Meeting Minutes 2/3/17
10:00 – 11:30
Student Life Conference Room
Attendance
Governing Core Members present: Theresa Hornstein, Kristi Heintz, Eric Brandt, Nate Bronk, Marissa Johnsen, Wade Gordon, Heather Grillo
General Members present:
Guest Present:
Announcements
League of Women Voters presents a film showing of “Bag It”, Feb 16th 7:00 @ Denfeld Lecture Hall
Duluth Traverse Trail Master and Management Plan First Public Meeting: Thrs Feb 9th 5:30, Denfeld
Water Is Life: Standing Rock and Beyond Teach-In at UMD, Feb 13th 8:45-4:00
New Business
Dave and Amy Freeman would be available to key note our Earth Day on Tuesday April 25th, Kristi suggested maybe a “Leave No Trace” theme for this year’s activities. Additional discussion points included:
- Tables from 11:00-1:00
- Keynote at noon
- additional community table invitees: Farmer Doug, a SNAP resource, RSPT, Fond du Lac, UWS, Ecolibrium 3, WLSSD (compost demo, info about our drop site, Garden Green)
- perhaps tickets at each vendor table, redeemed for reusable water bottles
- make one-take one sandwiches (one donated to CHUM or other)
- perhaps ask 3rd Street Bakery if they’d like to donate bread
- Wade will inquire with his contact about a sugar bushing demo (tap our own trees, syrup making demo, maple cotton candy…)
- Theresa’s students will poster their compost/landfill project (set up Monday, students may not available Tues)
- Kristi will ask Dave if he and Tom are interested in demoing their diamond willow walking stick carving
- Once details are settled, Kristi will work with Jean to create a poster
Kristi met with recruiters a few weeks ago and the conversation prompted a transition from providing plastic bottles of water that they typically offer to compostable cups and plates for events like open house and career nights. Kristi noted we can pretty easily provide suggest products that they might use, but our collection process for zero waste lacks receptacles. Kristi suggested the Sustainability Council purchase compost receptacles that can be used for zero waste events, then easily stored, and perhaps be integrated into regular use at some point. A product from Clear Systems is similar to the one offered by WLSSD, and cost $299 + shipping for 5 units. Eric motioned to spend up to $350 on these collection bins, Theresa seconded. Kristi will make the purchase.
Kristi shared that the Minnesota State office is convening a System-wide sustainability workgroup, and foundational information provided by Emily Ziring includes the following impetus to collaborate:
“…the Governor’s Office recently established their Office of Enterprise Sustainability to assist state agencies (including Minnesota State) in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage, increase energy efficiency and recycling, and better coordinate sustainability efforts across state government. In addition, the State recently created a new structure to support and achieve the state’s sustainability goals, including those outlined in Executive Orders 11-12 and 11-13. The new structure will likely result in new sustainability and energy-related reporting requirements for state agencies, including Minnesota State.”
The introductory webex is scheduled for February 21st. Kristi will provide additional details at the March meeting.
Old Business
Per discussion and motion to purchase, Kristi now has 10 heated foot rests and has distributed 3 max/min thermometers to individuals that previously requested heated foot rests. With the thermometers, she requested each person provide some thermal data a few times per week on a google doc. After the data is collected, Kristi will hand over the heaters. At least one of the requests came from someone who currently has a space heater. Kristi will request that space heater taken home before handing over the foot rest. The offer for additional heaters will be sent out in a couple of weeks.
Kristi provided a summary of talking points from the meeting with MREA and local stakeholders on January 30th. Kristi send the following message to internal meeting participants:
Next steps:
- The interested Civil, Chemical and Electrical Engineering faculty at UMD thought it might be a good idea to survey their current students to get an idea of real interest. Mindy will continue to work together with those faculty to get that information, and a similar survey could be done here.
- It sounds like Rody and Dave [Ormann, Twin Ports Arrowhead NECA] will continue discussions about additional certification options and gauge potential enrollment, maybe some cross-over for our students?
- Bret [Ecolibrium 3] and I will continue talking with MREA about host opportunities and suss out their partnership framework with the C. Wisc and Illinois colleges that Adam mentioned.
- I will be participating in the MAP #3 distinction taskforce and will keep this idea front of mind within that context.
Theresa provided the final draft details of the NEW sustainability scholarship. Some tweaked wording for eligibility was discussed, and Theresa will forward those to Collin.
Work Group and Student Employee Reports
None
Budget
Encumbrances to date:
- Annual AASHE dues: -280
- Boreal Natives (fall-spring maintenance): -$600
- Boreal Natives (fall maintenance): -$200
- Human Svs Dept (plastic bag removal-annual): -$280
- Menards -$400
- Dan’s -$300
- Printing -$12
- RSPT Annual dues: -300
- Travel reimbursement (Deanne, Kristi to St. Paul Climate Adapt Wkshp 1/31/17) – $161.57
- Amazon (heated foot rests, max/min thermometers): -499.80
BALANCE as of today: $5,558.46
FY16-17potential budget items (carryover FY15-16 list)
- Bottle filling station near Student LIfe
- Picnic table under H catwalk
- Additional bike rack for main entrance?
- Interpretive Trail bench, trash/recycling cans, exclosures
- Sustainability kiosk: pamphlet holder, plastic bag bin, compost bag dispenser
- MnSCU Sustainability Across Curriculum workshop
Meeting adjourned 11:30
Next Regular Meeting
March 3rd, 2017
Notes submitted to SC blog and LSC Employee Portal > Committees by Kristi Heintz
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