I reworded request to be an increase in monthly allocation instead of a one time request.
For comparison, here are the current slush fund balances in qbo:
3D Fabrication $2,554.16
Amateur Radio $632.51
Automotive ~$200 (745.81 but there are a lot of pending transactions that will be applied on sunday)
Blacksmithing $1,021.73
Classroom $1,531.55
Creative Arts $2,281.61
Digital Media $2,120.64
Electronics & Robotics $2,934.93
Financial $1,525.94
Fired Arts $557.31
Hatchers $146.17
Infrastructure $960.68
Jewelry $818.85
Laser $10,368.26
Logistics $1,756.67
Machine Shop $3,374.69
Metal Shop $11,832.63
PR $824.32
Radio Control $877.06
Science $1,537.83
VECTOR $306.72
Wood Shop $3,499.65
Brandon, current committee balances aren’t slush funds since there are defined budget categories.
Not sure about the point you are making with the list beyond that you spent a fair bit of money on things like tools and the lemons project car
Monthly allocations are intended for consumable items, not capital items such as tools. I suggest that you prepare some detail for the board demonstrating what your consumable expenses are that aren’t being met by the existing allocation to automotive.
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This brings up larger interesting questions on self funding and financial planning per committee. Saving money is good, (I created agenda item at last board meeting to increase DMS savings rate by 50%), but should the individual committee be a long term savings account? My thought process was that money in auto committee fund has already been allocated for the purpose of improving the auto area, so instead of keeping a reserve of money that doesn’t improve Auto I went ahead and spent it on what I thought would effectively benefit Auto. Now that balance is low, I will try to make case to the board that auto is a good investment / use of funds.
Calling committee funds slush funds was making fun of the current trend of referring to any spending of money not voted on by a tribunal and executed by a third party purchasing officer through a series of competing bids as a slush fund. Auto balance is for spending on auto, so I don’t see how saying there being a positive balance = slush fund request.
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The constant use of the term slush fund is disingenuous. Director funds were originally called that and were relabeled as discretionary funds to make them more palatable. Committee funds are just that, a place for honorariums and allocations to hang out until the committee chair can use them for the benefit of the committee.
Please move the emergency discussion over to the new thread:
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/handling-emergency-needs-of-dms/10054/1
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In my experience (smallish hand) tools are somewhat consumable at DMS
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Yes, that is fair. I was just suggesting that you come to the meeting prepared with numbers and details to justify the request.
Probably all committees have this problem. Call it for what it is - a form of vandalism.
Walter is referring to me and it’s no secret or negative.
I met a person on tinder just like I have met people on a daily bases. We had a great conversation and they told me that they worked at Cintas.
I was like that is great, at the time I was focusing heavily on safety equipment so I asked for a quote to get more fire extinguishers as well as get a quote to get first aid stations and an AED station.
I can’t remember if I used director funds at the time to get the fire extinguishers inspected but it’s absolutely possible.
The AED was approved
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20150215
The First Aid Stations were approved here
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20150111
But going around saying that I acted with impropriety is absolutely ridiculous.
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Okay Robert lets look at why it is a negative and in fact a violation of the by laws.
And the meeting minutes for the AED as an example
and the second item you mentioned
Which is even worse since it is clear you actually voted on this one.
To be clear there is nothing wrong with DMS contracting with someone whom a board member has a potential conflict as long as that board member not be involved with the selection or management of that contract. Alex’s involvement with the person we hired to update Maker Manager and the honorarium system is a perfect example. He abstained from those votes, and is not the person who is determining if the delivered product meets our specs. Therefore there is no conflict of interest.
I reviewed every item you ever voted on as a board member and can find no indication you ever abstained from any of the contracts where you had prior relationships with the vender.
Now the old records don’t show who abstained, so you may have; however, simply by being the board member who proposed that the item be authorized as you wrote it was a violation of our by laws.
Robert there is a world of difference between identifying and talking with multiple potential vendors and discovering one your on a date with. The fact is that you violated our by laws concerning conflict, which I demonstrated quite clearly above, and almost certainly violated IRS regulations on the subject for a 401c corp…
Sorry, but it appears you did by your own admission. And if you note the by law section I quoted, the appearance is all that is necessary for you to be required to not vote of discuss the issue before the board.
Okay, I am tired of your constant insults whenever I challenge you on your behavior. I am calling on the board @Lampy @lukeiamyourfather @ESmith @AlexRhodes to note your abusive language and talk to you about curbing it.
I would prefer to not have to bring a formal complaint against a board member for violating our code of conduct and all of the drama that would entail. Unlike you I have not made this personal. I have been arguing facts not person. I didn’t even bring your name into this concerning the Cintas violation, you did.
Actually, you didn’t try anything, I volunteered and said at the time that I wanted a month to look at the data and effort and would confirm if I was up for it. There were several issues that prevented me from agreeing to accept the post, most notably was the fact that I was unwilling to sign off on last years tax return. I asssumed that would have been done by the Treasurer who prepared the information, Ben.
Curiously, no one, even Ben seems willing to sign off on that return, and you have volunteered, but only if an Accounting firm that you used to work for is the one to prepare the return.
Did I ever say I went on a date? We met at DMS to talk about DMS how do you think you heard about it? It was not a private event…
As well as for the medical it was not even her department it was a completely separate department with different people.
Stop spreading BS that you have no idea what you are talking about.
That’s correct I was an intern at PSK when I was in college and I value there input as well as they are the leading Non Profit accounting firm in the region. My job at DMS is to do anything and everything people are not willing to do to keep the. place running.
The other option is to shut down DMS and go home which I am not ready to do.
But having an audit/accounting firm confirm the books is my risk not yours so please stay out if it.
You said that you met her through Tinder, which is a dating app. I don’t care if you went out to dinner or not, your contact was through dating or at least the first stages of that. Or would you like to be Bill Clinton and start trying to redefine the word is?
Yes, you had a prior relationship which precludes YOU voting and discussing the item as a board member. There qualifications are irrelevant, I am talking about YOU violating our conflict of interest by laws. In a talk with @Lampy the other night he wasn’t even aware about your prior relationship so you didn’t even disclose it as your required to do.
Sorry, you may feel that way, but no one person is indispensable to DMS.
Sorry, the risk is for all members, so despite your arrogance on the subject I will not stay out of it. Nor do I object to having a qualified firm audit the books. My objection is to your violation of our by laws (not to mention federal laws and guidelines).
Walter, your behavior on Talk is abhorrent. Talk would unquestionably be better without your contributions.
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I believe your in a minority on that. I routinely have members I have never met or talked to come up to me an thank me for raising the points I do on talk. Which is where I suspect these numbers come from
I am also disturbed that you chose to chastise me, who has not launched any personal attacks, yet ignore Robert who has resorted to insults and foul language. I suggest that instead of chastising with someone you don’t agree with, yet who is acting civilly you focus on your fellow board member who is resorting to personal attacks and foul language.
I am not the first to receive this kind of attack from him either. As I said the board ought to take care of this.
You’ve done nothing in this thread but personally attack Robert. Hiding it in generic terms fools nobody.
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It’s tough enough to volunteer for this job and still remain on good terms with everyone. Please do not personally attack others to make a case for your opinion. Your facts should do nicely enough.
This started as a tool request thread?! We are seriously into the weeds now.
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Sorry, but your mistaken. I have been discussing the role of the board and our rules. It is Robert who has chosen to take the discussion personally. It is rather sad that folks can’t even recognize the difference between civil discussion and personal attacks.
Until, Robert admitted to the prior personal relationship, I had only rumors about it. Which is why I never named him. He chose to do that, and confirm the truth of the rumors. Frankly, I suspected he was more aware of the rules and law to have done so.
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Not commenting on the issue here, but I do want to point out, that becoming a Board member, means your each and every action is subject to examination and judgement by a whole host of people, beginning with the Membership, and ending with law enforcement authorities.
I don’t know the details of the issue with Robert that Walter is raising, but I see nothing personal in his desire to hold a Board member accountable for his actions (though his accounting may be incorrect), nor do I see anything personally insulting about his behavior. Knowing Robert I am hard pressed to assume he knowingly abused his position, but he’s also still learning about a complicated set of responsibilities, and it’s also possible he made an oopsie.
With respect to rising to the defense, shouting “How dare you” and otherwise trying to shut down the discussion with browbeating and threats, you should realize that the surest way to make someone look guilty of something, is to attempt to suppress all discussion about it.
If you want to assume big boy responsibilities, you damn sure better have your big boy underwear on.
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