Report of Process Committee for 10/2/11 meeting

[lindaraymiller]

Process Committee Report
The Process Committee met for two hours and came up with some conclusions and a couple of proposals.
Conclusions:

We need a clear idea where we are going, and we hope to get that through the work of the Mission Committee.
There is a real need for transparency in all of our work as we begin to build trust in our community.
We are building a counter-culture for decision making and living together. The rules that we have learned to play by as we live in our current society are not rules we wish to follow - for example, hierarchical structure and lack of respect for those who are different.

Proposals:

We propose a "gatekeeper" or "vibes watcher" to work alongside the facilitator and insure every person is heard.
We propose that a Steering Committee made up of one person from each committee be formed to set up the next meeting time, place, and leadership. It will also work with the Process Committee to form the agenda. Until this committee is formed, the Process Committee will take on all these tasks.
We propose that the Process Committee's mission or task be to educate itself first and then the rest of the membership on the process of consensus building. Rebecca has several books and articles that we will read to educate ourselves.
All minutes and meeting notes from the general meetings, as well as the various committees will be posted on ProBoards until we get a website established with a "Members Only" password protected site.

[Diana]

As I read the process, communications, and budget committee notes, I feel there is an underlying question that must be answered first before some other decisions can be made. And that is 'are we operating as a cohousing group that is forming the first community or are we operating as an umbrella group that will promote many communities?' We have been operating up to this point as a loosely organized umbrella group overseeing the direction of two or more communities. Will we be setting up a legal structure to do that?

One of the concerns I have is that it takes alot of energy for either initatives and each has a separate legal structure which will require legal and accounting resources and money to do both. Will that be too much to take on at the same time?

We are 2-3 months away from the Holidays which will take time and energy away from this. Should we be sensitive to the time and energy each person has during that time?

The cohousing group that forms around a tract of land will set up an LLC right away. I expect that to be in the next 30-60 days. That LLC will be a not for profit and operate as a development company. It will partner with a developer that has it's own LLC and the two will come under an umbrella LLC. At the end of the development that umbrella LLC will dissolve and the cohousing LLC will become a not for profit-Home Owners Association.

If we set up both a cohousing not for profit LLC and a NON PROFIT Umbrella Cohousing Corporation who will serve on both boards? How do we split the group and energy?

Just some things to think about as we move forward. I am in support of doing what's best with everyone's input.

[Rebecca]

I read your post about the "underlying decision" We need to make. At first I was looking up all this information about non-profit LLC's, then I realized that had nothing to do with your question. Your question is "Is the goal of this group currently to build one community or is it to form an umbrella group that could oversee the building of several?" My feeling is that the group doesn't know right now, so we'll just have to keep going the way we're going and see how things shake out. I think it would be nice to have an umbrella group, but as far as doing paperwork for it, I think it might be easier to get people motivated to do paperwork for a specific project. Unless, of course, there are people who are willing to do the paperwork for an umbrella group.

[cass]

Concerning the umbrella group versus a site specific group, I personally would lean towards the site specific group(s) because s single focus would be possible. We would loose the value we are gaining of more people being involved, but the ultimate goal is for enough people to come together to build one co-housing community.