DNC Board Meeting Minutes - March 8, 2012

DNC Board Meeting

Thursday March 8th, 2012

Chair: Paul

Meeting Minutes: Jada

Present: Ivan, Herb, Dave H., Joe, Kelvin, Dave D., Paul, Ann, John, Roland, Jada, Richard, Elroy, DJ, Dave M., Louie, Jamie, Ben

Paul

• We didn’t schedule a meeting today or we didn’t realize that we had a meeting, there is not an agenda for today’s meeting
• We’ll play it by ear and talk about the most important

Homelessness Committee Report:

Roland

• Background on what we want to pass, a bit stronger
• Meeting with BC Housing, discussed our resolution about reducing low-barrier shelter beds
• Answer was tough-luck
• His explanation was “it’s out of my hands because the church doesn’t want to stay open”
• Then talked to First United, they were quite upset that BC Housing would characterize it that way

John

• Talked about policies and procedures
• Because of management change and change of the rules, they would have to re-write all of the policies and procedures
• He talked to his superiors

Roland

• Meeting with the residents of the shelter
• Keeping track of reduction beds
• Permanent Residents Council is both necessary and welcome
• Organize with Vandu’s help
• Hopefully that is a strong reason why to preserve this
• Brought a resolution, passed by Vandu’s board today: continuation of support shelter services passed the July deadline, continue funding as long as the service is required by the community
• Moved by Roland, second by CJ.

Joe

• People feel safer in the shelter than they do in their hotels

Motion carries unanimously.

General Meeting Report:

• Ivan talked about what he’s heard about the meeting
• Cross-talking, people not paying attention
• We should try not to have honorariums for a few months
• For months it was close to 50% of women, but now the number of women attending our meetings are reduced
• The complaints that I was receiving was from women, they were frustrated because they were unable to hear or pay attention
• Structural things we can do, like food first, get people to face each other, and not if there is a front and back of the room

Ann

• I don’t think we can blame stipends
• Seating is crucial, especially with people who are cross-talking
• People need to see each other
• There are some seating arrangements that I can share
• We want to marginalize the stipends so not everyone is taking them
• We need better planned meetings

Richard

• When it came to facilitating it, Herb was left by himself
• That girl was disruptive
• James just starts at the beginning, people get worked up
• I don’t think stipends is the issue
• Meeting conduct

Jada

• Likes Richard’s idea about meeting conduct, we should share this with the membership at the beginning of the meeting
• Also, the one very disruptive women, it was her first time at our meeting, and she obviously had some mental health issues, and our members didn’t have the best way to respond to her and neither did we as board members
• We weren’t prepared to address these situations. We need to become better facilitators

DJ

• I don’t think the meeting was that great, it’s getting way out of control
• We do need the payouts
• But there was one women who collected her stipend when she left the meeting and came back
• Not fair for everyone else

Dave H.

• We need to have someone at the door throughout the entire meeting

Ivan

• Stipends were an experiment
• We the board have the power to withdraw it, not the membership

Roland

• Board members could be at key spots at the meeting, act as ushers, quiet down the room

John

• Good idea
• If you leave for more than 5 minutes, you don’t get your stipend

Ben

• Speaker of the House in the middle of the pack
• Maybe have a recess

Ivan

• I blame the honorariums
• It’s an unmanageable size of a crowd, it’s too packed
• We can’t have a democratic discussion when some people are there just for the stipend
• Someone is highlighting our posters on the $3 stipends, it could be a drug dealer who wants to profit off of people attending the meetings
• A couple of meetings without stipends, break the pattern
• We are unfunded organization, we need to be able to have good discussions at these meetings
• Stipends are a good thing, but it’s now silencing people who are there to participate in a democratic discussion

Paul

• There were a couple of people sent to our meetings to be instigators
• We chose the chair, that was Herb
• I shadowed Paul
• Tami started taking over, and I sat back and watched and said I will be there as backup
• It was Herb’s first time, and Tami didn’t do anything
• The meeting got out of hand
• This is the worse meeting I had ever been to
• I think we include stipends next month, announce that the next couple of months afterwards that we won’t have stipends. They need warning
• Everyone has the right to speak, it worked that we allowed her to speak
• Resolution that our monthly general meeting be chaired by 1 person and that person has a backup, and every month it alternates between a man and a women
• Seconds by Richard

Ivan

• It’s too exhaustion to chair by themselves, there should be two
• There needs to be more planning
• People who come and chair haven’t been showing up to pre-meeting meetings

4 in favor, 8 against. Motion defeated, stay with two chairs per monthly meeting.

Ivan

• Motions 2 chairs, one man and one woman, and decide at the board meeting before the general meeting and they need to meet before the meeting with the general meeting coordinators
• Second by Richard
• 3 abstentions, motion carries

Ivan

• Motions to inform the membership at the next general meeting that the next 2 general meetings we’re going to try it without stipends.
• We should discuss this again at the next board meeting
• Straw Poll: 11:1

Ben

• What you’re saying is a good idea
• Shouldn’t say that we’ll bring it back after two months

Paul

• We’re going to stop doing stipends, and see what the response is like

Treasurer’s Report

Roland

• Opening a new bank account, need 2 more things
• Copy of ID’s from Tami and Harold
• If we don’t get ID’s, then everyone has to get together at the same time, this way the signers can go whenever by themselves

Dave H.

• International Day Against Police Brutality
• Jen is organizing this
• Vandu has been asked to come and have some speakers
• Maybe around 5-7pm or 6-8pm
• It’s on a Thursday, March 15th, during our meeting
• Maybe we should have one less meeting a month it should be second week of the month

DJ

• Maybe we should have a debrief after the meeting
• Feel better after leaving the GM meetings

Jamie

• I agree, we should do a debriefing after the meeting while it’s fresh in our minds

Dave H.

• If we know anyone who wants to share something at the meeting, they need to ask to have it on the agenda

Wendy

• What is the discussion?

Tami

• I agree about the debrief
• We all seem to disappear after our meeting

Kelvin

• A debrief is important, we walk out of their with crap on our shoulders and exhausted
• I feel bad for us as the board
• We have members close to suicide, we need to debrief

Paul

• Some of the board members usually show up early, it’s a long day
• I feel like I have to winde-down afterwards
• Emotions go high, people get frustrated, there needs to be a cooling-off period
• We need to be a little more organized
• Mistakes happen, especially with chaos like that
• It’s a lesson for the future and be prepared ahead of time

Wendy

• Converge at Ann’s place to debrief and have food
• She’s ready to entertain us
• Can we ask Ann if she will keep her door open?

Tami

• Motion that DNC Board has a half hour debrief after every general meeting
• Second by Jamie

Wendy

• Shouldn’t be mandatory, sometimes I have to go
• Be aware of the need

Tami

• Board members spend atleast a half an hour after every general meeting
• 2 abstentions, 3 favour, 5 against, motion defeated

Wendy

• We should aim for it

LAPP Report

Wendy

• Herb and I didn’t have a chance to talk about it
• Haven’t been sleeping well
• Started writing a report, just going to float some things by
• Initial thoughts about where we’re at
• So far 2 Committee Meetings and 2 Workshops
• The City isn’t following the Terms of Reference
• City staff isn’t helping us write the rezoning policy
• I’m not sharp, feel like they are doing circles around us
• We had two really long workshops regarding what we wanted in the interim rezoning policy
• They came back with a proposal that didn’t reflect anything we said
• They only want minor edits, not substantial edits, just word smithing
• I said we need a motion to get the City to go back and re-draft this, I didn’t want this motion to come up in March because they aren’t taking substantial edits
• I wanted the City to come up with ways that they can stop current and future development
• And we wanted time to feel-out some developers before the city and we decide what this interim rezoning policy would be, and to report back to our groups
• We had a vote, and we lost the vote, they are already using this against me
• We have to be very careful about what happens in these meetings
• It’s not the biggest problem
• Jean says its probably good it goes fast, because it could be much worst in a month
• I think we’re in trouble, we condoned our process, where we were just advisors
• The City should have helped us write the policy, a document, and would have been radical
• They shouldn’t tamper with the actual words that the committee comes up with
• Confusing bad process
• The City gave us a memo about all the condo development, 687 condo units that they can’t stop
• Now we’re stuck with the 687 condo units, some don’t even need a Council approvement
• The Interim Rezoning Policy is really weak, there is no-hold on developers who want to build condos with the existing zoning regulations
• Probably get ratified by Council at the end of March
• The City probably has a shadow-LAPP committee
• Kiera says that this group is easier to work with than us
• It’s Wendy’s fault that they won’t come to the LAPP
• When we met with Penny, she told us that there would not be any other processes or committees happening
• Liz the facilitator was silencing Wendy
• At one point, one committee member said that the DTES is violent, it hung in the room
• If I am for the existing community then I’m for the violence and the pickton murders
• I can understand where it’s coming from
• The City is really policing us
• We need to have a discussion about what the violent statistics are
• It is a stereotype, we hear it from the media and the city and it’s hurtful and oppressive
• They have the momentum and we’ve lost the momentum

Herb

• To add on
• People are trying to single-out Wendy for having our own political agenda
• Everybody else has their own agenda
• Scott – it felt like his words were very scriptive

Paul

• When we signed that agreement Wendy, on the Terms of Reference and Principles and Practices
• We need to hold them accountable
• Everybody has the right to be heard
• If they are setting up a shadow-thing, they are not encouraging them to come to the table
• We do need further research on other examples of Interim Rezoning Policies
• From my research, these other examples wouldn’t work for us
• The DNC and BCS are still technically the co-chairs

Wendy

• That is undermind

Paul

• The DNC and BCS are co-chairs of the LAPP Committee, not the City. They have a liaison
• Tell Tom to step away and not act as a Co-Chair
• Wendy needs to exercise that control
• Penny and Tom dominated the meeting
• Their big words, especially Tom, just talks and talks, saying the same thing 50 times over
• We have the majority on the committee but it seems that Karen O’Shawn has got some of the social agencies on the other side
• The City can at anytime put a moratorium on zoning, they don’t have the political will or guts to do it
• We need to take it to the streets
• Motion – We get some sort of strong interim rezoning policy and some sort of moratorium on development.  If not, then we’re not being a part of it. Take it to city hall, embarrass the Mayor.

Tami

• Motion from Ivan
• Few things to say first
• Feeling angry like Scott Clark, I don’t buy for a second about colonization complaint
• He uses his indigenous badge, he lies, he’s offensive
• We’re not being forceful enough about the Terms of Reference
• Asking for our advice is bullshit, I’m going to say it at the next meetings

Paul

• Instruct the LAPP to either get an answer from the City that 1 month they get back to us on the interim rezoning and a moratorium on any further market development in our community, and if we don’t’ get a proper response then we withdraw from the committee
• Second by Richard

Wendy

• It’s premature
• There is a lot more talking to do
• It’s good to see how people are feeling about it
• Not the right time to make the decision about it

Dave H.

• Wendy the language is good
• We need to be careful about the timing
• There is no reason to sit at the table if it’s not working for us

Herb

• At this point, we the DNC just threatening to leave isn’t a threat, it’s a relief
• We have to figure out who our allies are

Harold

• If we’re going to leave, we need to do it in a way that is effective and is supported
• I don’t think we’re ready yet
• But if it keeps going badly, maybe we need a clear-cut incident where people can rally behind it

Kelvin

• These meetings are exhausting
• Our history is our history, but to throw it out in the 21st century, he’s going too far back
• I was putting in second place to speak to Scott
• Being disrespected, destroying first nations across the board
• The policy that was put together by the people – I hear the motion on the floor, we need to support Wendy on her decision, stay or nay, we’re going to support your decision to say enough is enough
• They have hurt us pretty badly

Paul

• We’ve seen our low-income people co-opted
• We appointed or selected some of those members, maybe we should have looked a little closer
• There was some dirty work that happened behind the scenes
• How long does this go on? March…April? Still negotiating, still negotiating…

Wendy

• We can try another vote next time

Roland

• If they were all like that last meeting, I would have shot myself
• Tom was the expert to draining the energy out of the room and killing people’s spirit
• Penny and Tom seemed like they were chairing the entire thing
• It was awful

Wendy

• The Committee doesn’t understand the functioning because we’ve been pushed into the interim rezoning policy workshops
• The list is growing
• Go back to Terms of Reference, we’re responsible for chairing the meeting
• Can we do a LAPP while condos are unfolding at the rate that they are?
• Is it even realistic?
• We need to get our heads together
• I trust Jean – we might have to fight all the way through it
• It’s a strategy question

Paul

• Back to Paul’s motion….
• 1 in favor, 7 against, 5 abstentions. Motion defeated.

Tami

• Ivan’s motion
• For the DNC LAPP bulletin to be posted on the power dynamics on the committee and to advocate for the vision and….low-income community…published on LAPP website…and some printed as posters and handouts to hand around……promote the information as it unfolds at each meeting
• Second by Dave Hamm

Harold

• It’s the right approach
• Build support for it

Tami

• We strategize
• Motion carries unanimously.

Dave H.

• Apologize to Wendy, it was a straw vote
• I saw Jean too, consider others allies around me, putting heads together
• I always have my hand up, people don’t like that
• Spoke immediately to the Pantages issues, one of the most contentious and imminenatly detrimental, and needs to be looked at immediately, and it will be a dealbreaker for Vandu
• Got direction that I should be supportive of Wendy

Wendy

• What I thought, we were so strong, until Scott called it a violent neighbourhood, and the dynamics shifted, we were silenced, and it didn’t get processed
• Penny – she’s the real dominant character in the room
• It’s hard to stand up to her
• Preaching to us to be civil to us
• It was unfair

Paul

• Comment on the Terms of Reference and Principles and Processes it, questions it

Wendy

• Don’t need to apologize to me, we are oppressed in those meetings, even Scott is oppressed
• I was upset that we got bamboozled

Dave H.

• The idea that Jean, I seen where she was coming from
• Some people felt so let down
• They put a lot of time and effort into it
• I took it to Vandu, they sort of went along that I can make decisions on the spot for them but have been directly to support our allies
• No matter what, support Wendy, trust Wendy

Tami

• They are civil servants and I pay for their wages and they work for me
• We need to remind each other of this fact – that’s in our Terms of Reference
• We’re a partner and not an advisor

Jamie

• I didn’t recognize one person at the West Cordova condo for people who are applying for those 8 units, you have to live and work here
• Next to the Bourbon
• It’s Portland, Vancity etc.

Kelvin

• Motion to adjourn
• Elroy seconds
• Motion carries unanimously.

Closing.