Event:Yyyy/mm/dd Event Title

Omni Delegates' Meeting - 12/20/2018 7pm-9pm s at once a month, year round, and with skipping December as a meeting month altogether.

I'm on the board for several nonprofits and member of many more and only one meets during the holidays month of Dec only because it is in the rainy season and that is an active mushroom month for mushrooms and they sponsor many season related events that need discussing/planning. Two other mushroom societies, and the rest of the orgs, also don't meet at all in Dec for board or member meetings as the meetings are never well attended that time of year, or it is just reduced to a holiday party with no business to distract from celebrations of the orgs' yearly accomplishments.

Now that Omni has Jenny's electronic method of communications, any urgent topics can be discussed and voted on by that means so, except for extraordinary situations, it wouldn't even be necessary to call a special delegate's meeting beyond once a month. Since most of the nitty gritty of Omni operations are delegated to the finance and commons committees, the delegates really don't need to do much supervisory management and, perhaps sometime in the new year, I think I'll likely be proposing that delegate's meetings be scheduled quarterly.

Perhaps yall would like to put this on the agenda to discuss this at the meeting tonite, whether there is a quorum or not to vote on anything.

• • Mary Ann raised the concern that this raises the question about the role of the board and would continue monthly meetings with 1 in August and December.
  • Helen wonders if there are issues that come up often enough for 2 meetings/month.
  • Brian Meetings seem pretty hectic.
  • Rachel thinks one meeting a month might have more attendance and urgent things can be done over email
  • Mary Ann - every group has this issue. CCS has found that email messages are not as clear often
  • Helen, especially if the issue is something people get angry about or concerned.

• • Rachel special meetings could be called when something comes up that has to be discussed more thoroughly
  • Mary Ann, Brian feel like special meetings sound like a good idea but may not work in practice
  • Helen - has not found that less frequent meetings are more likely to bring people together
  • Brian - consistence of meetings tends to keep people coming
  • Mary ann - if the board had more decisions to make, people might show up more

• Omni Year End Financial Reportback:
  • Brian will give the presentation, largely sumarizing the email Jenny sent out on December 2nd.
  • Brian Discussion tonight, short version is the Omni is making more money than spending; paid down $100,000 in liabilities this year, including many personal loans, have saved $$, most allocated to the kitchen.
  • Phil asked about funds for lighting the entrance hall
  • Brian: goals to have $30,000 in savings for operating funds and 2x time for bigger capital reserves. Spending $9000/month, taking in $14,000 (split between fiscally sponsored projects, tenants, rentals.)Looking into grants also.

• • Update on organizations who are significantly behind on rent.
  • GCEA is at least 6 months behind on rent - for a total of $1200 minimum, at $200/month. Brian has talked to Almaz about how to get more income. Almaz expressed interest in having an arrangement like FNB, which is low rent ($1) but does fundraisers during the year for Omni rent.
  • Lynn: Do we know how much FNB has raised for the Omni in fundraisers?
  • Phil: FNB voted to give $800 for utilities.
  • Brian: Will find the number.
  • Helen: I thought FNB was contributing labor (Phil cleaning)
• Mary Ann: It seems like when groups are not being successful; is BAPS paying anything?
  • Phil: BAPS doesn't use any space, utilities etc
  • Phil: Events that GCEA has are serving alcohol
  • Helen: That is a separate issue. Is BAPS active?
  • Mary Ann:
  • Rachel: i think groups that have their own spaces should contribute financially if they have agreed to pay. grant writing, fundraising, regular benefits etc
  • Mary Ann: how does that fit with FNB? which has storage space, refrigerators
  • Brian agrees with Rachel
  • Mary Ann - fiscally sponsored groups do things that grants give money for, maybe we have gone about it the wrong way by looking at the omni as a whole rather than looking toward the fiscall sponsored groups
  • Rachel do you mean like GCEA being a fiscally sponsored group?
  • Lynn, it is, but of another organization.
  • Brian: Yes, Maryanne was suggesting that as the fiscal sponsor of GCEA, the omni may be more able to help them get grants that their current fiscal sponsor.
  • Brian: I also happen to think that this may be difficult, I think our capacity to help orgs get grants is limited enough to be dangerous to plan around.
  • Rachel: Are they writing grants but not getting the $?
  • BRian: I don't htin
  • Lynn: Laura has said that is the case.
  • Helen: Examples in our history of people who say they can do something but who can't do it and hard dot hold feet to the fire if they can't do it.
  • Mary Ann: how does it happen that we approve something (like the cafe) that people can't do
  • Sierk: The cafe had a future plan but economically it didn't work, so we can reconsider the new future plan. But in GCEA that is about rent due from the past.
  • Mary Ann: in both cases there was a lease and contract.
  • Sierk - but one is now and one is in the past; and we want to let people have ambitions and try to reach their dream; as long as we can rediscuss it.
  • Lynn: Could Finance put together a spreadsheet of all the Omni organizations with what they get and what they contribute so that we can see what options there are.
  • Rachel: should it be rediscussed with GCEA what kind of contribution they can make?
  • Brian reintroduces the topic to Kiwi from GCEA who just entered, who discusses use of the kitchen in the future.
  • Robb, who just entered, asks to review the amount owed
  • Brian not sure whether organizational spreadsheet is possible or is too long
  • Robb should be pretty clear to do
  • Brian: Almaz could put togther a proposal for a different list agreement
  • Robb: what do we do with an organization not paying dues for 6 month?
  • Helen: there is a rule, no longer a voting member - but has not been invoked
  • Helen: 2 ideas here: GCEA prepare a proposal, and to be helpful, that Finance should develop a spreadsheet type of what all organizations do
  • Kiwi: GCEA could find ways to do labor
  • Robb: Other members do work for the Omni collective
  • robb: WE need a proposal and everyone needs to live up to their agreement.
  • Rachel: agree with Robb
  • Kiwi: whatever is fair
  • Rachel: so is it that GCEA will bring a proposal to delegate meeting?
  • Brian: need a timeline for this proposal - February 7, 2019. Kiwi has agreed that the date sounds good, but with some hesitation.
  • Helen: I propose that GCEA come up with a proposal on February 7 2019 to renegotiate their agreement and bring it back to the delegates
  • Robb - they are in default
  • Mary Ann - a problem has been presented to us and we have a quorum, so we can address that or set up a process.
  • Robb: Helen is bringing a proposal on behalf of GCEA
  • Kiwi: I am here to help with fundraising
  • Brian brought us this issue and its up to us to take steps forward.
  • Brian offers to help Almaz with the proposal
  • Mary Ann: GCEA is inactive until rent is up to date.

Meeting is adjourned 8:45 pm

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