Board Minutes - September 11, 2008

Minutes submitted by Lisa Mastny

 

 

 

Dick reviewed the meeting guidelines and the Board agenda, which he posted on the white board.

 

Board members introduced themselves. Donna is a teacher at Durango High School. Heather works for an environmental architect in town and is trying to figure out how to be an advocate in a more public way.

 

Dick called for a 30-second moment of silence in recognition of 9/11.

 

 

Laura described the recent LEAD Economic Summit in Ignacio. She said they talked about growth as a topic, looking at the idea that growth doesn’t necessarily mean “more.” She said they discussed some of the same ideals that are coming out of the Sustainability Alliance, and that she would sent around the notes of the meeting by e-mail.

 

Dick brought up the issue of writing articles for the Durango Herald. He said that Denise and Paul Sheldon had both submitted pieces. He said that Paul is no longer working at Ecos and may or may not be staying in Durango permanently. Laurie said she had submitted a potential article about green households, but that this overlaps with the Ecological House column that the Herald is already publishing. Dick invited contributions from other members of the Board, even if this was just one 600-word article every year. He said it is valuable to have a range of voices.

 

Denise said the article she submitted is more of a spring/summer piece, arguing that people should grow veggies not grass. Rebecca said she is still trying to send in two sample articles to Editor John Peel, in order to get the go-ahead from him. She agreed it would be good to wait until more articles are developed, but is concerned about the commitment level of Board members to do even one article per year. She said this is a great opportunity and would reach many more people than other activities we do. She said it would be ideal if everybody wrote two articles, noting that they could be on any topic related to sustainability.

 

Lisa asked whether the contributors have to be Board members. Rebecca said she wasn’t sure, but that it probably would be fine if they weren’t, since Paul Sheldon not a Board member.

 

Denise noted that national drinking water week occurs in April or May. Werner said he could write an article. Dick said that Tom had said he could recycle an article from the permaculture news. Jim said he can probably do one a year. Laura said she is more of a jack of all trades, and doesn’t know a lot about one specific area. Dick asked her whether she might draw on her experiences with Operation Healthy Communities Werner said she could perhaps write about the benefits from the summit, or about programs available to start up local businesses. Laura agreed that maybe she could provide an update on where some of these things stand now. Rebecca said she would “have the ear of community, so what would you like to say to them about sustainability?”

 

Lisa asked whether the articles could be in the first person. Jim said it sounds like Laura’s would be a perspective or first-person piece. Laura said she could profile the Region 9 sustainability indicators, and people agreed this was a good idea.

 

Dick said the Executive Committee (EC) had looked into the issue of participating in the Woo Woo event in November, which would be about sustainability and “New Age kinds of things.” He said we were invited to host a table, lead workshops, etc. He said he was concerned about the time commitment, though we might be able to put together 1–3 presentations, perhaps from Dick, Rebecca, and Denise. He said we might also find a way to just get our materials to the event. He noted that this is an audience that is basically aligned with the goals of sustainability and could help extend our reach.

 

Marcus said that the next LOCAL project deadline is September 22, which is when all the artwork/photos needs to be submitted. He said people can go to the website for submission info. Dick thanked Marcus for all his work on this front. Laura added that there had been no bumps on the LEAD side of things in this project.

 

Criteria for Public Advocacy
 

Dick explained that the issue had come up that, as we prepare to take stands on energy issues and possibly Twin Buttes, we need criteria for when we would take a public advocacy position. He presented a resolution he had drafted to this effect.

 

Marcus asked whether it would make sense for the 2/3 of members who are voting to actually be members of the Sustainability Alliance. Dick said that this would make sense, but would require that the committee chairs actually have a list of all members. Laura asked whether the vote could simply be among someone who has been active in the committee, in case they are not members. She said she worried about the group getting into every little detail and issue. She suggested that we maybe just say that it has to be an issue that affects a broad base of constituents. Dick said the vote still ends up going to the EC and the Board, so there is a safety mechanism.

 

Jim said he wanted to add wording of “consensus” to option #3. All were in favor.

 

Marcus said this issue does raise a question about the rights and responsibilities of paying members, and that this might be an encouragement for people to become members. Dick said we might want to take this issue back to the committee and further refine it—and perhaps revisit it when we discuss bylaw review.

 

Smart Energy Committee 
 

Dick said the committee had adopted an e-mail resolution to support a proposed amendment to the revised Oil and Gas regulations, asking that the industry information for a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and take responsibility for adopting best practices. He said the County manager had expressed concerned this might disrupt the efforts of 4CORE to develop and implement the Climate Action Plan. He said the SEC had discussed whether this might have an unintended effect—would it support 4CORE or get in the way? He said they agreed to leave the enforcement piece to the climate action plan, but to get the ball rolling on a mechanism for getting oil and gas data for the GHG inventory. He said the intent of the proposed amendment is to establish a responsibility for the industry to report emissions data to an agency according to an established protocol, like the Climate Registry, within a year of the time that the protocol is set up.

 

Dick read the proposed subsection G: GHG Emissions.

 

Laura said that timing an issue here—in other words, what if we don’t like the protocol that is established? Dick said the amendment is not specifying a certain protocol, but just saying they need to follow one.

 

Dick asked whether it would make sense to write a letter to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) about this. He said the intent is to get the process rolling, so that when 4CORE gets going on the plan, they would have the data on which to recommend policies, etc. Rebecca said she doesn’t see how this would interfere with other efforts. Marcus asked what happens if we’re unhappy with the third-party protocol that the County comes up with, and said that we don’t want to pre-endorse this. Laura said maybe we shouldn’t make this a resolution, but just a letter.

 

Marcus said the Brendle Group didn’t get the data they wanted, they used proxy data, and now the oil and gas industry has trashed the study—but are they providing the data? Dick said they did trash the report behind closed doors, and there was a snafu over withholding that section, but then it was released. He said the number quoted shows 30% uncertainty, but that it is beyond a reasonable doubt that the industry is the largest contributor to GHGs in the County. He said the industry doesn’t want us making policy based on those crude numbers, so the issue is—what is the best way to get them to report the data? He said we have an opportunity next week when the BOCC meets to add an amendment, and to embed into it a call to provide the data.

 

Marcus said we should be cautious about signing on to just any third-party protocol. Dick said the idea is that this is an externally recognized protocol, not just an industry idea. Jim asked whether Dick is confident that the language in there will result in a protocol that he is happy with? Dick said yes. He said it is also possible that the BOCC or staff will tweak the language. Dick said he could also make clear that the goal is to support 4CORE, and to elaborate that this could be a standard to be adopted by the Western Governor’s Association. He said it may be relevant that the Southern Ute tribe is a founding member of the Climate Registry and has pledged to report according to this protocol. Marcus asked if there is a reason not to specify the Climate Registry as the protocol. Dick said this might be preempted by a decision in Washington that specifies a different protocol. He added that if we don’t get this process rolling, it could be delayed by another year.

 

Dick read the resolution as drafted, and all were in favor.

 

Werner said he had received a message from Erick Aune that the County had approved the draft proposal as written. He described the program briefly, referring to the draft he had e-mailed around. He said the Planning Department will contribute $4K through an internal budgeting process.

 

Laura asked what the tuition would be. Werner said that participants pay $150 for the Design Academy, but that they would pay nothing for the action phase. He said it doesn’t feel right to ask for tuition, since the County is funding this. He said he wants to present a resolution so that we can proceed on this.

 

Jim asked what kind of time would be involved in planning this. Werner said that this is all paid for, and that the planning phase is an in-kind contribution from the Sustainability Alliance, which he would be doing.

 

Dick noted that the budget is a lot smaller than the earlier one proposed. He said it is possible that in the 2010 budget cycle, we may ask for more money for implementation, depending on how things proceed. He said it is also possible that there may be grant opportunities for implementation ideas. He said this is a modest program but a significant contribution that we can make.

 

Marcus asked whether Werner would be the facilitator of the program. Werner said this still has to be decided.

 

Dick read the proposed resolution. All were in favor.

 

Werner provided a brief update on his idea for a high school sustainability competition. He said his son participated in the aerospace competition, the members of which are very bright on energy issues. He said he wants to engage these kids locally. He said he had met with Dick and Dan Garner, and a few others, and put together an outline of the discussion. He said he would like to get something off the ground by next spring. He said he would want to have an essay contribution, and prizes, maybe an art competition, and involve local businesses. He said that if anyone on the Board is interested, they should contact him. He said Michael Rendon and others he had spoken with were also in favor.

 

Werner said one possibility would be using the theme of “2030 Durango,” asking kids to envision what Durango would look like then—maybe it would be energy independent? He said First National Bank is interested, as is the Family and Youth Master Plan. Rebecca said that the head of the local Girl Scouts is interested in doing something sustainability-related. Marcus said that students at the college were thinking of doing a pilot program like SLAP for high-school students. Werner said that maybe the winning teams could present at the last Green Business Roundtable, if it is put together by then. Laura said we would need to include all the school districts. Jim said his daughter was on the aerospace team and went to Boeing, so maybe one component could be to give ideas about careers in the sustainability field, with trips to the Eco Home Center, Ecosphere, etc.

 

Laura asked Donna, as an educator, what the reaction might be if this were presented to the schools? Donna said there would need to be a staff member that is really excited and engaged, and willing to put in the extra hours. She said it would appeal to the same group of kids on the aerospace team, who are very busy, highly motivated, and want to do everything. She said the school has lots of new, young, excited teachers, so we would need to identify someone. Laura said we may want to offer the program to a wider group of kids. Werner said it would be harder to organize if it were open to too many—i.e., that it’s easier to piggyback on the aerospace team. He said he would be in touch with Donna and get list of possible contacts.

 

Dick asked whether we should solicit interest in this in the newsletter. Werner said we should maybe wait until can define it more.

 

Werner said we will host Green Drinks again on Wednesday, September 17, at Cocina Linda at 5:30 PM.

 

 

Dick explained that Carol has been busy with Oktoberfest, so she and Kristen want to defer presenting to the Board and getting our endorsement until November. Dick read the resolution, and all were in favor.

 

 

Dick said there is a need for organizational review, based on soul searching and the possibility that other activities may take priority. He said we haven’t thought systemically about our own business—that is, if we are going to talk about systems thinking, then we need to model that behavior in our own organization. He said we need to think systemically about the Sustainability Alliance as a way to establish a broad framework for decision-making and for fundraising. He said he had recently attended a seminar by the CO Nonprofit Association, and he handed out their brochure, which outlines the need for strategic plan, contingency plans, insurance, etc. He said this probably can’t wait until a January retreat.

 

Dick noted that in particular, the mission statement update and bylaw review still need to be taken on. Laura volunteered to help with this. He said we also need to begin to codify strategic and operational planning, which includes identifying goals, determining if we need a paid staff member, and figuring out how we are going to do this. He said there is also the issue of legal advice.

 

Marcus said the LOCAL steering committee was recently approached by a law firm in town that proposed giving legal advice in exchange for a story in the Coupon Book and a listing on all material that bears the LOCAL Board’s insignia (i.e., “legal council provided by XYZ”). He said they would provide five hours a month of legal advice, and that their specialty is business law and intellectual property rights. He said that beyond that, LOCAL would get a 20 percent discount on the typical rate of $200 an hour. He said the firm could help LOCAL get established, and that LOCAL thought this was a good opportunity. He said he thought they could even make the time available to members of LOCAL, such as by hosting a seminar on business law. He said they might be able to help pilot these issues for the Sustainability Alliance. He said he didn’t see any reason not to take the offer.

 

Rebecca asked whether other businesses get such recognition in the book. Marcus said that the founding members will be listed. He said the contract would be for LOCAL’s founding year, but that it could be renewed. Laura asked whether the firm is new to the area and is doing this to get their name out. Marcus said yes.

 

Rebecca said she thought we had become members of the Community Foundation because they offered legal advice. Dick said that no, the situation was that the legal cost of getting a 501(c)3 was substantial, so it was easier to get fiscal agency. Rebecca said we may want to check into this.

 

Laura said she was uncomfortable having the firm’s name on all materials, and that maybe we should be explicit and limit this to the LOCAL website or coupon book.

 

Marcus said that starting in the next few months, LOCAL will start discussion of bylaws, values, the Board, and committees. He said the premise was to use the coupon book to generate income to hire a part-time staff member. He said if they could get five hours of legal help a month by October, this could help get it done.

 

Rebecca said maybe we should put limits on the timeframe of the agreement. Laura suggested maybe giving a counter offer. Marcus said he would be fine amending the offer, based on the group’s needs for the first year. He said he feels this is a valuable offer that providing services that LOCAL needs and will use. He said he will aim to amend the agreement and send it out to the Board.

 

Dick asked whether there is any implication that the Sustainability Alliance will be able to take advantage of this, once the needs of LOCAL are met. Marcus said the committee had discussed whether this could extend to individual LOCAL members, or to the Sustainability Alliance, and there was general agreement yes.

 

Laura said she was willing to be on a committee to review governance issues. Dick said he had some concerns about being on the committee because he wrote the original mission statement and helped draft the bylaws. Laura said the bylaws don’t have to be reviewed by an attorney. Rebecca said she is willing to be on the committee as well. Dick said that the first thing of importance is that the bylaws need to be in compliance with the law. He said Tom had obtained a template from the Internet, and then a committee adapted it for our needs. Jim suggested that we keep this review light-hearted and not get ground down. Dick said that the nitty gritty of it is mostly OK, though we need a decision for breaking ties. He said the mission statement discussion is more important and more difficult.

 

Dick said we need to engage in strategic planning and think systemically about our goals. He said a grid had been developed by students at Evergreen State, providing a sustainability action map, articulating a sequence of values (Personal, Environment, Economy, Community), and performing a SWOT analysis. Laura asked: didn’t we do this at the retreat, and can’t we build off of that? Dick said we can definitely build on this, but that we need to think strategically. He said he was reminded of Laurie’s comment about whether we are getting into more things than we can handle. He said we should instead think: what are the things that need to happen in order for our community to become sustainable? He said we have made great strides with food, energy, and business, but that we need to discuss what the roles are of education, community, and youth engagement. He said we need to identify what the values we want to see are, and how we can go after them. He said this is an effective tool for getting out diverse opinions in a non-threatening way.

 

Rebecca said it is important to have an additional strategic planning meeting. She said the success of the Sustainability Alliance is really the success of individuals that are champions. She said it is not clear what would happen to the organization if those individuals were not available or needed to cut back. She said the health of the organization depends on us getting clearer on plans for the future, plans for replacing the champions, and sustaining the organization. She said we are starting to be vulnerable to tailspin and burnout.

 

Marcus said that the structure should fall out of the vision and mission. He said the temptation for us is to put the mission and goals together to accommodate what is already happening, since we have so much strength at the bottom. He said it would help to consider what a staff person would do, what projects they would undertake, and how they would divide their time—this could help focus some of the structural issues.

 

Laura said she agrees, but thinks we’re at a good point. She said a few things are slowing down, making this more manageable. She said it is better to have fewer, more solid areas. She said that core things are coming to the fore. Marcus agreed that “it’s a process.” He said there is nothing wrong with where we are, and what we’re doing.

 

Jim said we should look at the mission statement—that we don’t need to be doing everything, but just need to be watching. He said we should look at the whole: do we know what’s happening in all areas—health care, housing, etc, and are there other big-picture things we should be looking at? He said we don’t need to revise the mission statement too much. Dick said yes, but if the review says we need to, then we should. He added that there are other things we can do, such as develop a tag line, etc. He said it is worth revisiting, and pulling out key values that we see right now—for instance, how do we conceive ourselves as functioning in 2009? Jim said that if we want to engage others, we can’t do strategic planning alone.

 

Laura said she likes that we evolve. She said we have to engage people’s passions, and that it’s good to grab at things as they arise. Denise said we could do a survey, asking list members to respond. She said we could end it with open-ended questions, such as: would you be willing to help? Lisa said it would be easy to use Survey Monkey to ask questions of our list serv, such as what has been successful, what is lacking in the community, etc.

 

Marcus asked what the scope of a strategic plan would be—2009 or 2014? Dick said both. Rebecca noted that currently, the Sustainability Alliance appears to be a group of individuals, so when the first tier gets tired, what happens next? She said it is good to have a long-term plan. Marcus said maybe we should think as if we were hiring someone, by identifying priorities. He said right now we are just responding to passions. Dick said we also need to clarify what value we bring to the community.

 

Jim expressed concern that when we get visitors to come to Board meetings, they don’t come back. He said that maybe we need another venue for public participation. Werner said that Green Drinks tries to get people to come and engage in topics.

 

Dick said the real question is how to go forward with the strategic planning discussion. He asked whether we can find a Saturday to discuss this. Laura said maybe we can do some of these tasks at a Board meeting. Jim said we could aim to have an ongoing function of strategic planning at each Board meeting.

 

Dick said the EC is working on the start of a Board handbook, summarizing what we do and extending that to the rest of the Board. He said it is also getting to be time to do an annual report. He said he will try to pull together the things we have accomplished. Laura said it may be better to have each committee bring a list of what they’ve accomplished.

 

Marcus summarized the discussion, noting that an ad hoc committee will do the mission and bylaw review, and that we would set aside time at each Board meeting to discuss strategic planning. Laura said this is a way to engage everyone at the table.

 

Dick asked whether anyone would be willing to pull together questions for a survey. Rebecca said that maybe we should have everyone contribute a question. Jim said we should first figure out what the purpose of the survey would be. Laura said this is probably part of strategic planning. Dick said he will consult with Lisa on this. He said that timing is important, since we will be asking for membership renewals in December.

 

 

Heather said she had contacted Rebecca about how to volunteer, but doesn’t have a sense yet of what she can do. She said she has a skill set to offer, and has energy and excitement. She also said she has no sense of when the various committee meetings are.