Civics Meeting Minutes May 22, 2025

Agenda:

• Welcome & Handover to New Committee Members

• Introductions

• Departing Members Reflections (GDD)

• Civics Committee Focus Areas

• Review of Charter & Mission

• Election of Chair

• Working Groups Overview

• Gov Tools Discussion

• Matters Arising

• Next Steps

Summary: This meeting marked a formal handover from the outgoing to the incoming Civics Committee members. Departing members reflected on past challenges and accomplishments, while new members introduced themselves and outlined their aspirations. Core topics included governance tooling (Gov Tools), budget alignment, internal governance, and the importance of community communication and sustainability. Nicolas Cerny was nominated and accepted as interim representative to the Intersect Steering Committee pending the formal chair election.

Discussion Points:

Welcome & Handover:

• The outgoing chair welcomed new members: Alex Seregin, Ken-Erik Ølmheim, Nana Safo, and Randy.

• Current members Nicolas Cerny and Larisa Mcfarlane (secretary) also attended.

• Departing members included Jose Miguel De Gamboa and Michael Madoff, who reflected on the committee's evolution and emphasized continuity.

Introductions:

• New members introduced their governance and community backgrounds, with a shared emphasis on accessibility and regional representation.

Departing Members Reflections (GDD):

• Members shared what was "Good, Difficult, and Different" about their experience.

• Key positives included philosophical depth, cross-cultural collaboration, and constitution drafting.

• Difficulties included burnout, lack of hard power, and communication inefficiencies.

• Suggestions for improvement included stronger community channels and earlier consultation.

Civics Committee Focus Areas:

• Agreed priorities were presented:

  • Governance dashboard development

    DRep and Constitutional Committee compensation Oversight of governance tooling

Committee was encouraged to revisit and validate these based on the evolving context.

Review of Charter & Mission:

• Recommendations were made that the committee revisit the charter and mission collaboratively.

• Secretary confirmed both documents are outdated and ready for review.

Election of Chair:

• The need to elect a chair was emphasized, particularly to attend Intersect Steering Committee (ISC) meetings.

• Nicolas Cerny agreed to serve as interim representative until a formal election is held.

Working Groups Overview:

Current working groups include:

• Constitutional Committee Elections WG

• Governance Support WG

• Governance Tools WG

• Future Governance Workstreams WG

• Each group plays a role in developing tools, processes, and onboarding pathways.

• Outgoing members reminded the committee it may create or dissolve working groups as needed.

Gov Tools Discussion:

• Concerns were raised over the lack of funding for Gov Tools and members outlined scenarios ranging from full shutdown to a community-led continuation.

• The discussions emphasized the backend infrastructure, decentralization, and open-source nature.

• Committee members expressed need for improved messaging and community education. Discussion included sustainability, perceived cost, and options for a tiered funding proposal.

Matters Arising:

Two committee seats require clarification:

• One vacated due to resignation (term ending October)

• One inactive member (non-participation)

• The group discussed whether to extend terms to one year or retain staggered ends.

• Committee cadence was addressed (prior model: every 3 weeks).

• Communication channels to be agreed upon (Discord, Telegram, etc.)

Next Steps:

• Interim chair to attend upcoming ISC meeting.

• Secretary/Chair to schedule a dedicated follow-up for chair election and housekeeping.

• Committee to revisit charter and ToR.

• Proposals for meeting cadence and comms preferences to be posted in Discord.

• Members encouraged to attend working group meetings and upcoming vision workshop.

Meeting Adjourned