HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Minutes - Natural Resources & Conservation Committee - 10/09/2024
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NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 09, 2024
The South Burlington NRCC held a regular meeting on Wednesday, 9 October 2024, at 6:00
p.m., in Room 334, 180 Market Street, and by GoToMeeting remote participation.
Members present: J Chaulot, Chr; L. Kupferman, Vice Chr; L.Yankowski; K. Boyk; J. Bossange
& M. Korpos (left early).
Also present: D. Wheeler, City liaison; L. Smith, City Council Liaison.
1. Mr. Chaulot welcomed everyone and Mr. Wheeler reviewed emergency procedures.
2. No changes to the actual agenda just switching discussion of two items.
3. No public attendees or comments.
4. Ms. Yankowski moved to accept the meeting minutes from 09/04/2024. Mr.
Bossange 2nd. Approved with a change to Ethan Tapper no longer being the
Chittenden County Forester. Mr. Kupferman abstained from the vote.
5. City Updates
a. CRO is now officially under contract with South Burlington. They will be
developing the Open Space Plan. It was too soon to invite them to join us.
b. Mr. Wheeler reminded the committee to partake of the Budget Survey- there
has not been a big response so far.
City of South Burlington – FY26 Budget Community Survey (Page 1 of 3)
(office.com)
c. Committees need to get their work plans done for presentation to the city
council 11/18/2024.
6. FY25 Policies Priorities & Strategies (PP&S), adopted by the City Council does not
include our proposed changes to the LDRs about tree conservation. Mr. Chaulot and
Mr. Bossange still want to try and get our proposal reviewed. It is listed in the “Bike
Rack” under Energy. Mr. Smith will express this committee’s frustration over the
process- we do appreciate there has been a lot of work being done by staff and other
committees. He also suggests remaining diplomatic with presentation of our work
plan and inquiring if the City Council has anything they would like us to work on.
The council is still trying to determine how they want committees to function.
7. NRCC FY25 Work Plan
a. Reference original matrix sent with the meeting information. We have added
tasks for the new fiscal year. Reference new email sent by Mr. Wheeler.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 9, 2024 | PAGE 2
Committee members should review and submit any changes before this is
presented to the council.
b. Mr. Kupferman moved to approve what we currently have, Ms. Boyk 2nd-
approved with 5 votes in favor and one not present.
8. FY26 Budget
a. Reminder to complete the survey. A committee member asked if the NRCC
has any input into promoting electric vehicles with the city. DPW is already
working to upgrade their building for charging stations and will be switching
to electric pickup trucks.
9. Homegrown National Parks
a. The website has lots of information and activities. Do we want to add
promoting this concept to our work plan? Ms. Boyk inquired how the
committee would like to address this topic – advising the City on reducing
mowed lawn at the parks, education/outreach to community, demonstration
garden, etc. Members also noted similar initiatives like Lawns into Meadows,
Burlington Wildways, and Audubon’s Plant for Birds. The city library has a
seed exchange.
b. We need more discussion on this topic.
10. Green Mountain Transit (GMT)
a. Due to budgetary concerns, GMT is looking to reduce the number of routes.
Mr. Smith suggested watching the City Council meeting that discussed this
topic. Ridership is down and rerouting is looking at where population
concentrations are. Would it be helpful if the NRCC expressed support for
better routing of the public bus system and/or community outreach to try to
increase ridership?
11. Member updates
a. Ms. Yankowski and Ms. Korpos attended the AVCC (Association of VT
Conservation Commissions) 2024 Virtual Annual Summit. Ms. Korpos had
sent the recording via email to the NRCC previously. The conference had 3
guest speakers who discussed uses of grants they had received from the
group. 2024 Conservation Summit: Amplifying Local Voices - Association of
Vermont Conservation Commissions (vtconservation.com)
b. Ms. Yankowski has agreed to and is in contact with the SB library to help with
a book reading at the library with Ethan Tapper and his new book, How To
Love A Forest.
c. Ms. Yankowski also attended a discussion on , “Urine Recycling”.
d. Ms. Boyk let us know that next year’s Drinking Water Week fair will be held in
South Burlington in May of 2025. The field trip will have various activities for
students. Vermont Drinking Water Week - Vermont Rural Water Association
(vtruralwater.org)
e. We do not know of any new planned developments.
12. Other business
NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 9, 2024 | PAGE 3
a. For future agenda items: meet the CRO in December, discuss NRCC page on
City website, continue discussing Homegrown National Parks more, and
review our work plan for FY25.
13. NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 06, 2024 Adjourned 08:12 PM