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DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Agenda, Sunday, May 21, 2023

DRAFT: Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Agenda, Sunday, May 21, 2023
Socializing 1:15 to 1:30pm
Business meeting: 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Facilitators: Timeka Drew, Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Marla Bernstein
Vibes Watcher: Ava Kermani

Table of Contents

  1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees (ten minutes)
  2. Reviewing our process (five minutes)
  3. Decision: Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items (five minutes)

Internal organization business

  4. Discussion: Treasurer's Report (ten minutes)
  5. Decision: Approval of County Council minutes (five minutes)
  6. Discussion: Update on GPLAC Nationbuilder database, data and finances  (ten minutes)
  7. Discussion: How to Run for County Council 2024 outreach (ten minutes)
  8. Decision: GPLAC meeting schedule for remainder of 2023 (ten minutes)
  9. Decision: Updating GPLAC SGA Delegation (five minutes)
10. Discussion: Upcoming GPCA Standing General Assembly, Review of Greens running for GPCA Coordinating Committee, GPUS Delegation (five minutes)
11. Discussion: Upcoming GPCA General Assembly, GPLAC proposals from 2021-2022 (ten minutes)
12. Decision: Bylaws Amendment - Combining State Senate Districts (ten minutes)

Election related items

13. Discussion: Report on GPLAC efforts to promote proportional representation and a substantially larger city council for Los Angeles (ten minutes)
14. Decision: Support Konstantine Anthony for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 5 in March 2024 elections (twenty-five minutes)
15. Decision: Support the Motion to Study the Feasibility of Establishing Democracy Vouchers in Los Angeles (fifteen minutes)
16. Decision: GPLAC position on LA Board of Supervisor size, ranked choice voting (ten minutes)
17. Decision: Authorize email outreach to Greens in Burbank regarding adopting proportional ranked choice voting for Burbank City Council elections (five minutes)
18. Discussion: Greens in 2023 Neighborhood Council elections (fifteen minutes)

Agenda

1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees (ten minutes)
Very brief introductions, including role with the GPLAC County Council and/or otherwise with Green Party, or as outside observer.

2. Reviewing our process (five minutes)
Presenter: Facilitators
• Relevant Bylaw: Section 11-2 Participation
11-2.1 All GPLAC members may participate in the 'Consensus-seeking Process'. Participation is based upon the premise that people participant in order build the Green Party and advance the Ten Key Values. Disagreement over issues and ideas should be honored as an expected part this process, and is not to be considered a disruption or impediment. Participants are encouraged to state their views, inform one another, and discuss issues in depth, in a manner that enables energy to be focused on productive work.
11-2.2 Only County Council members can hold 'unresolved concerns' and participate in any vote, should one become necessary.
11-2.3 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.
11-2.4 A County Council member, when recognized by the facilitation team, may yield the floor to a non-County Council member rather than speaking themselves, and in do doing, forego his/her turn on the item.

3. Decision: Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items (five minutes)
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 (in the interest of time, suggested amendments and their rationale should be offered on-line before the meeting)

4. Discussion: Treasurer's Report (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Doug Barnett, GPLAC Treasurer

5. Decision: Approval of County Council minutes (five minutes)

Proposal (Feinstein): Approval of the following minutes

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Sunday, June 24, 2022
http://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2022-06-24

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Sunday, December 19, 2021
https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2021-12-19

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Sunday, November 11, 2021
https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2021-11-28

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Sunday, October 24, 2021
https://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2021-10-24

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes Sunday, June 13, 2021
https://losangeles.cagreens.org/meetings/minutes/2021-06-13

6. Discussion: Update on GPLAC Nationbuilder database, data and finances (ten minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein, Rai

Background: Rai will present on the status of the data.  Feinstein will present on the status of the cost. 

7. Discussion: How to Run for County Council 2024 outreach (ten minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Background: Feinstein will present on upcoming email outreach to GPLAC members regarding How to Run for County Council and how to run for state/federal office in the March 2024 California primary. Discussion to follow, including whether GPLAC should schedule a specific zoom meeting and do an email blast to LA County Greens to attend regarding How to Run for County Council.

8. Decision: GPLAC meeting schedule for remainder of 2023
Sponsors: Feinstein, Rai

Proposal: That the GPLAC meet via zoom Sunday, July 16; Sunday, September

9.  Decision: Updating GPLAC SGA Delegation
Sponsors/Presenters: Bernstein, Feinstein

Proposal: That the following four individuals are removed from the 2022-2023 GPLAC SGA Delegation and that the GPCA is then immediately appraised of this: DIana Brown, Dan Kapelovitz, Genevieve Marcus, Linda Piera-Avila

10. Discussion: Upcoming GPCA Standing General Assembly, Review of Greens running for GPCA Coordinating Committee, GPUS Delegation
Sponsors/Presenters: Bernstein, Feinstein

Background: Here is the list of candidates running for GPCA Coordinating Committee https://int-cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_id_245 and GPUS Delegation https://int-cagreens.nationbuilder.com/sga_id_246. 

11. Decision: Upcoming GPCA General Assembly, GPLAC proposals to GPCA from 2021-2022 (ten minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Bernstein, Feinstein

Background: Here is the agenda https://cagreens.nationbuilder.com/june_2023_agenda

12. Decision: Bylaws Amendment - Combining State Senate Districts (ten minutes)
Sponsors: Feinstein, Bernstein

Background: GPLAC County Council seats are elected using State Senate District boundaries within Los Angeles County, with each district getting a minimum of two seats and the overall number of seats divided proportionally among the districts according to how many registered Greens in each.  However on a few occasions, there are State Senate Districts that cross county lines and in such cases, only a small part of a State Senate district is in Los Angeles County.  In such cases the number of registered Greens in that part of the State Senate District are too few to proportionally merit a county council seat(s) on its own.  In those small number of cases, that small part of the State Senate district is combined with a geographically adjacent State Senate district that is fully within Los Angeles County - and GPLAC Bylaws are amended each time to reflect that combination. 

This proposal would effectuate such a combination for the 2024 County Council elections, by combining partial-District 30 and with District 34 shall be combined; and partial District 33 with District 36.  See this map for each district's lines. Note: on order to comply with GPLAC Bylaws that require a minimum of thirty days notice of any proposed bylaws change, this draft proposal was posted to the GPLAC County Council email list on March 24, 2023.

Proposal:  That the existing bylaws
 
8-1.4(d) Each State Senate district shall be a stand alone district for the purposes of County Council elections, except Districts 20, 23 and 25 shall be combined; 29 and 32 shall be combined; and 34 and 35 shall be combined. 
 
be amended to read:
 
8-1.4(d) Each State Senate district shall be a stand alone district for the purposes of County Council elections, except for the time in which population information is in use from the U.S. 2020 Census, Districts 30 and 34 shall be combined; and 33 and 36 shall be combined.

Election related items

13. Decision: Report on GPLAC efforts to promote proportional representation and a substantially larger city council for Los Angeles
Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein, Rai, Drew

Background:  Going back to November 2016, the GPLAC has called for a substantially larger Los Angeles City Council losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/los-angeles-city-council-size, elected with the use of ranked-choice voting losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/los-angeles-elections-ranked-choice-voting.  In October 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted to explore establishing an independent redistricting commission to draw district lines for the Los Angeles City Council and to consider a larger city council to reflect an increases in population.  The organization Fair Representation LA has done the following extensive analysis of each possibility and their background documents should be studied https://www.fairrepla.com/redistricting and https://www.fairrepla.com/redistricting.

The GPLAC has responded by sending in public comment in advance of the Ad Hoc Committee April 13 meeting https://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/gplac-concerns-limited-scope-los-.... Subsequently GPLAC County Council member  Feinstein had the following opinion piece published in CityWatchLA https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/la-election-2022/26895-the-scop....

There are three additional meetings scheduled for public input:  Monday, May 21 in Van Nuys, June 1 in Cheviot Hills and June 12 at LA City Hall https://www.fairrepla.com/community-events

Proposal: Continue to authorize Co-coordinators and Secretary to submit public comment in the name of the GPLAC, consistent with the GPLAC position and to do an email blast letting all Greens in Los Angeles County about the issue and the upcoming meetings.

14. Decision: Support Konstantine Anthony for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 5 in March 2024 elections
Sponsors/Presenters: Drew, Feinstein, Rai

Background:  Current Burbank Konstantine Anthony is running for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, District 5 in March 2024 elections. He contacted the Green Party of California (GPCA) regarding Green Party support. The GPCA forwarded Anthony's request to the GPLAC, as under GPCA and GPLAC process, such local decisions are left up to the local county Green Party.

GPLAC Bylaws provide that the GPLAC can ‘endorse’ Green Party members and ‘support’ non-Greens.  Since Anthony is not registered Green, the decision before the County Council would be whether to 'support':

https://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2020-04-24#Section-6-5-Elected-and-Appointed-Office

6-5.3 Endorse Green Party members who are candidates for public office in Los Angeles County
6-5.4 Make a statement of support for candidates for public office who are not Green Party members

Anthony's campaign website and social media links are here
https://www.konstantineanthony.com/
https://twitter.com/konstantineinca
https://www.facebook.com/konstantineanthony
https://www.instagram.com/konstantineinca/

Anthony was sent the following questions by email.  County Council members should be prepared with additional questions if they have them.

- What are your top issues and why?  What would be the connection/difference between issues of representing District 5 and issues of the entire county?
- Should the size of the Board of Supervisors should be enlarged and if so, to what size; should there be a role for ranked-choice voting in the election of county supervisors, and if so, what should it be?
- Would you have added anything to the motion made by Supervisors Horvath and Mitchel to study this issue?  Is there a role for campaign finance reform in the election of county supervisors and if so what should that be? https://laist.com/news/politics/more-city-hall-scandal-fallout-la-county-supes-consider-expanding-board
- What have been your best accomplishments on the Burbank City Council?  What have you learned from governing that would apply to being a county supervisor?
- How do you feel that Burbank should respond to its CVRA challenge, is there a role for proportional ranked-choice voting in response, would you want to reform the CVRA in light of this experience for your city
- Who else will be running in this race in addition to you and the incumbent?  How do you respond to the endorsements that the incumbent has?  
https://www.kathrynbarger.com/endorsements What endorsements will you seek?

Decision: Support Konstatin Anthony for LA County Board of Supervisor, District 5 in March 2024 primary election.

 

15. Decision: Support the Motion to Study the Feasibility of Establishing Democracy Vouchers in Los Angeles (fifteen minutes)
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein sponsor, invited outside speaker to present

Background: This motion would direct the Los Angeles Office of the City Legislative Analyst, in consultation with the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, to study the feasibility of establishing a democracy vouchers program, including options for full public financing of campaigns, in the City of Los Angeles. 
 
Link to motion: https://cityclerk.lacity.org/lacityclerkconnect/index.cfm?fa=ccfi.viewrecord&cfnumber=23-0359

Proposal: Support the Motion to Study the Feasibility of Establishing Democracy Vouchers in Los Angeles

16.  Decision: GPLAC position on LA Board of Supervisor size , ranked choice voting 
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein

Background:  Back in 2012, the GPLAC opposed a proposal before the LA County Board of Supervisors to play on the ballot a change from a three term limit to a five term limit for county supervisors, and to argue for the use of ranked choice voting with a larger county board instead https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/sop/transcripts/181885_07312012c.... Recently LA County Supervisors Horvath and Mitchel put forward a motion to study a larger Board, but did not include looking at ranked choice voting https://laist.com/news/politics/more-city-hall-scandal-fallout-la-county-supes-consider-expanding-board/

Proposal: That the GPLAC official position be that the LA County Board of Supervisors should be expanded beyond its present five seats to at least nine and that however many seats are to be elected, they should be elected by ranked choice voting

17. Decision: Authorize email outreach to Greens in Burbank regarding adopting proportional ranked choice voting for Burbank City Council elections (five minutes)

Background: The City of Burbank is responding to the threat of a California Voting Rights Act lawsuit regarding its city council elections, by investigating switching from at-large elections for its five member city council, which are elected in staggered two- and three-seat elections, to five, single-seat districts.  At the same time, there has been advocacy from ranked-choice voting advocates for Burbank to adopt ranked-choice voting instead.

Proposal: That the County Council endorse the use of proportional ranked-choice voting for Burbank City Council elections as a first preference, and if Burbank instead adopts single-seat districts, that ranked-choice voting is used for those elections; and (2) authorizes the GPLAC co-coordinators and secretary to send emails to registered Greens in Burbank with information about this effort and how to get involved.
 

18. Discussion: Greens in Neighborhood Council elections (fifteen minutes)

Background: At least three registered Greens ran and were elected in spring 2023 LA Neighborhood Council elections. Those Greens have been invited to speak about their issues and experiences running. At the same time, several Neighborhood Council elections were not held at all. A Green incumbent Neighborhood Council member has been invited to explain why that is happening.  New LA Mayor Karen Bass has said she will be reviewing the status of Neighborhood Councils.  This will be an initial opportunity for the GPLAC to learn about this issue, with the idea of potentially making recommendations at a future date after involving more Greens who have served on Neighborhood Councils.

https://laist.com/news/politics/la-mayor-bass-promises-review-of-neighborhood-councils

 

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