Event:2014/08/07 Weekly Delegates Meeting

• Facilitator: K
• Stack: David K.
• Notes: David B. / Niki
• In attendance: Yar, Danny, Brel, Sarah, Steve, David, Gabriella, Lucia, Christina, Matt, Niki, Kevin, Jared, Sarah, Elizabeth, Amanda, Bills, Daniel, Stephen, Ian, Athena, Emji, Scott, Jeremy, Courtney, Judy, Margaretha, johnny
• Delegates: Steve (La Commune), Sarah (OMNIDANCE), Danny (PA), Yar (SUDO), Emji (TIL), Scott (BAPS), Athena (Backspace), Kathleen (CAMO), Joe (FNB)
• Quorum: Yes.

new groups / event proposals

Gabriella / Rise Above

fabric printer (shirts) / gallery who is looking for a space. Getting evicted from their space in August, needs space to operate her equipment. One of three artist galleries in the area who contributes to the artistic community. Limited budget of less than $1000.

• Not currently a collective
• What are your needs? What kind of space?
  • Currently in a small space (400 sq ft) 6 - color printing press, heaters, wash-out sink, screen exposure unit
  • Excited to think about having an artistically oriented endeavor in the space, what do you think about involving other people?
  • It would be fun to help people print / learn to print, happy to print stuff for other collectives
• Sad to hear about the landlord but it's interesting to think about our place in the community and how to help people who are being displaced. Have you thought of a place that might work for you? Do you have a budget?
  • A few places have potential. Has a budget for renovations and resources. There are three gallery spaces in the neighborhood and two are getting pushed out.
• What could you contribute monthly?
  • Limit of 1k / month
• Do you have a sense of how long you'd like to be in the space? Part of our project is in doing outreach in the neighborhood, would you be interested in helping with that?
  • Has been involved with BID and TMA. Would like something long term.
• We showed Gabriella the building. Maybe we could use some part of the building as a storefront and another part for printing
• How did you find out about the Omni?
  • I'd been hearing about it and then Niki and David came by on Saturday.
• When do you have to be out?
  • August 28th.
• Clarification: Potential new collectives give a presentation, delegates are responsible for taking proposals to their collectives and then we vote in one week.

Red Light Legal

Christina & Matt -- sex-work legal advocacy & general movement building

• need lockable cabinets for client files & private space for client meetings
• move-in : asap
• don't require lockable space within the first six months
• interested in collective membership
• Can contribute up to $600 / mo.
• Going to be a legal organization that focuses on reducing violence towards sex workers.
• Need to have a secure, lockable space to store sensitive information and meet with clients, could do well with 500 sq feet. Currently self-funded, hoping to get grants w/in the next year.
• The sense seems to be that people are really supportive of this kind of work. These other collectives have been working together for months figuring out our quirks and how to divide the remaining space. We should only use the space that we need now, not stake out a bunch of space that we MAY use in 6 months. Maybe a lockable cabinet in a room that other people could also use or meeting clients in other small shared office spaces.
  • We'll probably have 3-5+ volunteers working with us (not just the 2 of us). We could share resources (such as a copier, etc.). Would want a space that was comfortable and supportive - don't want people to be forced into a cubbyhole.
• What is your best case timeline for moving in?
  • Would be willing to come in as soon as possible and work on building infrastructure, so wouldn't need the lockable, private space for 6 months at the most. We can be flexible
• There have been a lot of conversations about safe spaces. I'm aware of crime / violence perpetrated by police but what about other people who may want to come in and do harm?
  • It's not a unique concern to any one group.
• Wanted to respond to something that seemed troubling on the email thread. At the same time that we are trying to figure out what's going to be workable for this space and the groups that will be in this space, I would like to take you at your word re: what kind of space you need. Another question: why do you want to a part of the Omni?
  • I like working with collectives, worked for the Lusty Lady, would like to continue that. This space is particularly important because of it's location.
• Would you want to be a tenant or a member collective?
  • I would like to be a member. Being in the Omni presents some specific and unique benefits to those involved. RLL brings to the Omni an expressly political and challenging organization.
• What can you pay?
  • $400-$600/mo. Want to reinterate that no one is providing these services anywhere.

Lauren

Have been working with a group of people in the poetry community responding to issues of sexual violence w/in the poetry community (of course no unique to the poetry community). One of the strands we were intersted in investigating were organizing workshops such as self defense, etc. Melisa Spence (of Girl Army) proposed a workshop on Sept 13 from 1pm-4pm. Would like these workshops to be available to a broader community. Don't want to go through the Public School because want the workshop to be donation based and would want to close the workshop to cis men. Might be interested in organizing a few more workshops.

• I think this is a great idea, I would love to see it happen here. TIL would be willing to sponsor.
• There's a calendar on the wiki and a temporary scheduling system on the kiosk by the front door
• One thing that came up in CDC is thinking about - what is the relationship between your group and the Omni, is there any way that people who may have questions to access you or contact you?
  • Unfortunately, I don't even know where our group stands with our group right now. There's a little bit of a need to pull back. I don't think we need to be as anonymous and mysterious as we come off. We're a lot of different people with different politics. In terms of this work and these workshops, want to pull more people from our group in. I can give my email and answer any questions or personally convey questions to the group but with no guarantee as to what would come back (lauren.lab@gmail.com). I was thinking of going to the CDC group to discuss this work.
• In terms of scope of scale of projects, it seems like there could be a more non-time consuming way of proposing them in the future.
• CDC would be the best sub-group to host this.
  • Can working groups sponsor events?
• Would this be open to non-cis men or would it be just for the group that you're organized in?
  • It would be open but limited by size.
• CDC meets on Saturdays at 11:00am. I would like to see alot more of these resources and programming here.
• OOC can sponsor events, legally.
• Propose that TIL host the event.

brunch event

Francenca and Daniel propose: A small group of people who want to have a solidarity cafe brunch on Sept 14th (date is flexible). Has been a sucessful mode of solidarity organizing, for a specific cause, there's a sliding scale. Right now, a comrade of ours named Marsha who was involved in OO and involved in organizing for anti-domestic violence work is currently in a domestic violence shelter, needs help with downpayment for an apartment. Some of us are able to pool from our family or friends but not all of us have those resources so the solidarity cafe helps to provide that resource.

• Would this be open
  • This location would allow us to reach other groups
• Any issues with sale of food in the space?
  • Shouldn't be a problem as long as it's a donation, or ticket sale.
• If anyone wants to use another collective's space they should approach that group first
• How many people are you expecting?
  • At the last one, there were probably 45-50 people throughout the day.

statement of solidarity

http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Statement_of_Solidarity

• Propose we vote to supplement our founding document with this, as it is, and amend as needed.
• Does anyone feel they would have to bring this back to their collectives or can you confidently represent the spirit of your collectives? <-- nope
• passed unanimously by perhaps our biggest quorum ever

Backspace Proposal

• Short term: August rent exemption, Sept - Nov $250/mo
• Thanks for sticking it out w/this collective through all of the changes / uncertainty. It's important for Health and Wellness to be a part of this project.
• I appreciate the ability of this collective to start small and grow organically.
• Where is Andrew and what is our financial burden if this is a re-proposal for a new group?
  • Andrew is out of town but appreciate his good faith.
• Is Andrew expecting to be repaid?
  • Needs to be discussed w/Andrew. This is a completely different vision / project at this point.
  • Because we can't contribute a lot financially we do want to help out in other ways.
• OMNIdance space upstairs could be conducive to doing workshops
• I think it will work out really great for you to move your space because FNB is interested in using the walk in fridge.

Permits

• Fixing fire code violations is our #1 step in preparing for a public use permit.
  • We had a fire inspection this morning ($316 which David paid out of pocket and would like to be reimbursed for: PASSED)
  • Work that needs to be done is superficial. Need to make sure that our land use permits are still active, we have a really good change of asserting that.
  • We have to start fixing things in the fire report asap. (Get drywall, patch holes, fire extinguishers, lighted exit signs). Have to start doing w/in the next few weeks.
  • Maybe instead of our next cleaning parties we could start working on those things.
  • Can we ask our contractor friends to come show us how to do stuff
• Are the bathrooms gender neutral? Yes.
• FNB would like to know what it looks like to take down the drywall in the kitchen.

New Secretary for Omni Board - Elizabeth wants out

• You are legally on the board of the OOC.
• Volunteers?
• Let's put it out to our collectives and try to find someone to volunteer

Working Groups

Finance Working Group

• We are barely ok through September. We are at a $3,400 deficit starting in October for rent alone. We would like to have a surplus of at least 2k / month.
• Permits will cost us around 7k
• How are we going to deal with this deficit?
  • Getting new collectives in here
  • Renting out the ballroom space
  • Fundraising
    • Next Monday 7pm there will be a proposal to do some nominal fundraising (~10k)

long term Beautification

• Kevin proposed the formation of a working group for the purpose of approaching the interior transformation of the space from a long term, artistic beautification project.
• Need help sweeping the sidewalk! Maybe a working group for keeping the outside clean?

errata

• Upcoming Working Group Meetings, check: http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Calendar
• Permit working group
  • Need more people involved in this group. Get in touch with Yar or Dk
  • There's a list of items on the Kiosk of things you can do to help get ready for permit application
• Cleaning Party on Sunday at 6pm in the basement.
• Working Group email lists
• Working Groups that need new facilitators

next week

ban reciprocity

"If the Omni Oakland Collective (or any of its member collectives) bans or suspends a person from their space for reasons of safety, that person is immediately and automatically banned from the entire premises of the Omni Oakland Collective, including all on-premise areas of its member collectives, groups, tenants, subtenants, and common areas."

Voting Proposals

1. All decisions about the building are made through consensus, except when specified.

2. When a decision needs to be made to secure the building, then a majority vote may be used to make the decision. The majority must be three-fourths of all voting members. These decisions include:

 a. Paying rent, utilities, and other liabilities of the collective
 b. Submitting legal documentation  
 c. Suspensions and bans

3. Each collective may choose to use a delegate or distributed delegates to count as a single vote at the main meetings. Distributed delegates allows all members of collectives to make amendments or block proposals at main meeting.

4. Consensus formed through absence of clarifying questions and blocks. Removes necessity to identify a delegate. The member(s) of the collective needs to be represent the consent of the collective. Quorum still needed to make a decision.

5. The meetings are to give priority to updates from working groups and collectives.

• Proposal for new meeting format (Jenny)
• Proposal Revision to Consensus Process:
  • • Proposal : New Voting Model

All votes called by the Delegate Council are subject to two rounds of voting. The first round passes by full consensus. If after friendly amendments and conversation full consensus cannot be achieved, the vote moves to a second round which passes by 2/3 majority. If this second vote fails to pass, the vote does not carry.

This amendment to our full consensus voting procedures is proposed in light of advice from radical comrades and colleagues who have seen groups and projects torn apart by bad-faith exploitation of full consensus voting. Our group's aim and aspiration will always be full consensus, and we will always work to make sure all voices are heard. In all of our work and decisionmaking together, let us always be guided by fairness, kindness, and justice.

• • 3 weeks running.