11/10/04 - sustainability group meeting minutes
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 3:00 - 4:30 pm Building 16, Room 211

Attendees:
Lynn Atkins, Facilities Management & Planning
Moriah Demers, Associated Students of Lane Community College
Mandy Haenelt, Student and Facilities Management & Planning
Jennifer Hayward, College Operations
Marie Matsen, College Operations
Margaret Robertson, Advanced Technologies
Joe Russin, Science
Susan Tatar, Facilities Management & Planning
Stan Taylor, Social Science
Rick Venturi, Specialized Employment Services

Minutes:

1. Green bag lunch

Biodiesel:  Russin reported that a green bag lunch on biodiesel is scheduled for Friday, November 19.  Members expressed interest in learning about how to make biodiesel, how to retrofit vehicles, the costs, and where can you buy it.

2. Review indicator reports and set goals for improvement

Transportation:  Members discussed the transportation indicator and potential goals.  The following two goals were developed. 

• Goal 1:  Increase opportunities for and awareness of transportation options other than single occupant vehicle trips.
• Goal 2:  Obtain data on vehicle trips to campus and develop a system where this data can easily be gathered periodically so that the effectiveness of the transportation projects can be measured in future years.

• Work with local governments on a safer and more accessible bike path to the college
• Promote transportation alternatives in the class schedule
• Coordinate a commuter challenge in the spring
• Promote a "bike day" in the spring in which all staff and students are encouraged to ride their bikes to Lane.  The college president could ride to Lane as a way of promoting the event.  All bike riders would be entered into a drawing for a gift.
• Encourage telecommuting by offering more on-line classes.
•  Require students to travel to campus less often by having more 2 day/week classes and fewer 3 day/week classes.

Hayward and Demers will meet separately to develop additional ideas for encouraging alternative transportation.  [NOTE:  A complete list of sustainability group ideas for improving transportation options is here.]

Members also discussed how connecting with governance councils can help further sustainability goals.  Matsen noted that during the 11/23/04 Facilities Council, the Council facilitator, Mason Knowles, is proposing that the Council charter a transportation committee. 

Taylor suggested that the sustainability group approach each of the other governance councils and discuss how they can incorporate sustainability into the council.  Matsen noted that she has scheduled to give a presentation on the college's sustainability program at the 11/23/04 Facilities Council meeting.  

Landscape Maintenance:  Members discussed the Landscape Maintenance indicator and developed the following goals. 

Goal 1:  Determine funding strategy for a central irrigation control computer.

Goal 2:  Increase the use of natives on campus.

Goal 3:  Harvest rainwater in the fall, winter, and spring to use for irrigation in the summer.

Members will approve the goals at the next meeting.

Members discussed ways in which the central irrigation control computer could be funded.  Taylor suggested using the Foundation account.  Matsen suggested using utility budget carryover. 

3. Next meeting

Wednesday, November 24, 2004 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Minutes prepared by: Jennifer Hayward                  

Date:   11/24/04                     

Action Items

• Venturi to audit environmental practices in the Laundry to determine whether improved environmental practices could be implemented.  The investigation will include: chemical use; water volumes; temperatures; and heat recovery (Ebbage noted that an Energy Management class could help the laundry investigate heat recovery strategies).

Encouraging participation in the sustainability group

• Russin to contact the Green Chemistry Club and the Campus Ecology Club to encourage participation in the sustainability group. 

• Russin to also ask the Green Chemistry Club coordinator, John Thompson, whether the Club's students would be interested in researching Laundry chemical use as a project.

• Demers to contact OSPIRG.

Transportation Opportunities

• Demers will determine ASLCC's interest in participating or co-coordinating a commute challenge.

Indicator reports

• Fern to research the impacts of using chlorine vs. ozone to whiten and disinfect laundry and provide the committee with a recommendation.
• Waste Water subcommittee to finalize the Waste Water indicator.

'Green bag' lunches

• Russin to determine whether architect, Galen Ohmart is available to do a presentation on Lane's proposed Model Sustainability Building on Wednesday, December 1 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.
• Hayward will ask Marie Matsen to ask Tracy Simms if the monthly sustainability green-bag lunch event could be a regular event listed on the Lane home page.

Foundation account

• Matsen to provide suggested talking points for group members to use when promoting the sustainability account.

Community college meeting on sustainability

• Hayward to put the list of Lane's sustainable activities on our website and e-mail the link to the community college sustainability group. 
• Matsen to ask the community college business officers group in which she participates to put a discussion about sustainability on an upcoming meeting agenda.