Present: Bob Dandrew (Chair), Ethan Roland (Notes), Steve Rice, Hank Bartosik, Laura Finestone, Carl Chipman, Jorge Gomez (guest), Shelley Tran (guest), Joe Brit (guest)
Agenda & Notes:
- Review Facilitation Schedule
- March – Ethan chairs, Steve takes Notes
- April – Steve chairs, Bob takes notes
- Review & Approve Minutes
- Motion & Second – January minutes passed.
- Reports from Rail Trail, RCWC, Wawarsing, EMC
- Rail Trail – Bridge over Kripplebush creek may move ahead in 2012-2013!
- Goal: Be able to travel bike from Port Jervis to Poughkeepsie all on rail trails.
- RCWC – Roundout Creek Watershed Council
- Moving ahead! Gathering of town supervisors discussed 4 Topics: Riparian buffers, Stormwater, Flooding, Education
- Lots of connections to Rochester ECC Project ‘Rondout Valley Sense of Place’ (RVSOP)
- Wawarsing – Hank Reports
- EMC – nothing to report
- Report on Gasland
- Excellent speakers! 45-50 folks attended
- If not fracking, then what? Let’s take this direction going forward.
- Who will manage email list?
- Ethan will input into gmail address book at March meeting
- Earth Day
- April – date?
- Support Youth Commission
- Karl talks to Carol about where clean ups will take place.
- In March, plan ‘enticingly pressureful’ outreach plan.
- Planning for Next Event
- Something to do with farming community – Rondout Valley Growers Association – Hosting farm to community gathering – we’ll support
- RVGA is doing 3 farm-to-community events.
- They are planning to do the first one at Rochester Firehouse February 24th.
- Carl will confirm availability of location.
- RVGA does artwork, RECC will pay for one event in the bluestone.
- RVGA will design the event, our main function is outreach.
- How is farming an asset to the community? How to engage with
- Residential land costs $1.34 for each tax dollar; Farmland + Commercial development costs $0.80 cents for each tax dollar!
- Economic impact of agricultural activities on communities.
- Municipal procurement of food – how could we support this happening?
- Buy local – how to support the small local organic farms as well as the established legacy farmers?
- Potential Events:
- Fixing the Future – Summer film!
- Alternative Energy Fair
- Including presentations like Joe’s, and Vendors
- Thermal Mass Building
- Joe Brit describes his new idea for thermal mass building.
Ongoing Discussions
- Alternative solutions for providing energy & jobs in town of Rochester
- The RVSOP project
Action Items
- Carl talks to Carol about where clean ups will take place.
- Ethan – post ECC