84th GA Minutes — 1-SEP-2012

Minutes: September 1, 2012 – Goldengate Restoration Project

Agenda:

I.           Welcome

II.         Occupy 1yr Anniversary (17-Sep)

III.       Proposals

IV.       Soliloquies

V.        Goldengate Issues

VI.       Announcements

 

Everyone introduced themselves, about 20 people. Three or four were Goldengate Restoration Project residents.

 

Occupy 1yr Anniversary (17-Sep):

• Waistline suggested we do a retrospective piece on the website.
• Someone (Jennifer?) suggested a parade
• Along with the parade, Sarah suggested gathering at Grand Circus Park
• Roseanne suggested a livestream of events coordinated with other events around the country
• Waistline and Erik will work with Roseanne on this

• Joseph suggested flyers be handed out during parade

 

Proposals:

Jennifer – Re-Imagine OccupyDetroit

• Inspired by Grace Lee Boggs and her Re-Imagine Detroit and Re-Imagine Work initiatives
• Discuss how to Re-Imagine OccupyDetroit at General Assembly on September 15
  • OD modeled on OccupyWallStreet, but OD has different aspirations
  • Need to reach out to new people, bring original members back
  • Camping in Grand Circus was a bad idea for Detroit – there are so many un-occupied buildings, focus should be on seizing those (Sarah)
  • Who will facilitate the meeting and bring community in? (Sarah)
  • Education should go with outreach
• Proposal approved

 

Sarah – Money for 5900 Bedbug Eradication

• 5900 Michigan Ave has a bedbug infestation
• Residents started rent-strike in protest
• Landlord agreed to fumigate
• Proposed:
  • OD offers $350 to assist with expenses
  • Help find washer and dryer for building
  • Purchase plastic bags and detergent
  • Rent a dumpster for disposal of infested furniture and clothing
  • Organize a potluck dinner to celebrate, raise money for landlord
  • Mural will be painted with tips for bedbug prevention (Sarah’s friend will paint it)
• Proposal approved

 

Sarah – Repay Sarah $200 she fronted for OccupyTheMidwest Conference

• $1500 was budgeted for event
  • not all receipts are in yet
  • not sure if all of budget was used
• Proposal approved

 

Sarah – Remove “OccupyDetroit Realty” sign at Goldengate due to rumors of sexual assault tolerated at Goldengate

• Sarah has heard there were incidents of sexual assault at Goldengate, but no action was taken to evict or punish attackers
  • Detroit has a “culture of rape”
  • Rakiba took issue with “culture of rape” notion, suggested we need to have a conversation about how to deal with assault/bad behavior in general
    • Bad actors are part of 99% everywhere
    • Community agreement required for ejecting bad actors
    • We brush bad under the rug to make nice
    • Need mediation process
• Erik mentioned there is a community agreement that outlines standards of behavior, but there is no mechanism to enforce it
• Rosenanne mentioned that there are two issues:
  • Dealing with the assault within Goldengate
  • OD’s policy for interacting with the community
• Shane stated that he lived at Goldengate for two months and never heard about sexual assaults there, and that he, and probably no one else at Goldengate, endorse sexual assault
• Hans state that lack of accountability leads to transgressions at Goldengate
• Erik said it would be premature for OD to abandon Goldengate, better to stay and be positive influence
  • Goldengate has been through dark times and improves every day
• Sarah: if assault happens, everything should stop; believes in transformative justice, not punishment
• Don: OccupyTuscon had similar issue – how does a “leaderless” movement handle transgression? Authority required?
• Sarah: Whole community needs to address it
• Jennifer: leaderful community
• Joseph: Goldengate needs anger management counseling by an outsider
• Waistline: in Civil Rights movement, transgressors were ejected
• Sarah: check out Restorative Justice Center
• Shane: things at Goldengate are improving
  • Got to keep ideas flowing and people involved
• Rakiba: it’s not about Goldengate, it’s about OccupyDetroit: pseudo hippie shit didn’t work in the past and won’t work now
  • “anything goes mentality” doomed
• Hans: Goldengate members need to be more involved with entire community
  • Community meetings not attended
• Zak: We need better security, i.e. locks on doors
  • Also need showers and plumbing
• Rakiba: OD can’t throw money at community without agreement for spending it in place
  • Photovoltaics at Goldengate were supposed to be installed with OD participation; as a teach-in
  • Erik: deadline to spend the OD money forced rush, so no teach-in organized
  • People can come participate at Goldengate any time
    • Rocket stoves will be built – OD can participate in that

 

Meeting cont’d, notes stop here because I had to leave at 2:30 PM — JMW