Event:2016/01/07 Delegates Meeting

Omni Delegates' Meeting - January 7, 2016

Meeting Roles

 * Facilitator/s: Matt & (Rachel/Lori)
 * Explanation of hand signals: "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response"(wildcard), etc.
 * Stacktaker: alex
 * Timekeeper: emji
 * Notetaker/s: yar
 * URL of this pad: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
 * Vibe Reader:
 * Next weeks facilitator(s): yar

Delegates

 * BAPS: inactive, nobody here
 * BH: active but not here
 * BS: tatille
 * CCL: active if they show up, nobody here
 * CSC: active if they show up, nobody here
 * FNB: joe
 * GWS: lori
 * MPM: inactive
 * LL: liz
 * Sudo: matt & yar
 * TIL: emji (inactive)
 * Quorum: 4 of 8 active collectives. no quorum

Introductions
Introduce yourself: Name; Prefered Pronoun; Affiliation; reflections on the passage of time
 * yar, sudo; time marches on
 * emji, TIL; i'd like to be able to slow down
 * dane, long haul; trying to start a zine collective to take part in Omni;
 * joe, food not bombs, building wg; it's the only thing that's always on time
 * laura, working groups; life is short, you never know when it's gonna end so make the most of it
 * matt g, finance wg; idk
 * matt s, sudo, fundraising; i hadn't read that one
 * robb, sudo, fnb; just a figment of our imagination, relative to electromagnetics. want to start a production collective
 * spencer, the mess; as the frog said, time's fun when you're having flies
 * sang, the mess
 * renee, the mess; somethign about slipping
 * lori, gws; moving too fast
 * tatille, buried seeds; makes me nervous & excited
 * alex, hnj; time is a snake eating its tail
 * julio, sudo, wgs; time is never enough
 * remote-jenny, sudo, wgs, she/her
 * liz, ll; it keeps going
 * robin, hnj

Announcements

 * joe: has rec'd messages and heard form other channels that the new director of the Temsecal BID is cool and wants to meet with us.
 * Laura: Jenny was in contac anad had asked who wanted to attend a eeting with her. I will ask her in the chat.
 * Remote-Jenny: no, thanks for the reminder, my reply to them has been sitting in drafts while I was waiting to see who else might wanna join
 * Laura: I think you can go ahead and schedule it with the people who have expressed and interest and including Joe.
 * This Saturday, 7pm, Memorial for Goto, a comrade from Spain who spent some itme here and was killed in a car crash on Hwy 101 in November
 * TIL & SALTA dance performance at Lobot in west oakland
 * Sunday 3-5 omni community building circle. getting people to feel more included, safer, more empowered to be part of omni on an equal opportunity pitch-in and get things done kind of basis, with help of Julie from Berkeley RJC

Building & permits
Meetings: Mondays at 6:30pm
 * This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building
 * lost the south wall moulding, so can't rehang the plywood. where is it? will finish upper & lower wall.
 * who can show up? matt & yar

Buy the Building
Meetings: Mondays at 5pm
 * waiting on response from millionaire friend. dunno what's going on. applying for mortgage with credit union in the meantime.
 * emji asks about timeframe for buying the building
 * ASAP. hope to apply mid-january
 * and how that'll effect overhead costs - utilities, insurance, etc
 * matt: we get to figure that out... weren't planning on charging people more
 * laura: asking about collectives expenses? utilities will stay the same. once we own building we can get different insurance.
 * we need grant-writers!

Commons
Meetings: Second and Fourth Thursdays at 7pm
 * This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/commons
 * julio: we need more people. Describes the preview of the commons working group; rent ballroom, entrance hall & other commons space
 * emji wants to know how to have events

Communications / Sysadmins
Meetings: Currently virtual and asynchronous.
 * we're letting domains expire because money

Finance
Meetings: Currently virtual and asynchronous.
 * just happened a few minutes ago
 * laura & the matts just met with bookkeepers finishing up 501c3 app. concerned w/ our "abysmal income level".
 * this month we only made rent because an individual loaned 10k. irregular expenses came up too.
 * fundraisers moved us to quickbooks and got us almost together so we can just export data, and walk into a credit union
 * meeting next tuesday on this
 * no regular meeting times but email finance@omnicommons.org

Homes Not Jails Membership Proposal
https://omnicommons.org/pipermail/consensus/2015-October/000703.html

Hi, Omni! We are East Bay Homes Not Jails. We are a newly formed collective based out of the East Bay and we are looking to join the Omni Commons. We’d like to thank you for allowing us use of your space. We’ve enjoyed our time here and we’d really like to become a more integral part of the Omni community!

1. Mission statement - What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences)

Homes Not Jails is a consensus-based collective of squatters and squat supporters who believe housing is a human right. Our goal is to open as much vacant housing as possible and to keep it open as long as possible. HNJ is a place to organize mutual aid amongst squatters and squat supporters and housing rights advocates in the Bay. We actively fight to make our space inclusive and safe for everybody and combat oppression in all forms.

2. Origin and group history - How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences)

East Bay Homes Not Jails is a new chapter of HNJ formed by people who live in Oakland and have been active in other HNJ chapters in the past. Many of us have worked on projects and/or lived in squats together for many years.

3. Participation in the Omni - Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences)

We are interested in basing our group out of a radical space in Oakland that is also open to the public. We intend to find a space for open group meetings. Homes Not Jails intends to support existing mutual aid networks as well as create our own networks.

What we need from the Omni is a space for open, weekly meetings as well as storage space for our tools and 24-hour access to them.

4. Group finances and paying rent - What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences)

Homes Not Jails aims to be self-sufficient and exist outside the capitalist system as much as possible. We are fundamentally opposed to paying rent. As a group, we have operated on less than $30 per year and we raise money for supplies with minimal fundraisers.

However, Homes Not Jails is a group that seeks to provide housing through networks of mutual aid. While we cannot contribute monetarily to the Omni, in keeping with principles of mutual aid, we would like to provide support to the space and the surrounding community in other ways. We are open to suggestions from Omni members on how we can best contribute to the space.

5. Dedicated space - If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences)

We need space for weekly, open, public meetings for five to twenty people, and dedicated, secure storage space for tools about the size of a fridge or two.

6. Other contributions to the Omni - This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group? (less than 5 sentences)

We would love to support the Omni in a variety of ways: we can offer squatting & tenants rights skill shares, participate in workdays, help staff events, and provide general community support. Perhaps most importantly, we as a collective of squatters and squat supporters understand the struggle to keep radical spaces and homes open in the bay amidst widespread gentrification. We can help provide support to the Omni as a whole by helping keep Omni members housed in their communities so they can continue to contribute to the space.

discussion

 * laura: last time some collectives still needed to discuss
 * Yar: Sudo agrees to HNJ being a member collective wiith key card access and closet as long as the issue of how they will get insurance is solved, and they committ to task around the building. Our landlord requires every member collective to have insurance. If HNJ cant pay for insurance then we have to figure out how it can get paid for.
 * can hnj commit to participating in omni working groups?
 * both nod yes. building or commons. need to bring it to the meeting, but i can see us helping out with both.
 * state farm is gonna ask them what kind of insurance they need.
 * emji: just say it's for storage, or an office.
 * it's liability insurance.
 * matt: is hnj able to figure out how to pay the insurance somehow?
 * robin: we can't say affirmatively because we're consensus-based
 * emji: how do you get insurance when you're not incorporated?
 * laura: you can do it. you just say "we're an unincorporated association"
 * yar: what if omni took out a policy on its own closet?
 * matt: lease says each member collective needs to have $1M liability towards its participation.
 * proposal: "we accept hnj as a member collective when they present an insurance certificate and give a clear statement about their participation in omni maintenance activities. in the meantime we can start preparing the closet for use, and create keycards."
 * delegates consenting: joe, yar, lori. abstaining: tatille, liz.
 * 5*2/3 = 5.3. rounding down, that's quorum? we think? YAY HNJ IS A COLLECTIVE
 * APPLAUSE! our new MC with an asterisk
 * joe: this may be the most legitimate thing you've ever done
 * yar: depends on your definition of legitimate

lease excerpt
From the leaase: Carried by Tenant. Tenant shall obtain and keep in force a Commercial General Liability policy of insurance protecting Tenant and Landlord as an additional insured against claims for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage based upon or arising out of the ownership, use, occupancy or maintenance of the Premises and all areas appurtenant thereto. Such insurance shall be on an occurrence basis providing single limit coverage in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence with an annual aggregate of not less than $2,000,000. Tenant shall add Landlord as an additional insured by means of an endorsement at least as broad as the Insurance Service Organization's "Additional Insured-Managers or Landlords of Premises" Endorsement. The policy shall not contain any intra-insured exclusions as between insured persons or organizations, but shall include coverage for liability assumed under this Lease as an "insured contract" for the performance of Tenant's indemnity obligations under this Lease. The limits of said insurance shall not, however, limit the liability of Tenant nor relieve Tenant of any obligation hereunder. Tenant shall provide an endorsement on its liability policy(ies) which provides that its insurance shall be primary to and not contributory with any similar insurance carried by Landlord, whose insurance shall be considered excess insurance only.

Tenant and each member entity must be covered by a policy as described above.

how are new groups incorporated?

 * buried seeds is in process of becomign a B corporation
 * GWS is an unincorporated association.
 * TIL is an LLC with 501c3 status through intersection for the arts
 * MPM is an unincorporated association with 501c3 through IftA
 * HNJ does not exist legally (unincorporated association)
 * where's birdhouse? let's call sadie

=Mess Sketch Comedy Troup Application=

1. Mission Statement

THE MESS is a theatre troupe and collective of writers, dancers, singers, actors, and mischiefmakers who are out to do comedy that is a reflection of the Bay Area’s diverse culture.

2. Origin and Group History

THE MESS is a sketch comedy troupe based in California's East Bay with writers, dancers, singers, actors, and mischief makers from all over the globe. In Fall 2011, Renée LeVesque and a group of theatre folks began hosting a weekly pirate radio show on Radio Valencia in San Francisco. What they quickly discovered is that doing live action theatre was their real passion. They began asking the question, what if instead of trying to convince a big theatre to do a show we liked, we just did our own show with people whose work we enjoyed? What if we cast people who were not only great actors, but willing to take risks and perform parts they normally wouldn’t get cast for? What if we created a room for comedy writers that was welcoming, where they could collaborate on scripts rather than compete for stage time? The group rented space for trade at Chez Poulet, a warehouse in San Francisco’s mission district. They rehearsed, pooled their resources, and on Valentine’s Day 2012 put on their very first show at Stage Werx SF.

As of 2015, the group has moved to the East Bay, expanded its troupe to include over 30 performers, directors, writers, and designers. Each show is a collective effort with each member contributing to the performance from its creation to final bow. Everyone works, everyone participates, everyone has a seat at the comedy table with a focus on performances that celebrate the Bay Area’s diversity, and create immersive comedic experiences with a lean toward the theatrical.

3. How would you participate in and contribute to the Omni?

THE MESS would like to be the house performance troupe at The Omni Commons. To us that would mean participating in open houses, community outreach and any other collective activity that The Omni hosts. We would also have representatives participate in improving/repairing the Ballroom Space, the Disco Room, and helping to maintain the other common spaces. THE MESS would also host workshops, classes, and performances at The Omni to increase interest and appreciation for the space itself and for the collectives that call the Omni home.

4. How does your collective support itself financially? What would you be able to afford in rent?

THE MESS sells tickets to each show at the rate of $15 plus (sliding scale). Our ticket sales average 40-60 people per performance. We plan to use ticket sale revenue to help the Omni with its expenses. A tpresent, we can afford $300 per month total plus a share of the common expenses such as utilities. If we are able to increase programing in 2016 (shows, workshops, etc.), we would be able to discuss contributing more.

5. What are your space needs, especially for dedicated (locked or not shared) space?

Ideally, we would like to steward, share and help improve and maintain the Disco Room. Essentially, our typical needs are average 3 to 4 nights a week in the evenings from approximately 6PM to 10PM.

In addition, we would volunteer to help coordinate the calendar for other events that the Collective, Delegates and Commons wish to hold in the Disco room. Improvements, we would like to build include a locked cabinet (approx. 8 feet x 8 feet) in the Disco Room to store equipment, props, and costumes.

Any other improvements we can help assist to support the Omni in renting out the space to other groups in the community.

6. Statement of Solidarity

We, The Mess agree and are committed to the Omni Collective’s shared political vision of more equitable communing of resources and meeting human needs over private interests or corporate profit. If accepted as a member collective, we promise to adhere to the Collectives’ solidarity and anti-capitalist political perspective. The Mess has always and will continue to practice openness, diversity and community through the arts and in general practice.

7. Additional Information https://www.facebook.com/EastBayMess/?fref=ts http://sketchmess.com

mess.sketch@gmail.com Renée LeVesque - Rabble Rouser - rmlevesque@gmail.com - Cell: 951.533.0508 Spencer Bainbridge - Head Writer Sang S. Kim - Production Manager

discussion

 * renee intros the mess, what they do.
 * been performing at firehouse but now can't. looking for temporary / semi-permanent home for their comedy members. 35 strong, bigger than average sketch group. original writing team. directers. 15 local actors. sell tickets. all money goes to renting space.
 * rene is lead cat herder
 * sang helps with rpoduction. also other person whose name i missed.
 * we'd love to make magic happen in this ballroom
 * it's a collaborative. when cops show up i talk to them, then sang talks to them, then spencer gets all the actors out of there. everybody works together to create. a giant finger painting.
 * 3-4 shows/year
 * do you have a legal entity? how do you make decisions?
 * just a group. Unincorporated Association. (like everyone else! word of the day)
 * we get together and vote to solve problems & conflicts
 * haven't had a lot of problems. we do theater.
 * would you say you're consensus driven?
 * sort of, i would say. mostly people don't have opinions. we all agree the end product is a live performance show that everyone has a part in. if people object, we hear them out and keep talking.
 * not everybody gets what they want. that's how compromise works
 * do you do 3-4 nights of rehearsals even when you're not in production?
 * in writing mode, 2 nights /week. in rehearsals, 7 nights/week for 3 weeks + a tech week + the performances. so depends what part of process we're in.
 * would those 7 nights/week be in disco room? they hope so. but they're flexible. they hope for the disco room because they're loud.
 * they don't go past 10. folks need to take bart, have day jobs.
 * rob: have you considered the basement?
 * folks told them it was loud down there... wouldn't be opposed though
 * emji: i thinik more activity would be great. why did you have to leave firehouse?
 * they got a C&D. needed to stop having loud perfromances. everybody had to stop using it.
 * how much money?
 * with tickets and utilities, we're hoping to do 500 total. see how that splits between utilities & rent. if we do more shows we can change that.
 * yar: how much dedicated space do you need? would you be disappearing after each event?
 * they're flexible. they'd love to build a place to lock up their stuff here. during tech week and performances things would get more dicey. but they plan their calendar a year in advance. everyone would know.
 * tech week? 5-7 days before opening, when everybody (actors, directors, writers, lighting, sound, musicians) come together and do show from top to bottom. getting setpieces, costumes, props together.
 * they feel their humor is in line with statment of solidarity. in their last show they had 2 different sketches about newspapers editors. you think their sexism is gonna be the joke but then it's about twitter and the chief is a hero for promoting the twitter person because newspapers are forever. turns the lens in a weird way.
 * also a sketch about a strip joint where they're paying for sustained eye contact and compliments because that's how bad things have gotten
 * no low hanging fruit, dick jokes, don't let women just be the secretary. not typical SNL style yuks. we have opportunity to take people to task and show people what's going on.
 * we're very diverse, people are creating everything on a show by show basis
 * joe: have you ever had to ask people not to come back to your troupe?
 * rene: yes. 3 people who are no longer with us. i've always had to be the one to have that conversation.
 * sang: just 3 in the past 4 years
 * they still come back to see the shows
 * if commons wg needed the space could you move?
 * if early in process, that'd be easy. if in tech week or productions, that'd be really hard
 * they'd make their calendar way way in advance
 * they've fallen love with the disco room. seems like a really good fit for us. we can help run the schedule and facilitate other groups using it.
 * robb: it's usually just a one-time event
 * oh yeah, that'd be fine, great
 * they have a lot of people power, interested in going to commons wg. been to delegates last week. already things important to omni are important to us (on a much smaller scale)
 * they're good with work days! saturdays are good :) pizza & beer goes a long way with that group
 * yar: do you see any improvements you'd like to make to the disco room? :)
 * really want to fix a piece of tile so people don't trip over it. could grab a caulking gun...
 * excited to give it love. cleaning, paint. hang mirrors.
 * insurance?
 * mostly on performance basis, but having heard the conversation... shouldn't be too hard for us to investigate and make sure we present certificate
 * they've got it through venues before
 * so what makes the leap - you want to rent space vs be a part of a collective?
 * easiest - work with commons wg. calendar. paperwork. sang is very familiar with this.
 * friends with a lot of different performance arts groups in the bay area. shortage of amazing spaces. this is one of the most beautiful ones i've seen in quite a while. great way to have people & performance you'd love to see yourself as an audience member... checking in with people is the easiest way (yar is taking terrible notes, i'm sorry)
 * we're really invested in the east bay. SF was nice but Eb feels more like family, home. art isn't like other places. need a touch point to make art, bring in people, showcase some of the best writing, acting, directing... instead of crossing the bridge & pay $35 to see some bullshit. this building's vibe is good, you don't get that as a scrappy group of nerds trying to bring your vibe to other spaces. seems liek a great spot, good people doing awesome things, a place we can use theater skills we have to help other people make art
 * joe: you've done classes & workshops?
 * yes! and with kids! not through the mess but individually. most actors are teachers.
 * how do i join?
 * just show up!
 * their mailing list is being built as we speak
 * they do auditions, interview directors
 * yar: suppose the membership process were to stall, are you interested in starting working with omni in the meantime?
 * oh yeah!
 * they can come to commons wg anytime

= Production Collective via Robb = [put proposal here]

discussion

 * robb submitted it to consensus. basically it'd assist the work of putting on production events that come to omni. we often need lighting, sound, etc for different groups renting ballroom, disco room, entrance ahll. wanna start curriculum, teach how to do those things. basically support omni in that way. providing it as a service to commons wg.
 * joe: how to build money into contract?
 * robb: we'd have directors & interns. interns would do smaller events for free or tips. directors would do large events that require professional level, they'd use that time to teach interns. they'd contract directly with event coordinators.
 * matt: how many members now?
 * robb: 6/7/8
 * yar: how often do they meet?
 * robb: weekly on tuesdays 6-7. we basically just agreed on nuts & bolts of organizing. that took some time.
 * yar: how far can you take this without delegate approval? when do you need that?
 * robb: it's difficult to get real skills involved without somethign structured. don't wanna waste your time. all pretty excited about creating an open source curriculum. documentation, open source videos, etc. most of the guys doing this are kinda older guys...
 * yar: so it's mostly guys?
 * robb: no, sorry... individuals
 * laura: what if you were the production working group?
 * robb: i can't answer that... we've been focused on what everyone else does.
 * laura: easier IMO to consense on making you a working group than a collective. if you don't think having that extra responsibility of having a collective is something you wanna deal with, maybe we could just sanction you as a wg...
 * robb: we can discuss that. we can see. seems like a good idea. easiest way to get moving with it.
 * collectives need insurance, etc
 * joe: concerned with having two tiers / levels of production capability. let's say somebody wants to do a big event. what happens if they say "we don't wanna use them ... this guy costs too much..." what do you end up with? this whole thying of two levels of service is on my mind. will there be resentment? will they end up with people not as good? what does that do for our reputation?
 * hopefully we'll have created documentation on how to do it yourself.
 * laura: we kinda already have that. if people wanna use the big sound system they have to pay somebody who's trained
 * robb; and if you haven't been trained, we'll limit the hardware you can use. meyers needs experience.
 * matt: are you interested in doing work exclusively at omni or beyond also? outdoor events for example?
 * yes in that we agreed we want to support protests with amplification, lighting, signs, stuff like that. haven't discussed commercial stage stuff. not really where we're going. trying to stay educational to support hte omni. at this point that's the almost-overwhelming task.
 * do you want to be independent from omni?
 * even as a working group we're trying to collaborate with other groups
 * they're all focosed on keeping omni afloat. get good events here. want buy-in from omni. focus on getting east bay radical fundraisers successful and support protests.
 * laura: can someone put proposal on pad?
 * yar: to clarify, you're not required to pay for any of this labor to have an event. what happened was volunteers became scarce, burned out, and started asking for money. find someone trained and willing to work for free, and you're home free. but that scarcity is where this is coming from, right?
 * robb: i'm a deadhead. it's in my blood to wanna see performance on a regular basis. now i don't have to go somewhere, it gets tiring. this is the answer to my prayers.
 * emji: i've been trained on meyers from TIL. would i have to go through you guys to use it?
 * robb: it's 20k, nobody should use it who isn't trained...
 * but they've been trained. would you be hosting regular free trainings for collective members to be able to do what they do?
 * oh yeah, absolutely, open sourcing everything to teach. don't even have to come to a workshop. gonna be some tutorial or video. we're hoping we're just helping small groups, and then when big events come... they expect a level of proficiency and we haven't been able to give it so far. obvious we're not doing our due diligence on providing infrastructure. never had lights yet. sound is always way below par. we don't have stage monitors. sounds like youre' underwater when so many humans are in here.
 * robb: they just want to feel like they're part of the community before committing to a bunch of time to create this curriculum. they feel 9 years of experience, he just kinda wants something in return. to be a member. to have access to space, to feel like they're on board with everything, not just an outside person who comes to slave and then leave and get kicked out. even just having key cards might satisfy them to feel a part of the community. hasn't been an issue, haven't thought of alternatives. also, i hope they don't shoot me but... i think we'd be willing to go for a trial period, maybe even not be a member collective but act as one for a while. do events in the meantime. should have an out. events are part fo what we do. want a healthy cash cow for east bay radicals.

To promote effective fundraising events for the East Bay Radical Community and beyond, Omni Production Collective (or can be referred to as OPC) submits this proposal. Purpose: Establish an open source curriculum (hereinafter, "curriculum") for the many skills/services involved in facilitating an effective fundraising event: Sound Lights Security Web design Poster/flyer design & distribution Video streaming Promotion and publicity Stage/set design and art direction Teach curriculum to members of production collective & share with netizens abroad Provisions: Have appropriate space designated @ the omni Become omni member collective Receive operational support from the omni (cleaning supplies, infrastructure improvements, lightbulbs, etc) Fiscal sponsorship from the omni oakland commons Offerings: Provide above stated skills/services to the omni in exchange for above stated provisions Structure: Directors are key holders w/access to the building Directors are responsible for creating and disseminating the curriculum to interns Interns have access to the building when accompanied by a production director Students shall be referred to as interns until approved as directors Stipend: Directors will be compensated by Event oordinators according to contractual agreements

= Front Door Shifts = via Jenny 11/13:

In order to create a welcoming atmosphere at the Omni, it's imperative that we regularly have someone staffing the front desk. Each member collective must have at least 1 member holding down a minimum 4-hour front desk shift per week. Collectives with more than 20 members should have a proportional representation at the front desk (eg; sudo, with ~60 members, should hold down 3 shifts/week).
 * Visit https://omnicommons.org/frontdesk to sign up for a shift.
 * Front desk protocol (feel free to add/edit): https://omnicommons.org/wiki/frontdesk
 * Talk to Jenny, Robb or Matt if you're interested in helping with the buildout of a proper front desk area in December! We're hoping to have it ready by the new year.

discussion

 * TIL doesn't have the human power...
 * just do as much as you can!
 * laura's been doing it almost every wednesday since we started it
 * robb: less risky than it used to be. things have mellowed out here.

= MPM check-in =
 * emji: MPM is struggling. jenny asked about us signing a lease, which we didn't ever do i guess. but we're not always on it with things like that. meeting sunday to see if someone's willing to sign the lease or if a few people are. we're not incorporated so that's preventing people from doing it. also we'd need insurance, currently TIL's paying it. have to talk about whether we can do it. we've been making base rent but not the utilities. utilities are same as our rent for the past year and half and we can't keep doing it. might request a lowering of some kind. just letting you all know.
 * joe: do you feel you're getting good use out of the space?
 * yes but the main people doing it are really exhausted & burnt out right now
 * laura: there's not much risk to signing sublease. just wanna be clear, somebody has to sign sublease or you won't be able to stay
 * yeah but we need time
 * yar: what do you need from rest of community? how can we help?
 * need reduction of utilities. need more members. need to do a fundraiser
 * robb: yes!
 * applied for grants, but those won't come in until march
 * laura: there's a grant for "artplace" - using art & cultture to build community in specific places. omni has a good chance of getting it. especially if we have several arts orgs here collaborating on writing a big grant might be good. deadline in march.
 * can't afford to pay 8% overhead for fiscal sponsor because all money is going to omni. need a one-time donation. not enough energy to cover that. they're just tired.
 * matt: also some loans based on social capital dot dot dot