Thursday 31 May 2012

DNC Board Meeting Minutes - May 31, 2012

DNC Board meeting
May 31 2012
Present: Roland, Kelvin, Ivan, Harold, Ann, Dave M, Wendy, Tami, Joe, Ivan, Jenn
Guests: Jacek, Nadine, Joseph (DJ Wreckbeach), Dave D, Danielle
Clean up crew: Ivan, Roland, Tami
Agenda
  1. Opening, constitution and rounds
  2. Clean-up crew
  3. Committee reports
    1. Street market
    2. Shelter committee
    3. Policing
    4. LAPP
    5. DTES Not for Developers Coalition
    6. DT East coalition
    7. Courier scandal
    8. SRO Tenant organizing
    9. Social housing coalition
    10. Musqueam
  1. Committee discussions
  2. Board business
    1. Treasurer
    2. General meeting organizing
DECISIONS
  • To put together a meeting with the publishers of the Courier with DNC, Pivot, VANDU, AFD, PHS, and Atira to ask them to lay off. We will send them the articles that are the problem. If they don't respond to us well we may threaten them with boycotting their reporters and other actions. (Ivan to coordinate)
  • To check in with the family of the man who was shot to death by police downtown and, if they agree, to organize actions for the police officer responsible to be charged and prosecuted. (Jenn to coordinate)
  • To ask the editorial collective of the DT East newspaper to include a section in the paper that features the committees the DNC is running, who is the contact person for the committee, bios on the board members with pictures and focus of work and contact information. It could be a regular column space. (Dave will coordinate bios of board members)
  • To attend the first Social Housing Coalition meeting on June 18 organized by CCAP. Tami and Harold to be DNC reps. (Moved, Ivan. Seconded Wendy. Passed unanimously)
  • For all DNC spending to be tracked and recorded, even when it is in-kind or a direct-donation.
  • Logistics of the DNC general meeting:
      • Co-chairs: Richard and Tami
      • “Where we're at” presentation: Ivan
      • Musqueam discussion: Interactive discussion with short reports on the delegation trip. Kelvin to fill in the gaps.
      • Rest of the agenda to be sorted out by: Tami and Richard and Ivan will meet at 12noon.
      • Food: Dave D and Teresa
      • Space: Ivan to ask for a deal on the space this time because we're short on money
      • Tech: Ivan to ask for use of the projector and maybe sound equipment



COMMITTEE REPORTS
STREET MARKET
Roland
  • We met with the city and they seemed unconcerned with our market
  • We have some paperwork to do and say that if we do it then we will get $10K
SHELTER COMMITTEE
Roland
  • Not much to report
Jacek
  • Met with the First United folks today
POLICING
Jenn
  • The police are calling us to meet about one complaint and we're having Doug King meet with them for us.
LAPP
Wendy
  • We hope that tensions with Alive are getting smoother
  • There are still unresolved problems with the city's removal of Ivan
  • I am working on the LAPP too much, I went to 12 meetings in April. That's a lot
  • The city has put together a plan for now until next July, when they plan for the LAPP to be finished
  • The viaducts take-down plan might come to the LAPP for discussion. That's what we're pushing
  • There are still new proposals coming in. There's a new one for a 15 storey tower at 633 Main
DTES NOT FOR DEVELOPERS COALITION
Dave D
  • We have been doing tabling with information about the upcoming actions against Pantages condos. Tabled this week Tues, Wed, Thurs.
  • On Saturday we have an action in the street outside of the Pantages site, 12-2pm.
  • We are planning an action when the presentation centre opens, whenever that is.
  • There is some interest to organize a bi-weekly picket action in front of gentrifying storefronts. Could be Fridays, coordinated by CCAP, and Wednesdays, coordinated by POW
  • Also we are working on reorganizing the coalition structure to be more sustainable and more representative of the low-income member groups.
DT EAST NEWSPAPER
Dave D
  • The new issue came out this week.
  • One of the things we talked about at the board development meeting is that we want a closer relationship between the DNC board and the paper. So if you have something to contribute then please send your ideas along.
Harold
  • We have a functioning editorial collective that meets Fridays, so send your suggestions to us before that
COURIER
Ivan
  • I was asked to speak to lawyers and figure out a strategy of responding to the attack-articles in the Courier
  • I met with Doug King from Pivot today and came up with a proposal:
  • MOTION: To put together a meeting with the publishers of the Courier with DNC, Pivot, VANDU, AFD, PHS, and Atira to ask them to lay off. We will send them the articles that are the problem. If they don't respond to us well we may threaten them with boycotting their reporters and other actions.
SRO TENANT ORGANIZING
Ivan
  • I met with the Renters Union last night and asked them to partner with DNC to work on organizing tenants in SROs. They agreed.
  • Will have another meeting to work out details and bring other DNC board members too.
SOCIAL HOUING COALITION
Ivan
  • CCAP is organizing a social housing coalition to put social housing on the agenda before the provincial election.
  • The three demands are: Social housing program, rent controls, and real estate speculation and investment controls.
  • The slogans will be around stopping displacement and defending social housing as a right and a social responsibility.
MUSQUEAM
Ivan
  • Remember we're going to the Musqueam protest site Friday morning, 9am meeting at CCAP
COMMITTEE DICUSSIONS
POLICING
DECISION: To check in with the family of the man who was shot to death by police downtown and, if they agree, to organize actions for the police officer responsible to be charged and prosecuted.
DT EAST
Wendy
  • I think we should have a section in the paper that features the committees we are running, who is the contact person for the committee, bios on the board members with pictures and focus of work and contact information. It could be a regular column space.
Dave
  • I was assigned to put together board member bio information a few months ago but it didn't pan out.
  • I am willing to try again.
COURIER
Ivan
  • Motion (From above)
  • Passed unanimously
SOCIAL HOUSING COALITION
Harold
  • I like the idea and it's timely, but we should be clear about what DNC's role would be in this coalition and I think we need a more rigorous report-back mechanism than we have for other groups like RTR
Ann
  • People I talk to complain about the social housing they live in because they have no rights, and are treated like patients and clients not tenants
Joseph DJ Wreck Beach
  • I live in the PHS side of Woodwards and they come and do room checks every night. And if you're not there they just come in. They broke into my room and got hit in the head with something and now I'm supposed to clean up or they'll kick me out.
Richard
  • In my building they're threatening to throw me out for having my nieces and nephews visit
Nadine
  • The DT East should have an article about the problem with Woodward's.
MOTION: To attend the first Social Housing Coalition meeting on June 18. Tami and Harold to be DNC reps. (Moved, Ivan. Seconded Wendy. Passed unanimously)
TREASURER REPORT
Roland
  • Recommendation for hidden DNC spending to be tracked and recorded.
  • If there's any spending done for the DNC then we should record it along with our spending.
  • We should record this so that the board has control over our spending and the work of the organization.
  • It is also important so that we understand our budget and can use an accurate read of our spending to apply for money.
Tami
  • I applied for money from SF Pirg and we're waiting for a response
  • I worked with Roland because we need to have a presentation
GENERAL MEETING
Tami
  • This Saturday at the Dodson Hall, after the action at Pantages, we will have a general meeting
Wendy
  • We need some people to do calling for the general meeting
  • Money is a problem right?
Ivan
  • I will contact them and ask for a break on money
  • I will also ask him for access to the projector system
  • I will put together a video to show, others should send ideas
LOGISTICS:
Co-chairs: Richard and Tami
“Where we're at” presentation: Ivan
Musqueam discussion: Interactive discussion with short reports on the delegation trip. Kelvin to fill in the gaps.
Rest of the agenda to be sorted out by: Tami and Richard and Ivan will meet at 12noon.
Food: Dave D and Teresa
(closing, 7:40pm)


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