Difference between revisions of "Event:2021/05/06 Delegates"

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== NOMA ==
== NOMA ==
* proposal  https://omnicommons.org/pipermail/consensus/attachments/20210506/927398d5/attachment-0001.pdf
* proposal  https://omnicommons.org/pipermail/consensus/attachments/20210506/927398d5/attachment-0001.pdf
 
* discussion postponed due to lack of time


== collective debt ==
== collective debt ==
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* when to reactivate key cards? before opening up for events?
* when to reactivate key cards? before opening up for events?
* maryann suggests a committee
* maryann suggests a committee
* discussion postponed due to lack of time


== electrical ==
== electrical ==
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* need an accountability process
* need an accountability process
* require diversity reports & goals from member collectives?
* require diversity reports & goals from member collectives?
* discussion postponed due to lack of time


= End of Meeting =
= End of Meeting =

Revision as of 23:52, 7 May 2021

Omni Delegates' Meeting - May 6, 2021 7pm-9pm

Meeting Roles

  • Facilitator/s: Silver
  • Stacktaker:
  • Timekeeper:
  • Notetaker/s: yar, who are you other person? John Patrik


  • Next meeting's facilitator(s):

intros

  • Name, pronoun, affiliation, if you're a delegate, agenda items, access needs
  • yar she/her took a walk
  • rachel enjoyed nature
  • patrik he/him ccl, admired the scenery while stuck in traffic
  • john gws he/him, unemployment backlog = overtime
  • maryann did csc blog, called old friend
  • robb he/him fnb, stood in the sun
  • jane did yoga
  • silver did fnb @ lafayette square
  • vicky cuddles with chickens

Delegates

  • ANV: inactive
  • CCL: Patrik
  • CSC: Roberto
  • FNB: joe late but here.
  • FYE: AB
  • GWS: Rachel
  • LL: inactive
  • Sudo Room: yar
  • Sudo Mesh: none yet
  • Quorum (2/3 of active groups):

Working Group Report-Backs

Building & permits

  • no regular meetings right now
  • https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building
  • electrical repairs happening some folks said to do more of it diy, but per Yar it is best to have documented proof we upgraded electrical so we should pay a contractor for some work so we are properly documented for insurance purposes
  • another inspection tuesday 7:30! for General Liability to make sure public assembly is not dangerous, focus on large rooms. Different company, different inspector.
    • Yar: may need to ask folks hanging out on the stairs to stay away, and clean up after them. Jane will come and help with cleanup 2-3 Tuesday.
  • Michael Arent got the intake form to schedule fire inspection - needs to be filled out and submitted request for inspection please forward to building list. Forwarded.

Commons

  • meeting Mondays 6pm May 10 will be in the Disco Room.
  • https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/commons
  • silver: getting clear understanding of how to steward commons, what can and can't happen. writing clear transparent equitable model about what we're doing. not just a moneymaker - a community space.
  • next monday meeting in person (with remote options)
  • john: request from wellstone ... humanist hall are anti-vaxxers???
    • they're political though
    • arnoldo: how does that differ from allowing DSA?
  • patrik can advise on covid safety

Communications

Finance & Fundraising

  • Meetings: Tuesdays 12:00 - 1:00 pm
  • https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/finance
  • https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/fundraising
  • Robb and Yar delivered complete Self Help loan application Friday
  • CA covid grant was submitted for up to $15k
  • solidaire infrastructure grant ~$185K for kitchen submitted by Sarah
  • three collectives are behind on our policy on rent, Fin/Fun recommends that we not enforce the policy regarding membership ending, so that all three have three months starting tomorrow due to pandemic circumstances.
  • reopening discussion should start, part of the refinance process was a prospective budget, perhaps establish tentative date.
  • Robb: we started repaying mulberry again. digging into savings. $5800/month
  • ca still on track for june 15th
  • groups are talking about splitting back in 2
  • joe wants to forgive debts. Silver supports
    • sudoroom will have a gofundme soon

Member Collective Updates

What is going on with your collective? What are you working on? What have you accomplished? Any events coming up? Any difficulties you are encountering that you need help with?

ANV

  • silver is their newest employee. they are stable, do grantwriting. education in east oakland. connect the kids with omni collectives and activities!

CCL

CSC

  • still doing internal stuff. maryann's translating zapatista communiques. they're sailing to spain. jose decorated a canoe. origami. will try to raise money.

FNB

  • looking for a new vehicle. 15 May noon anniversary of bloody thursday starts at park going to haste and telegraph. Suzie Garner opening reception Saturday at 8:00 pm

FYE

  • expansion & restructuring plans going well, slowly. members doing cool stuff. akili simba curating gift shop mural, interactive art canvas @ pro arts tomorrow. berkeley popup june-august.

GWS

  • just got shipment of selma james' new book "our time is now: sex race class & caring for people and the planet"
  • almost 50th GWS anniversary
  • child tax credit

LL

  • not present

Sudo Room

  • trying our best to come back, pay debts, be something good, epoxy floor

Sudo Mesh

  • not present

Conflicts, Mediation & Safe Space

  • Updates for any ongoing issues
  • Has anybody been asked to leave? asked to leave

Other Brief Announcements

  • invite folks to pro arts tomorrow 5-10pm. music, drinks, art, fashion.

Proposals & Discussions

NOMA

collective debt

  • https://omnicommons.org/pipermail/consensus/2021-May/002482.html
    • The Finance/Fundraising working group just learned from our bookkeeper that there are 3 collectives that are more than 3 months behind in paying rent. According to the Omni Policy on Paying Rent (below), a collective loses membership after failing to pay rent for 3 months or more. Finance/Fundraising’s inclination is that the Delegates Assembly NOT take membership away from these 3 collectives due to the pandemic and all the dislocation it has caused. Rather, we think the fairest option would be for the Delegates Assembly (DA) to start the 3-month period tonight (May 6, 2021), so that the 3 collectives can make a plan to catch up on their rent. Delegates should decide whether the plan is made at the DA or with the Finance/Fundraising group to be approved by the DA.
      • OMNI POLICY ON PAYING RENT
      • A collective may find itself in financial difficulties. If a collective cannot meet its rent because of a cash-flow problem or some other glitch, it should work out the problem with the finance committee.
      • But a deeper problem may require a collective to change the terms of its lease or fiscal sponsorship. This could be a financial problem, or it could be some other issue such as the collective's use of its space. If a collective needs to change the terms of any part of its lease it must come to the Delegates' Assembly with a proposal for new terms within one month. Even if the collective is unable to pay its rent, it retains full membership in the OMNI for three months, as long as a solution to the problem is being negotiated in good faith.
      • The three-month clock starts ticking as soon as the collective comes to a Delegates' Assembly, or fails to meet the terms of its agreement, whichever comes first. It is the responsibility of a collective with a problem to bring it to the Delegates' Assembly. The delegates must prioritize finding a way to retain a current member collective.

discussion

  • maryann: the question is whether we take away peoples' membership tonight, or hold it for 3 months starting tonight. so tomorrow morning we can send notices to collectives. the policy is clear. the problem is a lot of time collectives don't contact us. policy makes it their responsibility. but stuff happens and people don't do that, and i feel like we need to go to them and take some measure to prevent them from getting into that status. also sometimes problems with quickbooks. involves checking that with bookkeeper & collective, work things out. idk if anybody will be unable to make it up. if so, we can deal with that. at least 2 of them can definitely come up with money.
    • john: i move that we adopt the recommendation and start the clock tomorrow
    • rachel: i support that. we should send the policy to all collectives. i didn't realize it until this came up.
    • maryann: this is the 2nd or 3rd time i sent it out. problem is that not everybody sees it in each collective. if the people change, it doesn't do any good to keep sending it to consensus. need to find out who's the person that pays. make sure it goes to that person.
  • joe: that means we also need to keep paying in the meantime
  • asaad: this is valid, covid has been a good reason for grace. seems harsh, not that FYE can't pay, but the approach and wordage comes off as very aggressive. in the essence of mutual aid & racial equity, putting groups' activity & history in context about why they're late, it's important to consider. if you were to take away our membership tonight, things would drastically change for omni, even though it would be valid. we take accountability for not reaching out, but we've been kind of in a rut and don't feel helped out too. it'd be cool if somebody would help us resolve this, consider efforts of collective fundraising, and reopening so we could fundraise. that's the main source of our income at omni, we've been paying out of pocket.
    • robb: the policy is if a collective hasn't paid for 3 months without contacting finance. FYE has contacted finance and has paid a few months' intermittently throughout this period. i don't think there's been a 3 months where they haven't been in context with us. FYE's been working with us. i think the other cases are communication problems also.
  • patrik in chat: There's also something about collectives needing to come to Delegates Assembly with a proposal for new terms within one month. Not clear how that interacts with the 3 month grace period
    • vicky in chat: Like the idea of collective fundraising. Been thinking about maybe doing another block bazaar AB if ppl wanna collaborate on that ;)
    • patrik in chat: What should be the process when a collective is behind on rent - who contacts them? Seems like the "contact the collective to check what is up" step has been falling between the cracks...
  • silver: echo AB, we can support each other and be caring.
    • patrik: there's also language about making a proposal for new terms within 1 month. good idea to lead with that.
  • maryann: to clarify, finfun didn't make this policy, it was set by delegates. all we're doing is just letting delegates know that there's people in violation of it and that we don't think it's appropriate to take the action. we didn't come up with that language. it's our responsibility to try and carry that policy out for the delegates and what we talked about is, under the circumstances of more than a year of restrictions, we don't feel it's really appropriate for it to be enforced. only delegates can enforce, finance can only administer on behalf of delegates. idk if you find the language in the policy aggressive... is it something i said? i had no intention of being aggressive, only to take care of people
    • asaad: with all due respect, don't feel too attacked, i don't have issue with the wordage of the policy, it's totally fair and we've tried to be accountable, i'm glad robb did bring it up, i did reach out to him. it's just the way you brought it up actually maryann. when you said "we can take away their membership tonight" you said with a smile. in the essence of supporting each other, it came off ... FYE has never received an email from finfun asking what's our rent status or offering help. all we get is incorrect invoices. then it's brought up in public spotlight. if you put the numbers in perspectives - groups doing business, sudoroom...
    • maryann is sorry, didn't single out FYE though
    • asaad: it's fine to name me or FYE, we're just not feeling supported by finfun, and it's unfair our debt is brought up so much in delegates meetings
  • silver: thanks for addressing this. we should all figure out how we can support FYE. if a collective is doing a little better, maybe contribute. collaborate on block party or something. come together in times of stress.
  • CONSENSUS on delaying process 3 months. YES: gws, ccl, fye, fnb, csc. abstain: sudo
    • roberto: reiterating that we have to be more mindful in our approach
  • robb: seems we need to amend it. automatic "3 months without us having any oblication to inform them, and then automatically making them not a collective" seems harsh. seems we should have some duty to notify them that there's a communication problem. seems sudden & abrupt
    • maryann: i agree there should be some responsibility for sending notice. we just didn't know.
    • ab: we were asked twice about whether the quickbook statements were correct, and we gave updates, but we weren't asked. silence for 3 months and then the axe drops? that's harsh.
    • maryann: you actually came to a finfun meeting and did work it out with us one time. then we had no one who was able to figure out what quickbooks was doing, so we couldn't keep up with it.
    • patrik: whose responsibility should it be?
    • maryann: first responsibility should be with collective. if you're unable to pay rent, you should say so.
    • silver: which fye did
    • maryann: i never saw the email. no one told us that. so we didn't know that.
    • robb: i brought it up verbally in finance meetings. when they made a payment they acknowledged they were late. one was 2 months late. i consider that working with us.
  • jane: i'm feeling so sad that maryann was so misinterpreted
  • jane in chat: I am so sad that AB so misinterpreted MaryAnn's proposal. MaryAnn's proposal was to amend the way that Omni had written about what to do when a collective hadn't paid their rent for 3 months. The original plan was that the Collective in arrears had to present their plan to the Delegates or be removed as a Collective. She thought that this was too harsh in this Pandemic time.

reopening

  • when to reactivate key cards? before opening up for events?
  • maryann suggests a committee
  • discussion postponed due to lack of time

electrical

  • debate on what to fix DIY and what to pay for, delegates will need to approve some money
    • Need delegates approval for up to $6000 to fix main 2 panels - "Main" and "A". Combine into one panel, facing hallway. "New panel, as big as we can fit".
  • CONSENSUS: YES (ccl, fnb, csc, fye) abstain (sudo, gws)

white supremacy

  • need an accountability process
  • require diversity reports & goals from member collectives?
  • discussion postponed due to lack of time

End of Meeting

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