Rules and Policies

Version 1

Approved March 2021

These rules and policies are subject to change. Changes will become effective immediately upon successful vote of adoption by the Board of Directors (“the Board”). A summarized version of these rules will be posted in the space, with a link to the full rules.

Code of Conduct

1.     All Members and Guests must follow the Code of Conduct.

2.     Everyone must sign a Liability Waiver to be in the building, except in the lobby/gallery.

3.     Safety is important. If you have not received the required training to use a piece of equipment, don’t use it.

4.     Any Board Member, or the appropriate Lab Coordinator, may temporarily or permanently expel anyone who violates the Code of Conduct from the premises or online systems. Bans may be reversed upon agreement by the Board.

5.     Don't merely respect each other; be excellent to each other.

    • We are all here to make things and learn. Collaboration is important.
    • When you break something, own up to it. Don't make someone feel bad for breaking things; help them understand what went wrong. You will not be asked to replace/repair equipment due to honest mistakes. We just want to know why something broke so we can prevent accidents in the future.
6. Clean, Maintain, Organize, Improve. Always leave the space better than you found it. This includes taking out the trash, wiping down tables, vacuuming/sweeping floors, returning tools to the proper place, etc.

7.     Don't be afraid to ask questions. Answer them kindly; eventually you'll have to ask for help, too.

8.     Tools/resources must stay on the premises and in their designated areas so that other members may use them. Removing tools/resources from the space without authorization from a Board Member is theft.

9.     All members are expected to maintain a safe and clean environment at all times.

10.  Smoking cigarettes/cigars, use of vaporizers (also known as electronic cigarettes) is not allowed inside the building.

11.  The use of tools/equipment while under the influence of alcohol is not permitted. Alcohol is only allowed on the premises at the discretion of the Board.

12.  No pets allowed in the building.

13.  Don't catch fire, set others on fire, or set anything on fire which has not been designated or designed to be on fire. Fire is only allowed in designated areas or by special permission from the Board.

14.  Harmful behavior, harassment, stalking, theft, hazing, and otherwise being the opposite of excellent is unacceptable.

15.  It is the responsibility of each member to help enforce the Code of Conduct. If someone is violating the Code of Conduct, politely explain to them why their behavior is not acceptable. Repeated or substantial violations should be reported to a Board Member.

Guests

1.     Like everyone else, guests are required to sign a Liability Waiver in order to be on the premises, outside of the lobby/gallery.

2.     Guests cannot visit Great Plains MakerSpace without another keyed Member present.

3.     Guests are encouraged to become Members.

4.     Guests are not allowed to use any tools or equipment belonging to the makerspace, except as part of a scheduled class/workshop.

5.     Members are responsible for their Guests and their actions.

6.     Class/event attendees:

·  Must remain in the approved class areas.

· Must follow directions given by the class instructors and be attentive.

·  May only use tools approved for the class (if any), and which they have been instructed in.

·  Must use approved tools only in a manner appropriate to the class.

Minors

1.     GPMS is not a childcare facility. You are responsible for your own children.

2.     Minors (those under the age of 18) must have their Liability Waiver signed by a Parent or Legal Guardian.

3.     Parents/Guardians of minors who are not GPMS members must sign a Parent/Guardian Agreement.

4.     Minors 16 and older are encouraged to become members.

5.     Minors are required to adhere to all posted age requirements.

6.     Parents/Guardians are responsible for their children and their actions, as detailed in the Parent/Guardian Agreement.

Formal Complaint Process

The formal complaint process exists for members to request a discussion be held by the Board of Directors regarding specific actions of another member. Members are expected to discuss their complaints in a calm and polite manner. Mediation is available to resolve issues without the need of a formal complaint.

1.     Formal complaints against another member must be submitted, in writing, to a Board Member. The complaint must have at least two sections: a "Complaint" section and a "Recommended Solution" section.

2.     A Board Member will either settle the issue directly or bring the issue to the attention of the Board of Directors, to be settled at their next scheduled meeting.

3.     The Board is not required to act in accordance with the grievance or complainant's "Recommended Solution" part and may devise its own remediation.

4.     Complaints may be added to the minutes of any relevant Board meetings. Minutes for the meeting will not be scrubbed of identifying information.

5.     Complaints may also be posted on the GPMS wiki, without identifying information.

6.     Any disciplinary action for which one or more Board Members are involved requires that a written record of the action, reason(s) for the action, and acknowledgement of the accused be sent to the Board to be kept on file.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Great Plains MakerSpace does not promote or discriminate against any person, population group, or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable United States law. These include, but are not limited to race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, physical appearance, language, education background, national origin, age, disability, and veteran status.

Anti-Harassment Policy

Harassment is prohibited and will not be tolerated. Any person who feels they have been the victim of harassment should ask the harasser to cease the behavior, if they feel safe doing so. Members or guests asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Harassment includes the following, without limitation:

1.     Offensive comments related to race, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, or physical appearance

2.     Gratuitous sexual or obscene images or behavior in the makerspace

3.     Unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention without consent or after a request to stop

4.     Threats or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to engage in self-harm

5.     Deliberate intimidation by words, gestures, body language, or menacing behavior

6.     Stalking

7.     Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes

8.     Continued one-on-one contact or communication after requests to cease

9.     Deliberate "outing" of a sensitive aspect of a person’s identity without their consent

Firearms

1.     The manufacture of firearms or any item covered by the National Firearms Act is strictly prohibited.

2.     Projects involving the modification or creation of non-controlled firearm components, or components to be used with a firearm, are subject to approval by the Board.

3.     Transactions of Firearms and related materials, both physical and digital, are prohibited on GPMS properties.

4.     Members carrying firearms in accordance with the Federal, State, and Local firearm laws are expected to do so responsibly and safely.

5.     Firearms are expected to remain holstered.  Unholstered firearms MUST be unloaded.

6.     Firearms MUST remain with their bearer.  Project firearms cannot be stored on premises.

7.     The bearer of a firearm is fully responsible for any issues arising from said firearm.

8.     The Board shall have discretion over these rules, and members are expected to abide by their decisions on related matters.

9.     Violation of any rule regarding firearms may result in immediate loss of membership and banning from the premises.  Violators will then be considered to be trespassing.

Membership Dues

Membership rates are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the Board.

All dues are paid in advance and are recurring. Check/cash is accepted only for yearly memberships.

Current Rates

Plan Name

Rate

Notes

Individual

$40/mo or $440/year

  •        24/7 keycard access
  •        Age 16 and older
  •        Option to rent storage and/or studio space
  •        Annual rate is 12 months for the price of 11

Family

$70/mo or

$770/year

  •        Same benefits as Individual membership
  •        Up to four household members (16 and older)
  •        Annual rate is 12 months for the price of 11

Volunteer

$25/mo

  •        Same benefits as Individual membership
  •        Member pledges a minimum of 4 hours volunteer time per month

Privacy Policy

It shall be the policy of Great Plains MakerSpace to comply with all laws, whether Federal, State, or Local, with respect to the display, discussion, or provision to any party, formation which identifies an individual or provides sensitive personal information, as a result of any otherwise legal request. In addition, Great Plains MakerSpace will not provide or display any information which may subject a member to fraud, identity theft, harassment, or provide a means for subjecting the member to increased risk of fraud, identity theft, or which may enable another person to engage in Internet fraud or attack, or may enable another to identify, contact, or distinguish any member, without the express written consent of the member(s) owning the data. Various systems and tools, including forums, are structured in such a way that certain types of communications, actions, or stored information are represented as private, or require enhanced access to see. This would include items such as private messages, user data, or user actions, and other functions where a user's actions are not routinely visible, and where a user may feel a reasonable expectation of privacy. It is the Policy of Great Plains MakerSpace that such items are not "books and records", and therefore such items will not be available for inspection or disclosure request under the terms of our by-laws and applicable law.

Various members of Great Plains MakerSpace, acting within their capacity as officers or Lab Coordinators, may access such information only to the extent necessary to perform their job function, on a need to know basis, and subject to the absolute prohibition on the provision of any information covered by this policy, to any other person or entity, without the explicit written permission of the Board.

In compliance with law and our bylaws, GPMS will provide Member's names and physical address only, in response to a valid request for member information.

Great Plains MakerSpace will comply with requests lawfully made by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Storage

1.     Great Plains MakerSpace is not a storage facility. Projects and materials that do not follow these rules will be considered donations.

2.     Projects (and materials for them) can only be stored in designated Project Storage Areas.

3.     Projects (and materials for them) stored in the Project Storage Areas must follow the rules and policies created by the Board, which may be changed at any time.

4.     A project may be stored elsewhere with the approval of a member of the Board.

5.     Firearms, gunpowder, primers, and assembled ammunition cannot be stored at the Makerspace.

6.     All tools must be claimed by a committee. Committees are ultimately responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, and training of tools.

7.     Items left outside of designated storage areas for more than 24 hours without permission from a Board Member will be considered abandoned and will be dealt with as the Board sees fit. Please ask for permission rather than forgiveness for storing unusual items.

8.     The following storage options are available to paid members in good standing:

Vertical Storage Locker

$5/month

4’x4’ (16 sq. ft.) Floor/Shelf Storage

$10/month

Studio

$50/month

GPMS Storage in Labs

1.    Anything in a Lab is available for use by all members unless documented/labeled “Training Required.”

2.    Items that require training may be secured, but a path to obtain use of said tool should be documented.

3.    If a person must be contacted to use a tool, 2 or more points of contact must be listed on/around tool.

4.    Storage of consumable materials is not permitted in Labs unless there is a defined/documented area.

5.    For items to be considered on display and not storage, items must be in a designated display area.

6.    Any personal item stored in a Lab must have an Equipment Loan Agreement on file with the Board.

7.    If training is required for a personal item but is not provided at least once a month, the personal item on loan is subject to removal within 30 days.

Events

1.     Events must be on the official calendar to be considered “scheduled.” Contact a member of the Board to add events to the calendar.

2.     Scheduled events should uphold our Mission Statement

3.     Scheduled events take priority over unscheduled events.

4.     Scheduling conflicts should be worked out peaceably by the affected parties. Disputes will be arbitrated by a Board Member, or by the Board of Directors as a whole.

5.     Guest access to the facility will be limited as required by the event.

6.     Terms and Conditions for events can be dictated and modified by the Board.

Honorarium Rules

Honorariums are paid by Great Plains MakerSpace to promote structured education about making. These rules are intended to encourage teaching topics which directly relate to making, including learning tools, software, methods, and techniques needed to make something. Honorariums are not intended to encourage the teaching of classes which have nothing to do with making, including subjects which are better learned through public schools or institutions of higher learning. Members may teach non-making classes, but these classes will not be eligible for honorarium, and Maker classes will have priority over the use of any given space at GPMS.

Honorarium Terms

1.     If the Instructor collects class fees to cover the cost of materials, GPMS will use the proceeds to reimburse the instructor for the purchase of said materials. Alternatively, the Board may agree to pre-purchase materials out of the General Fund and then replenish the General Fund out of the class proceeds.
2.     If the Instructor collects class fees beyond the cost of materials, GPMS will put 50% of the proceeds (after deducting material cost) into the General Fund, and the other 50% will be paid to the Instructor.

Honorarium Requirements

1.    Persons wishing to collect honorariums for classes must provide a fully completed and signed W9 to GPMS prior to receipt of any honorarium, without exception.

2.    To be approved for an honorarium, a class must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the beginning of the event.

3.    An honorarium will not be paid for classes that do not collect class fees (such as requirement classes—those required by GPMS before a member is allowed to use a tool or resource).

4.    All classes are subject to scrutiny where subject matter is vague, potentially unrelated to making, or instruction time is less than 90 minutes to ensure quality of material and value to GPMS and its members.

5.   For eligible non-requirements classes, 5 students are required to receive honorarium. However, upon an advance request of the Board, this number may be reduced to no fewer than three students, where a class requires hands-on instruction such that more students would create difficulty supervising or would create unsafe conditions.

6.    Instructors must provide a syllabus or detailed outline of the class to be eligible.

7.    Only a single honorarium may be paid for any class.

8.    An instructor can donate his/her Honorarium to a specific Lab or to the General Fund, in which case a W9 will not be required.

Regular Meetings

1.     Board of Director meetings will be held monthly. Any member of the public is welcome to attend as a non-voting member but will be excused if/when the Board moves into Executive Session.

2.     Meetings of Lab Committees and any other interested parties will be held monthly.

Committees

Committees are voluntary groups, formed in order to operate and maintain individual makerspace Labs, foster growth of a community of interested persons, or accomplish certain needs, subject to the oversight of the Board.

Committee Formation

1.    At least 3 members are required to form a committee.

2.    There is no limit to the number of committees a member can serve on.

3.    If the number of committee members drops below 3, the committee will have a grace period of 30 days in order to recruit enough members to remain active.

4.    Committees shall hold meetings each calendar month at minimum.

Committee Leadership

1.    Each Committee shall elect a Committee Chair, and the Committee Chair shall appoint a Vice Chair.

2.    Duties of the Committee Chair:

  • Recruitment of Committee members, and organization of volunteer activities needed to operate and maintain the Committee resources.
  • Operations of the committee, providing reports on the status and activities of the committee at the monthly membership meeting, and managing the finances of the committee. This will include reviewing financial transactions attributed to their committee and working with the Treasurer to correct any errors.
  • Maintaining the safety of the Committee’s Lab, including ensuring the safe operation of all tooling.
  • Maintaining good order of the Committee’s Lab and resources, ensuring adequate supplies of consumable items are maintained.
  • Enforcing the rules established by the committee, and of Great Plains MakerSpace, within their Lab.
  • Maintaining an accurate inventory of all Tools in the format provided by the Board of Directors.

3.  Duties of the Vice-Chair

  • Assist the Chair, as determined by the Chair or by the Committee at large
  • Provide oversight and supervision of the Committee area when Chair is not present
  • Serve as Interim Chair when:
  • The Chair is not available due to vacation or illness
  • The Chair has resigned or been removed by the Board

Commercial Use

1.     Great Plains MakerSpace is based on open source ideals and thus encourages its membership to embrace those ideals as well. However, members reserve the rights to all of their creations.

2.     GPMS may invoice members for incurring costs to GPMS significantly in excess of their monthly dues. Determination of excess is to be submitted by Committee Chairs and the member will be billed by resolution of the Board.

Loaning of Tools & Equipment to the Makerspace

Members can generously provide tools or equipment for use in the space, either by donating them outright or by loaning them.

When equipment is loaned, the following conditions apply:

1.     All loaned equipment must be marked or labeled with the owner's name.

2.     The owner must file an Equipment Loan Agreement with the Board.

3.     Equipment is loaned subject to the understanding that it is preferable for GPMS to own their equipment, rather than borrow it. GPMS may seek to buy equipment in order to replace loaned items, which are then returned.

4.     Loaned items may be returned at any time, by request of the owner or as determined by the appropriate Committee Chair or by the Board.

5.     GPMS is NOT responsible for maintenance of loaned equipment but may maintain it as determined by the conditions of the Equipment Loan Agreement.

6.     GPMS is NOT responsible for the damage, theft, or loss of equipment. However, efforts will be made to provide reasonably secure storage.

Parking

Members are not permitted to store vehicles at Great Plains MakerSpace. All project cars must be removed from the premises after work and may not be stored overnight without the permission of a member of the Board, who may grant an exception for one 24-hour period only. All vehicles left more than 48 hours will be towed without notice at the owner’s expense. No exceptions.

Members are allowed to use the east parking lot.

Donations

1.     Donations of items intended to be used or consumed by GPMS must be explicitly accepted by a member of the Board or by the committee chairperson in whose area the items are to be stored or used.

2.     Any member of the Board may reject donations at their discretion.

3.     If a donor delivers items to GPMS without explicit acceptance, they will be disposed of as the Board sees fit.

4.     Donations of motor vehicles must have written approval from the Board.

Freebie Shelves

1.     Freebie shelves may be made available for members to give to and take items from at the Board’s discretion; if no shelf is being made available, these rules no longer apply.

2.     Items placed on the freebie shelves

    • Are not donations to GPMS
    • Are available for members to claim once placed on the shelf

3.     The following items are not accepted:

    • CRT monitors or televisions
    • Paint
    • Hazardous substances
    • Items that cannot be placed in the dumpster
    • Items that do not fit on the freebie shelf
    • Used vehicle parts

4.     Claiming items from the shelves

    • Items removed from the freebie shelves become the property of the member removing them, effective once the item has been removed from the shelf.
    • Items left on the shelves cannot be claimed regardless of verbal claims made, labels placed on items, or any other action other than removal from the shelf and its general vicinity.

5.     The freebie shelves are maintained by the Board, who may implement additional processes in the interest of safety and orderly operation of the freebie shelves.

Finances

1.     No authorization or allocation can be made in excess of the moneys available in the General Fund.

2.     The Board may not allocate more than 5% of the checking account balance on discretionary spending without a current financial status from the treasurer.

3.     Unless an exception has been given by the Board, funds which have already been allocated for spending from the General Fund may be spent from the line of credit as long as interest is not accrued, and an outstanding balance is not kept.

4.     All profits from the sales of items are placed into a related committee's fund (the committee responsible for the item, if applicable) at the Board’s discretion.

5.     Refunds for membership dues paid within the last 30 days can be authorized ONLY at the discretion of a member of the Board.

6.     GPMS must receive a written invoice or receipt prior to payment for any services or goods. This only applies to vendors who regularly provide a written invoice (or receipt) to their customers. If a best effort is not made to provide the treasurer with a written invoice (or receipt) from the respective vendor:

    • GPMS will not provide payment for the respective goods or services.
    • If the transaction was already purchased with funds belonging to Great Plains MakerSpace, the amount of the respective transaction must be refunded to Great Plains MakerSpace.

7.     All property purchases equal to or greater than $1000 and having a useful life of one year or more are to be capitalized. All capital equipment purchases require the completion of a capital equipment request form, to be presented at the Board meeting where the request is initially made.

8.     All individual items purchased for less than $1000 and having a useful life of less than one year are to be expensed.

9.     Only current procurement officers are allowed to have an active GPMS credit card.

    • After changes in procurement officers, it is the responsibility of the Secretary to ensure the credit card company's records.

10.  Only the current President and Treasurer are allowed to be authorized signers on GPMS bank accounts.

    • After a change in President or Treasurer, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to ensure the bank's records are updated.


Great Plains MakerSpace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 2308 N. 3rd Street, Garden City, KS 67846
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