Green Team

Morgantown Municipal Green Team Monday, January 7, 2019 5:30pm–7:00pm Minutes Attendees: Pam Cubberly (facilitator), Joe Kanosky, Jim Kotcon, and Vanessa Reaves; Mark Brazaitis, Bill Kawecki, Jenny Selin, Barry Wendell (City Council); Andy Cockburn (Working Families); and Dan Pan (note taker). Introductions were made and members asked to read the December minutes and send their approval to Pam Cubberly. Updates 1. Reduce/Reuse/Recycle (RRR) Working Group:  2019 City recycling proposal. Pam and Vanessa reviewed a printed summary of work completed on the City’s REAP grant in December–January (available on request). Work has involved developing overall goals, objectives, and strategies; gaining input and buy-in from City staff and other key persons; researching experience in other cities with successful public education/media—as well as behavior change—campaigns; and scoping out specific ideas/approaches to meeting the team’s goals for the grant, if funded. The RRR group’s work on developing grant goals, objectives, and strategies will help Robyn Hess, city grants writer, in writing the grant. The group has decided to research and scope out two major programs, along with a few subprojects targeting smaller audiences, as the best means to achieving measurable objectives:  Public education: A broad public education/media campaign to reinforce consistent messages and info on recycling properly.  Behavior change: A core program to reduce contamination of recycling by residents using a proven approach used in cities across the United States. This also responds specifically to Republic concerns.  Targeted audiences: Smaller projects focusing on (1) recycling by students in off-campus housing, (2) a recycling compactor for downtown businesses, (3) special projects in each of the seven City schools, and (4) Other ideas TBD. Robyn Hess had suggested that the City could obtain an AmeriCorps volunteer to lead the public education/media campaign (possibly also the anti-contamination program) working directly with the RRR working group. The position would be funded by AmeriCorps with matching City funds and would not involve REAP funding if obtained. Ideally, this would be someone who has run similar and successful public ed/media campaigns, even a public relations professional, retired or between jobs. The volunteer would start in September and work for 10 months with the possibility of renewal. Vanessa Reaves proposed and handed out a draft of an initial volunteer “Survey Monkey” study of city residents and businesses to support our grant proposal, although it would not be a representative sample (which would cost money). She discussed possible use of a prize donated by local businesses as an incentive to completing the survey. Several suggested possible survey questions, including attitudes, knowledge about proper recycling; preferences on most helpful items to recycle, such as refrigerator magnets and bin stickers; etc. Vanessa also mentioned an app created by the City of Sacramento that permits people to easily check what items are okay or not okay to recycle. Dan Pan offered to put her in touch with high schoolers willing to work on this. Attendees discussed what Republic Services was required to produce annually, thereby reducing printing costs of materials needed for grant activities. The team had sent Paul Brake a request for info on Republic fulfillment of section 18 of its contract on reporting and public education. Pam had started research on other US cities with similar contracts with Republic; a conversation with a recycling coordinator in Corvallis, OR, noted the importance of asking for specific deliverables in contracts with Republic. Stronger support by state government could be key, per Vanessa’s example in Phoenix, AZ. Action: Vanessa will schedule the next meeting of the RRR working group and a meeting on recycling by off-campus student housing soon thereafter. RRR members will continue researching and developing grant proposal content including with target audiences.  Kenny Holloway, Public Works, whom the city manager had mentioned as our City liaison on recycling was not free to attend this meeting. Action: Pam will contact to arrange an office visit to explore his role vis-à-vis the team. 2. Climate Action Plan (CAP) Working Group and Energy Committee report  Jim Kotcon, Joe Kanosky, and other members of the CAP working group have been developing a coherent and data-driven climate action plan for City Council consideration (Tuesday, January 29, Committee of the Whole [COW] meeting, Council Chambers). The plan will prioritize a list of actions the City can take to achieve its goal of a 28% drop in carbon emissions by 2025 from a baseline of 2005.  At the COW, Jim will also (1) present the Council with the Green Team’s 2018 Annual Report (drafted by Karen Kalafat and Pam Cubberly and submitted to Paul Brake in early January) and seek input on 2019 team goals, and (2) discuss the team’s request (see below) for substantially more funding to implement recommendations from the 2017 report on energy audits conducted in 2016 by team member Alex Davis.  The energy committee intended the next day to send Paul Brake a 2019–20 budget proposal to the City of $50,000 to complete half the remaining list of recommendations from the 2017 IAC energy audits of 7 City buildings. Another $50,000 budgeted for 2021 would implement all IAC recommendations; at that time, the City should begin receiving an annual payback averaging nearly $42,000 for the foreseeable future. Action: Jim will send team members a copy of both the team’s 2018 Annual Report and the proposed Morgantown Climate Action Plan for review/comment before the team submits them to the City.  Through the team’s contacts at WVU’s Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Departments, the energy committee has recruited a senior industrial engineering student, Kevin Apreku, for an engineering internship focused on collecting the data required for a complete and accurate climate action plan. The team will meet Kevin at the next monthly meeting.  Team members provided feedback to Jim on the CAP, the budget proposal, and the proposed internship.  MRTC has won federal money for some rail-trail lights. The City will choose what kind of lamps will be used. The team agreed to ask Paul Brake whether the City plans to install LED rail-trail lights with this funding. Action: Pam will contact Paul Brake. [Note: on January 25, Carol Allen said this question would be discussed at Jim’s presentation.] 3. Attracting new active members and leadership. Vanessa said that the team may recruit new members through http://morgantownwv.gov/210/Volunteer-Opportunities, which appears to connect interested persons with the Green Team webpage on the City website. New Business 1. Green Building Standards brochure: Jing indicated some interest in pursuing this in 2019 (when contacted in China over holidays!). Jing expects to return to Green Team meetings soon, but has gotten very busy at work. 2. Repair Café in Morgantown? Repair Cafes (see https://repaircafe.org/en/start) are run by volunteer handypersons. The idea supports greater focus by residents on reducing and reusing trash by fixing and keeping household items before buying new ones. Whether or not this idea fits into the RRR grant proposal, Pam would like to explore the idea. She asked for and received agreement on pursuing this in her “spare” time. 3. To stay well rounded on team attention to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the Green Team should try to keep abreast and support the efforts of the Green Space Coalition. Without Joey James on the team now, no official member is available to monitor and respond to green space efforts in Morgantown. The team still receives occasional requests for its support through a letter or resolution to City Council. Pam asked team members if anyone was interested in filling this role for the team. Next monthly meeting: Monday, February 4, 5:30pm–7:00pm, Conference Room B at Morgantown Public Library. Remaining winter-spring dates are March 4, April 1, and May 6. Please let Pam know if any of these dates has issues.