Board Minutes – May 10, 2007

Minutes submitted by Lisa Mastny

 

 

Dick introduced the meeting’s special guest, Durango City Council member Scott Graham.

 

Bliss introduced herself and noted that the more support SASCO can give to local elected officials, and share in the work, then the better it will be. She said it is important that outreach for the Grassroots Visioning Project (GVP) continue in the community. She explained that SASCO’s Ambassadors committee is playing a role in reaching out to churches and other groups on sustainability/stewardship issues.

 

Julie noted that she just accepted a position with the Regional Housing Authority and will soon be leaving Region 9.

 

Nathan introduced himself and said he just graduated from the renewable energy program at San Juan College in Farmington. He now works at Endless Energy installing solar panels. He said he was involved with Sustainable San Juan and could be of help to SASCO through his connections with the San Juan region.

 

Dick gave a brief history of SASCO, and others board members briefly described the activities of the various SASCO committees.

 

Julie described the recent meeting on local green businesses and mentioned the ongoing discussions on this topic at the City Council and elsewhere. She described the different levels of “buy local.”

Dick said he appreciated the City Council’s invitation for SASCO input into the Durango Comp Plan and noted that “everything got in” to the final document, ending up as Strategy 18. He said there is a long list of things that could be done to help the community move toward sustainability. These include implementing the 2030 challenge for buildings, as well as having an explicit policy of supporting independent local businesses. He noted that he is anxious to see the agenda go forward and is interested in hearing Scott’s reaction.

 

Scott said the issue of sustainability is near and dear to his heart. He noted that a meeting with the planning department and a study session on how to prioritize the Comp Plan will be held on May 29. Scott said he has been listening and absorbing a lot in his first month on the Council. He noted that he did do some work on the Comp Plan Committee early on, and has a good sense of the Plan. He said it is incredibly ambitious and that there will be some hard choices about what to focus on. He said it seems like everything relates to sustainability in some way or other—that “it’s all about sustaining the qualities of this area that we all recognize.” He said the city has a long list of things to tackle, and that on the 29th, the Council will discuss priorities and how much money should go to various efforts. He said implementing the plan will require hiring consultants and adding staff to the planning department where necessary.

 

Scott said that many of the issues he focused on during his campaign will be especially important to him on the Council. He noted that the Ridgeline Ordinance is one issue that has received recent attention, and guessed that it will be a top priority. He said another priority would likely be the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, since “you need to have adequate public infrastructure in place before development can occur.” He explained that the goal is not to control development, but to direct it to where the community can accommodate it. He said that some key sustainability-geared language is currently in the Comp Plan, but that this is just a plan now—the issues is making sure it happens. He said the Council’s job now is to create ordinances, to codify it into law.

 

Tim asked whether this effort will largely be Council-led, or if some rules can be codified administratively. He noted that there have been instances where something has been changed administratively. Scott explained that for ordinances, the City Council (3 out of 5 members) has to agree to codify them into law. But he said he is learning that there is a wide range of ways that things happen. He noted that because the ridgeline process was already under way, this will probably happen faster than other rulings.

 

Tim asked whether “adequate public facilities” involves things like codes. Scott explained that this covers the “big three” issues—ensuring adequate water, sewer, and traffic infrastructure. Tim brought up the energy use code and raised the issue of implementing a fee for exceeding individual energy usage. He explained that in Aspen and  Pitkin County, homes over a particular square footage have to pay into a fund, a rule that affects consumer choices such as having a snowmelt driveway.

Scott noted that the Comp Plan calls for hiring a sustainability manager. He said he doesn’t know when and where this person will come on line, or what role SASCO can play. Werner explained that SASCO has already contacted Greg Hoch asking what role we can play. He noted that there are several individuals in the community who are well versed in sustainability interests. He explained that San Miguel County hired Kris Holstrom to form a nonprofit and head a process that was funded by the county. He said Greg was waiting for direction from the City Council and others before moving forward.

 

Dick noted that some SASCO board members were not present at the meeting, including Erick, Rebecca, Roy, Jim, Sue, and Tom. He explained that Erick, as a county planner, is a critical ally in efforts to get parallel efforts going between the city and county.

 

Scott said that so far, as a new City Councilor, he has mostly just been listening, and that there has been a steep learning curve. He said that he and other new members don’t want to rush to decisions. He noted that the meeting on May 29th will be critical for getting started on things.

 

Werner said that it is essential to coordinate efforts between SASCO, the city, and the county. Scott said that he has been sitting down with the county commissioners one on one and getting ideas, as well as meeting with city councilors and people in the community to start bouncing questions off them. He said the idea of using SASCO and partnering with the county seems fantastic: “We have the resources here. I am open to whatever we can do in that regard. I am open to any feedback SASCO wants to give me.”

 

Tim brought up the issue of doing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, explaining that while the County—including Mike Scannell —is making efforts on that, there hasn’t been much action on the City end. He said it should be a high priority to move forward quickly and collaboratively. He noted that there are resources around the community, and that it would be good to have a study session of local players to figure out who could conduct the survey. Dick added that it is critical to establish a baseline before the city can go forward with implementation plans. Julie noted that county had a meeting today where they started trying to figure out what to include.

 

Katherine gave an update on the GVP. She noted that there are four teams meeting around each of the four core values. She said the “healthy community” group is tackling topics as they develop from the original strategies, and that a key area is intergovernmental collaboration between the county, city, and other agencies. She said there was also discussion of social fabric issues. She explained that the “economic vitality” group is addressing such topics as: building on Region 9 work, “buy local” issues, supporting the local work force, identifying barriers, finding solutions, sustainable tourism, and identifying threats (climate change, collapse of social security). She said there is discussion of targeting industries like green building, and of how to bring money and good jobs with the multiplier effect.

 

Bliss explained that the GVP’s “environmental stewardship” group covers such issues as air quality, wildlife, water, and climate change. She said the group has engaged in discussions about carrying capacity and is focusing on research, education, collaboration, funding, and better laws. She explained that the final GVP group, on “sustainable systems,” is looking at systemic issues that are connected and overlap, such as transportation systems, the waste system/stream, forest products (drought), and food systems. She noted that she recently visited Hillsboro, Oregon, which has launched a vision that could be a model for Durango (hillsboro2020.org). She said the GVP goal this summer is to present the plans in a refined enough manner that they can identify the strategies and priorities that would enable the county and city to adopt them as a vision plan. She said there is evidence that this can lead to action, and also raised the idea of a vision fair. She noted that the city “needs to build sustainability into its website” to shows that it is serious.

 

Scott suggested that SASCO reach out directly to city staff to bring up some of these issues, and said it would also be helpful if SASCO could give him a sense of its priorities from the Comp Plan (What in strategy 18 would people like done first?). He noted that among the items on the list are a parking study, having a consultant look at city office facilities, the new library, and the use of space. He said it would be helpful to have someone pushing the sustainability angle. Bliss asked where the list of items to prioritize is, and Scott said it should be online. He said it is a short-term work program, distinguishing higher priorities for 2007–08, and that they will be combining it with the PIP. He noted that there is already too much on the list for this period, and that the planning department is overworked. Dick pointed out that SASCO was able to help get the sustainability component moved from 2008–09 to 2007–08.

 

Scott said that he was not even aware of the GHG emissions inventory issue. Tim replied that buying 100% green energy from LPEA should have been a lower priority than the inventory (and was more expensive), but that this idea passed without any consultation—it didn’t even go before the City Council. He said there could have been better implementation of the process. He also noted that, “the city manager’s office loves to pay for consultants that don’t live here.” Scott said he agreed, and that he and other councilors have already brought this up.

 

Dick observed that overall, there is “terrific synergy” going on right now between the city, county, and others. Scott agreed and thanked everyone for the invitation to the meeting before leaving.

 

 

 

In Tom absence, Dick noted that SASCO has signed on one new member, received one renewal at the $100 level, and has about $900 in the treasury.

 

 

Katy said the group has not met since the last SASCO board meeting, but will be meeting next Monday. She noted that Farm to School serves as an umbrella for a variety of different initiatives.

 

Katy explained that the Healthy Lifestyle Coalition is now Healthy Lifestyles La Plata. She said there is a Healthy Local Food subcommittee that is conducting an “Eat healthy, eat local” restaurant and grocery store campaign. The group is targeting two restaurants and two grocery stores and aims to develop a local health food icon. She said there is also ongoing discussion about how to define “local.” She explained that the group is looking at different tiers, probably based on food miles.

 

Katy said there are also efforts to support electronic benefits at the Durango farmers market, such as having a food stamp machine so residents can use the stamps at the market.

 

Katy also said they are developing a local foods availability list for buyers and producers, which will indicate what’s available when and how much it costs. She also mentioned the idea of holding a “Tour de Farms” in September—i.e., a bike tour of urban agricultural sites to highlight the farms and educate the public.

 

Julie said there has been no meeting since the last SASCO board meeting. She explained that the committee is currently “hung up with the economic drivers analysis,” and that Region 9 is hiring a consultant from Denver to go ahead with it. She said that Region 9 is looking at specifics and that it’s not yet clear whether the study will cover the multiplier issue, or whether SASCO will need to piggyback on this effort. She also noted that there was a meeting to discuss an Independent Business Alliance on Tuesday.

Bliss said that she and Rebecca had a brief conference call meeting while she was in Austin. (She passed around the Austin Environmental Directory to show the group.) She noted that the “Ambassadors” are still looking for alignments of people who want to be working on sustainability issues. She said they were checking with nonprofits, but have so far concentrated on churches. She said they are hearing over and over again that congregations have both people that want to work on sustainability and those who have never heard of it.

 

Bliss said the group hopes to develop a PowerPoint presentation on sustainability to present to churches. She said the best way to reach audiences would be to have the churches themselves pull the meetings together, then SASCO would present—rather than going to just one minister at a time.

 

Roy noted that there is a high level of consciousness—if not awareness—coming out of the churches. He said this is an opportunity we can capitalize on, to leverage our resources. Bliss added that we could “help them hit the ground running.”

 

Tim noted that he has a PowerPoint on local multipliers. Werner and Lisa said that SASCO is working on a PowerPoint as well, so these efforts could be coordinated. Denise noted that SOS has been contacted by the Archuleta Democratic Committee and will present to them on May 29. She said it would be helpful to have a PowerPoint available for then. She explained that the Democratic Committee is doing an outreach project and trying to identify nonprofits, and that she will be compiling a database for them. Bliss said she would mail around the SASCO Ambassador’s database.

 

Nathan noted that he does free renewable energy consultation, and would be willing to contribute his expertise on renewable energy to SASCO. He explained that embracing renewable energy can be cost-neutral or even a money gain.

 

Denise said that she recently spoke to Pagosa mayor Ross Aragon, and that that town has signed on to the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. She explained that the commitment is just “sitting there” because the town isn’t sure what to do next. She said Mayor Aragon invited SOS to a May 17 noon lunch meeting to provide a quick summary of what’s involved in following through with the agreement. Julie noted that Bob Campbell, the county manager of Archuleta County, is interested in doing a county emissions study, and maybe making it more of a regional study. She said a big challenge has been identifying the airshed.

 

Werner noted that the first meeting to discuss a sustainability resource guide will be held on Monday, May14, at 4:30 at Carvers, and that a working team will be formed. Katherine said that Carol Stoner issued tips for “greening your business” a while back, which might be useful. Lisa said one option might be to have a small meeting first, then possibly issue a request for volunteers to help out with the project.

 

Werner said that he spoke with Tom Bartels about the Smiley auditorium space, and that they are willing to assist SASCO with movies. Werner said that holding these on Monday nights might be the best.

 

Werner said the next membership meeting will feature Jim and Katy speaking about food issues, though the date and content still need to be determined. Denise suggested picking a recurring date, like the first Monday of the month, for meeting. Katy said they could do the first Monday in June. Werner suggested that the event could be held at the Smiley Building, but that this is a rather large space.

 

Werner said the E&O committee still needs to discuss the focus of the remaining 2007 membership meetings. He suggested having a talk by Paul Sheldon, Hunter Lovins’ brother, or something in Silverton. He said January is already scheduled to be the Focus the Nation event.

 

Werner said the SASCO website still needs to be discussed, and that he has a list of agenda items that Dick compiled. He noted that the next E&O meeting would be on May 31.

 

Werner brought up the fall networking workshop and said the committee would start compiling a list of primary and secondary participants (i.e., those who are part of the team, vs. the wider audience). Katherine explained that she too is planning a GVP fair/summit/something in the fall. She said they are meeting tomorrow to discuss how this might take place, and that they need to figure out synergies with SASCO and others. She noted that the GVP is trying to go forward in a flexible way, and not get too ahead of county efforts. She said the GVP needs to get its committees talking more and to engage the community.

 

Katherine noted that having the event on a Friday could help legitimize it as part of the workweek. She also raised the concern that if two similar things were happening at the same time, this could confuse the community: “We need to have synergies to figure out how to move forward in a great way.” Dick noted that he sees a gathering of sustainability initiatives as one of the main efforts of SASCO. He said he thought that a workshop could be a prelude to a visioning fair or community summit, but agreed that nothing is cast in stone yet. Werner said he would attend the GVP meeting tomorrow.

 

 

Bliss brought up the e-mail that Dick had sent around about the Alliance Center in Denver—a LEED-certified space where multiple nonprofits could gather together and meet. Tim noted that SASCO should talk to Bob Dawes, since he and [XXX] Carver were seeking tenants for the new Discovery Museum. Katherine asked about using the new library as a meeting space. Tim noted that groups would have to book a room there, like at the rec. center, but that a space at the Discovery Museum would be a rental, so this could become a cooperative effort of nonprofits.

 

Wener asked about the Federal Building on Camino del Rio. Julie noted that the space is primarily slated for education. Bliss noted that education is part of our goal, plus the space is convenient. She also brought up the idea of having a house in Durango, noting that with the huge demand for intern housing, this could house a residential intern. Lisa noted that the FLC Environmental Center has also talked about providing space at its new building, whenever it happens, and that the EC also has an incredible library.

 

Katherine said that she knows of a model in Palo Alto, California, where there is space for nonprofits, with openness. She said the use of movable walls and furniture facilitates cross-fertilization. Werner noted that the Smiley Building is serving this purpose for culture and the arts.

 

Bliss said it would be useful, at a minimum, to make a list of the various costs of places. She added that this could also serve as the home for a future county/city joint office of sustainability. She said she could put some energy into this effort, and that it could be an initiative of the Ambassadors Committee. She noted that she has already looked for funders, with People of Conscience as a cosponsor.. Dick said it would be useful to make contact with groups with similar needs for resources and office space.

 

Katherine made a general observation that SASCO “has come so far” and appears to be much more focused. She congratulated the group.

 

Denise reminded everyone that for her meeting with the Pagosa mayor on May 17 (on climate), it would be useful if SASCO could give her some input (as well as brochures). She then gave a quick SOS update, noting that the group finally has a draft flyer. She said that the second quarter environmental series is on community-supported agriculture (CSA), and that they showed the film The Real Dirt on Farmer John in April, with 33 people in attendance. She noted that next Friday, Jim Dyer will give a CSA presentation to the group. She explained that the third quarter series will be on energy and conservation—i.e., what people can do in their own homes. In general, she observed, “the [Pagosa] mayor is supportive, but the county is a disaster.”

 

Denise exhibited the new SOS bags with the logo and website (SOSpagosa.org), made from recycled plastic. She said the group was able to get 50 bags for $6 each and will be giving them away with a $10 SOS membership (in addition to selling them).

 

Dick noted that several of his ZERI colleagues from Montezuma County came to the SASCO Scott Huffman presentation, and that there are efforts under way to develop a Green Business Roundtable-type group in Cortez. He said it would be great for SASCO to have contacts in that area. He mentioned the names of Penny Welch and Jodee Powers, noting that Jodee’s website is SustainabilitySimplified.com. He noted that Sustainable San Juan is also doing well.

 

Bliss mentioned the website <www.renewing thecountryside.org> and said that the colors they use are great for showing the Southwest. She suggested it might be a good source for ideas or photos for the SASCO website. Katherine gave Lisa a copy of her PowerPoint, with photos and local information, and said SASCO could borrow from it.

 

Dick brought up the issue of reviewing the SASCO mission statement, asking: Does the present version serve our needs? Does it address the appropriate audience?  Is it too long?  He said we should consider these general issues and delegate revisions if necessary. He added that if anyone has ideas, they should e-mail him. He also said we should discuss at some point what our alliance really means, as we get into networking with other groups. Julie suggested that the executive committee take a first stab at this.

 

Tim asked whether Farm to School could be a model for how we work with other activities and efforts. Dick noted that there is a possibility that SWCRES could be folded loosely into SASCO, akin to how Farm to School operates.

 

Dick noted that Michael Rendon and Kellie Hotter were both unlikely to make a Thursday night meeting, but that he would try to arrange another time. He said we should also invite Renee Parsons and Wally White at some point. He explained that public rules prevent us from hosting two county commissioners, and no more than three city councilors, at the same time. Bliss noted that it can be good to have two visitors at a time, so they can hear each other talking about issues that they may not discuss otherwise.

 

Denise asked whether any of our remaining guests have questions or comments. Frank said that he was a bit overwhelmed by what’s going on, but impressed with SASCO’s efforts. He noted that he was still looking around for a niche. He said that in the long term, he hopes to see “windmills along ridgelines and a big solar plant, so Durango can be self-sustaining.” He said that his Quaker group is trying to do its own green activities. He explained that he is passing around copies of the book Save the Planet and Save Money Too and getting pledges from the community to take action. He said this can be powerful in the same way as a PowerPoint presentation.

 

Dick noted that SASCO has been trying to identify volunteer opportunities. Werner noted that it would be great to actually see the impact of any suggestions we make, not just have a list of actions. Lisa mentioned the Center for a New American Dream’s Turning the Tide program, which tracks people’s actions. Frank noted that there is a website where communities can quantify and trade carbon emissions locally, and that he would try to send the link. Werner said he would like to see such a list in the resource guide. Tim noted that 4CORE is interested in this as well—the idea of registering, counting, and tracking credits toward emissions reduction. He said other volunteer opportunities exist with SWCRES and with the solar tour in the fall.