Proposed Draft – JRL, building on KH proposal – 2009 November 2

Los Angeles Eco-Village Friends, Lovers, and Guests “FLAG” Guidelines

  1. Purposes of FLAG guidelines:
    1. Inspire compassionate, nurturing, & respectful relationships.
    2. Engage our neighbors and broader communities in mutual dialogue to learn, teach, and act.
    3. Clarify expectations regarding how LAEV members, residents, visitors, and guests relate to each other.
    4. Maintain an acceptable level of security at LAEV.
    5. Encourage the happiness and well-being of LAEV members and the friends, lovers, and guests (FLAGs) whom they choose to spend time with.
  2. Considerations:
    1. At some points confusion, resentment, concerns, and expectations have arisen relative to longer stay visitors, boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, who have spent extended periods of time at LAEV.
    2. These guidelines include two sections:
      • Policies / Agreements – these are mandatory in their application to FLAGs.
      • Guidelines – these are suggestions on how to make FLAG arrangements work best.
    3. While this policy generally applies to FLAGs (peers), it also applies to other longer-term or indefinite-term stays in a resident’s unit, such as elders or young relatives of members; for the purpose of this policy all of these are referred to as FLAGs.
    4. FLAGs may be staying frequently, or temporarily, or may wish to move in permanently.
    5. Some FLAGs will have no interest in LAEV membership.
    6. Anyone who stays at LAEV for more than a few days or frequently visits has a social impact on the community, hence, the community may create policies/rules/guidelines that apply to FLAGs.
    7. Members have a security interest in being able to distinguish between who is expected to be in the building and who is not.
    8. FLAGs may have or start a committed relationship with a member.
    9. FLAGs need an open-ended or permanent length of stay whereas short stays always have finite terms.
    10. LAEV members expressed desire for an even-handed policy to eliminate favoritism; there have been power imbalances at LAEV.
    11. A questionnaire is expected when any “short” stay will be longer than one month.
    12. There is precedent for approving “extended short stays” of a year or more, with periodic check-ins.
  3. 3. Our Policies/Agreements that apply to FLAGs:
    1. All visitors [and FLAGS] must abide by Eco-Village policies, including things like smoking, noise, etc. (CRSP policy).
    2. Short Stays [and FLAGS] have to be meeting-approved if staying longer than 2 weeks (present practice).
    3. Residents pay additional $50 a month per person for guests [including FLAGS] who stay more than two weeks in a month (Rental Addendum).
    4. Residents agree not to duplicate gate key (Rental Addendum); members may request permission for FLAGS to have keys.
    5. Residency, whether short stay, indefinite, or permanent (including FLAGd who do not maintain a residence elsewhere), is a decision of the community (present practice).
    6. Most prospective LAEV members are not allowed to live at LAEV during the membership process, but this does not apply to FLAGs, who may live at LAEV during their process (present practice).
  4. Suggestions for making FLAGs work well:
    1. FLAGs are encouraged! LAEV wants members to be happy, to have fun, and to be in loving relationships.
    2. A FLAG who maintains a residence outside LAEV is welcome to stay frequently with a member, without triggering residency decisions.
    3. LAEV does not discriminate according to race, ethnicity, religion or sect, color, national origin, age, sex, familial status, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status or genetic information.
    4. As a FLAG becomes a frequent visitor, introduce them to LAEV members and neighbors on Bimini and White House Place.
    5. Invite FLAGs to attend LAEV meals, events, etc.
    6. As a temporary FLAG becomes an indefinite/permanent one, discuss with your FLAG what it means to be an LAEV member.

<aside> 🚧 This page transferred from the old urbansoil wiki on 2024-01-10 @12:36pm by @Nils-Erik Hilliard with changes to formatting only.

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