Escher House Constitution Adopted March 1996; amended August 2010 Preamble We, the members of the Escher Cooperative House, located at 1500 Gilbert Court, Ann Arbor, Michigan, associate ourselves cooperatively for the students of the Ann Arbor area. As members of the Inter-Cooperative Council (ICC), a mutual housing association, we subscribe to the following principles and values: 1. All people have equal worth. 2. Control of resources to meet basic needs is a right. 3. There is value in individual cooperation. 4. Inter-connectedness is critical to survival. 5. Individuals acting together are more effective than working alone. 6. The purpose of the co-op is to provide services to members. 7. Cooperative self-help is the most reliable resource. 8. Community is vital to success. 9. Community is a result of participation and empowerment. 10. Participation and knowledge lead to empowerment. 11. Empowerment leads to actions which reflect and bring our values to reality. 12. The co-op should benefit both current and future members. The Rochdale Principles As a cooperative house, we also associate ourselves in the spirit of the Rochdale Principles: Voluntary and open membership. Co-operatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination. Democratic Member Control. Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote), and co-operatives at other levels are also organized in a democratic manner. Member Economic Participation. Members contribute equitable to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 1 of 13
Autonomy and Independence. Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy. Education, Training and Information. Co-operatives provide educational training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public-particularly young people and opinion leaders-about the nature and benefits of cooperation. Cooperation among Co-operatives. Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, and international structures. Concern for Community. Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members. Neutrality. Cooperatives remain neutral in questions of partisanship and religion. Limited interest on invested capital. Share capital invested by members shall receive a strictly limited rate of interest. Distribution of economic result. The year-end savings of member co-ops may be distributed as a patronage refund to the members. Continuous Expansion. Our cooperatives shall support the continuous expansion of the ICC and the cooperative movement, in order to best serve the community. Article I. General A. The name of the group which operates under this constitution is Escher Cooperative House (hereafter referred to as the House). The Escher House Committee is the governing board (hereafter referred to as EHC). B. The House is a member of and abides by the By-laws and Standing Rules of the Inter- Cooperative Council at The University of Michigan (hereafter referred to as the ICC). C. The term Founding Houses is here used to mean Renaissance and O'Keefe Cooperative Houses. D. In this document, 'semester' shall mean a semester at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Spring and Summer semesters shall be taken together as ones semester. E. In this document, 'dining rooms' shall refer to the Founding House Dining areas. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 2 of 13
Article II. Purpose A. The purpose of the House shall be to provide: 1. A formal procedure to enable the Founding Houses to delegate certain carefully defined activities to the House for the benefit of both Founding Houses. 2. Efficient and effective management of joint Renaissance and O'Keefe ventures. Such may include, but are not limited to, building and common areas management and kitchen operations. 3. Representation for the North Campus community in the ICC. Article III. Membership A. To become a member of the House one must be a member of either Founding House. B. The members of the House are encouraged to actively participate in all aspects of House government, and shall be held to the following duties and obligations: 1. House members shall abide by all House rules; 2. House members shall be responsible for the payment of bills and fines incurred while participating in House activities 3. House members shall be personally responsible for work assigned to them by the Work Managers of their respective Founding House whether that task is under the authority of their Founding House or the authority of Escher House; 4. House members shall be responsible for the contents of notices posted on House bulletin boards. C. Current member referral: Current member referral is a probation on which a member of any ICC cooperative can be placed in accordance with the ICC Standing Rules. Some of the privileges which are accorded to members of the ICC are not available to members on current member referral. Current member referral is an alternative to expulsion in many cases. 1. The ICC Standing Rules specify all grounds and procedures for placing a member on and removing a member from current ember referral. They don not permit this constitution to supersede them. Therefore, this section shall serve only as interpretation of ICC Standing Rule 2.8. Any member with questions regarding current member referral should speak to the House President or the ICC Membership Coordinator. 2. In all matters of current member referral, Escher shall follow ICC Standing Rules or refer the matter to the member's Founding House. 3. The procedure for referring the matter to the Founding House shall be as follows: a. A member must present a written and signed statement to the House President or Treasurer.This request must detail the precise grounds for referral and specify the ICC Standing Rules which make these grounds valid. b. The House President or Treasurer shall notify, in writing, the member whose referral has been requested. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 3 of 13
c. The House President or Treasurer shall consult with the EHC, which in turn may bring the referral to the member's Founding House for formal action. D. Expulsion of members. The ICC Standing Rules specify grounds ad procedures for expelling a member from the House. However, they permit the constitution to supersede them. Therefore, this section shall serve as the only procedure for expulsion of members. Any member with questions regarding expulsion of members should speak to the House President or the ICC Executive Director. 1. Grounds for expulsion shall be those specified by ICC Standing Rule 2.6. 2. Expulsion of any member may be requested by any member. In order to request expulsion, a member must present a written and signed request to the House President or Treasurer. This request must detail the precise grounds for expulsion and specify the ICC Standing Rules which make these grounds valid. The House President or Treasurer shall notify, in writing, the member whose expulsion is requested. 3. Expulsion from the House is immediate upon either; a. 95% approval of members by ballot vote, following the procedure in ArticleXI.B-C-D-E-F; or b. Expulsion from either Founding House. i. Any member may request Escher House to refer the issue to the Founding House using the following procedure. 1. The House President or Treasurer shall notify, in writing, the member whose expulsion is sought. 2. The House President or Treasurer shall consult with the EHC, which in turn may bring the expulsion to the member's Founding House for formal action. E. Expulsion of a member from House charges. 1. A member shall be released from any House Charges, except outstanding bills or fines, when s/he has been formally released from her/his respective Founding House charges. Release is effective the same date as the release from the Founding House. Article IV. House Operations A. Authority is conferred to Escher House by its members as follows: 1. A bill drafted by any member of the House shall be presented to the House and the Founding Houses. It shall be distributed to the Founding House presidents to be distributed as they see fit. In order to be adopted it must be approved by all three houses in accordance with each House's operating procedures. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 4 of 13
2. The bill shall follow the format below: Escher House requests the following: The purpose of this bill is: The following labor is requested from O'Keefe: The following labor is requested from Renaissance: The following funds are requested from O'Keefe: The following funds are requested from Renaissance: Date Mandate takes effect: Date Mandate ends: Revoke period: 3. Any House may individually rescind the mandate with the warning period stipulated in the "Revoke period." a. A mandate is a bill that has been passed by all three Houses. b. The revoke period is the minimum notice that a House needs to provide to the other Houses before it can rescind mandate. Any remaining funds for a mandate that has been rescinded shall be returned to the Founding Houses once all previously incurred bills have been paid. 4. Escher shall make no decision affecting the population of the House without appropriate authority having been previously delegated to it by the Founding Houses. 5. All mandates currently in effect shall be available on Founding Houses bulletin boards. 6. If the specific amount of labor or money cannot be immediately determined and explicitly stated, the mechanism for approval of such must be included in the bill. Article V. Escher House Committee (EHC) A. The Escher House Committee shall be the governing body of the House and will consist of the House President, the House Treasurer, the Founding Houses Kitchen Managers ( 1 from each House), the Founding Houses Maintenance Managers (1 from each House), and the Founding Houses Work Managers (1 from each House). B. Each member of the EHC shall have one (1) vote. C. The EHC shall convene at least one (1) time per month in a meeting open to all members of the House, or more often at the discretion of the House President. Agendas shall be conspicuously posted in each suite and both dining rooms at least two (2) days in advance. D. Special meetings may be called by the House President, two (2) officers of the EHC, or by a petition of ten (10) percent of the members-at-large. E. A quorum shall consist of a two-thirds majority (>66%) of voting members of the EHC. F. Decisions of the EHC shall be made by a majority (>50%) of voting members in attendance. G. Minutes of each meeting shall be conspicuously posted in both dining rooms within one week of each EHC meeting. If funds are available the minutes shall also be posted in each suite. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 5 of 13
H. The EHC shall select a secretary from among the committee members to be responsible for recording and posting the minutes. I. The committee shall select a third person from among the committee members to share signature authority in conjunction with the President and Treasurer. All House checks shall require two signatures. J. The committee will be responsible for communicating pertinent information and reviewing Escher House minutes at Founding House meetings. K. Decisions of the EHC can be overturned by the process outlined in Article XI of this Constitution. Article VI. Officers A. The elected officers and their responsibilities are as follows: 1. Escher President a. Calls meetings of the EHC and posts agendas for all such meetings at least two (2) days in advance; b. Chairs all meetings of the EHC; c. Facilitates and coordinates the work of the EHC; d. Facilitates communication between the EHC and the general membership; e. Exerts signature control over Escher House funds, in conjunction with the Escher Treasurer and another designated EHC member. f. Fulfills duties of the Escher Treasurer when the Treasurer is unable to. g. Organizes new member orientation at the beginning of each contract period (Fall, Winter, and Spring). h. Organizes recruitment activities for the NC Co-ops including giving house tours to prospective members. i. Organizes the Work Holiday weekend each semester. j. Represents the House in its relations with other co-op Houses, the ICC, and the community. 2. Escher Board Rep a. Represents the House at meetings of the ICC Board of Directors. b. Temporarily assumes the powers of the Escher President in cases when the President is unable to perform his or her duties. c. Keeps the House informed of ICC affairs. d. Serves on an ICC committee. e. Represents the House in its relations with other co-op Houses, the ICC as a whole, and the community. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 6 of 13
3. Escher Treasurer a. Keeps coordinated records of all House finances and transactions; b. Makes regular financial reports to the EHC; c. Acts as liaison with the ICC Financial Coordinator. d. Exerts signature control over House funds in conjunction with the House Presidents and another designated EHC member. e. Prepares and submits the House budget for member consideration by October 1 for the Fall and Winter semesters and by June 1st for the Spring/Summer semester. f. Provides the House with monthly financial statements. g. Maintains the House checkbook and balances the monthly bank statements. h. Pays all House bills from the House checking account. i. Maintains a list of all approved requests from the Amenities Funds, and ensures that no more than the approved amount is spent on any request. j. Reports all Amenities expenditures to the Houses. 4. Kitchen Managers. ( 1 from each Founding House). The Kitchen Managers serve according to their respective House terms and are elected by their respective Founding Houses. a. Act as stewards of Escher House. 5. Maintenance Managers. (1 from each Founding House). The Maintenance Managers serve according to their respective House terms and are elected by their respective Founding House. a. Act as stewards of Escher House. 6. Work Managers. (1 from each Founding House). The Work Managers serve for one semester and are elected by their respective Founding Houses. a. Act as stewards of Escher House. Article VII. Elections A. Any member of the House is eligible to run for office. B. Elections for the fall semester shall take place at the end of the winter term of that same calendar year, preferably coordinating with Founding House elections. C. Elections for the spring/summer semester shall take place at the end of the preceding winter semester. D. Nominations for all offices shall be open for a period of not less than one (1) week. When nominations are closed, the House President shall post a final list of all nominees. No member can run for more than one (1) position on the EHC. E. The House President shall provide time on the agenda of an EHC meeting for all nominees to speak to the House. The EHC meeting shall take place no sooner than three (3) days after the close of nominations. F. After the EHC meeting the House President shall distribute ballots to all members' mailboxes. "Board-Only" contractees shall receive ballots at the next two dinners after the EHC meeting. Ballots must be returned to the House President within seventy-two (72) hours of their distribution in order to be considered valid. Ballots shall provide space for write-in candidates. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 7 of 13
G. To hold office, a candidate must have a majority of the votes cast and, in addition, the total of votes cast must be an absolute majority of House members (>50%). H. In the event that no candidate receives a winning vote as defined in VII.G, the two candidates with the greatest vote totals shall participate in a run-off election conducted within forty-eight (48) hours of the first vote, and shall be due seventy-two (72) hours after distribution. I. All election results must be verified by the current members of the EHC not running for an Escher House office during that election. Article VIII. Start of Terms & Vacancies in Office A. The House President and Treasurer shall begin their terms on the first day of the interim period following the semester during which s/he is elected. B. A vacancy in the House President or House Treasurer requires an emergency election to filled permanently. 1. Until the election is held, the President shall take on the duties of the Treasurer (if that is the position that is vacant) or the Treasurer shall take on the duties of the President (if that position is vacant). 2. If both positions have a vacancy each of the kitchen managers will take over one position until replacements are elected. 3. Vacancies in offices elected by each Founding House (Work, Kitchen, and Maintenance managers) will be resolved via Constitutionally designated methods in the respective Founding Houses. C. The emergency election shall be conducted as follows: 1. Nominations shall be open for a period of not less than one (1) week. When nominations are closed, the House (or acting) President shall post a final list of all nominees. 2. A special meeting of the EHC shall be convened to allow the nominees the opportunity to speak to the House. 3. After the EHC meeting the House (or acting) President shall distribute ballots to all members' mailboxes. "Board-Only" contractees shall receive ballots at the first two dinners after the EHC meeting. Ballots must be returned to the House (or acting) President within seventy-two (72) hours in order to be considered valid. Ballots shall provide space for write-in candidates. 4. To hold office, a candidate must have a majority of the votes cast and, in addition, the total of votes cast must be an absolute majority of House members (>50%). 5. In the event that no candidate receives a winning vote as defined in VII.D.4, the two candidates with the greatest vote totals shall participate in a run-off election conducted within forty-eight (48) hours of the first vote, and shall be due seventy-two (72) hours after distribution. E. The House President or House Treasurer elected in an emergency election shall begin their terms immediately after the results are verified by the members of the EHC not running in that election. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 8 of 13
Article IX. Removal of Officers A. The House President or Treasurer/Secretary shall be removed from office if all of the following occur in sequential order: 1. A petition is presented to one of the two Kitchen Managers which states the precise reasons for removal and is signed by twenty (20) percent of the membership. 2. The petition is presented to the officer in question. 3. The Kitchen Manager shall convene an EHC meeting to discuss the petition within seven (7) days of its receipt. 4. The House President or Treasurer/Secretary shall be removed from office if a 2/3 majority (>66%) of all House members vote in favor of removal in a seventy-two (72) hour recall election. Ballots for this election shall be distributed to members' mailboxes. "Board-Only" contractees shall receive their ballots during dinner on the evening after the EHC meeting. B. An officer shall be automatically removed from office if s/he is expelled from his/her Founding House. Article X. Budget A. The House must create a Budget if the activities delegated to it by the Founding Houses require one. The process shall be as follows: 1. The EHC shall convene an open meeting no later than one (1) week after the start of the semester to draft a tentative budget and hear House discussion; 2. This budget shall be presented to O'Keeffe and Renaissance Houses at their first meeting of the semester for discussion and suggestions of amendments; a. If there are no amendments, the budget shall be passed by the Founding Houses with a majority (>50%) of the total number of voting members in attendance. b. If there are amendments by either Founding House, those amendments shall be presented at an EHC meeting to be held no later than three (3) days after the last of the two (2) Rooming House meetings. c. The EHC shall draft a new budget taking into consideration the amendments suggested by both Founding Houses. d. The new budget shall be presented to the Founding Houses at their next House meetings. e. If there are no further amendments, the budget shall be passed by the Founding Houses with a majority (>50%) of the total number of voting members in attendance. Article XI. Referenda A. A referendum for any action by the Policy Board, including amendment to this constitution, may be initiated by either Founding House President, the EHC, or a petition signed by ten (10) percent of the general membership. B. The Escher House President shall present such petitions at the next meeting, regular or special of the EHC. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 9 of 13
C. For each referendum, a committee of two (2) or more shall be formed (consisting of those appointed by the EHC and any member who wishes to serve) to write and post a sample ballot within three (3) days of the committee's formation. The ballot shall have both a "pro" and a "con" statement, as well as a fairness question which shall read: "Does this ballot fairly reflect opposing views on the issue?" D. Sample ballots and a notice of the day of the balloting must be conspicuously posted in all suites and at the entrance to both Dining Rooms, at least forty-eight (48) hours, but no more than seven (7) days, before the vote is taken. E. Ballots for the referendum shall be distributed to members' mailboxes. "Board-Only" contractees shall receive their ballots during dinner on the evening after the Policy Board meeting. F. Ballots shall be due to the House President within seventy-two (72) hours after their distribution in order to be considered valid. G. The referendum shall be considered valid only if two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members answer the fairness question in the affirmative. H. Ratification of this constitution, adoption of any amendment, and any other refernda shall be carried by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast. I. No referendum or other ballot shall be considered valid unless an absolute majority (>50%) of all members vote. Escher Mandates on following page(s): Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 10 of 13
Escher Mandates: ESCHER SMOKING POLICY The purpose of this mandate is: To clearly define the areas where smoking is permitted in the Escher areas of the North Campus Co-ops (basement and grounds) and define the bonfire policy. With respect to Escher areas: 1) Per ICC S.R. 8.18 ICC FIRE POLICY (02/2009-2010), Smoking inside the building is not permitted. 2) Smoking outside the building is only permitted in the area south of the west basement entrance (located under Trantor-Mir) and 10 feet west of the asphalt ramp that leads up to the courtyard. 3) Bonfire Policy: a) Bonfires must be announced at least 24 hours in advance (ideally 48 hours). b) The person announcing the bonfire is responsible for supervising the entire event, including: i. Making sure all common area windows are closed before the fire is lit. ii. Making sure appropriate fire precautions are followed including, but not limited to: fire ring, maintaining a non-flammable area outside of ring, keeping fire-safety tools: extinguisher/water/sand/shovels nearby. iii. Making sure the fire is completely out and cold (hand test) before finally leaving. iv. Cleaning up all tools and debris involved in the event. c) If there is a dispute, the Boy Scout Fire Policy may be used as a reference for ii and iii. Date Mandate takes effect: October 1, 2009 Date Mandate ends April 2012 Revoke period: Any decision to revoke this mandate by either of the founding houses (OK and Ren) must be made at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term and will take effect at the beginning of the next term. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 11 of 13
ESCHER PARKING POLICY The purpose of this mandate is: To clearly define the areas where and how parking is permitted on the Escher grounds of the North Campus Co-ops. With respect to Escher parking: 1)Drop off and delivery parking ONLY in front of any co-op dumpsters and the north service drive (driveway between building and volleyball court). Unattended vehicles parked there will be towed -see #8 for towing procedure. 2) Guest Parking shall be made available for guests of co-op members only. The parking spots to the west of the volleyball court -once properly graded- will be reserved for guest parking. Members must reserve these spots, for their guests, in advance with the Parking Steward. Unauthorized vehicles will be towed -see #8 for towing procedure. 3) No vehicles are to be allowed into the central courtyard of the building except during member move-in or move-out. A removable vehicular barricade may be installed at the bottom of the ramp to the central courtyard. Unattended vehicles left in the courtyard will not be towed for practical reasons, but will be considered an example of uncooperative behavior. 4) Parking spaces in the south parking lot will be determined by a two-stage lottery conducted by the Parking Steward at the beginning of each term. Members that are non-students, non-umich students, and umich Freshman and Sophmores are eligible for the first stage. Note: Umich graduate students, juniors, and seniors are eligible for university passes for the university lot next door. Parking fees will be estimated using the previous year's snowplow bill divided by the number of spaces available. 5) Parking Steward shall have the option to monitor the parking lot Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm as well as the Spring/Summer term as long as 48 hours notice is given to the house before monitoring begins. The brick islands in the south parking shall be considered open guest parking and do not require reservations. The brick islands are not considered regular parking spots and abuse of this privilege will be considered uncooperative behavior. 6) The Parking Steward may determine how they want to monitor parking in the south lot -tags, dashboard signs, etc. Exception: any signage or marks that would permanently attach to the vehicle or be difficult to remove are not an option. 7) The Parking Steward is responsible, in coordination with the Escher Treasurer, for setting up the contracts with the towing company and the snowplow company each year. (con t) Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 12 of 13
ESCHER PARKING POLICY (con t) 8) TOWING PROCEDURE: If a vehicle violates any of the above policy, the Parking Steward is authorized to begin the following procedure: First Offense: A written warning must be left on the vehicle stating that the vehicle is violating our parking policy and will be towed for a second offense. The written warning must also give an estimate of the towing fee so the vehicle owner realizes the seriousness of the offense. The Parking Steward shall keep a written record of all warnings given. This warning is applicable for 48 hours. Afterwards the car will be towed off at the owner's expense. Second Offense +: The Parking Steward may have the vehicle towed off the premises at the owner's expense. Date Mandate takes effect: May 3, 2010 Date Mandate ends August 2012 Revoke period: Any decision to revoke this mandate by either of the founding houses (OK and Ren) must be made at least 60 days prior to the end of the current term and will take effect at the beginning of the next term. Escher Constitution Amended August 2010 Page 13 of 13