This past month, we argued like all get-out about “Art” and art shows, rent going up (inflation?), and Dingo’s feelings. It’s worth a read if you’re looking for some bed-time material.

June 4, 2008
Management Meeting

Harv W.
Steve I.
Dave M.
Mike
Natasha K.
Winona W.
Jon R.
Dingo
Martin C.
Veronica
J. Harv
Chicken Leather
Daniel G.
Jacob
Arthur (arrived a little late)
Becky

(1) Park Tool Buy
(2) Financial Report
(3) Atomic Cycle Bike Give-Away - any parts we need?
(4) Volunteer Recruitment
(5) Art Shows - keep them or not
(6) Longer Weekend Hours/Two Shifts
(7) Moving to a Bigger Space
(8) Rent Increase
(9) Upcoming Events - L.A. River Ride, Other Shit, June Art Show
(10) Dingo’s Feelings

(1) Park Tools Buy
- $1200 to $1500 we’re going to spend (as of right now) - is there a limit to money we want to spend? Nah, we’re going to get what we need.
-Chain Scrubber - buy one -OKAY
-Rebuild Kit - buy four kits instead of two -OKAY
-Crown Cutting Tool - there are two crown sizes, and we often have small cups to fit on crown races; it costs $275; Harv says we run into this at least once a week; brings total buy at $1600 - OKAY
-Shipping added in, we’re talking under $2000
We’re cool with this, and everyone agrees to buy this shit with shop money.

Personal Tool Stuff: about five or six people are on the hook for the cost; Cost of tools plus Shipping, paid in advance by individuals; - OKAY

A separate order:
-Spoke Cutting Tool (not Park) - costs $ - $100

(2) Finances
Harv gave breif rundown of our finances

(3) Atomic Cycle Bike Give-Away - any parts we need?
- 27″ rear wheels
- Low end bottom bracket parts
- 12″ wheels for Dave M.

(4) Volunteer Recruitment

Dave M. - He has been posting volunteer needs online. His experience has been: it is chaotic and intimidating, no direction. It would be good to have a plan, or a person who deals with this stuff on a given night to introduce people. not a big complicated thing.

Dave made an application - the purpose of which is to convey that we’re more serious; Someone follows up on each application, asks person to come down on a volunteer night;
Josef - make a night during the week to handle new folks;
Martin - We have contact info, maybe we can “assign” a more involved volunteer here to hang with them;
Dave M. - Have a designated person each night to deal with new folks
Dingo - arrange a time for someone to meet with a new person and show ‘em the ropes;
Martin - a “orientation crew”
Winona - people here do not need to be coddled into helping out;
Mike - I worked on my bike here twice, and last week I showed up on volunteer night, and now I’m here tonight; I think it is better to meet people as I have done to get a feel for the place;
Jon - We need a night to get familiar with the shop for people; Our Volunteer days are better for introducing volunteers to the shop;
Veronica - Dingo, we had to close down Monday because we don’t have the better trained mechanics to run the shop;
Winona - Monday and Wednesday is a better night to introduce people to the place; Front desk person can intro someone;
Josef - okay, we’re circling around the solution:
- Invite them to Monday and Wednesday nights
- Have a one-sheet intro sheet for people who want to help and get them to fill out an application; Application goes to Dave M. or Arthur S.
- Arrange for volunteer to actually come in and help out; If they can’t make it on Wednesday or Monday
Dingo - I will hold a once-a-month orientation for volunteers

Develop a One Page Intro Sheet - Dave M. -
Volunteer Application Exists
Setup an appointment if they can’t make it here - Martin is willing is willing to be the point person to hang out

Chicken Leather - Name tags - on tape, or aprons for “crew”; take 6 aprons, use them for crew, spray paint a logo; - Chicken Leather and Winona on it - OKAY

Orientation - Harv objects to orientation ….

(5) Art Shows - keep them or not
Chicken Leather - without art, we’re monkeys with … it is part of the community, it is part of telling people that we’re part of a larger place where anyone can come in and do something; Art is vital, without it we’re boring as fuck.
Jacob - artists are the least productive members of society;
Veronica - we need to make the whole thing more strict - setup is only on Friday, one person is in charge of the show and the artists. Their setup is the source of the conflict.
Winona - strict stipulation has to be they cannot come in on Saturday.
Jon R. - you had 24 hours to get in and setup, and that is it. A day to do it. For the last show, they sat around doing jack shit and occupying the space without setting stuff up. We’re giving them a practically free space, we need maybe something for them to sign.
Winona - Saturday morning is not going to work.
Dingo - Don’t let it hang around so long.
Natasha - I like the art there.
Harv - The issue is “We need the space”;
J. Harv - shorten the span of the show to two weeks;
Steve - Nobody else does something like this. in the long run it gives us a whole different profile, and we are part of a community.

Proposal: Stop art night.
Daniel G. - run it for one or two nights, or have an opening and closing reception;

Proposal: They have the Friday before the show and shop time is off limits, they have a time limit. We accommodate the artists on that day. OKAY
Proposal: Develop a short policy for setting up art shows, and agreement - Josef OKAY
Proposal: Reduce the wall space for the show to where the couch is; OKAY
Jacob - If we reduce it to that much, it is not worth coming to.
Daniel G. - If I were to set this up, do it when no one is here.
Steve - Let the books go away. Open up the other wall. Put up a truing stand where the couch is
Proposal: How long should the show run? Two weeks (or less). Two week max. OKAY

(6) Longer Weekend Hours/Two Shifts?
Winona - I’m not sure about when to to extend hours. It reduces the obligation on people who want to help out.
Harv - we already have extended our hours until 6 p.m.
Proposal: Keep the same posted hours, but be willing to stay open until 6 p.m.
Proposal: Spread the word to volunteers that we need the from 3 to 6 p.m.
Jon: Keys and who should lock up - should we have more keys to more people?
Steve I.: It is impractical to have onlly 5 sets of keys.
J. Harv: We need to have an alternate for opening and closing.
Proposal: Have the people with keys get together and decide who gets a set. OKAY

(7) Moving to a Bigger Space
Harv: projecting our requirements, we have already out grown this place.
Jacob: We should cap the growth.
Chicken: I concur with Harv. We should try and move into the MTA space.
J. Harv: MTA space is really up in the air and it could take a long time to develop into a reality.
Steve: The MTA space thing has rules thsat
Proposals: Walking distance to train station.
Move is contingent on a for real business license.
Jacob is willing to be the person named on the lease

(8) Rent Increase
Our rent is going up
We’re cool with the increase

(9) Upcoming Events - L.A. River Ride, Other Shit, June Art Show
Steve Itano: we’re going to staff a check point to fix bikes talk to Steve if you’re interested

(10) Dingo’s Feelings
Dingo is feeling great.