Staff Minutes Dec 2025

Attendees

• Staff: Katia, Dave, David, Fred, Rico, Radford
• Volunteers: Danny, Olfert, JT

Announcements

• New board elected see results here: The Board
  • The Board can be reached via email: board@bikekitchen.org
• New code of conduct available. Please read and agree
• The security subgroup can be reached via email: concerns@bikekitchen.org
• The security subgroup has a proposed resolution for SH issue. Training class to be required. Picking the training is still in progress

Workshops

Discussion on creating workshops for volunteer and staff training:

• This has come up as several folks would like more training on bleeding hydraulic brakes which has become a more common task as these bikes have started to filter into the bike kitchen more frequently.
  • Katia is interested in leading a workshop on brake bleed and hydraulic brakes
• Other topics suggested:
  • Basic Orientation - This would not be useful for patrons since few people would come to a workshop before visiting. Improved signage would be helpful. However a orientation for new volunteers would be useful
  • Derailleurs / Shifting
  • Wheel Building

Staff Handbook Update

• Discussed proposed changes below
• Dave to send out comparison of changes when updates are complete

Vote to change handbook passed unanimously

Proposed changes:

Board

• Change links to bylaws and board members to a single link to the board page

Staff > Becoming staff:

• change "google list serve" to "volunteer online chat group". If you want to join, ask the greeter

Staff > Benefits

• change wholesale markup from 15% to 10%

Communication > Staff Email List

• change to "staff online chat group". You will be sent an invite when you become staff

People Who Use the BK:

• Change day use price from $6 to $5
• Change membership to remove used parts discount
• Change digging rights from $30 to $40

Parts > Stocking new parts

• Remove examples of seat binder and barrel adjuster since these are out of date

Parts > Used parts

• remove membership used parts discount

WTF Night

• Change to include NB

Pricing Update

• Discussed issues with current pricing, and proposed solution
• General agreement on the issues and desire to make changes and see if it helps
• Some interest in creating a colored sticker pricing to distinguish different pricing levels beyond 2, but not sure it would be worth the effort
• Additional change: Review current price list and bring it up to date with current bike parts and simplify where possible

Vote to update pricing passes unanimously

Proposed changes:

I'd like to update and simplify the used parts prices.  Currently we are charging a range from "nice" to "not so nice".  

• Concerns with current approach:
  • Patrons can get a different price on different days with different greeters or mechanics
  • No clear rules or accepted practice for what is "nice" and "not so nice"
  • Can be influenced by the greeter's bias (implicit or explicit).  Also patrons may feel that they are getting a different price than other people based on bias.
  • Falls short of clear pricing rules
  • 30% discount for members is difficult to calculate and hard to remember.  We don't seem to be applying this universally

• Suggested price changes:
  • Parts out in the shop will be "basic" used parts with the current "not so nice" pricing or perhaps a small increase if folks feel it makes sense
  • Parts stored behind the counter will be "special" used parts with the current "nice" pricing.
  • Special Bikes with price tags will be marked with a price that is 50% of the bicycle blue book value.  There will be a low price limit of $150 for these bikes.  Any bikes with a price tag less than that will be sold at $80 (membership + build-a-bike) or equivalent volunteer hours.
  • Square will be updated so that greeters can just select the part and the price is entered automatically
  • Remove 30% discount for members.  Perhaps we can replace it with something else?

Seat post puller tool

• Discussion around need for a more robust seat post puller tool.
• This would be a custom built tool that holds the frame at the bottom bracket and pulls the seat post out using a screw thread. Looks a bit like a guillotine
• (Editor's note: Example from Phil Vandelay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ8R_Dqk1u0)
• General agreement that this type of tool would be valuable
• May need to put on castors to move around shop
• Need to find a place to store it
• Egon has expressed interest in fabricating things

Community Outreach

• Radford has received some messages from some organizations who want to cooperate for various workshops or events.
• There was concern that there are no replies to our response messages. Without an active partner, the event won't be as successful collaboration
• We need to be clear about whether this is something beyond outreach about our normal operating hours and programs or a new program. (Build-a-bike vs give-aways)
• Re-opening Saturdays might be a good litmus test on whether we have volunteer capacity to do more.

Re-opening Saturdays

• Rico & Fred are interested in re-opening Saturdays
• Radford is interested to restart some time in January
• Suggested that we start with a soft open before we change hours everywhere

Courtyard / BK Parking Spaces

• Conflicts with residents / guests parking in our spots during open hours. We are unable to roll out the rickshaw, project bikes and set up our outdoor work stations
• We do have posted "No Parking" signs. We can call the number to get a tow truck, but this has been a slow response
• Suggestion: Put paper on cars parked saying these are BK spots, request that they leave their phone number so we can call them to move it

Courtyard / Bike Parking

• There is some conflict between patrons and residents with bikes parked in the courtyard.
• This is a long standing issue where bikes sometimes block the fire lane, poor or no signage on parking rules
• Radford is discussing adding bike parking spots with the building management
• There are MBTA on the sidewalk on Alabama street just outside the courtyard
• Suggestion: We could set out a designated portable bike rack and label it for customer parking
  • Anti-theft: Shouldn't be easily disassembled so bike locks can't be bypassed
  • Paint red or bright color or signed so that it obviously different from the project bikes
  • Lock the rack to the post

Last Entry

• Suggestion to formalize last entry for patrons who want to work on their bikes. This would ease the burden on greeters and help everyone get out on time.
• Discussions of whether it should be 15 minutes or 30 minutes before close

Cash Handling

• Rico has concerns about shared responsibility for cash handling during a shift.
• Rico would prefer that if he's running the cash register, that only he runs transactions for the shift
• CFO reports that we have not had any issues with cash theft recently. There are minor discrepancies between cash deposits and square, usually less than $100 over the course of a year of sales