Agendas and Minutes

Conservation and Climate Outreach Committee (View All)

Conservation Commission Monthly Meeting 03/30/11

Agenda
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

 

ASHLAND CONSERVATION COMMISSION

MINUTES

6-8 p.m. – March 30, 2011

Community Development Building

 

 

CALL TO ORDER

Chairperson McGinnis called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.

Attendees:

Risa Buck, Sheri Cellini, Stuart Corns, Ross Finney, Jim Hartman, Shelley Lotz, Jim McGinnis and David Runkel were present.  Thomas Beam, was not present

 

City Council Liaison: Carol Voisin, not present

Staff Representative: Larry Giardina, Mary McClary

 

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Chairperson McGinnis asked for approval of the minutes for February 23, 2011.

 

Commissioner Buck corrected the spelling of Rhianna Simes’s name.

Commissioner Buck, under Recology mentioned Miller paint would need a call first before dropping of paint.

Larry Giardina corrected Conservation Division, not Conservation Department.

 

Commissioner Buck made a motion to approve the minutes with stated corrections and Commissioner

Finney seconded the motion.

 

Voice Vote: All Ayes.  The motion passed with a unanimous vote.

 

 

GUEST SPEAKER

Rhianna Simes, the Land Stewardship Coordinator for Oregon State University, spoke to the Commission about

the program she will facilitate as the new instructor for the compost classes.  She conveyed her passions in the field, gave a background of some of her accomplishments, ideas for the class and also presented them with a handout

consisting of troubleshooting for composting, and comparisons for different compost bins.  She thanked them for the opportunity to contribute in this endeavor.

 

The members discussed adding two additional classes in the fall about worm composting, and asked if Rhianna would be available to instruct those as well.  The topic will be set for August agenda.

 

PUBLIC FORUM

Carter Franklin, an intern with the Conservation Division, was present.  His major is Environmental Studies at Southern Oregon University. (SOU)

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The next Commission meeting will be April 27, 2011.

 

Commissioner Runkel was present on March 3, 2011 for a public hearing on grey water hearing for the DEQ, who will be publishing grey water use regulations in August, 2011.  He highlighted the main points, including a proposal for a required permit with a suggested annual permit fee of $50.00.  Grey water savings for residents of Ashland would approximately be $57.00.  There were no City of Ashland representatives attending the meeting.

 

Commissioner Runkel wondered if the City of Ashland would be interested in issuing these permits/licensing, so residents would not have to travel to Medford.  Under the DEQ regulations, people will be required to obtain a city or state permit.

 

The members discussed this issue.

    

NEW BUSINESS

Earth Day Booth

April 23, 2011 from 11am – 4 pm

Commissioners Corns and Hartman will set up and be available until 12 noon.

Commissioners Finney will be available from 12 noon until 2pm

Commissioners Lotz and McGinnis will be available from 1pm until 3pm

Commissioner Runkel will be available from 3pm until 4pm and close.

Mary will check with Commissioner Beam to see if he can be available from 3 until close.

 

The Conservation Division’s booth will be situated next to the Commission’s booth.

 

The Conservation Awards will be given out beginning at 11:45am.  Chairperson McGinnis will

organize the presenters: The Mayor, Councilperson Voisin, Chairperson Jim McGinnis and Vice-Chairperson Shelly Lotz.

 

The booth will have the Conservation Board, Windmills (AHS students), Eco Quest Game and the trees to give away to interested parties.  Commissioner Lotz was able to obtain 400 trees for the event.

 

Commissioners Lotz and Cellini will work on updating the board.  The members discussed representing the award nominees and winners on the Board.

 

 

Conservation Award Program Certificates

Commissioner Runkel reported the selection committee (Risa Buck, Shelly Lotz, Larry Giardina and David Runkel) met and picked the winners for Adult, Non-Profit, Business and Student.

 

Senior—Dot and John Fisher-Smith

Student—Sophie Javna

Non Profit---Helman School 

Commercial—Standing Stone Brewery

 

 

Commissioner Runkel moved to approve the selected winner of the Conservation Award Program, seconded by Commissioner Buck.

 

Voice Vote: All Ayes.  The motion passed with a unanimous vote.

 

Commissioner Cellini reviewed various letters to be given to the nominees and award winners.

 

Larry Giardina reported that Robbin Pearce understood that this Commission wanted to get certificates from Green Businesses for the awards.  The Commission passed a motion at the February 23rd meeting to purchase Ashland Chamber of Commerce certificates.  The Commission discussed the issue of certificates from the Chamber verses certificates from a Green Business.  The point was brought up, that Helman School would need direct funds, not a gift certificate.

 

Commissioner Runkel will put together another press release for the presentation at Earth Day, and it was suggested he might be able to work with the Earth Day committee in regards to their announcements as part of their publicity.

 

Allocation of Budget

Commissioner Runkel and Commissioner Beam met and discussed ideas for establishing criteria for allocating funds from the Commission budget.  One idea was to establish grants for people to apply for, based on a certain criteria, and then be awarded.  Another idea was to hire a grant writer to seek different grants that would produce a lot more funds for specific projects.

 

This topic will be discussed further at the next meeting.

 

OLD BUSINESS

 12 meetings per year discussion

            12 meetings were already approved, so the discussion would be when to have the meetings in November

            and December. 

 

Conservation presence in the City

            The members requested an update from Councilperson Voisin at the next meeting if possible.

 

Timeline of Goals

Set aside

 

Chairperson McGinnis announced the Council will discuss the sustainability goal at  the Council study session on April 4th.  Bill Molar and Adam Hanks from the City are to give a report, so Chairperson McGinnis asked the members if they had time to discuss aspects of this issue with Bill and Adam before the session on April 4, 2011.

 

           

QUARTERLY LIAISON REPORTS (SOU, Ashland School District, Conservation Department & Recology)

SOU, set aside for next meeting, top of agenda.

 

 

COMMISSION ITEMS NOT ON AGENDA

Commissioner Buck remarked about the vacancies on the Commission beginning in May and asked the Commissioners to consider candidates and advocate for members to join.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Chairperson Mcginnis adjourned the meeting at 8:05pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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