Agendas and Minutes

Conservation and Climate Outreach Committee (View All)

Regular Monthly Meeting

Agenda
Wednesday, August 24, 2005

 

Minutes

Conservation Commission
08/24/05
 
These Minutes are preliminary pending approval by Conservation Commission at the September 28, 2005 Conservation Commission Meeting.
 

August 24, 2005– 7:00 pm
Community Development Building
51 Winburn Way
Ashland
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Amarotico called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the Community Development Building.
ROLL CALL
Attendees: Carol Carlson, Russ Chapman, Jim Hartman, Joanne Krippaehne, Ross Finney and Paige Prewett. Kate DeWayne and Charles Bennett were absent.
 
City Council Liaison: Alex Amarotico
Staff Liaison: Cathy Cartmill
Student Liaison: none present

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Chairperson Amarotico asked for an approval of the July 27th minutes.
 
Cathy Cartmill corrected the spelling of florescent.
 
Commissioner Chapman made a motion to approve the minutes of July 27, 2005 and Commissioner Finney seconded the motion.
 
Voice vote: all Ayes. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.

The minutes of the Conservation Commission Meeting of July 27, 2005 were approved as written.

PUBLIC FORUM
 
Huelz Gutcheon, wanted to remind the Commission about his project Dapper Delves Solar Learning Center, which he hopes will house homeless and ultra low income people in a maximized solar collective building. This project is not funded and still in the beginning developing stage.
 
ASHLAND SANITARY & RECYCLING UPDATE:
 
Commissioner Chapman reported October 8th is Chipper Day from 8am to 12 noon, and November 8 & 22 will be Free Leaf Recycling at the Ashland Recycling Center on Water Street.
 
He reported the Florescent Grant has now used $257.20 of the $500.00 with 674 feet of tubes added and 42 contact bulbs.
 
 
 
 
OLD BUSINESS
Commissioner Prewett updated the Commission on the Renewable Pioneers Marketing Strategy. The members discussed the utility bill envelopes and decided to vote on purchasing the envelopes at the next meeting when they would have the cost information. She updated the members on the post card mailing costs and reported BEF was in the process of determining if they would proceed with the mailing. She remarked she would receive approximately 300 brochures for distribution and asked the Commission if informational racks would be well received. The members discussed possible locations to display the racks.
 
Commissioner Hartman reported is would take 846 green tags to make the High School Green, which was approximately 10,000. He also had interests in the whole school district and is working to see if this project would have enough support/participation to be successful or present this information to the district to see if the schools had an interest in developing a program. The members were excited about the awareness this project would bring to the students and community.
 
Commissioner Chapman reported that he will provide recycling containers for Car Free Day, September 22 and Mr. Hartman wondered if recycling containers would be effective at the High School football games.
 
Cathy Cartmill reported on the CFL program where businesses were suppose to carry compact bulbs for 99 cents, and they were not participating except Bi-Mart. She received a business list from Energy Star and would follow up with the businesses to make sure they are participating.
 
Commissioner Finney reminded the Commission the members needed to schedule coverage for their table at Car Free Day.
 
Commissioner Prewett asked the Commission if they wanted to be present at the Salmon Festival on October 1st from 11-4pm and asked that this item be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
 
Cathy Cartmill updated the members about the Solar Tour, and stated they may need some volunteers to help with the shuttle. There would be 2 busses this year, with no pre-registration, that hold approximately 45 people each.
NEW BUSINESS
 
 
Budget
$3,850.00, no additions
 
 
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
 
1.      Historic Conservation
 
2.      Education/Events
Salmon Festival, October 1st, from 11-4
Solar Tour, October 8th, from 9-2pm
September 17th, Handling the Harvest, 9-11
 
Commissioner Carlson reported there has been a lot of interest in Bio Diesel as a future class.
 
 
3.      Green Business
 
 
COMMISSION ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
Members discussed Vermaculture (farming worms) and legislations recognition with incentives.
 
Commissioner Amarotico asked if the Commission could help the Parks Commission in supporting with community gardening and the members discussed utilizing people with experience in permaculture, also stressing the importance of allowing the community gardens to exist.
 
Cathy Cartmill reported on the new nationwide Energy Star program that recently held a breakfast with over 60 builders in Medford. She explained there were minor differences between Energy Star homes verses Earth Advantage, for single, family and duplex structures. Earth advantage now has 6 homes completed, 9 in progress and 2 more in the early stages.
 
 
Next meeting scheduled for September 28, 2005.
 
 
ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 8:32 pm.
 
 
 
Respectfully submitted,
Mary McClary, Assistant to
Electric Department
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Renewable Pioneers Marketing Strategy
Target Date: September – November 2005
 
 
Ashland utility bill envelope:
·       Print RP message on reverse side of #9 return envelope
·       BEF marketing staff will design message
·       Mail to 2-3 billing cycles in Fall 05
·       Cost of envelope - 10,000= $289.70, $20,000= $510.40
·       Determine difference between cost of envelope normally mailed, and higher cost of printed envelope? (Current envelopes - #9 envelope w/donation info printed on back accidentally; Aug 2004 purchased 140,000 = 18.79/1,000). Find out when utility billing office will be ordering more a new batch; Kari can check inventory. Can cost be shared?
·       Dick: Will check with Kari about envelop and printing costs; perhaps Commission will fund
 
City Source article:
·       Time article to coincide with utility envelope mailing
·       Paige/BEF write article and get approval from Dick/City
·       Check w/Dick to see if space for article can be reserved for RP story
·       Dick: Get article written and get in queue to reserve space in the fall
·       Cost: none
 
BEF postcard mailing:
·       BEF is exploring the possibility of funding a series of 3 postcards that will encourage Ashland utility customers to become Renewable Pioneers by visiting the website.
·       Can BEF utilize City utility customer list? (Preferred method)
·       Can BEF utilize City mailing service? Reimburse City for cost?
·       Postcards may have tie to business customers with coupon to local business, which can be used regardless of sign up; Paige has talked with a few businesses to get a feel on this. So far it seems that it will be a challenge to get a business to have a coupon on the postcard – they view it as too much of a commitment, especially if it can be redeemed without becoming a Pioneer.
·       Dick: Will check to see if BEF can go through City/NW Mail Services. Needs to find out if precedent set with using City list. Perhaps City can mail and BEF can reimburse.
·       Cost: not yet known
 
Coupon incentive:
·       Renewable Pioneers purchasing Green Tags within a given time frame may receive a small booklet of coupons from participating RP business; i.e. $1.00 off appetizer at Standing Stone; $.50 of Dagoba Chocolate bar.
·       BEF would publish booklet and mail to new (and pre-existing?) program participants with an Ashland address (or perhaps by promotional code)
·       Dick: Likes idea, starts cross-recognition for businesses; could be time-consuming
 
JPR underwriting:
·       Conservation Commission purchased Rhythm and News underwriting: 30 spots on Weekday News Rotation (3x week/10 weeks), 10 spots on Living on Earth (1x week/10 weeks)
·       Underwriting will begin in Sept.
·       Cost: $741.00, already paid
RP Brochures:
·       Using Commission and BEF funds, more brochures will be printed and placed in businesses and public places
·       BEF is looking at having special informational brochure racks (made of cardboard) printed
·       Dick: Is interested in doing 3-way cost share between the Conservation Division, Commission and BEF for a large printing of brochures.
 
Ashland Fiber Network (AFN) ads:
·       Mark Butterfield will make commercials for approx $300.00
·       RVTV sometimes creates ads for the City (Ann) for little or no cost. Contact would be Howard Schreiber at RVTV, 552.8890; would need to coordinate with Ann
·       Cost is 5.00 per spot, minimum 40 30-second spots $200.00
·       Broadcast into ½ of Ashland’s homes, 6 hotels and several taverns
·       As a non-profit, AFN can give us up to double the spots that are paid for.
·       Ads run 8-midnight on A&E, TV Food, ESPN, MTV, Lifetime, TLC, WTBS and CNN
·       When the commercial is ready to air, contact is Mike Ainsworth, 552.2361; Lead time - at least two work days
·       Annie Hoy at Ashland Food Co-op suggested partnering with other businesses on the ad with message “We have signed up and encourage you to do the same” – and have businesses help pay for it possibly.
·       Dick: Directed Paige to contact Tim Bewley at RVTV regarding an ad. Recommends that the ad be generic so that it could have a long shelf life. Feels this is great targeted audience
 
Media attention:
·       BEF and City join efforts to gain media coverage in Ashland Daily Tidings and Medford Mail Tribune
·       Cost: none
 
City Website:
·       Find out if it will be possible to post news item on City website
·       Explore possibility of posting temporary Renewable Pioneers link on City website during marketing campaign
·       Cost: none
·       Dick: Will ask Ann about doing a banner ad or special logo during the campaign
 
RVTV PSA:
·       BEF/Paige will create Power Point slide to run as PSA on RVTV
·       Cost: none
 
Solar Tour:
·       Explore opportunities for outreach in conjunction with October 8 tour of Green and Solar Homes in Ashland
·       Dick: Perhaps at beginning of tour there will be an opportunity to talk up RP
 
New solar project:
·       Explore opportunities for new solar projects
·       Wilderness Charter School is over half paid
·       Explore possibility of interactive web connection to new solar project at North Mountain Park Nature Center (similar to: http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/Community/environmentalProjects/greenLights/map
·       Explore possibility of Commission and/or BEF funding of interpretive signage at NMP Nature Center solar – NMP project projected to be installed by October. Would be a great outreach mechanism, but need to act soon. (City-BEF cost share?)
·       Dick: Will talk to Angus re: Nature Center project/interpretation and possibility of buying Tags/attributes off the Nature Center’s system. Dick also looking at other solar project possibilities within City
 
Varsity theatre ad:
·       Unique Screen Media is company the manages advertising at Ashland’s Coming Attractions Theatres (Varsity Theater and Ashland Street Theater)
·       15 sec = $1,399 (.41ea);   30 sec = $2,518 (.73 ea);   60 sec = $4,532 ($1.32 ea)
·       3 months, 3,432 movies, 58,000 viewers, static slide w/audio
·       Dick: Likes the idea; is fairly inexpensive and targeted audience (Ashlanders)
 
·       Radio inventory that electric dept already has, broadcast during AHS games & SOU games
·       We could rotate “existing buy” with current ads; could we have ½ of the Elec Dept’s existing spots? Check with Dick.
·       Games are live on local radio - KCMX Newstalk AM 880 throughout the Rogue Valley.  Internet audio is provided free of charge to Raider fans by the SOU Athletic Department.
·       Pete Belcastro is contact
 
Community Outreach:
·       Paige will continue direct marketing to businesses during marketing campaign
·       Paige will pursue public speaking opportunities to civic groups during marketing campaign
·       Paige will attend Chamber greeters meetings during marketing campaign
 
Tabling:
·       BEF is considering paying a student to table at events, grocery stores, etc.
·       Tabling staff could likely use Commission equipment (table, tent)
·       Conservation Commissioners may table at Growers Market in October, community events such as Salmon Festival and Solar Tour in Oct, etc.
·       Dick: Thinks having Commissioners do the tabling is a better idea
 
 

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