2021-02-01 Meeting

USTU Board Meeting 2/1/2020

• Facilitation Team- Dilean (Facilitator & Agenda), Philip (Language Justice & Stack), Natali (Tech), and Julio & Veronica (Interpreters)
• Present/Roll Call: Austin, Dilean, Natali, Philip, Yuki, Jess B, Lara, Anaisabel, Josh, Lois, Michelle, Veronica, Aurisha, Autumn, Becca, Alana, Carol, Gautam, Joe, Julio 2, Kasey, Kyla, Nils, Rae, Raquel, William, Jimmy, Joe, Carrie, Maeve, Yolanda
• Board Members Present: Yuki, Philip, Carol, Lara, Joe, Josh, Aurisha, Jimmy

Summary of Decisions

• NCLT- Northern California Land Trust Approved as Consultant
• Management Committee will return Carol’s pay and 131 ½ Windows items for another Board meeting in closed session

Agenda

• Music- Bossa Nova
• Language Justice Announcement & Tech Set Up (7 mins)
• Tech Set Up (3mins)
  • What is Language Justice? (2 mins)
  • Meeting Agreements (1 min)
  • Speaking Order Reminder (1 min)
• Agenda Review (1 min)
• Introductions: Compliments- Break out rooms (3ppl- 5 mins)
• Manager update – Jess B, 10 min, report
• Budget & Financials – Josh, 20 min, report
• Transition Carol’s pay from hourly to salary – Jess B, 10 min, decision
• S. t. r. e. t. c. h.
• Carrie’s windows – Josh, 20 min, decision
• Approve consultant for fourplex consultant work – Joe, 20 min, decision
• Next 4s - 2 min
• Eval - 2 min
• Time Permitting:
  • Change facilitation schedule from 4 meetings per month to 3 meetings per month –William, 10 min, decision
  • Shut down #201 fridge for the duration of COVID restrictions – Carol, 10 min, decision
  • Approve proposed framework for finalizing and implementing the Proprietary Lease –Lara and Carol, 15 min, Board decision on proposed workplan (please see details below) Proposed work plan for Proprietary Lease
    • 1. Proposed that Renter and Owner Members come to agreement on the scope and content of the first list of Key Articles in meetings held during 2021 with the goal of adoption and implementation of the completed US/TU Proprietary Lease on January 1st of 2022.
    • 2. Proposed that a Committee of Renter and Owner Members edit the second list of Standard Articles to conform with the US/TU Bylaws and the current Rental Agreement and submit to the US/TU Board for approval by July of 2021.

Meeting Notes

Manager update – Jess B, 10 min, report

• We’re only one month behind in rent
• No current maintenance
• Work to start in Devon & Jess R’s apartments
• 201 fridge will be disconnected
• Movement on open unit to be filled
• Two parking spots to become available
• Fabian has been adding cars and will be asked not to

Budget & Financials: Cash Flow, & Balance Sheet – Josh, 20 min, report

• Internet costs increased
• Only a little over budget
• Depreciations will be lowered and updated
• Questions
  • Lois and Yuki- Clarity on unpaid rent
    • Accounts Payable- shows decrease based on expected rent
    • Rents Receivable/Forgiven debts- shows when paid
  • Jimmy- If included full occupancy in the line item for electricity, would that even out and we would not be over budget? For example, if we increased the electricity item due to full occupancy, would that help?
    • We want to keep expectations where they are to encourage less use
  • Philip- $117,000 breakdown? Does it appear elsewhere in the budget?
    • Yes, in the capitol budget. It clundes sewers, etc…
  • Lois- CRA Loan update?
  • $288 difference, but trust treasurer
    • Waiting for update on CRA loan
  • Yuki- Promising Notes Receivable
    • Not rounded due to owners who haven’t finished paying

Transition Carol’s pay from hourly to salary – Jess B, 10 min, decision

• Time tracking is required and labor intensive, and requested the move to salary
  • Yuki- There might be legal requirements for the change, will ask work for advice
  • Becca- Tracking changes are being considered, will also look into information
  • Lois- Interested in salary, and trusts Carol for hours to be accurate
    • Becca- Salary is preview to Board only, USTU is an employer
  • Jimmy- Is there a pay bracket you’d need to remain in for taxes?
    • Carol- The ask is lower than current pay
  • What are the next steps for the management committee?
    • Yuki- Closed session would be best
    • Lara- Interest in information for workers that are Board members
• Next step- Agendize this for closed session at another meeting
• Stretch

Carrie’s windows – Josh, 20 min, decision

• 12 years ago, Fed & Jim built three sets of casement windows
• USTU got grant for lead safe remediation (i.e windows)
  • Lara as manager suggested them to look the same
  • There was a difference between manufactured and hand made by Som & Jim
• $300 per casement for residents to pay: 2 said No, 5 said Yes
• They were not great quality
• Carrie & Joe’s unit potentially had the worst ones
• Ask to forgive $900 debt and pay portion of new windows for 131 ½
• Current stance- Agree with $900 forgiveness, but unclear about other piece
• The management committee doesn’t agree with original ask
• There is a total of $1500 due for outstanding units
  • Questions/Comments
    • Lara- Point of clarity, role was facilitating between parties
    • Anaisabel- Clarity on the ask, and wants new windows too for street noise
    • Carrie- The windows have been an issue and ask for 7 years
      • Emails go back to Sandy, no response from management committee
      • There are photos of the poor conditions, with a child near the windows
    • Lara- This is an example for the need of the Proprietary Lease
    • Yuki- i support lara’s suggestion so that it feels consistent with everyone, especially since carrie isn’t in a hurry.
    • Jimmy- Support work on making processes easier for residents and workers because as a volunteer group we need to consider our conditions
    • Anaisa- Just to be clear, Carrie, I can hear in your voice how much this has affected you, and I just want to be clear that by me expressing my own concerns, I don’t mean to deny yours. I just thought it was important to express the fact that I have been also expressing my need fir better sound proofing, being on this side of the building, and being woken up at night—not sleeping through the night can take a toll on your health, and I definitely feel that. So, I don’t have children, and of course that is the priority, but a lot of us have issues we are dealing with too, and in an ideal world, this could all be addressed promptly! But we do not live in an ideal world and for a couple of years I have also been sending photos to the management committee about the termite eating up my balcony doors, and I hear NO answer. And of course, as Jimmy said, because it’s a volunteer group, it’s difficult to expect a very responsive action. And thank you for all the time you gone! all the time you GIVE (management committee and all other volunteers here) I guess we are doing the best we can
    • Austin- Let us be kind and compassionate to remove the sadness of the world

Approve consultant for fourplex consultant work – Joe, 20 min, decision

• Workgroup has made more progress in deciding how to move forward
• One consultant said no, but two are being considered NCLT- Northern Calif Land Trust
  and CTY Housing
• Questions
  • Philip- Concerns about 20hrs with no description from one
    • Joe- Scope of work given
    • Lara- NCLT has more experience
    • Yuki- Agree with Lara and support Joe’s recommendation
  • Lois- For NCLT who would we work with?
    • Joe- Ian Winters
• Decision- Approved NCLT

Next 4s - 2 min

Next facilitators- Josh and Kyla
Announcements- Please fill out income form for USTU tax deduction

Eval - 2 min

• Josh, thank you for the very clear financial presentation.
• go to go! Thank you!
• Thx Dilean for a smooth sail
• thanks facilitation team!!
• and to jess and josh and joe for your presentations!