Procedure for upholding policies

Board approved 01/2024

This is the procedure we follow for upholding Protohaven Policies to preserve a safe, clean, and equitable space where everyone can make things.

When an individual is discovered to be violating a policy while they are still in the shop, one of the board or staff will notify them and offer a path to resolution, e.g:

• if working on a prohibited project, suggest changing the design or removing the project from the premises
• if causing a noise disturbance, offer them some headphones or ask them to turn off the noise

For violations not relating to storage and equipment damage:

• If the issue is not resolved or if it recurs within 3 days, they are asked to leave for the day and the violation is recorded on their account. Penalty steps (as below) are followed as needed.

Refer to the specific sections below for violations relating to storage and equipment damage.

In the event that remediation is not successful, penalties will be applied. The member is notified via a standardized email which includes the following:

• A copy of the relevant policy text
• A description of the violation that invoked that policy
• If applicable, a schedule of fees that will occur due to the violation
• If applicable, a duration during which their membership is suspended (see Suspension below)

If fees apply:

• Notify again when the violation is resolved, issuing an invoice and giving them a week to contact with an appeal or payment.
• At the end of the grace period, charge their card unless it's otherwise decided by the board.
• If their card is not on file, their membership is suspended until the fees are paid.

If suspension applies:

• Their membership is immediately suspended, however they are offered the ability to cancel storage subscriptions and remove any storage or materials they have left at the shop while escorted by an on-duty tech.
• At the end of the suspension period, they are notified that the suspension period has ended and their membership can be resumed.

• If the member's history includes 3 violations within the past 3 months, their membership is suspended for 30 days.
• Every time the member exceeds this threshold (3 violations in 6 months) the suspension period will increase by 60 days. This means 90 days for the second violation, 150 days for the third violation, etc.
• Actions resulting in sustained damage to the equipment or imminent danger to members may result in a more severe suspension or potentially permanent revocation of membership.

• Members have 30 days to appeal decisions resulting in fees or suspension of membership. This is done by a submission in writing.
• 3 board members or staff uninvolved with the initial violation process then meet with the member to hear them out. The membership coordinator should always be in attendance.
• The committee reviews evidence and makes a decision on whether to uphold or change the outcome. They can solicit opinions from the rest of the board if desired.

When improperly stored objects are found, a report is filed and a “paid storage required” tag posted at the location.

The report includes:

• a picture of the violation
• a description of the violation
• what the violation will be charged as

This report kicks off the following process:

• Automation posts this event to a new #storage channel to notify members.
• If a particular member is suspected, staff will attempt to reach out to the contact info they have on file to notify them of the storage issue directly.
• Daily summaries are posted to #storage of active storage violations and their accrued cost
• If the member reclaims their storage by paying the fee, the violation is closed and a record of the violation is stored in that user's Neon account.
• If nobody claims the violation after ~2 weeks, the objects are declared property of Protohaven and removed from the area.

Note that this process does not incur back fees for storage which was found to already be in violation for a period of time - the fee “timer” starts upon first report.

When equipment damage is discovered, a tool report is filed (ideally with a picture).

The report kicks off the following process:

• Automation posts this tool report to #maintenance
• Video log is reviewed if needed, and a suspect is found. Fees and/or suspension are applied to this user per the general flow above.
• A record of the violation is stored in that user's Neon account.