November 10, 2019


Green Party of the United States
Steering Committee
Minutes

Date:
Sunday November 10, 2019
Time:
8:00 PM EST

Call Recordings

  1. Call Setup & Background
    1. Facilitator:
      Holly Hart
    2. Roll call
      Co-chairs:
      Justin Beth,
      Kristin Combs,
      Trahern Crews,
      Margaret Flowers (unavailable),
      Gloria Mattera (joined later),
      Tony Ndege,
      Anita Rios
      Secretary:
      David Gerry
      Treasurer:
      Hillary Kane (joined later)
      Observers:
      Travis Christal (TX),
      Maureen Doyle (MA),
      Erin Fox (MI),
      Tommie James (NC),
      Andrea Mérida (CO),
      Starlene Rankin (LC),
      Tamar Yager (WC)

      3. 9 current members; quorum is 5.

    3. Agenda revision suggestions

      If there is not consensus then simple changes need a majority and new items require 2/3 majority.

      1. New Business: PCSC: Open Letter of Complaint and Liaison

        Item not added to the agenda by vote (Yes: Tony; No: Anita, Kristin; Abstain: David, Justin, Trahern)

  2. Standing Business
    1. Secrtary's Report (David)

      One NC delegation change and 2 GPUS committee staqte party appointments.

    2. Treasurer's report (Hillary)

      Monthly Treasurer Reports (https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/)

      Current Balances
      Operating Funds $17,324.15
      Reserved Funds $106,748.49
      PayPal $1,825.79

      Two large expenses just hit, semi-monthly payroll $5,300 and the direct mail $4,130. Responses to the direct mail are starting to come in and while this is not the fundraising report, I deposited 36 checks totaling $2,502 last night which are not included in the totals above.

    3. Approval of Expenditures

      2019 Budget (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tG9oeSIXq5U7adIGJD1Tac4yVMAq5SEMT3tA_fi68u0/edit?usp=sharing_eil&ts=5d5d857e)

      1. $240 for graphics (Line: 74)

        Justin Saegusa for an animated graphic for Giving Tuesday and also live stream graphics.. $2500 available.

        Approved by consensus.

      2. $29 for AP Styleguide

        Approved by consensus that a print edition will be purchased for $29. A concurrent users site license for Media Committee and staff to be looked into for 2020.

      3. $55/mo ongoing for Adobe Creative Cloud (graphic design/video/audio) software  (line: 118)

        Approved by consensus. A multi-user license will be investigated for the 2020 budget for use by the Media Committee and staff.

    4. Liaison reports
      • Animal Rights Committee (Justin)
        Meetings:

        Discussion of using NYC Office of Animal Welfare as a model for other communities.

      • Banking and Monetary Reform Committee (Justin)
        Meetings:

        Held a meeting on Thursday November 7. Working on a video project to show how the monetary system works and how it relates to the general public. Setting up a mail chimp newsletter. Working on model language for state party platforms and legislation.

      • Presidential Campaign Support Committee (Justin)
        Meetings: Second Thursdays

        Co-chair election nominations in progress. Working on proposed changes to the recognized/active candidates list.

      • Presidential Candidate Resources Working Group (Justin)
        Meetings: Saturday

        The final version of the document is being edited and will be submitted to the PCSC and other effected committees on Tuesday for rview and concerns for table 5.1 of the document that presents the resources that will be available to candidates and at which level. If the document is approved by PCSC it will be posted on the PCSC website at gpus.org and the GNC will be notified.

      • Accreditation Committee (Trahern)
        Meetings:

        No activity.

      • Merchandising Committee (Trahern)
        Meetings: First and Third Mondays

        Did not meet on the first Monday.

      • Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee (Kristin)
        Meetings:

        Has put out a quorum call and has had no meetings.

      • Dispute Resolution Committee (Kristin)
        Meetings:

        No activity.

      • Green Pages Editorial Board (Kristin)
        Meetings:

        Has put out a new edition. Green Pages is always looking for new submission from Green Party members.

      • Apportionment Review Committee (Kristin)
        Meetings:

        Will be having a meeting this week.

      • Coordinated Campaign Committee (Gloria)
        Meetings: First and Third Tuesdays

        Collection election returns from November 5. Campaign School in Maine December 7 – 8. Webinar in December analysing 2019 campaigns.

      • Fundraising Committee (Gloria)
        Meetings: First and Thirdo

        Is working on donors list cleaning duplicates and stale contacts. Working and building prospective new donors.

        Mondays

      • Media Committee (Gloria)
        Meetings: Second and Fourth Tuesdays

        No activity to report.

      • Ballot Access Committee (Tony)
        Meetings: Third Mondays

        Met on Monday November 4. Arizona is working to collect 31,000 signatures for ballot access. ~with a goal of 10,000 to present before a court challenge to push back the signature deadline which was moved up earlier in the year.

      • Eco-Action Committee (Tony)
        Meetings:

        Tony will call for a meeting before November 23.

      • Outreach Committee (Tony)
        Meetings:

        Tony will call for a meeting before November 23.

      • Diversity Committee (Anita)
        Meetings: Fourth Wednesdays

        No report.

      • Finance Committee (Anita)
        Meetings: Third Wednesdays

        No report.

      • International Committee (Anita)
        Meetings:

        No report. See item under new business.

  3. Voting Queue (https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/index)
    5 minutes
    1. In the queue
      1. 980: Gender Balance and Non-Binary Inclusion
        Floor Manager:
        Margaret
        Phase:
        Discussion
      2. 981: Using RCV for Gender Equity
        Floor Manager:
        Gloria
        Phase:
        Discussion
    2. Received for the queue
      Call for findings

      1. 982: 2020 PNC Delegate Apportionment
        Presenter:
        Apportionment Tabulation Committee
        Floor Manager:
        Tony

        No findings.

  4. Old Business
    1. Strategic Plan SC/Staff Retreat Update (Gloria, Hillary, Margaret; discussion)
      Date:
      November 23 – 24
      Location:
      Center for Environmental Transformation, Camden, NJ
      Facilitator:
      Alan Smith

      A questionaire will be sent to the SC members and staff about their expectations to be returned to the facilitator.

    2. 2020 Draft Budget Review (Hillary, Anita; discussion)
      5 minutes

      Google Document (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1N0S7myytpj2aTcp29URB8TSobbg7nZTn3d-67gZHbvE/edit?usp=drive_web)

      No concerns with the 2020 budget as it stands. Final approval will happen after the retreat if alterations are required to fulfill the strategic plan.

    3. Fukushima Update: Letter and Webinar (Hillary; report)
      5 minutes

      NC Proposal 940: Fukushima-Daiichi: Seven Years Later Proposal and Open Letters
      Thomas Bailey

      Webinar to take place mid December. A letter was received from the Japanese Olympic Committee thanking us for our concerns about the safety of the athletes.

  5. New Business
    1. Greater prominence of GP in endorsed events [Gloria; discussion)

      This item and the following were taken up on a previous meeting. When the Green Party endorses and/or supports an event by another organization that the party either by having a speaker or being mentioned is recognized.

    2. Better knowledge of GP's participation in future events (Gloria; discussion)
    3. International Committee's Letter to Green Parties of the World (Anita, Gloria; descussion)
      5 minutes

      NC archive: “The Letter to Green Parties of the World” (https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/private/natlcomvotes/2019-October/095251.html)
      NC archive: “Fwd: Greetings and Five Key Ideas” (https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/private/natlcomvotes/2019-October/095308.html)
      International Committee Mission Statement (https://gpus.org/committees/international/)

      The Steering Committee feels that the International Committee did not properly inform the SC regarding the sending of the letter.

    6. End call recording

    Time:
    1 hour 45 minutes
  6. Executive Session
    Present:
    Justin Beth,
    Kristin Combs,
    Trahern Crews,
    David Gerry,
    Hillary Kane,
    Gloria Mattera,
    Anita Rios
    1. 2020 Budget: Staff Salaries

TOTAL TIME:
2 hours 0 minutes
  • Items for Future Agendas
    • Approval Process for GPUS Documents ()
      0 minutes

      Procedures for approving documents created by committees to be offered on the store site.