Butler Committee Meeting Minutes 4.7.08

Submitted by Jane Phillips, Recording Secretary

Committee members present: Jane Phillips, Dante Ricci (GSG Rep), Shannon Hughes (Chair), Jeffrey Dwoskin (Housing Rep), Patrick Ross (Treasurer), Tao Long (Garden Co-coordinator), Chin Jou (Social Chair), Audra Pompeani (Bugle Editor), Nicole Jui (Garden Co-coordinator), Andrew Owen (Webmaster), Bronwyn Smith (Community Room Coordinator).

Community members present: Nick Kattamis, Rebecca Anawalt, David Jorgensen, Rachael Galvin, Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, Anna Frost, Sofya Aptekar.

Meeting called to order at 9:04 pm.

Shannon (Chair): Asked for reports of Committee business.

Patrick (Treasurer): Have $1150 in the Princeton account, $479 in garden account. Princeton account is emptied ~June 30.

Anna Frost asked whether there is a University group that is supposed to clean up around Butler - she has noticed trash on walkways/streets. Jeff Dwoskin says that Dwight is responsible for general cleaning, and that mailmen may be responsible for leaving rubber bands around Butler. Jeff suggested that people present let the mailmen know it is a problem if they see it happening.

Rachel - is organizing a tango event with a wine tasting in the Community Room.

Tao and Nicole (Garden Co-Coordinators): The sign has not yet been replaced at the composter. Nicole has spoken with Mark Bianchi several times about the composer issues.

Jaime - has spoken with people at the University about expanding composting in Butler. One possibility is that Butler residents could send food waste to pig farmers (the other is that compost be used for the garden). The composting group is currently working out logistics for expanding composting. The pig farm option would be a short-term solution (to be used until Butler is torn down).

Audra (Bugle): Asked about the wireless service - she is having trouble connecting to the internet on Harrison Lane. She spoke with OIT, but nothing has changed. Shannon mentioned that her wireless card is having trouble. Jaime says that she had a similar problem to Audra's, and OIT came to her apartment and fixed the hardware at her house. Jeff says to email Grad RCC to check the connection.

Andrew (Webmaster): Has updated the Butler-Com listserv to take off old Committee members and residents. Shannon suggested that the Committee request that Olivia merge Butler-Sl with Butler-Res. Andrew will follow up.

Chin (Social Chair): Chin emailed Olivia for David's planned event (poker night), and Olivia still needs to check with legal. The next event will be the Cinco de Mayo party. Bronwyn and Jane agreed that Cinco de Mayo last year was fun because of plenty of food and games for kids. Patrick thinks that the Committee should not ask for money for the event from the GSG, but Jeff thinks that the Committee should spend our money before the account is emptied, and then ask the GSG to reimburse some funds for the event in July. Chin will follow up. Shannon suggested that the Committee hold the event later in May, so that it will be warmer and people won't be busy with generals, etc. Nicole remembers that food cost around $500-600 last year. Shannon noted that Tara McCartney (whose job has since been taken over by Olivia Martel) provided many of the toys and games equipment last year. David asked to be able to email the entire Butler community asking what night people would prefer for a poker night, but members of the Committee noted that the Butler-Com listserv is usually only used for issues of vital importance to Butler residents. Dante will eventually ask the GSG for funds for the event - in the past, the Committee has asked for around $400.

Bronwyn (Community Room): Needs a date soon to reserve the Community Room as a rain location for Cinco de Mayo - a tentative date of May 22 was set.

Jeff (Housing Rep): Mentioned that the Committee could put together another yard sale this year. It could be announced in a local paper. Jeff suggested that it be held during the last week in June to coincide with move-in/-out. The Committee agreed to talk about it at the next meeting. Jeff and Bronwyn asked Dwight about the missing clock in the Community Room, and Dwight has agreed to buy a new clock. There are two new clothes driers. Jeff is going to talk with Public Safety about another safety walk, hopefully from campus to Butler. Jeff is on the committee to analyze the transportation survey. Bronwyn mentioned that the shuttle is still blocking King Street.

Elections talk:

Shannon suggested that people who are running for Committee positions be able to know who and how many people are running for each position before they decide to run. Shannon suggested that current Committee members give notice as to whether they are running for re-election. All present Committee members are running for re-election in May (The DOlly Coordinator, Rodrigo Casassus Coke, is not present at this meeting and his intentions regarding re-election are unknown at this time). Rebecca suggested that there be a committment date for current Committee members running for re-election in the revised by-laws. Shannon proposed having a two-day period where residents could switch positions after the initial notification date. Audra suggested that people could announce their candidacy in general, and then show up to the election meeting and decide for which position they would like to run (and only run for one position at the election). Rebecca suggested that we stay with the current system (as stated in the by-laws: give seven days notice for intention to run for one position), and Shannon and other people present agreed.

Jeff asked Shannon whether she would stay on and run for Chair for this election. Patrick brought up Audra's proposal that the elections be moved to November, which he feels would solve Shannon's problem. It was asked whether people can run for a position if they are not present, and by show of hands, it was agreed that the people present interpreted the by-laws as allowing absentee candidacy. Jeff thinks that Shannon should not run for the Committee (since she will be a non-resident after August). David questioned whether mid-term replacements are elected or appointed, and he was told that the Committee and all eligible residents vote for the open position. David and Jeff suggested that the bylaws be amended to reflect this common practice.

David proposed that the Committee vote to change all election dates in the by-laws to "May." Jeff noted that a written proposal is needed to amend the by-laws, so the Committe instead had an informal vote (in the affirmative) to interpret the by-laws as meaning that the elections are to be held in May for this year (the wording of the by-laws will change after a written proposal is made).

David, Jeff, Andrew, Rebecca volunteered to be on the committee to write up possible amendments to the by-laws. They hope to be able to submit a written proposal to change the by-laws by August.

The Committee decided to put off a discussion finalizing a date for future elections until next meeting. Chin pointed out that people who run for elections in May might only be in office until the Fall (if elections are moved to November and we hold two elections during the 2008 calendar year), and that this election would not necessarily have any effect on the housing draw. Shannon decided to email the people who decide to run and inform them of the situation.

Jeff's proposal: The concern is that Butler is being torn down in ~2012 and people will be moving to Stanworth. He proposed that there be some continuity between the Butler Committee and the new Stanworth Committee, in that the Butler Committee become the Butler/Stanworth Committee until the move is complete and it becomes the Stanworth Committee. Jeff suggested that the people on the Committee could have priority for moving into Stanworth, and that if this were the case, it would make sense to transition the Committee now so that it would not be a self-interest issue in the future (in that most or all of the current Committee members will have graduated before the move, and therefore current officers would not have a personal interest in having a priority draw spot for the Stanworth). The majority of those present agreed that Jeff's idea, for starting the transition to a Butler/Stanworth Committee soon, is a good one. Jeff is starting to talk with Housing about these issues.

Meeting adjourned at 10:39 pm.