May 9, 2009

Meetings
Previous Meeting: April 25, 2009	Meeting Procedure	Next Meeting: May 23, 2009

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Space: Taza (in the loft), map

Agenda

• I. Introductions
• II. Work Group Reports
  • A. Paper Pushers
    • 1. What were those 501(c)(3) requirements?
  • B. Meatspacers
    • 1. Found any good spots?
    • 2. What kinds of rentals terms/prices are we seeing out there?
  • C. Tool and Skill Mongers
  • D. Scroungers / Scavengers
  • E. Propagandists
    • 1. Let's talk about names?
  • F. Communications
    • 1. Google Group + wikispaces + silcnet working for everyone?
• III. Membership Discussion
  • A. How does one join?
  • B. Should we have tiers?

Attendees

• xaphan / JasonC
• nauseaboy / RyanW
• addison
• chrisA
• chrisHA
• DaveM
• ErikC
• Justin
• JohnM
• JasonB
• Craig

Minutes

• I. Introductions
• II. Work Group Reports
  • A. Paper Pushers
    • Erik: Jason is the expert,
    • ChrisA:
      • met a lawyer from PowerStaion1 at Notacon, maybe will tap her brain
      • Board is good, but board/consensus makes most decisions
      • planet7 story about pain of re-incorporating -> pick a nice, generic name
    • DaveM:
      • $125 http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/business/filingformsfeeschedule.aspx?page=251#domNon
      • Board is useful for making important decisions
    • JohnM, RyanW: the whole two corporation thing; parent/children corps
    • JasonC: don't forget about the bake sale!
    • Fermentation hacking! beer, cheese, yogurt
    • Next Action:
      • get the appropriate forms, fill them out, present at next meeting
      • anyone know a lawyer? get some help from them -DaveM: I know some lawyers
  • B. Meatspacers
    • ErikC: found 2200 sqft in St. B
    • ChrisA: a 2600 guy, carl, sent him something about House of Tropics site is for sale; price is dropping, still expensive though
    • JohnW: do we care about things other than size? ...yes
    • How small can we go if the space is otherwise awesome?
    • Chris A: keep the leases short so we couls start small and move out
    • JohnW: often lease requirements are 5 years min.
    • DaveM: how should we pitch spaces?
      • wiki?, list threads? everyone: please document
    • Addison: knows of people in the non-profit scene who got hooked up with some nice space from D.A.W.G.
    • ChrisA: knows a doc that is in contact with C.P.S., but we'd have to somehow be related to her org.
    • JasonB: finding a price point; probably makes sense to find space first then figure membership $ from that.
    • ChrisA: saw a preso at Last Hope on hackerspace: don't rule out "bad neighborhoods"
    • Justin: pretty easy to do security with web cams
    • JasonB: working from theoretical # of members times $fee$ is backwards
    • ChrisA/JasonB: we don't want another job, don't want to be too much in charge
    • ErikC: every monday thing; maybe people should be doing
    • JasonB: knows a guy that knows all the real estate people in town.
    • DaveM: wikipage for where to go to look for spaces, also document examined spaces
    • ErikC: next meeting focused on pitching spaces

• • JasonB: legal stuff update
    • started a wiki page for Paper Pushers, check out the links there
    • two types of non-profit:
    • 501c3,
      • takes special upkeep work to keep status
      • write-offs are good things
      • we need to find something that's a social good; Addison can we get a list of what qualifies?
      • No politcal stuff at all
    • 501c7: "social club"
      • requirements are less, but some are relevant: primarily membership based, no tax-deductible donations, etc.
    • ChrisA: workshops could count as "education"
    • Addison: check with the Weavers Guild, they have a house, what are they doing?
    • Addison: what kinds of taxes would we pay in each situation?
    • JohnW: doing that social good takes up time/focus
    • JasonB: maintaining this corporation will be serious work
    • JasonC: I like the social club, because it is easier to maintain, less obligation; asking for donations bites
    • JasonB: it's always possible to change status later; costs money, but not a huge big deal
    • ErikC: I like the 501c7 too. Most seem in favor.
    • JasonB: there are many other types of crazy non-profits including being a "lodge" :)
    • JasonC: can we still charge for workshops and stuff? JasonB: it seems like yes, up to a certain percent of our $income.
    • Justin: what about the membership tiers thing?
      • JasonB: how to enforce it?
      • JasonC: use access to shop as a membership benefit
      • ChrisA: will big big will college students: maybe have a student price
      • Addison: allow people to donate service instead of fees
      • JasonB: enforcement of different levels is important / difficult
    • Consensus is on starting out as a social club and re-evaluate at a future time; motion, seconded, approved.
      • let's fill out the paperwork, we need a name
      • incorporate twice?
      • ChrisA: voting issues, don't want to have big hangups and consult the board for every little thing
      • JasonB: think about majority vs plurality etc, other types of voting
      • DaveM: it should be in person. usually there is a quorum rule.
      • JasonB: frequency of board member rotation, who is eligible?
      • DaveM: usually you nominate, second, then elect
      • Addison: we will have two boards: may be made up differently
      • JohnM: required offices? JasonB: not by law.
      • ChrisA: minimum is 3; should there be more?
      • ErikC: number of board members ought to be determined by workload on that body
      • JasonB: what are the roles?
        • treasurer, secretary, president,
        • duties: care, compliance, etc, etc
    • JasonB: board members don't even have to be members, residents, etc
      • Addison: I like that idea of outside people on the board

• • Meeting Spaces
    • people like Taza
    • two weeks from now. the 23rd. some are out of town. have meeting anyway?

• • New Members!
    • In large part from ChrisA'a preso
    • a little peanut gallery-esque
    • addison found us on hackerspaces.org, knows others who would want in

• • C. Tool and skill mongers
    • JohnM: make a page to list tools/skills on wiki
    • Addison: thread on the list for roll call

• • D. Scroungers / Scavengers
    • Justin: has a mini fridge, found some chairs on craigslist
    • many have misc items on hand already at home
    • dumpster-diving trip?
    • DaveM: Hamilton County has an auction site with good stuff http://www.hamiltoncountyohioauction.com/app/
    • JasonC: bunch of old PCs and CRTs
    • Justin: server racks?
    • JasonC: what types of stuff might we need besides electronics?
    • Addison: chemlabs
    • Justin: found plans for iron foundry using microwave
    • DaveM: have an X10

• • E. Propaganda
    • names: hive-mind, bakery, the borg, "The Cincinnati Hackerspace Project"
      • JasonC: "we are the bakery: prepare to be assimilated"
      • ChrisA: "The Enrichment Center"; sounds sciency; it's in Portal.
      • JasonB: will file forms as something super generic, then file a DBA for an additional name(s)
      • JasonC: wants to get to work on designs, logos, stuff like that
      • ChrisA: it should have "enterprises" in it
      • we all have many domains, put them down on the wiki if they are good
      • "square", "cupcake", "gordian research", "the pit", "ei pie bakery", "the max", "the bar",
      • "the factory", "the foundry", places where something gets made, "the ___ lab", CERN, "kathleen turner overdrive", "the bea arthur room", "not safe for work"
    • start names a thread on the list; google moderator?
    • ChrisA: JasonC has a lead on getting stickers and stuff

• • F. Communications
    • host our own? once we have a domain
    • DaveM: stick with it until we get a domain, or start self-hosting sooner rather than later
    • JasonB: be careful of legal stuff with using other people's hosting before we incorporate
    • JasonC: like to host stuff on our own premises
    • silc: anyone using it?
      • JasonB: would be good to have an easier / more public channel; fnet?
      • several people are in their idling in there
    • ErikC: using arsclan irc, and liking that

• • final thoughts
    • JohnM: first meeting of the month be dues collecting day to get a little bit of money?
      • JasonB: we need a bank account to put the money in, which will be next month
      • Craig: has used legalzoom, pretty easy
    • Craig knows some people who would be paying but non-active members

• • Next Meeting action items:
    • JasonB will have the paperwork on hand, or at least present if he's not there
      • will go ahead and submit forms. will use his own address for now (ChrisA recommends get a po box).
    • start threads on wiki/list for accumulated skills, tools, names
    • migrate over to fnet for chat
    • DaveM: don't forget to arrange for taza space for two weeks for now
    • ErikC: Create a template / form to use for use in checking out spaces, put it in the wiki, email it out