Johnson County Green Party Business Meeting

Tuesday, April 12th, 2005
7:00-8:30 p. m.
Uptown Bill's Small Mall

News: Johnson County Green Party Chair Kevin Owens has applied for the position of student liaison with the Iowa City City Council. He hopes to know tonight whether he has been selected. Good luck, Kevin!

I. School Board Update:

We need letter writers! A current concern is that the Iowa City Community School District may be planning to purchase land or provide infrastructure in the new Southgate development near Camp Cardinal Road.

It is feared that school district funds will be used to purchase land, which will take away funds for needed renovations in other Iowa City elementary schools. Educational and accessibility needs may conflict with land purchase for a schoool for a development that hasn't yet materialized, as there are as of yet no roads, no water lines, and no housing. It's not known for certain whether there will be a need for a school.

The other side of this is that the price is much lower now than it will be in the fuure, and if a school is needed, the land which the Iowa City Community School District would require would cost much more.

As a result of public pressure, the school board has postponed voting on this. The board met tonight to get public input. The vote will be held at next week's meeting (Tuesday, April 19th, Iowa City Community School District building, South Dubuque Street, across from the Post Office). Unfortunately none of our members to our knowlege had been aware of this meeting, but we are asking for more details and plan to ask members and friends to contact school board members and write letters to the editor. More information will be coming as soon as possible.

II. Volunteer to help with phone survey!

Citizens for Public Power is currently understaking a phone survey to assess Iowa Citians' level of support for a municipal utility. They are about half-way through their list and could use more help.

For those who can volunteer some time to make a few phone calls for Citizens of Public Power, we offered a schedule with more information.

III. Registration:

For our lawsuit, we need old voter registration cards with a "G" or old voter registration forms with "Iowa Green Party" as one of the options.

If you registered Green in Iowa during the time (2001-2002) when it was possible to do so and still have your old voter registration card (with the "G" as party designation), or a copy of the old voter registration form which included the Iowa Geen Party, please contact Holly at 337-7341 or reply to the address above.

IV. Calendar of Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, April 13th, 7 p. m., FAIR! membership meeting, Uptown Bill's Small Mall

Discussion planned on possible support for Citizens for Public Power; the recent Housing Forum and Wal-Mart.

Thursday, April 14th, 12-2 p. m. Caterpillar Day of Action, sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine and the War Resisters' League of Iowa City

There will be an information table on the pedestrian mall and a film at the Public Library.

Friday, April 15th, 3 p. m., South Clinton Post Office

Tax Day--the Vigil!--will be held by the War Resisters' League of Iowa City and anyone else who wants to support this. There will be a vigil with posters at the Iowa City Post Office, followed by a march downtown.

Also on Friday, April 15th: weekly Friday evening Peace Vigil, 5:15-5:45 p. m., at the corner of Clinton and Washington Streets, across from the Old Capitol Mall and Panchero's.

Wednesday, April 20th, 7:30 p. m. Howard Zinn, Lecture, IMU.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 3rd at 7 p. m.

Signed, Holly Hart

Secretary, Johnson County Green Party

4/13/05