Chapter 7: Agreements & Policies: “Good
Documents Make Good Friends”
As we establish a legal entity, purchase property, and move to the community, we’ll probably
need additional agreements for the following kinds of community issues:
1.Community labor and one-time or periodic fees owed.
a.
2.Land-use and ecological guidelines.
a.See Progression of Principles collaborative doc
3.How ongoing or periodic community expenses will be paid; what happens in the event
of cost overruns.
a.See Financial / Economics collaborative doc
4.Policies for dogs and other pets, children, noise, tool use, conserving water or electric
power, or the use of drugs , alcohol, tobacco, or firearms.
a.
5.The processes by which new members join the community.
a.See Membership Policies collaborative doc
6.New members’ expected financial contributions and labor requirements.
a.See Financial / Economics collaborative doc
7.The processes by which members may leave the community, including how, or if, they
will be reimbursed any of their membership fees or other expenses.
a.See Membership Policies collaborative doc
8.Behavioral norms, including how the community will handle people violating those
norms, and the consequences for doing so.
a.
9.Grounds for, and the process of, asking someone to leave the community.
a.See Membership Policies collaborative doc
Some of these agreements will be recorded in the formal documents associated with the
legal
entity you’ll form to purchase land together, or to conduct any non-profit activities or operate
a community-owned business. These can include Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
(corporations), Partnership Agreements (partnerships), or operating agreements (Limited
Liability Companies), for example, depending on which legal structure(s) you choose. (These
will be examined more closely in Chapters 15 and 16.) Other agreements may be recorded in
docu ments such as leases, promissory notes, real estate deeds, and contracts, and still
others may be in simple policies your group drafts, approves, and implements.
Typical Agreements
1.Vision Statement
a.See Vision Documents Collaborative Doc
2.Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
3.
4.Membership Policy
a.See Membership Policies collaborative doc
5.Community Structure Overview
6.
7.Food Policy
a.See Progression of Principles collaborative doc
8.Conflict Resolution Document
9.
10.Financial Policy
a.See Financial / Economics collaborative doc
11.Visitor Policy
a.
12.On-Land Business Policy
a.
13.Land Planning
a.
14.Environmental Guidelines for Building
a.See Progression of Principles collaborative doc
15.Forestry Policy
a.See Progression of Principles collaborative doc
16.Pet Policy
a.
17.Expulsion Policy
a.See Membership Policies collaborative doc
18.End of the Community as We Know It
Reference Links
●”Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional
Communities” Chapter 7 – http://bit.ly/12Fifgy (PDF of full book)
Related Docs
Chapter 5: Vision Documents
Chapter 8: Legal Entities
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