2019-03-20 Toronto Workers Co-op: All-Hands Meeting

from template

Calendar | GitHub | GDrive

Time: 5:00-6:00 pm EDT Location: https://meet.jit.si/offline Attending:

• patcon
• udit
• yurko
• elon
• dc
• benhylau

[TOC]

Agenda

• Quick Working Group Updates (10 mins)
  • Business Planning
  • Finance
  • Governance
    • https://loomio.cryptography.dog/d/cPnZpext/articles-of-incorporation-submission
  • Infra & Ops
• Previous Action Items
  • https://github.com/cryptographydog/december-retreat/blob/master/2019-03-13-all-hands-meeting.md
    • benhylau: Schedule CoopDevs call (without recording)
    • pat + udit: To fill business plan sheet
    • dcwalk: set up calendar to weekly meetings
    • dcwalk: ask garry to vote on loomio name (by email, all can see and chime in ;))
• Name next steps
  • https://hackmd.io/PU9T21lLT0a88haz94lnSw?view
• Business Feasibility Study next steps

Notes

• note-taker: patcon
• Quick Working Group Updates:
  • bizdev (patcon)
    • all done except patcon’s last section
    • #todo book time together
  • finance (ben)
    • ben’s been swamped and not able to visit credit unions
    • #todo yurko review thread and do 2 visits
  • governance (dcwalk)
    • made intention to set up calls, but no motion
    • dcwalk started some tracking threads
      • #todo propose polling process for incorporators
      • submission process and starting to draft (more below)
    • patcon: found “Feel Train” agreement
      • provoked good convos
      • #todo talk below
      • #todo schedule governance cowork
  • ops (yurko)
    • mostly no update
    • yurko: accounting software
      • dcwalk: talk on techcoop mailing list (quickbooks, self-hosted, etc.)
    • dcwalk: flag that we’re starting to talk “protocols”
      • related loomio thread
      • protocol / organizational processes
        • e.g. call transparency (patcon)
        • “how to bring forward a proposal to the co-op”

Misc

• ben: what is the transparency of our convos?
  • techsupport.coop joined our loomio. not sure.
  • patcon: queue for later?
• ben will be away from March 29 to end-May (available online but in-person stuff won’t happen, opposite tz in May)

Naming Next Steps

• Pre-NUANs search
  • free version search. official will cost money.
  • “hypha” = taken in Toronto
  • a bit unclear of whether/how we can move forward if conflict
    • #todo ask someone
  • conflicts explained, but unclear
  • ben: distinctive component could be “worker cooperative”
  • distinctiveness component != legal mark, eg. “inc”
  • unsure if “cooperative” is part of mark #todo
• NUANS report officiale
  • $50 per search
  • if looks good, 90 days to submit the Articles of Incorporation
• Incorporation process ~$400 total (incrementally in steps)
  • #todo buy domain if we initiate ($120/year .coop, requires incorp)
  • ben: talk about larger costs now? dcwalk: suggests working out over 3mo.
    • udit: suggests we just think of it as loan to future company. all: agree.
  • dcwalk: temp check. $1050 float split $150 by 7 ppl, with some affordance for financial capacities. 7/7 ok.
    • #todo let’s track. all agreed. spreadsheet. notepad? spreadsheet, wave accounting
    • yurko/ben: might be worth using accounting for bank integration.
    • #todo start investigating accounting software
• #todo submit paid NUAN search
  • yurko
  • #todo start spreadsheet
• #todo buy non-coop domain soon
• Business Planning next steps
• Document Policies

Incorporation Fund Agreement

• Establish fund of $1050 that each member contributes to equally (with the understanding that if individuals are unable to we are willing to accomodate)
• We will track money prior to anything being collected (intially spread)
• Amounts will be repaid contingent on whenever the account balance reaches $2000 with no pending transactions
• Consent on the crowdfund (Consensed):
  • ben
  • udit
  • garry
  • yurko
  • patcon
  • dawn
  • elon

Name and Incorporation Process

1. Get the money: send to one person electronically (Yurko)
2. Domain search (and register): not .coop domain now (Yurko!)
3. Nuans search: perform Nuans search with “Hypha”

Domain Searching Shortlist

hypha

future goals: .coop pc dc bl uv

buying: .systems dc pc el yj .codes dc yj pc el .club dc yj uv bl

long list: .earth pc gi uv .zone dc yj .garden gi .eco => hypha.eco pc .xyz gi .horse bl .es => hypha.es .cc .one .social .estate => hypha.estate .gg .digital .exchange .camp .land .plus .community .to

Upcoming Discussions

• Infrastructure: Password Manager + Emergency Backchannel
• Transition of Infrastructure
• Decision on non-profit status
• Transparency of conversations, tools
• Finances: Software + Banking
• Review feasibility report / business plan
• Articles of Incorporation

Actionable Items

• Schedule a business plan WG call
• Schedule governance co-work session
  • patcon: present options to dc
  • dc: lock in: SAT 11am-2pm
  • patcon: share to calendar
  • announce/invite
• Make spreadsheet in gdrive
  • patcon: First pass: spreadsheet
  • dc: spreadsheet-guru second pass (i got no skillz!)
• yurko: Share etransfer contact info: chat link
• all: submit money and record amount on spreadsheet
  • Ledger established to reflect bank account. Includes copies of receipts spreadsheet
• ???: Investigate financial softwares (e.g., intuit quickbooks wave, other options?): loomio thread
• yurko: book credit union visits
• yurko: paid NUANS search
• yurko: order phone number: 437-887-6936

_{Edit this page}