Steering minutes: 2020-05-09

Minutes:

FINAL MINUTES

5/09/2020

Great Oak Steering Committee meeting
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Facilitators: Patti and Mary King
Minute-taker: Andrew

Present: Patti, Mary King, Marta, Amy, Mac, Sharon, Eric McGlohon, Susan
King, Debbi, Suzette, Polly, Drew, Gail Turner, Glenn, Kelly, Melissa
(prospective resident), Willie, Megan, Andrew



AGENDA:
1. Welcome, Intro, Agenda Review, check-ins (Patti)
2. COVID-19 Update, including surface transmission and shared resources
(Sharon)

3. Common House Committee Update on next steps (Marta)
4. Fun Club update (Andrew)
5. Great Oak Community Support and Response When a Household Self-Isolates
— proposal, decision (Mary)
6. Protocols for Washing COVID At-Risk Laundry in the Great Oak Common
House — proposal, decision (Mary)
7. Announcements, Buildings Checklist (Patti)
8. Closing Evaluation & Adjourn (Mary)



***



1. Welcome, Agenda Review & Check-ins (Patti)



We'll start the meeting with reflections on 5/08 wildlife-themed
alternative meeting: anything you’d like to share?


- Spring peepers / frog call timeline (audio by Patti)

- Really appreciated the meeting; unlike any other I’ve attended at GO.
Excited by the ways we can use Zoom.


What are you loving about spring?

- Cavorting raccoons!

- Looking forward to pies

- Enjoying birdfeeder (evening grosbeak at it now)

- Eagles & wild turkeys

- Surprise flowers coming out of the ground – wild and otherwise

- Finches at my thistle birdfeeder

- Snowy egret while in hot tub this morning

- Seen some eyes glaring back at me during walking of my dogs at night

- Lots of veggie seeds in house sprouting, waiting for spring

- Appreciating landscaping work – Drew’s work is nice

- Seed starts – sunflower babies. Daughter’s excited exclamations about
sprouting plants

- Baby raccoons & mama in a tree outside our house

- Matching baltimore oriole sight with sound for the first time

- Beauty of the world awakening



2. COVID-19 Update, including surface transmission and shared resources
(Sharon Kardia, chief scientist)



Governor extended stay-at-home order. Want to take a moment to discuss why
that is.



One of the most nerve-wracking things about working with officials: we’ve
been trying to work on a 3-tier plan (URGENT/STABILIZING/RECOVERY) + when
businesses can go back. A few things we use to determine where we are:



1. # of new cases every day

2. trends (deaths…)

3. public health / hospital capacity

4. how many people are testing positive when they’re tested



Those elements are subject to “human wildness” (e.g., times when everyone
shows up in the ER)

we see trends in the numbers, but variable (up-down-up-down) — can’t figure
out why that is (why are we not seeing a steady decline?). After a while,
the governor’s office realized it’s going to be too “wobbly” to say we’re
making the right progress; there have been oscillations – different
counties are at different places. Governor’s office pinged Dept of Health,
asking us to rethink statewide plan to a 5-level transition plan: MI SAFE
START PLAN (see Sharon’s presentation). Nutshell: we are not out of the
woods yet! Level 6 = post-pandemic (we're not there yet; we are aiming to
get to Level 6 eventually).



Local response to emergency is causing consternation at MI region
boundaries (8 regions in MI). We’re helping the governor navigate taking
regional info and putting it on the 8-region map. Politically, it’s hard to
do: makes people crazy — who gets to work? (Different answer depending on
what level on MI Safe Start Plan (1-6) any region is at.) A lot of people
are going to cross into less restrictive regions. Therefore, we are still
stuck in a one-size-fits-all response for the whole state. We’re developing
some dashboards of the 8 regions, where the cases are, how the curve is
moving (should be released in a week). Governor is between a rock and a
hard place.



Where we are now: we still have a lot of cases. But as long as we have 40
new cases/million ( = persistent spread), we are like the size of a log on
a fire; virus has a 3-4 week trajectory (longer than typical flu).
Washtenaw County still doing well; just don’t go to Kent County! There are
days I think it’s going to work; other days, we’re going to be in this
limbo for a while, and it’s going to keep cycling for a while. We keep
working with state (is this about testing? system response issues?
spreading/containment?). Will come with new #s next week for figuring out
transition points for each stage (1-6).



Malcolm: “what’s safe to do?” was so confusing; staying at home has been
such a relief. From my perspective (patients, business owners), it’s nice
to have grown-up in the room saying DON’T DO THAT.



QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:

- Please comment on the mortality rate for MI.

Not as meaningful as it should be. For instance, mortality rate for disease
is different for different locations. 9% is more a reflection of overwhelm
of the healthcare system, not generalizable for the whole state. It’s more
like 4% for the first month of spread. Who you include in #s can distort.
9% is an inflated #.



- When will DMV reopen?

If your license/reg has expired between May 31 – Dec 31, it’s extended to
June 30. Go online.

Malcolm: I’ve seen several patients who had telltale symptoms, but the test
came back negative. Takeaway: take #s with gigantic grain of salt.



- Reports of virus causing extended symptoms (stroke, seizures…)?

I haven’t seen the numbers: is it 1/10, 1/00, 1/000? There’s a sense that
those #s are very low. This virus is difficult to pin down



- Idea about rate for false-positive tests?

Not for current rapid test.

Malcolm: There’s more than one test, so it’s hard to say what existing #s
are based on. All tests have disclaimer say there’s a lot of uncertainty.



- I understand it’s a complicated political response looking at contiguous
counties with different levels. But what’s the public health response?

Officials are running it like a war room. It’s difficult because we’re
still in a continuum where widespread testing is incredibly expensive (at
one point, quotes given were: 15,000 tests/million = 150,000 active virus
tests = $4-5 million/month. So far, at 6,000 tests/million at best – not
too bad, but not great.) Those kinds of decisions are a factor. There’s
some lag in the public health response (it’s been good in Washtenaw County,
but in others it’s been really slow).



- Do you have advice for GO to prepare for what’s coming next?

To be completely honest, in the back of my mind have been fears of economic
consequences. Virus seems to be persistent, insistent. We’ve done an
impeccable job with health risk mitigation, but this is going to create a
lot of economic havoc. I don’t know what that’s going to mean for GO, but
one area is affordability. Might need to reconsider what we’re going to
invest in; virus/economic situation is going to be a reality for months or
years.





3. Common House Committee Update on next steps — reopening, getting back to
normal… (Marta)



Drawing from May 5 Common House meeting minutes. Just three days later,
some of the information is already outdated (e.g., 3 waves has changed to 6
waves) — don’t read too much into it.



We are practicing a close following of governor’s recommendations: stay
home, stay safe. For positively identified COVID individual, we will be
assessing potentially infected individuals presenting symptoms, and closing
down CH for 72 hours. Recommendations we’re not using: no CH for gatherings
— air ventilation system interconnected; HEPA filter not sufficient
protection. Still asking individuals to stay out of CH if presenting with
symptoms. In 5/05 Steering meeting, we determined that the Guest Room is
not to be used by anyone with symptoms or who has a positive COVID test.



If we are going to have waves of opening, we will need to coordinate with
meals, grounds & process to find a common understanding. Will not
unilaterally decide; will negotiate with committees. So, for now, things
will stay same. In between, we will need to discuss stages; will not resume
100% right away (maybe meal take-out…). We propose to keep Zoom option for
common house & plenary meetings. Until completely safe, will not exclude
anyone from any meeting.



QUESTIONS & COMMENTS:

- Construction is opening back up: time to take a fresh look at kitchen
remodel?

The question is, economically uncertain times are coming; do we want to
delay based on that?



- How do we make such decisions (financial investment for CH)?

Have time (2-4 months) until township is functional before we can submit
construction plans.



- Process comment: we have already agreements in place that we’re going to
do this, $ saved up: from community’s perspective, it’s a go. A different
answer will require coming back to Plenary.

Process will move forward based on governor’s orders, community agreements.

We are having very close ties to construction community: right now, there
are houses needing finishing; if we wait a month or two, it will be easier
to find new tenants. It may be that Affordability & CH can go together;
more will be revealed.

Debbi: Agree with Process about what’s been described, but want to have a
conversation about economic factors.





4. Fun Club update (Andrew)



Fun Club has been working behind the scenes for several weeks preparing
COVID-appropriate events.

Our first event on offer is Values Mandala Extravagan-dala.



[POWER POINT PRESENTATION]



We invite the community into a contemplative space to reflect on and share
around our values.


The values mandala is a variation of the mandala (like the GO pathway
mandala). Values mandalas are an exercise in contemplation and imagination
that can yield surprising insights and support our living in integrity. We
ask questions like, What do I value? What is my grandest vision for myself,
my tribe, my world? By articulating our values and then organizing them
within a mandala framework, we gain clarity about our values system. Values
mandalas can be simple or complex – even kids can do it with a little
guidance.



See values mandala handout (will be emailed this weekend) for instructions
and guidance.



Event stages:

1. Create your mandala (use emailed handout for guidance & ideas). Print
out handout before diving in to support creating a sense of sacred time.
Over next week+, complete your mandala. Create personal mandala or
co-create with others. For sharing purposes, use standard format (paper,
12x12 or 15x15).

2. Write a brief description to go along with your mandala, to help others
understand your creation.

3. Submit your mandala by Thursday, May 21. Drop-off location TBA.

4. Community unveiling / mandala display event: Saturday, May 23. Details
TBA.



QUESTIONS/COMMENTS:

- Love the thought that went into this, it’s a really good idea.

- Are you thinking about offering opportunities to meet with you and ask
questions? I may think of a question I didn’t know I had. (Yes, happy to
help with the process; more details in handout.)





5. Great Oak Community Support and Response When a Household Self-Isolates
– proposal, decision (Mary)

Response from ad hoc group tasked with coming up with a proposal intended
to achieve and address four major goals: privacy & safety, safety for
community, help for neighbors, protect privacy of neighbors & their
households.



Proposal boils down to new team: COVID Support & Implementation team (2-3
people, 2 hours/mo each) to be primary point of contact for anyone
self-isolating. If anyone decided to reach out, team would reach back to
find out 4 things:

- What do you need the community to know & how to communicate?

- Do you already have a point person in household/neighborhood?

- If not, would you like help finding a willing neighbor?

- Have you used any of the utilized public spaces anytime in last 7 days?



Team will have a checklist that will activate support for that household:
* reminder that they can’t go into common spaces

* community work needing coverage

* detailed list of places they’ve been (to sanitize)

* backup system in place for work assignments so work still gets done



Reached out to CH/Grounds: develop protocols for cleaning shared spaces in
event that COVID exposed can be disinfected



Proposal also will create a resource closet anyone in the community that
has been impacted by COVID. Estimated cost = $175.



Two safety valves: (1) revisit COVID protocols at least once a month, (2)
Sunset clause: protocol will remain in place until state no longer
recommends social distancing AND GO decides same



QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION:

Malcolm: If someone hasn’t been in a space for more than 3 days, there’s no
need to sanitize. But it’s still good ask where that person has been over
the past week so that others will know.



Patti: We will follow CDC guidelines for safety & sanitation; COVID Support
& Implementation team will adapt protocols as they change.



Are people generally comfortable with moving forward? (AGREED)





6. Protocols for Washing COVID At-Risk Laundry in the Great Oak Common
House —proposal, decision (Mary)



Background: there’s concern from neighbors about what to do if a household
that’s potentially exposed wants to use the shared laundry facilities.



Proposal: (1) make available off-site laundry services, (2) share standard
protocol training & resources for at-risk laundry in own unit or shared
space (Syndallas & Kelly), (3) resource closet for affected households.



Standard protocol: dirty laundry sits outside for 48 hours, put on PPE and
carry in mesh laundry bag — can take whole bag, throw in washer; reduces
potential exposure). After 48h, wash. Washing COVID-positive clothes in CH
= lose laundry privileges. Follow these guidelines even in your own home to
protect your family.



Sunset clause: protocol will stay in place until state guidelines change
AND community agrees that the risk doesn’t require these precautions.



QUESTIONS:

- Why the mesh bag?

Some people didn’t feel comfortable doing laundry in a shared space. With
the mesh bag, you can throw entire bag in washer, so the person’s not
having to take laundry out. Remember: this is just an extra layer of
caution.



- Does laundry get as clean in mesh bag?

Malcolm: If we take outer bag off after stick mesh bag in washer. If stays
in mesh bag, won’t get quite as clean — but that also behooves people not
to pack bag too full.



- Where will the mesh bags be?

Multiple mesh bags will be made available (will live in laundry room for
anyone potentially exposed or at-risk to use).

Kelly: this proposal comes from: how do we safely support a household with
COVID? Mesh bags: prevents fluffing of dirty laundry (CDC says fluffing it
can send virus airborne again). It also protects privacy (undergarments,
etc.). It gets washed & dried, maybe not perfectly clean, but good for
current situation: safety trumps cleanliness-perfection.



EX: personal articles of clothing — can make specific requests (separate
bag for undies, etc.) — we can negotiate any specifics when sending laundry
off.



Looks like we’re in general agreement about this? (AGREED)



Two more items:

- New prospective neighbor: welcome Melissa! (waves, twinkles) Melissa
waves back.

- Mail delivery workers: title change? “OWLS” (Mary: “Outdoor Workers
Leaving Stuff”) (thumbs up)





7. Announcements, Buildings Checklist (Patti)

Buildings update: Willie created a checklist for letting buildings members
/ outside workers into your home to protect worker & family (will send to
community Sunday). Represents our commitment to the community. Any
household can use checklist to protect the worker and your family.



Marta:

- Instacart orders now immediate: no longer have 5-6 day waiting periods.
Now we’re just experimenting which more day of the week is best. Not final,
but the cart will be open this week until Wednesday morning. Reach out to
me for training.

- Informal Zoom account for GO when it’s too cold/windy to visit outside.
We have a channel for running into each other online. I’m happy to explain
it to anyone.



Megan: please bless my new peach trees! I want these to be “blessing trees”
for all of us. Use these trees to get & give blessings. Wishes, prayers,
visions can go into the tree.



Gail: I’m the agenda planner; need items for May 18 business meeting.
Please get items to me today or tomorrow (Sun).



Melissa: looking at Sarah Ross’s unit, have a lot of friends at Sunward, 3
kids (ages 4/7/10) — thanks to Polly for bringing me along for today’s
meeting (everyone waves – thanks, good to meet you!)



Marta: Need clarity on action item for kitchen remodel: am I waiting on
someone else?

Debbie: Affordability committee has been formed; they will be getting Marta
information before moving forward. In any case, it’ll be some time before
work could start, so we’ll just coordinate.

Willie: haven’t finished (kitchen remodel) shopping project

Marta: required to have 3 estimates first; only have one so far.





8. Closing Evaluation & Adjourn (Mary)



- I loved how you transitioned your tiaras.

- Happy to meet new (prospective) neighbors and see each other on Zoom.

- I liked the variety of agenda items; it made it interesting and fun.

- Glad that I learned two new words: grok, viron.

- It was nice not to have all heavy subjects!





Thank you for coming, you are free to stay around a few minutes if you wish
for facilitator debrief.

--end--


—
*Andrew Nixon**, Licensed Massage Therapist*
*M.A., Philosophy, Cosmology & Consciousness*
*t:* 734.680.0343 | *w:* www.integralwellnessmassage.com
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