Framingham Democratic Town Committee
Framingham Green 136 Maynard Road, Framingham, MA 01701
Meeting Minutes – Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 7:00 PM
Call to Order: Chair Beverly Hugo called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM.
Moment of silence in memory of Susan Spilka, sister of State Sen. Karen Spilka.
- Announcements:
– There will be two women’s marches: Washington, DC and Boston, Ma
– Erika Toochin is interested in starting a kids branch of the FDTC
– We are in the process of updating our address list prior to our caucus on Feb 12.
– March Charity will be ARC of Mass. to honor Suzie Spilka
– We are reconstituting our now six subcommittees: Affirmative Action & Outreach, Communication, Programming, Legislative, Hospitality, and Civics Education.
- Attendance: Members:Elsa Aviza, Jeanne Bullock, Carmen Chico, Jack Duffy, Maureen Dunne, Patrick Dunne, Linda Fields, Adam Freudberg, Beverly Hugo, Michael Hugo, Barbara LeDuc, Jack Lewis, Chris Lorant, Kathie McCarthy, Margareth Shepard, Norma Shulman, Cheryl Tully Stoll, Parwez Wahid, Rep. Chris Walsh, Mel Warshaw, Cynthia Villanueva. Lifetime Members:none. Associate Members: Rosamond Hooper-Hamersley, Aparna Kumar, Prabhat Kumar, Sripriya Moorthy. Guests: Deborah Butler, Robert Case, Rob Cassidy, Sara Fontes, Cheryl Gordon, Gwendolyn Holbrow, Bridget McManus, Amanda Northrup, Larry Stoodt, Keith Wagner, Joe Willoughby.
Bev noted that our Bylaws require full FDTC members to attend at least 50% of our meetings and volunteer 40 hrs over each 2 year period.
- November 20, 2016 Minutes:Secretary Barbara LeDuc Approved with one abstention.
- Treasurer’s Report:Treasurer Margareth Shepard Approved unanimously
A total income of $90.25 and expenses of $422.55 decreased the 11-20-2016 balance of $2747.01 to $2,414.71.
- Candidates’ forum:
Cheryl Gordon, a candidate for School Committee from south Framingham, outlined her qualifications and positions on issues facing Framingham schools.
Cheryl Tully Stoll, candidate for re-election to the Board of Selectmen, spoke about her success in keeping the tax rate down, and the challenge of building a new Fuller School.
- Reports:
– Rep. Chris Walsh noted the legislature is beginning a new term; January 13 is the first filing deadline; he has introduced about 20 bills on topics such as a livable wage and removal of vegetation near utility lines. His twoaides are Julie Watt Faqir ([email protected]) & Nicole Venger ([email protected].).
Other topics suggested to Rep. Walsh included correcting the state school funding formulae, enforcing the Veterans’ bill Ch 115 benefits for Framingham veterans, and easing the process to obtain senior IDs for Charlie Cards, which are now obtainable only at Downtown Crossing. Rep. Walsh replied that funding for school transportation will be considered by the House this year.
– Alliance Report: It was suggested that the Town Committees form social media teams. Gus Bickford, new chair of Mass Dems, will be at the next Alliance meeting
- Speaker:Jack Lewis, newly-elected State Representative from the MA 7th District, listed some of his priorities for coming year, for example to form a Framingham High School Dems group (Ohad Klopman will chair). There is a need for a similar group for Ashland and Keefe Vocational as well. Jack’s Legislative aide is Sara Fontes ([email protected]). Jack is working with a joint group of the three Representatives from Framingham (Reps. Lewis, Walsh, & Gentile) to combat sexual slavery, which has re-emerged in Framingham.
- Caucus information: Our caucus will take place at the Community Room of the Framingham Green on Feb. 12 at 6PM sharp. registration 6 PM, start caucus promptly at 7 PM. It will close at 7:15 PM. It is to elect delegates to Ma State Dem convention in Lowell on June 3. There will be the usual parties on Friday night, and the platform convention on Saturday morning, with breakout sessions following. The cost is $75 ($50 for seniors and the disabled), but waivers are available for anyone unable to pay.
- Note:Rep. Chris Walsh recognized Parwez Wahid for his recent service as a member of the College of Electors. The FDTC thanked Parwez for his service to the Party.
- March Breakfast Meeting:will be March 19 at 10:30 AM at the Green, and will feature The Candidates and Issues Forum. Jeanne Bullock will serve as Chair of the Hospitality committee; a sign-up sheet for folks interested in helping will be here on the main table. Please sign up to bring food items!
- Constructive Waysto be involved:
- \Women’s’ marches in Washington and Boston
- Pantsuit Nation, Politico
- Elizabeth Warren re-election campaign forming
- Write letters to editors
- Ohad Klopman noted the Framingham H.S. Democrats are building their own Facebook page.
- Jack Lewis: sign up for his newsletter – contact Sara
- Norma suggested: see www.IndivisibleGuide.com (CDs 4 & 5) for information on groups forming to resist the Trump agenda.
- Continuation of the Bylaws discussion on endorsing candidates (Article 1).
A count was taken to determine that sufficient members were present, and there were 18 voting members present at this meeting. Mike Hugo, in supporting endorsements, listed many Democratic Town Committees in Massachusetts that permit endorsing Democratic candidates. The Bylaws of the state party are silent on this matter, but the party Charter allows endorsing. Jack Duffy moved that the proposed Bylaws Amendment, amending Article 1, be adopted. The motion was seconded. Norma Shulman gave the minority report opposing endorsements in non-partisan elections.
Considerable discussion followed. Cheryl Tully Stoll moved (Chris Lorant seconded) to attach a friendly amendment, seen in italics below. The vote to adopt the friendly amendment was 11 in favor, 1 opposed, 2 abstaining.
Following the vote adopting the friendly amendment, Jack Duffy’s motion for the adoption of the amendment to Article 1, as amended by the friendly amendment, was put to a vote by the Chair, and passed by a margin of 13 in favor, 6 opposed, 0 abstaining.
Immediately upon the taking of the vote, a member protested the vote and asked that the vote be ruled out of order as the addition of the friendly amendment would have necessitated a further 30-day notice. The Chair then announced that should that be the case, the Committee would have an opportunity to re-vote the issue at the conclusion of the Caucus in a special meeting to be convened at that time.
The Convener of the Bylaws Subcommittee Michael Hugo, stated that he would look into the matter of the propriety of the vote, but would post a notice, which would meet the 30-day notice requirement, in an abundance of caution, and would report at the next meeting what he had determined. In the event of such a re-vote, the complete amendment to Article 1 (as below) will be voted on at a special meeting after the caucus on February 12, 2017, should that be in order.
The provision voted upon at this meeting stated:
“Providing there are a minimum of 18 regular members present at any regular or special meeting, the Committee may endorse one or more Democratic candidates in a non-partisan election up to the number of available elected positions upon a 3/4 vote of those present and voting. The Committee shall not endorse one Democrat vs. another Democrat; therefore, if there are fewer positions on the ballot than there are Democratic candidates, there shall be no endorsement of any candidate. Any such vote on the issue of endorsement under this article shall be made by secret ballot.”
All business being concluded, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara LeDuc, Secretary
| OCPF E-File Receipt, Report ID/Confirmation
#598389
FILER INFORMATION
CPF ID: 70187 Filer Name: Framingham DEMTC
REPORT INFORMATION
Report Type Description: Year-end Report (WTC) Reporting Period: 10/22/2016 – 12/31/2016 Filing Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2017
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
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