11/24/04 - sustainability group meeting minutes
Wednesday, November 24, 2004 3:00 - 4:30 pm Building 16, Room 211

Attendees:
Moriah Demers, Associated Students of Lane Community College
Jackie Fern, Science
Jennifer Hayward, College Operations
Marie Matsen, College Operations
Joe Russin, Science
Susan Tatar, Facilities Management & Planning
Stan Taylor, Social Science
Rick Venturi, Specialized Employment Services

Minutes:

1.     Wastewater Treatment

Russin reported that several sustainability group members recently met with the engineer who is designing a wastewater treatment process for the college.  The engineer, Jerry Elliot, provided a detailed description of the process.  Russin explained that attendees of the meeting discussed alternatives to the proposed "package plant" that might use less energy, chemical, and provide a better laboratory.  Elliot indicated that he should receive alternate proposals by mid-December in order to stay within the Department of Environmental Quality timeline.

Russin also mentioned that there is an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board grant for which we could apply.  The grant could offset additional costs that may be associated with making this a more sustainable system.  The grant application deadline is April 25, 2005.

Russin, Fern, Robertson, Mention, and Tatar will meet as a Waste Water Subgroup on Thursday, December 9 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm in Building 7, Room 201 to discuss input to provide to Jerry Elliot and whether to apply for the OWEB grant.  Other interested staff are welcome to attend.

2.     Future Meeting and Subgroup Planning

Matsen noted that since the group has finished obtaining indicators and setting goals, it would be a natural time for the steering group to meet less frequently to allow more time for subgroups working on specific goals to meet.  She proposed that the steering group begin meeting once per month. 

Matsen also proposed that a core group meet weekly.  The purpose of the core group would be to work on agendas for the steering group meetings and to ensure that project details get taken care of.  Core group meetings would be short (1 hour or less).  Matsen proposed that members of the core group include the Sustainability Program staff (Hayward, Sims, Matsen, and Energy Analyst), a faculty representative, and a student representative.  She also noted that others would be welcome to attend and that the group could publish a regular meeting time.

Members agreed to use the meeting model presented by Matsen in which the steering group meets once per month and the core group meets weekly.

Steering group meetings were scheduled for the 2^nd Wednesday of every month from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in Building 16, Room 211 through the end of the school year.  The specific meeting dates follow. 

• No December meeting
• January 12, 2005
• February 9, 2005
• March 9, 2005
• April 13, 2005
• May 11, 2005
• June 8, 2005

• want to help and work with the sustainability group; and
• it is critical to continue getting the word out to all staff and students.

4.     Review of Transportation and Landscape Maintenance Goals

Members reviewed goals that were developed during the last two meetings based on indicator reports.  The group approved the goals with minor changes.  Final 2004/2005 goals are attached.  Hayward will draft an introduction to the indicator report that lists our long and short-term goals.  Demers suggested that we develop medium term goals also, particularly for transportation.

5.     Green Bag Lunches

Debrief on Curriculum Green Bag Lunch:  Hayward reported that there were 18 attendees at the lunch.  Attendees discussed ways in which sustainability could be incorporated into curriculum.  The Sustainability Curriculum Subgroup (Christian, Fern, Robertson, Russin, and Taylor) are meeting on Tuesday, 12/7 from 1-2 pm to plan a follow up meeting for faculty to continue the discussion and begin making plans for how to implement the ideas. 

Hayward noted that Ellen Cantor, faculty and Reading Together coordinator, suggested that the 2005/2006 Reading Together theme could be sustainability.  Members should provide Cantor with any reading recommendations by early December.

Debrief on Biodiesel Green Bag Lunch:  Hayward reported that the biodiesel lunch had 29 attendees.  Science Faculty, John Melville and William Klausmeier, presented the benefits of biodiesel and explained how to use it.  Klausmeier proposed a project in which Science and Diesel faculty and students would work together.  The Diesel faculty and students who were present at the meeting agreed that they would like to work on a biodiesel project.

Members discussed additional Green Bag Lunches that could be held.  Matsen suggested an OSPIRG Green Bag.  Demers suggested a Sustainable Transportation Green Bag in the spring around the same time as the Commuter Challenge that she plans to organize.  Fern suggested, in addition to a Green Bag Lunch on Sustainable Transportation, having a forum showing the movie "The End of Suburbia".

Members discussed additional ways to promote Green Bag Lunches.  Tatar suggested making them a "Hot Event" on the webviewer.  She offered to help book the events and make them "Hot Events".  Taylor suggested asking faculty who attended the Green Bag Lunch on Curriculum to announce future Green Bag lunches in their classes.  Demers suggested putting up posters.

6.     Other Business

Rainwater Harvesting:  Hayward noted that the rainwater-harvesting project that she had explained during the 10/28/04 meeting is moving forward.  Tatar recommended that Hayward talk to Trades Coordinator, Lynn Atkins, about the project.  

Minutes prepared by: Jennifer Hayward                  

Date:   12/1/04                       

Additional Information: 

• Sustainability Group Goals 2004/2005

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).
• Matsen and Hayward to propose a weekly time for Core Group meetings that will start after the first of the year.

Water Conservation

• Tatar recommended that Hayward talk to Trades Coordinator, Lynn Atkins, about the project.  

Curriculum

• The Sustainability Curriculum Subgroup (Christian, Fern, Robertson, Russin, and Taylor) to meeting on Tuesday, 12/7 from 1-2 pm to plan a follow up meeting for faculty to continue the discussion and begin making plans for how to implement the ideas. 
• Members to provide Cantor with any sustainability book recommendations for the Reading Together program by early December.

Wastewater Treatment

• Russin, Fern, Robertson, Mention, and Tatar to meet on Thursday, December 9 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm in Building 7, Room 201 to discuss input to provide to Jerry Elliot and whether to apply for the OWEB grant. 

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.

Transportation Opportunities

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

Indicator reports

• Waste Water subcommittee to finalize the Waste Water indicator.
• Hayward to draft an introduction to the indicator report that lists our long and short-term goals. 

"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.