DNC Board Meeting Minutes - March 22, 2012

DNC Board Meeting Minutes

Thursday March 22nd, 2012

Chair: Herb

Clean-up: Roland, Harold

Meeting Minutes: Jada

Attendance: Ivan, Herb, Roland, Dave D., Kelvin, Paul, Wendy, Jada, John, Elroy, Tami, Louie, Harold, Dave M., Jamie

Announcements

Paul

• Resigns position as Co-President as of May 15th, 2012

1) Welcome & Intros

Kelvin

• Opening

Herb & Co.

• Introductions

Paul

• Let’s build on the momentum of the Sahota’s getting $115k fine for their property in Surrey
• The Balmoral, which he owns, is worth $6.5 million

Tami

• Reads Constitution

Herb

• Reviews the agenda
• Moved by Jada, second by Kelvin, motion carries.

2) LAPP Committee & Stopping Development

Wendy

• Stage to figure out if LAPP will be a useful tool to slow or stop gentrification
• Day by day assessment, not looking good
• City drafted an Interim Rezoning Policy, we edited it, we fundamentally disagreed so it was confusing
• Skipped a week of meetings
• 3 hours before next LAPP Committee a 37 page report, with an Appendix A Interim Rezoning Policy, including work plan, had another section on development controls and two problematic recommendations, they said they based this on our workshops
• First big problem: they want to define social housing in Oppenheimer District, staff are suggesting that half of the 20% social housing will be at welfare rates, so only 10% of social housing will be at welfare rates
• The other thing: Retail gentrification, suggestion that doesn’t do anything

Herb

• When the LAPP Committee was set up, we didn’t decide how we’re going to decide things
• A couple of meetings just spinning our wheels
• We didn’t have that decision making process setup
• Certain people in the room were trying to gum things up

Wendy

• The day before there was the first sub-committee that was up with Herb, Ivan, Harold and Tami
• Two key things were (i) we get to vote; (ii) we could have caucuses in the middle of the meeting, you can call that, in the middle of the meetings
• Tami called one in the last meeting, it was brilliant, we kicked city staff out of the room, we included the BIA’s and reps and others, and took over the meeting
• Our decision was to adjourn the meeting without talking to city
• People were discouraged, not treated as partners, they snuck in the bombs in with the low-income community
• As soon as the City left, people started talking
• You could feel the electricity with the room was fueled, good participation
• Ivan’s facilitation was better than the City’s facilitation
• Clarify four points about the process

Ivan

• Co-Chairs tasked with the process and partnership problems
• Highlight the main points in the Citys’ report, what are the things that need to come out of it
• Co-Chairs will draft something, we need to talk about that here
• Meeting on Monday just committee members with no members from the City
• Presentation to Council in response to City’s response

Herb

• Scott wasn’t there, really helped

Paul

• I think this could be another setup
• We met without the city, and some of the BIA’s are going along with it, you have to understand the citys’ philosophy, they are probably having private meetings
• In the end when you deliver the report you’re going to get a different response from the BIA’s
• The Terms of Reference is almost a legal document
• Consensus was always supposed to be the first point of order
• City would be a liaison, not to help us form these terms of reference
• In the event a consensus could not be reached, then the majority would write/decision with records of the other opinions
• I would come back to that point, you are not honouring what you said
• Maybe they have side deals even with the low-income groups, such as threatened to get their funding cut

Wendy

• City’s report goes to Council this Tuesday

Harold

• Useful test, we need to mobilize that at the Town Hall Meeting tomorrow
• We’re trying to come up with our own process for decision making, we strive for consensus
• At this point there are a few positive things happening in the Committee, but we’ll have to see

Tami

• Sometimes I have that feeling that the City is not that bad
• I hope I maintain that kind of belief
• They have a pretty intense agenda, we’re a hell of a task

Kelvin

• Been on the LAPP Committee with AFD
• Watching it since last year, putting it together, it’s a binding contract
• This is what you signed
• I noticed a big energy change, the energy switched up when the city left
• Need to bring this back to the table, you guys signed this document out of good faith with the city, need to present it to them again, we make decisions for our community, together

Ivan

• What we’re looking at for a strategy for Monday night, Ray drafted a report for the Co-Chairs position, Wendy and Jean and I have been trying to figure this out
• I re-wrote this, but Wendy is trying to convince me otherwise
• If we let Ray do it, might be able to get more of the middle people on our side
• Criticism of the policy points, so we understand what the problems are
• Committee needs to agree on 3 things to do, then we might have a chance on getting Council pushing this back a bit
• Not have the city bully it
• City receive the work plan only for information
• Defines social housing 10% less than what it is currently (uses Pantages project at what social housing is)
• Ray will present those points
• Having 3 sections of how the report will go forward, consensus points, and then majority points
• Take out policy 6 out of the Interim Rezoning Policy – I think we can get the policy taken out
• Then there are the minority positions, where we can submit our criticisms
• 508 condo units that are currently proposed for rezonings, they will all be able to go through under this Interim Rezoning Policy
• Citys’ lawyers said that the City can’t stop the applications once they’ve been received, we’ve double-checked that, so it could be illegal, we have to fight one by one
• They could destroy SRO in order to save the heritage of a building
• Worse is that they will continue to accept rezoning applications in Victory Square and Chinatown
• Victory Square plan is a recent plan and passed, I think it was between 2000 and 2003, or 2005, before Chinatown, preliminary to Woodwards
• 10 years too late on that one
• Should we fight on point one

Wendy

• We’re negotiating, compromising, totally a different approach, we’re use to fighting and letting Council know about our opinion

Paul

• They are violating their own policies

Ivan

• As each one comes up, have to fight them one by one

3) Committee Reports

a) Downtown Eastside Not for Developers Coalition

Dave D.

• We’re focusing on Pantages
• The first project to come into the DEOD under all the zoning bylaws, without rezonings, and be approved
• This is going to set a precedent, we’re going to have to close the gate, how are we going to do that?
• Raise a voice that rattles city hall, let them know about the massive social impact on the community, make it political, not just technical
• Get people to sign letters, groups to endorse through letters to city hall, have a couple of press conferences, rally/declaration meeting and get a variety of groups, go to city hall and tell them that we’re opposed to this, if all else fails then we’ll go to the development permit hearing – we need to figure out how to strategize that, going there to speak is useless so we’ll have to try something different
• We have to create a buzz of opposition to sequel 138 and focus it on city hall and city council, so we can politicize this and talk about the social impacts, show a deep and wide community solidary of resistance

Paul

• We have to organize so much
• They are not even respecting their own policies
• Legal issues

Dave D.

• Work on getting positions, particularly from SROs on the 100 block
• Any suggestions? Take letters to street market, and take them to meetings
• Has to be relentless message we have to get out

Tami

• Inspiring
• We need mainstream media
• It would be cool to have another pancake thing, it was pretty successful last fall, do everything in one day, petition-letter-pancakes-media all in one thing to kick-start against the pantages

Paul

• If you put the petitions outside the building, you might get more signatures
• Now is the time, especially when it comes to the buildings owned by the Sahota’s, slumlords

b) Policing

John

• Cameras for CNN, in less than a minute there was a cop in front of me trying to intimidate me
• He saw me on the monitors, he realized he said something he shouldn’t say anything

Ivan

• It needs to be in a public place so we can advertise it

Herb

• What about the Native Community Centre

Jamie

• Police cancelled meeting with the policing committee

c) Shelter

John

• Client advisory committee, trying to figure out what to do with this
• First United had a meeting yesterday to decide what to do with the new information that just came out, it’s BC Housing that wants to close the shelter
• We helped create a residents committee

Wendy

• What groups endorsed your guys’ statements, what are you going to do with it?

John

• Sent to BC Housing, present it to yesterday’s meeting to the rest of the board about how the residents feel about First United
• AFD, DNC, Jen’s Kitchen, no women’s centre – they do not support it

Roland

• We contacted Harsha and Alice, describing what we were doing, understanding sensitivity etc
• They wrote back saying they are not opposed, they don’t want anyone made homeless, but they will not support it (without saying why)

Herb

• They are abstaining

Ivan

• I know Roland and Yasek did a lot of work trying to communicate with the women’s centre, most of their efforts were frustrated
• Abstaining…not surprise, and I don’t think that should let us stop us from moving forward
• We wouldn’t support any service that was safe for some and not others
• There are ways that policies have changed there
• Residents are being organized
• We need to challenge male violence in the neighbourhood, it doesn’t happen just at First United
• Angela McDougall may be open to organizing this with more capacity, it would be a great step forward

Roland

• Appreciate that statement
• Playing with structure of residents council
• Have a women’s only council and men ‘s only council, changes the dynamics

Paul

• We should focus on the violence
• Men have most power in shelters, but can’t ignore the fact that violence goes both ways
• 95% of our fights in the bar is the women, not the men
• A lot of men are going to tell you that these girls will fight
• It goes both ways, I’m not downplaying this

Ivan

• No reason to bring up this debate right now

Wendy

• Make it a separate agenda item at another time

Kelvin

• There are sisterwatch that you can approach, our administrator from AFD is on that board
• There are other agencies there right now working on behalf of the safety of women
• It goes both ways so we need to balance it

Ivan

• I find it extremely offensive
• Down playing violence of women

d) Treasurer

Roland

• Handed out cards
• We have $1100 in the bank

Louie

• Missing receipts?

Roland

• Missing two cheques
• Did locate one, but one is still missing, should we void it? It was in November, they won’t cache it after 6 months. We’ll take a chance.
• Possibly a motion in the past, to give something to Jacobs Well

e) Feed the Roots

Herb

• Can I fill a spot since I’m not going to Kenya?

Ivan

• Yes

f) DT East

Ivan

• I would like the board to be involved, the DNC, in the planning of the issues
• There will be an issue out in a week
• The Friday after, there will be an editorial board to do planning for the next issue
• We can make an outline to add/exclude, another step of involvement

Jada

• The Board should all contribute to the paper at some point or another, like writing something every now and then, maybe a few members partner up together to write something together

Paul

• I’m going to write something

4) Board Business

a) General Meeting

Ivan

• In two weeks
• We need to make decisions on how to govern our meeting
• Might not be able to do this right now
• We should talk about this later
• I don’t think we should talk about housing and gentrification again
• AFD just tried to have a discussion on patriarchy
• Maybe not use that word, too jargen-ee, but talking about it, and partner with AFD would be a good idea

John

• Maybe do something about shelters
• So many people in shelters, it’s a huge population
• There is a lot of things surrounding gentrification, like losing First United, then after that, we could prepare for that

Roland

• We could do that theme this meeting, or wait for another meeting

Louie

• AFD is actually doing a program on patriarchy, fixed program, going to be funded
• You guys can come, join and learn
• Tuesday 2-4pm

Wendy

• Get a higher-up police person come up, and policing committee can ask him questions in front of members, some kind of presentation and questions

Paul

• Maybe theme could be police and propaganda
• And here the stories from our members, document them in our meeting
• Confront the police with some of these stories

John

• No high-ranking police official would come to a DNC meeting
• Carnegie, maybe, but highly doubt they would show up to a general meeting

Herb

• Thank everyone for the ideas, we should table these ideas and our next meeting we’ll pick an idea

Harold

• A number of ideas can be chosen
• I think that there should be some sort of work or collective collaboration so there can be a presentation or something
• I’m not opposed to do something about patriarchy
• But we need to be prepared, as long as the work can be done, focused report
• We need to have a collective response from the police committee too

Herb

• We have 3 ideas
• Patriarchy idea, policing idea, shelter theme

Wendy

• Lets not do the policing one, the main people aren’t here

Tami

• The more immediate one would be shelters

Paul

• I think that there should be the policing one
• It’s so apparent right now, they are more around than ever
• People want to tell their stories
• An open forum, a fest where people can vest, people can record this, gathering information, let people talk
• Sometimes people don’t want our technical stuff, they just want to talk

John

• In the middle we had the break-out groups
• Maybe have 2 separate agendas for the meeting, half for the shelters half for the policing

Herb

• Policing committee?
• Table that one
• Patriarchy: 4 in total, 1 against
• Shelter: 3 in total

Ivan

• We can put it off for a week
• Partner with AFD, we could even help them by introducing it to our members
• We’re always dealing with material things like housing etc., but issues that don’t affect men and white men that don’t get dealt with like patriarchy, we don’t discuss this nearly enough

Jamie

• I don’t like the characterization of white men

Tami

• 5 years working on a pardon
• Jacked it up to 10 years before considering pardon, use to be subsidized, use to be $50 now over $600
• Example of the rolling out of C-10

Harold

• Help with clear proposal about patriarchy, I’m not opposed to it but I wouldn’t want to do it without being prepared

Herb

• Table it.

b) Board Development

Ivan

• Just about 3 months since we had that meeting
• Conflicted about working on the LAPP, intense committee work that people are responsible for coordinating etc., we discussed skill sharing of board members etc.  All those people’s energy goes into the LAPP, and undermines the board
• DNC deserves to revisit our capacity
• Suggest that we book a board development meeting on a Saturday as soon as possible
• Put some attention into our organization or else we’ll fall apart

Wendy

• We’re a solid group of people
• The LAPP process is a skill-sharing exercise that we’re a part of

Roland

• Late Saturday?

Tami

• We had 2 keys for this space a long time ago, we’re missing one
• I purchased a replacement for this key, and Ivan is the holder

Harold

• We can decide what we want in April
• Not sure when, we don’t need to approve a date
• Approve in principle?

Paul

• April 14th, the first Saturday after our general meeting

Tami

• Tentatively the 14th, 2pm.

5) New Business

a) Banners in “Strathcona”

Wendy

• DNC wrote a letter to Strathcona BIA, complaining
• They want to label all of Oppenheimer as Strathcona
• They responded to us, they made a compromise already and we should have acknowledged that and they aren’t going to hold off on the banners because they are already in production
• They don’t think that the banners are ugly
• We should just let it go, I think we should wait until next time they roll out with other banners
• We registered that we are part of the banners debate, and next time we’ll be a player

Roland

• We should put up posters or banners in Strathcona saying it’s DTES with Vandu’s cross

John

• Take down banners, put in a box, send it back to them, until they get the message

b) Documentary

Ivan

• Presented at Japanese Festival thing, they have an advocacy board
• Presented about LAPP and development stuff, went well, they were supportive of our position
• There was a gentlemen there, Greg, is a documentary film maker, pitched an idea, and he’s got funding
• 3 year long documentary about displacement in the dtes, motivation is his family was displaced, he is sympathetic towards people who are facing displacement
• He’s done 2 in the past: The Spirit of Japantown, and Surviving the Cracks
• He wants it to be a fairly neutral presentation, but his sympathy to the low-income community
• He wants to be a fly on the wall, at the meetings etc, for 3 years
• He’s offering to document our work and our struggle
• Meet with BIA’s and see all sides
• Asked if we can edit his video, he said no, made me feel suspicious
• I suggested that he present to our board because it’s a serious thing, access for 3 years, requires our trust, and what controls we would have, he should present to our general meeting and let them to make a decision
• Motion to invite him to our board meeting, and then decide to invite him to our general meeting and let our membership decide

Kelvin

• Ask for a timeline, from his perspective, expectations of the first year?
• 3 years is a long time
• Beneficial to us as a board to have a timeline

Harold

• Happy to have him come here
• Might give us some idea
• But to fully accept, I’d like to have a clear understanding of his approach to the subject matter
• Proposal, and some sort of memorandum of understanding

Wendy

• It could be exciting if he does a good job
• He’d pick up on little things

Ivan

• It’s an opportunity

Paul

• Motion to invite Greg to present to our board, moved by Paul, second by Harold.
• 2 against. Motion carries.

c) 121 Main Response

Jada

• Brian Shegotomi, architect, presented to us last board meeting about the proposal of 121 Main Street, site A for market housing and site B for social housing
• He sent me the pdf of the schematics, tried forwarding it but bounced back at 4MB to the board
• We need to discuss and write a letter in response to him.

Ivan

• Will prepare a draft.

Herb

• Table it.

d) Methadone Taskforce

Ivan

• Support someone in the community to take a seat, strategize
• We just get one seat

Paul

• Support that idea

Ivan

• Donald McDonald be the rep, he lives in the London

Harold

• Support him, it would be useful if he communicates with the board so we know what’s going on

Ivan

• Moves the motion, Paul seconds.
• Motion carries.
• The taskforce, looks like they will fund Vandu for a Methodone Patient Oversight Committee, semi-regular meeting with patients at Vandu

e) SRO Taskforce

Ivan

• Because of Wonder rooms
• April 18th
• DNC can put forward people for seats, and an SRO tenant seat
• Draft Terms of Reference
• So much work to get on this
• Take up space would be the better thing to do
• Suggest that Ivan take the seat for CAP, a couple of people from DNC

Paul

• The Sahota’s, someone has to say what’s going on there

Ivan

• Interested: Jada (gentrified SRO), Louie, Paul, Herb, Tami,
• Vandu might send an SRO resident

Wendy

• Have one person that could follow all the goboly good and speed typing and one heavy-duty social knowledge and experience
• Ivan should take a DNC seat, and Wendy and Jean take CAP seat
• We can talk about it another time

Ivan

• We have the time to table this
• 2 seats for DNC, and 2 seats for SRO tenants for at-large people, we can take up space for that
• Budget of $4500, and timeline of 2 months
• What’s it going to accomplish?

Herb

• If we just want to take on space, I suggest not Ivan because of what he has on his plate

Jada

• Ivan has so much experience and knowledge on SRO, with research etc.

Herb

• With respect to metiorarchircy, should be someone not Ivan

Wendy

• We need to have the technical and the knowledge

Herb

• Table, move on.

Roland

• Rejected proposal of SRO tenant organizer
• April 17th council meeting, coming up fast – idea to do something

Ivan

• They are not putting any resources into this stuff

6) Closing

Done.