Committee for a Better Environment

Approved 102620 Committee for a Better Environment Via Teleconferencing through GoToMeeting September 21, 2020 7:00 PM Members Present Absent Alexa Bely X Pablo deOliveria X Matt Dernoga X Alan Hew X Todd Larsen X Andrea McNamara X Nikki Pancho (a. 7:25pm) X Cameron Thurston X Daniel Walfield X Caroline Wick X Also Present: Janet McCaslin, City Liaison; Yvette Allen, Assistant City Clerk; Sean Phelan, College Park resident; Sheryl DeWalt, Contract Secretary The meeting began at 7:05pm by Todd Larsen, chair. 1. Mr. Larsen announced, and Ms. Allen confirmed that Mayor and Council will be reviewing committee member terms of office through a lottery system and appointing new members at their meeting on Tuesday evening. All committee members will receive notification from the City Clerk’s office. 2. The agenda was reviewed. Mr. Larsen motioned to accept the agenda with one change. Mr. Walfield seconded. Motion carries 8-0-0. 3. The August 24, 2020 minutes were reviewed. Ms. McCaslin made a few corrected changes and additions. Mr. Larsen motioned to accept the minutes as amended. Ms. Wick seconded. Motion carries 8-0-0. 4. City activities: a. CBE has a current budget of $2553.38. The Spanish translation for the survey will cost approximately $250. There will be about $2300 left in the budget for the fiscal year spending. b. Tips for Municipal Scene for October – Fall leaves and how to handle. Janet will need the article by Thursday. c. The survey has been worked on by Ms. Bely and the City’s communication coordinator. Once it is finalized, Ms. McCaslin will send out to the committee. 5. Ms. Wick reported that the subcommittee has been reaching out to university towns inquiring about maintain furnished rentals in off campus housing rather than disposing of  furniture as bulk trash. Most university towns, with whom they have been able to reach, do not have a program in place. Mr. Thurston has been reaching out to the managers of the high-rise apartments in College Park. Ms. Wick and Mr. Thurston will be drafting a letter from CBE to Mayor and Council for consideration to share at the November meeting. 6. The Rain Barrel virtual seminar is scheduled for Saturday, October 3 at 10:00am. Registration is being handled through Eventbrite. Registrants will be sent the link for the virtual seminar. Besides representation from Prince Georges County to discuss the importance of rain barrels, there will be guests from Anacostia Watershed and the Prince Georges County Sierra Club. Mr. Larsen and Ms. McCaslin will also give brief presentations. 7. Mr. Larsen emailed a draft letter pertaining to shifting the public schools to 100% clean energy. The committee reviewed the letter and made one spelling change. Mr. Larsen will work on a cover memo and send both the memo and letter to Ms. McCaslin to be presented to Mayor and Council. 8. Mr. Hew put forth the possibility of Sardi’s Catering for a Green Award. He stated they have been very instrumental in working with the World Central Kitchen to provide meals to seniors in College Park and are aware of recycling and using green products. Mr. Hew would like to do a bit more research before making a finite nomination. 9. Good Neighbor Day is scheduled for November 7. The permaculture garden will be part of the Good Neighbor Day projects; Mr. Hew will be meeting with Brenda Alexander on Tuesday, September 22, to discuss plantings needed for the fall. There will be several small groups to work in the permaculture garden: digging group, planting group, and mulching group. The activities should not take longer than an hour. All safety precautions will be followed – masks, gloves, small groups for in person projects. All tools will be washed in between a new group using them. 10. From the new GAT Mosquito Traps ordered by the Department of Public Works, there are 16 left for purchase. From the CBE Pilot group - there are five people who are sending Ms. McCaslin weekly reports. All residents who have GAT traps responded favorably to return a report at the end of the program. If a resident needs any assistance with the GAT traps, Mr. Hew volunteered to help. 11. The car magnets have arrived, and Ms. McCaslin has them available at Davis Hall. Flyers are hung by all electric charging stations. 12. The GAP environmental analysis has been sent to Mayor and Council. Councilmember Kate Kennedy spoke to Mr. Larsen regarding the analysis. 13. With the resignation of Mr. Gregory, Mr. Walfield volunteered to share attendance at the TLB meetings with Ms. McNamara. Mr. Walfield will attend the October meeting since Ms. McNamara is unavailable. Mr. Hew stated that if either Mr. Walfield or Ms. McNamara are unavailable, he would step in at TLB.  Ms. McNamara gave us an update from the August TLB meeting and Ms. DeWalt shared copies of the September minutes with the CBE committee:  The tree assessment is completed, and the results showed the Willow Oak tree on 9002 48th Place was identified as being solid with some decay detected in the roots.  Followed up on the Prince Georges County rain check rebate program and is waiting to receive more information.  Destructive climbing plants brochure. The Board agreed that the vines to include in the brochure will be English Ivy, mile-a-minute, poison ivy, kudzu, porcelain berry, Virginia Creeper, and wild grape.  The planting selections for Odessa Park were approved. 14. Mr. Walfield will be working with the City’s Communications team to make a video on energy efficiency and how to get ready for winter. The video will be uploaded on the CBE website. 15. Ms. Wick mentioned the amount of flooding suffered by Calvert Hills residents from the last storm. Ms. McCaslin stated that the WSSC sewer lines cannot handle the rain drainage of the magnitude experienced in the last storm. 16. Ms. Bely is working on a letter concerning the Western Gateway project and the plan for tree removals. 17. The next virtual meeting is scheduled for October 26, 2020 at 7:00pm. Instructions will be sent out via email prior to the meeting date. Mr. Larsen motioned to adjourned. Ms. Wick seconded. Motion carries 9-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:10pm. Respectfully submitted by Sheryl DeWalt, contract secretary.