Facilities Meeting 2025-11-20

Agenda: https://pad.riseup.net/p/nVIx6yAFi1IEaFNhIGc9

attendance: lp, pcm, violet, jimmy (for the beginning)

Resulting Action Items from Meeting

• create sketch of bathroom hutch (@LP)
• interview pantry folks about their space / storage needs
• test booting presentation computer off usb linux live image
• investigate bluetooth presentation clickers
• investigate wireless hdmi dongles
• get additional mic stand
• get music stand for people to use at readings
• get new xlr cables
• create documentation & instructions on av equipment available PA
• investigate better community printer user experience
• develop proposal for cleaning station (@LP)
• brainstorm how to incentivize cleaning party attendance
• design first aid kit (@LP), see consumables page

Streamlining Consumables

• we need to document the baseline cost we’re starting w/ for consumables as a point of comparison
• list of consumables under consideration on the wiki

Soap

• lp reached out to the vermont soap people describing our needs and asking for recs and they never replied. maybe we can just request samples and try them out.
• soap needs:
  • floor
  • hands
  • surfaces
  • dishes
  • laundry
• lp: we could just do different concentrations of castille soaps for the different purposes
• vermont soap offers 5 gallons for $146 (+ $20 shipping?)

Sanitizer / Disinfectant

• we need less of this than soap

Paper Towels

• used by everyone in the space

First Aid Kits

• lp is against them and prefers to get a toolbox and stock it custom with stuff we get. more sustainable and dependable vs a first aid kit that’s just gonna be missing the most popular stuff most of the time.

• we should compile of list of things we want in our first aid kits

• we should have 3 kits:

  • gym
  • kitchen
  • basement

Garbage Bags

• lp: it would be good to standardize around rectangular rubbermaid slim jims (like we have in the kitchen) but they’re not cheap
• if we stopped moving the garbage cans around the space all the time we would have less recycling in the trash etc. we could label them and find them a home. they are constantly in the way.
• we need to get consensus on if it’s actually bad that the garbage cans are floating around
• buying garbage bags in bulk and getting the smallest bag that makes sense for the can would make the most financial sense
• should we have medium or heavy weight garbage bags
• iris: should we interview working groups about their waste disposal needs
  • dinner & pantries are the waste-generators

Cleaning Method & Tools

• lp wants to make a cleaning station next to the food pantry cabinet /

  • spray mop w/ a washable head
  • roller mop (sponge mop w/ the ringer built into the mop rather than the bucket)
  • vacuum
  • good dustpan that doesn’t fall over
  • good broom, to be replaced when it gets gnarly
  • labelled spray bottles that describe what they’re intended to be used for
  • and indication/sign that rags are available somewhere else
    • or should there be a separate rag supply
  • paper towels?

• iris: we already have mops & stuff, but it’s true that they’re inconvenient

• lp: string mops are better for large surfaces, but if we want more casual spontaneous cleaning, it’s not going to happen with the string mop because of how much prep it requires

• disagreement over whether we should depend on spontaneous cleaning vs more organized regular cleaning

• mop 1 or 2 times a month but should sweep more easily

• lp: for the basement used to always have a fresh rag on the spray mop and one hanging up to dry

• spray mops break more often

  Paths to increased cleanliness

• attaching to more activities & working groups

  • including rentals. make a better space reset plan that’s more specific about how the space should be put back to when it’s over
  • create a one-page pdf that has cleaning instructions & a furniture reset map
  • lp: “making the space more invitational and open is a larger contribution than any individual labor or money that you can contribute to the space“
  • lp: if you a regular user of the space then cleaning the space should be a regular part of their practice in the space
    • should we ask less labor of groups that are already doing intensive altruistic labor (like food pantry vs reading group)

• scheduling (like the rotating bathroom assignment)

  • iris: if the cleaning rotation works for the bathroom, why not the rest of the space?
  • p: we still don’t know if the bathroom cleaning is really working until it goes on longer and we see if the labor doesn’t fall on the same individuals within working groups etc
  • lp: we could have cleaning parties
    • “hey come clean we’ll have pizza” doesn’t sound appealing
    • what can do to actually incentivize people to show up to a cleaning party
  • cleaning after dinner is difficult because people leave and if there’s mopping going on it’s typically at 11pm

• encouraging via tools & layout (as discussed above)

Presentation & AV Support / Printer

• 2d printers sucks
• lp wants to buy a laserjet 4000 series printer off ebay. retro workhorse oldschool industria
  • this solves a reliability problem but not a usability problem
• if you don’t have an hdmi cable plugged in while you turn the computer on it turns off
• we should create documentation of the equipment we have to offer and how to use it
• we should get more xlr cables & mic stands
• baseline should be starting with making it easy allow two people to talk to each other at an event

Audio

• lp: could we turn what is currently the computer station into the AV / DJ booth and run cables through the floor over to speakers
  • for presentations, film screenings
  • cole is willing to donate a mixer and other av gear.
    • suggests that we have a smaller mixer at the computer station & route it over to the larger pa
  • generic bluetooth clicker thing would be good
  • pcm: maybe we should just invest in wireless hdmi. it might be lower video quality but someone who wants to be mobile around the space is probably showing a slide presentation or something and is not as concerned with pristine video quality
• should we mount the PA?
• what are the use-cases for av
  • film screenings
  • slideshow presentation
  • minimal musical acts
  • panel discussions
• should we claim an AV gear spot in the new community shelf space?
• iris: should we just go full wireless for the mics?

:::success for the computer station it seems adequate to run a single 1/8’’ → rca cable with an inline gain control under the floor

:::

:::success square milk crates fit in the ex-library shelving. let’s put one back there for our av equipment

:::

Presentation Computer

• let’s reinstall the os on the presentation computer *

• lp is taking the bolt home for the coworking booth

  • It's 3/8-16

Rapid Response Group

• should we ask people to join another group chat?
  • a local response signal group for people who within 10 minutes of the building and can help with emergency needs
  • needs to be scoped
    • “pantry needs help with sorting” ?
• iris expressed not wanting to be responsible for herding people anymore
  • lp: stop herding people

:::success community announcements should be used for emergency broadcasts, but there should be an effort to be concise, clear and timely. it’s broadcast only, so people cannot ask clarifying questions.

:::

• can we put a template for this similar to SALTUTE? that encourages following up once the emergency is solved?
• signage in the space
  • what to do in case of emergency
  • what to do if ice shows up
  • what to do if cops show up

Layout and Space Use

• pantry is a mess. we need to interview pantry rather than just tell them what to do

Bathroom

we could install metroshelving or wood in a hutch above the toilet. this could be used to reduce the need for storage in the metal cabinet near the gym / kitchen.

:::success lp will do sketch of the bathroom hutch

:::

Furniture Check-in

• the zippers are buster on the couch cushions
• the tables are missing a couple of bolts