Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP)
Issue Committee
Wage & Investment (W&I) Reduce Taxpayer Burden
(Notices)

Meeting Minutes (Teleconference)
September 6, 2007 1:00pm eastern time

Designated Federal Official (DFO)
Nancy Ferree, TAP Program Manager, Plantation, FL

Members Present
Ben Chapman
Joe Hurr
David Jones
David Meister
Neil Mitchell
Max Scott
Howard Stahl
Lee Stieger
Chuck Tice
Edward Uhrig
Warren Wong

Members Absent
Paul Colombo
Steve Fulkrod
Mary Suther
J. T. Wright

Staff Present
Sallie Chavez, TAP Analyst
Anita Fields, TAP Staff & Note taker
Sidney Gardner, Program Owner

Welcome & Announcements
Chuck Tice Acting Chair opened the meeting by welcoming panel members and asked TAP staff Anita Fields to call roll. It was noted that there were no citizens present.

Roll Call
Quorum was met.

Approve Meeting Minutes
Minutes from August were approved as written.

Set Time for Sub-committee Conference Calls
Tap Analyst Sallie Chavez informed the committee that the forth Wednesday of each month there will be sub-committee calls.  DAT Teams will meet at 11am EST and the other sub-committee calls will be at 2pm EST.  All members that were present agreed to the days and times with the understanding that if they can’t make it the call can be rescheduled.  Chuck Tice stated that the times were not good for him, but he will try to make the call if he is not busy.

Comments from Program Owner
Sidney Gardner is sitting in for Jim Cesarano who is currently on a detail.  He stated that they did get the recommendation for the Vision Impaired Project and the Combined Forms & Testing Project; he will review those and get a response back to the committee in approx. 45 days.  He also stated that he appreciates the support of the committee.

Subcommittee Report and Updates

Document Assessment Tool (DAT)
DAT Team 1 (CP225 & 207) - Joe Hurr stated that the team did not meet; therefore they have nothing to report.

DAT Team 2 (CP161 &215)-
Dave Jones stated that they completed both documents and forwarded to Sallie Chavez on 8/5/2007.  Dave Meister questioned when do you use a D, F, or Not Applicable?  Max Scott stated that if you feel there should be a heading and there is not a heading then score it an F.  He also stated that if you have questions send them to Sallie.  Ben Chapman thinks that giving an F or a N/A should be an agenda item at the upcoming Annual Meeting in December. Max also informed everyone that during the spring face-to-face meeting Sallie gives DAT scoring training.  Everyone that has questions please write them down and send to Sallie and maybe she can expand the training.

DAT Team 3 (Form 886H-HOH & CP159& 162)
Dave Meister stated that his team has scored 886H-HOH and Warren Wong will put the scores together and send to Sallie.  CP 159 &162 the team will have it scored and sent to Sallie by 09/25/2007.

DAT Team 4
Lee Stieger stated that there are only three people on his team and only two were on the call, therefore they need to schedule another call because with the two there was a discrepancy in the scores.

Stuffer Project
Dave Meister created a list for Sallie on July 23rd and got a response on the 31st.  Had another conference call on the 28th of August and still waiting on response.  I believe we are still on track.  Ben informed Dave Meister that Sallie answered that response on 4 September.  He will set up a conference call to be held in the next couple of weeks.

Targeted and Improved Communications
Chuck Tice is the lead.  Stated that they have nothing to report.

Dynamic Project Team--Letters
Lee Stieger’s team got together and completed scoring all letters.  Letters were sent to Sallie and Sallie sent them to Jim Cesarano.  Sallie will leave open until she hears from Jim.  Jim will follow-up to find out where letters are.

Vision Impaired (TIGTA) Project
Mary Suther is lead and she is not present.  Lee Stieger stated that they have reviewed some information and sent a document to Jim Cesarano for guidance on which direction to take the project.  Sidney Gardner could not provide any information, but will get in contact with Sallie and see if he can get something back to the committee.  Sidney Gardner remembered that he did receive the email and will be getting a response back in a couple of weeks.   

Combined Forms & Testing Project
Dave Jones is lead.  A memo was sent to Jim Cesarano with a list of approx. 10 items for guidance on which way the committee should go with the process.  Just waiting on response from Program Owner.

FAT (Forms Assessment Tool)
Max Scott stated that last month he sent out Jim’s straw man format.  He has tried to make suggested changes but does not have the unprotected document.  Will have Sallie send him the unprotected document and make the changes and re-distribute.

Meeting Close
Chair Chuck Tice asked for any comments before close.

Max thanked Chuck for chairing the meeting and informed the committee that Lee Stieger will chair the committee next month.  He also wanted to ask everyone to think about becoming a Chair next year.  Dave Jones informed committee that he will not be present for next month’s meeting.  Ben Chapman made comment if whether we can have new members on the November conference calls.

The Notices Issue committee meeting was adjourned.

Next meeting will be October 4th 1:00pm ET Teleconference.

*Certification of Meeting Minutes:  These minutes were approved by the TAP