Board Minutes – July 12, 2007

Minutes submitted by Lisa Mastny

 

 

 

Werner described the evolution of the Sustainability Proposal, explaining that as part of its “education and outreach,” SASCO has felt it is important to push the sustainability components of the Durango Comprehensive Plan as much as possible. He explained that he had contacted Greg Hoch to ask how we could contribute; this led to SASCO potentially submitting a proposal to the City. Werner explained that the issue has since come up that SASCO is an advocacy group, but would be taking the position of advising the City and writing a report, creating a potential conflict of interest. He explained that since Keith Walzak and Claire Bradshaw have both done sustainability plans before (Keith in Tucson and Claire in Berkeley), it was deemed more appropriate that SASCO draw from local expertise in the community and form a team.

 

Werner explained that at a study session last Tuesday, Greg had proposed to the City Council that the proposal be a sole source contract (without an RFP) between the City and SASCO due to the importance of sustainability in the Comp Plan and to the availability of strong local expertise. Werner noted that three versions of the proposal have been written so far, in efforts to incorporate Scott Huffman’s expertise in systems design as well as the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory.

 

Jim asked Werner to explain the potential conflict of interest, noting that he doesn’t see it. He asked whether the conflict is simply the fact that SASCO would be paid to produce the report. Werner responded that payment is one part of the conflict, as well as the fact that there are local companies that have expertise in this area but aren’t able to compete fairly for the contract. He noted that both Keith and Claire have more experience in developing a sustainability plan (budgeting, timetables for action, etc) than any SASCO Board members. He also noted that the standard process is to issue an RFP, which isn’t being done in this case. He said that for these reasons, he was eager to try to include Claire and Keith. He explained that after “Phase 1” of the proposal, the team would then get into more distinct recommendations and policies.

 

Bliss observed that in SASCO’s early days, the group had used the analogy of the National Academy of Sciences to describe what Durango was missing. She likened SASCO to scientists looking at evidence. But she noted that the NAS also produces reports. She said she was not worried about the potential conflict of interest and noted that this is great move forward for the City. She said it is great that they “don’t have to go to Kansas to find expertise.”

 

Tim explained that the concern is more that SASCO may be compromising its ability to be an advocate. He observed that if at some point, SASCO didn’t agree with what the City was doing, but then was also getting paid by the City, then this could compromise SASCO’s ability to become a strong advocate. He said while SASCO wants to be able to move sustainability forward, it also wants the freedom to be able to advocate for certain activities and changes. He observed that SASCO appears to have created “an elegant solution” by essentially acting as broker for the contract.

 

Jim noted that a while back, the SASCO Board had discussed whether it wanted SASCO to be sanctioned by the local government or not. Werner said that as other groups, such as SWCRES and a BALLE-type group, look to join SASCO, and as we become a true umbrella for other groups, we have to be really aware of the potential conflicts that Tim and others have mentioned. Julie said this issue would be a good item to bring up at the SASCO retreat. Dick agreed that this is an important policy issue for the organization. He noted that there had been discussion a while back about SASCO possibly forming “spin-offs” that would enable it to play both an advocacy and research role. He said the group needs to establish greater clarity about its mission.

 

Dick noted that the City Council wants to approve the SASCO proposal in early August. He said the core team being developed around the project includes himself, Werner, Tom Riesing, Scott Huffman, and Keith and Clare. He explained that the climate piece of the proposal came in late in the process, and that Tim had already organized a meeting in June on this with representatives from the tribe, the health department, the City, and the County (including Erick). Dick said there was a sense that the climate inventory should go ahead, but that some kind of oversight group would be needed. He noted that when Greg had asked SASCO about how the GHG inventory fits in, it was decided there was no point in having separate oversight committees for both the Sustainability Plan and the inventory. He explained that the current thinking is to set up a citizen’s advisory committee that would be recommended by the project team and then appointed and reviewed by the City and County. Dick noted that one of the upcoming tasks will be to draft an RFP for the GHG inventory. He said the County’s role in the Sustainability Plan is still ambiguous, but that the goal is to have as much congruence among these several processes as possible. He added that 4CORE is also progressing as a possible oversight group for the GHG inventory.

 

Denise noted that Pagosa is interested in participating in a regional GHG inventory and is interested in learning the proposed timeframe.

 

Erick noted that for the GHG inventory, the BOCC will hear a presentation via a resolution on July 31. He said this decision meeting will include the development of an oversight committee, development of an RFP, as well as discussions of outreach to Bayfield and Ignacio to invite them into the process. Werner noted that it is also important to get the County on board with the Sustainability Plan, and that this needs to be presented to them. Erick said he sees potential complications from the overlap, noting that the carbon work is already on the County’s agenda and that staff are being very flexible and supportive. He noted t there is energy in the County around sustainability, but that it is limited.

 

Jim asked about the level of County involvement in the Sustainability Plan. Werner explained that the advisory committee for the plan aims to include someone from the County. Keith added that the intent is to actively engage the County in the process, but that no one has approached the County so far to ask if it will be involved and tie into the process. Dick noted that the Comp Plan itself says that the County should be involved, and that the recent City Council study session also mentioned intergovernmental agreement. He observed that while there is general understanding that collaboration between jurisdictions is desirable, the devil will be in negotiating the details. He said the hope is that the proposal to the City Council will be approved at the August 7 meeting, and that the draft RFP for the GHG inventory could also be pulled together within the next few weeks. He said that in total, we have probably 5 or 6 weeks in which to “get everything rolling.”

 

Sue asked how 4CORE fits into all this. Dick explained that 4CORE is still in the process of getting organized, and that the time frame for formalization is probably 4 to 6 months. He said he hopes the group will be on the ground and will be part of the discussion as the GHG inventory unfolds. He noted that many of the tasks in the Sustainability Plan will deal with issues of energy and resource conservation. Julie added that 4CORE hopes to finish its business plan within the next two months. She said that while the carbon study is often talked about, and that 4CORE aims to keep in touch with this process, the group doesn’t anticipate taking an active role in it.

 

Tim observed that since 4CORE doesn’t exist yet, it is hard to say what it will be able to take on. He said the group’s perceived role is limited, and that it will not be an overall sustainability role. He said the GHG emissions study is critical to 4CORE activities because it will provide a metric for measuring whether and how the group is making progress. He noted that since the County is already taking a role in the inventory, then we should push to keep this momentum going, then get the City involved. He said it would be risky to tie this effort to some other plan. Dick said that he perceived that the City was likely unaware of what was happening in the County on this front. He said Greg Hoch appeared not to know about the County efforts. Tim agreed that there is a communication gap. But he added that, “you don’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” He said it is important to keep existing efforts going, and that we also don’t want the City to be trying to “toss this off” on the County.

 

Dick observed that the good news is that there’s a lot happening, but the bad news is that it’s happening on several fronts and is complicated. He said that perhaps SASCO’s goal is to serve as the vehicle to keep it all together.

 

Jim asked for clarification on exactly what decisions have been made. He observed that, “it seems that we spend more attention approving our minutes than making these important decisions.” Keith recapped the current status of the proposal, noting that he, Tom, Werner, and Dick had submitted a scoping document to the City for approval. He said Greg had brought this to the City, the City Council had approved it, and the core team is now moving forward on revisions. He said the team is not yet sure what to do with the GHG component and needs to resolve this. He said they were planning to sit down with Greg next week to get a read on what the City is thinking of proposing. He said the team would then submit a formal proposal, with the goal of starting “Phase 1” of the study in early August.

 

Keith said the idea is to form a diverse, 15-member committee that would include builders, the City and County, SASCO, SWCRES, and others. He said Phase 1 would not get into policy recommendations, but would simply raise awareness of sustainability, describing the systems design approach and providing examples of how it applies in the region. He said the report would also include best practices of green buildings, etc. He said he would categorize this phase as the “best practices integrated systems assessment approach.” He said the assessment would aim to identify key issues and end up with a list of key topic areas to prioritize. These would then be summarized in a precise report to be presented to the City and County for approval. He explained that Phase 2 would then identify key policy issues and draft statements for both jurisdictions to study and approve. He said the structure of the process is similar to the Tucson model he participated in, where the Sonoran Institute was hired by the City of Tucson as the “pass-thru”—i.e., they got the contract but then hired Keith and others to do the study, which enabled the Sonoran Institute to remain hands-off. He said the difference between that project and this one is that they were looking at best development practices, whereas here we’re looking at best sustainability practices.

 

Erick noted that there is a point of complication. He explained that he has been directed to put together a committee that would be essentially identical to what Keith has articulated. He said he would like to sit down to talk about not creating two redundant committees. Keith agreed that it would behoove the plan’s team to formally meet with Erick and Greg to discuss exactly what they are being asked to submit to the City and others. He observed that it may be best to slow down, wait for everyone to catch up, and then move forward with both jurisdictions hand in hand.

 

Jim asked whether drafts of the Sustainability Plan could be sent to the whole board. He said he would want to make sure that various food and agriculture-related items be included, and that because this work is pretty important to SASCO, other Board members should be included. Bliss agreed that it would make sense to contact Jim to see if anything important is missing in the area of agriculture and food. Dick said he would keep everyone posted, and that the plan is clearly a moving target. He noted that August approval may not happen if we need to wait for County buy-in.

 

Bliss observed that all Board members would likely want input into the plan at some stage. She said her own interest is in how to involve local school districts, addressing issues such as how they incorporate integrated pest management. She agreed that she and others would wait to hear from Dick and Werner on how they can best feed into the process, but reiterated that others will want to contribute in a timely fashion. Dick proposed that the Board should hold an ad hoc meeting once the proposal is done and more is set in stone.

 

Sue asked whether the available funding would be just for Phase 1 or also for Phase 2. Keith said Greg has indicated that he only has $30,000 to $50,000 available, and that this could easily be chewed up in Phase 1. Sue asked whether Phase 3 would then be standards. Keith said it could be. He explained that Phase 2 would involve making policy recommendations, such as hiring a sustainability director, calling for green building standards, etc. Sue asked whether the team is looking to get additional funding along the way. Dick explained that Phase 2 is a whole different situation and is likely to go out in a formal proposal.

 

Sue noted that we run a risk of being too eager, and that it is good to wait to bring the County along on the plan.

 

In Rebecca’s absence, Dick explained that the San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA) is trying to launch a community campaign to push LPEA to take a more aggressive stance on demand-side management and efficiency programs. He said the group is interested in getting an endorsement from SASCO. He noted that SWCRES has decided not to be publicly involved in this effort, since one of their longstanding efforts has been to establish informal, ongoing connections with LPEA. He said it would be awkward for them to be publicly involved with pushing LPEA while also having private discussions with LPEA. He said the big question now is whether SASCO wishes to affiliate or not.

 

Tim clarified that the relationship between SWCRES and LPEA is more than informal, and that SWCRES has had regular relationships with LPEA staff and Board members. He said SWCRES was not interested in joining the campaign initially because they were concerned that the public statement the group was planning to issue might be unduly or unfairly critical of LPEA. He observed, “If you’re making progress, do you want to take the risk of having that progress stopped?” and noted that if LPEA ever did stop making progress, then SWCRES would be more than happy to then push them on the issues. He noted that SWCRES hadn’t seen the campaign’s statement when it was first approached, but that now, based on the final press release, there would probably be less apprehension about being associated. But he noted that SWCRES hasn’t had this discussion yet. He noted that the SJCA has also been pushing Tri-State, and that SWCRES has no qualms about pushing the utility on stopping investments in coal-fired power plants. He concluded that SWCRES is “still on the fence” with respect to the campaign.

 

Dick added that another wrinkle is the fact that SASCO will meet with SWCRES later this month about the possibly of them affiliating with us, so it is best not to preempt that discussion by signing on to the campaign. Julie noted that another benefit of waiting will be that 4CORE will be further along at that point, and is also addressing demand-side management in its business plan.

 

Bliss observed that she couldn’t make sense from either recent newspaper story about the campaign what exactly the group is doing. She said they need a better press release. Tim explained that since there were statutory hearings coming up, the group wanted to be sure that the information got out before these happened. He agreed that the story was not well reported.

 

Dick concluded that it would be useful to defer this discussion to next month.

 

 

Dick noted that SASCO and SWCRES will be meeting later this month to discuss potential affiliation. He also noted that there is an effort to start a Sustainability Organization in Montezuma County, which is being led by Tami Graham and Julia Hesse. He said the group may affiliate with SASCO in the same way Denise and SOS have, but that this may raise interesting issues about Board composition.

 

Dick noted that he would be useful to invite outside individuals and groups to future Board meetings and asked Board members to forward any suggestions to either him or the Executive Committee.

 

Dick noted that the Center for Progressive Leadership has contacted SASCO soliciting interest in the Colorado leadership program. He explained that the program provides a “jump-start on advocacy and political leadership” and costs $750. He added that it is, however, beyond the reach of the SASCO treasury to sponsor a board member. Julie noted that she has been nominated for a scholarship for this and could pass on more information.

 

Laurie noted that the Eco-Home Store is sponsoring a movie benefit for SWCRES on Tuesday, August 7, at the Abbey Theatre. She invited SASCO to set up a booth there and to distribute materials. She said the film, Kilowatt Ours, has an emphasis on coal-fired power plants and energy conservation.

 

 

 

Jim explained that the committee is working with the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition on a “Buy Local” campaign. He said they are working with grocery stores and restaurants on identifying healthy foods, as well as on efforts to get healthy foods into schools. Katy added that there was a great article in the Durango Telegraph this week summarizing these efforts. She said that on Monday, there will be a meeting to discuss the “Tour de Farms” bike tour scheduled for September 22. She said the tour is sponsored by Healthy Lifestyle La Plata, which was misidentified in the Telegraph article as being part of SASCO. Dick suggested that she or Jim write to the Telegraph to clarify the mistake.

 

Katy noted that the Committee is expected to find out by the next Board meeting whether the federal grant that SASCO had endorsed was approved.

 

Dick explained that the Committee ‘s main activity is doing outreach to other groups. He noted that the group has agreed to do an experiment with two different versions of Rebecca’s “cards” to see which resonates better with audiences.

 

Bliss explained that one of SASCO’s goals is to get other people to understand sustainability. She noted that churches are one area that Rebecca has been working on targeting, by making connections between sustainability and their concept of “stewardship.” She said she and Roy are working on pulling together short versions of PowerPoints for different groups. Roy said that he was starting to gather PowerPoints from Lisa. Lisa said she would send him another one she had as well.
 

 

Julie explained that she, Tom, and Tim had discussed the possibility of expanding the Committee. She noted that the group has talked about working on the local multiplier study (with Region 9) and that Tim is also working closely with the City (Bob Kunkel) on “buy local” efforts. She said the group is also pursuing the idea of forming an independent business alliance (IBA). She noted that Marcus Renner at the FLC Environmental Center had brought in Ann Bartz from BALLE for discussions, and that there is interest in having SASCO play a role in developing an IBA. Julie said the Committee needs to better define SLED and what exactly they want to take on. She raised the issue of affordable housing and its role in the local economy, and said she would be interested in sharing with the Board what the Regional Housing Authority has been working on.

 

Jim said he went to two of the recent BALLE meetings, and that the City was also there. He noted that Michael Rendon had observed: “I don’t know what SASCO has done, but the staff really like you.” Jim said the City seemed excited about the idea of supporting independent businesses as a way to keep money in the community, and appreciated the fact that SASCO wasn’t bashing non-local businesses like Wal-Mart. He said that Ann had noted that IBAs are not typically part of the government and had suggested that a nonprofit be involved instead. Jim wondered whether SASCO would have the resources to take on this role, but added that, “SASCO is as big as the people we bring to the table.” He said the issue had come up that an IBA isn’t very engaging for agricultural producers, so it is important to broadcast the initiative as something broader—about “being” local, not just “buying” local (i..e, promoting sustainable local economic development). He said that people are looking to SASCO to take things on. He added that Marcus hopes that a coordinator can be identified and a group launched before next year’s farmers market.

 

Tim said that while BALLE could definitely be something that SASCO helps to create, the City (Bob Kunkel) also aims to sponsor its own “buy local” campaign. He noted that these may be separate but not necessarily equal initiatives. Jim said it would be good to keep aware of what’s happening on both fronts, and that we should be looking at the issue as broadly as possible.

 

Dick said that based on his understanding, there was strong interest in having a BALLE-type group affiliated with SASCO. He observed that, “this umbrella is getting more robust” and added that this is both interesting and encouraging. He agreed that, as Jim said, “we’re as big as the energy of the people at the table.”

 

 

Alan provided an update on the recent global warming course. He explained that eight people met in total, all of whom are activists and want to remain engaged. He said that Linda has pulled together a list of ideas that emerged from the discussions, many of which are being addressed in some capacity by different groups in town (such as the idea of safe biking to schools).

 

Linda added that she and others in the group have tried to educate themselves about the causes of global warming and actions needed to address it. She said the group quickly realized that while it was not feasible to make a difference in say, China or the rainforest, they could help make a difference in the local community. She said the group was particularly intrigued by two Colorado-based programs. The first, Project Unplugged in Telluride, is an effort to encourage city workers and citizens to make a difference and to sustain the community as a tourism community. The second, the Canary Initiative in Aspen, contains components to encourage the City Council to adopt codes that would require all new construction to include green practices.

 

Linda said the group also talked about educating the community on global warming actions that people could pursue. She said she was surprised about the voids in knowledge that exist, and that one option would be to start a community information column in the Durango Herald. She said she was especially interested in educating children in the community, since they are the leaders and decision makers of the future. Alan observed that future courses similar to the global warming one might fit in with activities that Rebecca is trying to do with churches. He said he could also help incorporate tips into SASCO outreach, and that his particular interest is in grassroots activism. He said he has also participated in a course on voluntary simplicity and that this would fit in as well.

 

Bliss observed that “it looks the global warming course resulted in some great outcomes.” She asked whether Alan could send SASCO the names and e-mails of participants, so we could invite them to join our mailing list.

 

Dick agreed that Alan should get together with the Ambassadors committee to figure out how to run with his ideas. He noted that if Alan is interested in hosting another course, he should send an announcement to Lisa to put in the newsletter. Lisa said that she could also work with Alan and others to develop a SASCO “card” on global warming.

 

Alan said he was surprised at how hard it was initially to find people to participate in the course, especially in Durango. But he noted that now, everyone who has done the course could go out and conduct it themselves, contributing to a multiplier effect.

 

Werner said it is important to provide actions that people can do at home, since not everyone can volunteer their time. He said it is important to provide more opportunities for local involvement, and that he aims to include outreach events, such as the networking workshop, in the Sustainability Proposal.

 

Werner noted that the next SASCO “membership” meeting/event would be the August 25 screening of the film Heart and Soil, about15 families that work with soil. He said the Smiley Building is looking good as a venue. He explained that while SASCO had decided initially that membership meetings and events would be held the first Monday of every month, this structure doesn’t mesh with the reality of what’s happening in the community. He said it is also important for SASCO to support other groups/individuals that are hosting events.

 

Werner said the August event is still up in the air. He noted that if anyone wants to add anything to the newsletter, they should get in touch with Lisa. He added that the PowerPoint and Website are items currently under discussion, but there is nothing new to report.

 

Lisa gave an update on the local “green” resource guide, noting that she is working with Marcus at the EC to develop the categories and guidelines for the guide. She said that Marcus is developing a form for businesses to fill out to report on their activities.

 

 

Linda asked whether SASCO is planning to make a statement at the Desert Rock hearing next Wednesday, and if so, what the group would recommend. She said it doesn’t have to be really complicated, but that “it would say something about SASCO if you do (or don’t) make a statement.” Bliss said that we should be making a statement, and could perhaps discuss this over e-mail. Dick noted that he wrote a letter to the City Council on this a week or so ago and could rework this and send it around. He said the letter observed that planners have “chosen the wrong technology but have done the best job they could with it,” noting that they essentially preempted discussion with the choice that they made. Tom added that the statement would provide an opportunity to bring up the possible use of algae technology.

 

Werner put forward a motion that SASCO make a public statement opposing construction of the Desert Rock coal-fired power station. Sue seconded the motion. All were in favor and none were opposed. Julie nominated that Dick go to the meeting and deliver the statement. Dick thanked Linda for raising the issue. Sue thanked Werner for pushing the Sustainability Plan forward.

 

Dick opened the discussion up for comments from guests. Priscilla (newly hired Director of Student Achievement for the 9-R school district) applauded SASCO’s efforts and noted that she would definitely like to “have to have our kids and our staff involved.” Laurie (proprietor of the Eco-Home Center) observed that, “you guys have come a long way.” Dick responded: “we applaud your shop.”

 

Lisa said she would contact Alan about having the SASCO cards ready for the August 7 movie event at the Abbey.

 

Mike said he was trying to find out what exactly SASCO trying to achieve and how best he could be involved. He said he was working on a building project and seeking to identify ways to be as sustainable as possible. 

Paul noted that he recently started a position at Ecos Consulting and also co-teaches at the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco. He said he was thrilled to be in Durango and was drawn to the area by the clean air, cool but sunny weather, and rural character with “some urban surfaces.” He said he also likes the level of awareness of sustainability in the region. He noted that at a recent Cortez Chamber of Commerce meeting about climate change, one participant was even talking about bioregions. Dick said he was pleased at the recent arrival of Paul and others to the community, who are really helping to add energy. Werner said he would like to talk to Paul about being a speaker or participating in SASCO outreach events.

 

Laurie noted that in Paul Hawken’s new book, he points out how there has been an explosion of nonprofits working on sustainability. She said he concludes that this is where the change happens—at the smaller levels.