DNC Board - April 30, 2011

DNC Board of Directors meeting
April 30, 2011

Present: Ann, Dave, Ivan, Harold, Fraser, Dave H, Paul, Tami
Chair: Harold
Minutes: Ivan Drury

Agenda:
1) Street market committee report
2) General meeting
3) Endorsements
4) LAPP Committee
5) Elections

1) Street market committee
Dave: A minor incident at last week’s street market. A vendor
handcuffed for holding a knife. No consequences but need to remind
vendors to not carry or sell knives
- Lynn set up an extra rain cover with tarps
- Funding proposal has been made to SFPirg for $500 for supplies
MOTION: To support the funding proposal (Passed unanimously)

2) General meeting
a) Theme: LAPP and Action committee next steps: spring cleaning or
long hot summer
b) Other: Shelters update, Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement
funding problem?
c) Committee to organize the meeting agenda: Wendy, Ivan, Harold
d) Poster: Ivan
e) Food: Fraser (Ivan gave him a cheque to cover expenses)
f) Location: Ginseng
NOTE: Will have a set-up party on Thursday, 11am at the Ginseng 
building
g) Other logistics of the meeting: Ivan
h) Chairs: Tami and Paul will co-chair

3) Endorsements
a) End Prohibition Project
Dave: VANDU, CCAP, DNC members have been meeting for the last year,
working on setting up an end drug prohibition project. There are some
medical and academic people involved too. The Project is applying for
funding for a full time organizer. The project is asking for
endorsement of the funding proposal from DNC.
Ivan: Not sure what we’re signing on to. Support the spirit but not
sure if we’re joining a coalition, a committee, or just supporting a
funding request. Wish it could be a coalition we could send delegates
to.
Dave: It’s a project
Ann: Will bring a suggestion to the project meeting to set up a more
clear group structure.
MOTION: For the board to bring a recommendation to the GM to endorse
the End Prohibition Project’s funding proposal. (Passed. 7 in favor 1
abstention)
NOTE: Ann will bring a request back to the End Prohibition Project
for clarity about the group’s structure and how DNC members can get
involved.

b) Mother’s Day March
MOTION: To endorse the Mother’s Day March and Community Supper on May
7 and 8th. (Passed unanimous)

4) LAPP Committee
Harold:- Read the report from Wendy (pasted below)
- We are having trouble with the city manager pushing back against us,
trying to assert the LAPP as a city controlled process
- We have been trying to get through the impasse by working out
principles of agreement
- 7 core principles are to be worked on by Jean for DNC, Ray for BCS,
and Brent for the city.
Dave: - I’m worried that we are being distracted from other work by the LAPP
- We need to have our membership informed and involved
Fraser - We gave them our list of non-negotiables and I’m worried
they’re being stripped away
Tami - City hall feels really bad to deal with
Ivan - This is an ongoing struggle
DECISION: Report on the LAPP to the GM will be written up. We need a
letter to the community too. Should hold a meeting with the broader
community as soon as possible. The report should be written by the DNC
LAPP committee and circulated to the board by email before the GM.
DECISION: If there are significant changes in the coming week around
the LAPP that could affect the type of recommendation that goes
forward to the general meeting then the Board will have another
meeting on Friday.

5) Board Elections
Ann: Should not have elections all at once, but elect one position at
a time so that people can run for different positions
Ivan: Suggest to have board elections the on May 21st, have another
board development meeting on the 14th
Ann: Should have the elections sooner while they are in peoples’ minds
MOTION: To have board elections (for all positions) on May 14th, have
anti-oppression and conflict resolution board development workshop on
May 21st. (Passed unanimously)

Closing and meeting adjourned


--- --- ---
WENDY'S LAPP COMMITTEE REPORT (given to the DNC Board April 30, 2011)

Who is doing work on the Lap stuff?

The DNC Planning committee has these members who keep coming regularly
to meetings:
Paul, Fraser, Harold, Ivan, Jean, Wendy, Phoenix, Ian MacRae, Dave
Hamm (is that everyone?).
We meet at least once a week ourselves and once a week with BCS.
Lately we’ve been meeting
once a week with the city as well. We’ve taken detailed notes of every 
meeting.

What are we doing?

We’re trying to push DNC’s terms of reference for the Lap with BCS and
the city so that the
terms of reference (process and rules) for the Lap work in the favour
of the low-income
community. Everything about the Lap will grow out of the Terms of
Reference (ToR).

How is it going with BCS?

The meetings with BCS have been ok. Their group is divided but mostly
those that would give
us the most trouble, don’t show up or do much work. They don’t
necessarily agree with our
terms of reference are helping us get the basic principles in the Lap
so they can be discussed.
We get some glimmers that they may back us up on some key issues. For
example, one BCS
rep, Ray, spoke against the Chinatown towers at city hall. They
started off being more rigid
about social mix (more condos to make the DTES more balanced and
healthy) but recently
helped push the city a little in the direction of questioning it. But
BCS is not giving in to
everything we want. One of the main things they push us to do is
accept BIAs and developers in
the Lap.

BCS reps said to us on a number of occasions that they think they
should just help us get this
going and not remain as co-chairs. We’ve been encouraging them to stay
as co-chairs.

How is it going with the City?

We’ve had a hard time working with the city manager. She freaked out
over our terms of
reference and told us that we were just advisors to the Lap and that
the committee will not
write the lap. Her staff will write it. She also said that social mix
was a given, live with it.
With the help of BCS, we may have moved her away from these rigid
positions and we agreed
that we would try to re-write the ToR but based on some key principles
that we can all agree
upon. Add any good things that Penny said???

Verbally BCS, DNC and the city agreed to draft something based on
these principles below. We
told them that we’d have to take the draft to our board and general
members. Jean is meeting
with BCS and the City reps to flesh this out but likely it will not be
completed until after the May
GM.

What are the principles?

The basic principles are:

1. The committee in partnership with the city will undertake a
collaborative process to
develop the lapp – see the chart attached (looks like a sausage making 
machine).
2. The city approaches business leaders to lobby senior governments
for housing funding
3. The low-income community will be at the core of the lap
4. Co-chairs will establish the committee as majority low income
5. Social mix will be a point of discussion throughout the lap
6. Co-chairs with senior planner will do the work plan, identify
stumbling blocks and
thematic issues
7. Key words: partnership, integrity, meaningful, not advisory,
fact-based, not co-opting,
find our process together, reach out to everyone, not all
constituencies have to be on
the committee.

What is missing from the DNC’s point of view:

We are doing our best to push for the DNC’s ToR but there have been
significant compromises
made already. We regret that others have not been involved in this
because that makes it
harder for others to be invested in it and understand how difficult it
was to get the principles
that we have so far.

At what point do we commit to co-chairing the Lap?

After we draft the Terms of reference with the city and BCS, the
planning committee will take it
to the board and general members for consideration. Some of the
considerations will be:
- What can we get out of this process?
- What are the potential pitfalls for DNC?
- Is it too much of a compromise from DNC’s original ToR?
- Will it be too city driven?
- How can we keep the inspiration to continue with it given the challenges?
- Can we participate and not take responsibility of co-chairing and
thus be more removed
from the soul sucking process of compromising?
- Will the Lap go ahead without us?
- Can we afford to ignore the Lap?
- Will we have more impact on the vision for the DTES from the inside
or the outside?
Can we do both at the same time?

There are going to be many points ahead where we may back out of the
Lap and would have to
check in with the general members regularly should the DNC decide to
do more work on it.

When do we tell others outside of DNC what we are doing?

We could update the LIC right away even though we have not decided
whether we’re co-
chairing this Lap or not. The Planning committee will do a draft 1st
update and send it around
before the May GM for board approval. After the DNC decides whether
they can live with
the document that we’re drafting with BCS and the city, the Planning
committee could draft a
newsletter pamphlet that can be distributed to all the hotels and
social housing projects. Plan a
town hall.

BCS and DNC could do a joint update too. BCS sent out something to
BIA’s etc that we
approved a few months ago that wasn’t too significant

DNC board minutes - April 16, 2011

DNC board minutes
April 16, 2011
Earl, Dave M., Ann, Richard, Fraser, Ping, Dave H, Paul, Ron, Ivan, Wendy
(missing someone?)
Guest: Martha

Discussed acknowledgement practice that was trashed by chinatown leader at
the hearing and Fraser read constitution.

1. Ann gave street market report. The SM is now giving out honorariums to
volunteers. $150/week plus $60/week for food. The SM committee is working
on governance structure and will make a motion to this end at the next board
meeting. The idea is to have a SM and Wendy on it so far. Maybe adding a
few more vendors to it? Also to have a volunteer and vendor committee.
Current funds will last for 14 weeks to cover the cost of a
fundraiser/coordinator, honorariums, food, insurance, 10% to VANDU for
admin. Hoping to get another $20K from Central City Foundation. Will know
early May.

2. Ivan reported on his meeting with Ann to plan Board development day. Sid
and Paul unable to make that meeting. Goals will be to outline what we do,
how to do it, gaps in terms of what is not happening, improving democracy
and accountability in the structure. Also want to 1. review the
constitution and bylaws; 2. Figure out what positions of responsibility
need to be created 3. How to make complaints 4. How to train or skill share
so everyone is able to have power and avoid the "meritocracy" which means
those who can do the jobs the best have the most power. Martha is willing
to facilitate for us. Her interest is participatory democratic processes.
She asked: why did we want a facilitator? What issues made you want to do
this? 
Dave: meritocracy
Richard: need to elect executive
Ping: opposed to top down bureaucracy; committees can best address issues
Ivan: wants to know about different voting models; the one we use right now
is a strange modifying of roberts rules and consensus; seek consensus first
and if disagreement, we put it aside for more discussion.
Harold: we're overwhelmed right now and how decisions get made can be
murky; wants to know how to solve conflicts in better ways;
Paul: ways to deal with interpersonal conflicts and new leaders to learn
how to do things;
Ron: concurs with Paul
Dave H: we need things worked out because people observing us from the
outside now; wants accountability; very proud of everyone; wants to fine
tune what's working now
Nathan: clarity for differences between decisions made at board, exec and
GM
Wendy: wants neutral facilitator; executive vs designating roles without
label of President etc; wants transparent and accountable to grassroots and
like Dave H, to observers on outside;
Earl: we are elected by our peers because we make things happen; how to
deal with our issues that aren't new; development a movement in how we deal
with stuff; supports electing executive
Martha: heard 1. Legal structure; 2. Executive board and need for
leadership to not be organic; 3. Leadership roles; 4. How to deal with
conflict (productive and destructive). Is it personal or political.any
group with mixed marginalized and non marg. people will always have these
issues. 
Martha interested to do mostly democratic decision making, skills
development and conflict resolution.
Ann, Ivan, Sid and Paul to meet with Martha one more time before Sat board
devel.
Wendy to book room
Wendy to send constitution and bylaws to Martha and copy final pkgs to board
members. 
Ann to do food?

3. Set a separate meeting for honorariums evaluation: Ann, Wendy, Paul,
Sid, Harold, Dave H and who will set a separate meeting and report to GM. 

4. Chinatown Towers debrief: Someone should make a video of the bad
questions of Jang and Louie. Decision to have a celebration, with open mic,
invite seniors and everyone who participated; No decision about who will
work on this. Suggestion to hire Kim and Lily Tang as organizers for the
Chinatown residents committee. Suggestion to work out a proposal at the
action committee. Jean is drafting a letter to respond to councillors'
personal attacks. Wendy to talk to Jean about making it a DNC letter. 


5. Shelters: Earl doing lots of organizing to keep PHS shelter open with
letters etc. Richard concerned about other shelters closing too. Meet on
Sunday at 5:45 to go to shelters and start organizing with residents to keep
them open. CCAP taking this on. Come to next Friday 11:30 ccap meeting to
plan action.

6. New natural community member: Phoenix Winter requests membership.
Fraser reads out her letter. Fraser: Motion to recommend Phoenix as a
natural community member. Paul: second. Carried. Fraser to present this
at the GM.

7. LAPP: will make a report at the next board meeting to prepare for next
GM. Has been rocky. Tons of hours. Wendy, Harold, Paul, Ivan, Dave H,
Fraser are the board members on the DNC planning committee. 

8. Ginseng: possibly could be used for LAPP and city to pay for rent; Ann -
lets ask city to pay for it regardless because we are homeless; available
2nd week of May; no GM there in May; decision: ask Atira to have the space
for meetings but not to be open all the time; is it more important to do
our outreach and go to where people are or expect them to come to us in a
space and maybe better to work in other people's spaces; committee should
meet to plan the space: Ann, Richard, Ivan, Paul, Dave H, Wendy.

9. Justice committee - Ping will help Dave H with tickets. Maybe work on
forming a bigger committee.

10. Arts committee meeting today at Gallery Gachet. Needs board reps there:
ivan, Fraser and Harold to go.

11. Need to talk about volunteer supports like phone minutes in the future.
Could do that in context of taking on responsibilities at board development
meeting.

Moment of silence - adjourned. 

Wendy
CCAP/604-839-0379

DNC Board Meeting – Mar26, 2011

DNC Board Meeting – Mar26/2011

Present: Earl, Fraser, Dave M, Harold, Ping!, Wendy, Ann, Tami, Paul M., Sid on Scype.

Minutes: Tami

Acknowledgement: Tami

Chair: Ann/Wendy

Constitution: Fraser

1)     Street Market – Dave M: Job posting has gone out to the community. Ann/Paul/Dave met with Doug Bain & Dana Walker. Rev Barry complained about bike locked to the gate over his window. Ice cream store girl complained about church feeders in her way. Dealt with – solution found.  Doug Bain complained about “stolen goods”. Dave explained that we do not police our community and certainly have no control over people shop lifting and where they sell it. Ann: we recommend that we have 1 or 2 regular officers of experience to liaison with. Wendy: someone needs to draft a letter to the city and public about evils of ticketing and purpose of the street market.  TO DO:  Dave & Ann to draft letter.

2)     General Meeting: Saturday, April 2.  

a.       TO DO:  Wendy to make poster

b.      TO DO:  Fraser & Tami – arrange printing & postering.

c.       TO DO:  Harold to glean past minutes to see if board needs to take important recommendations to the board.

d.      TO DO:  Wendy & Harold to draft GM agenda:  Include current DNC issues:  Library housing; Street market job posting; shelter closures and women’s shelter statement; LAPP update; Chinatown towers hearing; recommendations from board like LAPP liaison to the city; agreed to not bring up letter from board to absent board members at this GM – wait until next GM;

e.       TO DO:  Food – Fraser/Britta/Craig. Aids Test investigation.

f.        TO DO:  Phone Tree: Tami.

g.       TO DO:  Wendy to ask Stacey & Beth to help with membership list/sign in.

h.      Discussion about Honorariums (see below):

i.         TO DO:  Tami to organize daycare

j.         Co-chairs: Tami & Wendy (or Harold). 

3)     Board Development:

a.       TO DO:  Ann to draft letter to absent board members as passed at last board meeting.  Not done yet.  Ping feels conflict and stress with the board meetings.  Happened over the past 6 months.  Everyone agrees General Members will make final decision about board turnover.   

b.      Board Development workshop Saturday, April 9 1 pm at 118 Alexander Street Buzzer #100

                                                               i.      Decision to add conflict resolution to board development workshop and something on team building.

                                                             ii.      Decision to include honorarium evaluation discussion

                                                           iii.      TO DO:  Tami: print off photo copies of constitution with Wendy’s help so we can discuss this at the workshop.

                                                           iv.      TO DO:  Tami do an anti oppression workshop

                                                             v.      TO DO:  Committee struck at last board meeting:  Sid/Dave/Ann/Ivan to work on agenda and organize this meeting including getting a facilitator

                                                           vi.      TO DO:  Wendy to book room     

4)     Honorarium evaluation:  Motion: to extent the trial for honorariums for 2 months (May & June) and discuss the evaluation process at the April 9^th board development workshop for ½ an hour.  Passed.  Abstainers: Fraser & Ping.  Evaluation could entail:  establishing set venue; having 2 meetings in consistent space with no stipends and measuring difference; taking attendance; giving stipends for work outside of meetings rather than attendance at GM; measuring quality of meetings with and without stipends; difficulty getting quorum at GMs; measuring attendance of very poor people; measuring increase in volunteerism etc. 

5)     Chinatown towers:  Sign up to the April 5^th at shitty hall.  Jean is a good advisor for speeches if you want help.  Ivan met with 14/15 seniors for meeting entirely in Cantonese at Solhiem and they were against the towers. Consider Mr and Mrs Tang for board members of DNC.  Ryder Cooey &  Claudia Li are doing outreach with the small businesses.  We need to organize a more discussion meetings in Chinatown to get people up to city hall on the 5th. Chinatown residents committee meeting will be Carnegie Theatre / april 9/ or 16^th.  Works better for Ping on the 16th. 

TO DO:  meet at Carnegie on Monday at noon to work on next steps for Chinatown towers campaign.

TO DO:  Wendy to put together info bulletin on what happened, what needs to happen next and video of some of the speeches for GM and wider circulation

6)     (Ann: shitty hall is the great big tit in the sky)

7)     LAPP update:  Update from Wendy, Harold and Paul on progress with BCS and City.  May send joint DNC/BCS letter soon.  Will send around final copy on email to board before sending it out.  See draft in pkg.  Stalling on taking it out to low-income groups.  Need to give update on this to GM.  Paul said big stumbling block with BCS is around our need for 70% low income residents on the committee.  Fraser: resources available to do the LAPP is a big issue. Don’t believe there are major decisions to make on this at the next GM.

8)     Library:  quick update and round table pat on back for our success. 

9)     Kerry:  Harold took this on. Letter is done by lawyer and sent out.

10)Methadone clinic issue & Strathcona Rez Association opposition to it moving it their neighbourhood.  Complicated says Ann because there are so many and some pharmacies are corrupt.  Why need to expand their business from small shop on Main to big location (ex Pivot site) on Hastings?

To DO:  Ann and Dave to take the issue to BC association of people on methadone and seek feedback and possible letter to SRA and City.

11)Rickshaw:  Motion:  Oppose new liquor licence application for Rickshaw.  Passed.  One abstainer:  Paul.  Reasons:  1 liquor seat for every 2 residents; messy sidewalk never cleaned after parties; too noisy; residents complained about violence from outside drinkers in ccap vision.

TO DO:  Ping to draft a letter to the city from DNC and circulate it on board email list before sending out.

12)New issues to deal with in the future:  End Prohibition Coalition growing out of DTES activism; HIV testing; Ping’s tofu making workshop;

Wendy

CCAP/604-839-0379