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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
6:15 pm
Swampscott High School, Rm B208
200 Essex St.
Swampscott, MA
In Attendance: Cindy Keegan (Chair), Rick Nye, Adam Segal, Jeff Barz-Snell, Jeff Brandt, John Hayes, Erin Burke (Honorary member from SHS Environmental Club)
Members not in attendance: Nick Lewis, Rob DeRosier (V. Chair), Jenna Ide
City Staff: Paul Marquis (Salem Energy Manager & RETF/ City Liaison); Graeme Marcoux (Salem High School); William Hanger (Winter Island Mgr)
Public: Stacy Kilb
Vote on appointment of rotating honorary Task Force seat for member of Salem High School Environmental Club
Unanimously approved by 6 Task Force members in attendance
Placement of community garden plots under met tower on Winter Island
- In a brief presentation, William Hanger, Winter Island’s manager, noted that there is a lengthy waiting list for plots in the two community gardens that already exist in Salem. He proposed the construction of about 100, 4ft x 4ft raised bed plots to be situated under the met tower in an area directly behind the hanger.
- Mr. Hanger reported that he and Paul Marquis had communicated with Meridian Associates, the company that installed the met tower and that will be responsible for its dismantling, and that they did not see the garden plots posing any problem with dismantling, as long as the beds were no more than one foot high and a clear alley of sufficient width was maintained into which the tower could be lowered.
- Mr. Hanger noted that the community gardens were temporary in nature, representing a good alternate use of space that could not be used for parking while the tower is in place, and that a Winter Island Master Plan, currently in development, would address permanent use of this area and others on Winter Island.
- Rick Nye observed that the use of the space under the tower for community gardens would limit foot traffic, perhaps helping to address safety concerns that had earlier been expressed regarding the supporting guy wires for the tower, especially given the proximity of some of the wires to the playground.
The Task Force voted unanimously to endorse the community garden proposal.
Promotion of joint Salem/ Swampscott Stretch Code Builder Information Forum
There was general discussion regarding ways to get the word out on the Stretch Code Builder Forum scheduled for the evening of March 2nd. Forum’s purpose is to educate builders and other D & C professionals about the Stretch Code piece of the Green Communities certification criteria. Direct email marketing, cold-calling and enlisting the aid of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Historic Commission were discussed. Adam Segal offered to assist P Marquis with direct marketing.
Other business
- The Task Force voted unanimously to use some Clean Energy Choice funds to purchase light refreshments for the Stretch Code Forum.
- High School science teacher Graeme Marcoux noted that the High School Environmental Club was hosting an environmental discussion group at Cornerstone Books in Salem on Sunday, March 7th, 2010
Meeting Minutes recorded by Paul Marquis
Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm
Note: RETF meeting immediately followed by presentation by Horsley Witten Group of Salem/ Swampscott Green Communities Action Plans
Ellie Baker from Horsley Witten Group presented the Green Communities Action Plans for the cities of Salem and Swampscott that they developed on behalf of the two communities under the DOER Green Communities Technical Assistance Grant Program. The presentation was followed by a Q & A and discussion period.
Link to presentation and Q&A minutes recorded by Swampscott Renewable Energy Committee:
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