Mechanics Minutes Feb 2005

Feb 8 05

Bike Kitchen Meeting

Present: Adrian, Spider, Liz Martin, Danger Gabe, Cat, Jon Raffa, Jesse B, Josh, Danger Gabe

9:30 Cat calls meeting to order

Agenda:

• Welder
• Brian’s Junk pile
• New hours/schedule commitment
• Work night (Adrian)
• Toolbox Policy
• Anti-Hipster Task Force Presentation
• Earn a Bike
• Housekeeping
• Website

1. Saftety Gabe gives Brian an ‘A’ for his web novel on getting rid of garbage (see email) proposes a dump run on Wed. 25 Feb. On Sat before, put out a free pile, then separate metal on Tuesday, then go to dump or Simco on Wed. Jon R. will go through junk pile to take frames for classes.
2. Adrian “totally” dropped the ball on scheduling a work night. Adrian claims that work night is every other third Thursday. We have usurped him and the next work night is Wednesday Feb 16^th from 7-9.
3. (Jesse went to the Dover club last Thursday and saw Agatha go home with Cloner Dave. It was intense. And really upsetting
4. We need to place an order. Add what you want to the order list on the bulletin board. We will finish the list and place the order on Monday the 14^th.
5. Jesse pointed out that Anyone can use the bike kitchen yahoo id to access the yahoo groups site. Usernameis thebikekitchen, password is Oberlin (shhh). This is useful to view files, and photos, etc.
6. Everyone is welcome to come be an aide at the classes, starting this Thursday. Due to high interest in the class, and the time commitment we will talk about paying teachers before next class.
7. Jon talked about the Youth bike Class. He explained the feather discussion circle, destruction of the feather, and his hippie tendencies. His fabrication threshold is being pushed back because Cloner Dave is adding kids to the class after they learn how to use a chop saw. When they reach the ‘glory day’ of welding, they will practice by welding crap frames into bike racks. Jon wants the BK or someone else to own a welder. In fact, he wants the BK to buy a MIG welder. We tentatively decided to allocate Jon up to $500. The welder task force (Jon, Adrian, and Spider) will get back to the BK via email with a proposal .We will also request from Cell that we keep the masks and gloves from the class.
8. Cat proposes to make a schedule. Adrian will open on Tuesdays Josh will try to be there on Tuesdays, but will be leaving for the summer in April. Spider will also show up on Tuesdays to help out. Let’s try to use the Yahoo groups calendar on the Internet. A discussion ensued on how to recruit more mechanics to run shifts. We will invite Julia to the next meeting, and add her to the list. D Gabes’ friend Andy and Ye Olde Seth are possibilities. Josh and Jesse are ‘on call’.
9. Toolbox Policy: Josh proposes Members use the boxes for free, and nonmembers use $5/day. Tools are counted and initialed by the mechanic, customer is responsible for tools lost. Sign up for toolboxes on a clipboard near the cage. Limit 1 hr on weekdays, 2 hr on Thursdays. Toolboxes for use during open hours only. Josh will make a tool list, Jesse will make a schedule/checklist and color-coded binder clips (small size). Try to do it by Tuesday. Additions to tool box?—we’ll buy the DCW 13-15 cone wrench. ID’s will be left in the register. For security we can lock them all together with a cable and lock (Spider will donate the cable, we’ll order a disc lock through Wilson or buy it at the hardware store or at Boxdog. )
10. Anti-Hipster Task Force Presents: talked about changing our clientele. We noticed that last Saturday in the BK changed drastically from the am to the afternoon from no hipsters to an inaccessible sprawl of hipsters arrived after their vegan breakfast at Boogaloos. Propesed: put sign in table at the front to help facilitate easy sign in. Translate everything into Spanish. Cat wants always to create a nice space in the shop. The conversation spun off into a discussion of EAB. Gabe felt negative about the situation and didn’t know what tasks to give the EABers. Cat feels okay about having them help out in the shop and then giving them the means to make a bike. Jesse feels that to have the EABer have a good experience we need to limit the number in the shop. Gabe asked if the point was to teach them how to fix a bike to earn the bike or to have them help the shop. Ideas are an Earn a Bike night or else requiring EABer to be on time and stay to the end.

Ideas for targeted nights (maybe once a month), perhaps pay people, train more mechanics through classes, keep Saturdays as open shop hours. Possible targets: Family night, SFBC night, messengers, youth night, EAB night (perhaps in sessions gabe will think). Spanish night (gabe will start thinking about it with Forest long term plan)