Green Party of Los Angeles County
County Council
Meeting Minutes
April 3rd, 2005
3pm - 5pm
Santa Monica Greens Office
2809 Pico Bl., Santa Monica, CA 90405
County
Council members present: Richard
Chacker (District 4), Joe Crompton (District
3), Mike
Feinstein (District
3), Genevieve Marcus (District 3), Kevin McKeown (District
3), David Moore (District 4)
Council members not present: Jeff Drummond (District 5),
Tera Little (District 5), Gabrielle Weeks (District 4)
Alternates: Bob
Smith (for Sara Amir), Annie Goeke (for Jeff
Drummond), Zack Beatty (for Tera Little), Will
Yeager (for Gabrielle Weeks)
Observers: Linda Piera-Avila, Michael Borenstein, Alex Brideau, Ginny Case,
Bill Edstrom, Charles Herrig, Ellen Mason, Kenny Mostern, Yvonne Raphael
Michael Rochmes, Erin Schmidt, Russell Sydney
Facilitator: Phillip Koebel Notetaker:Michael
Rochmes/Erin Schmidt
Time Keeper:Bob Smith Vibeswatcher: Annie Goeke
Text of pre-meeting on-line discussion of these items can be found at http://www.cagreens.org/bdem3/wwwbd.html
1. Welcome
Two Minutes
2. Introductions - all attendees
Introductions
brief and to role w/County Council or otherwise with Green Party, or as
outside observer
Four
Minutes
3. Reviewing
our process= - Phillip Koebel, facilitator
Relevant
By-Law 7.2 Open Meetings With
the consent of the Council, all members of the Green Party of Los Angeles
County may participate in the "Consensus-seeking Process" but only Council
members may hold any "unresolved concerns" and participate in any vote,
should one become necessary.
7.2.1 Council members will receive priority
in discussions. At the discretion of the facilitation team, and time
permitting, non-Council members may participate in these discussions.
A Council member, when recognized by the facilitation team, may yield
the floor to an observer or guest rather than speaking himself or herself.
Five Minutes
4) Opportunity
to amend agenda and/or add emergency items - Phillip Koebel, facilitator
Relevant
By-Law: 7.5.2.3 The
agenda may be amended by a 3/5 vote of County Councilmember present.
Emergency and/or late items may be added to the agenda by a 2/3 vote
of County Councilmembers
Five Minutes
Proposal
(by Joe Crompton): Add election of Male Co-coordinator to Item #9.
Yes: Crompton, Moore, Yeager
No:
Beatty, Chacker, Feinstein, Goeke, Marcus, McKeown, Smith
Proposal fails
by a 3 - 7 - 0 vote
Proposal
(by Zack Beatty): Continue Item #9 until next meeting
Yes: Crompton, Moore, Yeager
No:
Beatty, Chacker, Feinstein, Goeke, Marcus, McKeown. Smith
Abstain: Marcus
Proposal fails
by a 3 - 6 - 1 vote
Proposal (by Joe Crompton): Extend time allotted to Item #6
from eight to 13-15 minutes.
Yes: Chacker, Crompton, McKeown,
Moore, Yeager
No:
Beatty, Feinstein, Goeke, Marcus, Smith
Proposal fails
by a 5 - 5 - 0 vote
Proposal (by Phillip Koebel): Change time of Item #9 from 35
to 20 minutes
Proposal passes
by Consensus
5) Approval of January minutes.
Proposal:
Approve January minutes
Yes: Beatty, Feinstein, Goeke
No:
Chacker, Crompton, Goeke, Marcus, McKeown, Moore, Smith
Proposal fails 3 - 7 - 0
6) Report:
Report from Green locals
County Council Sponsors: Mike
Feinstein,
Tera Little, acting as Co-Coordinators
Presenters: representatives from Green locals
Eight minutes
Venice Greens (Yeager): tabling on boardwalk, film festival, working with Westside and LA Greens. Continuing to work on building more dedicating members and more support. Notes that Venice has largest concentration of Green voters in county
Los Angeles Greens (Piera Avila): upcoming speaker Rex Wyler (founder of Greenpeace) at Peace Center, April 20th; scholarship being set up for students demonstrating Green values - likely $500 ea for two scholarships, 1 male, 1 female
Westside Greens (McKeown): expresses displeasure at need to condense report into 'commercial.' Group is working on issues related to Iraq war, sustainable development; persuing SB 596 on ranked voting; will be tabling for Earth Day on 4/16 at SM Boardwalk; holding 4/21 event on sustainable development
Santa Monica Greens (Goeke): working on structure; will be working on issue of homelessness in Santa Monica; had speaker from LA Coalition to End Homelessness and Hunger and sent four speakers to SM City Council on issue
Raphael asked about SM policy on not securing bicycles to public property. Zach explained that area bicycle groups are discussing this issue, as cities need to provide viable alternatives. Kevin proposes City Council involvement
L LGBT Greens (Crompton): promoting 3 civil rights bills (will forward information on them to list-serv; notes that group is losing patience with county council
San Fernando Greens (Maisen): working against CSUN plan that would close major campus houses for minority groups; working with Renew CSU to promote solar energy on campus. Planning underway for Plenary May 21-2.
Venice Greens, cont. (Yeager) notes organization's Sunflower Project to grow and distribute flowers and urges more groups to get involved with it
7. Report:
Treasurer's report
Presenter: Doug
Barnett
Ten Minutes
Doug Barnett not present. No report was given.
Feinstein passed out copy of GPLAC contribution/expense filing from later half of 2004.
8.
Report/Discussion: Data Base coordinator's report
County Council Sponsors: Mike
Feinstein, Tera Little, acting as Co-Coordinators
Presenter:
Michael Rochmes, along with Data Base Committee
Twenty Minutes
Rochmes: Position created at January meeting; database contains information from County Registrar of approx. 28000 Greens with approx. 5000 e-mail addresses
Rochmes: Email sent late march with information on San Diego Convergence, introduction, and invitation to register with more personal information on county web-site. About 700 e-mails bounced back. If you did not receive this e-mail, you are probably not in the database and can give Michael your address to be included
Rochmes: E-mail garnered a few dozen responses, either direct replies or sign-ups on website; copy of text of these messages is available
Yeager: suggests purchasing a second file with actual voting history in order to determine the more active Greens. Recommends that list be made available to locals
Koebel: clarifying question - who is on Database Committee membership: Denise Robb, Lisa Taylor, Mike Feinstein, Michael Rochmes
McKeown expresses thanks for work involved; asks clarifying question about whereabouts of the council-owned database (with Michael Rochmes). Asks clarifying question if responses will be shared with the local orgs. Notes that database report lists as future step for locals and candidates to share list with the county. Asks clarifying question Ð will this process work both ways?
Feinstein: provides background information to RochmesÕ report, that he (Feinstein) donated the funds to the county for purchase of the database CD-ROM and argues that RochmesÕ actions as Data Base coordinator thus far are based solely on decisions taken at the January meeting. Expresses hope that this meeting could have a discussion on potential next steps, for example sharing of info with locals could be part of broader locals-relations discussion
Sydney: Asks clarifying question - how information is being overseen by council, as it is important that contacts with database members promote harmony and cooperation
Marcus: Asks clarifying question about computer difficulties arising from working at home Ð could work be better handled from an office, and how often Rochmes will report to council.
Rochmes: intends to report bi-monthly
Crompton: asks clarifying question - when near- and medium-term steps noted in written report will be implemented?
Rochmes: expects near-term steps to occur before next council meeting.
Crompton: expresses support for near-term steps but lists concern that if web referrals from the state and national orgs went directly to the county that local orgs might lose out on knowing how those people are; also concern about gathering fundraising info
McKeown: notes that database is of great value but asks clarifying question - who has access?
Rochmes: as per proposal passed January 23rd, currently only the database coordinator does; the council would have to approve any dispersal of information
Beatty: suggests Mailman software to get around server difficulties with sending mass e-mails. Asks who can purchase these databases
Yeager: expresses concern with what he believes to be exclusivity of information and asks how much contact Rochmes has had with Data Base committee. Does not recall the text of the e-mail being approved.
Rochmes: explains process by which County Council approved e-mail.
Annie notes that the next phase of the database has arrived and proposes that it be discussed at next meeting
Feinstein: notes that last County Council meeting approved the ability to get fundraising info from state
Crompton: believes council should have authorized the expenditure of the donated funds for the database
McKeown: notes that thus far the council has given no authorization to use the database in any ways other than assembling and sending the initial e-mail about the Convergence
Nomination:
Feinstein nominates Amir
No other
nominations received
Vote on Amir:
Yes: Beatty, Chacker, Feinstein, Goeke, Marcus,
Smith
No
Other Candidate: Crompton, McKeown, Moore, Yeager
Amir is selected by a vote of 6 - 0 - 4
10)
Action: Election of one GPCA State Coordinating Committee representative
(regional rep)
County Council Sponsors: Mike
Feinstein, Tera Little, acting as Co-Coordinators
Relevant
By-Laws:9.5 Selection
of State Coordinating Committee Representatives: State Coordinating Committee
members shall be chosen by the County Council. The length of the term shall
be as established by the Green Party of California. The voting procedure
shall be preference voting, utilizing the single transferable vote . Voters
rank the candidates according to the voter s preference - 1,2,3. Where
there is no simple majority winner (50% +1 vote), the bottom vote getter
is dropped off. Those who ranked that candidate first will have their vote
transferred to their second choice and so on, until a majority winner appears.
If there is no candidate with a majority of votes after all transfers occur,
then the candidate(s) with the highest first preferences is chosen.
One
minute per candidate, remaining time if necessary for concerns, affirmations
Ten
minutes
Nomination:
Beatty nominated by Goeke
Nomination:
Crompton nominated bt himself, then withdrew own nomination.
Vote on Beatty
Yes: Beatty, Chacker, Feinstein, Goeke, Marcus,
Smith
No
Other Candidate: Moore, Yeager
Not
Voting: Crompton, McKeown (left before vote)
Beatty is
selected by a vote of 6 - 0 - 2
Meeting adjourned at 6:20. No other items were heard.