Saturday 26 March 2011

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 9th 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 5th 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 16th.  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

Saturday 19 March 2011

Minutes March 19, 2011

Minutes March 19, 2011
Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council Board of Directors
CCAP Office, Carnegie Community Centre

Chair: Wendy
Noted: Nathan

Attendance: Ivan, Fraser, Earl, Wendy, Harold, Paul, Richard, Nathan, Ron, Ann.

1)     Chinatown Heights Hearing at City Hall
a.      Ivan provided report on organizing efforts to get people out to City Hall to oppose the Chinatown Re-Zoning.
                                                  i.      Overcame challenges getting more than 100 people to City Hall to speak against condo towers in Chinatown.
                                                ii.      Many bus trips, posters, door knocking occurred to get people out.
                                              iii.      Supporters of towers out in force wearing red shirts. Took up all seats in Chinatown.
                                               iv.      Penny Ballem successfully challenged to provide space for elders and DTESers.
                                                 v.      17 people had a chance to speak. 100 more people on list. Hearing scheduled for April 5th.
b.      Harold described how supporters of towers were using sleazy tactics.
c.      Paul commented that we should write a response to what happened at City Hall.
d.      Ivan said two reports were circulated to all of the City Councillors. Petition delivered to Mayor Gregor Robinson.
e.      Fraser reported that a lot of the red shirt wearing ‘supporters’ did not know what was really going on.
f.        Wendy stated that there needs to be a strong presence on April 5.
g.      Ivan said that we set a very respectful tone. And we should continue to do that.


2)     Letter to Kerry Jang.
a.      Harold explained that the process in responding to a letter complaining of harassment by City Councillor Kerry Jang.
                                                  i.      Copy of letter drafted by Pivot Legal Society letter Scott E. Bernstein.
                                                ii.      Ivan proposed a friendly amendment to letter.



3)     LAPP
a.      Wendy provided update on LAPP process.
                                                  i.      Meetings with BCS and City Manager.
                                                ii.      Letter approved by board over email sent.
                                              iii.      Discussion of how DNC will be represented.
1.      Wendy determined to be the point person to the city through the ongoing planning process. Wendy will be nominated by the Board for ratification at the next General Meeting of the Neighbourhood Council.
2.      Ivan moved motion to recommend to General Membership. Second Fraser.        
                                               iv.      Wendy reiterated that we have to win against the Chinatown Towers.
                                                 v.      Harold stated that he suspects that Vision Council will approve the towers. The LAPP may not be the only means to stop gentrification.
                                               vi.      Ron stated that once we are in negotiations we are going to go all out.


4)     Street Market
a.      $20,000 secured. Job as Street Market Coordinator will be posted. Focus will be fundraising.
b.      Ann described how the market will be organized staff wise, so that it is fair.
c.      Wendy read out job description.
d.      Ivan said that the office should be at the Ginseng Meeting. Ivan also stated that the Anti-Vending By-laws remain the problem.
e.      Harold said that the position will be a challenging one. Questioned how the job will be monitored.
f.        Earl said that their needs to be communication on the tickets and how warrants get issued.
g.      Ann reported that we are hoping for another $20,000.
h.      Earl asked about how the money will be spent. Wendy went over plan including food, and admin costs for VANDU
                                                  i.      MOTION to post Street Market Fundraiser and Coordinator Position as amend. Moved/Second/Carried.
                                                ii.      MOTION to approve hiring committee as Wendy, Paul, Ann, Irene, Marion, Earl and Richard. Moved/Second/Carried
                                              iii.      MOTION to write a public statement announcing the creation of street market is proof that vending is a positive activity and that the Anti-Vending by-law should be abolished. Moved/Second/Carried
                                               iv.      MOTION to support VANDU Street Market Action and endorsement in media release statement. Moved/Second/Carried


5)      GINSENG
a.      Ivan reported that we would be able to have space end of April.

6)     New Board
a.      Discussion of Board Members attendance at meetings.
b.      Harold said that we need to have a talk with those members and gauge their level of interest in the participating on the DNC Board.
c.      Discussion of how to reach out to absentee members.
d.      Ivan stated that our procedure is that if someone misses 3 consecutive board meetings they will be contacted their participation assessed.
e.      Ann will draft a letter.
f.        MOTION that Ann draft a letter to the 6 board members who have been missing Ping, Vanessa, Robert, Ilene, Nicole, Gladys, to clarify their status as board members and request that they contact the board before a specific date, or the board will replace them.Moved/Second/Carried
g.      Ann clarified that we can be accommodating by offering people a leave of absence.
h.      Earl stated that our original intention was to make room for homeless representatives.


7)     Community March Against Racism Announced – March 20st.   
a.      Ivan reported that DNC endorsed march. Email to be sent.


8)     Women’s March Tuesday March 22
a.      Another march scheduled to support women assaulted in shelters. Main and Hastings, 1 PM Hastings.
b.      Ivan moved motion of support.
                                                  i.      MOTION to write a public letter of support for the action of the coalition of women and women’s organization against threats of funding cuts by BC Housing. Moved/Second/Carried

9)     Board Development
a.      Meeting Scheduled for Saturday April 9th.
                                                  i.      MOTION that we have a Board Development day from 11Am to 3PM, Saturday April 9th, with an outside facilitator .

10)  Adjurn: 1:01 PM



Wendy
CCAP/604-839-0379