Event:2014/09/18 Weekly Delegate's Meeting

September 18 Delegates Meeting

• Facilitator: margit
• Stack: kevin
• Timekeeper: yar
• Notes: yar + etc.
• Delegates: joe (fnb), sadie (bs), mia (baps), danny (pa), yar (sudo), emji (til), margit (od), steve (lc), mary (ccl), kathleen (camo)
• Quorum: yep
• Vibe Reader: amgo
• explain hand signals and share the URL of this pad!

intros

• say your name & things you think are important to cover at this meeting
• margit (od) -
• mara (baps) - print collective, work parties
• emji (til/pc) - til/print collective proposal
• olive (od) - print collective
• judy (til) - print collective & work parties
• kevin () -
• steve (lc) - pc
• anthony (sudo)
• kathleen (baps/camo)
• hol (sudo) - how to fit everybody in here
• dk (sudo/baps/omni)
• mary (ccl)
• lionel - print stuff
• kate (pc) - pc
• amgo (baps)
• matt (sudo) - ALL OF THEM
• joe (fnb) - rise above's space?
• lydia (speak out now)
• michael (speak out now)
• sadie (backspace/baps)
• mia (baps)
• danny (pa)
• laura (baps)
• yar (sudo) - also wants to clear the agenda so we can do an actual safer spaces meeting some week soon
• jenny (sudo) - agrees we should clear the agenda and make it reflect what is important to us, putting autonomy in working groups
• ally (pc) [pc = community print studio/collective]
• hannah (pc)
• nora (pc)
• martha (here as a mother)
• quinn
• michael & ezra (baps & pc supporters)
• korl (sudo) - has an announcement
  • opticalallusions is starting a weekly movie night / film screening at the omni
  • calendar page has a link to a doodle
  • will send link to logistics flist

new groups / events

please handle proposals made earlier first! some tabled from last week.

optic illusions

• they exist! they're a film collective!
• they'll be reporting on the omni, community, goings-on, etc
• also doing omni kickstarter video
• do you want to be filmed? raise your hand
• they have a mailing list
• optikallusions@lists.riseup.net

rise above

gabriela gives a status report:

• she prefers the old utility/trash room
• been taking measurements & cleaning it out
• now has through october 31 at her old place, but wants to start paying rent on october 1 as planned
• needs to widen it by 4.5 feet, take down the wall when the kitchen is ready to go
• alternatively, remove the wall and route egress directly into CCL
• plans are waiting for input from jim the architect
• will that still allow access to the walk-in fridge?
  • yes. there'll still be a hallway.
  • one alternative is CCL's western lab closet becomes a hallway.
  • let's just wait for jim's thoughts before getting into it

pranathon

• sep 29, 9-hour challenge

FMRALxOmni

• (added 09/17)

Several events proposed by Alex Stavrakas: https://pad.riseup.net/p/fmralxomni

• too late. go to ballroom wg.

PROPOSAL : SOUND EQUIPMENT ROOM

Proposed by David Brazil on behalf of Space Ops, 9/17/2014

We propose that the lockable ticket-booth be dedicated as a "Sound Equipment Room" to store a communized PA system, musical instruments and amps.

• coming from david brazil & scott
• for communized musical instruments
• jenny: sound equipment has been largely moved into the green room on mezzanine level next to sudo. chris B & DK collaborated on that. also, ed offered to donate PA.
• DB: make it lockable though? accepts green room instead as a friendly amendment.
• 10/10 yes

PROPOSAL : OMNI PA

Proposed by David Brazil, 9/17/2014

We propose that the Omni purchase a public address system for collective use as well as the use of those renting the ballroom for private events. This proposal will be withdrawn if an adequate PA is already present and available for collective use at the Omni.

• DB withdraws because ed saved us by donating a PA

schedule via us now

Proposed by Ballroom WG

• PROPOSAL: In order to manage the schedule, we request that instead of directly scheduling your event in the ballroom, that you instead go through the Ballroom WG so that we avoid double booking etc. There is a form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1w_PYdVScDqR9UNEWF-6j20WmaJKU4WL3OjCEaNovgjc/viewform
• danny met with matt last night and mapped out event registration & calendar systems. system will come online soon enough.
• 10/10 yes

print studio & TIL

proposal to split TIL into two member collectives: TIL + Community Print Studio

• makes more sense as so many new ppl are interested in print studio
• the "bindery" would be a workspace with big tables that anybody at the omni could use for large projects
• proposal is that print studio pays 600, til pays 400 for their office upstairs
• currently operating on a sliding scale dues structure for core collective member
  • 6 people have committed to paying into that, thus the 600 figure. "but we expect to support more than that in the end."
• training would be free, but you would pay for use. free events, free microgallery. hopefully more open days per week once they're larger. not sure whether that would be sliding scale or covered by grants. supplies like ink cost money. goal is to slowly become more and more accessible as more resources are available.
• so anybody who gets trained could join by paying a membership fee? yeah. is there a floor price?
  • right now 100. someone is paying 30 right now, they're open to negotiation. people should propose what they can do. but ideally 100 so they can keep going.
• so the work tables would be accessible to non-print projects? yes.
• how accessible & safe would it be for people to maneuver through the space?
  • it would be fine. movable, open things. lots of machines need a radius.
  • they've mapped aisles. with tape on the ground. [really?]
• how loud are the machines?
  • they make noise but they're not that loud.
  • we'll have to figure out how to coordinate that around meetings and stuff.
• when TIL moves upstairs, they'll be curating the "den & bdrm" as a common space so baps could meet up there
  • is timeless's office the entire top mezzanine? definitely not. just the triangular "BDRM 1"
  • people pass around floorplan to be more familiar with the upstairs room
  • yar calculates it at around 300-350sqft
• scott concerned about the price barrier, wants clarification
  • accessibility to ppl outside the omni?
  • would you consider awarding financial aid to ppl who can't afford it?
  • all workshops, training and events will be free.
  • talking about $10-15 for the day. any other studio in the bay area charges $20/hour for that kind of access. emji personally would not want to turn anybody away for lack of funds.
  • scott would feel really a fan of the project if there was written infrastructure to guarantee such spots
  • it costs a lot of money to run a studio, they want to give as much free access as they can, applying to SOEX grant, intent to apply for a lot more. hard to promise now though. but that's their hope and intention.
  • it's expensive to be in this space beyond just the base level.
• hol asks about the original proposal
  • emji: TIL has always been paying for both BDRM1 + print studio
  • hol: consider taking a smaller space for the office?
    • they're already considering sharing it with 2 other publishers
      • publication studio (ian from baps)
      • also reached out to small press traffic but still talking it over
• danny hesitant because not sure if we have a 6 month waiting period
• blocking concerns?
  • yar encourages TIL to commit to writing a more articulate proposal for sudo room and others
  • the proposal as it exists in these words and notes i'm [yar] taking sounds a lot better than what's written down. please please write this down as a new proposal so we can take it back to sudoroom next wednesday!
  • emji: i feel like there are no differences. yar: yes there are very important questions answered here and not answered there! emji: ok yeah
• would both groups now be paying separate utilites as per last week's vote? yes they considered that.

delegates voting on proposal to split:

• 4 yes, facilitator didn't ask for abstains/blocks

emji wants to know what objections there are

• Sudo really wants these things written down: sliding scale membership, part of the space being accessible, also still questioning the premise that TIL has a specific basement space to begin with
• joe concerned about ventilation & noise
• danny pitches space ops working group
• can this conversation happen elsewhere outside meeting? yeah but must be transparent
• would TIL's new office "roommates" need to apply as tenants?
  • yar says no. for instance, sudomesh never applied. groups can share as they want.
• jenny wonders if they considered other spaces. sudo was really concerned about the one-day-a-week thing. was this just because of lack of volunteer time when they're just starting out?
  • yes. absolutely. and safety - so people don't hurt themselves.
  • when we expand that openness will expand
  • space is still open. people can be around it when machines are off.
  • we need to figure out pretty soon - moving equipment takes a lot of coordination (they're heavy, delicate)
  • biggest requirements are concrete floors and ventilation
  • what about the library area? "we're open to that."
  • DK: everybody's paying for the basement, TIL has a total right to have their stuff in the basement. material reality of machines showing up surprised people. but this whole area is shared. [emji raises hand] community aspect sounds great. on paper it sounded a lot more closed, scary, unfair. also omni needs money.
• facilitator ends it. they will reword the proposal. twinkle hands.
• hol: starting on the 1st? so next week at the latest?

delinquent groups

[PROPOSAL] For reasons of not upholding original financial commitments, we request that each of the following groups present their case at a delegates meeting:

• Black Hole
• Peak Agency
• Backspace
• ONL
• CAMO

[ALTERNATE PROPOSAL] we request that member groups who have not paid September rent present their plan for continued rent contributions (Deadline : Oct. 2nd Meeting). If they are unable to do this then these member groups must forfeit their membership status.

• Black Hole
• Peak Agency
• Backspace
• ONL
• CAMO

yar clarifies: i think we passed this last week but andrew wanted us to reword it.

• that is danny's understanding as well. but thinks it's moot. and also rewording is moot.

clarify working groups

• [PROPOSAL] All new working groups should clearly articulate their mission, goals, and tasks to be consensed upon by the OOC.
• margit: needs specificity. but in general can we consent, with more info to follow?
• hol: made a document asking for scope and stuff
• hol: groups should say: "mission statement. what you're tasked with (i.e. responsibilities). what you're empowered to do and not empowered to do. and how you work with other working groups."
• joe: we should restrict how much money they're able to spend
  • hol: groups have no fiscal power at all unless otherwise given, i.e. none
• david b: "all power to the working groups!" only way to solve the problem of labor inequality. insists ppl work through working groups to curtail ppl who are doing too much.
• danny: what are WE empowered to do?
  • yar: buck stops here. wgs are where we outsource the time-consuming stuff. all seem to agree.
• are they standing committees now? confusion. this is an issue.
• this applies to "all bodies, including working groups and standing committees"

standing committee autonomy

8/26 PROPOSAL: standing committees that are empowered to make any decisions autonomously should have a clearly defined scope for their responsibilities and operational leeway by October 1st, containing at minimum these 4 parameters: 1) what the group is tasked with, 2) what the group is empowered to do autonomously, 3) what the group is not empowered to do autonomously, 4) how the group cooperates functionally with other OOC organs

• oh. this is what hol is saying.
• joe: so the proposal is just that ppl should write it.
• voting based on what was just said? 10/10 yes

Defining tenancy

• 09/02 Proposal from Governance Committee
• Tenants are defined as those groups renting space from the Omni who choose not to participate in the collective of collectives (i.e., attending delegate meetings, participating in working groups, etc.).
• Tenants must agree to the Omni's safer space and conflict resolution policies, statement of solidarity, and all pertinent decisions made by the collective of collectives. Tenants will not have voting rights at the weekly delegates' meetings.
• All tenants will sign a 6 month sub-lease with the OOC.

Tenancy cap

• 09/02 Proposal from Governance Committee
• In order for there to be an active core of member groups participating in the OOC, the ratio of tenants to member collectives should not exceed 30% tenants to 70% member groups.(%What? Space? Ah Income!)

Finance WG reportback

splitting allocations

• PROPOSAL (Sept. 2): To split equally between financially contributing collectives and tenants, expenditures which delegates have voted to allocate to projects. Finance WG will send funding request proposals to member collectives for an equal share of any non-invoiceable costs

quarterly commitments

PROPOSAL (Aug 19): To commit to rent amounts on a quarterly basis.

• Sept 1st
• Dec 1st
• March 1st
• June 1st

• hol: intention is to review financial health information quarterly.
• margit: that's not really what the proposal says.
• we'll wait on it.
• we'll take it off the pad and wait for a new proposal from finance wg

renting basement rooms

• PROPOSAL (Aug 2): To rent the three downstairs rooms for office/creative space starting Oct 1st (at $600 per month or some other amount) Short term 3 to 6 month sublease with an option to renew.
• hol: we [fwg] are trying to raise revenue. bleeding 5-6k/month right now. that's going up soon.
• scott is personally opposed because it's not much money, not worth it. also too broad. to who? ballroom wg will generate a shitload without losing common space. also, trying to form a very modular community recording studio which would be able to have classes in the control room. give us more time and we'll generate money without losing common space.
  • hol: 600 was just a ballpark. we can definitely still talk about who rents them.
• baps is concerned about renting about ALL of them. why not just some?
  • hol: more than zero at least. we can save a room.
• when is space ops meeting? let's have a meeting with someone from each collective? what are the open areas right now? a group needs to meet to talk about that.
  • space ops is having scheduling issues right now. steven novotny is the point person to contact.
  • the work this week is figuring out what spaces are even there
• yar: isn't this redundant because we still have to consent to tenants?
  • mary: no because this proposal is so we can SOLICIT TENANTS
  • yar: ah that makes a lot of sense
• they got feedback. moving on.

Ballroom WG Report back

We formed a group! It's on the Wiki.

prioritize making money

• PROPOSAL: To prioritize renting the ballroom as a way to bolster our working capital and get out of deficit. This means through the end of this year we will seek out and, at times, need to prioritize money making events over free events.
• danny isn't behind it but will rep it anyway having been to ballroom wg. there's been tension about "hawking" the ballroom - finds that attitude disturbing. wants to prioritize "a set number of days each month when it'd be rented out for profit - maybe 7 days a month? that pattern could be imitated in other ways around the space."
  • monday night he & others will propose a fundraising schedule for raising 70k
• sudoroom wonders how this actually works. does this mean free events could be bumped off the calendar after already being scheduled? with how much warning?
  • danny doesn't know
• scott thinks we should try to focus on getting capital for a little bit of time. but not necessary to have a firm hard line. prefers an openness on a case by case basis.
• mia: would there be a fixed rental amount?
  • no. what you're able to pay. depending. that's basically the gist of it.
  • scott: we've already gone below our limit for a group already. we're not trying to be grabby or gross.
• what if instead of "prioritizing" we reframed it as putting a cap on how many days a month we could schedule paid events?
  • yar: excellent reframing. laughter.
• david b: upcoming events already planned: 3k and 1k for a day apiece. this could effectively pay our rent here! we must be flexible and balance our responses to things. also, la commune is opening november 1st [hoots & friendly skepticism] so they will soon be able to host more medium-sized events of 40-50 people.

la commune / locking / being open

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

david b: we really need the lockability issue to be solved by november 1st. still not sure why that wouldn't work. of course they want to make sure ADA stuff is accessible to off-hours events and 24-hour groups like sudo.

• hol's only concerns are accessibility and egress. build out a 90 degree wall?
  • still doesn't give access to the lift
  • david b: so can we at least just lock the front door to LC?
• joe: need floorplans and stuff. what about the little office upstairs?
• yar: closing off that route from sudo to the ADA bathroom wouldn't work, no turning radius, too narrow
• modules that fold in? they've talked about it. might schedule a time for us to meet and talk about it.

building modifications & bans

• since these now must be considered at meetings, let's always keep a section here to remind us

upcoming inspection

• since the outside facade was just pulled off, DK advises us to expect an inspector visit quickly as this will attract attention. please clean up and have things in order.
• is there a bullet point list?
  • literally look around. piles of things around should go on shelves.
  • imagine a fire, imagine people scrambling for exist. would they stumble, trip, etc?
• but won't construction just make things dirty again?
  • yes but it's the piles of random stuff that's the big problem more than dust
• bottom-liner for the cleaning project?
  • danny spitzberg volunteers
  • DK advises work parties
• do we need shelves? should we take stuff off the street
• our friends at urban ore could teach us how to vet furniture

safer space & conflict resolution policies

• 8/30 Proposal from the CDC to approve the safer space and conflict resolution policies, with the understanding that both are living documents that will continue to evolve as we learn and grow as a collective.
• Safer space policy: http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Safe_Space_Policy
• Conflict resolution policy: http://wiki.omni-oakland.org/w/Conflict_Resolution_Policy

flag

We propose that the Omni raises a flag from the main tower of the Omni, over the 48th & Shattuck entrance. It could be a red flag. Or it could say "Omni". Whatever the collective decides. Perhaps it could be the Omni logo?

• Alternatively, a big "OMNI" sign above the entrance, with each of the letters made by a different group (dibs on the "I" for CCL). Can be lit up from battery powered by small solar panel on the roof.
• sudoroom proposes we build a shed. we could store bikes in it?

PROPOSAL: Let's only meet every OTHER Thursday!

• yar's counterproposal: let's all do more work throughout the week so there's less to say at meetings