Coordinating Committee minutes, November 12, 2012

Coordinating Committee members present (14):   Victoria Ashley (East Bay), Cindy Asir (South Bay),  Marla Bernstein (at-large), June Brashares (at-large), Maxine Daniel (at-large), Sanda Everette (at-large), Mike Feinstein (Los Angeles),  Barry Hermanson (San Francisco), Sasha Karlik (at-large), Tim Laidman (at-large),  Cynthia Santiago (at-large), Alex Shantz (North Bay), Michael Rubin (at-large), Lauren Sinott (at-large), 

Coordinating Committee members not present (3): Dave Heller (at-large), Matt Leslie (Orange/Riverside/San Bernardino), Kate Tanaka (at-large)
 
Invited Participants: Doug Barnett, GPCA Treasurer; Susan Chunco, GPUS Steering Committee member from Sonoma County, Rich Zitola, Santa Cruz Green with experience in Nationbuilder.
 
Quorum: Quorum reached at 7:36 with 9/17 present: Cindy Asir (South Bay), June Brashares (at-large), Sanda Everette (at-large), Mike Feinstein (Los Angeles), Sasha Karlik (at-large), Tim Laidman (at-large), Cynthia Santiago (at-large), Alex Shantz (North Bay), Michael Rubin (at-large) 
 
Daniel arrived at 7:37
Ashley, Hermanson arrived at 7:38
Bernstein, Sinott arrived at 7:42
Brashares arrived at 7:49
Chunco arrived at 8:08
Barnett arrived at 9:10
 

2) Roles

Facilitator: Alex Shantz
Minutes taker: Mike Feinstein
Time keeper: Sanda Everette
Vibes Watcher: Tim Laidman
 
Approved by consensus
 

3) Approval of Agenda 

Proposal (Everette): Add following item to the agenda 'Decision: Authorize outreach email to identify locations and hosts for upcoming statewide meetings (Everette)'  

Approved by consensus

Proposal (Rubin): Add discussion item 'How the GPCA can establish policy demands of the state legislature now that the Democrats have a 2/3 majority in both houses'

Approved by consensus

Proposal to approve draft agenda, as amended (Shantz)

Approved by consensus

4) Decision: Approve minutes of October 1st meeting

Proposal (Feinstein) Approval of minutes from 10/01 CC meeting
 
 
Approved by consensus
 

5) Report/discussion:  Next steps with Nationbuilder/Integrating info from Stein Campaign (Feinstein) 

Item introduced by Feinstein, presented by Zitola, with additional comments by Karlik and Laidman. Questions/comments from Hermanson, Rubin, Brashares, Everette.  Zitola, Feinstein responded.
 

6) Report/Discussion: Next steps with Nationbuilder/County Party use (Feinstein)

Item introduced by Feinstein, presented by Laidman. Questions/comments from Rubin, Hermanson, Daniel, Brashares. Everette, Karlik. Feinstein, Laidman responded.
 
 
7) Executive session report/discussion: Update on GPUS Finances (Chunco)
 
Chunco summarized the steps taken by the GPUS to ensure the accuracy of its FEC filings. The rules governing Coordinating Committee Executive Sessions are included below as Attachment #1.
 

8)  Decision: Certification of County Councils: Shasta County (Hermanson)

Proposal (Hermanson): That the Coordinating Committee certify the appointed County Council, by the General Meeting of Greens in Shasta County, July 17, 2012

Approved by consensus

9)  Appointment: Peggy Koteen, Platform Committee 

Appointed by consensus

10) Decision: Carrying out tasks that were previously Marnie Glickman's responsibility (Brashares, Laidman)

Introduction, presentation by Brashares and Laidman. Laidman and Shantz report on behalf of Finance and Field Organizer positions. The introduction included background material that did not make it into the agenda, so it is included below as attachment #2

Proposal (Shantz): Add agenda item regarding Appointment to Personel Committee

Approved by Consensus

Appointment: June Brashares, Personnel Committee

Approved by Consensus

 
11) Decision: Setting date and location of CC winter retreat  (Everette, Feinstein) 
 
Proposal (Everette, Feinstein): That the CC hold its winter retreat at Sanda Everette's Eco-Village in San Mateo on the weekend of January 19/20, that the CC authorize use of the $400 in the GPCA FY2012-2013 budget for the retreat, that Sanda Everette is requested to consult with the person who prepared the food last year and get an estimate for what would be required this year, and that the following agenda item be included (along with others submitted by CC members be subject to ultimate approval by the entire CC) - election of CC female co-coordinator and male and female alternate alternate co-coordinators.
 
Approved by consensus
 

12) Decision: Establish GPCA Inform List (Feinstein) 

Proposal (Feinstein): That the Coordinating Committee amend its internal procedures to include Section 4-4 below adopt the proposed protocol below to govern the use of the GPCA Inform list and to review the stand-alone web page that explains this protocol (http://www.cagreens.org/it-protocol/inform-list)
 
Approved by consensus
 
Section 4-4 Inform List
 
The GPCA Inform List a one-way list is for the state party to communicate official party business to individuals in state party leadership positions and to members of Green Party County Councils.
4-4.1 The list's recipients shall include members of County Councils and GPCA standing committees; the co-coordinators of GPCA working groups; General Assembly/Standing General Assembly delegates, and the GPCA Treasurer, Liaison to the Secretary of State and state party Spokespersons.
4-4.2 Official business includes information regarding meetings and actions authorized by them; Projects of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups; Business of the Party Officers; Other items deemed appropriate by the Coordinating Committee or General Assembly.
4-4.3: There shall be an Inform List operator and back-up, appointed by the Coordinating Committee. Only the list operator and back-up operator have posting privileges. The list operator shall notify the back-up operator of any planned absences so the back-up can assume the duties.
4-4.4: Those authorized to request messages be posted shall include the Co-coordinators of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups and the Treasurer and Liaison to the Secretary of State. Coordinators may authorize another individual for posting requests by notifying the list operators, but should still be copied on all requests.
4-4.5: The list operator shall review each posting request for consistency with the guidelines herein, and shall return non-compliant messages with an explanation of why, and shall archive such correspondance at the list operator archive. If there is further disagreement over the appropriateness of a posting, the list operator shall consult the Coordinating Committee for resolution. 
 
 
Purpose
 
The GPCA Inform List a one-way list is for the state party to communicate official party business to individuals in state party leadership positions and to members of Green Party County Councils.
 
The list's recipients shall include members of County Councils and GPCA standing committees; the co-coordinators of GPCA working groups; General Assembly/Standing General Assembly delegates, and the GPCA Treasurer, Liaison to the Secretary of State and state party Spokespersons.
 
If you are one of these, please sign up for subscription here.  You also may be subscribed by the GPCA IT Committee, after which you can opt-out upon request.
 
Official business includes information regarding:
 
• State meetings and actions authorized by them
• Projects of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups
• Business of the Party Officers
• Other items deemed appropriate by the Coordinating Committee or General Assembly
 
This list typically does not distribute:
 
• Event announcements
• News and information articles
• Candidate literature or promotions
 
Messages will state whether the intended audience is the list recipients, and/or for further distribution. County Councils are responsible for setting up a system of internal distribution to interested Greens in their counties.
 
Some messages are used to solicit a response. In such cases, the message must contain a web-response form and/or contact information where responses should be sent. The list operator cannot facilitate responses to messages.
 
Authorized Access
 
Only the list operator and back-up operator have posting privileges.
 
The following Party positions are authorized to request messages be posted to the list:
 
• Co-coordinators of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups. Coordinators may authorize another individual for posting requests by notifying the list operators, but should still be copied on all requests.
 
• The state party Treasurer and the Liaison to the Secretary of State.
 
List Operators
 
There shall be an Inform List operator and back-up, appointed by the Coordinating Committee. Messages intended for the list operator and back-up must be sent to this address. 
 
The list operator shall review each posting request for consistency with the guidelines herein, and shall return non-compliant messages with an explanation of why, and shall archive such correspondance at the list operator archive. If there is further disagreement over the appropriateness of a posting, the list operator shall consult the Coordinating Committee for resolution. 
 
The list operator shall notify the back-up operator of any planned absences so the back-up can assume the duties.
 
Timeline
 
1) Requests to the list operators are sent 
 
2) The list operator reviews the message for compliance with the guidelines of this document. The list operator returns non-compliant messages with an explanation for the rejection 

3) The list operator distributes the message on contacts list

13) Decision: Authorize outreach email to identify locations and hosts for upcoming statewide meetings (Everette)

Proposal (Everette): That the CC authorize an outreach letter on the GPCA Inform list seeking sponsors for a northern and a southern California state party Gathering, to be held from no earlier than the end of February to no later than the beginning of April, with a preference for sometime in March; and for a General Assembly in May or June (but not on Mother's Day weekend May 11-12 or Gay Pride weekend June 29-30), that would include the approval of the GPCA FY2013-2014 budget.

Approved by consensus

14) Discussion: How the GPCA can establish policy demands of the state legislature now that the Democrats have a 2/3 majority in both houses (Rubin) 

Rubin presented a concept developed by the Alameda County Council, that the GPCA establish policy demands of the state legislature now that the Democrats have a 2/3 majority in both houses, including single payer universal health care; a constitutional amendment to amend proposition 13 to enable a split role on commerical property and an oil severance tax. Discussion led to the expectation that the December 3rd Coordinating Committee meeting would consider a proposal, to co-sponsor with the Green Issues Working Group, that a proposal to establish policy demands of the state legislature be presented to the Standing General Assembly for approval.

15) Report: Treasurer's Report (Barnett) 

Barnett provided updates on GPCA account balances and summarized major expenditures.

16) Report: Standing committees 

Item heard informally after 9:30 for those who wanted to stay on call
 

17) Report: Working Groups 

Item heard informally after 9:30 for those who wanted to stay on call
 

Attachment #1:

Section 3-9 Executive Session

3-9.1 The Coordinating Committee may go into Executive Session only for personnel matters, sensitive legal and financial matters in which the Party itself is involved in actual or potential legal proceedings, sensitive conversations concerning Green candidates or elected officials, and when dealing with proprietary information of vendors and contractors. No other circumstances are appropriate for Executive Session. Only Coordinating Committee members and persons invited by the Coordinating Committee whose participation is necessary to address the agenda item are allowed to participate.

3-9.2 When an item proposed for Executive Session is called on the agenda, it shall first require consensus or a 2/3 vote to enter Executive Session. Once Executive Session has begun, if at least twenty percent of the Coordinating Committee members present believe that the discussion is entering areas that are inappropriate for Executive Session as per 3-9.1, they may ask for a vote and 2/3 is required to remain in Executive Session.

3-9.3 Agenda item for which Executive Session is denied or permission withdrawn as per 3-9.2 may be heard in open session, but only within the limits of what may be discussed outside of Executive Session, as per 3-9.1.

3-9.4 Minutes of all Executive Session shall include the time of entering and exiting Executive Session, those present and a general summary of topics discussed, without including specific information precluded under 3-9.1. Decisions made in Executive Session shall be reported in the Coordinating Committee minutes, subject to any legal limitations on disclosure.

Attachment #2

 

October:  Discussed entering data into Nationbuilder andfurther publicizing the fundraiser independent contractor announcement.

September:  Everette will continue thanking large donors; Feinstein will follow up with a prospective large donor in Southern California and will address issues raised with donate page on the GPCA's website. Lengthly discussion ensued about the functions of Nationbuilder and the need to identify more people to operate it, and a job description for at least one of these persons

August: Not considered because of time contraints.

July:  Proposal (Brashares, Laidman): That CC will have an on-line thread with a title about the responsibilities involved, that those interested would be come forward and be identified, and a decision upon them would be made at the next meeting; that the proposal would contain the process by which these tasks could be completed; and if certain things can be easily addressed by volunteers before then, they should be.

Outstanding concerns/stand aside (Rubin): CC not taking issue as seriously as it deserves, more time should've been devoted to it on this call and 1/2 hour should be devoted to it on the August CC call.

June: Discussion held, not decisions taken as presenter was not on call.

May: Ashley introduces item. Feinstein, Hermanson, Laidman, Everette, Daniels comment. No proposal made, item to be heard at Coordinating Committee's May 11 meeting.