Thursday 19 April 2012

DNC Board Meeting Minutes - April 19, 2012

DNC Board Meeting
April 19th, 2012
Meeting Minutes: Jada
Chair: Wendy

Attendance: Kelvin, Wendy, Roland, Yasik, Ann, Charles, Jada, Harold, Herb, Jamie, Kelvin, Craig, Terri, Ivan, DJ, Wendy Chu, Jen, Rob Morgan, Dave D.

1) Introductions & Openings

Kelvin

·         Acknowledgements & Opening

Group:

·         Introductions

Herb

·         Overview of Agenda


2) Board Business

Wendy

·         Board Development Meeting on the 28th

·         Are we able to pull this off or postpone it after the general meeting in May

Ann

·         We should postpone it until there is a lull

Wendy

·         We could do it the Saturday after the next general meeting, the 10th

·         Do we feel like it’s too rushed to do it on the 28th?

Herb

·         General meeting is on May 5th

Wendy

·         How many people think we should postpone it until May 12th?

Ivan

·         It depends on when we can get people there, for the people who aren’t coming to board meetings and when someone has time to meet with them and motivate them to come to the board development meeting

·         We need a period, a week in advance to get together with these people

·         I can’t do it before the 28th, maybe someone else can?

Wendy

·         Tentatively set for May 12th?

Ivan

·         We should firmly set one for May 12th

·         We’re overdue, we should prioritize it

·         We should ask Harold to book a room in the Laurie Croel

·         11-5pm ?

Motion: Board Development Meeting 100% Saturday May 12th from 11-5pm in the Laurie Corel
Motioned by Harold, second by Jamie

3) Street Market Report

Roland

·         I was elected key master for the 50/50 draw

·         Slowly adding more things to supplement the budget

·         50/50 added revenue, donations too and we managed that

·         Last 2 weeks we bought 20 tables, started renting those to vendors

·         $2 a piece, I don’t want to go any higher than that

·         The strategy is if they don’t have the $2 at first, I walk around afterwards and collect it later

·         The idea is that they will make more money if they have a table

·         We had coffee last week, 50 cents a cup

·         We might have ice to drink as well, could work for a hot day

·         All volunteers get a free cup of coffee, it’s an added amenity, sell the rest

·         With all that, the DNC made more money than before…$94 in one day!

Terri

·         When I was there last week, I was cop-watching

·         A lot of the vendor, I took pictures of their merchandise with their permission to put on the DNC website to get more exposure

Yasik

·         We should charge them for that

Wendy

·         We don’t want to be capitalists

Roland

·         We can design this social enterprise that is fair

·         Create a tax item that benefits

·         I brought a bunch of recommendations at the last meeting, all the commercial enterprise we had governance over…..clarification…complaints about fairness on the raffle.  We need to make sure that it is a fair raffle and the perception is fair

·         If there is a discounted ticket, it will be a different colour

·         If we’re doing it properly, if we have a permit or not is no big deal, issue of getting rejection

Motion: For Roland to operate 50/50 draw to the standards of legal 50/50 draws
Moved by Ann, second by Kelvin.  One abstention

Jada

·         Will text Dave Hamm and Lorna the motion

Roland

·         If we continue to collect money as we’re going, we can possibly buy 2 tents ever month and by the end of summer we’ll have enough to cover every vendor during rainy season

Ann

·         Needs storage

Yasik

·         There shouldn’t be 2 different people running the market

·         Cannot be done without volunteers

·         Volunteers shouldn’t have power of things like where tables and tents go because they go to the same place to the same people which means there are favors to certain people

·         The market is for everybody

Roland

·         I don’t want to fight that extra battle

Ivan

·         Worry about dynamics of the board overruling the market committee

·         The 2 people who are upset about this, Dave and Lorna, aren’t here

·         They might be nervous or overwhelmed, or intimidated by the majority board, but I’m not sure if that is the case

·         I believe in the street market, it’s an incredible thing

·         One part of the street market is to support vendors to take control over the market and run the market

·         Sometimes there are problems like this comes up, but it’s part of the culture of street vending

·         Too organized from above by the board? We need to be sensitive about this

Wendy

·         I kinda agree with Ivan

·         Let us run the financials, but let the vendors run the market

·         I don’t feel comfortable making the decisions without Dave and Lorna

Ann

·         I will go to the street market committee and nobody will show up

·         Do a Dodson meeting for the street vendors, and vote themselves a steering committee

·         Accountability for the vendors

·         I think we have a budget for one, and one for a celebration that I don’t think we held

·         Stipend for a sprawling “vendors meeting” on a Sunday morning, and we should start planning this now

Roland

·         I was at the inter-urban meeting

·         Distinctly remember common themes were – bathrooms, electricity, safety, tents, and not go to that other site

·         Tables and tents we can work on

·         Power could be an affordable

Rob

·         The market could do better moving further ahead

·         Different exposure

Ann

·         Advised to make a motion on the proposal of the date

Wendy

·         The City wants us to do a report for the grant

Roland

·         I’ll do it, I’ll contact Maggie

Ann

·         Motion to apply for a grant for the VanCity for social enterprises, we could really support, due April 30th

Roland

·         I’ll look into this

4) LAPP Report

Herb

·         An update

·         Suppose to have a governance meeting sometime this week, but there has been a building tension in the room

·         Kelvin is feeling bullied

·         We’re going to have Kelvin and some AFD people there, and try do deal with this

Kelvin

·         I’m tired

·         When Wendy called on AFD to come on board with the LAPP, we helped with the building blocks of the LAPP. Wendy only knew me

·         I took it on out of respect

·         People came in and out, that was ok

·         When the LAPP started back in March, this Scott Clark and his crew, every time I did opening prayers, an opening no more no less, keeps getting up and going out

·         It’s ignorance, their issue

·         This week, both myself and Mona Woodward, she’s had enough, she’s seen this since it started

·         Our office will no longer be attending the LAPP meetings until this is dealt with Scott Clark and his teachings

·         He’s First Nations, I know that, not sure where he’s from

·         We as AFD have called on elders and one of the elders have declined because they have dealt with this person before and they don’t want to go back

·         As of right now, I’m exhausted, I’m tired

·         I don’t want to be there if he’s going to be there

Herb

·         Not just leaving in the opening

·         We traditionally have a moment of silence for murdered and missing women, and people who have passed who we want to honor

·         Scott also leaves during that

·         What does that say?

·         Mr. Clark wasn’t going to be involved, but I talked to people in the First Nations community and they said no matter where he goes he eventually burns his bridges

·         I thought well he can do that in front of everybody

·         I didn’t anticipate this tension between Kelvin and Scott, I feel bad about that

·         He’s going to go out and cry out in public about everything

·         He consistently speaks against the terms of reference, and so does his actions

·         We even have business people on our side

Rob

·         Unfortunately he is on another planet

·         In the same frame of mind, we have to stand on where he is coming from

·         He worked for UNN and got fired

·         I’m not saying I’m all for him

·         But we have to do it in a democratic process

·         He’s going to cry to the media that the LAPP committee kicks him out

·         We have to act, as DNC, come together and say this is our voice

Ivan

·         It’s important to figure out what Scott represents, like what Rob said

·         His emergence here isn’t an accident

·         He’s useful for someone

·         There are organizations he’s useful for

·         The opportunity we have is to expose the real problems he represents

·         We have to be careful

·         Not to mistake Scott representing an individual, but he also represents the Inner City Coalition

·         This organization is an outsiders position to destroy the low-income community

·         LAPP is to protect and improve the low-income community in the DTES

·         Scott is the embodiment of the opposite position of the low-income community

·         He hates street people, addicts, alcoholics, he wants to see them dispersed

·         We need to fight against this idea, and defend the low-income community

Jamie

·         We’re a community

·         He’s the point man for the opposite point of view

·         He’s been disrespectful at the openings and closings

·         We should exile him by turning our backs to him, he’s invisible, no response, nothing from anyone, he does not exist, do not give him any recognize him, don’t talk about him, don’t respond to him, nobody hears him, nobody responds to him

Kelvin

·         AFD is not going to pull out because they’ve seen their elder been abused, mentally and spiritually

·         The idea of coming forward with who I have for support for when we do this work together for the LAPP, it’s important that they understand that it might end up coming to that – the turnaround – turning our back on him, that really puts them in place

·         The only way you could break that is if Scott can explain why he should be brought back to the LAPP, and why he should be involved again

·         Right now he’s high on his horse, but now we’re trying to get him to come back down to the human level

Wendy

·         What Rob said, doing the democratic process is the best way to go about it because of the LAPP

·         The meetings were cancelled this week because we didn’t want to go about it without Kelvin

Rob

·         He’s crying for the governance meeting

Wendy

·         He doesn’t recognize the LAPP as a legitimate group

·         He’s challenging our authority

Rob

·         If he’s challenging the LAPPs authority

·         That means he’s winning

Wendy

·         Not have the governance meeting until he has mediation

Rob

·         Ever since from day 1 of the LAPP committee

·         Scott has been crying, he says the same thing over and over

·         All of a sudden he decides to back out

Wendy

·         No it was us who backed out, because AFD doesn’t want to

Ann

·         He’s from an urban reserve near Victoria

·         Tom missed the last meeting

·         Tom did not see that

·         He had no understanding of that

·         I was right near Scott

·         I remember him abstaining on every vote

·         He didn’t have any sympathy in the group, they were pissed off at Scott’s attitude

·         He seems to have sympathy because Tom wasn’t aware

Wendy

·         Tom is aware with the issues with Scott

·         He doesn’t want to be the South African guy kicking out a native guy

Ann

·         It’s extremely distressing

·         Phone and talk to everyone in the group to get rid of him

Kelvin

·         When you bring a young person on board, they follow the culture and customs of their mentor

·         Scott is teaching this young person disrespect

·         It’s not my place to say….

·         When we left, I just happened to be outside the door…Scott and his crew

·         Then when we walked out the door, they were right behind us, like being radared

·         I just had to laugh, and I left

·         Teachings are very important, Wendy and Ivan know that, thank you

5) Homeless Committee Report

Roland

·         Nothing new, we can skip

6) Vancouver Copwatch Report

Jen

·         Very busy in the last week

·         Signed an agreement with the DTES Neighbourhood House

·         1-3pm every Saturday – police brutality

·         Miami made an appearance in the DTES

·         Confrontation with Jamie

·         Got an investigation into Miami

Jamie

·         Allegations against me

·         Filed a legal claim and official complaint

·         Got a response

·         Jennifer has also filed a complaint

Wendy

·         Any decisions that we need to make?

Jen

·         Did a poster of Shawn Shipper – this man is armed and dangerous to people in the DTES

·         Contact Mike Sears

·         We let him know that he’s not welcomed to be here in the DTES

·         Now he’s not here!

Jamie

·         Now he’s publically lied

·         His testimony is now suspect

Ann

·         The Beat – strategy is to go online to file a complaint

·         When you see the Beat Team, you record time and place online

·         Shawn Shipper – his father’s name is Brian Shipper who is the producer of the Beat

·         Very interesting

·         The police are so top-heavy, they don’t even know what to do when something like this comes to life

·         There needs to be a memorandum of understanding between the filming crew and policeman on-duty

·         If they are not on duty, they are armed….

Rob

·         We have to empower our community to fight back

Ann

·         The police committee is going to work on preparing a powerpoint with statistics for the DNC to report

·         It’s a campaign of DNC

Ivan

·         Do we have responsibilities for making decisions?

Harold

·         This is fine right now

·         We can maybe to clarify it at the board development meeting

·         Good work is being done

7) Treasurer’s Report

Roland

·         $708 left

·         I believe the legal papers are ready for VanCity

Ivan

·         Need to sign them tomorrow by 3

·         I have some receipts

8) DTES Not for Developers Campaign

Herb

·         Tuesday 75 people and a dog to go up to City Council

·         Disrupted for an hour and a half

·         As soon as we came, Mayor and Council took a recess, Mayor never came back

·         Councillors agreed to a meeting

·         The most powerful speeches were made when Council wasn’t around

·         There was a young man, homeless, he spoke, I was 10 ft away and barely heard him

·         When he panhandles by Woodwards he gets spat on and hot coffee thrown at him

·         Hue Lampkin and I were kind of the 2 main spokespeople up there

·         We had a lot of people vent

·         City Council members came out to talk to us

·         We got stonewalled, non-committal responses

·         We asked them to atleast put off this Pantages decision

·         Council said their hands are tied and have to go through with the process

·         When we go to the development permit board, we’re going to go with about 10 speakers, but we’re not going to limit anyone else who wants to speak from the community

·         Since the development permit board is appointed, not elected, not from the community, they are not qualified to make this decision based on this alone, they are not informed enough to make a decision

·         We can’t get them a decision, but we can get them to defer it back to Council so Council can make a decision, so they can say yes or no

·         We also have other ideas, like sending information packages to the DP board before Monday

·         Depending on what happens there, we’ll have more actions after that

Ivan

·         Last run to the development permit board decision

·         We’ve been petitioning on Main and Hastings for weeks

·         Action 2 Tuesdays ago, strong resistance tone

·         This week, the feeling continued in Council’s chambers

·         It felt like we were building community while defending the community

·         All of these things at once

·         Earnest and authentic sense of space

·         Thing on Monday – demonstration outside, at 2:15pm at City Hall

·         Meet at Carnegie at 1:30, go to demonstration at 2:15 with speakers before we go in

·         Speakers list starts at 3pm

Rob

·         Don’t ask me at the last minute to speak

Ivan

·         Then we’re going to have a follow-up at the Carnegie Theathre

·         Rally set 11am on Tuesday to report back on what happened and decide next steps

·         Friday 27th 2:00pm for gym for civil disobedience training, 2-5pm

·         SF Public Interest Research Group will help

·         Shannon is making a poster to put it up tomorrow

·         No matter what they decide on Monday, we will continue our work

·         We still have another 589 condo units proposed for the neighbourhood

·         We’re ready to go ahead with next steps

Kelvin

·         I apologize for not attending

·         Thank you Herb

·         I was there in spirit

Harold

·         Most people were happy with how the situation was handled

·         Some divisions on how far to go and not go, but there was a consensus

·         People felt pretty good coming out from that rally

·         We still have a lot of work to do to get more members of the community to come out to these rallies

·         3,000 people sign the petition, so there is lot of support

·         Larger numbers would be more successful

·         Civil disobedience training is really helpful

·         Not everyone is on the same page on how to act in any situation, so civil disobedience training will help people

·         Marc Williams could start construction any time after it’s approved

·         Involve tactical planning

·         The more prepared we are the better

Rob

·         We’re going to have to do those same tactics

·         If it passes on Monday, then we’re going to have to get trained

·         Not everyone is trained

·         This would be a really good opportunity for people to know what to say and what not to say

Terri

·         March 2009 Mayor Robertson traumatized me when a man was murdered in front of me

·         I woke up screaming because I thought cops were shooting me, because of what he said to me

·         He should be reminded

Roland

·         That was only my second time at City Hall, super fun

·         You stand there, and there is nothing they can do

·         Adrian Carr promised to bring up a vote to bring it back to Council

Ivan

·         There was nothing procedural she could do

·         She’s the only one interested

·         She’s alone

·         She’s blocked by it

·         We’ve been emailing with Andrea Reimer

·         Get a letter why technically the development permit can turn this down

·         LAPP Committee wrote the letter

·         There is a legal aspect going on that is going on the same time

Rob

·         Demonstrations take a lot of energy out of you

Ivan

·         Everyone on the board should come on Monday

·         Ask AFD to do a powerful drum opening

·         Solidarity notes choir will come and sing there

·         It won’t be a draining rally

Harold

·         Probably should have 1 or 2 DNC speakers

·         Some people are going to come to the CCAP meeting tomorrow

Ivan

·         It’ll wreck our momentum if it goes on more than 1 day

·         We should call people this weekend to let people know

Jada

·         I’ll do some calls

Ivan

·         Anyone else? Jada, Herb, Roland, Ivan, Rob, Wendy

·         Next Thursday is Jacob’s Well AGM

·         We should move our meeting, and then do a presentation for thank you and give them a gift

·         Ideally the presidents who present to them

Herb

·         Sure

Kelvin

·         Board can bring themselves over to the AFD for space at that date, but start at 6pm

DJ

·         I’m missing so many meetings because I’m busy working and on other boards

·         It would work better for me at 4pm instead of 5pm

Harold

·         I think it’s ok to move the time because we’re having it next week at AFD but the rest should be a bigger discussion

Herb

·         Motion to adjourn the meeting

·         Second by DJ

·         Motion carries.

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