General Assembly Meeting Minutes - 12/14/2011

 

12/14/2011

 

 

 

 

 

Facilitator: Kongo

 

Stack: Jess R

 

Minutes: Jane

 

Rollcall: 20ish

 

 

 

• For warm fuzzies, went around the room and each person introduced themselves

• Reviewed rules and hand symbols

 

 

 

General Announcements:

 

 

 

• Dan – a few of us looked at the building down the road. Could fit 200-300 people. There are 8 office cubicles and a small kitchenette. Wants $3,500 mo. Is for sale. We told him we’d be looking at under $2,000. Owner willing to work with us. He didn’t say no to having it during caucus time. It is across from the Quik Trip that is near camp. There are 2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens.

• Steve – went to South Central Labor Council meeting tonight. They are very supportive. President of the union put in a great plug for us. Good step to building a bridge with the union.

• John – we are going to move the kitchen and dining tents tomorrow (switch them). We will put down a floor and put in a door. Tomorrow should have dining in the tent next to the GA tent. Come help if you can.

• Jess – Fri at 7:30pm President of Veterans for Peace speaking at CCI headquarters. Good to have folks come to camp and offer rides to the event. Spoke to press person from Iowa City and reiterated we are not associated with Anonymous.

 

 

 

Break for committee meetings

 

 

 

Committee Reports:

 

 

 

Dan – This Saturday please don’t park in the Drapery business parking lot. This Saturday, they need the lot.

 

Jess – Sat 11:30 come to Obama’s headquarters. Latinos in Action will be there at 2:30. From 4-7 will be a statewide meeting of Occupy Iowa. Location is TBD. FYI – Java Joes doesn’t want to hold our meetings any longer.

 

Denis – we are working on another location/coffee house.

 

Dan – at 7pm on Sat we will have games at camp.

 

Jess – 4-7pm on Sat meeting of organizers of all Occupy Iowa groups. 7pm on Sat will have cultural activities night. Will have music and poetry slam at camp.

 

Dan – we will do a BBQ here too. Potluck. Bring kids. Make new signs. Fun things.

 

Steve – We are having an “Ask an Occupier” forum at Trinity Methodist church at 8^th and College at 11:15ish this Sunday. Non violence civil disobedience training from 4-7pm at CCI headquarters, 2001 Forest.

 

Jess – let’s give campers rides.

 

 

 

Jess – do you have the debt card yet?

 

John – No. Finance committee met without me. Don’t know what to say. Feel Ed and Rod don’t want me to have the card.

 

Denis – way process works when something is brought to GA and voted on, that is what we do and committees are beholding to GA.

 

 

 

Tabled Proposals:

 

 

 

Kongo – tabled proposal to change to 4 GAs week. Tues/Thurs at camp and 2 offsite on Sat and Sun. Includes that transportation needs to be provided for campers to offsite.

 

Jess – understand there is conflict on this issue and feel compromise is needed. Agree with some off site meetings. But need more GAs than 4 to get things done. But recognize this is my job and what I do.

 

Rob – I like coming to GA and like having them everyday so can be here when I can be here.

 

John – Realize compromise needed. I’m opposed to weekend GAs offsite – warmer during the day then at night. If warm, like that people see us here. Prefer offsite GA during the week because the nights are colder. I’m willing to lose 1 GA week.

 

Kongo – agree with John. I don’t think 4 is enough. Need 5 or 6 and prefer 7. When we have less GAs we draw less people to the movement. People come to GA to see what movement is about. Helps the movement.

 

Dan – with the caucus coming up, there is lots of committee work. Maybe cut down by 1 GA/week. Agree keep ones here on weekend at camp. People are burning out with 7 day GAs and they don’t want to miss out on things.

 

Steve – a lot will happen in the next weeks. I like a break from GAs on Wed. People are available on weekend so if hold offsite, get more participation. Pretty sure they won’t come everyday but give them an opportunity to participate.

 

Kaylynn – want to point out we don’t have a space yet for indoor GA

 

Denis – we are working on this. Sounds like there may be a union hall we can use 1x week. Also working on Smokey Row and might be able to use the room there. To have GA 7 days a week is leading to burnout. People at GAs and committees too. People need time to do committee work. Burning people out. People don’t want to miss important decisions. Offsite and days of week are negotiable.

 

Tyler – need alternate location. Like to reduce GA by 2 days. Maybe Wed and Fri. 4 is too few.

 

Face – if burned out, check facebook for tabled proposals so people can decide if they need to come or not. If people are here, let’s have GAs.

 

Tyler – Takes about 90 min for GA that could be used for committee work.

 

Pat – is this a seasonal suggestion until after caucuses or for the winter? What are folks thoughts?

 

John – it is much warmer at 2 pm then 6 pm. If passionate about issue, check facebook as option.

 

Steve – Think good idea to say this is for now through March. We will be busy in primary season. To get people involved, offsite is important. The weekend ones offsite would do the most good.

 

Denis – Rob, Ant and others have pointed out that not everyone is on Facebook. So not a way for everyone to know what is happening. If vote something in now, doesn’t mean we can’t change later; it is not carved in stone.

 

Face – Having less GAs to bring people out doesn’t make sense to me.

 

Dan – We need to put the movement before ourselves. We want to invite others.

 

Denis – agree with Dan. Some due to medical conditions can’t be in the cold. Some are deciding just to participate in committees vs. GAs.

 

Jane – what about one meeting offsite on the weekend and one during the week to start with as a way to find consensus.

 

John – will location bounce around? Feel we need a consistent meeting location. When find location, we can see what happens and reassess.

 

Jess – there are occupations that have moved inside. In IA city went from 7 attending to 90 attending. I like meeting at camp. But for the movement’s sake, need to look at options.

 

Kongo – I have a compromised immune system and other health issues and I’m out here. Realize might be easier for me than others. I’m putting my life at risk and I could be inside. I choose to be here.

 

Tyler – Camp is important. Not all outside feel that way. We need new people. Think we need to move inside a couple times a week.

 

Pat – I appreciate Kongo. At last GA I couldn’t concentrate as was so cold. So inside is good. Important to have a stable schedule thru March.

 

Ant – How does this sound? Sun, Mon, Tue – Indoors; Thu, Fri, Sat – at Camp.

 

John – discussion was 2 offsite meetings – why now 3 being suggested?

 

Jess – important to keep the schedule simple

 

 

 

Dan – hearing as the revised suggestion:

 

 

 

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – GA at Camp

 

Saturday & Sunday – GA indoors at location away from camp

 

No GAs on Wed

 

Effective Dates: Dec 25^th – March 31

 

Transportation to be provided to campers for off site GAs

 

 

 

Kongo – Consensus? Appears we just have one twinkle down.

 

 

 

Face – feel meetings should be at camp. Aware of people that won’t donate if not at camp.

 

 

 

? - we need to come to a compromise but we have to also have consensus.

 

 

 

Face – I’m not blocking the proposal.

 

 

 

Kongo – ok motion has passed.

 

 

 

Kongo – Tabled proposal for internet here. Person is willing to have us use their WIFI if we pay the bill. No contract. Initial cost is $120 for wireless router unless someone can donate.

 

 

 

? I can probably donate a router. Let’s get together after to discuss what is needed.

 

 

 

Kongo – the non contract monthly rate is $49.something, i.e. less than $50/mo.

 

Jane – what about data charges?

 

Kongo – it is a flat rate. No data charges. The last bill we were paying like $10 per gig from Verizon.

 

Kongo – do we have consensus.

 

 

 

Motion passed.

 

 

 

New proposals:

 

 

 

Steve – Propose: for week of caucus, suspend GAs from Tues, 12/27 thru Jan 3^rd.

 

Dan – Rod brought this up that we buy a flag pole/flag for the park and ask the city to buy a plaque that we were here.

 

? - Cost?

 

Dan – unknown at this point

 

Tyler – for flags to be out at night, it must be lighted

 

 

 

Open Stack:

 

 

 

Ant – if see negative impact of GAs offsite, I will make a proposal to bring back in. But no problem to try now.

 

 

 

Kongo – Proposal on next GA to have Rod and Ed here re: not giving debit card to John. Giving John the card was passed at GA.

 

 

 

Steve – we need Rod or Ed to be here sometime this week to address. Agree not a proposal.

 

 

 

Kongo – need to address next time Ed or Rod are here.

 

 

 

Dan – if issue comes up with someone kicked out of camp, what legal recourse do we have?

 

Kongo – all we can do is say they can’t be in our structures.

 

Dan – people can be asked to leave after 11pm. We would need to call the police.

 

Kongo – Issue has been brought before GA and he is back.

 

 

 

Meeting adjourned.