Board of Directors Meeting 20150716

This meeting will be held in Modified SRC3 format.

Time, location

19:00, Google Hangout

Prior minutes

Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20150621#Minutes

Buy a new server to replace aging server (Robert Davidson)

Problem: Woodshop and the Machine Shop committee have made the move to used a shared server that is remotely accessible to allow members to use the equipment. The current server is roughly 7 years old and had a hardware failure recently effectively shutting down the CNC Router and Haas Mill.

Solution: Purchase server upgrades costing up to $12k that will give us the CPU power and reliability to handle an increased load on the jump environment. Cap previous allocation of FM spending at $5k and don't perform optional items (potentially keeping equipment tagged).

Relevance to our tax exempt purpose: We are building a system that allows members access the jump environment remotely and locally to use DMS resources this allows us to use low cost endpoints that just require Microsoft RDP. We are approaching 1K members and we will need something that can scale we are currently at capacity and we are just starting out using the jump environment. This server will also be used for classes so we can use the jump server.

Minutes

Andrew LeCody changed the topic to BoD Meeting July 16th, 2015

Andrew LeCody - 7:31 PM
Ok, roll call
Present

Alex Rhodes - 7:31 PM
Present

Benjamin Groves - 7:31 PM
Present

Robert Davidson - 7:31 PM
Present 

Kent Bowling - 7:32 PM
Present

Andrew LeCody - 7:32 PM
All board members are present
First order of business is voting to waive the standard notice. All in favor say "aye"
aye

Robert Davidson - 7:33 PM
Aye

Benjamin Groves - 7:33 PM
Aye

Kent Bowling - 7:33 PM
Aye

Alex Rhodes - 7:33 PM
aye

Andrew LeCody - 7:33 PM
All Board Members waive consent on notification, meeting can proceed
do we have an agenda page for this one?

Robert Davidson - 7:34 PM
Not yet but we can clone one
Kent is going to clone it

Andrew LeCody - 7:34 PM
ok cool, Robert, do you want to present the agenda item?

Robert Davidson - 7:34 PM
Give me just a sec 
Alright so a little about the current situation 
What we had 3 host VM (All used) and they were connected together
and then FreeNas was installed on another old server
and had 5-7 TB on it
The Failure was due to the fact we had 3 Drive failures 
We tried to install new ones but were too late
and lost the drives and caused a failure 
We have lost the AD environment and the jump servers as well as the ability to take new members
The issue is reliability and performance we have tried to to augment with used gear

Kent Bowling - 7:40 PM
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors_Meeting_20150716

Andrew LeCody - 7:40 PM
Thanks Kent

Robert Davidson - 7:40 PM
we can no longer do that....
The outage is just to harsh so the intent is to updaged the server and Storage enviornment
The server is approx 8K plus we need to upgrade storage and come up with backups. Also need Licensing for the members and new server 2012 R2 Licenses 
I am proposing we allocate up 12K for these upgrades to infrastructure.  
I realize it's expensive but want something that will allow us to grow and fulfill our mission while providing uptime and reliability

Andrew LeCody - 7:47 PM
my main question is to Ben, is this something we can afford right now?

Kent Bowling - 7:47 PM
so basic summary of hardware?

Robert Davidson - 7:48 PM
On the cash front there is a (Potential) confirmed but still don't have it hands on but brooks and I are going to be selling servers from the donation
I don't know what we will get but I suspect 5-10K
this is the list i sent a month ago

Benjamin Groves - 7:49 PM
I do not feel we can afford this at this time, in light of our working with the Fire Marshall report and other upcoming expenses (potential tax handling). Also note we are hit with a latent $6000 payment for an air compressor.

Kent Bowling - 7:50 PM
the 6k was already in the books though right? so didn't affect our "calculated" balances, right?

Benjamin Groves - 7:51 PM
My recommendation is to talk this out better next week at the board meeting. With the intention that we will have more context at that time.

Alex Rhodes - 7:51 PM
That pushes a lot of things out
I am already getting emails asking about the CNC
its esentially useless right now

Kent Bowling - 7:52 PM
what is the additional context? CPA pricing?

Benjamin Groves - 7:52 PM
Aye, CPA pricing. I am expecting a quote.

Alex Rhodes - 7:53 PM
I have no problem pushing back other things such as paint room or even Plasma

Kent Bowling - 7:53 PM
and plasma and paint would be the only big FM expenses

Robert Davidson - 7:53 PM
I would not expect the quote on accounting to go over 1 week of lab
1 week of labor
   onsulting Rates are $110 - $155 per hour
Here is there consulting rate

Benjamin Groves - 7:54 PM
This is the second major lapse of forethought on the CNC router, the first being $10k of power handling.

Andrew LeCody - 7:55 PM
it should be pointed out that the outage affects the RFID system too

Alex Rhodes - 7:55 PM
Not entirely

Andrew LeCody - 7:55 PM
no new badges have been added since it went down

Alex Rhodes - 7:55 PM
we only went this route for the cnc because it was proposed as an option
and the the 10K wasnt just power for the CNC

Benjamin Groves - 7:58 PM
Plan ahead. Eat some crow when you don't.

Kent Bowling - 7:59 PM
I honestly think we have no required FM expenditures, landlord handling fire alarm, kiln venting will almost certainly not be required, keep plasma and paint room tagged. I'd rather have this stuff than either plasma or paint

Andrew LeCody - 8:00 PM
I agree with Kent, I'd rather shut down plasma/painting temporarily than have infrastructure offline

Robert Davidson - 8:00 PM
I agree

Andrew LeCody - 8:00 PM
I'm still hesitant to spend $12k

Robert Davidson - 8:01 PM
I will do my best to make as much back with the server donation 

Andrew LeCody - 8:01 PM
but, if the proposal includes nullifying the previous authorization for FM related spending, I'd be on board
or caps that spending

Robert Davidson - 8:01 PM
I am not sure I want to nullify yet... but I could cap it 
Honestly need him to call me back
the FM
but as of today the Fire Alarm is confirmed paid for by the landlord

Benjamin Groves - 8:03 PM
Okay, I can buy into this. We have been slowly pushing for server upgrades for awhile now. This is on the condition of curbing any major spending (> 2.5k) for 3 months, and committee requests will be denied (at least by me) next week.

Robert Davidson - 8:04 PM
I am not sure we can push back welding for 3 months
we are coming up with solutions now on that front

Benjamin Groves - 8:04 PM
That is no more than a gentlemen's agreement.

Alex Rhodes - 8:04 PM
I cant agree to that

Benjamin Groves - 8:04 PM
Welding can start slowly like woodshop did.

Andrew LeCody - 8:04 PM
3 months may be excessive, but I agree we need to build a buffer back up
perhaps we should set a goal amount to save up, and cap monthly spending until the goal is reached

Benjamin Groves - 8:05 PM
On risk of our financial foundation, I cannot approve this proposal otherwise.

Andrew LeCody - 8:05 PM
e.g. 50k in savings and 3k/mo
that's 3k of new allocations

Alex Rhodes - 8:06 PM
The welding hood alone is 3K

Andrew LeCody - 8:07 PM
I just picked 3k out of the air
I'm open to alt suggestions of course

Robert Davidson - 8:08 PM
I am down to push paint out 3 months

Andrew LeCody - 8:08 PM
I'm just trying think of a way to balance out our needs
financial security of the org vs the immediate needs of keeping usable

Robert Davidson - 8:08 PM
We also really need to see how much I will make from th e server sell
It will be considerable assuming we get them
I have no reason to believe we wont
but Also not betting that we will

Benjamin Groves - 8:09 PM
Then we vote again proper when you have those numbers.

Robert Davidson - 8:10 PM
I can't do that either we need to get this gear on premise I will already need to Next Day the hardware about 200 
We need to get it up and running or people will leave
I don't want a culture of downtime we have worked our asses off to get it better
it does not take alot of downtime to cause really bad mojo

Alex Rhodes - 8:11 PM
agreed

Benjamin Groves - 8:12 PM
Then take the hit and don't do it again. I wrote the hinges of my agreement above.
Mind I of one vote of five. Steamroller me.

Alex Rhodes - 8:13 PM
what hit, a downtime hit?

Benjamin Groves - 8:14 PM
Aye for a week till we have a tighter plan and more context of the factors we need to weigh.

Alex Rhodes - 8:14 PM
we have already been down 5 days

Andrew LeCody - 8:15 PM
how about we authorize this, but cap the previously uncapped FM spending to $3 or 5k?
since it looks like we won't have much FM spending

Robert Davidson - 8:16 PM
Ok 5K and done 
I am trying to get plasma vent under 5K
I have no issue holding back paint

Kent Bowling - 8:16 PM
fine with that

Alex Rhodes - 8:16 PM
I say we just say the vent.

Benjamin Groves - 8:16 PM
In all seriousness, I feel we have been spending liberally and we need to curb. This is the pinch that happens.

Kent Bowling - 8:17 PM
totally happy capping FM allocation and keeping plasma and painting tagged

Benjamin Groves - 8:17 PM
We don't even own the plasma. Why vent it? Does it get that much usage? I would say less than science.

Robert Davidson - 8:18 PM
People want it....
They join for it
check out the talk post
was a learning curve for me as well

Alex Rhodes - 8:18 PM
i disagree with science

Benjamin Groves - 8:18 PM
FM spending is non negotiable. We don't do, we get shut down.

Kent Bowling - 8:19 PM
FM allocation can be dropped down, stuff stays tagged

Benjamin Groves - 8:19 PM
Plasma cutter gets more use than science area?

Alex Rhodes - 8:19 PM
yes

Robert Davidson - 8:19 PM
For sure

Kent Bowling - 8:19 PM
we don't HAVE to have a paint room or a plasma for now

Benjamin Groves - 8:20 PM
I don't see it. About once every six months, stint cuts something.
...Someone...

Robert Davidson - 8:20 PM
Check out the talk post
if you have not read it
it' s pretty eye opening
the poll post

Benjamin Groves - 8:20 PM
No, not right now.

Alex Rhodes - 8:20 PM
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/poll-plasma-ventilation-or-paint-room/4050

Robert Davidson - 8:21 PM
We are adjusting the agenda item to to cap the FM spending to 5K

Benjamin Groves - 8:21 PM
This proposal has the earmarks of panic spending. I am not for it.

Alex Rhodes - 8:22 PM
server has been on previous agendas
its not new

Benjamin Groves - 8:22 PM
I agree to that.
But the short notice and the "OMG, we did not see this coming, we must spend"

Robert Davidson - 8:23 PM
" Purchase server upgrades that costing up to $12k that will give us the CPU power and reliability to handle an increased load on the jump environment. Cap previous allocation of FM spending at $5k and don't perform optional items that keep equipment tagged."
hold up just 1 tweak
Actually I did see this coming
that's why it was on the agenda months ago
What I was trying to prevent happened

Benjamin Groves - 8:24 PM
I still say that if FM is over $5k, we don't really have a choice.

Kent Bowling - 8:24 PM
"Purchase server upgrades costing up to $12k that will give us the CPU power and reliability to handle an increased load on the jump environment. Cap previous allocation of FM spending at $5k and don't perform optional items (potentially keeping equipment tagged)."

Robert Davidson - 8:25 PM
Works fo rme
for me

Benjamin Groves - 8:25 PM
I agree with Robert's statement. Why is that on fire right now and pulling me away from my life?

Robert Davidson - 8:26 PM
I propose as written on the agenda
be sure to F5 agenda
we updated to include andrews recomendation

Andrew LeCody - 8:26 PM
Solution: Purchase server upgrades costing up to $12k that will give us the CPU power and reliability to handle an increased load on the jump environment. Cap previous allocation of FM spending at $5k and don't perform optional items (potentially keeping equipment tagged).

Alex Rhodes - 8:26 PM
second

Benjamin Groves - 8:26 PM
I am on a phone right now.

Robert Davidson - 8:26 PM
Vote is on the floor 

Benjamin Groves - 8:27 PM
Nay.

Robert Davidson - 8:27 PM
Aye 

Alex Rhodes - 8:27 PM
aye

Andrew LeCody - 8:28 PM
Aye, but I'm going to oppose any more spending for two months

Kent Bowling - 8:28 PM
Aye

Benjamin Groves - 8:29 PM
Thx Andrew.

Andrew LeCody - 8:29 PM
Motion passed
Are there any more items to discuss?

Benjamin Groves - 8:29 PM
Later all.

Robert Davidson - 8:29 PM
Nope

Kent Bowling - 8:30 PM
thanks everyone

Andrew LeCody - 8:30 PM
Ok, meeting adjourned. Please archive this chat.

Alex Rhodes - 8:30 PM
thanks all 

Benjamin Groves - 8:30 PM
Thx

Approved Purchase Tracking

Below is a condensed list of purchasing decisions made by the Board of Directors (above), and the status of these action items.