Sustainability at Lake Superior College

Meeting Minutes 3/1/2013

8:30-10:30

Location: Student Life Conference Room

Attendance

Governing Council Members present: Aaron McIntire, Deanne Roquet, Kristi Heintz, Mike Francisco, Theresa Hornstein,

General Members present:  Bruce Wallis, Dick Haney, Glenn Merrick, Jeri Schwerin, Sarah Newport, Stephen Erickson, Neldon Herron

Guest Present:

Announcements

Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference @UW Madison: Apr 15, 2013.

Kristi reported that we received last year’s plastic bag recycling data from Airpark Disabilities Services.  Last year, LSC recycled almost 275 pounds of plastic through their program.  Kristi has sent this information to Mat for next week’s Newsplash.

Student Employee & Work Group Reports

Student Senate Update: Sarah reported she was unable to attend the last senate meeting where the Legacy Project was discussed.  Kristi emailed Zak and Kyle asking them for updates.

Student Success Day re-cap/Garden Club update: Neldon reported on his Container Gardening session. It went well and he was able to pull in a few more individuals with an interest in the Garden Club.  He also shared a new idea for mobile burlap container gardening.  The Gardening Club may peruse this technique.

Miser project update: Stephen has been working on updating our current vending miser data.  He has taken a full inventory and will put numbers together for various vending machines.  He is also collecting data on energy usage in computer labs and also all of our television monitors.

New Business

The Good Food Summit is at UMD, March 8-9.  Jenni Swenson has paid for Bruce, Deanne, and Kristi to attend.  Deanne reported that scholarships are available for students. Interested students should contact Deanne for more information.

Dick is serving on the Dean of Allied Health and Nursing search committee. He voiced the importance of the Environmental Council’s input in searches past, and suggests we put forth a couple of questions to be used in the search to fill this position.  Much discussion came from this.  Deanne commented that Lorrie Fox may also have some insight here, she will contact Lorrie.  Anyone with ideas should email Dick directly, preferably before March 25^th.

Bonnie Hundrieser, from Duluth LEAP has requested a short narrative outlining LSC’s progress in energy conservation over the past few years.  Kristi put a paragraph together, and brought it to the EC for comment today:

Lake Superior College was a Minnesota State Colleges and Univeristies (MnSCU) pacesetter in building design, and in 2007 constructed the first LEED Certified building in the MnSCU system and has recently completed its second LEED designed buildling.  LSC was also an early signatory to the American College and Univeristy Presidents’ Climate Commitment, and in 2011, completed a Sustainability Plan of Action (SPA) which set a goal to reduce carbon emissions 50% by 2030.  The Committment also makes LSC responsible for bi-annual progress reporting to the ACUPCC.  LSC’s latest Strategic Plan supports the campus SPA and sets a goal to decrease energy consumption by eight percent on a per square foot basis over four years.  LSC tracks and reports greenhouse gas emissions bi-annually to ACUPCC and submits all energy use data to the State of Minnesota B3 Benchmarking energy management system database on a monthly basis. Since baseline data was collected in 2007, LSC has reduced total energy consumption by over 5% through an ongoing Guaranteed Energy Service Projects and various facilities upgrades including indoor lighting retrofits, automatic controls, and parking lot lighting upgrades.  Most recently, LSC completed a large scale boiler and hot water heating upgrade, increasing heating efficiency by almost 25% for a majority of the campus.

Over the past 15 years, LSC has sustained a campus committee, the Environmental Council, including roughly 12 members from various campus divisions and departments.  This group has been the driving force behind many sustainability related projects.  The group has recently drafted an Environmentally Responsible Purchasing Policy and Efficient Use of Resources Policy aimed at reducing natural resource and energy consumption on campus.  LSC has also been a member of Minnesota Waste Wise and the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for over five years.

Council members made suggestions to include alternative transportation initiatives.  Kristi will make changes and forward to Wade/Gary K before sending to Bonnie.

Glenn has been working on an articulation agreement with UMD and the Sustainability and the Environment.  As part of that, he’d like to encourage the EC to pick a day to tour the Eco-Industrial Park in Silver Bay sometime in April.  The EC will provide transportation for this.

Ongoing Business

Earth Day planning:

FROM LAST MEETING—Earth Day Planning:  Heather joined us today to begin discussions for Earth Day at LSC.  It will be April 23^rd and possibly some activities on the 24^th.  Ideas generated include:

• Creating a theme for the day focused on local/regional food
• Community and student tables, as usual
• Lunch, possibly a bar-b-que.  Bruce will talk with Cara at Upper Lakes Foods about their potential involvement.  Food would have to be prepared for up to 250 people.
• Presentations:
  • Sarah would like to present on the importance of utilizing local water sources instead of bottled water
  • The Garden Club could present or demonstrate gardening techniques, inviting students to help with early fall planting or fencing on the LSC edible garden
  • The Student Senate could be involved in showcasing their Legacy Project (Sarah will meet with them to see if they’re interested in pursuing this)
• Campus Clean-Up, including adopt-a-parking lot groups
• Entertainment: student open mic, possibly outside
• Possible Interpretive Trail re-opening, if new trailhead sign is finished (could be incorporated with clean-up)
• Give-aways (for volunteers only): water bottles

There weren’t many updates thus far.  Bruce has confirmed with Upper Lakes Foods that they can provide their corporate chef, but he hasn’t been able to find out what they would be able to offer for food.  Kristi will check with Wade to see if the EC can offer to help pay for food.

Further planning should continue at the next meeting.  Kristi will invite Heather and possibly a representative from the Legacy Committee to join.  We will meet Wednesday, March 13^th,  at 10:00 in the Student Life Conference Room.

Old Business

Budget 

FY14 Budget Planning

FY13 Budget: $9,000

Expenses since last meeting:

-travel for MnSCU Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop at NHCC: $170.14

-UW Madison Earth Day Registration for 2 faculty: $110

-UW Madison Earth Day Registration for 2 student: $50

-UW Madison hotel accommodations, 2 rooms: faculty- $135, 2 student- [$270]

-UW Madison travel and meal reimbursement 2 faculty: $372.90+($39×2)=$450.90

Balance as of 2/28/2013: $6,381.60

Ideas generated for remaining purchases (additional items added from last meeting’s list):

• Concourse lighting signage
• Semi-permanent recycling signage
• Bottle filling station for ERTC
• Additional bike rack for main entrance
• Outdoor recycling cans
• Interpretive Trailhead sign
• Interpretive Trail bench, trash/recycling cans
• Food/promo materials for Earth Day
• Silver Bay “field trip” for EC
• Parking lot info signs

Kristi will send a facilities related list to Gary A and find out if any of these items may be on his priority list.

Motions

Next meeting

Wednesday, March 13^th, Student life Conference Room at 10:00

Notes submitted by Kristi Heintz