Chestertown Environment Committee
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, 11-7-19
7:30 PM
ACTION ITEMS AND DECISION POINTS ONLY
Present: D. Tilghman, C. Gallegos, D. Foster, G. Farley, K. Lamoreux, Z. Kelleher, D. Sobers, K. Denice (SGA representative), F. Schumann
Introductions
Recognition of 1-year anniversary of strategic planning
- Minor action point: need to recruit and retain new members (requirements: willing to attend meetings, work on tasks between meetings)
- NOTE: ad hoc working group: communications & outreach
Reports:
Energy & Transportation:
- ACTION ITEM: Greg to talk with college’s solar development firm about subleasing/selling some of the 6MW power
Water & Habitat:
State of Riverwalk
Garnet Good Seeds Garden
Administration: no report
Waste Management:
Downrigging Zero Waste (needs more organization): 3000 guests produced 400lbs bottle/cans, 200lbs cardboard, 500lbs organics, 2 bags of trash (~50lbs total, so <5% of the total waste: ZERO WASTE)
- IN THE FUTURE: vendors should be encouraged to use bamboo, not PLA plastic
- NEED: great big sign to help end users understand how to use bins
- ACTION ITEM: calculate deferred cost
- ACTION ITEM: bring this data and this message to Washington College
Keep Chestertown Beautiful program update
Downtown Chestertown Association: wants to eliminate single-use plastic for First Fridays
- ACTION STRATEGY: “sit in” on DCA meeting to learn about/suggest combined purchasing power for green purchasing; suggest grants
- research compostable ware (drinkware, silverware – bamboo, starch, plastic)
- Investigate cost to compost at Aberdeen: how do we get material to commercial facility, and what would that cost?
- Make retail establishments responsible for cleaning up cigarette butts; Terracycle as an option?
- Investigate Green Purchasing (paints, solvents, cleaning agents, etc.)
Communication & Outreach:
- ACTION ITEM: acquire login information to enable editing of webpage
- ACTION ITEM: investigate column in Chestertown Spy
FUTURE MEETING DATES:
Dec. 5
Jan. 2 (may be moved?)
Presentation to Town Council once new member are seated: January 6
- Darran to check with Jen (at Town Office) about 1/6
ADJOURNMENT: 8:42PM