# September 15th, 2025 Budget Comm Minutes | Attended (Members) | Kristijan Kowalsky (Chair) | Committee Chair | | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- | | Attended (Members) | Kriss Baird | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Dynamic Strategies (Dimmitri) | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Megan Hess | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Mercy | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Jose Maria Francisco Otegui Alvarez (Pepe) | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Rita Mistry | Committee Member | | Attended (Members) | Shunsuke Murasaki | Committee Member | | Attended (Staff/Secretary) | Lloyd Duhon | Budget Secretary | | Attended (Guests/Staff) | Jack Briggs | Visitor (Executive/Staff) | | Attended (Guests/Staff) | Nicolas Cerny | Visitor (Presenter/Collaborator) | | Attended (Guests/Staff) | Danielle Stanko | Visitor | | Attended (Guests/Staff) | Dave Dionisio | Visitor | | Absent | None | All 13 listed attendees were present/participated. | ## Agenda: * Review and Ratification of the 2026 Budget Framework: Discussion and vote on the presented Five-Stage Budgeting Process framework, including its strategic planning requirements, template design, and governance structure. * Defining the Committee's Core Mandate: Formal adoption of the three primary and two supporting functions that will define the Budget Committee's role for the Intersect Board, focusing on budget facilitation, oversight, and communication. * Addressing Centralization and Next Steps: Feedback session on the risks of centralization in the proposal review process and assigning tasks for the asynchronous review of materials before the next working session. ## Decisions/Actions | Presentation of 2026 Budget Framework | Rita Mistry and Nico Cerny presented a detailed five-stage budgeting framework built on previous committee work, incorporating a RACI model and survey feedback. The five stages are: 1. Strategic Planning, 2. Preparation and Data Collection, 3. Review and Approval, 4. Proposal Consolidation and On-chain Voting, and 5. Execution and Monitoring. | Rita Mistry and Nico Cerny to share the presentation document and the budget template (spreadsheet) in the Discord channel for asynchronous review. | | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Strategic Planning Stage | This stage is mandatory before budgeting begins. It involves setting overarching goals (e.g., Vision 2030), defining key initiatives, deciding on budget categories, setting the planning horizon (annual vs. multi-year), and determining the Net Change Limit (NCL) process. | | | Budget Template Design | The template is designed to align with strategic initiatives, incorporating fields for project objectives (clear, measurable, outcome-oriented), KPIs, milestones, financial breakdowns, and procurement support. Chris Baird suggested adding a separate field to disclose Catalyst project party status and links. | Committee members to review the budget template asynchronously and provide detailed feedback. | | Review and Approval Stage (Controversy) | Chris Baird and Jack Briggs raised concerns about the optics and risk of centralization if the Budget Committee acts as a gatekeeper in the "Review and Approval" stage (Stage 3) before proposals reach the DREP ballot, recalling similar issues in the current cycle and Catalyst. | Rita Mistry and Nico Cerny to clarify the precise function of the Budget Committee in the Review and Approval stage to avoid perceptions of "king-making." | | Process Malleability | Jack Briggs and Lloyd Duhon discussed the need to be malleable early in the process but commit to a fixed timeline and framework once public feedback is taken, to ensure the process sees itself through. | | | Proposal Consolidation & Withdrawal | Discussion affirmed that the most acceptable route is a consolidated Budget Info Action followed by individual vendor Treasury Withdrawals. Jack Briggs suggested the NCL could be part of the initial strategic info action, not a separate vote. | | | Primary vs. Supporting Committee Functions | The committee reviewed a list of five core roles, with consensus emerging on two primary and three supporting functions for the committee's mandate to the Board. | The Committee Secretary to finalize the language of the five functions (Facilitate Budget Process, Oversight/Audit Management, Communications being Primary) for presentation to the board. | | Motion to Adopt Committee Functions | A motion was raised, discussed, and modified to define Facilitate Budget Process and Communicate the work as Primary Functions and Oversight/Audit Management as a key primary function, with DREP Relations and Manage Working Groups as supporting functions. The motion carried unanimously. | The Committee Secretary to schedule a preparatory session with Rita Mistry and Nico Cerny (Leo) to refine the framework before the full committee review on Thursday. | | Board Presentation Preparation | The goal is to present a refined version of the Budget Framework (Rita/Nico's work) and the Committee Functions Mandate to the Board at the end of September board meeting. Gerard Moroney agreed with the timeline and outlined the required level of detail (high-level plan, engagement strategy, and key milestones). | The Committee Secretary to confirm the exact date and time of the end-of-September board meeting with Intersect staff. | | Committee Accountability (Cadence) | Jack Briggs proposed aspiring to present back quarterly to the committee on financials, with the Budget Committee rolling up findings to the ISC for broader member visibility. This provides a formal cadence for accountability. | | | Working Session Schedule | The committee decided to keep the Thursday working session for in-depth review of the framework, with a goal to present a refined version to the board. An effort will be made to schedule a preparatory session with Rita/Nico on Wednesday. | The Committee Secretary to follow up on Wednesday for a preparatory working session and to hold the main review session on Thursday. |