begin minutes:

 Co-Op meeting #6

04/01/07

In attendance: Lloyd, Ruben, micah, Nico, Pete, Cassandra, Hodg, Jim Jones, Jill

Qumbya brunch recap/update:

(lloyd, jill, cassandra, nico)

-future support, contacts, and networking

-they have a house rules book

    -smart way to avoid troubles and issues

    -open for debate, whether to do it at all.

-micah was shushed, he is just a monkey

-financial investigation/tutorial (jim will illuminate later)

-we “have a political co-op in the works” according to some attendees

    -based on our ideals, planned interaction w/ community

    -”cleaning the refrigerator is a political act” jim jones

First meeting with Mark Fick

-founder of Stone Soup, member of CCLF

-advice and guru, possible source of money and inspiration

-have him here or meet him at stone soup?

HOUSING COMMITEE UPDATE: Ruben joins

Name discussion

-can we use co-op? Some states its an incorporation status

-verbify?

-collective versus co-op

narrowing through votes and discussion:

    urban mold (variant: urban molt)

    elephant collective

    green trunk collective [voted out]

    grey water

    off topic collective

we're going to hold on to these three and bounce them off strangers and friends.

“Coops are like an empty bottle you can pour any kind of wine into.”

zero equity coop or group equity coop – requires a strong dedication to community; without it, the coop falters. The coop develops a personality that is separate from the individual.

Yellow jersey bike cooperative in madison, wi

new community – east lansing, mi

staten island coop? live/work/income sharing

november: nasco conference in ann arbor!

What are you going to use space for? Will your activities support themselves financially? Do activities create revenue?

Housing: search for nursing homes or group homes or school building-- this idea creates a viable solution to creating a new use for an abandoned building.

Info to get from Jim: good contact from south shore bank.

Jim Jones contact info:

title: director of asset management

nasco main office: pobox 7715, ann arbor, mi 48107

ph: 734-6630889 cell: [omitted] fax: 734-663-5072

email: jim[at]nasco{dot}coop

suggestions for keeping connected with the community:

cow's head; drinking blood.

and/or virgin sacrifice.