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May 5 Public Board Meeting — Prep Brief

Session: 11 Date of meeting: May 5, 2026, 7 PM EST (Zoom) Attendance: Optional — but if the developer attends, use this brief Format: Public board meeting, likely Q&A opportunity after formal session

Why this matters

The Luther, MI site is new. No LoF attendee has camped on it at full-scale. The org's board meetings are public and often include Q&A with organizers who have been actively planning the event.

This is a low-effort way to get answers to specific questions that cannot be found in any published source yet.

Pre-meeting prep (5 minutes)

  1. Download Zoom link from volunteer.lakesoffire.org or the org's announcement
  2. Have these questions written down; don't rely on remembering them
  3. Keep questions short and specific — board meetings are not one-on-one planning sessions
  4. If there's a Q&A queue, submit questions in the chat when given the opportunity

Priority questions (site and logistics)

These are the questions that would directly update playbook documents:

1. Site map and campsite release timeline

"When do you expect to release the site map for the Luther property? Is there anything published about campsite zones yet?"

Why: SITE-arrival-new-luther-MI.md and COMMS-group-connectivity-plan.md both have placeholders that depend on the site map. Knowing the timeline helps the group plan the June–July review.

2. Water access — second well status

"We saw that a second well was being drilled for the Luther site. Is that on track, and will there be on-site water distribution available in open camping areas?"

Why: The current water plan is 45 gallons group total (bring your own). If on-site distribution is confirmed for open camping, the group's water carry requirement changes significantly. This directly affects Matt's procurement list.

3. Open camping terrain — any site restrictions

"For open camping areas, are there zones being reserved away from the creek or swamp areas? Any areas attendees should avoid for camping?"

Why: SITE-arrival-new-luther-MI.md currently recommends avoiding low-lying and swamp-adjacent areas as a general principle. An org-level restriction would make this a rule, not just a guideline. Campsite selection on arrival should be informed by this.

4. Fire safety — open flame rules for new site

"Are there any changes to fire rules for the Luther site compared to past years — particularly for ground-level campfires or fire art?"

Why: The current plan is propane-only (no campfires in open camping). If the org has adjusted fire rules for this site, that changes nothing about the group's plan — but good to confirm.

Secondary questions (nice to know)

Ask only if there's time and the Q&A is open-ended:

5. Cell coverage expectations

"Has anyone from the team been out to the Luther site recently? Any sense of what cell coverage is like in the camping areas?"

Why: The COMMS plan is built around zero-tech fallback because cell is expected to be unreliable. If coverage turns out to be reasonable, the plan still works — but it's useful to know.

6. Generator rules

"What are the generator rules for open camping this year?"

Why: The group resolved this (solar + battery only, no generator), but confirming generator rules in context of the new site is a low-cost verification.

What to do with answers

If you learn: Update:
Site map release date SITE-arrival-new-luther-MI.md + next-session.md
On-site water confirmed PACKING-framework.md, INFRA-checklist-core-systems.md, next-session.md (Matt's water procurement adjusts)
Campsite zone restrictions SITE-arrival-new-luther-MI.md
Changed fire rules CAMP-OPS-minimum-viable-model.md
Cell coverage info COMMS-group-connectivity-plan.md

Write a short log entry in research/ after the meeting with whatever you heard. Even "nothing new" is useful to record.

If you don't attend

The meeting is optional. If the developer doesn't attend:

  • Check LoF social channels or forum for meeting recaps after May 5
  • If the org posts minutes or a recording, scan for site map and water distribution announcements
  • No action required if nothing significant changes

Decision memo

  • Keep: Attending as a developer-only action; no need to involve Matt or Amber in a Zoom meeting
  • Prioritize: Water distribution and site map questions — these directly unblock playbook updates
  • Reject: Using the meeting to ask general first-timer questions — this is a public board meeting, not orientation; keep questions infrastructure-specific
  • Standardize: Any answers that change planning → log in research/ and update the relevant playbook file immediately
  • Revisit: If the org posts a site map in June–July, trigger a focused playbook update session (campsite selection notes, COMMS meeting point confirmation)