Difference between revisions of "Welcome to the Omni Commons"

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=Omni Collective=
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What if one of the largest community centers and venue spaces in the Bay Area was run by a volunteer collective where everybody is a leader, where people give what they can and take what they need? We are trying to do just that, at the Omni Commons.
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==Overview==
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A Collective of Collectives in Oakland, California. See [[Founding Document]] for governance.
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''From Latin omni-, "all, every, the whole, of every kind,"''
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OMNI Oakland Collective is comprised of several Bay Area collectives. Its express purpose is to build consensus among member collectives with minimal possible bureaucracy for the administration of a common space and sharing of resources for the use and stewardship of the greater community.
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= Who's in Charge? =
Everybody! Members of our 11 collectives make decisions together using consensus - they're called "Delegate Meetings" because every group is supposed to send at least one person. '''Meetings are at 7pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month''', and open to all!


The point of the OMNI Oakland Collective is NOT to function as any sort of governing body for the groups involved in any general sense. There are no senators. Its only and sole point is to administer the space, pay bills, make group decisions about the shared space, resolve any conflicts between the groups in the space, interface with the state, banks, authorities, etc. Logistics and bureaucracy: That's it.
To make meetings shorter, our delegates have created [[Working_Groups|working groups]] to do much of the work of running Omni Commons.


* What kind of groups? Mainly:
== About Omni Commons ==
** Non-profit
* [[Orientation: What is this place%3F]]
** Volunteer-led
* [[Omni History]]
** Donation-based
* [[Working Groups]]
** Offer value to the public for free or sliding scale


* What core values do groups share?
== Organizational Structure ==
** Fostering radical discourse and education
* Our [[Founding Document]] (including a statement of solidarity)
** Maintaining an active, publicly accessible commons
* [[Safer Space Policy]]
** Providing a venue for innovative cultural production
* [[Conflict Resolution Policy]]
** Striving for social, economic & environmental justice
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** Standing in solidarity with all oppressed people
** Cultures of consent, against rape, violence & exploitation
** The survival & thrival of our communities and neighborhoods


===OMNI Oakland Collective Processes and Structure===
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* Meetings
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** Times and Location
*** 1st, 2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month at 2141 Broadway
*** 6:30pm for newcomers
*** 7:00pm for delegates (open to all)


* Governance
= How To Participate =
** Structure:
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*** See our foundational document here:  [//https://sudoroom.org/wiki/The_Omni/2014-04-03#Ratifying_Our_Foundational_Document Our Foundational Document]
** Articles of Incorporation
** Bylaws


==The Collectives==
We love new people! There are many ways to get involved:
* [[Sudo Room]]
* [[Bay Area Public School]]
* [[Timeless, Infinite Light]]
* [[Live Space]]
* [[HackerSpa]]
* [[Counter Culture Labs]]
* [[La Commune Cafe and Bookstore]]
* [[Oakland Nights Live]]
* [[Food Not Bombs]]
* [[Creative Empowerment Project]]
* [[As-Yet-Unnamed Celluloid Film Processing Lab]]


==The Building==
* Join a [[Collectives|member collective]]
* It's a 22,000 sq ft building, built as a meeting hall for the Ligure Club in 1933, on Shattuck and 48th.  After decades serving as a social hub for members of the Oakland Scavengers club, appropriately enough, a garbage collecting collective, it was transformed into the Omni, a music venue featuring mostly heavy metal and rock that provides the namesake for this project.
* Join a [[Working_Groups|working group]]
** [[Images and Floor Plans]]
* Come to an event on our [https://omnicommons.org/calendar/ calendar]
* Use the space for [https://omnicommons.org/blog/request/ your own event or meeting]
* [[Responsibilibuddy|Help out]] with somebody else's event
* Join a [[Mailing_Lists|mailing list]]
* Come to a general omni meeting (1st & 3rd thursdays, 7pm)
* Buy us toilet paper or take out the [[Trash|trash]]. No,seriously.
* Help us [[Omni-readiness|work on the building]] to make it safer and more accessible
* Here is a list of [[ToFix|outstanding issues]] in the building which need skilled labor
* Read our history of [[Meetings|meeting notes]] going back to 2013
* If you're an existing group or organization interested in joining Omni as a formal member collective, [[Join|submit a proposal]] to the delegates!


===Space Features===
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* a appx 4,000 sq ft, 2 story ballroom / event space with mezzanine
* an industrial kitchen & walk-in freezer (needs fixing up)
* a massive back room with capacity for vertical expansion
* 55'-ish ceilings
* massive basement with windows above street level (currently blacked out)
* a separate room that used to function as a disco (with lighted floor)
* a warren of odd little rooms, a stage, lots of bathrooms, skylights throughout
===Price/Sq Ft===
===Distribution of Space===
====Tentative Distribution of Space (Not final, will likely change!)====
** Sudo Room: Half bocce call court room
** BAPS: mobile units - based out of a balcony room in the ballroom, having classes in unused space around the building as needed
** Timless, Infinite Light: 2nd floor, Balcony room above bar, on corner of Shattuck / 48th (NE corner)
** HackerSpa Wellness Center: Cluster of rooms between bar and bocce ball court room
** Counter Culture Labs: Half bocce ball court room
** Food Not Bombs: Shares basement industrial kitchen & food storage area with cafe-bookstore, hopefully serve food too upstairs to the community - either in the cafe, or the ballroom, etc
** La Commune Cafe & Bookstore: Bar area
** Live Space: Disco room in back (NW corner)
** Oakland Nights Live: Uses ballroom area for performances, some storage in the building somewhere
** Celluloid Processing Labs: Part of the basement 
** Creative Empowerment Project: Part of basement (screenprinting gear)


====Use of Shared / Common Space====
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** Schedule-able shared spaces around the building
** Ballroom (scheduled mostly as per current Common room)
** Parts of the basement
** Bookstore / Cafe


===Use of Space===
= News & Updates =
* How do we envision using the space?
<newsfeedlink feed="Special:RecentChanges" format="rss" icon="rss.png">'''Subscribe to Recent Changes to stay up-to-date.'''</newsfeedlink>
** To collaborate on projects
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** To host classes and performances
* As of December 2017 we've officially launched a [https://omnicommons.org/kitchen crowdfunding campaign] to upgrade the commercial kitchen in the basement and bring it up to code for use by Food Not Bombs, Phat Beetz, Counter Culture Labs, Bay Area Applied Mycology, The Village in Oakland #FeedThePeople, and others in the community in need of an affordable commercial kitchen.
** To network, meet each other, welcome newcomers
* As of December 2016 the Omni Commons now works to own the building!
** To store resources for common use (or equitably restricted)
*Concerns about use of space
** Will there be commercial activity in the space? 
*** Yes, bookstore/cafe will operate as businesses
** will profit-sharing be required of profitable endeavors?
*** Ideally, consensus can be reached that profitable endeavors can help to subsidize rent/mortgage/property taxes
===Financial Information===
* Rental Terms
** Expenses
*** Move-in Costs
*** Monthly Rent
** Revenue
*** From Member Collectives
*** From Other Supporters
**** Loans
**** Donations
**** Grants
===Legal Concerns===
* Permits
* Zoning
* Licensing and Certification


==Questions for Collectives==
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* [[Timeline]]
== Volunteers Needed ==
* [[Space Requirements]]
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* [[Finances]]
 
* [[Loans]]
We need volunteers for many jobs!
* [[Naming]]
* Help answer our emails to info [at] omnicommons [dot] org
* [[Questions]]
* Make a big sign for above our front door that says "Omni Commons"
 
* Apply for grants to fund Omni - there are many opportunities passing us by!
==To-Do List==
* Assist with the ongoing maintenance and building projects large and small - there is no shortage of work to do in this big, beautiful building, and all forms of contribution are appreciated!
* Finalize proposal
* Build Consensus of Member Collectives
* Review Contract (agreement) and sign
 
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Latest revision as of 02:47, 28 June 2024

What if one of the largest community centers and venue spaces in the Bay Area was run by a volunteer collective where everybody is a leader, where people give what they can and take what they need? We are trying to do just that, at the Omni Commons.



Who's in Charge?

Everybody! Members of our 11 collectives make decisions together using consensus - they're called "Delegate Meetings" because every group is supposed to send at least one person. Meetings are at 7pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, and open to all!

To make meetings shorter, our delegates have created working groups to do much of the work of running Omni Commons.

About Omni Commons

Organizational Structure

How To Participate

We love new people! There are many ways to get involved:

News & Updates

'''Subscribe to Recent Changes to stay up-to-date.''' (rss) Subscribe to Recent Changes to stay up-to-date.

  • As of December 2017 we've officially launched a crowdfunding campaign to upgrade the commercial kitchen in the basement and bring it up to code for use by Food Not Bombs, Phat Beetz, Counter Culture Labs, Bay Area Applied Mycology, The Village in Oakland #FeedThePeople, and others in the community in need of an affordable commercial kitchen.
  • As of December 2016 the Omni Commons now works to own the building!

Volunteers Needed

We need volunteers for many jobs!

  • Help answer our emails to info [at] omnicommons [dot] org
  • Make a big sign for above our front door that says "Omni Commons"
  • Apply for grants to fund Omni - there are many opportunities passing us by!
  • Assist with the ongoing maintenance and building projects large and small - there is no shortage of work to do in this big, beautiful building, and all forms of contribution are appreciated!
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