Clean City Commission

FULL COMMISSION MEETING NOTES Hampton Clean City Commission March 9 2021 ~ 3:30pm Board Members Present: Ryan Adams, Chris Grady, Alex Maness, Gayle Mooney Also Present: Barb Abraham (Zoom), Chris Bowman, Gaylynn Callahan (Zoom), Angela King (Zoom) , Dave McCauley (Zoom), Jason Mitchell ( Zoom), Jim Williams (Zoom), Cris Ausink, C’Faison Harris, Wendy Iles Opening Business Welcome and Time Sheet: Ryan Adams welcomed attendees and asked all to sign in. Angela King, Assistant City Attorney, was introduced. Roll Call, Protocol, and Approval of Minutes: Roll call conducted; a quorum was not present. November minutes approval tabled until April meeting. Angela stated that only those items not requiring a vote would be discussed at this meeting. City Council: Council liaison Chris Bowman announced that the Fox Hill Community Center’s renovation is near completion, as is the boardwalk and James T. Wilson Fishing Pier at Buckroe Beach. Ground has been broken for 1 the new Mary Jackson Aquatic Center, and a five-story apartment building with retail on the first level is planned for the old Goodyear Building site. He added that Amazon has acquired the old K-Mart building on W. Mercury Boulevard and is currently being renovated. The Monroe Gates Apartments are completed and are already being leased, and the old King Art Building on Mercury is undergoing renovation. Members were encouraged to attend or link to the 6:30pm March 10 City Council meeting via City Channel 47. Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services Annual Report: No report Public Works: Director Jason Mitchell stated that greater litter control and litter patrols is needed, and asked assistance in getting out the word to the public through environmental education efforts be put into place. He noted that the City’s recycling costs have been impacted substantially due to China’s increase in recycling fees and its refusal to accept certain items. The VA Dept. of Environmental Quality Recycling Program offers some options. Jason also stated that cleaning of right-of-ways and the LaSalle Avenue ramps were becoming a problem and asked if assistance were available, adding that any volunteer help would be appreciated. Public Works provides litter abatement in these areas but because they are high-traffic, greater effort is needed. HPRLS Director Dave McCauley noted that there might be some safety concerns with having volunteers in these areas. Clean City staff to work on customer on this need and recycling promotions/initiatives with HPW Solid Waste staff. City Attorney’s Office: No report The Hampton Clean City Commission works to improve and enhance the physical environment of Hampton through beautification, solid waste management education, coastal awareness activities, and litter abatement programs; educates citizens; and encourages their participation. As an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., we share the philosophy that each of us has a responsibility for enhancing our community environment. 20210309 Financial Report: Financial data was distributed. HCCC/FIT MPA Capstone Program: C’Faison Harris announced that Clean City is partnering with three MPA graduate students and their professor, Dr. Denise Siegfeldt, out of Florida Institute of Technology on their capstone program project. C’Faison was asked to come up with a topic of research for the three students, which was ‘Creating a Zero Waste Community.” She, along with HPRLS Director Dave McCauley and NASA Steam Plant Manager Anil Mehrotra, met with the students via Zoom in mid-March as they presented their research proposal. It was very enlightening and they are expected to have a final capstone presentation ready by the end of April. Once presented, the Professor will have a video made that staff will be able to share with HPW, Council, and board members. Discussion & Voting Items Status of Volunteer Recognition Event: Wendy provided a survey asking for input on which direction this year’s event should go; however, only two people responded with both recommending that there be meetings to discuss in detail. Status of VA Peninsula Clean Business Forum: Tabled til April meeting Status of YARDS Beautification Contest: Tabled til April meeting Status of Schools & Concern About School Reversals of Student- & Staff-led Projects: Tabled til April meeting 2 Committee & Partner Updates Beautification/Bee City USA: Barb Abraham stated that there would be a Bee City Webinar on April 8, 6pm, entitled, “Resilient Hampton Pollinator Gardens. A Bee City meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 18, and attendance will be in person and via Zoom. Dave noted that Air Power Park is requesting a rendering of a pollinator garden for the entrance at Waterwalk Trail. The rendering is to include plant placement and color scheme. That rendering is to be converted to more of an architectural drawing. Clean & Green Workplaces: Jim Williams stated that due to the pandemic, there have been no meetings since November 2020. There has not been any VA Peninsula Clean Business Forums held since Hampton hosted in February 2020, but he will be working with liaisons from Newport News, James City County, and York County on plans for 2021/2022. Community Gardens: Wendy stated that she needs funding to add seven additional beds at the Phoebus and Buckroe Community Gardens. All the gardens are now full, and it is hoped that funding will soon be available to provide the additional needed plots. She also said that Phoebus HS is working on a grant-funded student-focused community garden at the rear of the school by its greenhouse. The Hampton Clean City Commission works to improve and enhance the physical environment of Hampton through beautification, solid waste management education, coastal awareness activities, and litter abatement programs; educates citizens; and encourages their participation. As an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., we share the philosophy that each of us has a responsibility for enhancing our community environment. 20210309 Wendy announced that she is chairing an American Community Gardeners Association (ACGA) national conference here in Hampton, September 24-26, held at the Marina Hotel. She already has a list of 30 local volunteers and more are needed, in addition to sponsors. Attendees will take part in workshops and there are several tours of local community gardens to be included, such as Hampton’s own community gardens, Bluebird Gap Farm, Sandy Bottom Nature Park, Hilton Community Gardens in Newport News, Yorktown Community Gardens, and Hampton’s oyster gardening sites. To add more excitement, there will be a gala event on Friday, a party on Saturday along with a tour of the bay area on the Ms. Hampton II. This conference will be hybrid in nature in that workshops and tours will be in-person and virtual. Board members were encouraged to participate and volunteer. Hampton Waterways Restoration Project: Cris Ausink announced that no meetings have been held since the pandemic began. There will be, however, the annual Walk Hampton Clean event Mid-March through April kayak cleanups in May, and water monitoring at Grandview Island. Litter and Recycling Awareness: Cris stated that the next meeting will be Thursday, April 1, 11:30am at Mama Rosa’s Restaurant on E. Mercury Blvd. Adopt-A-Spot statistics were sent with the Full Commission agenda packet and showed that in January and February, there were 26 cleanups with 66 volunteers who donated 115 hours and collected 66.5 bags of trash and picked up over 3,100 cigarette ends. Hampton Master Gardeners: Gaylynn Callahan announced that certification training is now available for Tree and Water Steward. Saturday home composting courses are scheduled and master gardener training is now available virtually. Gaylynn added that a vegetable gardening course will be offered, and that tree mapping will 3 soon take place at Bluebird Gap Farm. Staff Reports: Cris noted that she would be working with the Hampton Master Gardeners on rain barrel workshops, providing only the educational component. She has trash/recycling tours and several community cleanups scheduled, and thanked Councilman Bowman and Chris Grady and his son for assisting with the March 6 cleanup along Gloucester Street in the area close to the old VA School for the Deaf and Blind. She requested greater participation of board members for the events, in addition to joining in the annual Walk Hampton Clean event. Meeting adjourned Meeting adjourned at 4:40pm Announcements Tour de Trash Express – Composting, March 10, Tour de Recycling Express – HCEC, March 20, 10am- 9am,11:30am, HCCC, POC C. Ausink 757-1158 – 12pm – POC C. Ausink 727-1158 - VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED NEEDED HWRP Meeting, March 11, 6:30pm, Site to be determined LARC Meeting, April 1, 11:30am, Mama Rosa’s C&GWC Meeting, March 16, Goodwill RC, 4-5pm LARC Community Cleanup, April 3, 10am, North Phoebus Bee City USA-Hampton Meeting, March 18, 1pm, HCCC CC, Household Chemical/Electronics Collection, March 20, POC C. Ausink 727-1158 – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 8am-12pm, Coliseum Parking Lot HCCC Full Commission Meeting, April 13, 3:30pm, site to be determined Bee City USA-Hampton Meeting, April 15, 1pm, HCCC The Hampton Clean City Commission works to improve and enhance the physical environment of Hampton through beautification, solid waste management education, coastal awareness activities, and litter abatement programs; educates citizens; and encourages their participation. As an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful Inc., we share the philosophy that each of us has a responsibility for enhancing our community environment. 20210309