DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Sunday, June 24, 2022

DRAFT: Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes
Sunday, June 24, 2022
Vegetarian Potluck: 1pm to 2pm
Business meeting: 2pm to 5pm

Facilitator: Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein
Time Keeper:  Linda Piera-Avila
Vibes Watcher: Ava Kermani

County Councilmembers In Attendance (7):  Doug Barnett, Marla Bernstein, Mike Feinstein, Ava Kermani, Linda Piera-Avila, Cordula Ohman, Ajay Rai
County Councilmembers Not in Attendance (2): Timeka Drew, Annie Goeke
County Council Alternates (0):
Other Greens (1): David Rockello
Other Attendees (1): Velinda Rockello

Quorum reached at at 2:07:  Barnett, Bernstein, Feinstein, Piera-Avila, Ohman, Rai
Meeting started at 2:15

Kermani arrived at 2:45

1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees

Attendees introduced themselves.

2. Reviewing our process

Facilitators reviewed meeting process

3. Decision: Opportunity to amend agenda and/or add emergency items
Presenter: Facilitator

Proposal (Feinstein): Add the late items below with an *, in the order presented below.

Approved by consensus

4. Discussion: Treasurer's Report
Sponsor/Presenter: Doug Barnett, GPLAC Treasurer

Barnett reviewed GPLAC balance in bank account, PayPal account, cost for GPLAC Nationbuilder, cost for GPLAC PO BOX, issues with filings with County Registrar

5. Decision: Election of GPLAC Co-Coordinators
Presenter: Rai, but Bernstein took over for nomination of male seat so that Rai did not facilitate election in which he was a candidate

Male seat: Piera-Avila nominated Rai
Yes (7):
No (0):
Abstain (0)

Rai elected

Female seat: No nominations made, current female co-coordinator stays in place

6: Decision: Questionnaire on local electoral reform for November 2022 Los Angeles City Mayor and Council candidates (ten minutes)
Sponsors: Feinstein, Rai

Proposal (Feinstein): That the GPLAC send the GPLAC questionnaire (https://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/los-angeles-2022-questionnaire) to all candidates in the November Mayor and City Council run-offs, that the GPLAC post their answers on the GPLAC website and send the responses to Greens in Los Angeles, to use these answers to inform whether the GPLAC will issue statements of support for any of the candidates, that the answers are also sent to the members of the Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles and that the GPLAC will publish a column about the answers in the local press.  That the GPLAC not send the questionnaire to candidates in the contested races for City Attorney and City Controller, because neither position would have a legislative role if the City would consider a policy change on how its elections are conducted

Approved by consensus

7. Decision: Endorse ACA 16 - Elections: Partisan Primaries (ten minutes)
Sponsors: Feinstein, Piera-Avila

Proposal (Feinstein):  That the GPLAC endorse ACA 16 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=20...) and send a letter stating that the GPLAC and the GPCA ultimately believes that single-seat, winner-take all legislative districts should be replaced by proportional representation elections from multi-seat districts; that at a minimum single-seat, winner-take elections should be conducted by ranked-choice voting; but that the top two experiment has been enough of a failure that it must be repealed immediately and then attention can be turned to further reform (http://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/repeal-top-two, http://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/public-hearings-electoral-reform).

Approved by consensus

8. Decision: Reimburse for GPLAC Nationbuilder account expenses
Sponsors: Mike Feinstein, Ajay Rai

Proposal (Ohman): That the GPLAC reimburse Mike Feinstein for a total of $3000 towards past payments for GPLAC Nationbuilder and Accurate Append expenses  

Approved by consensus, with Feinstein standing aside to avoid perception of a conflict of interest

9. Decision: GPCA General Assembly (twenty minutes) *
Sponsors: Feinstein, Rai

GPCA General Assembly agenda: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/cagreens/pages/1659/attachments/origina...

Proposal #1 (Feinstein, Rai): That the GPLAC authorize a written response that (1) voting upon bylaws at a General Assembly instead of a Standing General Assembly when fewer people are present and can discuss proposals violates Green Party values of grassroots democracy; and (2) that the consolidation of working groups (which are open to all GPCA members who meet the attendance requirements) into committee appointed by the GPCA state Coordinating Committee and thus restricts participation to those chosen by a majority of the Coordinating Committee centralizes power and violates Green Party values of grassroots democracy; and that the response be send to the GPCA Coordinating Committee and the GPUS Accreditation Committee

Approved by consensus

Proposal #2 (Feinstein, Rai) : Choose Delegates - that Barnett and Bernstein be elected as Delegates and that the GPLAC Co-coordinators be empowered to select additional GPLAC Delegates should there be interest from others

Approved by consensus

10. Decision:  Setting 2022 GPLAC meeting dates for remainder of 2022  *
Sponsors: Drew, Feinstein, Rai Presenters: Feinstein

Proposal (Feinstein): That the County Council adopt a schedule for the remainder of 2022 and consider in-person and video-conferencing options.

Both Zoom , hybrids
August 14 - zoom
September 25  - set whether in person or zoom at the August 14 meeting
November 13 - set whether in person or zoom at the August 14 meeting
Approved by consensus

11.   Discussion: County Council Districts for 2024 change with redistricting *
Sponsors: Mike Feinstein, Ajay Rai Presenter: Feinstein

Discussion occurred that in order to accomplish the objectives of GPCA Bylaws 8-1.4(b) and (c) (http://losangeles.cagreens.org/bylaws/2020-04-24#ARTICLE-8-ELECTION-AND-...) — that the County Council would enact  bylaws change that would combine tiny State Senate District 34 with 30 and State Senate District 36 for the purposes of 2024 County Council elections. 

12. Discussion:  Review of Greens in June 2022 elections *
Sponsors: Mike Feinstein, Ajay Rai

Discussion held

13.  Discussion:  County Councilmembership *
Sponsors: Mike Feinstein, Ajay Rai

Discussion held around what steps should the County Council take to increase County Council membership?

14.  Discussion: Hearing from Greens interested in joining the County Council *

Rockello indicated his interest, but has not had time