HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022_02_01 Sustainability Collaborative Minutes Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative
2022.0201 Collab Meeting Notes
Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative
Meeting Notes February 1, 2022
(Meeting via Zoom and on LMC-Media)
Attendees: Mitch Green, Sue Odierna, Arlene Novich, Mark Kramer, Karen Khor,June Wallach, Michele Lewis,
Nick Zuba, Kevin Crowe, Elizabeth Poyet, George Roniger, Mireille (Miray) Ferrier, Arlene Novich,Judy Caputo,
Denise Dunn,Judy Caputo, and Robin Nichinsky
Co-chairs June Wallach and Karen Khor welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Notes of January 11, 2022 meeting were accepted.
June explained that the focus of tonight's meeting was to review the recommendations of three newly formed
groups(Sustain ability, Quality of Life and Resilience)each of whom are tasked with suggesting priorities for the
Town Board to consider as part of their Climate Emergency Response. The assessment criteria used to rate the
recommendations was the environmental impact of the idea, the resource requirement(staff needed/funding)and
the timing necessary to implement the idea (short-term, mid-term or over several years)
Karen shared her screen to show the Collaborative details:
Sustainability Team (Karen,Judy, Mark Manley, Mark Kramer, Marc Karell)
Three recommendations were:
• Ensuring recycling bins are next to all trash bins in Town parks, offices and at events
• Expand access to food scrap drop off to increase participation in food scrap recycling
• Pilot curbside pickup of food scraps
Note: Denise to follow up with our Climate Smart Community consultant to determine the Town's recycling
requirements/documentation needed to acquire points for this action
Quality of Life (June, Steve M. George, Elizabeth P., Michele L.)
Three recommendations were:
• Ban gasoline-powered leaf blowers year round
• Paint bike lanes as part of Highway Dept roadwork/install more bike racks in Town spaces
• Add native shrubs/plants to Town properties
Resilience (Mitch, Marc Karell, Mark Manley, Michele, Mireille., Kevin, Nick,Arlene, Denise)
Five recommendations were:
• Update Town Tree Code(20,000 square foot permit minimum removed, expand tree coverage)
• Town to join C-PACE(financing)program to facilitate energy efficiency upgrades(commercial/multi-family
dwellings)
• Update Town Code to exempt qualifying permeable paving from impervious area calculations
• Town to phase out oil and gas use in Town facilities
• Town to advise residents to install backflow preventers(for houses w/below-grade plumbing)
Discussion about CPACE and if it includes residential properties(it does not). However, there is another program
called PACE that contains the residential element and if New York State approves it at some point in the future, the
Town can then opt in to that as well. Further discussion about the fact that these 11 recommendations are not
everything the Collaborative wants/needs to do but these are the priorities. Before the first draft is written, phase
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Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative
2022.0201 Collab Meeting Notes
two needs to happen. Additional input will be gathered to then fully inform the TB with the goal of doing so by the
end of February. Comments about how so much of above is relevant to flooding and perhaps flooding and run-off
should be mentioned as part of the priorities. There were a variety of questions that came up related to the
Building Department, Town Engineer, Conservation and more due diligence is to be done to flesh out further as
part of phase two.
Upcoming Collaborative Events
Karen and June announced the below calendar events. June and former Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson are on
the panel for the March 8r"event as well as Larchmont Environmental Committee Co-Chair, Lisa McDonald.
Karen announced that the Collaborative is looking for a Volunteer Coordinator for various events, hoping a
Collaborative volunteer will step up to take on this role.
MONTH EVENT
March 2022 rare&„ Marsh 90&7:4SA,liu'l
Larchmont-Maman mack Lot a! Sumrn,t or "Su%tai-at 6c Laltd cap;ng"
Le
Flan,, March2M V 7PM
e community days on 'A Busy Parson's Guide to a lush Lawn and Beaurtrful,
alt:hy Yard"tWough Larchmont- emamneck.Center kw Contiuiing Eduta"Oo
..........................................
April 2022 S i I . Apr'1 23r'd (T1 )
ToM's Annual Spring Cleanup
• SA t , A.,pf,l 2 3'0, 1-�4PM
l FC's E'a.rvh Ddy CellebratW'a Consiituts Park
Sat., April 30th (T8V)
Sxh AnnuaI Corrwpo5t Grveawav
News & Events
Karen reported that the Town's Comprehensive Plan is back on track and that she is happy to be a member of the
Steering Committee. Robin said it's great to have the Collaborative represented so that environmental issues will
be prioritized in the Town's plan.
Karen also reported that the Village of Mamaroneck passed a resolution announcing that food scraps are now
labelled a recyclable item, the importance of which is that food scraps are officially part of their Sanitation
Department and their union agreements. Karen is to meet with the VoM Committee for the Environment Chair
Ellen Silver to determine how this came to be and see how the Town could potentially do this as well.
Comments about the lack of compostable bags available at Maxwell Avenue Recycling Center. Karen mentioned
they are on order. Judy mentioned that the produce bags at Stop and Shop in New Rochelle are BPI compostable.
Mark K. asked if the "Larchmont Farmers Market"topic can be put on an upcoming agenda to determine what the
Collaborative's place will be once the market returns in the spring.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM
The next meeting will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
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