Location: NodeLuckyLabSW
Date and Time: Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Scribe: RussellSenior
Roll Call: MarinoDuregon,ChrisShirkoff,RussellSenior,TedBrunner,SteveTree

Agenda

• Pick location for next weekly
• Eat pizza, drink some beverages
• Talk about things we really ought to be doing
• Bank transitioning
• Paypal account freezing status
• Possible low-incoming housing network project

• Your Item Here

Notes

• Described a bit how Personal Telco works to newcomer ChrisShirkoff

• Russell reports on status of banking problems, Chase (the successor to WaMu) has announced that they will be imposing a $15/month fee for checking accounts under $7500 starting in February. I have no particular love for Chase, and don't particularly feel like handing them $15/month so we don't have to look at our own money, so we are officially shopping for a new bank:

  • Marino suggests investigating Umpqua Bank;
  • Russell mentions another alternative being his local branch of Union Bank;
  • Other suggestions have included:
    • RivermarkCU
    • OnpointCU
    • Albina Bank
    • FirstTechCU
    • also, the suggestion that we might get a special deal as a non-profit, so at least ask while shopping for a new bank.

• Russell reports on currently frozen PayPal account and steps he's taken to unfreeze it. The website was hopeless, so I sent an email, will telephone if necessary. We currently have $2,320.74 USD on deposit there. There is another ~$3k in our checking account.

• Russell mentioned to Marino his desire to purchase another 3 Ubiquiti Bullet M2HP's to have on hand for sudden projects.

• Russell also mentions the sale of an Alix + case to NodeBluebird host, BrianJameson for $175 (he needed some hardware in a hurry, we had a stockpile), and my intention to replace it with an order to PC Engines in Zurich. I suggested that we might want to purchase some of the $2 PoE injector parts, which are useful for powering the Bullets. Marino suggested I announce the order to let others get in on splitting shipping costs. The hardware won't be back in stock until late January with PC Engines.

• We were approached by an individual at a low-income apartment about helping facilitate building a wifi network there. We are waiting to hear from their manager to make progress.

• TedBrunner reported a possibility for another node in the downtown area near Directors Park. Hoping to get contact information.

• Russell reported sending an email to a contact at the Pittock Building to help facilitate the resurrection/upgrade of NodeCityClub.

• Russell is hoping to aggregate these three into a single trip downtown soonish.

• We decided to have the WeeklyMeeting20110112 at the Deschutes Brew Pub near Powells Books next week. Tony from NodeTron should be able to attend.

[CategoryMeetingNotes]