Committees - Regular Meeting

Everyone had a chance to read the two acts? Yes. Hey, Coco, we're... We're live? We're live, right? We are.

Propose the approval of the acts.

So, the mega cloud.

Yeah.

Ah, here it is.

It looks good.

But it doesn't sound so good. Allergies.

Oh, I got it.

I know how it is. Allergies, sinusitis, all the good things that go with the autumn. The grass. Yes.

The grass is killing us.

I am, yes, without infection for now. Antibiotics are good. Yes. We have to love medical advances. I think maybe that's what I have. It's with a very strong allergy.

Probably. Yeah, the grass is really...

The grass is killing us here. I... I don't have COVID. I did the test.

So, let's start the meeting. Everyone read the acts? Yes. Anyone proposes the approval of the acts? Anyone knows?

Yes.

All in favor?

Any corrections?

The Green X follow-up report? I don't have much to say. I think it worked very well considering the weather. Tivemos algumas existências. Então, agradeço a todos vocês por... Sei que você não pode estar aqui, Bob, mas... Achei particularmente bom.

Sim. É a melhor que eu acho que já... A melhor que tivemos.

I think, well, I'm curious to hear what Dom thinks. I think it was partly because it was a cloudy and rainy day and we were the most interesting thing happening. I mean, we were more interesting than the beach, at least. So we received a lot of people who showed up, but I also felt a lot of engagement. I don't know why, but I really felt that people were stopping, thinking about it. Maybe it's just easy, guys. Maybe people are thinking more about how I can save on my electricity bill, you know? I mean, everyone's electricity bill went down. I don't know, everyone's heating oil costs, you know? Last winter they were, you know, impressive. Maybe that's it. Dom, what do you think? I don't know anymore.

I agree that it's a combination of things, but people stopped, were interested in talking and, you know, it was good.

People are worried about the water, so there were many, many good conversations, you know, about what the owners could do. I think there is also a better level of knowledge about these issues. I mean, I felt like I was having more, let's say, high-level conversations. People didn't understand the difference between, you know, sewage water and tap water. And honestly, you know, I felt like the overall level of knowledge, at least of the people who were there, was better.

And what was your experience, I could say?

I thought it was a good year. I thought that, as you were saying, we got a very good engagement. I think people were interested in the topics we talked about, they came with questions and I, you know, I thought it was a very good year. And I don't know if maybe we are doing a better job in promoting the topics or if there is more communication about it in the community, but I think it was a very good year for that. I think we had a good participation.

Yes, a smaller craft fair than usual, they told me. It looked like a smaller craft fair.

We had more movement. We did.

In general, more than the craft fair. I mean, when you looked at the number of people per stand, you know, we had a lot of interest. And I really think that next year we should think about, you know, maybe responding to this increase in knowledge and interest. You know, maybe we can intensify, you know, try something you had said. You know, the stand on Taylor Island wasn't there this year and, honestly, no one missed it because it was never a place to talk about practical solutions for your house. You know, your house and garden problems. No one, I mean, no one came up to me and asked why Terra Nova isn't here. I just think that there are organizations that were in the past, and you mentioned it, that didn't necessarily have clear motivations to be in a green expo. They were community organizations that were there to get more visibility. Or maybe knows how to collect, make people come to their fundraisers, but not necessarily focused on the issues they defend.

I don't know if... Actually, that's not exactly what I said. What did you say? I said that, as we have more community organizations coming to Expo, maybe we should think of making it a kind of hybrid Expo of community and green organization. and maybe we should rethink renaming it, or at least how we present it. That's what I was thinking.

This is the opposite of what I thought I had heard you say.

You know what? We both saw the same symptom and came to different conclusions. Okay, interesting.

But I think it's good to have housing there, it's good to have all this there, and it's good to have the center for the elderly and the service for the elderly. I think it's good to have all these things there, and necessarily when you and I were talking, you thought maybe there was a way for them to talk about the ecological things they're doing.

Yes, that's what I thought. Yes, that's what I mean by maybe pressuring, I don't like to use the word pressuring, but encouraging some of these organizations to come with their programs, you know, oriented towards the environment. That, yes. Like the center for the elderly, you know, they could do that.

I could, but I think that, you know, for many people, many people want to know more about popular housing. This was the first time that the Health and Welfare Committee was there, so that people could learn about what you are doing. So I think that...

These are all related issues. You're right.

I was at the housing meeting the other day and they talked about Expo Verde and how they appreciated One of the things they thought about trying to do for the next year was to incorporate more concepts of ecological construction and what they plan to add to the housing and this kind of thing so that they can improve on it. So maybe we don't need to pressure.

It will probably happen. It's happening in Troma.

I mean, I would like to get more, you know. It's a point where people literally give up hours before. but it would be good to bring more of those environmental groups that we had before. I'm happy that the prefecture is there. They had a lot of movement and this is a great message to spread.

Yes, I think more people know them because they have already given two lectures in the first Presbyterian Church. So, the name and the face are becoming more familiar. I would love to have the Presbyterian Church there. I mean, they have been You know, really, they defended many things and I think there is a designation that makes it part of your mission, right? But yes, I think if Taylor's Island shows up again, we should find some angle that has to do with the green options mission. The green options mission.

Yes, but again, I think some people don't know any of these organizations or committees.

It's not just to increase the awareness that they exist.

So, is it also a good way to increase awareness that there is a beneficiary arm of the Foundation? What are you doing? You should wear a mask.

I lend you mine.

Now it's a completely crazy church. Well, we can think about it, we already have time to think about it, but we can think about it if we want to make adjustments or... For next year. But first I thought, well, I just thought.

Again, I just thought I was lucky.

In fact, the next day it rained torrentially at 10 a.m. I thought if it had been the previous day, it would have been difficult. We weren't lucky. Solar, the recycling center, actually Joe... We can count on that because Joe said he would come by. He has a meeting now. I just asked if he could come and give us any updates he has. Proposals delivered tomorrow.

Ah, yes.

So... Let's see. Community solar energy... So, I think that, even if I don't quite understand, we already have all the answers to the issue. But the real question now is that, if we're going to do this, we need to open it up to other suppliers.

Just, you know, maybe educate people about what community solar energy is and how it works. So, if there are other programs in the area, provide a list of all available ones. And do it that way. I also have to say that... I signed up for the community solar energy that Aline represents.

And it wasn't a totally positive experience. And I say it's too early to see how it's going to work, but I signed up. I got a contract. I read the contract. It had some terms that I didn't want to agree with. I got in touch with him. In fact, I copied Cristina in all this. I talked to Lynn again and said, you know, I'm not going to agree with all this. She went to them, asked for the changes and they sent me a new contract. I signed that and two days ago I received the contract signed by both parties. And since then, I received my first PSNG light bill and There is no indication of that, so I don't know if it takes another cycle. It can take another cycle. So that's where I'm in the process. But the part of the contract that I opposed and that I think Christine signed, I think they signed the contract as it is, or at least that's what she seemed to think. It required that if you decided to cancel, you had to find a substitute. So yes, there was a long clause indicating what you should do to find out what their rights were. And the next clause in that section basically said that you can cancel at any time. It seemed contradictory in the contract. Yes. So I said they needed to take all that part about finding a replacement. I'm not going to sign that. So what I signed only says that you can cancel at any time. I just didn't like that. You know, that made me question... It's a very, very confusing message on the contract. Yes.

Hmm, but it was with Sustain Energy or with people from Lean... Sustain Energy.

So wait, when you had to find a replacement, you had to find another replacement.

Another person to... Basically, the contract explained that since we have a limited number of subscribers, you know, let's stop accepting subscribers. We are, you know, almost full and so if you give up, we have to cover it, you know, for this to work, we have to, like, I say, well, this is your problem. And then we want you to do, we want you to identify someone and then they will be evaluated to occupy your place.

Ah, that's what it means. Yes. Find a substitute administrator.

No, find a substitute client. Find, you know, to persuade you that you should sign up because I'm going to move to Zimbabwe.

Like a shared time.

So anyway, I think it's so strange.

I mean, people put things in these contracts that if the author says he won't sign, they say, yeah, I wouldn't sign either. We'll take it out. It's just a matter of negotiation. But I didn't like it and that made me... I would be interested in seeing how much money we save.

Now it's like signing up for the CSA. You give up, but you have to find someone else to take your place.

Yes, it's like that.

It doesn't make sense.

Yes. But they don't... the CSA actually collects all the money in advance.

I know, it's probably a bad example, but anyway, it seems strange. I wouldn't have thought that otherwise.

I don't know. I doubt it's normal, because they risked it. Okay. Well... That's what they're talking about.

CDM left me worried. I ask myself about the claim, which I think she said, and maybe they have also said in some of their promotional materials, that there really were no other options here for solar energy, for us, for community solar energy. Because if they really thought that there were no other options for community solar energy, why would they be interested in making me find another person to sign up if I found a better business elsewhere, you know? I mean, basically, I was thinking, I think this would only come into play if I changed, because you know, it's linked to the house. There were also a number of things you could do to convert, you know? What would you have to do to convince a new person? Who wants to buy your house?

It would adhere to that, right?

Right. The transfer.

But the main thing is that we just need to do it. I know we talked about the fund doing this. That's it. I remember, Priscila would check this. But let's see if there are other... administrators who would do something for East Bank. Let's see if we find any. Jack, call the guy in our office. There's a contact there. I just wanted to ask.

It's not clear to me that they need to be located geographically.

Like, I don't think I saw anything in the contracts about where the... ... ... ... ... ...

Yes, I felt that some of the questions I asked had to do with a... You know, being able to finally verify if it was auditable, in the sense of where the energy, you know, that it really came from, from solar sources.

It's not audible.

Yes, and you know, I feel that the answers sent didn't address that. Really, and I don't want to be... You know, a more... No, you should be. You know, these things are complicated and energy is complicated. And what the government is doing and now, you know, back to encouraging coal, you know, it's crazy. So I want to know if I'm signing up for something that can be audited, and that is audited, and the energy really comes from sustainable sources. And I didn't feel that there was... I got the impression that their answers weren't very clear.

Yes, they don't allow it. The contract I signed specified that I couldn't enter and analyze, you know? Basically, they were guaranteeing me this fee and it was purely financial, you know? So if I don't have that kind of discount at the end of next month that I'm waiting for, you know? Then I'll cancel, you know? But there's no expectation that I can go in and see how they got to the number, you know?

But I would be interested in hearing about your experiences. If you're going to do something, just don't tell my husband.

Let's wait to invite Lynn. I think you would like her to come back at some point to talk to us, or would you like her to go to the Municipal Council of Evaluators, like Meg, if we determine that there are other administrators around?

I would say that instead of Aline making the presentation, maybe you make a presentation about what community solar energy is and what are the different options so as not to demonstrate favoritism.

Let's see if I can...

Since you would be defending her case. Administrator. You see the presentation.

Right. I also think it's solar energy plug-in. I think they fit each other. How is this on her table, right? She can sign until the end of the year. I think this legislation now, she won't do that. It's not on her table.

No. I just left the meeting with Tommy John, who, by the way, had little participation, let's say. In the medical situation with Kelty possibly leaving, Sarah and Peter Gordon, Peter Billing, were there. And, of course, I said I wanted an update on the Assembly's bill that I looked online to see where it was. A9111A, and it says right here that it was returned to the Assembly, passed through the Assembly, passed through the Senate, but it was returned to the Assembly. Unfortunately, with the changes and the Assembly not being in session now, it is effectively dead this year, unless a special session is called. So, it will appear in the next session in January, but we have to press if we want So I'm going to write a letter directly to the sponsor, State Representative Gallagher.