Vote to Amend Governance Documents

From Pumping Station One

Sponsors

  • Jennie Plasterer
  • Andrew Camardella
  • Joe Mertz

History

  • Announced: 12/26/18
  • Town Hall: 1/15/19
  • Language locked: 1/24/19
  • Voted on: 1/29/19

Background

For information about previous bylaws and related votes, there are extensive resources beyond the links above. The Wiki and Google Group are the primary repository for that information. Two Town Halls were announced on the Google Group and held both live and online on Oct 10 and Oct 24, 2018

An update of the bylaws and membership agreement has been created. In addition, a wholly new document has been created, entitled Dispute Resolution Committee. When we refer to the “Bylaws Vote”, we are referring to these three interconnected documents. The documents must be considered as one set, as they reference each other and do not stand alone as individual documents.

Bylaws

The Bylaws adjusts several aspects and timing of various functions of organization. Some of these come into conflict with the current bylaws; issues will be sorted out in the vote language. Major changes include:

  • Removed language that was not directly to the operations of the organization, or rights provided to its members
  • Made one membership tier
  • Gives voting rights to all members
  • Dispute Resolution Committee is instantiated
  • 10% of Membership for quorum

Membership Agreement

The Membership Agreement strengthens and clarifies various expectations for Member Conduct. It also states various organizational processes explicitly, membership benefits, and expectations between all parties.

Major changes include:

  • New pricing scheme and values will take effect May, 1 2019 as pricing is set by the Board of Directors.
  • Updated anti-harassment and code of conduct.
  • Explicitly states rights and responsibilities of Members and Organization.
  • Clarifies methods for resolving disputes.
  • Member dues, tiers, and benefits will take effect March 1, 2019.

Dispute Resolution Committee

The Dispute Resolution Committee is an official committee instantiated by Pumping Station: One Bylaws; its management is at the discretion of the board. The revised bylaws include it as a requirement so that it must exist at all times. The document that governs the DRC shall be maintained by the DRC and the Board of Directors, and is provided here for reference - https://docs.google.com/document/d/15FOGG91VR_wQMaRdJBUguScCpBnzG7d77Q3sB1-ZppU/

Major changes include:

  • Defining a clear and concise process for raising an issue.
  • Instantiates a committee tasked with working on resolving a dispute or issue.
  • Has provisions for storing institutional knowledge.

Language

Replace our current bylaws with the revision contained in this document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gCKp6NKaYEg4mjtNaPlb3eN5U3djD8WfUL5DkcEaYZg/.

Replace our current membership agreement with the revision contained in this document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pCB4VwE5YOo03PAI9kj07vVi1T-eDjZQWwfOGZls8jQ/

  • Section 5 of the Membership Agreement will go into effect May 1, 2019

If any policy is discovered to be in conflict with language or policies that appear in an ancillary governance document, then the organization will defer to the the newest of the documents. Corrections, amendments, and other forms of revised language will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Results

Present:

For:

Against:

Abstain: