Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Environmental Policy Study Committee 10 N. Division St. Conference Room 302A Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, February 1, 2012 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Ken Kohs, Chris Simmons, Michael Myszka, Christine Kosmowski, Comm. Domenico, Kathy Antaya, and Susan Anderson Members Absent: Randall Champlin, Tiffany Eichorst, and Comm. Walters Others: Susan Bedsole, and Vicki Houser Call to Order: Kathy Antaya called the meeting to order at 4:04 PM. Chris Simmons noted that a quorum was present. Public Comment: No public comment. Approval of Minutes: Kathy Antaya asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. No additions or corrections were noted. A motion was made by Michael Myszka, supported by Chris Simmons, to approve the minutes of the November 2, 2011 meeting. All yes. Motion carried. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: Kathy Antaya requested that a presentation by Alistair Hall, from Food & Water Watch and Green Corp, be allowed. All consented. Mr. Hall discussed local and state issues regarding the Federal Farm Bill and that his organization would be submitting a letter to Senator Debbie Stabenow asking for support of the Federal Farm Bill this year and focus support on smaller local farmers. New Business: 1. Work Group Report Michael Myszka presented a power point intended for Commission orientation to the newly appointed commissioners. He stated the presentation was still a rough draft, but has made substantial progress in the last several months. He stated that he is facing challenges in the presentation. He would like the presentation to be detailed enough to be informative, but not so detailed to be overwhelming and ineffective. He is also trying to make sure the presentation is not political. The simple statement he is trying to make is that the environment is important, and focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Mr. Myszka discussed Battle Creek’s strong environmental history, the two rivers that came together. He wants the presentation to emphasize the interconnected importance of the Social, Economic, and Environmental needs of Battle Creek. Mr. Myszka stated that the presentation does contain 2-3 pages of negative issues, with a visual message that environmental harm can come from many sources. Mr. Myszka stated that there are approximately 150 DEA Superfund sites in Battle Creek and short cuts to improve our environment are sometimes 1 ineffective and harmful. The city has many positive attributes that he would like to accentuate, such as many parks and rivers. He would like the presentation to focus on the priorities and the achievement of staff, such as the Green Roof and the Biomass Incinerator. Christine Kosmowski stated that the current priorities for the City of Battle Creek are Climate Change, 15 x 15 and the SW Michigan Sustainability Covenants. Mr. Myszka would like to include other environmental activities occurring in the outlying counties. He stated that the slide for the future is conceptual and the last page is to be a summary of the presentation. Chris Simmons agreed that the presentation should contain the maximum amount of information without so much detail that the audience will lose interest. Mr. Myszka would like the presentation to be part of the orientation package for the new commissioners. Susan Bedsole stated that the orientation has already been completed, but the presentation may be part of a work group presentation. Ken Kohs stated that the presentation was informative, letting the commissioners know of the committees’ priorities. The committee agreed that the common goal of the committee was the Quality of Life for Battle Creek residents. He also recommended putting the mission or charge of the committee in the power point presentation. Mr. Kohs recommended highlighting the achievements of the committee, such as the environmental assessments provided to Battle Creek Unlimited for future economic growth. Mr. Simmons noted that curb side recycling is not included in the presentation, and that the curb side recycling now includes all plastics, not just a few, and batteries. Mr. Myszka emphasized that the presentation is still a draft, and he was looking for input from committee members whether the story flow is acceptable and how to best present the information to the city commission. Ms. Kosmowski asked if the information could be presented in a workshop to the commissioners, as they had already completed the new commissioner orientation. Ms. Bedsole confirmed that the committee could request a workshop, but she is unsure as to the scheduling as there will be several workshops due to budget planning. Mr. Myszka inquired as to the reporting requirement of the committee to the city commission. Ms. Kosmowski stated the committee was to give their purpose, the value to the environment and the goal of the presentation. Mr. Myszka confirmed that the main goal of the presentation would be to educate the commission of the benefits of sustainability of the environment. Mr. Myszka confirmed that the power point presentation will show the commission what the committee’s policy and goals are, and that they were not asking for funding. The presentation would inform the commission of several current outstanding commitments, and that the committee is meant to be a resource to the commission. Ms. Kosmowski recommended that the committee get on the commission agenda and give a verbal report. Ms. Antaya noted that the commission needs to be informed about the citizens’ concerns about sustainability and the environment. Ms. Bedsole reminded the committee that two commissioners sit on the Environmental Policy Study Committee and they are the best vehicle for moving forward to comply with the committee’s mission. Comm. Domenico commented that the committee can help the commission to understand, through education, the ramifications or benefits of the decisions they make. The committee needs to communicate to the commission that although a decision they are making is not environmental, it may have an effect on the environment. Comm. Domenico felt that the commission members would make time for a workshop presentation that would allow them to make stronger decisions for the residents of Battle Creek. Mr. Simmons stated that the environment has been a priority for our founding members and that the committee should review policy and make recommendations to the 2 commission so that they can make more informed decisions. Ms. Antaya recommended Mr. Myszka continue to make modifications to the presentation, working with Ms. Kosmowski and Mr. Kohs to gather more information for the presentation. 2. Committee Chairperson Discussion Chris Simmons stated that he has not finished the annual report. He recommended that the committee elect new members of the committee. He inquired as to whether the city had a requirement for annual chair elections. He recommended that Kathy Antaya be nominated as the new Chairperson of the committee. Christine Kosmowski asked if the committee would also be nominating a new Vice Chair. Kathy Antaya recommended Susan Anderson as the new Vice Chair. Mr. Simmons motioned to nominate Kathy Antaya as Committee Chairperson and Susan Anderson as Committee Vice Chair. Mr. Myszka supported the motion. Mr. Simmons moved for a unanimous vote, all were in favor, none opposed. Motion to elect Kathy Antaya as Chairperson and Susan Anderson as Vice Chair was approved. 3. Meeting Dates for 2012 Kathy Antaya commented that Randall Champlin would prefer that the committee meet on a different day other than Wednesdays. She stated that he can make some meetings on Wednesdays, but not all meetings. Other committee members were comfortable with the meetings taking place on the first Wednesday of every other month. Mr. Myszka motioned for the committee meetings to be held on the first Wednesday of every other month to be held at 4:00PM in room 302A at City Hall. Chris Simmons and Sue Anderson supported the motion, committee members unanimously supported the motion. 4. Battle Creek Trees Kathy Antaya mentioned an email that was sent by Randall Champlin regarding the removal of trees in the last few years throughout the city. Ms. Bedsole confirmed that the city will not be replacing trees that were in the public right of way or near power lines. Ms. Antaya inquired into the trimming of Ash trees and the ability of residents to cut and take the wood for private use. Ms. Bedsole stated that this had been discussed at a prior commission meeting and that the wood cannot be transported over county lines. She stated that the city will work with the Tree Advisory Council to research acceptable tree replacements and smart ways to replant. Old Business 1. Metrics Discussion (for the 3 Battle Creek commitments) This will be moved to the next committee meeting. 2. Grant Applications Ken Kohs stated that the city currently has 3 environmental grant applications in process. One request is with the Department of Energy, for lighting and heating and cooling. The second grant request is for $1M for environmental assessments on sites with potential hazardous material contamination and is a coalition grant with Calhoun County, the City of Marshall and the City of Battle Creek. This grant is being requested through the US Environmental Protection Agency. This work is based upon advice from Battle Creek Unlimited, to help to bring new business investment into the city 3 both immediately and in the future. Most of the work will be done in the City of Battle Creek due to more contaminated sites. Ms. Kosmowski asked if the grant would require a match, and Mr. Kohs stated that no match was required. He stated that applicants would need to apply through the coalition for funding. The third grant is for $200K for environmental cleanup of petroleum related contamination in Brownfield sites in the City of Battle Creek. This request is also through the US Environmental Protection Agency. 3. New Members Kathy Antaya mentioned the need for additional committee members and that she is continuing to seek interested parties. Ms. Kosmowski asked if a public notice has been put out for committee interest. Mr. Simmons stated that the committee can consist of 19 members at a maximum. Ms. Bedsole recommended the committee look at Commission appointments. Ms. Kosmowski asked if everyone on the current committee had been reappointed. Ms. Bedsole stated that the committee needs to pull commission established appointment records. Ms. Bedsole stated that the terms of the members must be established based upon the enabling guidelines. Ms. Kosmowski suggested a work group to recruit new members and issue a press release. Member Comments/Announcements Ken Kohs discussed a process in Springfield regarding waste water management that may have to be reviewed by the commission. The process converts dry solids in waste water treatment to usable energy, diesel fuel. The class sludge will go to the processing location to make fuel. Mr. Kohs will attend a demonstration from the company in Springfield. He stated that a quick decision will need to be made. The company currently takes the byproduct to other places and injects it into the soil. The company would pay for the process, but the city would pay them back with future savings. He recommends the Environmental Policy Study Committee review the process and make a recommendation to the city commission. Mr. Myszka asked if the process may also include yard waste, and Mr. Kohs stated that it may also be used for this. Next meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for April 4, 2012, at 4:00 PM. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:23p.m. VLH 4