City of Bloomington, Indiana Commission on Sustainability, 10 Mar 2020

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From YouTube: Bloomington Commission on Sustainability, March 10, 2020

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meeting agenda: https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/meetingFiles/download?meetingFile_id=5561

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Like to call to order the bloomington commission on sustainability, the march.

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10Th 2020 meeting will start off with.

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Okay, cool so new to me: we'll start with a roll.

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Call: okay, proceeding we'll move on to the approval.

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Of the agenda, has everyone seen the agenda and had are you, okay, with written.

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So I motion to approve the agenda, all in favor say aye.

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And also minutes from the last meeting were distributed as well. Are there any.

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Concerns with the minutes as they were recorded, okay.

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I motion to approve the minutes from the february meeting thursday aye aye.

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Next is introduction of new members, which we have a couple here tonight. Will.

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Just start to my right, and even during our recent interview at when I met a.

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Couple people last month so nice to see you some new faces as well. I'm looking.

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Forward to being involved on the commission for sustainability, I work for.

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Iu ventures is a non-profit affiliate of the university that invests in. Are you related startup companies, but also.

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Provides a lot of resources and support for them along the way as well, so how.

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Could answer any questions but looking forward to getting involved two and a.

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Half years I work in private, consulting for saic. I do environmental work on.

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Crane naval south of here and that's about all that's interesting about me-.

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Yeah I worked in item, but I don't consider that interesting and theresa is.

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The other yeah that is another new member but she's.

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Okay, moving to the next item on the agenda is public comment. Is there anyone.

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From the public that would like to speak.

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Okay, that would be to me their report from the chair. Well, first thing: report.

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Is that we are currently full all seats, all empty seats are taken on.

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The commission so way to go and also happy to know. This is the first time.

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This calendar year that we have met a quorum so again way to go, and one thing.

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To mention is that this past was last thursday. I believe there was the first.

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Public meeting about the sustainability investment fund that was held at the.

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Mill on march 5th- and that was concerning raising increasing bill plan.

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To come, tax by 0.05 percent, I believe point five percent to fund the.

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Sustainable the investment fund. I started out with brief presentations.

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From council member matt, flaherty lauren and also andrea webster with the.

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Environmental resilience institute are you and mayor? John hamilton gave a brief.

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Brief speech as well, and then that followed, it went into three breakout.

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Sessions with several different departments or categories- I don't know.

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If, if they align specifically with departments- but it was definitely categories that there were three 20-minute breakout sessions, so you could.

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Go around to each of these tables with the categories and talk about ideas and.

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They covered topics such as public transit mobility, options, finance and.

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Economic equity, sustainable housing, local food, green infrastructure planning.

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And climate change, I would say there was a large turnout for this meeting. I was.

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Surprised by the turnout there was, it was very well attended and generally a.

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Civil discourse between the public and members of the city that were there too.

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Information for this sustainability investment fund- I could only stay for.

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One of the one of the breakout sessions I had to leave that with the first, but.

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There will be a second meeting tomorrow. I believe.

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Yeah tomorrow and council chambers, from 6:30 to 9:30- and I encourage you all to.

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Attend if you can, and and also just to stay up-to-date with this sustainability.

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Investment fund- I foresee that, being the commission on sustainability, we will be.

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Fairly involved with this, as it goes through the pipeline point, five percent.

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Income tax yeah point five percent increase in our current local income tax.

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Clarify new city council committee that was created so they created topical.

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Subcommittees and one of which is now climate action and resilience, I think.

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The total that they give it matt flirty so chair of that isabelle, piedmont, smith,.

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Dave rallo who's, our counsel, 20 and also kate,.

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Rosenberger, so that that was an addition to a couple of other ones. There's one on.

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Sustainable development- that's not the seats aren't filled yet, but I think.

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Susan campbell area will be leading that one, so that is a development between the.

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Last commission meeting says that council decided to designate topical.

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Groups that will meet, I think about every third week to be able to dive more.

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Deeply into a specific topic, so you're saying every third week.

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They'll that'll be a topic at the count that account so before the structure was.

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That there was council of the holes, all nine members would meet to discuss every.

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Single thing, and now it's on wednesdays, there's meetings by this group of.

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Designated for people to discuss just one topic for a longer length of time.

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It's a kind of a structural reorganization, so mean every third week.

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On wednesday yeah, so it's like at the normally scheduled time yeah and it's.

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Not every single group will not meet every week, but it just allows some more.

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Flexibility to spend more time in depth on a topic website, there's opposed to.

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The agenda to for wednesday, but it basically just says from 6:30 to 9:30.

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Yes, and that's all I have as the report from the chair the next yes as you can.

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Probably tell there's quite a bit going on right now, um but I said some of the.

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Things that I'm working on we've got the active climate survey that I sent all of.

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You- and I think we have about 303 responses to that at this point. So if.

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Anyone's interested in taking that the housing or sharing.

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Others I encourage you to do that. It's on the sustainability page and then also.

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On the facebook page, so I've been trying to get that out and it really focuses on.

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Not only perceptions of climate change, how its impacted you and then it's just.

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Some general feedback about ideas that people might support in relation to.

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Local government, investment and sustainability and climate action so.

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That was part of a plane project that was going to be going on anyway, but the.

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Timing is appropriate, given that it's no elevated as a topic of more conversation.

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In the community right now I was there last thursday I just had a small bit in.

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The middle just to talk about sustainability being not only.

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Environmental, but also social and economic and focus erin. I was at the.

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Climate planning table within your webster, and I think that we I was.

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Pleased to see that we had a lot of people attending and a lot of whom I.

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Hadn't seen a previous sustainability really did meeting so that was exciting.

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And we're really just at the beginning of this process, it's gonna be a council.

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And mayor male-driven process by really looking for public input, that was just.

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The first of many opportunities to engage and ultimately any increase, would.

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Have to be approved by the local income tax board, which we have some seats on.

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But it's also the county and elet so and steins ville. So I will be at the monroe.

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County environmental coach, a meeting tomorrow night and the county is working.

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On other things, they're students that are working with them on.

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Climate ordinance that would mirror the one passed in june by our city council.

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So obviously, a lot of activity and a lot of opportunities for this commission to.

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Both provide feedback and get engaged in some that process, so there is also a.

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Frequently asked questions page, that is on the city website, for those that.

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Really took questions I have been received on an ongoing basis about you.

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Know how would this process look like? Why is it necessary.

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Etc and so really looking for broad engagement, whether you support or not,.

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And generally, we will at the same time, have all the rest of things planned for.

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This year, going on so I'll try to keep you all abreast of any updates that I.

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Receive as well yeah, I think that definitely our city council is working.

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With our county colleagues, but generally they go into recess during a summer, so I.

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Think that the next three months generally will be public engagement and.

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Discussion and an issue prior to any vote being made and then, if it were, if.

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It were to be held between june and september. The increase would go into an.

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Effect in october and be collected for the rest of the year and be used in.

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Conjunction with any other budget at city funds for 2021, so the normal city.

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Budgeting process will be happening during the summer, as it always does.

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That's pretty quick, really yeah! So so, if we want to have.

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Hello brother, if we want to have input, then that would be in the next few.

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Well, there's just some other events that are happening also that I I had someone.

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Reach out to me, from the attraction fashion show that asked if, because.

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Wanted to be involved in some fashion, I said I'd be happy to show there that on.

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A page, it's a pretty popular event that happens every year and also just a.

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Reminder that there will be a city earth earth day celebration on the 18th.

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That's what jared from 1 to 9 and in the pavilion there will be opportunities for.

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People to get involved with nonprofits, we have about 30 that are confirmed and.

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Then just general music and opportunities for people to meet others.

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And yes, the trash and fashion thing, let me check.

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So could we are you saying we could like have a table or something.

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Yeah there's different opportunities for sponsorships. I let them know that we.

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Don't have a huge budget, but it's a sort of thing. That is a creative example of.

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Sustainably so I'm all designs that are part of it have to be at least 90%.

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Recycled repurposed materials, it's on april 5th. Are you having a like a table.

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That has you know, commission information.

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I was planning on probably attending, but there was no formal commitment. I mean at.

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This point, so they just thought it would be a good fit. So if that's something.

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That people wanted to definitely attend. Then I could try to facilitate thought.

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So it's april 5th, which is a woodie.

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Like sunday, so that's before our next meeting mm-hmm so we'd have to decide at.

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This meeting conversation just being present at community events in general.

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So obviously this one chair commission, but if it's something that, for instance,.

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You are excited about going to anyway, then, and you'd be happy to be there as a.

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Commissioner, instead of as a member of the public, and I can reach back out to.

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The person that or put you in contact with the person that contacted me about.

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That particular event, so what are the thoughts? Should I send out an email.

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After this meeting to see, if anybody wants to show up and then get back to.

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Lauren in the interim, here's a pretty fun and on the the earth day, you said.

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The 18th is march 18th april april yeah, and is that it's, which is what you're my.

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Husband calls it switchblade parks.

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That's the same thing really right: yeah, it's a birthday so seminal yeah and I I.

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Will mention also I you will have an event, but it's on actual earth day, which.

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Is a wednesday so- and I think it's an afternoon but they're intending to play.

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Some recordings of the first earth day that was held in dead men oh and have.

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Any other announcements um yeah, I guess I'm available for like questions. Anyone.

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Might have and obviously anything else that's happening. I mean there's just a.

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Massive, I think that with these new council subcommittees that, regardless of.

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This particular opportunity, but that's another opportunity for engagement, especially with dave sitting on one of them and then also just our active group.

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Work here and maybe connecting that to some other things. But I guess if anyone.

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Had questions about that event last thursday or any, if I can answer the.

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Questions about like what's happening next, I'm happy to during some of the.

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Roundtable discussions, some of the other citizens that were there were just.

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Voicing their concerns about how the tax would actually be or the fund would.

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Actually be allocated to people of lower income, so just like putting that out.

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There as a thought to like really make that kind of a focus as we're speaking.

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To people about it, how this will benefit people who aren't as well off as others.

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Yeah, that's been a common criticism and concern that, because it is not possible.

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To do a progressive, yeah tax increase that it would be perceived as regressive.

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Then in that instance, so I think that there's definitely necessary that if it.

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Were to move forward, it would have to demonstrate the benefit in exceedance of.

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What increasing taxes would be so I'm four.

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And I think matt I mentioned this for someone, that's making a forty thousand a.

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Year would have quite about four dollars a week, so someone that's under the.

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Poverty line, it would be about two, and so especially there was a lot of support.

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And there has been a lot of sport in the community for increasing frequency of.

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Transit, that's one instance where it definitely meets all of the criteria of.

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Both providing that environmental benefit that is important, but then also.

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Demonstrating that it's meaning it wasn't meant as criticism no like as.

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We're yeah yeah: it was a finance project, yeah sustainability, financing for.

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Municipalities, but something that very unsexy topic is the stormwater fee and.

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But in the literature kind of noted as an option where you can make the.

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Structuring of stormwater fees a little bit more progressive, I don't know if it.

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Would be possible, I know that fees were increased last year, but if the council.

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Wanting to you, as a part of this tax could potentially mitigate some of the.

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Regressive nature: by making the stormwater management fees more.

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Progressive based on amount of impervious area, so basically it would be.

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You know a larger commercials, like big-box stores, would be paying a larger.

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Yeah, I think I'll be that's fun tomorrow night, I'm gonna say as well. So hang back.

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But I think we got a ton of feedback and council's working on transcribing a lot.

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Of those notes that we're on larger sheets of paper, so that they're.

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Accessible public as well, so that people that weren't able to be there are able.

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To know what other people's feedback was so as soon as those are posted also.

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About group as well great great, thank you so now we'll go on to the next plan.

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Item which is an update on the strategic goal working groups which, for the new.

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Members we're currently working on three areas of strategic goals and your eyel.

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Encouraged to volunteer so they are waste reduction, sustainable business and.

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The unified, the you do: unified development, ordinance, I'll go ahead and.

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Give the update on the waste production we did have a meeting scheduled weeks.

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Ago, I believe, and- and it was mostly just going over some of the new documentation.

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That was given to us out the the boston zero waste with reading over that one. So.

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That's really the only update of any substance that I can give for that.

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Working group right now we went over the what was at the zero boston, the zero.

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Waste boston plan- I can't remember the exact title of it. I can give that to you.

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Later for the minutes, though, I mean this is basically the plan that was put.

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Together by committee, within the city of boston, outlining strategic goals for.

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Reducing reducing the waste of the city.

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And can I just confirm who's on that committee you're, the chair? Yes, jerry.

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Right corbin, hmm your honor shauna yeah anna anybody else; okay, great.

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Okay, so the next from the sustainable business where they can give an update. I.

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Can do that since nature? That's not here, but this.

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It's it's kind of old news, but it's never gonna report it so I'll go ahead.

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We did not meet this last month, so I don't know: if has plans to set a meeting.

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Coming up for that, so I can't do that just a few things that we discussed the.

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Difference between be corpse and benefit corpse, which are different things. The b.

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Corp is a independent company that has a bunch of hoops to jump through to get.

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Their certification and the benefit corp is something you.

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Can file for with the state and doesn't really have any teeth per se? It's just.

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Your company staying out loud in a way that you intend to think of sustainable.

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Practices that can you can't an llc can't be a benefit corp, but it can be of.

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The corp, so a lot of really small businesses could not be a b corp. I mean.

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A benefit corp anyway, they could only be a b corp, okay, letter b, we we talked with.

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And now the name of the business escapes me, the woman who did the gnarly tree.

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Yeah, thank you. We've talked with the gnarly tree, the owner of gnarly tree and.

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What she said was that the most difficult things for a small business to.

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Deal with and they are a b corp letter b, corp.

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I don't know if they're a benefit core, but they are a letter b. Corp is like.

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Coming up with the paperwork like making my laws that reflect what it's, how.

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They're supposed to be or creating an employee handbook or making a privacy.

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These things are all required by the b corp company that gives a certificate.

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Certification, company and so and then the other thing is convincing people. Why.

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They should take the time to do it. You know or there's a little bit of money.

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Involved as well, because it's even though there's like lots of general.

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Statistics that people do buy based on a company's stated ethics, it's hard to.

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Really track how much difference it makes if you're a bigger company.

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Sometimes you can woo better employees, because you have these stated ethics, so.

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That can be a benefit. A benefit is just simply going through the process of.

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Course is what she said, because it forces a small company to create those.

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Documents and involve the employees in letting them know what the ethics of the.

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Company is that sort of thing, so that's that's a benefit, but it would be you.

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Know it's hard to get small businesses to actually buy that in a way. A lot of.

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Times unless you are like a gnarly tree, which that's their whole business is.

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Really sustainable practices and that kind of thing.

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Advice in that, so we had some suggestions that up to now, we we just.

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Have not explored, but probably we will explore, which is working with.

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Organizations like the v edc the chamber, the sbdc like to come up with a survey.

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For their members, maybe to see how they feel about sustainability, what kinds of.

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Issues they find that they're interested in and.

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Sustainability, maybe create a speaker series that invites you know people to.

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Come in and talk about, privacy or other be corpse that exists to come in, like.

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The gnarly tree owner that kind of thing again do a workshop series. Maybe two.

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That steps may be separated by industry that steps people through the b-corps.

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Process specifically, maybe create a library of templates so that you know.

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People can insert your name here, sort of sort of thing short. You know make that.

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Shorter and then we should discuss ways to encourage certification through the.

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City, like maybe offering tax benefits to certified businesses because they are.

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Contributing to the city's overall sustainability goals or creating a small.

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Fund that offers many grants to pay for the fees the fees aren't high, but.

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They're, not zero and small businesses haven't a hard time coming up with cash.

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For anything so and then we also thought, maybe we should find some specific.

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Businesses to try to recruit, to sort of step through the process to create the.

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Templates and things like that, so we were thinking of like one world which.

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Already does a lot of pretty innovative management practices like they do open.

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Book management, which is really unusual, they have employee participation which.

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Is unusual blooming foods would be a natural for that and then the to be even.

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More confusing with bees the bee b, ee, for which they probably are yeah. Maybe I.

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Don't know if they're, not, though yeah if the vee corp is not a bee core.

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And that would be a perfect one, so those were kind of that's where I'm leaving it.

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Because I was the chair and this over those are okay and aside for me, I think.

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Dave warren is also meant to be on that committee. He's on the page verify with.

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Him again tomorrow, he was still an acting role, but he's sick in a county.

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Planning commission was also, he wasn't sure about balancing that, but there was.

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A commandment from the county that, if he is just up down that another member.

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Would attend from the so yeah? We should include him and then.

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If he can't do it, he'll assign somebody hmm you're, saying: okay, yeah well I'll.

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Just detach that information to the minutes, I've typed it all up for nature.

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Anyway, okay, okay, I know there was one meeting which I couldn't attend, which.

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Was yesterday, that was the continuation of the video, which is the map. Okay and.

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Some, what's it called do you know the official name of that conversion.

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Conversion map, thank you and technical additions. We have a few months to come.

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Up with suggestions for the conversion map, which I think we will do in terms of.

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Especially, suggestions for the r4 zone, which is a zoom that hasn't been.

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Indicated yet and it's it's meant to be higher density, which sustainability.

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Sustainable interests would indicate that would be good in town, so we'll.

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Probably make suggestions about where our four zones could be aesthetically do.

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You have an idea of when, as a commission, we would need to submit the.

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Recommendations in order for it to be included or considered before them. I.

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Mean my I: don't it's really hard to figure that out.

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From the website later nigh on impossible, so.

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I'm just gonna try to have something for us to vote on with the committee trying.

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To meet with the committee this month and try to have something for us to look.

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At next month, because that should be early enough. Okay, because they say.

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They're not going to adopt it until when like fall, I think I think the whole.

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Thing: yeah cuz. I just started that process yeah exactly.

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And I I think it's just an angel and dave waring that are now on that and.

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Then you said you'd like to be.

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Can you remember anybody else who's on that? I don't think so. Everyone's nervous.

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Alright goes down on the waste reduction.

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Okay: the next line item is new business. Is there any new business or new.

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Comments that anyone would like to make or bring up to the commission, I guess.

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I'm just wanting to say the two meetings I'm going to tomorrow between the county.

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And the climate action I will take notes and send those to the group, and so, if.

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There's feedback on that, as well as the notes from last thursday, so I there's.

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Quite a bit that's happen, and especially with being having near commercial.

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Members like, if you have any questions, let me know and I'll just try to keep.

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You apprised via email and other than that, I think, there's an opportunity on.

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Our next agenda, to maybe just have a sustainable investment fund line item to.

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Discuss any updates that have happened next month and I'm happy to share some.

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Preliminary survey results as well.

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This isn't business, but this isn't just a question, so I guess this is the right.

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Time yeah, so I I just have been kind of thinking about and wondering where do.

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People- and this might seem like a very obvious question, but it just hasn't been.

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Obvious to me, as a new, I guess, community member.

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Where do members of our community find information primarily about.

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Sustainability initiatives or best practices, as far as you know, their own.

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How they can kind of contribute to sustainability? I'm just wondering just a.

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Newer experience or the experience of the commission kind of how people I.

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Guess find their information and how we disseminate that information. I think.

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There's a couple I mean, obviously any city council meeting people oftentimes.

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Find out about things from there all times, local newspaper got some social.

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Media, but I think there isn't a dedicated page just for this commission.

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Necessarily aside from meetings and agendas, so if that's something as you're.

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Meaning in your subgroup, so you think would be important to have a space for.

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Final documents or updates, so you can talk about as well, but I think that.

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Generally, the city limits and sustainability pages, where most people.

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Find that a web page yeah.

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I'm trying to think of anything else. That's just like networking to yeah the.

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Green drink. Stop then yeah, yes, he's always putting stuff out. So there's.

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There's a lot of other justice to nonprofits as well, and so I try to keep.

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Connected with them, and but I think, there's like official communication.

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Channels and then there's just people really just sharing information with.

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Each other, but I mean I think that can be maybe maybe we can think about a more.

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Systematic way to to work on especially things coming from this commission, I.

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Think that not have one has opportunity to come during this time frame and so.

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It's great that we have recordings and things like that, but there's quite a few.

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People that obviously, unless in any circumstance, oh and I was just kind of.

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Wondering just in general, not necessarily to propose anything but just.

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Doesn't new, I guess I guess a new resident kind of what we're most people.

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Found out about the community well, and people on campus often follow so staying.

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On you and they kind of aggregate everything that's happening on campus.

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And put this weekend sustainability for, like things happening, I know you so.

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That's another good resource if you're looking for especially like talks and.

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Sustainability or climate topics, they have weekly agendas of things that.

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People can attend and they have working groups on campus as well. So.

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So I just typed in sustainability efforts, bloomington indiana and your.

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Sustainable, let me finish the first thing that something is good and that.

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Second, is sustainability action plan, so you are fine at all nicely done.

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I wanted to mention, I was just on our page.

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This commission's page yesterday and noticed that the working group meetings.

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Are listed on the calendar, which we don't do anymore? Okay, I don't know where.

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That calendar comes from uh well, it's meant to be public works and we had had.

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That, as still standing in case, anyone wanted to use their room. But if nobody.

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Is so no make sure it gets taken off? It was like every it was the two weeks, so I.

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Can say for the waste reduction group we've never used it for the okay time or.

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Location, so I will say that for the russian group, but I can't speak for the.

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Other groups, we don't think you do doesn't yeah: okay, yeah, okay. I remember.

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That I think, when we talked about it, was erin. She said that it seemed like this.

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Time march- and so I I didn't- want it to keep it in this old place, but yeah do.

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You want, or will you talk, contact them or should we yeah.

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Okay, there's no other comments for new business. The next meeting will be held.

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On tuesday april 14th in this room again from 6:00 to 7:30, can I have a motion to.

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Adjourn second,.

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