GPUS Steering Comm Conference Call Minutes – September 9, 2012
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND
a. Facilitator – Jody Grage
b. Roll Call – Farheen Hakeem, Jeff Turner, Budd Dickinson, Charles Ostdiek, Darryl! Moch, Karen Young, Steve Welzer.
Absent – Susan Chunco, AJ Segneri
II. STAFF REPORTS
a. Office Manager – Brian Bittner – report received
b. Fundraiser – David Sacks – report received
Karen requests that reports be received by Friday evening.
Budd – reporting schedule every two weeks in sync with time sheets.
Jeff, Karen, and Tamar have discussed reporting system and the reports should improve. Farheen reminds that staff performance should not be discussed outside executive session.
III. TREASURER’S REPORT & FINANCE ITEMS – Jeff
a. Cash report to date
About $10k in bank. BAC still has authorization to spend $3k that is in reserves. $13k needed for Red Sun Press.
b. Renewing and perhaps amending the staff medical insurance contract.
Jeff sent comparison sheet – $55 increase, Personnel Advisory Committee suggests several changes. to save half of the increase. Deadline for changes tomorrow morning. Budd suggests adopting, Farheen has concerns,
Darryl hasn’t reviewed report, Karen approves.
Farheen and Darryl stand aside, Charles abstaining for lack of information, approval by the others by consensus. Jeff will sign contract and forward it to the insurer.
c. Jeff announced that the 2013 budget process has begun.
(Jeff traveling 11 – 20th September and will be on FinCom and FunCom calls and will have checkbook with him.)
IV. VOTING QUEUE
In the queue:
RESOLUTION OF ENDORSEMENT AND PROMOTION OF THE GREEN NEW DEAL from Wisconsin GP. Discussion thru 9/16, Voting 9/17-23.
Received for the queue: None
VI. LIAISON REPORTS
Put the Personnel Advisory Working Group on the liaison list – approved and Karen will take.
Farheen – IC has call 12 September, DRC and PCSC have been working. DRC no new co-chair.
Karen – Outreach Alan Kobrin most recent co-chair, sent email to full box.
MerchCom – waiting for return from Linda Manning-Myatt.
AC – Roger Snyder – Virgin Islands near final stages, KY busy with local elections and will work on after; preliminary contacts on youth and Latino caucuses; common issue – states wanting to affiliate before party formed.
Darryl – CCC/GHCC/GSCC – first webinar with Jeffrey Townley; next 1st TU in Oct, scheduled into 2013.
Charles – Info from Angel Torres re: Puerto Rico issue – Darryl will send update.
Jeff – liaison to Caucuses? – not to date; Diversity Committee could provide the connection, discuss further later.
V. PNC/ANM Evaluation – Tamar on the call.
Jeff just sent revised financial report – Stein campaign will reimburse $2977 for Saturday night; $25k expenses total, $38 income report – made money.
Tamar – stuck to registration deadlines, fundraiser made good amount of money.
Karen – extensive discussion of fundraiser on FunCom call so info available.
Tamar – bigger space would allow for noisy area and quieter area; perhaps two fundraisers – maybe quieter cocktail hour early with auction and band/noise later.
Karen – perhaps agenda a little too crowded.
Darryl – need to improve cross-cultural diversity.
Tamar – need more diversity on the committee.
Jeff – has idea for ANM budget process.
Darryl – caucuses could be asked to produce some aspects of convention; letters of intent have been requested.
Tamar – committee is doing outreach for 2013; interest in 2014 welcome, too.
VII. STRATEGIC PLANNING – Karen
Karen took material from before and feedback from last meeting – created strategic planning proposal draft; suggested timeline – finalize May 15 – June 1 – discuss implementation at 2013 ANM.
Background comment: Darryl – need to define task of smaller group.
Section 1: Jeff – committee larger than 7 members to allow for drop outs; staff on committee? Darryl yes and as paid coordinator, 7 plus co-chairs;
Jeff – staff perhaps advisors – Budd agrees but may be too much work for Office Manager; Darryl feels they should be voting members; Karen – maybe elected staff representative.
Section 2: Darryl – strategic plan could change staff roles and/or numbers;
Timeline & Resources: Darryl – elongate some sections so in-person committee meeting at ANM with final approval in August 2013; Jeff – will send comments by email for elongated timeline, could be central theme of ANM; Steve – was money allocated last time? – no; how to improve success over last time?
Karen – shorter survey process with online surveys available now; one group for whole process rather than two; Darryl – good motivation for ANM and electing Greens.
VIII. PERSONNEL MANUAL – Karen
Two conference calls; over half of manual reviewed; another call in two weeks; job descriptions next. Karen, Maya, Karen and Jeff on ad hoc committee.
IX. POTENTIAL FACE-TO-FACE MEETING – Darryl
Add to next agenda or the one after that including financial considerations, consider some calling in if necessary.
Next meeting 9/23