Bills Submitted to RA for Vote - Number 1

This is a thread for creating bills that should go before the RA for approval.

~Ulrika~

I would like to submit that we eliminate the 10% fee for all events. There are so few events and the income is so low relative to our needs that it is more of a hassle than it's worth.

~Ulrika~

I'd like to submit for vote that the RA elections should be held again in two months on the 19th and 20th of March. The reason is that we might not have the opportunity for another vote when the lease expires and I feel it will help keep the group engaged politically.

~Ulrika~

I'd like to take a small section of town and attempt to rent out several structures. If I'm successful, I'd like for someone to repeat the process in another section of the city.

As an incentive, I would like for myself and others who act as landlords to receive a fraction of the rent as compensation for our time. I would like the RA to balance the city's financial needs with the need to provide incentives for landlords and come up with prices for rental units and percentages.

Once you've decided, I'll create a rent drop box that will divide the money accordingly.

I'm thinking some units would be the entire structure (2 floors at 100 m^2) and others would be a single floor.

~Ulrika~

Hmm, I second all proposals

Perhaps the RA could meet again on Sunday, same time? What do you think?

I wanted to suggest creating a casino on the land across from the bridge. It could be a possible source of revenue for the city and increase visitation. In addition to gambling there could also be other games there as well. If you all have an aversion to gambling, we could donate a fraction of profits to a charity.

I would like to build the structure for this but I'll need help acquiring the games (slots, bingo, etc.). I'll help configure them to pay the city and hopefully report to the vendor statistics web page.

~Ulrika~

I would like to put forth a bill that would require members of the RA to each host a Neualtenburg recruiting drive once a week. It would mean that everyone would have to do it just once in their term -- not too much of a work load. We need new members willing to independently script and build for the city and possibly live in the city as well.

~Ulrika~

Seems to me that the RA needs actual procedures to:
1)receive bills for consideration,
2)cause them to be "written up",
3) scheduled for discussion,
4) scheduled for voting,
5) publish someplace that everyone can get easy access.

We've got the "Constitution" published in a sticky thread. Is that the best place for it? If so, would that be the best place to add the series of bills which are pased?

These seem like all good ideas (to the extent that I'm familiar with the issues, which i'm really not). I guess that in order to get the "mechanism" up and running, we need what in the US they call "rules".

How do we get there? (rhetorical question )

Sudane

Sounds like some issues we need to hammer out at the next RA session. We've got a constitution, but it's only a framework. We need to decide on a few procedures, and for those that make sense, some of those procedures ought to be codifed as law. I don't advocate strict laws for every nitpicky aspect of governing Neualtenburg (it's Second Life, after all, not Second Bureaucracy), but these are good issues that should at least result in a good set of written guidelines.

For now, I'm fine with using a forum thread like this for submitting bills to the RA. It makes it an open, public process, which holds us to a better standard of accountability. I'd be happy to take bill submissions in-world, too, and then cross-post them here so they're visible to people who read the forums. Such submissions are best made via notecard so none of the intent of a bill is lost in the swirling mist of IM and local chatter that we're all subject to from time to time.

I think an in-world notice board would also be a good idea, something that when touched can hand out a notecard containing a current list of bills before the RA. It could also serve to distribute the journal of its activities that the RA is constitutionally required to keep. I'd be happy to script such a thing and set it out by the Senate building.

10AM game time Sunday works for me.

Sudane, would you be available for actually proposing some of those rules? We have some "hints" on some of the older threads, but, besides what went into the Constitution, there are not many "definitive" rules, and I agree, we need a few

Chandra, I agree a 100% on every detail of your post

- A very busy Gwyn

Be happy to try. I'll come up with something by Sunday (should there be a meeting), and post it here, too.

Sudane

I will try to be there Sunday. My mother is coming to live with us for a month and will be arriving tomorrow at some point. Been spending this week getting ready for her arrival (re-arranging and evacuating a room for her usage). Sorry I haven't been around, but it has just been hectic. At any rate, I will do my best to be in Neualt at 10am PST tomorrow.

Background:

The current functionality around groups and 'bank accounts' does not meet the cities, or other complex groups, needs.

The main example being the very dodgy workaround (No offence Ulrika) that Ulrika had to create to enable money from goods sold in the group vendor , to reach the creator's account.

Proposal:

That the RA commision (eg pay) Ulrika to produce a paper detailing what problems the Neualtenburg City project has encountered over group owned money, and a set of functional requirements that could be implemented within SL to help Neualtenburg and similar community projects.

That after approval, the RA present the requirements to Linden Labs and lobby for their implementation.

I thought a 4 month term was already determined?

We never did settle it. I think we said we'd leave it out of the constitution and let the RA decide. I'm still very much in favor of a 2 month term, especially given the urgency to find a new sim (and members) for the city (and redesign it).

Anyways, that's exactly what the RA is for.

It's up to you folks to hash it out and vote on it now.

~Ulrika~

I have taken each bill proposal that I can identify here, indicated its approximate status in RA activity, and, where it seemed appropriate, offered specific proposals for action.

I'll try to bring my penguin along to the next RA meeting with a Notecard Dispenser. On each notecard I'll try and have these proposals reprinted. I, for one, find it really hard to discuss a bill intelligently unless I have all the info written in front of me.

Please everyone, feel free to add or comment on the original bill proposal or my add-on proposals, and I'll try to incorporate those into the document by the next meeting.

At its first meeting the RA decided that the Event Tax was eliminated.

All voted in favor.

At its second meeting the consensus of discussion in the RA was that the election should be postponed until after the final termination of the current lease, so that, should the city be ready for its next phase of life, the elections would determine the group to lead it.

At its first meeting the was considerable discussion about the details of renting structures, but no resolution.

I propose:

1) That it is assumed that the rental activity being referred to here is residential rental.

2) That commercial rental having somewhat different issues involved, a separate bill be proposed for that.

3) That prospective rentees be informed that Neualtenburg will be moved before May 22, so as not to create conflicts.

4) That Ulrika (since she has volunteered), and whoever else she can designate to help, be engaged for a trial period to function as on-site rental agents, renting as much property as they can. That the proceeds of this rental activity be split 50/50 between the rental agents and the city. That all parties understand that this arrangement is strictly a trial arrangement to determine the "rentability" of Neualtenburg property, and will absolutely terminate on June 30, 2005.

5) That tenants in place as of June 30, 2005 will have the right of first refusal should they wish to stay on after that date under the new arrangements to be determined.

6) That the information gained from the activities of Section 4 be used to:
a) Contribute to the formation of a city budget with accurate projections for city property rental, and
b) Enable the RA to formulate reasonable rents and rental agent fees so that this income can be sustained.

7) That during this information-gathering stage, Neualtenburg members receive no preferential treatment in the rental of property in Neualtenburg. Neualtenburg membership benefits as far as property is concerned to be determined as a part of the post-June 30 rental program bill.

The project to start a casino at Neualtenburg for the economic support of the city was discussed at the third meeting of the RA, but no resolution was reached.

I propose that:

1) Talen Morgan, a member familiar with the operation of SL casinos, be requested to report, or provide the information for a report, as much information as feasible regarding the finances: possible income, necessary expenses, necessary cash reserves, and any other operational details, staffing, etc, of the casino business. This could be via an in-depth conversation, or an in-depth email. This is so that, should there be funds needed to start the casino, the city can watch closely the performance with as much knowledge and understanding as possible. This is a city venture, with all the difficulties that presents, which are many more that if an individual owned and ran the enteprise.

2) That based on this information, a operating and financial plan for the casino be created by myself and the Guild representative and presented to the RA for approval.

2) That a builder be designated, and a manager be designated, and that the setting up of the casino be begun as soon as possible.

3) That the casino be located currently on the far side of the bridge, and, when the time comes, be relocated to a similiar position in the new Neualtenburg.

This issue has not yet been discussed by the RA.

I propose that:

1) A statement be prepared which briefly describes the Neualtenburg Projekt. The one on Ulrika's site is fine. But in the light of current activities and proposals, and the prospect of moving, we may wish to bring it more up to date. In addition, this statement should include the benefits and obligations of membership in Neualtenburg, as currently understood. I propose that Gwyn or Ulrika or both be prevailed upon to write this statement.

2) As the previous statement may require some RA action regarding specific benefits and obligations, I propose that these specifics be placed in the form of a bill and passed by the RA with the highest possible priority.

3) That with this statement in hand, every member be expected to host recruiting events at whatever locations they should consider useful; and not necessarily at Neualtenburg. I propose that each recruiting event be staffed by 2 Neualtenburgers, as some of us (like myself) might be better in a supporting role. But all bona-fide Neualtenburgers should be expected to help with this.

In other posts on this forum, Ulrika has explained why this last sentence of this proposal is probably not necessary. However, the overall need to have a transparent and orderly system for managing the money of the city still needs refinement.

The RA has not discussed this issue.

I propose:

1) That a representative of the Guild and myself, along with information which Ulrika can provide, formulate a hopefully efficient system for handling the revenue and expenses of the city, and for a completely public and transparent means for reporting the details.

This is actually already being voted upon in-world, but since it was not posted here "formally", I'll just do that:

Allegedly, Pendari Lorenz is not in SL any more - either temporarily or permanently. As she was the leader of the MPP faction, the current proposal is for Talen Morgan to replace Pendari (at least until we can be very sure of Pendari's status) and have the MPP member with the next number of votes to be admitted formally at the RA. We just need to ask Ulrika to look at her election results to find out who it was!

That person is Lance LeFey.

May he serve with a kind heart.

~Ulrika~