9/28/09 Meeting Minutes

CHUM Meeting Minutes --- 9/28/09

1. NASCO Institute
o National student co-op conference in Ann Arbor, MI, November 6-8.
o Our goal is for at least 2 of our CHUM members (Rachael & Josef) to attend in order to learn more about starting the co-ops.
o Cost = $290 per person if registered by Oct 5th (yikes)…actual cost is not due until the day of the conference.
o In order to fundraise the money, we will:
a. Have a CHUM party at Joe & Dave’s house (more below)
b. Ask the Food Co-op for a small donation (JOE)
c. Look into collapsing SGA organizations that have travel $ in their budget… usurp their moo-la (JOE)
d. Call Jim Jones to try to get a discount (RACHAEL)
o Party Fundraiser
o Either Oct 16 or 17 (JOE, DAVE…WHICH ONE?)
o At Joe/Dave’s house… 4902 Cherokee St (N on Rt 1)
o Buy 1-2 $50 kegs
o Charge $5 per person
o Promote like whoa

2. SGA Budget for Spring 2010
o DUE: Fri Oct 2
o Strategy: ask for as much money as possible
o Reality: they’ll offer you less than what you ask for, then you go petition for why you should get more money
o Josef’s writing a draft, then sending to Natalia to take to our SGA representative
o Potential things to include in our budget:
a. $ for security deposit
b. $ for rent while house is unoccupied
c. $ for fundraiser
d. $ for workshops  cooperative ownership, consensus building, coexistence, non-violent communication, etc
e. $ for advertising
f. $ for conferences
g. $ for lawyer
h. $ for legal fees (if we have to change the zoning on any property it’s going to cost money!)

3. Incorporation
o Incorporation form was signed by the core group: Deirdre, Natalia, Tanya, Josef, David, and Rachael
o The mailing address is the Food Co-operative… Joe will ensure that we get our mail when it goes around in the circle at their meetings
o Deirdre will send in the incorporation form ASAP
o Deirdre will put up the cost for incorporation ($25?)… next meeting we will each contribute to the incorporation cost

4. City of College Park Live & Work in College Park Application
o Application is for a grant from the City of College park for $35,000 toward a down payment on a house in College Park that has been foreclosed upon and that is being purchased by first-time home buyers
o Tentatively, we have not found a suitable property to purchase for ownership, especially not a foreclosed upon house
o Application on-hold until/unless we find a viable property

5. University Blvd House
o The property is currently zoned as commercial property.
o It would take 2 years, $5,000 in legal fees, and a valid argument that the area’s demographic has “changed” in order to change the zoning
o House is out of the running for above reasons

6. College Perk Coffeehouse property
o College Perk is currently up for rent as a “commercial/restaurant property”
o This could be an ideal property for our cooperative since it already has credibility in terms of location and is a nice size house
o We need the phone number for the realtor to ask the following questions:
a. How is the house zoned?
b. Is housing still an option for the house?
c. Who’s the owner?
d. What’s the cost per month? (rent)
e. What’s the status of the houses in the back that are also part of the property?
f. What’s the hopeful move-in date for the property?
g. Was the house foreclosed upon?
h. Would it be possible to set up a rent-to-own deal?

7. Grants
o Pepsi grant is due Oct 16th.
a. We can request money for basically any event on campus.
b. We can use this money to help fund a fundraiser, to generate money for start-up costs.
c. Josef and/or Tanya will work on this
o Tanya found 4 grants: two for non-profits dedicated to helping with low income housing opportunity, and two for first time home-buyers.
a. What are the due dates for the first time home-buyers?
b. We are not a non-profit corporation yet, although that is our eventual goal. We first must incorporate before applying for non-profit status

8. SECU Bank Account
o We need to open a credit union bank account in order to begin establishing ourselves as a business
o Rachael will open this account ASAP

9. SGA Act for money
o Natalia is working on the SGA Act, applying for up to $15,000 for our efforts
o We will need to outline exactly what the funds would go to
o This is not an immediate need… can work on in the Spring


10. Treasurer
o We REALLY need a treasurer and/or someone who has experience creating budgets, business plans, etc.

11. Outreach
o Expanding our core group by 3-5 people would be ideal
o Start by bringing your friends who you know are interested to the next meeting
a. **You have all been made officers on our facebook group. I updated the group to be titled CHUM, Inc. You can INVITE YOUR INTERESTED FRIENDS TO JOIN OUR GROUP!
o Create fliers targeted at business-minded people (RACH)
o Create fliers targeting freshmen (RACH)
o Rachael will bring her old fliers to next week’s meeting

THIS WEEK’S ACTION ITEMS:

Josef: request funds from food co-op for NASCO institute, look for collapsing SGA org funds, draft SGA budget & send to Natalia

Tanya: Get Pepsi grant info from Joe

Natalia: Get SGA budget from Joe & work on it with SGA rep

Deidre: Mail in incorporation forms, let everyone know how much money we owe you

David: Give Rachael College Perk phone number and County Zoning phone number

Rachael: call Jim Jones about NASCO Institute discount & budget suggestions, call College Perk & ask 1,000 questions, call county and ask about zoning for College Perk, open SECU bank account, create new outreach fliers

ALL: Outreach!!!  invite your interested friends to our facebook group!!

NEXT WEEK’S AGENDA ITEMS:
(send in items you think should be worked on)

1. Updates from 9/28 Action Items
2. Reconnecting with Tim Uber (or different realtor if he’s out of contact) to look for more houses
3. Field trip to Food Co-op meeting in order to see how they run their process… CHUM developing a decision-making process
4. Moving forward on finding a lawyer… or possibly using the student group lawyer
5. Flyering