Agenda for 04-14-2015

COWBELL@7:34pm

Chair: Charlie Rysenga

Introductions

None

Announcements

None

Old Business/Action Item Review

Storage Issues

Last Meeting's Action Item: Create a Member Storage Strike Force: Terry & Matt A
- SSF met and will have a proposal to the General Membership 3rd Tues in May.

Last Meeting's Action Item: Keep tabs on storage issues resulting from kitchen cabinet removal Officers and Board of Directors

Lost & Found

Not being used as intended, thus not as effective as intended.
Terry: But it's there, and is better than nothing. Might find some parallel with parking permit and storage issues
Andrew reminds us that the board is to clear out lost & found at the end of meetings
- Everyone else looks away and whistles

Classroom Zone

Last Meeting's Action Item: Work with Karianne to draft and send an email and blog post about what was, what is, and what will be for the new classroom zone: Jamie
- plan changed over the course of the month
Last Meeting's Action Item: Get copies of all the paperwork and proof of credentials from the contractor and turn them in to the board: Karianne
- Photo of quote eventually made it to the board list
- Original quote on corkboard
Last Meeting's Action Item: Make a giant sign for the Classroom zone: Matt A
- Was held up by other things
Last Meeting's Action Item: Investigate structural integrity of two-dimensional walls: Charlie (FAILED)

Final report from the engineering firm
- Mike F: Should be in on the 15th
We need to move as a board on this topic, not as individuals. Please refrain from doing as Charlie did.
Matt A / Nate B will be the board contact point and mouthpiece on this issue
Nate: There's a broader story here that may need more explanation

( sidebar on nate's email verbosity and the (apparently false!) accusation that he pontificated in a sign in the bathroom)

Action Item: Matt A & Nate B - Communicate classroom expansion details to membership after vetting with the board

Membership Coordinator Revamp

Last Meeting's Action Item:List and outline the division of duties of Membership Coordinator into two roles and post to the Board Max
Last Meeting's Action Item:Formalize the details of the splitting of Membership Coordinator position on the Board list: The Board

MAX: It Happened! Nature of revamping is that the position is now two people.
MAtt H is helping Max by taking care of all data input and Max will continue doing tours and social butterfly
Last tuesday was 11 new signups, good trial by fire for the new process.

Coordinator's report

it's done, Terry didn't post in time for the board meeting

/* discussion of whether to send to members or board */

Justin: This topic is not just board business, and should have been confirmed as such with a quick vote.
Terry: Wanted to bring up at board meeting because
- This is a requirement of what the board requires of the wardens
- Refining the definition of "how to be a warden"

Action Item: Terry - Post proposal to members list

Action Item: Board - Vote on proposal at next board meeting

Other action items

Be contact point for Debbie from SME: Charlie
- Has not gotten anywhere, because Ted
Continue to say "Make it so" to the scribe since she doesn't write the board minutes herself: Jamie
- Very much done
Update the form for Michigan Licensing: Jamie & Terry
- Happens in Sept., tabled for now

New Business

CNC Floor Plan Adjustment for Tormach CNC

Point of Contact: Konrad B

We got the Tormach grant
We will need to fundraise ~$8.5k to match the 5200 from the grant
Timeline
- Fundraising: Soonish up through maker faire
- Purchase will likely be in septembe
Needs to be socialized with the members (like an overactive puppy)

Where will it go?

if it fits in the CNC zone, then there's no floorplan issue for the board to figure out
Nate: There is a good chance that the machine would fit in the current restrictions of floorplan;

Where is the CNC zone, anyway?

Nate: has apprehension about shifting boundaries of CNC zone.
Nate: The CNC zone boundary is here \o/ to there, and that needs to be codified.
Evan: When the plasma cutter was moved, it was granted space in CNC, but it was in an unofficial "shuffle space". Just because plasma was there, doesn't mean that hat space automatically goes to CNC zone now that it's unused.

Some thoughts on floorplan-mongering in general

Nate: Concurs with MAtt A that floorspace is a valuable resource and needs some controls which the board provides
Nate: CNC zone seems to have a larger appetite for floorspace than any other zone; we need to make sure that the consumed floorspace is of most benefit to the most members
Nate: I understand machines are easier to use with lots of space surrounding them. Conversely everything in woodshop is on wheels and is very effective to move equipment to where it's needed.

Should we accept equipment before we know where it'll go?

Charlie: uneasy with considering acceptance of grant/fundrasining/device based on if there's space
Nate: It is reasonable to deliberate whether or not to chase equipment based on if we have place to store it.
Jamie: I'm okay with the good-faith knowledge that we'll put it *somewhere*
Nate: whenever fundraising it's always beneficial to have the "If this fails, we use the money elsewhere" clause.
Terry: Fundraising must be donations and not fractional purchases of equipment

What are we going to do about this right now?

Terry: Can we get approved floorplan from the board.
Jamie: This is getting too long a discussion. Need a Committee to figure this out after talking to zones and members.
Konrad: No deadlines that would be impacted by committee
Will be presented to membership before being voted on by board
charlie: Motion to form a commitee?

Action Item: Konrad - Send surveys to membership and submit proposals to board for this

Grants/Fundrasing/Solicition guidelines

Do we have guidelines now?

No, not that anyone knows of, although there have been some attempts

What is it like to apply for a grant on behalf of i3 right now?

Konrad: I've applied for two grants over the last two years, the process is (1) going through a month of being told you can't and it's not right for the space, and (2) submit the paper at the last minute being already demoralized and emotionally scarred
Konrad: They're asking to have us on their web page and them on ours.
Jamie: a lot of people are content with what we have, it's stable compared to other spaces, that makes people complacent. Then you get resistance towards aggressively seeking donations
Evan: We haven vowed to strive for or strive not for improvement overall. IT happens naturally, but isn't official
Konrad: People were against the tormach grant because they felt they would be losing tools or removing existing equipment
Nate: Apologize for any role in demoralizing Konrad and seeming unproductive.

What kind of responsibility does i3 take on by accepting grants?

Jamie: There's grants that are "have some money/stuff for free" and some that would beholden us to another group.
Nate: Organization is member run, and entirely self funded and not beholden to any other organization
Nate: There are some grants with strings and some without, I don't know what those beholden strings look like so I will continue to advise caution against becoming beholden. PArticularly for followup project documentation, which we (i3) is notoriously terrible at. I wasn't to make sure the grant fund isn't breathing down our neck the whole time.

Should we have more guidelines?

NateB: We do need guidelines because people representing i3 need to have a consistentcy. We currently don't have guidelines
NAteb: Matt Gardeski and Leora also asked about similar things. Because of all these recent inquiries, we do need documented guidelines
Terry: I've seen five recently. They come to me because they need financial info.
Evan: We can also keep an archive of successful and unsuccessful proposals/requests.
Jamie: Leora has a good idea with her framework. It's awesome that people are wanting to do that, and we need to be careful that we don't discourage this with lots of red tape

What should we do to set up guidelines?

Konrad: We should have a "grant officer" to approve and read through grants to make sure they're within spec
Andrew: Agree completely
Terry: IF we had someone coordinate this then it would be good
Charlie: I like the idea for the 'grant coordinator' to help membership with what they need, and they should bring grants to the board before being submitted, even if it's rubberstamping the ones that are "heres a truck of stuff, have fun".
Jamie: if we designate a coordinator, they can rubberstamp it and not bring it to the board
Justin: wardens are already trusted by the board to take donations for their zone
Evan: Agree that wardens are able to take donations
Nate: wardens can take donations that don't change the floorplan. If it created obligations then ZW should be first line of defense against that, they should check for crossed i's and dotted ts. Really like the idea of a sponsorship committee to represent not just the board but the membership, and should be populated with people currently pursuing sponsorships/grants. Should the committee chair be a board member, or just a trustworthy member?
Evan Shouldn't have to be, but could be. This needs to go the membership to get the committee set and the process rolling.
Charlie: would presenting to the board be reasonable?

Proposal:
Create a "Grant and Sponsorship Committee", Chaired by Leora
Moved by Jamie, Seconded by Andrew
7 Ayes / 0 Nays
Result: PASS

Property Dispute

Charlie had a conversation with Jim
Andrew: the "ignore it till it goes away" is working
Mike: Monday, two ladies showed up at the door, looking for the place with the painting classes, and I thought it was the person coming to collect their stuff.
Jamie: Mike is scared of old ladies.

Floor Plan Report

No changes

Officer Reports

Treasury and Budget Report for March, 2015

Financial Grade: A

- 3/31 $15K in Emergency Fund CU1
- $9,570 in CU1 Checking
- $4,580 in CharterOne Checking
- $300 in CharterOne Savings

News:
- Thanks to Matthew Gardeski we can now take dues be PayPal or Amazon ALP. One time or Subscription. Transition Guide in the wiki at Dues_Payments
- Amazon ASP (oldstyle) subscriptions die on 5/31/15. So transfer in April or May. Duplicated months will be refunded manually, so no worries.
- Thanks to Evan, we have banking at Charter One. This allows us to build a relationship with a bank that can give us a building mortgage.
- There will be a CONVERSION PARTY if you need help. Saturday May 2, 4PM to 7PM.
- Over $1900 is donations/sales.

Members & Dues
- Dues Collected in March:$6,126 February:$5,088 January: $4,926
- Dues Accrued in March: $6,532 Feb: $6,434 Jan: $6,571, Dec: $6,620
- Accounts Receivable: March: $1,967.42 21 Members / Feb: $3,595 44 Members in Arrears
- MARCH: 33 Members on Leave, 115 Voting Members, 23 Non-voting, 5 Scholarship

Budget

No Proposals this Month.
Mike: engineer thing came in at $1050 instead of $1000, is this okay?
- Yes. Terry's slush fund handles all.

Membership Coordinator

+10 new members
150 active, 121 voting, 36 leave, 5 scholarship <-- ignore this numbers are wrongs.
- Terry fixed the erroneous scholarships in CRM
Nate: Final aging out of $39 plan. How inconvenient is it to continue #39 rate in new refresh rates? very.
Terry: Let's have this conversation with membership.

Charlie: Can we do partial memberships. Not in CRM. but Terry says he can handle it

Secretary

Jamie will be out of town next week and needs a replacement
Jamie will also need a replacement for ~2 months, May & June

Matt will be minutes scribe for these meetings.

Action Item: Board - Find Matt Huber pre- and post-emtively awesome

President

Yuri's night was awesome!

Mike gets an award for cloud chamber and spirograph
Charlie gets one for LN2 ice cream
Konrad gets one for Este's rockets
Attendance: about 22 non-members and 25 members

Vice President

Siemens goes well

Andrew: are we eventually getting stuff from siemens?
Charlie: yes, we are the guinea pig for their donation process. June 2 is the planned visit date.
The scribe is very immature, he giggled when charlie said "I'm inviting them here to show them siemens"

Meeting with jamie after meeting about lawyer stuff

COWBELL@9:13pm

Lost & Found Party

Action Item: Everyone - Go watch "Death to Smoochy

Action Items

Action Item	POC
Vote on proposal at next board meeting	Board
Go watch "Death to Smoochy	Everyone
Find Matt Huber pre- and post-emtively awesome	Board
Send surveys to membership and submit proposals to board for this	Konrad
Communicate classroom expansion details to membership after vetting with the board	Matt A & Nate B
Post proposal to members list	Terry

Proposals

Proposal	Moved By	Seconded By	Aye	Nay	Result
Create a "Grant and Sponsorship Committee", Chaired by Leora	Jamie	Andrew	7	0	PASS

Meeting Metrics

Time completed: 9:13
Funds appropriated: $0
Attendees: 12

Attendance

Charlie Rysenga
Jamie Burdeski
Mike Fink
Konrad Brown
Nate Bezanson
Matt Huber
Evan Allen
Maxwell Gonyea-Alexander
Matt Gardeski
Amelia Meyer
Justin Triplett (Hangouts)
James O'Dell (Hangouts)

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Board Meeting Minutes 20150310	Board Meeting Minutes 20150512

Minutes:Board Meeting Minutes 20150414

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