Event:2015/03/05 Weekly Delegate's Meeting

The meeting begins promptly at 7pm, every Thursday, and ends promptly at 9pm, unless delegates agree to continuation. Contents:

• Introductions
• Announcements
• Working Group Report-Backs
• Proposals
• Discussions
• Action Items
• Tabled
• Optional Breakout Session

Attendees

• Facilitator/s: Laura T
• Introduction to the Omni Commons & our values:
• Explanation of hand signals:
  • "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response", "time's up", "stop and reflect", "kermit" (wildcard), etc.
• Stacktaker:
  • Explanation of progressive stack: Raise your hand and make eye contact with the stack taker. Please wait your turn, and try not to interupt or speak over others. Direct responses are allowed only as Points Of Information/ Clarifications, etc (use hand signal). For everything else, please raise your hand and wait your turn.
• Timekeeper:
  • Reminder to keep comments brief.
• Notetaker/s:
  • URL of this pad: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom
• Important Note for the Pad:
  • Please do not move or delete meeting notes from the pad, unless you have archived them properly. Always leave the most recent meeting's notes, and the template at the bottom. !! Thank you.
• Vibe Reader:
  • Reminder to stay calm, be respectful, and think before speaking.
• Next weeks facilitator(s):
  • Encourage someone who hasn't facilitated before. If they'd like support, someone who has facilitated before can join them to facilitate together! If they'd like to know how the agenda works, here's a page outlining the different parts of our agenda: https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Facilitating_General_Meetings_Tips_and_Info

Delegates

• BAPS:
• Black Hole:
• CCL:
• FNB:
• La Commune:
• MPM:
• Sudo Room:
• TIL:
• Quorum:

Introductions

Please be brief! Introduce yourself: Name; Prefered Pronoun; Affiliation; If you are new, what is one thing that brought you here?

• Optional Ice-breaker:
• laura (baps)
• mary (ccl)
• pam (lc)
• dusty
• aja (phat beets)
• nicole
• ian (mpm)
• jessie ()
• joe (fnb)
• joel (til)
• kevin
• david keenan
• polena
• yar (sudo)
• matt (sudo)
• amgo

Announcements

Any Omni-related announcements. Please be brief! Maximum 1 (one) minute per announcement. Reminder: Working Groups reports are after this, please save W.G. announcements for later.

• Matt: Sudo room Saturday and Sunday. 14th-15th March deep flush clean for the Sudo Room. 10AM-10PM. Lead up to a party
• Joe: Food n B got an awesome piece of equipment. Spoke with Max from Phat Beets, a Condenser, placed on the shelf in the bikeroom. Get cooler!!!
• March 22 lake merritt ampitheatre water/envrionmental event wherein the Omni may hold a table. See Jessie for detais.

Bans

Announcement of recent bans.

Working Group Report-Backs

Please be brief! Maximum 5 (five) minutes per W.G. WGRBs are Alphabetical; All W.G.s are equally important. Report-backs consist of answering 3 (three) questions:

• What did you accomplish this week?
• What problems or action items are you currently working on?
• What do you need to bring to our attention and/or need help with?

Building, Permits, and Facilities

This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building Ballroom-readiness needs and plans: https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Ballroom-readiness

• David: working really really hard, starting to fork a lot the work. Matt and Mary have started to budget, building structure to allow folks to volunteer in a way that's effectige. Electricians running around almost everyday. Spent all day with architect in Ballroom for autocad drawing. Lot of work. Planning well under way, anyone interested talk to David. Meetings Mon. at 8pm, there have been a few different times but. There is a lot of planning involved and we would like more people.

Matt adds that a while back delegates approved using room between commune and ballroom for storage. It now has a nice lock and contains materials for building and tools and some room for storing amps and stuff. going to re-key it soon, now copy of old spot. Claudia's room.

Challenging Domniant Culture (CDC)

Meetings:Sundays at 12pm

• Kevin: mary kevin dusty and _____ met and the email that came out of that meeting caused a row
• Basically, CDC ppl are tasked with tasks they can't do - perceived value conflict:
  • resolve conflict in a patince/time/trust way VS to safety-based/fast/immediate punative (?) way
  • what are our values? How do we want to see conflicts resolved?
    • restorative? or remove ppl to create safe space immediately?
• HOW DO WE WANT TO HAVE CONFLICTS RESOLVED?
• YAR: we have our statement of solidarity and safer spaces policy. are you sort of putting that all on the table and saying maybe we don't want those anymore?
  • kevin: absolutely not!
• notes available @ cdc wiki: wikicommons/cdc (?)
• mary: now that we have really experienced conflict it's nice to sit back and reflect
• Ian: is this question trying to engage with existing conflict mediation processes?
• Kevin: It is asking whether or not these processes are what we want and how we should deal with conflict in general.
• Matt: adjudicating vs legislating are you asking your WG to do work it isnt set up for?
• Kevin: It's hard to sawy what's inside our scope. I am uncomforatble doing some of this work.
• Joel: Some are looking at a odcument, looking at first ban to create history and reflection of what did/not work, done in two weeks. This is a contribution to conversation.
• Kevin: More formal the easier to share with others.

Commons

Meetings: Saturdays at 1pm We review proposals for space rental

• Lot's of events gonig on, awesome.

Communications / SysAdmins

Meetings: nope :)

• New fast internet set up but not implemented because need account person that's already on LMI (current wifi account) account

Finance

Meetings: Wednesday at 7:30pm

• Rent and util paid - rent=12k, util $1779
• We need to open a new bank account at Bank of the West because
  • a)it is nearby b) it will integrate with quickbooks (although our current credit union sez they will integrate QB in a few days)
• We approved $$ for the buildings wg but would like to offer them their own bank account or credit card so they don't have to ask every time
• Insurance - state farm visit
  • Dissolution of Backspace + complications
• Need a couple committed folks for consistent help

Amgo, we paid rent yay! Opened up Bank of the West becuase that our current account didn't link to quickbooks but now it is going to. Removed immediate reason but would still be good because it's close and such. Have things to deposit give to Amgo until have a safe spot. Also the buildings working group needs their own card/account so that they don't have to beg finance group when an approved thing needs to be bought. Saves Finance work for documentation too. We can also get a gift card to use.

proposal: new bank account

• The board of the Omni Oakland Commons authorizes Jennifer Ryan and Amanda Gorden to open a business checking and savings account with Bank of the West. See full proposal below, under "Proposals"
• 7/7 delegates pass unanimously

Fundraising

Meetings: Mondays at 7pm, BAPS Classroom

• "we haven't had a meeting, need to fulfill the perks but we're slacking"
• laura would love help getting perks coordinated

How We Organize

Meetings: Tuesdays at 7pm, BAPS Classroom

• No longer exists as a group but individuals still has duties: shepherding newcomers through the collectivization process
• liz made neat flowcharts
• jenny cleaned up the wiki, especially the join page
• to-dos: edit the wiki more

phat beets

• matt helped with phat beets: clarifying proposal & space usage.
  • renting OMP's old room for same rate - $400/mo
  • store equipment in trash rooms for $100/mo
• sudoroom fully supports having phat beets in general
• aja: what's our next step? cuz we're excited
  • something something
• yar does straw poll
  • delegates who discussed phat beets with your groups already? 4 hands
  • and feel generally positive about saying yes to them? 4 hands
  • yar: get that number higher and you're golden. make those meetings happen.
  • laura: need a specific proposal everyone can read and say yes to
• amgo: what activities in the OMP room?
  • our desktop computer needs to be locked up because it has quickbooks and stuff
  • desks
  • place to bring community folks
  • folks we partner with that don't necessarily want to be part of the everything in the space
  • we'd try to keep it not open all the time
• David: perhaps that you can be very specific such as mentioning how many poeple work with Phat Beets, how you're funded, and such things like that.
  • to satisfy more people who may be generically apprehensive about more "businesses" moving in
• Amgo: asks about the sturcture, the power, and such in Phat Beets and seconds some of what David mentioned.
• joe not clear on what's going on in those basement rooms right now. one's locked, two are open
  • they're moldy
  • David: Rooms must be torn down and there is mold in there
  • some groups want them for hypothetical "community media production"
  • omni music project never happened. they've moved out. right now it's all shared space and anyone can use it for whatever they want

berkeley liberation radio

• matt had an ambiguous discussion
• the collective needs "office space" for 8am-8pm programming
• right now they have a station in the long haul
• nothing conclusive
• do they want an antenna? not really, they want more security for their stuff. they can stream to transmitters from anywhere.

visioning/planning

• not a lot of people seem interested in analyzing survey data
• laura will send out another doodle for a 90-minute meeting for those few who are interested in helping analyze survey data, and then will schedule a general invitation meeting to work on developing a focus question for the visioning and planning process based on the data.

Kitchen

Meetings:

• Joe: waiting, Mary and building folks put thread on to meet the plumber and Joe just still wants to meet the plumber. Tony.

Welcoming

Meetings: Thursdays at 6pm Contact: welcoming@omnicommons.org

• Rachel: On hiatus, but always looking for folks to spend 2-4 hours once a week and such to be in the front and to give tours and such and we need folks to do this. Group meeting soon.

Proposals

Please provide the following information with your proposal:

• The date the proposal was put on the pad;
• The group or person making/bottom-lining the proposal;
• Who will be speaking to the proposal at the meeting;
• Where the full text or other information about the proposal can be found, if it's not all here.

La Commune use of bunker room storage, March 1,2015

La Commune would like to request use of the shelves in the small section of the bunker room for the storage of books. (Space marked in red on the floorplan sent with email to consensus and discuss listservs: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-AL95NlI75qU1Q5OUVjZGJyeHlTREFEaDZYbVJGSzN0TFhN/edit?usp=drive_web

• Laura: one friendly amendment ot the proposal
• David: This is part of the bunker room where many new tools and some expensive things may go. Commune has more books than can fit. We should approve proposal pending cleaning out under the stage, space ideally set up to place boxes of books that is now full of wood. The wood should be removed and used to storage for all of the omni. Can put things on rolling carts and such. Allow to use bunker for now until under stage is clear.
• Amgo: Stop paying rent in bunker once things are out?
• David: yes, and doesn't know if they should have to pay to store things under stage. For time being, much better than behind the counter.
• Pam: We were about to rent steve's space down the block and he's hoping to get an answer asap, but we thought we'd rather pay the omni. Changin the location of books is fine.
• Rachel: Just the little red rectangle? Yes.
• Joe: Seems like a lot of money to pay for that little space.
• Pam: What we were going to be paying anyway and that they feel they can contribute the amount.
• Matt: having cleaned out the room, whatever the collectives need it's all good. Very nice to offer the money. pay 100 a month, use it to store books, and will remove them later?
• David: Yes, but that's my friendly amendment. The stage will probably be a much better and bigger space.
• Pam: The amendment may be just fine and feels that there is a need to have a space very close to the bookstore. Didn't know about the other potential.
• Jessie: How soon under stage be cleared?
• David: a decision, nothing stopping us. We just forgot that we pulled down millions of things. Thought we could re-use the wood but no one has come up with an idea. Feels that now there's more need for storage than space.
• Jessie: Can we spread the word or call of volunteers to facilitate this process? See if anyone needs wood.
• Laura: can you bottom line the wood removal?
• Jassie: Happy to get some energy going. This would also require to have folks build the carts and such.
• Kevin: Point of process, a meeting thing or post meeting thing?
• Laura: Post meeting thing. We can vote now or we re-imagine the proposal. Could wait a week.
• Rachel: A blocking concern. About the point of process. Not needing to wait a full week, even though it makes sense, but not following the process for everything raises a question.
• Matt: We could consent to approving this early, totally welcome to do that. Unclear about what proposal we're deciding on, in that there is an amendment. Also, Sudo approved and we're in favor but we didn't approve a changed version.
• David: Isn't a proposal supposed to come to a meeting and it's born? Isn't that the pont?
• Jessie: Could we vote on the proposal and add the amendment next week?
• David: This is for all time...
• Laura: Anyone not discussed this proposal?
• David: not discussed with black hole but feels that they'd be on board.
• Pam: Concern is, learning whether or not they will eventually be able to store all of their things at the omni, that this is the most important part.
• Joe: Has to admit, most folks at FNB doesn't even know what the Omni is. Like four people decide on things.
• delegates consent 7/7 unanimous, without the friendly amendment, to be renewed/discussed next week. la commune can legitimately keep their books there for the next week.

We would like to propose paying an additional $100/ mo rent for use of these shelves. Once the cafe opens in La Commune, we would like to re-evaluate this amount with the hope of being able to contribute even more monthly rent.

• Proposal to change to Bank of the West, Finance Committee,(If not consensen upon outside of this meeting by delegates)

The board of the Omni Oakland Commons authorizes Jennifer Ryan and Amanda Gorden to open a business checking and savings account with Bank of the West. This is ideal for two reasons: 1) Our current account with Western Federal Credit Union does not integrate with Quickbooks, which we're using for our accounting 2) Bank of the West has a branch right on Telegraph and 50th, which will make depositing checks and cash significantly easier for the Finance Committee. Passed - see Finance WG reprot back above

• Proposal to buy moveable walls, 3/5/15, DK

8 walls at $400/wall. DK may be able to talk down.

• David: Wants to see if we have a general interest, not needed to get a full vote or conversation. That these walls could be used for a wide array of things, and that we could use it as a back up plan for us, to reduce the "active floor space" we don't have to have conditional use permit from the city. Can actually use walls to build smaller space. Could fulfill code requirment and feels that it would be very useful. Has pictures, measurements, and priced it all out at home depot and feels that it would be a very reasonable thing to buy in that it would be more to build them.
• Ian: Part of group who may want to push funds for this.
• Joe: Wants to see pictures
• David: I'll post them, anyone can go look at them too.
• they're 1 block south of the ashby bart station at the berkeley design center. right next to the post office.

Yar: should we spend the money doing other things, are we spending it well? Aren't we skating by? David: I think we have money, and that we could of course always be more conservative but that these walls are super useful, ready-made, and we could raise funds to pay for them. Laura: David, you're taking time. All we need to do is have one or two events to pay for it. We'd be much more likely to have these events if we could market the flexibility of the space with the walls. Matt: These things are as expensive as cubicles. Have you offered a tax write-off? David: yes Matt: Could you have him come down on any more. Laura: Seems peolpe are generally in favor and we can decide next week. Joe: Wants to see them. Sound a little clunky. Laura: They are very elegant, so much more fancy than the Omni.

Discussion

Meeting-wide discussion of issues, concerns, ideas, etc. ==

For Next Week

Any Proposals or Discussions which were tabled for lack of time, etc.

Optional Breakout Discussion

Meeting attendees count up to >8 (number dependant on size of meeting), after which all same numbers collect into smaller groups to discuss the current topic/s. (Approx 20 mins, depending on time available)

Ideas for Breakout Discussions

• How do/should we ineract with unwelcome (abusive/hostile/drunk/etc) guests (Especially if you are alone!) and diffuse/solve the situation?
• OMNI Finances: How can move toward more transparency about how much the Omni costs? And more comfort talking about money within the Omni and its members?
• Kindness, Forgiveness, Self care, Debt and Jubilee
• Friendships, Relationships, and Organizing
• What is your 50 year vision for The Omni? The year is 2064: What is the Omni? Who/What makes up its membership? How has it changed Oakland, the rest of the world, and the word "community"?