Minutes of the SNOW Coordinating Committee

Date: September 15, 2003

CC members: Linda York, Ric Power, Jay Gerring, Mike Yarrow (Facilitating), John Bito (Recording)

Guests: Kaz Suzat (ANSWER), Tom Barnard (SNOW Organizer), Howard Gale (Wallingford Neighbors for Peace; SNOW USA PATRIOT act program)

Request for Endorsement:

Kaz presented march & rally plans for Sept 28, "End Occupation"
Decided: SNOW Bulletin to include unendorsed announcement.

Submitted minutes of August 25 meeting. Decided unanimously: minutes approved.

General Meeting:

Set for September 29. Ric to arrange Eastside venue.

Following meeting set for October 13. Linda to arrange Northern North Seattle venue.

Organizer Report (by Tom Barnard)

Overall impression is positive - neighborhood groups are more vital than anticipated.

Roosevelt, U-District and CD/First Hill neighborhood groups are no longer functional.

Organizing Committee proposal (by Tom Barnard):

Create a select committee focused on neighborhood organizing. Tom to recruit committee members. With the following goals.

• Assure all groups have all resources from SNOW & extend discussions happening in SNOW General meetings to neighborhood groups.
• Assure issues from groups appear on SNOW agenda
• Assure resources developed in one group are readily available to any other group.
• Regularly update CC on activities undertaken and completed.

Decided to approve with 4 yeas and 1 nay.

US Out of Iraq Committee Report:

Information Page drafted and circulating for comment. Survey is being developed. Committee meeting weekly.

Working on Venue - first choice is University Temple Methodist Church.

SNOW to sponsor with a commitment to fund a budget of $300

Decided to approve unanimously.

Also, the committees are required to send drafts of leaflets to coord@snowcoalition.org, but can publish leaflets approved in their committees without getting a vote from the coordinating committee as long as this results in good-quality, thoughtful publications.

Fundraising Committee Report:

Tom will prepare empty database for entering addresses from last year's contact sheets. We intend to send letters to all of those addresses to seek reconnection and solicit donations. We will consider offering premiums that we'd solicit including David Barian photos, Essential Bakery products, Abe Asherhoff video.

USA PATRIOT Act Committee Report:

Progress may be too good. One of the King County Council members has placed discussion on the calendar and there is some sense that a resolution could pass the council. We would prefer that it not be passed so that we can pursue a citizens' initiative campaign.

February 15 & April 12 funds:

Alice Woldt of the Church Council of Greater Seattle submitted a proposal through Ellen Finklestein that excess funds raised from the February 15 event be first applied to offset the non-recovered cost of producing the April 12 event with any remaining excess allocated to fund the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride.

Decided to approve with 4 yeas and 1 abstention.

Agenda items that were deferred or are expected to be considered at the next CC meeting:

• Providing member groups with the SNOW EIN to use in opening their own bank accounts. There was some concern that we don't understand what risk this might introduce.
• By laws. We should read the by laws that Jay has promised to supply, the new work that Will has submitted and begin a process to incorporate membership and voting privileges in the by laws.
• Political campaigns. It would be helpful to have clear expectations for how SNOW engages in political arenas.

Minutes by John Bito.