Green Team

Minutes Morgantown Municipal Green Team May 1, 2017 Meeting Attending: Hari Jammulamadaka, Karen Kalefat, Joseph Kanosky (NETL), Jim Kotcon (Energy Chair), Holly Purpura (FODC), Jenny Selin (City Council), Judith Wilkinson, Jing Zhang (Long-Range Planning Chair), and Pam Cubberly (Secretary) I. Old Business A. MMGT Long-Term Strategy Progress. Jing explained the remaining stage of the team’s long-term planning process—brainstorming feasible strategies and projects—now that City Manager Paul Brake has approved the planning documents adapted or created so far. The projects document Excel sheet is available for comments/additions this summer. The idea is for team members to insert new (or old ones not yet implemented) project ideas that have a chance of implementation by current or potential members or by interns. After the team brainstorm, the list, organized by the team’s goals and objectives will be reviewed by the city manager, council, and staff and specific projects approved by the city manager. They may include projects that appear in the current Comprehensive Plan and may include projects that have not been taken up by other advisory commissions, such as the Tree Board. The bottom line is that projects must be actionable now or in the future. Potential members will be welcome to review the list and take on a project, knowing that the team will support and advise that person. The team went on to discuss the proposed Green Team Procedural Guidelines, which were adapted from those developed when the first Green Team formed. After some discussion, it was agreed that any team member or the city manager could nominate an individual, but the city manager is the one to review and approve any nominations. Individuals are welcome to attend Green Team meetings before asking to be nominated for membership. Individuals who only want to attend team meetings to inform and be informed by team members are also welcome upon team approval. B. WVU Intern for LED Analysis. Paul Brake had given the team the go-ahead on a feasibility study on LED street lighting by a WVU mechanical engineering student, if supervised by the Green Team. In return, the intern would receive recognition on successful completion of the study from both the City and Green Team. Joe brought the team up to date on conversations with Chris Haddox and Dr. Ken Means about one or more mechanical engineering students to serve as City Interns this summer supervised by team members. They would do a feasibility study on LED streetlights owned by First Energy. The plan would be to have a report in one semester. Joe will serve as the key Green Team contact with Ken and Chris. Jim and Jing also 1  volunteered to assist on technical questions as well as past team efforts on this issue. Joe and Chris agreed to package both the LED study and the proposed study on upgrading the Public Service Center to “sustainable” level in one internship. The team approved Joe and Chris moving forward with Dr. Ken Means to recruit and launch this internship this summer if possible. C. Green Team Chair Replacement. Joey has posted a notice on the City website for the volunteer position of Green Team Chair. The person chosen would work alongside Joey for several months before Joey leaves this position in November 2017. Joey will remain a member of the team. D. Wi-Fi in City Council Chambers and the PSC Conference Room. Jenny is working on getting good Internet access in both these locations so team members can attend as needed by Skype, although City Council chambers may still have too much of an echo. Pam noted that getting this access will also probably take a number of months, hence her effort to reserve the library’s Conference Room #2 for the summer for team meetings. Jing and she tested Skype before the meeting to see how well it worked. The June meeting will be the true test when Pam skypes in from her summer location in the North Country. Pam noted that the library’s Conference Room #2 may may be too acoustically quiet although the wall- mounted television would provide the right view on Skype by showing everyone attending. Holly said she would look into a conference phone to augment Skyping by members. E. City Application for State Recycling Grant. After discussion of possible options for a city recycling intern (choose one of four applications received by Jim; choose an intern highly recommended by Holly who would report to her; and other options) and with further discussion by Holly and Joey, it was decided to go with Holly’s idea of employing her existing intern to begin immediately on a step-by-step process to apply for a state grant for public education on recycling and other key aspects to reduce “contamination” of recycling by residents and businesses. Holly planned to meet with City Manager Paul Brake to make her intern officially the City Recycling Intern, whom she would supervise. Both Jim Kotcon and the former intern, Amanda Stoner, would be available for advice and information. Holly and the intern would also coordinate with Joey James who is now writing a contract proposal to do similar work for the county. Holly and the intern would report regularly at monthly Green Team meetings for support and advice. Holly noted that the intern’s first task would be to conduct a survey of residents and businesses to identify how large a percentage are not recycling properly, as information for the grant application. F. Review of Green Team–related webpages on City website (Pam/Holly). Just before the meeting, Pam and Holly met separately with City Communications Director Krista Baker to discuss updating several City webpages before the City moves to a redesigned website in May. Holly discussed updating current content in the Sustainable Morgantown Initiative webpages, as well as integrating information on the FODC- initiated Green Business Council in the city. Pam provided Krista with some edits to the Green Team (including language from the team’s long-term planning process, Year to Go Green, and recycling webpages. Together, they started to revise the Year to Go Green page to ease it into a long-term City effort on publication education on sustainability to be called “Go Green Morgantown.” More edits will probably be needed after the new website is instituted. Team members are welcome to review the webpages above and send comments to either Holly or Pam. VI. New Business No new business was raised by those attending. VII. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, June 5, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in Conference Room #2, Morgantown Public Library (second floor in the back of the library on the right).