March 2, 1996

Face-to-face meeting in Tucson

RESOLUTION 1996-01: The Board accepts the Financial Statements of the WIYN Consortium for FY 1995 as reviewed by Coopers & Lybrand. The Board notes that in the C & L audit, the research operation phase began on March 6, 1995. The phrase "Telescope commissioning was completed" should be stricken.

RESOLUTION 1996-02: The Board authorizes the Project Manager to spend $60K of the Investment Fund until the next meeting of the Board to complete the Construction and Commission phases of the project. This $60K is in addition to the $20K already authorized by Board RESOLUTION 1995-8.

RESOLUTION 1996-03: Between now and the next Board meeting, the WIYN Site Manager in consultation with the SAC, has the authority to spend the Site Manager's budget.

RESOLUTION 1996-04: The Board authorizes the purchase of a rider to our insurance policy to cover the risks associated with aluminization of the primary mirror scheduled during FY96, not to exceed $5K.

RESOLUTION 1996-05: The Board hereby approves the procedures and amounts used in the establishment of the Operating Account and the Investment Account.

RESOLUTION 1996-06: $100K of the Investment Fund will be moved to an account similar to the Bank One high balance savings account but at another bank to increase our FDIC coverage. The remainder of the Investment Fund will be retained together with the Operating Account in the Bank One High Balance Savings Account.

RESOLUTION 1996-07: Paragraph 19 of the WIYN Agreement is amended to read:

" 19.) The detailed operation and maintenance plan for the Observatory shall be presented to the Board by the WIYN Site Manager on an annual basis. The preparation of this plan should involve the active participation of NOAO. The Board will determine if the plan satisfies the general guidelines of operations and maintenance as described in paragraphs 15, 16, 18 and the memorandum." A two-thirds vote of the directors, including two directors from NOAO is required.

RESOLUTION 1996-08: Recognizing that the WIYN Observatory needs additional resources to complete the telescope to the performance level originally specified, the Board members will make a strong effort to secure from their respective home institutions a commitment of $250K per year, prorated according to each institution's observing time share, for two years, beginning with the WIYN FY97.

RESOLUTION 1996-09: The SAC recommends to the Board that the President be authorized to spend from the Investment Fund for a wide-field CCD, as described in SAC-supplied specifications below, up to $90K, subject to SAC approval, and not to draw the Investment Fund below $65K. The total cost of the detector and controller upgrade is to be split 50/50 between the WIYN Consortium and NOAO.

• Physical size: Approx. 60 mm on a side (10'), to match the current filter-shutter assembly.
• Format: Monolithic, or 1 X 2 array, or 2 X 2 array. If arrayed, gaps must be less than lmm (goal = 0.5mm).
• Pixel Size: 13.5 to 18.0 microns (nominal 15-microns = 0.15").
• Read Noise: Less than 9 e- (goal, 4.5 e-), for less than 3 min. readout time.
• Readout Time: Less than 2 min., for read noise less than 6.5 electrons.
• QE: Greater than 85% at 6500A.
• Flatness: Less than ± 30 microns rms over 90% of the chip. (This degree of flatness on WIYN will degrade a 0.4" image by 0.05" rms.)
• CTE: >0.999995
• Cosmetics: <10 blocked or hot columns, <20 single pixel traps, <20% rms flat-field variations outside of line and pixel defects.

RESOLUTION 1996-10: The achievement and maintenance of the limiting scientific performance of WIYN are strongly aided by the involvement of two astronomers in an active advisory capacity. The WIYN Observatory Scientist and WIYN Telescope Scientist advise the WIYN Science Advisory Committee (SAC) and the WIYN Site Manager on WIYN-related scientific, technical, and performance issues and priorities. The WIYN scientists are expected to cooperate in developing the long-term scientific vision for the WIYN observatory as input to the SAC. They will help assess the performance of WIYN as a scientific facility and make appropriate recommendations to the SAC in concert with the WIYN Site Manager for required improvement actions.

The WIYN Observatory Scientist would foster the effort to define and implement new facility instruments and major facility upgrades. The WIYN Observatory Scientist would help coordinate and expedite plans and proposals, and would work as appropriate with the scientific and technical teams on implementation. Since there will be a need for all partners to participate in planning and funding new facility instrumentation, it is most likely that the WIYN Observatory Scientist will come from the University partners.

The WIYN Telescope Scientist would monitor and assure the performance of the telescope itself and the implementation of telescope system upgrades. The WIYN Telescope Scientist would recommend scientific priorities for telescope performance and upgrade projects to the SAC, and work with the engineering teams on their implementation. Since it is the primary responsibility of NOAO to assure the telescope performance in the operations phase, the WIYN Telescope Scientist will most likely be from NOAO.

The WIYN Observatory Scientist and WIYN Telescope Scientist are appointed for one year renewable terms by approval of the SAC.

October 5, 1996

Face-to-face meeting in Indiana

RESOLUTION 1996-11: The WIYN Board authorizes the transfer of $88K from the Investment Fund into an Arizona Bank Kachina Money Market Account.

RESOLUTION 1996-12a: The WIYN Board waives the late payment penalties for Q4 FY 1996 Operations payments by Indiana University.

RESOLUTION 1996-12b: The WIYN Board waives the late payment penalties for Q4 FY 1996 Operations payments by Yale University.

RESOLUTION 1996-13: The WIYN Board authorizes the Site Manager to spend up to $38K of the Investment Fund in FY 1997 to complete the IAS.

RESOLUTION 1996-14: The WIYN Board declares that the Construction and Commissioning phases of the WIYN Telescope Project are completed, effective today, October 5, 1996.

RESOLUTION 1996-15: The slate of nominees for Officers of the WIYN Board is accepted by the Board (President: William van Altena; Secretary: Caty Pilachowski and Treasurer: Richard Durisen).

RESOLUTION 1996-16: The WIYN Site Manager, in consultation with the SAC, has the authority to spend the capital expenditures budget during the period until the next meeting of the WIYN Board.

RESOLUTION 1996-17: The WIYN Board authorizes the Site Manager to spend up to $3,000 per year on public relations out of the WIYN Corporate Expenses budget.

RESOLUTION 1996-18: The Board amends RESOLUTION 1996-9 (as adopted March 2, 1996 at Tucson, Arizona) to read as follows: "Upon the recommendation of the SAC, the Board authorizes the President to spend from the Investment Fund, for a wide-field imager system, up to $100K, provided the SAC finds that the device is acceptably close to the SAC-supplied specifications below and provided the expenditure does not draw the Investment Fund below $65K. The total cost of the detector and controller upgrade is to be split 50/50 between the WIYN Consortium and NOAO."

• Physical size: Approx. 60 mm on a side (10'), to match the current filter-shutter assembly.
• Format: Monolithic, or 1 X 2 array, or 2 X 2 array. If arrayed, gaps must be less than lmm (goal = 0.5mm).
• Pixel Size: 13.5 to 18.0 microns (nominal 15-microns = 0.15").
• Read Noise: Less than 9 e- (goal, 4.5 e-), for less than 3 min. readout time.
• Readout Time: Less than 2 min., for read noise less than 6. 5 electrons.
• QE: Greater than 85% at 6500A.
• Flatness: Less than +/- 30 microns rms over 90% of the chip. (This degree of flatness on WIYN will degrade a 0.4" image by 0.05" rms.)
• CTE: >0.999995
• Cosmetics: <10 blocked or hot columns, <20 single pixel traps, <20% rms flat-field variations outside of line and pixel defects.

RESOLUTION 1996-19: The WIYN Board approves the FY 1997 baseline Operations Plan presented by the WIYN Site Manager based on a staffing level of 6.5 FTE.

RESOLUTION 1996-20: The WIYN Board approves the execution of a plan for Observatory Improvements in FY 1997 based on additional resources allocated beyond the baseline manpower and capital, subject to scientific review and prioritization by the SAC and at a level matched to the availability of funding.

RESOLUTION 1996-21: The WIYN Board authorizes a one-time, additional assessment of $400,000 to bring the telescope performance up to the originally specified requirements. The fractional contribution of each partner will be equal to its current observing time share. Each institution's payments will be made to produce half the total in FY 1997 and the second half in FY 1998.

RESOLUTION 1996-22: The WIYN Board authorizes the WIYN Site Manager to spend up to $200,000 in FY 1997 for upgrades to telescope performance as enabled by the authorization of the one-time additional assessment in RESOLUTION 1996-21. The total project effort will be matched to the funds actually committed for the fiscal year in response to the assessment by the institutions. The plan for the expenditures will be based on recommendations of the Operational Readiness Review and subsequent operational experience. Task priorities will be approved by the SAC.

Last modified: 03-Apr-2020 14:36:14 MST