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
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
