MINUTES

MIDDLETON AD HOC SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

MONDAY DECEMBER 14, 2009 6:30 P.M.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Saeger, Brar, Carey, Hinahara, Lorman, Share

MEMBERS ABSENT: Koenig, Olson

OTHERS PRESENT: Attoun, Goyings

1. Call Meeting to Order

Saeger called the meeting to order at 6:34pm.

2. Minutes of November 16, 2009

Brar moved, Carey seconded, to approve the minutes of November 16. Motion carried (6-0).

 3. Community Gardens

Carey updated the committee on the community garden design charrette, held on Thursday, December 10 at the Middleton EMS Station. The charrette served two purposes: 1. to help Dee with the design of the garden and 2. to get a lot of neighbors in the same room talking about the garden. The charrette had 21 participants and 7 facilitators. Of the participants, 14 signed up that they were interested in getting a garden plot. Many of the attendees were from the Rolling Hills Condominiums. The committee will take flyers door-to-door over the next week to update the neighbors on the progress after the charrette and the next steps moving forward. Share will create a draft of the flyer to send to the community gardens task force.

4. Non-Biodegradable Bag Ordinance

At the November 17 Council meeting, the Council voted to refer an ordinance to prohibit non-biodegradable bags to the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee and the License and Ordinance Committee. Sustainability Committee members discussed the idea and instructed Attoun to research ordinances in other cities, alternatives in bio-based plastic bags and how environmentally friendly the alternatives are (how long they take to break down in a landfill, etc.), and what the true environmental impact of plastics bags is currently. The committee is also considering a task force to study the issue and will invite Van Nutt, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce to make recommendations on task force members.

5. Become a Committee by Ordinance

The ordinance to create the Sustainability Committee was approved by L & O Committee on December 1 and deferred by the Common Council on that same night. The Common Council will be discussing the ordinance for approval on December 15. Saeger met with Alder Susan West, and is suggesting that a sentence be added to the ordinance prior to the Council vote on December 15, “Eleven (11) citizen members. At least three (3) citizen members should, but are not required, to possess expertise in an area of sustainability pertaining to Energy, Water, Transportation, Land Use, Solid Waste, Sustainable Economies and Agriculture, or Public Outreach and Education."

Share moved, Brar seconded, to recommend approval of the additional sentence in the ordinance, as recommended by Saeger. Motion carried (6-0).

6. Madison Community Foundation Grant

Attoun reported that the Madison Community Foundation Grant letters of inquiry are due January 15. Saeger has been working with Heather Gates of TNS Monona on a project idea for a countywide sustainability education circuit involving Monona, Cottage Grove, Mt. Horeb, Oregon, and other Dane County cities and villages.

7. Adjourn – next meeting scheduled for Monday, January 18, at 6:30

Meeting adjourned at 7:41 pm.