Click on "attachments" to see the full agenda packet.
                                                                                                                                              
1. Call to Order
Chair Marni Koopman called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 
 
Commissioners Risa Buck, Mark Weir, Roxane Beigel-Coryell, Jamie Rosenthal, and James McGinnis were present. Staff member Adam Hanks was present. Commissioners David Sommer and Cara Cruickshank arrived late. Council Liaison Traci Darrow was absent.
 
2. Consent Agenda
Group discussed the minutes in the packet. Buck stated the minutes reflected the wrong future meeting date and also requested that “waste-reduction baskets” be changed to “bottle and can baskets.”
 
Buck/Beigel-Coryell m/s to approve the minutes of January 24, 2018, with the corrections mentioned by Buck. Discussion: None. Voice Vote: all ayes. Motion Passes.
 
3. Announcements
The next commission meeting will be March 28, 2018. Rosenthal stated Rogue Disposal is now limiting their recycling services to newspaper, aluminum cans, plastic milk jugs, and corrugated cardboard. She met with a woman who does mushroom work for soil restoration and composting. She would like the commission to agree to have a presentation on this work. On March 21 there will be a Business Waste Reduction & Recycling workshop, through a partnership between Recology and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce.
 
4. Public Forum
None.
 
5. Reports
Council Liaison Update – Councilor Darrow was absent but Hanks gave an overview of upcoming Council items.
 
SOU Quarterly Report – Beigel-Coryell gave updates on the following:

• The new student recreation center will be opening in mid-March. It has achieved LEED Gold status.
• SOU is finishing its strategic planning process. Beigel-Coryell thinks it is going well with lots of focus on equity, diversity and climate impacts.
• SOU is also updating its Climate Plan through on-going working groups.
• The SOU student government is moving forward on their power purchase agreement to purchase and install solar panels.

 
Commissioner Cara Cruickshank arrived 6:24 p.m.
 
Group discussed SOU’s Climate Plan update process and how upcoming building projects on campus are integrating the plan.
 
Commissioner David Sommer arrived 6:30 p.m.
 
City Operations – Hanks stated the City is replacing the EV Chargers in the Pioneer/Lithia Way parking lot in the next couple of days. The City has added a new Chevy Bolt to the fleet as well as two new bucket trucks which have electric operation of the bucket rather than the old engine-operated style. The new virtual net metering resolution was approved by Council and should open some additional options for solar installation. They City signed a memorandum of understanding with Amaresco for energy efficiency and solar plan services.
 
6. Old Business
Sneak Preview Column – Group discussed what articles the will write for future publication. Agreed to the following:

• April – CEAP article (a review of the first-year update going to Council on March 6) by Hanks and staff member Green.
• May – a water-related article that the water subcommittee will write with the assistance of Julie Smitherman
• June – Summer Sustainability Tips written by Beigel-Coryell
• July – a waste reduction article written by Rosenthal (specific topic to come later)

 
Subcommittee Updates
Energy Conservation – group met and talked mostly about 10x20 and how the group can help mitigate community concerns about the pace of the project. They roughed out a timeline of what things likely would need to occur to meet the ordinance deadline. Hanks gave an overview of the current project status.
 
Water – no meeting.
 
Renewable Energy – no meeting.
 
Waste Prevention – Rosenthal stated that ScienceWorks agreed to be the venue to show the film, “Plastic China,” in coordination with Earth Week activities. She would like the commission to encourage city staff to split the cost of showing the film with Recology.
 
Weir/McGinnis m/s to recommend that City staff spend $140 to aquire the rights to show, “Plastic China” at ScienceWorks as part of Earth Week activities. Discussion: McGinnis asked if a date for the showing had been scheduled. Rosenthal stated it is not confirmed yet but she will update the group once it is arranged. Voice Vote: All Ayes. Motion Passes.
 
Beigel-Coryell stated the subcommittee is working on a “straws on demand” plastic-straw use reduction pilot. They have more than 10 businesses interested in participating. Hanks stated that he is hoping to connect CEAP-related funds with Economic Development funds and work with the Chamber in order to create a “kit” of information for businesses to use for this program, similar to the kits used for both the water wisely and the plastic bag ban programs.
 
7. New Business
Ashland Canal Piping Project Advisory Group – Hanks stated that the Public Works Department asked if the commission wanted to appoint a representative to participate on the advisory group. Group discussed who had interest and what the project entails.
 
McGinnis/Sommers m/s to recommend Weir participate at the Conservation Commission representative to the Ashland Canal Piping Project Advisory Group. Discussion: None. Voice Vote: All Ayes. Motion Passes.
 
CEAP Implementation Plan Committee Update – McGinnis stated that at the last committee meeting staff member Green gave an update of progress on CEAP actions with lots of information. He will be presenting the one-year anniversary update to Council on March 6^th.
 
Commission Vacancies – Cruickshank stated that she will be leaving in April. Group discussed options for recruiting the vacancies. They gave Koopman a few names of potential members and she agreed to contact them.
 
To-go-box Program – Buck stated that there are two businesses in town who are interested in creating a durable to-go-box program, similar to Portland’s GoBox program. She asked that the group consider ways to help them partner with each other to create an Ashland program.
 
8. Wrap Up
Group requested that the following topics be on an upcoming agenda:

• Discussion of Chair of Commission
• Presentation on Mushroom Composting
• Ashland School District Quarterly Update
• Follow up on Commission Vacancy discussion

 
Meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
 
 
Respectfully submitted,                               
Diana Shiplet
Executive Assistant