[council] Proposed Travel Policy

["Tim Ruiz" <tim@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We had briefly discussed the Council submitting a comment on the
proposed SO travel funding. To put the current proposal in perspective
you need to first look at the projected contributions that come through
the SOs in the currently proposed budget for FY09:

GNSO: $56,051,000
ccNSO: $2,300,000
ASO: $823,000

Based on that, the percentage of each SOs contribution that is being
handed back to fund travel is as follows: 

GNSO: $184,800 (0.33% of contribution)
ccNSO: $170,400 (7.41% of contribution)
ASO: $127,200 (15.46% of contribution)
 
In my opinion, there is no rationale that justifies these returns for
travel funding. 

The majority of the members of the Registrar Constituency opposes the
proposed model, and in fact believe that no travel funding should be
provided to the Council at all. However, understanding that the majority
of the Council believes otherwise I would like to propose that the
Council consider supporting one of these alternative funding models
(some additional detail may be needed):

1. Travel support to the SOs should be based in part on the level of
contrinbution to ICANN's budget.  To the extent that travel support is
provided to the GNSO, the funds should be allocated to each constituency
and each constituency should have the authority to allocate that support
among its members and representatives for travel or other constituency
needs.
 
2. That all funds for SO travel support be pooled, and support would be
applied for on a demonstrated needs basis. See the proposal submitted by
Ken Stubbs at:
http://forum.icann.org/lists/travel-support-draft/msg00006.html

 
Tim