Meeting on 2009-09-06
Those present:
Pip Torok is in the chair.
Lilith Ivory has indicated consent to be recorded.
Higgs Magnifico: and the point is ?
Micael Khandr has indicated consent to be recorded.
Soro Dagostino: We will "try" to follow some order today.
Higgs Magnifico: thats dificult though
Soro Dagostino: Once the meeting commences, you sould touch the Question symbol to place your statement in order.
Soro Dagostino: Hello Jamie
Joaquin Gustav: Hello jamie
Jamie Palisades: Good morning , and such other times as it is 
Soro Dagostino: If your statement is over long -- I'll cough.
Soro Dagostino:
Lilith Ivory: Hi Jamie, Hi Gwyn
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Hi!
Soro Dagostino: Hello Gwyn
Gwyneth Llewelyn: thank you PiP!
Joaquin Gustav: Hello gwynete
Higgs Magnifico: hi to the new
Jamie Palisades attempts to negotiate the chairs for hoi polloi, with mixed results
Carolyn Saarinen: AO off Jamie?
Pip Torok: brb for drink of COLD water ...
Soro Dagostino: do try to be civil and allow our business to proceed.
Jamie Palisades: actually Caro, i did - but with a slow rez, I got the phsyical chair prim first (with a bad sit target uinexplicably), not the poseball over it
Higgs Magnifico: dont get drunk pip
Higgs Magnifico: lol
Carolyn Saarinen: Brought my own this week
Pip Torok: not on adam's ale Higgs
Jamie Palisades: wise. I;'ll wait for the chair poseballs and grab them when they arrive .. rather lke my strategy with Senator Llewellyn there 
Soro Dagostino: Hello Danton
Lilith Ivory: Hi Danton
Pip Torok: hi Danton
Soro Dagostino: Lets begin?
Higgs Magnifico: hey danton
Soro Dagostino: Would everyone touch the recorder and consent to recordation.
Gwyneth Llewelyn has indicated consent to be recorded.
Soro Dagostino has indicated consent to be recorded.
Carolyn Saarinen has indicated consent to be recorded.
StuiChicanne Darkstone has indicated consent to be recorded.
Sonja Strom has indicated consent to be recorded.
Higgs Magnifico has indicated consent to be recorded.
Joaquin Gustav has indicated consent to be recorded.
Jamie Palisades has indicated consent to be recorded.
Danton Sideways: Hi all
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Danton, hello!
Danton Sideways has indicated consent to be recorded.
Soro Dagostino: The Agenda is a little short, are there any revisions?
Higgs Magnifico: in Bozonion Higgs perhaps
Carolyn Saarinen: I have acouple of points of info, but they can wait.
Soro Dagostino: Please, we can add them as new business?
Carolyn Saarinen: Sure
Gwyneth Llewelyn apologises in advance for any signs of afk'ishness
Soro Dagostino: Carolyn?
Carolyn Saarinen: Yes, fo you want me to raise them when we get to new business?
Soro Dagostino: Just tell the group the topics.
Micael Khandr: Kuzenteit
Soro Dagostino: So they get mentioned in the Agenda.
Carolyn Saarinen: Ok, updates on the online indicator and on education in CDS
Soro Dagostino: Thank you.
Soro Dagostino: Any other amendments to the Agenda?
Pip Torok: yes ... one from me Soro
Soro Dagostino: Pip -- please
Pip Torok: (sorry i meant one addition at the end)
Soro Dagostino: New Business?
Pip Torok: yes
Soro Dagostino: Topic?
Pip Torok: clearance of an LA plot (by Liliths house) of Symos exhibition
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Mmmh clearing of a plot is mostly the Executive's duty, unless you're suggesting that the RA authorises some very special use of it...
Gwyneth Llewelyn: (and even that would be mostly an Executive function, Pip!)
Gwyneth Llewelyn: IMHO...
Jamie Palisades: well, let it be a question then
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Ok A question it shall be
Soro Dagostino: The topic is added as a new item of business.
Soro Dagostino: A correction from the chair -- I seem to have forgotten Jamies report.
Jamie Palisades: It's in the written agenda
Soro Dagostino: Oh?
Soro Dagostino: I guess it is.
Soro Dagostino: Sorry.
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Indeed it is
Gwyneth Llewelyn *giggles*
Soro Dagostino: Any other changes to the Agenda?
Soro Dagostino: Is there a motion to approve the amended agenda?
Micael Khandr: so move
Carolyn Saarinen: seconded
Soro Dagostino: Moved and seconded
Soro Dagostino: Any discussion?
Soro Dagostino: Ready to vote?
Micael Khandr: Aye
Soro Dagostino: All in favor
Pip Torok: aye
Joaquin Gustav: aye
Carolyn Saarinen: aye
Sonja Strom: aye
Micael Khandr: Aye, aye
StuiChicanne Darkstone: aye
StuiChicanne Darkstone: aye
StuiChicanne Darkstone: me hearties
Soro Dagostino: Thos opposed
Soro Dagostino: Motion carried.
Micael Khandr: That's arrr, Stui . . .
Soro Dagostino: Now to the report of the Chancellor . .
Soro Dagostino: Jamie, you have the floor.
Jamie Palisades smiles, stands up
Jamie Palisades: Good day all.
Jamie Palisades: Not a long one, today.
Jamie Palisades: We will take up another issue of interest to me next on the agenda, which is the cultural commissions -
Jamie Palisades: so, not going to talk about that in this segment.
Jamie Palisades: Not much for this session -- the budget presentation doesn't have as much utility in the absence of both Cindy and Rose, who are both out this week as you know, so I asked her to hold it over to your next meeting.
Jamie Palisades: ..
Jamie Palisades: I am bringing several more parcels of land in CN on line as commercial properties, this week (under the special bid process approved last year).
Jamie Palisades: CN has by the way proves tougher to sell.
Jamie Palisades: I suspect it's overpriced, and -- a nod to Arria -- probably needs a more uniform price per prim, compared to the rest of CDS>
Jamie Palisades: That, in my view, is a major change that requires your review -- though it's always hard to say, with our tangle of law ...
Jamie Palisades: but really, a sim-wide rent change is an n act to decrease land revenue
Jamie Palisades: so ought to come heren according to me
Robert Galland has indicated consent to be recorded.
Jamie Palisades: thus, expect a proposal this term, on that
Jamie Palisades: if the Guild springs back to life, I;d hope to involve them
Jamie Palisades: ..
Jamie Palisades: We also are waiting for the completion of terraforming on the Monastery sim, and the joining sims between AA and CN, so they can be approved -- and added to our GMP. There were some vacations; I think that all will get done fair early in this month, September.
Jamie Palisades: (As the US huromist says, with vacations and all, it's been a slow month here in Lake Wobegon)
Jamie Palisades: ..
Jamie Palisades: Same comment, unfortunately, on our web presence. I would liek to see out main materials on an easier-to-use, more WYSIWYG platform, and, as I said just before Gwyn tried her bootleg project, to add light social networking. But again, some of the protagnoists are offline for AUgust, coming back now we hope. Expect to see some other prototypes cropping up in beta soon
Jamie Palisades: some of yuo may have looked at the tool Gwyneth posted at the domain she controls, social.slcds,info
Jamie Palisades: I am equally worried about the eas eof use on our main site http://www.slcds.info
Jamie Palisades: CMS systems are not always simpleton-friendly
Jamie Palisades: nd we donlt want to disenfranshie simpletons
Jamie Palisades: especially as you have one for your chancellor
Jamie Palisades: ..
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I'm a simpleton
Micael Khandr: True . . .
Soro Dagostino: And Deputy LRA )
Jamie Palisades: I;m in good company then
Jamie Palisades: ..
Jamie Palisades: As we prepare for Carolyn's RA member online indicator, i expect we also should plan to talk about what to do with public property in CDS again. After all - it ought to BE somewhere. There is an old, rather outdated and never completed study of all public buildings ... SOME parts of which we should revisit, to settle some questions that will guide building and rebuiiding. Let me just mention some of them now, so that we are all thinking about the topic.
Jamie Palisades: for example
Jamie Palisades: 1. Will this CN location be the RA's permanent home?
Jamie Palisades: 2. Same question for the SC and the Rathaus in NFS.
Jamie Palisades: 3. Should the ground floor of the Rathaus be redone to front on the Platz, so that it .. and not two houses on the main platz which could be commercial .. as the NFS welcome center for the government?
Jamie Palisades: 4. Should we not have some CDS government functions housed in AA? And, where?
Jamie Palisades: that sort of thing
Jamie Palisades: So please start thinkng about it
Jamie Palisades: Soro, may I tajke up Pip's question as a question at this time? I;m done for now otherwise
Soro Dagostino: Yes, its time for questions
Jamie Palisades: (so open for that and any other questions)
Jamie Palisades: Pip? You were talking about the 79AD exhibit?
Pip Torok: shall I frame it as a question?
Jamie Palisades: well, is it time to make it go away?
Soro Dagostino: Please touch the question mark for a turn
Jamie Palisades: and ought we find anotgher home for it?
Pip Torok: Now that the exhibition has been there for a year (maybe a little less) and considering that the function was to aid the sale of plots in LA (which are now nearly all sold) isn't it time to dismantle that exhibition? (done)
Pip Torok: (sorry ... forgot about the questionmark
Jamie Palisades: OK good point, Will so. I rather like it, and will see if we can;t get the righs to have it in some public space.
Jamie Palisades: ,any other Q, Mr LRA?
Soro Dagostino: Any others?
Pip Torok: One thing we might consider is a similar exhibition featuring Moorosh architecture
Jamie Palisades: oo nice idea -- i wonder if there;s a source we can get at
Carolyn Saarinen: Satir
Jamie Palisades nods
Jamie Palisades: good idea
Soro Dagostino: Any other Q's for Jamie?
Jamie Palisades: Ill stay up for the "culture commissions" idea, then, if that;'s OK
Soro Dagostino:
Gwyneth Llewelyn: yes, please, I was going to ask if you have any more ideas to share with us on that, Mr Chancellor ))
Pip Torok: Yes one ... is it the defacto policy that _themes_ be highlighted by their separation from each other in differing sims?
Soro Dagostino: next on the Agenda
Soro Dagostino: Please get in line.
Jamie Palisades: interesting. Can you explain that a little, Pip? Do we do that now?
Soro Dagostino: Order please
Jamie Palisades: oops - as soon as Soro tells me who;s next
Soro Dagostino: No one.
Micael Khandr: Question mark . . .
Soro Dagostino: Is the meet
Pip Torok: yes ... in the middle of LA (a roman sim) appeared a non-roman (Persian) building ... that concerns me
Soro Dagostino: Order please.
Soro Dagostino: Micael
Soro Dagostino: You have the floor.
Micael Khandr: No, Soro, just reminding people to use the question mark to queue up--sorry
Soro Dagostino: The Matter before us is now the Regiona activity commissiions.
Pip Torok: Sorry Soro, I forgot yet again
Soro Dagostino: Who wishes to speak
Micael Khandr: Caro
Carolyn Saarinen: are we still on the question jamie raised?
Soro Dagostino: That is the item before the body
Jamie Palisades smiles politely c licks big "?" so as to pick up that line of chat.
Carolyn Saarinen: Ok, my two penn'orth
Soro Dagostino: Touch the ? Mark to set order.
Soro Dagostino: Caro
Carolyn Saarinen: I'd advocate consistancy of theme within sims. Although some variety can seem like a good idea, the end result can be Mainland, which no-one likes. Secondly...
Soro Dagostino: Yes?
Carolyn Saarinen: and more tricky is the matter of sims side by side. I haven't looked lately, but IMO the juxtaposition of CN and an alpine resort looks messy.
Carolyn Saarinen: Each is ok by itself, but proximity makes them jar.
Soro Dagostino: That may be a little off topic.
Carolyn Saarinen: Sure
Jamie Palisades scratches his head, squints at agenda, looks at the chair. May I suggest that some of us still are in Question Time, and ask the chair whether he wants us to take that up now?
Soro Dagostino: Stui
StuiChicanne Darkstone: well Sorry I am rather confused as to which point we are presently debating
Sonja Strom: lol
Soro Dagostino: REgional Activity commissions
Gwyneth Llewelyn *chuckles*
StuiChicanne Darkstone: okidoky
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I might make comment later
StuiChicanne Darkstone: sorry
Soro Dagostino: Jamie and Pip moved into it.
Soro Dagostino: Jamie?
Soro Dagostino: Your next
Jamie Palisades nods
Jamie Palisades: Accepting the ruling that we are on item 3, that is the topic for which my hand is raised. We can chat about Pip and Caro's other quetsion after the meeting, or at the end of the agenda, if you like. Now. As to the cultural commissions ... to recap ...
Jamie Palisades: I would like the thematic neighborhoods to take control of their own programming, and devolve much of our events budget down there. We've talked about this, and done some experimenting, for a while now.
Jamie Palisades: ...
Jamie Palisades: Event programming, and event control, both are executive functions.We are talking about devolving the programming half -- Choosing artists, venues, actually hosting the event.
Jamie Palisades: ...
Jamie Palisades: By event control I mean approving payment terms and making payment so that people don't pay themselves, or pay extraordinary amounts.
Jamie Palisades: ...
Jamie Palisades: just as an example
Jamie Palisades: AA has long has a Friday event which Joaquin here hosts
Jamie Palisades: he;s good at it
Jamie Palisades: it works
Jamie Palisades: more or less on its own
Joaquin Gustav: ty
Jamie Palisades: (and do go attend - great dancing , great music )
Jamie Palisades: but from an admin point of view
Jamie Palisades: my poitn is, we shoudl be etting that sort of thing happen, and getting the gov;' out of the way
Jamie Palisades: other than to write cheques
Jamie Palisades: and, instead of me or you the RA or the PIO picking it all
Jamie Palisades: let's have informal town halls at the themes locales from time to time, to affirm those choices
Jamie Palisades: as Gwyn pointed out
Jamie Palisades: this is not really a new formal structure, but rather, under our laws ...
Jamie Palisades: .. and executive branch decision to delegate
Jamie Palisades: .. while leaving the money issues up here, where you can swat me (or whoever) if it gets out of control
Jamie Palisades: done
Jamie Palisades: Last meeting I asked for feedback - and here we are
Soro Dagostino: Do you think it in order to refer this question to your office?
Jamie Palisades: Soro, no action from RA required: this is a consultation
Gwyneth Llewelyn: Exactly ))
Soro Dagostino: I don't see need for RA to take action
Pip Torok: agree
Gwyneth Llewelyn *nods* @ agrees with Jamie and Soro and Pip
Jamie Palisades: (which from a cold point of view, is a very nice way of saying ... your chance to stop me if you like )
Gwyneth Llewelyn: ?
Soro Dagostino: Micael -- your next in order
Jamie Palisades: ( which I think I ought to provide, when we make big changes )
Micael Khandr: TY, Soro--
Micael Khandr: I agree with Jamie, btw
Micael Khandr: My question/issue is thatjust as the neighborhoods determine theri own cultural activities, perhaps the neighborhoods should also decide building issues--the topic we discussed earlier.
Jamie Palisades: ooo interesting - will reply when it;s in order
Soro Dagostino: Point of order . . .
Soro Dagostino: The chair believed the two issues were within the regional activity discussion.
Soro Dagostino: Proceed
Jamie Palisades: ?
Micael Khandr: ?
Soro Dagostino: Hmmmm, The topic is within the Agenda item.
Micael Khandr: Are we waiting for others to weigh in, Soro?
Soro Dagostino: Regional commisions
Jamie Palisades: just waiting for direction as to whether we take up Micael's topic, I am in queue to answer him if so
Micael Khandr: Or for me to say something more?
Soro Dagostino: Gwyn?
Soro Dagostino: Wait one.
Soro Dagostino: That is what I was saying -- you were in order micheal
Soro Dagostino: The architectural issue was properly before the body.
Soro Dagostino: Proceed
Micael Khandr: Well, I think that the more authority we can push down to the hoods the better--with oversight at the top level, as Jamie suggests
Pip Torok: agree
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I debate
Soro Dagostino: Is there a proposal regarding structure?
Micael Khandr: I suggest further that the overall rules be basic parameters, and that each hood organize their decision process according to their traditions.
Micael Khandr: That each hood's plan come here for approval.
Micael Khandr: But might be different from each other.
Soro Dagostino: Or to the chancellor.
Pip Torok: agree with M's last sentence
Micael Khandr: Yes.
Micael Khandr: I'm done.
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I wonder who at hood level will put forward plans
Soro Dagostino: Gwyn -- your next in order
Carolyn Saarinen pokes her with a stick
Soro Dagostino: Stui -- if you would touch the ? -- you would be next.
Micael Khandr: Bless you, Stui . . .
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I did
StuiChicanne Darkstone: it says I am already in the queue
Soro Dagostino: Hmmm, , I see now.
Jamie Palisades: me too, some time ago
Carolyn Saarinen: keeps tellin me I'm already in the queue
Soro Dagostino: Proceed
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I proceed?
Soro Dagostino: Yes
StuiChicanne Darkstone: tk u
StuiChicanne Darkstone: well I have a lot of concerns with regard to this proposal and think that it requires more detail
Carolyn Saarinen: Should be a specific agenda item?
StuiChicanne Darkstone: on account that in AA there is not an effective lower level authority to decide a plan
Soro Dagostino: We had ask for folk to post to the forums
Micael Khandr: I disagree.
Soro Dagostino: But none did.
StuiChicanne Darkstone: I don't believe in using the forums personally
Sonja Strom: Soro, where was that in the forum? I don't remember seeing it there.
Jamie Palisades smiles and keeps poking the big "?", and eventually shrugs & makes a sign of the evil eye at it
Pip Torok: But how then do you communicate concerns between meetings, Stu?
Soro Dagostino: Jamie
Soro Dagostino: You are next.
Micael Khandr: We did agree to use the forums, Soro, although some objected to out-of-world conversation. I disagree with Stui's assertion that there is no lower-levelaauthorityi n nAA
StuiChicanne Darkstone: well I would sooner communicate directly
Gwyneth Llewelyn: (sorry, as said, I'm very afk'ish today and please apologise for that; I'll let Jamie speak, he might, after all clarify the questions I had )
Jamie Palisades: rioght
Soro Dagostino: Jamie
Jamie Palisades: We have several threads Let me take up two of them, then see if we WANT to take up the third.
Jamie Palisades: (1) is short
Jamie Palisades: As for local governance styles, I agree with Micael. Whatever the issue -- cultural events or otherwise -- if we wish to delegate, we should identify a convener/protagnoist or two, and let them use whatever process is locally sensible, as long as it is open to all and transparent> This avoids another layer of overgovernment.
Jamie Palisades: (2) As for *land* issues .. which SEEMS to be what we're discussing
Jamie Palisades: Micael, there is sim design, covenant writing, and covenant enforcement. The first two are rare and episodic -- and require RA approval -- so let me focus on the third, which is the recurring maintenance in-the-ordinary-course one.
Jamie Palisades: FYI, the rough process now, is that local theme compliance is a subset of land covenant compliance. As with all such, a problem is initiated either by (rare) spontaneous inspection, or by a complaint to the executive branch. I have in fact received one about one of the matters mentioned -- In LA, not in AA, by the way.
(continued)
