Submitted by Kathy Tezla:
- City Council Observer - Jane McWilliams has volunteered to be our City Council Observer through December 2007. We need someone to take over this important function on behalf of the League starting January 2008. Please contact Hilary Ziols, if you are interested. In the meantime we want to thank Jane for taking on this role. Look for her Observer Reports soon.
- Book Group Revived - Thanks to Hilary Ziols and Jan Mitchell, the LWV Northfield/Cannon Falls Book Club is back. A monthly discussion group to consider books and articles that engage us with the world of nature, and/or consider various aspects of environmental policy issues, will be starting soon.This Book Group is being sponsored by LWV Northfield and Cannon River Watershed Partnership.
- Fourth Monday Series - Kiffi Summa has stepped down as the coordinator of the LWV Fourth Monday Series. The Board thanked Kiffi for her effort to bring the LWV membership and the community together to learn more about various topics of interest.
- Openness in Government Decision Making - Eve Webster discussed the possible role of the League in hosting a Forum on governance processes in Northfield. A motion was passed directing Eve to call a meeting of LWV members and community members to explore a process by which League could educate citizens about the Northfield city government and facilitate communication between the City and the community.
- National League takes Consensus on its Immigration Study - The political positions advocated by all League organizations are based on the consensus opinion of all their members. Between now and February 1, 2008, the National League will be gathering the views of its members about the important issues surrounding US Immigration by asking Local Leagues to conduct consensus meetings on immigration.
Kathy Tezla, Janet Petri-Zorn and Mary Steen comprise the steering committee that is planning a consensus meeting that will be held in the Northfield Public Library’s Meeting Room on Monday November 26th, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Professor Kathy Tegtmeyer-Pak from St. Olaf will provide a brief overview of current federal immigration policy, followed by a moderated discussion of a set of Consensus Questions provided by the LWVUS. Answers to the questions will be recorded and forwarded to the National League.
Members are asked to familiarize themselves with the immigration issues and form their own opinions about them by going to the National web site by following this link: http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Consensus_Kit&CONTENTID=9681&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm. There you will find the Consensus Questions that were developed by the LWVUS Immigration Study Committee. While at the web site, you can also find more information about the League’s Consensus Process than the paragraphs above can provide.
Next Board Meeting, November 1st, 2007
