October Minutes 2011

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

October Minutes

WASHINGTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS

Meeting, Oct. 12, 2011

Nine Washington County Democrats met Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, in a second floor meeting room of the Washington Public Library.

Chairman Peter Morrison called the meeting to order led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the September monthly meeting were noted and filed for record.

Kay presented the treasurer’s report and distributed copies of the report, from Sept. 14 to Oct. 12. Cash on hand on Sept. 14 was $474.18. With income and expenses, cash available on Oct. 12 was $1,470.07. Five hundred dollars of the income was the grant which Pete had applied for and had obtained from IDP, to help with membership. For the fall luncheon alone (Oct. 2), income was $1,012 and expenses were $666.11. About 68 to 70 meals were served. The amount of $345.89 was cleared on the luncheon.

Mike Mitchell moved to approve the treasurer’s report, Bob Spenner seconded, and the motion carried. Pete said that the treasurer’s report would be filed for audit.

In 2008 we had $987.55 after paying the last check for post office box rent. Box rent this year is at $56. We’ll be better off going into 2012 than we were going into 2008 (even without that $500 grant).

Chairman Pete commented on the Second District meeting. It helped with some revenue and also in terms of costs on the day of the meeting (Oct. 2). He said it was really nice to have those people in Washington and it was a semi-productive meeting. A number of people from the new counties, which will be part of the new Second District, were present.

Committee Reports. Pete praised Kay for the fine job she did of heading up the luncheon and for the good report.

We don’t as yet have a platform committee and will need to establish that before the first part of January.

Old Business. Precinct designation is in a state of flux right now. All our precinct locations will, Pete thinks, remain pretty much the same. The auditor has the final say on that. There is a total of maybe three or four people who did fall into the “iffy” category. There are some questions that need to be answered regarding who would be eligible to serve as precinct captains -- must they be members of WCDP? Could they be from another precinct? Pete said those questions are for Washington County Auditor Bill Fredrick. Pete will talk to Bill.

Kay reminded us that everyone is going in as a temporary precinct chair, and permanent officers will be elected at the caucus.

Old Business. The Second District is hoping to have the district convention in Washington as the central location. They will need to select a site, and they have sent out district convention bid documents. We discussed some possibilities, such as Washington High School or Highland High School. The convention would be about April 28.

Our group wondered whether we should continue to pursue this and whether we could pull it off. The Second District would bring their own server and laptops and desktops. There would need to be a sound system at the selected site. We would need a mike and someone to operate the sound system. Kay suggested that that would be a good opportunity to make more money with a luncheon. Bob voiced his opinion that we should only consider this if the work and responsibility would not fall on Kay again, or Kay and one other person -- that if we did this, we would need people committed to work and to help. The last convention, it was noted, was in Fairfield.

Bob volunteered to contact people at the Highland school to see if something can be worked out, and to check on the possibility of arranging for some high school students to help with serving in exchange for a percentage of the income’s going to their school programs.

Kay said the convention would be an opportunity for 1) funds and 2) publicity.

Chairman Pete adjourned the meeting. The next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Respectfully submitted,

Nan Stark, Secretary

Group Fundraiser and 2nd District Gathering in Washington, Iowa

October 2, 2011

The Washington County Democrats, decided to combine their annual fundraising luncheon with the subsequent meeting of the 2nd District Democrats at the 4-H Building at the Washington County fairgrounds on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

The event was a win/win situation for the 2nd District Democrats and the county group. The Washington County Democrats enjoyed greater participation and the benefit of the shared facility, while the 2nd District group had the nicer facility as well as the benefit of gathering for lunch without the normal hassle of the potluck.

It was the first gathering of the new members of the new 2nd Congressional District, and the members of the former group. It also constituted the first reorganizational event in preparation of the future district reorganization.

Washington is located near the center of the new 2nd Congressional District, and that means we will probably be meeting in Washington often according to a 2nd District representative.

September Minutes

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

September Minutes

WASHINGTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS

Meeting, September 14, 2011

Thirteen Washington County Democrats met Wednesday, September 14, 2011, in a second floor meeting room of the Washington Public Library.

Chairman Peter Morrison called the meeting to order led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the August monthly meeting were noted and filed for record.

The Treasurer presented the treasurer’s report through and including September 14, 2011; Pete said it would be filed for later audit.

For the Report of the Chair, Pete said the Second District meeting would be held on Oct. 2 as contemplated at the last meeting. Lunch will be offered beginning at noon, and the meeting time is scheduled for 2 p.m. Information has gone out to all of the current Second District counties including Linn County, as well as all of the new counties included in the updated and revised Second District, which will include 19 counties in all. This will be a sort of coordination meeting -- the last of the old group and the first of the new group all in one setting. Pete supplied them with a map and directions to the 4-H building. They will not need to bring food for a potluck; Washington County Democrats will be supplying food from noon until the meeting time.

Also, Washington is now apparently centered geographically, in what will be the new Second District, and speculation is that they might like to have meetings fairly continuously now in Washington. This is yet to be decided.

Pete had applied for a grant from the Iowa Democratic Party, and he announced that we had received a grant for $500. He turned the check over to treasurer Kay Ciha. Sandra Johnson asked what the mission, or purpose, had been for the seeking of these funds. Pete said there were four things that a group could apply for. Membership development, which seemed the most appropriate, was one of those, and Pete had chosen that category. Everyone present thanked Pete for doing this.

Under the agenda item of Committee Reports, we discussed the upcoming fundraising dinner and Second District meeting and the food items needed -- including sloppy Joes, vegetable lasagna, potato salad and coleslaw. Kay offered to make a large batch of sloppy Joes and perhaps some vegetable lasagna. Several people offered to make coleslaw and potato salad and to help with the sloppy Joes and lasagna. We need enough to serve about 60 people, at least, but we would hope for more, such as 125 people attending. The group discussed whether to use tickets. The Second District people would not need tickets, since any of them who wanted to buy a meal would pay at the door. Terry Philips moved that we make 150 tickets. Mimi Jacoby seconded, and the motion passed.

The ticket price is $10. Terry said he didn’t want the Second District members to feel as if we were taking advantage of them to make money, and suggested offering them a $2 discount on the price of a meal. It was decided that this offer would be posted on the Second District Web site. Pete said Al Bohanan had indicated that the Second District proceedings habitually include passing a hat at the end of the meeting, and the funds then go to the host organization. Terry pointed out that this may or may not happen; and even if it does happen, there are other expenses they must meet, and we may not receive the entire amount.

Kay announced that on Sept. 25 U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack would be at the Ciha home from noon to 2 p.m. She invited anyone interested to come and meet him. The group discussed food that members might bring, as well.

Under Old Business, Terry spoke about the redistricting plans. He said the county supervisors can decide whether to call for a general election vote on the subject of supervisor representation: whether to remain with the supervisor representation as it is (I.e., supervisors represent a particular district with only the people living in that district deciding on that one candidate) or to change it (such as voting for supervisors at-large). The redistricting plan will be presented to the supervisors at their meeting Friday (Sept. 16), and they will set a date to hold a public hearing. Terry said that supervisor Wes Rich will no longer belong to the district including the city of Richmond. Instead, he will be in the district with Riverside. Kay announced that her plans to run as a supervisor candidate would be made after the district plan is finalized. Kay also said we should soon be able to get maps from the courthouse Web site.

Pete mentioned that we would probably be asked to report to IDP, about how we are using/or have used that $500 grant.

Under New Business, we discussed the subject of caucus chairs. IDP wants a list of caucus chairs as soon as possible. Pete will contact Louise Frakes, former county chair, for her lists. Precincts will change. We also need to know the exact date on which caucuses will be held. Tentatively it has been set for February 6. This might possibly be decided by the time of the Second District meeting on Oct. 2. Also, a meeting site must be decided -- in our case, this will probably be the Washington Community High School building.

Fred Stark spoke about the opportunities for new candidates to run for a seat on the park board and for at least one city council seat. He said this would be a chance to make a real difference in local governance, and pointed out that the deadline to announce candidacy is approaching.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 12, at 7:30 p.m., and the November meeting will be on November 9. Both will be at the Washington Public Library, 2^nd floor. The 7:30 time will hold through the November meeting. In November we can decide about returning to an earlier meeting time, as well as deciding whether we need to meet in December

Mimi told about an online press conference at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, during which Sue Dvorsky of Iowa City will comment on the real story behind the Republican candidates’ “myths.”

Pete declared the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Nan Stark, Secretary