Present: Aaron, Mikayla, ilya, Frog, Nynke, Ivy, Jennifer, Diana, Toast, Serenity (facilitator), Don, Jeb (minutes)

(standing) rat updates

(corey) CHEA Budget updates

CHEA Budget Updates

Present: Ivy, Serenity (facilitator), Diana, Corey, Aaron, Mikayla, Jennifer, Toast, Jeb (minutes)

CHEA Board meets Thursday 4/23 to vote on a final budget.

2 options that Corey drafted. Main difference is how much of an hourly rate increase Ops Manager is going to get. $0.75 vs $1.00 per hour increase. Taking into account inflation, they are the nearest quarter options. Lower option will not likely keep pace, higher option is above inflation.

Other expenses basically the same for drafted budgets.

Last year, changed accountant over, and the budget this year reflects accountant pay adjustments (same amount of labor, different dollar amount – this is because we changed accountants mid-year).

Other things talked about cutting at Board level: NASCO Ed (scholarship money to send to NASCO Institute – people haven’t been going from CHEA but we’d like people to go – 2 day seminar in Michigan); ACBA dues (business association of co-ops in town; do a lot of advocacy work and co-op connecting and networking).

Most other items we don’t have a lot of control over (bank fees, subscriptions like website and QuickBooks).

For La Re, tentative changes include: $16.57 per room per month increase vs $16.95.

NP Budget is about a 3.5% increase over the prior year. These two options are 3.44% or 3.52%, respectively. Increase starts in September so it’s on a different schedule.

(Mikayla) When is the decision made?

(Corey) At the Thursday CHEA Board meeting.

July 1^st (following NP May budget meeting) is when budget increases will go into effect. This is another layer in addition to our budget. If we cut a bunch of stuff, our burden decreases. If we add stuff, our budget burden increases.

Rent amounts will be finalized when we pass the house budget next month in May.

Re: David (Ops Manager)’s pay, Corey is planning to ask the board to automate the cost-of-living increase amount in order to adjust for inflation, rather than the Ops Manager individually requesting increases each year.

(Jeb) What do you want us to bring up that we haven’t brought up?

(Corey) Do we give David a cost-of-living increase? Our accountant is a price adjustment, but our financial officers really like our accountant. Others: Do we want to keep being ACBA members and sending people to NASCO institute?

(Serenity) I think it’s worth being ACBA members and sending people to NASCO.

(Ivy) Not fully cognizant of what our benefits are.

(Corey) Way back when the city did bond proposal efforts, and voters shut that down, ACBA is trying to figure out what they can and can’t do.

(Jeb) Are we funding a program that supports us, or that is floundering?

(Corey) Or, are we funding a program that helps other programs?

(Ivy) What I remember, is that we attended the Co-opportunity Fair and not much else.

(Mikayla) Are there other networking events available?

(Ivy) We have tabled at these events and pretty regularly recruited people from those meetings.

(Corey) They do put on a lot of workshops that none of us go to, but could if we wanted to!

(Ivy) I tried to keep track of all of the events, but had trouble finding them.

(Jeb) It’s important to support ACBA, to attend workshops, and to help them help other co-ops.

(Corey) If we are active in ACBA, we can ask them for workshops about certain topics and otherwise guide their offerings.

(Serenity and Ivy) Regarding NASCO Ed – there were rumblings of sending people there, but then things happened.

(Nynke) What happens when the money isn’t used?

(Corey) It just sits there.

(Mikayla) Is that a volunteer, or Board-designated person who attends NASCO Ed?

(Corey) That is a very good question! No structure is in place that requires attendance procedures or report-back policies, but NASCO Institute isn’t until the fall.

(Mikayla) I would like to talk to someone about this!

(Diana) How would we get to Michigan?

(Corey) It depends. Usually, there are charter buses, and sometimes we might be able to do a group-buy with other co-ops in town going there. We can pay for more people with less money per seat. College Houses tends to go. You might be on a bus with 21^st Streeters.

The other thing- GMM and Events. Once a year, both Sasona and La Reunion tend to meet together, and sometimes we vote on things as an entire org, but usually it’s a way to meet with our other house, and if we do need to address things org-wide, or actions of the Board, we can talk about it. Generally happens in the summer. Budget provides food and supplies for GMM if needed.