March 2020 - Board Meeting
3/9/2020 - Area 515 Board Meeting
Attending:
- President: Dave
- Vice President: Jake
- Treasurer: Meg
- Secretary: Brad
- Director: Tom
- Director: Jason
- Director of Education: Bailey
Also present:
- Rocky (dog)
- Tool chests have been reallocated
- Tool sets in the 3D printing room, classroom, and laser room have been color coded with tape.
- Frank submitted a proposal to add hot water to the sink outside the bathrooms. Price came to $104.83
Vote to spend around $100 to add how water to sink outside bathrooms.
In Favor: 7
Opposed: 0
Result: PASSED.
- Dave will still get the die grinder
- Simpson college tour went well, there may be a chance to do something with them in the future.
- 3D Printing Meetup at the space went well, but seating was a little tight in the classroom.
- The board decided to get rid of the white couch currently sitting in the classroom.
- Putting the display cubes up on the walls using french cleats was mentioned.
- At some point, the clasroom lights should be put on different circuits so it's easier to see the projector.
- Jason will call Storey-Kenworthy and ask if they have reclaimed furniture the space could get for free or reduced price.
- FTC meeting went well too.
- The board voted to pay an additional $50 to Darron R for delivering his large tool cabinet.
Vote to amend payment to Darron R to be $550 instead of $500.
In Favor: 7
Opposed: 0
Result: PASSED.
- We pulled some cash from the pitcher of the fridge to put in the lockbox.
- It was mentioned that once we hit $50k in revenue we'll have to fill out a different tax form.
- The Treasurer presented a projected budget for 2020.
- The budget puts us in the black.
- Options for how to increase revenue were discussed, things like doing another arduino class and BeagleBone Black class.
- The presented budget did not include our planned large tool purchase.
- Jake bought the items he'd asked for in the previous meeting (like the printer enclosure and things for the Piranha upgrade).
Vote to accept the 2020 budget with an additional $4k tool purchase and minus $550 for the toolchest.
In Favor: 7
Opposed: 0
Result: PASSED.
- Making a follow-up meeting with Tool Stewards about the large tool buy was discussed.
- For some grants, we should eventually keep a record of the number of people trained on stuff, and how many volunteer hours people are giving. Right now we'll guesstimate based on our class offerings.
- Bailey requested help filling out the Iowa Arts Capacity Grant, it's not due for awhile, but it's really long
- The Meredith grant is mostly done, will be in the mail by Friday.
- An SHR rate for 2 months for a member was discussed, and voted on.
Vote to offer SHR to member.
In Favor: 5
Abstained: 2
Opposed: 0
Result: PASSED.
- Right now a person has to be an Admin to post on our Facebook page. Out admins are Jason, Dave, Tom, and Barry.
- In order for our members to post, we need to create a public group. After some investigation we found an Area 515 Community group.
- In the end, people on the board didn't feel like the understood Facebook enough to know how to proceed. Some members said they'd keep playing with it.
- It was suggested we give Area 515 flyers to local chambers of commerce to put in their new resident welcome packets.
- It was decided to keep meetings on the first Wednesday of every month.
- Enough money for the vinyl cutter was raised. Bailey will talk with Meg to purchase.
- $30 have been raised for the Light CNC mill that Ryan donated to the space.
- After getting the 4H contract reviewed by a lawyer, Tom will send a new draft to Bailey for her to send 4H.
- Tom plans to finish the design phase by the end of the week.
- Xenon computer in classroom got upgraded RAM from Jake and a new graphics card.
- Jake also got two 2K 27" monitors donated for other computers in the classroom.
- It was noted that when the welder was recently running at full power it tripped the circuit breaker. Jason said he would look at converting it to 220 volt.
- Jason's Sharpening Class - He decided to spend up to $75 advertising the class on Instagram, after only $25 were spent he got 10 people signed up. Jason also notified the board that the class will use the belt sander and metal shop.
- We have about $250 in Facebook advertising money. It was decided we should budget some advertising money for our big classes.
- Dave said he would put together a Beaglebone Black class
- There will also be a Build a Batbox class when it gets warmer out
- We should post about our Open House on Instagram
- Instagram status last 30 days
- 7 posts
- average viewship 207
- Most popular post: barrel of sawdust 251
- Least popular: laser cut gingerbreadmen 170
- 1 promotion running: sharpening class ($25 spent)
- 8 saves, 4 comments, 30 likes
- 38 page visits (97% from promotion)
- 69 profile visits (92% from promotion)
- 3 get directions from promotion
- 3,381 people reached (94% weren’t following us)
- 32 follows
- Interacting audience 77% men (we need more pictures, videos of women in the makerspace to drive female participation) Especially this month. Age range 25-44 77%
- Target audience focused on Des Moines 48% women and 55% men.
- Paraphrased quote of the meeting: "Lawyers are like nuclear weapons, you need them because the other guy has 'em, but if you actually use them they just $@#% up everything."
- Said in reference to poor welding skills... "Grinder and paint make the welder I ain't"
Last modified 1yr ago