Event:2017/12/21 Delegates Meeting

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Omni Delegates' Meeting - 21 December 2017 7pm-9pm

Agenda

  • Introductions, Meeting Roles, and Delegates Count [10 minutes]
  • Announcements [5 minutes]
  • Bans [5 minutes]
  • Working Group Report-Backs [15 minutes]
  • Member Collective Updates (10 minutes)
  • Proposal: Sin Fronteras Cafe: [20 minutes]
  • Discussion: The Village Interim Space Use Proposal: [10 minutes]

Introductions

Introduce yourself: Name; Preferred Pronoun; Affiliation

  • Helen - FNB
  • Mary Ann
  • Laura
  • Melvin, GCEA
  • Almaz, GCEA
  • Phil
  • remote-Jenny
  • remote-Rachel
  • Asia - PB
  • Leticia - CCL
  • Christopher Macy - concerned citizen, intersted in getting involved

Meeting Roles

  • Facilitator/s: Phil
  • Explanation of hand signals: "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response"(wildcard), etc.
  • Stacktaker:
  • Timekeeper:
  • Notetaker/s: Laura, Marcus
  • Vibe Reader:
  • Next meeting's facilitator(s):

Delegates

  • ABDC:Marcus
  • BAPS: Steve
  • CCL: Leticia
  • CSC: Mary Ann
  • FNB: Helen
  • GWS: Rachel (remote)
  • LL: inactive
  • Sudo: Jenny (remote) - or Robb
  • TIL: inactive
  • GCEA: Almaz
  • Quorum: 8 / 8 active collectives - yes

Announcements

  • We will be having our annual board meeting in January, prob the 3rd Thursday. We will re-designate the collectives' representatives and reelect the officers. The current officers have agreed to continue but others are welcome to nominate themselves.

Bans

  • ZRW mediation happened and is finished. Phil and Joe were there in addition to the previous attendees. First had a conversation w Joe and Phil. Later ZRW agreed to Omni policies in a discussion with Almaz. There is a written agreement that Running Wolf will sign agreeing to omni poliicies. Almaz is finalizing this. Will work with Laura on it. BAPS has agreed to have Running Wolf as a member. Final signing will happen at a BAPS/CDC meeting in early January.
  • Phil doesn't see any changes in Running Wolf, still sticking to his guns.
  • Add to list of people asked to leave

Working Group Report-Backs

Building & permits

Meetings: 1st & 3rd Mondays @ 6pm

Commons

Meetings: Second and Fourth Thursdays at 6pm

Communications

Meetings: Second and Fourth Sundays at 5pm

Finance

Meetings: Currently conjoined with Fundraising, 2nd & 4th Mondays at 6pm

  • Please pay invoices this week so we have enough in our bank account come Jan 1st!
    • Can we get an invoice sent to us online and GWS can pay? Easiest that way. thx
      • are you not receiving invoices at rachelwest@allwomencount.net? No
        • resent invoice and changed recurring infoz - sorry! <3 Great thx got it
  • Year-end estimated profit -(minus) expenses = ~(around) -(neg)$10,000
  • Laura - The delegates should look at the budget for next year and we should review it at the annual board meeting in January

Fundraising

Meetings: Currently conjoined with Finance,, 2nd & 4th Mondays at 6pm

  • aiming to launch the kitchen fundraiser tomorrow or saturday
  • please help with outreach by pinning down initial/pre-pledges and mailing an announcement to your mailing lists of membership
  • more info at https://omnicommons.org/kitchen - both omnicommons.org/donate and omnicommons.org/kitchen will redirect to the campaign page once we launch.

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?

ABDC

  • There has been some renewed membership interest now that Kazoo has been back and active in the studio. More email conversation happening.

BAPS

  • We have set up internally, the CHallengin DOminant CUlture workig group. We have been starting to analyze things at the Omni and we stopped until the end otf themeidation session with RUning WOlf. We are going to evaluate it ans see what we want to incorporate into what we do in the future.
    • Jenny: What is this? Who is "we"? This is not in any format an Omni working group, as no meeting times are posted, documentation shared, nor areas of decision-making consented upon by Omni delegates. It is a private club having secret meetings and presuming some right to make decisions on behalf of a large collective of collectives, and that's simply unacceptable, imho.
  • We think it would be interesting to organize aseminar on tenants rights, the struggle against gentrification in the area, political economy. WIll get started in the new year. Tenants rights handbook from Causa Justa/Just Cause

CCL

  • IN process of restructuring program for classes and new research projects.
  • Applying for small grants
  • Discussing how we might have to modify the membership fees for some types of members to get a little more income

CSC

  • We thought we were going to ahve a rest but then we found out a rep from the NAtional indigenous council of Mexico (anticapitalist council of Indeigenouspeople in Mx) They are going to run a woman candidate in the elections, and use that process as an organizing tool. CONcerns in particular about landbeing taken form indigenous people for extactive industries, tourism, etc. We dont know the date other than January.
  • Waffles and Zapatismo will start up again after that

FNB

  • Persimmons and swiss chard
  • Chugging along

GCEA

  • After school program is flowing but break is starting
  • Microsoft Certifiaction program is ongoing
  • Africa Health Impact Table - brings in different people to identify health disparities and come up with solutions
  • Had a Take Back Our Streets meeting 2 weeks ago. Showed documentary "The Force".

GWS

  • Had a very successfull fundraiser for Haiti Emergency Relief Fund last Saturday at Omni, with bands, food, drinks, DJ and it went well and raised around $4000. Also in memory of Lori Nairne. Brought new people to Omni

LL

Sudo

TIL

Phat Beetz

  • Is incorporating with 2 other groups to form Oakland COmmunities uNited for Eequity and Justice
  • Have EIN number and will send 501c3 application to IRS soon
  • DOesn't think it will change how they are using space much


Proposal: Sin Fronteras Cafe

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2017 17:02:54 -0800

From: Laura Turiano <scylla@riseup.net>

Hi everyone, Here is the updated cafe proposal. Some things have been modified based upon the feedback received so far, most of which has been positive.

If you have any feedback from your collectives, friendly amendments, questions, etc. it would be really helpful to have them before the meeting on Thursday.

This will be the 3rd meeting at which the Cafe has been discussed, and the second since the proposal was submitted. Collectives all should have discussed it, and I hope we can consense on some version of it on Thursday so we can sign a lease beginning January 1st. If you are going to be the delegate on Thursday, please come prepared with your collective's response.

- Laura

    • Updated proposal to build and open a coffee bar, Cooperative Cafe Sin

Fronteras, at Omni Commons**

Dear Omni Commons,

Sin Fronteras Coffee is a worker-owned co-op created by Rocio Cervantes, and Jose Rodriguez from Akat Cafe <http://akatcafekalli.com>, a community space and sustainable cafe, and Michelle Gutierrez and Abad Leyva. Michelle is a therapist/photographer working for people of color in East Oakland. Abad is an independent filmmaker and founder of Encinal Oakland, a community organization fighting stigma and discrimination through multimedia projects. We propose to become an Omni Commons member collective and open a coffee/limited food location which will serve the North Oakland community and Omni Commons.

Sin Fronteras Coffee will offer fair trade Zapatista coffee from Chiapas, and work directly with the farmers. We also see the need in our communities, where people struggle balancing a busy and poor life, for the cafe to be a model of dignified work at a living wage. Once established, Sin Fronteras Coffee will give to members of disenfranchised communities the opportunity to learn to run a sustainable, autonomous cooperative business. Our commitment to horizontal growth means that we will support and promote others to open similar small, worker-owned co-ops.

Our proposal for Omni Commons:

  • 1. Collective Structure. Worker owned co-op, new owners by invitation only.
  • 2. Community Benefit. Cultural and political education and social events; support for events at the Omni with Cafe service; once we are established, youth internships. In the future, financial and business training to co-op members and employees.
  • 3. Schedule. Proposed hours of operation (subject to change) - 7:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri and cafe service for events at Omnicollectives with anticipation. We will establish a system to request cafe service during events.
  • 4. Security.Conversation needed re. protection of equipment and safety after cafe hours. We will position equipment with safety in mind. We will consider increased security and protection of equipment, if needed, in a way that decoratively and artistically contributes to the space.
  • 5. Source of Goods. We aim to serve organic and just trade coffee from Zapatista cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico. All produce, pastries and dairy will be sourced through local suppliers
  • 6. Community Market. Opportunities for Omni Commons collectives and other POC, Women Owned, Queer Owned businesses to showcase their products.
  • 7. Lease details.
    • 1. Parties:
      • The Omni Commons (“Lessor”)
      • Sin Fronteras Coffee (“Lessee”)
    • 2. Premises: Omni Commons
    • 3. Term: 2 years with 2 2-year options to renew.
    • 4. Commencement:January 1, 2018
    • 5. Use: Coffee/Limited Food


    • 6. Base Rent: $800 a month plus approximately $250 utilities (garbage, PG&E, internet, water based on what other collectives pay). This rate gives 24/7 access to the building for cafe operations; and the ability to hold events in the Entrance Hall at the time the lease is signed. Free use of the Ballroom for occasional large events will be available at the end of the rental abatement period (see below). Lessee will pay property taxes levied on the Lessor by Alameda County due to its non-charitable status. Rent will increase by 3% annually.
    • 7. Insurance:Lessee shall obtain general commercial liability insurance with liability limits not less than $1,000,000/$2,000,000 aggregate​, a Waiver of Subrogation​, and naming Lessor (Omni Commons) ​as an additionally insured.
    • 8. Start-up Costs & Build Out: We estimate the build-out and improvement costs at approx $8,000. Omni Commons will abate our monthly rent for 6 months to help Sin Fronteras manage this initial investment. Sin Fronteras will begin paying for utilities from the time of lease signing.
    • 9.Improvements: Lessee shall provide the following improvements, using building standard finishes, subject to a mutually acceptable space plan, and all applicable permits:
      • Coffee Bar
      • Plumbing and Electrical upgrades
      • Appropriate tile and floor finishing
      • Painting
    • 10.Storage: Extra storage will be included, approximately 10 sq ft in

basement .

    • 11.Parking: Only street parking.
    • 12. Security Deposit: Upon lease execution, Lessee shall provide Lessor with a security deposit equivalent to the last month’s rent.
    • 13. Financials: Lessee will be responsible for funding of leasehold improvements.

Some useful links:

For questions please email:

Discussion

* Abad: We're bringing a proposal to the Omni. We do a lot of things for the community and we've been using Akat cafe for the community to showcase their talents. We'd like to help our culture change it's habits that they don't have to kill ourselves working several jobs. Instead, we'd like to open this cafe with the intention of generating enough cash to hire people at real living wages. You can have a job, you can make good money, you can dedicate your time to do good things. We want to develop programs that show people how they can balance their money, do good work for the community and we don't need much money to launch this cafe.
* Laura: I worked with Abad and Jose to update their proposal and was wondering what feedback people have on what we sent out?
* Phil: What would you do if the cops come in given it's a public space?
* Abad: We haven't really dealt with that yet.
* Laura: A cafe or restaurant has a right to not serve the police.
* Steve: You're going to use the whole space in the entry? We use the long room for events and we'd want to watch out for any events we host there.
** How many people in your cafe.
*** Abad: 4
*** Steve: If a customer got rowdy, would you guys be able to handle it without calling the cops. I'd like to know that you guys could be able handle all but the worst situation.
**** Abad: I used to work in the mental health field and we tried all we can to work out the issues with the people of that caliber and we tried all we could  never to call the cops, cuz they only make things worse.
**** Steve: We haven't been able to look at the proposal yet.
* : We did have a chance to look over the proposal and we're really curious about the youth program and the business training. What does that look like? Would you be open to collaborate.
** Abad: Absolutely. How soon could we be established to that point, probably in two years.
*** : We'd really like to collaborate with our youth and your program.
**** Abad: That would be great, especially if you want to help with the books.
***** Steve: Would you be able to do all that in this space.
****** Abad: Not everything here, we're envisioning setting up in many different locations.
  • Mary Ann: Could you just review to me what hours you'd be open?
    • Abad: 7 - 5.
      • Mary Ann: Picking up on Steve comment, so now the doors would be open the whole time?
        • GCEA: Yes, that's the whole idea to keep the main door open.
          • Laura: Yeah we're still working out the security issues of keeping people from straying through the building. Part of the agreement is that they have to keep those people from straying. It's super complicated to close off space on a firecode basis.
            • Asia: I actually think the cafe will help us be more conscious about engaging random people.
  • GCEA: Yeah we're also concerned about the amount of sound the machinery will make considering our space is directly behind you?
  • GCEA: When you get to the point that you can get to bringing in other people can you start writing out like an application process that will help our people know how what qualifications they need to join?
  • Asia: I haven't seen the proposal, so I was wondering how I can get access?
    • Laura: Yes you can join the mailing list and you can go to the riseup pad to see the notes.
      • ::jenny sending to asia::: > phatbeetsoffice@gmail.com
  • Rachel: i think it will make Omni welcoming to have a cafe presence in the front
  • CCL: This is very common in the restaurant business that you put in the lease the option to renew.
  • Laura: Is there anyone here that would block.
    • CCL: We didn't have info to feel their was enough info to get a clear picture on your business. There were many things we were discusing and realized there was nothing in the contract that states how you are protecting the interest of the Omni? We want more clarity and a real contract. We don't even know if you're gonna pass legal and permits and stuff.
      • Jenny: Proposal states they aim to get the space up to code & pass health - which is mandatory for any cafe business operation anyway
  • Robb (sudo): Is there any willingness to renegotiate terms reflecting transparent financials & impact on omni after each 2 year term?
    • Jenny (sudo): As well as stipulation of process for booking Entrance Hall via Commons WG participation? We can add language for both provisions in the sublease agreement...
      • Laura: Since the Commons WG does the booking, one of the things that would help that coordination is if your group always send a representative to the Commomns meetings.
      • Abad agrees
        • Jenny: at the least, submit all potential events as requests and tell your folx they can list you as point person or sponsoring collective - which entails being present and stewarding a contract/invoice process which we can easily train you on.
  • Steve: There's a couple things that we'd like to discuss with you guys directly concerning your updated info.
  • Laura: Summarizing what I'm hearing. People like the idea of the Cafe. It's just the details that people have an issue with.


pre-writ/non-p2p discussions

    • Nothing written into new proposal about fiscal transparency / reports
      • Agree to have transparent finances and make reports quarterly to the delegates.
  • Sudo Room: Concerns over an automatically-extended 6-year lease before getting to know each other
    • No collective has more than a 1-year lease term...
    • Would prefer renegotiation of lease terms every renewal period, following full financial reports
      • This will require more discussion. Maybe at a Sudo meeting
  • FNB: (Jenny summarizing email threads) - Request clarification of Entrance Hall space usage vis-a-vis Booking - and articulation in lease of participation in Commons Working Group stewarding Entrance Hall bookings in consensus/collaboration with Commons WG.
    • Willing to be on Commons as main Entrance Hall event coordinators. Other groups can have events there.
  • Liberated Lens: (Jenny summarizing email threads) - Concerns over security of other spaces in the Omni from public traffic - no blocking concerns, but just something to be discussed and strategized on.
    • Everyone agrees this is something we will need to work on, some related discussion above.

The Village Interim Space Use Proposal

  • Use area at base of basement stairs on the right, the roughly 6x8' area where the drywall is currently being stored. 12 stackable bins that will acrue donations every Tuesday and be distributed every Wednesday by 5pm. No food will be stored. Reassess upon the first Delegates Meeting of the new year.

Discussion

  • In favor: ABDC, CCL, BAPs, CSC, GCEA, Phat beets, FNB, GWS
    • Abstain: sudo (not discussed at last meeting)

Consensus - yes

Last Meeting Notes

https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2017/12/07_Delegates

End of Meeting

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