GPUS Steering Committee Minutes
SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS
1. Discussion of 2018 budget begun
2. Approved BAC request for $2000 for Montana ballot access work
3. Voting Queue: Proposal to Amend the Rules of the Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX)
4. Discussion of elections database project to be continued on next call
5. Report from People’s Congress of Resistance
The full minutes are available at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/september-24-2017/ The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, #926334, reference #6
Jody Grage, Secretary
GPUS Steering Committee Minutes -24 September 2017
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min.
a) Facilitator: Holly Hart
b)Roll Call – Darlene Elias, Gloria Mattera, Andrea Merida, Mike Dennis, Jody Grage, Hillary Kane, ChrisBlankenhorn, Darryl! Moch; Absent: George Martin
Observers: David Gerry MA, Starlene Rankin OR, Tamar Yager VA, Bill Kreml SC, Gil Obler NY
c) Agenda revision suggestions – none
II. NEW BUSINESS – 20 min
a) Discussion of 2018 budget
Hillary – good to start conversation promptly so that budget will be on schedule; need to look at
broad categories; FunCom feels comfortable continuing 2017 budget projections for 2018 rather than increasing income expectations – $144k donation + $30k for merch and ANM; FinCom wants balanced budget rather than dipping into reserves as planned for2017; after fundraising expenses only $267k available – mostly for staff; may need some make some hard decisions as we prioritize
Gloria – still have staffing gaps
Andrea – what do we need to do to be in position for 2018 and 2020, BAC very importance – many important states need fundraising support, need to discuss assumptions underlying budget; need more and better data on fundraising
Gloria – suggests special calls about committee expenses, etc.
Darlene – need aggressive fundraising plan with fundraising initiatives
Hillary – need to assemble data for next call
III. STANDING BUSINESS – 20 min.
a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane, 10 min.
BAC request for $2,000 for Montana ballot access work – inadvertently skipped, approved on line after the call
Paying bills efficiently, did FEC report this month, credit union processes still problematic, BenePay still not available to Hillary (or Darryl! now); $5k from BAC to NC requires GPUS be a registered PAC in NC which is still not completed; total account balances $163,214.14 – merch $30,545.12, basic checking $58285.34, reserves $74,383.68; need to research to be sure all transfers of funds to committee/caucus reserve accounts have been accomplished over time; may need to change banks because of poor service; Jody – no bylaw or rules basis for budgeted funds being transferred to reserve accounts – traditionally reserve funds expended to be spent before budgeted funds
b) Fundraising report – Starlene Rankin, 5 min.
Aug total estimated at $18.4k, Sept total estimated at $11.3k; Direct Mail Spring – $13.5k; sustainers up to $13k and coming closer to covering basic monthly expenses; eblasts – fromJill/Ajamu – $1335, BAC $1865, Jill/Ajamu signed paper version letter to Stein donors $1390, current eblast re: CCC candidates; direct mail later this week – Jill/Ajamu paper version to donors above lowest level, Mike Dennis signed paper letter to about 6k recent GPUS donors; FundCom has a few new members; scam credit card donations – preliminary meeting between David Doonan and Starlene and NB to get a resolution to this ongoing problem; eblast report will be updated and sent to SC; direct mail report sent every couple months; need location for reports
c) Personnel Working Group report – Darryl!, 5 min. – no update
IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
In the queue: None
Received for the queue:
Amend the Rules of the Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/198qaEMaqOcYM_gZzKLCqwfN0h4fg57XYdlZ1SYjrLGw/edit?usp=sharing
Floor Manager – Gloria; threshold 2/3, discussion 2-15 October, voting 16-22 October
MS proposal – didn’t take advantage of the rules for overturning an SC decision; request to submit a properly formatted proposal by Friday night to get into the queue for Monday
V. OLD BUSINESS – 75 min.
a) Election database – Chris – 15 min
Request for $8,750 for Elections Data Base Phase II/III – front end; $5k already paid for back end work; could be all at once or in two parts; not budgeted expense – need to determine funding source; need to discuss necessity and efficacy of this project; CCC recommends based on David Doonan’s perspective but suggests only doing Phase II; advance payment questioned; volunteers can do data entry that only David and Mike are doing now because of security concerns; Hillary will get more information – continue on next call agenda
b) ETC Final Report – Committee – for next agenda
c) People’s Congress of Resistance – Darryl – 5 minutes
Ad from GPUS/DC Statehood Greens in event program did not happen because graphics artist did not reply to questions; Bernie energy was busting more than growing, more talk about new third party – lots of Greens there both as speakers and saying that the Green Party is already here; smaller group of leaders talked about GP as more viable option and will continue to meet to work toward coalition for candidate support, etc. – some groups may fold into GP and some not; Darryl! and Gloria will continue the conversation with the coalition group as official representative from GPUS
d) Research on Caucus expenditures – SC approval, budgeted amount carryover to next year – Jody, Hillary – 10 minutes
A review of the GPUS Fiscal Policy finds nothing that puts budgeted funds for caucuses in a special category that would indicate that they become restricted funds or that unspent amounts are to be rolled over into the next budget year or that spending of budgeted funds (in contrast to restricted funds) are not subject to the usual review by the Steering Committee.
e) Annual National Meeting: final financial report – Tamar Yager – 5 min.
Final financial report not yet available; Darlene: ANM site decision system proposal in process, three states considering bidding to 2018
f) Voting page maintenance/Tech issues progress report – Chris – 5 min.
Hugh finishing reviewing list of notifications and has rated backlog so priorities can be decided.
g) Enhancing our communications and meeting capacities – Darryl! – 5 min. – for next agenda
h) Strategic planning and February retreat – Darryl! – 10 min.
Jody sent agenda and keyed in comments, for next agenda
i) Staff Recommendations to the SC: Components and Prioritization – Mike/Gloria – 15 min.
Executive sessions discussion needed as first step
j) Speakers Bureau: update on participation by staff, etc. – Darryl! – 5 min. – for next agenda
VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 30 min.
Staff reviews, salaries, and health car
TOTAL TIME: 3hr 40 min
Jody Grage, Secretary