October 27 agenda

10/27/2024 Proposed October Meeting Agenda
 
OPENING/FLAG SALUTE
ROLL CALL
MINUTES
DRAPING OF THE CHARTER
PROPOSALS FOR MEMBERSHIP
WELCOME CEREMONY
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
 
Hall Report –
 
Hall Projects (in priority order):
 
Loose toilet in women’s bathroom
Couple of dining room benches getting wobbly
Remove old meter base and patch roof
Insulate crawl space under bathrooms (1/2 done)
Northeast side roof needs additional screws
Kitchen counters need refinished
Kitchen needs exhaust hood and fan
Repainting under eves of hall
Kitchen and dining hall floors need refinished
 
Lawn sprinkler tractor has been repaired and is stored under the stairs with the hoses and weed sprayer.
 
7 party rentals scheduled (one gratis). Chaps and Zumba still have long term contracts.  
 
Oregon State Grange has asked for a bit of help looking after Fairfield grange hall since it’s closure.  Dan will be looking in on it periodically.  Anyone seeing abuse or damage please let Dan know.
 
AGRICULTURE –  Harvest is really over! Our nut crop was very good.  Industry wide the crop was above average but not a record.  Prices are also up a bit, edging into the profitable range.  This is important because many other major crops remain unprofitable or barely profitable.  Ag industry also on edge due to tariffs proposed by both major political parties.  Republican party proposals are higher and thus more alarming but both sides seem intent on damaging Ag exports.
 
From news reports it appears that insanity will prevail in eliminating glyphosate (roundup) as an herbicide despite the lack of any significant evidence it impacts human health.  Multiple studies show no correlation between legal use of roundup or its generics and incidence of any sort of cancer.
 
EDUCATION  -  A major push is emerging to require more civics instruction, at least in public schools.  It appears this may be one issue that both sides of the political spectrum can agree on.  Devil is in the details of course.  Other subjects showing some signs of bipartisan agreement are technical education and college credit classes in high school.  Saint Paul School District for example is building a new technical/industrial education building.  We will see whether the budget will allow its operation long term.
 
LEGISLATIVE –  
Small number of measures but important issues on the ballot in November.  I will open the floor to any who want to discuss the measures.  The following is a repeat from September for those just getting around to investigating the measures.
Type
Title
Description

LRCA
Measure 115
Allow the Legislature to impeach elected state executives

LRCA
Measure 116
Establish the Independent Public Service Compensation Commission to determine certain public officials' salaries

LRSS
Measure 117
Establish ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal and some state offices in Oregon

CISS
Measure 118
Require Oregon issue payments to residents from increased corporate taxes.

CISS
Measure 119
Require cannabis businesses to submit to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission a signed labor peace agreement between the business and a labor organization with its licensure or renewal application

 
I researched a few complaints about my favorite, ranked choice voting (RCV), that have cropped up online. 
First is why the legislature exempted themselves from the use of RCV in the measure.  Turns out the county clerks association requested that less competitive races be exempted.  Legislative races are often less competitive and were duly removed from the measure.  Idea was to ease into the new system instead of jumping in all at once. 
 
Second is the cost of the new system.  The states that have implemented RCV have seen up front costs in the one million dollar neighborhood, exclusive of educational and promotional efforts.  In Oregon that would amount to around 50 cents per voter.  In addition there will be some costs associated with the longer ballots.  Estimates I have seen for that are in the 30 cent range.
 
Another is complexity.  Counting is indeed more complex, but is handled by computer. Some argue it is less secure due to the need to process statewide votes at one location.  Others argue it is more secure due to tighter security at the state level and the difficulty of hacking into a more complex program without leaving evidence.  Researching more than one candidate and then deciding who you like for second or third place is also more work, but it is optional.  Voters can continue to vote their first choice and have the same input on the election they have always had.  Actually filling out the ballot is no more complicated than a multiple choice test back in the school days.  I hope most voters can handle that.
 
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE –
 
COMMUNITY SERVICE – JoAnn
 
COMMUNICATIONS –  Betty
 
Fildelity Bond Form & payment due Nov.15.  (Confirm who is covered, limits)
Audit Committee:    Note:  cannot include check signers on committee.
3rd Qtr Report to OSG due 10/31
 
TREASURERS REPORT  -
 
Bills –  Dan
 
Parts for lawn sprinkler           3.59
Garbage bags                          10.99
Light string                              10.98
2 light strings                          21.96
Paper products                       157.77
Total                                       205.29
 
UNFINSHED BUSINESS: 
Troy Bayless (membership status)
 
NEW BUSINESS:   
Loose toilet – replace with ADA compliant one?  Around $250
 
Do we want to apply for another grant from State Grange?  If so, for what project?
 
Anyone want to do a holiday outing this year?
 
MEMBERS SICK OR IN DISTRESS: 
 
GOOD OF THE ORDER:   
 
The underlying essence of science is questioning.  Ask an impertinent question and you are on your way to a pertinent answer.  Jacob Bronowski, Mathematician and philosopher
 
HEIRLOOM PROGRAM: 
 

 
NEXT MEETING
 
CLOSING
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