September Agenda

  09/22/2024 Proposed September 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):
 
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
 
5 party rentals scheduled. 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.
 
STATE FAIR  -  Exceptionally good conversations at the Cabin this year.  The riddle game used at the Hop Festival was popular at the State Fair as well and led to three folks asking for membership during Dan and JoAnn’s shift.  Sadly no one in our area.  Thanks to all who participated.
 
AGRICULTURE –  Harvest almost over!  Mostly just hazelnuts to go now.  The HGO liquidation has been resolved with the new Donald plant sold intact to George Packing.  Down side is this creates one very dominant packer processor with potential monopoly power.
 
Another story of environmental protection run amok.  EPA has blocked repair of tide gates at the coast that protect pastures on former estuaries from salt water.  Argument is the estuaries need to be restored to support salmon and other species struggling to survive.  Seems the owners of the pastures (mostly dairies) don’t enter in the calculations.
 
EDUCATION  -  The voucher measure being promoted didn’t make the ballot due to lack of signatures.  Districts are continuing to deal with large budget cuts due to expiring pandemic funding.  Probably will be emergency funding requests to the legislature.
 
LEGISLATIVE –  Small number of measures but important issues on the ballot in November.
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 state offices in Oregon

CISS
Measure 118
Require Oregon issue rebates to residents from surplus corporate tax revenue

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 the legislative races be exempted.  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.
 
Third is time required for results.  Alaska has been mentioned frequently as requiring more than two weeks to report results.  While it is true that Alaska results with RCV are often taking that long the results before RCV also took almost that long.  Alaska is a big place with often nasty weather.
 
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE –
 
COMMUNITY SERVICE – JoAnn
 
COMMUNICATIONS –  Betty
 
TREASURERS REPORT  -
 
Bills –  Dan
Zumba cow CD                        $11.99
Zumba cow poster                  $24
Extinguisher testing                $54.70
Total                                        90.69
 
UNFINSHED BUSINESS: 
 
 
NEW BUSINESS:   OSG looking for various committee members.  I will take legislative position unless someone else wants it.  Others: deaf awareness, community service,education, GWA, juniors, lecturer, membership, veterans, youth.
 
                                   
MEMBERS SICK OR IN DISTRESS: 
 
GOOD OF THE ORDER:   
 
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. T. S. Elliot
 
HEIRLOOM PROGRAM: 
 

 
NEXT MEETING
 
CLOSING
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