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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.10.16 Minutes  Minutes    Tuesday,  May  10,  2016    6:15  PM   Robert  Gilliam  Municipal  Complex,  City  Hall   Second  Floor  South  Conference  Room   150  Dexter  Ct.,  Elgin,  IL  60120     A. Call  to  order  (chairperson)     B. Roll  Call  (staff  liaison)   Chairperson  Knoerr  and  Commissioners  Aagesen,  Frazier,  Jacobs,  Keare,  Masterson  and  Segel   present.     C. Approval  of  previous  meeting’s  minutes   April  2016  minutes  were  approved.     D. Discussion  Items   1. Community  Gardens  discussion   Patsy  Hirsh,  volunteer  at  Advocate  Sherman  Hospital,  will  discuss  community  gardening   at  Sherman  &  open  the  discussion  for  opportunities  to  expand  community  gardening  in   the  city   Patsy  provided  the  commission  with  a  presentation  on  the  community  gardens  at  Sherman   hospital  and  expressed  her  desire  for  community  gardening  to  expand  in  Elgin.   Commissioner  Masterson  inquired  as  to  the  necessary  items  needed  to  garden  in  raised   beds  on  old  industrial,  or  “brown”  sites.  Patsy  suggested  it  is  complicated,  but  perhaps   possible  with  some  sort  of  barrier.  The  group  would  need  to  do  some  research.  She   suggested  it’s  crucial  to  have  a  core  group  “bought  in”  and  invested  in  making  it  work.  She   also  suggested  the  city  do  a  survey  to  look  for  interest.  Throughout  research,  Sherman   volunteers  found  raised  beds  were  preferred  to  tilled  areas,  mostly  to  avoid  weed  issues.  It   may  be  worthwhile  to  develop  a  “starter”  package  to  set  groups  up  for  success  –  what  is   needed  to  start  and  to  sustain  it.  There  are  gardening  and  seed  grants,  usually  available  in   the  fall.  Liaison  will  share  Patsy’s  email  address  and  phone  number.  Patsy  suggested  that   another  great  resource  is  the  “Idea  garden”  in  St  Charles,  where  all  the  Master  Gardener   interns  work.  The  Extension  Office  is  a  huge  resource  as  well.     2. Debrief  recently  sponsored  events   Discuss  &  provide  feedback  on  ECC  and  Earth  Day  events     Commissioner  Segel  went  to  ECC’s  debriefing  of  the  Sustainability  Expo.  He  reported  that   the  problem  mentioned  was  that  they  worked  with  a  short  time  frame.  They  also   suggested  the  date  was  conflicting.  Commissioners  that  were  present  felt  the  event  was   poorly  attended,  especially  by  students.  Those  students  that  attended,  or  worked,  the   event  did  not  know  what  to  do,  and  they  did  not  appear  to  be  running  the  event,  unlike   the  previous  year.  Ultimately,  it  was  not  well  organized.  Commissioner  Keare  felt  it  was  a   good  networking  event,  but  really  only  met  people  that  were  representing  other  tables.   The  commission  agreed  students  need  to  be  more  involved  in  the  event.  Commissioner   Frazier  inquired  about  the  process  of  sponsored  events  and  whether  they  required  to   report  back  to  us.  She  suggested  better  event  plans  need  to  provided  much  earlier  on,  as   well  as  proof  that  there  is  a  marketing  plan  in  place.  Liaison  will  ask  them  to  attend  next   meeting,  as  well  as  councilmember  to  address  concerns.  Liaison  will  see  if  there  is  a  post-­‐ event  scoring  sheet  used  for  city-­‐sponsored  events  or  if  that  is  something  to  be   considered.  Commissioners  requested  to  see  ECC’s  accounting  reports  for  the  event.  We   need  groups  to  provide  accountability.  Commissioner  Jacobs  motioned  any  future   expenditure  be  accompanied  by  an  accountability,  evaluation,  and  report  of  spending  and   that  any  sponsorships  should  require  a  city  agreement  with  reimbursements  on  paid   receipts,  as  well  as  a  follow-­‐up  evaluation  and  report  on  spending  at  meeting  following  the   event  passed.  The  motion  was  passed.  The  commission  suggested  that  ECC  plan  and   present  next  year’s  event  much  earlier,  like  January  when  students  return  for  the   semester.  The  commission  was  unsure  of  who  was  in  charge  and  running  the  event.  It   should  be  a  college  wide  project,  not  just  the  sustainability  classes.  Liaison  will  reach  out   to  the  organizers  and  try  to  get  them  to  the  next  meeting  to  discuss  the  event.     Earth  Day  was  successful.  Keep  the  ballons  tied  up,  so  kids  can’t  bring  them  outside.     3. Kane  County  Food  Hub  Feasibility  Study   Commissioner  Aagesen  will  provide  the  commission  with  information  on  this  local  study     Commissioner  Aagesen  discussed  the  food  hub,  as  a  local  food  distribution  center  idea   that’s  about  two  years  out  from  being  reality.  The  county  is  looking  to  create  a  food  hub  to   connect  groups  and  communities.  Where  a  local  farmer  may  have  a  certification  in   processing  food,  they  could  bring  their  items  to  the  hub  to  be  processed,  packaged  and   sold.  Farmers  would  get  paid  from  the  hub.  It  allows  them  to  reach  a  much  larger  market   than  a  CSA  or  Farmer’s  Market,  and  at  a  much  larger  scale.  The  hub  would  have  all  safety   certifications.  At  this  point,  they  are  looking  primarily  at  produce.  Commissioner  Aagesen   suggested  we  should  keep  this  item  on  the  radar  and  see  what  they  come  up  with.  The   research  and  conversations  have  all  been  overwhelmingly  positive.       E. Old  Business   1. Solar  ordinance   Liaision  will  provide  an  update  on  staff’s  review  suggested  Solar  Ordinance   amendments,  and  allow  for  additional  feedback  on  marketing  ideas   Liaison  shared  feedback  from  city  planners  regarding  suggested  modifications.  They   modifications  are  not  feasible,  as  response  suggested  that  regardless  of  the  home’s  age,   the  city  requires  engineer  or  architect  to  reassure  roof  can  support  the  panels  and   mounting  is  adequate.  Liaison  will  send  email  from  city  planner  and  attachments.  The   commission  motioned  to  table  this  item.     2. Partners  for  Places  grant  proposal   Continued  discussion  on  project  idea,  requirements,  and  timeline.     Commissioner  Knoerr  asked  for  a  report  on  all  the  projects  funded  by  the  commission,  and   organizations  that  have  asked  for  grants.  Some  that  came  to  mind  include  rain  gardens   and  water  retention,  gardens  off  of  Shales.  butterfly  garden  in  NENA,  Friends  of  the  Fox,   and  Mighty  Acorns.  She  suggested  we  find  success  stories  and  look  for  other  grants  to  help   fund  good  ideas.       F. Commissioner  comments/announcements   Fox  Valley  Sustainability  Network  –  June  8,  3-­‐5  p.m.  forum  at  Two  Brothers  Roundhouse  in   Aurora   Liaison  announced  two  events:  NENA  Bufferfly  Gala  and  Green  Building  Forum.     G. Adjourn      The  City  of  Elgin  is  subject  to  the  requirements  of  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  (ADA)  of  1990.  Individuals  with  disabilities  who  plan  to  attend   this  meeting  and  who  require  certain  accommodations  in  order  to  allow  them  to  observe  and/or  participate  in  this  meeting,  or  who  have  questions   regarding  the  accessibility  of  the  meeting  or  the  facilities,  are  requested  to  contact  ADA  coordinator,  at  (847)  931-­‐6076,  or  TTY/TDD  (847)  931-­‐5616   promptly  to  allow  the  City  of  Elgin  to  make  reasonable  accommodations  for  those  persons.