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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017.10.25 Conservation Commission Minutes Minutes for the Conservation Commission October 25,2017 Page 1 of 3 MINUTES FOR THE ASHLAND CONSERVATION COMMISSION Wednesday, October 25, 2017 Siskiyou Room, 51 Winburn Way 1. Call to Order Vice-Chair Risa Buck called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Commissioners Jamie Rosenthal, Mark Weir, Roxane Beigel-Coryell, James McGinnis, and Cara Cruickshank were present. Staff member Adam Hanks was present. Commissioners Marni Koopman and David Sommer were late. Council Liaison Traci Darrow was absent. 2. Consent Agenda Weir/Cruickshank m/s to approve the minutes of September 27, 2017, with a correction to the spelling of Commissioner Rosenthal's name. Discussion: None. Voice Vote: all ayes. Motion Passes. 3. Announcements The next commission meeting will be December 13, 2017. Buck stated that restaurants in San Diego have started a program to reduce plastic straw usage by asking if one is needed, rather than automatically giving a straw. It might be a model for the group to consider proposing to the restaurant community. Commissioner Marni Koopman arrived 6:08 p.m. Beigel-Coryell stated that EGOS is hosting film screenings. The first is November 2nd titled, "Death by Design," about the cost of digital dependency. The following movie will be, "Eat It," about food waste. Commissioner David Sommer arrived 6:10 p.m. 4. Public Forum None. 5. Old Business Sneak Preview Column: McGinnis gave an overview of how he wrote the December CEAP Update article. Group gave some minor grammar edits. Buck/Cruickshank m/s to approve McGinnis' CEAP article with the grammar edits as discussed. Discussion: Beigel-Coryell stated that as McGinnis wrote the article himself, she doesn't feel that she deserves a writing credit. McGinnis stated he wanted to give broader credit to the work of those who participated in the CEAP process. Group generally felt this was an acceptable strategy. Voice Vote: All Ayes. Motion Passes. Group discussed the time constraints requiring the need to approve Sommer's article for January at this meeting. Minutes for the Conservation Commission October 25,2017 Page 2 of 3 Weir/Beigel-Coryell m/s to approve Sommer's article, with the agreement it will be reviewed by staff before submittal to the paper. Discussion: None. Voice Vote: All Ayes. Motion Passes. Laundry to Landscape Workshop Recap: Cruickshank gave an overview of the event. Stated there were 27 attendees and that it went well. She gave kudos to staff member, Julie Smitherman, for her work setting up and promoting the event. Buck stated that most in attendance were homeowners and that she would like more system installers to attend any future workshop. Commission Goals—Next Steps: Koopman reviewed the major goals and priority areas agreed upon at the last meeting. Group agreed the subcommittees should form soon and begin the work of prioritizing the actions and goals discussed. Sommer agreed to join the Energy Conservation subcommittee. Hanks reminded the group that all subcommittee meetings must: • Be open and accessible to the public • Be noticed at least 48 hours in advance (done through City staff) • Have minutes taken (no need to be extremely formal in this) Group discussed the timing of starting subcommittees and agreed to inform staff of meeting dates, times, and location for noticing purposes. Koopman also agree to get the goals into a clean format for posting on the Commission webpage. 6. New Business City Operations and CEAP Update: Hanks gave an overview of the hiring process for the new Climate & Energy Analyst. He gave an update on the Mayor's progress in selecting members for the soon-to-start ad hoc Climate and Energy Action Committee. He also gave an update on what actions the Council has taken (such as passing the Ordinance) in the last few meetings. Weir asked about energy efficiency program funding. Hanks gave an overview of where the funding comes from and how much of the total budget has been spent in the past few budget cycles. Recology Recycling Update: Rosenthal gave an overview of the increased challenges to recycling which have been caused by new Chinese restrictions on what materials they will accept. She gave information on what Recology is doing to overcome these challenges. The City Council will have to determine if these plans, and the associated cost increases, are acceptable at their November 7th meeting. Group discussed some of the long-term implications of these new restrictions. Group agreed that the waste-reduction subcommittee should look into things they can do (education, programs, etc.) regarding this topic. Meeting Packet Discussion: Beigel-Coryell stated she hopes the group can agree to get stuff for packets turned in on time, if staff can also agree to get packet out to the group by no later than the Friday prior to the meeting date. Group agreed to submit any packet materials by the Minutes for the Conservation Commission October 25,2017 Page 3 of 3 Wednesday one week prior to any commission meeting and Hanks agreed to get packets out to commission members by the Friday prior to any meeting. Annual Commission Retreat Discussion: Group discussed whether a retreat was necessary or desired. Buck stated that one of the goals recently discussed to was to get to know members better, in a more social way, in order to understand each member's strengths. Staff reminded the group they can meet socially anytime, so long as they don't discuss Commission business. Koopman stated that a retreat would be something to consider for the future but isn't necessary at the moment. Group generally agreed to this assessment. Conservation Corner 2018 Calendar: Group discussed potential topics and possible timeline and agreed to the following: • February—Winter Sustainability Tips (written by Beigel-Coryell) • March—Conservation Commission Goals (written by Weir) • April—How to Create a Personal Climate Action Plan (written by Koopman and Cruickshank Group discussed whether they should get feedback on the commission goals, and if so, how that could be accomplished. They discussed whether asking for this feedback would raise false expectations and if they would be willing to change their goals based on feedback received. Group determined that this feedback wasn't necessary at the moment. 7. Wrap Up "Bin items" for future meetings • Downtown Recycle Baskets Update Group agreed that the next meeting should start at 5:00 p.m., so they can go out together afterward to celebrate the holiday season. Meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Diana Shiplet Executive Assistant