USTU Community Meeting Notes 2021-02-22:
Facilitation team: Hartley (fac), Joe (notes), Irma (tech)
Interpretation: Veronica, Julio 3.1.2
Present: Hartley, Irma, Joe, Alana, Yuki, Austin, Nils, Lara, Julio, Carol, Raquel, Gautam, Josh, Rae, Beandrea, Kyla, Philip, Aurisha, Jess R, William,
Permission to Feed Outdoor Cat – Carol, Carol and Josh Committee (10)
Announce Upcoming Conversation About Fair Housing Compliance – Yuki, BVCLT Board (15)
Songs Community Hub Brownfield Research Proposal – Lois, laevI (15)
Gautam’s Provisional Membership Decision – Philip, Liaison (15)
1 - Intros
2 - Agenda Review
3 - Permission to Feed Outdoor Cat – Carol with Josh (10)
Carol: cat found living under the building in 117. Hunts mice. Carol proposes housing and feeding it, she will take responsibility to steward feeding and vet appointments and neutering and try to provide shelter.
Lois questions if cat can poop in litter box, not in gardens. Carol: probably, as it appears to have come from a home.
Irma: concern: fewer birds and lizards
Joe: allergic, concerned about one outside cat leading to more cats outside
Hartley: question - does it have a chip?
Approved by consensus (Joe and Irma stand aside) Carol ok to feed and steward outdoor cat.
4 - Announce Upcoming Conversation About Fair Housing Compliance – Yuki
Leslie got a presentation from the Northern California Land Trust about coops and fair housing law compliance. Yuki w Leslie plan to host an initial presentation at a future meeting to be presented by Leslie and Jen Ganata, to better understand fair housing law, after which we can discuss how we want to approach this question (i.e. discuss ways that we can address any discrepancy, get expert support from someone who is values aligned, etc)
5 - Songs Community Hub Brownfield Research Proposal – Lois
Lois presentation: Songs Community Hub is a brownfield. There has been extensive testing on the site in the past several years , and it is known that soils underneath the asphalt contain both organic and inorganic toxins (hydrocarbons and derivatives and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium). Danielle has been researching on-site brownfield remediation for several years and has selected Songs as an ideal site for her continuing research to remediate such soils through fungi and plant based methods. She shares the ultimate aim of such research with LAEVI to provide public policy for neighborhood based education and brownfield remediation on-site as distinct from conventional methods of digging and hauling away. See proposal attached for your initial introduction.
Requests decision on whether Daniel should come to a meeting with a 20-minute presentation, or host a separate meeting.
People suggested a longer presentation outside a monday meeting, possibly an intro at a Monday night meeting.
Lois suggests she may do a 15-20 minute item at a Monday meeting, and a separate zoom session.
Announcements - retreat is this weekend. Some discussion of who (among non-members) is invited.
CLOSED – COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Gautam’s Provisional Membership Decision – Philip
Approved by consensus - Gautam is now a provisional member
DECISION:
Evaluation –
Good time management
Exciting video (introducing facilitators)
Facilitators for March 01, 2021: Alana, Ellary, and William for BOARD MEETING