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Home My WebLink About2018_03_06 Sustainability Collaborative Minutes TOM VOM VOLTri Muni Enviro Mtg 2018.0306 Tri-Municipal Environmental Meeting Meeting Notes, March 6, 2018 Attendees: From ToM: Nancy Seligson, Mitch Green,Tony Gelber, Michele Lewis, Marc Karell (&VoM), Beth Radow,Arlene Novich, Sue Odierna, Karen Khor,June Wallach, George Roniger, Christine Bessin and Jeff King (TB member and liaison to ToM's Sustainability Collaborative. From VoM: Ellen Silver, Colin Goldberg, David Freeman and Victor Tafur(ToM Trustee). From VoL: Marlene Kolbert, Millie Magraw,Jordana Viuker, Ellen Martin, Diane Neff, Caroline Birenbaum, Lisa Boillot and Malcolm Frouman (VoL Trustee) Nancy Seligson welcomed everyone to the Town's Senior Center Each participant gave their name and municipality. The Chairs of the three environmental committees, Mitch Green, Ellen Silver and Marlene Kolbert(on behalf of Kristin Andersen)introduced themselves to the group, giving their background and experience with environmental efforts. Mitch explained the purpose of the Tri-Muni meeting: • As one large group, we can better lobby for and advance objectives/legislation • To consider creating tri-muni priority groups(like the tri-muni food waste group already in existence)for the issues of biking/mobility and green gardening/noise • Improved Outreach and Communications:how can we strengthen our info sharing? Three Joint Activity Priority Areas—Status Mobility/VoL Marlene updated the group on Larchmont's status. New bike lanes on Larchmont Ave are a success, heavily used and have a street-calming effect as traffic slows and safety is improved. Goal to connect business district to the water, adding Chatsworth Ave is also a goal. Larch PD rewards kids for wearing helmets(local stores participate w/gift certs and prizes), initiative called the "Skull Patrol." Green Gardening/Noise George spoke about noise in the Town. Historically, the Town was one of the first communities to have walls built adjacent to 1-95 to reduce noise in residential neighborhoods. George mentioned the Town's seasonal ban on leaf blowers and that fines for use during the ban increased last year. He feels that has helped lessen the noise. Would like a leaf blower maximum db level law(65 db). Food Waste Recycling Karen spoke about the new tri-municipal food waste recycling task force created to facilitate sharing ideas and resources across the three municipalities,suggested by Kristin Andersen. Karen distributed a hand-out with the objectives that include a quarterly calendar of events/communication pieces for 2018. The task force is to meet once per month prior to Collaborative meetings so Karen can report on the Task Force's activities at the Collab meeting. Break-out Groups Participants took part in rotating break out groups on the three topics:Food Waste Recycling, Mobility/Biking and Green Gardening/Noise. Some elected to stay in one group for the duration, others took part in all three groups. Below are priorities from each group 1 TOM VOM VOLTri Muni Enviro Mtg 2018.0306 Mobility/Biking/Walking Networks • For kids in ToM, VoL and VoM, the objective to be able to bike or walk to school via Boston Post Road(BPR)sidewalks by end of 2018, encompassing the BPR from New Rochelle to Rye Neck • Implement the goal above through Special hours on the BPR sidewalks, including the possibility of giving "one way"priority to walkers/bikers. • Improve BPR, making it nicer to walk on. Add planters,phone chargers, benches, trees, bike racks, recycling bins,spaced to make a "Rye to Rochelle"promenade possible and enjoyable for people of all mobility levels • Increase crosswalk "walk"time at key BPR, Palmer& Larchmont Ave intersections. (Increasing foot traffic also helps local businesses and improves cohesiveness between the three communities.) • Hold bike events, not just annually but quarterly • Consider expanding VOL's "Tiger"bike licenses and stickers program (based on VoL Skull Patrol initiative) to all three communities, to reward kids for biking/walking to school. • Prioritize biking and walking commuters with "Green Week"—promotion giving out free helmets, mirrors, etc.... promote enjoyable biking experiences, all three police departments collaborate on safety/enforcement • To support more bikers and walkers, Personal Safety will be essential;the Mobility Task Force should consider whether extra crossing guards may be needed to support this • How do we get people out of cars?! Walking/biking=Healthy lifestyle and increased cohesiveness....NYC studies have demonstrated the more pedestrians, and more bicyclists, create more foot traffic in retail areas, driving retail sales as well • VOM Bike Lane Access...emphasizing lower-income areas, where cars may not be available...as well as connections to TOM and other surrounding communities and resources(parks, etc.) • Increased opportunity for Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations due to Volkswagen Settlement, funds available(see above). • For TOM bike routes, emphasize Greater visibility of bicyclists and pedestrians through signage, more curb appeal,prioritize dedicated lanes, not sharrows(one way streets, innovative parking, Altieri proposal, etc.) Important NYS Funding update: Millie from VoL reported the following: • NYS will receive$127.7M from the VW settlement. This money will be used to mitigate NoX emissions and will be distributed through the NYS DEC. The vast majority of it will be used to fund EV cars and buses. • Charging Stations: $19M of the$127.7M that NYS will receive from the VW settlement is earmarked for charging stations. The municipalities should contact NYS DEC as well as the County to request funding for charging stations. • NYSERDA has a grant available for those who can make a level 2 dual port charging station available to the public. Each station will cost$1,200. These charging stations have open network platforms, which is the gold standard.Electricity used by charging vehicles should be metered and billed to the user at a reasonable price. The GM Maven is a growing car sharing program. One of their most popular cars is the Electric Volt which can drive 238 miles on a single charge. In order to expand, more charging stations need to be available. • Ride Share:New Rochelle and Yonkers are piloting a ride share program. The program will last 9 months and is funded by NYSERDA. 2 TOM VOM VOLTri Muni Enviro Mtg 2018.0306 Noise and Green Gardening • Landscapers and homeowners should talk to each other regarding pesticides, mulching (love 'em and leave 'em and invasive plants? Suggestion to create a five point info sheet to homeowners about the questions they should discuss with their gardeners to be distributed through social media, "next door"app and all municipal outlets(mailing?Email blasts, etc.). Maybe on a quarterly basis so as not to overload folks. • Community gardens were raised by another group. There are already some at the schools, in VOM,formerly at Sheldrake. Should we hold events at gardens? Connect the dots between community gardens and that of food waste, teaching kids in school about using what they grow, etc. • Schools and munis should work together. People in apartments would like a place to garden and grow food. • Importance of reusing water(rain barrels)and green infrastructure. • Growing native plants to attract bees, etc. • Regarding noise, communities should use electric equipment to take care of their property, municipalities should lead on this. • Tree Education was discussed. In view of recent storms, there is concern people will take down trees and there are currently few laws in our municipalities that effectively deal with this issue. Should we take another look at these laws? Suggestion that ToM puts "teeth"in site planning laws. Bring in the arborists, better education;see VoL new law. ToM—new statute needed due to acreage size. Food Waste Recycling • Retain current participation and expand committee • Initiate program in VoM • VoM to promote initiative first at"Clean and Green Event"(Saturday,April 21ct at Harbor Island), through Mam'k Ave Street Fairs this summer, through social media and with a second viewing of "WASTED! The Story of Food Waste",potentially at the Emelin Theatre or Mamaroneck Library. • ToM and VoL increase participation—preschools, houses of worship, restaurants • Hold a "Compost Give-back Day"like Scarsdale does • Promote program through kids at the schools and at local stores(John at Foley's is interested in selling food waste kits and bags.) • Continue promoting at Larchmont Farmers Market when it resumes in May(TOM still considering whether pick-up will be offered;last summer's combination of Outreach Education, Bin Sales and "Normal Citizens in Action dropping off compost"was especially effective). • Curbside pickup for food waste?CE Latimer wants to put composting site in Westchester County. Could we then initiate curb-side pickup? • Update 3/14/2018, Scarsdale Board has passed curb-side pick-up and will initiate food waste pickup—our Task Force will get details, metrics, costs, political considerations and share at the next TOM Collab meeting • Start promoting at Mam'k Farmers Market next winter. • Consider"Pay as you Throw"again, in combination of County's re-visiting of the current Peekskill Incinerator County-Muni Contract, now considerably outdated The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next meeting of the Town's Sustainability Collaborative will be on Tuesday,April 10th at 6 pm at the VFW/Senior Center in the large dining room. 3 TOM VOM VOL Tri Muni Enviro Mtg 2018.0306 4