Meeting Notes 2019 02 12

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These are the notes from the The XXXth Meeting of Noisebridge. Date:02//19 Note-taker: FIXME YOUR NAME HERE; Moderators: FIXME THEIR NAME HERE.

  • One or two bullet points of high-level meeting summary.


Fundraising Update[edit]

Fundraising team gives update on fundraising

Introductions[edit]

Noisebridge is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides a space for creation, collaboration, and learning about technology and creative projects. Noisebridge provides space, power tools, and infrastructure to help the public learn new skills and create cool things. Noisebridge continues to exist through and depends entirely on membership fees and donations. Our code of conduct is 'Be excellent to each other'."

  • Introduce any experimental or unusual moderation techniques that may be using during the meeting like: direct responses, limited speaking time, orderless stack, &c.
  • Round of introductions (remember, announcements come later):
    • What is your name?
    • What pronoun do you use? You don't need to feel pressure to work out your entire identity -- just let us know what to call you when we talk about you in the third person.
    • What do you do ?
    • What do you maintain at Noisebridge?
    • If you are new, how did you hear about Noisebridge?

Names of people with announcements:

  • Phil -- -- looking for people who are interested in HAM radio
  • Bernice -- Makerfaire project: interactive multiplayer table display. Need help with hardware, electronics. Contact @bernice on Slack & discuss.noisebridge.info, Bernice.Chua.415@gmail.com to join the project. Bernice will also add this announcement to discuss.noisebridge.info
  • Tim -- If you have an extra microwave or see one on the street, bring it in. microwave fundraising: everyone brings stuff they want to put in the microwaves and we auction off the rights until we run out of working microwaves. Contact Tim at discuss.noisebridge.info, microwave fundraiser thread to coordinate microwave donations.
  • Ryan -- signed NB up for Maker Faire 2019, want us to bring a number of the popular past projects. If we can use Maker Faire to get more notoriety, it would be extremely helpful. Last year, Adam Savage's "Tested" youtube channel had a significant number of views. Maker Faire could be one of our best sources of fundraising or outreach. We will need a lot of volunteers, at least 10 per day. You'll get a free pass to Maker Faire, and a parking pass. Ryan will use #makerfaire in Slack or the discuss.noisebridge.info to disseminate info. Contact info: discuss.noisebridge.info, & in Slack: @pyconaut.

=Question: When do you need volunteers? Answer: March through May (depending on what you're helping with -- this includes project builds & refurbishing)

  • Steve -- anyone with experience in image segmentation in augmented reality? for a stupid shit hackathon idea. @fineline on Slack
  • Ryan -- Next weekend is 5th annual stupid shit no one needs and terrible ideas hackathon. It's drop in anytime, and you can just show up for the demos if you like.
  • Ruth -- for the Stupid Shit No One Needs Hackathon, special thanks to Hank who has donated an NCast streaming tool!!!
  • Ryan -- For the NB Gala, Lilly & Rando have been working on a form for alchohol procurement. Like names of breweries, etc.
  • Ruth -- we found a new space in SOMA! (44 Cleveland Street) It's about $1 per square foot per month. 1st floor is ADA accessible, 2nd floor is not but it can be modified. We have to jump on this because it's a really good deal, so we might need to cancel the current lease earlier.
  • Steve: they have actual nice hardwood floors. IT's a studio for a creative person. washer dryer industrial cooking stove, garage, cubby area upstairs that can function as bedroom. A) people are gonna try to live there. we'll have to do more due dilligence to make sure people don't try to live there. but we're pretty good at that so thatshouldn't be an issue

there is a roof deck. its super nice. you can have parties up there.

  • Bernice: Is it bought or rent? Answer: Rent.
  • Ryan: Do we know if they have enough power for something like our laser cutter? Are we able ot get that through the door? Answer (steve): 3 phase?
  • Ruth to ask Mark for power specifics.
  • Steve: front doors are bigger than our current doors. THere's a roll up door for the garage. We could put the laser cutter in the garage.
  • Dude, it's got HVAC! And heating!
  • Matt: In reality a lot of the sqft isn't useable bc of the kitchen, shower, etc. It's not this noisebridge. teh shit that fits is the shit that's going to go ther eand the shit that people wants. This is temporary. We're applying for grants with the city. This is not the next place we're going to be for 10 years. Don't make it perfect. don't throw it away bc its not perfect. And it has a roof deck.
  • How much open space is on the ground floor vs second floor? Answer: it's kind of a maze. Here we havea big rectangle room with some square rooms over there. This place is like 9 rooms. SO the big one you see with the hardwood floor is like our open space. but it's just from the window to our fridge. But then between that there's whole other areas -- lots of walls. Kinda like clasrooms. Multiple small rooms on first and second floor. It's a lot more split up.
  • Tim questoin: are all the upstairs spaces connected such that we only have to build one wheelchair access ramp? or is it multiple staircases you have to go up. Answer: There are two stair cases. One room is separated by a separate staircase. Everything else is connected on the second floor and has one staircase access.
  • Question: owner/operator/lease person is aware of what noisebridge is and what might happen to the space? Answer: No... also we should leave it at least as good as we found it
  • Question: Wheelchair accessibility? First floor yes. second floor no. Most stiars that are ADA are at least 5-6ft wide. So the staircase is not wide enough
  • Matt: i don't see us doing it for a temp space
  • James: basically as far as the ADA is it true that you show up you're in a wheelchair you can go to the front door and it's basically like being in the hackitorium if that was the only room you could access.
  • Answer from Steve: You'd be able to access the biggest room, the garage, the entry way, the kitchen. 50% of the space
  • Ryan: What about bathroom? Is there a bathroom on the first floor?

(looking through pictures and videos to see if there's a toilet) You can get a straight lift that would carry a person but not a chair, so we could do soemthing about the ADA accessibility

  • Matt: IMO Noisebridge is going to determine if that's a value that we'll hold. This is something that will require work after we get the space.

It's good to know that it's possible but we can't sovle it now

  • Ruth: We'll fill out the consensus proposal page today and this meeting is the start of the 2 week consensus process.
  • R: previous consensus items. special consensus option available for lease decisions.
  • Steve: there is an open hous eand we should all show up.
  • Ruth to ask Mark about the time of the open house.
  • R: first clause of this consensus item says that this authorization lasts utnil a permantne home has bene secured or until we've renewed the lesea or signed a new lease. not sure what it applies to -- #1 or all three. So this may not be relevant anymore.
  • Ruth: is is a bad idea to make the consensus item in time for the open house?
  • R: I think that it's a good idea for this situation.
  • Tim: Is the letter of intent required?
  • Ruth: Letter of intents are for buying. We can communicate that we're getting everything (the documentation) ready right now.
  • Ryan: Is there a chance that there will be a price change due to a possible bidding war, or do we know if it depends on who can get the documents first?
  • Rando: the 24 hour period is when we need to formalize the agreement and can't back out.
  • Ruth: the lease will start soon and we can take as much time as we want since we are already paying.
  • Ruth: Need volunteers for going to open house: Steve will go. Ryan matt david (broccoli) jeremy (jermops) Tim will go if they're free.
  • R: Have not got updated historic report of finances in a while, whats going on?
  • Rando: Patreon, stripe, Paypal
  • Rando: Are we cash flow positive from month to month
  • Rando: I need the report, there seem to be issues with getting access to account
  • Rando: We need these documents for doing fundraising and for the lease aplications

Ignore the talk about new space, we miscalculated


Short announcements and events[edit]

  • Cool new projects? Something you'd like people to know? Say now, but keep it short! One or two sentences please!
  • Any happenings at the space of which members should be made aware.
  • Don't hog everyone's time since we all just want to hack!
  • Check Newsbridge for weekly updates on cool things at Noisebridge, possibly not announced at the meeting.

Philanthropists[edit]

  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe Philantropy, and the application process.
  • Read off any names from the binder for the past month. Any applicants must have their sponsor present to vouch for them.
  • If there are no objections, they're a philanthropist! Their pledge should be handed over to the Secretary posthaste, after which their token will be updated to give them the 24/7 access they've earned(?)

Membership Binder [edit]

  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to describe membership, and the application process.

Being a member of Noisebridge is not like being a member of a gym or your local chess club. Anyone can come to Noisebridge to hack and learn: you don't need to be a member for that. At Noisebridge, membership is something different: it means taking responsibility and committing to help to maintain, improve, and govern Noisebridge. As a member of Noisebridge, you don't just come here to hack and learn, you actively work to improve what you see around you, help to deal with problems, and make this community and space better than it is today.

  • Read off any names from the binder for the past month. Mark down a check or other indicator on every open application to keep track of how many weeks they've been read out.
  • Anyone eligible to join this week should
    • introduce themselves,
    • answer any questions members may have for them, then
    • leave the area in search of gifts (traditionally beer and a lime, or cookies) for the rest of the group.
  • The rest of the meeting should reach consensus on whether they may join.
  • Remember to applaud new members when they return.


Financial Report[edit]

Consensus[edit]

  • Invite a knowledgeable volunteer to give a brief primer on consensus process
  • It is important that everyone in attendance understands at least:
    • blocking with verbalized principled objections.
    • why we use consensus over other approaches to decision making.
    • how consensus isn't a legislative process
    • why consensus isn't applicable to some things like conflict resolution, resolution of time sinks, and the like.

Proposals from last week [edit]

(Add any items which are consensed upon or someone has raised a principle objection for to the Consensus Items History page.)

Proposals for next week [edit]

(Add any new items for consensus to the Current Consensus Items page.)

Discussion[edit]

Longer discussion items belong here. This is the last part of the meeting so that people can break off and continue their discussion afterwards.


Discussion Items[edit]

If any important discussion happens, it should be happening after forward progress is made during consensus.

End of Meeting[edit]

Annoucements: Nick: Game Craftsman looking for apprentice PHP developers: nick@nickshapiro.net Victoria: I am extremely gay

Queries: Please continue to add your meeting below. Imagine what your ideal meeting would be. How would it feel? What colors would your meeting be? Purple, Coral? What sort of hats would people at your ideal meeting wear?

The question is asked "Is anyone here who is expecting to become a Philanthropist or a Member? Apparently not, so we're skipping that part.

This is propably the most chill Noisebridge meeting. I'm glad I picked tonight to take notes, at least unless people start talking too much.

(reminiscing intesifies)