Bylaws & Bylaw Appendix
HiP House Bylaws
1. Name. The name of this organization is Hillegass-Parker House. The northern building of the property shall be named Audrey and Hal Norton House.
2. Members. The members of the organization are all those who have contracts through the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) to live or board at the house. Between contract periods, the members are all those who have contracts for the preceding period and have not checked out, or have contracts for the following period and have checked in.
3. Meetings. Regular meetings are held when the house directs, but at least approximately every two weeks during the semester. They are mandatory. Special meetings, which are not mandatory, may be called with 24 hours notice by the president or any ten members. A majority of those voting (i.e., not abstaining), in person or by proxy, is enough to take any action except as otherwise provided in these bylaws.
4. Managers. The managers and their responsibilities are identified in the appendix to these bylaws. Board members hold their positions for the period specified by BSC bylaws. Other managers hold their positions for one semester or summer.
5. Elections. Elections of managers are by secret ballot. Each voter ranks the candidates running for the position. Candidates can be ranked equally to indicate that they are equally preferred. Not all have to be ranked; ranked candidates are considered preferred to unranked candidates. "None of the above" can be ranked as though it were a candidate; if it wins, no one is elected and a new election is held later. Ballots are tabulated using the Schulze method. If a computer program is used to tabulate ballots, the source code and the input given to it for each election must be available to any interested house member.
6. Removal of managers. A manager may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the entire house on a house ballot. Removal must be considered whenever any six members submit a complaint to the president (or, if the president is the subject of the complaint, to any manager). The submitters are anonymous, unless they choose not to be. The president (or other manager to whom the complaint is submitted) must read the complaint at the next regular meeting or at a special meeting called to hear the complaint. The house ballot must occur promptly after that meeting, and include the complaint and any response by the manager in question. The president (or other manager) and one nonmanager chosen at the meeting administer the distribution and counting of the ballots.
7. Quorum. Quorum is a third of the house. Members only present by proxy are not counted when determining quorum.
8. Proxies. Members may designate proxies to vote for them. Proxy designations must be in writing and only last for one meeting. Only other members may be designated as proxies.
9. Finance. Deciding to spend money requires two thirds of those voting.
10. House ballots. House ballots are used on any issue when the house so directs at a meeting, and when otherwise required by these bylaws. The ballots must be due not less than 24 hours nor more than seven days from when they are distributed. A quorum must return ballots for a vote to be valid.
11. Alterations. Changes to common spaces or their decorations that can't be easily reversed must be approved by the house in advance.
12. Non-smoking. Smoking is not permitted inside.
13. Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the entire house on a house ballot when written notice of the proposed amendment has been given at least seven days in advance. Such amendments must be proposed in writing by six members, and sent to a house ballot by a vote at a meeting.
The appendix may also be amended by two thirds of those voting at a meeting. Amendments to the appendix, however made, take effect at the end of the semester unless the house and the affected managers agree otherwise.
Appendix: Management Positions and Job Descriptions
NOTE ON CALCULATING "EXPECTED WORKSHIFT HOURS PER WEEK":
The "major managers" are paid in money on top of their 5 hr/wk workshift contribution. Formally, these managers' monetary compensation is expressed as a percentage value, instead of as A. a dollar amount, or B. expected number of workshift (WS) hours per week.
Managers are encouraged to convert their compensation to WS hours/week, because as BSC employees, managers are never expected to work more hours than this on average.
(As a side note, managers are also compensated for manager training, not included in the WS hours).
For more on manager expectations in the BSC overall, see the central-level manager expectations. Wherever used in these bylaws, “managers” refers to the positions described in this Appendix.
Example of how to convert your percentage to total WS hours:
Suppose you are Kitchen Manager, and you know the following 4 numbers:
P, the semester's total payroll budget, which is divided among all major managers (in Fall 2022, $14476.94)
M%, your percentage of the payroll budget (in Fall 2022, M = 23.75% for the kitchen manager)
R, the current BSC workshift rate, which is usually slightly higher than minimum wage (in Fall 2022, R = $19/hr)
N, the number of weeks in the semester contract period (for Fall 2022, N = 18 not including Winter Break).
Then your expected WS hours per week is, after adding 5 hours/wk for the weekly house contribution:
5 + (P * M% ) / (N * R)
In Fall 2022, this is a 15 hour expectation for the Kitchen Manager---as well as Maintenance, House, and Workshift. The exception is House President, who works 7 hours.
A. President (Compensation equal to 5% of the payroll budget.)
1. Call and facilitate, or arrange for facilitation of, house meetings. Ensure minutes for all meetings are recorded and distributed.
2. Where appropriate and where compensation is sufficient to cover the time, represent the house at functions.
3. Announce and distribute agendas for all house meetings at least 48 hours in advance, and publicize upcoming BSC events.
4. Maintain an updated record of the house bylaws and all other standing house policies, and distribute copies to members on request.
5. Announce, facilitate, and coordinate elections for house manager positions.
6. Facilitate coordination among all house managers. Mediate disputes that involve one or more other managers.
7. Read all inspector habitability, fire, building, and other reports and ensure the appropriate manager responds to any violations.
8. Attend all house and manager meetings.
9. Attend required Central Level Presidents meetings.
10. Inform house members about relevant government and neighborhood association hearings and meetings on local issues.
11. Inform BSC central staff about the status of neighbor relations, and seek their assistance as appropriate.
12. Orient the subsequent president and maintain the house president's resources.
B. House and finance manager (Compensation equal to 23.75% of the payroll budget in Fall and Spring and 24.4% in Summer.
1. Help the president oversee house management.
2. Enforce BSC policies and report violations to the BSC.
3. Manage house financial accounts and provide an at least monthly accounting of transactions and balances in all accounts managed by the house.
4. Make sure members pay house bills.
5. Oversee emergency preparedness plans, particularly:
1. Maintaining an accurate and accessible list of residents and rooms for use in an emergency.
2. Maintaining the earthquake preparedness kit in an accessible location (the bike shed) and conducting a semesterly audit of its contents.
3. Conducting a regular fire drill in conjunction with the Maintenance Manager and designating a meeting point for evacuations.
4. Conducting a roll call after a house evacuation.
5. Working to maintain security during an emergency, to resolve human concerns (i.e. to allay panic and diffuse tension), and to distribute the contents of the earthquake kit in a fair and equitable way.
6. Manage the room bid process.
7. Keep a complete set of master keys.
8. Check members in and out.
9. Assign parking places.
10. Assist prospective residents by informing them of house policies and facilities and conducting tours as needed. Mail out letters to new members (coming in the next semester) informing them of the room-bid date and other relevant information.
11. Ensure a reasonable level of cooperation with the neighborhood association and maintaining a house telephone for contact with them. Supervise the neighbor liaison workshifter and attend as many neighborhood events as possible.
12. Be a general presence in the house and attend most house functions, to ensure both security and community.
13. Regularly inspect the house to ensure security, including the proper functioning of exterior doors and windows.
14. Attend all house and manager meetings.
14. Attend all Central Level House Managers meetings, as directed by the board.
15. Attend the mandatory House Manager and Finance Manager trainings held by the BSC at the beginning of each semester.
16. Is in residence at the house at least one week before check-in date to ensure a smooth transition by:
1. supervising the set-up of empty rooms (including correct furniture, cleanliness, functioning electrical and internet jacks, and functioning door and window locks)
2. supervising the general clean-up of the house.
3. attending training
4. preparing an orientation/initiation program for new members as well as updating and distributing a handbook of guidelines for the house.
17. Orient the subsequent house manager and maintains the house manager's notebook.
C. Maintenance manager (Compensation equal to 23.75% of the payroll budget.)
1. Be responsible for the physical maintenance of the house and grounds.
2. Keep building maintained in accordance with the Uniform Housing Code as interpreted by BSC Central Maintenance.
3. Read all habitability, fire, and building inspector reports and correct any maintenance violations promptly.
4. Manage house improvement hours.
5. Oversee the garden crew.
6. Inform the house of all substantial alterations, projects, and major repairs.
7. Be the house's safety and maintenance committee representative.
8. Solicit, review, and submit BAPS proposals.
9. Be responsible for the upkeep of the maintenance room, management of maintenance room keys, and purchasing tools and supplies.
10. Supervise the Emergency Preparedness Plan in conjunction with the House manager, specifically:
1. Conduct a fire drill and inspects fire extinguishers at least once per semester.
2. Demonstrates basic emergency responses at a house meeting including: gas shut-off, stove shut-off, the location of circuit-breakers, etc.
3. Is responsible for assisting the evacuation of the house during and after an emergency particularly when safety is a concern or tools are necessary. Evaluates such occasions to determine whether professional assistance is needed or forthcoming.
11. Attend all house and manager meetings.
12. Attend all Safety and Maintenance committee meetings.
13. Orient the subsequent maintenance manager and maintains the maintenance manager's notebook.
D. Workshift manager (Compensation equal to 23.75% of the payroll budget in Fall and Spring and 23.1% in Summer.)
1. Ensure the cleanliness of commons areas.
2. Assign central-level and house workshifts.
3. Post temporary sign-up sheets for weeks without permanent shifts.
4. Maintain workshift descriptions.
5. Explain workshift policies at the beginning of each semester.
6. Train all house members by conducting a Kitchen Orientation in conjunction with the Kitchen Manager at the beginning of each semester.
7. Inspect all shifts regularly.
8. Keep track of up/down hours and post them weekly.
9. Fine members for poorly done or missed shifts. Warning may, but need not, be given. Report fines to the house manager.
10. When a member is down more than the maximum allowed number of hours, bring the matter to a house meeting for termination of the member or approval of a plan to bring the member to an acceptable level of hours.
11. Attend all house and manager meetings.
12. Attends all central level workshift manager meetings as directed by the Board.
13. Orient the subsequent workshift manager and maintains the workshift manager's notebook.
E. Kitchen manager (Compensation equal to 23.75% of the payroll budget.)
1. Maintain city health standards in cooking, eating, cleaning, and storage areas. Post signs and inform members of these standards and methods of maintaining them.
2. Along with the Workshift Manager, is responsible for passing all kitchen inspections from Central Kitchen or the City of Berkeley.
3. Read all kitchen and health inspection reports and correct violations promptly.
4. Ensure that enough food is available for all members, including breakfast, lunch and dinner.
5. Supply the house with a variety of food. A food preference survey and a posted food request sheet will be held to ensure member needs are met.
6. Ensure that food allergies and dietary restrictions are accommodated.
7. Ensure that enough utensils, cookware and flatware are available to serve all members.
8. Ensure that the house has enough cleaning and sanitation supplies.
9. Selects cooking staff in the first two weeks of the semester by conducting cooking trials or some other selection technique.
10. Oversee all actions of the kitchen including menu planning, cooking techniques, and quality food control. Along with Workshift Manager, acts as supervisor to all kitchen workshifts and may levy fines for workshift violations in the kitchen, dish and dining areas.
11. At the beginning of the semester, train the cooking and dish staff to ensure proper hygiene and safety techniques are employed.
12. S/he shall be responsible for the implementation of Intensive Kitchen Cleaning (IKC). If s/he deems IKC shifts necessary, s/he may decide hours owed, times of IKC shift, and fine for unaccomplished shifts. S/he may set up IKC either in conjunction with workshift, or separate from workshift in which case hours owed must be equal for all members, including management. However, council has authority over Kitchen Manager to decide/change any details of IKC, and any member may bring these decisions/changes before council, where, if passed, the changes will go into effect immediately. Decisions on details of IKC are made on a semester basis, and should be announced by Kitchen Manager at the first house council.
13. Contacts the Central Kitchen to deal with all pest infestations (including those caused by, but not limited to rats, mice and fruit flies) in the kitchen and dining room.
14. Works to reduce waste and stay within the budget by:
1. Encouraging the use of seasonal produce and low-cost alternatives to expensive products (i.e. homemade rather than canned pasta sauce).
2. Working with the recycling manager to supervise the recycling and composting activities in the kitchen.
3. Pursuing donated food products.
4. Pre-approving any necessary expenditures. Any purchase not pre-approved by the Kitchen Manager may be rejected for reimbursement by the House Manager.
5. Submits all receipts for reimbursement to the House Manager.
15. S/he shall attend all house meetings and make budget reports explaining where exactly we stand in terms of money left for the semester.
16. Will attend all central level kitchen manager meetings as mandated by the Board.
17. Train the subsequent manager and maintain the Kitchen Manager notebook.
F. Community Builder (5 hours/week workshift credit.)(Effective Spring 2018)
The community builder helps to build the community by facilitating open and honest communication between housemates, creating spaces for marginalized communities in the house, and helping to mediate conflicts. Their primary role is to help the members and the leaders to create a space that is safe and respectful for all members. This position works with the Health Worker, Social Manager, House Manager and House President to ensure a safe, inclusive, and welcoming house culture.
This leader reports only to the house via Council, not to the Central Office, and will have standing and independence similar to other house leaders.
1. Sample activities include but are not limited to:
2. Create and facilitate single or recurring workshops or support groups:
1. Anti-Oppression
2. Women’s Circle
3. POC Group
4. POC Dinners
5. LGBTQIA gatherings
6. Allies Support Group
7. And More...
3. Serve as an open ear and ally to house members
4. Call and facilitate multiple community agreements conversations each term, with the help of the other leaders
5. Hold or organize an anti-oppression workshop by Week 4- it will be strongly recommended to attend.
6. Oversee and guide the HIP support volunteers in helping the community.
7. Regularly report to council about any issues or concerns from members or leaders, or about the BSC at large.
8. Mediate conflicts between house members, along with the President and House Manager.
9. Facilitate communication between members of the house and the leadership team.
10. Help maintains updated information on HiP.coop, along with the other leaders.
11. Support and oversee the facilitators of the discussion groups.
12. Serving as a member advocate between house members and the leadership team when needed.
G. Social manager (Fulfills workshift requirement in Fall and Spring/4 hours/week of workshift in Summer.)
1. Be responsible for the overall social atmosphere of the house and for planning house social events, large and small (working with other managers, if necessary). A minimum of two large house events must be planned each semester (i.e., parties, special dinner, out-of-town overnight trips).
2. Be responsible for party paperwork with the City of Berkeley and the BSC.
3. Plan with the workshift manager to give credit to those who help with larger events.
4. Be the house's social managers' committee representative.
5. Be responsible for collecting the house social budget and maintain a record of social expenditures. The social budget should be voted on at the first house meeting of the semester.
6. Attend all house and manager meetings.
7. Attend all SMUC meetings.
8. Orient the subsequent social manager.
H. Waste reduction manager (Fulfills workshift requirement.)
1. Manage house-level trash and recycling services, including communication with Waste Reduction Coordinator or the City of Berkeley to resolve any problems.
2. Educate house members about in-house recycling, compost, and trash services through presentations, posters, announcements at council, emails, etc.
3. Attend 6 Waste Reduction Committee meetings throughout the semester, or find a substitute. Houses without a representative at these meetings will be fined.
4. Complete house-level waste audits during the semester as assigned by the Waste Reduction Coordinators, and use results to educate house members.
5. Maintain frequent communication with Waste Reduction to coordinate pick-ups of items throughout the semester.
6. Maintain the cleanliness of in-house compost bins, unless this is a separate workshift.
7. Outfit each bathroom with labeled receptacles for: compost, recycling and trash. Or if this is not logistically feasible, create a different solution with approval of your Waste Reduction Coordinator.
8. Coordinate free-pile pickups and aid workshifters to keep free-pile clean.
9. Maintain clean, labeled locations for collection of: CFLs, Universal waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, one-side-clean paper, reusable envelopes, Styrofoam, packing peanuts, and reusable bags.
10. Engage in one house-level or BSC-level waste reduction or conservation project during the semester.
11. Follow direction of the Waste Reduction Coordinators to carry out additional tasks and responsibilities specific to each semester.
12. Oversee the registration of new bicycles that are regularly stored in HiP’s common-areas by current members the Hillegass-Parker community.
13. Oversee the determination and disposing of bicycles that are inappropriately stored in HiP common space, such as bicycles belonging to former members of the HiP community, bicycles that are found to be abandoned after a reasonable effort is made toward determining the owner, or bicycles belonging to any individual that are parked in a manner that creates a clear safety and/or habitability concern to others on HiP property.
14. Actively encourage the membership’s recreational and practical use of bicycles by providing workshops, regular council updates, and offering proposals for council’s consideration in the event that larger-scale opportunities to improve the membership’s bike-riding experience are evident.
15. The purview and authority to organize and maintain a system of “house bikes” and correlated bike locks—to be made available as a shared resource for the community’s use and enjoyment—is delegated to the Sustainability Manager (though deference to any council approved policies regarding this matter must be paid).
I. Board member (Amount of workshift fulfilled is set by the BSC.)
1. The Board member is required to inform and educate HiP residents on the major issues before the BSC Board of Directors, and to bring to the BSC Board feedback and concerns of HiP residents. This responsibility is ongoing, and should be made in good faith as an earnest commitment to the opinions of house-members and the principles of cooperative democracy.
1. Examples of "major issues" before the Board include, but are not limited to: pending action items that would alter the house's existing or future funds/funding; pending action items that would revise the central-level voting rights or representative rights of the membership; pending action items that would substantively alter the terms of the membership contract; pending action items that would decrease or diminish the autonomy of HiP House or of any other unit within the BSC.
2. The board member is required to attend Board meetings and the meetings of at least one standing committee of the Board.
3. The board member is required to post (in a specific, previously determined and announced location within common space) the physical copy of the 'Board Packet' for each upcoming Board meeting within 24 hours of receiving it.
4. The board member is required to forward any digital version (or changes/amendments to same) of the Board Packet for an upcoming Board meeting to the house within 24 hours of receiving it.
5. The board member is required to educate the house on all available methods of 'direct democracy' pertaining to central level actions; these include, but are not limited to, the right to call for and participate in a 'roll call vote' at Board meetings; the policies and procedures regarding member petitions; and the policies and procedures regarding member referendums.
6. The board member serves for an entire academic year (Fall & Spring) unless s/he resigns or is removed.
7. Additional responsibilities of the board member are articulated in the BSC bylaws and policies. The above requirements are consistent with the bylaws and policies of the BSC.
J. Priapus (the god of gardens and vineyards) (Fulfills workshift requirement.)
1. Maintaining the general fertility of the land
2. sarrio [to hoe, weed]
3. consero [to sow, plant]
4. Litter removal
5. Irrigation
6. Overseeing of underling peasants
7. Harvesting
8. Pruning
9. Maintaining general order and a pleasing appearance to the common grounds
10. Attend to farm animals if there should ever be farm animals
K. Health Worker (2-3 hours of workshift, at the discretion of the workshift manager)
1. Be elected by unit no later than the end of the semester preceding the term of service.
2. Will be allocated at least 2 but no more than 3 hours of workshift, at the discretion of the workshift manager.
3. Attend a training at the beginning of the semester and biweekly meetings thereafter; the house shall be fined at the workshift rate for missed meetings/trainings.
4. Participate in at least one BSC-wide health workshop per semester.
5. Be CPR/first-aid certified no later than week 8 of the semester unless a later date is approved by the HEC.
6. Actively foster relationships with House Managers, members and the Member Resources department and support the HEC in identifying and mobilizing resources to address BSC member needs.
7. Provide confidential, culturally sensitive peer advising, resource referral, and basic first-aid to BSC members.
8. Organize monthly outreach events at the unit that facilitate a greater understanding of community health needs and promotion of health resources.
9. If no house member is interested in this position for a given semester, or if the house chooses not to elect anyone for this position for a given semester, the house shall opt out of this position for that semester. [According to information about this position from central level, having a health worker entitles the house to the following: comprehensive health worker training; first-aid and safer sex supplies provided at no cost; funding and support for in-house and BSC-wide workshops; and on-call support from the Health Education Coordinator.]
L. Network Manager (Fulfills workshift requirement.)
1. Be available to fix network problems quickly when there is a sudden outage.
2. Maintain and troubleshoot the HiP computing system, including printer, house computer(s), house file server, wired and wireless network, and house phone (voice over IP).
3. Make sure printer supplies (toner, paper, drum kit, fuser kit, transfer kit, etc.) are in stock.
4. Respond to occasional network outages and get it back up.
5. Help residents set up their computers, network them, and access the networked devices.
6. Manage the house email lists: hip_priority@lists.berkeley.eduand hip_house@lists.berkeley.edu.
7. Interact with network managers at other houses: Share knowledge and advice, and contribute to the long-term process that began in Fall 2008 to standardize and improve computing and networking in the BSC.
8. Make information about the system available for both users and administrators on the HiP wiki
9. Attend manager meetings
M. Habitability Coordinator (3 hours of workshift)
1. Meet with the outgoing Habitability Coordinator to exchange information and receive unit-specific training.
2. Meet with the management team to plan, clean, and prepare common areas prior to move-in day.
3. Schedule and conduct unit-level habitability training for all members. Create and deliver a mandatory unit-specific habitability training workshop.
4. Conduct regular habitability self-inspections. Check house for habitability issues and areas of improvement on a regular basis.
5. Promptly report major habitability concerns to the unit-level manager team.
6. Following a failed inspection, develop a list of habitability tasks that members can complete to fulfill their Habitability Correction Hours.
7. Ensure that habitability issues listed on reports are added to the list and are prioritized.
8. Refer members seeking accommodations to the Workshift Manager or Housing Supervisor for assistance.
9. Document completion of habitability correction workshift hours assessed after failed inspections.
10. Work with WRM to divert reusable and recyclable items slated for dump run.
11. Schedule dump runs as needed coordinate unit members to assist with loading.
12. Create signage and other habitability education resources to support ongoing habitability in the unit.
13. Assist with the design and reorganization of common areas to improve habitability, in conjunction with other unit-level managers.