New AIP Idea for ApeCoin Dao To Address Special Council: RESET

RESET : Reorganize & Empower the Special Council for Enhanced Transparency
See Original Post on ApeCoin Forum Page

Summary: Provides clarity and purpose to a body of community-elected members that is accountable to the community. Creates tasks for the Special Council to complete to make the ApeCoin DAO better informed. Creates rules to improve trust and confidence in the Special Council.

TEAM DESCRIPTION

Co-authors

Ernest Lee (@ernestleedotcom)
- Education
  - Fishburne Military School (1990)
  - University of Hawaii at Manoa (BA Political Science, 1998)
  - Penn State University Dickinson School of Law (Juris Doctor, 2002)
  - University of London Institute for Advanced Legal Studies. (2002)
- Military Service
  - US Army Infantry (1991-1993) Medically discharged and retired.
- Professional Experience
  - Serial Entrepreneur – 30 years of purchasing, building and growing several businesses.
  - Managing Partner – Decrypted Tax (MBA# 00464) Tax compliance and consulting for individuals and businesses with digital assets exposure.
  - Managing Partner – Bored Legal (MBA# tbd). Legal services for individuals and Web3 businesses.
  - Owner – Combat Motors (MBA #00433).
  - Managing Partner – Ernest Lee Capital. Investing in Web3 companies and digital assets.
AaronHaber (@AaronHaber)
- Education
  - CumLaude Graduate of University of Albany
  - Graduate of The Second City Training Center (Chicago)
  - Princeton University – Visiting Lecturer teaching comedy master classes
- Professional Experience
  - Full-time Tech Entrepreneur in Web3 since 2020.
  - Founder of Laughing Ape (MBA #00185)
  - Approved Author of AIP-346; Bored Silly: Exclusive Comedy Shows for $Ape Holders
- Personal Statement
  - OG BAYC Minter/Round-Tripper, ApeChain Degen, Deeply care about the DAO.
Lanzer (@mrLanzer)
- Education
  - Master’s degree in Contract Admin & Acquisitions
  - Career certifications including Project Management Professional (PMP) & Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB)
- Professional Experience
  - 13+ year professional background in Contract Management, Program Management, and business entrepreneurship.
  - Extensive experience in negotiating $100M+ contracts, leading 15+ person subject matter expert (SME) teams, and running $1B+ program portfolios.
  - Co-founded a community-led organization that broke a Guinness World Record, a record still held today.
- Personal Statement
  - Proud Ape, SandFam, MocaFam, BOTB, Bear, WOW, and Forbes Legacy Pass.

PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION

The role clarification of the Special Council in AIP-426, closing of Working Groups in AIP-466, and “Lack of Communication” comment from the Secretary’s resignation in Sep 2024 have magnified the need to not only retain but also further empower the Special Council to enhance communication between the ApeCoin DAO, AIP authors and the APE Foundation, including the Foundation’s service providers and administrators (hereafter called “DAO Admin Team”).

Thread: ApeCoin DAO Dissected: The Foundation

SUMMARY

This AIP reinforces and reaffirms the Special Council adding more community involvement and transparency necessary to carry the DAO into the next phase of its growth.

NEW RESPONSIBILITIES & EXPECTATIONS

The Special Council shall be the elected body that enhances communication between the community and the DAO Admin Team.
The Special Council will communicate with AIP authors during the implementation phase and report progress back to the community.
The Special Council shall schedule regular communication with the DAO Admin Team and publish those communications publicly available in two locations on at least a weekly basis. Publishing may be outsourced to another entity, but is the responsibility of the Special Council to ensure it is done. One location must be either YouTube, RSS, or Spotify. The other can be whatever the Special Council deems suitable.
The Special Council shall follow up with authors of accepted AIPs and publish a weekly public report of all AIP statuses. Failure to receive a response from AIP authors shall be noted.
Existing Special Council members shall retain their position and at the same $10,417/month salary structure described in AIP-337 (Re-evaluating ApeCoin DAO Special Council Salaries Structure).
Future Special Council members shall not be subject to any Non-Disclosure Agreements with the DAO Admin Team, except to prevent disclosure of information in violation of existing or future commercial agreements with third-parties.
- This will ensure maximum ability to accomplish this AIP’s intent. Multiple examples exist of members being elected into positions and communicating restrictions from providing input to the community. Example A & B
Cooling-off Period
- For a 6-month period: Any future Special Council member who departs their position, regardless of the circumstances of their departure, may not partner with, freelance for, consult for, contract with, or be employed by any entity or individual that has contracted with or plans to contract with the Foundation or the DAO during the 6-month period.
Guarding against Improper Activities
- The Special Council shall conduct themselves in a manner above reproach, with impartiality, and with preferential treatment for none.
Every member of the Special Council is expected to conduct themselves in such a way that they will always be able to make full public disclosure of their official actions on behalf of the DAO.
The general rule is to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest with the DAO Admin Team. A conflict of interest exists when a Special Council member is unable or potentially unable to execute their responsibilities or meet expectations of this AIP in an unbiased or impartial manner.

As an example: Having private conversations with the DAO Admin Team does not mean a conflict of interest exists. However, a conflict of interest is created should anything in that conversation result in the Special Council member failing to execute their responsibilities or meet the expectations of this AIP.

EXISTING RESPONSIBILITIES

The Special Council shall retain the responsibilities of AIP-1 (Proposing the DAO – Process), as amended by AIP-426 (Special Council- Future election requirement and role clarification). A summary of those responsibilities is included below:
AIP-1: “The purpose of the Board is to administer DAO proposals and serve the vision of the community.”
AIP-1: “…determine whether further action is required prior to a Pending AIP proceeding to Phase 7 (Live AIP)”
AIP-1: “…provide a clear explanation of why and tag it as either “Return for Reconstruction” or “Return for Clarification.”
AIP-1: “Reasons to tag as “Return for Reconstruction” or “Return for Clarification” may include but are not limited to:
1. “Cost to implement unclear/not able to be calculated…”
2. “Proposes to use more than 5% of the Ecosystem Fund…”
3. “Conflicts with another proposal…”
4. “Proposal is at odds with the mission/values of the DAO…”
5. “Proposal is at odds with the well-being of the DAO…”
6. “Violations of law, or against advice of counsel for APE Foundation…”
7. “Reasonable suspicion of fraud or other misleading information…”
AIP-426: “…serves an advisory function with no corporate decision-making power”
AIP-426: “…nominees must have been discourse members for at least 6-months prior to the commencement of the term for which they are running and must have achieved a minimum of Trust Level 2 on discourse”

BENEFIT TO APECOIN ECOSYSTEM

Provides clarity and purpose to the roles filled by the Special Council and to require further transparency with the community.
Establishes meaningful impact, propelling the Special Council into its next evolutionary phase in keeping with the way the ApeCoin DAO has matured.
Improves trust and confidence in the ApeCoin DAO.
Improves accountability for AIP authors to assure that the goals of each AIP are being achieved.
Maintains continued transparency that is expected of a DAO.
Increases rate of member participation. Member retention is critical for success and longevity of any DAO, and transparency is foundational in achieving this. Transparency builds trust by ensuring members have timely access to information about the organization’s activities, decisions, and finances.
Opens discussions on key topics, allowing members to voice their opinions, ask questions, and provide feedback, fostering a culture of accountability and inclusivity.
Supports active participation by making members feel that their contributions have a real impact.

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT & TIMELINE

Immediately upon the AIP passing: The change in responsibilities below shall take effect.
Within 15 days of the AIP passing: The change in responsibilities below shall be reflected in the ApeCoin DAO Dissected, and APE Foundation Players threads under Help & Resources → FAQs subforum.
Within 30 days of the AIP passing: The first public meeting with the APE Foundation shall occur.

REPORTING EXPECTATIONS

A member of the Special Council shall reply weekly to this AIP thread on the forums with a status update of their progress in planning their efforts to (1) publish communications and (2) schedule weekly updates for the community.
Once a plan has been decided and set into motion, the weekly reply needs to include, at a minimum, links to the (1) published weekly communications and (2) published weekly public report of AIP statuses.

OVERALL COST