April 23, 2023 ACM minutes

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All-Community Meeting minutes, Sunday, April 23, 2023, 3:00-4:45 p.m.

Present: Vinnie (co-fac), Eliza (co-fac), Kay (fac), Robin, Cyd, Laraine, Jorge, Cheryl, Vicky, Mike (fac), Lila, Kerry, Ben, Myste, Renae

Civility

Eliza reported. The civility statement starts with calling out certain of our Values.   Examples of being courteous or being discourteous.  Guidelines for how to disagree without disrepect. Compassion is primary.  Maintain curiosity about other perspectives.  Cultural repair. Many ways to show compassion. Recognition and affirmation are forms of compassion.  Forgiveness, apologies, reparations.

In a tense meeting, could take more than one break to cool down.  Doesn't need to be the facilitator who suggests it.  We have at times had a role called Keeper of the Heart, someone specifically assigned to pay attention to emotions in the room, and other times we ask everyone to step into the role when they see a need.

Question about proposal proces; discuss outside meeting to avoid derailing agenda.

Common House Playground

Kay reported on some research on wood preservatives.  The pressure-treated wood, although it probably contains arsenic, isn't in locations the children will put their hands much so not as big a concern as the telephone poles.  Poles can be treated with various chemicals, including creosite or penta, all of which are toxic.   Given one pole has a date of 1976 it is probably penta.

Vinnie sent photos to some people who knows who do work, with a question about revamping it.  All of them said they wouldn't touch it. Hazardous to do anything to the wood to make it safer. His friend says it would take a day and ~$800 for heavy equipment to tear it out; round up to $1K.  Vinnie will get other bids since it is over $500.

Could we get an affordable residential set now and set aside money each year towards a better-quality, more expensive one when the residential set eventually fails.

The 3% increase in fees was difficult enough to pass this January.  Have some major expenses coming such as a tree that needs to be removed before it damages a foundation, etc.

Can we separate the issue of what to do with the old structure from what we do about a new one?  There seems to be general agreement the old structure needs to come out. OTOH, Renae is concerned about there being a time gap between the old one coming out and a new one going in, because her kids to play on it.

Can we set a money cap so Parents Committee can move fast if they see a used set available?

Renae will arrange a meeting for Parents and anyone who wants to join an ad hoc play structure team.