Rules and Policies

NOTICE: THIS PAGE IS UNOFFICIAL

February 5, 2023: This is a working draft of the official rules and policies of Pikes Peak Makerspace. The Policy Committee of the Board of Directors has been tasked with updating these rules and informing our members of the changes. Until such a time that the rules and policies are formally adopted by the Board of Directors, this is just a working draft.

New members should refer to the New Member Orientation page for the current rules and guidelines.

Future changes to the official Rules and Policies will be approved by the board before being updated on the wiki.

If you would like to help with the Rules and Policies Committee, please reach out a board member.

You need to read all the fine print

Access to PPM is a privilege, not a right. Members of PPM are responsible for following all applicable rules and policies listed on this page. Violation of PPM policies and procedures can result in consequences up to and including membership termination.

These Safety Policies and Procedures have been implemented to ensure safe operations of equipment, the operator, other members, and the integrity of the facility. All members are required to implement safety procedures while at PPM. Members should only use equipment for which they have been certified for by a trained PPM instructor. Violations of safety policies will be reviewed based on harm, potential harm, and recurrence. Consequences may result based on severity of the violation, as decided by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors based on the PPM by-laws.

Recording in Progress

By entering Pikes Peak Makerspace, you consent to be recorded by audio and/or video technology. Recordings may be used for internal and/or external purposes, marketing, or safety review. They may be shared with law enforcement or other third parties as required by law. Please leave the premises immediately if you do not wish to be recorded.

Rule and Policy Changes

These rules and policies are subject to change at any time. Changes adopted with a vote from the Board of Directors and/or the membership at a membership meeting will become effective immediately. A summarized version of newly adopted rule(s) will be posted in the space and updated on this page; adapted as necessary for effective communication.

Standards of Behavior

All guests and members must follow the Member Code of Conduct.
Safety is important, if you are unsure of how to safely do something, don’t do it.
The Executive Director or a member of the Board of Directors may ban anyone who violates the Rules and Policies from the premises or online systems. Bans may be appealed in accordance with the Bylaws.
Don't merely respect each other; be excellent to each other.
- We are all here to make things and learn. Every Maker is on their own journey.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions.
- Be helpful and answer questions when you can. If you don't know the correct answer, say so. Don't make something up.
Respect the space
- When you break something, own up to it. If you have any doubt about fixing it, ask for help.
- Don't make someone feel bad for breaking things, help them understand what went wrong.
- Clean, Maintain, Organize, Improve. Always leave the space better than you found it.
- Tools/resources are shared by all members and must stay on the premises at all times.
Operate only those machines and equipment you have been specifically trained and certified to use by a PPM instructor.
Members are not allowed to work in the Makerspace when intoxicated, under the influence of controlled substances, sleep deprived, or emotionally distressed.
Sleeping is not cool, but naps are ok. We are not a hotel nor a place to hide out.
All members are expected to maintain a safe and clean environment at all times.
Smoking cigarettes, cigars or vaporizers is prohibited inside the building.
Do not hack our computer systems. Do not to install unapproved/illegal software.
Do not make alterations or perform major repairs on any equipment without specific permission from the Executive Director.
It is the responsibility of each member to help enforce the Standards of Behavior. If someone is violating the Member Code of Conduct or the Standards of Behavior, politely explain to them why their behavior is not acceptable. Egregious violations should be reported to the Executive Director or the Board of Directors.

Guests

Guests can not occupy the Pikes Peak Makerspace without another keyed Member present.
Guests must sign the Waiver of Liability before entering the building.
Members may not have guests for the first 30 days.
Guests are encouraged to become Members. A member referral bonus is available.
Guests are not allowed to use tools and equipment, except as part of a scheduled class/workshop.
Members are responsible for their Guest's actions, behavior, and safety.

Minors

Minors 18 and under are not eligible for membership nor have an RFID access card to the space.
Minors 18 and under are permitted in the space under limited circumstances only and must be accompanied closely by Parent or Legal Guardian at all times.
1. Limited circumstances means PPM-hosted family events, tours, or brief visits.
2. Accompanied closely means visual range generally, and never in the shop near dangerous tools.
Parents/Legal Guardians are responsible for their children's actions, behavior, and safety.

Pets and Service Animals

Pets are NOT allowed in common areas of the building. Service animals are exempted.

Non-Discrimination Policy

At Pikes Peak Makerspace, we work together to create a community where members are given the opportunity to engage in new experiences, develop new skills, and express their creativity. We welcome interested members regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. We celebrate a creative space that embraces the richness of our community and is safe and inclusive for all members. We do not tolerate discrimination, biases, harassment or bullying of any kind.

Membership Dues

Members are responsible for managing their recurring payments and canceling their membership. You may do so by logging in to your membership portal with the link from your most recent receipt. You may also request assistance from the Executive Director or Deputy Director via Slack, email, website contact form, or in person.

Payments that bounce have 7 days to update before the membership is cancelled. You may not use the facility while your payment is past due.

All dues are paid in advance and are recurring. Monthly subscriptions must be paid by credit card. Annual or Lifetime memberships can be paid by check or credit card.

Plan Name	Rate	Notes
Monthly Membership	$55/mo	Our standard membership.
2 Card Bundle	$75/mo	2 memberships
Student Membership	$35/mo	This rate is for members who are currently in school.
Annual Membership	$605/year	One month free ($55x11 months paid up front)
Annual 2 Card Bundle	$825/year	One month free ($75x11 months paid up front
Lifetime	$5000	Non-transferrable.

Corporate memberships available, contact us through the website.

A limited number of private dedicated spaces are currently in use. If you are interested in a dedicated workspace, please inquire about joining our waitlist.

Voting Rights

Members may vote on questions presented at Member Meetings of the Board of Directors.
Please refer to the Bylaws for more detail about voting rights.

Storage

We are not a storage facility. Do not leave personal items and projects laying around in common areas. Additionally, observe the following storage policies.

Project Storage

Projects must be actively attended to until completed and/or removed from the building.
Woodshop/Metal Shop projects may be kept on site for up to 7 days as long as the following conditions are met:
1. Green Project Storage Tags must be used in the woodshop/metal shop.
2. Projects must be stored out of the way. (Under tables, in shed, etc)
3. After 1 week, you must either remove your project, or fill out a new green tag for another week. Additional weeks are a suggested $10 donation with a max of 4 total weeks.
4. If your tag has expired, a PPM leader may reach out to you to remove your project.
5. If one week has passed since contacting you and action has not been taken, your project will be considered abandoned and removed from site or the materials made available to other members
6. Be sure your project storage tag is completely filled out with the following information
  1. Name
  2. Todays Date
  3. Expected Completion Date
  4. What I’m Making
  5. Contact Info
On a case by case basis and as space allows, longer term storage may be approved by the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors.

Personal Item Storage

Floorspace is extremely valuable and it is important that the space remain easy to clean and keep organized. Therefore, storage in the front of the building is restricted to lockers and shelves.

Lockers - $5/month
- Must set up recurring payment through PayPal
  - Be sure to select "Make this a recurring payment"
- You name must be displayed on the outside of the locker.
- Limited quantities available
Shelf space - $25-$75/month
- Large Totes- $25/month
  - Up to 3 can fit on a shelf
  - Must set up recurring payment through PayPal

Small items and sheet materials should be labeled with a date or they are at risk of being removed or used by another member.

Inventory of Parts, Tools, and Equipment

Anything in a work area is available for use by all members unless otherwise documented/labeled.
Items that require training may be secured, but a path to obtain use of said item should be documented.
Consumables and other items of value should be reimbursed or a donation made for them.
Items to be considered on display and not storage have to be in a designated area or approved by shop operations.

Events

Scheduling of events is done on a first-come basis, as determined by the calendar management system.
Scheduled events should align with the organizations goals.
Scheduled events take priority over unscheduled events.
Scheduling conflicts should be worked out peaceably by the affected parties. Disputes will be arbitrated by members of the board, or by the Board of Directors as a whole.
All events must be sponsored by a current member, who must be present during the event.
Donations are encouraged but not required to hold events.
Guest access to the facility will be limited as required by the event.
Terms and Conditions for events can be dictated and modified by the Board of Directors.

Types of Organizational Meetings

The Board of Directors holds regular meetings and will announce meetings via email and Slack. Members are welcome to attend.
Classes may be organized and taught by any member in good standing.
Community events should support the goals of Pikes Peak Makerspace.
If an event requires funding, the event proposal form must be submitted.
Membership meetings for projects and community building will be posted on the Pikes Peak Makerspace Events calendar and promoted on Slack.
1. Membership meetings should always include an act of service to the space such as cleaning or updating computers.

Program Areas (Woodshop, Metal Shop, Lasers, 3D Printing, etc)

Existing Program Areas should have designated Captains to perform critical maintenance and repair tasks.

A Captain is a volunteer position who keeps the program area in alignment with the goals of the organization and in line with all rules and procedures. There may be a Captain of an entire work area, or a Captain of just a particular tool.

The Captain serves as the main point of contact for the program area or tool.

If you are interested in becoming a captain, please contact the Executive Director or a member of the Board of Directors.

Please see Shared Equipment for the current directory of PPM Program Areas.

Committees

Pikes Peak Makerspace is a volunteer driven creative space. Everything good that happens is because a member or a committee saw the potential and took the initiative to make it happen.

Member driven initiatives for new programs and work areas must meet the following criteria:

Project committees that impact the way the space operates must be approved by the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors.
Committee must select a chair persons as the primary point of contact and accountability.
The Committee chair person will be responsible for maintaining the list of committee members and providing reports on the status and activities of the committee.
There is no limit to the number of committees a member can serve on.
If the number of committee members drops below 5, the committee will have a grace period of 30 days in order to recruit enough members to remain active.
Each committee is expected to communicate activities to members via Slack, signage, or the wiki. The following information should always be kept current and available for all members to see.
1. The name of the committee chair
2. A list of all active members
3. A brief statement listing the goals or tasks assigned to the committee.
4. How other members can get involved.
Committee meetings must be posted on the calendar and announced on Slack.
Committees can appoint advisory members, who only have communications access to Pikes Peak Makerspace resources, pending Board of Directors approval.

Active Committees

Board of Director Committees

Finance

Chair: Art Hunt

Fundraising and Grants

Chair: Emmanuel Spencer

Information Technology

Chair: Jason Taylor

Personnel

Chair: TBD

Policy

Chair: Board of Directors

Safety

Chair: Theresa Rigney

Shop Operations

Chair: Quinn Hackenburg

Social Media, Events, Community Outreach (SMECO)

Chair: Lisa MacNicol

Project Committees

TESLA (Tools Enabled Safely and Library Access)

Chair: Jason Taylor

Wiki

Chair: Warren Jokinen

Wild Apricot Migration

Chair: TBD

Inactive Committees

Emma Crawford Coffin Race

Proposed Committees

Computer refurbishment

Commercial Use

Pikes Peak Makerspace is a great place to prototype, experiment, and develop your product ideas. When it comes to production runs, the priorities of the organization may require limiting access to the equipment for commercial ventures. The organization exists as a hackerspace and is not designed as a production shop.

The Pikes Peak Makerspace is based on open source ideals and thus encourages its membership to embrace those ideals as well, however members do reserve the rights to all of their creations.

Loaning of Tools & Equipment To The Makerspace

Members can give generously to PPM by donating or lending tools or equipment for use in the space.

When equipment is loaned, the following conditions apply:

All loaned equipment must be marked or labeled with the owner's name and two or more points of contact.
The owner must contact the Shop Operations Chair so that they can record the following information:
1. Name of owner
2. Equipment being loaned
3. Serial number if available
4. Terms or conditions of the loan
As the owner, if you must be contacted for others to use your tool, you must clearly document this requirement on the tool.
If a personal item on loan requires training to be used, training sessions must be offered at least once per month or the item will be subject to removal.
Equipment is loaned subject to the understanding that it is preferable for PPM to own their equipment, rather than borrow it. PPM may seek to buy equipment in order to replace loaned items, which are then returned.
Loaned items may be returned at any time, by request of the owner or as determined by the Shop Operations Committee.
PPM is NOT responsible for maintenance of loaned equipment, but may maintain it as determined by the Shop Operations Committee.
PPM is NOT responsible for the damage, theft, or loss of equipment. However, efforts will be made to provide reasonably secure storage.

Prohibited Items

PPM members are prohibited from carrying, making, or cleaning firearms inside of the space. Additionally, firearm parts, ammunition, and modifications may not be done inside the space.

Objects that may be perceived as firearms must be cleared with the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors.

Donations

THIS POLICY TO BE UPDATED

All donations must be approved by the committee/captain in charge of the location in which the item will be stored/used.
The following items will not be accepted for donation:
1. CRT Monitors
2. Paint
3. Motor Vehicles
Financial donors may request the funds be used for a specific project or department. Any agreement made will honor the request and allocate the money appropriately. PPM reserves the right to return to the donor and ask for approval to reallocate the funds elsewhere. The donor reserves the right to reject the request.

Finances

Notes

These notes are not officially part of the Rules or Bylaws and are only meant to provide additional information or an interpretation of the Rules and/or Bylaws.