Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Environmental Policy Study Committee 10 N. Division St. Conference Room 302B Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, December 5, 2012 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Kathy Antaya, Susan Anderson, Chris Simmons, Tiffany Eichorst, Randall Champlin, Comm. Andy Helmboldt, Ken Kohs, Christine Kosmowski, and Michael Myszka (4:43) Members Absent: None Others: Vicki Houser Call to Order: Kathy Antaya called the meeting to order at 4:06 PM. Ms. Antaya noted that a quorum was present. Public Comment: There were no public comments. Approval of Minutes: Kathy Antaya asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Hearing none, a motion was made by Randall Champlin, supported by Chris Simmons, to approve the minutes of the October 3, 2012 meeting. All yes. Motion approved. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: Mr. Champlin requested a discussion to add the term “cost effective” to the Committee’s purpose. Ms. Anderson requested an update on the status of a request to the City Commission regarding the 15 x 15 Policy. Old Business: New member recommendations Ms. Antaya suggested members invite friends and neighbors to future meetings to determine their interest. Ms. Antaya noted she has not yet discussed new members with Jeremy Andrews, but will in the near future. City Groundwater Ordinance Ms. Kosmowski stated she had attended the Wellhead Protection Team Meeting to discuss how the ordinance would be implemented. Comm. Helmboldt noted the Planning Commission was also looking at this ordinance, incorporating it into the Planning Department, noting changes were made last week that may soon go to the City Commission for discussion. 1 Local School Initiatives Report Ms. Kosmowski discussed local school initiatives, noting the agreements with the local schools needed to include water quality topics in their curriculum, noting the Math and Science Center incorporated those topics in their science kits, but that they did not have the local portion. Ms. Kosmowski stated she started training teachers from Lakeview and Battle Creek in August regarding issues facing our local area. Ms. Kosmowski further stated another teacher had used the materials provided to teach her student shortly after receiving the information. Mr. Champlin asked if the Tomas Solvent site was still contaminating local water. Mr. Kohs stated it was projected to pump for 30 years, noting they are trying to speed up the process and proposing shutting down the northern blocking wells. Mr. Kohs stated it is difficult to bring about closure, as the remaining small percentage of contaminants are the most difficult and costly to get rid of. Ms. Kosmowski noted Mr. Kohs was referring to the Wellfield. Ms. Kosmowski noted the process at the Thomas Solvent site would continue for many more years. Lawn Care for Healthy Lawns and Clean Water Ms. Antaya discussed a free workshop regarding Lawn Care for Healthy Lawns and Clean Water, noting the emphasis was to maintain a healthy lawn. Ms. Antaya said she was ready to move forward, but she was not sure if City staff can advise on how to best promote the workshop. Mr. Kohs recommended doing the presentation during the Super Saturday Soil Testing next spring. Ms. Eichorst stated there were many possible ways to promote the workshop, such as inserts in the City water bills, public service announcements on the radio, through retail locations, with the Farm Bureau, or to create an event on Facebook Cost Effective Recommendations to the Commission Mr. Champlin discussed the handout regarding other companies’ and governments’ environmental policy statements regarding cost effective recommendations. Mr. Champlin recommended the Committee incorporate “cost effective” into their policy statement, noting this this is currently not part of the purpose. Mr. Champlin stated “environmentally responsible” should always be considered, but urged the committee to incorporate cost effectiveness in their recommendations. Ms. Antaya agreed the term should be added to the Committee’s purpose, but questioned whether the additional wording would need to go to the Commission for approval. Mr. Simmons urged the Committee to not only consider immediate savings, but to also look at long term benefits. Mr. Simmons also noted that if something was more costly, everyone should look at ways to use items more conservatively. 2 Mr. Kohs stated he agreed the Committee needed to consider both economically viable and environmentally friendly recommendations, also recommending the Committee be concerned with both environmental protections along with responsible decisions. Comm. Helmboldt recommended the Committee ask for the modification to the purpose at the same time they request a Committee name change. Ms. Anderson noted the Environmental Policy Study Committee was established to help educate others about environmental issues, to do research and make recommendations. Ms. Anderson expressed a concern that the term “cost effectiveness” would restrict ideas or suggestions, recommending the Committee get input from people who understand the City budget, while other qualified individuals research the long term social benefits. Ms. Eichorst noted that although education may not be cost effective, it is an investment in the future of young residents, noting returns may not always be in terms of dollars. Mr. Champlin stated he did not feel the term would limit the discussion, but would instead add to the discussion. Mr. Champlin noted the Committee would need to look at the other benefits, such as the future benefits, education, preventing future issues and encouraging future progress. Mr. Champlin stated the recommendation should always focus on improving the environment, noting the Committee should justify expenditures while considering how the recommendation provided a community benefit. Mr. Simmons noted the Waste Management program regarding the recycling of batteries and light bulbs was expensive to the City, but a benefit to residents and the environment. Comm. Helmboldt stated the Committee and City staff would still need to determine how all purchases fit in with the budget. Possible Committee Name Change Ms. Antaya stated she would like a change to the Committee’s current name, to add or change to “Sustainable.” Report on the 15 x 15 progress from the Commission Ms. Antaya stated Comm. Domenico did have discussions with the Mayor and the City Manager regarding the 15 x 15 project. Ms. Antaya reported that former City employee Michelle Reen had been tracking the project information, but upon her leaving, the reporting on the progress has not been updated. Ms. Antaya stated Comm. Domenico had recommended Ken Kohs to help with the research progress, but that Mr. Tsuchiyama said he would try to find information on Ms. Reen’s past reporting. Mr. Kohs noted the City does strive toward the goal of obtaining 15% of energy using renewable resources, stating that he does not have the current data. Mr. Kohs noted that some projects were successful, but others were not. Mr. Kohs stated there were other aspects to the Honeywell project and that he would wait to meet with Mr. Tsuchiyama for more information. Mr. Kohs 3 stated his department has moved forward on the regulatory requirements for public education, more environmental clean-up responsibilities and the waste water treatment process benefits. Mr. Simmons expressed his concerned whether staff had the capacity to track the information, noting it may be difficult to follow through on. Ms. Antaya stated the City may have some of the information, but needed additional information to determine the current success of the project. Ms. Anderson inquired as to the time frame Honeywell first recommended. Ms. Kosmowski stated Honeywell was probably tracking the project more so than the City staff. Ms. Antaya stated she recently learned many communities have difficulty meeting all of the requirements due to fine print within the contract that may require extreme measures to be able to meet the requirements. Mr. Kohs stated there were other aspects to the Honeywell project, noting he would wait until he had discussions with Mr. Tsuchiyama. Mr. Myszka noted the City and the Committee would need to determine what metrics they are looking for. Mr. Myszka noted the 15 x 15 project addressed renewable energy resources, such as the wood burning system used to heat both City Hall and the Police Department. New Business 2013 Meeting Schedule A motion was made by Mike Myszka, supported by Chris Simmons, to approve the proposed 2013 Environmental Policy Study Committee meeting schedule. All in favor, motion approved. Report on MML Green Communities Conference Ms. Anderson discussed her recent attendance at the Michigan Municipal League Green Communities Conference. Ms. Anderson discussed the Green Communities Challenge Action List that was passed out to all committee members. Ms. Anderson noted she was unable to log into the MML site as she was not a registered City member. Ms. Antaya stated the Green Communities Challenge serves as a guide to communities to measure their progress toward sustainability. Ms. Antaya noted the MML was a good source of information to help lead to green communities, renewable energy projects, rating points, and comparisons of other communities’ practices. Ms. Antaya also recommended Jeff Spencer from the Department of Environmental Quality give a presentation to the Committee and Commissioners to discuss additional measures to make Battle Creek a more sustainable community. Appointment of Christine Kosmowski to the Environmental Police Committee 4 A motion was made by Tiffany Eichorst, supported by Mr. Myszka, to request the City Commission appoint Christine Kosmowski to the Environmental Policy Study Committee as a community representative. All yes, motion approved. Report on Local Future - VAL Conference Ms. Anderson referenced notes taken at the VAL Conference regarding waste to energy projects, partnerships, and energy efficiency grants to fund projects. Ms. Anderson presented an example of a Toolkit for Collaborative Local Community Sustainability Planning. Ms. Antaya noted it would be best to work with a consultant to implement the plan. Mr. Myszka recommended the City revise their website to include more sustainable information that is easy to navigate, similar to the State of Michigan. Mr. Myszka stated the revised web site would allow the City to take credit for the good things the City is doing and to stay competitive with neighboring communities, such as Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Comm. Helmboldt noted he has had discussions with City management to address multiple communication improvements to the City’s website. Comm. Helmboldt noted that due to recent City budget restrictions several positions were eliminated, including a Communications Representative. Ms. Antaya expressed her concern the current Commission did not establish the sustainability programs, and therefore do not have all of the history of the resolutions. Mr. Champlin noted Mayor Baldwin signed the policy and Comm. Behnke was on the Commission at the time and was a strong supporter. Ms. Antaya suggested the City include recycle bins in the newly transformed downtown area, noting additional information such as costs and clean up would be needed. Ms. Antaya noted the City promoted residential recycling and commercial recycling would be a good addition. Comm. Helmboldt volunteered to discuss the issue with Mr. Tsuchiyama. Ms. Eichorst informed the Committee of a Styrofoam Recycling event on Saturday, January 12, 2013 from 10:00 – 12:00 at First United Methodist Church. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Environmental Policy Study Committee will be held on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 4:00 PM. The next Work Group will meet on January 2, 2013 at Arcadia. Adjournment Ms. Antaya adjourned the meeting at 5:55 pm. 5