This meetings blog is meant to keep everyone up to date to what was discussed at Velocipede collective meetings.
Collective Meeting Minutes - April 4th, 2010
April 9, 2010
Attendance:
Tim (co-facilitator)
Doug (scribe)
Peter (timekeeper)
Lars (co-facilitator)
Ginny (stack)
Gabby
Boson (secretary/minutes)
Dileep
Noah
Ben S
Benny G
Joe
Joe
Aron (propose program in e. bmore)
Anton
zoey (mica)
barry (men & fam center e bmore bike library)
-brief summary of how we deal in meetings (signals, roles)
-purpose
-minutes summary from last meeting
-setting of agenda and time limit
Reports:
shop:
bought harbor freight tools, wrenches already gone… will not put new wrenches out, instead will only put a sign that says its missing
new toolstand
pricing meeting tomorrow night 6:30putting limited tools out so we know if they are missing
Finance:
remind people to initial and write legibily on entries in ledger.
co-op:
met several times for hours and have a proposal
volunteer:
we should have a vol apprec. day, gabby ewants to organize it
Proposals:
mission vision:
proposal: can we adopt the new statement?
Mission
Velocipede bike project provides access to second hand bicycles and hands-on education in a shared work space. We serve Baltimore by empowering people of all backgrounds to take their transportation into their own hands.Vision
We envision a future where bicycling is no longer an alternate form of transportation and has become a seamless part of a healthy urban environment. We envision a culture of mutual support that brings people together from across backgrounds to form a strong bicycle-using community. Through reuse, recycling and dedication to the enduring value of the bicycle, we envision a city with bikes on the streets and out of the waste stream.mission: ACCEPTED vision: ACCEPTED
co-op membership
after two big meetings:idea is 10 hrs/60 bucks for 6 months of membership
if short of funds, come volunteer an hour or pay one time use fee and use shop for night
clarifying questions:
peter: we want to bump up shop fee? (I mean usage, not $$$)
peter: are we proposing since its 10 or 60 dollars, does it mean it’s 6 dollar an hr (no, we decided its a ‘deal’ and not marry the time + money to our 10/hr deal)
ben s: you accrue hrs after 10 hrs? (yes)
peter: rephrase the problem? (the problems that this will fix is
1.) overcomes the problems we have where people are not sure if they are members
2.) this will fix the whole (you must come in every month just to earn membership)
3.) give them more time (10 hrs) to give them a better understanding of how everything works
4.) we seem to force people into this co-op structure, a lot of people might not want to.
gab: can people pay for one month? (no, just pay as needed)concerns:
joe b: one time vol: does it HAVE to be an hour? concern is 10 hrs might still not train well enough. there needs to be a more cohesive volunteer organization. (leave it flexible. the idea is to let people use it more, yes there’s no way to determine if people will learn in ten… but that’s an overreaching problem that needs addressing in another way)ben s: can this not be implemented until we figure a way to correctly deal with volunteers?
gabby: I think a lot of the problems with this is that it might be easier for people to vol 3 hrs one day and then continue next day… (well if they use one time shop fee they don’t even need to vol 3 hrs)
peter: this might be too much work for us to administer. also 10 hrs might be too much… it will discourage people from entering the program (that’s true, less people will join but more completed bikes will be the result…)
by definition people will vol less.
peter: harder for women to be a co op member because it’s harder to be involved (historically, people might be willing to brave 3 hrs, but not 10)
ben: the good thing is that it doesn’t force people to be a mech. but still 10 hrs might be too much still.
dileep: reducing paper work, use a card that needs ten stamps….
ginny: bike shop in nevada…. used 10 hrs. was more effective in working one on one… they also used a formal way of doing volunteering…
joe:
peter: this would also discourage people of limited means to be in the co op.
ben: we need to separate people people who wants to be in co op vs. just wants to use the shop.
ben g: concerns are surrounding the lack of support for these ten hours, we should modify the proposal?straw poll asked. concerns: volunteer needs to be organized, 3/10 hrs is irrelevant if its not organized. how can we enforce this? system for monitoring hrs. adjusting number of hours. can’t stand aside w/o knowing how bab fits, since this will make it harder to get a bike.
proposal SHELVED: will be brought up later.
Build - a - Bike separation
Proposal:
- will look at this with current membership requirements
- you have to be a member and you can only have one a year
- must fill out an application, must be signed off by collective member who will make sure you have met requirements.
- confirmed applications will be in a binder so we know who’s a current participant.
- bikes are no longer subsidized (ie bikes are worth 0 + hours)
- retain policy of working on a bike once a month.
- bab members MUST retain their membership, if lapsed, it goes back to unclaimed pile.
Clarifying ?’s
what are you trying to address?
its confusing what bab is and what you get co-op membership? (its not a packaged deal, you can be in bab but don’t have to)
cleaning up paperwork., make it clearer who’s in it and what its about.
clear up how many times you can participate. and how much bike you get out of it.you can still build as many bikes as you want if you have the hours to buy them piecemeal, its just the bab that is needed. this means that bab bikes ONLY can be claimed in BAB.
concerns:
can there be exceptions if someone gets their bab stolen?
a bike a year might be too little?
amendment: 2 bikes a year
resolution: PASSED
new binders/forms:
STUFF IS VERY CONFUSING
turn them into ONE system: each entry is the same, will just have all the information. let lars come up w/ a draft.
turn it into a system where there’s ONE bike system and ONE people system.
no bags in workarea
its too easy to take something.
if someone wants to take a part there needs to be a transaction.
we need to reinforce this
keeping bags OFF shop floor is a step to prevent people from putting stuff in bags
?’s / points / concerns:
clarification: it keeps clutter free
it protects their stuff.
there needs to be a place to put stuff
people might get their stuff stolen in the front… we might need a bag check… and make the back invite only area. (add to proposal)
taking people stuff adds a new police job.the front area must be off limits to everyone…
final proposal: PASSED:
not make a rule of no bags on floor, but create storage space
and tell people to NOT go to the back unless invited.
Discussions:
keeping people honest (tabled)
aron’s program: (baltimore bike library)
barry works men & family center. bmore free use prog.
starting bike library, some missing parts… some ready to go… idea is to create bike resource.
mica has a new program to organize it…
can we make connection w them
16 bikes. 5 intact,propose: can we use your shop off hours to fix the rest up?
so work with people who needs a bike to loan out the bikes. people apply to get bikes, go through quick maintenance program.clarifying questions
give you a key? not necessary, just provide us a time to use.
ginny: willing to be liaison
noah: how soon can you start? I might be able to help. can be sponsor.
ben: is it a request to fix the bikes one time or to maintain bikes here? (they are in process of clearing out space… as soon as they have their own space and funds they’re cool. mica has basic tools)
gabby: feels comfortable if there’s someone in shop… do you have mechs? (yes)
boson: how do you deal with needed parts? (not sure yet, might need our help)
joe b: has flexible sched.
gab: cables and housing are cheap
doug: do yall have budget (not yet, out of pocket now… barry has some $$ from organization )
noah: can we donate thngs we have excess? (we give to them)noah is contact.
Budgets:
people should read the forum and propose a budget and formally approved.
vped fundraisier - pizzaz
how do we promote?
post on website, facebook, tell people, make flyer,
bab vs shop
noah: I feel that an inherent problem with BAB is that we funnel too many nice stuff to shop.
Lars: when someone gives us something with value, it is an insult to just give it away to someone. if we disregard the value things have then we lose that value.
bikes for sale
Please follow through on attempting to sell bikes via other channels besides walk ups
art outside
tell Gabby’s brother to submit art ideas for outside
noah’s email responsibilites:
Lars is willing to take on email correspondence for the time being
next collective meeting may 3rd
next ??? meeting. 4/19
Evaluation:
anton: too long, lost track
tim: feels big meetings feel pointless because we don’t have enough people willing to show up.
joe b: I’m fine.
lars: we need to be able to make binding decisions. I’m frustrated that voices were not heard. I want to have big issue meetings and have big decisions to adhere to. we need to have a way to codify laws/coda.
gabby: I understand that people put a lot of effort to do all this; but it is inherently frustrating to do this collectively. It’s not that i don’t want to give my part in it but I do really appreciate the work you do. its not easy.
Noah: it started on time! to respond to tim: I felt like the critical thing is that people’s uncomfortableness with bab and shop and it took more people agreeing. people will disagree.
Dileep: yes to compendium of rules, and yes to things should be more streamlined.
ben g: jumping on what was just said, to have it then go out in one concise form on what we agreed upon is great. also I am not sure having the meeting at the space was a good idea.. having it at a more private place is better.
anna: agree with ben with having meetings at homes. I was impressed at that this was relatively smooth. wished we came to more conclusions.
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