DRAFT: Minutes, GPLAC County Council meeting, August 2, 2020

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Agenda, Sunday, August 2, 2020
Teleconference information shared via County Council email list
Check in/socializing: 2:30pm to 3pm
Business meeting: 3pm to 5pm

County Councilmembers present (8): Marla Bernstein, Timeka Drew, Mike Feinstein, Ava Kermani, Danielle Mead, Cordula Ohman, Linda Piera-Avila, Ajay Rai,
Others Greens present (3):  Doug Barnett, Annie Goeke, Diana Little,
Others Greens present:  David Rockello
Others present:  Glenn Bailey

Facilitators: Timeka Drew, Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Linda Piera-Avila
Vibes Watcher: Cordula Ohman

1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees 

All present introduced themselves, including role w/GPLAC County Council or otherwise with Green Party, or as outside observer

2. Reviewing our process 

Rai presented Relevant Bylaw: Section 9.3 Participation

3. Decision: Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items (five minutes)

Proposal (Feinstein): Approve the addition of the items marked with an asterik * below as late items, 2/3 vote required.

Approved by consensus

4. Decision: Bylaws Amendment - Ten Key Values, County Council vacancies
Presenter: Feinstein

Proposal:

Part 1: That the GPLAC make a one time bylaws interpretation that states that even though GPLAC Bylaws require that Bylaw amendments are made via the voting page, on a one-time basis - in recognition of the instabilty brought to GPLAC organizing by the COVID-19, and that the Council discussed the proposed changes and informally agreed to them by consensus on its July 19 teleconference, with the idea they be implemented in time for the County Council's August 2nd meeting - the vote is being brought before the County Council for a vote on the teleconference.

Part 2:  That GPLAC Bylaws 2-7 be amended from "Post-Patriarchal Values" to "Post-Patriarchy, Feminism and Gender-Equality"

Part 3:  That GPLAC Bylaws 9-3.1 be amended so that August 2020 be replaced with September 2020 in this text:  "The following sentence shall be in the bylaws through August 2020 and then shall be removed) Additionally on a one time basis, for the period of April through August 2020, an applicant who has attended at last one County Council meeting in the last six months, may gather five signatures of registered Greens in the district on a nomination petition as defined in 8.4. After which they must receive an 80% vote of the County Council to be appointed"

Part 4: That GPLAC Bylaws be amended to add 8-5 At-Large Members with this text:  "If a County Council member who was elected or appointed to the County Council moves within Los Angeles County, such that they no longer live within the County Council State Senate District in which they were elected or appointed, and if the State Senate District into which they move has no open, unfilled County Council seats, the County Council may appoint that person to the County Council as an 'at-large member' of the County Council according to the same procedues in place to appoint County Councilmembers to vacant State Senate District seats, such that the nomination signatures gathered must be from registered Green Party members in the State Senate District into which the person moved."  (This bylaw 8-5 shall be in effect for the duration of the 2020-2024 County Council term and shall sunset at the end of that term.)

Approved by consensus

5. Decision: Appointment of County Councilmember to fill at-large County Council seat: Timeka Drew (five minutes)
Sponsor: Rai  

Proposal: That the in-person validation of nomination petition signatures at the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters office for Timeka Drew be waived until such time as in-person validation is possible again at the office of the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters.

Approved by consensus

Appointment:  Timeka Drew for County Council, At-Large member from State Senate District 26

Marla Bernstein - yes
Timeka Drew - yes
Mike Feinstein - yes
Ava Kermani - yes
Danielle Mead - yes
Cordula Ohman - yes
Linda Piera-Avila - yes
Ajay Rai - yes

Appointment approved 8-0-0

6. Decision: Election of GPLAC Co-Coordinators, Female*
Presenters: Rai

Feinstein nominated Drew

Election:  Timeka Drew for GPLAC Co-Coordinators, Female

Marla Bernstein - yes
Timeka Drew - yes
Mike Feinstein - yes
Ava Kermani - yes
Danielle Mead - yes
Cordula Ohman - yes
Linda Piera-Avila - yes
Ajay Rai - yes

Drew elected 8-0-0

7: Discussion: Report on status of GPLAC Green voter registration data base and outreach*
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein

Feinstein presented an update on integration of new data in the GPLAC Green voter registration data base and outreach conducted.

8. Discussion: Update on outreach for Greens to fill vacant Los Angeles Neighborhood Council seats*
Sponsor: Danielle Mead
Presenters: Danielle Mead, David Rockello

Mead and Rockello shared an outline of their work

9: Discussion: Nominate delegates for 2020-2021 GPCA Standing General Assembly*

Thus far 21 people have been nominated for the 27 seats the GPLAC is alloted.

Decision:  Accept any nominations by County Council members. No nominations were made.

10. Decision: Planning Fall Endorsements - candidates and ballot measures
Sponsor/Presenters: Feinstein

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures/

Proposal:  That the GPLAC make a one time bylaws interpretation that states that even though GPLAC Bylaws require that GPLAC positions on ballot measures are made via the voting page, on a one-time basis - in recognition of the instabilty brought to GPLAC organizing by the COVID-19, and that the Council discussed the proposed positions and informally agreed to them by consensus on its July 19 teleconference, with the idea they be implemented in time to begin publicizing these positions ASAP - the vote is being brought before the County Council for a vote on the teleconference.

Approved by consensus 

Propositions 15 (yes)
Approved by consensus 

Proposition 18 (yes)
Approved by consensus 

 Proposition 21 (yes)
Approved by consensus 

Proposition 25 (no)
Approved by consensus 

11. Decision:  Schedule Zoom interview with George Gascon for LA District Attorney
Sponsor/Presenters: Feinstein

Proposal: That the GPLAC schedule a Zoom confernece with Gascon August 23 or September 13.

Approved by consensus

12. Discussion: Hearing from those seeking future appointment to County Council to fill unfilled seats from March primary election (twenty minutes)*

None present.