Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Sustainable BC Committee 150 N. Kendall St Multi-Purpose Room Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, October 1, 2014 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Kathy Antaya, Comm. Andy Helmboldt, Randall Champlin and Devon Gibson Members Absent: Susan Anderson, Tiffany Eichorst, Ken Kohs, Christine Kosmowski, Chris Simmons and Michael Myszka Others: Vicki Houser, City Clerk Call to Order: Kathy Antaya called the meeting to order at 4:10 PM, noting a quorum was not present. Public Comment: There were no public comments. Approval of Minutes: The approval of the August 6, 2014 minutes was postponed to the next meeting. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: None Old Business: 1. Green Purchasing Guidebook & Policy Ms. Antaya asked the Committee members to continue their research on other municipalities’ green purchasing policies, noting that instead of a guidebook, the Committee could provide information to all of the City departments, recommending sustainable products. Mr. Champlin expressed concern the information would need to be constantly updated, recommending postponing until the next year. Mr. Champlin recommended the Committee instead make general broad goals that have an environmentally sustainable component, such as the percentage of City property that should be parks or what type of industry to attract to Battle Creek. Comm. Helmboldt stated the City Commission would be looking at Environmental Stewardship in the near future while discussing their goals and vision, cautioning the Commission may focus on other goals. 2. “15 x 15” Recommendations for Commission Ms. Antaya requested Comm. Helmboldt inform the Commission that the “15 x 15” goal was not going to be met by 2015, suggesting the Committee recommend goals that are measurable and attainable. Ms. Antaya stated she felt it was important to inform the Commission that an initiative that was approved by the Commission was not going to be met. Comm. Helmboldt recommended the Committee inform the Commission that they would be reapplying for the Michigan Green Communities Challenge, providing a targeted list of things the Committee was working toward, while providing a quick year-end report to the Commission. 3. Sustainable BC intro to new City Manager Ms. Antaya requested the new City Manager be invited to the December meeting. New Business: 1. Student Members 1  Mr. Gibson informed the Committee that he would be working with students from Lakeview Schools on some environmental projects. Mr. Gibson requested ideas for topics to present to the students. Ms. Antaya suggested a project on hoop houses, to include lot dimensions, size of the hoop house, and costs to complete the projects, including acquiring permits. Mr. Champlin expressed concern students may not find this type of project interesting, recommending they become involved in the local river or park cleanups. Comm. Helmboldt recommended the students design posters or flyers for upcoming events. Ms. Antaya requested the Committee have a student appointed to the Committee. Ms. Antaya also asked if there might be a program similar to the MML Green Communities challenge that would be applicable to schools. 2. Sustainable BC role in WKKF/Kellogg Co. “Initiative” Mr. Champlin discussed the WKKF/Kellogg Company presentation on the Battle Creek Community Economic Development Plan, stating the presentation was very impressive, stating they would be encouraging a lot of community input. Mr. Champlin agreed the Committee could make suggestions on positive sustainability, recommending the Committee participate in future presentations. Mr. Gibson stated the Committee’s purpose and the initiative had similar goals. Ms. Antaya recommended the Committee members research different businesses and industry that would be environmentally sustainable to discuss at future meetings. Ms. Antaya recommended the Committee provide information to the WKKF/Kellogg initiative, letting them know the purpose of the Committee. Mr. Gibson stated the initiative identified three areas of focus, namely education, jobs and cultural vitality. 3. Calhoun County Solid Waste Committee report (grant ideas) Ms. Antaya stated they would discuss potential grant programs at the next Committee meeting. Committee Comment Ms. Antaya expressed concern that she had heard it was difficult to start new business in Battle Creek, stating City Hall policies are often difficult to navigate. Comm. Helmboldt stated this was not something the Committee could specifically change, stating he has heard just as often that City Hall is very helpful. Comm. Helmboldt noted there is a lot to starting a business, recommending instead organizations work together to create a unified small business office, where interested parties could have access to several resources at one location. Mr. Champlin asked if there were any organizations that provided assistance with business plan development. Comm. Helmboldt stated there were several different resources, but it was difficult with the many different locations. Committee members also discussed the advantages of having large colleges or universities in communities, noting the many cultural and economic benefits. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Sustainable BC Committee is scheduled for December 3, 2014 at 4:00 pm. at the Department of Public Works Multi-purpose Room. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:44 PM. 2