Issue Committee (W & I EITC) Meeting Minutes

September 22, 2005
Teleconference

Program Owner

• Blum, Alisa, Project Manager, EITC Stakeholder Engagement
• Watkins, Lisa, EITC Office Detailee

Designated Federal Official

• Sandra Ramirez, TAP Program Manager

Committee Members Present

• Banks, Jim, Bozeman, MT
• Brodbine Ghoniem, Elizabeth, Winchester, MA
• Bronziarczyck, Robert, Romeoville, IL
• Edwards, C. Morgan, Charlotte, NC
• Handelman, Gwen, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Jaffke, Cheyanna, Placentia, CA
• Karwin, Thomas, Santa Cruz, CA
• Malcolmson, Leslie, Detroit, MI, Chair
• Morrell, Jack, Mandan, ND
• Reder, Joe, Richland, WA
• Vivona, Alexander, Sarasota, FL
• Woo, Lillian, Durham, NC, Vice Chair

Committee Members Absent

• Wendt, Charles, Iola, TX
• Wilson, Nan, Overland Park, KS

TAP Staff

• Jenkins, Audrey Y. , TAP Analyst
• Odom-Russell, Meredith, TAP Management Assistant

Other Attendees

• Caine, Roxie – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Meeks, Amy – National Women’s Law Center

Welcome
Malcolmson opened the meeting at 11:03 am ET.

Roll Call (quorum has been met)

Approval of Meeting Minutes
Malcolmson discussed the changes that were made to the July and August meeting minutes. July and August meeting minutes were approved by consensus with changes. A copy of revisions will be sent to the committee.

Chair Report
Malcolmson presented her EITC PowerPoint for the annual meeting to the Joint Committee at the September face-to-face meeting. All feedback will be incorporated. The Joint Committee will be meeting with the IRS Commissioner in D.C. before the start of the annual meeting. Handelman, TAP Chair, encourages all members to go to TAPSpeak, the TAP intranet, to view the list of proposed discussion items and to share with her any other possible discussion items or suggestions. Malcolmson noted that continuing members will be able to select their choice of issue committees for the new year. There will be two new issue committees – the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) issue committee and the Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) issues committee.

Review Assignments

• Submit suggestions for Orientation Package
• Submit Comments for the EITC Website

Agenda Items
Subcommittee 1 – Report out

EITC Orientation Package
The latest draft of the document was shared with the members; all feedback has been incorporated. The document will be distributed at the Annual Meeting. The TAP handbook contains an extensive glossary, therefore the glossary in the EITC Orientation Package need only include those terms that will be used for the committee’s work. Woo needs information for the who’s who section. Woo requests the staff’s assistance in filling in the descriptions of duties of the program owners. Woo requests that these descriptions be sent to her by September 30th. The Joint Committee requests these orientation materials be distributed to all committee chairs as a model for them to do orientation materials for other committees. Handelman suggests these materials go out quickly. The idea is to send this orientation package to new members before the meeting so they may have an idea of what work the committee has focused on and completed over, the last three years. It will also be distributed to returning members regardless of their tenure on the EITC Committee. Malcolmson suggested that all materials going out to committee members, be sent in a single package. The EITC Office will include a sample of marketing materials in the package. Blum said that although the 2006 campaign is still being developed, existing materials could be given to the members.

Subcommittee 2 - Report Out

EITC Website-Architecture
The committee suggest that the EITC website be structured around five major headings. Blum explained that functionality and software of the EITC website cannot be changed; the irs.gov site houses hundreds of sites for hundreds of program owners so the software must remain uniform across all sites. What can be done is reorganization of material. Karwin noted that the members would like to develop a hierarchy of information so that there would be no more that five links on any given page. Another strong recommendation is the reduction of information overload (duplicating information that is available on other pages of irs.gov website), with the remaining information consolidated within the hierarchy, so information is provided on only on one page. Blum explained that the EITC office does not own the website, only web pages; she’ll share what the committee submits with the relevant staff.

Action – Final recommendations will be forwarded to the program owner. Blum requested that both subcommittee 2 and subcommittee 3 comments be submitted under one cover letter.

Subcommittee 3 – Report Out

EITC Website-Content
All changes were incorporated and the revised recommendation was shared via e-mail with the full committee.

Action – Malcolmson will work with Karwin and Vivona to redo the introduction to each recommendation and merge the two with on cover letter.

Meeting Close
Blum thanked the entire committee for all of their hard work and the dedication that was given to the EITC office and wished the non-returning members well.

Malcolmson would like to see all orientation documents that will be handed out to the new and returning members in November. All pre-reads will be sent prior to the Annual Meeting.

Action/Assignment Review
Chair

• Cover letter for EITC website architecture and content recommendations
• Submit final annual committee self-assessment

Committee Members

• Review list of discussion items with Commissioner and provide any additional comments to Handelman

Jenkins

• Provide description of duties to Woo for orientation document.