Draft Agenda, GPLAC County Council meeting, October 2, 2016

Green Party of Los Angeles County - County Council Meeting Agenda
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Eco-Home, 4344 Russell Ave., Los Feliz (Los Angeles), north of the 101 fwy on Vermont
3pm: Pot luck vegetarian potluck
4pm - 7pm: Meeting

Co-Facilitators: Marla Bernstein and Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Linda Piera Avila
Vibes Watcher: Cordula Ohman

1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees (ten minutes)

2. Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items (ten 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)

3. Report: Treasurer’s report (Doug Barnett, GPLAC Treasurer) (five minutes)

4. Action: Approval of Minutes of August 21, 2016 County Council meeting (Feinstein) (five minutes)

http://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/minutes/2016-08-21

5. Action: Consideration of appointment to County Council to fill unfilled seats from June primary election (twenty minutes)

Background: Seven County Council seats were filled in the June 2016 primary.  There are 44 seats in total on the County Council. Currently 14 seats have been filled by election or appointment for 2016-2020. They are reflected in this chart, along with the seats per district.

http://losangeles.cagreens.org/county-council/members

This agenda item is to consider appointing Greens to the unfilled seats who have applied in advance of this meeting:.  These are the number of seats per district http://www.cagreens.org/lacounty/county_council_seats_per_district_2012.pdf ; This is a map of the State Senate seats http://sdmg.senate.ca.gov/sites/sdmg.senate.ca.gov/files/2011_sdLA_bw_a.pdf

District 35  - Rachel Brunhke
District 35  - Caney Arnold

Action: Vote separately on each appointment to the County Council. Approval requires 80%, as per GPLAC Bylaws.

6. Action: Set Future Meeting Locations (Bernstein, Rai) (ten minutes)

Background:  At its July 10, 2016 meeting, the County Council approved the following schedule for the remainder of 2016: Sunday, July 10; Sunday, August 21; Sunday, October 2; Sunday, November 13; Sunday, December 18 (teleconference).  For its July and August meeting, the County Council met in Tongva Park in Santa Monica, and then voted to hold its October meeting at Eco-Home in Los Feliz.

Proposal: Hold the November 13 meeting at at a location in East Los Angeles. and schedule the first two meeting in 2017.

7. Action: Taking GPLAC positions on municipal, county ballot measures (Feinstein) (fourty minutes)

Background: This agenda item gives the Green Party the opportunity to take positions on ballot measures on the November general election ballot in the City of Los Angeles

GPLAC Bylaws 5-2.10 Ballot Measures state that the County Council may "Endorse or oppose ballot measures appearing on the ballot in Los Angeles County” and Bylaw 9-4.2(h) states that votes that require 3/5 for approval including "endorsing or opposing ballot measures.

See full list of ballot measures below

Proposal:  Take postions to endorse, oppose or take 'no position' on these ballot meausures.

8. Presentation: Greens holding elected office (fifteen minutes)

Background: At least two Greens holding elected office will be present at the next County Council meeting - Jessica Ceballos, Highland Park Neighborhood Council and Caney Arnold, Harbor City Neighborhood Council. This item will give them a chance to report on their experiences in office and take a few questions.

9. Discussion: Preparation for 2017 Los Angeles City Elections, including recruiting Green candidates (fifteen minutes)
Sponsor/Presenter: Mike Feinstein

Background: The City of Los Angeles will hold its Primary Nominating Election Tuesday, March 7, 2017 and its General Municipal Election Tuesday, May 16, 2017 http://clerk.lacity.org/Elections/index.htm. Greens have previously run few candidates in these races, usually because of the size of the districts.  Nevertheless running in these races creates a chance to reach large numbers of voters, and a large number of Greens in the whole county live in the City of Los Angeles.  This item is to discuss recruiting Greens to run in City Council races and for Mayor. http://clerk.lacity.org/Elections/Candidates/index.htm.  
http://clerk.lacity.org/Elections/index.htm

Attachment: Ballot Measures for consideration

– MEASURE “LV”: City of Santa Monica - Shall the City’s General Plan and Municipal Code be amended to require: a new permit process for major development projects exceeding base sizes or heights of 32-36 feet, with exceptions such as single unit dwellings and some affordable housing projects; voter approval of major development projects and development agreements, excluding affordable housing and moderate income and senior housing projects, among others; and voter approval of changes to City land use and planning policy documents?

http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=53687092663

– MEASURE “G: ADVISORY VOTE ONLY: City of Santa Monica - If a local transactions and use tax is enacted in Santa Monica, should half its revenue be used to improve and maintain local public schools, including attracting and retaining high-quality teachers, expanding access to pre-schools, assisting at-risk students, and improving school technology, arts, music, math, and science instruction; and half to help preserve and ensure housing in Santa Monica that is affordable, protect residents from displacement by rising housing costs, and reduce homelessness?

http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=53687094541

– MEASURE “GSH“: City of Santa Monica - To maintain and improve Santa Monica community services including support for preservation of affordable housing, reducing homelessness, school repair and improvement, education of Santa Monica children and students, and other general fund services, shall an ordinance be adopted to increase by one-half percent Santa Monica’s transactions and use tax, subject to independent annual audits, all funds used locally, no money going to Sacramento, raising approximately $16 million annually, until ended by the voters?

http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=53687094538

– MEASURE “SM“: City of Santa Monica - Shall Article XXII of the City Charter be amended to, among other things: expand the prohibition against kickbacks as rewards for certain official actions, create an exemption for volunteers serving certain City-funded non-profits, clarify the application of the Article’s prohibitions, the City Attorney’s authority and enforcement responsibilities, and the scope of available remedies?

http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=53687094664

Measure HHH – CITY OF LOS ANGELES HOMELESSNESS REDUCTION AND PREVENTION, HOUSING, AND FACILITIES BOND. PROPOSITION HHH. To provide safe, clean affordable housing for the homeless and for those in danger of becoming homeless, such as battered women and their children, veterans, seniors, foster youth, and the disabled; and provide facilities to increase access to mental health care, drug and alcohol treatment, and other services; shall the City of Los Angeles issue $1,200,000,000 in general obligation bonds, with citizen oversight and annual financial audits?

http://clkrep.lacity.org/election/final%20homelessness%20hhh%20for%20web...

City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). Charter Amendment.

Measure RRR - CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER (DWP). CHARTER AMENDMENT __

Shall the Charter be amended to: (1) add qualification requirements, stipends and removal protections for DWP Board; (2) expand Board to seven members; (3) require DWP prepare four-year Strategic Plans for Council and Mayoral approval; (4) modify DWP’s contracting, rate-setting and other authority; (5) permit future alternatives to existing civil service standards for DWP employees through collective bargaining; and (6) require monthly billing?

http://clkrep.lacity.org/election/FINAL%202016%20DWP%20RRR%20for%20WEB.pdf

City of Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions; Airport Peace Officers. Charter Amendment.

Measure SSS - CITY OF LOS ANGELES FIRE AND POLICE PENSIONS; AIRPORT PEACE OFFICERS. CHARTER AMENDMENT __
Shall the Charter be amended to: (1) enroll new Airport peace officers into Tier 6 of the Fire and Police Pensions System; (2) allow current Airport peace officers to transfer into Tier 6 from the City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) at their own expense; and (3) permit new Airport Police Chiefs to enroll in LACERS

http://clkrep.lacity.org/election/FINAL%20Fire%20and%20Police%20Pension%...

Proposition. Affordable Housing and Labor Standards Related to City Planning

Measure JJJ - AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LABOR STANDARDS RELATED TO CITY PLANNING. INITIATIVE ORDINANCE __
Shall an ordinance: 1) requiring that certain residential development projects provide for affordable housing and comply with prevailing wage, local hiring and other labor standards; 2) requiring the City to assess the impacts of community plan changes on affordable housing and local jobs; 3) creating an affordable housing incentive program for developments near major transit stops; and 4) making other changes; be adopted?

http://clkrep.lacity.org/election/FINAL%202016%20Housing%20JJJ%20Text%20...

http://la.streetsblog.org/2016/02/19/new-build-better-la-ballot-initiati...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-leslie/build-better-la-initiativ_b_11...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yWvDJHKT0ySVpaRlNWWHpwVFU/view

Measure CCC – LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT AFFORDABLE EDUCATION/ JOB TRAINING/ CLASSROOM SAFETY MEASURE. To repair local community colleges/ prepare students/veterans for jobs/ university transfer by upgrading vocational/ career education for veterans, firefighters, paramedics nurses/ police, removing lead paint/ asbestos, upgrading campus safety/ security systems, technology, handicapped accessibility/earthquake safety, repairing deteriorating gas, water/ sewer lines, acquiring, constructing, repairing facilities, sites/ equipment, shall Los Angeles Community College District issue $3,300,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, requiring independent audits, citizen oversight, all funds used locally?

– Measure MA – LONG BEACH MARIJUANA TAXATION MEASURE. To fund public safety, 9-1-1 emergency response, police officers, homelessness, and general City services, shall Long Beach update gross receipts tax rates between 6-8% for medical marijuana dispensaries, 8-12% for nonmedical marijuana dispensaries, 6-8% for processing, distributing, transporting or testing marijuana/related products and a square foot tax between $12-15 for marijuana cultivation, raising approximately $13 million annually, requiring annual expenditure reports, until ended by voters?

http://www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk/elections/ballot-measure-information/

page6image31104.png
– Measure MM – REGULATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES. Shall an ordinance be adopted repealing the City’s ban on marijuana businesses, reducing the City’s tax on recreational and medical marijuana, and adopting regulations permitting approximately 32 retail medical marijuana businesses located in areas not zoned exclusively for residential use with minimum distance restrictions from sensitive uses, and providing for the establishment of an unspecified number of marijuana cultivation, distribution, manufacturing and testing businesses?

http://www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk/elections/ballot-measure-information/

– Measure CW: CULVER CITY SAFE/CLEAN WATER PROTECTION MEASURE. To protect public health/groundwater supplies and prevent toxins and pollutants from contaminating local waterways, creeks and beaches, by improving storm drains/infrastructure to capture/clean urban runoff; preserving open space; and complying with clean water laws, shall Culver City establish a $99 clean water parcel tax; generating approximately $2,000,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring independent audits, public oversight, low-income senior citizens discounts and local control of funds?

http://www.culvercity.org/city-hall/information/election-information/bal...