Environmental Commission - Regular Meeting

All right, it is now 7 o'clock. I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting, the Environmental Commission meeting to order uh here at the Twinsburg Government Center at 6 or 7 p.m. on May 6th. If we could go ahead and do roll call, just say that your name and your present. We'll start down there with you, Alan. Alan Mings, present. Michael Walton, present. John MacArthur, present. Jonah Pashett, present. Gina Hutter, present. Sean Nupah, present. Patrick Jeffers, present. David Post, present. All right. Thank you. Next, we move on to the approval of the minutes. And I do have one motion uh to amend the spelling of my first name from J O H A H in the elect chairperson section to the proper spelling of J O N A H. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Helen. All those in favor of amend that amendment, please say I. All oppose, please say nay. All right. Are there any other changes that need to be made to the minutes? I would I I would make a motion that we approve the minutes as amended. Second. Seconded by John. All those in favor, please say I. All oppose, please say nay. And the minutes are approved as amended. We do not have any presentations this evening. There is nobody unfortunately in our audience today. Um so that brings us to commissioner reports and I will start down with Shantine. today? Not today. I don't have anything today. Nothing today. Did you want to talk about Earth Day? Oh, Earth Day. I want to tell you I had a great time. It was awesome. I had a lot of energy. The only thing I would suggest is that, you know, we do it from 10 to 12 next year because that's when the children were coming in around closer to 11:00. And it it did raise the energy of the place. So if you have like coffee or something like that like I'm going to tell you that was really

enjoyed that event. So that was excellent 100%. All right. Thank you. Anything else? No, I was just really excited about it. That's I want to keep talking about this all. Absolutely. By all means. That's all I have. Thank you, Gina. Um, I can only report that I reached out to Jenny um about the quarterly sewer bills and we're waiting to hear from the sewer company. There's a specific kind of paper we need to use um but we're going to throw around some ideas and she's been amazingly helpful on all counts. Um, and I went to the native plant sale um this past week um and that was really packed for how badly the weather was behaving. Um, lots of information and surprisingly a couple of repeat tables from Earth Day, but a lot of new as well. Um, so really, really cool event um, right at the church up down the street. Awesome. Thank you. Anything else? Um, heading to the Mother's Day plant sale um that Virginia runs with the garden club. That's this um, weekend um, at the historical center. Do you have a time for that? Um, in the morning. In the morning. Okay. I know you're not. Sorry. Yeah. My husband about it and I can't remember the time. 9 to I feel like 9 to noon. 9 to noon, I think. Yeah. All right. That's fantastic. Um, John, we will skip me for a second. So, we'll move on to you for today. Nothing for you. Nothing. All right, Michael. I have nothing to report. I as far as um was mentioned about the native plant cell. I wasn't able to go to it, but my wife did attend and she said the same thing. She said it was very informative. There were a lot of people there despite the the torrential downpour that she that she had to endure for it. But um yes, it seemed like it went really well. But that's that's about all I have. That's awesome. And Helen, I don't have anything other than the Earth Day I

thought was really really good. Yeah. Um, I was surprised at the number of people that were there and uh I mentioned to the to the mayor because I don't I you know I just said hey Mayor Sam why did you put it up on the board over there and he he put it back on. Well Jonah didn't tell me and I said well next time put it up there. Yeah that that would def definitely my fault. So next year I will remind the mayor and ask the mayor to to put that on the the board for us. Yeah, he's a busy man. He does a lot. So, you know, I I could definitely remind him next year to do that. Okay. But, u my report I have nothing aside from this is the first time I'm going to say that, but um I have nothing aside from uh I want to thank you guys, everybody on this commission, uh Councilman Post, you know, I want to thank you guys for being at that Earth Day event, uh making it the great event it was. Um I mean, it was it was very packed, especially from 10:00 to 11:00. And so I do think if we do this again next year, and I think we will, um, talking with Director Bentonson about maybe pushing time back an hour might be beneficial. But I the amount of people we had come up to do our scavenger hunt, even if we had to pivot a little bit, because we weren't outside. And it was instead of you looking for rocks and and trees and things like that, you were looking at other tables and writing down what you learned. We had so many people complete that scavenger hunt and have a great time with it. um our volunteer from Aurora, Sydney. She had a great craft that brought people to our table. Um she was helping out when I would wander away. Um and and I really appreciate you guys being there and and running the table and showing up. Um we are one of the few commissions that generates our own business and and kind of generates our own ideas and we're also one of the few commissions that actually shows up to everything we plan. and and so I really think that's fantastic and that's it speaks to who we are as individuals and what we're really looking for. So

thank you and that's all I have for my report. Um and that brings us to our council report and we'll start with Councilman Post. Uh not much to report. I I thought you guys did a great job. Uh I brought my girlfriend's son and he had a great time. Um he had a really good time. He was so involved with the bee stuff. Mhm. Um talking over there. He actually brought those bees home. I thought you guys would like to know. Oh, the stinky bees. Uh the bees. Yeah. Yeah. She gave him a couple bees. And so, um he actually went later on and made a video of himself dissecting the bees and all the parts and everything. Awesome. And I said it to her. she thought it was amazing which was so she invited us to come out um even that day actually the next day to go with the beast but I was working so I couldn't but she invited us to go out he's very excited and it just that little bit right motivates youth and that's the whole point of the day right I mean he's all into animals and nature anyway so it was right up his alley but it really just took him to that next level and that's again the whole point of it so I would say bravo So, and um you know, again, I I don't didn't see the turnout. I wasn't there the whole time, but it's great that you said there was a great turnout. I wasn't again I wasn't there. Um but did uh it was a joint effort though with Jennifer. Oh, yes. It was it was all her. So, she was probably doing a lot of advertising for her and I'm guessing as well. So, that was probably the majority of the advertising. Yeah. Although I I did have a couple people say, "Oh, I I heard you talk at council and and all of that." I four or five people. So, I I'm glad I don't speak into a void. There you go. That's great. Well, good for you. But great event. Nice job. I I have nothing other than that. Very cool. And Pat, I mean, you're you're not a councilman, but we'll still include you. We were able to get that uh tour of the

Oakwood Recycling Center for Waste Management scheduled. Uh sent you guys an email, but July 16th uh at 10:00 uh 7450 Oakleaf Road. uh get a tour of their their state-of-the-art new recycling facility over there. See what goes on and uh how our stuff gets recycled. I'm I'm looking forward to that. Yeah. But I've heard it's amazing. I I was upset I couldn't go last time, so I'm excited I could finally go. That's really cool. Yeah. Did you go to the Did you ever go to the old one? No, I I missed that opportunity. Missed the opportunity to go to the new one. I just I keep missing those opportunities, but I will be able to go to this this one. So, I'm looking forward to it. Anything else, Councilman Post? Uh, no. Okay. All right. Then we move on to unfinished business, new business, miscellaneous, and our our first item on the agenda is the Good Neighbor Award. And so I have passed out paper copies, but I also emailed all of us the top two nominees by uh decided by the scoring matrix for us as a commission to look at, discuss, and then vote on as to who will be the good neighbor uh you know award recipient for the first time. And so there's nominee B and nominee D. Those are just the two top scoring individuals. I I just simply didn't change their nominee names. Um but that's why there's a B and a D. And so I will now open the floor for discussion on the Good Neighbor Award. You could discuss if you like B or D or you have a preference to one individual over the other, but that's what we could discuss this time. Um may I ask what's your matrix like? How did you score it? What were your um Yes. Yes. So, we had scoring based on um and I I was running I had errands all day today, but it was based on is it a one-time effort or is it sustained over time? Um are they

demonstrating environmental sustainability? Are they practicing um the sustainability as a sole effort or a community effort? And am I missing something from there was one other one I don't remember. Yeah, I I make sure when you talk, you're talking into the mics. So, you got to you got to talk close to the mic so the mic can pick you up when you talk if you would. Yeah. Well, I heard you, Helen. I just Yeah, I just want to make sure that you're Yeah, just that's all. I don't I'm trying to picture what they were. I can't Oh, you'll remember in a minute. It's okay. I might be able to pull them up. Give me one second as you're you're discussing as you're talking. But I know was one was sustainability, one was about prolonged efforts, you know, one was community focus and I'm pulling them up and we we assign and they they had a number we could give them a number one through five and then some couple of them were weighted a little higher. So we were multiply them and came up with a out a score out of 40. Okay. So, these two people scored the highest. I really like um nominee D. Um I like the um extent um that uh this candidate goes um very like it's not just one spot. It's not just one time. I really think that is huge um for that that candidate. I I and also seeing it in action. Um I know that it is prolonged. It's ex and um he keeps it up. So that one just appealed to me a little bit more just a little bit more than the other candidate. But I you've got two great people and they're going to be awesome if they whoever

wins. Yeah. And I I'll go really quick. I was able to pull this up and again I apologize I didn't bring that um busy day. I was I even took off work today just cuz I had running around to do. But um it was environmental stewardship. So basically are they demonstrating care for the environment through those ongoing impactful efforts? Um community benefit. Are they positively impacting the neighborhood or a city in a visible or meaningful ways? That's improving shared spaces or inspiring civic pride. Uh personal personal initiative. So, dedicating personal time and effort beyond obligations or job duties, uh voluntary and self-motivated, consistency and dedication, uh just a whole separate category for this, a long-term commitment, regular involvement rather than a one-time act, and then just a a spirit of neighborly neighborliness category, demonstrating kindness, respect, and inclusivity while helping the environment. Uh acting as a good neighbor for all. And so as Helen had mentioned, he could score one through five on this. And then there were weights to uh environmental stewardship, community benefit, and personal initiative. And so there was that was weighted uh twice as much as the other two. And overall, it was like a score out of 40. So like a teaching rubric to grade assignments essentially. Yeah, I agree. you know, like nominee B is really like, you know, I'd like to recognize that person too. I personally, you know, reading through both of them. I read when you email um and you know, I would also go with mommy to eat, you know, somebody walks around cleans up and it's sustainable and it's just not a one-time effort from them. They they seem to do it all the time on a regular basis and they're self motivated without

anything in return. I'm not that nominee B is not you know I can see why the two that we're looking at. Right. Yeah. So but I would my my nomination if there you know would be for nominee D. So Okay. Any any comments so far on my left side? Uh yeah, it was um it's a shame that we don't have two awards because they were both very strong candidates and uh it was it was difficult to make a choice. Um you know, both candidates do a lot for for the city. They do a lot for their neighbors. Um I to me nominee B particularly stood out. um knowing people. My wife's a gardener. We, you know, so I like the the fact that, you know, this person is is active in um you know, I'm also a proponent of of planting with native plants. So, you know, the candidate does native plants in her yard and inspires her neighbors, a strong advocate for the wild backyard program. Um I like the fact that um they were called out for um reducing the need for chemical fertilizers by using organic compost in the yard. And what else do they have? Um on top of it like putting the effort to maintaining multiple garden plots and you know coaching and and you know helping guide other people to to get into it. I just you know that that really resonated me. that really seems like that's someone that's that's willing to put the effort in to, you know, better the environment, better better their city, and to, you know, kind of help encourage their neighbors to do the same. Um, again, not a shot against the the other nominee. Both of them were very strong candidates, and whoever comes out on top is is, you know, they, like I said, it's a shame that we don't have two awards to give because I think we could easily give something to both of them. Yes, agree with you. How and John, did you want to add anything? Um, I mean, could we say

who we liked? Absolutely. Yes. I I liked nominee B. That was my my choice. Um, I thought that they did a more yours was more universal in what they were able to do. They were doing Yes, this person D was very good, too, picking up the garbage and in the neighborhood, but B, she did a lot. She seems to do she does stuff in her yard. She educates people in the the last paragraph how she'll she'll if she doesn't she'll buy plants and then get native habitat plants and give them as gifts to try to promote that. I think she does a little above and beyond. John, did you want to add anything? I I would think D because that's kind of what I do when I walk the dog. And it it seems that maybe he this person would affect more people in a neighborhood and they would see him pick up other people's trash on the front, especially after trash all over the place. Um so maybe he's affecting more people if it's a he. Oh, he it is. Again, they were both excellent and I I would favor D. Okay. Is there any other conversation here? Um because what we will have to do is is we will have to vote um on this. So, I want to make sure is there any other conversation we'd like to have as a commission here before we move forward into the vote. I'm going, you know, I'm ready. if you want to say something yourself. Uh yeah, I I will just say this was um you know when we were looking at it when we were looking at the scoring matrix they were all very strong candidates and these are are the the you know two top uh scoring nominees but again this city's full of wonderful

people. Um and I like Michael said I wish we had two awards to give and maybe in the future maybe future years if we keep doing this we could give away two but unfortunately right now we have to pick one. Um, when it comes to voting, I I think I'm going to just abstain from voting unless there happens to be a tie. And the reason being I I was the one who blanked out these names. And so, right. Um, I I I know who I roughly I I kind of forgot, but I think I know who these individuals are at this point. So, I'm going to try to abstain from voting. If there's a tie, I could break it. Um, but I'm going to abstain. And I want to let you guys know and anybody who may watch as to why I'm abstaining because again I want to make sure I'm as impartial as possible having been the one who blanked out these names. Well, there can't be a tie tonight. I'm going to use my math skills. There's only five other people voting. See that? I I I see that. This is this this why I'm not a math teacher. Guessing it's going to go, you know, 412 5. This this is why throwing it out. This is why you're the math teacher. Councilman Bose, it's not going to be a tie tonight. You're off the hook. So, um, all right. I think best way to handle this voting would we could go down the line. Um, and and you could just say your vote. And so, Shantu D D Gina D D. John D D. Michael B B. And then Helen B B. All right. So that is three for nominee D and two for nominee B. Okay, that sound correct to the commission. I'm not I'm not the math teacher, so I want to make sure. Okay, pretty smart. All right, so who would you you're not going to put in your two cents for it's

unofficially off the record. Not fair. I I really don't think I can. I I know who both of these people are and I I don't think that'd be fair, quite fair. And so I I just I I really do think both are strong candidates. I think all the points mentioned, you know, be is an avid gardener. Um active in the community managing multiple plots. Um also behind the scenes, not doing much where everybody may notice. I think that's a fantastic quality. nominee D outgoing in the open long sustained effort. That that's another key aspect. And so it it's very hard for me to say, you know, without my bias in there who who um I would have chosen. So I'm glad I didn't have to break a tie. I'm glad we had five people here. So um can we mention something about candidate B? I mean I'm sorry would be something like you know like it was in our meeting minutes I would really like to mention that you know discussed what happened and acknowledge it in at least in the minutes or publicly that um a number of people you mean here or in the minutes? No in the minutes not at the council meeting. The minute should acknowledge the vote which is three for nominee D and two for nominee B. And the minute should also reflect that there was discussion showing positive um positive appreciation towards nominee B and nominee D and that it was a very you know productive conversation at at this point since you already have the total. Can you are you able to say their names at this point since it doesn't matter anyways? Yeah, I could pull them out. There's no reason the commission should know. Absolutely. Let me I could pull them up. Unless anyone disagrees with that. No, no. I was wondering myself.

Not that I would know them, but at this point it seems irrelevant to to hide it. You know, as I'm pulling them up, Councilman Post, are we able to present next week at your council meeting? I would say that is that is not up to me. That is up to how fast they can pull the presentation. I I think it could be ready. If if if they can make it ready, um Shannon could easily, I'm sure, put it into the minutes, the presentation. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Cuz I I just have to leave that up. You're working with Leslie on that, right? Mayor Sciti directly. Yes. Oh, Mayor Skidi directly. Okay. Because But I think that Leslie is actually the one. I don't I don't think Sam's gonna put it together himself. I don't think so, but he's but he's been who I'm going to. Right. So, he's going to go. But as long as you guys have already discussed it, it's already purchased and here and ready to go. As long as they can do it, I don't see a problem. Okay. But that's I'll leave that up to them. All right. I think and I want to make sure I'm getting this right. So, nominee B was Susan Gay and then nominee D was Steve Piccolo. who's going to reach out to are you going to reach out? Yeah, I I could reach out to Steve and congratulate him on the award. The nominee nominator form had phone numbers. I I would also um do present it on a night. Make sure he's available first. Yes. So if he's not available too, say it's Yeah, we'll move it. Kind of a moot point, you know. So just thinking out loud. Yeah, absolutely. But but Shannon does create

these things in as far advance as possible. So the sooner being that you know tomorrow is already Wednesday, you know, the sooner I would call her tomorrow. Cool. I'd call Steve first. Make sure he's available next Tuesday. Then I call Shannon right away just to get it on. Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. All right. I will do that. I have my to-do list here. All right. And so that ends our good neighbor award section. Um next we have an item for shred day, which might be a pat item. Yeah. Which should be on on schedule to to do that Saturday, June 14th. I will reach out to uh service director and just uh verify that everything's still set for that day. Okay. On June 14, get some advertising going out. See if we can uh talk to Mark and get that out in a a newsletter or website or whatnot to to get some advertisement out there. Where will that be at? At the service center. Okay. All right. A water treatment plants. Is that on the calendar? I did not mention that. Um, but is Yes, Pat, you've already mentioned the wastewater recycling tour July 16th. Okay, so we'll jump back to kind of my commission report going a little out of order. Um, we have our wastewater treatment plant tour scheduled for July 8th at the wastewater treatment plant at the time of 1:30. So, wastewater treatment plant tour July 8th at 1:30. Um, I apologize for the back and forth on that. director uh of the plant and I were emailing trying to set that up and he had some free time then that free time went away and and it just it was it is

what it is. Um he was also a very busy individual and so I appreciate him accommodating us for that day. So the only thing I want to say is they can um they can accommodate many more than just us. Yes. So, I'm going to invite my girlfriend's kids. Um, I thought it'd be interesting and I'm going to let a couple of my friends see if they want to go. Um, I would encourage you all to bring a friend or two or three only because again, it's community outreach, right? Getting as many people to understand and see it. I would encourage you to, you know, if we can have 20 people, we should bring 20 people because that's going to just be more information out there and that's all those people going and telling their friends, oh my god, guess what I just saw, you know, and so I think the more people you bring, the better. So, just want to throw that out there. Absolutely. Fantastic point. Yeah. But that is all I have. Are there any questions? Any anything else we need to discuss? Any other miscellaneous? Um, just a small miscellaneous that we can also give a sign to the good neighbor. Um, Jenny says it's in-house sign making if we connect with her. Um, and we'll do something similar to the logo that we have on our shirts because that exists already. Um, so they can put it in their their yard. Awesome. That's a good idea because then that will prompt the discussion. Whoa, what's that? Right. Yeah. That's fantastic. Are you going to bring a Oh, there's not going to be another um meeting for a while. No, not until September, right? So maybe put out the template of what you want to do over email. We could just all shoot ideas for that sign, you know, just so everyone could see it first and go like, "Oh, maybe if we do this and just, you know, just run it by seven people instead of just a couple just might I I'd even be

okay with just letting Gina do that and communicate with Jenny." Yeah. Yeah. Whoever's in charge of that just would be take the lead on it. Yeah. If if you guys are okay with that, we just I'll definitely share a mockup if I can get one from Jenny. Okay, for sure. I'll let you all know. Sometimes it's easier just to let one person email, bring it back to seven people and then back and back and forth. So, all right. Any other miscellaneous for us? I feel like I'm forgetting something because this is the earliest we've ever ended. So, um, we then move on to My stomach thanks you. We then move on to excusing absent members. Uh, I move that we excuse Virginia. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Michael. Uh, all those in favor of excusing Virginia, please say I. I. All oppose, please say nay. Virginia has been excused. Our next meeting date is September 2nd, 2025 at 700 p.m. here in Twinsburg Government Center. Um, all those in favor of adjourning, please say I. I. All oppose, please say nay. All right, we are adjourned at 7:28