Present:
Doug Reber, GPTX co-chair
Kat Swift, GPTX co-chair
Kay Pils, Treasurer
Michael Grant, SEC member
Art Browning, SEC member
Sheri Allen-Wright, SEC member
Christine Morshedi, SEC member
Bill Holloway, NC delegate
Keith Lyons, NC delegate
Alfred Molison, NC delegate
Don Cook
Vicky Zabaras
Martin Thomen

Proposed agenda:
Starters (10 min)
Welcome, Round-table on names, Procedures, Functionaries, Accolades
Acceptance of the agenda (10 min)
Candidate Updates/Possible runs (1 hr)
Budget/ Treasurer's report for 2006-2007 (20 min)
Specific Plans for Action (30mins)
Lunch (1 hr)
Convention 2007 (40 mins)
Committees Updates (1 hr)
National Delegation Updates (1 hours)
Evaluation of progress on 2006-2007 goals ( 1 hr)
Strategy updates / revision (1 hr)

Agenda accepted by consensus

Thanks to Kay for hosting, organizing finances
Bill Holloway introduced Tanya Winters' Austin City Council campaign
Christine Morshedi & Art Browning introduced Alfred Molison's Houston City Council campaign
Discussion of other potential candidates

Decided by consensus: will complete agenda today, cancel Sunday portion of meeting. (Kay will be here to greet anyone who shows up tomorrow.)

Alfred added more details about his Houston City Council campaign.

Treasurer's Report:
No records since 2003 other than bank statements (and some of those are missing).
Kay Pils spoke to lawyer at TEC: As a GPAC, GPTX is subject to mandatory filings on 7/15 and 1/15 and candidate support filings 8 days and 30 days before financially supporting any candidate. Previous treasurer Joy Glatz performed a filing on 7/15/2006 and Kay has performed the 1/15/2007 filing but there are no records of any other filings.
Decided by consensus: GPTX will pay $500 fine for delinquent filing for 1/15/2006 owed by Rodney Woody.
If donations & spending have not exceeded $20,000 during six months, an organization may lump together donations under $100 per person.
Approximately $7000 in fraudulent deposits (credit card charges) were received from over 100 people in July. Most were caught and charged back; about $2400 remains that was not caught. Compass bank charges $20 per individual chargeback (total over $1600 in chargeback fees for this incident).
Decided by consensus to put remaining fraudulent balance (approximately $2400) into an escrow account.
Ramsey Sprague was paid $7800 for the year; IRS form 1099 was sent.

Proposal: if we want to continue doing business with iTransact, pursue option to avoid fees for each individual credit card company. Decided by consensus.

Kay has set up accounts in QuickBooks but does not want to continue serving as Treasurer. She will train the new Treasurer.

LUNCH

Bill Holloway reported that the Desert Greens of Utah have disaffiliated from the GPUS.

Discussion of various statewide issues and activist opportunities

Bill Holloway presented current status of electronic voting reform proposals in Legislature -- Aaron Peña is key legislator.

Discussion of efforts to remove primary screen-out for ballot access petitioning. Need a Republican co-sponsor.

Discussion of planning for 2007 state convention. Hotels are booked up in Marfa because of another event, but yurts are available for accommodations.

Called George Reiter for Fundraising Committee report on speakerphone. George stated that Harris County GP is getting about $800 per month from sustainer contributions.

Don Cook presented Finance Committee update. Committee has written goals and objectives but has not had any meetings. Discussion of whether the Finance Committee should be dissolved and its duties -- primarily compiling a budget -- should be assumed by the SEC. Proposal for volunteers from among those present (by raised hands) to present a draft budget based on last year's spending to the SEC by the next SEC conference call. Adopted by consensus.

National committee issues:
Delegate apportionment
2007 GPUS budget
2007 National Meeting location
Christing Morshedi, previously elected as alternate National Committee delegate, agreed to replace delegate Bill Holloway, who wishes to resign. Bill will resign at the close of voting on the current Delegate Apportionment Committee proposal.
Doug Reber pointed out that in a typical vote, only 4 or 5 of our delegates (out of 7) cast a vote.
Budget: proposal called for 50% of this year's spending to be on fundraising -- i.e. investment to secure future revenues. Good idea, or too much money?

Media Committee: Art Browning will seek input from Media Committee in fulfilling commitments made at the National Media Reform Conference. Art wants to report to the Media Committee on the Conference and initiatives brought up there, especially an opportunity to secure radio licenses in rural areas.

Outreach Committee: Christine Morshedi said that she and Doug Reber have talked to three different people in unaffiliated counties but nothing has come of any of them.

Doug Reber proposed dissolving Fundraising, Outreach, and Ballot Access Committees and replacing them with a larger Green Action Committee that would work on ad hoc projects in those areas as needed. After discussion focusing on the need for accountability and structure, it was decided by consensus 1) to work to form a pool of volunteers who could work on committees or projects as needed, and 2) to retain the current committee structure.

Dinner

Michael Grant asked for SEC opinion on whether it's worth pursuing changing web and e-mail hosting providers, given that the options so far seem to involve 4–5 times the cost we're currently paying. Several members offered suggestions for alternative providers to look into.

Meeting adjourned.