Coordinating Committee minutes, January 4, 2016

Coordinating Committee members present (10): Victoria Ashley, Marla Bernstein, Jose Trinidad Castaneda, Maxine Daniel, Mike Feinstein, Michael Goldbeck, Tim Laidman, Jessica Montiel, Alex Shantz, Rich Zitola

Coordinating Committee members not-present (3): Sandra Everette, Sasha Karlik, Jesse Moorman

Invited guests (Greens): Pamela Spevack and Rich Stone, Co-coordinators, GPCA Campaigns and Candidates Working Group

Membership status: Karlik loses seat under GPCA Bylaws 8-2.2 (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_8-2_Membership) "If a Coordinating Committee member misses three consecutive regular monthly meetings, the individual shall lose their seat and a vacancy shall occur", by virtue of not attending Coordinating Committee meetings of January 4, 2016, December 7, 2015 and November 9, 2015.

Membership status: Moorman loses seat under GPCA Bylaws 8-2.2 (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_8-2_Membership) "If a Coordinating Committee member misses three consecutive regular monthly meetings, the individual shall lose their seat and a vacancy shall occur", by virtue of not attending Coordinating Committee meetings of January 4, 2016, December 7, 2015 and November 9, 2015.

Quorum: Quorum reached at 7:32 with seven (7) present: Marla Bernstein, Maxine Daniel, Mike Feinstein, Michael Goldbeck, Tim Laidman, Alex Shantz, Rich Zitola

Castaneda joined call at 7:33
Montiel joined call at 7:43
Ashley joined call at 7:56

2) Roles
Facilitator: Alex Shantz
Minutes taker: Mike Feinstein
Time keeper: Jose Trinidad Castaneda
Vibes Watcher: Tim Laidman

3) Approval of Agenda (2/3 vote as all items were submitted after the two week regular submission deadline)

Proposal (Everette via email): add Appointment: Delegate Selection Committee

Approved by consensus

Proposal (Shantz): approve agenda as amended as it appears below

Approved by consensus

4) Decision: Approval of minutes from November 2015 Coordinating Committee meeting

http://www.cagreens.org/committees/coordinating/minutes/2015-12-07

Approved by consensus

5) Decision: Amendments to San Diego General Assembly agenda

No amendments were proposed, no action taken

6) Discussion: Planning for Presidential Candidate Forum at San Diego General Assembly (State Meeting Committee)

Proposal (Feinstein): That the Coordinating Committee adopt the draft schedule below and empower the State Meeting Planning Committee to make any further adjustments.

Moderators: Mike Feinstein (Santa Monica, LA County), Cynthia Santiago (Gardena, LA County)

3:00pm - Non-General Assembly Greens enter, are seated, greetings videos played from int'l Green Party leaders

3:15pm - WELCOME and GROUND RULES by Moderators

3:20pm - POEM by Luis Rodriguez (invited, not yet confirmed),  GPCA 2014 candidate for Governor and Los Angeles Poet Laureate (San Fernando, LA County)

3:25pm - GREETINGS (via video) from int'l Green Party leaders, former GPUS nominees

3:30pm - OPENING STATEMENTS FROM CANDIDATES (three minutes each, alphabetical order)

Darryl Cherney, William Kreml, Kent Mesplay, Jill Stein

3:45pm - QUESTIONS (90 second answers, six minutes for each question in total, budget eight minutes for each round to include overage)

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

3:53pm Corporate Personhood (video): David Cobb, Green; Executive Director, Move to Amend, 2004 GPUS Presidential Nominee, Eureka, Humboldt County)

4:01pm Civil liberties and government collection of data: Ajay Rai, GPCA IT Committee co-chair (Los Angeles, LA County)

ENVIRONMENT

4:09pm Climate Change: Masada Disenhouse (San Diego, San Diego County) and Greg Jan (Oakland, Alameda County) Green Party activists w/350.org

4:17pm Forestry: Linda Piera Avila, former Vice-Chair, City of Santa Monica Urban Task Force (Santa Monica, LA County)

4:25pm Water and Drought: Larry Bragman, Member, Marin County Water Board (Fairfax, Marin County)

(Forestry and Water/Drought questions together and give candidates a chance to combine answers)

SOCIAL JUSTICE

4:29pm Education: Jose Lara, Member, Pico Rivera School Board

4:37pm LGBTQ:  Trinidad Castaneda, Green Party of Orange County (CA)

4:45pm Black Lives Matter: Shamako Noble, GPCA endorsed 2016 US Senate candidate, Green Party of Alameda County (CA)

4:53pm  BREAK - FUNDRAISING APPEAL

ECONOMICS

5:00pm  Poverty/Homelessness - Luis Rodriguez, GPCA 2014 candidate for Governor (San Fernando, LA County)

5:08pm Economics (Universal Basic Income): Shamako Noble, GPCA endorsed 2016 US Senate candidate, Green Party of Alameda County (CA)

(Poverty/Homeless and the Economics questions together and give candidates a chance to combine answers)

FOREIGN POLICY

5:16pm  International Trade (video) - Elizabeth May, Member of Canadian Parliament, Green Party of Canada

5:24pm Immigration: Cynthia Santiago, Immigration Attorney, 2010 Green Party candidate for California State Assembly, Green Party of Los Angeles County (CA)

5:32pm Foreign Policy: Nancy Mancias, CodePink activist, Green Party of Marin County (CA)

ELECTORAL REFORM (if time remains):

Mike Feinstein, former Santa Monica Mayor and City Councilmember, Advisory Board member

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Outstanding concerns (Stand aside): Castaneda (feels there will be disruption and that this proposed agenda doesn't allow for the flexbility for disrupt), Zitola (shares same concern)

Approved by Consensus

Note: the remainder of this discussion regarding who qualified to appear on the Presidential Panel under GPCA Rules was continued til after 9pm when GPCA Campaigns and Candidates Working Group co-coordinators Pamela Spevack and Rich Stone could join the call

7) Decision: Approval of Agenda for Coordinating Committee January 24/25 annual retreat

Proposal (Feinstein): That the following items be included on the agenda, with the order and which appear on which day to be decided later

1) Decision: Election of Coordinating Committee Male Co-coordinator and alternate Co-Coordinator

2) Decision: Election of Coordinating Committee Female alternate Co-Coordinator

3) Appointment of Coordinating Committee Committee Liaison/Co-coordinators to Standing Committees Nomination

4) Appointment of Coordinating Committee Liaison to Working Groups

5) Appointments to Standing Committees

6) Treasurer's Report (Barnett)

7) Report: GPCA Liaison to Secretary of State's Report (Laiti)

8) Discussion: Communication with CA Secretary of State and status of GPCA elections code vis-a-vis GPCA 2016 Presidential Ballot Line

9) Discussion: Planning GPCA Presidential candidate forum May 13, 2016
 
10) Review of Coordinating Committee FY2016-2017 Work Plan and Budget Proposals

11) Review of GPCA Two Year Strategic Plan to be presented by Coordinating Committee to May 2016 General Assembly

12) Review progress towards realizing GPCA IT protocol, including capabilities for county parties to utilize GPCA Drupal and Nationbuilder functionality (Laidman)
http://www.cagreens.org/it-protocol

13) Review of Funding Approach for General Assemblies and Gatherings/Review Nancy Broyles General Assembly Hardship Travel Subsidy policy
http://www.cagreens.org/ga

14) Decision: GPCA ballot statement for June 2016 voter guide

15) Discussion: Status of GPCA position on amending CA elections code regarding signatures-in-lieu threshold and other related reforms

16) Review of SGA performance (Laidman, Feinstein) (15 minutes)

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Approved by consensus

8) Decision: Approval of location of Coordinating Committee Friday night meeting of January 22 and Retreat of January 24/25

Background: As of January 4, the Grassroots Oasis venue in which the San Diego General Assembly will be held is not rented and unless it is rented, the owner has told the GPCA that it can arrive there on Friday night to hold its Coordinating Committee meeting and to do set up for the following day's General Assembly.

Proposal (Feinstein): That the Friday, January 22 Coordinating Committee meeting be held at the Grassroots Oasis, with dinner at 6pm and the business meeting at 7pm.

Proposal amendment, accepted by sponsor (Daniel, Castaneda): Authorize State Meeting Planning Committee to find nearby affordable restaurant if not works...

Proposal (Feinstein): That the Friday, January 22 Coordinating Committee meeting be held at the Grassroots Oasis, with dinner at 6pm and the business meeting at 7pm; authorize State Meeting Planning Committee to find nearby affordable restaurant if not works...

Approved by consensus

Proposal (Laidman): That the Sunday, January 24 Coordinating Committee retreat  be held at the Grassroots Oasis, after the close of the General Assembly, with a break between the General Assembly and the start of the Retreat.

Approved by consensus

Proposal (Laidman): That the Coordinating Committee authorize its Co-coordinators to locate and confirm a location for the Monday, January 25 Coordinating Committee retreat and that it be held from 10am to 6pm

Approved by consensus

9) Appointment: GPCA Delegate Selection Committee

Everette submitted her request in writing on January 4 to be appointed

Everette appointed by consensus

10) Report: Results of Letter to County Registrars (Shantz, Feinstein) (ten minutes)

Shantz reported upon history of efforts by certain counties to compel parties to pay for their County Council elections. Feinstein reported on the GPCA's outreach to the counties to make them aware that the GPCA wants the public ballot option for all 58 counties, including identifying an initial contact list of county registrars provided by the CA SoS and then improving it manually via emails and phone contact to the various counties, and then reported upon the open rate of 25% and of notification to the CA SoS office as well.

11) Decision: Proposal: Amendment to Coordinating Committee Internal Procedures - Section 3-8 Minutes (Feinstein)

Proposal (Feinstein): That 3-8.1 of the Coordinating Committee's Internal Procedures (http://www.cagreens.org/committees/coordinating/procedures#Article_III:_...) be amended to include at the end "; and shall include a record of any Coordinating Committee member who loses their seat by missing consecutive regular monthly meetings as provided in GPCA Bylaws.", so that 3-8.1 reads as follows:

3-8.1 Minutes of Coordinating Committee meetings shall consist of the date, time, location (where applicable) and attendance (including when leaving call), any modifications to the agenda, agenda items heard, decisions-taken (including who voted for, against or stood aside) and the text of all proposals, including amendments; and shall include a record of any Coordinating Committee member who loses their seat by missing consecutive regular monthly meetings as provided in GPCA Bylaws.

Proposal (Feinstein): Approve language

Outstanding concerns: Daniel (believes amendment is unnecessary)

Approved by consensus

12) Discussion: GPCA Marketing (Goldbeck, Laidman)

A discussion was held about the need for better marketing of the GPCA and how this involves interaction/coordination between various GPCA Standing Committees and Working Groups
 

13) Discussion: Planning for Presidential Candidate Forum at San Diego General Assembly (State Meeting Committee) - continued

Discussion was held over the status of GPCA Rules and Procedures governing who qualifies to appear at the GPCA Presidential Candidate Forum in January.  GPCA Campaigns and Candidates Working Group co-coordinators Pamela Spevack and Rich Stone joined the call to participate in this discussion. 

No other items were heard because of reaching end of time period for teleconference

Items not heard:

14) Report: Treasurer (Barnett)

15) Report: Committees
A) Bylaws (Ashley)
B) Clearinghouse (Feinstein)
C) Finance (Laidman)
D) Fundraising Committee
E) Media (Everette)
F) Platform ()
G) Information Technology Committee (Laidman)
H) Campaign Fund Support Committee   
I) Personnel Committee  
J) State Meeting Planning Committee/Agenda Team

16) Report: Working Groups

A) Campaigns and Candidates (Moorman)
B) Electoral Reform (Jean)
C) Green Issues (Moorman)
D) Grassroots Organizing (Shantz)