Environmental Council Minutes
April 9, 2002
Le Chateau D
Present: Jon Isham, Helen Young, Lori DelNegro, Charlotte Tate, Nan Jenks-Jay (Co-Chair), Connie Leach Bisson (Co-Chair), Katy Saunders, Ben Brouwer, Kaitlin Gregg, Oren Frey, Dane Springmeyer, Ben Wessler, Caitlyn Hicks, Andrea Hamre
Missing: Charlie Sargent, Mike Moser, Tim McCahill, Steve Switzer, Abiezer Miranda, Erika Holsman, Erin Jensen, Sarah Herrup, Mandy Helwig, Valerie Benka
Guests: Diane Munroe
- Earth Day events update
The Environmental Council defined the Earth Day weekend events it would be concentrating on including:
- Hanging Out Day – Oren would check with Norm Cushman about acceptable locations for hanging clotheslines. Dane would be responsible for a "charity" line near Proctor for those who would like to donate clothes. Andrea volunteered to create signs for the clothes dryers and Katy would create a card to be attached to clothespins distributed through student mailboxes. Connie would develop publicity for The Campus newspaper, table tents, and College web page.
- Environmental Fair – Connie reported that the Environmental Fair on Sunday, April 21st in conjunction with the town was looking good. More than 30 exhibitors, several speakers including Rich Wolfson, several music groups including a drumming circle led by Steve Trombulak.
Helen Young distributed copies of a draft Carbon Neutral poster she is developing for the Env. Fair. Comments need to be returned to her by Friday, April 19th.
- Recycling Bales will be displayed around campus in strategic locations through Sunday.
Recycling bales and clotheslines will be removed by Monday as it is a College Preview day.
- Parking/Pedestrian Campus
Lori DelNegro recapped the parking plan proposals the College has presented to the Town. In order to receive the Atwater permit, the College must show the Town that it has adequate parking for all its vehicles. The College was proposing a new parking lot adjacent to Porter Hospital and an expansion to the Center for the Arts lot. At the last Planning Commission meeting, there was some discussion that the Town might provide the permit for Atwater while continuing to discuss parking expansion plans.
Some Environmental Council members have wondered if the Council should play a role in this dialogue. Nan explained that it is the role of the Environmental Council to advise the President and they have addressed the pedestrian campus issue several times in structured ways. The "Pathways to a Green Campus" report included a formal Pedestrian Campus proposal and the 1998 State of the Environment Report added further recommendations for the pedestrian campus. In 2000, President McCardell established a Parking Committee that included a member from the Environmental Council. Krista Siringo, along with ex officio member Amy Seif (Environmental Coordinator) represented the Environmental Council and encouraged the broadening of the discussion beyond parking spaces to other components of a pedestrian campus. Unfortunately, components beyond parking expansion needs were never formally reported to the President.
Based on this background, Nan noted that the College is not listening to environmental rationale regarding the pedestrian campus. It appears not to be compatible with the College's bigger agenda.
Nan met with Ron Liebowitz during Spring Break. They discussed the possibility of having Facilities Planning use the pedestrian campus concept as a fallback strategy for getting their parking expansion approved and acquiring the permit for Atwater. Ron is supportive of moving forward with other components of the pedestrian campus, but needs a coherent definition of what this means. Once defined, he would establish a committee to develop a plan for realizing a more comprehensive pedestrian campus. Facilities Planning has neither the time nor resources to spearhead this initiative, but they would participate in the process.
Lori noted that interest in the parking proposal stems from work in the Carbon Neutral committee as more cars and more lit parking lots increase CO2. She also felt the College community was brought into the dialogue too late. Nan indicated that the EC recommended that a policy be developed to establish a framework for design, construction and renovation on campus. The Project Review Committee was established by the President to create this document that is being tested this year. The parking lot proposal should have gone through the PRC and this experience suggests that the PRC system needs to be improved.
In general, Nan felt the Environmental Council may have missed an opportunity. Last fall as the EC and Carbon Neutral subcommittee began its more extensive emissions inventory work, Nan noted the importance of forecasting the environmental demands of the new buildings on the horizon. In addition to energy, parking has clearly shown itself as another env. impact. Connie will draft a letter to Acting President Ron Liebowitz for the EC's review showing the EC's concern for the process and its eagerness to move forward with implementing a more comprehensive pedestrian campus plan.
- Next Meetings
April 23rd - EC work meeting
April 30th – Environmental Grants presentations
May 7th – Invite Ron Liebowitz
Presentations by subcommittees of Year Summaries and Recommendations