Meeting Minutes 5/3/2013
8:30-10:30
Location: Student Life Conference Room
Attendance
Governing Council Members present: Aaron McIntire, Deanne Roquet, Kristi Heintz, Theresa Hornstein,
General Members present: Dick Haney
Guest Present:
Announcements
Healthy Duluth Area Coalition’s: Active Transportation Week starts May 13th with National Bike to Work Day, May 17th. Check the website for more information.
This year’s UMACS conference is November 8-9 in Decorah, Iowa: The Sustainability Coucil will submit an abstract for poster presentation related to the Sustainable Twin Ports project. The Council spent some time on wording, Theresa will work more on it. Abstract is due May 30th.
NE MN Energy Future Forum with Sierra Club, with keynote Will Steger is May 14th 7:00-9:00 in the LSC Commons. Kristi handed out fliers for the event.
Campus Clean-up is May 9th from 10:00-2:00. Heather will have supplies available at the East Entrance for volunteers. SC Student Employees will help organize the groups. Student volunteers will receive a free water bottle for helping. Kristi will contact Adopt-A-Parking lot volunteers to help that day as well.
Open House table is May 10th 3:00-6:00. Staffers welcome.
Student Employee & Work Group Reports
Student Senate Legacy Project: Theresa and Kristi met with Michelle and Zak last week about their plans for this year’s Legacy Garden installation. Theresa offered some very valuable advice, and Senate agreed the Council’s role going forward could be advisory with some help in securing plants with fencing and also helping them with plant signage.
Garden Club Aaron reported that the Garden Club plans are thriving in the Environmental Science Lab and also the Atrium. He discussed the supplies the group needs to get the north garden functioning and useful as a demonstration of different types of raised beds. Supplies needed include planting soil, fencing, straw bales, and posts. Al has show interest in straw bale gardening and Aaron would like to demonstrate a hugal bed. The Council agreed to provide structural supplies to the group. Deanne motioned to open a $1,000 purchase order for Dan’s Feed Bin for supplies, Dick seconded the motion.
New Business
Water aerators from CERTS: CERTS is offering a 75% discount on water aerators. Maintenance suggested we purchase 100. Kristi proposed we purchase 70 0.5 GPM aerators and 30 1.0 GPM aerators. Total for aerators would be $62 with a potential savings of $100 per faucet per year. Deanne motioned to purchase 100 aerators, Theresa seconded.
SS’s Pilot Green Fee project: Kristi and Aaron met with Chris Ringsred and Zak Radzak this week. Chris is offering an Alternative Energies course in the fall and will be using some technologies to test the usage of some campus utilities. This is something Al is very interested in looking into. The Senate could use their $6,000 exploratory fund to help make the information that Chris finds public, possibly with an energy dashboard system. Many other energy saving ideas were discussed that could be great spinoff projects for following years.
LSC is a Smoke Free Ecosystem Kristi had some signs printed and laminated to hang on the interpretive trail and “pseudo-entrance” reminding students that LSC is smoke free, and asking people to pack their cigarette butts out.
Ongoing Business
Sustainable Twin Ports presentation to staff: Kristi shared the Prezi she and Al presented to staff at Duty Day last week. There was some great feedback and discussion following the presentation. Everyone was supportive of water aerators as a “quick win” project. Others even brought up the use of individual mini-fridges and space heaters. Paper towel use was a bit of a touchy subject.
Old Business
Budget
FY13 Budget: $9,000
Balance as of 5/2/2013: $5,132.45
Ideas generated for remaining purchases (additional items added from last meeting’s list):
· Water faucet aerators: 70 0.5GPM @$35 + 30 @ 1.0 GPM @$15 + $12 shp=$62
· Concourse lighting signage
· Bottle filling station for ERTC
· Additional bike rack for main entrance
· Outdoor recycling cans
· Interpretive Trailhead sign-next FY
· Interpretive Trailhead entrance stabilization project: landscape timber 3×4”x8’ @ $2.99 eachx17=$50.83 and limestone$150 = $200
· Interpretive Trail bench, trash/recycling cans-next FY
ü Silver Bay “field trip” for EC
· Parking lot info signs
· Garden: raised bed demo supplies: soil $180 + 150’ fencing $150 + 4 4×4”x8” corner posts $80 is $180 = $550
· Legacy: fencing for edible exclosures-next FY
· Sustainability kiosk-next FY
After much discussion, the Interpretive Trailhead entrance stabilization project was a priority purchase. Dick motioned to spend $200 on supplies, Theresa seconded the motion.
Water bottle filling stations, outdoor recycling receptacles and a water bottle filling station for ERTC were also mentioned as priorities. Deanne will forward 2 options for outdoor bins to Gary. Kristi will talk to Wade about the possibility of water fountains.
Next meeting
TBD
Notes submitted by Kristi Heintz
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