<div dir="ltr">Dear IMC staff, board, working groups and renters:<br><br>On Saturday December 8, 2012 from 10 am-12 noon in the first floor Sun Room, Board member Danielle Chynoweth and myself hosted the first of what will become an at least quarterly open dialog with the community of artists, activists,
and all around amazing people doing great work in <span>&</span> around the issue of our building's <span>safety</span> and <span>security</span>. <br><b>I encourage you to look for announcements of these discussions in the coming weeks and to consider attending.</b><br>
<br>Our intention is to provide a forum for anyone utilizing space at the IMC to voice <span>security</span> and <span>safety</span> concerns, propose solutions, designs, to use design and use to improve <span>safety</span>
and engage with one another in restorative dialog. <br><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Below you'll find some notes and action items resulting from that meeting so community members may be aware of what the IMC board, staff and community are doing to ensure our facility is a safe space and useful for all our endeavours.<br>
</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><b>12/8/12 IMC Safety & Security facilitated discussion notes</b><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Discussion focused on both design and use of our spaces in addition to policies as methods for encouraging legitimate use of the building and grounds as well as discouraging non-legitimate use. For example the question was asked: "What are the spaces within the building that have security/safety issues, and how can we design and use these spaces differently to have more legitimate use of that space?"<br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_extra">More discussion is certainly needed to identify legitimate and non-legitimate uses, as well as spaces within the building that should be focused on for design/use. <br></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Ideas that staff, volunteers and the board will act on immediately:<br></div><div class="gmail_extra">- Improve lighting in the lower level east hall, outside Elm Street entrance, outside South Basement entrance, outside on the east and south of the building<br>
</div><div class="gmail_extra">- Implement stronger building signage, both indoor and outdoor, to orient visitors, members and building users<br></div><div class="gmail_extra">
- Establish a monthly building orientation session, to provide information and training to keyed members. <br></div><div class="gmail_extra">- Form design groups of interested members & tenants around key spaces in the building<br>
</div><div class="gmail_extra">- Decide on building zones (most likely by floor) and policy for building access during business & non-business hours<br><br>If you would like to be involved these initiatives, please email or look for future announcements.<br>
<br>Warm regards,<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><p>
Chris Ritzo, outgoing chair IMC Building & Facilities committee</p><br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 6:53 PM, Chris Ritzo <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:chris.ritzo@gmail.com" target="_blank">chris.ritzo@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><p>As the outgoing chair of the IMC's Building and Facilities committee, I'm writing to open a dialog with the community of artists, activists, and all around amazing people doing great work in & around our building on enhancing safety and security at our center.</p>
<p>First, I hope you will consider participating in a facilitated discussion on safety and security at the UC-IMC building and property, Saturday December 8, 2012 from 10 am-12 noon in the first floor Sun Room.</p>
<p>Our intention is to provide a forum for anyone utilizing space at the IMC to voice security and safety concerns, propose solutions, designs, to use design and use to improve safety and engage with one another in restorative dialog. Information about past and planned facilities improvements will be provided by past & current IMC board members, and we will discuss a draft security plan proposed initially by IMC members and recently updated by the Building and Facilities committee.</p>
<p>The ideas generated by this and future discussions will be used to refine and implement IMC building safety and security policies, and their enforcement by the IMC and the community using our building.</p>
<p>We hope you will consider attending to contribute your ideas to this important dialog.</p>
<p>Helping keep the IMC safe and secure is everyone's responsibility.</p>
<p>Some general things you can do to help include:</p>
<p>- Communicate with others, and with IMC staff<br>
If you see people in the building or outside that you are unsure of, make a note of the person's description and communicate with IMC staff (<a href="mailto:carolammons@gmail.com" target="_blank">carolammons</a><a href="mailto:carolammons@gmail.com" target="_blank">@</a><a href="mailto:carolammons@gmail.com" target="_blank">gmail.com</a>). If you feel comfortable, ask the person if they need some assistance.</p>
<p>- Double-check that all interior and exit doors are locked when you leave If you are unsure of whether a door should be locked, lock it. Don't assume that someone else will lock up. Those who are supposed to be in the building will have keys to access it.</p>
<p>- Do not prop open interior or exterior doors. <br>
Many interior doors are fire rated and are required to remain closed. If a door has a sign on it indicating it should not be propped open, please do not prop it open. Exterior doors in general should also not be propped open, with the exception of times when materials or equipment are being loaded in or out of the building.</p>
<p>- Provide a welcoming staff volunteer when leaving entrances unlocked. If you or your group need to have a door open to provide access for a program or service, please consider having a volunteer staff monitoring the door during the service time. If you are unable to staff the entrance, consider posting a note with a phone number to call for entry. Lower level programs may also utilize the doorbell at the south entrance.</p>
<p>The IMC's hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm. During those hours, the first floor red doors are unlocked and managed by our staff. Currently basement exterior doors and interior doors to the 2nd floor should remain locked during business hours unless a tenant or group is hosting a service or program.</p>
<p>Outside of business hours on the first floor, and always on the lower level and second floor, it is the responsibility of individual members, groups or tenants to ensure that exterior doors remain locked or monitored.</p>
<p>Every space at the IMC should be safe and usable. We have a community of amazing people who together can design uses and solutions to make our spaces welcome, inviting and secure, but also to dissuade other purposes which are not helpful to our mission.</p>
<p>Warm regards,<br>
Chris Ritzo, outgoing chair IMC Building & Facilities committee</p>
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