Minutes - Steering Committee of the Green Party of Humboldt County (GPHC)
held at Humboldt Bay Municipal Water Building, Eureka on Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Regular Meeting: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- INTRODUCTIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- SEATING OF NEW STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER JESSE GOPLEN
- APPROVAL OF STEERING COMMITTEE MINUTES OF AUGUST 23, 2005
- STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS
- REVIEW OF DISTRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT DAY AND PEACE RALLY
- DISCUSSION OF GPHC HEADQUARTERS USE
- APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURES ON PHOTOCOPIES, VOTER REGISTRATION LIST AND WEBSITE AND LISTSERV
- REVIEW OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGENDA OF OCTOBER 1, 2005
- REVIEW OF COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
- APPROVAL OF GROW TABLING MATERIALS
- DISCUSSION OF GPHC FUNDRAISER
- ELECTION OF SECRETARY
- OPEN DISCUSSION
- CLOSING CIRCLE
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Greg Allen.
Steering Committee Members present: Greg Allen (Chair), Mike Cordova (Treasurer), David Giarrizzo, Jesse Goplen
Steering Committee Members absent: Martha Devine, Courtney Linclau
Guests Present: Gillian McIntosh
Greg announced the next meeting of the Legal Committee would be on Sept. 28, 5:00 p.m. at his law office, 1309 11th Street, Suite 204, Arcata, followed by a meeting of the Elections Committee at 5:15 p.m. David announced the next meeting of the Eureka Greens would be on Oct. 15, 5:00 p.m. at Has Beans, 2nd and I Street.
MOTION WAS MADE (ALLEN) to accept the results of the Special Election held at the General Assembly of July 31, 2005 and seat Jesse Goplen as a Local Delegate SC member representing the Arcata Greens. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (3-0)
MOTION WAS MADE (ALLEN) to table consideration of the SC minutes. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Mike had no financial activity to report beyond some petty cash collected at the North Country Fair and Organic Planet Festival which was quickly spent on photocopies. Mike suggested developing more varieties of merchandise and in various sizes. David said new designs were needed, and suggested giving away Green Party stickers for promotional purposes. Mike said getting material in circulation should be the highest goal. Greg mentioned the development of the Coalition for Police Review (CPR) with more groups joining in, and expressed hopes for getting a police review ordinance through the Arcata City Council. Jesse said he had been in contact with German Greens and invites further communication. David said he appreciated the positive attitude of European Greens. Greg said some of their representatives should be invited to speak here. David said he is willing to invite the Italian Greens. Jesse said they would likely play an integral role in a sustainable communities conference.
Jesse said he wishes he could have had a more positive message. David said the speakers at HSU on Sept. 13 were excellent and far superior to those featured at the subsequent peace rally in the dusty parking lot of the County Courthouse. Greg said the Democrats want to have a monopoly on who represents the local peace movement. David said the location being next to the jail was especially disconcerting. Greg mentioned how the Greens and other local organizations such as WILPF and Veterans for Peace were consulted for the Green-sponsored event, but weren’t for the peace rally.
Greg offered some limited shared use of his law office at 1309 11th Street, Suite 204 in Arcata with the Arcata Greens and Green Party of Humboldt County. Greg said some storage is available along with use of the mailing and physical address and operation of a computer, should one be donated to the GPHC. Greg said no free access would be available, but instead only when he was also in the office. Greg said the Green Party would likely have to obtain its own phone line and answering machine. Mike said the office should be used as the GPHC mailing address. Greg said his P.O. Box was still available. David said he preferred just using the office address. Mike said sharing the office would be a cheaper alternative. Greg suggested using a voicemail number with equal access for all members of the Media Committee. Mike said a fundraising strategy was needed to pay for such a service. Mike offered the use of his phone as the GPHC hotline. MOTION WAS MADE (GIARRIZZO) to adopt 1309 11th Street, Suite 204, Arcata as the GPHC Headquarters under the parameters set by Greg Allen, to use this as a mailing address and to use 206-8610 as the contact number. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Greg submitted a receipt for $150 from County Elections for the GPHC voter registration list, $5 for copies and noted a forthcoming $30 annual bill on greenhumboldt.org, which handles both the website and the listserv. Mike said fundraising was desperately needed in the next couple of months, as there wasn’t enough petty cash or banked funds to cover the website and listserv yet. MOTION WAS MADE (GIARRIZZO) to reimburse Greg Allen for $155 in bills. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Mike said a total of three Steering Committee members should be elected to account for his forthcoming resignation effective upon the election of his replacement. Jesse asked to add an item to express support for Malik Rahim and his relief work in New Orleans. Greg asked to add an item to officially endorse the Coalition for Police Review (CPR). David suggested adding the Nov. 2 and Nov. 25 protests with language submitted by Paul Encimer. MOTION WAS MADE (GIARRIZZO) to adopt the amendments to the General Assembly agenda of October 1, 2005. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Greg related the concerns of Paul Encimer regarding the posting of information by GPHC Local organizations on the GPHC website. David questioned whether the resources were available to pay for separate websites for Locals. Jesse offered to set up a blog for the Arcata Greens at arcatagreens.blogspot.com. Greg defended the continued posting of meeting times for Locals on the GPHC site. MOTION WAS MADE (GOPLEN) to call upon GPHC Locals to set up independent web logs for their activities, with links to them from the GPHC site, which would no longer carry Local information other than their next meeting time and agenda. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Greg said the initiative being pushed by Democracy Unlimited didn’t address fundamental problems with local campaign finance, and noted the introduction of an initiative of his own drafting to limit all contributions. Greg said the Greens would continue to face the problem in the future of petition circulators looking to take up Green Party tabling space. Mike said there was plenty of room on GPHC tables, making the space not particularly valuable. Greg said any initiative on the Green Party table should be endorsed by the Green Party first. Mike said anything appearing on a GROW table should be the product of the Green Party of Humboldt County as a whole or of its committees or Locals unless specifically approved. Greg said such a policy would help wavering tables to make the right decision. David reminded the group that tabling materials cost money. MOTION WAS MADE (ALLEN) to direct the GROW Committee to only place on their tables or for use in their campaigning efforts materials which have been produced by the Green Party of Humboldt County, a committee of the GPHC, a Local of the GPHC or which have received the specific permission of the Steering Committee or the Media Committee. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
Mike mentioned the potential of working with Green Party of California officials on a joint mailing, with proceeds to be split between the GPHC and the GPCA. Greg urged Mike to bring back additional information on the subject.
MOTION WAS MADE (GOPLEN) to table the election of Secretary. MOTION CARRIED BY CONSENSUS (4-0)
The high-powered anti-personnel sprinklers installed with the help of a Green Party member was again laughed at.
The meeting was adjourned by facilitator Greg Allen at 8:50 p.m.
Signed,
Greg Allen, Chair, Steering Committee of the GPHC