[Davisgig] Fwd: Meetings + Fiscal Responsibilty/Organization

[Robert Nickerson]

Hi Davisites

Some announcements and meta organizational structure discussion follows.

0) Discussion of DavisGIG with City of Davis IT staff

This is today at 9:30am. Although am very busy tomorrow, I'll try and
write something about it.


1)  Round table discussion hopefully with seasoned Sr Sales Manager from
Fujitsu Networks. Friday September 4th likely some time in the am, im
shooting for 10-1, venue and exact time to follow.

This person has done numerous deployments and has provided us with a
generic proposal they give to City  governments they work with to build
fiber optic networks.  Their recently completed build is Taos, NM.

http://www.bbcmag.com/2015mags/May_June/BBC_May15_KitCarson.pdf

  Im looking for 2-4 DavisGIG volunteers who are serious about assisting
efforts, and have the technical,  financial, organizational knowledge to
hear a detailed analysis of strategies and challenges relating to
municipal community fiber buildouts. If you want to come, or just want
to read it, Ill send you the copy of the generic proposal. It is very
interesting.

Plan to have some additional folks from the City or County to attend
this informational session, Ill be checking with relevant staff.

2) Fiscal Responsibilty/Organization

  One of the main issues we currently face is dispensing funds to achieve
our goals. An exceptionally committed individual has donated another
$200 this month, and we are ready to get some full color lawn signs
going to raise our profile in the community and further raise funds.

Presently, we have a draft MOU before us from DCN acting as a fiscal
agent and providing its long established 501c3 non profit network status
for the cause of Davis GIG, which is a group of volunteers working to
implement community owned and operated fiber optic network for all Davis
homes and businesses.

At the last board meeting, we have come to the same realization that we
came to, at the DCN board meeting which was, DavisGIG volunteers are a
loosely formulated ad hoc committee of Davis citizens with out a formal
operating structure. So no one is authorized to sign any agreements or
MOUs to disperse non  profit collected funds collected through the
website or in person.

So some organizational structure is required, and is a rather necessary
thing at this point. Need to buy signs, and check the prices from only
local vendors,  I'm collecting at the Trello card BTW. Subscribe to that
card to get updates.

Thankfully a volunteer has provided a contact for possible legal
guidance on creating a separate but minimal framework for having a board
of Directors, though not pursue any non profit or corporate status or
charter.

I had thought to myself, to short circuit this, we could simply govern
this project fiscally and orgnizationally, as a special committee of
DCN. DCN has traditionally had a variety of committees, Web team
committees dedicated to things such as DCN.org and other hosted domains,
  website development; Resource Allocation Committee, awarding free
resources to  community  non-profits and PTAs; Technical Operations
Committee which guided maintenance and growth of the network. There were
others.

We could propose to the DCN Board our group be considered the DavisGIG
Committee, that way we don't need to do anything else structurally.
DCN's structural operation is documented through our website, and there
have been heavily attended volunteer committees in the past that were
fairly active, so organizationally, structurally this is a worked out
thing with DCN.

Although I have been a DCN board member since 1998 or so,  the
importance of having community owned and operated fiber optic and the
timing in  the market is such that, this is a great chance to work in a
broader community sense, to make this one time acquisition, planning and
installation happen correctly and with full citizen input.
I was not President, when this email list started, just a citizen, but
network operator advising the community and proposing a preferable way
of deliver Internet, available freely in many other nations. Too many
good things accrue with this project not to  do it carefully and with as
much considered community input as possible.

DCN as a 23 year plus organization carries its own reputation and
opinions  in the community, and its important that DavisGIG be given the
best effort at succeeding there.

So before I thought I would contact the attorney contact we have, I
thought I would throw this question out to the group and take measure of
the idea.

Does anyone have opinions one way or the the other? Put it on the Trello card.


  Seriously though Do,  we need a doodle poll called existential question ?

I've setup a Trello board with three cards and voting. Put your opinions
one way or another on the particular card that is pertinent and VOTE your choice.

1) Form a board of directors, seek legal advice, form some sort of
formal organization and governing document.

2) Be a sub committee of DCN folded under its bylaws and board of
directors.

3) Someone suggest an alternative.  A Coop?


Thanks for anyone who has any input.