Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Sustainable BC Committee 10 N. Division St. Conference Room 302A Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, December 4, 2013 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Kathy Antaya, Susan Anderson, Devon Gibson, Tiffany Eichorst, Comm. Andy Helmboldt, and Ken Kohs Members Absent: Randall Champlin, Michael Myszka, Chris Simmons, Christine Kosmowski and Becky Spicer Others: Vicki Houser, City Clerk Call to Order: Kathy Antaya called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM. Ms. Antaya noted that a quorum was present. Open Meetings Act: Ms. Antaya discussed the Open Meetings Act and the need to have the meeting accessible to the public for the duration of the meeting. Ms. Antaya stated she preferred to keep the meetings to about an hour, but stated that if the Committee felt the meetings may run longer, the Department of Public Works building may be more feasible. Public Comment: There were no public comments. Approval of Minutes: Ms. Antaya asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Seeing no additions or corrections, a motion was made by Andy Helmboldt, supported by Susan Anderson, to approve the minutes of the November 13, 2013 meeting. All yes, none opposed. Motion approved. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: Old Business: 1. Waste Management Recycling Contract – Mr. Kohs noted the Waste Management representatives made a presentation to the Commission the prior evening. Mr. Kohs stated the plan is to introduce the changes to the ordinance to include biweekly recycling pick up, provide a 96 gallon recycling cart, while leaving the weekly notation in the ordinance in case there are any changes in the future. Mr. Kohs stated he would review the ordinance guidelines to determine the best way to amend the ordinance to take into consideration present and future needs, while keeping the ordinance general in nature. Mr. Kohs stated he intended to introduce the amended ordinance at the first meeting in January, so that the publicity process can begin, noting the new contract starts April 1, 2014. Ms. Antaya noted the committee supported a positive change for the community, stating it was good for the environment, the residents, the City, and Waste Management. 1  2. MML Green Communities Challenge – Ms. Eichorst discussed the progress on the MML Green Communities Challenge, presenting information from the website, noting they needed to submit the application by January 15, 2014. Ms. Eichorst stated she would continue to work on the application, contacting other City departments for additional information. Ms. Eichorst stated a minimum of 5 points in each category was needed to reach each level, stating she felt the Bronze level could be easily achieved. Ms. Eichorst stated she would send the application to the work group as additional progress is made. Mr. Kohs and Ms. Eichorst discussed the Solar powered recycling compacting stations, noting one will be at the Farmer’s Market, with the other one at the Michigan Avenue parking deck near Kellogg’s or possibly near the Griffin at the walk through park. Ms. Antaya recommended a site near Bailey Park in the summer. Mr. Gibson recommended the park in front of Burnham Brook. 3. Committee Promotions a. Facebook – Devon created a Facebook page b. Battle Creek Enquirer – Ms. Jennifer Bowman stated she was working on an article for next week’s edition c. Posting Notice – delayed until spring 2014 d. Commission Meetings – Ordinance amendment to promote recycling, supported by committee e. Water Billing – waiting until after the first of the year Mr. Kohs stated he and his staff would be willing to research other ways to promote the committee and the committee’s goals. New Business 1. Commissioner Appointment to the Sustainable BC Committee Comm. Helmboldt stated Mayor Walters was currently working on the Commission assignments for the City boards and commissions. 2. Workgroup report: No workgroup report. 3. 2014 Committee Schedule A motion was made by Comm. Helmboldt, supported by Susan Anderson, to adopt the 2014 Committee schedule dates, with a meeting location to be determined at the next meeting. All yes, none opposed. Motion approved. Member Comments/Announcements Ms. Eichorst presented the 2014 Water Resources Community Calendar. 2 Ms. Anderson noted the Parks and Rec Department was having an Open House on December 11, 2013 at 5:30 PM at Full Blast to discuss the Energy Savings Initiative and the Five Year Master Plan. Ms. Anderson stated she would like the committee to discuss the MML Green Communities Challenge, to make recommendations to the City Manager to promote sustainability initiatives. Ms. Eichorst stated MML may be having a conference next spring to discuss green initiatives. Mr. Kohs inquired as the progress of the Green Purchasing Initiatives. Ms. Anderson stated the project has been on hold the last few months. Regarding the 15 x 15 initiative, Mr. Kohs noted several of the City buildings had been reviewed for energy efficiency upgrades, including City Hall, the Transit Facility, DPW and Full Blast. Ms. Anderson requested Mr. Kohs provide guidance to the committee members for a purchasing policy. Mr. Kohs stated the City Commission would need to adopt a policy to support green purchasing. Mr. Kohs stated DPW recently added a health clinic, noting the cardboard from supplies was not recycled, but placed in the waste dumpster. Mr. Kohs recommended incorporating recycling into City construction projects, noting the Purchasing Department would be responsible for incorporating this into the contracts. Ms. Antaya recommended the City encourage green purchasing, possibly having a policy stating the ability to purchase green products priced within 10% of lowest bid. Ms. Antaya stated the Leila Arboretum recycled all of the lumber for other projects from the moving of the horse sculpture. Ms. Eichorst discussed the compost bins from the county, also announcing a rain barrow workshop for spring. Next Meeting The Committee agreed to meet Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 4:00 PM, location to be determined. Adjournment Ms. Antaya adjourned the meeting at 4:58 PM. 3