GPCA Bylaws Amendment Section 7-1 Extension of trial period to evaluate new CC election method
Sponsor: Coordinating Committee
Presenter:
Subject: Extension of trial period to evaluate new CC election method
Background and purpose: At the GPCA's October 2009 Cotati General Assembly, delegates approved of a trial period to evaluate a new Coordinating Committee election method. According to the approved minutes (http://www.cagreens.org/plenary/archives/minutes/0910min_cotati.pdf), that method consisted of three points:
1) The CC shall consist of 26 seats with 2-year terms: • 12 seats shall be elected from regions–one from each region, except Central Valley gets two due to its size. • 14 seats shall be elected at-large by proportional representation (STV) online voting. Seats will have staggered terms so that half of the seats are elected each year.
2) The CC quorum shall be 50% plus one of the seated members, and if more than half of the allocated seats are empty, then this must be reported to the counties/GA.
3) At-large seats are capped at three per county. With a regional rep, that sets a limit of four CC members from a single county.
The Cotati minutes did not include the timing of the trial period, but text of the proposal in the agenda stated:
"Note: The election method described here shall be used for a two-year trial period. The CC shall form a committee to evaluate this proposed method during the second half of the second year. The renewal of this new election method will then be presented for GA approval or rejection. This proposal is intended to temporarily supersede those GPCA bylaws clauses relating to CC elections during the trial period."
In the first year since the passage of this prosa, only one person ran and was elected to an at-large seat. That occurred at the March 2010 San Jose General Assembly (http://www.cagreens.org/plenary/archives/minutes/1003Min-SanJose.pdf). In the second year, eight people ran and were elected. This occurred via an on-line vote conducted in June 2011 and is summarized in this Election Committee Report (http://www.cagreens.org/cc/vote/FinalReport.html).
Given
- that only one person ran and was elected in the first year - that the eight recently elected members are just getting started upon the CC and - that unless an extension (or other new proposal) was passed at the upcoming December 2012 Los Angeles General Assembly, the GPCA would revert to the prior CC at-large election procedure for the first General Assembly in 2012
This proposal recommends that the General Assembly approve a one-year extension of the trial period, so that the trial Coordinating Committee election method can be sufficiently evaluated.
This proposal also seeks to provide documentation of what the trial election method is, in a place that is easily and logically located within the GPCA's rules documents. Currently neither the agenda nor the minutes from the Cotati General Assembly provide a full, clear explanation of what method was approved. There is a helpful, informal summary (http://www.cagreens.org/cc/vote/at-large.html), but few know of the page's existence and its content remains unofficial anyway.
Proposal: That 7-1.4 and 7-1.5 be amended from the existing text
7‑1.4 CC Elections and Term of Office
At the first General Assembly meeting of each year, elections shall be conducted for CC seats whose terms are scheduled to expire within the calendar year including two at-large seats and any expiring regional seats not filled by an alternative regional process (see selection of regional members, paragraph 7-1.5). CC representatives shall serve for a nominal term of two years or until their successors are elected. In any event, at-large representatives shall vacate their seats at the end of the term unless reelected, and regional representatives shall retain their seats beyond the end of the term unless replaced or recalled.
Notwithstanding section 6-3, a region may replace its representative(s), including alternate representive(s), during the course of the term of office by conducting an election in accordance with its approved procedure. The new representative(s) shall serve the remainder of the existing term of office. The region shall notify the Coordinating Committee of any replacement conducted under this section.
7-1.5 Selection of Regional Members
Regional members shall be selected by regional caucus of delegates at General Assembly meetings, unless the active counties of a region select another process. Any such alternative process must be consistent with the ten key values, GPCA bylaws, and California law; and approved by all the County Councils of the active counties of a region; and filed with the Coordinating Committee and the Bylaws Committee. Regions with two or more seats are encouraged to strive for gender balance.
to the following text
7‑1.4 CC Elections and Term of Office
At the first General Assembly meeting of each year, elections shall be conducted for CC seats whose terms are scheduled to expire within the calendar year including two at-large seats and any expiring regional seats not filled by an alternative regional process (see selection of regional members, paragraph 7-1.5). CC representatives shall serve for a nominal term of two years or until their successors are elected. In any event, at-large representatives shall vacate their seats at the end of the term unless reelected, and regional representatives shall retain their seats beyond the end of the term unless replaced or recalled.
Notwithstanding section 6-3, a region may replace its representative(s), including alternate representive(s), during the course of the term of office by conducting an election in accordance with its approved procedure. The new representative(s) shall serve the remainder of the existing term of office. The region shall notify the Coordinating Committee of any replacement conducted under this section.
7-1.5 Selection of Regional Members
Regional members shall be selected by regional caucus of delegates at General Assembly meetings, unless the active counties of a region select another process. Any such alternative process must be consistent with the ten key values, GPCA bylaws, and California law; and approved by all the County Councils of the active counties of a region; and filed with the Coordinating Committee and the Bylaws Committee. Regions with two or more seats are encouraged to strive for gender balance.
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