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Word | Definition |
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Commons | Areas of the property commonly shared amongst coopers. Typically used to refer to units 106 & 107, but may also refer to the courtyard, breezeway, etc. |
House Meeting | A typically weekly meeting of coopers, and primary form of House governance. Used to conduct discussions, make changes on House policy, and give announcements. |
Members | Typically anyone who has signed a lease or associate contract. However membership can be revoked while someone continues to serve out the remainder of their lease. |
Agenda | List of things to be discussed or decided on at a house meeting. |
Membership Review | A specific process by which the membership and/or tenancy of a member may be revoked, or have specific conditional provisions added via a behavior contract. |
Consensus | Parliamentary process used by the house. |
Meet and Greet | Part of House Meeting where non-members may introduce themselves if they wish, and fulfill the requirements for membership acceptance. |
Minutes | Written record of the discussions and decisions made by the House. |
House | The coop as an entity. |
Straw Poll | A facilitation tool used to quickly determine which item in a list has the most favorability amongst the group. |
Facilitation | Procedures and techniques used to guide meetings towards their conclusion in an efficient manner. |
Facilitator | A person conducting a meeting. |
Moderator | A person conducting a meeting. |
New Buisness | Portion of House meeting reserved for discussing items not present on the agenda. Decisions can not be made by the House in New Business. Typically used for announcements and report backs. |
Contract Break | A request from a Member to be released from their Contract before it's end date. |
Officer | A Member who has been elected into one or more of several managerial roles. Officers tend to have a degree of autonomy in how they manage the aspects of the coop under their purview. |
Committe Meeting | Another meeting akin to a House Meeting, called by an Officer, with an agenda consisting of items only pertaining to things under that officer's purview. |
House Policy | The collective governing documents of the House. Including but not necessarily limited to: The House Manual, Labor Descriptions, Officer Descriptions, Consensus Process, and related House Contracts. |
Membership Acceptance | Process by which non-members become prospective members. Done by attending two House meetings and answering a few simple questions. Can be done via phone. |
Prospective Members | Non-Members that have fulfilled the requirements for Membership Acceptance, and are on the waiting list. Also now able to sign a lease or Associate Membership contract. |
Waiting List | A list maintained by the MemCo of Prospective and Associate Members and the order by which they are eligible to sign a lease. |
MemCo | AKA Membership Coordinator. Officer Position that manages the coop's leases and contracts, vacancies, and prospective members. |
Membership Coordinator | Officer Position that manages the coop's leases and contracts, vacancies, and prospective members. |
Coordinator | Synonym: Officer. A Member who has been elected into one or more of several managerial roles. Coordinators tend to have a degree of autonomy in how they manage the aspects of the coop under their purview. |
Associate Members | Members not currently on a lease at the coop, but who pay a small amount of money and do a small amount of labor every month. Associate Members have higher priority on the Waiting List and can participate in making decisions at the House. |
CHEA | The 501c3 Nonprofit entity that governs the broader goings-on of La Reunion and Sasona. Primarily concerned with legal issues, taxes, and the overall organizational health of the houses. Acronym stands for Community Housing Expansion of Austin. |
Mailing List | The House's Email listserv used to post announcements and have general discussions with fellow housemates. |
Sasona | Our sister house located in South Austin. |
Vacancy Reserve | A fund managed by NASCO Properties that both La Reunion and Sasona pay into every month. When CHEA can not pay both house's lease payments in full, money from this fund is used to make up the difference. When the fund becomes full, money paid into it will be returned to CHEA as overflow. |
Contract Break Fee | A $100 fee for a Member ending their contract early. |
Unit | A full apartment at La Reunion. |
Room | One of two rooms in any unit at La Reunion. |