001All right, welcome everybody. Um, let's see. I have here we go. Welcome everybody. Um, here we are for our sustainable trumble team meeting. Um, I hope you have the agenda with you. The first item on the agenda would be to from February 9th's meeting. Would anyone like to make a motion to do that? >> April's raising her hand. >> I can make a motion to approve the the minute meetings from February 9th. >> Thank you. Second. Thanks, Dean. And then all in favor? Beautiful. >> Meanwhile, I'm going to be taking notice notes here. So, um >> Okay. Next on the agenda, I have the recycling single stream uh contamination issue and possible solution. That's a bit of be a bit of a discussion. Mari, you want to sort of take take charge on that? >>
002Sure. Um, I didn't really put a whole lot um together on that one other than to make mention that I am um doing a month or every other month um contribution to the first selectman's newsletter. That's a kind of a newish thing we started a few months back. Hopefully everybody's seeing that. Um and just keeping up with social media content. Um if anyone in the group wants to contribute ideas and or content uh I'm all ears on that. Um otherwise you know we're still in discussions on the town side of how to handle the contamination. Um I do see we have a few guests joining us. So I'll just kind of uh give a quick overview of what that entails. basically um curbside recycling that gets picked up by our private haulers um is then
003transported um directly to the MURF in Shelton which is the materials recovery facility and per the contract if 10% or greater of the content being received is contaminated meaning it's in plastic bags um instead of loose items it's containing too many food particles uh and it's just simply not items that are accepted for recycle cycling. Uh those are the three kind of overarching categories of contamination, um the uh town is assigned a fee for providing contaminated items. So while the quick solution in people's head or a possible solution might be, oh well, let's just put everything in the garbage, right? Why are we recycling if we're getting fined? But the same kind of um guidelines apply to our trash. If the trash has too much recycling in it, uh we're breaking the law on not
004recycling recyclable materials and we're fined in that direction. So, we have to, you know, improve education and recycling best practices. Um so, as I mentioned at the last meeting, I'm looking to put together some video content. Um, I did actually did just as a quick side note, I did a presentation recently and um, in doing so, I gathered some information from the Connecticut Deep's um, recent report on like the breakdown essentially of our solid waste stream. So that covers our trash and recycling. And really only uh, 41% of Connecticut's recycled items are via our mixed recycling or our curbside recycling. The rest of our recycling is done through all of these additional programs. So think mattresses, textiles, uh electronic recycling. So I think um you know as a group we want to target uh recycling
005contamination but also to capitalize on all those additional recycling programs because as everybody on the team knows we do quite a bit of additional recycling in Trumbull. So um that kind of liaison maybe into our beyond the bin update. Uh if you want me to keep going Kevin on the agenda. Um, okay. So, um, Beyond the Bin, that's our program that covers our typically not recycled items where we partner with Terraycle, um, and send back items such as our oral care products, beauty care, um, razors, um, lots of other small items, um, including our printer ink and plastic film, etc. Uh, so I was able to just get the um some new boxes purchased for our um cosmetic and beauty care products because our collection is overflowing. We're getting tons of participation at the library.
006Uh hopefully some of you or all of you have seen the new u bin collection bins at the library for Beyond the Bin and of course from our monthly recycling drive. We're steadily busy with uh collections there. So, um, yeah. So, I'm excited that we, um, are able to get those boxes purchased. Uh, April, your hand up. >> Yes. Sorry. Um, sorry. Um, Mari, I was just thinking back to when you were looking for any kind of like a video content and I don't know if this is a great time to kind of talk about it a little bit, but um I don't I was wondering if any of the sixth graders at Hillrest because I know you came in and you were given some presentations to kind of just look at at the end
007the videos that they made. Um, but a lot of effort and energy was put into those kind of presentations that the kids did. And I'm wondering if there are any that are already created, maybe just need to be tweaked, but that were created by the students that we could use to help with that. It's really the educational piece for people. >> Right. Right. I think um for the contamination component, it's very specific guidelines that you know I want to cover for those types of content, but I would love to have students create maybe more spec specified videos for some of that education. Um, I don't know if you saw my email reply regarding kind of like um relating the project ideas to some of the programs that we do offer to kind of uh show
008how they relate together and the the effort and the idea is there. So, not doing a good job answering that, but yes. So, yes, I will I could reach back out to that teacher to connect and get some more students engaged in doing some of the videos. That that would be great. Yeah, that was it. I just Yeah, might as well use a resource of a captive audience that seemed to really be into what they were working on. >> Right. Right. Um yeah, I think if I could give kind of um feed the content that we're looking for and have them put together the guidelines, that would probably be a better fit for what I'm looking to achieve on that project. >> Okay. Um, >> Mari, did you have you uh talked to any of
009the other towns about how they're minimizing the crosscontamination between the uh recyclables and the trash? Do they have any anything you run into that sounds like a good idea or is there anyone to talk to? >> Yeah, I think there's some conversation that some of the towns are doing that we are also um considering that it's just a little premature to discuss to the community. But um in terms of education, I have been in touch with other people and you know fortunately unfortunately I don't know that there's like a magic solution. It's just kind of the repetition of the same information uh maybe again from different channels presenting it differently. Um you know maybe people are seeing that familiar looking flyer what's in without and scrolling by it. Maybe it has to be something, you
010know, coming at you with don't bag or, you know, just different different directions. I think that's what other towns are trying. Um, there is some conversation about putting like a oops tag on the bin if the haulers are simply going to say, "I'm not going to pick up today because I see your bin is overflowing with trash bags when there should be no bagged items in your recycling bin." Um, that's an ask of the hauler, though. So again, some future conversation to have with them. But >> that's right. >> Yeah. I wish had somebody else told me like we're doing this and it's >> Anybody else? >> Yeah. >> It seems like to me I would imagine that the putting the recycles in a >> in a plastic bag seems like probably the worst thing
011that is done. I see I see it when I walk around. >> Yeah. >> And you know it's well intentioned. People think it's containing stuff, particularly if you have quite a lot of recycling because it only comes every other week. You know, you think it's going to blow away down your street, whatever it be. But it's really a disservice. So um yeah, does anybody um have any other ideas they'd like to add or um certainly if um anyone's not able to um chime in on the meeting? I'm not sure. Oh, attendees. Okay, Kimberly, I'm gonna Are you Are you able to talk, Kimberly? I'm not sure based on the format of the meeting. >> I can see your hand up, but can you type into the chat? There is not one. All right. Um Kimberly,
012I'm going to see when um Bill is available with it and when he pauses if we can get you to participate. Let me find out. Um but I will move I I will move on in the agenda if that's okay. Um, I think I think attendees need to be promoted to a participant somehow. Does that sound familiar? Yeah. Okay. Um, okay. Coming up, events for the for the spring summer. Um, April, do you want to just get started? I I'll I'll do the other two first. Earth Day. I have a table at um the Trumble Nature and Arts Center on is it the 18th? Kevin, do you know this? your Earth Day event. I think it's Saturday the 18th. Does that sound right? >> Yes. Yes, it is. Yep. >> Okay. Um, so that's one.
013If anybody from the team is interested in joining me, I would be glad to have company or any um ideas on tableabling. And >> what what time will that be? >> Shoot, I feel bad. I don't have the information in front of me. I should have >> It's either it either starts at 10 or 11, but let me look it up real quick. >> I think it's 10 to 1, Kevin. That sounds right. But if you want to Okay, that's what I thought. >> Yeah, it's primarily g geared towards um families with young kids if I if I recall. >> Um >> we're going to try for another Vine team that day since we keep getting messed up by rain and snow. But uh >> Oh, great. >> Which actually, yeah, it's a good time
014of year to focus on these activities. >> Yeah, we have we have plenty of vines and stuff at the nature center. So, anytime you want to >> No, I've noticed doing it there. >> Yes. Uh I'm I'm glad you said that because it's I' I've walked around there and thought, "Oo, this there's some bad ones." Some of those two getting choked out. >> Yeah. >> Um Okay. Tidy Up Trumble's still on the agenda here, but we decided that we were not going to do a location as a group. And if anybody's interested in participating in their cleanup, I believe it's Saturday the 25th of April. Um, just please do so individually this year. Um, April. Yeah, Saturday the 25th. Okay. Um, next pollinator pathway plant sale. April, do you want to uh talk about where
015you are with that? And I have some um notes from Pam to relay because she couldn't make it. Um yeah, so um we're still working with White Birch Nursery. Um we looked at their Pam helped me, she helped me create the three different kind of groupings of of flowers. Um so far I created a Canva flyer for that. Um I was just waiting for just some feedback from Pam um because I know she is more of the plant expert than I am to make sure that the right pictures are underneath the flowers and that everything like kind of meshes um I guess with her vision in regards to that. Um, and then I was going to pick a couple days at the library um to push um kind of the educational piece of it and
016see if we get people to sign up. And then Pam and I are also doing um a presentation I believe potentially the first week of May with one of the garden clubs um and they were interested in this um information as well. So, as soon as we have the flyer and dates ready, then I could send that out, post it to our website, and just let people know where where it's going to be available um with like some sort of delivery date, probably like the end of May. >> Okay. >> Um I did want to know how much money we had left in the grant. >> Who would know that? Is that a Janet question? Tim Tim Coughlin might know. >> He's supposed to know. >> He is supposed to know. >> Yeah. >> And
017um he knows that he has to contact Donna Merrill at the pollinator pathway to check it. >> Okay. Yeah. So, the reason I just wanted to know is so we make sure like obviously we don't overpromise and underdel but that so we're like we're we're within the mark but um there are different flowers that were picked this time compared to last time which I thought was really cool. Um I think the timing is a little bit different than than we did the last time too. So and where we're looking to I guess target people as well. So hopefully we get a different bunch of people um because not everyone, you know, went to the farmers market. Um and this time we're kind of looking at those who go to the library, which is just different.
018Um and then so hopefully then we could cap capture different audience or community members to participate in the great program. >> Do we have any Oh, sorry. >> No, go ahead. I'm I'm wondering if we have any way to find out how the how the last batch of plants um overwintered. Is there any way to find out to ask people if they're coming back, how things went? You know, if their plants died or didn't or >> you know that that is a great question and what I could do is look through all the email addresses that we collected, send an email out to everybody and be like, "Hey, just following up. How did it go? Are they starting?" I mean, it might still be too early for them to ask if they came back, but
019um within the next couple of weeks, we should start to see something coming up um to see if they overwintered. Well, so it's a great question um and something I could probably do like midappril and definitely have that information. >> Yeah, that still might be a wee bit early, but what the heck? I mean, definitely worth doing. I think that would be great. April, >> yeah, it's a great question. Thanks, Janet. I'll make sure I get that information for you. >> Yeah, good. So, I can send a note to Tim and ask him how much money is left. And unless you wanted to do that, April, I mean, >> no, that would be that would be great if you could put me on the email. >> I'll just you in. Okay. >> Yeah, that would
020be awesome. Um, yeah, I was just waiting for approval kind of Pam from Pam on the flyer. Not in a bad way, just because she's my editing expert. and then from there to kind of get some library dates, you know, a couple afternoons and then like weekends or whatever depending on my availability. Um, and go from there. So, yeah, I think all in all, we're we're in a good spot. >> Awesome. >> Yeah. Great. Um, Pam's comments were um if there could be a longer online sign up period, are you doing the online sign up at all or >> um We can. That's fine. >> Okay. I I'm I'm open to that. That That's an easy one. >> Okay. I think she was interested in that. She's away, by the way. So, in terms of
021timeline, okay. Um and then she um reminded us that the pickup day, some people didn't show up and she was chasing people down at their homes and she wants to um make maybe a disclaimer saying that if you don't show up for the pickup, you forfeit your plans simply because it's a free program and not worth her time to do that. So, I I'm not going to say that that's a bad idea. I think that could definitely be one option. I was also personally thinking like $10 and we could deliver it cash, you know, and do something like that, too. That money then comes back to the program. Um, okay. >> But I'm open to suggestions because I know having driven around Trumbull at one couple about a year a year and a half ago
022for signs, Trumbull is quite large and there's a lot of parts of Trumbull I've never seen before, which now I can say I've seen and they're all beautiful. Um, but getting plants to all these different sections could mean like a lot of, you know, a lot of mileage and a lot of time. So, um, I'm open to suggestions from the group what they think would be best >> and we could go from there >> unless um, White Birch has a nice little area that they would have for pickup at different time, but I mean, >> that would not be fair to ask the company to do that. >> I don't think so. Yeah. Okay. I think they they need to be available and if not, you know, we maybe charge for a pickup. I mean,
023drop off. I don't know. That's just my thoughts. >> Or just say this is the pickup day. If you can't make it, don't sign up. I mean, >> I don't I hate to sound harsh, but you know, it's your time. >> Janet, what are your thoughts, Janet? >> Um I um Well, is there the is there the manpower to drive this stuff around? because I know you know it, like you said, it's very time consuming and a lot of organizations do that. >> Um, you know, Aspatuck Land Trust does that, you know, for their, you know, native plant sale. These are the days for pickup. End of story. >> Pick it up or you don't. And that's that's it. It, you know, if you want to drive all around Trumbull, that's not fair. >> Not
024really. >> That's not fair to you. It's aggravating. So it's uh you know my my my my sense is to is is to offer these are the this is the day or the days for pickup >> and you know people have to be uh able to take the responsibility >> there. I get it. >> Yeah. You know unless we have a ton of volunteers itching to drive stuff around but I don't know that that's going to happen. I'm gonna air on the side of probably not because you're looking at the volunteers here. Exactly. >> And um not to say that we're not good people. I just you know there's a lot of time that goes into this and at the end we're just like please come get your beautiful plants cuz I also want to
025go home. Um no. So >> yeah, >> I think that's fine. Then what we could do then is anything that's left over, maybe we could find if there's a place in town that might be in need of or who would be interested in some plants that are left behind, we could donate them to them for them to plant themselves. Just just an idea. I would hate to see things go to waste. I don't want to see anything go to waste. >> Oh, absolutely. >> I want to find a good home. >> Yeah. I mean, would the school use any of them or >> So, um, when you plant at a school, there's a lot of, >> yeah, >> um, like permissions that you need to get and then it comes down to, well, who's going
026to maintain it for years in the past? >> Um, and that becomes usually a no. >> And is the same with Stern Village? You think that's also administratively? That might be an easier win. >> Uhhuh. >> Um >> because they do raise beds there, I think. >> I think they do. Or even just like around people's property there. I don't, you know, exactly know, but >> um if anybody has a contact at Stern Village, I'll take it and kind of just do a an ask ahead of time just to see. >> Yeah. Have we ever done that, Dean? Has conservation ever I mean, I know there are issues with Stern Village. you know, you have to maybe go through the right channels >> and um you know, Vicky's office might know, but anyway, it's a
027thought. I mean, do you want me to follow up and ask? >> Sure. If you want to, Janet, I think that would be great. >> Well, I don't like waste. >> No, me either. I I don't know again thinking just literally thinking like I don't know if any of the um >> a senior center >> the senior centers the homes in town like the any of the I don't want to I don't know if they're condos but like the apartment complexes if they have anything that they'd be looking to kind of add to. >> I think any place that we could kind of share and spread this is great. >> I can ask Cindy Katsky >> okay >> what her thoughts are. >> Hopefully you won't have much left over. I mean maybe. >> Yeah.
028I mean we are putting the cart before the hor >> we are. But it's good to have a small a small contingency plan at the back end. >> Yeah. >> Because we have to buy a flat too. So and then we hope to sell most of that flat. But even if we didn't sell most of that flat or give it away, we're still going to have a little bit of extra from the flat potentially. >> Right. There was last time. >> Yeah. So just, you know. >> Yeah. Okay. I'll I'll add that to my list. All right, thank you so much. All right, I think that's all I have on Mari and um as soon as I hear from Pam or I'll just going to start reaching out I think a little bit too for
029dates from the library in the upcoming like next couple weeks. >> Yeah, that would be great. >> Okay, awesome. Thanks. >> If you need any any Sorry. Um I do have to go my I actually have to take my son to the train station. Um sorry about that. But if you want me to help out with the dates at the library, I know that Allison um Allan is a um the new like contact person for that um for for questions about setting up times and things like that. So, she would be a good person to ask and I can forward her email as well. >> Oh, that would be great. >> Yep. >> Um thank you, Courtney. Good luck getting your kid to the train station. >> Thank you so much. >> Yeah. Courtney, are
030you jumping off this second or because I was say we could jump. >> Go for it. Yes. content if you wanted to add anything about the food rescue. Do you have a few minutes or >> Yeah, absolutely. Just Yeah. >> Okay. I'm just if that's okay, Kevin, I'm just jumping ahead to um the food donation program at the schools. And do you want to update Courtney or do you want me to kind of fill in? It's up to you. >> Go for it. No, no, you go ahead. Go ahead. Um really I just wanted to update the group that we uh have interest from parents at Jane Ryan as well as Tashua interested in um potentially taking a leadership role in getting the food donation program going at each of those schools. Um so hopefully
031the um principles can connect with um the folks at Daniel's Farm who are already running the program to see um how it's successfully running at that school to see if they can get it going maybe for uh next fall I'm guessing at this point. So Courtney um thank you for being available as a you know employee there a representative from Sustainable Trumble and just a you know advocate for the program on both those fronts and stuff. So thank you. Absolutely. >> Let's keep our fingers crossed that >> hopefully we'll be enough participation. Yeah. >> Hopefully. >> Yeah. Um Okay. Thank you. Um All right. Should I go back to the events we have? Um next on the list is the mattress recycling. Just so everybody's aware, spread the word. Uh friends, neighbors. Uh May 9th
032at Trumble High School, we have our mattress recycling truck coming to collect and recycle mattresses. So as we mentioned, >> 10 to one or 9 to 12. When would that be? >> 9 to 12. >> Yeah. Um as we mentioned at the previous meeting, we're aiming to have that twice a year. One um spring, one fall, ideally May and November, just following in line with last year. That way people can kind of have that expected timeline that they're aware of. Um but you know we have to wait as it gets closer to those dates to ensure availability at the high school ground. So um that's that there's poster up at the library indicating the event as well as at the transfer station so people can become aware of it. Um I believe I posted it
033on social media. If not we'll get it out there. We did a eblast from the town. Um, so yeah, that's how we're getting the word out. The swap shop, we haven't made any progress in terms of deciding if we were going to do like a uh summer sporting good type swap for kids like sporting equipment or if we're going to wait and try to do a Halloween swap. Um, most of our recycling drive crew are not here on the meeting today, but um, you know, I think we'll maybe discuss at our next recycling drive and see if and what we think we can handle um, as it gets closer to those months. Um, if anybody um, as an attendee um, outside of the group has an interest in participating, that's a one of the programs
034we could use extra volunteers. Um I do see that Kimberly was um able to join us with a qu and had a question earlier. Do you want to go back to that? If you want to unmute, Kimberly, you're welcome to. >> Can you guys hear me? >> Yes. Thank you for joining us. >> So, I just I'm just joining because I'm just interested in learning more about what you guys do and supporting, you know, our town and everything like that. Um >> and I honestly can't remember. I think we were talking about oh the recycling how to help people know not what to put in and stuff like that and I'm sure you guys have tried a lot of things but are we able to send flyers home like with the kids like elementary school
035kids and things there's a lot of different ways because I know we can't stick in mailboxes but >> um you know that's that's been suggested to me and I have to move forward on it. Um I think at the elementary schools is it do send home the weekly s'more? Is that what it's called? >> So in every school a weekly s'more gets sent home by every principal to anybody, every family who signed up for it. Those flyers need to be approved by Dr. Siml ahead of time and then they go out to the principles. >> Okay. All right. I'm going to work on that. I think you just mentioned that to me, April, didn't we just talk about this last weekend? I think. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, um, Kimberly, would that kind of fall in
036line with what you were thinking to have a flyer go out to parents with a reminder? >> Yeah, because I mean, even my own mom, I'm always telling her what she can and can't stick in, you know, and so I think I saw a flyer somewhere. I don't know where it is, but anyways, just re-educating our town. Like, I know it's not as easy. Like I said, we can't just stick things in the mailbox, but um, right, you know, anytime we have an like at the libraries, if we could have handouts, like I know we have the bins. Could we put the handouts by the bins? Anywhere that people are coming in and out of, but I think going through the kids, getting the kids on board helps the parents want to be on board.
037So, that might be a good place to start. Girl Scout troops, Boy Scout troops. Yeah. No, that's great. I actually have an event with um the Daniel's Farm Daisy Troop uh next month doing a little uh education and activity on recycling. So, I am open to do that if other groups are interested. that falls under my uh job description. Um and then for library with the new recycling um beyond the bin program, the blue bins on the bulletin board, I did put a QR code to all of the recycling programs as well as the transfer stationation programs. And on the recycling program page per the QR code is the new what's in what's out flyer that can be downloaded. Um and it is double-sided. So the front is, you know, up is provided by the
038state. It's, you know, general curbside or mixed recycling um guidelines and then the back discusses all of the additional recycling programs we have available in Trumbull. Um for the sake of, you know, not having extra paper, we don't have handouts available there, but I did think about having like a plexiglass kind of um holder for flyers. So maybe that's something we think is a a good use. I don't know. But yeah, all good ideas. Thank you. >> And then the videos just along the lines of the videos. I mean, when I go into the transfer station, I'm not even sure where everything goes because I don't take very much stuff there. So, if we did a video of the transfer station, too, what goes where and what because they're so nice there. Everybody that works
039there is so nice, but I rarely go and so I I went the other day. I didn't know where to bring what I was bringing. It's a little intimidating. >> Okay. Okay. So, having like a little video that tells everybody I think people might might recycle more and take things more instead of throwing them into the trash if they knew that stuff was available. >> Okay. Yeah, I actually have video clips. I have like a quick 25se second that spans the electronic trailer. I have another 23 seconds that shows the glass container and I I video inside so you can see all the glass bottles in there. Um, and I've been, you know, planning to put audio to that. But the, um, the hope is to kind of spruce up, I think, the transfer station
040as part of the renovation. So, I've been tentative to post until it looks maybe a little prettier over there and everything's at their final resting spot, but I could certainly do stuff in the interim. So, maybe that would be helpful. The last thing is I'm definitely interested in volunteering for events and stuff, so I'll start writing stuff down. So, >> Okay, great. Um, yeah, you can reach me at uh recycling coordinator at trumble-ct.gov. Um, and I check the sustainable Trumbull email as well. But yeah, please reach out after the meeting and um, I can keep you included in some of the things we could use volunteers for. >> Thanks. >> Yeah, thank you. Um, okay, I'm jumping down the agenda. Energy savings programs. I didn't make any progress on this since our last meeting. Um,
041I could check back with UI to see if they are still interested in hosting a information session that could be something kind of fun. Like they had thrown out the idea of hosting a a movie at our um movie theater where participants can come and enjoy a movie for free, but they have to hear a little information on the home energy savings programs offered by UI, which I think would be a win-win. Um, so that was something I would love to be able to offer. So, I'm going to reach back out to them on that. Um, that's all I have for that item. Conservation Commission, do you want to add anything, Dean, here that you didn't discuss earlier? >> No, we we didn't meet this last month. So, I don't have anything new other other
042than one more date. We're going to try for the vines on April what date was that? 18th >> 18th >> April 18th. Is there anything the sustainable group v I guess mostly being um sorry I can't talk via social media can we help share anything you have to get participants or are you all set with uh attendees and >> Oh thank you uh yes it would be helpful and um we make up a flyer each time and I could just send it to you and you can put it on there. >> Yeah. And we are we're g we've we've reserved two weeks of farmers market um uh time to you know have a table there. I don't know if you're doing that this summer. >> Yes. I have a date in July and a date
043in August. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. That's not on my list here. So, thank you. >> So, I guess different dates. >> Yeah. >> Um Okay, great. Do you know your date? What was the date on the fine on I'm not the date where was the location on April 18th? >> Oh it it will be um in uh Twin Brooks Park near the waterfall. >> By the waterfall, right? >> But I I like your idea about nature center. So I may talk >> Oh yeah. >> parks and wreck about a future one there. >> Okay, great. >> Yeah. >> Appreciate it. Yeah, since you mentioned farmers market, I don't have that on the agenda here, but I do have, as I mentioned, a date in July and a date in August. So, if anyone has
044some fun ideas, I might look to do like an info session at 4:30 and 6 or something um just to kind of incentivize people to come over and get some information versus kind of just breezing by the table and feeling like I might be um trying to sell them something or um make them feel bad about not doing the right recycling. I don't know. I don't know why people walk by, but um I thought maybe if we kind of put like more of an activity um to the table, it might be helpful. So, we'll see how that goes. Um the library, um Kendra and I just put up the Earth Month display at the library, the glass display case in the front entrance. We have a few little tweaks to uh to make to it,
045but take a peek. Let us know what you think. any um new volunteers opportunities. Oh, I think we'll just jump over to sustainable cert uh Connecticut reertification and we can at the end wrap up with new volunteer stuff. Um I am still waiting to hear back from um park and wreck and social services regarding providing additional detail on the farmers market program questions that were asked of sustainable CT to show how the community was engaged in some of the improvements that were made uh one year to the next in moving the farmers market to Twin Brooks and the town running it. So if we can provide sufficient information to sustainable CT that would fulfill our equity toolkit and we can look to move forward with the reertification if anyone else is interested in doing it
046with me. Um, if not, Kevin, I did throw out the idea of the fourth grade education program and their feedback was, again, this is very loose. I know I don't know the details of the program, but their initial feedback was, what action does it go along with? They they were concerned that curriculum in the school doesn't classify for any of the sustainable action items. the closest one would be um educating youth, but they felt like the there's no feedback from students because it's curriculum kind of based. I could share that with you offline, but um I'm not sure that's going to work as the backup. Their suggested backup of my initial list of a bunch of ideas was what April had thrown out earlier of the pollinator pathway at the apartments. Um all right, April,
047you have your hand up. you want to >> Yeah. I I mean, if we're talking about student feedback or education, the sixth grade, this the whole the one sixth grade class at Hillrest did an entire unit based off of sustainable kind of initiatives that all the kids researched and kind of went in. So, I don't know if that could tie in at all. >> I think it's kind of going to fall under a similar scenario of what T-C is doing with the fourth graders. It's like a curriculum based project. It's not a townun sustainable. It's not making the town more sustainable according to their actions. I mean, I I think it is. >> I mean, I would argue that if we then use the student materials to help educate people, then then we are then
048it did. But I don't know. Just whatever. >> Yeah. Yeah, I don't disagree with you. I just don't know that it falls under any of their actions in that respect, which might be uh bring us to our conversation of do we want to continue with the certification if we're, you know, trying to create things to fill their items versus doing what the town wants to do for sustainable initiatives. because it depends on how much work's involved. They seem to indicate that it we had done most of what needed to get done, but it's I think it's a matter of documenting. >> Correct. And they will offer assistance to to us to upload things. Um, I don't know that they're going to comb through meeting minutes to obtain the content, but once we have those minutes,
049let's say in a folder on the drive, they'll take all of it and, you know, fill in all the drop down boxes and attach our attachments, things like that is what I understood. So they indicated the pollinator pathway pollinator pathway project at the apartments was they thought was probably the best fit. Well, I think because it's something that hasn't been done yet, we we could clearly meet the um checkpoints of an equity toolkit by reaching out to a um apartment community in Trumbull, which would be a population of renters that typically wouldn't be able to partake in planting pollinator plants, right, April? And then now you provide an education component to those residents. You provide them seeds to plant their own pollinator um pathway um pots and then you get feedback from them um as
050to what they would or maybe the information session is not so much educationbased but engaging and saying what would you like? How can we help you? Um would these free plants be what you're looking for? If not, how do you adjust it? That's what the equity toolkit is. Yeah, renters is one of the one of the groups for equity. So, >> right, >> makes sense. >> Um, you know, so just to kind of shed a little more light on the equity toolkit as it would apply to the farmers market is the town took over the farmers market a couple of years ago and after year one um I don't I don't want to misspeak but they they accept the SNAP benefits. So that's um a benefit to a certain population in our community. Um and
051then also they've adjusted the layout of the farmers market to make it more accessible for um people with disabilities and whatnot to be able to stay on the path and still um meet with each vendor. So there definitely was engagement with other departments in town. Um it it's just as for what um the leaders of the farmers market can document show that they documented and engaged with people in the community that are accepting the SNAP benefits and possibly had feedback that the accessibility was not sufficient initially and they made those changes. It's showing that you got feedback from your community. So that's what I'm working on. Um, so hopefully I feel like it was done. Whether there's enough documentation to appease sustainable CT is the question. Does that make sense? So I would hate for
052April for you to go do a whole another project um unnecessarily and or you know under time constraints that aren't ideal for you for that reason. But >> well, I I just think we would need to know sooner than later because if we are going to uh whatever a complex that I need to have x amount of funds probably set aside for that complex that's not going to be able to go to the whole town because there's only so much money I have to work with and I I need to be mindful of that. So I would need to know so I could get there and kind of figure that out. >> Yeah. Okay. Let me follow up with Erica at Park and Wreck and see where she is with, you know, kind of combing
053through getting some information for us. Um, I'm sure she would like to get the information, a yay or nay off her plate before the market's open anyway. So, um, let's see if we can move forward. Um, and then who is willing to help go through some of those actions? Kevin, Mary, anyone? >> Yeah, I'll help. >> Okay. >> What's the due date? >> It's a date in August, I think. >> Okay. >> I can help. >> Sorry to put you on the spot. Thanks, Mary. >> I could probably help. I'll be laid up most of the summer. >> Okay. Okay. Like I said, I think if we get files and documentation, um I know in the past we had to like make a word document and copy and paste, you know, screenshots from our social
054media posts, things like that is what takes the time. Once it's in that Google or Word doc on our drive, I think Sustainable CT, like I said, will take it and do the the submission steps for us. So, we've already done so much of it. Um, yeah, Mary, I'll connect with you. I think there were a couple things we were um thinking would definitely be done. The POCD, that sort of thing. Uh, maybe we can just make sure some of the things we were counting on um being points definitely will be by August. Just we kind of revisit that. I think it's been already like two months since we looked at it last. Yeah, the POCD still isn't um finalized, but hopefully it should be um hopefully over next month or so. >> Okay, >>
055it's done. It's just waiting for review. So, >> okay, that's what I thought. Okay. Okay. Um new volunteers. Um Kimberly, thank you for joining us. Jimmy, thank you for joining us. I see you sent an email. I will get back to you on that. I I didn't want to take the attention to read it during the meeting here. Um but certainly if you're, you know, have questions and are looking to be involved, thank you. Um I think that's all I have for now. Does anybody have anything they want to go back to and add? >> I see Mary's here. Mary Isaac. >> Yes. >> Oops. Yes, I'm here. I wanted to hear what was going on with energy and the um uh you know, we had the board of ed come to the budget meetings
056last week and they were talking about um the uh Daniel's farm school food and I was I would you know I think that just is a great program. So I was just hoping to hear it was going to be able to be expanded and the volunteers willing to do it. I know it's a lot of work. So anyway, so I asked Mari if I could pop on and listen. >> Yeah. Do you want to uh fill us in in more detail what was discussed about the food donation program or >> it really no one was familiar no one was famili no one was familiar with it and so I wanted you know people to kind of be aware that um you know it was something you'd started and it was um you know through the
057uh food rescue also that we already do in town is successful and and does get a lot of volunteers so sometimes it doesn't have to be as difficult as some people may think and um you know and it already seemed to have been, you know, doing well there. So, I was just asking the superintendent if there were plans to, you know, try to continue that or to, you know, help get some of the information out to people of the needs that, uh, you know, ability to help and where, when, that kind of a thing. And then energy was more of what have uh, you know, what's been done to date, what could be done. You know, we had some programming previously that maybe wasn't as successful. um you know all the lights up lighting has
058already been changed so does UI offer anything new that they're going through um I mean I was just you know it's a very tough budget year um so I was trying to find yeah April it is um but trying to find things that wouldn't impact students and where can we look in you know in other ways like what extras do we have say in certain accounts that may not being used but also um in the way say of energy efficiencies as you know how expensive it is um and things keep going up and now there's uh a fee on the gas as well um not just electric. So, um there's some program I know where you can do upfront costs to replace HVAC or boilers without it costing the town. Um you know, with some
059of the agreements and then you we we buy back from them, things like that. And and AI being used instead of the the BMS so that it's it's more of a smart uh building instead of just it going on at a certain time when it may not need to go on or go off. And there's just like a lot of new things coming on, but I wasn't sure what we're really doing on the town side and the board of ed side. And George had said that that was something that, you know, was kind of slower getting off the ground than he had hoped. And um I'm hoping the board of ed, you know, is is also able to look into it. So it sounds like it's going to be a board of ed town um
060combo area. But okay. >> I said I brought you up as being our expert of, you know, the sustainable and efficiency and energy. So, I didn't know what you've been, you know, looking at or possibilities or if you thought, you know, what other towns are doing that you think this could really benefit us. I mean, solar fields, I know you have to have room. Um, you know, we we >> need a big roof. You just need a big flat roof. >> Well, there's there's certain, you know, then the board of ed, you know, that they have they've used some of their roofs already. There's areas where um like we just purchased not just purchased but we had purchased a property from the state um down on the border of Shelton and and I was just
061thinking even something like that that it's really not developable developable. I know I'm having so much trouble talking today I'm tired. Um but uh you know is that something where you could put a field and then you sell back? You know what I I I don't know all the rules and regulations and proximity to, you know, to UI and things like that, but it it just, you know, as I said, kind of grasping for straws to find and and also, you know, you you'd love to see your energy costs go down if they can. So, you know, but anyway, so I just wasn't sure what all you had been looking at or doing or anything like that. Um, Mary, you just mentioned a field, and I don't know why this popped into my head, but
062in Fairfield, they actually have um at their I I don't know what the facility is called. It's like where GCA is, is all these like um sporting places. I think it's by their parking rack, but they have a field over their parking lot, so it's like covering their cars. So, that's like that's like a two for one, like your car. >> I know. I brought I brought that up and unfortunately um the facilities director was saying that it's tough in a especially in a school parking lot because of like I was thinking you know in front of Hillrest how you have that whole walkway um you know things like that if you had canopies we've looked at it kind of the town side there's canopies covering cars and then you have the solar on them
063it's a win-win >> but he said you know in a school parking lot it poses more problems because of busing and because of the plows going in to try to go around. But, you know, so I guess there's there probably some area with drifting. You know, if it's going to come straight down, it's like, well, now the cars are all covered, it's great, but if it's coming to the side, it drifts. So, >> but yeah, but I agree. But there's got I know. But, you know, Fairfield said they they have saved, you know, they save like $3 million a year. Whether that's true, I don't know. I don't know how that can be. But, and again, that was kind of like just googling things, so that may not be. But they have extra fields like
064they've used their um I guess guess it was a it was an old um like a a dump like we have a current dump that we have to clean up that we don't use and so it's required by the state but then it's going to be capped and unused so maybe that's a spot. Uh the same thing the transfer station when that finally gets done. Um you know is that possible roofing there? You know there's you know wow bill's going crazy. Um, but uh, you know, so I I don't know, but again, I wasn't sure what what you guys have been talking or how how much of a deep dive, you know, you're you're a part-time person that does a a full plus-time job uh, just on this, so I wasn't sure what where, you
065know, how much you've gone into things. >> Yeah, thank you. Um, not too much recently, I'll be honest. I haven't been tasked with too much of that in this role, but I'm certainly happy to weigh in. Um, I will say the upfront purchase price with those car ports just adds that makes it the return on the investment pretty cost prohibitive. Um, so unless there's some sort of uh grant funding available. >> Yeah, they had a they had a grant and and I wasn't familiar and facilities wasn't. It's called special school pool and see so this means nothing to me. I'm reading it and it's you know it's it's Greek. Um, you know, the state set aside 25 megawatts annually for schools with a priority ranking of 40% bid preference or a multiplier in ranking. So,
066reading that I'm like, is that a sentence? Um, but you probably understand that. But, but the carports since they're more expensive to build, the state gives schools um, uh, different bid pricing. So, it's up to like 30 cents per kilowatt. Um, and it just says that, let me see, uh, it's can save the district 60 to 100,000 per year in utility offsets. Uh, this is something that's coming up in May. So, it was a pretty quick turnaround, which is why, you know, I just asked him, but I I don't know anything about energy, let's put it that way. So that's what I wasn't sure what can and can't but it just seems like there have to be some ways to you know our buildings are so old which was one of the points from um
067from facilities but that also then kind of gives you incentive to if we can get you know the HVAC in and the boilers in they are going to be more efficient. So if the if if if it does if it ends up being a buyback and we don't have to put the the money into capital or upfront cost, you know, that just seems to make sense and we're still buying at a cheaper rate than UI, it's kind of a win-win. So, you know, I just I again just not knowing what opportunities are there. And a lot of these things, as you know, we talk about every year and then there there's just too many things out there. So, you know, trying to prioritize and they don't always make it. But now with energy continuing to
068go, uh, I just feel like it's we can't, you know, just continue to say we'll look at it. That's my spiel. >> Yeah. All right. And my very u non-committal answer is I will speak with George about it. >> That works. But it's, you know, but there are a couple people um on town council and board of finance, actually two board of finance members the other day that are pretty knowledgeable um and were, you know, definitely willing to to help uh you know, when they had the discussion with the board of ed um and obviously that goes for the town, too. So, uh you know, willing to put in the time and they they have background and everything like that. So, I just figured kind of steer them your way if that would be helpful.
069Um way Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy to be as another set of eyes and ears and weigh in as best I can. But um I will say just on much smaller scale projects, the shortest turnaround time from like signing a contract to getting panels activated is like 18 months. And unfortunately the um available tax incentives from a purchase perspective um as well as the incentives offered by the utilities, they change so quickly. So, you know, you could get started with one project and while you're waiting for your, you know, design plans, something gets snagged out from under you. So, it's it's a difficult challenging um industry. So, um yeah, you kind of have to act quickly once you have you have to be ready to go with your designs. And when you get that, >> that's
070what Reena always is for the grants. It's like you always you need to be shovel ready to to get a lot of these things. So, you have to be ready to move. Um, so >> that just my personal opinion. >> Oops. And I have to grab that. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Did we cover it? >> I think we got it. >> All right. >> Have anything else? Love to hear from anybody, like I said, that joined today that's not typically on. And we got our to-do lists from the meeting, I think. Right. >> Oh, I I have one question, Mari. Did we Did we ever find out the what's going on with the I don't want to say Bay State bin, but it's the same company name. Um the book bin. >> Um
071I had a teacher asked me today because we were looking to um clean a little bit and we were hoping that there was a place to recycle the books. >> Okay. So the Yes. Um the per the company Bayate Books not affiliated with textiles as you mentioned bought the all of the inventory of the discovery book bins which one is at Hillrest behind there and one is at the Long Hill Board of Ed building. Bay State Books is servicing those unbeknownst to um myself or anybody that has told me anything they were aware of. So, um I would like them to relocate the bins next to the textile bins, but I need to get um them officially approved from the town to do this >> in the interim. They are being serviced, so they can
072be added to and if they look like they're getting full, anyone can let me know and I can contact them to come out and empty them. Yeah, I I guess a question was is we could fill that bin like tomorrow. So the question is how often do they come or is there a way that we could be like oh they're coming and just like literally wheel out something to them I guess. >> Uh maybe I could find out that option if they could give you a pickup time. >> Yeah, >> that sort of thing. Um if not, they can um certainly let me know probably what day they come to Trumbull and you could fill up the day before or something. >> Okay. Yeah. Well, I'm just trying to make this the most effective and
073efficient and you know, the teacher who asked is very much into recycling like I am, so it it works out well. >> Yeah. No, I I'm glad that they're being serviced. They just need to have all of the required paperwork to do so. >> No, absolutely. >> All right. Thank you. Can I ask one question before you you end? How did Big Belly ever go in? >> oh, how how I haven't been down on that trail at all. Um, how how is it going? I hear that um Dimmitri is really pleased with them. And I personally stopped by there uh last week, I think it was, and I opened the bins and looked in the best I could. And I was very pleasantly surprised to see the items in the recycling side were correctly separated
074as items that should be recycled, not trash in there. So, that was really cool to see. And have they had to have they had to um empty them often? I mean, I'm I'm wondering if if this does prove successful because I did just see a picture recently about Twin Brooks and obviously with the snow and the, you know, flooding and this and that. Um, you know, things aren't as quick as they may be once spring really hits, but I know with the garbage overflowing there and, you know, people not throwing their poop bags out, which still drives me crazy. Um, talking about that for how many years. Um and uh um but but anyway, but I didn't know if it ends up that that may be something successful that you know maybe it will be
075expanded if it shows that you know it shows that it's working better than you know he had ant he had anticipated. >> Yeah. No, that's great. Um yeah, I like I said as far as I know and personally I um have positive feedback so I will follow up and see if I can get some numbers there to quantify the actual improvement. And I double checked since I updated some of the town websites. I made sure that all of our QR codes were still active that we put on the side of the bins and they are. So that was good. Like a few. All right. Anyone else or you want to wrap it up, Kevin? >> It's all I have. Thank you very much everybody. >> All right, Bill. Thank you. >> Y >> thank you
076everyone. >> Thank you. It's been a while. >> Yeah. Thanks for jumping on Mary. Appreciate it. >> Let me know what you need. Will do.