Event:2015/11/05 Delegates Meeting

Weekly Omni Delegates' Meeting - November 5th, 2015

Who's Here?

Meeting Roles

• Facilitator/s: Robb and Dragon
• Explanation of hand signals: "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response"(wildcard), etc.
• Stacktaker: Joshua
• Timekeeper:
• Notetaker/s:
  • URL of this pad: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
• Vibe Reader: Alex
• Next weeks facilitator(s): Sadie (Nov 19th)

Delegates

• BAPS: inactive if they don't show up
• CCL: Cere
• FNB: Joe
• MPM:
• LL: Liz
• Sudo: Yar
• TIL: inactive if they don't show up
• GWS: not here but sent their decisions remotely
• Quorum:Do not have quorum, will revisit any decisions made if they are contested in the furture

Introductions

Introduce yourself: Name; Preffered Pronoun; Affiliation

• rob; sudo, fnb
• sadie baps/birdhouse
• laura birdhouse
• Yar sudo / building bloc
• alex baps/ birdhouse
• todd chiapas
• jose chiapas
• maryanne chiapas
• renee observing, performance group called the mess
• Julio: he/him/it sudo, commons
• tatille buried seeds
• josh rhodes liberated lens
• thunder buried seeds
• cere ccl
• sean ll
• jabari ll
• liz ll
• joe fnb bb
• remote-jenny, sudo/various working groups

Announcements

• joe : dk sabbatical - if you were involved in the original meeting, please respond to joe's email about the healing circle so that we can schedule.

Bans

none apparently

Working Group Report-Backs

Building & permits

Meetings: Mondays at 8pm

• This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building
• didn't meet. been chaotic - meeting times too late, too may other monday meetings. robb & joe decided to focus on doors involved in fire inspection - thick shattuck doors, finishing front door.
• need $50 for caulk for south wall
• alex has a draft donation letter for e.g. home depot including EBFJP EIN etc

Becoming Omni

• Documentation of the 3 meetings was sent out on the discuss list. I/we would like to come to your collective meetings to give an overview of what we did and answer questions. Please contact Laura (laura@omnicommons.org) with possible meeting times.
• Also reach out to alex if you're interested in joining the Outreach WG

Commons

Meetings: Sundays at 7pm

• This week we are getting trained to use the bookkeeping system so we can directly input info about event billing and payment.
• needs lots of new volunteers!
• going to meet on sunday at 6 talking about how to make booking space easier, more efficient, less stressful. dena from the lab send us her procedures to look at.
• yar will talk to sadie afterwards - relevant to new calendar software

Communications

I, Laura, have a friend who would be interested in coordinating a quarterly Omni email newsletter. She wouldn't write it but would collect and put together the information/articles/photos etc. Is this something people would like to go forwar? Who would be interested iin contributing articles or other items?

• • yar: yes please. i would.
  • liz: ll could take photos
• Yar: has done work on the website and updated the archives of mail. Fixing the Wiki and updating member collectives and updating meeting notes. Compiling a list of things that delegates have voted on. This is all on the Wiki so if you want to help. Omni will be at First Fridays tomorrow - booth will be on Telegraph between Grand and 27th. Please come and help Yar smile at strangers. Leon will do sound, Jake will bring the bike to generate lights. Need people to come and make signs and talk about the Omni and keep everyone company.

Finance

Meetings: Every other Thursday at 7pm

• robb went 2 weeks ago for the first time. loren was there. we had 20k. should last 6 months totally stretching it with no emergencies. but it could go quicker. losing ~3500/mo
• loren wants all collectives to give records of money they've paid over hte past year

Buy the Building

Meetings: Mondays at 5pm

• Yar: to clarify - someone lending us $$ to buy the building easily is probably not going to be easy - a lot more strings attached than we previously thought.
• Joe: if you know rich people, PLEASE ASK THEM FOR MONEY. also, any bands that want to have concerts here... rack your brain for millionaires
• sadie: compiling resource list
• rob: we still have the $1M donor, and thinking of matching fund campaign. it would probably last a full year - up to fall 2016
• josh planning party in december 12/12.
• Mari wants to co-host the event on the 12th with josh involving video game music. Had successful events in the past.

Building Bloc

• new catch-all collective for people working on omni. next meeting saturday at 2pm. will apply to be a member collective when we're ready

New Member App: Chiapas Support Committee

1. Mission Statement – The Chiapas Support Committee (CSC) is a grassroots, all volunteer group that provides political and economic support for indigenous and campesino communities (“those below”) in Mexico; especially for communities that have experienced human rights abuse. Currently, we support an autonomous education system in Zapatista territory to assure that the children receive an alternative indigenous and anti-capitalist education in both their native language and Spanish. The CSC is an adherent to the EZLN’s Sixth Declaration of the Lacandón Jungle. The collective currently has 9 active members. Decisions are made by consensus.

2. Origin and Group history – Three women formed the Chiapas Support Committee (CSC) in 1998. We began by providing support to the encampments of those displaced as a result of the December 1997 Acteal Massacre in the Highlands of Chiapas and to a women’s community store project in the Lacandón Jungle of Chiapas. In 2002 we were asked to establish a hermanamiento (partnership) with a Zapatista municipality (county) in order to construct projects (a municipal warehouse and a cattle project) that would enable the municipality to become economically sustainable. We did that for 7 years and then the compañeros asked us to support the construction of autonomous Zapatista education in the region of La Garrucha and that is what we do now. We are also able to accredit applicants that wish to study Spanish or Tsotsil at the Zapatista language school in Oventik, organize delegations and certify international observers.

3. Participation in the Omni – We will work collectively towards building and strengthening an anti-capitalist community space for social justice in Oakland. We would use the space for our work, including our board and other meetings, public forums and activities, and even for classes in Zapatismo.

4. Group finances and paying rent - We have supported ourselves through community fundraisers, individual contributions and small grants from family foundations. We would use the same combination of fundraising methods to obtain money for rent.

5. Dedicated space – While we don’t know what all the options are, we are willing to share space with another organization or collective, as makes sense. We think we would need space for a small conference table with chairs, a filing cabinet and 1 locked storage cabinet. We estimate using the common spaces as follows: Disco Room 4 times per year and the Ballroom 3 times per year for fundraisers.

6. Other contributions to the Omni – We are a very diverse collective of people who have a variety of skills and experiences that can be used to work towards the shared goals of the member collectives and those who use the space. We have experience in organizing events and would be willing to do some events jointly with the Omni in order to raise funds and/or make a contribution when we sponsor our own successful events that produce revenue. We are also willing to collaborate on events and activities with other Omni groups.

7. Additional – We are a very diverse group in terms of age, gender and race. All of us are committed to the Zapatistas and their ideas of collective organization and anti-capitalist resistance.

discussion

• maryanne explains it - supports construction of autonomy in zapatista communities. general assembly tells them what they need, and they do it. building autonomous schools so youth get anti-capitalist multilingual education and mayan history. they bring people here to meetings to learn about zapatistas and certify language classes and volunteers who work in war zones.
• cere: how will you contribute to omni?
• ma: however we can. group's been together since feb 08. raise money through fundraising events, small grants from leftie family foundations. has 501c3. individual donors. sell products from chiapas. not rich. no idea how to base any proposal, need to talk to each other.
• cere: what do you need in terms of space at omni?
• ma: depends what's available, we can adapt, we've been meeting in each others' homes for 7 years. before that with different group of people. one member proposed small conference table. maybe teach classes.
• rob: there's stuff downstairs
• ma: we have our own stuff, don't need others' stuff. can share them...
• todd: we use our own folding table for events, want to store it here. and projector, etc.
• yar: the membership proposal is just about membership not use of space. Sudo is happy with the membership assuming that the conversation about space will happen later.
• joe: FNB happy with the proposal but points out that all of the proposed collectives need some space, so some shuffling will need to happen.
  • lots of new groups. will need to figure out what everybody needs.
• cere: lockers for groups?
  • yar: that's exactly what homes not jails is asking for. will talk about it more in that section of meeting
• cere: have we talked about overhead - garbage, etc?
  • liz: ll was told to just offer what we could pay. omni's always been a pay what you can system, not necessarily by square footage you use.
  • rob: finance thinks there's 8 collectives, we split equally, etc
  • Yar: there's a cookie cutter process, but it's not mandatory. some groups get a differently shaped cookie. there's lots of evidence and precedence for this in early omni history. i'm working on presenting it.
• are we gonna vote now?
  • joe objects - getting too sloppy
  • long conversation about whether or not to vote on this. facilitator decides we wait until next meeting

New Member App: Birdhouse Collective

Mission statement

To bring into the Omni community artists whose perspectives, experiences and artwork challenge the dominant culture.
To increase free, donation based arts programming in the Bay Area
To  create a visible arts presence and broadening the perception of the Omni as an arts space.
To provide a platform for artists and non artists alike, to use the infrastructure, community and resources of the Omni for free and horizontally organized arts and arts education programs.
To collaborate on creative projects with other member collectives and horizontally organized groups in the Bay Area.

Origin and group history We originally started as the “art department” of BAPS, funded by an Alternative Exposure grant. As such, we’ve organized a handful of classes, talks, and other events. We have been regularly meeting for the last year, with many meetings centered around both conceptual and concrete ways that an arts collective could successfully operate in a space such as the Omni, and what an arts collective could contribute to the space.

Participation in the Omni: Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? In the last 3 months we’ve written a strategic plan to sustainably expand our programing. These are divided into three main components: educational programs, including classes and talks; curatorial programs that will bring artists, art collectives, curators, and other cultural producers/visionaries into the Omni to incorporate art into the space (everything from commissioned murals to temporary installations to performance series); an artist in residence program that would bring 3-6 artists into the Omni for a several month period to complete a research, writing, or visual art project that works in conjunction with the space and collectives-in-residence. We have realized that what we would like to organize falls outside of the scope of BAPS and it makes financial and organizational sense to separate and form our own collective within the Omni. Outside of space for our programming (see answer to #5 below) our needs are relatively minimal - we can provide most materials for classes, exhibitions, and other programming.

Group finances and paying rent: What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? We have about $2000 from the Alternative Exposure grant, which we plan to apply toward rent. We propose to pay $200/ month in rent plus utilities for a three-month trial period. We have also discussed charging sliding scale admission to lectures, screenings, and other large events. Payment will never be forced upon any participant, keeping true to our mission of free arts programing. Most likely the largest funding source for this project will come from grants and monthly member donations.

Dedicated space: If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? Our needs for the space are flexible - we anticipate holding approximately 4 classes or lecture series/quarter (Sept-Dec; Jan-March; March-June), that would meet for variable lengths of time in flexible spaces around the Omni to be approved through the Commons with some use of larger spaces like the Ballroom, Basement, La Commune, or the Disco Room for more high profile talks/events; we will seek curatorial projects and proposals that use the space creatively and flexibly. Our residency will need a small amount of dedicated space (we plan to provide lockers/lock boxes for residents to store a/v, electronics or other valuable equipment, which we will need to keep somewhere; we also need a dedicated space for residents to work - this could be as simple as a desk or a wall that remains in a room that could be used for something else.

Other contributions to the Omni: This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group? (less than 5 sentences) Help Commons Working Group by soliciting paid groups and supporting outside arts groups in renting the space for events. We hope that this project will greatly expand the scope of the Omni’s community and increase its visibility. There is a chance that funders and donors to the arts introduced to the Omni through Birdhouse would financially support the larger project of the Omni. We also plan to bring in artists, arts collectives, curators, and others who would increase the diversity of the Omni’s community in many ways, including inviting programming for and by artists who represent our neighborhood and community. As an example, we are currently working with New Space, an art studio for disabled adults, to create a show of their work at the Omni. We are interested in stewarding unused/ underused spaces that can be used not only for an artist in residence or other curatorial projects and other groups in the space.

Additional: Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like) Membership - our collective will have an broad member base, where those who organize and those who participate are all considered members. Those who participate in our residency program will be temporary members. Invitees, such as artist, art collectives, and curators, would not necessarily be considered members unless they show continual involvement at Birdhouse. Organizers are point people for certain responsibilities and are made up of the membership. Organizer roles are clearly defines are rotate every 3 months along with our class and exhibition schedule. voting: In Favor: 3 Opposed: 0 Abstain: 1 PASSES

discussion

• alex describes
• $200 + utilities, not asking for designated space
• will care for art walls. has a "preparator". wall-carer.
• delegates in favor: cere, yar, joe, lori (remotely)
  • liz abstains
• yar: things were informal at the beginning and we saw that as ok because we saw having a culture as more important than having a bureaucracy
  • cere remembers quorum being a big deal at the beginning
• birdhouse is a member collective

New Member App: Supersonic Pandemonium

1) Mission statement: What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences)

We make revolution & evolution through our music by facilitating music events, recordings, and the productions of music projects. We celebrate and share a culture of music that contributes to the local community by nurturing the arts. We will collaborate with other collectives on sound-related projects (for example: composing scores/recording audio for the film collective, working on music technology projects with the SudoRoom, and helping with running boards and sound for events at Omni).

2) Origin and group history: How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences)

We emerged from waters of creation flowing us all into the Omni and thereby into a collective spirit. Many of us did not know each other prior to this formation, but we share a passion for music, sounds, and collaboration. Individually, we have each been a part of bands, choirs, and other creative work groups. Collectively, we have organized youth groups, music events, protest parties, album/song recordings, studio spaces, instructional courses, and workshops.

3)Participation in the Omni: Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs ( less than 5 sentences)

We consider the Omni reflective of our eclectic collective and we believe we can help the Omni grow as a result of the healing sounds we plan to emanate. We intend not only to use the space for our own needs, but also for collaboration and interaction with the other collectives here. We will host meetings, conduct music workshops, set up a sound media/recording space open to our collective members and our sponsored guests, and use the ballroom for regular, ongoing, revenue-generating music events. We need a small securable room with low rent to set up a sound media lab. We feel that initially we could pay $100 per month with the potential for higher rent as our revenue grows and a percentage of all our event and sales revenue will go back into the Omni. We are open to reassessing the rent rate 3 months after becoming a member collective of the Omni.

4) Group finances and paying rent: What does your group do to support itself, financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences)

We plan to finance our group through donations from music events, sound room rental, sound & music gigs, mix-tape sales, and lessons/workshops hosted in the space by collective members. In addition, we guarantee timely rent payments through monthly member dues.

5) Dedicated Space: If your group would like a dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific room feel might be suitable?

Initially we have our thoughts set on the basement room next to Phat Beets, and eventually we would also like to incorporate the lighting storage room next door for major projects. We must be able to lock the door and limit general access as valuable hardware and software would reside in the studio room.

6) Other contributions to the Omni? This question should inspire some imagination, we are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long term. The basic plans for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events and booking other events. What is the best case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group. (less than 5 sentences)

As described in question 4, we plan to pay rent through menber fees, and raise additional funds for the Omni through music events, sound room rental, sound & music gigs, mix-tape sales, and lessons/workshops. We would also like to collaborate with other collectives and contribute our talents on all types of sound-related projects and fund raising events.

7) Additional: Is there any other info that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? ( as many sentences as

We came together so spontaneously, and we know their are many in front and behind us on this music healing, impassioned path! Without the Omni, we might have never met. The Omni brought us together. She birthed us, so in homage, in respect, in gratitude...we don't think we belong anywhere else! We are like a new baby: be gentle ‘cause we need to stay close to Momma!

discussion

• delaying 2 weeks. they're not here, and didn't show up to their meeting on sunday either. needs more discussion.

Member Collective: Buried Seeds

1. Mission statement What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences)

       Buried Seeds Medicinal Garden (Buried Seeds) is dedicated to facilitating the production of and accessibility to Earth-based medicine. We are committed to living, gardening, healing, and loving in rhythm with the Natural Order.

2. Origin and group history How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences)

       Buried Seeds started in August 2015 when a tax defaulted lot was made available to the collective members - Tatille Jackson and Thunder Currier - and their vision had a place to land. Since then, the members of Buried Seeds have established themselves as stewards of the land by moving into tiny homes. We are in the process of creating a regenerative herb and food garden while laying the groundwork for an Earth-based medicine lab. 

3. Participation in the Omni Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences)

       Buried Seeds is interested in becoming a member of Omni Commons because it is important to us that we grow in and contribute to spaces that are driven by the ideals of equal access, collective movement, and mutual support. We intend to use the space as a medicine-making lab and education hub for Earth-based herbalists. To achieve this, we will require:

approximately 240 sqr ft of securable floor space access to plumbing (to install sinks) a number of electrical outlets We will bring in all other equipment, shelving, supplies, etc. 4. Group finances and paying rent What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences)

       Buried Seeds will have three main income sources - monthly membership dues to the medicine-making lab, the sale of herbal medicine kits, and workshops/classes/gatherings. As we will be funding the build out of the medicine lab and adding to the overall value of Omni, we propose that we pay $100 for the first two months of rent - the amount of time we are giving ourselves to complete the medicine lab. For the following four months, we propose that we pay $300 per month. After that, we can revisit the rent agreement including the possibility of offering a percentage of income. Buried Seeds is prepared to pay rent from its reserves if necessary. We expect transactional revenue to cover this expense from the seventh month moving forward. 

5. Dedicated space If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences)

       Please refer to our answer to Question 3 regarding the square footage and features. We are interested in the far right corner of the entrance space.

6. Other contributions to the Omni This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group? (less than 5 sentences)

       Given the current real estate environment in the Bay Area, we fully support the plan to purchase the building and would be willing to host fundraising events, offer a percentage of sales to a “buy the building” fund, or come up with other creative ideas once we have a better idea of all that the Omni has to offer. The best case scenario for using the Omni space is that it will be a mutually beneficial scenario in which the culture of the Omni will help us draw in members and workshop participation while the presence of Buried Seeds will diversify what the Omni has to offer and stabilize its financial situation.

7. Additional Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like)

       It is important for us to outline our exchange platform - in order to make what we offer available to those who may not have access to the one form of capital our society has deemed most valuable, we have decided to accept three forms of payment for the majority of our services. We will have predetermined amounts of 1) money, 2) garden volunteer hours, and 3) services that we will accept for the majority of our goods and services. This will also be based on the venue in which the exchange is taking place. For example, only money will be accepted at farmers’ markets or retail outlets whereas herbalists may have the option of reduced membership rates to the medicine lab in exchange for contributing a certain amount of medicine to Buried Seeds or community members can volunteer a predetermined number of hours in order to participate in a workshop.

Looking down the line, Buried Seeds would love to explore the idea of establishing a free apothecary for Omni members. Even further down the line, and when we have appropriately experienced herbalists on board, we would also love to host a community clinic.

discussion

• 2 pieces to what they do - establishing medicinal herb gardens in oakland, setting up medicine making lab at omni. want 240sqft in front room. installing sinks, 2 walls, open ceiling. needs security for expensive stuff. used as lab to make plant-based medicine. mindful of what supplies are used. share a wall with rise above.
• joe: so no cafe there?
• alex: solid walls? glass? mural?
• julio: will there be chemical scent?
• tatille: herbal scent. lavendar, alcohol, vinegars.
• thunder: tincture based
• rob: space gets used for talks and stuff. if there's a concern, could you move to basement? do you need foot traffic?
• tatille: basement felt claustrophobic. didn't see conducive space with plumbing or space.
• thunder: cross contamination is a big thing.
• rob: seems like walling off area with high ceilings is weird
• liz: will you put a ceiling on?
• tatille: no ceiling, but a guy designed a trellis wave to be on top. it'll be open so window light can come down.
• thunder: we'd like to dry herbs as well
• yar is concerned about triggering new code requirements - altering floorplan makes you lose grandfathered status sometimes. also, black hole was looking at a spot in the basement with plumbing, which would have a window to CCL.
• joe: 1 sink? 2 sinks?
  • tatille: probably 8 outlets. we'll have blenders.
  • joe: quite an operation. encompasses a lot. i like it but it's a big deal. gonna have to figure out a plan.
• julio: isn't rise above leaving? would you want that space?
  • they haven't seen it
  • there's plumbing in there. a laundry sink.
  • bigger than they need, but could be subdivided
• 20x12
• cere: maybe have access to plumbing on the outside
• joe: what's your business plan? what can you afford to pay now?
  • $100/mo for first 2 months, $300 after that. want to contribute, need to grow first.
  • after 6 months can maybe pay more
• Cere: CCL does fermentation already. too bad it's not adjacent spaces
• just 2 members right now.
• they'd be renting kitchen space out for cash. customers wouldn't be members of the collective. selling some kinds of medicine, giving it away other times. they'll accept cash, volunteer hours, or goods & services. more or less. important that they're financially stable.
• will set up omni apothecary - medicine for omni members.

Homes Not Jails

• Dietrich: i'm a core member. we're a squat collective - we educate people on how to squat, open houses, etc. not direct service but we help make a system of mutual aid. 6 members so far, open meetings. want access to common areas and tool cabinet. looked at cabinet in ticket booth room.
• liz: looking to be member collective? yes. want to come to delegates meetings. best way to have 24 hour access and participate in community. lots of members with building skills, good at acquiring resources without money.
• liz: material exchange? labor rather than rent?
  • d: yes, labor, materials, tools
  • rob: we need a pipe wrench
  • also bolt cutters
• used to be in basement of SF tenants union and housing rights committee, but no longer in SF. tools dispersed right now, so having semi-public space is essential.
• rob: would you be willing to label your tools and keep them in our tool room, or all in one spot?
  • d: easier if all in one spot. can give people access to that. but we also have literature, banners, etc.
  • rob: look at storage closet that la commune used
• they also have a key machine. now we'll have 2
• name WAS inspired by food not bombs
  • 2 "nots" in one building
• right now group is self-supported. no outside funding, don't use a lot of money except to print zines and acquire new tools - broken, lent and not returned. occasionally hold fundraisers. willing to share profits from that.
  • joe: do you work with homeless camps being evicted? FNB brings them food a lot - amazing how Operating Dignity in the city is pushing people out.
  • they're willing to help organize actions & show solidarity. usually just have capacity to help people get in buildings, but not a direct service, don't open houses for people to hand them keys
  • rob got a key a few years ago
  • tryign to move away from that, burnt them out. people kept blowing up their squats. at noisebridge they helped people do it on their own. they became independent, able to support htemselves
• alex: is there ever conflict over spaces? do people get harmed over conflict?
  • we make sure building isn't inhabited before they enter. if an issue happens we stand in solidarity with people who are oppressed
  • so there's a form of security and understanding of relationships. sometimes there's roommate drama
• familiar with land action
• meets wednesdays at 7 in blue room

End of Meeting

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