Environmental Sustainability Council

Falls Church Environmental Services Council Thursday April 17, 2014 - 7:30 - 9:00 pm Falls Church Community Center, Community Room Minutes - Prepared by Peter Oppenheimer ● Members Present: Tim Stevens (Chair), Bill Schellstede, Sarah Bayldon, Peter Oppenheimer ● Members Absent: Ray Arnaudo, Peter Adriance, Suzanne Updike ● City Council: Dan Sze ● City staff liaison: Allison Lohrenz 1. Call to Order 2. Public Comments - none 3. New Business ● Comments by Dan Sze. Sze indicated that hopes the ESC will be able to advance some new initiatives. He and Tim Stevens have met with neighboring jurisdictions such as Arlington to learn what is on their environmental and sustainability agendas. ● VPIS Environmental Goals Update. The Villiage Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) has begun a process to update its booklet entitled "Five Environmental Goals for the City of Falls Church," issued 5 years ago. VPIS informally has invited the ESC to contribute to the update. ESC Consensus was that we should accept the invitation, and that an important focus of an update should be an implementation or action plan an addition to general objectives. ● Pedestrian Walking Programs in Falls Church. Walk Arlington and the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) both offer walking tours and encourage community "walkability" by developing community walks. CSG is offering a walking tour around East Falls Church in early May. ESC discussed a suggestion to find out if either organization would be willing to give a walking tour in Falls Church to heighten awareness of sustainability and walkability. Sarah Bayldon reported that City walking tours focusing on historic architecture, watershed management, and the like were offered some years ago. Tim Stevens volunteered to reach out to CSG and ask if they'd be willing to offer a tour in the City. 4. Old Business ● Kensington Assisted Living Project. ESC Members discussed proposed comments on the project prepared by Tim Stevens. Comment topics include  maintaining sufficiently wide and unobstructed sidewalks conducive to walking, incorporating the ability to have electric car chargers by installing the necessary conduits, considering solar panels on the building roof, and planting trees. Consensus was to have Stevens finalize and submit the draft comments. ● LEAP Presentation Follow-up. ESC discussed possible follow-up actions to last month’s presentation by LEAP Executive Director Cynthia Adams, including the City’s promotion of LEAP and its residential energy check-ups. Peter Oppenheimer offered to contact Adams to obtain information about the types of MOUs that LEAP has entered into with neighboring jurisdictions. 5. Informational Items ● Open Space Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. ESC has been asked by City Staff Paul Stoddard to contribute to the open space chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. ESC Consensus was that if there's an ESC member who's interested in the issue and willing to dedicate the time, it would be feasible. Peter Oppenheimer offered to contact Stoddard and inquire whether he’d be open to receiving input from the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (Andrea Reese). ● City Arborist. Lohrenz reported that there’s a promising candidate. 6. Local Environmental Events ● April 26 is the City's environmental extravaganza. Volunteers are still needed. ● May 3 is habitat restoration at Crossman Park. 7. Set Next Meeting ● Thursday, May 15 (Dogwood Room, City Hall) 8. Prior Meeting Minutes ● March 2014 Minutes approved as amended. Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 p.m.