DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Friday, March 7, 2025

DRAFT Green Party of Los Angeles County, County Council Meeting Minutes, Friday, March 7, 2025
County Council members present (6): Timeka Drew, Mike Feinstein, Annie Goeke, Ava Kermani, Shannell Pittman, Ajay Rai
County Council members non-present (1): Doug Barnett

Facilitators: Timeka Drew Ajay Rai
Minutes: Mike Feinstein

Quorum was reached at 5:04pm with five present Drew, Feinstein, Goeke, Kermani,  Rai
Meeting started at 5:04
Pittman arrived at 5:45
Rai left meeting at 6:30
Meeting ended at 6:45

1. Welcome and Introductions - All attendees

As all in attendance were already well-acquainted with each other, an icebreaking exercise was conducted about how each attendee would have conducted themselves if they had been a Green member of Congress at the time of Trump address to Congress when Democrat Al Green was removed from them proceedings after protesting Trump.

2. Reviewing our process

In the interest of time, this review was skipped, as all present when the meeting started were already well-acquainted with the process.

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

Proposal (Feinstein): Items marked *below were published after the two week deadline and thereby need to be added to the agenda by a 2/3 vote

Approved by consensus

4. Discussion: Treasurer's Report*

Sponsor: Barnett

Presenter: Rai

Rai presented that the GPLAC filed its second half of 2024 financial report on time and that he, Rai, had an authorized status with the State of CA to file even though Doug Barnett is the GPLAC Treasurer of record; and that the amount in the GPLAC was approximately $4000.  There was also discussion about future outreach to GPLAC members who might be professional accountants willing to take over the Treasurer position and that a job description be created for such outreach.

5. Decision: GPLAC website losangeles.cagreens.org upgrade*

Sponsor/Presenters: Ajay Rai, Timeka Drew

Presenter: Rai

Rai presented on the issues with Drupal 7 reaching its end-of-life status. Discussion followed on potential complications that could arise with updating the site to Drupal 11, what costs would be involved with paying someone to address such complications, why it was time to move the site to WorkPress and update the look and functionality of the site, and what would be involved in moving the existing content over.  No proposal was made, but instead it was agreed that the Council would revisit the issue at its next meeting after Rai attempted update the site on a off-site location first.

6. Decision: GPLAC Nationbuilder website and Accurate Append expenses*

Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Proposal (Feinstein): Through July 30, 2026, which is the period for which the GPLAC must file its financial reports for the first six months of 2026; and whichcovers the June 2026 California state elections, the GPLAC would agree to the following:

- Continue to host the LA County Green voter registration database on https://greenpartylacounty.nationbuilder.com/ and use it for outreach to Greens and to host the GPLAC donation and volunteer pages

- Continue to update the Green voter registration database with lists of registered Greens obtained from LA County and the State of California

- Continue to have Feinstein use his credit card to maintain the account

- Undertake periodic email blasts to registered Greens in LA County to fundraise to cover the monthly costs, and ideally raise funds towards the past non-reimbursed amount

- Feinstein agrees that going back to June 2017, he will count $100/month for the 91 month since then (seven years x 12 plus 7 months in 2017) as permanent in-kind contributions for a total of $9100, and will continue to do so at $100/month through July 2026

- That the GPLAC acknowledges as its current responsibility the unreimbursed amount of $23,081.73 - $9,100 = $13,981.73, and additional similar expenses through July 2026

- That the GPLAC will review progress towards these goals at County Council meetings at least once during calendar 2025 and at least once in 2026 before the June 2026 elections, and may extend this mandate during this time

Approved by consensus

7. Proposal:  Update on LA Charter Reform Process*

Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Proposal (Feinstein):  That once the eight members of the Commission are appointed, and again once all 13 members are appointed, that the GPLAC send an email to (i) all appointed Commission members, (ii) all LA Neighborhood Council members and (iii) all Greens in Los Angeles County for whom the GPLAC can email to, notifying them of the GPLAC position (http://losangeles.cagreens.org/issues/gplac-concerns-limited-scope-los-a...) that the Commission take up the topic of a larger Los Angeles City Council elected from multi-seat districts by ranked choice voting; and that once the process for public participation is announced, that it be sent to all Greens in Los Angeles County for whom the GPLAC can email to.

Approved by consensus

8. Decision: Endorse The California Fair Elections Act SB 42*

Sponsor/Presenter: Feinstein

Proposal (Feinstein): That the GPLAC (i) endorse SB42 - the California Fair Elections Act, (ii) report that endorsement to the authors of the bill, (iii) send an email blast to Greens in LA County to write their state legislators to support the bill (https://www.yesfairelections.org/petition/sb42.php) and (iv) notify the GPCA of the GPLAC's support and encourage it to do the same.

9. Decision: Endorsement Process for Governor*

Sponsor/Presenters: Mike Feinstein, Shannel Pittman

Proposal (Feinstein, Pittman)

Proposal: That in consultation with the Ware campaign, that (i) a date and time for a zoom live stream be established some time in April, that (ii) it be hosted and moderated by GPLAC officers, that (iii) there be a time for a presentation by Ware and then for questions and answers with attendees of the event, that (iv) it be promoted by the GPLAC via email to registered Greens in LA County and in general via GPLAC social media, that (v) the email contain Ware campaign links, that (vi) the email ask GPLAC members about their thoughts on endorsing Ware, that (vii) the opportunity to receive GPLAC member input continue for one more week after the event, and then that (viii) the County Council take a decision upon the endorsement soon after, either by an email vote or at a monthly meeting, depending upon the timing of any County Council meetings scheduled at that time.

The Butch be asked to fill out this https://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/green-endorsement-questionnaire

And if other candidates enter the race for Governor and approach the GPLAC for endorsement  they fill be requested to fill the questionnaire https://losangeles.cagreens.org/elections/green-endorsement-questionnaire, the GPLAC will consider endorsement at that point

10. Decision: Set next GPLAC meeting dates*
Sponsors/Presenters: Feinstein, Rai

Proposal (Goeke) That polling be done on one That the GPLAC set a meeting date for a virtual business meeting starting at 6pm on either Sunday April 27, May 4 or May 19 (May 11 is Mothers Day) and an in-person meeting at 1pm a location to be determined on either Sunday July 6, 13 or 20.

11. Discussion:  Greens running for LA Neighborhood Council*

Feinstein made report.  Drew will contact in person

12. Discussion: GPLAC Bylaws Proposal amendment*

Sponsors/Presenters: Mike Feinstein, Ajay Rai

Feinstein presented PROPOSED LANGUAGE

Section 9-3 Nomination Signature Petition for Appointment to Fill Vacancies

9-3.1 Any person seeking to be appointed to fill a County Council vacancy must be registered Green within the District they wish to represent, and must gather as many signatures of registered Greens in the district on a nomination petition as defined in 8.4, as would be normally required by the County Registrar to appear on the ballot in that district. After which they must receive a majority vote of the County Council to be appointed.

(The following sentence shall be in the bylaws through December 2024 and then shall be removed) Additionally on a one time basis, for the period of April 2025 through December 2025, an applicant who has attended at last one County Council meeting in the last six months, may ask in writing three weeks before a County Council meeting to be appointed. After which they must receive a 2/3 vote of the County Council to be appointed.