Sustainable Moraga

The president called the meeting to order at 7:12 pm at the Moraga Library.

The minutes of the December 5, 2007 meeting were approved as mailed.          

The treasurer reported that we have $1097.06 in our account. $58 was collected selling green bags. Invoices were paid to the Green Bag Company and for our membership in the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. The complete monthly report is attached.

The agenda was approved as submitted.

Announcements

* A Low Carbon Diet Seminar will be held in late January/early February. It will be promoted by Sustainable Moraga and Sustainable Lafayette. 
* The February 6 meeting of SMG will be held at a member’s home as the Library is not available.
* The president attended the opening of Green Motors in Berkeley. They are selling a zero emission electric vehicle, max speed 35   mph, cost $12-16,000.
* A member donated a copy of the DVD of “The End of Suburbia” to Sustainable Moraga.
* The president attended reception after Lynda Deschaumbalt’s mayoral inauguration, the Chamber of Commerce Holiday Event as well as meetings about the Spring Fair and St. Mary’s Focus the Nation event on Jan. 23.
* The secretary announced that she was able to recyle a CFL at OSH and encouraged members to spread the word.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

CFL Project –The president met with the Board of Generation Green to gain their approval to sponsor our CFL grant application to Clifbar. With some edits, the grant was approved. Bthe president will find out the reporting process required by Clifbar and also clarify the fees requested by Generation Green.
When and if the grant is received, the CFL committee will meet and plan implementation of the grant.

Green bag sales – $58 was collected for the month in bag sales. Sales will take a break until winter weather is over.

SMC Focus the Nation event – The Committee will meet to plan the Sustainable Moraga table.

Spring Speaker Event – merged with May 10 Fair Event

May 10 Fair – The site will be the Rheem Shopping Center or parking lot in front of St. Mary’s building on Rheem Blvd. Vendor lists and budgets are being worked out. Full  Spring Fair committee to meet in Feb. 

OTHER REPORTS
Miramonte HS Recycling – No report.

Moraga Library Upgrades – moving slowly

Chamber of Commerce membership – We have joined. Edy Schwartz is now President of the Chamber. We would like to encourage local businesses through the Chamber to become Green Businesses (the Contra Costa County Program).

NEW BUSINESS

Elections – It was moved seconded and passed to accept the slate of officers as presented. The new vice president was welcomed as a new member to the Board.

Local Green Drinks Event – The committee was formed to look into a location and time for a monthly event, coordinated with and promoted through Sustainable Lafayette and Moraga Citizens Network.

Website coordinator – If our website is to be viable, a coordinator is needed.  Suggestions were St. Mary’s student, high school student, or middle school student needing volunteer hours.

SPEAKER:

Members present watched the DVD, “The End of Suburbia”

The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 6 at 7:00 pm at the Moraga Barn.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 pm.

 

The president called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm at the Moraga Library.

The minutes of the November 7, 2007 meeting were approved as mailed.          

The treasurer reported that we have $1413.80 in our account. The complete monthly report is attached.

The agenda was approved as submitted.

Announcements

* Our new Mayor will be inaugurated on December 12. One member encouraged us to support her and asked for help with the reception following the inauguration.
* On December 15 Green Motors (Berkeley) will open and sell ZEN cars.
* SMG has joined the Moraga Chamber of Commerce in hopes of further enhancing local our business relationships
* SMG has researched a good source for disposable tableware (World Centric) one member hopes to get the public schools to use these environmentally friendly products.
* The president and Ace Hardware are researching environmentally friendly “Duraflame” type logs.
* The President summarized our 2007 successes
o By laws created
o Officers elected
o Energy Fair, May 2007
o Realtor Gift bags introduced
o Environmental Science speaker at meetings
o Moraga ICLEI membership
o Moraga signing the US Mayors Agreement
o Town adopted Build it Green guidelines for new housing developments
o Building relationships with Sustainable Lafayette
o Website guidelines for links/sponsorship
o July 4 booth

* The president attended the Town Address by our mayor at the Hacienda
* SM purchased “The Future of Food” documentary to start the SM ‘Library’

* Tom Wright agreed to speak at the 2008 Faire

* The president attended David Kamnen’s lecture on the ‘2008 Energy Plan for our future’

* The president attended Green Drinks with two other members
COMMITTEE REPORTS

CFL Project – The president Generation Green’s next meeting to ask for approval to submit the Clifbar grant proposal under their umbrella as SMG is not a non-profit.

Green bag sales – $50 was collected for the month in bag sales. “Across the Way” took some red bags to promote them for the holidays.
The committee is looking into cooperating with elementary schools to use bags as a school fundraiser. The group also has been approached by a student at Bentley school wanting to use bags sales as a school project. This will be further investigated. Another possibility the group will look into is to cooperate with local merchants via the Chamber of Commerce on promoting “Shop Moraga First” bag promotions.

SMC Focus the Nation event – Steve Woolpert from SMC reported that the college will hold an eco-fair of booths during the day (11-5) and a symposium in the evening featuring science and business oriented speakers. It is one of 1100 colleges across the country that will host such an event. Steve will provide SMG with flyers, posters and a website link for us to use in promoting this event. In addition, SMG will host a table selling green bags.

Spring Speaker Event – no report

May 10 Fair – SMG will coordinate 30 booths and is brainstorming ideas for speakers during the day. The location is unknown at this point as the Bruzzones have refused to make their property available. The committee will draft a budget for our participation to be presented to SMG. 

OTHER REPORTS
Miramonte HS Recycling – The president reported that he has had no further word from Miramonte. He is planning to meet with the Campo Environmental Sciences teacher.

SMC Update – Project Green is working on increasing recycling on campus, starting with the dorms.

NEW BUSINESS

Elections - Annual SMG elections will be held at the January meeting. In addition to the positions held now, we need to elect a Vice President. As stipulated by the Bylaws, the slate must be present two weeks before the meeting or by December 19. The Board will handle this.

SPEAKER:

The president gave an overview of the proposed upgrades to the Moraga Library. They include more efficient heating/cooling systems, lighting system, landscaping and improved drainage using geothermal systems, daylighting, solar, French drains and a water catchment system.
The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 2 at 7:00 pm at the Moraga Library

The president called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.

The minutes of the October 3, 2007 meeting were approved as mailed.          

The treasurer reported that we have $1364.80 in our account. The complete monthly report is attached.

The agenda was approved as is.

Announcements

* Spring Energy Fair – SM members and town merchants are meeting with the Bruzzones on the location of the event.
* Daniel Kammen will be speaking at the Orinda Community Church on November 15 on “Why the Right Energy Plan Puts a Democrat in the White House”.
* A motion for signatures to get the MOSO 2008 on the November ballot. Wes introduced. This ordinance expands the 1987 MOSO ordinance limiting building on ridges in Moraga.  Ordinance.
* Lynda Deschaumbault will be inaugurated as mayor on December 12. A reception for the inaugurations is being planned
* Sustainable Lafayette is organizing Green Awards, given by the City Council to recognize local businesses for sustainable practices
* “Green Drinks” is on the 3rd Wednesday of each month in Berkeley.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

CFL Project – The president is working with Generation Green to submit the Clifbar grant proposal under their umbrella as SMG is not a non-profit.

Battery Collection Program – SWA mailed postcards in October to one of the service areas (Danville?), resulting in increased collections. The cards will be sent each month to one community served until the entire service area is covered.

It has been discovered that OSH still collects batteries as well as Compact fluorescents. Possibly SM can help publicize this unknown fact.

Green bag sales – $132 was collected for the month in bag sales. Help by SMC students in selling bags has been greatly appreciated. Red bags are now available. There has been no word from the schools on selling bags. A discussion followed on possible efforts to cooperate with local merchants to promote “Shop Moraga First”. However, it was felt that the “political” issue with the Bruzzone’s should be sorted out first. One thought is to sell bags with a “Shop Local” message to the merchants for them to give away.

Miramonte HS Recycling – The president reported that the assistant superintendent is supportive of the program; Labor/custodial issues are being worked out.
NEW BUSINESS

Spring Fair – May 10.  The motion passed that SMG participate in the event. The motion was seconded and passed.  The president volunteered to chair this committee.

Focus on the Nation – To be held at SMC on Jan 23. It was moved, seconded and passed that SMG have a table at the event.

Speakers Event – spring 2008. Committee members were selected

SPEAKER:

Kathleen Lyddon, Executive Director of the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust, spoke on the need to preserve local agricultural lands from development and the need to help farmers to be able to continue to make a viable living from their land. She also encouraged us to purchase food grown locally to reduce the carbon footprint impact of transporting food and to have more control over the health of the food we eat.

Green Festival – to be held at the Brannan Center in San Francisco on Nov.. 9-11, 2007.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 pm at the Moraga Library.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 pm.