April 27, 2025

DRAFT MINUTES Steering Committee Meeting

Sunday, April 27, 2025

8:00 pm EDT

 

  1. Setup and Background – 

Facilitator: Belinda Davis

Steering Committee Roll Call: 

  1. Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – present
  2. Cassandra Lems(co-chair) – present
  3. Darryl! Moch (co-chair) -
reported missed call
  4. Alfred Molison (co-chair) – 
present
  5. Joseph Naham (co-chair) – 
present
  6. Charles Ostdiek(co-chair) – 
present
  7. Justin Paglino (co-chair) – present
  8. Holly Hart (secretary) – present
  9. Bob Stuller (treasurer) -
present
  10. Jason Call (incoming treasurer) – present

 

 Observers: Alyssa Sdhmidt (TX), Laura Palmer (TX), Dr. Ali Anwar (TX), Samantha Rayes Hull (COLO), Tamar Yager (VA) – will provide information on the Income Report (Item II), Gloria Matttera (NY), Haryaksha Baba Knaquer (Lavender Caucus) , Margaret Elisabeth (WA), Starlene Rankin (WA)

 

Observers are asked to remain muted and refrain from using the chat function.  If someone wishes to speak to an agenda item, please send a request  to secretary@gp.org.

 

Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS – an FYI, please consider how much time will be needed for these items

 

Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require  ⅔ approval)

 

 REQUEST:

 Request from members of GP of New Jersey regarding complaint. 

 

  1. Treasurer’s Report – (Bob, Jason) 

 

Signal

General $22,323.87

Merchant $9,523.70

Savings $88,748.95

PayPal $2,621.96 

 

Income report from Tamar Yager: Income report – 2025.xlsx

Report covers 2025 through March, only up to one week from when the new fundraiser was hired. Merchandise and Fundraising are down a bit from projections, about $18,000. eBlasts are producing very well, everything is making money (and many sustainers’ donations come in at the end of a month), so there should be a better picture at the end of the month. Has had a call with Jason, who will start to use these numbers for the Treasurer’s report. Casandroa noted that there were 42 new donors since the fundraiser was hired. 

 

III. New/Current Business  

  1. Next SC Call falls on Mother’s Day (Charles). Should it be rescheduled? Charles recommends rescheduling for the week before. SC AGREED to reschedule the next call for the Sunday after Mother’s Day, May 18th.

 

  1. AnmCom Request for Steering Committee members to facilitate and help plan two National Committee delegate review sessions prior to the ANM. (Holly)

UPDATE: So far, Justin, Alfred and Holly have agreed to do this. Darryl! And Joseph might.  Daryll!  has offered guidelines for how to plan.  ANMCom would like SC volunteers to be on their May 1st meeting (9 pm EDT)

 

  1. Fiscal Policy and SC financial conflict of interest policy 

(Charles).- Joseph, Alfred, Jason and Justin have not yet declared acceptance 

of the financial conflict of interest. They all declared during this call that they 

had no financial conflicts of interest.

 

  1. National Single Payer Health – Day of Action (Justin)

No new updates. Justin has signed their endorsement page.  They are providing various digital materials.  Announcement of upcoming webinar and information has been sent to the NC lists.  They have sent us some promotional materials.  Outreach Committee has expressed interest in helping involve Greens. 

 

  1. Standing Business/Old Business

 

None

 

  1. Reports 20 min

Co-chairs, please review liaison spreadsheet and edit, as needed

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c2gpFv7aivHl29B5Dx-6hixVsA5QUY9I1c6wpz0f2Ko/edit?gid=1854246226#gid=1854246226  

 

  1. Guest Committee(s) : None,
  2. Staff (Justin)
 
  3. Secretary (Holly) -
Migration to new communcattons client..  Some folks will be presenting information about various online platforms on a webinar April 30th. Possibility of quarterly committee meetings/meet-ups (or liaison-called related committee calls); one-on-ones; Housekeeping for NC delegates; working committee co-chairs
  4. Craig: Media, Merch, PCSC, GCCC, Outreach
 – work progresses
  5. Cassandra: ANMCom, ETC, FundCom,
Credentials  – ANMCom is scheduling workshops; FundCom is working on ideas, may share meeting notes
  6. Joseph: IC, CCC, BMRC, Green Pages

  7. Alfred: AC
 
  8. Darryl!: DRC, BRPP, Platcom

  9. Charles: GPAX, FinCom, Animal Rights
 – work to re-activate green Officeholders network, was asked to forwarded funding mechanism to FinCom; working on switching his GPAX email list membership to Animal Rights list
  10. Justin: BAC, EcoAction 

 

Report on Eblasts: improvement on open rates

 

  1. Voting Queue – (Holly) 

 

  1. Received for the Queue 
– 

Proposal from GPWA, See Addendum A

Sponsor GPWA 

The Steering Committee found a number of  findings with this proposal.  To follow up, SC would ask that sponsors edit to address the issues listed below. An individual familiar both with this idea and bylaws-writing may be willing to work with them to create a suitable proposal.

Steering Committee Findings for Proposal from GPWA, relating to several points of GPUS Rules & Procedures, 6.5

  • No clear title to indicate what the proposal is about.Add a clear title. 
  • Format: does not include requested decision-making timeline or approval threshold. Follow the format as outlined in GPUS Rules & Procedures, Article VI 
  • Background and Purpose: (Relationship, reasons and/or justification) Proposal does not explain a purpose or reason for what is proposed. (Is there a problem to solve? Is there a benefit to gain?)
  • Implementation & Timeline: No period of implementation is provided, no sunset clause if applicable. When is this supposed to take effect?
  • Question of Transition: Related to implementation, this contains no details related to a transition process, if one is needed
  • Clarity: Who decides the amount of the stipend? To what does it apply? Does the amount change? (Is this really looking at a stipend for certain tasks done, or should this be an employee/contract position?) Proposal should clarity: Who decides the amount of the stipend. To what does it apply. Does the amount change.
  • Where will the funds come from? [NOTE: THis item was after questioned as something for the sponsors to address, so maybe removed from this list, if sponsors have nothing to add here. – hh]
  • Implementation/Clarity: Alteration of approved SC decision-making processes is not addressed or provided for. As it is, this proposal violates the decision-making and consensus-seeking process adopted for the SC.
  • Clarity: What is the rationale for adding extra weight to this position?  Would the Secretary participate in the discussion or debate?  Does the Secretary try to leverage the other SC members during their debate, about what the secretary might do or not do before it goes to a tie? )
  • May not be legal; ethical concern. This will require some research, most likely on the part of the SC.

More Findings & Questions Submitted April 24-25  ? -Covered, above,includes specific portions of R&P’s 6.5.  SC has Agreed to these findings and resolutions.

Other issues, may not be findings:

Timing: This appears just as the party is getting ready for a nomination period and election for new officers. This has the potential to confuse the election process. Thieee sponsor says thisis not intended as personal targeting, and that there is a similar proposal for the Treasurer position, and more to come.

Rationale for piecemeal update: Piecemeal changes of this sort result in extra, unnecessary work, and potential confusion.  Proposals for both offices should have been submitted together, either at the same time or in one proposal.  Or, if a more comprehensive goal os sight, a more complete overview should be available for consideration,

 

  1. In the Queue — 


Discussion

 

 

Voting

  1.  # 1253 – GPUS 2025 Budget

Discussion through 4/20/2025

Voting period: 4/21 – 4/27;2025

Threshold: 50%+1

Floor Manager: Charles Ostdiek

 

 

Completed

 

VII. Old Business – None

 

VIII. Executive Session 
  9:21- 9:56 pm EDT

 

  1. Staff Union Contract  – Justin has asked staff for feedback on contact. Staff supervisor work is working fine, but could use some help.  Staff union contract is difficult to process. Charles offered to help with the union contract. Charles will review, Joseph offered to help.  

 

  1. Relation to DRC request involving financial challenge

Information provided by Charles and Bob, advice from Craig.  Darryl! Will follow up. TABLED

 

  1.       Contractor Pay and Supervisor Questions

Discussed with Fundraising the basis for commission for fundraiser, further discussion on how to track.  Fundraiser will submit her time sheet directly to the Treasurer.

 

TOTAL TIME – 2 hours

 

=======================

ADDENDUM A

PROPOSAL FROM GPWA

 

Background

This proposal updates three rules and bylaws clauses related to the GPUS Secretary and the GPUS Steering Committee. The proposal updates the membership roster of the Steering Committee so that the Secretary is neither part of a Steering Committee quorum nor a party to Steering Committee consensus decisions. It provides that the Secretary has a tie-breaking vote on all proposals; in instances where the voting members of the Steering Committee have failed to reach consensus and a resulting vote among those voting members is a tie, the Secretary can break that tie vote.

The proposal also creates a mechanism for providing a Secretary stipend as a line item in the annual GPUS budget, commensurate with the essential responsibilities that the Secretary is tasked with.

Proposal

  1. The GPUS National Committee approves the creation of a Secretary Annual Stipend line item to be added to the GPUS budget, commensurate with the reporting and supervisory tasks that the Secretary is responsible for.  For 2025, the Steering Committee may consider setting and dispensing this stipend according to GPUS Fiscal Policy (8-1.2).  For 2026 and beyond, the actual stipend awarded to the Secretary will be subject to final budget approval by the GPUS National Committee.
  2. The National Committee resolves that the following three by-laws and rules changes are made:
  3. Change Bylaws Article IV.

Current section 4-3.1 The Steering Committee shall be composed of seven Co-chairs, a Secretary, and a Treasurer; and be elected by the National Committee as defined in Article VI.

Amended to:  The Steering Committee shall be composed of seven voting Co-chairs, a voting Treasurer, and a Secretary with limited voting rights.  These positions are elected by the National Committee as defined in Article VI.

  1.   Change Steering Committee Rules, Section 2 Meeting and Conference Call Procedures

Current Section A:  Quorum

A quorum of the Steering Committee is a majority of the current membership of the Steering Committee.

Amended to:  A quorum of the Steering Committee is a majority of the current Co-Chairs and Treasurer.

  1. Change Steering Committee Internal Procedures Section 1.3.2

Current section 1-3.2 Once the process in 1-3.1 has occurred, the Facilitator shall ask whether there are any outstanding concerns. If no, there is consensus. If yes, the facilitator asks whether the person(s) holding them are willing to stand aside. If yes, their concern will be stated and recorded in the minutes and there is consensus. If no, their outstanding concerns shall be stated and recorded in the minutes. The sponsor may then ask for a vote or withdraw the proposal. If the proposal goes to a vote, the facilitator shall ask the Secretary to call the roll.

Amended to:  1-3.2 Once the process in 1-3.1 has occurred, the Facilitator shall ask whether there are any outstanding concerns among voting members. If no, there is consensus. If yes, the facilitator asks whether the person(s) holding them are willing to stand aside. If yes, their concern will be stated and recorded in the minutes, and there is consensus. If no, their outstanding concerns shall be stated and recorded in the minutes. The sponsor may then ask for a vote or withdraw the proposal. If the proposal goes to a vote, the facilitator or the Secretary (if present) shall call the roll.  If the vote among Co-chairs and Treasurer results in a tie, the Secretary can cast a tie-breaking vote; in such instances, the proposal will fail either if the Secretary is not present to break a tie or if the Secretary chooses not to cast a tie-breaking vote.

Resources

IMPLEMENTATION/TIMELINE/RESOURCES:

Upon passage of this proposal, the GPUS web administrator will make updates to the Steering Committee home page to reflect these bylaws and rules changes.

https://gpus.org/committees/steering/

 

References

GPUS Bylaws Article IV, (Section 3:  Steering Committee Membership)

https://gpus.org/bylaws/#04-03

 

Steering Committee Rules, (Section 2, Steering Committee Quorum)

https://gpus.org/committees/steering/steering-committee-rules-policies-procedures/

 

Steering Committee Internal Procedures (Section 1.3:  Decision Making)

https://gpus.org/committees/steering/internal-procedures/

 

Secretary Current Job Description:

https://gpus.org/committees/steering/steering-committee-rules-policies-procedures/#secretary

 

GPUS Fiscal Policy 6-2.5:

https://gpus.org/fiscal-policy/#06

 

CONTACT:  Green Party of Washington

Starlene Rankin, NC Delegate 

greenstarlene@gmail.com

Margaret Elisabeth, NC Delegate 

MargaretElisabeth@outlook.com