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.