Event:2023/12/28 Delegates

Omni Delegates' Meeting - 28 Dec 2023 7pm-9pm

Meeting Details

• Talk at https://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: Jemma
• Stacktaker:
• Timekeeper:
• Notetaker/s: paige/patrik
• Next meeting's facilitator(s):

Delegates

• BOGSS: inactive
• CCL: patrik
• FNB: toan
• LL: inactive
• SB: Natalie?
• SM: inactive
• SR: jemma
• 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

• paige - they/them , Building WG (just Paige and Philip right now) Fire inspection needed by end Jan. Revisit conflict resolution
• Jemma - sudo room delegate. they/them. in SR, what do we need to go forward with PP, what we'd like to see in a counterproposal. and how do we address each internally more respectfully
• Patrik - CCL delegate. working on a newsletter to send around Jan 1. Jan 1st always best day to get new members, want to have classes to advertise. topics for agenda: brief discussion, how did we get in to case where PP is only option table. plenty of other black orgs, how did we end up with the one that was originally recommended to us by CLP. want to do edits of in our bylaws. thing taken advantage of before
• Toan - FNB. collective doing well, pushing the food out. ideas, volunteer in other collectives, attend hw hack night, how to welcome people into other collectives. gives us opportunity to know each other more outside of delegates
  • patrik - for awhile, calender person was doing this
• Toan - maybe you can repost events to consensus to push to FNB. lots of disconnections
• KO - CCL, magicians apprentice. problem that keeps FNB from meetings is because its a morning activity right? working on different schedules of the day. but im glad we are here
• yar - she/her. free store is closed this week because of new years events
• Silver - they/them, remote, here for media lab proposal. when everything went down made an intention to step down from WG, but willing to train. excited about new events wg and members. supporting pallavi and G. Im still onboarding G but other than that, im passing all knowledge i may know to WG. also, accountability conversation on the 5th and 6th. Jamal expertise on DEI. conversation on anti-blackness. people want to see us work towards that. here to listen to other proposals.
• pickles - she/her. sign painting person/people, i have not been present enough, dont know a lot of people. i think maybe people think i am doing something intentionally that im not with the space. joining meeting to make it clear that i really want to do what i can to help omni as whole. anything not in service i want to fix. a lot to learn, if sign painting continues want suggestions on how to make it good. havent done anything permanent in the space due to events. i havent been leaving anything there because its been used for events
• ruby - she/they. im here with silver to support the media lab proposal. also pretty new here at omni though ive been around about half of year to do sewing nights with cc and popping into SR.

media lab proposal

• proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PT-IinygR9IsPa7GP-XbtZQwwAAdVt0suNMw0Ombp6g/edit
• jemma - havent read the proposal myself
• silver - my entry pt into omni commons was to help build media lab. basement used to be a land fill. been cleaning out and putting together lab. FYE collective there, were workshops. covid hit, building shut down, but we made 1k masks. cc was then doing free tuesdays. now teaching decolonization sewing workshops. also started paying classes. work to get grants to support too. propose $800. Did some clean up on side. And hearing from ppl doing screenprinting/jewelry/sewing/___, can guarantee $800 a month for next 3 months. if it goes well, we would like to expand if thats in our budget to where MOP storage used to be. make that into workbench areas. offer membership, but have to take cohort or get trained. still working out a lot of stuff.
• pickles - if youre doing build out im happy to help
• silver - we just want more workspaces
• pickles - i dont have a vote or anything but if there is any way i can be helpful, definitely tell me and im glad to help
• jemma - whats sq ft?
• silver - originally under 700. If we were to make a new workstation it would be in MOP area
• patrik - theres an area along the shattuck side of the wall, which is housing gear for the omni, like bulbs. spillover storage. were you planning on using that space?
• silver - in floor plan, split that up in half. a lot of that was trash and i cleaned that up.
• jemma - decided we will not vote on this today, but not something we should just sit on.
• silver - yea thats cool. the goal is to become a member collective in january. get a formal lease/fiscal sponsored project.
• jemma - are there things you want to see?
• silver - no just a binding agreement
• yar - didnt we approve that fiscal
• silver - yea been dont have it in writing and need that for grants
• pickles - ive been talking with sarah but game of telephone
• yar - not technically a lease, you want the document SR has
• silver - yea just something thats legit. i also, for me not everyone, maybe omni might not exist past january. we are not doing that much infrastructure past 90 days
• patrik - omni commons 501c3 will still exist
• KO - AVA . like the MCE of Alameda. https://avaenergy.org/grants-and-sponsorships/ They do have opportunities for people and dont request a lot of information. There's something on internet called nonprofit.org. Seems like CCL and Omni has been registered but the page to illustrate omni and ccl arent fleshed out at all. so i wrote a review for omni and said some of the things going on. kinda been calling people coming into myco monday to do reviews for CCL.

• Silver - we were denied AVA.
• Patrik - ARPA grant, did anyone apply? https://bos.acgov.org/arpa-grant/ grants for nonprofits impacted by the pandemic. CCL put in a request through christian. trying to see if its still open
• KO - couldnt they all put in their own requests.
• Yar - sometimes ein per org.
• Toan - FNB meets wednesdays on ___. Now it is online. But website shows cook days, where to show up. have a form where you can list how you are interested in helping. best way is to show up in the kitchen.
• Jemma - driving, bike too?
• Toan - yea we have people do that, including me. have two working bikes you can borrow.
• Toan - before going on, sense of optimism with media lab. even in face of foreclosure, we have growth. also a fan of the tuesdays fixit.

sign making with pickles

• Jemma - pickles' room is upstairs in the den. we said we would do, end of november, that we would do 2 months at $200. see what that membership drive would like. one of the things was that we considered pickles was already interacting with sketchboard, and around the space. confusion about discussion with silver. i was one who originally showed the space.
• pickles - yes you met me right as i was getting in there. i had been around the space to host the figure drawing marathon. my initial contact person was anca. then i talked to silver after that.
• jemma - im not sure what conflict is at this point, can you talk about experience?
• pickles - for me the fast acceptance of me being in the space, was a good deal for omni becuase you were looking to have tenants in, and i was really looking to get started somewhere. the marathons are guild marathons, separate from what nat does. but i also had contact with nat. if omni still exists i will probably host for sketchboard. the confusion, im not upset with anyone on my end, i just started to feel like i was doing wrong things. that maybe happened because i expected to build up space, get all materials and equipment, like a table saw, to get space useful. and a result of me getting there in so quick, there were events scheduled for that room. so on the daily, i would bring all of my materials, not able to transform space like i thought i would.
• patrik - events scheduled in that room? how did that happen
• pickles - wedding happened over the dec 15, just was there during rehearsal. someone came and i was painting, said they had that room. i said yea sure ill let you use it. only two events brought to my attention was dec 26-jan2, so i literally have almost nothing in the space. theres also another thing scheduled for the end of january. i havent been able to leave anything there. so i feel like im taking over a space that im not actually using.
• patrik - must have been a miscommunication on our events team
• pickles - wedding was scheduled a year ago. but the other two, i dont know when they were scheduled. i was told to look at the omni calendar. someone was on a different one than i had access to, and saw the events. but the one i was on didnt have those events. so i didnt feel like i had a way of finding out. ill stop talking and you can tell me things. i woul love to be able to have a combo of a shared sign painter space. small number on a regular basis, but then free or low cost classes. i could offer that to the community. i havent been able to set up for any of that
• patrik - q for silver or anyone else, who should coordinating that
• silver - i had never met pickles, i told them to check out the room. i thought project would be perfect for media lab. was saying __ room was 800. just going to back for, contract with no
• pickles - i knew that you were suggesting that i join your space downstairs, but when i checked out fume wise, it wasnt going to work. so i asked what other spaces were available.
• jemma - as delegates we discussed what rooms open for rent. i was unaware of any events.
• silver - the den originally made for DSA. been being rented this entire year. this was new delegates. that should always be a contract,some clear agreement. i know you want to do build outs, but we have a process for that
• pickles - i understand, if this doesnt work out thats okay. just want to hear what people want that space to be. my main thing today is that i want to request being able to work here til end of january. i think there was miscommunication between me and biilly. was in hospital and not texting clearly. he said today we couldnt have it in january. then later texted me something different, mustve been miscommunication
• silver - not your fault, this is on us for sure. only booked days are philips events at the end of the month. and new years event, should be on the calendar. I did not know the wedding had that, that was booked by Jacqi more outside the group, year ago.
• pickles - cool, i would love to continue to use this space after january but if that doesnt work out that is okay. can go in any direction y'all want to go
• KO - pickles, are you a letterhead? (1920s/30s style. hand lettering, as opposed to vinyl cuttings)
• pickles - yes, ive gone to a lot of their meetups
• KO - yes ive had a sign painting business for 10 years
• jemma - do we know why events are on multiple calendars
• silver - public calender
• pickles - two events i was made aware of did not list the den. Did not see the wedding on there
• Silver - i think yea one nye i didnt put den on that event, my bad, but yea i also see philips doesnt have it on there either
• pickles - yea dont worry about it, lot of moving parts
• silver - sorry that the omni folks didnt know that was a place rented out for events
• yar - can i ask, does anyone have a key to that room other than pickles?
• pickles - at some point, i havent been able to lock up the room, but i did lock it up to keep a key. asked someone to make a copy, and they copied it for me. i dont know where original copy has gone. im in LA rn but fine to get it copied
• yar - can you let me know when youre here next.
• paige - i was told anca made the copy
• pickles - i know that omni is very collaborative, and i would like to be more part of that, i feel like that has probably been a problem, so easy to have these miscommunications. specifically silver, with your stuff, what we do is related.
• patrik - pickles as far as i can tell you did nothing wrong, all miscommunication on our end.
• jemma - i think it would be good to talk with events?
• silver - philip june and anca, and me in transition
• jemma - yea lets set up a meeting, to figure out what to do after january.
• patrik - also maybe can move things around, like to disco room
• jemma - i hear, going forward, after january need to know what we are looking at in the future. what is great with that space. i dont want to make deals in that space if its needed. mistake on our part
• silver - gave tour to angela and 3. learning about AV. they were also learning what rooms are rentable etc. anyone can be an events steward.
• pickles - $200 was only preliminary amount for me to set up, given i didnt have anyone to join in renting. and good for omni to get some money in, and given i couldnt pay the full price. but never intention to be $200 forever
• silver - price stuff, end of day delegates cant do whatever they want. but i was surprised with $200, like we werent going to even offer to DSA for less than $1k.
• pickles - idk if rumor or true, but i heard that PP might be using that room. if that is a thing, im not going to stand in the way of that. i just need, should i plan to set a footprint in that space or not. i dont need to know that january.
• jemma - not direct conversation rn with PP about that room, but there are lots of open questions at this time
• pickles - have some dive-ons? that need to stay on the wall
• patrik - sooner you have that space set up to get full rent from you, the better.
• jemma - what more discussion?
• pickles - yea would like a plan of what we want to do with that space.
• patrik - coordination with the events team
• pickles - also im not informed about meetings
• jemma - delegates every week.
• paige - suggest putting something in writing
• yar - i suggest a proper proposal process if we are going to do something long-term
• pickles - yea i should have a time to talk to people and tell them what my intent is, and feedback on what people would like to see in that space. one last thing, billy has the paypal to pay for january, difficult to communicate because he is in the hospital. know that it is coming, and if it waits a couple day im doing my best to get a hold of it

vote to jan 4th meeting for philips proposal

• jemma - can we confirm?
• yar - sending to consensus qualifies

fire inspection to-dos

• paige - biggest thing is couches
• silver - moving forwards, no couches for events
• patrik - should have no couches in the building.
• paige - Jake has been working on fire exit signs - instead of $$$ self-powered ones. Front door seems fine now? Evac maps - safer DIY can handle? Need more light bulbs - plastic LED.
• Silver - very low on money
• yar - are we paying another mortgage?
• patrik - we should. extension asked for property taxes, havent heard back from that. $250k hanging above our head of property tax
• yar - our lawyer is on vacation til friday.
• KO - anyone want to visit the accessor
• yar - that was suggested by a past lawyer.
• silver/yar - owned money, roofer, SaferDIY, oatfield

hellman grant funds

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15ff6keELEpJ-JEtXOHpK65aQhLHr7KlSSQd3wmuxohQ/edit

• KO - spend it, if not spent they wont give you as much the next time
• yar - question for sarah. Christine Oatfield has not been paid yet?
• silver - advanced pay for people we have contracted
  • yar - have they sent invoices. should try and get those in tomorrow.
  • yar - 2k jamal no brainer, christina is $585
  • silver - my contract, not sure how much pallavi and G. I think Phil needs some, not that much $500.
  • jemma - you also said your facilitators in media lab?
  • silver - no none of hellman grant should go to media lab.
  • silver - also has sarah put in her invoice for dec yet?

Other Omni to-dos

• Bylaw changes:
  • Clarify that on the 1st meeting that a topic is brought up for vote, any delegate can request to delay until the next scheduled delagets meeting. At that next meeting, vote is by [majority/60%/consensus-1/consensus?]
  • Remove GWS from delegates list?
  • Remove BOGSS from delegates list?

• patrik - im down to draft something but need some guidance.
• paige - was myriad outreach removed?
• patrik - boggs still listed
• paige - that had a meeting
• yar - technically me and vikram. silver wanted to organize this meeting with vian. asked if they are going to turn meeting into something structured. Vian didnt know they were supposed to keep it structured. id declare it a failed experiment right now. everyone interested in the goals of it also said it was a fundamentally flawed structure because it put all the work of solving racism on hands of a few people.
• patrik - i would suggest we clarify how deciscions made in delegates. still say consensus, with modifying bylaws at consensus - 1. we occasionally go around the table, and ask do we need to wait. for non bylaws things, majority 60/30?
• yar - default was majority
• patrik - on our website and everything we have been saying consensus. do we want to say majority for everything other bylaws
• yar - try consensus, fall back majority if that fails.
• patrik - can say majority of delegates, as opposed to majority of quorum.
• yar - im suprised it would be anything else
• patrik - im saying present delegates vs all of them
• yar - different from active vs inactive
• patrik - yes, we should clarify that in the bylaws if thats how we are doing things. requires defining active delegates, process by which they become active vs inactive
• yar - originally active vs. inactive was just to make quorum easier. but also means sometimes we havent made deciscions.
• yar - appreciate all this, but feel like there are bigger problems. like working groups and volunteers disenfranchised. more of problem when talking about splitting up hypothetical pot of money.
• jemma - was a suggested at a meeting in nov, as including working groups and volunteers as a working party. i dont know how i think about it. maybe making a proposal
• yar - i tried, called it the building bloc. thats something someone should try and do.
• jemma - would need to formalize our working groups. could be events? but maybe they are where they want. i realize there are feelings of disenfranchisement in building
• jemma - i think to have volunteers in there, we would need a paid volunteer coordinator for that
• patrik - we can write these things in the bylaws, but just need a mechanism to do that
• patrik - would like to draft something for next week, just need some direction
• jemma - maybe we put an open call for how should voting work with working groups to bring to our collectives. can talk about that next meeting.
• patrik - also how many volunteers do we have that are not part of collectives?
• patrik - to be decided for a later date
• paige - if voting, does that mean they are on the board
• patrik - must specify what that group is
• jemma - can say they vote, but not a board member?
• yar - if in court they would just say thats a board member
• paige - working groups in some transition, could be like one board member for all working groups

• List rooms for rent on Omni website
  • Would this be an OK task to assign to Pallavi and/or G?
  • Need people to empty, clean, and take quality photos
  • Need to agree on which rooms are actually available, and for what price

• Any progress on Omni website?
  • G and/or website developer?
  • Diana ghosted us!
  • Jemma can make a website
    • yar - already a wordpress, someone just needs to theme it. right now root is a static thing.
    • jemma - when you sent me login, did that include wordpress
    • jemma - templates
    • patrik - pages with how events work. needs to be cleaned up. we need a page with the rooms available for rent. so much more reliable than events revenue. page with rooms for rents requires volunteers to clean the rooms
    • jemma - a lot of places i have been at, putting rooms usually have a contact. arts studios do that but depends on the renter. more work to do negotiations however
    • patrik - could put target price too
    • jemma - definitely something... we make the infrastructure, then put the content
    • yar - website is a vps, root is a static site, on ssh right now, also on github. goal is to have the website be the wordpress instance. if you have ssh can just log in as wordpress user, but could also give an account. been thinking about setting fire on peoples asses by just setting it as the root site now and letting it be ugly...
    • patrik - silver do you have a list of things that events wants as improvements on the page? is that on a google doc somewhere?
    • silver - yea, sarah made all these mock slides. low fidelity slides.
    • yar - happy to enable you to do any technical work jemma. start process by sending me an ssh key.

End of Meeting

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