OKAY. THANKS TO THE FOLKS AT HOME. AS YOU'RE SETTLING. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE
[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:10]
SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE NEW ALBANY SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AT 633.IN STAFF, PLEASE READ ROLL CALL. MR. SCHUMACHER HERE. MR. BARNES HERE. MISS GALLO HERE. MR. KOCIAN HERE. MISS LOPEZ HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KIST HERE, MISS SCOTT, MISS KOPPELMANN AND MISS GRIFFITH ARE ABSENT. BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. GREAT. THANK YOU. FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE
[III. Action of Minutes]
ACTION OF MINUTES FOR AUGUST 13TH, 2025 SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING. DO ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? I JUST NOTICED ONE THAT I THINK THIS WAS JUST A CARRYOVER FROM THE PRIOR MONTH, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER KIST VERSUS SHULL IS LISTED. SHULL IS LISTED. OH THANK YOU. THAT WAS LISTED. I WOULDN'T WANT CASEY TO THINK HE WASN'T SOMEPLACE HE WAS. HE NEEDS AN ALIBI. ANY OBJECTION TO THAT CORRECTION? NO. GREAT. ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS FROM ANYONE? SEEING NONE, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 13TH MEETING MINUTES.CAN I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MR. SCHUMACHER. YES, MISS GALLO? YES, MR. BARNES? YES. MR. KOCIAN? YES. MISS LOPEZ. YES. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY
[IV. Additions or Corrections to Agenda]
ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE AGENDA FROM STAFF? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN'T COVER UNDER OTHER BUSINESS. NOW IS THE TIME FOR HEARING OF VISITORS. FOR ITEMS NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? SEEING NONE,[VI. Business]
I'LL CLOSE THE HEARING AND VISITORS AND MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO STAFF TO TAKE US THROUGH THE BUSINESS ITEMS. OKAY. THANK YOU. CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS THE FINAL PRESENTATION BY OUR STUDENT LEADERS AND SUSTAINABILITY GRANT RECIPIENT, ALEXA BRIGGS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HER. I'LL HAVE HER COME UP TO THE PODIUM, AND I'LL PULL UP HER PRESENTATION. SHE'LL GET SETTLED. AND I'M GOING TO CHECK THE MICROPHONE REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU GET STARTED. GIVE US A CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK. GO. ALL RIGHT, SO CHELSEA SAID, MY NAME IS ALEXA BRIGGS. I'M A MEMBER OF TROOP 792 IN WESTERVILLE, OHIO. I CAME TO FEBRUARY'S MEETING A COUPLE MONTHS AGO TO APPLY FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY GRANT TO FUND MY EAGLE PROJECT, WHICH WAS BUILDING BIRD BOXES FOR THE EAST AND LEARNING LAB AT ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL. SO I HAVE SINCE COMPLETED THE PROJECT. I CLICK ON RIGHT THERE. YEAH. OKAY. SO IN TOTAL, THE PROJECT TOOK 187 HOURS TO COMPLETE. THE EXPANDED FROM THE INITIAL PLANNING IN DECEMBER TO ITS COMPLETION IN MAY. AND WE HAD A TOTAL OF 25 VOLUNTEERS. AND WE ENDED UP MAKING A TOTAL OF 27 BIRD BOXES. SO WHEN I CAME, I HAD APPLIED FOR THE GRANT AND I WAS AWARDED IT, AND THAT ALLOWED ME TO FUND ALL THE MATERIALS NEEDED TO BUILD ALL THESE BOXES AND ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE ALSO NEEDED. CHELSEA WAS VERY HELPFUL IN HELPING ME PURCHASE THOSE AND GETTING THEM TO A WORK SITE SO WE COULD BUILD. WE SPLIT UP THE PROJECT INTO THREE STAGES INTO THREE WORK DAYS. SO AT FIRST WE WERE KIND OF WAITING FOR A LOT OF THE LUMBER TO COME IN. WE WERE HAVING SOME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, AND WHEN I ORIGINALLY BUDGETED, A LOT OF THE MATERIALS JUST WEREN'T STOPPED IN THE STORES ANYMORE. SO WE KIND OF HAD TO WAIT FOR THE MATERIALS TO COME IN. SO WHILE WE WERE DOING THAT, WE CONSTRUCTED SOME OF THE PREDATOR BAFFLES, WHICH IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE KIND OF A COVER THAT GOES ALONG THE POLE TO KEEP SNAKES AND SQUIRRELS AND ANYTHING FROM COMING UP THE POLES TO GET TO THE NEST. SO THEY WERE MADE OUT OF A DUCT PIPE AND A NUMBER TEN, A TIN CAN. THE TIN CANS WERE ACTUALLY RECYCLED FROM EAGLES PIZZA I WORKED IN. WE HAVE A LOT OF PIZZA SAUCE CANS OVER AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, AND THEY HAPPILY AGREED TO LET ME HAVE THEM, SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY PARTLY RECYCLED, AND WE SPRAY PAINTED THEM TO HELP KEEP THEM FROM RUST, AND THEY ACTUALLY WORK REALLY WELL. WE DRILLED A HOLE IN THE TOP SO THAT THEY WOULD FIT OVER THE POLES. AND SO FAR, I THINK THEY'VE DONE THEIR JOB. THEY LOOK PRETTY, PRETTY NICE, IF I SAY SO. THE NEXT WORK DAY, IT TOOK NINE HOURS, AND THIS WAS WHEN WE[00:05:04]
ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED THE BIRD BOXES. WE HAD TO CUT THE LUMBER AND THE PIECES AND ACTUALLY ASSEMBLE THEM. WE HAD A CREW OF 16 VOLUNTEERS, AND WE ALL KIND OF HUDDLED IN MY GARAGE AND BUILT TOTAL 27 BIRD BOXES, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY EIGHT MORE THAN WE HAD EXPECTED TO BUILD.WE GOT SOME MORE PICTURES. YEAH, IT WAS A WE HAD A LOT OF FUN BUILDING THEM. IT WAS A PRETTY SIMPLE DESIGN, BUT MULTIPLY THAT BY 27 BOXES. AND IT WAS KIND OF TEDIOUS AT TIMES. BUT WE GOT IT ALL DONE. AND ONCE THEY WERE ALL ASSEMBLED, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE ON TO THE LAST PHASE, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY POSTING THEM AT THE E3 LAB. THIS WAS IT ALL IN THE TRUNK OF MY DAD'S TRUCK TO TRANSPORT THEM ALL TO THE E3. IT WAS A LOT OF BIRD BOXES, A LOT OF BAFFLES. BUT HOW IT WORKED WAS WE WOULD FIRST POUND THE ROOM AND PULLS INTO THE GROUND. WE HAD PLANNED TO ADD 15 NEW BOXES TO THE EXISTING LIKE 19. I THINK THAT THERE WERE HAD BEEN THEY HAD BEEN STANDING FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS, AND A LOT OF THEM JUST IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON SOME LATER SLIDES. BUT WE ENDED UP EXTENDING THE NESTING RANGE AND ADDED 15 NEW POLES. SOME OF THEM SURROUNDED THE E3 LAB, SOME KIND OF EXTENDED ACROSS THE CROSS COUNTRY FIELD AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WETLANDS. BUT WE POUNDED THEM INTO THE GROUND, AND LUCKILY THAT WASN'T TOO DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN RAINING THAT DAY AND THE GROUND WAS FAIRLY WET. AND THEN WE ATTACHED THE BAFFLES AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE BOXES, AND YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE OF THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. BUT WE HAD TO GO OUT, POST THE POLES, AND THEN CARRY ALL THESE BOXES OUT TO 15 POLES, WHICH TOOK SOME TIME, BUT WE GOT IT ALL DONE AND WE HAD A SCOUT PARENT DONATE SOME WINGS THAT WENT AROUND THE HOLES OF THE ENTRANCE TO KEEP ANY KIND OF PREDATOR FROM NIPPING AWAY AT THE WOOD, WHICH WAS QUITE NICE, AND I THINK THAT MAKES THEM LOOK QUITE SHINY. BUT THIS WAS WHAT THE FINISHED PROJECT LOOKED LIKE. WE HAVE THE BAFFLE AROUND THE POLE AND THEN THE BOX AT THE TOP. AND THEN WE ALSO DID SOME SERVICING TO THE EXISTING BOXES. SO SOME OF THEM, SINCE THEY HAD BEEN THERE FOR SO LONG, HAD BEEN COVERED WITH VEGETATION AND VINES, WHICH WOULD ALLOW PREDATORS TO GET IN.
SO THEY WANT AS PRODUCTIVE AS THEY WERE SIX YEARS WHEN THEY WERE PUT UP. SO WE TRIMMED THAT BACK. WE TOOK OUT SOME OF THE POLES AND THEN STRAIGHTEN THEM SO THAT THEY WOULD THEY WEREN'T FALLING OVER ANYMORE. AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT FOUR HOURS TO COMPLETE. SO THIS WAS A BEFORE PICTURE. THIS WAS BACK IN DECEMBER WHEN I FIRST WENT OUT TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE BOXES. AND WHEN I FIRST MET WITH MR. BARNES, AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THEM WERE THIS BAD SHAPE, BUT WE DID FIX SOME OF THESE ONES. AND THIS WAS THE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT AND THE MONTHS AFTER WE FINISHED POSTING THEM, I WENT OUT TO EVERY SINGLE BOX, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT ALL OF THEM HAD SOME KIND OF NESTING ACTIVITY IN THEM.
THAT'S GREAT. SOME OF THEM WERE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH STICKS, AND SOME OF THEM HAD JUST LIKE 2 OR 3 STICKS IN THEM, BUT THAT SHOWS THAT THEY ALL HAD SOME KIND OF INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY.
AND THERE'S A MAP OF WHERE ALL THE BOXES ARE NOW. WE EXTENDED THEM UP TO THE TOP OF THE SCREEN. THAT'S THE EDGE OF THE CROSS COUNTRY COURSE, AND THEN SOME AROUND THE E3 LAB. AND THERE'S A PICTURE OF A SWALLOW USING THE BOXES, AND THEN A BROOD OF SWALLOW CHICKS. THEY LOVE THE BOXES. I'VE SEEN SEVERAL BOOTHS IN THEM. THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, BUT JUST KIND OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY ARE IN AROUND THE WETLANDS. THE SWALLOWS LOVE TO USE THEM. AND THE PICTURE BEFORE WITH THOSE EGGS, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY HOUSE WREN EGGS. SO WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE SPECIES USING THE BOXES, WHICH IS QUITE NICE TO KNOW.
THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN UP TOWARDS THE CROSS COUNTRY COURSE. SO THEY ARE. IT DID DEFINITELY EXTEND THE RANGE AND DECREASE THE COMPETITION AROUND THE WETLANDS. AND THAT'S ANOTHER SMALL BABY BIRDS. SO THANKS TO. THE BOARD ALLOWING FOR THE SUPPLY OF THE MATERIALS, I WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE MY EAGLE SCOUT AWARD AS THE COMPLETION OF MY EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT. SO JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR FUNDING THE PROJECT AND ALL THE WORK THAT CHELSEA DID, AND ANYONE WHO HELPED TO, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE THE MATERIALS AND TRANSPORT THEM, THAT WAS A BIG HELP AND I CAN'T EXPRESS MY THANKS ENOUGH. THANK YOU. FANTASTIC. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS FOR GETTING THAT. YEAH, I AS I SAID, THE PICTURE OF YOU TRANSPORTING STUFF WAS A NICE SUNNY DAY. THE NEXT DAY WASN'T QUITE SO NICE. I WENT OUT FOR ABOUT FIVE
[00:10:02]
MINUTES AND GOT SOAKED UP TO THE KNEES JUST WALKING AROUND WATCHING WHAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING. DO YOU HAVE ANY? I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU GOT 25 VOLUNTEERS. YEAH, IT WAS A MY SCOUT TROOP THAT CAME OUT AND HELPED. SO IT WAS VERY, VERY GOOD FOR THEM. I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE MORE OF YOUR BROTHERS IN THOSE PICTURES. I SAW TYSON IN ONE PICTURE, BUT OKAY, WELL, MAYBE I DIDN'T PUT ONE OF THE PICTURES IN THERE BUT MIGHT HELP YOU OUT. GAVIN AND TYSON AND BOWE AND THEY ALL WENT AND HELPED PUT UP A PROTOTYPE OF THE BOXES BEFORE WE ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE WHOLE CREW OUT THE NEXT DAY, WHEN IT WAS REALLY WET AND RAINING, WE REALIZED IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF HARD TO POUND A EIGHT FOOT ALUMINUM POLE INTO ROCK. SO THAT WAS QUITE GOOD TO TEST OUT BEFORE THE WORK DAY. BUT THEY WERE THEY WERE HELPED WITH THAT.GOOD. IT WAS FUN TO SEE. I DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE BUILDING PROCESS, BUT I WAS THERE WHEN YOU WERE PUTTING BOXES IN AND ALEXA DID A REALLY NICE JOB OF DELEGATING. SHE HAD ALL THESE PEOPLE ADULTS, KIDS COMING AND GOING AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH YOUR ABILITY TO JUST KEEP PEOPLE ON TRACK. OKAY, YOU GUYS WORK ON THIS. YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO DO THIS NEXT ORGANIZATION. AND THE THE DELEGATION I THINK IS WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. SO GREAT WORK. THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING PROJECT. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US USE THE E3. THAT WAS NICE WHEN IT WAS RAINING. YEAH, IT WORKED OUT. WE HAD PIZZA AT THE END, SO EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OH, I GOT MY TIMING WRONG THEN. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NICE JOB. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU WERE AMAZING. YOU'RE EXACTLY WHAT THAT E3 BUILDING WAS DEVELOPED FOR. THAT'S TRUE. SOME OF US KNEW MR. RESH AND HE'S THE ONE THAT BROUGHT IT HERE. IT WAS ON DISPLAY AT THE ZOO FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE IT CAME HERE. AND YOU ARE EXACTLY WHAT HE HAD IN MIND. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU'RE AMAZING. WE CHOSE TO USE THE E3 AS A PLACE TO PUT THE BOXES, BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE DEFINITELY SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE WITH MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS GO OUT THERE OFTEN. I SAW SOME KIDS THERE TODAY. SO I'M HOPING THAT THESE BOXES ARE KIND OF USED TO HELP EXPOSE THEM TO A LOT OF THAT CONSERVATION. AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS, BUT ACTUALLY THIS BOX IN THAT PICTURE, MOST OF THE BOXES WERE ABOUT 6 TO 5FT TALL, BUT WE ACTUALLY SHORTENED THIS ONE SO THAT SOME OF THE STUDENTS WOULDN'T NEED A LADDER TO OPEN THEM UP. SO THIS IS RIGHT AT THE FRONT BY THE E3. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. THE EXTRA BOXES AND BAFFLES HAVE HAS IT BEEN DECIDED WOULD HAVE PUT THOSE YET? IS THAT TAYLOR FARM STILL WORKING ON THAT? I THINK I THINK WE KIND OF NARROWING IT DOWN THE TAYLOR FARM OR POTENTIALLY ROSE RUN PARK. BUT YEAH, I'VE GOT THEM IN STORAGE AND THAT'S ON OUR LIST. BUT WE'LL GET THEM UP. SO YEAH, I'LL GET YOU SOME PICTURES WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET THEM UP, BECAUSE I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO GET ALL OF THEM UP SINCE YOU GUYS MADE SO MANY EXTRA. AND CAN YOU GUYS REMIND ME WHAT WAS THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE ALLOTTED FOR THIS PROJECT? SO IT WAS $1,000, AND WE DID END UP GOING OVER $1,005 BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME EXTRA MATERIAL THAT WE THE EXTRA MATERIAL THAT SHE COULDN'T USE, WE GAVE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. SO $5 OVER. YEAH, I FIGURED THAT WAS OKAY SINCE THE BUDGET WAS ORIGINALLY $10,000. WE'LL BLAME IT ON THE TARIFFS. RIGHT? YOU KNOW. SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, LIKE THE THIS IS WHY WE CREATED THIS STUDENT LEADERS SUSTAINABILITY GRANT. AND YOU TALK ABOUT BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. AND LEXI. YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB. AND PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE SUPER COOL. AND ALEX PROBABLY WON'T ADMIT IT, BUT SHE'S A VERY ACCOMPLISHED RUNNER AS WELL. AND I THINK THE BOX HAS HELPED ME RUN FASTER. EXACTLY. SO I LIKE WHEN WE DO OUR INVITATION. ARE YOU INSPECTING YOUR WORK AS YOU GO BY EACH OF THE BOXES? I'M LIKE, I GOT TO GO BACK AND SERVICE THAT. YEAH. BUT AGAIN, FANTASTIC. ALEXA, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THE PROJECT TO US AND THEN EXECUTING IT IN SUCH A GREAT WAY. THANK YOU. GREAT.
THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND SHE DOES HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE. SO I TOLD HER TO NOT WORRY ABOUT LEAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING. YEAH, THERE WON'T BE PIZZA TONIGHT, SO. YEAH. OKAY. GOOD LUCK. SO ALONG THOSE SAME LINES WITH THE STUDENT LEADERS AND SUSTAINABILITY GRANT, PETE HAD A STUDENT REACH OUT TO HIM WITH. I THINK IT'S THEIR EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT. AND THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT WHETHER THEY COULD GET GRANT MONEY FOR THEIR PROJECT.
ADRIAN AND I HAVE BEEN KIND OF MULLING IT OVER BECAUSE THE GRANT CYCLE HAS ALREADY COME AND GONE. WE OPENED IT EARLIER THIS YEAR AND THERE WAS THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY AND RECEIVE THE FUNDS. I DON'T THINK UNLESS THE BOARD FEELS STRONGLY IN ANOTHER
[00:15:10]
DIRECTION. I DON'T THINK THAT FOR 2025, WE'RE GOING TO REOPEN THE GRANT APPLICATION JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SET A PRECEDENT BASED ON WE HAD IT SET UP A CERTAIN WAY, AND THEN DOING KIND OF A ONE OFF. BUT KNOWING THAT WE DO WANT MORE PARTICIPATION BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF APPLICATIONS THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. WE WANT TO KIND OF KEEP THIS IN MIND WITH, YOU KNOW, TEDDY REACHING OUT FOR FUNDS. IF WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL ABOUT MAYBE WHAT THE PROGRAM WOULD LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR. I THINK NEXT YEAR WE OPENED OR LAST YEAR THIS YEAR WE OPENED UP THE APPLICATIONS AND ONLY GAVE PEOPLE A MONTH TO APPLY. AND I THINK IN ORDER TO GET MORE APPLICATIONS AND ALIGN WITH OTHER FOLKS HAVING DIFFERENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAYBE ONCE WE GET IF WE GET COUNCIL'S APPROVAL TO DO THE GRANT AGAIN NEXT YEAR, WE'LL HAVE THE FUNDS IN JANUARY AND THEN HOPEFULLY OPEN UP THE APPLICATION IN JANUARY, AND THEN JUST TAKE APPLICATIONS AS WE RECEIVE THEM. AND WHEN THEY APPLY, I'LL BRING IT TO YOU. YOU CAN REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND THEN MAKE A DECISION, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT STUDENT. AND WE CAN KIND OF DO THAT FOR MAYBE SIX MONTHS.AND THEN PROBABLY IN JUNE OR JULY, WE WOULD HAVE TO CUT OFF ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS JUST BECAUSE THE FUNDS NEED TO BE ISSUED AND THE PROJECT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. SO IF SOMEBODY APPLIES IN JUNE, THEY CAN COME BEFORE YOU IN JULY AND HOPEFULLY RECEIVE THEIR FUNDS, AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TIME TO EXECUTE THE PROJECT AND THEN COME BACK BEFORE YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THAT WOULD KIND OF MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF A TIMELINE MOVING FORWARD. GIVE US THE GRANT CYCLE, A LONGER LIFE TO HOPEFULLY CAPTURE MORE STUDENT PARTICIPATION. SO THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING WE WANTED TO THROW OUT AT YOU GUYS FOR DISCUSSION. MR. CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD. YEAH, I MEAN THAT THAT SEEMS I WAS GOING TO STOP REAL QUICK BACKGROUND FOR NEW MEMBERS BECAUSE WHEN WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM, I THINK WE ALL HAD HIGH HOPES THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THIS DELUGE OF OF STUDENTS COMING IN AND DOING THIS, AND WE'RE LIKE, OH MY GOD, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE ALL THESE APPLICATIONS COMING IN? AND WHILE THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT PROGRAMS COME THROUGH. BUT THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS KEEPING THE, THE THAT PERIOD OF OF SUBMISSION AND REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRETTY TIGHT SO THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, THEN KNOW WHAT WE WERE WORKING WITH FOR THE, FOR THE YEAR. I TEND TO LIKE THIS IDEA JUST IN LIEU OF HOW THIS IS KIND OF COME TO PASS THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND ALSO THE IDEA THAT I THINK WHEN WE STARTED, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, THAT I WAS ANTICIPATING THESE BEING A LOT OF SENIOR PROJECTS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND IT ACTUALLY HAS TENDED TO BE LESS OF THAT AND MORE OTHER KINDS OF PROJECTS. AND SCOUTING HAS BEEN A BIG ONE.
SO BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET TIED TO A TIME FRAME, THEN I LIKE THE IDEA OF OPENING IT UP AND HAVING A LARGER AMOUNT OF TIME AND HAVING IT BE OPEN. I MEAN, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IS THAT WE ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW START GETTING A BIG BUNCH OF THEM IN AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. BUT I THINK THAT'S A NICE, NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TEDDY'S PROJECT THAT HE APPROACHED YOU ABOUT AND WHERE HE'S KIND OF AT WITH THAT. SURE. YEAH. TODAY'S TO BE A SENIOR NEW ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE'S WORKING ON AN EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT. LIKE ALEXA. HE LIKE SENIOR. HE'S A SENIOR NOW AT NEW ALBANY. HE EMAILED ME IN I GUESS IT WAS EARLY, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER WITH THE PROPOSAL. SO WE HAVE A SERIES OF COLD FRAME GARDENS AT THE PRIMARY BUILDING, WHICH ARE USED MOSTLY BY FIRST GRADERS, WHICH IS JUST A BIG WOODEN BOX WITH A, YOU KNOW, PLASTIC COVER.
AND THEY ARE PLANTING THOSE IN LATE WINTER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GETTING PRODUCE IN THE SPRING.
THEY REALLY THEY'RE PROBABLY TEN YEARS OLD AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DILAPIDATED AND COMING APART. AND HE HAD FOND MEMORIES OF DOING THAT IN FIRST GRADE AND THOUGHT THERE'D BE A COOL PROJECT TO REBUILD THEM. BASICALLY. I THINK HE BASICALLY START OVER AND CREATE THEM FROM SCRATCH IN THE SAME LOCATION, WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY GREAT PROJECT IN TERMS OF THE STUDENT
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IMPACT AND SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY HIGHLY VISIBLE. SCHOOL CAMPUS. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, HE HAD A GOOD REASON, I THINK, FOR WANTING TO DO THE PROJECT, WHICH I REALLY LIKED TOO. SO HE IS MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANNING STAGE RIGHT NOW. I TALKED TO HIM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. HE'S HOPING TO START THE BUILDING LATER THIS FALL, LIKE OCTOBER.THIS IS GOAL FOR. YEAH, IF I'M HONEST, HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY GRANT. SO IT'S SORT OF MY FAULT THAT HE MIGHT HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT FROM SOMEBODY LIKE ME. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE JUST BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS TEND TO COME THROUGH ME EITHER LIKE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE FORWARDING THINGS TO ME OR OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. SO FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE. I THINK WE CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE, BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF MORE OF A ROLLING SUBMISSION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EAGLE PROJECTS AREN'T ALWAYS ON LIKE A REALLY TIGHT SCHEDULE. I WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOOL OF THE CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND A LOT OF THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SENIORS WHO ARE LIKE RUNNING THE CLUB. THEY DON'T REALLY GET STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT THEY'RE WANTING TO FINISH THE PROJECT BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE TIMELINE, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR THEM TOO. SO YEAH, I AGREE. I'D LOVE TO GET MORE PROPOSALS. ALEXA, HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROJECT? YEAH, I'M JUST ASKING. YOU CAN JUST YELL IT OUT. WELL, I WENT TO MR. BARNES. I HAD BEEN PLANNING ON IT. AND THEN I BEGAN WORKING WITH THE EDUCATION STUDENTS AND ALSO. SUSTAINABILITY INTO THAT. AND THEN A GOOD PLACE TO DO THAT. AND MR. BARNES IS THE ONE WHO OVERSEES THAT. SO I WAS HIM. HE TOLD ME ABOUT IT. AND I THINK THAT WAS AN. APPLICATION DEADLINE. YEAH. AND FORTUNATELY FOR YOU, IT KIND OF WORKED ON THAT TIMELINE WE HAD SET UP.
BUT I THINK THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE CASE, UNFORTUNATELY. YEAH, I, I'M ALL FOR GOING FORWARD KIND OF JUST MAKING IT INSTEAD OF A WINDOW KIND OF AN OPEN ROLLING TIME FRAME. AND I GUESS THAT SAID, IN REGARDS TO THIS OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE FUNDS THAT ARE ALLOTTED FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR. CORRECT. AND IF IT DID COMPLETE THIS YEAR, I JUST DON'T WANT TO LOSE A POTENTIAL APPLICATION IF IT ROLLS TO NEXT YEAR UNTIL HE CAN ACTUALLY APPLY. AND I DON'T THINK SINCE WE'RE KIND OF CHANGING THE STANDARD NEXT YEAR ANYWAY, I DON'T THINK IT SETS A PRECEDENT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO UPHOLD WHERE IT'S OUTSIDE THE WINDOW, WE KIND OF OPEN THE WINDOW AND IT'S MORE ROLLING, AT LEAST FOR THIS ONE OFF. IF TEDDY DOES WANT TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, I MEAN, UNLESS. HE HAS LIKE A IF IT'S GOT TO BE FINISHED AT A CERTAIN TIME AND YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY'S, YOU KNOW, ENCUMBERED AND MATERIALS PURCHASED AND ALL THAT BEFORE A CERTAIN TIME FRAME. SO IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY BECAUSE WITH THIS GRANT, WE DON'T JUST HAND SOMEONE THE MONEY AND THEY GO AND DO THEIR PROJECT AND YOU KNOW, THEY'VE RECEIVED THE MONEY AND THEY DO THE PROJECT, AND IT'S WITH A LOT OF THE PROJECTS, IT'S BEEN STAFF PURCHASING MATERIALS WITH THE NOEL'S, IT WAS LIKE A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT REQUIRED US TO PURCHASE MATERIALS. IT SOUNDS LIKE WITH TEDDY'S PROJECT, HE'S GOING TO NEED CERTAIN MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY'RE MINORS, SO WE CAN'T GIVE THE MINORS THE FUNDS. SO WE ADMINISTER THE FUNDS AND BUY THE MATERIALS FOR THEM. IT GETS TRICKY IF IF THE PROJECT IS. IF THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR PROJECT AND THEY CONTINUOUSLY NEED MATERIALS ALONG THE WAY. WOULD THE PURCHASES BE COMPLETE? WOULD THE PROJECT BE COMPLETE DECEMBER 31ST? AND LIKE, WE CAN'T EVEN BUY THINGS UP UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST. WE GET SHUT DOWN BY FINANCE AT A CERTAIN POINT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THERE'S A LITTLE TRICKY. IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY. I MEAN, IF HE COULD COME TO YOU NEXT MONTH AND GET THE FUNDS, THAT'S ONE THING. BUT I, I MEAN, I GUESS WE COULD IF TEDDY WANTS TO APPLY, I'M NOT SURE HOW FAR ALONG HE IS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, AND THEN HE CAN AT LEAST PRESENT IT MAYBE. AND THEN WE CAN AS A BOARD. YOU ALL CAN DECIDE WHETHER IT'S FEASIBLE TO TRY TO DO IT THIS YEAR, OR IF HE IS OKAY WITH PUSHING IT TO THE SPRING. YEAH, I MEAN, LAST I TALKED TO HIM, HE HAS A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE IN HIS HEAD WHEN HE WANTS TO DO IT. YEAH, HIS GOAL
[00:25:03]
IS TO HAVE IT DONE BY NOVEMBER. SO YOU KNOW I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO PUSH IT TOO HARD SINCE HE CAME TO ME WITH IT. BUT I DO THINK THAT'S HIS, HIS GOAL. BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S TOO TIGHT OF A TIMELINE OR THAT'S TOO AGGRESSIVE AND, AND IS THERE A MECHANISM TO.AND I'M NOT SURE HOW IT WORKED WITH ALEXIS, BUT THEY PURCHASED THE MATERIAL AND WE REIMBURSE THEM. NO. SO WE HAVE TO DIRECTLY PURCHASE. YES OKAY. SO JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, TWICE A YEAR IN OCTOBER, APRIL, CAN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF? WE WE ARE RECORDING THIS. SO YOU'RE ON CAMERA CRAIG MOORE WITH THE ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. SO WE TYPICALLY DON'T GIVE GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS. BUT WE COULD GIVE A GRANT TO THE SCHOOL TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT YOU COULD THEN GIVE TO A STUDENT TO DO A PROJECT. OKAY. SO THE DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE PRIOR MONTH. SO, RIGHT, WE JUST GOT GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR THIS OCTOBER CYCLE, BUT WE'LL DO IT AGAIN IN APRIL. SO FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GOOD. MIGHT BE SOME SYNERGIES. YEAH YEAH. SO IF THE BOARD WANTS TO CONSIDER. GRANTING FUNDS TO ANOTHER STUDENT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO US THAT WE WOULD BRING TO YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING. SO YOU WOULD APPROVE IT IN OCTOBER, AND THEN HE WOULD HAVE A MONTH TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. IF IT IS TEDDY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IS IF HE APPLIES TOMORROW AND YOU GUYS APPROVE IT IN A MONTH AND THEN ANOTHER MONTH, SORRY TO EXECUTE THE PROJECT. I MEAN IT IF PEOPLE THINK THIS IS AN OKAY IDEA, I CAN REACH OUT TO HIM AND SEE IF HE FEELS LIKE HE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND IF HE WOULD BE OKAY.
WAITING UNTIL OUR APPROVAL ON OCTOBER, HE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO COME AND PRESENT IT TO US IN OCTOBER, AND THEN WE WOULD POTENTIALLY APPROVE IT. AND THEN HE COULD START AFTER THAT.
YEAH. AND WE COULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE SPRING. YEAH. OR IF WE GET INTO IT, I'M WILLING TO WAIT TILL SPRING. YEAH. I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE BOXES.
AND THE SPRINKLERS AND YEAH, THAT'S A VERY WORTHY IDEA. WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE PRESENTS IN THE NORMAL CYCLE? GETS SOME FUNDING AND NEVER COMPLETES THE PROJECT? WHAT'S THE CONSEQUENCES? WHAT'S THE RAMIFICATIONS? LET ME START WITH THE PINKIE. OKAY. GOOD QUESTION. WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT HAPPEN YET. WE'VE HAD ONE INSTANCE OF A STUDENT THAT THAT COMPLETED A PROJECT AND DIDN'T DIDN'T FINISH THE TERMS OF THE GRANT IN TERMS OF COMING BACK AND GETTING HIS PRESENTATION. BUT NO, NOBODY WOULDN'T BEAT THE MONEY OUT OF HER. SO, ALL RIGHT, I MISSED YOUR. THAT'S WHY I GOTTA ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
LUCKILY, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO FACE IT YET. AND AS STEPH'S SAYING, IT'S LIKE IT'S IT'S NOT LIKE SOMEONE SAYS I NEED 500 BUCKS. I'M LIKE, HERE'S A CHECK FOR 500 BUCKS. IT'S I NEED TO HAVE THESE MATERIALS. SO THEY, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AND PURCHASING AS THEY GO KIND OF THING. SO. IT'S ALSO KIND OF A CONTROL I MEAN, COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE FUNDS FOR THE YEAR IF. COUNCIL FEELS IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO I DON'T WANT TO STOP THE BOARD I GUESS GOING DOWN THE PATH OF DOING IT. I JUST ALSO WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO WHAT STAFF FOR SURE. AND I'M TRYING TO THREAD THAT NEEDLE. YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON JUST BECAUSE. TO YOUR POINT, WE'VE KIND OF IT HASN'T BEEN THE DELUGE THAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING. SO I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON A GOOD PROJECT IF HE'S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT THIS FALL. SO MAYBE NEXT UP, PETE, TALK TO HIM, SEE WHERE HIS HEAD'S AT, SEE HOW FAR ALONG. BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE TO BE LIKE PRETTY FAR ALONG IN THE PLANNING PROCESS IF HE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO PULL THIS OFF THIS YEAR. I AGREE WITH THAT. YEAH, I KNOW HE'S ALREADY MADE HIS MEASUREMENTS. HE'S GOT A LIST OF MATERIALS. SO IF I EMAIL HIM AND I PUT YOU ON THE EMAIL, CHELSEA AND WE CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE. SURE. OKAY. IS THAT ENOUGH? CHELSEA SOUNDS GOOD TO ANSWER. YOU WANTED TO HEAR, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. YEAH. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY.
THANK YOU. ALEXA. THANK YOU. THANKS. OKAY. I THINK THERE'S ONE THING WE FORGOT TO MENTION.
[00:30:08]
WE WANT TO REARRANGE A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. SO THERE IS A CORRECTION TO THE AGENDA. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS WITH US THIS EVENING FROM THE NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. AND ONE OF THE AGENDA ITEMS HAS THEM LISTED. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT AHEAD OF THE 2026 PLANNING. IF EVERYBODY IS OKAY WITH THAT, NO PROBLEM. OKAY. SO YEAH, THE CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE CRAIG MOORE FROM THE NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. AND ANNETTE TRIPLETT ALSO ON THE FOUNDATION, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE FOUNDATION. I ASKED STAFF TO PUT THIS CONVERSATION ON THE AGENDA. IT'S BEEN KIND OF A HOPE, I GUESS, OF MINE SINCE BEING INVOLVED WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY IN ONE WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'VE KIND OF ALWAYS BEEN JUST OPERATING IN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY SILOS, BUT IT FEELS A LITTLE LIKE SILOS IN SOME OF THE SOME OF THE INSTANCES.THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS WHERE CASE IN POINT IS A NEW BUILDING SITUATION WITH THE DISTRICT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY REACHED OUT AND THEY GOT SOME COMMUNITY FOLKS INVOLVED, FOUNDATION FOLKS INVOLVED TO COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THIS. OUT OF THAT ALSO CAME SOME TOUCH BASES BETWEEN THE CITY AND DISTRICT AND THE FOUNDATION. AND IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME THAT MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE FORMALIZED IN TERMS OF GETTING STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO SHARE OTHER BEST PRACTICES, PLANS FOR UPCOMING YEARS, PROGRAMS THAT ARE THAT ARE HAPPENING. VERY, VERY SERENDIPITOUS THAT CRAIG BRINGS UP THIS IDEA ABOUT A GRANT THAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD CASE IN POINT OF THERE ARE THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY DOING SIMILAR THINGS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE SYNERGIES OR AT LEAST COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT TIMING.
AND EACH GROUP KIND OF HELPING ADVERTISE FOR THE OTHER TYPE OF THING. I THINK THAT THERE'S COULD BE SOME THERE THERE IN TERMS OF LIFTING THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS BEING PUT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO CRAIG AND ANNETTE WERE KIND ENOUGH TO MEET WITH ME FOR A LITTLE BIT. WE WERE JUST KIND OF TALKING ABOUT SOME PROGRAMS, AND WE WERE SPITBALLING THE IDEA THAT THIS COULD BE FROM THE CITY. I WOULD LOVE IT TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THIS COMMITTEE, WHETHER IT'S MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE, THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO TO HAVE THAT TIME WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEONE FROM COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, THAT'D BE AWESOME. BUT NOT REQUIRED. SOMEONE FROM THE FOUNDATION, SOMEONE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE NEW ALBANY COMPANY BE PART OF THIS, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEIR IMPACT AND INFLUENCE WITH HOAS IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ON THIS BOARD A NUMBER OF TIMES, KIND OF NOT KNOWING HOW TO MAKE THAT LEAP AND GET THAT COMMUNICATION. FACILITATED. SO THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN BEATING A DRUM ABOUT IS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPRESENTATION. IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE, AND NOT NECESSARILY FROM A LOT OF WHAT WE DO, BUT MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE'VE SUGGESTED WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IN TERMS OF GETTING BUSINESSES INVOLVED MORE, AND NOT JUST THE LARGE BUSINESSES OUT IN THE BUSINESS PARK, BUT OUR CENTRAL CORE BUSINESSES IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT'S RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, ETC. AND SO JUST KIND OF THROWING IT OUT THERE, I DON'T WANT TO PUT IT OUT ON THE SPOT.
IF THEY WANT TO ADD ANYTHING OR JUMP INTO THE CONVERSATION. IT WAS REALLY MORE FOR THE BOARD TO KIND OF WEIGH IN. DOES THAT SEEM LIKE THAT'S A REASONABLE THING TO DO? IT'S A HORRIBLE IDEA. PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE WE SHOULD CONSIDER SPEAKING WITH TYPE OF THING. I'VE SHARED THE IDEA WITH CASEY, SO HE'S ALREADY SHARED. YEAH, I WOULD JUST SAY IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO SHARE YOU SO LONG, CHARLES. THAT'S ALL I WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON ANYTHING, CRAIG, THAT THE PARTNERSHIP. BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS HAD A KIND OF A MEETING AND KIND OF DISCUSS THE SYNERGIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SIMILAR PILLARS AND, YOU KNOW, GOALS. JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, I CAME TO THE FOUNDATION 23 YEARS AGO. THE BOARD AT THAT TIME ADOPTED FOUR AREAS OF IMPACT. NOW WE ALL CALL THEM THE PILLARS LIFELONG LEARNING, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, THE ARTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. WE TRACK OUR GRANTS IN THOSE CATEGORIES EVERY QUARTER FOR THE BOARD TO SEE WHERE WE'RE INVESTING. AND I THINK NANETTE OBSERVED THAT WE HAD INVESTED WAY MORE
[00:35:01]
HEAVILY IN THE FIRST THREE, AND NOT AS MUCH IN SUSTAINABILITY, PARTLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ENDOWMENT FUNDS DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABILITY. BUT THE BOARD INTENTIONALLY DECIDED, LET'S DO SOMETHING IN THAT SPACE. SO WE HIRED A FIRM AND WE DID A SURVEY OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ALL THE COMPANIES IN THE BUSINESS PARK TO SEE WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES WERE IN SUSTAINABILITY. HAPPILY, ALMOST ALL OF THEM PARTICIPATED, AND THEY ALL HAD VERY SPECIFIC GOALS. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE COMPANIES ARE WAY AHEAD OF US ON A LOT OF STUFF. BUT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS DECIDE WHERE SHOULD THE FOUNDATION FOCUS, WHERE COULD WE HAVE AN IMPACT? WE DECIDED NOT TO FOCUS ON ENERGY OR WATER OR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON OUT THERE. THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO DO WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD ENGAGE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WE MET WITH KIM HARR AT ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH, AND SHE WAS TELLING US HOW THEY RECYCLED JEANS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO AS THE FIRST COMPONENT OF A MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE. AND NOW I'M GOING TO LET NANETTE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH RECYCLING JEANS. HELLO, MY NAME IS NANETTE. TRIPLETS. SORRY. SO WE HAVE AN INITIATIVE. IT'S CALLED JEANS FOR GREEN NEW ALBANY. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY, THE TOWNSHIP, THE SCHOOLS, AND WE HAVE SOME SUPPORT FROM AN AMAZON WEB SERVICES. SO WE ARE COLLECTING YOU'LL SEE COLLECTION BINS GO IN FRONT OF VILLAGE HALL AS WELL AS ALL OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRE STATION, AND YOU RECYCLE YOUR JEANS. SO WE WILL TAKE JEANS THAT ARE REUSABLE AND DONATE THEM TO THE FOOD PANTRY CLIENTS.IF THEY NEED JEANS AND IF NOT, THEY WILL BE DONE. FIBER RECLAMATION TO GO INTO HOUSING INSULATION AND SOME OTHER THINGS. SO THIS IS THE FIRST GO ROUND. IT STARTS ON SEPTEMBER 22ND AND IT'LL GO FOR THREE WEEKS. AND WE'RE HOPEFULLY WE GET A GOOD RESPONSE FOR THIS AND WE CAN DUPLICATE IT AGAIN AND WE GET SOME SCHOOL GROUPS. I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THERE'S A SCHOOL GROUP THAT'S TAKING IT ON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THAT WAS A HOPE THAT MAYBE ONE OF THE GROUPS WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT AND THEN REPLICATE IT, MAYBE AFTER WINTER BREAK. SO AND I'D LOVE TO SEE IT AGAIN DURING EARTH MONTH. SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE AND HOPEFULLY BUILD A GOOD BASE AND A POSITIVE THING AND THEN WORK ON SOME BIGGER ONES, WHICH WE HAVE NOTHING FORMALIZED, BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME BIGGER PROJECTS COME FORWARD. GREAT.
YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. THE QUESTION I GOT WHEN I SHARED THAT WITH COUNCIL WAS, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THE JEANS? SO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. YEAH IT'S FUNNY THE THE THE THING THAT POPPED UP WHEN WE WERE MEETING WAS THE FACT THAT AFTER WE HAD BEEN PRESENTED FROM STAFF, THE IDEA THIS WAS COMING THROUGH WITH TREE PLANTING WAS JUST HAVING BEEN IN A MEETING WITH SOMEBODY ABOUT, OH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TREE PLANTING. I'M LIKE, OKAY, WE CAN REFOREST ALL OF NEW ALBANY IF WE JUST PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, KIND OF, KIND OF THING. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FOUNDATION OR THOUGHTS ON THE IDEA OF TRYING TO GET THIS GROUP TOGETHER? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO FORMALIZE IT WITH A MOTION. IT'S MORE A MATTER OF. IS THAT CORRECT THINKING? I THINK THE IDEA WAS WE WERE GOING TO PRESENT THIS IDEA TO YOU. BASICALLY, I THINK WHAT WE MOST RECENTLY DISCUSSED WAS PERHAPS LIKE A QUARTERLY STAKEHOLDER MEETING BETWEEN THE ENTITIES THAT CHARLES MENTIONED, THE DENIM COLLECTION WAS KIND OF WHAT I FEEL LIKE IS LIKE A KICKOFF TO THIS POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE ALL OF THE ENTITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS PROJECT THAT WE'RE COMING ALONGSIDE OF THEM AND WORKING WITH THEM ON. SO IT MIGHT BE KIND OF A NATURAL PROGRESSION FROM THIS INITIAL PROJECT PARTNERSHIP TO MAYBE A MORE REGULAR STAKEHOLDER MEETING BETWEEN ALL THE ENTITIES. AND JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS MAYBE GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTED, AND IF YOU HAD THOUGHTS ON IT, AND THEN WE DO WANT SOMEONE FROM THE BOARD TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND THEN REPORT BACK TO THE GROUP. SO IF YOU WANT TO PURSUE THIS, YOU NEED TO DECIDE WHO THE BOARD
[00:40:01]
MEMBER IS GOING TO BE AS WELL. GREAT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO BE COMMUNICATING MORE REGULARLY WITH THE FOUNDATION, THE SCHOOLS. I MEAN, THE FOUNDATION OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL WITH SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS, BUT JUST TO FOCUS ON WHAT'S EVERYBODY DOING, SUSTAINABILITY AND KIND OF A REGULAR CHECK IN AND LOOK FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING NOT NOT BE DOING TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.OR IT COULD TO BE COMBINING RESOURCES AND IDEAS I THINK IS A GREAT IDEA. I MEAN, I'D BE HAPPY TO I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR ME TO REPRESENT THE BOARD IF I'M IF I'M REPRESENTING THE SCHOOLS, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED. IN SOME WAYS IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING FOR EXPEDIENCY. WE'LL JUST DO BOTH. YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO DO BOTH, BUT ONE OR THE OTHER, I GUESS. YEAH. MAYBE. NO, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. OKAY. I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT. GOOD IDEA. THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN KIND OF THING. ANY. THAT'S GREAT. SYNERGY IS WHAT WE WANT.
DO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, DO YOU WANT TO FEEL LIKE IT NEEDS TO GO IN FRONT OF COUNCIL FOR ANY CONVERSATION? OR IS IT FINE ENOUGH JUST TO. YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK I THINK TONIGHT WE CAN AS THE SAVVY, YOU CAN SAY, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D LIKE TO PURSUE AND THEN COUNCIL CAN SHARE. SOMETHING. I THINK WE SOUNDS LIKE. NO, NO, NO. EXACTLY. OKAY. JUST SLIDE IT IN THERE. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. SO I GUESS IN TERMS OF REPRESENTATION, IF BOARDS FINDING EITHER PETE OR MYSELF OR WE DO A ONE OF THE ALTERNATE KIND OF THING. YEAH, I THINK WE BOTH COULD SERVE AS REPRESENTATIVES. YOU COULD TAKE TURNS OR I THINK EVEN IF YOU WERE BOTH AT THE SAME MEETING, IT WOULD BE FINE. JUST WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANT FOUR OF YOU AT THE MEETING. RIGHT. TWO IS PROBABLY FINE. AND I GUESS TO THE POINT EARLIER, IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE DISTRICT THAT YOU THINK WOULD WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS? I MEAN, I DEFINITELY WOULD WANT TO RUN IT BY THE CURRICULUM DIRECTORS AND SEE IF ONE OF THEM WANTED TO BE INVOLVED. THEY MIGHT JUST ASK ME TO KIND OF REPRESENT THEM, TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. BUT YEAH, DEFINITELY, I WOULD WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT IT. YEAH, YEAH. SEE SEE WHAT THEY HAD IN MIND. SCOTT EMERY AND OUR NEW SECONDARY, BRIAN O'SHEA. ONE OF THEM MIGHT WANT TO. COME ON.
OKAY. YEAH, I GUESS I EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD RUN IT THROUGH THE SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE JUST TO GET THE BLESSING ON HIGH, AND THEN THAT PASSES THROUGH THAT WAY, THEN. FANTASTIC. OKAY.
WOULD YOU BE OKAY IF WE RECONNECTED AT SOME POINT, MAYBE NEXT WEEK? OR DO YOU WANT DO YOU WANT CRAIG TO WORK WITH YOU IN TERMS OF. YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO. OKAY, TAKE OVER OR THE THREE OF US OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. SORRY. IT IT SEEMS IT FEELS A LITTLE GOOFY, BUT I THINK IT'S ALL FOR THE RIGHT REASON. SO. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING AGAIN. YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT THROUGH MORE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR 2006 PLAN. GREAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL GO BACKWARDS HERE TO OUR 2026 PLANNING. I DID PRINT OUT THE PROPOSED DRAFT BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED DRAFT WORK PLAN. I THINK THAT. A LOT OF THIS IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED. I THINK IT WAS AT THE LAST MEETING WHEN WE STARTED OUR PLANNING, AND I TRIED TO ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE RECYCLING EVENTS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH. WE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING THE BASE DRIVE AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE TO A OR, SORRY, A BIANNUAL EVENT. SO WE DID BUDGET FOR WHAT WE SPENT IN 2025 AND THEN TACKED ON AN EXTRA 50%. AND UNDERNEATH THAT IS ALSO THE BIANNUAL POSTCARD MAILINGS TO THE RESIDENTS. AND I DID TALK TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ABOUT THAT, AND THEY SEEMED THAT THEY WOULD BE FINE WITH WORKING WITH US ON DOING A POSTCARD IN THE SPRING AND POSTCARD IN THE FALL, AND THEY, BASED ON THE ESTIMATE THAT THEY FOR THEIR CITYWIDE MAILINGS, TWO MAILINGS WOULD BE $6,000. THE OTHER SEASONAL COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING EVENTS.
IT SOUNDED LIKE THE BOARD WANTED TO CONTINUE THOSE. THE PAPER SHREDDING WOULD BE A
[00:45:06]
BIANNUAL EVENT, ALONG WITH THE E-WASTE AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE. AND THEN OUR ANNUAL PUMPKIN COLLECTION, POLITICAL YARD SIGN, RECYCLING AND HOLIDAY LIGHTS RECYCLING. ALL OF THOSE ARE IN THERE. AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR ONGOING COMPOST PROGRAM MANAGEMENT. THIS NUMBER IS WHAT WE OPENED THE PO FOR FOR 2025. THIS YEAR. THE COST DID INCREASE FROM 2024, SO I DO NEED TO GET AN ESTIMATE FROM THEM FOR 2026 TO PLUG IN THE EXACT NUMBER. BUT THIS IS A PLACEHOLDER. SO YOU CAN SEE AT LEAST THIS IS WHAT WE SPENT THIS YEAR. IT COULD GO UP A LITTLE BIT NEXT YEAR, BUT I'M STILL WAITING ON THE 2026 PROPOSAL FROM ZERO. ONGOING PROGRAMS. THE POCKET PRAIRIES. IT WAS IN THERE AND THEN IT CAME OUT. AND THEN NOW IT'S BACK IN THERE AGAIN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO ALSO PUT IN THEIR BUDGET FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PROGRAM. ONCE IT'S INSTALLED, THERE WILL BE ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO WORK WITH MAD SCIENTISTS ON THAT. SO THE MAINTENANCE PORTION WILL GO IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET PROPOSAL. THIS $11,000 IS ADDITIONAL FUNDS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION. SO BEFORE THEY EVEN GET TO THE MAINTENANCE PORTION. WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THAT THE TAYLOR FARM PORTION OF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN A LOT MORE INVOLVED THAN THEY ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED, SO THE TAYLOR FARM PART OF THE FUND HAS DRIED OUT.THERE'S NO MORE TAYLOR FARM FUNDS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT PLANTERS GROVE AND. JAMES RIVER ARE ON TRACK AND ON BUDGET. SO I ASKED CODIE TO COME TO THE OCTOBER MEETING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO YOU, TO JUST CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL $11,000, BUT I NEEDED TO PUT THIS PLACEHOLDER IN HERE BECAUSE HE'LL BE COMING BEFORE YOU AFTER WE HAVE TO ENTER OUR NUMBERS IN FOR COUNCIL REVIEW. THAT'S SORRY. JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT'S 11,000 IN THIS YEAR. THIS WILL BE $11,000 FOR 2026. OH, IT'S A FINISH TO FINISH THIS YEAR'S PROJECT. GOT IT. SO IF YOU RECALL THE THE PLANTING AND THE SEEDING AND THE FINAL WORK IS NOT GOING TO BE COMPLETED UNTIL THE SPRING, RIGHT? OKAY. SO I THINK THE THOUGHT WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ACTUALLY DO THAT IN THE SPRING. BUT FOR TAYLOR FARM, AT LEAST THERE'S NO MORE MONEY. SO THE $11,000 IS SPECIFIC. TAYLOR FARM, AND I'VE ASKED CODY TO COME AND CLARIFY WHETHER THAT $11,000 INCLUDES THE REMAINDER OF THE REMOVAL AT TAYLOR FARM, OR IF IT'S JUST THE PLANTING AND SEEDING. SO HE'S GOING TO COME HERE AND TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE $11,000 IS NEEDED. OKAY. SO JUST REAL QUICK, CHELSEA, DON'T WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET YEAR A SURPLUS BETWEEN THE STUDENT LEADER, SUSTAINABILITY AND THE INVASIVE TREE TRAINING PROGRAM THAT WOULD COVER THAT 11,000 IF WE IF THE BOARD ELECTS TO GRANT THE ADDITIONAL $11,000, WHERE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ADD TO THIS YEAR'S OR I'M GUESSING I'M SORRY TO 2026 FOR THIS YEAR'S PROJECT. YOU JUST ENCUMBER IT OUT OF THIS BUDGET. YEAH. FOR NEXT YEAR. YEAH. IN LIEU OF DOING NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I KNOW IN THOSE TWO PROGRAMS WE HAVE 9000 AND ABOUT 6000 LEFT BETWEEN THE TWO OF THOSE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ENCUMBER THIS YEAR. I, I CAN DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. JUST I KNOW WE WERE TRYING TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS GOING OVER BUDGET WITH LIKE THE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE AND.
I CAN DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. OKAY. BUT I HEAR YOU THAT THE PREFERENCE WOULD BE IF THERE'S MONEY TO JUST USE THESE FUNDS, BUT I'M ASSUMING YOU STILL WANT THEM TO COME HERE IN OCTOBER TO
[00:50:09]
PRESENT TO YOU WHY THEY'RE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY BEFORE YOU AGREE TO THEM. BECAUSE I VERY MUCH MONEY HERE. WE'RE $11,000 OVER BUDGET ON TAYLOR FARM. OKAY. SO I'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT TO SEE IF THERE IS WIGGLE ROOM FOR 2025 FUNDS TO BE USED. AND THEN I WILL STILL HAVE THEM COME HERE IN OCTOBER AND YOU GUYS CAN MAKE. YEAH, THAT'S BY NO MEANS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD THAT $11,000, IN MY OPINION. I MEAN, IT'S YOUR CALL. YEAH A LITTLE BANANAS TO ME, BUT. DO YOU WANT ME TO KEEP THIS IN AS A PLACEHOLDER? AND THEN WE CAN WE CAN AMEND. THIS IS NOT YEAH I'M FINE WITH IT STAYING IN THERE. AND THEN ONCE WE HERE IN OCTOBER, WHAT'S GOING ON THEN WE CAN KIND OF MAKE A DECISION, RIGHT? YEAH. YOU COULD DOUBLE CHECK THE TOTAL. YEAH. ACROSS ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO ENTER THIS INTO THE SYSTEM. AND IT'S EASIER TO TAKE THINGS AWAY THAN TO TRY TO PUT THINGS IN AFTER THE FACT. OKAY. SO IS THERE STILL A MAINTENANCE NUMBER THAT'S GOING TO LAND UNDER ANGIE'S BUDGET? YES. GOT IT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T SHORTING US SOMEPLACE. I'M SURE YOU GUYS WERE COVERING IT, BUT. GREAT. SO THAT IS THE ONLY ITEM THAT WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT LAST MONTH THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT NEXT MONTH. AGAIN, WE PUT THE STUDENT LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY GRANT IN THERE, AND WE WE HAD INTEREST IN THE BOARD WITH CONTINUING THE INVASIVE TRADE IN AND SHRUB PROGRAM. AND THEN THE GREEN GUARDIANS. I THINK THAT. THERE WAS INTEREST TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM TO BE MORE THAN JUST HELPING AT FOOD WASTE COLLECTION EVENTS. SO WE DID INCLUDE THE SAME AMOUNT, THE $2,000 AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND THAT PROGRAM. SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE IN THE BUDGET IS WHEN WE HAVE OUR EARTH DAY TO ARBOR DAY, WEEK LONG EVENTS, WE ALWAYS HAVE SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY EVENT, WHETHER IT'S THE BIOBLITZ OR THE NATURE EXPLORATION DAY, WHERE WE PARTNER WITH COSI AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHERS THAT USED TO FALL IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMING BUDGET. AND BECAUSE IT IS EARTH DAY, ARBOR DAY RELATED. THE SUGGESTION WAS TO INCLUDE IT IN YOUR BUDGET. $1,500 IS PROBABLY GENEROUS.OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMING ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS WHAT HER ESTIMATE WAS FOR THIS EVENT, BUT SHE SAID THAT MORE THAN LIKELY THERE WILL BE MONEY LEFT OVER. WE MIGHT NOT SPEND ALL OF THAT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE DID NOT DISCUSS LAST MONTH THAT WE HAVE IN THERE. THAT IS UP FOR DISCUSSION BY YOU ALL. I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT BECAUSE SHE HIRED THE, YOU KNOW, TO BRING THE FARM TO YOU. SO THAT'S INCLUDING THAT AND ALL THE OTHER ONE THAT'S NOT BEEN THAT EXPENSIVE. YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE DESPITE THE POURING RAIN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FUN EVENT. HOPEFULLY WE GET A NICER DAY NEXT TIME. AND THEN THE LAST ITEM IS THE CURBSIDE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION PILOT PROGRAM. WE HAVE THIS YEAR. WE HAD BUDGETED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE FUNDS GO TO THE VENDOR AND THEN OTHER FUNDS FOR VARIOUS MATERIALS THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO PROMOTE THE PROJECT, OR JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS IMPLEMENTED CORRECTLY. SO WE DO HAVE MONEY IN THERE FOR VARIOUS ITEMS NEEDED TO CONTINUE RUNNING THE EXISTING 12 MONTH PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT'S STARTING THIS MONTH, IT TECHNICALLY WOULD EXPIRE NEXT SEPTEMBER. BECAUSE IT EXPIRES IN SEPTEMBER. IF THERE IS FUNDS, THE BOARD COULD CHOOSE TO. HEY, THERE'S THREE MORE MONTHS THIS YEAR. WE COULD EXTEND THE PILOT THREE MORE MONTHS JUST TO GET THROUGH THE YEAR. THIS GIVES YOU WIGGLE ROOM TO MAKE THAT DECISION AT THAT TIME. SO THOSE ARE I THINK THAT'S A SMASHING IDEA. WELL THEN YOU BETTER GO FOLKS. WE'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. THE THE I'M SORRY AS YOU'RE TALKING TO THIS AND I KNOW WE'RE JUST DEALING WITH THE BUDGET AND ON THAT TOPIC YET. BUT I'M TRYING TO IMAGINE THE
[00:55:05]
PUZZLE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND REBID FOR WASTE COLLECTION AND DETERMINE IF COMPOST IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO ADD, WE'RE JUMPING AHEAD. NO, I KNOW, BUT THAT'S A 27. NO, BECAUSE IT'S SO ON THE AGENDA. THEY'RE GOING TO BE WITHOUT MONEY FOR A YEAR TO DO ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA. I HAVE A POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP SURPRISE FOR YOU ALL THAT MAY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS YET. OKAY. GOT IT. OKAY. WE'RE IN THE PARTY. NO, I JUST KNOW THAT WE'VE LIKE, THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE HAVE TO BE TALKING ABOUT 27. WHEN WE'RE HERE NEXT YEAR, WE WON'T HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH THE ENTIRE YEAR OF THE PROJECT NECESSARILY. SO JUST SORRY, THAT'S JUST MY WAY. I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S A HELD AT CHELSEA HAS TO LIVE THROUGH. GO RIGHT AHEAD. LET'S CONTINUE. OKAY. SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO START WITH. AND THEN AFTER MORE DISCUSSIONS IN OCTOBER IF WE NEED TO GO BACK AND AMEND ANYTHING WE CAN. IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TONIGHT, WE PROBABLY WOULD WANT.YOU TO MAKE A MOTION AND VOTE ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET AS A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD PUT A A CONDITION IN THERE THAT SOME DETAILS ARE TO BE WORKED OUT AT THE OCTOBER MEETING THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO AMEND AMEND THE LATER DATE. SOMEBODY ELSE NEEDS TO DO THAT. THAT'S TOO MANY WORDS. WELL, LET ME TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE AND SEE IF IT WORKS. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE DRAFT 2026 SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY STAFF.
UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE A NEED TO REVIEW FOR FINALIZATION IN THE OCTOBER MEETING, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE ONGOING COMPOST PROGRAM NUMBER THAT NEEDS TO COME IN.
DOES THAT ENCOMPASS WHAT WE NEED TO ENCOMPASS? SECOND, WELL, THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU. YOU GOT TO JUMP IN THERE. OKAY. I'M SURE YOU WERE TALKING. MR. BARNES. YES, MISS GALLO? YES, MISTER? YES, MISS LOPEZ? YES. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BOARD. OKAY, LET'S SEE HERE. SO THE NEXT ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON THE PILOT PROGRAM. THE BUCKETS TO EVERYONE THAT REGISTERED WILL BE DELIVERED TO THEIR RESIDENTS TOMORROW. AND THEN THE FIRST DAY THAT SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED IS NEXT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH. WE HAVE 41 PEOPLE THAT HAVE REGISTERED. SO IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S BETTER THAN WHEN YOU TALK TO ME LAST WEEK. YEAH. SO I KIND OF HAD A GOAL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST 30 PEOPLE SIGN UP BEFORE WE GET STARTED, BECAUSE WE DO PAY THE COMPOST EXCHANGE FOR 30 RESIDENTS, NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE SIGN UP. IF IT'S 20, WE STILL HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR 30. SO I WANTED AT LEAST 30 FOLKS SINCE WE HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR 30, AND WE PASSED THAT WITH 41. I KNOW THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS 150, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IN TALKING WITH BEXLEY AND UPPER ARLINGTON AND SWACO AND SOME OTHER FOLKS, PARTICIPATION RATE IS IF YOU CAN GET 40% PARTICIPATION RATE, THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD. THERE'S ABOUT 268 HOMES IN WINDSOR. SO HONESTLY, IF WE GET AT LEAST 80 PEOPLE TO SIGN UP, THAT'LL GIVE US 40% AND WE'LL BE DOING GOOD. SO WE'RE HALFWAY TO 80. WE'RE HALFWAY TO THE 40% PARTICIPATION RATE. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
WE STILL RUN ADVERTISING IN THE CONNECTS NEWSLETTER. WE'RE STILL PUTTING INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND EVERY TIME WE DO THAT, WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE REGISTRATIONS COMING THROUGH. SO I'M HOPING THAT THE BRIGHT YELLOW BUCKETS WILL ALSO GET PEOPLE QUESTIONING WHAT'S GOING ON, WHO HAVE EXACTLY NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. RIGHT. SO MAYBE IT'LL BE A LITTLE KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES. IF THEY SEE THEIR NEIGHBORS DOING IT, THEY'LL BE INTERESTED AND
[01:00:01]
AND WANT TO PLAY ALONG TO. SO HOPEFULLY ONCE WE GET STARTED AND THE SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED, WE'LL KEEP GETTING MORE REGISTRANTS. REGISTRANTS, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANYONE FROM THE CITY OUT THERE THAT FIRST DAY TAKING PICTURES OF BUCKETS ON THE STREETS? WELL, WE HAVE A PHOTOSHOP PICTURE OF BUCKETS ON THE STREET. CHELSEA'S GOING TO HAVE A BUCKET ON THE FRONT AND. I'D BE HAPPY TO GO OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME THEY ARE GOING TO BE ACTUALLY DOING THE PICKUP, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOLKS TO HAVE THE BUCKETS OUT BY 7 A.M. I WANT TO BE OUT THERE AT 7 A.M. I MEAN, I COULD IF YOU REALLY WANT, BUT I THINK IT'S STILL DARK AT THAT TIME. YEAH. IF YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I COULD TAKE PICTURES. OKAY. WE DO HAVE A RESIDENT PARTICIPANT, SO JUST LET ME GET A BATHROBE, GO BACK AND I GO BACK IN MY ALLEY AND TAKE IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE BESIDES ME. MIGHT JUST BE MY DRIVEWAY. THAT'S 40 OTHER PEOPLE. YEAH, IT IS INTERESTING. I WILL SHARE THE MAP WITH YOU. WE HAVE A MAP OF EVERYBODY THAT'S REGISTERED AND THEY ARE KIND OF IN LITTLE CLUSTERS. YOU CAN TELL THAT NEIGHBORS ARE TALKING TO EACH OTHER, SO IT'LL CATCH ON. I HAD A QUESTION FROM LAST MONTH ABOUT GETTING COMPOST. YES. DID THAT GET ANSWERED? WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? IT WAS, IT WAS IT WAS ABOUT COMPOST NOT BEING LISTED ON THE POSTCARD THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET, I BELIEVE, TWO BAGS OF COMPOST. ANYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED AT SOME POINT DURING THE YEAR, LIKE IN THE SPRING OR WHATEVER, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT MENTIONED ANYWHERE. YEAH. AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT'S ON THE WEBSITE. OKAY. OUT OF CURIOSITY, KNOWS THIS IS HAPPENING. YES OR NOT. SUEKO. SORRY. FORGET THEY BOTH KNOW. AWESOME. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I'M KIND OF NERVOUS BECAUSE IT SAYS TO PUT IT SIX FEET BEHIND THE TRASH CAN. WELL MY GARAGE, MY DRIVEWAY IS ABOUT FOUR FEET LONG, LIKE, SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND SEPARATE THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN. BUT I DON'T HAVE SIX FEET TO PLAY AROUND WITH BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE ALLEY, SO. RIGHT.YEAH, I HAD ANOTHER RESIDENT BRING THAT UP TO ME THAT THE SIX FOOT DEPENDING ON, SHE SAID.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE ROOM FOR SIX FEET AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T. I THINK AS LONG AS THE BUCKET IS NOT HOW IT IS IN THE PICTURE, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE OKAY AND HOPEFULLY RUMPKE KNOWS NOT TO PICK IT UP AS TRASH. WE HAVE TOLD THEM SO, HOPEFULLY. MAYBE THEY'RE BETTER THAN ROCKY FORD.
IT IS GOING TO BE A LEARNING CURVE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED, SO WE'LL JUST. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THAT MORNING? HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD FOR A REFLECTIVE VEST. WALK IN THE ALLEY. YEP. I KNOW THEY'RE ON MY ALLEY BY 730 AT THE LATEST. RUMPKE IS. SO I DON'T KNOW. WE'LL BE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO PICK THEM UP AND THROW THEM OUT, I GUESS.
EXCITING FOR IT TO START. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY. NEXT. OKAY. SO THE FINAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA, HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT A BUNCH OF BUILD UP FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SUPER EXCITING TO YOU. BETTER BE PUNCH AND PIE. SO FOR THE NEW MEMBERS, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT THE CITY IS PART OF A CONSORTIUM. SO WE'RE PART OF A GROUP THAT RECEIVES BIDS, BIDS FOR THE TRASH AND RECYCLING. AND IT'S A THREE YEAR CYCLE. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING ON THE CYCLE THAT WILL START IN 2027. AND WE'LL GO THROUGH 2029. I KNOW BEXLEY AND WESTERVILLE AND HARRINGTON ARE THEY. THERE'S ABOUT 5 OR 6. YEAH, ABOUT A HANDFUL OF SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. WE'RE ALL IN THIS CONSORTIUM TOGETHER, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH SWACO TO FINALIZE THE RFP FOR FOLKS TO BID ON THE TRASH AND THE RECYCLING COLLECTION THAT WILL GET
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FINALIZED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. AND THEN I BELIEVE SWACO SAID THAT THEY WILL POST IT IN FEBRUARY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR BID. I HAD A MEETING WITH THEM ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW ALBANY BEING A PILOT FOR CITYWIDE CURBSIDE COLLECTION, AND WE WOULD BE THE ONLY ONES IN THE BID THAT WOULD BE ASKING FOR THAT PIECE. TO BE BID ON. EVERYBODY IN THE CONSORTIUM WILL BE RECEIVING THE TRASH AND THE RECYCLING, BUT APPARENTLY YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAILOR THINGS TO YOUR COMMUNITY. AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THERE WOULD BE AN ADDENDUM TO THE BID WHERE IT WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO NEW ALBANY, WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOLKS TO ALSO BID ON THE CURBSIDE COLLECTION FOR FOOD WASTE. SO. WE NEED TO BASICALLY CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THAT SO WE CAN GET THAT IN AND BE PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY. SWACO DID SAY THAT THEY HAVE FUNDS THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTE, BECAUSE THERE STILL IS THE QUESTION ABOUT IF IF ANYONE SUBMITS A BID AND WE WANT TO ACCEPT IT, WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT? IS THE CITY GOING TO? PAY FOR IT LIKE WE DO? I THINK IT'S RECYCLING. OR ARE WE GOING TO CHARGE OUR RESIDENTS FOR IT? SWACO SAID. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE COULD BE A PARTNERSHIP WHERE THEY POTENTIALLY PAY FOR THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YEAR TWO AND THREE. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THAT THOSE DETAILS WOULD LOOK LIKE. SO WE CAN PUT THIS OUT THERE IN FEBRUARY, AND WE MIGHT NOT GET ANYONE TO BID ON A CITYWIDE COMPOST COLLECTION SERVICE. OR EVEN IF WE GET BIDS, WE DON'T. IF WE CAN'T AGREE ON WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT. AND THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARISE, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT ANY OF THE BIDS.SO THESE DISCUSSIONS HAVE STARTED AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SWACO LIKES OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LARGER AND HAVE A LOT MORE RESIDENTS DOING A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THEM IS NOT IDEAL. SO WE ARE BASICALLY THE IDEAL COMMUNITY GIVEN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE. SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING AND SEE IF YOU HAD ANY INPUT OR QUESTIONS. AND OBVIOUSLY, COUNCIL MEMBER KIST IS PROBABLY INTERESTED ON THE WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT PORTION. YEAH, NO, I THINK IT'S SO JUST SO I HAVE THE TIMELINE RIGHT. WE CAN OPT INTO GETTING A BID FOR ALL THREE. AND THEN ONCE IN FEBRUARY THAT GOES OUT IN FEBRUARY OR WE GET RESPONSES IN FEBRUARY. SO THE RFP IS POSTED IN FEBRUARY. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEIR DEADLINE IS WHEN THEY DO, YOU KNOW, THE DEADLINE FOR WHEN THEY WANT THE BIDS BACK. OKAY. SO THEY PROBABLY HAVE 30 DAYS TO RESPOND, EVEN IF RUMPKE GETS THE BID FOR TRASH AND RECYCLING, THE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION COULD BE FROM THE COMPOST EXCHANGE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. THAT WAS MY QUESTION. YEAH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. SO RUMPKE COULD WIN THE OTHER TWO BIDS AND THEN ANOTHER ENTITY COULD WIN THE.
FOOD COLLECTION BID. SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF. NO. SO ONCE WE GET THOSE BACK, THEN WE STILL HAVE TIME TO DECIDE. YES, HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. AND IF THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP OR NOT WITH SWACO. RIGHT. SO SORRY. THE FINAL. FINAL IS. YOU SAID IT. I WAS DAYDREAMING THE FINAL SIGN OFF OR THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE IS WHEN. AFTER THEY SUBMIT IN MARCH, THEY GIVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME SAY MAY OR JUNE. I'M THINKING OKAY. YEAH, PLENTY OF TIME. I'M GOING TO BEAT MY NORMAL DRUM. WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT APPROACHING A VOLUME, PAY BY VOLUME CONVERSATION IN THE BIDDING? SO I KNOW WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED IT. REALLY. SO ONE
[01:10:08]
THING THAT THEY WERE SAYING IN THE MEETING WAS THAT THE AVERAGE IS GOING TO BE $8 PER HOME, BUT IF YOU. IF WE DO CHARGE PEOPLE AND WE DON'T ONLY CHARGE THOSE PARTICIPATING IN, WE STRETCH OUT OVER EVERYBODY, IT WOULD END UP ONLY BEING $3 PER HOME. SO IT ALSO DEPENDS ON LIKE IF WE CHARGE PEOPLE, ARE WE GOING TO CHARGE ONLY THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING OR IF WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT, ARE WE ONLY PAYING FOR THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING, OR ARE WE GOING TO JUST PAY LIKE YOUR YARD WASTE? YOU KNOW, THE CITY PAYS FOR EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT NOT EVERYBODY DOES. SO THE COST IS STRETCHED OUT OF EVERY RESIDENT AND NOT JUST THE ONES THAT PARTICIPATE. I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WOULD WE KEEP THE DROP OFF COMPOST SERVICE GOING OR, OR TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING? IT WOULD GO ZERO AND USE IT TOWARD THIS NEW LIKE FOR ME, I'D RATHER HAVE CURBSIDE. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO STOP DROPPING OFF. AND SO THAT'S WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY 25,000 A YEAR ON GO ZERO SERVICE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO CUT THAT OFF, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AWAY, BUT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PAY FOR PART OF THIS PROGRAM. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. AND I DON'T I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND HOW WE WOULD APPROACH THAT. AND IT IS TRICKY TOO, BECAUSE WE'RE PLANNING FOR 2026. THIS PILOT WITH SWACO WOULD START IN 2027. SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BUDGET WISE HOW THAT WORKS IS ANOTHER LAYER OF COMPLICATION. UNLESS YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW THAT FACTORS IN, IT GIVES US ANOTHER BUDGET YEAR. YEAH. YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT YEAR, THEN WE'D HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE PLUGGING SOMETHING IN AND MAYBE SHIFTING GEARS MID-YEAR. AND TO PETE'S POINT, PULLING THE PLUG ON GO ZERO AND SHIFTING THOSE FUNDS TO IF WE ARE GOING TO SUPPLEMENT THE CURBSIDE PROGRAM. SO I YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE IDEA.WE'VE GOT SOME FLEXIBILITY AND TIME TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT OUR COURSE OF ACTION. AND. I DO THINK IT'D BE REDUNDANT TO HAVE DROP OFFS AND OFFER CURBSIDE COMMUNITY WIDE, AS LONG AS EVERYBODY CAN DO IT. NOW, IF IT'S JUST LIKE IT IS NOW LIMITED TO A CERTAIN PILOT AREAS. BUT IF WE DO OPEN IT UP TO EVERYBODY, THEN I THINK MAKES SENSE THAT IF YOU WANT TO COMPOST, YOU GET A BUCKET AT YOUR HOUSE. I THINK IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY. I THINK IT COULD BE REALLY GREAT IF IT WORKED OUT. I DON'T SEE ANY DOWNSIDE TO AT LEAST PURSUING IT AS AN IDEA AND SEE WHERE IT GOES. IT'S JUST ME. JUST AS A REMINDER, UPPER ARLINGTON AS AN EXAMPLE. THEY FOR ONE YEAR CITYWIDE COMPOST PICKUP, THEY PAY $100,000. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY RESIDENTS THEY HAVE, BUT THAT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE FOR ABOUT HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST FOR ONE YEAR'S SERVICES. I, I THINK THAT'S 30 OR 40,000 RESIDENTS, LIKE THEY'RE SO LARGE WHAT THEY ARE. YEAH. SO I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE 40,000 OR IF WE 100% SUPPLEMENT IT.
RIGHT. OR SUBSIDIZE. BUT IT'S WHY IT'S WHY I KEEP COMING BACK TO THIS. IF WE COULD BE OPEN TO THE IDEA OF, OF APPROACHING A VOLUME WASTE FEE, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BUILD YOUR AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD COLLECTION. RUMKI. OBVIOUSLY. NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A MATTER OF THEY REBATE IT BACK OR HOW THAT WORKS. OR MAYBE THEY MAYBE WE WORKED THAT OUT WITH RUMPKE IN TERMS OF PICKUP AND AND TAKE SOME OF THE RECYCLING AMOUNTS. SO THE CITY'S NOT PICKING THAT WHOLE BILL. I DON'T KNOW THE WAY TO HAVE TO SLICE AND DICE IT, BUT. I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO APPROACH. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT IN THE REGION AT ALL. SO IT'S I MEAN, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE A FOREIGN CONCEPT TO SWACO IN TERMS OF AN IDEA. AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET INTO THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR OCTOBER. BUT, YOU KNOW, JEFF AND I HAVE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT THERE IN NEW YORK AND DIFFERENT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT. BUT
[01:15:04]
IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S AN UNREASONABLE THING TO APPROACH BECAUSE RUMPKE IF WE WERE TO GO WITH THEM AS JUST AN OPTION, THEY'VE GOT VARYING SIZES OF ROLL OFFS. YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT BY WEIGHT. IT'S JUST BY VOLUME. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A 48 OR A 96 OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. DEAL. YOU FILL IT, YOU FILL IT, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T. BUT THAT AT LEAST GIVES SOMEBODY THE CHANCE TO HAVE A TIERED AMOUNT OF EXPENSE FOR THAT. AND THEN WE START GETTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE CANS OF THAT. THEY'RE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR WHAT'S GETTING PICKED UP. SO THAT WOULD START TO INCENTIVIZE USE OF RECYCLING AND HOPEFULLY THE COMPOSTING AS WELL. IS IT DOES THIS INCLUDE RESTAURANTS AND COMMERCIAL, THE HOSPITALS AND THE COMMERCIAL. THIS WOULD BE RESIDENTIAL. RESIDENTIAL. IT'S JUST RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, WE REALLY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING, I THINK CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. I JUST ACCOMPLISHED MY OWN STUFF AT HOME. I DON'T NEED THE BUCKET NECESSARILY. THE REAL ORGANIC WAY IS TO DO YOUR OWN. IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, THE BUCKETS WONDERFUL. OR THE BUCKET SERVICE. BUT TO TAKE CARE OF A BIGGER PIECE OF, YOU KNOW, THE COMPOSTING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PIECE OF IT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ALL AFTER TO BEGIN WITH, IS THE RESTAURANTS AND THE INSTITUTIONS. SO THAT'S, I THINK, WHAT WE SHOULD REALLY KIND OF SEE IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GO INTO THE SERVICE, POSSIBLY RESIDENTIAL GETS A GOOD PIECE OF IT. BUT I THINK FROM THE RESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST IS TO COMPOST WHAT YOU CAN AT HOME, WHAT YOU CAN'T COMPOST, OR IF THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE BECAUSE WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU MIGHT LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, YOU MIGHT LIVE IN A HOME, A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THAT'S NOT THE BEST APPROACH, LIKE WINDSOR. THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR BUCKETS, OR YOU'VE GOT YOUR DROP OFF, WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, THE NEXT, THE NEXT LEVEL OUT IS. BUT I WOULD SAY THE RESTAURANTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THESE NEW HOSPITALS, WE'VE GOT NOW HOTELS AROUND. I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE BULK OF THE FOOD, THE SCHOOLS, OF COURSE, PETE'S TAKING A BREAK. HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB WITH SCHOOLS. YEOMAN'S JOB BY YOURSELF. BUT. THE INSTITUTIONAL PLACES, I THINK, WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO CAPTURE A BIG CHUNK OF OUR COMPOST WASTE. THAT'S THE TOPIC WE'VE BEEN. CHARLES IS REALLY INTERESTED. AND WE YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT COULD WE START LIKE JUST SOME RESTAURANTS NEAR MARKET STREET AND START HELPING THEM TO COMPOST? YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT. OBVIOUSLY LIKE A RESTAURANT, IT REQUIRES CHANGES TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, SETUP. AND AND SO WE WE DIDN'T GET TOO FAR DOWN THAT ROAD. BUT I DO LOVE THE IDEA.EVEN IF YOU COULD JUST GET THEM TO TAKE THEIR WASTE FROM THE KITCHEN FOR THE DAY AND COMPOST THAT OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, START THERE. SO YEAH, THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WORK ON WITH THAT, GETTING THE RESTAURANTS IN THE VILLAGE CENTER TO ENGAGE WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. FOR EXAMPLE, WE SENT THEM ALL SURVEYS. WE SENT SURVEYS TO RESIDENTS ABOUT FOOD WASTE AND COMPOSTING. WE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. WE SENT THEM TO THE RESTAURANTS ZERO RESPONSE ON THE SURVEY. SWACO DOES HAVE A NEW PROGRAM I THINK I SHARED WITH YOU AT SOME POINT IN SARAH FROM SWACO. SHE'S BEEN HERE BEFORE, IS WORKING ON MAKING THOSE CONTACTS TO TRY TO GET THEM INTO THEIR NEW PROGRAM.
YEAH, YEAH, IT'S IT IS A TOPIC THAT I WAS HOPING AS PART OF THIS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUP, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO KIND OF START GETTING SOME TRACTION AND MOVING FORWARD, HAVING A FEW MORE FOLKS IN THE ROOM THAT MIGHT BE IMMEDIATELY INVOLVED. MY ONE LAST QUESTION, OR I GUESS SUGGESTION IS, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE IN THE RFP PROCESS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS. AND I'M THINKING WASTE MANAGEMENT DOES IN OTHER AREAS, BUT THEY MAY NOT DO IT IN OHIO. IS THE CONCEPT OF CHANGING THE IDEA OF DOING COMPOST PICKUP TO HAVING AN ORGANICS PICKUP. SO YOU WOULD PUT YARD WASTE AND YOUR FOOD WASTE TOGETHER. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATES IN AREAS THAT DO THAT NOW AND HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
SO IT'S NOT A FOREIGN CONCEPT TO LARGE CARRIERS. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN OHIO
[01:20:01]
OPPORTUNITY. THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR SOMEONE AT SWACO. THAT'S A A WAY TO SLICE AND DICE IT. THE IDEA BEING THAT IF PEOPLE ARE ENGAGING WITH YARD WASTE RIGHT NOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON IF THEY'RE PUTTING IN BAGS, THEY'RE NOT PUTTING FOOD WASTE INTO THE BAG, BUT IF THEY'RE PUTTING IT IN A CONTAINER LIKE WE DO, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ALL GOING IN ONE THING AND IT'S PICKED UP THAT WAY. SO IT'S ONE LESS BUCKET ON THE STREET, ON THIS TRUCK. ON THE STREET. YES. SO IF YOU COULD FORWARD THAT IDEA OR SUGGESTION OR QUESTION, I GUESS THIS IS MAKES ME CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE FEEDBACK IS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT'S EXCITING. THAT IS A NICE SURPRISE. OKAY, GOOD. BETTER THAN PUNCH AND PIE.THAT INCLUDES ALL THE BUSINESS. IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS? I HAVE ONE OTHER OTHER BUSINESS.
SO I FEEL LIKE I'M GIVING YOU REALLY GREAT NEWS ONLY TO TURN AROUND. MAYBE NOT. I THINK THERE'S A TERM FOR THIS, BUT. SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE SET UP THE GREEN GUARDIANS PROGRAM TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS ATTEND OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS. CITY SPONSORED, CITY RAN AND PUT ON EVENTS TO COLLECT FOOD WASTE. WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS AT JUNETEENTH AND DIWALI AND ALL OF OUR CONCERTS WE'VE HAD. I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE TIME, MORE THAN ENOUGH GREEN GUARDIANS ATTEND AND BE THERE TO HELP COLLECT THE FOOD WASTE AT THESE EVENTS. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE SIGN UP TO BE A GREEN GUARDIAN AT OKTOBERFEST, AND SO THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMING FOLKS TOOK THAT OFF OF THE VOLUNTEER OPTION FOR THAT DAY. THERE IS STILL VOLUNTEER OPTION FOR PEOPLE TO BE AROUND TO LIKE PICK UP LITTER AND JUST KEEP THE PLACE CLEAN. AND SO STILL TRYING TO DO SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE AND HAVING LIKE A CLEANUP CREW BE THERE TO HELP PICK UP TRASH FROM THE GROUND.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE WASTE COLLECTION. WE ONLY BOUGHT ONE BIN FOR THE FOOD WASTE AS PART OF THE COLLECTION PACKAGE FOR THE GREEN GUARDIANS. SO FOR AN EVENT LIKE THIS, IT IS, YOU KNOW, MUCH LARGER THAN ANY EVENT THAT WE'VE PUT ON THIS YEAR. IT'S, YOU KNOW, MANY HOURS AND IT'S SPANS ACROSS ROSE RUN PARK. SO THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TEAM WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WOULD TACKLE HAVING MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WHEN WE REALLY ONLY HAVE THE ONE BIN AND WE COULDN'T GET ANYONE TO VOLUNTEER. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO OBVIOUSLY DO THE TRASH CLEANUP. THEY'RE DOING OTHER THINGS, LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE WATER MONSTER THERE THAT DAY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO REFILL THEIR WATER BOTTLES. THEY'RE GOING TO BE HAVING THE REUSABLE BEER STEINS SO THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LESS WASTE IN THE CUPS AND THE BOTTLES AND EVERYTHING FOR THE BEVERAGES. THEY I'M THE BEARER OF THE BAD NEWS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION AT THIS YEAR'S OKTOBERFEST. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THE CITY IS PUTTING IT ON. WE TOOK IT OVER FROM THE CHAMBER FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO THEY'RE. THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING CURVE FOR THEM ON HOW TO ACTUALLY PUT THIS EVENT ON. AND HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO NEXT YEAR. SO THEY WERE HOPING THAT THE BOARD BEFORE NEXT YEAR COULD KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A PLAN ON HOW YOU SEE THEM EXECUTING, HAVING THE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION AT THEIR EVENT NEXT YEAR. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS OCTOBER 4TH. SUMMER. I WE MAY HAVE DISCUSSED THIS. DID WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE WERE REQUIRING VENDORS TO USE COMPOSTABLE PRODUCTS? NO.
WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO FOR NEXT YEAR. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WE GET VENDORS TO COME TO, LIKE JUNETEENTH AND DIWALI. THEY COMMIT TO COMING, BUT NOT EVERYBODY SHOWS UP. SO JUST GETTING THE FOOD TRUCKS AND VENDORS TO THE EVENTS IS
[01:25:01]
CHALLENGING ENOUGH AND THEN TRYING TO DICTATE TO THEM HOW THEY CAN RUN THEIR FOOD TRUCK HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO TURN ANYONE AWAY AND THEN NOT BE IT WITH, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH FOOD FOR THE EVENT. SO SO THAT'S KIND OF A TRICKY BALANCE, TRYING TO TELL THEM HOW TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS WHEN WE JUST NEED THEIR BUSINESS. SO UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT FAR YET. SEEMED LIKE IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR NEXT YEAR TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT AND WORK TOWARD IT. I MEAN, I, I SEE WHY, LIKE THE EVENTS AT THE AMPHITHEATER, YOU KNOW, IT'S MUCH MORE CONTAINED. YOU HAVE ONLY SO MANY ENTRANCES AND PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING VERSUS LIKE OKTOBERFEST. I MEAN, YEAH, IT WOULD IT WOULD TAKE A LOT. I COULD SEE THAT.IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING THOUGH, TO LIKE, THINK FROM NOW UNTIL NEXT OCTOBER, MAYBE EVEN LOOKING AT OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY IN CENTRAL OHIO THAT ARE DOING THIS AT LARGER EVENTS LIKE RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, OR AT LEAST TRASH RECYCLING AND REALLY DOING THAT. WELL, MAYBE. AND WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES ON THAT? MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD, YOU KNOW, DO SOME RESEARCH ON. WHEN WE WENT TO A COMMUNITY PROGRAM, IT WAS LIKE AA1 DAY CONFERENCE. THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL OHIO AND OHIO THAT ARE NOT EVEN RECYCLING AT THEIR EVENTS. AND SO WHEN WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE STARTING THE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION. THEY WERE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT SOMEBODY IS STARTING TO TAKE THAT ON. BUT SO IT IS DEFINITELY A NEW THING IN OHIO. UNFORTUNATELY, WE WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE SOMEONE'S MODEL AND, AND TAILOR IT TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE MIGHT END UP BEING THE COMMUNITY THAT OTHER PEOPLE LOOK TO AND, AND TAILOR FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD AND THE BAD TO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. I THINK WITH THIS EVENT BEING A NEW EVENT FOR THIS CITY. COMPARING IT TO JUNETEENTH AND DIWALI, JUST THE MAGNITUDE OF VOLUNTEERS THAT WE NEED, VOLUNTEERS AND PAID WORKERS THAT WE NEED FOR THE DAY, LIKE WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO SELL DRINK TICKETS. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO WORK AT THE KIDS STATION. SO. A LOT MORE VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAN AT JUNETEENTH AND DIWALI. SO I THINK THAT WAS ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH GETTING MORE GREEN GUARDIANS AT THIS EVENT, AS OPPOSED TO THE OTHER ONES. WHEN WE HAD PLENTIFUL AMOUNTS OF GREEN GUARDIANS. SO THERE WILL STILL BE TRASH AND RECYCLING. YES. GOT IT. YEAH.
SO SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS MORE FOR NEXT YEAR'S EVENT ON. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT HANDLED? I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT IDEA FOR A STUDENT LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY GRANT TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA. BECAUSE I KNOW ALL THE KIDS ARE LISTENING IN RIGHT NOW. IT'S IT'S MISSING. SO ON THAT HAPPY NOTE, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO GREAT. DO ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS? I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE I GET A COPY OF THE MAP, THE WINDSOR MAP, SO I KNOW WHICH NEIGHBORS I SHOULD BE NAGGING. I THINK I WILL GET ONE OF THOSE YELLOW BUCKETS AND ALL RIGHT, SEEING NO MEMBERS WITH COMMENTS, I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:00. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
AYE AYE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.