BBGC Meeting Minutes 1/26/10

Joan Birnie began the meeting asking about a report for the preparations for the Farm and Home Show which will be Wednesday, February 10th. Joe Shea and Dave Birnie noted Bow Food Pride has committed to several hundred reusable shopping bags to be given out. The Grocery Kart will also provide reusable shopping bags, as will Pamida and possibly some other merchants. There should be plenty of resuable shopping bags available for distribution.

Joan Birnie then discussed additional handouts on energy efficiency and recycling that are being provided by MEAN (Municipal Energy Association of Nebraska) and LBRC&D (Loup Basin Resource Conservation & Development) for handing out at the Farm and Home Show. Discussion then turned to fundraising and bookmarks were suggested as a handout to people in exchange for donations. At the Farm and Home Show Pamida will donate a portable grill and MEAN will donate some clocks that run on water. The plan is to give away these items in a drawing at the Farm and Home Show.

Further discussion regarding fundraising options included application for grants through the New Belgium Brewery grant program, which is currently closed but will open in the spring. Nate Bell noted that BBGC can apply for grants from the Custer County Foundation even though it is under the umbrella of the Custer County Foundation. Through a program called Recycling Fundraiser, organizations can exchange small electronics, inkjet cartridges, cell phones, and laptops for cash. Donations to the Broken Bow Green Coalition can be made to the Custer County Foundation and will be directed to BBGC by writing BBGC in the memo line on the donation check. Instructions are available on the donate page and further questions can be directed to the Custer County Foundation.

Kelly Flynn then updated the group about the plans for recycling containers at the Farm and Home Show. It was estimated that the amount of recyclable material would be minor but it would be worth placing recycling receptacles next to the garbage containers. He will also bring sheets detailing the items accepted at the recycling center. These will be placed in the reusable shopping bags for educational purposes. The sign up sheet for staffing the Farm and Home Show was then distributed to the group.

Kelly Flynn then mentioned that in the next few months he will be meeting to learn about recycling compact fluorescent bulbs and electronic waste including computers.

Keep Loup Basin Beautiful is willing to take over the reins of the Keep Broken Bow Beautiful campaign. The first proposal under the new management was to complete a grant for cigarette receptacles placed throughout the community. Debate about the placement of the cigarette receptacle placement was undertaken and several possible sites were mentioned. Consensus was that public places would take preference over private businesses if the grant was completed.

The plan for recycling receptacles at the new ballfields was then reviewed. No price estimate or plan was currently in place. Joan Birnie requested a large photo of the recycling receptacle proposed to be displayed at the Farm and Home Show booth.

Dave Birnie suggested that BBGC further promote the energy audits provided by the city, given the recent increase in electrical rates proposed by the City of Broken Bow. It was also proposed that the BBGC reach out to the new director of the municipal utilities to try to promote the energy audits and any grants available for weatherization or other energy efficiency measures that can cushion some of the blow for people paying increased electric bills.

The next meeting of the Broken Bow Green Coalition will be 2/23/10 at 7 pm at the Broken Bow Public Library.