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FROM: Commission for the Environment
SUBJECT: Monthly Meeting Summary
DATE: April 11, 2011
LOCATION: Southern Human Services Center (Chapel Hill)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bill Kaiser (Chair), Renee Price (Vice Chair), Lucy Adams, Lynnette
Batt, May Becker, Loren Hintz, Clay Hudson, Michael Hughes, Tom O’Dwyer, David Neal, Gary
Saunders, David Welch
MEMBERS ABSENT: Chris Adams, Peter Cada, Michele Drostin
STAFF PRESENT: Rich Shaw and Tom Davis
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I. Call to Order: Kaiser called the meeting to order at 7:32 pm
II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – Price asked that time be allowed for members of the
Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association to address the CFE about an environmental
issue. The CFE said they would allow it. Hughes reported on an article in the Daily Tar
Heel about the UNC cogeneration plant. Hintz asked to brief the CFE on an effort to
develop a “green map” for Orange County and other nearby counties.
III. Approval of Minutes – The meeting summary for the March 14, 2011 meeting was
approved as written, by consensus.
IV. OWASA Forest Management Plan – Kaiser introduced a draft letter to OWASA’s Pat
Davis thanking him for his earlier presentation and including further questions raised by
CFE members in March. He suggested the CFE send this letter soon so that OWASA
could consider these matters in its forthcoming response to the OWASA board of
directors. Kaiser pointed out that any recommendations to the BOCC concerning this
issue should await the CFE’s evaluation of a revised forest management plan.
CFE members commented on the set of questions in the draft letter. Some edits were
requested and new questions added to the list. Kaiser asked Shaw to revise the letter
based on the feedback received and prepare it for Kaiser’s signature. Kaiser then
reviewed a summary of CFE issues and findings thus far. No changes were offered.
Batt noted that the Water Resources Committee is preparing an annotated summary of
relevant publications pertaining to forest management in water supply watersheds.
V. Committee Work Tasks – Kaiser introduced a list of top priority work tasks for 2011 that
provided by each committee. He asked someone from each committee to comment on
their tasks. Saunders, Bat, Hintz, and Neal spoke on behalf of their respective
committee. Members of the Energy Resources Committee decided to split one of their
tasks into two separate tasks dealing with solid waste issues. Shaw will revise the list
based on the discussion.
VI. Committee Breakout – The four committees met for about 45 minutes. When the full
CFE reassembled, Kaiser asked each committee to report back to the full group in May.
VII. Updates and Information Items – CFE members received updates and information on the
following issues: Unified Development Ordinance was adopted April 5 (Shaw); Green
Map effort underway for Orange, Durham and Wake counties by Jane Norton at
www.ourcommunitygreen.org (Hintz).
Meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Minutes by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff