Environmental Control Advisory Board Meeting

CITY OF NORMAN, OK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING 225 N. Webster, Development Center, Conference Room B, Norman, OK 73069 Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 5:30 PM MINUTES It is the policy of the City of Norman that no person or groups of persons shall on the grounds of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, marital status, including marriage to a person of the same sex, disability, retaliation, or genetic information, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in employment activities or in all programs, services, or activities administered by the City, its recipients, sub-recipients, and contractors. In the event of any comments, complaints, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, and auxiliary aids and services regarding accessibility or inclusion, please contact the ADA Technician at 405-366-5424, Relay Service: 711. To better serve you, five (5) business days' advance notice is preferred. ROLL CALL PRESENT Board member Dane Heins Board member Lainey Phillips Board member Bob Nairn Board member Nathalie Rocher Board member Sara Bondy INTRODUCE NEW MEMBERS, GUESTS & STAFF Staff Members Michele Loudenback, Environmental & Sustainability Manager Rachel Croft, Staff Engineer Jerry Gates, Environmental Services Assistant Manager Guest is Ken Hobson - Retired OU faculty MINUTES 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR THE MAY 17, 2023 MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING - Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Page |1  Motion made by Board member Bondy, Seconded by Board member Phillips. Voting Yea: Board member Heins, Board member Nairn, Board member Rocher ANNOUNCEMENTS Presentation at the Depot tomorrow night Two new members DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discussion of the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Currently just waiting on the remaining sections to be entered. Once it is added Loudenback will email out the final draft. Heins stated that this would give everyone time to read the document, study up and come prepared to discuss. 3. Discussion of the following completed &/or upcoming activities: Pollinator Week Moth walk last night Bee Walk - 10 am Saturday @ Saxon Park Love Your Lake Week - In July Lakes Appreciation Month - In July City of Norman is hosting a rain chain workshop and have also partnered with LTWA in doing a rain barrel workshop on July first. There will also be a Love Your Lakes Fish & Bug event at the Boathouse on July 30th. 4. Discussion of Spraying Programs Safe Lawns would like to come and talk to the board next month. Their whole thing is to reduce pesticide use. ACTION ITEMS 5. Discussion of the Waters Worth It Proclamation ACTION NEEDED: Approve or deny the Water’s Worth It Proclamation Loudenback informs the board that they are trying to move away from doing proclamations publicly during council meetings. She was successful in getting the pollinator week proclamation signed. It was asked; isn't the idea of the proclamation to provide an opportunity to educate and inform the public and how is signing that in an office going to do that. Loudenback stated that she thinks that piece was met to the satisfaction by the press release that went out regarding that the mayor has signed the proclamation. The proclamation was displayed for discussion. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING - Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Page |2  Motion made by Board member Phillips, Seconded by Board member Nairn. Voting Yea: Board member Heins, Board member Rocher, Board member Bondy MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS Loudenback informed the board that the Director of Utilities is trying to get them a tour of the landfill so they can look at their gas processing. JCI is still interested in moving forward with their performance contract ideas. LEAF is an acronym for the Learning and Environmental Advancement Facility. It is a piece of land to our benefit. Right now they are four small bee hotels, one large bee hotel, the dual bat house and the four European Honey Bee hives on site. Loudenback is currently working with the EPA to do a complete phase 2 assessment. Once that is complete they can send that to DEQ for the Brownfield Grant. This will allow them to come in and remove all the trash soil and replace it with good organic Earth and bring it back to Prairie and eventually do more things such as testing. Show some visual comparisons regarding things like pesticide vs. non pesticide. It was asked if OU was going to be involved in that and Loudenback stated that she is looking for any and all help. Loudenback would love to eventually have a building on the lot somewhere where she can have some classroom space for educational pieces. Rocher mentioned that she has noticed that the Duck Pond which is OU property is remaining low even though all the other lakes are filling up. Loudenback will ask them about it, it is possible that they were discharging water for clean-up. One of Nairn's students is going to do some compost classes for our residents in August. One day will be a sit down in class and the other will be out in the field at the site where they will have compost bins and discussions. Croft mentioned a composting study that is in the project books that they currently do not have anyone to do it. Croft or Loudenback will find out if a student might be interested. QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Dr. Keith Hobson, guest, asked a question which led to a discussion about Parks and native prairies and whether every Park should have only recreation as its purpose. The members were interested in the discussion and are considering adding something along this line to the MCPA. ADJOURNMENT Time: 6:35 PM ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING - Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Page |3