March 1st, 2022 Minutes - Council Meeting

Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday March 1st, 2022, 10:00am - noon

Meeting Type: Special Meeting of the Social Equity Council
Meeting Location: Virtual only - via Zoom Webinar Platform

Chair: Andrea Comer

Official meeting information is on the Public Meeting Calendar, here 

MEETING MATERIALS 

Minutes - 2/1/2022 

 Executive Director Report, presentation slides

MINUTES (DRAFT)

A special meeting of the Social Equity Council (SEC) was held virtually via Zoom on March 1, 2022.

This meeting was recorded and posted to YouTube - To watch, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cGrA8deip8

1. Call to order

   Meeting was called to order by Andréa Comer at 10:00 a.m. 

   Andrea Comer opened the meeting at 10:00 and reviewed the legislative recommendations approved in the 2/17/2022 special meeting. She spoke of the webinar and office hours program that is underway. She spoke of concerns that were raised regarding the legislation that cannot be addressed by the council now, due to timing of the market launch and the legislative session timing.

    

2. Attendance

   Marilyn Alverio

   Corrie Betts

   Andréa Comer

   Avery Gaddis

   Subira Gordon

   Michael Jefferson

   David Lehman

   Ojala Naeem

   Christine Shaw (Designee for Shawn Wooden)             

   Edwin Shirley

   Kelli Vallieres

   Joseph Williams

    

   Council members absent:

   Ramón Arroyo
   Fabian Durango
   Jeffrey Beckham
   

   Staff: Ginne-Rae Clay, Interim Executive Director, SEC and Jennifer Edwards, Program Manager, SEC

    

3. Approval of Meeting Minutes (2/1/2022)

   Was not addressed.

    

4. From the Executive Director                                        Ginne-Rae Clay, Interim Executive Director

   Executive Director Clay spoke of the work by accounting firm Cohn-Reznick on the development and documentation for the review and verification process of Social Equity Applicants.  She described the need for a marketing firm for enhanced statewide outreach, and is working with the Outreach Committee to interview and hire a firm.  Executive Director Clay spoke of work to create a low interest loan program and an accelerator program for approved applicants. She asked for feedback from the councilmembers about content for a one-day Social Equity Council retreat being planned for the group in the fall.  Executive Director Clay presented the topics and metrics from the technical assistance series of webinars and office hours held so far and noted they are being posted to YouTube, here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzvRGNkxZDffHl81nQUAxDQ. She gave an update on the numbers of applications received by DCP so far, as reported on their website.

   A discussion ensued about the marketing of the webinars and the process for development of the accelerator program.

   As a staffing update, Komla Matrevi was hired as the office as staff attorney, to start in March. His early work will include drafting policies, procedures and by-laws for the SEC.  Other hiring is underway.
   
   Executive Director Clay reported that the FY 22 budget and FY 23 were adjustments were submitted to OPM and approved by OPM to move forward.  Christine Shaw clarified that those adjustments will need to go to the legislature for evaluation and final approval.  She mentioned the guidance received from the Office of the Attorney General regarding roles and responsibilities of the Social Equity Council, as reported in the February 17, 2022 special meeting and the legislative recommendations that were submitted, as discussed in that same meeting. A discussion ensued.

    

5. Committee Reports/Requests for Action
   1. Outreach Committee                          Marilyn Alverio & Subira Gordon, Co-Chairs
      Marilyn Alverio explained that the committee did not meet since the last meeting. But that members have been at work with the office on the statement of work for marketing and outreach work to come.
   2. Finance Committee                             Christine Shaw, Chair
      Christine Shaw spoke of the work to adjust the budgets for FY22 and FY23.  She noted that the requests were submitted to OPM, and were approved to move forward to the legislative committees that will evaluate the requests for final approval.
   3. Governance Committee                     Ojala Naeem, Chair
      Ojala Naeem and members discussed the executive director evaluation process that will begin soon, using the SEC workplan as the guide. Further discussion on this topic will be held in executive session.

      Ms. Naeem spoke of the work by the Governance Committee on SEC policy regarding attendance by members.   She asked for a motion to approve the policy. 

      Motion: Councilmembers who miss two out of three council meetings, attendance will be addressed by the SEC Chair with the appointing party. Attendance will be reviewed in June and September.

      Second: Marilyn Alverio

      Discussion: For clarification, Chair Comer affirmed that the SEC will only report the attendance issue through the Chair to the appointing party.  Marilyn Alverio suggested adding committee meetings as well.

       

      Chair Comer noted, that as a point of order, to add committee meetings, the motion would need to be rescinded. Ojala Naeem rescinded her motion, to allow for the changes discussed.

       

      Ojala Naeem made a motion.

      Motion: Note will be taken of councilmembers who miss two out of three Social Equity Council meetings or committee meetings to the committees they are assigned to, regularly scheduled.  The SEC Chair will then have a discussion with the councilmember and based on that conversation, the appointing party for that individual’s seat on addressing the attendance issues or appointing a new member. Councilmember attendance will be addressed in June and December.
       

      Second: Marilyn Alverio

      Discussion: None.

      All In Favor:
      

      Marilyn Alverio
      Corrie Betts
      Andréa Comer
      Subira Gordon
      Michael Jefferson
      David Lehman
      Ojala Naeem
      Christine Shaw (Designee for Shawn Wooden)             
      Edwin Shirley
      Kelli Vallieres
      Joseph Williams
      

      Opposed:
      Avery Gaddis

       

      Ms. Naeem spoke of the Governance Committee recommendation for the Accelerator Ad-Hoc Committee to have the ability to design an RFP for an accelerator operator.

       

      Christine Shaw asked for the council to review the RFP before it is published. A discussion ensued.

       

      Ojala Naeem asked for a Motion: To have the Accelerator Ad-Hoc Committee to develop and put out the RFP for an accelerator operator in partnership with DECD and DCP, and those meetings will be open to the SEC members. 

       

      Motion: Joseph Williams

      Second: Edwin Shirley

      Discussion: none

      All In Favor: All
      
      Approved.

    

   1. Workforce Committee                       Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Chair

      Dr. Vallieres reported that the Workforce Committee is developing the job description for the new position proposed: Cannabis Workforce Development Manager. The committee’s plan is to bring someone in during the April timeframe and it is a durational position.  A discussion ensued. Mr. Joe Williams suggested a coordinated effort between that position and the SEC accelerator program – for the benefit of the Social Equity Applicant entrepreneurs who go through the accelerator.

       

   2. Policy Committee                                Edwin Shirley, Chair

      Ed Shirley spoke of the two policy committee meetings that were held, 2/10 and 2/17.  The work was the legislative recommendations that were approved in our last SEC meeting.

       

6. Public Speaking - Members of the public were invited to address the Social Equity Council, however there were no sign-ups.
7. A motion was made to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters.

   Motion: Christine Shaw

   Second: Michael Jefferson

   Discussion: none
   

   All In Favor: All
   
   Approved.

   
   The SEC entered executive session – 11:25 A.M 

   Called back to order at 12:10 P.M.

    

   8.   Ojala Naeem made a motion to approve the (interim) Executive Director Evaluation Process.

   Motion: To approve the (interim) Executive Director Evaluation Process, as follows:
   
   4/1 send Evaluation form to all Councilmembers (use the SEC workplan to evaluate, members have two weeks to complete the evaluation). Then the Governance Committee will review the evaluations and make a recommendation to the full council at the May meeting.

   Second: Avery Gaddis

   Discussion: None
   

   All In Favor: All
   
   Approved.

                                                      

8. For the Good of the Order – New Business, Updates, and Information

   None.
   
   

    

9. Adjournment - Andréa Comer asked for a motion to adjourn.
   
   Motion: Avery Gaddis
   Second:  David Lehman
   All In Favor: All

The meeting adjourned at 12:12 P.M.

Minutes are a draft until approved at a subsequent meeting.