GENERAL MEETING 5

7.30pm
Wednesday 7 JUNE 2000

At: CERES Education Centre
8 Lee Street, Brunswick

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Present:
Noel Blencowe, Maya Ward, Hans Tilstra, Paula Jorgensen, Zanni Waldstein, Jane Ward, Elvira Muller, Mick Morgan, Adam Tiller, Hamish McCracken, Paul Adams, Alan Clarke, Sharryn Muir, Sanghun Lee

Apologies:
Jane Laidlaw, Vyv Rodnight, Jennifer

Introductions

Report:
Maya presented feedback from Robyn regarding an architect who wanted to facilitate a development package.

Working Groups Reports:

Process:
Hamish presented document: Draft Proposal for Membership, Structure and Decision Process of Merri Cohousing.
Part A): Meetings/Structures/Roles in the Group Draft Proposal ratified - to be edited with few changes. Jane suggested changes to following: Point 5 - Timekeeper to complete all these tasks except introduce agenda. Point 7 - If designated person unable to attend meeting, they are responsible for finding replacement person.
Part B): Membership of Merri Cohousing Draft Proposal ratified with Full Membership Fee of $100 and Information Membership Fee of $10 Hans suggested recording the order of who paid and when - "first in best dressed". Sharryn discussed her experience in USA and suggested a 2 level financial membership system. Noel asked how low income residents could be included.

Communication:
Zanni indicated that CERES was having trouble with its computers. Some pictures have been sent to Hans, and put onto vicnet site with a few pages for Merri Cohousing Hans made suggestions about website: Make it visual, weblinks, multiple pages, he is webmaster and will submit info to web. Hans and Adam suggested people to send photo of themselves and summary of their ideas on cohousing - to be put on the web - personalise the page. Communication group to make decisions about what goes on the web page.

Vision Statement:
Paula described how she came up with the vision statement by using the outcome of Hans’ exercise in a previous meeting and emails sent to her. Three different formats were presented and two were chosen as 1: The Vision Statement and 2: The Ideals and Principles. These to be ratified at next meeting. Sharryn suggested that point 2 and point 3 of the Vision Statement and The Ideals and Principles be swapped to emphasise the community aspect of Merri Cohousing.

Finance:
Noel and Jane present report which will be passed around to everyone for comment by next meeting. The report describes different scenarios for the site. Noel suggested multiple cohousing communities on the site or a mixture of different separate schemes. Merri Cohousing must establish how many people want to purchase property to live in or for investment -establish who are serious about living in Cohousing - asap. Noel suggests that all or most of the money may have to come from option B. 1. A legal body must be formed. Entry and exit to and from Merri Cohousing were discussed.

General Discussion:
Elvira is a member of a body corporate and will discuss her experience with Noel at a later date. Paula is continuing to investigate Developers/Architects. Noel expressed the need to keep control of the group. Adam discusses attracting expressions of interest. We need expressions of interest to proceed. Noel and jane to prepare format for gaining expressions of interest. Hans suggests that we need an image/look to attract expressions of interest.
Hamish suggests that people specify on their expression of interest what they want. Adam questions confidentiality of figures and mailing lists.

Adam and Hans to join Education Working Group.

Maya to prepare for meeting with architect. People to meet with architect: Maya, Noel, Paul, Robyn.

Design workshop with Urban Ecology Victoria on Sunday 18