General Meeting 8/16/06 minutes

Attached is a PDF of the minutes of our last GoBiodiesel General  
Meeting, held at the Kennedy School on August 16, 2006.

They are also posted online at:

http://www.gobiodiesel.org/index.php?title=General_Meeting_Minutes

Feel free to edit and correct as needed, in case I missed something  
(most likely) or misrepresented someone's comments.





Low tech:

And here is a text version of the minutes for those without a good  
web browser or a PDF reader:


==Next Actions==
*Need oil collection help. Contact Eli.
*Need a member interested in being a Work Party Coordinator
**This person would be in charge of safety during work parties,  
handle site overview and coordination between oil support, and be a  
greeter for work parties. Interested members should email pdx-biodiesel.
*Need mechanically-inclined self-starters to help build Methanol  
Recovery Still. Email mixmasters.
*Need volunteer to make sign for site. email pdx-biodiesel.
*Need to take advantage of offer for free electrical work.
*Need to upgrade electrical box to higher amperage.
*Prepare financial statements as PDFs to be posted regularly to web  
site.
*Investigate creation of new Safety Subcommittee. Members interested  
in helping should email pdx-biodiesel.

To sign up for other mailing lists visit:
http://lists.gobiodiesel.org

==Questions Unresolved==
*How to handle responsibilities of GM while that position remains  
unfulfilled.
*How best to coordinate filling work needs with members.
*Fine tuning how are Karma points earned?
*How to dispose of concrete on site?
*More thought needs to be given to spill containment.
*What is the status with fund-raising?

==Current Projects==
*Upgrading the processor to increase capacity.
*Building Methanol Recovery Still
*Finalize Site Plans with updated spill containage concerns
*Exploring the creation of a new Safety Subcommittee
*Experimenting with glycerin by-product as site degreaser
*Exploring uses for glycerin by-product
*Washing and recycling of stock-piled 5 gallon oil containers.
*Rolling out Karma Tracker for recording member work hours.
*Finalizing liability insurance.
*New bookkeeper, Kathy, is getting accounts up-to-date.
*Coop has ~$3,000 in bank. Close to becoming a profitable operation.
*Biodiesel Bash pushed back to October.


==Attending:==
* Patty & Carey
* Matt
* Felix
* Seth
* Amanda
* Kathy & Ron
* Chat
* Zac
* Jim
* Ian


==Mixmasters - Seth==
** Update of production and sales:
** May - no production or sales
** June - produced 100 gallons; sold 63
** July - produced 220 gallons; sold 124
** August - (so far) produced 220 gallons but not ready because of  
water issues; sold 680 of waste vegetable oil
** Processor upgrade moving forward
** Our 200 gallon batch system is 3/4 complete
** We currently produce 50 gallons each work session but we wash/dry  
up to 200 gallons per session.
** Processor upgrade will increase capacity for heating oil in 100  
gallon batches, which will mean 200 gallons produced each week!
*

==Oil Collection - Brian ==
(no subcommittee members present but Brian spoke)

** We need volunteers to pick up oil.
**	 talk to Eli - co-chair for the Greasemasters subcommittee
**	 volunteers should email Eli directly not the list. Email  
[email protected]
* Oil Supprt - Matt
** working on washing and recycling 5 gallon containers
* Utilities - no subcommittee members present


==Tech - Seth==
*Seth believes that at some point the Tech and Utilities  
subcommittees were rolled together

==Co-Products - Ian==
*20% of the biodiesel production results in glycerin by-product  
containing impurities and methanol.
*The Coop is working on a methanol still to remove methanol from the  
glycerin by-product and recover it for re-use.
*Looked at just boiling off methanol into air but this process is  
dangerous (because of the fumes) and environmentally unfriendly.
*Co-Products is experimenting with glycerin to develop a site  
degreaser liquid.

==Research - Seth==

===Methanol Recovery Still===
*We are working on design plan for methanol still.
*We are also trying to centralize our oil collection to reduce build  
up of oil containers.
*We need people who are mechanically inclined to help us adapt a  
water heater into our methanol distiller.

We specifically want people who can "turn bolts", work with pipes,  
fittings, etc and who are self-starters. Right now, only five of us  
can put such systems together.

Seth found an apparatus to use as a reflux tower (the unit where the  
methanol fumes would be cooled and condensed back into liquid).

Seth has a source for a methanol distilling tower from Anne McKracken  
(sp?).

We also just received another hot water tank, which we can perhaps  
connect to the methanol tower to form a distillery. There are issues  
about it's height, etc.
It was agreed that Seth would tell Anne the Coop would purchase the  
tower.

==Processor Expansion==
* This is another big project.

==Site Permits==
*Working on design for spill containage, essentially the floor of the  
work area will be cement with a 6" pony wall.

==Karma Tracker==

*This is a system for tracking the hours that members work.
*Hours apply towards the number of gallons of fuel that members can  
purchase at the discounted price.
*Karma tracker is an online form that allows members to log their  
hours from a web browser.

According to Brian, the Karma tracker is live. He said he plans to  
post information in the next few days about how to use it.

Brian said that the coop still needs to figure out how Karma points  
are earned.

Inreach - no subcommittee members present



==Board - Chat==
*Has finalized most of the liability insurance issues.

We have active coverage for basic accidents on our site and  
protection from lawsuits. The policy does not cover clean-up of  
spills, but the basic liability stuff is covered.

==Site - Brian==
*DEQ has been to the site many times and is happy with our conformance.
*The City of Milwaukee pointed out that we need to maintain our  
record of not spilling anything. The inspector was literally looking  
around the site for evidence of spills.
*Right now spill containment is voluntary, but someday the  
legislature might pass a law to mandate spill containment.
*We need to think more about spill containment.

*The inspectors also mentioned issue of rat harborage.
Our site is on a creek and there are rats. They mentioned mitigating  
things like stacks of concrete (a regular rat condo)

* We need to dispose of concrete or process it in some way
* Also we need to move the fuel pump around the corner so that no one  
is blocking the road while getting fuel.

There is some question about whether the road in front of the site is  
a private or a public county road. We need to find out so we can  
determine whether people will be allowed to turn around at the end of  
the road (currently an issue with the adjacent property owner).
They would like us to put up a sign for the site. We would like to  
have two signs, one on the fence and one on the road.
*We need someone to make the sign for the fence

==Member Services/Outreach - Mitch is in San Diego==

==Fund Raising - Ian==
===The Biodiesel Bash was delayed.===
*(e.g. from Sophia 8/9/06:
"The Lola's Room Biodiesel Bash has been rescheduled to sometime in  
October in order to get some great local bands on board.  Stay tuned  
for the details.
In the meantime, please let us know if you have any auction items to
donate to our cause.")

===Brick Drive===
*These are bricks which people can purchase.
*They will have their names engraved on them and be used in some  
structure on the site.





==Processor Upgrade - Seth==
*Power issues are our biggest stumbling block to upgrade processor.  
We can't enough oil fast enough
*Felix and Seth are setting up tower for heating elements
*We're only working with 20 amps of power.
* Need to install meter immediately and get connex permitted
*We need 100 amps minimum in next 1-2 months
*We can't do 400 gallons per month on 20 amps!

==Site Planning - Felix==

*In the process to complete the code review of site design and new  
processor design.
*The Coop must make fire and building code.

===Spill containment===
This issue will impact our design. We will have a 20X20 sump, one  
foot to 18" high to be inside, basically a concrete pad with a pony  
wall. Felix and Seth have discussed this at length. If we do  
containment properly, we are clear to ramp up to maybe 600 gallons/ 
month.
It's quite a bit of money to pour concrete.
* Need to figure out steps for pouring concrete pad and building wall
*Seth suggested billing it out to a contractor, so that it can be  
done properly with adequate drainage and done to code.

==Free Wiring Work===
*We have an offer for free wiring work. We need to take advantage of  
that offer.
*Felix suggested we put in a 200 amp panel, planning ahead.
*Felix called the city and found that there is no specific permit for  
our address. Need help on that point.
* Reiterated neeed for members to help turn the water heater into a  
still. Starting work this Friday 8/18/06 at 9 am!

==New Business/Financial - Brian==
*Financial update given; Kathy is our new bookkeeper.
*We are using new web-based accounting package.
*Kathy auditing and updating records, as well as filling out IRS  
forms for taxes.
*We should be able to cut checks faster
*We currently have around $3,000 in the bank.

We are also very close to becoming a profitable operation. We're  
operating on a very small deficit. With the proper fund-raising and,  
of course, ramping up on fuel production, we could be making a profit.

We will prepare regular PDFs of the financial statements and post  
them on the site in the next months.

*Seth said that Pete and Hannah have money to give to Kathy.
*Ian asked "How active is fund-raising?" No clear answer here.

==GM transition - Brian==



*Michael, the GM of the coop for the past year, is moving on and we  
still have noone to fill the spot.

We either need to find someone to fill this position or we need to  
break up the GM responsibilities into several positions (as Ian  
suggested). There was quite a bit of animated discussion about this  
latter topic. Brian insisted that the Coop cannot afford to pay for a  
paid GM position right now.
*"We are already paying Seth to manage production."

*Carey suggested that you tie compensation to fuel allotage.
*Felix added that we might also consider adding a surchage to the  
fuel price to raise money towards the processor upgrade.
*Seth reiterated that until we can afford a GM position, we need to  
"self-motivate".

===Major GM Responsibilities===

*The group identified the major GM tasks:
**Work Party Coordinator
***someone to faciliate members working on site
**Co-Chair Communication
***Managing coordination between the many subcommittees
***Specifically collecting updates from each committee chair and  
making sure the committee is making progress on its stated goals
**Email Responder
***Someone to answer incoming emails from members and non-members
***basically be there to answer questions and make sure concerns get  
addressed
**Media Contacts
***a public face of the Coop who can talk with media or other  
organizations
**Budget Coordinator
***Someone to manage the Coop's budget and coordinate the costs of  
subcommittee activities so that the budget is maintained.

Apparently, there are three people currently interested in the Site  
Coordinator position.
Seth addressed this saying that we could have 3 or 4 people who  
rotate the Site Coordinator position.



==Quarterly Strategy and Planning - Seth==
*Need to work on the assigning of tasks.
*Katie has a phone tree.
* Ian volunteered to talk to Katie regarding handling the phone tree.
*Discussed ways to assign volunteers:
**Felix mentioned that whatever is done, we should avoid volunteers  
getting several calls a week.
**Zac volunteered to post things on Wiki to get it more accurate and  
up-to-date, *but not to coordinate the collection of that  
information*. Just to post it.

==Safety - Ian==

At the last Co-products subcommittee meeting, many issues regarding  
safety arose, especially in context of distilling methanol.

(Seth has mentioned before that the people involved with methanol  
distillation should be carefully picked and be carefully trained.  
It's not a job that's open to just anyone.)

*Brian stated that we need site orientation for new members
*Seth said that we have developed safety plans but haven't  
implemented "site orientation".
*Seth further recommended Karen Crews (sp?) as a Safety Officer.

Ian/Zac/Amanda strongly recommended the coop establish a Safety  
subcommittee who can take ownership of safety issues, in terms of  
members actions on site, proper storage and handling of materials and  
regular inspections to meet safety codes.

Seth said that before each mixmaster work party he talks about what  
needs to be done, what are the safety issues and reiterating what  
safety protection needs to be worn (eye goggles, nitrite gloves, and  
particulate mask for working with lye.

*Brian thinks a good idea would be to make a video for site orientation.

The discussion evolved into Seth's need for a Work Party Coordinator,  
someone in charge of Safety, Site Overview and coordination between  
oil support, and a Greeter, someone who already has experience with  
the site and is comfortable with it.

* Amanda and Zac agreed to meet regarding the possible role and  
actions of a safety committee and report back to the group.

==Additional Topics Discussed

Matt mentioned that he is involved with the earthrace.net boat run  
around the world. The boat is running on alternative fuels: http:// 
www.earthrace.net/. It is due into San Francisco and will be open to  
the public 8/18-8/20. Matt is going down.
University of Idaho has a great biodiesel research facility: http:// 
www.uidaho.edu/bae/biodiesel