Rules and Policies

Things to know about PPM - Pikes Peak Makerspace:

We are a membership composed of Builders, Tinkerers, Engineers, Artists, Entrepreneurs, Designers, and Educators all mashed up and revolutionizing creativity in the Pikes Peak Region.

We provide a facility with space and equipment for people to create physical items for fun and for education.

PPM is also a place to gather interested people for all manner of classes and instruction.

We are tapped into and support the Colorado Springs startup community.

We are physically located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN (Tax ID Number): 81-0876257

Contact Us if you cannot find your answer here on our Wiki or if you notice any information that is outdated.

burst of white rays on orange background

Notice

These rules are subject to change at any time.

You need to read all the fine print

Access to Pikes Peak Makerspace (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 Bylaws.

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.

Rules 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, ask questions.
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.
- Be helpful and answer questions when you can. If you don't know the correct answer, say so.
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 or 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.

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.

How To Report Serious Incidents

Should you have any concerns regarding behavior or conduct that is inappropriate and does not represent what you expect at PPM, please use our Anonymous Incident/Feedback Report Form. This form can be filled out with a name or anonymously and will get sent directly to all existing BOD members. Your concerns will be addressed urgently and confidentially.

If you’d like to report concerns regarding behavior or conduct against an existing board member, please reach out to the Executive Director or to another board member you trust (either through email, Slack, or in-person). They will take your statement and communicate it to current board members (not including the accused). Then the board will confront the accused board member directly.

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.
- Limited circumstances means PPM-hosted family events, tours, or brief visits.
- 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.

Membership Dues

Members are responsible for managing their recurring payments and canceling their membership.

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/month	Our standard membership
2-Card Bundle	$75/month	Two memberships
Student Membership	$35/month	For members who are currently in school

Annual Membership	$605/year	One month free ($55 x 11 months paid up front)
Annual 2-Card Bundle	$825/year	One month free ($75 x 11 months paid up front)
Lifetime	$5000	Non-transferable

Corporate Membership		Use our website to Contact Us

Payments

If your payment bounces, please take care of it immediately.

Your payment method will be attempted 4 additional times over the course of 7 days.
Do not use the space while your membership is past due.
After 7 days, your membership will be cancelled and you will need to reactivate your membership to start over again.

How to cancel your membership

If you need to cancel your membership and stop the monthly payments, please do one of the following:

Open the most recent payment receipt in your email inbox and use the link to login to your membership and cancel.
Log in to Joinit.com with the credentials you used when signing up for your membership then cancel.
Contact Us and a Director will assist you in cancelling your membership.

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

Dedicated Spaces

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. 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

1. Projects must be actively attended to until completed and/or removed from the building.

2. Woodshop/Metal Shop projects may be kept on site for up to 7 days as long as the following conditions are met.

Green Project Storage Tags must be used in the woodshop/metal shop.
Projects must be stored out of the way. (under tables or in our shed, for example).
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.
If your tag has expired, a PPM Deputy may reach out to you to remove your project.
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
Be sure your project storage tag is completely filled out with the following information

☐ Name

☐ Today's Date

☐ Expected Completion Date

☐ What I’m Making

☐ Contact Info

3. 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 at Pikes Peak Makerspace

Projects must be actively attended to until complete and/or stored appropriately in a designated ppm rentable storage area. Please observe the following storage policies which apply to all areas. Do not leave personal items and projects lying round in common areas; we are not a storage facility.

GREEN TAG your items if you are leaving temporarily; i.e BRB - had to run to the store to get more glue - be back in 20… that's okay, HOWEVER you must fill out a GREEN TAG and keep it CLEARLY by your project while it is momentarily unattended.

The time length of “momentarily” should be no more than a day. If extended time is unavoidable (waiting for shipping for more materials, etc) you must speak with the Executive Director about any rentable solutions available that will fit your project.

Current storage options available for members:

Blue gym lockers - $10/mo - ideal for personal storage (jackets/small projects/personal items/backpacks/purses)
Rollable Clear Tote Storage - $20/mo - ideal for medium to large size projects, materials, or personal tools
COMING IN 2025: Woodshed XL storage - $10 for 7 days of holding - XL project storage ideal for glue-ups and large projects

Storage terms and conditions:

Hazardous or flammable materials must be labeled and stored in the FLAME CABINET currently located in the vented room, absolutely no exceptions. Please do not forget to remove items once your rent term is complete, the flame cabinet is often forgotten when finishing projects and taking home materials.
Please report any noticed damages of ppm provided storage solutions. Using slack, a direct message to the Executive Director would be the best person to contact about that.
Lost locker keys; a lost key replacement fee will be charged to the renter if a replacement key is needed for the blue lockers
Please don’t be the reason we add more terms and conditions.

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

Scheduled events take priority over "first come, first serve".
Scheduled events should align with the organizations goals.
All events must be sponsored and attended by a current member.
Donations to the space are encouraged but not required to hold events.
Guest access to the facility will be limited, and guests may be required to sign waivers before attending the event.

Classes

Members are encouraged to seek assistance from and provided assistance to other members. Hosting classes is a great way to share skills and knowledge.

Instructors must follow the Member Code of Conduct as well as all Rules and Policies posted on this Wiki page.

Do not engage in any activity that unreasonably interferes with other member's usage of the space, regular scheduled events or reserved equipment.

Process for hosting a class:

Requests for the use of the space to hold classes can be made by:

- Filling out this Event Planning Submission Form

- Contacting Event Coordinators: Executive Director

- Reserving the space on the reservation system

Events or classes involving 5 or more people requires approval and reservation of the needed space/equipment.

Committee meetings and small gatherings between members is permitted in most cases without direct approval of the Executive team as long as abiding by the Member Code of Conduct and rules of the space.

One-on-one coaching, assistance or mentorship does not require prior approval.

Any member wishing to charge a fee for hosting a class must seek prior approval. Fees and promotions will be managed by PPM Event Administrators.

Instructors and PPM will share the revenue from the class. Instructors are compensated based on a sliding scale according to skill, time, effort, materials, usage of the space, equipment requirements, and/or other variables as determined by PPM Event Coordinators.

The final cost of the class and instructor compensation will be negotiated between the instructor and an Event Coordinator.

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.
- Membership meetings should always include an act of service to the space such as cleaning or updating computers.

Program Areas (Shops, Lasers, 3D Printing)

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 Shop Operations committee.

Please review Shared Tools and Map 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 Committees

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

1. Project committees that impact the way the space operates must be approved by the Executive Director and/or the Shop Operations Committee.

2. Committee must select a chair persons as the primary point of contact and accountability.

3. The Committee chair person will be responsible for providing reports on the status and activities of the committee.

4. 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:

☐ The name of the committee chair

☐ A brief statement listing the goals or tasks assigned to the committee.

☐ How other members can get involved.

5. Committee meetings must be posted on the calendar and announced on Slack.

6. Committees can appoint advisory members who are not members of PPM when necessary.

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:

1. All loaned equipment must be marked or labeled with the owner's name and two or more points of contact.

2. The owner must contact the Shop Operations Chair so that they can record the following information:

☐ Name of owner

☐ Equipment being loaned

☐ Serial number if available

☐ Terms or conditions of the loan

3. As the owner, if you must be contacted for others to use your tool, you must clearly document this requirement on the tool.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Loaned items may be returned at any time, by request of the owner or as determined by the Shop Operations Committee.

7. PPM is NOT responsible for maintenance of loaned equipment, but may maintain it as determined by the Shop Operations Committee.

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

Prohibited Items

Firearms

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.

Deadly Weapons

Any item intended to cause physical harm or destruction is prohibited at PPM. If you feel that the item you are making is a borderline case, please seek clarification from the Board of Directors before moving forward.

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:
- CRT Monitors
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.

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.

Additional Help

Links to related PPM Wiki pages:

How To Slack

QR Codes

Wood Shop

Metal Shop

Computers — Windows

Shed

Search the PPM Wiki — include Content pages as well as Multimedia.