Sustainable Maryland Committee (Green Team)

Sustainable Maryland Committee Meeting Minutes July 10, 2023 – 7:00 PM Attendance Chiara Atoyebi Daryl Braithwaite Irma Nalvarte Janet Owens Orissa Samaroo Guests: Emanuel Wagner Liz Kleemeir James Wang Discussion The SMC adopted the minutes of May 1 2023. The meeting focused on a discussion of two potential programs that the SMC could promote, followed by a summary of the TP Council Budget resolution and its impact on the Committee’s work. (1) Expansion of Takoma Park food waste composting program The discussion opened up with a summary of the current TP food waste collection program - Established 2013 - Provided to all interested residents - Review of coverage and impact The discussion continued with how the program could be expanded - Develop an education campaign on food waste impact (financial and environmental) - Develop a campaign to increase registration of compost pick-up - Move to mandatory sorting of food waste from other trash into compost for all residents - Incentivize establishments to participate in compost collection - Present examples of other city food waste campaigns and programs to the TP City Council (2) Collaboration with FONT on the promotion of its goals to expand native planting in TP and education of native gardening.  Liz Kleemeir of FONT opened the discussion with a summary of FONT activities, including - Side walk native gardens that committed residents have developed; - Signage of these gardens for citizen education - Review of the FONT website Liz encouraged collaboration with the SMC to enhance efforts to spread native gardening and learning about the impact of native gardening and how to establish them. (3) Review of TP Council Budget Resolution: Daryl reviewed the results of the budget resolution, including budget cuts and the unfilled position of the sustainability manager. The Council decreased the proposed salary for a new sustainability manager as a way to cut the budget. The Sustainability manager position is important to the city because it also raises money for new programs through the application for federal grant money. Daryl reminded the SMC that it does not have its own budget and would have to lobby the Council on its ideas for new programming to garner funding. The City is currently expending the final federal grant monies awarded to assist in budget deficits due to the onset of the COVID pandemic. Twenty grants were awarded to TP programs and this spending is nearing completion. Daryl discussed briefly about TP submitting its sustainability application for the next round, earliest June 2024. The next meeting was scheduled for September 11 at 7pm to take advantage of the August recess. The meeting adjourned at 8:15pm.