GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 8 April 2018 – draft
SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTER:
1. New Business: Media Committee review process; Nebraska – Request to add two advisors for Nebraska platform proposals to NC; Forum Managers report request; Forum Manager Election; Credential Committee Election; MT – background on ballot access petitioning
2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report, Fundraising Report, Liaison Reports
3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login
Received for the Queue: none
In the Queue: Endorsement of Stop Trump’s Military Parade in November; Presenter: GPAX; Floor Manager: Darryl!; 1/2+1 threshold; Discussion 2 – 15 April; Voting 16-22 April
4. Old Business:
Strategic Planning Retreat Part I Report and planning for Part II
Review of pending agenda items
5. Executive Session: Background on potential legal matter
The full agenda is available at http://gpus.org/sc-agenda-2018-04-08/
The call recording will be available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 20
https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/
Jody Grage, Secretary
GP-US Steering Committee Minutes – 8 April 2018
AGENDA:
1. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min.
a) Facilitator: David Gerry
b) Roll call: Chris Blankenhorn, Mike Dennis, Darlene Elias, Gloria Mattera, Andrea Merida, Tony Ndege,
Jody Grage, Hillary Kane
Absent – Darryl! Moch
Observers – Charles Ostdiek NE, T Oliver OR, Starlene Rankin OR, Tamar Yager VA, Charles Sherrouse PA
c) Agenda revision suggestions: Under New Business: Spring 2018 Direct Mail (for inclusion under Voting Queue), Media Committee review process – Gloria – 5 min, Nebraska request for two advisors to NC for Nebraska platform amendments – Andrea – 5 min, Request for Forum Manager report – Andrea – 5 min, Floor Manager election – Andrea – 5 min, Nominations for Forum Manager – Andrea – 5 min, Credential Committee elections – Jody – 5 min; MT Executive Session – Background information on potential legal issue – Gloria – 10 min
II. NEW BUSINESS
a)Proposal for Spring 2018 Direct Mail, SC consensus in online vote 4 April – include information under Voting Queue in minutes
b) Media Committee – Press Release approval review: currently 3 SC members and PlatCom rep – Gloria –
5 min – Discussion of release length, designated PlatCom person on each committee or PlatCom person as advisor on Media, Media Committee will discuss further
c) Nebraska – Request to add two advisors to the GPUS NC listserv limited to this year’s platform amendment session of 2018 discussion and voting period for the Nebraska Green Party platform proposals – Andrea – 5 min – Approved by Nebraska Green Party, advisors are allowed to post on the votes list limited to area of focus in listserv policies, discussion – are they GP members in their states?, advisability of advisors on the sometimes contentious list; concerns voiced by Gloria and Jody but willing to respect Nebraska’s process and stand aside
d) Forum Managers report – Andrea – 5 min
Rules and Procedures call for Quarterly reports from Forum Managers which have not been received for some time, SC requests report by Saturday 21 April that includes the number of informal advisories, number of official warnings and probation – consensus
d) Forum Manager Election – Andrea – 5 min
Proposal: SC Nominations – 9 – 22 April, Discussion – 23 April – 6 May, Voting 7 – 13 May
Background: In accordance with ARTICLE IX: GPUS NATIONAL COMMITTEE LISTSERVE PROTOCOLS AND POLICIES, IV. Forum Managers and Enforcement, and in light of the fact that the current forum managers were elected to complete terms that expired 12/31/15, the Steering Committee has nominated three individuals, subject to National Committee approval, to serve coincident two-year terms as Forum Managers and one individual subject to National Committee approval, to serve as Alternate Forum Manager. Forum Managers are sitting NC delegates, alternates or others as recommended by their State or Caucus. All nominees have been either recommended or approved by their State or Caucus. All three Forum Managers are not of the same gender. It is recommended that Forum Managers have dispute resolution training and reference to that training is included as applicable in the candidate bios below. References: http://gpus.org/rules-procedures/#09- IV. Forum Managers and Enforcement – consensus with schedule above
e) Credential Committee Election: Presenter: Steering Committee; Floor Manager: Gloria Mattera; Rank Choice Vote; ½+1 threshold; Call for Nominations9 – 29 April, Discussion 30 April – 6 May, Voting 7 – 13 May – consensus
f) MT background on ballot access petitioning – Gloria – Group connected to Republicans collected signatures to add to those signatures collected by MT in getting ballot access, may need to develop a message about this issue to include difficulty for alternative parties achieving ballot access – difficult rules, class/money ($500-$600k not enough to get on in all states in 2016),corruption, etc; could have repercussions fundraising
III. STANDING BUSINESS – 50 min.
Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane, 10 min cut to 5 min
Savings $97,693.80, Checking #1 $4,401.01, Checking #2 $84.83, All account $102,179.64 – treading water with amount for reserves at $103k, also have about $6500 in staff travel card funds to return to account and funds in PayPal; outstanding checks should cover payroll, need funds for severance for Adrian and ANM registration deposits; process for taking money from reserve funds will be started before next call
b) Fundraising report – Mike Dennis – 10 min cut to 5 min
Several April eblasts have been sent – MT ballot access $400, DACA, candidate results $400, just sent sustainer blast with testimonials from Joy and Hillary – already $100 – $1k total this month so far; RFP for fundraiser finalized and posted on Idealist; eblast coming re: tax day from Yagers, Emancipation Day, Earth Day plus Greenline; approved 2018 Spring direct mail goes to printer Monday; dedup project has a couple more volunteers, major donor spreadsheet complete and will be sent toSC and past national candidates to assist with calling
c) Liaison assignment review and reports – 10 min with assignment discussion online
Darlene – Annual National Meeting – workshop deadline is in two weeks, SC needs to plan two-days of
plenary sessions, SC retreat needs to be scheduled, BAC planning silent auction and may sell t-shirts; press conference logistics need to be determined; workshop announcements have been sent to the lists and to caucuses and committees and on Facebook, sending to state party chairs suggested, theme and tracks publicized; SC subcommittee – Darlene and Hillary so far
Gloria – Media – have bylaws, doing roll call with skills and tasks, elections for co-chairs soon
Chris – Merchandise – Mike to office and piled up back merch orders to be sent by Darryl!, balance of merch and other things organized in groups; recommends sending present stock less what to be used at ANM to
Fulfillment house FII (Financial Innovations, Inc.) – $30 per pallet, $4 per order; then GPUS will reopen the store and expand merchandise selection; Mike took all small item merchandise – bumper stickers, buttons, lapel pins -to the Yagers in VA for mailing for the time being to save the $4 charge, Green Pages still at office; Mike didn’t count but took a video which he will send to help with distribution decisions; proposal to move current merch to FII but there is no final contract with costs, location, etc.; we will have the same online store and get same information we are currently getting, GP gets the money and pays fee to FII for shipping and handling so FEC reporting will work well; new program for union house company so have no promotional materials, currently we buy t-shirts from them; proposal withdrawn until we have a contract to review; longer term solution still being developed; need to be out office by 24 April – move out merchandise plus 9 bins of financial records and memorabilia etc.; SC agreed to do an online vote on a proposal with more information as available
IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login
Received for the Queue: none
In the queue: Endorsement of Stop Trump’s Military Parade in November; Presenter: GPAX;
Floor Manager: Darryl!; 1/2+1 threshold; Discussion 4 – 15 April; Voting 16 – 22 April
Online proposal: Proposal for Spring 2018 Direct Mail – The SC approve the approximately $9500 for the Spring 2018 Direct Mail, SC consensus in online vote 4 April
V. OLD BUSINESS – 40 min
Strategic Planning Retreat Part I Report – Darryl!, Gloria, Mike; planning for Part II – 15 min
Part I – Mike compiling info contributed for the 2018 work plan
Part II -Doodle Poll to be put out by Darryl!
b) Review pending agenda items – brief updates as available – 25 min
1. Staff computer purchase protocol recommendation from FinCom – Hillary
The SC will do an online vote on the FinCom recommendation :GPUS Policy on Equipment Purchases:
Employees who work at home are encouraged to utilize their own equipment if it will be used for any work other than for the Green Party. Examples of equipment includes all phones, computers, cameras and other items valued over $100.
In some cases, the Steering Committee Supervisor and Treasurer may approve a usage allowance subject to Union negotiations.The Green Party may at their discretion, purchase equipment for employees working at home. In these cases, the equipment must be returned if the employee leaves. Any needed repairs would be the responsibility of the Green Party.( If an employee leaves their job, they may negotiate the purchase of their equipment at the fair market value according to a source like https://bluebook.sagese.com/.
2. Election database Phase II and III update – Hillary
Repeated requests to Kendra Markle about 2017 final product and payment, more time requested though was to be done by end of December 2017, Mike Feinstein did ask about getting authorization for Phase III
3. Voting page maintenance/Tech issues update – list of prioritized projects – Chris – will resend old document with project and priorities without update – unclear when last notations made, last payment3 December which may not be final one; work only authorized for 2017, Chris will research what still needs to be done
4. ETC Final Report follow up – Darryl! -included recommendations for voting page maintenance, proposal will go into queue to accept report
5. Problems with archiving SC calls – Jody – Andrea will investigate and resolve this issue
End recording of call – 10:22 pm Eastern
VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Background on potential legal issue
Facilitator: Chris; Roll Call – Gloria, Mike, Hillary, Jody, Tony, Darlene, Andrea, Chris
No decisions made
Call ended at 10:40 pm Eastern time
Total call time – 2 hours and 40 minutes
Jody Grage, Secretary