GPUS SC Conference Call
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I. CALL SETUP
a. Facilitator – Charlie Pillsbury
b. Roll Call – Susan Chunco, Tamar Yager, Budd Dickinson, Theresa ElAmin, Farheen Hakeem, Mark Swaney, Jeff Turner, Audrey Clement (8:30 pm ET); Leenie Venet Halbert (excused absence on AZ Green Party business, joined call at 9 pm ET while traveling home); Staff – Brian Bittner; Observer – Jody Grage.
d. Agenda revisions – Liaison issue discussion clarified; Exchange Items 6 and 8; SC participation on 9/25 call at end of agenda.
II. STAFF REPORTS
a. Office Manager Brian Bittner – written report sent Friday – The resolicitation mailing is coming in nicely. Sent GreenLine to our 18.2K email list including stories about new Green Pages for sale, adapted press release on response to President Obama’s jobs speech/Green New Deal, videos from ANM. Getting married! 10/1, vacation September 30 – October 14. Request for reformatted document for Theresa; will send merchandise shipping report.
b. Fundraiser Report – David Sacks was not on the call. His written report was received by SC. It included that the resolicitation mailing hit mailboxes before Sept 1st and there should be a large influx of donations in the coming three to six weeks. He has continued phone banking and is still seeing success.
c. Staff time off/coverage during Brian’s vacation – emails will be forwarded; voice messages will be forwarded for review; Scott McLarty will be in once a week to check PO box and make bank deposits.
III. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jeff
a. Cash report to date was sent; approx $15k in bank, $10k Accounts Payable; plus $8875 in reserve – restricted funds for caucuses, committees and IT.
b. Decision item for approval for Fundraiser Dave Sacks for travel to DC and registration for the annual day-long Salsa database conference on 11/1/11, lodging with Jenefer Ellingston, $25 per day per diem for 3 or 4 days, early registration due this coming Friday, also to office and perhaps a couple local meetings – total approximately $500, recommended by FinCom – consensus.
c. Decision item to add vision coverage to the medical insurance contract. The cost is $4 per month per person and will be paid for out of the $28 per month per person decrease in the monthly premium in our medical/dental/ drug coverage for our renewal on 10/1/11; recommended by FinCom – consensus. d. FinCom will be considering a recommendation of small ($500) candidate campaign contributions to Honkala and Miller, as well as beginning to repay state sharing.
IV. Apportionment Tabulation Committee (ATC) members to be appointed by 11 Sept. There are 5 nominees: Audrey Clement (VA), Craig Thorsen (Minn), Ron Hardy (WI), Earl Ammerman (NV), and Phil Huckelberry (IL). Consensus to appoint. AJ Segneri and Hillary Kane (PA) have been asked but have not yet responded. Two more appointments will be made later with emphasis on gender balance and racial diversity. Consensus. Further recruitment – all SC members.
V. Reconstitution of the Coordinated Campaign Committee (CCC) – Mark & Leenie In order to facilitate reconstitution of the CCC, as per the committee rules, the SC needs to appoint a maximum of five members to serve as members, as well as call for elections for the remaining five. The SC does not have any process for making such discretionary appointments. There are two decision making items.
a. Amending SC internal procedures to allow for discretionary appointments;
b. Proposal for using SC discretion to make the aforementioned appointments to the CCC; placing those appointments as a decision making item on the following SC call after notice of appointments is sent to the NC; and calling for the regularly scheduled election of 5 additional members of the CCC, to be held in December as per the CCC’s existing rules.
Urgent need for CCC; committee now has no membership; good start at 2011 ANM; short review of CCC history; ability to make requests for disbursement recommendations needs to be restored.
Budd will include language about underrepresented groups included in call for committee membership; four people have volunteered to date – Darryl Moch, Holly Hart, Hillary Kane, AJ Segneri.
Consensus to approve proposal as presented with addition of language about underrepresented groups in announcement – consensus.
VI. Endorse Rally and March to the UN by Palestine UN Solidarity Coalition
– Farheen Hakeem
Proposal: The SC proposes that the Green Party of the United States to endorse Rally and March to the UN, Thursday, September 15th sponsored by Palestine UN Solidarity Coalition.
Need 80% of SC to pass – 8 of 9 members – consensus on that number. Proposal did not come from the IC which has no process for dealing with rapid response. SC will approve dependent on return to the IC for its approval.
Vote: Susan yes, Farheen yes, Theresa yes, Tamar yes, Mark yes, Jeff yes, Audrey yes, Budd yes (Leenie dropped off call.) – approved.
VII. Invitation from Physicians for a National Health Care Program. Theresa proposes a full-page ad at $500 that includes two reps to the dinner and annual meeting. Request for $500 from GPUS with Theresa and Susan committed to raising the money to repay those funds to GPUS and Theresa committed to finding someone to produce the ad. Voting: Mark no, Susan yes, Audrey no, Jeff yes, Theresa yes, Farheen yes, Tamar no, Budd yes. (Leenie had dropped off the call.) – approved.
VIII. VOTING QUEUE – Budd
In voting: Delegate Apportionment – MGIP
Was in the queue:
Caucus Accreditation – GPOH, DCSG, etc. Withdrawn at request of sponsor.
Discussion item: Proposal extended improperly; 48 hour rule now known and will be followed. Discussion of voting administrators role.
Into queue in future:
Election Tabulation Comm Report – when received.
Proposal from Georgia received 2 hours before the call. – will be discussed on the next call
IX. COMMITTEE LIAISON/SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Liaison reports should be standing item on SC agenda. Online reporting suggested to save time on calls.
Jeff will send updated spreadsheet of assignments for SC members to check.
An online vote is currently under way to decide the IC question.
Current Status:
Tamar – ANM, staff supervisor, IT(with Budd, etc.), Web Content, FunCom (with Susan).
Theresa – Diversity, Outreach, Accreditation, Platform, Media, BRPP.
Susan – FinCom, Merch, FunCom (with Tamar).
Leenie – PCSC, CCC & BAC (with Mark), Green Officeholders Network, Legal, Web Content.
Audrey – Personnel, Web Content, IC(?), EcoAction.
Farheen – IC(?), DRC, Credentialing, GPAX.
Mark – CCC & BAC (co-liaise with Leenie), GSCC& GHCC, Green Pages.
X. Call issues:
Facilitator for next call – perhaps Nan Garrett; Charlie can again in October. Call on September 25; Budd will not be on call; Mark will take minutes.
XI. SC Action Items:
Jeff, Leenie, Farheen, etc. – research banking options – in process
Budd, Leenie – strategic planning notes assembled – in process
Audrey – Employment Agreements for staff – in process
All – recruit for Apportionment Tabulation Comm including gender balance and racial diversity
Budd, Leenie – call for CCC membership including underrepresented groups
Theresa, Susan – solicit funding for Physicians for National Heath Care Ad
Theresa – see that ad for Physicians for National Heath Care is produced
All – review liaison spreadsheet coming from Jeff
All – send liaison reports before next SC call
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