fall Forum.
(c) Research Updates. Accepted the information that Mr. Petr led a discussion of Association-wide research updates, and Mr. Paskus did the same for Division I. Mr. Hartung led the discussion of research updates for Divisions II and III.
The committee requested the committee chair and NCAA staff forward the substance of the discussion on the proposed NCAA Campus Climate Study to the principal investigator, consultants and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport, the group sponsoring the proposed study. The NCAA Research Committee is charged with oversight responsibilities of all NCAA-sponsored research and was compelled to make this request of the committee chair and NCAA staff following a comprehensive review of the proposed study.
The committee would like to make clear that it supports the study goal to gather information on the working and learning environment in athletics departments and in particular assess the climate on campuses related to sexual orientation and the comparative receptiveness or hostility or even victimization to such diverse populations. The committee did have a number of concerns associated with the study ranging from methodological to human subject safety issues. Those concerns are outlined here followed by recommended action.
The committee questioned the study methodology, in particular the sampling plan, length of the survey instrument, and analysis plan.
The committee was not convinced that the study in its current form could adequately meet the study aims. Specifically:
·
The proposed sampling plan is one used in
previous NCAA Association-wide studies where the sample is drawn based on
sports-sponsorship records. This
results in select teams being chosen to complete the survey. Considering the
nature of the survey items focused on victimization, the group questioned the
adequacy of the proposed sampling plan in obtaining a representative sample.
· The long item response lists were seen as problematic considering those study respondents that have either experienced or witnessed victimization would be required to use these long lists to respond to the prompt and this, in turn, would extend the amount of time needed to complete the survey to an inordinate amount.
· Further, in terms of analysis, concern was voiced that the principal investigator and consultants would have difficulty in drawing valid conclusions from such long item response lists with multiple responses within item.
Discussion of the items above closely relate to the risk/benefit assessment that the NCAA Research Review Board and campus-level institutional review boards are required to conduct. The safety of human research subjects is of paramount importance to the NCAA Research Committee, and the committee had serious safety questions on this study.
First, the sensitivity of certain survey items and their potential impact on the study respondent as well as study administrators was discussed. The nature of certain survey items may trigger an adverse reaction from the study respondent. That potential adverse reaction could also result in situations for which the survey administrators are not prepared. The large group settings in which these surveys are typically administered have the potential to be extremely problematic.
Second, possible identification of an individual who has experienced the events questioned in the survey by peers and the study administrator may occur because of the survey design (i.e., a respondent who has experienced the events questioned will take dramatically longer to complete the survey due to the item skip
pattern and the length of the response lists for the relevant questions). Confirming adequate confidentiality procedures on studies of this type is a central charge of the NCAA Research Review Board and campus-level institutional review boards. In its current form, the NCAA Research Committee predicts likely rejection of the study by the NCAA Research Review Board and campus-level institutional review boards. Even if the study was modified to the point where it could pass the muster of the NCAA Research Review Board, the committee still predicts potential issues with campus-level institutional review boards. A significant rejection rate at the campus-level could cause sampling complications for this study as well as undermining future NCAA-sponsored studies seeking institutional review board approval due to the potential sharp negative reaction to this proposed study.
The Research Committee strongly urges the principal investigator, the consultants and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport to consider the areas of concern noted above and modifications to the study to ensure its ability to meet the stated aims and the safety of human research subjects. In short, the committee recommends significant modification to the study design and survey instrument. It also is recommended that the principal investigator, consultants and committee should work closely with NCAA research staff to make these modifications, since they have been thoroughly briefed by the Research Committee and the Data Analysis Research Network and can assist with determining whether the modifications align with the recommendations forwarded by these two groups. Once again, the committee supports the study goal, recognizing the importance of the topic area. However, the committee seriously questions the ability of the survey as currently drafted to reach its intended goal while protecting the safety of the study respondents.
(d) Graduate Student Research Grant Program Presentations. Accepted the information that the committee received a presentation from the three grant winners of the 2006 Research Committee Graduate Student Research Grant Program.
·
“Sports Expertise and Perceptual and Cognitive
Performance,” Michelle Voss,
·
“An Examination of the Transformational
Leadership Behaviors of Female Head Coaches and Performance in Division I
Women’s Soccer Teams: The
Mediating Role of Cohesion,” Misty Hall,
·
“The Under-Representation of Women in
Athletics Leadership: A Qualitative
Study of NCAA II Women Coaches and Athletics Administrators and their Career
Decisions,” Jill McCartney,
(e) Election
of Research Committee Chair.
Accepted the information that the committee elected Grace Calhoun,
(4) Committee on Women’s Athletics. The Council:
· Male Practice Players in Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics. Accepted the information that the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) believes that the use of male undergraduate students as practice players in women’s intercollegiate athletics violates the spirit of gender equity and Title IX. The committee believes that any inclusion of male practice players results in diminished participation opportunities for female student-athletes, contrary to the Association’s principles of gender equity, nondiscrimination, competitive equity and student-athlete well being. The CWA recommends the elimination of the use of male practice players throughout the NCAA and, in support thereof, has written a position statement.
The Council discussed the male practice player’s issue and questioned if the membership understood existing legislation. The Council noted the importance to educate the membership about male practice player regulations, regardless of the outcome of any 2007 Convention votes on this topic.
b. Division III joint Presidents Council/Management Council Subcommittees.
·
Convention-Planning
Subcommittee. The Council:
(a) 2007
NCAA Convention Schedule.
Accepted the information regarding the 2007 NCAA Convention schedule,
noting the following changes:
·
Saturday,
January 6 – Joint MC/PC/SAAC breakfast will be from 8 to 10 a.m.
·
Sunday,
January 7 – Confirmed the start time of the Sunday Issues Forum as 8:30
a.m., instead of 9 a.m., due to the number of discussion topics. President Brand’s breakfast has
been changed from 8:30 to 7:30 a.m.
The Council noted that several conferences scheduled receptions at the
same time as the Honors Program Sunday evening. It determined this scheduling was
inappropriate and should not occur at future Conventions.
(b) Association-wide
Educational Topics. Accepted
the information that the subcommittee reviewed the myriad Association-wide educational
programs. Staff indicated that the
schedule is developed for all divisions.
(c) Division
III Specific Sessions. Accepted
the information that the subcommittee discussed the agenda and presenters for
the following sessions:
·
The
Changing Fan Culture for Division III.
The subcommittee suggested moving this session to either Friday
afternoon or Saturday afternoon, to not interfere with two other events
(NADIIIAA and Commissioners meeting).
·
Senior
Administrator with Athletics Oversight.
·
Sunday
Issues Forum.
·
Chancellor/President
Luncheon and Issues Forum.
·
Division
III Business Session.
(d) Role
and Responsibility of Subcommittee Members. Accepted the information that the
subcommittee reviewed its responsibilities and role during the Convention.
(e) 2007
Convention Timetable. Accepted
the information that the subcommittee reviewed its planning timetable:
·
December
14 – Subcommittee Conference call from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time –
status update; preparation of presentation outline/content by committee
structure and affiliate groups.
·
December
15 – Final draft of remarks, legislative position papers and Division III
Web site posting due.
c. Management Council Subcommittees.
(1) Academic
Issues Subcommittee. The
Council accepted the information that the subcommittee approved a waiver
request from the
(final semester/quarter) would permit the student-athlete to compete while less
than full time throughout the swimming season. Additionally, the subcommittee noted
that the course the student-athlete will be taking during the 2007 spring
quarter is only offered during that quarter.
(2) Administrative
Review Subcommittee. The
Council:
(a) Legislation. Accepted the information that during its
October 13, 2006, meeting, the subcommittee discussed whether it should propose
legislation that, if adopted, would add an institution’s participation in
the United States of America Gymnastics (USAG) Championship to the list of
annual exemptions per NCAA Bylaw 17.13.5.3, even if the USAG Championship occurs
after the National Collegiate Championship. The subcommittee’s discussion was
the result of its review of two waiver requests involving Bylaw 17.13.4 –
end of regular playing season. This
legislative item will be referred to the NCAA Division III Management Council
Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee.
(b) Summary
of Cases. Accepted the information
that during its October 13, 2006, teleconference, the subcommittee reviewed
cases decided at the NCAA membership services staff level as well as those cases
appealed to the subcommittee from February through August 31. The following is a summary of the
decisions made by the staff and subcommittee:
·
A total
of 23 cases were reviewed.
·
Staff
granted 12 cases. Of the 12 cases
staff granted, 10 cases were granted based on the totality of the circumstances
and/or student-athletes well-being, and two cases were granted based on case
precedent and/or the NCAA Division III Management Council’s directive.
·
Staff
denied 11 cases. Of the 11 cases
staff denied, all were denied based on case precedent, intent of the
legislation, competitive advantage gained by the institution, circumstances
being within the control of the student-athlete or institution, and/or circumstances
did not warrant a waiver of the legislation.
·
Two of
the 11 staff denials were appealed to the subcommittee and the subcommittee
affirmed both staff denials.
·
The
subcommittee noted that effective April 2006 it no longer reviews waivers
involving Bylaw 14.1.8 (full-time enrollment). Such waivers are now reviewed by the
NCAA Division III Management Council Academic Issues Subcommittee as a result
of the adoption of NCAA Division III Proposal No. NC-30 (general eligibility
requirements – full-time enrollment – waiver authority) at the
Management Council’s April 27, 2006, meeting.
(c) Waiver
Requests of Bylaw 14.1.9 (Graduate
Student/Postbaccalaureate Participation). Accepted the information that pursuant
to the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and Management Council’s
recommendation to the subcommittee to review and discuss Bylaw 14.1.9, the
subcommittee reviewed three waivers.
The subcommittee denied two waivers and granted one.
(d) Other
Subcommittee Issues to Report to Council. Accepted the information that staff and
subcommittee would like to express its gratitude to departing subcommittee
member Sandy Slabik for her efforts and time.
(3) Playing
and Practice Seasons Subcommittee.
The Council:
(a) Modification
of Wording Based on Intent – Bylaw 14.1.11 (Male Practice Player Eligibility). Approved the recommendation to issue a
modification of wording to Bylaw 14.1.11 to remove the reference to male
practice players being eligible for benefits currently authorized by NCAA
legislation for all other student-athletes. The subcommittee noted that the intent
of this bylaw did not include expanding the benefits received by male practice
players. The subcommittee noted
that current legislation permits male practice players only to receive practice
apparel and that the intent of adopting Bylaw 14.1.11 was not to deregulate the
benefit limits related to male practice players. This will maintain current limits on
benefits available to male practice players limiting the impact on athletics department
budgets.
(b) Subcommittee
Position on Male Practice Player Amendment-to-Amendment. Accepted the committee’s
recommendation regarding the membership sponsored amendment-to-amendment (2007
Division III Proposal No. 6-1) to allow male practice players to participate in
three practices per week (instead of one) and to permit the equivalent of a
full starting unit of male practice players to participate in said practices
(instead of the equivalent of one-half a starting unit). The subcommittee opposes Proposal No.
6-1 noting that the proposal undermines the reasonable limitations set forth in
Proposal No. 6 and would otherwise provide excessive latitude for institutions
to use male practice players in the future.
(c) 2007
Division III Proposal No. 4 – Limits to Overall Athletic Activity and
Competition Activity on One Date of Competition. Accepted the information that the subcommittee
confirmed that the athletically related activity and competition-specific
limits set forth in the proposal involving the one date of competition apply to
the institution as a whole regardless of the number of teams (e.g., varsity,
junior varsity), spilt squads (e.g., A team, B team) or
student-athletes it may have in a particular sport. The subcommittee confirmed that once any
student-athlete
participates in any required athletically related activity, as defined in
NCAA Division III Bylaw 17.02.1.1 (athletically related activities), the time
in that activity counts against the eight-hour maximum limit for that sport.
(d) Division
III Rules Test. Accepted the
information that the subcommittee recommended several enhancements to the NCAA
Division III Rules Test including an increased emphasis on recruiting (Bylaw
13) and playing and practice seasons (Bylaw 17), as these topics are more
germane to activities that Division III coaches should be tracking on for compliance
purposes. The subcommittee also
recommended that sport-specific questions be synched to the sport for coaches
attempting the test. The
subcommittee also suggested that registration be available to coaches without e-mail
addresses and that NCAA staff refrain from including isolated or obscure legislative
questions.
(e) Alternative
Seasons of Participation Standards.
Accepted the information that the subcommittee discussed the Presidents
Council’s request for the subcommittee to identify alternative seasons of
participation models that would address the perceived inequity between sport
seasons under the current season of participation standard without rolling back
the reform measures put in place in 2004 by reinstating any element of
redshirting into the rule. The
subcommittee noted that two diverging seasons of participation proposals are up
for vote at the 2007 NCAA Convention and that it would be premature to
recommend any alternative seasons of participation models without knowing
which, if any, of the proposals are adopted by the Division III
membership. The subcommittee
confirmed that it will revisit this issue after the 2007 NCAA Convention.
(f) Division
III Requiring Opponents to Count Contests by Same Contest Category. Accepted the information that the
subcommittee reviewed the situation in which Division III institutions and
other non-Division III institutions are competing against each other in the
same contest and
counting the contest under separate categories (e.g., Division I
institution counts contest as regular season game against win-loss record while
Division III institutions counts same contest as exhibition which does not
count against the win-loss record).
The subcommittee confirmed that this is an interpretative issue and
referred its position to the Interpretations and Legislation Committee to
resolve through issuance of an official interpretation.
(g) Rules
Education on Male Practice Players.
Accepted the information that the subcommittee requested that the NCAA
staff provide expanded rules education on the eligibility certification
requirements and other rules impacting the use of male practice players in
Division III. The subcommittee
recommended that the rules education occur subsequent to the 2007 NCAA
Convention noting that proposals directly impacting the use and eligibility
requirements of male practice players are up for membership vote.
(4) Budget
Committee. The Council:
(a) 2005-06
Budget-to-Actual. Accepted the
information that the fourth quarter results for 2005-06 include $16,600,000 in
revenue and $16,319,212 in expenses.
Expenses increased approximately $2.7 million or 20 percent over the
prior year. This is a result of the
team automatic qualification enhancements and the additional $5 per diem
increase that were in effect for this fiscal year. The Student-Athlete Leadership
Conference was over budget by approximately $113,000 due to increased
attendance and programming from prior years. Because this budget has not been adjusted
since the inception of the program in 2001, the Division III Budget Committee
has discussed an increase to this budget for 2007-08 in the amount of
$180,000. The 2005-06 fiscal year
was officially closed in October and resulted in a surplus for the year of approximately
$1.5 million for championships and $280,000 for nonchampionships programs,
which have been added back into the Division III reserve balance. The reserve balance has been increased
to $11.3 million.
(b) 2006-07
Budget-to-Actual. Accepted the
information that the first quarter results of 2006-07 include $17,093,400 in
revenue and $3,155,067 in expenses.
Many of the grant payments went out the beginning of the fiscal year; however,
championship expenses have just begun.
There is an additional increase to per diem this year of $5. This is also the first year for the new
reserve policy, maintaining 10 percent of the Division III revenue allocation
as a mandated reserve level. The
anticipated reserve balance at the end of this fiscal year is approximately
$9.25 million.
(c) Six-year
Projections. Accepted the
information that the schedule includes the actual results and budget
projections from 2004 through 2010.
Fiscal years 2004-05 and 2005-06 contain actual expenses. With the inclusion of approved budget
initiatives for 2006-07 and 2007-08, the projected reserve balance in 2010 is
$4.38 million. In 2008-2010, there
are no new initiatives included in the budget figures, so any approved future
initiatives will further reduce the reserve balance. The projections reflect the new reserve
policy starting in 2006-07, which mandates a minimum
reserve balance of 10 percent of the Division III revenue
allocation.
(5) Championships
Committee. The Council received
an oral report from the Championships Committee noting discussion involving
single-sport automatic qualification (AQ).
Specifically, the Council discussed its minutes from the October meeting which noted that the New England Women’s Lacrosse Alliance’s (NEWLA) automatic qualification status was under review based on the requirement to maintain seven consistent conference members since February 1998. Since the October Council meeting, staff recommended that NEWLA ma