MEMBERS PRESENT: Brar, Carey, Caron, Koenig, Saeger
MEMBERS ABSENT: Helgeson, Lorman, Olson
OTHERS PRESENT: Attoun, Pfeiffer
1. Call Meeting to Order
Brar called the meeting to order at 6:33.
2. Minutes of December 15, 2008
Saeger moved, Koenig seconded, to approve the minutes of December 15. Motion carried (5-0).
3. The Natural Step
The Wednesday night Natural Step course started on January 14 with 12 participants. A waiting list is being kept by Attoun so anyone else who is interested in the next class can sign up. The committee will begin advertising the second course.
4. Community Gardens
Brar passed around a letter from the Friends of Pheasant Branch, who support Lakeview Park for the garden. The community gardens task force also recommended Lakeview Park, due to the high density of apartments in the area.
Saeger suggested that we contact Middleton Outreach Ministry to see if they can distribute information about the community garden to families living in the Lakeview Park area. She also recommended that we ask if they have an ESL contact at M.O.M. Koenig mentioned that her husband works for Madison Property Management and may be able to post information in Middleton apartments. Committee members suggested that Jim Wexler would be a good contact as the alderman for district 4.
Attoun will create a ‘to-do’ checklist to distribute to the committee. Carey will create a list of things that we need for the garden to distribute to the committee.
The Fiskars tool grant is due on February 17. Brar passed around another potential grant opportunity. The committee will ask Dee Finnegan if she is interested in designing the garden. Carey, Koenig, and others will meet with a representative of the Public Lands Department in Lakeview Park to discuss the potential sites.
Carey moved, Saeger seconded, to recommend Lakeview Park as the site of Middleton’s first community garden. Motion carried (5-0).
5. Spring Cleaning Initiative
Koenig gave an update on the Spring Cleaning Initiative, which will take place in May. Committee members agreed that Saturday, May 9, may be the best date. Pfeiffer suggested the Middleton High School parking lot for the event. Attoun will contact Dr. Denise Herrmann to see if the parking lot is available on that date. Members suggested contacting the Key Club, the National Honor Society, Middleton Alternative Senior High, and Weitzel and Duren’s classes to get student volunteers for the event.
6. Monthly Sustainability Seminar
Pfeiffer booked Ken Bradbury for the water quality seminar on February 5. The deadline to get the announcement in the January 29 paper is January 23. Members discussed potential speakers for the Sustainable Food seminar in March: a representative of R.E.A.P., Bartlett Durand from Otter Creek Farms/Black Earth Meats, a representative from the Town of Middleton C.S.A., and a committee member to discuss the community garden initiative.
7. City Happenings
The DRAFT Middleton Bike/Ped Plan is available for review on the main page of the City website.
8. Adjourn – next meeting scheduled for Monday, February 16, at 6:30
Adjourned at 7:33 P.M.
Note: These minutes were prepared by Abby Attoun, Associate Planner. These minutes are based on the notes of the recorders and are subject to change at a subsequent meeting.