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boardmeetingagenda:2016-08-18

Milwaukee Makerspace Board of Directors Meeting - August 18, 2016

Held at the Milwaukee Makerspace craft lab

Attendees

Present
  • Lance Lamont
  • Carl Stevens
  • Adrian Volden
  • Keith McMillan
  • DL Swanson
  • Dan Jonke
Absent
  • Harvey Matyas
Guests
  • Larry
  • Vishal
  • Ed
  • Tom Gr
  • Brant
  • Linda
  • Pete
  • Kathy
  • Steffanie

Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 by Lance Lamont.

Review and approval of the Minutes of the previous meeting

The meeting minutes from the previous meeting were approved.

Reports of Boards and Standing Committees

Treasurers Report

  • Net outflow for July, due to the Tormach purchase, was ($10,331.98). Excluding the Tormach purchase we made roughly $109, and also does not include Larry's contribution towards the purchase of the Tormach, which posted in August.
  • We added 3 members in August
  • YTD cash flow, including the building purchase and the Tormach is ($5,884)
  • Current assets minus reserve and committed is $16,000

Space Equipment Inventory

  • Previous status
    • DL has barcode software, Harvey has offered to help inventory
    • Harvey has started inventory
    • Board discussed and decided that anything that needs checkout would be included in the inventory - Harvey to revise email to the area champions
  • Inventories from areas coming in, DL has been working with the procedure
  • Larry volunteered to take pictures if needed, DL to communicate that to the area champions

New Equipment/Donations

  • New donations from previous Kuka owner
    • Previous status
      • Adrian has been in contact with Gerry
      • Gerry will donate the Kuka pendant, but only if we accept the donations he wants to make
    • Additional donations now at the space and being ingested
    • Adrian needs to send tax forms to Gerry
    • Items are in the East room, and we need to clear the items - Adrian coordinating, and it will be ready to be cleared on space improvement day

Building Maintenance/Issues

  • Dumpster Pad needs repair
    • Dumpster moved to south end of parking lot
    • Quotes received from two companies to repave the lot
      • Pablocki Paving
        • Concrete $27,000
        • Asphalt $19,500
      • Purpose Asphalt
        • Asphalt $19,000
    • The board discussed whether we needed to repave, and whether it needed to be done this year. It would eat into reserves, and would prevent any other expenditures.
    • Adrian suggested budgeting monies to repave next year. This met with general agreement.
    • This will be added to the member survey
  • Welding wall and power drops
    • Last Status
      • Keith will create a design and share with the board for a recognition plaque for Tri-Star Recycling who contributed the metal studs
      • Power drops installed for welding and machine shop
      • Wall is pending input from Marc
    • Wall is up
    • Sign/plaque prototype circulated

Reports of Special (Select) Committees

Space Projects Update

4x8 CNC Plasma Cutter

  • Current target for completion is End of August
  • Previous status
    • Steve has been busy but will return to working on this
  • Current ETA for completion is October
  • The board discussed that the project has gone on for a very long time, and the tolerance for additional extensions is thin. All members of the board present voted unanimously to require completion of the CNC plasma cutter by November 17. If the plasma cutter is not complete, and two members trained to use it, it must be removed by the end of November.

Kuka

  • Previous status
    • Previous owner wants the pendant, and possibly a board from the cabinet back if we dispose of the Kuka.
    • Jake is using the Kuka until August for his project
    • Jake is paying $10/month for the space.
    • Vishal has adequate space for his Maker Faire project, and it's nearing completion too
  • Adrian spoke with Jake, and he intends to move the Kuka this weekend. There will be a few days of filming, then the Kuka would return, but none of the rest of the material he has been keeping for filming. He may need it for a few days for Makerfaire.
  • When the Kuka returns from Makerfaire it will be sold or disposed of

Wood shop dust collection

  • Previous status
    • Steve Pilon is working on a plan and will be sending it to the board
    • Quote 1: $3,715 before tax/freight
    • Quote 2: $3,550 before tax/freight
    • See email from Steve P to BOD with revised numbers.
    • Lance will add a question to the membership in the member survey to authorize the spending on the dust collection system
  • Brant created a dust particle counter and will be monitoring particulate levels
  • Brant has a revised proposal that would cost $500
  • The board discussed the three proposals and asked Brant to proceed with his plan, Lance to send an email to Steve

Unfinished Business

Property tax exemption

  • Previous Status
    • Tom trying to get ahold of the CPA and then will follow up with the lawyer
  • Stephanie has agreed to help us, but we have missed the window for this year. Tom and Stephanie will work on this later in the year for next year. - Keep on agenda and nag Tom (per Tom)

Utility rates

  • Previous Status
    • Ongoing sales tax exemption secured
    • Lance to pursue getting past sales tax back from State of WI
  • No update

New camera system

  • Previous Status
    • All cable drops in place EXCEPT
      • One to the craft lab
      • One to outside Door 1
    • Network cables need jacks and punchdown in the cable closet
    • One new camera installed (CNC room)
  • Larry requests that a camera be pointed at the Tormach
  • This will be a priority item for space improvement day

911 service at the 'space

  • Previous status
    • 911 phone is now mounted at the front desk
    • Adrian has brought in more of the boxes for mounting phones during space improvement day
    • Still a space improvement project
    • Bag full of cell phones is in the wiring closet
    • Carl to follow up with the police on whether the phones can be registered to the space
  • New phone mounted by the utility room door
  • Adrian working on mounting others

Willy's Boat

  • Previous status
    • The board will continue to request updates and monitor the progress
    • Lance spoke with Willy and he believes he is two months behind
  • Project continues to be live

Changes to space rental policy w.r.t. late payments

  • Previous status
    • DL has a report that shows “vacant” storage spaces
    • Dan will write up a draft of the new policy
  • Wiki up to date with new policy, Dan will warn people of the new policy if they are late twice

Member Survey

  • Previous status
    • Lance will coordinate a new member survey
  • Keith will work with Lance on the member survey

Signs & Awnings Outside

  • Previous status
    • Tom has proposed some awnings
    • Tom and Carl to work on the application to the city including a drawing
    • Tom and Carl to add this to the member survey since the cost is close to $1000.

Improvements to Entryways & Meeting area

  • Previous status
    • Couch to be painted
    • Carl to propose further changes
  • Carl presented a design for the lounge/lobby to the board. Attendees had questions and suggestions on the proposed idea.
  • Larry has a cousin who has wood he's willing to donate to the space for the project
  • Carl will continue this as an individual project, or if he feels he needs more authorization or to request funds.

Bylaw Revisions

  • Previous status
    • Bylaws revisions under discussion - vote scheduled to start 7/26
    • Adrian will follow up with Vishal on the voting system
  • Voting concluded 8/16 midnight - all amendments approved
  • Board discussed Scott Swanson's observation that the bylaws indicated the first, second and third at large candidates were elected. Keith reviewed the ballot from when the Secretary position was made a named position. The proposed language was correct in that ballot, but was not transcribed into the bylaws correctly. Keith will update the typographic/transcription error.
  • Sections 4.1 and 4.2 contain an additional error regarding annual elections for positions, and will be formally amended with the next round of bylaws changes.

Craft Lab II: Trade Craft!

  • Previous status
    • The board discussed possibly making a larger area comprised of some of the smaller current areas.
    • Powerwheels is actively using the area
    • Lance has pointed out that Powerwheels is overspilling their area regularly, and the board needs to help police this a bit
    • Board to look at this again in September/October
  • Powerwheels continues to encroach on other areas, although it has been better

End of Year Filings

  • Tom has been unable to get a hold of the CPA
  • Dan and Tom to work on filling in the forms, Adrian to help if required
  • We are late in filing our forms, and Dan is addressing this

Long-term Budgeting

  • Previous Status
    • Adrian suggested we should be setting aside a budget for large building expenditures
    • Board discussed how to operationally do this, agreed we need to determine what costs to forecast
  • No update

Maker Faire

  • Last Status
    • Adrian to send out an email to the membership asking if someone would champion an open house at the space on Saturday of Maker Faire
    • Adrian to send out a survey to determine if we are going to fund Maker Faire, and at what level
    • Board discussed Pete Prodoehl's request for space - there is some room available he can use - Adrian to follow up with Pete
    • Lance has asked Amy if she would host an after-party and she is tentatively interested
  • Discuss Partnership
    • What do we want this partner ship to look like in terms of space given for projects and money?
    • Pete and Kathy present to talk about how things worked in past years
    • Best way to move forward with short time frame
  • A lively discussion ensued on the level of support MMS would give to Maker Faire
  • The board agreed to have a question on supporting Maker Faire 2017 on the annual survey
  • The board 5-1 to approve the position of area champion for maker faire (Keith voted no)
  • All the board members present voted unanimously to approve 4 stipends for other Maker Spaces at $250/per to reimburse actual travel expenses to send a representative to Maker Faire
  • Additional stipends can be made by individual donation by members

Member Free Storage Space

  • Previous Status
    • DL labeled empty spaces
    • Board discussed the shortage of storage spaces
      • Some space in the vault hallway has been freed up
      • Some space in the East room seems to be inefficiently used
      • Tom Gr to follow up with Rudy on racking that may be available
      • The board voted to authorize Tom spending up to $250 on pallet racking or shelving
  • Pallet racking donated by Tri-Star - awaiting installation
  • DL expects to have all the space inventory wrapped up in the next few weeks

Vault Activity (or lack thereof)

  • Lance mentions that some vaults don't seem to have any activity, and there seems to be very low turnover. Perhaps we should find a way to inquire if they are being used.
  • Last Status
    • The board agreed Lance should put notes under the door of the vaults and ask for “are you using this vault”?

Calendars / Class Signups / Events

  • Calendars are a challenge, only board members can update the GCal, the groups aren't well suited to signing up for classes, not everyone has access to update the Wiki (or the knowledge about how to do so)
    • DL mentions Wild Apricot might work for events for this
  • Keith will look in to this
  • Dan says the next version of Wild Apricot may very well have some help for us

New Business

  • Website redesign proposal. Carl to show mockup.
    • Carl to continue with his new design ideas and put up a parallel version next to our current site for further feedback.
  • Weapons and Firearms at the 'space - do we need clarification on what is acceptable?
    • Result of discussion: nope
    • A FAQ should be put out to clarify that it is illegal to manufacture firearms at the space.
  • Approve Tom Klein for machine shop area primary champion after Adrian's resignation
    • Board members present unanimously approved
    • Board members present unanimously provisionally approved Bill and Larry as secondary subject to Tom
  • Approve Steffanie Maher for ceramics area champion
  • Board voted to approve up to $750 for Tom to buy new ceiling fans

Good of the Space

Announcements

Close

The meeting was adjourned at 9:28

boardmeetingagenda/2016-08-18.txt · Last modified: 2016/08/22 13:02 by keithm