<span style='font-family:Verdana'><span style='font-size:12px'><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">On 26 Nov 2013, Gergana Slavova wrote:</span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">> Please review the proposal outlining the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pMP65IULbQIcNISk9h5XsJZ8jGvzaEKitZ3ue496n_c/edit&lang=en" target="_blank">Makerspace membership levels</a>. </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">I don't have a horse in this race, an occasional visitor and remote observer.</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">The topic of membership rates interests me as a matter of practical theory.</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">I'd observe that the examples cited in the linked notes are all in cities</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">of somewhat higher overall cost of living.  Curiously, they all have lower</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">utility rates.  Adjustments compared to Urbana, utilities in parentheses:</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">+ 6% Rochester, New York (-14%)</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">+ 4% Milwaukee, Wisconsin (-5%)<br />+ 4% Ann Arbor, Michigan (-5%)<br /> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">A selection from cities more proximate overall, though Urbana takes a</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">still more furious beating on utilities:</span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">+ 2% Kansas City, Missouri (-5%)<br /><a href="http://www.hammerspacehobby.com/p/membership-rates.html&lang=en" target="_blank">http://www.hammerspacehobby.com/p/membership-rates.html</a></span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">+ 2% Akron, Ohio (-17%) <br /><a href="http://synhak.org/wiki/Membership&lang=en" target="_blank">http://synhak.org/wiki/Membership</a></span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">- 1% Davenport, Iowa (-27%)<br /><a href="http://www.qccolab.com/become_a_member/&lang=en" target="_blank">http://www.qccolab.com/become_a_member/</a></span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">- 3% Columbia, Missouri (-13%)<br /><a href="http://www.columbiagadgetworks.org/membership/&lang=en" target="_blank">http://www.columbiagadgetworks.org/membership/</a></span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px"> </span></span><p style="margin:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px; padding:0px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="font-size:12px">[ Source: <a href="http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator&lang=en" target="_blank">http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator</a> ]</span></span></p></span></span>