MEMBERS PRESENT: Brar, Carey, Koenig, Lorman, Olson, Saeger
MEMBERS ABSENT: Caron, Helgeson
OTHERS PRESENT: Attoun, Benton, Goyings, Hubbard, Leo, Klein, Kurz, Kurz, Kydd, Lemon, Mucks, Mucks, Mucks, Nahn, Nahn, Niebauer, Opitz, Pati, Pfeiffer Share, Mayor Sonnentag, Teal, Teal, Thielke, West, Wexler
1. Call Meeting to Order
Brar called the meeting to order at 6:33.
2. Minutes of February 16, 2009
Koenig moved, Carey seconded, to approve the minutes of February 16. Motion carried (6-0).
3. Clean & Green Middleton
Koenig updated the community about the Clean & Green event. St. Vincent’s and the Victim’s Advocacy Group will be participating in the event. We will be accepting household items, medical equipment, eyeglasses, and used CFL bulbs. Rain barrels will be available at the event. The solar trailer will be there as well. Focus on Energy will have a booth. We will host a recycled art project. Koenig will talk with Ace Hardware about providing coupons. Koenig said that we need volunteers for the event.
4. Community Gardens
Sonja Mucks presented a petition with signatures and emails of 80 residents opposed to the “MBR Park being the site of the Middleton community gardens.” She presented information from the 70 properties on Middleton Beach Road: 53 are opposed to the proposal, 2 are undecided on the proposal, 1 is in support, and 1 abstained. Mucks was unable to make contact with 7 of the property owners and 6 of the homes are unoccupied/summer homes/or empty lots.
Attoun made a presentation showing the various sites that the committee considered, the criteria that were used to measure how appropriate a site is for a community garden, and then showed the third iteration for the community garden designed for Lakeview East and addressed some of the concerns that have been raised; including: Potential Users, Traffic/Parking/Crossing Allen Boulevard, Environmental, Safety/Berm, Open Space/Park Improvements, and Aesthetics/Restrooms. The committee opened the floor up for public comment.
Steve Leo, Miriam Share, and Nancy Goyings spoke in support of the community garden at Lakeview East.
Anne Nahn, Charlie Nahn, Sonja Johnson Mucks, Kay Kurz, Cynthia Thielke, Susan Benton, Rick Kurz, Andy Kydd, Alderman Jim Wexler, and Mayor Kurt Sonnentag spoke against siting a community garden at Lakeview East.
The committee will work to gather additional information, identify Middleton families interested in community gardening, and evaluate the Lakeview East site as well as alternative locations in light of community feedback and additional committee research.
5. Sustainable Community RFA (7:45 p.m.)
Jason Valerius and Sarah Elliott presented the Sustainable Community RFA to the committee. MSA Professional Services, Inc. has partnered with Seventh Generation Energy Systems and GDS Associates, Inc. to offer three communities (Middleton, Cottage Grove, and Oregon) the opportunity to develop a Sustainable Plan for a reduced consulting fee. The consultants will prepare a $15,000 to $20,000 plan for a city commitment of $5,000. The plan will be used to systematically guide the municipality toward operating more sustainably.
The proposal to participate is due on Monday, March 23 and should include: efforts so far, who would serve on the oversight committees, what the city wants to accomplish, and a commitment of at least $5,000 in matching funds.
Saeger moved, Carey seconded, to direct staff to prepare a proposal for the project and to recommend to the Council a budget of $5,000 for the project. Motion carried (6-0).
6. MedDrop
Koenig updated the committee on MedDrop, which will be held on June 6. She and Attoun met with Kendra Jacobsen to go over MedDrop. The City will not need to contribute funds this year, but may be expected to contribute in future years. Koenig will lead the MedDrop task force.
7. Fair Trade Middleton
Attoun passed around the information that the Ecology Club researched regarding becoming a ‘Fair Trade’ City. Committee members wondered if the students are willing to collect more information from businesses and churches that are on board. Without this support, committee members worried that this resolution that could be adopted by Council but may not mean anything. Committee members discussed the idea of inviting one of Weitzel’s students to serve on the committee.
8. Monthly Sustainability Seminar
The next sustainability seminar is April 2 and the topic is Spring Cleaning. Koenig will get information to Attoun to promote.
Lorman said that the Bike Federation may not be able to cover the May seminar.
9. City Happenings
No update.
10. Adjourn – next meeting scheduled for Monday, April 20, at 6:30 pm
Adjourned at 9:33 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.