september-13-2009-collectivecouncil

Agenda¶

• BikeBike Summary
• 501c3 Update
• Subcommittee Updates
• lease update
• preliminary discussion exploring idea of volunteer youth EAB mentorship. (? if people are interested ? OR setting a date & time for the next programming committee meeting where we can decide on a proposal for altering Free Ride’s programming to be more youth friendly.)
• G20 climate camp – free ride presence? (a sort of sustainability fair is being organized…free ride could have a table or workshop or something)
• For-Profit Policy
  • Proposal from Adam Wolfson (See attached)
• Where did the “old heads” go?

Sub Committee Report Backs¶

Programming¶

• Positive spin, looking for instructors (2 Tuesdays/month for 6 months)
• MBRP:
  • Good high profile events
  • Worked on fix for sales to offset costs
  • May get interns year round (possibility)
  • Would work better in the future if the program was spread out over more weeks
  • People don’t actually thing their bicycle is broken!
  • Can get good ideas from the program run by “Community Cycles”
    • Look into doing site-specific publicity each week
• Extend drop-in classes?
  • Have classes some other night?
  • Look at class attendance stats to help make decision?
• Classes (Drop-in)
  • Always have had at least one person, sometimes they fill completely => Large range of attendance
  • Many people have been volunteering for the class fee
  • 7:30 class seems to have more attendance
• There is interest in looking into long-term relationship with the Women’s shelter

Finance Committee¶

• Plan to meet with Kitty and discuss a report on all finances
• Rachel feels good with the treasurer role. Amazing job so far!

Communications¶

• Rolled out a new tag system
• New forms (Fix for sale, library bike)
• Bulletin board w/ photos and other improvements
  • Esp. done EAB
• Old forms?
  • Remove antiquated forms: cross them out and turn them into scrap paper
  • Can departed EAB/etc. forms be recycled once basic #’s are recorded?
• Computer
  • G-tech to share Internet
    • Will is going to contact them
  • Call consolidated about commercial DSL?
    • Rachel is on that
• Voice mail pwd has been recovered and is going to be shared w/ the group

Lease¶

• Shannon is willing to work w/ us & is going to take a look over it (along w/ our comments and suggestions) after the big pour
• Send edited comments to CJ
  • Will is going to do this

501c3¶

• Duq. is working on it, interesting process
• $600-$1000 local state and federal legal fees for filing
  • Council is OK with proposals

G20 Topics¶

• Medic training:
  • Suggest that Free Ride is not the best place, but as a last resort it may be used. Outdoor training can not take place in the parking lot and should instead be done at nearby Westinghouse Park.
• Sustainability Fair
  • Sep 20-25, some interest in Free Ride presence. Interested people will coordinate
• Bike build: OK w/ staff to bottom-line building and taking of Huffy bikes

Library Bikes¶

• May want variable priced deposits to reflect bike quality
• Cheap bikes can be made into library bikes for $20.00 deposit if they are safe
  • Council agrees
• Store cash in the pink envelope. Use the ad hoc system for now.
• Consider putting “Property of Free Ride” onto library bikes, not necessary howver

Old Heads¶

• Note: This conversation was hard to follow so I just jotted down a few points**

• We recognize that good people are now gone
• Tons of open questions
  • Why are people not back from the 2008-2009 winter?
  • Engage PGH people to get back involved?
    • Surveys
    • Invite people to anonymously comment & give feedback
  • What else do people think

• Winter stuff
  • Retreat for the winter?
  • Reflect on FR overall focus?
  • Programming during winter? Opein in the winter?

For Profit¶

Wolfpack¶

• What’s the social benefit?
  • How does this help Africa?
  • Will people in Ghana benefit?
• More details on the bike resale?
• We may want to instill a max profit margin
  • What is his expected profit margin?
• What is Adam’s connection to Ghana?
• Who are the entrepreneurs and mechanics?
• Is the tax stuff legit?
• Ask for concrete information about where the bikes go/end up
  • Advise him to keep track of the first batch of free bikes so that he can better answer this question for future bikes
  • Let us know how Free Ride has affected the local community
• Promised some bike before the policy
  • See policy for future bikes/parts

Proposals¶

• Bike purchase: Anyone can use volunteer hours to buy a bicycle or frame on the spot if they use hours that have already been logged.
  • Passed
• Pay legal filing fees for the 501c3 status?
  • Yes
• For profit policy as worded in Caroline’s most recent revision?
  • Pass

Actions¶

Programming Committee¶

• Proposal for next meeting on extending drop-in classes
• How many youth students during the summer?

Communications¶

• Get more stickers
• Get photos to Rachel for the Bulletin Board
• Pursue Internet options
• Send out voice-mail info

Lease¶

• Send lease w/ edited comments to CJ

Communications¶

• Need to get more stickers
• Make a new screen
  • Morgan volunteered for this action
• Reminder: take photos of people with EAB projects

For Profit¶

• Post the policy on the web & wherever appropriate
• Let Adam know he can get the few bikes we set aside & that the new policy is in place for any further collaboration he may have with Free Ride