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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019_03_05 Sustainability Collaborative Minutes Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative Meeting Notes, March 5, 2019 Attendees: Mitch Green,Arlene Novich, Sue Odierna, Marc Karell, Mark Kramer, Colin Goldberg, George Roniger, Diane Neff, Elizabeth Poyet, Karen Khor, Michele Lewis, Beth Radow, Elana Mass,Jeff King, Katherine Pannell Minutes of February 5th meeting were accepted with comments that 1. Further clarification was needed regarding policy that "Collaborative" budget items over$1,000 need to first be approved by the Town Board (clarification is below). 2. Larchmont Library is not putting together a package for the April 27th event as indicated in the February minutes;the Healthy Yards committee is putting together the package Reusable Bag Initiative (RBI) Sue reported that the Town Attorney would be presenting the first draft of the Town's reusable bag law at tomorrow's Town Board meeting. Though NY State has a proposed bill in Governor Cuomo's budget, it does not include a fee for paper bags and the Town hopes to move forward on its own law. Katherine suggested Collabs individually call our NYS representatives to support a better version of their bill with a fee or at least demand that the NYS law will not supersede local municipality's laws that may have a fee. She suggested a bigger impact is made when phone calls are made to the representatives, rather than emailing them. Sue is getting prices on reusable bags which will feature the second student winner's artwork design and she is trying to confirm sponsorship of bags with two local businesses. Price quotes are$1,600-$1,700 for 1,000 bags, though we are waiting on a third vendor's quote. Please contact Sue if you know a business interested in sponsorship. (Update: Sue has secured one confirmed sponsor who is willing to donate$1,600 for 1,000 bags;very exciting!) Action Item: Katherine to contact the first of the corporate headquarters to try and gain support for RBI law Action Item 2: Sue to send out contact info for our NYS representatives so Collabs can contact them (see below please) • NYS Assemblyman Steve Otis (914) 939-7028 (518)455-4897 • NYS Senator Shelley Mayer (914) 934-5250 (518)455-2031 • Governor Andrew Cuomo (518)474-8390 Action Item 3: 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." Action Item 4: Letter regarding the plastic bag ban was drafted by Citizens Campaign for the Environment and sent to municipalities and enviro groups. Sue to forward draft to Mitch so Collabs can sign off on letter Healthy Yard Initiative Michele reported that the designing of the webpage and of lawn signage and other marketing materials (information card, brochure, and banners)is going well, need to finalize and approve ordering. Items were passed around to the group, comments were made regarding consistency of logos and color. The information cards can be distributed at Pet Pantry to draw attention to pet safety regarding pesticides usage;also at Animal Hospitals/Vets. It was suggested that"How to Talk to Your Landscaper"be an integral part of the campaign. Nancy had emailed comments that it's important to discuss nitrogen in fertilizers, that slow-release, low-nitrogen fertilizers are a very important part of the Healthy Yard campaign. Regarding the pledge itself, residents will be able to take the pledge on the webpage. Also,Jeff suggested materials such as the brochure and information cards have a mission statement to make sure message gets across to those who aren't already "in the know." Discussion on ordering seeds/where to plant them/would we distribute to residents. Colin suggested empty plots at VoM community garden. Other ideas included schools(HMX, MAS and other schools have gardens). Could ToM controlled spaces also implement"butterfly garden plots"to reinforce the web- based and private garden-centric effort with visible support in the public realm?Palmer/Weaver or Town Center were sites suggested. Mitch asked the HY Task Force to identify where, in ToM, VoM and VoL, such "butterfly garden"milkweed and other native plants might be installed and promoted. He also thought perhaps gardening stores could sponsor cost of plantings and promote their businesses at the same time. Michele also reported that Katherine Desmond has set up a "Healthy Yard"display at Mamaroneck Library. Arlene reminded us of the Larchmont Library April 27th Healthy Yards program. The speaker at library event will be the President of Audubon Westchester. Sue distributed copies of June's "Healthy Yard"webpage to show Collabs. Soon to be finalized,Steve and Nancy have given their ok,so June will email to Town's IT Head shortly so IT can prepare for its launch on the website. Michele passed out a decreased budget, which included printing,postcards,signs, banners, books, buying plants and seeds, costs for lecturers for events. After Collabs sign off on it, the Town Board needs to approve. There was much discussion about budget, i.e. should we order less items to keep total budget down or should we stick with the higher budget to save costs on quantities that may ultimately be needed down the road. No final decision was made, Mitch to discuss with Nancy to get her input. Action Item: Mitch to call Nancy to discuss budget Note: Please see budget memo on next page written by Nancy to clarify budget approval process for this and future initiatives. Food Waste Recycling Elana updated the group regarding the NYS DEC Food Waste Prevention Grant;it has been submitted! The Town should be notified by early April and funding to be distributed to grant award recipients in June. Karen reported that she will participate in the "Green Schools, Green Futures"conference sponsored by the Rye YMCA and taking place on Thursday, March 28th at the Jay Heritage Center in Rye. Karen will be a panelist talking about zero waste/food waste recycling programs at Mamaroneck schools. Karen and Arlene reported that the Larchmont Farmers Market resumes its operation on Saturday,April 27`h. ToM and the Sanitation Commission have not yet decided whether to have drop off of food waste at the market this spring/summer/fall. Staffing tables with volunteers every week may not be possible and there are sanitation staff/time conflicts that also make it difficult. Karen and Arlene would, however, like to have a sustainability table at the market where our various initiatives could be promoted. This table could be staffed biweekly by volunteers. Please contact them if you'd like to help out. The next compost giveback day is proposed for Saturdays in May,probably May 4th and May 18th. More discussion on this to follow and details on where/how to get compost and will we be able to use Maxwell facility for give back location again. Mobility/Complete Streets/Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations Denise Dunn reported that she has been participating in monthly peer-to-peer Westchester Clean Transportation conference calls(originally called EV Conference Calls when program began Sept. 2018) between municipalities and the County and Sustainable Westchester. She reported that the County's new Climate Crisis Task Force was created in December seeking to reduce and where possible, avoid potentially catastrophic effects of climate disruption in our County. The CCTF will present to George Latimer a report with short-term actions to immediately fight climate disruption. By year's end, the goal is to update the County's 2008 Climate Action Plan using data from an updated Greenhouse Gas inventory. Sue reported that,per Steve A., the four charging stations that Denise secured grant funding for are in contract for installation. Ron Kamen of Sustainable Westchester will manage the project with the goal of getting charging stations installed in the spring. Sustainable Energy--Community Solar Sue updated the group that,per Steve A., a meeting was held yesterday between Mark M., Frank 0, Steve A. and the chosen developer,Sunlight General, for this project involving solar panels being installed on the Hommocks Ice Rink roof. Final edits are being made on the lease agreement so that it can be presented to the Town Board at their March 20th meeting. (As a reminder, electricity generated from the project will result in cost savings for those residents of the Hommocks Park Apartments that subscribe to the program. Any additional electric capacity will be offered to other low and moderate income residents of the Town. The Town will receive lease payment for the use of the HMX Ice Rink roof.) ToK8 Collaborative Budget Request and Approval Clarification The ToM Supervisor clarified ToM Collaborative Budget requests as follows (see below memo from Nancy Seligson dated March 5, ZU19): Dote: March 5, J0l9 Town oƒMamaroneck Policy Governing Susto/nobil/ty Collaborative Budget The Town of Mamaroneck has included a line item in the Town budgetfor sustainability programs and projects of the Susto/nob/lityCollaborative. The Collaborative may utilize the budgetƒunosupto$2,000 without Town Boon/opprovoL Programs, projects, or purchases/n excess of$2,000 must bebrought to the Town Board for approval. The Susto/nob///ty Collaborative should request theƒund/ng/no/ne/noto the Town Board outlining the purpose, need, expected result and budget of the program, project or purchase. Going forward,the Collaborative will proceed per the clarification above, making sure that for on-going programs which may have a series of requests over time,the Collaborative will issue a "calendar year program-specific budget forecast" as part of the each funding request. Meeting was adjourned at8:15pm. The next Collaborative meeting will be Tuesday,April 2, 2019 at 6 pm at the VFW/Senior Center in the large dining room.