Island Cohousing, LLC
Operating Agreement

Exhibit C
Consensus Policy

1. Definitions

   Consensus

   Consensus is defined as unanimity of the attending Individual Members, providing there is a quorum, and will require expressed unanimity only if requested by any Individual Member.

   Quorum

   Quorum of the Community is sixty percent (60%) of Member Households. A Quorum for Committees is the greater of fifty percent (50%) of the committee members or two (2) committee members.

2. Principles for Good Decision-Making
   • A good decision is made when everyone agrees to it. Therefore, voting is not the best way to make a decision. First we will seek consensus.
   • Making decisions by consensus does not necessarily mean that everyone is in complete agreement, but rather that a solution is found that all participants can live with or are at least willing to try.
   • The process used in making a decision is very important in reaching agreement.
   • A real consensus comes only after open expression of any differences and a look at all alternatives.
3. Guidelines for Consensus Decision-Making.
   • We will give an opportunity for quiet participants to speak and we will discourage monopolizing.
   • We will strive to stay focused on the specific task at hand by following the process steps.
   • We will pay attention to strong disagreements, since these often lead to creative solutions.
   • We will strive to hear and understand what everyone is saying and to make ourselves fully understood.
   • We will take notice when agreements are reached too easily and ask if everyone has really participated.
   • We will acknowledge each others contributions and the group's progress.
4. Guidelines for Stalemates.
   • We will resist using majority voting and instead will each adopt a What can I live with? perspective.
   • We will state points of agreement along the way; this helps group morale and may lead to agreement on principle.
   • We will ask those who disagree to come up with alternatives.
5. Decision-Making Process
   1. Island Cohousing, LLC will use the following system of "fist to five" to facilitate the consensus process. This decision-making process will be used only when requested by an Individual Member. The hand signals will have the following meanings:
      • OPEN HAND indicates agreement with the as-stated proposal under discussion.
      • THREE FINGERS indicates that the Individual Member has a question that needs to be answered before a decision can be made.
      • TWO FINGERS indicates neutrality, or general agreement with some minor reservations on the part of the Individual Member.
      • ONE FINGER indicates the Individual Member's serious reservations, but also their unwillingness to block consensus because of those reservation.
      • FIST indicates the Individual Member's opposition to the proposal at hand and their willingness to block consensus because of that opposition.
   2. Once Individual Members have indicated their positions in this way, those who signal a fist or fingers will be given time to voice their concerns. If one or more fists continue to be signaled after this second discussion, the proposal will be returned to committee for revision.
   3. It is incumbent upon Individual Members to block consensus judiciously, remembering that signaling fingers permits questions and comments respectively. Individual Members should be conscious of the seriousness of blocking consensus and signal the fist only for principled objections. However, when an Individual Member strongly believes that the fundamental interests of the Community are not being served by a particular decision, the fist should be used as a vote of conscience, even if unpopular.
   4. Results of Consensus: Once all fingers have been responded to (assuming there are no fists displayed), consensus is presumed to have been reached. However, if fingers predominate, it may be best to reconsider the decision. A primary benefit of hand signals versus simple majority voting is the possibility for a more accurate reading of Individual Member's positions regarding a particular matter. The shades of "for" and "against" responses using hand signals can serve as notice that a proposal needs refining.