Event:2020/07/16 Delegates

From Omni Commons
Revision as of 04:06, 6 August 2020 by Tunabananas (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Omni Delegates' Meeting - Day Month 2020 7pm-9pm for instructions on preparing and archiving these notes, please see the bottom === Agenda === * Introductions [15 minutes]...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Omni Delegates' Meeting - Day Month 2020 7pm-9pm

for instructions on preparing and archiving these notes, please see the bottom

Agenda

  • Introductions [15 minutes]
    • Meeting Roles
    • Delegates Count
    • Access Check-in
  • Check-ins, Updates & Report-Backs [30 minutes]
    • Brief Announcements
    • Working Groups
    • Member Collectives
    • Conflicts, Mediation & Safe Space
  • Proposals & Discussions

Introductions

Introduce yourself: Name; Preferred Pronoun; Affiliation; any brief announcements; say whether you're a delegate; let us know about any access needs you have†

  • WHY DO WE ASK PRONOUNS? To make space for people who are trans, nonbinary, gender noncomforming or otherwise vulnerable to being misgendered. It's not an invitation to make jokes or trivialize the idea of pronouns. If you are fine with the gender and pronouns society generally assigns to you, please just say what they are without fanfare or embellishment. Conversely, please don't pressure anybody to give their pronouns, as that can harm trans people who are closeted or questioning. The point is to prompt and normalize asking, but not to mandate or enforce. Thank you! <3 Yar

Access Check In

Is everybody able to participate fully in this meeting? Do people have unmet needs or concerns?

Meeting Roles

  • Facilitator/s: Mary Ann
  • Explanation of hand signals: "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response"(wildcard), etc.
  • Stacktaker:
  • Timekeeper: Mai
  • Notetaker/s: Patrik, Mai, robb
  • Vibe Reader: Mai
  • Who will out next meeting's agenda beforehand:
  • Next meeting's facilitator(s):

Delegates

  • CCL: Patrik
  • CSC: Mary Ann
  • FNB: Helen
  • FYE: Assad
  • GWS: Rachel
  • LL: robb
  • Phat Beets: Roya
  • Sudo Room: Jenny
  • Sudo Mesh: Mai
  • Quorum:

Brief Announcements

Working Group Report-Backs

Building & permits

Commons

Communications

Finance & Fundraising

  • Meetings: TBD @ https://omnicommons.live/finance
  • Join! https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/finance
  • John: Had a conversation with Jenny, who has the figures. Between SF Foundation Grant and
    • $15,000 paypal donations minus $6,000 from Phat Beets back rent
    • $10,000 SFF Grant check
    • $9,800 appreciated stock donation
    • ~$1,000 John's bday fundraiser
      • --> $38,000 total, including Paypal contributions
  • Reserve fund is just a operating reserve - so we should have 3 months expenses saved, plus 3x that for capital reserve - ideally 120K total
  • $17K remaining from the kitchen fund
  • We have somewhere ~$80K in reserve
  • Sudo Room cannot continue at $2k/month
  • Maryann: We need to have a stronger fundraising arm for Omni - not just for when we're in trouble
  • Jenny: Completed 2019 financial report, updated 2020 financial report - should help with fundraising
  • Jenny: Tax payment delayed 3 months, going to be worked on in the coming months
    • Please be patient with her for a little while re: email responses
  • Checks for the Village have been made to the Omni
    • We haven't decided what to do with them yet, since it's outside of our arrangement
  • Jenny opened a nonprofit Office Depot account, for ordering maintenance supplies, having subscriptions to certain supplies, allows people to put in request for supplies

Fundraising

  • Meetings: Ad hoc
  • Join! https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/fundraising
  • Resilience Hub Grant - deadline missed
  • Conversation with Jesse, our lawyer
    • Purpose: To deal with balloon payment of $900K in November 2021 - we had questions for Jesse on how to go about raising that kind of money
    • Talked about the property tax bill we keep getting - that's been sorted out. Still confusing but Jenny's done the work of putting all the info they need. We have to be careful going ahead that when we rent out space, after the pandemic ends, to be the sponsor of any private groups. We need to collect the money at the door - otherwise we'd be taxed for any spaces that didn't follow the protocol for one year, even after one incident of violation
    • Jesse was going to draft some language for our event contracts to create a situation where they weren't renting from us, but that we were putting on the programming and that we're paying them. Jesse is also going to dig into the legal codes around this.
    • Each event should say "Omni Commons presents..." + other org
    • La Peña Cultural Center always does what Jesse suggested
    • External optics should have a standard operating procedure - we need to have a flow chart of processes based on type of event
    • Jenny: Jesse will write to mortgage lender to request an extension of the maturity date of the loan - he told her that via private email:
   Here's things I can / will do when I get back - pending Omni's asking where applicable:



   1.  Send you possible sources of refinancing

   2.  writing to the lender to ask for an agreed upon extension of the maturity date, and/or other concessions

   3.  I could research the welfare exemption rules in terms of renting to outside groups and try to provide additional clarity on whether you can comply just by inserting language in rental agreements.

   4.  either look over a policy / flowchart for approving rentals to outside groups, or create one.

   5.  respond to specific questions about the film projet if that is still relevant


    • robb: It may be a possibility that we just have to pay that back ($270k) and can then implement a system going forward where we only pay some or none at all.
      • Maryann: Jesse should look into this more before we do this. They have been delaying this the whole time we've been in the building. at least 4 years

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?

CCL

CSC

  • We showed an online film last weekend. I don't know how it went because I was on the omni fundraising committee call and couldn't participate.

FNB

  • Been using the new Berkeley food network more. New volunteers. Seeing lots of people get food.

FYE

  • Not much to update you all with. Activity slowly resuming trying to bridge a lot of distance internally. Made first payment toward rent balance. Looking to pay the rest off.

GWS

  • We have a big push going on right now for a breakthrough bill that's been put forward by two people on the black congressional caucus. It's for money for unwaged caregivers and students. For this work to be counted as work. It's actually a bill that's in congress which is amazing. So it would treat as work caregiving and studying and pay for that. We're looking to do a push of endorsement so if any groups in Omni are willing to endorse it that would be awesome. [...] We really want this to go through cause it will make a huge impact on poverty. It's $4k per year for a single person and $8k per year for two people. We're really doing a big push to get endorsements. It's pretty rushed because we've heard they might try to put the bill forward as part of the coronavirus bailout next week.

It's called the: Worker Relief and Credit Reform Act HR5271 It's not actually being presented into the House yet but we're building a groundswell of support for it. [...]

  • SIDENOTE: We need a better process for approving sign-ons and endorsements because our process for making decisions is too slow
  • There's concern about endorsing legislation based on being a political issue
  • Omni Commons endorses HR5271 Worker Relief and Credit Reform Act
  • Working with the Poor People's Campaign on the McDonalds strike
    • 3 million people were on the PPC's call, and from that 120 people wanted to join GSW in the Bay Area

LL

  • Doing a ride-in later this month off Wood Street, going to show a number of shorts July 31 at 9pm.

Phat Beets

  • Kelly Carlisle - founder and ED Acta Non Verba.
    • We were just blessed with the Beatboxes CSA program from Phat Beats. We turned in an application.
  • Basically since the pandemic started we've wanted to transfer our CSA program to an org with similar goals. Generally working to create more food security in oakland and specifically east oakland. Over the past two months or so we've in conversation with these awesome orgs. Two weeks ago we constented that we want Acta Non Verba to absorb our CSA program. We are hoping to have a solid transition of all the things by August 24th. As for the question of what remains of Phat Beets after this will be up to the ? Board as there won't really be an employees left in Phat Beets. CSA is the only program that Phat Beets has been running for a while.

Sudo Room

  • Sudo Room is broke, working on proposal to ask for temporary lowering their rent.
  • Going to pay one and half months to catch up to June
  • A member is auctioning off some of the more valuable equipment

Sudo Mesh

  • sudo mesh has been pretty quiet as well.
  • Jenny going to work on mesh node at Pro Arts in downtown and 5th Ave Marina

Conflicts, Mediation & Safe Space

  • Updates for any ongoing issues
  • Has anybody been asked to leave? asked to leave
  • No bans

Proposals

Acta Non Verba proposal to become member collective and take over Phat Beets space/CSA

  • Submitted by Roya and Kelly on 7/15
  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dGaNgCPiggCDV6z0r3GotMAt08k3424kEuhLISKOsK8/edit?ts=5f107408&usp=gmail
  • Roya: Acta Non Verba is proposing becoming a member collective of Omni as well as taking over Phat Beet's office space. We would need to use similar spaces as we use right now on Tuesdays and Saturdays for most of the day (ballroom or front room). The proposal is answering a bunch of questions that I saw on the Omni wiki that Omni would want new member collectives to answer. I can give an overview of how ANV will fit into the Omni culture.

Has been around since 2011 started by Kelly who wanted to see a more just food system in Oakland and foster more green spaces. Worked a lot with Youth. They have a sommercamp called Camp ANV and most of the campers are coming from places in east oakland where there's a lot of food insecurity and low income neighborhoods. They have farms in three locations. They had a small CSA program already. They will be able to support youth in these individual development accounts that are made for the youth that work on their farms. E.g. if they want guitar lessons or want to go to a school they could access funds from this CSA program. ANA is has a relationship with the east oakland grovery coop which is super cool. Another thing that I think you'd like to know is how ANA makes decisions: Every staff member has everyday decisionmaking power. There is a board but they are more there to advise and don't interfere with everday decisionmaking. Doesn't overrule staff decisions.

  • Patrik: I'm not sure I understand the decisionmaking process:
  • Kelly: We've had a relationship with Phat Beets since 2011. The kids at the farms plant, grow, harvest and sell the produce. So basically we approach the staff before anyone else. This decision to absorb the beat box program was brought the the staff first, then the board was informed. There are staff meetings where decisions are made. There are 7 year-round staff members. We're a 501c3 non-profit.
  • John: I'm really excited about this program.
  • Kelly: I wanted to offer that if we are loaded in we'd love to be able to pay our portion of the rent quarterly if you think it would help.
  • John: I guess the phrase for this is "we'll take it under advisement".
  • Patrik: How much will you pay for rent, same as Phat Beets?
  • Jenny: Rent was $875 a month until a bit over a year ago. Ran into financial troubles. it was lowered to $650 or something like that.
  • Robb: When they joined there was a lack of capacity to be part of the omni (co-running the Omni) they became tenants and had a higher rent than if they'd been a member collective. Then later they became a member collective because they thought they had the capacity (i.e. attending member meeting and participating in working groups).
  • Jenny: I'll send out that info.
  • Robb: Those were the old Phat Beets numbers. We're sliding scale. I have a few questions: We have a legal agreement with LCUJ[?] to use that space so I haven't heard from them that they'd be willing to relinquish the space.
  • Kelly: I can talk to them.
  • Robb: Also currently Phat Beets have been using common space and that was never in the contract. They've just done that. We've had to move them to the basement or some other space (even the sidewalk) when Omni is otherwise in use for scheduled events. Sometimes (it was very rare) we'd have big events that would want to use ballroom _and_ the entrance hall. I just want you to know it wasn't in the contract to use these spaces every Saturday. We've always been able to work it out by moving them elsewhere. Just wanted to be clear about the past and potential future.

Renegade.bio fiscal sponsorship

  • Jenny on 6/18/2020
  • Full proposal with Appendices at:https://docs.google.com/document/d/12zf6DuLB_0Fu1SVmZ3_fk65uMv6px9p1ye39FtTzw0g/edit?usp=sharing
  • Summary of proposal:
    • renegade.bio is a Queer-owned and -operated Public Benefit Corporation. Founded in response to the pandemic, renegade.bio provides COVID-19 testing to underserved communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. This past Sunday, renegade.bio launched our first free public COVID-19 testing event at #PrideIsARiot (see TestThePeople.org). - we collected over 250 samples and delivered results to patients within 24 hours. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure funding for these essential public health endeavors from any of the entities that should be funding them: SF Dept of Public Health, Alameda County Dept of Public Health, nor California CDPH. There are those who want to donate to support our efforts, but as a Public Benefit Corporation (see Appendix A: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hp58xQozEFYNA_0D-R35OLTjpXc7LbIi/view?usp=sharing) we're unable to accept donations. Previous donations have been forwarded to a sister organization, Vaugn's Wings of Hope, which supports patients with a terminal illness and COVID in the Midwest. In order to continue providing free COVID-19 testing to underserved communities, we do indeed need funding for rent, payroll, equipment, reagents, and PPE. As such, we propose a crowdfunding campaign in collaboration with grassroots organizations committed to the health and well-being of our most vulnerable. Because: #WeKeepUsSafe.
    • To support Omni Commons during this difficult time, we are proposing the high end of administrative fees - 15% of donations received through this campaign, which we intend to keep rolling as we plan and popup more free public testing events. Donations received through this campaign will go solely toward paying for expenses incurred directly in putting on free public testing events - a sample budget from our first popup event is attached as Appendix B: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oazUaND09-NoU8ra9qHLRprF_hesJMj8a54T-CdNBH0/edit?usp=sharing

Discussion

  • jenny: Is anyone on the call not familiar with the proposal.
  • *crickets*
  • jenny: Renegade does the analysis of the samples at the lab which is just 10 block north of Omni. A bunch of other technical stuff which marc is more deeply involved in with the actual processing of the samples through the lab from receipt to reporting. testthepeople.org - a fundamental aim of renegade as a B-corp is to provide testing for everyone and rapid recurring testing especially for our most vulnerable folks. the proposal is for omni to serve as a grant-based fiscal sponsor for receiving crowdbased funding or grants for specifically more free public testing events. we just got our clinical lab license 3 weeks ago and scambled to set up our first free public testing event at Pride Is a Riot in SF with a follow-up test 1 week later.
  • john: how is the financial relationship going to be structured. this is something i bounced of jessie as well as sarah lockhart. renegade.bio can't take donations as a for-profit. donations would go through omni and 15% of the money would go to omni which is about double of the highest percentage omni has ever gotten for a sponsored org. for renegade's accounting, Omni would pay directly to renegade.bio from renegade's designated fund for at-cost testing.
  • john: what is your anticipated income
  • jenny: times are uncertain. not sure.
  • john: are there any concerns.
  • mary ann: not sure if it was a concern but there was definitely a question from my collective: are renegade.bio working with any orgs in east oakland.
  • jenny: i have a list of orgs to reach out to.. but still in process. i was just three days ago made the community programs manager. i really want to put the call out there for connections to other community orgs and i'm happy to share that list with others as well. just send me an email/text. we are definitely focusing on Fruitvale/Coliseum neighborhoods for our next popup, there's also been interest in West Oakland by Wood St crew.
    • Also looking for potential sites for collections (ideally outdoors and ideally with access to power, water and restroom(s) - church and school parking lots are great! mai -imma ping you about the libraries...) and tips on upcoming actions/events we could be present prior to and a week after for followup testing.

Bank Signatories

  • submitted by Mary Ann on 7/13
  • We neglected to put specific names the first time and we didn't have the people who were supposed to be deleted.

OMNI COMMONS RESOLUTION JULY 16, 2020

RESOLVED: On this date of July 16, 2020 the Executive Board of the Omni Commons resolves to change the signatories on our corporate bank account at the Unify Federal Credit Union to add the names of our current officers and delete the names of those who are no longer officers of the Omni Commons as follows:

ADD: Robert Benson, John Torok, Maira Ishikawa Sutton

SUBTRACT: Brian Feraru, Matthew Senate

Consensus?

  • Yes: Patrik D'haeseleer, Mary Ann Tenuto (Chiapas), Asaad Bruno Benmiloud (FYE Collective), Helen Finkelstein (Food Not Bombs), Mai Sutton (Sudo Mesh), Jenny Ryan (Sudo Room), Rachel West (Global Women's Strike), Rob Benson (Liberated Lens), Roya (Phat Beets)
  • Naw:
  • Abstain:

Convert Walk-in to Refrigerator

  • Helen from Food Not Bombs on 7/3/2020:

Food Not Bombs has gotten a small grant to improve our food storage capacity. We would like to use it to convert our storage room (next to the trash room) to a walk-in refrigerator.

This would replace the refrigerators we are now using in the basement. It would require us to install some rat-proof storage, most likely in the basement.

FNB would not use the entire refrigerator. We would be sharing it with Phat Beets, and potentially with others.

Discussion

There was one concern that at some point we'd want to have walk-in refrigeration in the basement. Our answer was that the expensive thing here is the compressor so that could potentially be moved to the basement whenever the time comes.

  • john: there is some electrical that exists in the existing space and not in the basemeent?
  • helen: yes that's my understanding
  • john: it's fully funded?
  • helen: yes
  • robb: i talked to a local refrigerator repair person and they said at most it'd cost around $5k but that was way above what it would cost
  • helen: and we got $5k
  • robb: all it needs is a compressor
  • helen: we presently use two refrigerators in the basement
  • Marc: may need to check on power consumption - could be quite susbtantial.
  • Jenny: Regardless, some of this recent funding should totally go toward improving infrastructure for those collectives doing the most aligned work for the community out of the building right now - namely Food Not Bombs and Phat Beets. It will make their work a lot easier to have ground-floor access to food storage.
    • and also, PG&E bill back up to $1350, might be good to check on the power monitors, maybe Robb?
  • Patrik: Can we get someone to come inspect the cold room and give estimate of power usage, given quality of the insulation that is currently in there?

Consensus that this should go forward, pending more info on cost and power usage


West Oakland Punks With Lunch conversation

we are looking around for a new space to prep food and store harm reduction supplies (syringes, etc)

We would need access to a kitchen (or at least a space where we can plug in a refrigerator and hot plates) and storage space that is at least 100 sq feet.

We would cook every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. We would need to access the storage space most days of the week.

  • willing to contribute $1000-2000/mo; seems to be good at grants

Discussion

  • Robb toured with them and showed them current and past FNB storage (pantry and middle basement room) - they had requested a 10x10 space. They actually have a spot at Stay Gold up the street rn, but could be handed a 30-day notice at any time. So currently a backburner proposal.
  • Jenny: Just yesterday connected someone to my housemate who volunteers w/ PwL, and less than 24 hours later they've arranged a delivery of narcan to an encampment and a virtual training.

Last Meeting Notes

https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2020/MM/DD_Delegates_Meeting

End of Meeting

Retrieved from "https://omnicommons.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Event:2020/07/16_Delegates&oldid=6086"