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Re: Proposed Revisions to IETF Trust Administrative Procedures

2008-04-03 13:54:36
Ray,

Some observations...

(1) If someone doesn't become a Trustee until her or she is
willing to sign something, one either needs to have explicit
provisions for what happens if someone declines to sign or
willingness to sign has to be an explicit condition for
membership in the IAOC.  Since several of the IAOC members are
ex-officio, I don't really see how to do the latter, but it is
probably possible.

(2) Because some members of the IAOC are appointed by (or
ex-officio from) other bodies, I would prefer that, if there is
going to be a separate Trust Chair, that person be required to
be an IETF appointee and subject to recall.  No matter how many
"the Chair is nothing special" rules one has, we all know from
experience that long-term (as distinct from rotating) chairs of
long-lived bodies tend to be treated, externally at least, as
spokespeople, etc.

(3) I don't recall seeing it before, which may be my fault, but
the provision that, if the IAOC is dissolved, the Trustees
become permanent appointments and get to determine the Trust's
fate is very unattractive.  Probably the Trust and/or IAOC
procedures or charter should be modified so that, in the event
of the demise of the IAOC, the Trust falls firmly under direct
IETF control (unless the IETF itself ceases to exist).   There
might be other ways to do it, but perhaps the termination of the
IAOC without other provisions should immediately add the entire
IAB and/or IESG (or whichever one survives), ex-officio to the
voting roster of Trustees for the duration.

     john


--On Thursday, 03 April, 2008 15:17 -0400 Ray Pelletier
<rpelletier(_at_)isoc(_dot_)org> wrote:

All,

The Trustees of the IETF Trust are considering changing the
Trust administrative procedures and seek community comment
before doing so.  The Trustees propose to take action at its
April 17th meeting and will consider all comments received by
that date.

The proposed changes would:
1. Permit the Trustees to select a Trustee to act as the
Chair.  Current procedures state the IAOC Chair will convene
and preside over the meetings

2. Recognize that the Chair holds no greater power than any
other Trustee and therefore their vote as Chair does not
become a deciding vote in cases where there is a tie vote.

3. Would synchronize the Administrative Procedures with the
Trust Agreement by recognizing that an IAOC member becomes a
Trustee upon their acceptance of the responibilties in
writing, not merely by becoming a member of the IAOC.

The proposed changes below modify paragraphs 2, 4 and 12 of
the Trust Administrative Procedures located here:
http://trustee.ietf.org/foundingdocuments.html

Look forward to your comments.

Ray Pelletier
Trustee
IAD

Proposed Changes:

Current #2

2. The meetings shall be convened and chaired by the IAOC
Chair, or by any
Trustee if the IAOC Chair is not available.

Proposed #2

2. The Trustees shall select one Trustee to serve as the Chair
of the
Trust.  The term of the Trust Chair shall be one year from the
time of
selection or the remaining time of his or her tenure as a
Trustee,
whichever is less.  An individual may serve any number of
terms as
Chair, if selected by the Trustees.

The Chair serves at the pleasure of the Trustees and may be
removed from
that position at any time by a vote of 2/3 of the voting
Trustees, not
counting the Trust Chair.

The Chair shall convene and preside over meetings of the
Trustees
 but shall have no other powers or authority beyond his or her
powers
 as a Trustee.  If the Trust Chair is not available, then any
other
 Trustee may convene or preside over meetings of the Trustees
in the
 absence of the Trust Chair.

4. The Trust Agreement defines the quorum and voting rules for
a meeting. [Delete - If necessary, the Chair of the meeting
shall hold the deciding vote.] Motions passed by electronic
means between meetings shall be confirmed by a vote at the
next possible meeting.

12. The Trustees are the current members of the IAOC. When a
member leaves the IAOC for whatever reason, he or she ceases
to be a Trustee. When a new member joins the IAOC, he or she
becomes a Trustee [ADD - upon their acceptance in writing]. If
at any time the IAOC ceases to exist, the Trustees then in
office shall remain in office and determine the future of the
Trust in accordance with the Trust Agreement.





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