Green Party of Los Angeles County
County Council Meeting Agenda

October 4th, 2008
Quaker House
4167 S. Normandie Ave, Los Angeles, CA 
6:30pm – 9pm

This is a public meeting and will be audio taped by the County Council, although the group may request tape recorder to be turned off.

Facilitator: to be named before the meeting
Note taker: to be named before the meeting
Time Keeper & Vibes watcher: to be named before the meeting



1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees
Introductions brief and to role w/County Council or otherwise with Green Party, or as outside observer
Six Minutes

2. Reviewing our process
Presenter: Facilitators
Two Minutes
Relevant By-Law: Section 9.3 Participation
9.3.1 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.
9.3.2 County Council members shall receive priority in discussions, to ensure that they have time to a) seek clarifications. B) express their concerns and affirmations, and c) take a vote, if necessary. At the discretion of the facilitation team, non-Council members may also participate in these discussions.


3. Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items
Presenter: Facilitators
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

Ten Minutes
(in the interest of time, suggested amendments and their rationale should be offered on-line before the meeting )



4. Report: Treasurer’s report
Presenter: Ross Frankel
Ten Minutes


5.  Action:  Election of three GPCA State Coordinating Committee representatives
Presenter: Facilitators
Relevant GPLAC By-Law: ARTICLE 12 REPRESENTATION UPON THE GPCA COORDINATING COMMITEE
Section 12.1 Number of Representatives Length of Term - The number of representatives is established by the GPCA and has been set at three.
Section 12.2 Length of Term - The length of the term is established by the GPCA and has been set at two years.
Section 12.3 Eligibility - Any GPLAC member is eligible to be a GPLAC representative to the GPCA Coordinating Committee. A Coordinating Committee member may not also be a County Co-Coordinator. However, a sitting Co-Coordinator may run for the Coordinating Committee and if elected, shall be considered to have immediately resigned their seat.
Section 12.4 Election of Representatives - A male and a female seat shall be chosen first, after which a seat open to all shall be chosen. The voting procedure for each seat shall be by Instant Run-Off (IRV), using a simple majority threshold, and including the No Other Candidate option, as referenced in the GPCA Bylaws (Section 7).

Relevant GPCA By-Law: Section 7-1. Coordinating Committee
7-1.1 Duties and Authority: The Coordinating Committee shall be generally responsible for coordinating meetings, internal communications and other administrative tasks, including the following:
a) Establish agenda and select facilitators for general meetings.
b) Monitor and assist committee work and refer matters to committees.
c) Request and receive regular reports from committees.
d) Authorize and ratify specific expenditures
e) Authorize and carry out the decisions of the GPCA general membership and make executive decisions (but not set policy) between General Assembly meetings.
f) May make statements in the name of the party
g) Is authorized to retain legal council on behalf of the GPCA.
h) Is authorized to make decisions which legal counsel advises.

Twenty-five minutes

First Round (16 minutes)
Nominations taken for Male and Female Seats, followed by candidates' statements for each, ninety seconds each
Voting then commences with a separate ballot for each:

Male Seat, Elected by Instant Run-Off Voting
Female Seat, Elected by Instant Run-Off Voting

Second Round (8 minutes)

Nominations taken for third seat, followed by candidates' statements, ninety seconds each
Voting then commences with a single ballot for

Seat Open to All, Elected by Instant Run-Off Voting


6. Action: Consideration of Appointment for Applicants to Vacant County Council Seats
Relevant By-Laws:
Section 8.3 Nominations
8.3.3 Nominees must be registered Greens within the District they wish to represent, and must also gather as many signatures of registered Greens in the district, as would be normally required by the County Registrar to appear on the ballot in that district, for the purposes of being elected to the Los Angeles County Green Party County Council.
Section 8.4 Nomination Signature Petition
Nomination signatures must be collected on a document that contains the following words at the top of the page: "We, the undersigned registered Green Party members in District ________ support the appointment of __________ to the Los Angeles County Green Party County Council."
Section 8.5 Validation of Nomination Signatures
Nomination signatures must be validated before a nominee can be considered for appointment. Signatures must be delivered personally or sent by certified mail to a Co-Coordinator; or in lieu of this, a fax, .PDF or other image format may suffice, if the original is then presented at the next Council meeting to a Co-Coordinator or the Secretary.
Section 8.6 Voting upon Nominees
The County Council will vote upon each vacancy separately using Instant Run-Off Voting. County Council members may cast votes for qualified nominees and may exercise the 'No Other Candidate' (NOC) option. In the event of a tie, a new election may be held.
Fifteen Minutes

Ninety seconds statement by each applicant
Instant Run-Off voting for each vacancy



7. Choose date and location of next two GPLAC meetings
Ten Minutes



8. Action: GPLAC PO Box

Presenter: Ross Frankel
Ten Minutes


Proposal: That the GPLAC retain the existing PO Box for the remainder of the time paid for and then move to a PO Box at a location more accessible to GPLAC officers and with a size PO Box according to the needs of the GPLAC.



9. Action: GPLAC Voice Mail
Presenter: Craig Thorsen
Ten Minutes

Proposal: That the GPLAC establish an internet-based voice mail for a specified period of time based upon available funds.



10. Action: Formation of Bylaws Committee
Presenter: Mike Feinstein
Relevant bylaws:
Article 10 Committees
Section 10.1 Establishment
10.1.1 The County Council may establish Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees.
10.1.2 A Standing Committee shall continue unless dissolved. An Ad Hoc Committee is established for finite, pre-defined period.
10.1.3 All Committees shall have a scope, purpose and mission statement approved by the Council, and shall have a County Council member approved as a liaison by the County Council, as part of its formation and approval.
10.1.4 The County Council shall approve Rules and Procedures of operation for each committee.

Twenty Minutes

Proposal:

1) The GPLAC shall form a Bylaws Committee. with the the following scope, purpose and mission statement:

"The Bylaws Committee is charged with bringing forward proposals to the County Council to amend and revise the GPLAC Bylaws and the GPLAC Rules and Procedures; with reviewing and making recommendations on similar proposals brought forward by others not on the Bylaws Committee; with drafting its own Committee Rules and Procedures and submitting them to the County Council, and with reviewing and making recommendations on the Rules and Procedures of other Committees."

2) The GPLAC shall appoint a County Council member as liaison from the County Council to the Bylaws Committee. Liaison shall be elected by Instant Run-Off Vote.

3) The GPLAC shall elect members to the Bylaws Committee. Each person nominated shall be subject to approval by majority vote.


11. Discussion: GPLAC Bylaws 5.2.6 Dispute Resolution and Mediation
Establish internal Dispute Resolution and Mediation procedures and/or refer such matters to external Dispute Resolution and Mediation.
Presenter: Dorothy Kemeny
Fifteen Minutes


12. Action: Proposal to Appoint New Managers of GPLAC email lists
Presenter: Mike Feinstein
Ten Minutes

Background: GPLAC Rules and Procedures Section 7 states that the Purpose/Charter of gplac-cc@cagreens.org is: For discussion purposes only among County Council members and that read/write participation is for County Council members and read-only status for any other Green member in LA County. This policy is not being followed by the current list manager.

Proposal: Take nominations for a new list manager for gplac-cc@cagreens.org and gplac-forum@cagreens.org. Voting shall be by instant run-off vote.