Committee for a Better Environment

Approved: 01/22/18 Committee for a Better Environment Davis Hall, College Park November 27, 2017 7:00 PM Members Present Absent Suchitra Balachandran X Matt Dernoga X Sarah D’Alexander X Ben Flamm X Alan Hew X Todd Larsen X Tim Miller X Janis Oppelt X Jordan Schanker X Daniel Walfield X Donna Weene X Guests Present: Steve Beavers, City Liaison; Grace Kabanek, UMD student; Brett Podell, UMD student; Sheryl DeWalt, Contract Secretary The meeting was called to order at 7:06pm by Chair, Ms. Oppelt. 1. No changes were made to the agenda. 2. The minutes from the October 23, 2017, meeting were reviewed. Ms. Oppelt made the motion to accept the minutes with the changes discussed. Mr. Larsen seconded the motion. All in favor; no opposed. 3. Briefly discussed the annual Mayor’s water challenge which happens in April. 4. Mr. Beavers gave the following City updates: a. There is still $9750 in the CBE budget; no expenditures were made in the last month. b. The fence ordinance will be presented at the public hearing on Tuesday, November 28. Mr. Beavers reviewed the verbiage on front yard fences. c. At the November 21 Council Worksession, Zoning was rewritten. The following decisions were made: i. No backyard chickens in a single family dwelling. ii. Beekeeping is permitted iii. Urban agriculture has been clearly defined  d. Metro DC Council of Government (COG) has been doing a greenhouse gas study. They have numbers for College Park and will share in first quarter 2018. e. Mr. Beavers attended the Sustainable Maryland workshop to keep the certification intact. f. The College Park trail is 95% designed. g. The storm water drain along Rhode Island Avenue has been cleaned with the removal of the organic sludge. 5. Reviewed the proofs for the permaculture garden signage. The wildlife icon will be added to the signs as needed. No more than four (4) icons will be on each sign. The larger sign for the front of the garden will have a detailed explanation of the icons. 6. The Green Awards have been chosen by the panel of judges: a. The girl scouts, headed by Donna Weene. b. La Prima Catering c. The Hutchinson family d. Frank & Fay Hawkins Discussion ensued on the Green Awards and whether to maintain them or discard them. The judges indicated to Ms. Oppelt it was hard to determine the winners without having finite criteria. Mr. Beavers pointed out that the Green Awards are part of the CBE charter. Ms. Weene made a motion to discontinue the Green Awards. Mr. Walfield seconded the motion. Ms. Oppelt, Dr. Balachandran, Mr. Larsen, Mr. Walfield and Ms. Weene approved the motion. Mr. Hew and Ms. D’Alexander opposed the motion. Motion carries 5-2. Further discussion continued on what, if anything, to replace the Green Awards and a suggestion was made to attend a City Council Worksession and ask for guidance. Mr. Larsen made a motion to revisit the Green Awards at the January CBE meeting with the intent of approaching City Council. Ms. Oppelt seconded the motion. All in favor; no opposed. 7. Ms. Oppelt discussed the Tree and Landscape Board meeting. The City Horticulturist along with the TLB Board is working on writing a vegetation control ordinance. Any thoughts or suggestions can be sent to Ms. Oppelt. 8. Good Neighbor Day will be on April 7, 2018. The UMD Office of Community Engagement is handling Good Neighbor Day and has a January 9, 2018 deadline for projects. Mr. Fellows is recommending several streams for cleaning. Mr. Larsen suggested the area behind the Pizza Hut and bowling alley on Route 1. Any other suggestions can be emailed to Ms. D’Alexander. 9. CBE priorities for 2018: a. More education i. Pruning Trees workshop in conjunction with the TLB. ii. Recycling  b. Permaculture Garden i. Seasonal tours c. Energy efficiency i. Top 10 things to do under $200 to make your home more energy efficient d. The movie, “Straws” e. Adding “Tips” to the website, Nextdoor, Municipal Scene, “Green Tips” 10. The next meeting will be held on January 22, 2018, at Davis Hall at 7:00pm. Ms. Oppelt made a motion to end the meeting. Ms. D’Alexander seconded the motion. All in favor; no opposed. The meeting ended at 8:55pm. Respectfully submitted by Sheryl DeWalt, contract secretary.