Green Party of Connecticut
State Central Committee
June 28, 2017 • Portland Waverly Center, 7 Waverly Ave, Portland, CT
Minutes, approved on July 26, 2017
In attendance: Fairfield County: David Bedell, Rolf Maurer; Hartford County: Barbara Barry, Mike DeRosa (GPCT Co-Chair), Chris Reilly (GPCT Treasurer), Jeff Russell; New London: Bob Stuller, Ronna Stuller (GPCT Secretary, Recorder); Shoreline: Owen Charles, Alexander Foster, Cindy Hyland; Waterford: Bill Collins, Emily Garfinkel (GPCT Co-Chair, Facilitator), Matt Tytla, Margaret Welch, Baird Welch-Collins (GPCT Co-Chair); At Large: Vic Lancia, Douglas Lary, Linda Thompson, Amy Vas Nunes, Eugene Woloszyn, Susan Ye. Guest: Joanna Heller.
Quorum was met. Meeting started at 7:07pm
- Minutes of the March 9, April 3, and May 24 SCC meetings were approved by consensus. The April 30 Annual Meeting minutes were approved with the following amendments: add Linda and Jeff as attendees, and restate schedule of the day to reflect what occurred.
Minutes of the June 16 Executive Committee meeting were accepted for the record; audio files of EC telephonic meetings are available upon request to the secretary.
- Treasurer’s Report: GPCT balance is $852.89; the only expenditure was $5.89 for our toll-free number. FEC balance remains $1,218.12.
- GPCT chapter reports
Fairfield County: Rolf attended Left Forum and shared information about the “Left Out Forum;” he and Hector participated in pro-Puerto Rican independence action at the UN.
Hartford County: Next meeting is scheduled for July 10; David Ionno’s new role on the MDC (Metropolitan District) board has the potential for a major impact for reform of the agency.
Shoreline: About 45 people attended “Requiem for the American Dream,” screened in Guilford on June 27; additional collaborative efforts with other local activist groups are planned. New website - www.shorelinegreenparty.org - has been launched. Formation of Town Committees - in Madison, Clinton and Guilford - continues, with the goal of running candidates in those towns.
New London: Next regular meeting will be July 2, and a second nominating meeting is scheduled for August 15. The NL Greens will be tabling at Sailfest on July 8-9 and at NL Pride at Ocean Beach on August 26; other chapters are welcome to bring literature and/or participate in either or both events.
Waterford: The first nominating meeting was held June 17, and a second is planned for July 29; the Greens plan to run 8 candidates, one for each municipal office in town. The Clean-a-thon was successful, and a concert fundraiser is planned for July or August.
Northeast CT: Chapter organizing continues, especially in the Coventry/Mansfield area, and bylaws are being worked on. There was a discussion on the roles of, and relationship between, chapters and town committees. NECT recognition will be included on the agenda for the July SCC meeting.
- Old business
a. 2017 Budget: Proposed budget was distributed, line items were discussed, and the need for a Fundraising Committee was highlighted (to be on July agenda). The following budget was approved by consensus:
2017 GPCT Budget (Jan 1–Dec 31, 2017)
Expenses
Annual meeting expenses $1,200
Website hosting and upgrades 250
Liability insurance policy 1,000
Campaign support 1,000
Administrative costs (phone, PO box, bank fees) 250
Advertising and public notices 500
GPUS Annual Meeting financial aid 500
Printed materials/informational literature 300
Total $5,000
Revenue
Jill Stein fundraiser $1,200
Other events 1,800
Merchandise sales 500
Personal donations 1,500
Total $5,000
b. Communications
1) Social media committee: Baird presented a proposal for committee make-up: each chapter will elect 1 member, and committee members will elect a director. The ability to appoint at-large members from areas lacking a chapter was added. Mike moved, 2nd by Emily; approved by consensus. We expect one of the GPCT officers to serve as an ex officio committee member.
2) Internal and external messaging: A new email address - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - will forward to all Executive Committee members.
- New business
a. Linda reported on the recent Left Forum and Left Elect. She will post details as well as upcoming events and potential action items on the CTGP Forum listserv.
- Green Party of the US
a. Mike, Barbara, Mirna, and Linda are attending the upcoming annual meeting in Newark. Baird moved, 2nd by David to approve them as delegates; passed by consensus. Depending on how many votes CT is allotted, our reps may be granted up to 1 proxy vote apiece.
b. National committee appointments/elections: David moved, 2nd by Bob that incumbents be extended to the next SCC meeting; approved by consensus. Ronna will send out a list of active committees and request that interested individuals notify the EC. Voting will be conducted at our July SCC meeting.
- Updates
a. Legislative status reports: The session is over, with the budget still uncertain. We will continue to identify issues and work on strategies for next session.
- Next meeting will be Wednesday, July 26, at the Portland Waverly Center. A special nominating convention will be held at 6:30pm, prior to the 7:00 regular meeting, for endorsement of any municipal candidates who live in an area not served by a town committee or chapter; potential candidates need to inform the EC no later than July 16, so the meeting can be properly noticed. August meeting was rescheduled to 8/30.
Meeting ended at 9:00pm.