[Imc] Steering Group Notes 6-21-01

[Paul Riismandel]

IMC Steering Meeting Notes, 12:00 PM 6/10/01
Attending: Sehvilla (news) - facilitating, Ellen (library), Sarah (space),
Aaron (Print), Avarm (new), Mike L (space), Brian (outreach), Paul (tech),
Mark E (news)
no quorum (missing Finance spoke)

Reports:

Finance - -Sarah speaks: moved to Quickbooks; all outstanding space rentals
paid; founding funders need to get in checks for May/June b/c we're running
low on cash.

Librarians: trying to clear out periodical rack so it's just recent ones,
top two shelves are done; put out 'zines into a new bookcase by bookshelves

Outreach: emergency meeting today for Taste of C-U;  upcoming meeting about
co-op fests; Sarah has question about 4th of July--IP Cust Trees Group has
space in Parade, invites other groups, what's the status?  Do we want to
discuss?  Brian says outreached discussed it, but not seriously.  For the
IMC to participate, the trees group needs to open it up as a community group
thing.  Mark E. says if there are any worries about 501c3 status, it's just
about political parties.  Brian brings up the concern that if the Trees
folks just share with IMC then we're lumped together.  Sarah says last year
groups got together to march together, but they separated themselves in the
block.  

Space: We're now handicapped accessible (in the weakest sense), because we
have a ramp to help get in the door.  Treat it nicely--don't just drop it.
We want to hear any comments about people who use it.  Maybe we want to
develop a system to let people know how to alert us to put it out and to let
them know we're accessible.  Sarah says one of her long term plans is to put
up little signs all over the space.  Mike reports we got another little
bookshelf.  Probably put in fan Monday or Tuesday, depending on production
schedule. Space Group is meeting this Wed at 6:30pm 

Tech: Didn't really meet last week. Erek will do some soldering for us.

News: WEFT shows coming up: this monday is women's health; next Monday is
Sandra Ahten covering death penalty issues; Pauline and Sarah working on
next one; Need new WEFT -liaison person b/c Danielle can't do it, trying to
plan what to do for fall and develop relationship with WEFT.  Paul asks if
there is any emphasis put on posting written things on website or is it just
radio right now.  Mark says it's suggested, but not in any systematic sort
of way.   Paul notes that even headline rundowns and scripts can go a long
way.  Mark reports that there were several public meetings last Wed. that
people wanted to cover, including the issue of the factory dairy farm in
Bellflower.  A team is getting together to cover immigrant labor issues in
Paxton.

Old Business

Personnel Policy, drafted by Mike Lehman.  Was distributed over e-mail
list.--copy posted at IMC.  Sarah has two comments: not comfortable with
word "lifestyle," thinks word is trendy; it sounded like a decision would
need to be made by steering group as a whole, though in a prior problem
steering empowered a small group.  Mike says this policy allows for this.
Sarah thinks it provides a really good framework, but has a concern that the
IMC have a stronger statement about respecting human rights and presonal
choices.  

Mike asks, do we want to adopt?  We don't have quorum this week, and won't
next week.  So let's delay decision two weeks.  Sarah asks, can we decide to
use this interim until we can pass it?  Paul notes that if we have an issue
we'll still have to deal with it, so this policy will inform us nonetheless,
even if it's not official.

General Membership Meeting (Ellen):  Ellen suggests to have it sometime
between Aug 1 and 5, a Tuesday through a Sunday.  Doesn't have a suggestion
about time of week.  Brian says the Prompting Theater is having their
festival on the 5th.  Mike says maybe after the 5th.  Wednesday nights have
a lot of meetings, people seem to be free, but we can put off our meetings.
Ellen notes that Wed and Thurs looks good, Brian suggests Wed the 1st.
Sarah checks the sched and Wed the 1st is the Green Party meeting space
rental.  Mark: thursday the 2nd?  Paul: Can we delay 2 weeks to Thurs. Aug.
16?  Ellen: may not be there.

Big question: Late August?  Ellen says tentatively Aug. 22 @ 7:00 PM--Sarah
enters into space book.

Paul: Do we want to have a few draft mission statements ready?  
Ellen: Yes, I have some draft agenda items and tasks.  The skeleton for the
agenda should be: report back to members since we opened; hear from the
members what their mission for the IMC is; have an official mission
statement by the end of the meeting; opportunities for more involvement.  Is
this too much, are there other things?
General consensus on this skeleton agenda.
Ellen: tasks we need to do to prepare: list of members and 'near members'
(who are people who might not yet be members but have been involved)--Sarah
says we have a list, it's about 200 members; we need to make invitations;
need to write draft mission statements--Paul, Ellen and Sarah wrote one last
Fall prior to the Highdive fundraiser that is currently in the IMC
brochure--we can use more; Paul says we need to coordinate the report
back--Sarah says we have an exhaustive list of things we've done due to
501c3 application.

Sarah proposes that we call an ad-hoc group to organize the report back, and
one to deal with the mission statement.  Working groups should send a
delegate to these ad-hoc.   Ellen will take leadership on project.

General consensus on this proposal.  Mark comes forward to help with both,
James said he can pitch in in July.

Ellen will suggest meeting times over e-mail, which won't be until after
June 20. 

NEW BUSINESS:

Taste of Champaign (Brian) -- we committed to be there, in the community
corridoor, b/w Food Co-Op and Mathew House.  We need people to be there.
Cope made 300 more brochures and little posters, and postcards with
newspoems.  We'll take some of our FTAA souveniers, FTAA CDs and Global
Print items.  We're committed Sat 11 - 8, Sun 12-5--we need to have people
sign up to be there, we should have our steering group meeting there.  Paul
says maybe we can borrow an awning from WEFT, if not Mike has one, so does
Avarm.  People to help with moving show up Sat at 9 to load up and set up.
Sun show up at 9 am to move and set up.  Paul will bring station wagon on
Sunday.  Recommend have 2 people to staff at a time.


Print (Aaron): Formalizing editorial policy, getting things setup.  Jul 3 is
first publication.  Paul: Print is asking for Working Group status, two
spokes are Aaron and Brent.  Ellen: next meeting we're trying hard to
finalize our content facilitators (editors).  Sarah: please invite people
you think would be good for this role. Ellen: we want to have two for each
area to spread and share the load.  

Meeting is Thursday 6:30pm at IMC.  The following week's meeting (6/21) is
focused on financing and fundraising for the paper.

Mark: does the goal of Jul 3 seem like it will happen?  Ellen: Yeah.  Aaron:
We've got people who are anxious to work on it.  Ellen: we feel like we have
an out b/c we haven't widely announced our date.  it will be monthly
broadsheet.  

Paul asks: are we having our meeting at Taste?  Mark has concern that
outdoor meetings are difficult due to problems with audibility.

Paul suggests: let's just cancel.  General consensus.

Next Steering meeting: nobody will be there (effectively cancelled).

Agenda for two weeks from today (June 24):

Old Business:
Personnel Policy
Equipment Use Policy
Approving Print as Working Group
General Membership Meeting
New Business:
Events (Quad Day, Sweet Corn, Champaign-Urbana Day)