Coordinating Committee minutes, June 6th, 2011

GPCA CC Teleconference – Monday, June 6th, 2011 – 7:30 p.m.

Call in number: (712) 432-0080
Access code: 173917#    
Facilitator: Jeffrey Quackenbush
 
Minutes Taker: Barry Hermanson
 
Vibes Watcher: Victoria Ashley
 
Time Keeper: Michael Borenstein
 
Present:  Jeff Quackenbush, Michael Borenstein, Larry Bragman, Victoria Ashley, Michael Feinstein, Jim Stauffer, Adrienne Prince.
 
Absent:  Michael Rubin (attending an Alameda County Labor Council Meeting)
 
Observers:  Sanda Everette, Marnie Glickman, Warner Bloomberg
 
Vote to approve agenda.  Yes:  Adrienne, Jeff,  Michael F., Barry, Victoria, Larry B.,
No:  Matt L., Michael B., Jim S.
 
 
Agenda - Table of Contents (full text of each agenda item follows below - 4 of the items also have links to the same text on a wiki)
 
1. Welcome and setup, roll call, quorum check (15 min)
This item can also include the date of our next call - July 4th?
 
The next call is scheduled for July 11th.
 
Review of notes from our last CC call and approve.  We will approve the minutes on-line.
 
2. Decision Item: Managing Director Independent Contractor Contract
(30 min)
 
 
3. Decision Item: Web Redesign Team (10 min)
 
 
4. Decision Item: Temporary Personnel Committee (10 min)
 
 
5. Discussion Item: GPCA IT Protocols (10 min)
 
 
6.  Decision Item:  Bert Heuer has asked to be appointed to the Bylaws Committee (5 min)
 
7.  Discussion Item:   Proposal for improving the efficiency of our CC meetings (10 min.)
 
8. Activation of Nevada County
 
9.  Identify Agenda Committee for the Fall Plenary
 
 
Agenda: Full Text of Proposals
 
2. Decision Item: Managing Director Independent Contractor Contract
(30 min)
 
Presenters: Barry Hermanson, Mike Feinstein, Sanda Everette, Bill Meyers
 
Background: At its May 16th conference call, the Coordinating
Committee considered a discussion item on a potential independent
contractor contract with Marnie Glickman and a decision item on
establishing a negotiating committee to take input from the
Coordinating Committee and negotiate a draft contract with Ms. Glickman.
 
In addition to the three individuals initially proposed for the
negotiating committee - Sanda Everette, Mike Feinstein and Barry
Hermanson, Coordinating Committee members also asked that other
individuals - Bill Myers, Jane Rands and Jeanne Rosenmeier - be
contacted to gauge their interest in representing the GPCA in the
negotiations. Of the three, Meyers indicated his interest and joined
Everete, Feinstein and Hermanson. The four conducted an initial
conference call on May 20th among themselves without Glickman and then
two calls together with Glickman on May 31st and June 2nd. The
attached contract is the product of those efforts.
 
Proposal: That the Coordinating Committee consider, possibly amend and
ultimately approve the following contract ( ATTACHMENT #1 below)
 
Questions:  Jim S.:  In section 1.7 – conflict between the proposal and . . . membership of the web design committee.  Mike answered the question.
Michael B.:  GA authorized fund raising and voter management.  The GA was against using the title Executive Director.  Jim:  Section 1.4  We don’t let contractors join the Clearinghouse committee.  We should not let Marnie have access to the phone messages.
Section 1.7 – Bert is qualified to handle the job.  He has a lot more experience.  
Concerns:  Michael B:  That the plenary did not authorize this broad of the contract.  That only $4,100 was approved for the contract
 
Matt L:  This is not what we decided at the plenary.  This a philosophical change in how we operate the party.  He does not feel that he has the authority to make a decision like this.  He understood that the primary task was to do fund raising.  
Jim:  He claims that having Cres be part of Finance is different than making Marnie part of Clearinghouse.  
Michael B.:  Offered a friendly amendment to hold over this item to the next meeting time in 2 weeks.  During that time, the contract would be reworked to pare it down to the basics.
 
Barry:  Presenter does not accept that as a friendly amendment.
 
Test for consensus.  Unresolved concerns:
Michael B.:  This is way beyond what the plenary authorized.
Matt:  He agrees.  The money issue is not the problem.  The job title is absolutely appropriate with the job description.  He doesn’t agree with the scope of the contract.
 
Jim, Michael and Matt will not stand aside.
 
Yes vote means approve the contract with Marnie
No vote means that we do not approve;
 
Yes: Adrienne, Jeff, Mike F., Barry, Victoria, Larry
No: Michael B., Jim,  Matt
 
The proposal passes 6-3.
 
3. Decision Item: Web Redesign Team (10 min)
 
Presenters: Barry Hermanson, Mike Feinstein
 
Background: At its May 16th conference call, the Coordinating
Committee discussed options for updating the GPCA web site and found
that there was general agreement within the party to switch to a
Drupal content management system (CMS) and a CiviCRM constituent
relationship management (CRM) system, along with updating the graphic
design and look of the site. However, how the transition would be
managed was left open to further research, to determine whether the
change could be effectuated entirely in house by GPCA IT personnel or
whether an outside firm could be retained. The responsibility to
evaluate this question was left to three individuals initially
proposed for the negotiating committee - Sanda Everette, Mike
Feinstein and Barry Hermanson, along with the three people who were
suggested as good additional members of the committee. Bill Meyers was
the only person of the three who agreed to join the group.
 
After evaluation, the committee's conclusion was to retain an outside
firm to help us do graphic design and contract migration in a timely
manner by July 15, 2011 as specified in the contract of the Managing
Director. A Web Redesign Team sub-committee of the Coordinating
Committee should be established to work with the outside firm and the
GPCA Managing Direction on this process and return to the Coordinating
Committee for approval of the final design.
 
The GPCA FY2011-2012 six month budget allocated up to $10,500 for
costs associated with the web page upgrade. The GPCA has already
received a bid from Radical Designs, a workers collective, in San
Francisco for $4200 to do a graphic redesign and migrate the content
of the existing site, in concert with a customization of a Drupal-
based CMS and CiviCRM to fit the GPCA's needs.
 
The Negotiating Committee recommended the following members of a Web
Redesign Team (Bruce Wolfe, Bert Heuer as IT Project Manager, Sanda
Everette, Mike Feinstein and Marnie Glickman) to work with Radical
Designs to oversee the customization and to bring a draft graphic
redesign to the Coordinating Committee for its July meeting for a
final approval. The Web Redesign Team would also solicit the input of
other GPCA members with web page graphic redesign experience.
 
 
Proposal: That the Coordinating Committee establish a Web Redesign
Team sub-committee of the following individuals: Bruce Wolfe, Bert
Heuer as IT Project Manager, Sanda Everette, Mike Feinstein and Marnie
Glickman to work with Radical Designs to oversee the customization and
to bring a draft graphic redesign to the Coordinating Committee for
its July meeting for a final approval.
 
Concerns:
Jim:  How much I.T. is cut out of this.  Bert is a choice.  There are also other areas where I.T. members have better skills.
 
At this point, we were running very late in the meeting.
 
Mike Feinstein:  Withdrew the proposal and asked for it to be put to an on-line vote according to the CC on-line voting process.
 
The meeting ended at this point with Barry calling for a 2nd meeting in the month on Monday, June 20th at 7:30 to finish the agenda.
 
4. Decision Item: Temporary Personnel Committee (10 min)
 
Presenters: Barry Hermanson, Mike Feinstein
 
Background: At its May 16th conference call, the Coordinating
Committee considered a discussion item on a potential independent
contractor contract with Marnie Glickman and a decision item on
establishing a Personnel Committee that would both take input from the
Coordinating Committee and negotiate a draft contract with Ms.
Glickman and supervise her if/when she was hired.
 
Some Coordinating Committee members expressed the concern with the
same individuals doing both. Others did not share that opinion.
Ultimately the decision was to appoint the individuals to negotiate
only and defer the question of the composition of the Personnel
Committee until later.
 
This proposal proposes that Sanda Everette, Mike Feinstein and Barry
Hermanson serve as a Personnel Committee on a temporary basis until
the Coordinating Committee's first meeting in July. The reasoning
behind this is that the Coordinating Committee will add eight new
members at that point. Since it will effectively be that expanded
Coordinating Committee that would have the ongoing responsibility to
appoint a Personnel Committee to oversee the Managing Director for the
remainder of her contract, it would make sense for that expanded
Coordinating Committee to make the choices about ongoing members of
the Personnel Committee
 
Proposal: That the Coordinating Committee appoint Sanda Everette, Mike
Feinstein and Barry Hermanson to serve as a Personnel Committee to
supervise Marnie Glickman in her role as a Managing Director on a
temporary basis until the Coordinating Committee's first meeting in
July.
 
5. Discussion Item: GPCA IT Protocols
 
Presenters: Barry Hermanson, Mike Feinstein
 
Background: At its May 16th conference call, the Coordinating
Committee established a Negotiating Committee to conduct indpendent
contractor negotiations with Marnie Glickman. During that process, it
was clear that for there to be a unambiguous environment in which
Glickman could carry out the contracted work, it would be important
for there to be clarity upon the party's internal information
technology practices.
 
The attached document is a draft meant to clarify and codify GPCA
information technology practices. It is presented to the Coordinating
Committee for input on its June 6th call, then would be forwarded to
GPCA IT and to the co-coordinators of GPCA standing committees and
working groups. Then it would be considered for approval by the
Coordinating Committee on its first conference call in July, with
consideration of forwarding for final approval to the GPCA fall
General Assembly.
 
Proposal: That the Coordinating Committee give input on the draft text
below and forward it for input to GPCA IT and to the co-coordinators
of GPCA standing committees and working groups. ( ATTACHMENT #2 below)
 
6.  Decision Item:  Bert Heuer has asked to be appointed to the Bylaws Committee (5 min)
 
7.  Discussion Item:   Proposal for improving the efficiency of our CC meetings (10 min.)
 
Presenter:  Jeffrey Quackenbush
 
This discussion item is meant only as a brief introduction to this proposal.  (ATTACHMENT #3  below)
 
 
ATTACHMENT #1 Independent Contractor Agreement for Managing Director
 
This Agreement is made between Green Party of California ("GPCA") and
Marnie Glickman for the period between June 7th and October 10th.
 
I. Services to be performed
 
Marnie Glickman agrees to serve as the GPCA's Managing Director and
perform the following services:
 
1-1 Voter Registration Database
 
1-1.1 Manage statewide voter data base in conjunction with internal
party database access protocol approved by the Coordinating Committee.
 
1-1.2 Organize virtual phone banks with voter file software in
conjunction with internal party database access protocol approved by
the Coordinating Committee.
 
1-1.3 Recruit and train volunteers that result from work with
database. Refer to GPCA committees, working groups and county
organizations where relevant.
 
1-2 Fundraising
 
1-2.1 Design, coordinate and manage direct mail, online, events,
telemarketing and personal solicitations fundraising and merchandising.
 
1-2.2 Identify and cultivate donor prospects.
 
1-3 Constituent Relationship Management
 
1-3.1 Work with CiviCRM team to install, configure and manage CiviCRM.
 
1-3.2 Format and upload GPCA supporter lists, donor lists and prospect
lists.
 
1-3.3 Design coding system for database and configure system to
advance GPCA goals. Seek and integrate input on coding system from
GPCA committee and working group co-coordinators.
 
1-3.4 Analyze database growth and data trends and make recommendations
to advance GPCA goals.
 
1-3.5 Recruit, train and coordinate GPCA volunteers on how to use
CiviCRM.
 
1-4 Clearinghouse Operations
 
1-4.1 Join and participate in GPCA Clearinghouse Committee, subject to
Coordinating Committee appointment.
 
1-4.2 Coordinate answering of general inquiries to GPCA main phone
number and mailboxes with Clearinghouse Committee members. Refer to
GPCA committees, working groups and county organizations where relevant.
 
1-4.3 Make recommendations for GPCA merchandise.
 
1-5 Messaging
 
1-5.1 Review GPCA content for messaging, accuracy and style.
 
1-5.2 Work with GPCA committees and working groups to develop
communications schedule, persuasive messages and effective messaging.
 
1-5.3 Coordinate social media communications at the direction of the
Media Committee. Recruit and train volunteers that result from work
with social media. Refer to GPCA committees, working groups and county
organizations where relevant.
 
1-6 GPCA Campaigns and Organizing Drives
 
1-6.1 Develop public launch for statewide voter registration drive.
Consult with Grassroots Organizing Working Group and Media Committee
on design and approach.
 
1-6.2 Develop public launch for campaign to close San Onofre and
Diablo Canyon nuclear plants. Consult with Green Issues Working Group
and Platform Committee on design and approach.
 
1-6.3 Develop public launch for website upgrade. Consult with IT Group
and Media Committee on design and approach.
 
1-6.4 Recruit and train volunteers that result from work on GPCA
campaigns and organizing drives. Refer to GPCA committees, working
groups and county organizations where relevant.
 
1-6.5 Develop relationships with progressive organizations and
individuals resulting from this work. Refer to GPCA committees,
working groups and county organizations where relevant.
 
1-7 GPCA website
 
1-7.1 Be a member and serve as coordinator of a Coordinating Committee
appointed ad-hoc Web Redesign Team to redesign of www.cagreens.org,
and serve as the point of contact with any vendor hired to perform
this task, in order to
 
1-7.1(a) Design new information architecture.
 
1-7.1(b) Create new format and layout for home page.
 
1-7.1(c) Create new format and layout for basic content page.
 
1-7.1(d) Create new format and layout for donation form. Consult with
Finance Committee on approach.
 
1-7.1(e) Create new format and layout for subscription form.
 
1-7.1(f) Create new format and layout volunteer sign up form.
 
1-7.2 Review web content for accuracy.
 
II. Payment
 
In consideration for the services to be performed by the Managing
Director, GPCA agrees to pay Marnie Glickman:
 
$1,500 on July 10th, 2011
 
$1,500 on August 10th, 2011
 
$1,500 on September 10th, 2011
 
$1,500 on October 10th, 2011
 
III. Expenses
 
GPUS shall not be responsible for Contractor’s phone/fax distribution,
travel and miscellaneous expenses related to work performed under this
Agreement.
 
IV. Client Obligations
 
4-1 The Personnel Committee will supervise and direct the Managing
Director’s work.
 
4-2 GPCA will contract with a web developer for the redesign of www.cagreens.org
, installation of a Drupal CMS and content migration no later than
July 15, 2011.
 
4-3 GPCA will contract with a web developer for CiviCRM customization
no later than July 30, 2011.
 
V. Term of Agreement
 
Term of service begins on June 7th, 2011. This agreement shall become
effective when signed by both parties and will terminate on October
10th, 2011.
 
VI. Amending or Terminating the Agreement
 
The GPCA or Marnie Glickman may amend this Agreement at any time upon
mutual agreement of terms. The GPCA or Marnie Glickman may terminate
this Agreement at any time by giving 30 days written notice of
termination. The Contractor shall be entitled to full payment for
services performed prior to the date of termination.
 
VII. Independent Contractor Status
 
7-1 The Managing Director is an independent contractor, not a GPCA
employee. The Managing Director and the GPCA agree to the following
rights consistent with an independent Contractor relationship:
 
7-1.1 Contractor has the right to perform services for others during
the term of this Agreement. The GPCA shall not require Contractor or
Contractor’s employees or subcontractors to devote full time to
performing the services required by this Agreement.
 
7-1.2 Contractor has the right to hire assistants as subcontractors,
or to use employees to provide the services required by this Agreement
with his/her own personal funds.
 
7-1.3 Neither Contractor nor Contractor’s employees or subcontractors
are eligible to participate in any employee pension, health, vacation
pay, sick pay or other fringe benefit plan of GPCA.
 
VIII. Local, State and Federal Taxes
 
8-1 Contractor shall pay all income taxes and FICA (Social Security
and Medicare taxes) incurred while performing services under this
Agreement. The GPCA will not:
 
8-1.1 Withhold FICA from Contractor’s payments or make FICA payments
on Contractor’s behalf
 
8-1.2 Make state or federal unemployment compensation contributions on
Contractor’s behalf, or
 
8-1.3 Withhold state or federal income tax from Contractor’s payments.
 
IX. Privacy
 
All data owned or rented by GPCA, including voter file, volunteer and
donor information, shall always remain the sole property of GPCA.
 
X. Exclusive Agreement
 
This is the sole and entire Agreement between Contractor and the GPCA.
 
XI. Applicable Law
 
The laws of the State of California will govern this Agreement.
 
XII. Signatures
 
GPCA: Green Party of California
 
Signature: ____________________________
 
Title: Treasurer, Green Party of California Date:
________________________________
 
Contractor:
 
Signature _______________________________
 
Title: Contractor Date: ___________________________________
 
 
ATTACHMENT #2 ARTICLE V Information Technology Protocols
 
Section 5-1 GPCA web site
 
5-1.1 Standing Committees and Working Groups
 
Each GPCA Standing Committee and Working Group shall have its own web
page on the GPCA web site and be responsible for creating its content,
provided that such content is in keeping with the duties and authority
for each Standing Committee and Working Group. Posting access for this
purpose shall be granted to the co-coordinators of each committee or
working group, as well as to any other designee by the committee or
working group, provided they demonstrate the capability as defined in
5-1.4 of posting in a manner consistent with the general look and feel
of the site.
 
5-1.2 County Green Organizations
 
Each County Green Organization may have its own web page on the GPCA
web site and and be responsible for creating its content. Posting
access to GPCA web site shall be granted to the designees of the
County Green Organization, provided they demonstrate the capability as
defined in 5-1.4 of posting in a manner consistent with the general
look and feel of the site.
 
5-1.3 Party Officers and Staff
 
GPCA Party Officers and Staff members may post to the GPCA web site in
accordance with their duties and authority contained in their job
description, provided they demonstrate the capability as defined in
5-1.4 of posting in a manner consistent with the general look and feel
of the site.
 
5-1.4 Approval of Posting Priviledges
 
Individuals demonstrating their capability of posting in a manner
consistent with the general look and feel of the GPCA web site as per
this Section shall do so by posting to a sample web page for review by
the Information Technology Committee. Where they need additional
support in learning how to post properly, the Information Technology
Committee shall provide it. Should any individual seeking posting
priviledges under 5-1.1, 5-1.2 and 5-1.3 not be approved by the
Information Technology Committee after receiving such support, they
may appeal the decision of the Information Technology Committee to the
Coordinating Committee.
 
Section 5-2 GPCA email lists
 
5-2.1 Participation
 
5-2.1(a) Participation in the official email lists of the GPCA are
open to GPCA members only, except when otherwise explicitly stated by
the General Assembly. Participation is additionally contingent upon
following the Party's Email Etiquette, which is proposed by the IT
Committee and approved by the General Assembly.
 
5-2.1(b) All GPCA email lists are considered 'opt-in' lists, except
those in which participation is a prerequisite for membership in a
standing committee, working group or county Green organization, in
which case the individual in question shall be automatically subscribed.
 
5-2.1(c) Participation in the email lists for each standing committees
or working group shall be open to all members of that standing
committees or working group. Such lists may have their additional
rules about who may participate, including former members, advisors,
observers and other party members. Such rules may be appealed to the
Coordinating Committee, which can overturn them by a 2/3 vote.
 
5-2.1(c) Participation in the email lists for each County Green
Organizations shall be subject to the rules of each County Green
Organizations, except that lists discussing the business of each
County Council shall be open to all County Council members.
 
5-2.2 Standing Committees and Working Groups
 
Email lists for all GPCA Standing Committees, Working Groups and other
Special Groups, Ad-Hoc Groups and Sub-committees shall be hosted and
archived by the GPCA on the GPCA server. Administrator status for each
email list shall be granted to the co-coordinators of each committee
or working group, as well as to any other designated by the committee
or working group.
 
5-2.3 County Green Organizations
 
Each County Green Organization may have and is encouraged to have its
own email lists hosted and archived by the GPCA on the GPCA server.
Administrator status for each email list shall be granted to the
persons designated for that purpose by each county Green organization.
 
Section 5-3 GPCA broadcast lists
 
5-3.1 Broadcast lists hosted by the GPCA may be created by GPCA
Standing Committees, Working Groups and County Green organizations for
the purpose of advancing the duties and responsibilities of those
Standing Committees, Working Groups and County Green organizations, as
those duties and responsibilities as defined in state party and county
party bylaws. At least two list operators with posting privileges must
be authorized by each list's sponsor. List operators shall manage the
list according to these rules and the rules of the sponsor.
 
5-3.2 Appointing list operators and creating content for general GPCA
broadcast lists County Green Organizations, party members at large and
the general public shall be the responsibility of the Coordinating
Committee.
 
5-3.3 The Information Technology Committee shall have the
responsibility to ensure that such posting does not create security or
virus problems for the party, but has no authority over content.
 
 
ATTACHMENT #3 - Proposal for improving the efficiency of our CC meetings
 
Jeffrey Quackenbush:  The primary reason for this, I think, is that a many-person conference call is not a good forum for debate, and the time spent debating proposals on the conference call limits the call's productivity in decision-making.  
The reasons for this are fairly straightforward:
 
A) The time restrictions constrain the range and detail of what can be intelligently discussed.
 
B) Some of the proposals or the particulars of proposals are broached for the first time on the conference call, and so many of the responses are not formed with reflection and adequate research.
 
C) On every single topic, not all CC members need to participate in debate or even to listen to an extended debate in order to vote on that issue: and yet every member should participate in voting.
 
D) We are enjoined to make decisions on proposals on the conference call because it is the only ongoing way for our state party to make decisions collectively, and yet debates, by their nature, encourage conflict, digression, the juxtaposition of perspectives, static discrimination in time, the individuation of perception; these are appropriate in their place, but they interfere with actually making decisions and moving forward with tasks that need to be carried out at the behest of the CC in the interest of operating a functional political party.
 
E) Finally, if we vote on an issue where there is disagreement (as there is bound to be), there will be winners and losers, and once a decision is made, the CC needs to move on to other matters; in debates, there is always another riposte, another skirmish, another joust, and the finality of a decision is obscured by score-keeping.
 
I would like to propose that we separate into different processes the two functions that we presently conjoin on the CC conference call: we can have one place where we discuss, debate and modify proposals, and we use the conference call to present summary information to the CC and vote, collectively, on whether or not to proceed.
 
Whereof we might think about this in more concrete terms, I will describe a possible system that satisfies my proposal and its critique of the status quo:
 
1) An online wiki is set up. Each proposal will have its own thread. The proposal should be stated in form, and then the author should explain first how the proposal works, and then make some remarks about how the intent of the proposal squares with our parties priorities and our values as an operational organization.
 
CC members and other invitees, then, can make dissenting or concerned comments on the proposal. The author and others who support the proposal should answer or address these comments on the wiki. If the authors wish to modify their proposal based on the discussion, subsequent versions will be posted on the same thread. Commenters will be encouraged to form separate discussion groups in person or by phone if a more sustained exchange on a particular topic would be fruitful; a summary outcome of the exchange can also be posted as a comment to the thread.
 
2) Items are added to the agenda by some responsible party when the author decides it is time. In order for a proposal to be added to the agenda by the CC chair(s), the author should present a text of the proposal that will be submitted and a summary in writing that addresses the following:
 
a) Conformity with bylaws and plenary decisions
b) Coordination with similar or competing activities or decisions
c) Budget impacts and financial feasibility
d) Implementation
e) Processes for oversight and review
 
3) The conference is divided into two parts: proposals that will be presented and voted upon. Proposals or discussion groups that will be posted on the wiki in anticipation of the next conference call.
 
In the first part, the proposal author or a proponent representative will present the mechanics of the proposal and its intent, and make any additional comments on its probity, consequences or process-related issues. If there is dissent among any CC members, one or more (but not an excessive number) will make a succinct presentation outlining reasons why the proposal should be modified or rejected. The authors and dissenters then will both be allowed brief rebuttal remarks.
 
At the conclusion of the presentations a vote will be taken, and we will all abide by the outcome of the vote.
 
The second part of the meeting will be a forum for CC members to announce proposals they would like to add to the wiki. They will give a short description of the proposal, but in order for it to be added to the wiki, another CC member will have to 'second' the addition of that proposal to the wiki. The idea of getting a 'second' for proposals added to the wiki will be to cut down on spurious proposals that might clutter the debating forum. We might want to consider some kind of housecleaning process for proposals that have languished a long time on the wiki without being brought to the CC.