JOINT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABILITY

 

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Room 3220 – Administrative Center

11:30 a.m.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Jai Johnson, Tom Rauk, Dorothy Lenard, Nick Nichols, Dale Hexom (arr @11:36, Brad Pfaff (exc/arr @11:40/exc @11:55)

MEMBERS EXCUSED:  None 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  None     

OTHERS PRESENT: Steve O’Malley, Brian Fukuda, Brian Tippetts, Tim Kabat, Karl Green, Jim Becker, Jerry Severson, Erica Black, Bryan Jostad, Cheryl Stephen

 

CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

Committee Chair Jai Johnson called the meeting to order at 11:34 a.m.

 

PUBLIC COMMENT

None requested.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

MOTION by Nichols/Lenard to approve minutes of March 11, 2008.  Motion carried; Rauk abstained; Pfaff excused; Hexom absent.

 

EARTH WEEK UPDATE

Dorothy gave an update and distributed a list of activities taking place during Earth Week.  She hoped all members and staff plan to attend the event on April 23 where Terry Gips will be speaking at the Cartwright Center at 7:00 pm.  Reserved a table at Cameron Park on April 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; she asked for volunteers in two-hour shifts; will schedule via internet contact.  She distributed a recent issue of Country Home magazine in which there was an article relating to “Greenest City in the Nation - Ten Top Small Cities” (population of 150,000 or less) in which La Crosse was listed as #2 and #12 overall.  Discussion on this and other display topic ideas including promotion of composting, rain barrels, and rain gardens (poster boards/demonstration projects/suggestion box/interactive game).  Individual assignments were made.

 

Brian Fukuda noted a poster(s) can also be displayed at the County Collaboration Conference on April 24; doors open at 7:00 a.m. or posters can be dropped of at his office prior to the event.   

 

Erica distributed draft copies of the poster relating to Terry Gips speaking on April 23; any suggestions/comments, please give those to Erica before April 9, as she plans to send as an attachment to the various email lists, as well as send to neighborhood groups, religious groups, and invitees of the collaboration conference and will post throughout city.

 

Jai and Tim attended Terry Gips presentation in Eau Claire – both were favorably impressed.  Tim noted a conference call with Gips on April 14 at 11:30 a.m. in the City Planning Dept. to finalize the itinerary and content.  Brief update on city/county activities is planned by Tim & Karl. Jai will ask Jenkins to present on Coulee Partners.

 

RESOLUTION RE LEED

Committee Chair Johnson distributed copies of proposed draft resolution.  Fiscal note still needed.  Tim Kabat will get data presented by Gips on LEED advantages.  Supervisor Rauk noted the renovation and new garage will be voted on this month; LEED certification is being considered for the new addition which gives us a little more time.  Brief discussion of language and proposed standard.  Still some question if recommendation should take the form of a resolution; Jai will ask Corporate Counsel again for confirmation.

  

UPDATE ON WORK GROUP PROJECTS

Tim briefly reviewed and distributed copies of revised Change Process Planning Matrix.  A bio-diesel meeting is planned for tomorrow; making good progress on this effort.  Erica is drafting a resolution relating to “green purchasing” policies; plan to introduce it at the City and County in May or June.  Education and awareness on-going and noted the various events.  County IT staff person has prepared a draft homepage sample for the committee, that being:  www.sustainablelacrosse.org; Tim showed the sample home page via compute/overhead; it should be up and running within next couple of weeks.  Plan to develop vision and mission statements following Earth Week events.

 

At this time, Tim reviewed discussions with Madison Environment Group who are involved with “Madison Car Share”; it’s a car-sharing concept that started with 20+ shareholders and now up to 800+; they offer hybrids, pickups, and minivans.  Tim noted that there is a local interest group that is considering similar initiative for a student housing development/project, and the city may also consider for the Transit Center.  The Madison group noted a lot of their funding is through UW-Madison, and they have all of the bugs worked out relating to insurance, reservation system, etc.  Jai asked that this be added as a fifth project to the work group list; Tim will follow-up.         

 

PRESENTATION ON STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

Committee Chair Johnson noted because of limited time and attendance at this meeting, the presentation will be postponed. Jai reminded members that the strategic planning process is our primary objective; now that work on earth week events is complete, a presentation on and discussion of the strategic planning process will be the main item on our next agenda; other standing topics will be discussed only as time permits. Dorothy noted that public input will be gathered during earth week giving us a good start on that portion of the plan.

 

INFORMATION SHARING

- Jai distributed copies of the PowerPoint that was presented to the County Board.

- Jim Becker shared information on “green cleaning.”  Bryan Jostad noted once a purchasing resolution

  is approved, staff will be on-board with the concept.

- Tim noted the initiative of Wal-Mart stores going green as well as the Vatican and other promoters.   

- Nick noted Wednesday night event at UW-L re Clean Wisconsin.

- Brian Fukuda encouraged attendance at the County Collaboration Conference and to spread the word

  to others.

- Dorothy noted Viterbo Campus Fun Day on April 10th.

- Tim distributed copies of H.R. 6 – Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; federal government

   will distribute grant funds thru state block grant programs; municipalities will be eligible.

 

NEXT MEETING

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 (Since this meeting, this date is not feasible.)  The next meeting date and time will be announced.

 

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION by Nichols/Lenard to adjourn the meeting.  Motion carried unanimously; Pfaff excused.  The meeting adjourned at 1:01 p.m.  

 

Disclaimer:  The above minutes may be approved, amended or corrected at the next committee meeting.

 

Cheryl Stephen, Recorder  

Edited by Committee Chair Jai Johnson