Minutes for September 11, 2012
- Regular Items
- Treasurer's report
- $1170 in bank
- 19 full members, no associates
- Previous rent was $892.50
- Rent is now $997.50
- Insurance is ~$375/yr
- Total monthly income is $950/mo @ 19 members
- No outstanding membership fees
- Reports on Committees
- Door security
- Now running on a Raspberry Pi
- TODO: Put all components onto a PCB
- TODO: Web interface for managing keys and logs
- Still don't have Kyle's fob back, but it is deactivated
- We will select somebody to go get it from him
- Mike still doesn't have a keyfob
- Bergo has an extra fob, so he'll give his to Mike until we get things sorted out
- Workshop Committee
- Classes
- Electronics class (James): Not available until after October
- PCB fabrication class (Al): 5 or 6 members already signed up. Scheduled for Sept 29th.
- Home-buying class (Paul): 5 members expressed interest. Scheduled for Oct 10th.
- New tools pledges: no news
- Open house review
- Very quiet
- No new members
- Not enough advertising done this time
- T-shirts
- Have not spoken to Steve
- Bergo emailed him, but no reply
- Paul will get Bergo Steve's number to contact him
- Special items
- Changes to lease
- No reply from Curtis on the status of the lease
- They are appealing the tax increase with the city
- This month's rent we paid with the additional occupancy cost added
- Other options for the space
- Location on 442 44th St:
- The space is 36'x24' overall, with the back area being 23'x24' and the front office being about 12'x16'
- Direct entry
- Overhead door
- Locked compound with 2-3 cars parking available
- Price is $792 (rent) + $209.95 (occupancy) = $1001.95 + GST = $1052.05 per month, plus utilities (gas, electrical, shared water)
- Estimating $1200/mo incl. util.
- Advantages to moving:
- Direct entry
- Ground floor
- Overhead doors
- Able to do welding
- Safer neighborhood
- Landlord more amenable to making modifications to the space
- Disadvantages:
- Not close to downtown
- No night time bus service
- More expensive
- Taxes likely to increase (but how much?)
- Capital cost required to prepare new space
- Needs to be decided on right away because others have already expressed interest in it
- Going to see it at 8:30pm
- Other options are possibly the Easy Pawn or above Money Express, though Albert expressed that these would not be immediate options, but potentially for when more space is required.
- Park(ing) day
- 10AM - midnight, Friday Sept 21
- They offered us a spot right out front
- Curtis will bring robots
- We have a few people willing to help out in the evening
- Viewing of 442 44th St. E.:
- All present members went to view the 44th St building.
- After review of the building, a vote to move to the new building was unanimously in favor, contingent on not being locked into a lease with the Two Twenty and coming up with a plan to increase our income to meet the added costs.
- Present members pledged to donate additional funds, in amounts each volunteered, to meet the added costs, with the expectation that a membership drive will be held to increase membership and eliminate the need for continuing support.
- An informal tally was taken of pledges from those present and it was over the $300 necessary to make up the additional monthly costs needed in the foreseeable future.
- Based on this, we expressed our intentions to the landlord of 442 44th St E and agreed to confirm with him on Wednesday, Sept 12, contingent on our lease with the Two Twenty and receiving an example of utility costs from another tenant.
- If we are able to go ahead with moving out of the Two Twenty, we will not be participating in the Park(ing) Day events.
