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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018_11_13 Sustainability Collaborative Minutes Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative Meeting Notes, November 13, 2018 Attendees: Mitch Green, Michele Lewis,Arlene Novich, Sue Odierna, Marc Karell, Colin Goldberg, Katherine Pannell, George Roniger, Diane Neff,June Wallach, Elizabeth Poyet,Jeffery King, Mark Kramer, Beth Radow, Frank Owens. Guests were introduced: Alana Mass, new resident and associate of Beth Radow's from LWV; Kim Ryan from Harrison; Lisa McDonald, resident and Chatsworth parent; Paul Katzenstein, resident and Larchmont Temple's Social Action Committee Minutes of October meeting were approved. December meeting was moved from December 4th to December 11tn Mitch explained that the first hour tonight would be devoted to sub-committee updates and the second hour to a 2019 budget discussion. As an advisory board the "Collaborative"is tasked with coming up with a budget to be approved by the Town Board. Mitch further explained that Councilman Jeffery King, as the liaison to the Collabs will report back to his fellow Town Board members on Collab updates. Supervisor Nancy Seligson and Town Administrator Stephen Altieri will no longer attend every monthly meeting but may attend on occasion. Sustainable Energy--Community Solar Frank updated the group on the proposed community solar project on the roof of Hommocks Ice Rink. The RFP was issued and four developers responded. Steve A/Frank 0/Mark M met with the preferred developer today.A recommendation will be made to the Town Board in the next few weeks. Electricity generated from the project will be offered to residents of the Hommocks Park Apartments first and then others should there be enough energy to power more than one building. (The solar panels can accommodate about 100 apartment dwellers.) The panels will produce 500 to 600 kWh of electricity. The Town will receive about$20,000 per year for this agreement. Residents will get a 10—15%discount off of their monthly electric bills. Lease agreement to be created with developers. Frank mentioned one of the issues is the agreement itself;a resident would need to read and sign a document that is about 15 pages long. Mobility/Complete Streets/Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations As Steve A. reported previously, the Town was approved for 4 NYS DEC grants for four EV Charging Stations. A separate grant for a$5,000 rebate for an electric vehicle was also approved. Two electric vehicles are currently in use within the Town's fleet for parking enforcement and code enforcement. As a reminder, the planned locations for chargers are Hommocks Parking Lot, Town Center, Myrtle Blvd by parking garage, and Baldwin Ave/Memorial Park. Charging stations need to be installed. Jeff K. explained that the project will be going out to bid and per Steve A, the Town Engineer will be drafting the RFP and installation is anticipated to take place during the winter months. Each station can charge two cars. Initially, there will be no fees for charging vehicles as an incentive for use. Reusable Bag Initiative(RBI) Jeff reported that the Town Attorney is drafting RBI legislation that will go to the Town Board in December and that we should continue getting signatures and continue with merchant and corporate outreach. Jeff also reported that a TB member was concerned about the effect this potential law could have on low income residents. Would the fee be a burden? Nancy and Sue discussed this prior to Collabs meeting and Sue offered to reach out to the Community Resource Center to get their input as Washingtonville is the neighborhood with the most low income residents in the Town. Though Washingtonville is in the Village of Mamaroneck, it is part of the Town and residents there do go to Stop and Shop and other stores in the Unincorporated Town where this law will potentially take effect. Katherine reported that we now have over 800 signatures input though there will be some duplication and illegible data so we will keep soliciting. Currently we have help from the Murray Tigers(3rd-5th graders interested in environmental initiatives)and MHS students as well, also names are solicited at the Larchmont Farmers Market each Saturday. Sue reported that the 1,000 reusable bags that were donated by "Mothering Mother"are at a local print shop having the winning students'artwork imprinted. (Post-Collabs Meeting Update: Bags are now finished and Sue will bring a sample to the December meeting.) Action Item 1: Mitch to contact corporate heads of CVS,Walgreens, Stop and Shop and Trader Joe's to explain prospective law and garner support and possibly even sponsorship?!! Action Item 2: Sue reaching out to Director of Community Resource Center for advice on how to get word out(and free bags out) to low income community Action Item 3: Collabs—please think of merchants (local or corporate)that YOU have a relationship with who would sponsor the Town's purchase of 1,000 bags. We need a few thousand more bags to give away. Sue has cost details but total cost to sponsor would be approx. $750 to$1,200 for 1,000 bags. Action Item 4: Reminder to continue to do! Per Steve Wolk's recommendation below, please remember the following when you shop: "Thank all stores in town for supporting the Reusable Bag Initiative. Best to thank the manager, but even if you thank someone at the register that is good. If they hear it enough,it will get through to the manager and then corporate HQ.You can do this even if you haven't heard that they support it yet. If they say they don't support it,then people should act shocked and dismayed (but not argumentative,just deeply disappointed as you would really feel). It will have an impact." Food Waste Recycling Arlene updated the group on current food waste recycling data. Regarding food waste kit sales, 95 kits have been sold since April 2018. This past October boasted the largest collection of food waste to date —a total of 16%cans were filled. Since the start of the food waste recycling program in September 2017, 64 tons of food waste has been diverted from incineration. Regarding update on schools, Chatsworth is interested in following Murray's footsteps (guest Lisa McDonald was here representing Chatsworth Ave School) and Hommocks will begin recycling food waste shortly. Steve A had a meeting with Hommocks prior to Collabs meeting. Sue to follow up with him to get update on Hommocks food waste recycling but Arlene thinks the plan is to use the Rocket only for kitchen cafeteria waste and to use the Town's food waste recycling program for the students'food waste. Arlene has created a document on how to have a Zero Waste Holiday Party(Sue to post on the Sustainability page of the website and Facebook.) Update on the Food Waste Reduction Donation/Recycling grant: Beth's guest, Alana Mass, offered to help write the grant so she will attend meeting at Town Center with Nancy and Steve A along with Beth, Karen and others.The grant awards a minimum of$1,000 to a maximum of$250,000 for a program that reduces food waste. The program seems to be more geared to reducing food waste at its origin, rather than recycling it into compost. The grant is due in March 2019, awarded in April 2019 and is a three year grant. Beth mentioned that there is also a NYS proposed law for food diversion. Healthy Yard Initiative Diane gave the update for the sub-committee. There will be a soft launch of the Healthy Yard program in the spring, yard signs should be ready by March 1st. She asked us all to think about five people we could ask to participate in the program to help get the word out. If we can do that, there would be a good start of 100 residents participating. Katherine Desmond of the Village of Mam'k and part of this committee, is making a one-page bookmark that will be one of the communication tools. June will work with Sue on best ways to use Facebook to get the word out and other ways to reach our residents. Beth asked what do we do about nurseries who still sell "Roundup"and products like that? There was continued discussion from last month regarding how to communicate to the residents about this program:expectation is there will be flyers,posters circulated/posted around Town, electronic communication via FB and the website and events at which this program will be publicized. A book entitled "The PRFCT Earth"will be ordered and can be given out or sold. Noise/Leaf Blowers Marc K gave the update on the latest from their sub-committee. He reported that Kristen did a great job of taking the most stringent parts of each municipality's laws(Villages of Mamaroneck and Larchmont as well as Town of Mamaroneck) to make one better leaf blower law. Marc emphasized that one benefit of improved legislation is that landscapers can follow one law;currently they complain that it is confusing since every leaf blower law has different elements. She also took a look at New Castle's current proposal which is to ban gas-powered leaf blowers ALL year and allow only electric leaf blowers during specific periods. This law would go into effect in 2021. Comments included would electric leaf blowers need to be charged up with gas-powered generators? This would complicate the noise issue. Action Item: Sue to email out"Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Code Recommendations"to Collabs. (Emailed out 11/14/18). Please send your comments back via email prior to next meeting on December 11th. Mitch presented the proposed Collaborative budget for 2019. Much discussion ensued regarding the specifics of each sub-committee and whether or not there was enough in the budget for all of the communication pieces. Changes to be made based on Collaborative feedback. Action Item: Mitch to edit and send budget to Sue and Jeff K to be included in packet for Dec 5th Town Board meeting. Meeting was closed with much discussion on communication with June reiterating that we need a communications strategy. One example given by Mark K was where do residents find out about what is recycled and what is not, how do residents get info on what to do with their trash? What are Maxwell Facility's hours? Diane asked what to do with pumpkins! Sue explained that many residents call the main Administration number with questions and that all residents of the Unincorporated Town and the Village of Larchmont are mailed a postcard annually which gives our contact information including the Sanitation website(LMSanitation.org and Facebook page info). A suggestion was made that we contact real estate agents for them to distribute helpful information to new residents. Sue mentioned that she recalled Nancy mentioning that many years ago, agents did receive "welcome packets"from the Town. Action Item 1: June to work with Sue on communication best practices Action Item 2: Sue to discuss revisiting "welcome packets"to new residents to go out to real estate agents Meeting was adjourned at 8:35pm. The next Collaborative meeting will be Tuesday, December 11,2018 at 6 pm at the VFW/Senior Center in the large dining room.