MINUTES

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Tuesday June 28, 2022. Via Zoom

1. Call to Order

    The meeting was called to order by Chairman James Kole at 6:01 PM

2. Roll Call

Members present: James Kole, Janice Blitz, Kyla Clark, Tawana Spencer, Jimmy Rogers. Cynthia Woods logged into the zoom meeting at 7PM after it ended. Staff present: Bill Bailey, Michele Blair, Laura Christoplos. Also attending: Michael Leczsz, Dr. McCurdie.

3. Approval of Minutes from May 24, 2022, meeting

On a motion by Mr. Rogers, seconded by Ms. Clark, the minutes from the May 24, 2022, meeting were unanimously approved.

4. Report from Environmental Programs Manager – Bee City and the EAC

Resolution 4-2 was moved through on June 27, making Laurel a Bee City USA. It’s easy to get the initial certification. Now we need to focus on elements needed to keep the certification. Requirements are in the handout that was sent out.

The City wants to do a Sustainable Saturday at the Farmers Market lot on the second Saturday in September (9/10/22). That would satisfy a number of the Bee City requirements. It will be a full spectrum sustainability event, but Bee City will be front and center.

Ms. Blair would like input on vendors the EAC would like to see attend. The event should be 3-4 hours.

It will also be a great networking and recruitment event for the EAC. Videos of the workshops conducted would be great for the EAC and Green Living pages.

Ms. Blair would like ideas from the Committee, then will work one on one with the Chair on funding, etc. Go through the chair with all your unfiltered ideas.

None of the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility)bills passed the State Legislature.

The City’s first EV charging station at 312 Main Street will be happening soon.

5. New Business (5 minutes each)
   
   1. Potential programming—Sustainable Saturday

Sustainable Saturday will hit a lot of the requirements for Bee City. Everyone agreed that September 10 is a good day for it.

Mr. Kole suggested having one Sustainable Saturday/Bee City work session open to any volunteers and organizations from the City.

Afterwards a google doc can be started populated with notes from the work session and new ideas. Mr. Rogers volunteered to start the google doc.

Ms. Blair stated that messaging will include a lot of QR codes to cut down on paper, and after the Fourth of July, the messaging on the BigBellys will be about Bee City. “What’s the Buzz”, etc.

July 19 at 6 PM was chosen as the date for the work session which will be virtual. Mr. Kole asked Ms. Blair to attend.

2. How can we help support and promote the plastic straw and bag bans?

Mr. Kole suggested sending out a reminder. Staff will check into this.

3. Goal deliverables/measurables discussion for the 3 established subcommittees – Jimmy Rogers

Mr. Rogers announced that he has been appointed a member of the committee.

He discussed his background in strategic planning and project management.

The EAC needs to turn the 3 year plan into a strategic plan with concrete goals, initiatives and projects to execute during the course of the year. Then either delegate actions to subcommittees or do it at a whole committee level.

Mr. Kole suggested that the subcommittee chairs that we nominate today come back at the next meeting with deliverables and measurables that they would like to see. The next meeting would be a discussion of goals and deliverables for the 3 subcommittees.

Mr. Rogers suggested we start that process over email, or through google docs so that we have something started and written down to discuss at the meeting. Mr. Rogers will start a folder and send what he has put together to the committee members.

6. Public Hearing

Mr. Leczsz cautioned against overreaching. The most successful teams in his experience were those able to attain or complete 50% of their goals. The committee members are not working on this full time.

7. Election of Committee Vice Chair
   
   1. Kyla Clark and Janice Blitz nominated

Ms. Clark and Ms. Blitz are both still interested and gave 30 seconds on why they would be a good Vice Chair. An email ballot will be sent out tomorrow. Results will be announced at the next meeting.

8. Election/Appointment of Chairs of the
   
   1. Bee City  subcommittee

Mr. Rogers volunteered and was appointed as Chair. He would like everyone to  join the subcommittee. He will include the EAC on notifications.

2. Pet Waste subcommittee

There were no volunteers, so nomination of a chair was tables until next month.

9. Next Meeting – July 26, 2022

Will be  at Sweitzer Park in person.

10. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM