Sustainable Moraga

SUSTAINABLE MORAGA MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 1, 2007 GENERAL MEETING
The meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm.

The minutes of the July 5, 2007 meeting were corrected to read “Battery Update: A Sustainable Moraga member sent a letter to SWA”. Minutes were approved as corrected.

The treasurer reported that we have approximately $1400 in our account.

The agenda was approved as is.

Announcements

* A person is needed as a liaison for the Town Council meetings and SMG. It was decided that SMG will request to be added to Moraga Citizens Network (MCN) email list (with SMG member’s approval) as they track town politics already. The president will ask the chair of MCN if she would flag items of interest to SMG members.

* The SMG website needs someone to manage it. There were no volunteers.

* SMG Mixer/social – It was decided to have a pot luck event at the Community Garden on September 8 at 5 pm. The Secretary will send an email invitation to the SMG Distribution list. Attendees will RSVP to the president for details and location of the event.

* SMG General meeting – One of our members volunteered to host the September 5 meeting as the Library is not available. Notices of the meeting will ask those attending to contact the president for location details.

* OMPA Swim Meet Recycling Project – No volunteers have come forward so far. Event starts tomorrow at the Campo Soda Center Pool. The PfRE president will see if her intern is interested.

* Craigslist is holding non-profit “Boot Camp” training on August 18 in Berkeley. The workshop is repeated periodically.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

CFL Project – The president reported that a grant is being written to Clifbar for $15,000 for the purchase of CFL’s to distribute in town. He has submitted the draft for review.

Website Guidelines – This issue will be revisited at a later date. The group needs to look at whether for profit as well as non-profit companies will be listed on the SMG website.

Membership – The chair person was not present. No report.

Green bag sales – The treasurer reported that for the next few weeks, bags will not be sold as she is unavailable and other volunteers have not come forward. It was suggested to use high school interns or St. Mary’s students when they are back in school. Bags were being sold in front of Safeway on Saturdays from 10-12. Bags continue to be sold at ACE Hardware.

Realtor Gift Bags – Status of project unsure. After discussion, it was voted that SMG does not want their name on the bag with the Olsen Realtor team, keeping in mind that other realtors may also decide to use the bags. Other issues discussed were consideration of the word “Sustainability” on the bags rather than any names, luggage type tags could be used to identify sponsors, and what if anything should SMG pay into this project?

It was moved, seconded and passed that SMG name will not be put on the realtor bags but that information about the group will be put in the bags.

Energy Fair – The president attended a Town meeting assessing the 2007 Community Fair. It has been decided to hold the event on May 10, 2008. Location will be determined.

Battery Update – Four SMG members attended the July 26 SWA Board meeting to voice dissatisfaction the amounts of batteries being collected. A meeting will be set up with SWA staff the SMG representatives to discuss ways to increase collections on August 13.

Green Landscape Project – One of our members educated us on several points regarding synthetic Nitrogen containing fertilizers: it takes huge amounts of natural gas to produce these fertilizers; runoff of fertilizers pollutes waterways affecting human health and the environment; air pollution by NO2 contributes to smog which increases global warming and causes health issues; NO3 from fertilizers contributes to acid rain. The presenter is proposing an educational effort on this topic in Moraga in late 2007-2008 and would like SMG help. She will come back to the September meeting with a proposal.

West Coast Green Event – to be held at Moscone center in San Francisco on Sept. 20-22, 2007

The next meeting will be Wednesday, September 5 at 7:00 at a member’s home.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:13pm.