1. Home - Table of contents and brief description of the Dexter Miller Community.
2. News & comments - recent activities.
3. Application - membership application plus our liability waiver form.
4. History - periodic summaries of our status.
5. Services - a drop-down list of three sub-pages.
a. services exchanged among DEXMIL members
b. personal services from civic authorities and paid professionals
c. repair services by paid professionals used by DEXMILmembers.
6. Subgroups - several subgroups concerned with specific activities.
7. Newsletters - down loadable copies of our bi-annual news letters
8. Bylaws - operating rules for the organization
9. Links - direct links to similar organizations.
10. BLOG Recent comments on member activities. We are still experimenting with how best to use this page.
The Dexter-Miller Community
How we operate
Mission – Members exchange services such as baby sitting, mending, simple household repairs, and transportation with each other. Every service exchanged in the community has equal value based solely on the time spent providing it and everyone has something to offer.
Membership – Membership is limited to 50-100 households in Northwest Ann Arbor (West of Main St. and North of Jackson-Huron). Initiation fee is $15.00 with annual dues of $10.00 per household. Household members' names and contact information together with the services and equipment they offer are listed in a Community Directory available only to other community members. No household will be excluded from membership due to inability to pay dues or offer services.
Accounting System – We use a simplified Time Banking system accounted for by scrip called DEXMILs (DM) . Members receive 16 DM upon joining and earn more by providing services or lending equipment to others in the community. One DM equals fifteen minutes of service or one hour’s loan of equipment. The Board of Directors may occasionally sell or grant additional DM to specific households. Households may request 8 additional DM when renewing their membership each year.
Process – A Directory listing member households and the services they offer plus tools or medical equipment available for loan is issued once a year and updated at least once a year. Members seeking a service or equipment to borrow consult the Directory for the ID number of households offering that service or item. They then call or email a potential provider and arrange the exchange.
In addition to equipment and services provided by members, this website lists personal services and repair services provided by professional contractors. Only repair service contractors already used by other members are listed along with a rating of their satisfaction with that contractor. If several members jointly arrange for professional services, many contractors offer discounts reflecting their savings in travel costs.
Types of Services – Almost any type of service can be exchanged. The most frequently mentioned services are listed below with their abbreviations.
CARE – help with illness, infants & respite COMP – computer assistance
DRIVE – transportation for errands & appointments L&G – lawn & garden care
MEALS – prep, share, exchange REP – simple home repairs
SEW – sewing, mending ,knitting S&L - snow or leaf removal
SOC – Social (games, visits, calls) TEACH - specific courses or skills
VAC – vacation care of plants, pets, etc. Other - unique services
Liability and Insurance Waiver: To avoid the necessity of purchasing an expensive group liability policy to protect us from suing each other while trying to help each other, members are asked to sign a Release and Waiver of Liability form. The waiver together with reliance on volunteer services is the key to keeping our dues so low. Signing the waiver is optional but those who have not signed are less likely to be contacted for exchanges. Co-owners of the same house must both sign the waiver even if only one will be active in the community.
2010 Board of Directors
Nani Barretto President 616/634-1050 aipbarre@umich.edu
Al Feldt Secretary 994-1493 alfeldt@umich.edu
Scott Hale 222-0250 scothale@umich.edu
JoAnn Marcoux Treasurer 260-2009 jmarcoux@umich.edu
Sally Mitani 996-2731 sally@mitanishoeworks.com
Tom Weisskopf Vice President 929-2899 tomw@umich.edu