Event:2016/02/18 Delegates Meeting

Weekly Omni Delegates' Meeting - Thursday February 18, 2016

Introductions
Introduce yourself: Name; Prefered Pronoun; Affiliation
 * yar, she/her, sudo
 * alex, he, HNJ
 * Dane, he/they, FNB
 * dane, he/they, FNB, long haul, doing front desk shift
 * albert, he/him, first time here
 * ibalu, she/her, first time here
 * maryanne, she/her, CSC, delegate
 * steve, baps, delegate
 * nikki, she/her, art bison design collective
 * laura, she/her, art bison
 * lindsey, she/they/her, art bison
 * matt, he/him, sudo delegate*
 * robb, masculine, sudo, production wg
 * sang, him/him/they, the mess, communications
 * jenny, she/her, sudo, couple of wgs
 * laura, she/her, building bloc, commons/finance/fundraising wg
 * rachel, she/her, gws delegate
 * tatille, bs delegate
 * ken, ccl delegate

Meeting Roles

 * Facilitator/s: yar & jenny
 * Explanation of hand signals: "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response"(wildcard), etc.
 * Stacktaker: sang
 * Timekeeper: alex
 * Notetaker/s: yar, jenny
 * URL of this pad: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
 * Vibe Reader: rachel
 * Next meeting's facilitator(s): see below

Delegates
last two meetings:
 * https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2016/01/21_Delegates_Meeting
 * https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2016/02/04_Delegates_Meeting

today:
 * BAPS: steve (inactive)
 * BH: active, not here
 * BS: tatille
 * CCL: ken
 * CSC: maryanne
 * FNB: joe (remote)
 * GWS: rachel
 * LL: Liz (remote)
 * Mess: sang
 * MPM: active
 * Sudo: matt
 * TIL: inactive because they're not here
 * Quorum: 10 active, 2 inactive, 8 here. 8/10 = quorum

Announcements

 * Kitchen(s) cleanup Sat 2/20 @ noon
 * Mess Sketch rescheuling their show, so inquire at omnicommons.org/occupy for disco room / ballroom event rental
 * sudo room is applying for 501c3 -- need to raise $400 to submit the app!
 * if you know anyone who wants 501c3 fiscal sponsorship, omni wants to sponsor you! we need to pad our books with more charitable income :P
 * Love Party last Saturday raised $1,200 for the Omni
 * Omni Commons Update on Kickstarter looks great- very complete. Nice Work

Bans

 * nope!

Building & permits
Meetings: Mondays at 8pm
 * This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building
 * volunteer needs:
 * work on the south wall - painting, priming, mudding
 * drywall in the wheelchair bathroom
 * rat abatement! patch all the holes!
 * alex: mix ghost pepper hot sauce with grout and construct the walls with that
 * steve: scatter moth balls
 * yar: patch holes.
 * Live demonsration tonight: installing a panic bar -- after the meeting, whooohooo!!!
 * sunday work party! 12pm until we collapse
 * piece of glass for missing slat
 * Tdownstairs kitchen - replacing shattuck wall

Building Bloc

 * meeting this Saturday 4pm! Send new people!

Commons
Meetings: 2nd and 4th thursdays at 7pm
 * laura: big birthday party saturday. lots more requests coming in. we really need that event money. really need more people to help with those.
 * strike at UC berkeley, more people are boycotting and coming here

Communications

 * sang is working on an announce email
 * jenny sent an update to indiegogo. please help with communicating with donors and implementing perks.
 * yar wants more people to join email lists. takin names

Mediation

 * RJ circles?
 * Julio, Juls, and Joe have proposed and sent out invites to FNB folk for March 6 circle to discuss values and guidelines as a preparation/prequel to the R.W. discussion.

Finance
Meetings: First and Third Thursdays at 6pm
 * we really need all collectives to pay using bank transfers - we would save $5k/year. who will volunteer to coordinate doing this?
 * got zoning clearance
 * working on getting business license, might have to pay taxes for now and get refunded later. might only be ~2k. who can loan it? need this for mortgage app.
 * bookkeepers finished profit & loss for 2014 & 2015. actually in the black for 2015!!
 * new rent breakdown
 * need help from people to do bookkeeping
 * people to help do taxes

Fundraising
Meetings: Mondays at 6:30pm
 * need people to write grants
 * researching more interesting ways to get money
 * outreach materials to make pitching omni easier - fliers, brochures
 * remaining mortgage todos:
 * creating & improving our financial docs. pro formas, projected budgets
 * improving rent roll (in process - proposed to delegates)
 * compiling necessary documentation - some things we still need to get
 * letters of support from neighbors & BID
 * have a professional to look over app
 * reinstating use permits. important missing pieces:
 * structural inspection from past 3 years
 * laundry list of other things
 * more comprehensive updated floorplans (fire inspection also needs that)
 * demonstrate continuous historical use of building - jenny & DK working on it (avoids $8k fee)
 * DK already scanned & annotated newspapers going back to 1934
 * do legwork, knock on doors. get letters of support from neighbors & nearby people & entities. will really help with mortgage. low barrier to entry. everyone should be doing this! will you write a letter on your letterhead for omni?
 * steve works w/jericho project on sunday afternoons. they're developing a prospective to doing neighborhood organizing in this neighborhood. if you have a piece of literature about omni, we can take it along
 * robb wants to organize a neighborhood potluck, needs help
 * update outreach flyer - talk to jenny
 * just met with UC berkeley business law practicum students. they can help with stuff. redrafting contracts, etc. researching use permitting. lots of things you can help with. email legal@omnicommons.org if you wanna be involved whatsoever
 * troll silicon valley, beg from your corporate friends. reach out to hackathon types. $$$$$$$

Proposal: Rent Roll / Rate Change
Finance / Fundraising working groups propose we adopt the following rent accounting process, where individual operating costs are explicitly and transparently listed, divided appropriately, then compiled for each collective into a round monthly rent that does not fluctuate with minor changes in costs (e.g. we all get a fixed utilities payment, pro-rated based on each group's contributions, rather than a large even split calculated every month based on whatever our bill says):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O8nDyJsiMzCanXFyllUUrjG5ergodGnJVkWljew6-eA/edit#gid=0

discussion

 * matt explains. it just makes more sense. easier to understand what's going on.
 * rachel: gws haven't discussed the amount in our group
 * yar: if we're consenting to this spreadsheet, does finance wg still have authority to change this?
 * matt: utilities would self modify
 * but if the percent discount would change in the future, it has to go to the delegates first
 * jenny: all these groups agreed to pay 50-70/month. why'd you give them utilities discounts?
 * just weird, they said they'd donate. why change that to 36?
 * laura explains: over the course of the year, let's say CCL's share has worked out to be ~500. Instead of paying as variable amount as bills are received, they will pay the same amount averaged/prorated over the year. instead of paying different amounts each month, they just pay a stable rate throughout the year with an annual adjustment if the amount is under or over from the actual. makes it easier for everyone to plan & budget.
 * ken: might not tho based on what i've heard.
 * talk about GWS' amount
 * jenny: i think we should vote on this as it is now, pending amendments that people bring forward, and we at least approve of this one now for march 1.
 * reworded proposal: accept this for march 1, revisit at next meeting, and finance wg has authority to make minor changes
 * consenting: tatille, ken, sang, rachel, maryanne. abstaining: matt

t-shirts

 * OH MY GOD art bison could help with them!

Discussion: Decision Process / Feedback Session with Mitar
TABLED

March 3 meeting time

 * angela davis is speaking here 4-7
 * we may start late
 * rachel & robb have volunteered to facilitate

HNJ

 * we talked about insurance, nobody's particularly keen on signing their name for it, or if we can pay for it, happy to keep meeting here, but wondering how buying the building is going
 * could we form a housing wg as an option for using the closet?
 * we already agreed you could have the closet, just need to make the lock & keys

chandelier

 * robb; someone from production wg wants to put a giant chandelier in entrance hall
 * ken: will utilities go up?
 * yar: maybe but that room needs lighting
 * probably would need an electrical permit
 * yeah, you need to go downtown and tack it on

meeting closed at 8:40! yay!