Event:2024/02/29 Delegates

Omni Delegates' Meeting - 29 February 2024 7pm-9pm

Meeting Details

• Talk at https://omnicommons.org/meet or 515-428-1108 (PIN: 465814905)
• Type at https://omnicommons.org/notes
• Send proposals to consensus@lists.omnicommons.org prior to the meeting

Roles

• Facilitator/s: Toan
• Stacktaker:
• Timekeeper:
• Notetaker/s: Pallavi

Delegates

• CCL: patrik
• FNB: toan
• LL: Anka
• SMAC (Sacred Media Arts Collective, aka Media Lab): Pallavi
• SM:
• SR: alex
• Quorum (2/3 of active groups):

intros

BRIEF INTROS MAY INCLUDE: name, pronouns, groups you're in, land you're on, if you're a delegate, unmet access needs, meeting roles you'd like to help with, discussion topics or proposals to add to agenda, announcements/updates/report-backs from your groups, safe space issues or updates. PROMPT people to share contact info in the chat, so we can stay in touch

• Toan - Does anyone have any announcements or agenda items to bring up?
• Alex - The stuff that happened over the weekend that there was an email about the Omni Love A fair, addressing instagram stuff with CLP. Talking about ___ who is someone who may be able to donate a large amount of money and wanted to be present.
• Patrik - We need several different types of statements for different responses that are needed. We should put something together with the language we have.
• Alex - Who was the person who responded to the instagram posts?
• Patrik - I think the password was compromised probably by CLP.
• Pallavi - who in this room has access to the instagram?
• Anka - Silver, events people, maybe G has access. Person must be approved to be able to post the instagram
• Pallavi - We should talk about safe space ban, issues of conflict between Jake and Silver

Deb Gives member collective proposal

• Toan - What do we think about Deb Gives and then see if we are ready to vote them in. As FNB, we initiated an email thread with Deb Gives on how they would interact with Deb Gives. They made is clear they need a space to organize, connect with people here, and distribution. Pallavi helped with their application which was clear enough for me. There were no concerns about Deb Gives becoming a member collective
• Anka - I am supporting opportinities of collaboration. Definitely yes from Liberated Lens
• Toan - they expressed that they wanted to collaborate. with FNB
• Patrik - CCL doesn't have any reason to object. We should figure out something about member collectives that are smaller size. Seems like a great organization, Silver gave a great endorsement. We are in favor
• Alex - No objections
• Pallavi - Sacred Media Arts in favor. They've been doing events at Omni, helping with free store
• Patrik - We don't need to hear from Sudo Mesh since we have a quorum. We have 7 groups right now. Requiring more than 50% would require more than 3 votes.

• remote-jnny: abstains default to 'yes' (in consensus, as non-blocking). jesse helped us ensure bylaws are more 'straight legal', and largely describe majority board decisions (with some bits that enable us to largely run on more dynamically-changeable internal governance structure [eg, around simple consensus decisions, working groups, delegates/board members, etc]). 2/3 active member collectives for most dele mtg decisions has been the norm (deactivated after missing 2 consecutive delegates mtgs, reactivated after attending 2 consecutive). so current is 5/6 active, more than quorum (83%).

Vote: IN FAVOR: Unanymous!

Bylaws changes

• Alex - because we are collaborating with CAST we need to stick to our by-laws. Something closer to a consensus that is still a majority like 2/3.
• Patrik - We should say more than 50% out of the people that actually show up. the question that was open was whewther you need to get majority yes votes. how are abstains handled? It should be more than 50% of delegates present and voting. If you abstain youre not voting.
• Alex - should we be doing more than 50%? If we have more groups then maybe it will matter.
• Anka - we have had more collectives in the past
• Pallavi - CAST has expressed that they want the by-law changes and other leadership changes to be representative of communities served, prioritizing QTBIPOC
• Patrik - We should remove sketchboard co. Are there any feedback on more than 50% or 2/3. We should spell it out as what is a majority.
• Toan - we should clarify that majority
• Patrik - something between majority and consensus -1
• Toan - We should make a change in the by-law that it is majority +1. Delay in decision-making being horizontal. It is open now to improving our decision-making because people are reminding us it is good to grow. FNB has a concern of proposed shift from majority +1. Concern that sudo mesh and sudo room are partners, having double voting powers.
• Anka - that was a similar situation with CLP and BOGGS. My understanding is that sudo mesh is a split off group from sudo room.
• Alex - there has always been a concern about that and there has been some arrangement. Maybe that Marc wouldn't have voting power in two groups.
• Patrik - I had something drafted about that. The idea would be that delegates should not also have a leadership role or a blocking vote in another collective.
• Anka - Are all members of sudo mesh part of sudo room? There was overlap between collectives.
• Toan - concern is two organizations are closely affiliated. Concern may also be because of memberships. I think it's good to have a clear answer to this concern.
• Patrik - we can put more language about conflict of interest. when delegates should recuse themselves from a vote .
• Alex - if there is a pressing concern for delegates involved, there could be a potential issue
• Patrik - If we feel like this is an important change to make, we can include this in the by-law changes
• Alex - if we want to add additional things, we may have to delay this vote
• Anka - Maybe all the changes with the bylaws can be done at the same time. We can suggest also for future changes
• Patrik - i don't think we actually have a conflict of interest statement here. I think we need to do that. Help me to make a nother draft (in response to Alex). I will add it to the google doc on proposed changes to the delegate structure and what is still to be added in the by-laws. What exactly still needs to be added? Delegates should not also have a leadership role or blocking vote
• Alex - issue is overrepresentation
• Patrik - collectives with a small number of people have clearly more role
• Alex - more representation of community members will dilute that power
• Patrik - when should delegates recuse themselves. Should delegates recuse themselves if the vote is about their own collective. We need to agree on what language we want to have.
• Alex - it gets murky between a group or a single delegate
• Patrik - there may be cases where sometimes the delegates from that collective (in the case of banning an individual) should have a say.
• Toan - answer the concerns on how do we vote when two groups are closely in partnership. Seems like double voting power
  • remote-jnny: does this not apply also to media lab and deb gives? asking for clarity
• Patrik - are we okay with it remaining majority?
• Toan - we have been practicing consenssus -1 so how does this work?
• Alex - we need something we can put in the by-laws and actually practice. we have been advised tjat that should not be legally binding.
• Toan - we should continue with consensus -1 and once we get clarity from sudo room and sudo mesh then we should vote on the by-law changes.
• Alex - I would request that your question be asked more clearly so we can discuss it.
• Patrik - we should look at the meeting notes fromk when sudo mesh was added
• Toan - we should look at those after the meeting
• Patrik - do you want to omit all the changes in that section? It includes specifiying active directors and specifiying votes that are present and voting.
• Toan - not to vote on all of it today, but just the 50% majority change to vote on later. We should include Anka in proposed changes to by-laws
• Patrik - there is a legal problem to having alternate delegates. We cannot do a proxy for a board vote. For board votes you cannot assign a proxy. Could cause a legal problem. Just to be clear, the bylaws will continue to say vote by majority.
• Pallavi - we should have a document for CAST to see and we can have a final vote after meeting with CAST
• Alex - we can table this for another meeting. We need an ED description document
• Patrik - I will make that change (bylaws) in the Wiki

Vote on approving bylaws changes described here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zArN0_R5h2kh-FEMz67cBnjp8CeFN7uwLW3Lzsvg9Gc/edit - EXCEPT no change from "by majority" to "more than 50%", which FNB objected to. And removing Sketchboard.

In favor: Alex/ Sudo; Toan/FNB; Patrik/CCL; Pallavi / Media Lab; Anka / LL

Feedback from Shreya / CAST

• Can answer questions by email until she has time to schedule a meeting
• Will forward us a sample MOU. Want to prioritize BIPOC-led and BIPOC-serving projects and organizations

From Shreya's email: "I’m not available to connect before Thursday, but can provide the following information. I hope it’s supportive to your process.

First, CAST requires an MOU before we fully engage with Omni. I’ll be sending an MOU over sometime late next week. The MOU will reflect both our scoping process and project criteria, which prioritizes QTBIPOC-led and QTBIPOC-serving projects and organizations.

In scoping the project, we will request two meetings: one with all voting delegates and another with Omni’s greater community (including activators and partner organizations). I will listen and honor anything you request to be kept in confidentiality for our consideration around this project. Yet I’ll have to send any official communiques (like the contents of the MOU next week) to the full group of voting members. "

Hope this is helpful context as you strategize.

---

• Patrik - do they have examples of bylaw changes from another org
• Alex - another question to ask is as a specific a list of the powers required of a single representative of Omni. what powers would an ED-type person have to have in order for them to be comfortable. that was one of the requirements that Ken brought up.
• Patrik - any concerns about ED role from sudo room?
• Alex - a lot of the improvements can be costly and lead to rent increases. what specific concerns that people have about the current door system
• Anka - there is no key or we don't have access to it
• Alex - suppose our system would be made less fragile and more reliable, should we go with a professional service?
• Patrik - we should have a professional system. all of the entrances should have a locking mechanism. I assume those are the type of upgrades that CAST will be requiring
• Alex - how do we balance building improvements with sustainability for existing groups (to ask CAST)
• Pallavi - we will have more revenue from new members and more events in the building
• Alex - we are not going to convince any one about the current door situation
• Patrik - there are lots of repairs...electrical...things that need to be professional, not volunteer labor
• Toan - I think there should be some balance between volunteer and professional labor. i think there can be something in the middle. But when we're talking about safety, it should be professional. I think we need something more than what we currently
• Pallavi - we should have a back up system for how to get into the building if the door doesn't work
• Patrik - we don't have a backup if the front door doesn't work. I think all of the doors to the outside should have electronic locks
• Pallavi - I agree
• Toan - we should go back to our collectives and ask them what they wqant to ask CAST
• Patrik - should there be exceptions for a $1/sq ft. how to sponsor rent for organizations that can't afford
• Toan - Pallavi asked us to add bullet points to ED contract
• Alex - we should get input from CAST on what that would entail. you're empowering that person to represent certain points of view of an organization
• Patrik - we would have to give her some trust that she can represent us accurately
• Alex - I probably would have to get some feedback
• Patrik - the sooner we receive the MOU the better
• Pallavi - we should have a back-up in case I miss a meeting
  • Alex and Patrik volunteered to help
• Toan - delegates and chip in and help out
• Patrik - one person for the back-up. Google Groups mailing list

Securing access to accounts

• Pallavi - we should have a group chat for delegates and stakeholders who want to be involved in conversations with CAST. I will update DOM and ask who the delegate for Deb Gives will be.

CLP boycott

• need 2 statements:

1. short response when someone inquires about the boycott
2. Statement on our website

Large donor

• Potential donor (lender??) was looking for info on Mulberry Trust docs. Also asked if they could observe a delegates meeting

End of Meeting

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