Approved Policies/Reimbursement Policy

Policy

As discussed previously on the Administration list

1. Protospace will automatically reimburse any members for pre-approved and routine expenses incurred by the member on behalf of Protospace.
2. Protospace will reimburse members for other expenses on the authority of the directors or approval of the membership.
3. Reimbursements will not be paid out to a member while funds are owed to Protospace by the member.

Motion 16K-3: Protospace adopt the policy outlined above
Moved by: Mike Morrow
Seconded by: Alan
Result: Passed

Procedure

As updated at the November 2017 meeting, and discussed on the Administration list

1. Submit your request for reimbursement electronically to "payme@protospace.ca.".
2. Your request should include:
   • What you bought / What is it? (What)
   • Why it was bought / What is it for? (Why)
   • Your name, especially, if you use an alias or non-obvious email / Who are you? (Who)
   • If it is specifically pre-approved (motion or policy), please note that
   • A receipt, statement or similar documentation. If there is no documentation, please describe why. (How much)
   • How you want to be repaid:
     • paypal,
     • interac (email transfer)
     • "on account" (against current/future memberships or courses)
     • Cash (for small amounts, subject to availability, on Tuesday nights)
     • Cheque
3. Large amounts or unexplained items may require time for the directors to discuss or bring to a meeting. Routine items, expected items, and items already approved by motion will just be paid.
4. If you owe money to Protospace (behind on dues, unpaid course, et cetera), you will not be paid until your negative balance is cleared.

It is your responsibility to include the details. Do not expect to be "chased down" if things are missing.

May - August 2025 trial period

The following policy was approved at the May 2025 monthly meeting to be trialed for 3 months, to the August 2025 meeting:

Expenses are broken down into 4 types:

Type 1 Expenses require no discussion and will be reimbursed automatically include:

1. Regular shop and cleaning consumables, office supplies, vending machine items.
2. Emergency repairs to existing equipment, costing less than $500.

Type 2 Expenses require a forum post, at least 72 hours for comments/objections. It is considered approved if there is no more than one unresolved objection. If more than one unresolved objections, the expense will be discussed and voted on at the next meeting.

1. Preventative repairs/maintenance to existing equipment up to $500
2. Anything else up to $250.

Type 3 Expenses require a forum post at least 48 hours before a scheduled monthly meeting for comments/objections. Expenses with no more than one unresolved objection can be considered approved if no further objections are raised at the meeting when introducing the expense. New objections raised at the meeting would require discussion and vote on the topic.

1. Preventative repairs/maintenance to existing equipment under $1000
2. Anything else under $500

Type 4 Expenses require a forum post at least 48 hours before a scheduled monthly meeting. Discussion length prior to a vote to approve should be guided by the value of the expense.

1. Anything that doesn’t fit the first three Expense Types.

Objections to any purchase pitch shall include the words “I object” and if the objection is resolved, it should be clearly stated, or the “I object” removed from the objecting post.

The above does not have any effect on “Directors discretionary purchases” for the trial period.

Consumables do not include “sharps”, except for the table saw, jointer and planer. (Maybe also sewing machine needles?)

The auto approval of a type 2 expense is for purchases and repairs only, not changes to our policies.