GGS General Meeting Minutes from August 7, 2018

7:06 pm Meeting Called to Order with Introductions
 
1. OLD BUSINESS
Agri-tourism parcel on Hecker Pass, AS 17-02
Connie reported that there is surveying for the bike path going on. However some private property owners need to give easement for the bike path to be built. Property owners may be concerned about their liability with a public path going through their property. The city is not paying for the building of the bike path. But the city will maintain the bike path once it is built.
 
No news regarding if any businesses have been secured as tenants for the winery or shopping center. Some members are skeptical that a winery tenant would want to move in considering the current design.
 
2. NEW BUSINESS
Gilroy City Council candidates and election
Gilroy Growing Smarter’s own vice chair, Carol Marques, announced she will be running for city council for the 2-year term. Voters will be able to vote for one candidate for the 2-year term.
 
Regular observer in GGS meetings and Chair of the Planning Commission, Tom Fischer, announced he will be running for the 4-year term for city council. Voters will be able to vote for up to 3 candidates for the 4-year term. 
 
GGS’s intent is to support candidates who will work to protect the voter-approved Urban Growth Boundary. 
 
There was also much discussion on GGS’s power to endorse candidates. Carolyn went over a list of regulations that GGS will need to follow in order to maintain its non-profit, tax exempt status (501(c)(4)) in making endorsements. In summary, GGS can endorse candidates as long as making endorsements is not GGS’s primary function as an organization, and GGS contributes no more than 30-40% of its total budget. 
 
Discussion continued for setting up a subcommittee to conduct interviews, inviting each candidate for city council individually. Possibly GGS will invite the Dispatch as well.
 
A subcommittee meeting to plan the interviews is scheduled for Thurs. Aug. 9. Interviews are to start after Aug. 20. Linda, Carolyn, Steve and Connie volunteered to be on the subcommittee. Suggestions for the locations for the interviews include the Old City Hall patio or the Eagle Ridge Club House.

There was a motion to allow Carol Marques, as the Vice-Chair of GGS to use the GGS landscape as a background image on her campaign materials to show her affiliation with GGS. Motion was seconded and passed.
 
Some discussion ensued about the possibility of whomever GGS endorses being allowed to use the GGS logo within their marketing materials. It was decided to allow this. 
 
3. COMMITTEE REPORTS
Downtown
Linda West visited the Morgan Hill National Night Out, taking photographs to compare to the Gilroy event of the same name. She will present her findings to Gilroy city councilmembers, offering encouragement to continue focus on improving downtown.
 
Connie reported that according to John Taft, of the Downtown Business Association, four businesses are soon leaving downtown. For one of those businesses, the owners are retiring. 
 
Next Meeting: 7pm Tuesday Aug 28th or 29th at a place to be determined later, after interviews have been held. 
Meeting Adjourned:  approx 8:50 pm
 
Minutes respectfully submitted by Chrys Diskowski, standing in for Dana Wolfe, GGS secretary