[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership

[Eric Brooks]

For our many small committees even the current quorum of 50% +1 is really problematic. Half of our committees can’t make quorum because there are just not enough people serving on committees. Committees are generally made up of 8 people and that forces us to make sure 5 show up to reach quorum. This is too high a bar, and 4 is much more manageable.

And bear in mind that if a committee makes poor decisions, those can be overruled by the GA/SGA, so a 2/3rds supermajority is not needed for specialized committees.

We badly need this amendment so that we can get our committees properly functioning again.

Eric Brooks
SF, CA
GPCA Media Committee Co-Coordinator

From: gpca-votes [mailto:gpca-votes-bounces at sfgreens.org] On Behalf Of james clark
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2:10 PM
To: GPCA Discussion List for SGA Votes <gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>
Subject: Re: [GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 157: Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership

A quorum should be no less than 66.66% of voting members. Having a smaller quorum leaves to much room for members to be excluded from important votes and decisions.

On Feb 15, 2018 12:45 PM, "GPCA Votes" <gpca.votes at gmail.com<mailto:gpca.votes at gmail.com>> wrote:
Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org<mailto:gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>

Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote:

Ranked Choice Vote ID #157
Ranked Choice Vote Bylaws Amendment: Clarify Notice Requirements and Reset Quorum at a Minimum of 50% For Standing Committees’ Voting Membership
Ranked Choice Vote Administrators: Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbeck
Discussion  02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
Voting  03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time

Background

This proposal has been brought forth because in recent years a number of standing committees of the Green Party of California (GPCA) have been unable to conduct any business for lengthy periods of time due to failure to reach quorum.  This state of affairs has often impeded the GPCA Coordinating Committee (CC) from fulfilling its own responsibilities per GPCA Bylaw 8-1.7 (“Request and receive reports from Committees and Working Groups, refer matters to them, and monitor and assist their work”).  GPCA standing committees are capped, for gender balance, at an even number of members, and currently establish quorum at a majority of voting members.  This proposed amendment would establish the minimum quorum at least 50% of standing committees’ voting membership.

This proposal would also clarify an ambiguity in notice requirements for calling meetings.  The language of GPCA Bylaw 9-3.1 is silent regarding notice requirements for standing committees that establish regular meeting schedules.  In practice, most if not all standing committees establish regular meeting schedules for their work year.  The proposed language would make explicit that two weeks’ notice is required for meetings that fall outside a standing committee’s regular meeting schedule, should one be set.

Proposal

That GPCA Bylaw Article 9-3 be amended as follows:

That Article 9-3 be amended from its current text:

Section 9-3 Meetings

9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives outlined in its work plan. Meetings must be called with a minimum of two weeks notice to committee members.

9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum is a majority of the committee's voting membership.

To read as follows:

Section 9-3 Meetings

9-3.1 Committees shall meet during GPCA state meetings, on teleconferences and otherwise as necessary to achieve the objectives outlined in their work plans. Meetings outside any regular meeting schedule shall be called with a minimum of two weeks notice to committee members.

9-3.2 The decision-making process for committees shall follow that described for the General Assembly in 7-5.5. Quorum shall be at least 50% of the committee's voting membership.​

Sponsors: The proposed amendment has been endorsed and sponsored by the Green Party of Butte County and the Green Party of Yolo County.

Full details will be available at: http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations

Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org<mailto:gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>

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