January 28, 2018

GPUS Steering Committee Minutes, Sunday 28 January 2018

SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTER:

1. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report, Fundraising Report, Liaison Reports

2. New Business: Resignation of George Martin from the Steering Committee

3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login:
Received for the Queue: None

In the Queue:

A. 2018 GPUS Annual Budget; Presenter: SC; Floor Manager Gloria; 1/2+1 threshold; discussion 22 January – 11 February, voting 12 February – 18 February
B. Resolution to Support Passage of HR-40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposal for African Americans Act – Presenter: Black Caucus; Floor Manager Mike; 1/2+1 threshold; discussion 22 January – 4 February; voting 5 – 11 February

4. Old Business: Review of pending agenda items

5. Executive Session: 2018 Budget – Staffing discussions update, etc.

The full minutes are available at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/january-28-2018/

 

The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 15
Jody Grage, Secretary


GPUS Steering Committee Minutes, 28 January 2018

AGENDA:

I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min.

a) Facilitator: David Gerry
b) Roll call: Hillary Kane, Gloria Mattera, Jody Grage, Mike Dennis, Chris Blankenhorn, Darryl! Moch, Andrea Merida
Absent: Darlene Elias, George Martin – resignation posted 25 January
Observer: Tamar Yagar VA
c) Agenda revision suggestions – none accepted

II. NEW BUSINESS – 10 min.

Resignation of George Martin from the Steering Committee:

Unless resignation rescinded, nomination period will be 2 – 22 February, election proposal on 25 February SC call agenda, discussion period 5 – 18 March, voting period 19 – 25 March

Liaison assignments: Animal Rights, International Committee, Outreach Committee – committees to contact Secretary if/as necessary before new liaison assignments made

III. STANDING BUSINESS – 45 min.

a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane, 10 min.

Total in all accounts $112,026.83 – down $2.5k from 14 January – savings $74,415.98,
checking A $17,555.24, checking B $20,055.16 – some transfers need to be made, PayPal transfers not included; FinCom now doing internal auditing with extensive set of files now in google drive for availability; January payroll problems – previous health care cash statements now in payroll and taxed; $400 error changing from BenePay which automatically processed W2 forms vs. health care special report so filed amended W2s with penalty of $75 x 5 employees; filed 1099s for contractors and W2s for staff; FEC reports filed today

ANM Final Financial report
2017 Total Income: $43,402.13
2017 Expenses: $33,901 – Diversity Waivers – $43, Travel/Lodging Scholarships – $4k,
Venue – $10, 416, Staff Lodging/Per Diem – $2148, Lodging paid by registration fees – $14,249, Misc printing $11, Truck rental for staff/merch – $572, Insurance $162, AMN Fundraiser Costs – $ 2.3k; does not include merchandise sale or online donation made during ANM 2017

Total Revenue: $9502

SC travel/food/lodging (off ANM budget) – $9306

b) Fundraising report – Mike Dennis, Tamar Yagar – 5 min.

eblast raised $1174 with 18 sustainers for $186/mo, ordered letterhead/envelopes/reply envelopes for targeted hand addressed mailings; Starlene generating Facebook ad to utilize stickers, onboarding volunteers to write emails, voter registrations received from CA being processed; major donors getting phone calls to thank and make further requests; Starlene is working to convene conference call about major donors; Darryl! suggests and will participate in calling past major donors and suggests individual and committees proactively draft fundraising letters; rewriting Jan 2017 letter that was very successful; Hillary received a letter saying we have been mentioned in a will and will follow up on it

c) Liaison reports – 20 min.
Accreditation – Gloria
Holly and Tamar reelected recently, discussion of improving processes, working on unfinished business, has suggested conference calls rather than only email communication

Annual National Meeting – Darlene; Tamar did site visit – good grouping of facilities,
less expensive than last year including AV, meals reasonable – $9 tickets for lunch/dinners or pay cash, gender specific dorms – transgender individuals can choose their dorm – also some rooms for individual situations and hotel on campus with rooms for app $125, locals excited, fundraiser off campus will allow alcohol; staff need to be considered

Ballot Access – Chris – lull in activity partly because of winter weather, strategy around fundraising including silent auction at ANM and selling donation through eBay and Etsy, IL appealing ballot access laws

Dispute Resolution – Darryl! – calls on 3rd Wednesdays, have had several requests over last few months – some still pending, some not resolved because parties not agree to participate, actively working on a couple; requests about issues with state and desire for outside mediation so may need to consider what we are able and willing to offer; lack of enforcement and lack of information let out about issues and resolutions if any;
scope of DRC may need redefining – currently “involved in conducting the business of the party”; conflict resolution training suggested – Darryl! will follow up with Andrea and Adrian and then SC as a whole; Truth and Reconciliation also being discussed; stated need to be part of Strategic Planning retreat so all involved; what is process for SC team as a whole to start participating in state affairs

IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.

In the queue – None

Received for the queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login

A. 2018 GPUS Annual Budget; Presenter: SC; Floor Manager Gloria; 1/2+1 threshold; discussion 22 January – 11 February, voting 12 February – 18 February

B. Resolution to Support Passage of HR-40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposal for African Americans Act – Presenter: Black Caucus; Floor Manager Mike; 1/2+1 threshold; discussion 22 January – 4 February; voting 5 – 11 February;

V. OLD BUSINESS – 20 min

Review pending agenda items – very brief updates as available
1. Staff computer purchase protocol recommendation from FinCom – Hillary
FinCom need to write draft from previous call notes, issue is how long staff person needs to have been on job to qualify

2. SC Strategic planning virtual retreat – Gloria, Darryl!, Mike
March 24 & 25 – consensus
need preliminary work to make time most productive
consider organizing in blocks of time with agenda sections
suggestion to have staff at part of the retreat – which may be after some staff changes

3. Election database Phase II and III update – Hillary
emailed Kendra and Mike who reported progress made on 15 January, will ask again, need to get for testing before goes live to the whole party

4. Voting page maintenance/Tech issues update – Chris
Hugh emailed – NY interested in using software and possibly making changes to it, discussion of licensing it

5. ETC Final Report – Committee –
Frank Young has been ill and unable to work on it, Holly is working on the templates,
will include some problems found, have data and need it to be written up,
necessary before new SC election members Frank Young, Charles Sherrouse, Violet Rose, Holly Hart, Katija Gruene, Andrea Merida; consensus that Darryl! be temporary liaison to ETC; deadline of a draft final report 8 February for the 11 February SC call

End recording of call – 9:35 pm

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 30 min.
Roll call: Darryl!, Andrea, Gloria, Mike, Hillary, Jody, Chris
No decisions made

9:45 pm Eastern

TOTAL TIME: 1 hours 45 min

Jody Grage, Secretary