Agenda
Agenda/Plan:
Sierra Club Santa Cruz Group Executive Committee Meeting Agenda, August 9, 2017
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Louden Nelson Center, Santa Cruz, CA Welcome – Member comments
Becca will join by phone due to surgery, Jack and Erica will be absent.
Approval of Minutes
- July Minutes
Treasurer’s Report (Mary)
Nominations Committee (need to formalize)
- Committee Membership
- Elections Schedule
o October - Nominations Committee makes recommendations and Petition Candidates can petition o November – Candidate statements
o December - Voting
Conservation Committee (Gillian)
- Jessie Street Marsh Update (Erica)
- Downtown Recovery Plan
- Next Meeting: Aug 30th, 6:30-8:30, Louden Nelson
Events and Outreach Committee (Greg/Morgan)
- Nomination of Steve Bakaley as Outreach and Outings Chair
o Steve recently relocated from the East Bay where he has been the Outings Coordinator for the
Mt Diablo Group of the Bay Chapter. He is eager to get involved here and happy to take on the
role of Outreach and Outings Chair.
- Report from Outreach Coordinator (Morgan)
- Upcoming Events (approved)
o November 16, Leonie Sherman, tentative “Bicycling around Iceland”
o January 18, Donna and Peter Thomas “Following John Muirs walk from SF to Yosemite” o Date TBD, “Before the Flood” movie
- Proposed Events (need approval, was not approved in July) o September 21st, “Treasured Lands” slideshow:
QT (Tuan) Luong has spent 23 years photographing all 59 National Parks using a 5X7 large format camera. He is an amazing outdoorsman often traveling deep in the wilderness, for up to a week at a time, carrying a 70lb backpack. I’m sure he will have good stories to tell besides his beautiful photos.
o Santa Cruz Open Streets, West Cliff Drive, October 8 2017 9AM – 2PM
“Neighbor” Level Sponsorship is $250, includes a booth space at the event
- Ohlone Trail Reroute – are we able to promote the trail work days? (as non-club events that may be of interest to our members). We haven’t done this yet.
- Next Meeting – tbd
Transportation Committee (Jack)
- City of Santa Cruz Corridor Plan (Alex, Rick, Mark Mesiti-Miller request)
- Rail Trail Check in and offer from Ron Goodman to walk the trail with us.
- Next Meeting – tbd
Adjourn
Minutes
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes: 8/9/17
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Louden Nelson Center, Santa Cruz, CA
Present: Greg, Becca, Gillian, Morgan, Mark, Jane, Steve, Mary, Rick, Ron, Alex, Gary Patton, Denise Hobert, Kelly Bond
Welcome – Member comments
Approval of Minutes – Gillian motions and Rick seconds, vote is unanimous.
July Minutes
Treasurer’s Report (Mary)
Nominations Committee (need to formalize)
about $5,000 from annual appeal?
Last meeting: Voted to write a letter to send to Chapter. Reviewed the previous Motion and Greg confirmed that he had not taken action on that vote yet but that he would in the coming month
Greg: ask Rita when next meeting is.
Committee Membership
Greg to be Nominations Committee chair, Mary to be non-executive member committee member, Gillian to be committee member, Erica to be committee member
Greg moves to create committee, Ron seconds- vote is unanimous.
Elections Schedule : up for vote- Jane and Greg; 2 seats open
October - Nominations Committee makes recommendations and Petition Candidates can petition
November – Candidate statements
December - Voting
Conservation Committee (Gillian)
Jessie Street Marsh Update (Erica)- Erica not here so no update
Downtown Recovery Plan-
EIR came out, asking for height amendments and FAR increase. Plan divides area around river into 3 pieces. Aesthetics don’t apply because project is within a mile from transit. EIR says overall project has little impact… Conservation Committee is gathering information to send a letter to the city. There was discussion around the trade offs around density - especially more compact development vs sprawling development outside the urban core, and that we should review national guidelines around these types of issues.
Gillian- not against density just out of scale density; dense development leads to gentrification leading to displacement of lower income folks who use public transportation more than those who displace them, therefore increasing carbon footprint etc.
Gillian and Jane to summarize positive and negative environmental impacts of project to send to ex com for a vote if we should move ahead with a letter.
Next Meeting: Aug 30th, 6:30-8:30, Louden Nelson
Events and Outreach Committee (Greg/Morgan)
Nomination of Steve Bakaley as Outreach and Outings Chair
o Steve recently relocated from the East Bay where he has been the Outings Coordinator for the Mt Diablo Group of the Bay Chapter. He is eager to get involved here and happy to take on the role of Outreach and Outings Chair.
Greg moves to make Steve Outreach and Outings chair
Ron seconds, vote is unanimous
Report from Outreach Coordinator (Morgan)
Upcoming Events (approved)
November 16, Leonie Sherman, tentative “Bicycling around Iceland”
o January 18, Donna and Peter Thomas “Following John Muirs walk from SF to Yosemite” o Date TBD, “Before the Flood” movie
Proposed Events (need approval, was not approved in July)
September 21st, “Treasured Lands” slideshow:
QT (Tuan) Luong has spent 23 years photographing all 59 National Parks using a 5X7 large format camera. He is an amazing outdoorsman often traveling deep in the wilderness, for up to a week at a time, carrying a 70lb backpack. I’m sure he will have good stories to tell besides his beautiful photos.
Greg motions to approve event, Alex seconds, vote is unanimous.
Santa Cruz Open Streets, West Cliff Drive, October 8 2017 9AM – 2PM
“Neighbor” Level Sponsorship is $250, includes a booth space at the event
Greg motions to approve money used to purchase booth at Open Streets, Alex seconds, Gillian opposes because of high cost, rest vote to purchase booth.
Ohlone Trail Reroute – are we able to promote the trail work days? (as non-club events that may be of interest to our members). We haven’t done this yet.
Gillian- concerned with connecting Sierra Club with mountain bikers in this way (trail re-routing) interested in trail maintenance with highschool students
Rick- cautionary note, but we can promote
Alex- sees no issue with promotion
Steve- Not a good idea to drive a wedge
Becca- promote both events or none; thinks we should promote both
Rick- Collaborate where possible,yes we should
Becca motions to promote both events as non- Sierra Club events.
Ron? seconds?
Gillian opposes, the others vote for the motion.
Jane- scotts valley meeting- environmental town hall- October/November tabling
Next Meeting – tbd
Transportation Committee (Jack)
City of Santa Cruz Corridor Plan (Alex, Rick, Mark Mesiti-Miller request)
Corridor plan: on Hold, assuming the city is re-writing it, they want a strong public opposition. People are upset about the changes in their neighborhood. Plan does not focus enough on affordable housing and sustainable transportation.
Alex- We want a seat at the table to work on it before it goes to the floor. Get public involvement while the shaping of the plan is happening.
Gillian- does not think the city would change the plan to a point where Sierra Club could support it. We should figure out what our stance is on the plan before we sit with the city.
Jane- Sierra Club would have to know where they stand before going to the city. Concerned with the housing not being affordable.
Gary- Sierra Club could lose a lot of members if we sit with the city to shape this plan
Ron- agrees with Gary- great process
Mark- Mayor would like to sit with community to have conversation about housing and he his happy to to refer the Mayor to sitting down with the Sierra Club.
Becca- Forum about Mayors questions and then meet with her about plan.
Gillian- No to meeting with Mayor, yes to forum about corridor plan first.
Rick- yes to holding a forum, makes motion to make corridor plan committee to come back and make a forum plan – Gillian, Rick, Alex and Steve—in September.
Rail Trail Check in and offer from Ron Goodman to walk the trail with us.
Ron? Wants to remove the tracks…
Gillian- wants to show the heritage trees that will go. Would prefer 2 weeks.
Mark- hiking as a group is a trespass- as Sierra Club to ask for permission. Happy to present a different point of view
Becca- wants both people in the same week.
Greg- Negatives: small scale Positives: large scale; could be an interesting dynamic, check in with Ron
Ron- put it out to members
Ron moves to have an educational walk with Ron and Mark along the corridor.
Alex seconds- vote is unanimous
Next Meeting – tbd
Adjourn