BkeWorks Volunteer Meeting Minutes - January 31, 2013

1. Introductions

• Coreen thanks us for coming
• in attendance: Coreen, Claire, Brett, Tim, Andy Ma., Ed, Steve, Micah, Adam, Ori, Duncan, Adrian, Karel, Andy Me.

(plus, via skype from BWN: Rob, David, Robert, Keith, Anna, Neil)

• Additions to the agenda: tightness of space at BWS, volunteer identification (as opposed to clients)

2. Volunteer Appreciation

• through courses, classes, offers: what would you guys like?
  • social stuff
  • parties at the log cabin, parties at BWS (dance parties)
  • idea: a group ride, picnic
• training --seconded (easier than learning on your own)
  • felt bad last year when John Collier’s training was too full
• Coreen: there will be a comprehensive class in Feb, another if demand, with priority for current volunteers (no charge); there’s also hour-longs.
• in Calgary, they charge the volunteers for courses ($40)! How would we feel about that? Well, it encourages people to show up, maybe it could be used for food. But for volunteers, you pay back by volunteering, as with John’s course (and he only asked for ~20 hours).
• for the public we’ve been charging $20-$30 for one night
  • just having a bike shop for us is appreciated!
  • pool party!
• alcohol or non?
  • people with pro-serve should be present-- Coreen might need help with this
• we miss pizza showing up at bike-building night

3. Scheduling

• Coreen likes to know when people will be there, whether she needs to recruit more. On some days, people show up sporadically, and Coreen never knows, particularly Saturdays. If the Google Calendar working?
  • Good idea, don’t know how to access it.
  • could we send out a link, and people could just sign in as Bikeworks shop?
  • people could also just use it while they’re in the shop
  • some people are still using the whiteboard-- I guess that can still be a backup system.
• if people want to volunteer sporadically, that’s OK, but we’re looking for a minimum of two people for sure.
• Even though 5 ppl are scheduled for Wed, they don’t always show up, so it’s not actually overflowing.
• Policy: no one is required to open the shop on their own. If you’re alone, it’s at your discretion. You can wait for someone else to show up, you can give Coreen a call and she’ll show up.
• Coreen is around a lot, which helps a lot.
• Things are changing (rental procedures, etc), sometimes no one knows what’s going on. Coreen: we will be trying to address that.
• Sometimes we’re without parts.
• Any opinions on spring and summer hours?
  • open earlier Saturday mornings?
  • as BWN gets busier, we’re going to need more hours, which could be a strain here
  • last year when we added the rental program, it felt like too much was being downloaded onto the volunteers. I just want to turn wrenches.
• Coreen: if anyone would like to help me streamlining the rentals before spring, that would be great
  • maintainence is big thing. We’ve started looking at rental bikes in bike-building. Coreen: I want to separate the maintainence from the rental process.
  • Is it more trouble than it’s worth? Coreen: we should track it. Duncan: develop some metrics to assess that.
  • We don’t have the space/resources at the southside. We can’t store bikes for sale. Customers don’t like us using paypal. Why don’t we consolidate rentals at the north shop? The prices are great, people will go there.
  • do we rent more local or out-of-town? -tourists, visiting relatives-- they’ll find us on the internet.
  • with the People’s Pedal: maintainence was hell.
  • half have gone missing; some are taken straight out of the yard.
  • Duncan: scheduling more people interested in hosting would take the stress off mechanical volunteers.
  • Claire: had background so not intimidated by rentals; sees it as important, has potential, but nobody wants to primarily volunteer for that. Maybe allot the summer student to that.

4. Security system/Cameras

• Questions: Are people aware of them? Reaction? How do you feel?
  • is the alarm on a timer? No, at BWN, it’s disarmed by volunteers when they come in. It goes off via motion sensor.
  • Unlocking the shop, it’s been easy to set off.
  • I’ve never had a problem.
  • Chris’s updates on fixes need to go to volunteers.
• If set off, the alarm calls Chris and BWS. There are also cameras inside BWN, the computers all have webcams installed. Chris has told Coreen that the indoor cams are off now, and were only turned on to check on false alarms due to glitches with the alarm. Hopefully, those glitches have ended. The interior camera was only available to Chris and was only used for false alarms. There are also cameras on the yard at both locations.
  • They’re only a deterrant if ppl know about them. You can get motion sensor cameras …
  • It’s hard to know if they’ve deterred anything yet.
  • There are signs on the yard saying that they’re under surveillance.
  • There’s a law that you have to have a phone number, a company that’s running the camera … --”I’ve never heard of such a law.”
  • I don’t have any problem with cameras in the yard, or in the shop if used only after-hours. Not appropriate when shop is running …
  • We know this will be a problem at BWN yard, we should be prepared
  • Possible to get a shipping container? Great for storage. Secure.
  • notes from Alex H: -security should be used if and when needed. This may not apply to us. The current system has weaknesses (volunteers need to disarm, Chris needs to be by a phone). The flimsiness of the BWN door jam lock is a bigger issue. Also, security system should be advertised to the public. Regarding indoor cams: consider the message to patrons [--maybe just not when we’re open? --but we’re in there at all kinds of weird hours.]
  • in the past, people with keys have slept here, etc. That’s an issue for the feelings of other volunteers.
  • from BWN: Need to be kept in the loop about changes, when the alarm is supposed to be down, when the wall computers are supposed to be left on, etc. That would be a big help.
  • There should be notification about cameras being turned on.
  • More fundamentally: the cameras are not effective to identify a person-- so are they useful? You can say “there’s a person in that room,” but if it can’t be used for its intended purpose.
  • Is theft from the shop a problem? Coreen: yes. With cash. So we are going to have to look to that. I don’t want to use surveillance to do that-- I’m not personally comfortable with that, but it may be necessary as last resort.
  • If we have cameras over the shop, they should be over the cash drawer, and of sufficent quality.
  • Coreen: I do want cash-outs every day.
  • How often has cash-out been? --daily to bi-weekly --Consistency there may go even further than a security camera.
  • Claire: Sometimes we take in little cash … that’s a little much for volunteers to do … alternative: Well, I like that we don’t have to count the float right now. A happy medium might be …
  • maybe if we just reconciled the bills and not the coin?
  • we’d have to get stricter with opening and closing time with patrons
  • any plans to have summer students? Yes...

5. Volunteer training/orientation

• We’ve covered a lot of this already. Coreen’s working on a 3h volunteer orientation, half on how to schedule yourself, do rentals, etc; the other half will be soft-skills, role plays re: difficult patrons, making an inclusive and welcoming space. What do you need training on?
• Will be added: how to use pumps, how to size a bicycle
• As a possibility: a volunteer contract, modelled on Calgary Good-Life. Makes sure everyone is on the same page on the rules (simple: the six rules on the door). Options: not at all, all volunteers, all volunteers with keys have to do this. --It seems like taking a big wedge to a small problem, maybe having some basic rules clearly expressed would be a good start. For me, the expectations have been vague. Idea: song we could all sign with the rules in it!! --Seconded. --The idea of a contract seems a little scary to some people.
  • Has there been a problem with people’s conduct? I can’t recall a problem. Well, with patrons … --There have been problems with shop used inappropriately, not huge problems
  • Need to stay aware of when we’re attracting volunteers, and when we’re training volunteers. A lot will drop out, so if you put hours into training people, that’s not good. Coreen: this is important for me to think about.
• Coreen: wanted to solicit help from current volunteers about training new volunteers. Idea: like a haunted house with stations! Idea: could pair people up (experienced/new), even just for one shift (or a week), a shadow shift. A go-to person for them to feel comfortable asking questions. Maybe a checklist of questions for them to go through over six weeks.
  • experience: Justin wasn’t there, Alex wasn’t there, she did have the expectation that she would be attached to someone.

6. Anything Else

• Chris has made up some written tests for mechanic certification → taking the mobile repair kit out to events, etc: “Yes, this person is qualified to do that.” We’re already lining up paid mechanic work for our volunteers. The test will be online. Coreen will let us know.
• Duncan: I took Master Composter. You learn a lot, including science and presentation skills, 3 wks, expected to volunteer 35h and report them back to the city. They get volunteers out into community. Any interest in getting the city to … --probably more of a board/staff idea
• how to identify volunteers in the shop --nametags? --red apron (but the customers don’t know what that means)
  • This has been an issue forever --lots of great ideas --they’re not happening, why?
  • I get concerned when ppl I don’t recognize go upstairs and I don’t know them.
  • Could they check in with someone?
  • random idea: some workplaces have an “in the office” thing with bobbleheads to see who’s there. Their pictures would be up. It’s not lame, it’s goofy.
  • ACTION ITEM: volunteer first names and pictures in a non-public location. --Micah volunteers to bottom-line it. This will be an ongoing thing.
  • public chalkboard/whiteboard with names of who’s in today. Or bring down their names/photos and put them somewhere! Maybe a magnetic whiteboard.
• we have an issue with communication. We do need to implement something. There’s a board up that nobody uses.
  • is email ok as primary? --I’m more likely to see an email --can get a little tired of all the comments about having a party, not, etc. From Coreen it’s Ok, but not so much the reply-all stuff.
  • do we need a separate list for discussions as opposed to Coreen’s official announcements?
  • maybe we can use ebc-core for that, and try to keep the volume down on ebc-bikeworks.
  • Coreen: I would like to continue some of this discussion over e-mail (sorry!)
  • Claire: don’t say sorry, I’m glad to see your emails!
  • Neil: as a board member I find the organic conversations really useful. It’s the only way we can get a sense of the larger community.
  • Claire: the dialogue I’d be interested in is about bikes, mechanics, projects! I’m not interested in the committee end, it doesn’t seem to be relevant to me.

7. Check-out

• I’m really glad this meeting happened, how was it for you.
• Duncan: I’m grateful for all the work, time, and effort volunteers but in.
• It’s been great, we should do another one.
• It’s good to clear the air on topics that are usually side discussions-- should become somewhat regular. Could cover the actual implementation of things in the future.
• Thanks to the board members who came out.
• Minutes will be on the wiki, because information wants to be free.
• BWN: topics were good. Being in two places is not good.
• Grateful for all of Coreen’s hard work.
• Future discussions should move from discussion to action. --That might happen if we start with clearer questions? --Yes, or just a commitment to that happening.
• Future meeting could be facilitated to → action items, etc. We should think more about facilitation for a future volunteer meeting.
• Pick something out and make it a project for the next meeting.
• The transition over 3-4 years to being a larger org: the board is going away from what it used to be; there’s a gap between the ppl on the floor and the policy stuff the board is talking about. Bikeworks needs committees working on issues. I’d like to see committees, or working groups, on each of these things.
• Coreen, you do have a lot of help available, don’t be afraid to ask via the email list.