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All-Community Meeting Minutes

Sunday, 28 August 2022, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Note Taker: Kay.  Facilitators: Lynda and Mike

Topics: fire pit, Covid update, kitchen repairs

Attendees: Lynda, Lauren, Laraine, Cheryl, Linda, Beth, Joe, Kay, Mike, Vicky, Victor, Laura, Kerry, Ben, Jorge, Robin, Amy, Mary, Maxine

Consensed Decisions: No use of the fire pit until a fire policy is approved.

Action Items: Send a picture to Lynda to be included on the community phone list.

Fire Pit

Victor built a big fire on his birthday. Totally filled the fire pit. Some of the logs that  went onto the fire were seat height and had been used as such. Probably more than needed for seats. They came from trees that had been cut down on the property. He regarded them as fire wood. 

People had gone to some trouble and labor to haul the logs there. Community members regarded the log seats as community property and some are upset about them being burned.

Kevin Bell has offered to help us turn the charred logs into bio-char for soil amendment.

Campsite rule: put things back the way they were.  Fire safety guidelines say a pit should be a foot below ground level and surrounded by rocks, nothing flammable within 10 feet.

Mess is still there. Haven't heard an apology.  Seats haven't been replaced.

Request:  No fires when we are running swamp coolers.

Mary went out to see what was going on when the smoke increased at 3:00 a.m.  The fire filled the pit and was over head height. Victor didn't have a shovel or rake there, and the hose was totally inadequate to put it out.

The logs were too big to burn in a reasonable amount of time or to be put out.

We try to keep rules to a minimum, but rules sometimes are a kindness rather than an impediment.  They help people know what is acceptable.

The Fire Department would be willing to send out a crew to give us an assessment for fire safety.

Mary talked to some people at the city/fire department(?).  The fairly small commercial metal fire pits are what they regard as acceptable. Mary worries about someone falling into the below ground pit.

Ad hoc fire pit committee: Kay, Joe, Larraine, Mary, Jorge, and Linda.   Joe will be the convener. Possibly come up with a proposal by the next ACM. 

Management decided to call for a halt on any fires on the property until the ACM discussion. Lift or continue?  Straw poll.  Decision -- No use of fire pit until policy is approved.  (Small gas barbecues are exempted.)

Covid Update

Latest CDC guidelines.  Low risk right now in the county. Stay up to date with vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms. Keep in mind that rapid tests at home don't get reported to the authorities. Masks are optional. Reminder: If you have tested positive, let the community know. Ask for help if you need to isolate.

Lynda is thinking of moving cafe back to her home.

Kitchen Update

The tank on the upstairs toilet leaked onto the floor and through to the common house ceiling.  $1K deductible on c.h. insurance. Company came out with fans to dry it out. They will provide a quote on replacing drywall ad repainting.  Probably another week or two before the work is finished. Vinny will change out the parts in the toilet. Q. Okay to use c.h. dishes? A. Don't expect work to create lots more dust but maybe ask people to continue bringing their own dishes for potluck. 

Committee Reports

Work Support. New work team roster.  If you prefer to be on a

Chicken Club.  Eliza has joined.  If you are giving scraps to the chickens, please put them in the pan just inside the run, rather than just tossing them over the gate.  If the chickens won't eat it completely in a short period of time, limit the amount. Having a skunk problem. No moldy things.   Better to compost some things.

Welcoming. Lynda ran off some paper copies of the community list.  Finished the current round of orientation meetings; will start a new one. Wasons have a room-mate, Yara Sanchez. Could welcoming put pictures on the list?  Lynda will.

Common House.  Vinny donated some outside furniture for  the back porch.

Trees.  Meeting will be scheduled in September to discuss next steps on stumps.  Alex will convene. Ask her to let you know the day/time.

Announcements

Natalia provided some stickers (clings) to go on cars to identify resident cars. If you have a guest, put their vehicle info on the whiteboard.

Servas Conference at U, will be some guests staying at the common house.

Drum Circle at Optimum Care Center, every first Thursday at 11:45.

Dinner at Chanon Thai, Wednesday August 31, 5:00, 9th S 3rd E.  Check with Victor or Lila if you need a ride or can offer somebody one.