[sudo-discuss] Omni Delegates Meeting Minutes 7/2/2021

[Jenny Ryan]

I added some (ok, quite a few) comments after the fact tonight. I
apologize (kinda).

I'd really love for these conversations and decisions to be more
accessible, with perhaps a few domineering individuals recusing
themselves from time to time (come on, it's midsummer - take a break!)
so that others can feel more comfortable participating.

Notes recorded for posterity at:
https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Event:2021/07/02_Delegates

and below:

y Ann'''Omni Delegates' Meeting - July 1, 2021 7pm-9pm'''

* Talk at https://meet.google.com/diw-hszw-msr
<https://meet.google.com/diw-hszw-msr> or 515-428-1108 (PIN: 465814905)
* Type at https://omnicommons.org/notes <https://omnicommons.org/notes>
* Send proposals to consensus at lists.omnicommons.org prior to the meeting

=== Meeting Roles ===
* Facilitator/s: Patrik
* Stacktaker: 
* Timekeeper: 
* Notetaker/s: Rob
* Next meeting's facilitator(s): 

=== Delegates === 
* ANV: inactive
* CCL: Patrik
* CSC: Arnoldo
* FNB: Joe
* FYE: AB
* GWS: 
* LL: Anka
* Sudo Room: 
* Sudo Mesh: inactive
* Quorum (2/3 of active groups): we have a quorum

= Agenda =
 
== intros == Mary Ann,Joe, Robb,Sarah L, Patrick Arnoldo, AB, Anka, Teslim
* We are front-loading most of the meeting into these intros! Now is the
time to put forward any of the following things, many of which used to
have their own meeting sections
** introduce yourself: name, pronoun, affiliation, if you're a delegate
** do you have any unmet access needs at this meeting?
** what meeting roles you'd like to help with
** discussion topics or proposals you'd like to put on tonight's agenda
** report-backs from any of your working groups

** updates from your collective
** any brief announcements
** updates on any conflict mediation
** if you've asked anybody to leave the building due to safe space issues
* please be BRIEF! Less than 4 minutes per person! Anything that might
take longer must be put on the agenda as a discussion item
* Arnoldo and several other were having trouble getting into Google
Meet. Someone with GSuite account needs to start up meeting first? Rob
has details
Quorum: Counting - Results: We do have a quorum

== Finances 10 min ==
* Need correct contact info for person at ANV who should get invoices
- Robb sent contact info to Sarah will reach out
* Robb want to resolve the problem of overdue rents
* Sarah Proposes that any collective that has fallen behind in rent due
to Covid have their overdue rent excused
* Partik asks if this has to be sent to consensus list; Robb confirms
that procedure
* Patrik: It is not clear what thing Finance can dur by themselves
* Robb: Finance can not forgive rent.  It must be done as a formal proposal.
** Jenny: Pretty sure you made that up.
* Mary Ann:  We do have specific process for Rent.  To have rent weighed
they must make a proposal to delegates and she offered to send out that
procedure's description.She states the collective seeking rent relief
should bring the proposal,
** Jenny: I would like to see where in our anything that is formally
outlined?
* Teslim: Where can we find the procedure described by Mary Ann
* Mary Ann: we really should have a policy doc. This has been sent out
to consensus list several times before
* Sarah: our previous policy did not account for Covid though
** Jenny: exactly - we do have plenty of policy docs. Specifically, this
is not covered.
* Mary Ann: each collective has different situation. We can definitely
acomodate soem groups
* Sarah: proposes a blanket waiver to be put to a vote
* AB - thx Mary Ann for reminder of policy. would be good to have
policies documented.
* Joe - not good time to change protocols. Not a time sensitive issue.
Reassuring we 
* Partik: ANV has been having money coming in. He is not if favor of
blanket forgiveness of rent.
* Sarah: Not talking about blanket but wants those like ANV to be
considered. Also groups loke Sudo doing Building work would be forgiven
for their service. Aslo OC is not without money due to our being excused
from mortage
* AB: The Elcetricical work Sudo did has been brought out many times.
Its between Sudo and the finance committee. FYE has been effected by the
pandemic.  Why aren't we being supported.
* Sarah:  This is an informal proposition; something I s\discussed
informally with Jenny. She thinks FYE does deserve to have rent forgiven
** jenny-remote: post-meeting edit, i suggested sudo/FYE/liblens all
have back rent waived (sudo hustling to fundraise and have also
completed what would have otherwise been $7500+ in payments to
electrical contractors - <3 to jake, alex, yar and others who've helped
with this project to upgrade omni's electrical panels!)
* AB: He is open to doing work for rent,  Don't composre us to Sudo. 
Must condsider size, racial diversity etc. Consider this alternative.He
will go through to=he formal process.OC made $70k.
* Robb: Mary Ann was just stating the policy that are on the books. He
is concerned with future rent collection. OC needs to show that we have
income to get our loan,  He just want OC to show  that we have a stable
income. We can forgive and then get a
stable income.
* Patrik: Thinks everyone present wants to forgive FYE and Noma..  Can
we do that now
* Robb all in attendance wantforgivness but we do need to follow process
as Mary Ann described.
* AB Agrees with Robb about stable income.  Now that FYE can host events
they will stay current on rent but we do need forgiveness.
* Anka Any collective who need relief should ask by anxt meeting, Right?
* Robb Yes.
* Patrik We need to make sure every collective that owes rent gets notified
* Sarah One proposal to delegates
* Mary Ann The time of rent forgiveness must be figured out,  What
months the collective wants striken and when they will begin paying
again.  We need to acknowledge that each one has a particular situation.
Just state the particulars of your collective.
* Robb I think Yar will oppose blanket relief.
** jenny: ..what does that even mean, "blanket relief"? and why would
you speak for her? i can say already: sudo, fye, and liblens all depend
on in-person activities for their primary, scrappy income - 100% of
which goes to Omni. other collectives do not. this is not a hard problem
(when contemplated through a lens of empathy and striving for mutual
collective well-being).
* Parrik: Sudo does have n=money in their account
** jenny: what does that mean? all of sudo's money goes to omni, and has
since 2014... (including 2/3 of the $100K donation received by
sudoroom&sudomesh in 2016). we've been in the process of converting some
bitcoin savings, which will most all go to omni. it would be nice to
save a tiny bit of something for once in these past 8 years to upgrade
the floors at least... all of omni uses sudo's resources (including CCL).
* Sarah: Sudo did pay a bunch of their back Rent.
** jenny: approx 1/3 of back rent paid a month or two ago. another 1/3+
covered if electrical work-trade approved. currently fundraising for
remaining 1/3.
* AB:Our invoices are inaccurate. We need a better accounting. AB saw
several unexplained transfers in/out of FYE subaccount - can we track
who/what that was
** jenny: yes, it's all been tracked and the issues are visible both in
the memos of the bank transactions (in the memo lines) as well as in
quickbooks (so not sure where "unexplained" comes from...). the fye
paypal account was incorrectly linked to sudo's paypal acct between june
2000 and jan 2021, and those transactions were immediately reversed. the
only income intended for FYE via Paypal to date into FYE's Unify
subaccount: 
*** $332.28 on April 6 2021
*** $435.75 on April 19 2021
*** $741.31 on May 17, 2021    
*** which equals $1,509.74, exactly the amount in FYE's Unify/Omni
subaccount (which remains in FYE's account, to date) - FYE's balance is
$0, having no deposits over the past year.
**** CORRECTION: These are, again, all sudo room paypal transfers. I
will be transferring them to sudo room's account. will upload the
statements to drive. FYE has had $0 in their Unify account, ever
* Robb confirms quickbooks often inaccurate. Need forensic investigation
of FYE account - may have been used in error
** jnny: not really. mistakes happen, and are accounted for by
responsible finance folks (and verifiable by bank/paypal statements). if
you have questions you can always ask sarah or myself.. or learn
accounting! it's so fun!! 

== Reopening for events + Free Store 8:24-8:42==
* Rob: Having permanent Free Store in entrance hall could change
officially designated Use for that space - would lose grandfathering of
all the code issues. poses existential threat to Omni
* Sarah: Free Store discussion seems more complicated issue. Believes we
agreed it as a temporary pop-up, not a permanent store. Suggest tabling
this discussion. Free Store cannot be in place during fire inspection
* Joe: could be explained as auxiliary activity of one of our collective
on a temporary basis. Remembers Vicky agreed she would demonstrate Store
could be removed on moment's notice
*Joe: proposal came in for very big event - could pay $10K. Set off red
flag with Jesse. Joe will do writeup with coments from Jesse, and send
to booking group
* Robb: Oakland Privacy (fiscally sponsored by Omni) wants mtg w 15 ppl
mid July, recurring monthly. Willing to pay $50/mo to store some gear
* Patrik: not comfortable with certain events, Ok for others. E.g. party
in basement is bad idea
* Mary Ann Can we figure out a definite opening date.

* AB: need a time limit on this; when will we revisit this?
* Sarah: if we have mask policy, is that enough?
* According to Ian (air quality expert), Ballroom has best air flow,
then disco, then entrance hall ; did some simple air quality tests
* Anka: What are the definitions and limits of loud bands.
* Anka and AB Ask that we review our covid related restrictions o events
at each delegates meeting.
* Patrik:The course of the pandemic is not predictable.

= PROPOSAL: Opening for Events =
* Allow public events w 49 in ballroom, 24 in Disco and entrance
* Exclude loud music, alcohol, strenuous physical activity, singing/shouting
* Commit to vote on a more well-informed proposal next delegates mtg

* votes: no objections; most people in favor by show of hands

* Joe: need to think hard on how to improve morale
* Patrik: we'd been through a year and a half of trauma, and not being
able to meet in person. What can we actively do to improve morale. Hold
reopening party? Meet in person for next delegates mtg?
* AB: Agrees on meeting in person. Can project folks who cannot attend
IRL. Also hold monthly healing circle

== Main panel / electricity shutdown 10 min ==
* 

== Morale issues at OC ==
* 

== Fire Inspection ==
* 

= End of Meeting =
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[[Category:Delegates Meeting]]


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