Minutes - Steering Committee of the Green Party of Humboldt County (GPHC)

held at Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka on Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Special Meeting: 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

PRESENT:
 *Greg Allen, Chair
 *Mike Cordova, Treasurer
 *Martha Devine
 *Charles Douglas, Secretary
 Barbara Shults

ABSENT:
 *Alma Torres (Speaker Phone Not Available)

(*) designates Steering Committee Member

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting of November 30, 2004, was called to order at 12:30 p.m. by (outgoing) Chair Martha Devine.

  1. INTRODUCTIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT

    2. Martha Devine is locked in legal battle against a slum landlord and is seeking legal assistance, and is also interested on a "Green Debriefing" following the demise of Measure M. Gregory Allen discussed the implications of the Raisch vs. Ashcroft case currently before the Supreme Court, in regards to local and state medical cannabis laws. Martha Devine also discussed the tactics of a coalition of North Coast Cooperative members looking to put one or more GMO-related initiatives before the voting members of the locally-owned chain of grocery stores.

  2. ANNOUNCEMENTS

    3. Charles Douglas announced that he would be stepping down as Chair of the Elections Committee and a new one would be elected at a meeting on December 14th at 4:00 p.m., located at Cafe Mokka, Arcata, just preceding a special Arcata City Council meeting wherein the new Green Party majority would be seated and a new Mayor and Vice Mayor would be selected. Martha Devine announced that the Sequoia Greens would be holding a Green Holiday celebration and brainstorming session on December 4th at 1:00 p.m., located at Veteran's Hall in Garberville.

  3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2004

    4. MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Cordova) to approve the minutes of November 5, 2004 as drafted.

    MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  4. STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS

    5. Gregory Allen reported that the GMO-ban ordinance has been adopted by the Arcata City Council. Martha Devine expressed concern with the two exceptions to the Arcata GMO-ban ordinance as currently constituted. Charles Douglas reported that the new GP-Announce list has 26 subscribers, and the GP-LocalDiscuss and the GP-GlobalDiscuss lists are operational, although not being used until an updated registration list of Green Party members in Humboldt is made available.

  5. UPDATE ON BANK ACCOUNT

    6. Mike Cordova, Gregory Allen and Charles Douglas are now on the account, and Barbara Shults has had her name removed.

  6. ELECTION OF CHAIR

    7. Martha Devine had previously announced that she would resign as Chair upon the election of a new one by the SC.

    MOTION WAS MADE (Cordova/Devine) to elect Gregory Allen as Chair. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  7. ELECTION OF SECRETARY

    8. Mike Cordova resigned as Secretary to seek the office of Treasurer. MOTION WAS MADE (Cordova/Devine) to elect Charles Douglas as Secretary. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  8. ELECTION OF TREASURER

    9. Barbara Shults resigned as Treasurer when she resigned all Green Party posts as of November 5, 2004. MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Allen) to elect Mike Cordova as Treasurer. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  9. ELECTION OF THIRD STATE PLENARY DELEGATE

    10. Unfortunately, there were no volunteers forthcoming to replace Harmony Groves as our third delegate with Mike Cordova and Charles Douglas to the Green Party of California's next meeting, as all three alternates also elected by the General Assembly were likewise unable to attend the Ventura Plenary. Charles Douglas agreed to transmit the truncated delegate list to the appropriate state contact.

  10. REVIEW OF STATE PLENARY AGENDA

    11. Charles Douglas reported that the password necessary to gain access on the state Green Party website (www.cagreens.org) to reviewing the GPCA Plenary agenda packet had only been given to Mike and himself on late Sunday night.

    MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Allen) to direct Humboldt's Plenary delegates to host a Greens for Democracy and Independence (GDI) caucus session focused on statewide internal democracy at the Ventura GPCA meeting, during lunch on Sunday, December 5 and distribute the GDI affiliation statement approved by the General Assembly on October 18, 2004.

    MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  11. AUTHORIZATION FOR TREASURER TO PAY COUNTY DUES TO STATE PARTY

    12. Mike Cordova reported that the County party has not paid any dues to the GPCA for an undetermined span of months. MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Allen) to direct the Treasurer to pay the outstanding dues owed to the GPCA, as determined by the State Treasurer. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  12. AUTHORIZAITON FOR TREASURER TO PAY FOR P.O. BOX KEY CHANGE

    13. Martha Devine agreed to accompany Barbara and Greg to the Arcata Post Office to change over the P.O. Box authorization and order a key change. MOTION WAS MADE (Cordova/Devine) to direct the Treasurer to pay an undetermined amount not to exceed $20 to compensate the U.S. Postal Service for the P.O. Box key change. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  13. AUTHORIZAITON FOR TREASURER TO PAY FOR DELEGATE FEES

    14. MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Allen) to direct the Treasurer to pay $40 to cover the delegates' attendance fees owed to the GPCA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  14. PROPOSAL FOR GMO-BAN PRESS CONFERENCE & RALLY

    15. MOTION WAS MADE (Allen/Cordova) to hold a Press Conference & Rally on the lawn of City Hall, 736 F Street, Arcata on Friday, December 17 at Noon, the same day the Arcata GMO-ban comes into legal effect, to celebrate this victory and to call for the following:
    1. An Arcata Town Hall meeting on the two exceptions to the GMO-ban ordinance for GMO-laced food products and for research.
    2. A renewed push for a County ordinance using Arcata as a model, with the potential to establish a new ballot measure committee to wage a political campaign on behalf of a new County GMO-ban ordinance.

    MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  15. PROPOSAL FOR SHARED OFFICE IN ARCATA AND RELATED FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES

    16. Charles Douglas brought it to the attention of the SC that the building holding the Redwood Chapter, ACLU office on 9th Street in Arcata is to be condemned, and that they will no longer be sharing an office with the People's Workshop, which will be moving into the Arcata Service Center, and is pursing an office search in the downtown Arcata area on behalf of a legal aid office. Gregory Allen suggested that the activities of both organizations may be served by renting adjacent office space in Arcata, especially since Green registrants are concentrated in Arcata. Mike Cordova brought up the fundraising idea of constructing a Green business directory, and networking their resources to provide a variety of venues for meetings, fundraising events and the like. Martha Devine brought up the idea of providing some retail space in a Green Party office in Arcata to raise funds towards its maintenance. Charles Douglas suggested the combination of a bi-monthly subscription and advertising-based publication with a regular regimen of fundraising concerts would be effective. Barbara Shults warned about co-sponsoring events with the state or national Green Party or characters associated with these levels of organization, especially concerning the sharing of information such as donor lists.

    MOTION WAS MADE (Douglas/Devine) to pursue negotiations with the Redwood Chapter, ACLU and with a legal aid office regarding adjacent office space in Arcata. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  16. OPEN DISCUSSION

    17. Barbara Shults had some questions for Gregory Allen about international law and asset forfeiture.

  17. CLOSING CIRCLE

    18. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Charles Douglas, Secretary, Steering Committee of the GPHC