Green Team

Morgantown Green Team: Minutes of the February 1, 2016 Meeting Attending: Green Team: Joey James (Chair), Amanda Stoner (City Recycling Intern), Chelsi Baker (City Liai- son), Holly Purpura (Friends of Decker’s Creek), Jim Kotcon (Energy Committee), and Pam Cubberly (Green Nights and Green Morgantown). Other: Bill Kawecki (City Council), Ella Belling (Mon River Trail Conservan- cy), Jenny Selin (City Council), Jing Zhang (Morgantown-Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization), Ju- dith Wilkinson, and Karen Kalafat. I. Old Business A. Energy Efficiency Report. Jim Kotcon recently reviewed the latest city energy efficiency report. Through the city’s performance contract, Constellation Energy (CE) had previously installed energy- efficient lighting and HVAC controls for substantial savings for the city. The latest report on energy savings is difficult to evaluate, however. CE must assess in terms of what is promised and projected to happen, rather than what happened. CE says the city is saving 3% to 4% more than projected. The original tariff was 15% but there was a 29% increase, so CE is not reporting actual rates. Jim asked City Manager Jeff Mikorski to get the actual energy bills to evaluate. Action: Jim will ask Chelsi Baker to follow-up on actual electricity bills from Mon power for 2014 and 2015, which entails a simple request from a city employee to Mon Power. B. Morgantown Lock and Dam. Jim and Ella Belling reported on the hydropower proposal for the Morgantown Lock and Dam. FERC has moved to the final stage of its licensing for the hydropower facility. February 15th is the deadline for public comments. The Green Team should advise Jeff Mi- korski to ensure that concerns about the impact on the rail-trail and associated recreational uses are considered. Action: Jim and Ella will develop bullet points and ask Jeff Mikorski to submit them to FERC before February 15. C. Recycling follow-up. Amanda Stoner was working on follow-up to last fall’s recycling forum, in- cluding on grants the city could apply for in order to continue to improve and expand recycling in the city. The most important step was to advertise, recruit, and orient a new City Recycling Intern during the winter and spring before Amanda left for overseas this summer so that intern would be up to speed by the time Amanda leaves. Jim and Amanda had been unable to arrange for Jeff Mikorski to review the job description and the university deadline had passed for students to arrange for credit for the work this semester. Action: Jim Kotcon said he would keep trying to get the job description approved by Jeff Mikorski. Chelsi said she could walk in and ask for Jeff’s verbal approval if Jim could get the description to her. Action: Amanda Stoner agreed to move forward on grant funding and a meeting of a working group on recycling. She will send out an email to those who had expressed interest at the meeting last fall. Action: Chelsi Baker agreed to ask Tom Arnold to come to the March Green Team meeting who may be able to get on Republic Services to move forward on a brochure for residents on proper recycling  and a sticker for recycling bins listing what was okay to recycle. Chelsi also said she would also work to update the city’s webpage on what and how to recycle. Action: If any team member had a copy of the old recycling brochure that Republic used to distrib- ute, they should get it to Chelsi Baker. D. Sustainable Morgantown Initiative. Joey reported that the Morgantown Solar Co-op was finishing up installation of solar panels at 23 different households in the Morgantown area, representing 141 kWh of power or now 5% of total solar power installations in the state. E. Year to Go Green. Much work has been accomplished in just one month in order to launch the YTGG:  Held a working lunch meeting on January 15 attended by Joey, Holly, Pam, Jim, Jenny, Chelsi, and Jing.  Presented (Joey and Holly) the YTGG “vision” to City Council on January 26.  Organized (Joey with support from Pam, Holly, and Karan Ireland of WV SUN) a February 22nd Celebration of Sustainability in honor of completion of the first Morgantown Solar Co-op with 23 households installing panels; successes to date of the city’s Sustainable Morgantown Initiative; and city launch of the 2016 Year to Go Green: A Path to a Cleaner Morgantown.  Arranged (Holly) for FODC interns to assist in a variety of ways, including WVU student Nathan Spencer who developed a YTGG logo (attached), among other projects, and a writer for YTGG columns in various media.  Developed (Holly, Joey, and Pam) comprehensive email lists of individuals, officials, groups, agencies, other institutions, and media; a letter for signature by Mayor Shamberger (attached) asking for participation in the Year to Go Green; media advisory and flyer (attached) to announce the February 22 event; and a “We Support the Year to Go Green” (attached).  Began to organize (Holly) two winter-spring community forums, part of a yearlong series, the first on Thursday, March 10 to focus on energy usage by Morgantown businesses.  Began outreach to specific community groups and institutions (Pam, Holly, and Joey), beginning with Mon County public schools, neighborhood associations, Mountain Leadership School, League of Women Voters, WVU Office of Sustainability, National Energy Technology Laborato- ry (NETL), among others.  Began organizing (Pam) the Third Annual Green Households Fair, scheduled for Saturday, April 23, cosponsored by the Morgantown Farmers Market and Morgantown Public Library to be held at Morgantown Marketplace in association with the first outdoor farmers market of the year.  Began organizing a series of “How-To” workshops to be held throughout the year on rain barrels (Holly for FODC and MUB) and possibly composting, homemade household products, beekeep- ing, chicken raising, among others (Pam) if resource people agree to participate.  Throughout the month, Chelsi Baker also provided essential advice, support, and review to YTGG organizers. Actions: Various team members indicated they would help get the word out on the February 22 Cele- bration of Sustainability. Chelsi Baker planned to promote YTGG in general city information and publicity; send out the mayor’s letter to the list provided by Holly, Joey, and Pam; and send out the media advisory a week before the event to get coverage. II. New Business New visitors Karen Kalafat and Judith Wilkinson introduced themselves and briefly described their inter- est in learning more about the Green Team. Karen recently moved from Denver to take graduate courses at WVU. She received certification as a LEED certifier and is interested in behavioral workshops on en- ergy efficiency. III. The meeting concluded at 6:55pm. Next meeting: March7, 5:30pm to 7:00pm, in City Council Chambers at 389 Spruce Street. Attachment A: Letter from Mayor Shamberger on YTGG Attachment B: Flyer on Celebration of Sustainability Attachment C: Year to Go Green Logo, Facebook Banner, and Business Window Placard