HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2012_09_20Sustainability Council
September 20, 2012
A meeting of the Sustainability Council was held at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at
Brookings City & County Government Center with the following members present: Arika Sanders,
Norma Nusz Chandler, Donna Hess, Bob McGrath, Paul Peterson and Jane Hegland. Absent: Ryan Carda
and Brooke Sydow. Shari Thornes and Laurie Carruthers were also present.
Sanders called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m.
A motion was made by Hess, seconded by McGrath, to approve the agenda. All present voted yes;
motion carried. A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Hess, to approve the August 13, 2012
minutes. All present voted yes; motion carried.
A discussion was conducted about the October meeting and all agreed upon October 25, 2012 at 8:30
a.m.
Old Business/Updates/Reports
Sustainability Indicators.
Nusz Chandler updated the Council on her class project of developing sustainable indicators/goals for
the City. The indicators must be meaningful, measurable, comparable to other cities and advance
sustainability in our community. She used St. Cloud, Minnesota and Dubuque, Iowa for examples of
indicators and best practices. The sample indicators will be divided by the sub-committees for review
and feedback. The Recycling & Waste Management sub-committee shall review the principles based on
regional economy, smart energy and smart resource use. The Sustainable Building Practices sub-
committee shall review the principles based on community design, green buildings, healthy local food
and community knowledge. The Energy & Atmosphere sub-committee shall review the principles based
on reasonable mobility, healthy air, clean water and native plants & animals. Expectations from the sub-
committees for the October meeting include: compile a list of comparable cities/communities, provide
indicator information to be complied into one document, bring any concerns to the Sustainability
Council. If an indicator is not measurable, then indicate so and the possibility of future measurement.
Nusz Chandler will assist the sub-committee for direction and assistance if needed. Hess mentioned
Mike McCurry may be a good resource in the SDSU Sociology Department. The Council needs to be
cognizant that this project is being conducted by an ad hoc committee, not a sustainability coordinator.
Thornes and Nusz Chandler will meet with the Mayor for his input on the project. At the November
meeting, the Council will review the compiled indicator list and move to approve it. The indicators can
then be presented to the Department Heads for their feedback. The indicators can also be presented to
some of the SDSU classes through Nusz Chandler and Sydow. Hegland recommended collaboration with
the SDSU Extension Field Specialists for evaluation, dissemination and promotion. David Olson is the
program coordinator in Brookings.
Public education.
The Council strategized ideas for the public education, which included: Mayor Reed-one bulb, BATA-one
busload, Moriarty-one apple, Coach Nagy-one pair of shoes, Doug Dell-one reusable grocery bag,
Frerichs-hug a tree, Historic Preservation Commission members-hug a building, Todd Langland-one
stream at a time, Jim Morgan-one diode at a time, President Chicoine-one bike, Student’s Association-
one bike path, Brookings Municipal Utilities, McCrory Gardens, Children’s Museum, manufacturing
plants, Farmer’s Market - Gilkersons. Sanders suggested Harold’s Photography for the photos. A motion
was made by McGrath, seconded by Nusz Chandler to allot $1,000 towards the public education
campaign. All present voted yes, motion carried.
Landfill Tour Review.
McGrath, Hess and Carruthers attended the Landfill Tour with the Board of Health on August 16, 2012.
Attendees were impressed by the all the intricacies of the landfill, processes necessary to maintain it
and the longevity of the landfill.
Plain Green Conference Review.
McGrath, Hess, Thornes and Carruthers attended the Plain Green Conference in Sioux Falls. All workshops
were informative and they made several contacts with the attendees and presenters. Sponsorship of a
presenter or speaker for the 2013 conference will be discussed at the October meeting.
A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Hess to adjourn at 9:42 AM. All present voted yes,
motion carried.
Submitted by Laurie Carruthers