MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING (CM 9/99)
DELFT, THE NETHERLANDS
14-15 SEPTEMBER 1999
Council Attendees
President: Lawrence Fritz (LF)
Secretary General: John Trinder (JT)
First Vice President: Shunji Murai (SM)
Congress Director: Klaas Beek (KB)
Treasurer: Heinz Rüther (HR)
Apologies
Second Vice President: Marcio Barbosa (MB)
In attendance
Chair Financial Commisssion: Armin Gruen (am 14 Sep)
Editor-in-Chief ISPRS Journal: Manos Baltsavias (am 14 Sep)
AGENDA
1. Opening (LF)
2. Approval of Agenda (LF)
3. Review of minutes of previous Council meeting in Bangkok, Thailand (JT)
4. Policy Discussions
4.1 Strategic Plan (LF)
4.2 Education Program (MB)
4.3 Statutes and Bylaws revision (MB)
4.4 Guidelines approval (JT)
4.5 Standing WGs
4.6 Member Reports and Guidelines
5. Amsterdam Congress Plans (KB)
5.1 Congress plans
5.2 Technical program
5.3 General Assembly
5.4 Nominations for TCPs, Council and Congress for 2000-2004
6. Awards
7. Inter-Organizational Activities (LF/JT)
7.1 COPUOS
7.2 CIPA
7.3 CEOS
7.4 ICSU
7.5 ICET/UATI
7.6 Standards
7.7 Others(FAO)
8. ISPRS Publications
8.1 Journal (LF)
8.2 Bulletin (JT)
8.3 Home Page (JT)
9. Review of Technical Commissions (LF/JT)
10. Council Activities Reports (Council)
11. ISPRS Membership (JT)
11.1 Ordinary Members
11.2 Associate Members
11.3 Sustaining Members
11.4 Regional Members
12. Financial Affairs (HR/AG)
12.1 Treasurer's Report
12.2 Financial Commission Report
12.3 Financial Commission Guidelines
13. Actions of Council (JT)
14. Other Business
15. Next Meeting
Hungary, April 2000 (JT)
Pre-Congress Meeting, July 2000 (KB)
MINUTES
1. Opening
The meeting was held at the ITC Building in Delft, The Netherlands on 14-15 September 1999.
President Lawrence Fritz welcomed attendees and looked forward to a fruitful meeting. He thanked Klaas Jan Beek for arranging the recreation day for Council and TCPs on the sailing boat, and providing the excellent facilities in the ITC Building and the DISH Hotel in Delft.
The key issues to be discussed at the meeting are the revision of the Statutes, Bylaws and Guidelines, the procedures for the decision on the recipients of ISPRS awards to be presented at the Congress, and ISPRS publications.
2. Approval of Agenda
The agenda was approved subject to minor changes in the order of consideration of several items.
3. Review of minutes of Council meeting in Bangkok, Thailand April 1999
Minutes were approved subject to minor changes.
In order for the International Science Advisory Committee (ISAC) to review the draft resolutions of the Technical Commission before the Council meeting in April in Budapest, it will be necessary for the TCPs to submit them to SM by middle February 2000.
Action 99/257: JT to request TCPs to submit draft Technical Commission resolutions to SM by mid February 2000.
4. Policy Discussions
4.1 Strategic Plan (LF)
Further actions in the Strategy Plan were considered.
Strategy Action 1-6:
Action 99/258: JT to draft commissioning form to be signed by all new WGs officers, formalising their commitment to the work of the WG from 2000-2004.
Strategy Action 1-8:
Fund raising was modified to be on a tactical short-term basis, not long-term, with the major thrust being related to attracting funds to sponsor
participants from developing countries to the Congress, young author's awards, CATCON etc. The Guidelines for Congress Hosts will be amended accordingly.
Action 99/259: JT to amend Guidelines for Congress Hosts to include the need for fund raising.
TCPs and others at the JM in Enschede ranked the importance of international groups.
Action 99/260: HR to prepare a summary of the ranking of international groups to further action by Council.
Strategy Action 2-2
Norm Anderson and Hans Knoop are ISPRS representatives from and to ISO TC/211.
Strategy Actions 2-3 and 2-4
Action 99/261: JT to draft letters of intent for SDH and CMSC
Strategy Action 2-6:
Action 99/262: JT to request TCPs to explore opportunities of mutual benefit with AM/FM, OGC
Strategy 2-8
This action will be carried over into the next inter-Congress period, since little action has been achieved by Commission VI during this period.
Strategy Action 3-2: This action to be activated as follows:
Action 99/263: JT to write to ISPRS Regional Members requesting joint action between Technical Commissions , Regional Members, and National Members.
Action 99/264 JT to prepare guidelines for collaboration between Technical Commissions, Regional Members and National Members through the National Correspondents
Strategy Action 3-3:
Industry contributions are required in ISPRS Highlights.
Action 99/265: LJ to develop a strategy for increasing industry content in ISPRS Highlights
Strategy Action 4-1:
Action 99/266: LF to complete overlap matrices on a Commission basis
Strategy Action 5-4, item 6 and subsequent new action item will be deleted, since the proposed Marketing Manager will not be appointed.
Strategy Action 5-5
The Educational Opportunities program will be abandoned in favour of developing and maintaining the database on educational opportunities
Strategy Action 5-6
A new resolution is required for the Congress for this action.
Action 99/267: HR to prepare draft resolution to address the issue of regional meetings of educators
Strategy Action 6-2
Action 99/ 268: JT to place scope of Commissions in JM agenda for April 2000
Strategy Action 6-3
This item should be reworded ″...standardisation of indicators...″
Strategy Action 7-3
Action 99/269: LF to announce a competition to redesign the ISPRS logo in December '99 ISPRS Highlights
The terms of reference of ISAC were approved.
Action 99/270: LF to send invitation letters and SM to follow up with recommended persons to participate in ISAC
4.2 Education Program
The pilot program has been completed. The development of the database on educational institutions is a good demonstration of work. There will be no further development of the Educational Opportunities Program.
4.3 Statutes and Bylaws revision
The Statutes and Bylaws were reviewed and revised at the meeting in a separate document.
Action 99/271: MB to develop rationale for changes to Statutes and those developed so far to the Bylaws, by December 1999
Action 99/272: JT to distribute revised Statutes and Bylaws to Ordinary Members with rationale in January 2000.
Action 99/273: Council to provide comments on document by 15 October
4.4 Guidelines approval
Spending Guidelines for Council have been approved by the Financial Commission and Council. The Financial Commission Guidelines were considered and required further work. It was stated by the Financial Commission that Item 7 is not a task of Financial Commission.
Action 99/274: HR and AG to rework the Guidelines for the Financial Commission.
4.5 Standing WGs
A more appropriate term for the proposed Standing WGs could be ′Special Interest Group′.
4.6 Member Reports and Guidelines
The need for the National Reports was confirmed. Member Organizations are to submit abstract forms (without abstract) indicating a National Report is being submitted.
Action 99/275: JT to send a letter to KB for National Members and Guidelines for National Reports
5. Amsterdam Congress Plans (KB)
5.1 Congress plans
The speaker for the keynote address of 20 minutes at the Opening Session has not yet been finalised. Several names were suggested.
Plenary debate on Geo-Information for All - names have been suggested for the speakers under the headings of:
- Benefit for all
- Available for all
- Accessible for all
- Useful for all
- Producible by all
- Understandable by all
5.2 Technical program
Special Sessions
Suggestions for speakers were considered by Council. The speakers for the special sessions must be finalised by December 1999.
Action 99/276: Council to invite speakers to the Special Session assigned to them by December 1999 with summary of session for publication.
5.3 General Assembly
The Agenda and other significant information for the General Assembly should be projected on a screen using PowerPoint.
Opportunities for receptions by Members bidding for the 2004 Congress, to members of the General Assembly, are at lunch time on Sunday 16 July, before the first General Assembly; Sunday 16th evening; and lunchtime Tuesday 18th before the 2nd General Assembly. Congress and TC bids by Ordinary Members will be presented on Sunday 16 July.
5.4 Nominations for TCPs, Council and Congress for 2000-2004
Official Council reviewed the official nominations have received so far for the period 2000-2004 for Council and Commission Presidents.
6. Awards
The Brock Award revisions were approved.
The current status of nominations for ISPRS Awards was presented to the meeting by LF. Letters have been sent to organisations responsible for the Awards for nominations for members of Juries as listed below:
| Brock: |
Council |
| Von Gruber: |
LF, German Soc representative, UK Committee, Rector of ITC |
| Gamble: |
CIG President, JT and LF |
| Schwidefsky: |
Pres. German Soc, LF and JT |
| Schermerhorn: |
LF, Pres Netherlands Soc, ITC Rector, Wageningen Professor, Delft Professor |
| Dolezal |
LF, JT, Pres Austrian Soc, UN rep |
| Action 99/277: LF to ask Ade Abiodun for nomination of juror from UN |
| Helava |
2nd jury is JT, SM, HR, Marguerite Madden Andrew Skidmore. |
| Cassinis |
LF, JT, Pres Italian Society |
| President's Honorary Citation |
TCPs |
| Young Authors |
Council |
| Honorary Members |
Council |
A proposal for a GIM Award is to be returned for revision to adhere to ISPRS Awards Guidelines.
An announcement containing the requirements for Young Author Award applications and schedule is to be printed in the December Highlights and posted on the Home Page.
Action 99/278: KB to revise the existing Young Authors flyer and circulate widely
The jury for the 2000 Helava Award and for the 2000-2004 annual Helava winners were selected.
7. Inter-Organizational Activities
7.1 COPUOS
Council noted the successful participation of ISPRS in UNISPACE III.
7.2 CIPA
Council has ratified the new CIPA Statutes
7.3 CEOS
KB will attend ad-hoc meeting of Industry Forum with CEOS in IAF.
7.4 ICSU
Council must take appropriate actions prior to the ICSU meeting in 2002 to ensure that its application for full membership is finalised.
7.5 ICET/UATI
No action has been taken on membership of UATI. KB will attend the UNESCO meeting and provide advice to Council for the next meeting.
7.6 Standards
A request for ISPRS representatives on ISO Technical Committees has been placed in ISPRS Highlights. John Thorpe and Jose Colomer (WG II/7) have received ISPRS funds to cover an experts meeting to discuss procedures for developing an image transfer standard, suitable for photogrammetry and remote sensing. A draft MoU with OGC has been prepared, that will ensure the participation of OGC in the development of this standard. A formal proposal for the image standard is being developed by WG II/7.
Details of the proposal for a certification standard of GIS and Geomatics personnel in ISO TC211 were discussed with the Chair during the ICA Congress to clarify the reason and status of the Standard.
7.7 Others (FAO)
UN Cartographic proposal.
LF will follow up contact with Miklos Pinther from UN on proposal to develop a world geographic database.
Action 99/279: LF to contact Miklos Pinther regarding UN proposal
IUSM
IUSM has formally disbanded. Representatives from Sister Societies (FIG, ACI, IAG, IHO) will be provided with 2 day passes for Sunday 16 July and Monday 17 July to attend the Amsterdam Congress for a Joint Board Meeting of Sister Societies at 2.30 pm Monday 17 July. LF will provide names to KB of officers to be invited. The officers will also be invited to attend the social function on the evening of Monday 17th July.
GSDI
Council agreed to re-evaluate the situation of ISPRS representation at GSDI meetings.
Action 99/280: JT to request formal invitation to attend GSDI meetings .
8. ISPRS Publications
8.1 Journal
Since a new 4-year contract with a publisher is required by 1 December 1999, the negotiation period has begun. The conditions to be included in the contract were discussed in detail.
8.2 Bulletin
The extra cost of about $1,000 for expansion of the September edition to 56 pages was approved.
In response to proposals from GITC, Council agreed that ISPRS Highlights need not be printed in full colour. The direct mailing proposal could cost $10,000 per year, but includes maintenance for the Society of an address database by GITC. Council made a decision to run the direct mailing of ISPRS Highlights on a pilot basis, with the mailing addresses maintained by GITC.
Action 99/281: JT to draft letter to Members for comment by Council and the FinCom
The proposed revision to ISPRS Highlights advertising policy from 25% to 40% maximum allotment for advertisements and dropping free advertisements for Members, while retaining the current free allotments for Commissions, Congress and Working Groups, was approved by Council under the condition that there will be 40 pages net content plus 8 pages of advertisements in each issue covered by the current contract. Costs for additional pages for advertisements shall be borne by GITC.
Action 99/282: JT to draft a response to GITC for LF.
8.3 Home Page
The Home Page is excellent and the new address of ′ISPRS.org′ is an excellent new development. The report by Andre to JM has demonstrated the
importance of the ISPRS Web Page in notifying members and others of ISPRS activities.
9. Review of Technical Commissions
Nil, as was covered adequately in Joint Meeting.
10. Council Activities Reports
Reports were received.
11. ISPRS Membership
11.1 Ordinary Members
By mail ballot ISPRS recently admitted Ordinary Members from:
Bangladesh - Environment & GIS Support Project for Water Sector Planning (EGIS - II)
Benin- National Center for Remote Sensing and Forest Cover Monitoring (CENATEL)
Cameroon - La Cameroon Geomat.
Ordinary Membership now totals 103.
11.2 Associate Members
By mail ballot ISPRS recently admitted Associate Members from:
India - Indian National Cartographic Association
Australia - Queensland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Associate Membership now totals 9
11.3 Sustaining Members
Council approved the application received from Stora Enso Forest Consulting Oy Ltd (Finland). Council therefore admitted the 48th Sustaining Member.
Action 99/283: LF to contact Intergraph to change StM from Z/I Corporation to all of Intergraph
11.4 Regional Members
By mail ballot ISPRS recently admitted Regional Member
CILSS/AGRHYMET based in Niger.
Regional Membership now totals 8.
12. Financial Affairs
12.1. Treasurer's Report
The Treasurer's report was received and discussed, as provided in Attachment E.
12.2. Financial Commission Report
Armin Gruen reported on the Treasurer's report:
- The unaccounted income in the bank account needs to be traced.
- Costs of ISPRS Highlights have been high. (This was disputed by Council.)
- Debt write-offs need to be explained, since they are very high, and have risen significantly
- Financial position is satisfactory.
- The Financial Commission recommends that Member Organization subscriptions rates should not be increased for 2000-2004.
12.3. Financial Commission Guidelines
(See item 4.4).
13. Actions of Council
43 items were completed, 4 items were overcome by events and 21 items are still open.
The World Bank should be added to the Ranking Survey.
Action 99/284: MB to review the Fagundes Award proposal
14. Other Business
Turkey has invited Council to visit Istanbul to discuss and promote its bid for the 2004 Congress. The tentative schedule is for travel to Turkey on 11 or 12 April 2000, following the Joint and Council meetings in Hungary, with a meeting on Thursday 13 April in Istanbul.
15. Next Meeting
The planned schedule for the meetings in Hungary are as follows:
4 April: Council arrival
5-6 April: Council meeting in Budapest
6 April: TCPs arrive
7 April: International Seminar by on Council and TCP members in Budapest; depart for Eger in the evening
8-9 April: Joint Meeting of Council and TCPs
10 April: Council Meeting
11 April: Excursion and departure
The Pre-Congress Meeting will be held in The Netherlands on 12-13 July 2000, to be arranged by KB.
J. C. Trinder
October 1999