Mark, There's no way we *cannot* do electrical renos. We are suffering because our space is unusable. The idea is that if we do this work we will have a more attractive space and will bring in more users.
We must look into how we can operate and do the reno work as well. On 12 October 2012 12:13, Justin Lacko <[email protected]> wrote: > Someone = me :P > Mark, we're having a meeting on Sat at 3PM to discuss budget. Could > you please come? I think your opinions would be helpful to the group. > > On 12 October 2012 12:03, Mark Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Also the $1k annual deduction may be able to be changed into $100 off our >>> base monthly rent, >>> meaning paying $1400 instead of $1500. >> >> >> Ah yes, finally somebody outed the rent number that was deemed too sensitive >> to discuss in public. Those are of course the floor wide numbers -- we >> should keep our discussion here always in Skullspace terms. ($787.50 a month >> + $500 annual credit) >> >> Now I don't have to post a censorsed budget on list and an uncensored one >> next a jelly bean jar (who went and looked at it when it was there?) >> >> Here's a budget with the rent included folks, with some changes: >> http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16487130/skullspace_budget.pdf >> >> I've assumed that the $500 annual credit (our 50% share) isn't going to >> change, so I've penciled it in as $42 a month that we're going to recieve >> and $42 a month in extra common area electricty costs we're going to assume. >> >> Here's the big change: I've *cut* the renovations out of this budget which >> was previously an initial $1500 down payment plus $369 a month on loan >> payments for 18 month. >> >> I assume under this plan that we just hire an electrician to replace our >> dead light fixtures (~$300?) and otherwise engange in no further electrical >> renovations and live with the space as it is until there is a sufficient >> combination of: >> * ear-marked donations >> * grants recieved >> * demonstrated improvment in operational cash flow to service a loan >> >> The prior electrical estimates were on the asusmption of once we had >> improved our electrical -- I assumed with more capacity we'd end up using >> more, especially in the summer with more capacity to put A/C online. Now I'm >> assuming that our use will only be $400 a month June-August (down from $500 >> in prior post) and $250 in other months (Down from $300) >> >> These cuts allow us to have a $450 a month discretionary budget, which is >> pretty good compared to the zero projected before. >> >> The /Jenkins plan/ was to boost membership revenues after doing the >> electrical renovations so we could afford them and still have a >> discretionary budget. >> >> The /SnikneJ plan/ is to say that current operational revenues (dues, >> fundraising, and junk food) can not be used to fund major renovations and >> are 100% allocated to operating expenses (rent/utils) and discretionary >> spending. >> >> Electrical renovations will need to fund themselves or wait until the >> operational revenues grow enough such that they can be used to fund it. >> >> >> I'd ready to support /Jenkins/ or /SnikneJ/ . >> >> I'm not currently in favour of what I see as our other three options: >> 1. Accept this lease and do major electrical renovations with a loan and >> end up with no discretionary spending and no wiggle room >> 2. Move somewhere else >> >> Its funny when folks bring up moving somewhere else and they end up posting >> a space to illustrate this with a much higher rent in absolute terms. >> (higher cost per square foot but less space is what it's going to have to >> be) >> >> Any other options that folks raise for either illustration or as a serrious >> suggestion must be cheaper than $787.50 per month with GST + utils extra or >> cheaper than $1330 with utils included. And in all cases >> >> And I'm assuming management fees, property taxes, and landlords insurance >> are included as they are here -- some folks out there advertise their net >> rent, which is the actual amount the landlord ends up with and in reality >> the tennants pay more because a share of the bills for management, property >> taxes, and insurance are also passed on top of the "rent". >> >> >> So, here's the four options in my preferred order: >> 1. boost membership revenue (Jenkins plan or other variation) >> 2. cut major electrical renovations (SnikneJ plan) >> 3. move (likely somewhere smaller so rent is smaller in absolute terms) >> 4. eat these new costs and do major electrical renovations funded out of >> operational revenue and live on the edge (suicide plan!) >> >> What's your prefered order folks! Perhaps we can put this to some kind of >> preference voting system? >> >> (unfortunately, no preference voting system exists or will ever exist that >> guarantees a particular choice is supported by the majority when there are >> more than two choices -- so whichever system we choose could have a bias >> towards particular choices and a majority may be unhappy with the result >> voted in by a minority, but such is a result imposed by math. >> >> See >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_paradox >> >> and >> >> Joseph Heath >> http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/%7Ejheath/Oldch11.pdf >> """It’s difficult to think of a single social problem that some relatively >> large constituency on the left doesn’t think can be solved by “more >> democracy." >> """ >> ) >> >> >> As for future bullying, with the six-month clause no longer being at-will >> we'll be a much better position. If they ever tried to change the deal on us >> again I'd want to at least ask a lawyer how large a judgement we could >> expect in terms of being compensated for the damages by a lock-out and how >> much we'd get in punative damanges. Even after the lawyer takes a big share, >> we'd want to see if punative damages could be high enough to leave us in a >> great financial position that would make the suffering caused by a lock-out >> worthwhile. For sure we'd want to go to court if we knew the punative >> damanges we'd be awared minus legal fees would be enough to have 1/3 the >> cost of a building of our own which is a commercial grade downpayment with a >> bank) >> >> I don't see why our landlord would lock us out right now and risk being >> nailed in court because they can just use the 6 month clause to get rid of >> us -- so having our day in court is a non-option. >> >> Refusing to sign the proposed lease is equivilent to choosing to move option >> (in six months). It seems the landlord would rather loose money on a vacancy >> than lose money on this utility bill they originally agreed to cover. >> >> [I would have favoured holding them accountable (in court if needed) for >> thier own communication mistakes and failure to read, grasp, and understand >> the lease and management contracts if it weren't for the six month at-will >> clause which makes all that moot] >> >> >> Mark >> _______________________________________________ >> SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List >> Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss >> Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ _______________________________________________ SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/
