Green Team

Morgantown Municipal Green Team Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 5:30–7:00pm Minutes Facilitator: Jim Kotcon Note taker: Sarah Cayton Members: A quorum of Jim Kotcon (Chair), Pam Cubberly (Vice-Chair), Joe Kanosky (NETL), Karen Kalafat, Jing Zhang, Vanessa Reaves, Mark Brazaitis, and Sarah Cayton (FODC). Visitors: Robyn Hess (City Grants Writer); Lynne Castro (Solid Waste Authority); WVU Eberly College MDS 293A faculty/students (Andrea Soccorsi, Brock Darnell, Jordyn Malry, Ryan Wilders, and Brandon Taylor); Reed College of Media writing class students (Sierra Powers, Ife Abel, Corbin Ridgway, and Ian Mills); Reed College Martin Hall Agency (Autumn Elliot and Lily Hicks); and Richard Cohen. Updates 1. RRR Working Group  Robyn Hess updated the Team on the status of the City’s REAP grant application. Staff at the State REAP Office had liked the proposal very much; but official State review would occur on October 12. She would let the team know what she heard after that meeting. She cautioned that most REAP grants go to Solid Waste Authorities and usually for equipment. The City’s grant strikes out in a different direction and could become a model for other education efforts in the State should it be funded. In addition, Robyn mentioned that separate funding through Vista was not approved for a Publicity Specialist so funding for this position would be needed through other sources.  Reed College of Media writing students attending stated that they had agreed to focus their assigned fall media products on the City’s potential RecycleRight campaign through the team’s RRR Committee. The students described a process involving weekly requests for information etc. by Sierra Powers to team RecycleRight grant coordinator Pam Cubberly, which would range from individual- or group-generated feature story, print ad, radio PSA, broadcast storyboard, blog post, etc. Pam would channel these requests to RRR members for input. Action: Pam agreed to meet with the writers the following Wednesday and to set up an optional meeting of the writers with the RRR Committee for the following Monday evening.  Reed College Martin Hall Agency members, Autumn Eliot and Lily Hicks, also told the team that MHA had agreed to accept the RecycleRight campaign as one of five fall projects and the RRR Committee as a pro bono client. They described a process they would follow to produce three specific public relations products for use in the RecycleRight campaign, if funded. Similarly, their process included communication between MHA contact Autumn Eliot and Pam Cubberly. After initial information gathering and product development by MHA 1  students, the MHA students would set up an October “Pitch” meeting in which they would present details on three specific products. Action: Pam agreed to meet with representatives of the MHA also the following Wednesday and to set up an optional meeting of MHA members with the RRR Committee for the following Monday evening.  Lynn Castro (Mon SWA) noted SWA efforts to fill out data in county on how much and which recyclables are being collected. She asked team for latest information it might have from Republic Services. Action: Pam will seek updated tonnages from the City or Republic Services for April to the present and send to Lynn and other interested persons. Action: Karen Kalafat offered to stay in touch with Lynn on SWA’s efforts to get more detailed data for the county and its communities. 2. Green Space Coalition  Mark Brazaitis updated the team on decision making on the pipeline route through White Park. City Council had approved a combination of routes 3 and 8 at its last meeting. Mark said a second reading would be done the following week and asked the team to submit a letter of disapproval. It was agreed that the team should present the team’s view on the impacts of the routes being considered but not recommend a specific route(s); e.g., the team should comment on issues of deforestation and climate change. Action: Mark agreed to draft a letter to Council for the team to review by email that week. Team members agreed to review it and send Jim their comments by the following Friday. 3. CAP and Energy Committee  Jim distributed a letter from Daniel Chiotis of Vandalia Energy Services about the potential for solar energy in this area of West Virginia using a power purchase agreement (PPA) with an off-site location of about 5 to 10 acres. The rest of the letter explored PPAs, tax incentives, and lowering demand charges. Action: Jim asked members to review the letter and come to the next Energy/CAP meeting in October to discuss this information.  Regarding the draft City Climate Action Plan (CAP), Jim reported that the Spring 2019 engineering intern who worked to gather data from the City for the CAP has not yet returned his final report addressing some requested “fixes.”  Jim noted the upcoming Climate Solutions Fair that Friday at Woodburn Circle, sponsored by the Mon Sierra Club, Mon Citizen Climate Lobby, WVU Sustainability Office and others. The fair will include tables from a range of local groups concerned about climate change. The fair is a local response to the worldwide Sept. 20-27 week of climate action.  Jim said he would set up an Energy and CAP Committee meeting for after Sept. 30th. Action: Jing Zhang asked Jim to include him on the Energy Committee. 2 New Business 1. Andrea Soccorsi, faculty member, and students from WVU Eberly College’s People vs. the Planet course presented its plan to conduct a survey of downtown businesses on their willingness to switch to environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic bags and other single-use plastic items (e.g., cups, straws). The students proposed that the Team consider establishing a “standard” on alternatives to single-use plastic items in the city, which could be reinforced by a certificate or plaque to be displayed in businesses downtown. Team members commented on the students’ proposed survey. Members expressed support for the students’ efforts and asked them to return to the team’s October meeting to review results of their survey. Jim noted limitations on the City to sponsor this kind of certification effort. The concern has been the City “favoring” some businesses over others. The team was willing to advise students on the project and explore other incentives to businesses. 2. Rich Cohen initiated a discussion on lack of accurate air quality (AQ) data available to the City because the only AQ monitoring station is located at the airport and no station monitors the downtown area of the City, where studies have previously revealed a problem, especially summer. He asked the Green Team to help gain City support and funding for a downtown AQ monitoring station. Team members had previously explored obtaining downtown AQ data, noting that such stations could cost upwards of $10,000. Action: Jim agreed to make some calls on the question, including Mike McCauley, who had previously conducted a fine air particulates study of the downtown area. Action: Pam agreed to consult with Robyn Hess on City interest and possible funding opportunities. 3. Lack of time led to deferral of discussion of proposed changes to the Green Team’s by-laws, procedural guidelines, and member biosheet and other issues to the October 7 meeting. Next Monthly Meeting. Oct. 7, 5:30–7:00pm, Conference Room B, Second Floor, Morgantown Public Library, 373 Spruce Street. 3