Expensive advisory board for SIDN

On their business relations day last Thursday, the SIDN (.nl-registry) released more details about their yet to be established advisory board. This board would allow the different .nl-registrars to advice the SIDN regarding updates to their workings and procedures. The first thing to stand out, was the magnitude of the independent association that would be the advisory board. Especially given the relatively limited power which it has.

The advisory group would get a full secretariat and seven paid board members. The total cost is estimated at approximately € 190000 per year (1891 registrars times € 25 per quarter). Although the Advisory Board is an independent association, the costs are borne entirely by the SIDN.
This cost seems relatively high compared to the costs that other registries make to learn the opinion of their registrars. The .be-registry has an advisory committee which meets four times a year, of which the total cost is limited to sandwiches served that day. EURid also regularly meets their registrars to get their advice. Costs are slightly higher, given the travel expenses that must be made in order to do this all over Europe. But even then costs remain seemingly limited in comparison with that of the advisory board of the SIDN.

Besides the high costs, many .nl-registrars had their concerns regarding how board members would be elected. All registrars are allowed to vote on whether to establish the association itself. But there is no participation possible in choosing the seven board members that will be able to actually give their opinion to the registry.