HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2014_02_28Sustainability Council
February 28, 2014 (amended)
A meeting of the Sustainability Council was held at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, February 28, 2014 at
Brookings City & County Government Center with the following members present: Norma Nusz
Chandler, Paul Peterson, Trisha Jackson, Bob McGrath, Ben Kleinjan, Betty Beer, Holly Tilton
Byrne and Alvaro Garcia. Absent: Jane Hegland and Ryan Carda. Others present included:
Laurie Johnson from the SDSU Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Committee, Shari
Thornes and Laurie Carruthers.
Nusz Chandler called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. A motion was made by McGrath,
seconded by Peterson to approve the agenda. All present voted yes; motion carried. A motion
was made by McGrath, seconded by Beer, to approve the January 24, 2014 minutes as
amended. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Meeting Schedule. Next meetings will be Friday, March 7, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. and Friday, March
14, 2014 at 8:30 a.m.
Indicator Project Analysis. Beer requested an indicator be added for Community Violence.
State’s Attorney Clyde Calhoon has been collecting data on this topic since he began his
practice. Additionally, the safe house would have data. Calhoon advised Beer that violent
crimes are on the rise. Thornes indicated the Human Rights Committee was working with the
Human Rights Campaign on Brookings’ scorecard, which was recently issued and Brookings
received a score of zero for hate crimes. The Human Rights Committee is working with the
Brookings Police Department and the University Police Department to review the reporting
techniques. Kleinjan and Tilton Byrne thought this was a very important issue, but did not
believe it was a sustainability issue. Beer was pleased to see these issues are being addressed
by the Human Rights Committee.
Nusz Chandler advised that the indicator project was not final. New or additional indicators
could be addressed in future updates. Nusz Chandler reminded everyone the finalization date
is the end of May 2014.
Nusz Chandler explained the power indicators have been reviewed and approved by Brookings
Municipal Utilities General Manager Steve Meyer. Jackson advised the water indicators have
been reviewed by staff from Brookings Municipal Utilities. Beer has run the municipal financial
indicators by City Finance Officer Rita Thompson.
Thornes requested the source of all data is consistently listed throughout the document.
Jackson also suggested a complete citation at the end of the report. It was suggested that all
potential future indicators be listed in the conclusion, which included: student loan debt
compared to peer cities, school children on subsidized meal plans (numbers for Harvest Table,
Feeding Brookings, food stamps).
Indicator Suggestions/revisions
Unemployment Rate • Al Heuton and Jeff Kjenstad could verify data.
• Suggest add national rates to figures.
• Delete the text for “How does Brookings compare?” and
compare to national rates.
Economic Section
Diversity
• Add national data to the figure.
Poverty • Flip first figures to date order.
• Can we add the middle class data?
• Add student loan debt ratio.
• Brookings is unique because many employees are college
students who work part-time. This part-time work puts them
below the poverty line. Is this acceptable?
Gender Wage Gap • Delete first sentence under ‘Why is this important?” and replace
with, “Since a significant number of households are headed by
women, it is important to have equal wages between the sexes.”
Debt Burden per
Capita
• Reverse the order of the second figure to be chronological.
• Add the CAFR report results from peer cities.
Interest Rate on
Municipal Bonds
• No data for comparable cities?
Energy Assistance • Add per capita for residential utilities.
• Suggest tracing of residential use in the future.
Household Energy
Use
• Add overall energy use data.
Renewable Energy
Use
• Last sentence of “How are we doing” regarding hydro-electric
generation, can we substantiate this statement?
• Is Brookings the only city with a municipal utility company?
• All of the renewable energy is purchased. Encourage legislation
to promote self-reliance?
• Identify energy sources in the pie chart, not below. Color code
for renewable energy/non-renewable. Make sure colors are
differentiated. Delete second chart.
Total Water
Consumption
• Start Figure 1 at 100, not 0.
Groundwater
Conservation
• Follow current legislation for Resolution No. 1025.
• Promote xeriscaping and planting native grasses.
Trash/Refuse
Generation
• Add 2013 data.
• The chart under “How does Brookings compare?” reverse order
for Brookings/Dubuque
Sustainable
Materials
Management
• The chart under “How does Brookings compare?” reverse order
for Brookings/Dubuque
Hazardous Materials • Brookings is too small in population to validate a hazardous
materials recycling program.
• Trish to work with Todd Langland and McGrath to rewrite.
Plain Green Speaker Series with Cori Burbach. The Sustainability Council will meet with Cori
Burbach at 10:00 am on March 21, 2014 at the Government Center to discuss the Dubuque
project and how Brookings can learn from them.
Earth Hour Request. A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Beer, to support the Earth
Hour events on March 29, 2014. All present voted yes; motion carried. Carruthers will work
with McLaughlin on advertising.
Earth Day 2014. Tilton Byrne updated the Council on the status of the GreenFest/Earth Day
events. The ESSC has rented out the University Student Union “Main Street” for the entire
week of April 28-May 2, 2014. Tables are available for free for any sustainability related
exhibitors. On Saturday, May 3, Dakota Rural Action and Habitat for Humanity are co-
sponsoring the event at Habitat ReStore. There will not be an evening event this year. Tables
are available for free for any sustainability related exhibitors. At the GreenFest/Earth Day
meeting, there was discussion about a traveling repurposed art piece, which the community
members could add thoughts/comments. Garcia mentioned Lee Jones from B-Cycle is planning
to visit Brookings, and this would be a good opportunity for him. Garcia will follow up with
Jones. Tilton Byrne advised that she is the only Sustainability Council member on the
GreenFest/Earth Day committee and encouraged other members to volunteer.
Announcements/Correspondence/Communications/Calendar
• March 20, 2014 – Plain Green Speaker Series with Cori Burbach at the Brookings City &
County Government Center
o 10:00 am – Individual meeting with Cori Burbach and the Sustainability Council
o 6:30 pm – Reception in Community Room
o 7:00 pm – Lecture in Chambers
• September 12, 2014 – Plain Green Conference
• Membership: Members’ terms were staggered with one, two and three terms when the
Council was created on September 15, 2011. Terms for Hegland and McGrath expire on
12/31/14. All are eligible for a full three year term.
• March 29 from 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Earth Hour: turning off the lights/electricity during this
hour to take action on climate change and show concern for the environment.
• Future topics: Bike racks for BATA buses, bike patrol, East Brookings industry traffic
concerns, Plain Green 2015 Indicator Project, legislative issues.
Draft March 7 Agenda: Indicator Project analysis.
Adjourn. A motion was made by Jackson, seconded by Peterson, to adjourn. All present voted
yes; motion carried. Meeting adjourned 10:28 a.m.
Submitted by Laurie Carruthers