Green Team

Morgantown Municipal Green Team March 5, 2018 Meeting 5:30–7:00pm Minutes I. Attendees: Joey James (past team chair), Pam Cubberly (team secretary), Jim Kotcon (energy chair), Jing Zhang (planning chair), Karen Kalafat (small business owner), Joe Kanosky (NETL), Paul Brake (Morgantown City Manager), and Austin Godfrey (visitor, WVU Journalism Department). II. Green Team Long-Range Plan and Strategy: Presentation for Final Team Approval (Jing Zhang) ● Jing described the planning process begun in January 2017, involving several other team members (primarily Joey, Joe, and Pam), that led to presentation to the team of a 2018 strategy in January 2018. In this time, the team updated existing by-laws, created vision and mission statements, revised a past version of procedural guidelines, and set up procedures for team membership recruitment. The updated 5-year plan and 2018 strategy are based on the City’s current comprehensive plan. The team decided to use majority votes in decision making by a quorum of members. The team also committed to yearly review in January of the strategy to revise upcoming team priorities as needed. ● The resulting documents from the planning process refined categories for team efforts and took into account efforts by other groups/agencies/etc. so as not to duplicate efforts. Overall categories include public information/education, energy sustainability, reduction of pollution and waste, and sustainable urban development. Jing agreed to include a slide on measurables in presenting at the COW. ● Paul Brake advised the team to drill down to measurables: baseline data and measurements of progress make goals easier to achieve. Interim measures on deliverables clarify ultimate goals. The IAC energy audits are good examples. The team has tried to do this as much as possible in its carbon baseline study of city emissions, in the IAC study, etc. and hopes to participate in review of recycling data in 2018 and beyond. ● A quorum of official team members discussed final versions of these documents and voted unanimously to approve them. Team members advised Jing on and approved his presentation of these documents at the March 27 City Council Committee of the Whole (COW). Joey agreed to summarize the 2017 Green Team Annual Report to present before Jing’s discussion of updated team mission, vision, procedural guidelines, long-range plan, and 2018 strategy. The goal was to receive input from the Council and attendees on team goals and 2018 strategy. Action: Jing Zhang will email the final long-range plan, 2018 strategy, and other updated materials, to Carol Allen by March 21. Action: Joey will also send the 2017 Annual Report to Carol for the meeting. III. Project Updates on Current Projects ● City recycling under the new contract and related projects (Karen and others) 1  City Manager Paul Brake elaborated on his memo to the Green Team (attached) on recent changes to the negotiated changes to the contract awarded to Republic Services last fall. The contract now contains a provision that Republic (1) will haul away any waste the City collects from behind the Mon River dam; (2) collect recycling from those schools if their principals approve; (3) reach out to businesses, especially in the downtown for interest in recycling; (4) collect electronics when arranged a month in advance; (5) collect hazardous waste twice a year; and (6) evaluate the viability of collecting and composting plant waste from residents. Paul encouraged the team to facilitate City discussion by researching similarly sized towns’ recycling and composting systems, especially in West Virginia, to supply the City and Council with data and other information on which to base future decisions. He is interested in knowing more about how such services are set up (as public service, i.e., City/county operated, etc.) and mechanical processes used. He noted that Michigan State University has facilitated a composting program. Team members briefly discussed issues that arose in past years, including (1) how to provide citizens accurate info on what to recycle and what not when markets change to avoid contamination of their recycling bins, resulting in disposal of bin contents as trash but also (2) how to ensure that all types of materials are collected (collection of glass was removed by hauler without notice from list 1–2 years ago when Greenstar said it was still possible to recycle glass). Pam noted that the team submitted an updated postable flyer to the City in 2017, but perhaps due to the upgrade of the City website, had not yet replaced an earlier one with inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and typos. Paul agreed that the team’s input was valuable and asked for a copy of the recent updated version of the team’s recycling flyer. Karen mentioned that the first quarterly report in 2018 from Republic comes on April 15th. The team agreed to wait for the first two quarters report before analyzing the data and providing feedback to the City. Action: Team members should give City Manager Paul Brake input on both recent changes and existing elements of the contract with Republic Services by March 14, well before the March 20th vote; however, only revisions, not additions, to the existing contract are possible. Action: Team will discuss and decide on recycling and composting research (especially WV cities and WVU) to support City consideration of expanding or initiating new forms of waste management to reduce trash in landfills. Action: Team will provide input on first two quarters of data on recycling under the new contract when both are received. Action: Pam will send Paul Brake the most recent updated version of the team’s recycling flyer based on information and review by Greenstar. ● City implementation of IAC recommendations Paul Brake said that the 2018 City budget included $12,500 to address regulators, LEDs, sensors, etc., all of which can be handled by City engineers. Work on the City Hall is going slowly. They need to replace a parapet wall and replace windows but the work desired has conflicted with historic preservation funding requirements. There will not be a quick fix. Work on Woodburn School is doable and moving along, but not as fast as he would like. 2  ● Progress on Draft Climate Action Plan for City Council Jim and Joey said progress was slow due to lack of people currently involved in CAP committee. Work would go faster if team were to find funding for an experienced consultant. Joey is pursuing several opportunities and will report to team in April. ● Progress on employee energy efficiency handbook Karen has a copy of the 2011 “Money, Energy, and Sustainability” PDF and is seeking more information on its use and how to resurrect it. It is still relevant today but she was not sure how it could be used by City, perhaps a training module? She has contacted the City public works director about the booklet. Pam noted that such guidebooks need to be used within the context of a program vetted by human resources, department heads, and even select employees who serve as “champions” to keep the momentum for change up. Paul said it was good not to have to start all over. There is sincere interest among Council members, for whom sustainability is a top priority; they should respond positively. Action: Karen will send the handbook to Paul for his ideas on how to use now. Action: Pam will send Karen online sources of info city model programs elsewhere. I. New and Proposed Business ● Joey announced that he would serve as the team’s contact with BOPARC and other green space initiatives in town (including committee led by Rick Landenberger). ● Joey had sent team members a copy of the City’s capital improvements report (http://morgantownwv.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1813) for ideas on how the Green Team could give input. We could prioritize those projects in our 2018 strategy and beyond. Paul Brake said it was a plan not a mandate. The first year of the plan is now tied to the budget; the plan will continue to be considered in years thereafter. January, he said is a key time for the Green Team to be involved. Action: Team members should read this report for ideas to discuss at the April meeting. II. Next meeting ● The next regular monthly meeting will be Monday, April 2, a half hour earlier at 5:00–6:30pm in the Morgantown Public Library’s Conference Room #2. 3