Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Ariane Reister at reistera@ewashtenaw.org
Policy Action Team:
Food and Food Packaging Waste
Date of Meeting:
March 17, 2015
Time of Meeting:
3:40PM – 5:00PM
Address of Meeting:
City of Ann Arbor, City Hall, 301 E Huron Street
First Floor Conference Room – South
Washtenaw Food Policy Council attendees:
Nicole Chardoul, WFPC Chair, RRS
Additional attendees (first and last names):
Noelle Bowman, PAT Chair, Washtenaw County
Jennifer Maxwell, Washtenaw County
Public comment (first and last names):
Note taker:
None
Noelle Bowman
Agenda:
1.
3:30P
2.
3.
4.
3:35-3:45
3:45-3:50
3:50-4:00
5.
6.
7.
4:00-4:55
4:55-4:59
5:00P
Introductions; Approve 2/17/15 Minutes &
3/17/15 Agenda
General News & Announcements
Updates: Full Policy Council and PAT Updates
PAT Action Item current projects updates: Zero
Waste Events and School Policies
Project Development
Closing Comments, etc.
Adjournment
Date minutes approved:
Meeting Minutes:
1.
Introductions; Approve 2/17/15 Minutes & 3/17/15 Agenda
a. Nicole moves to approve 2/17 Minutes, Noelle seconds.
i. Minutes approved as printed.
b. Noelle moves to omit #5 Project Development from 3/17 Agenda, Nicole seconds.
i. Agenda approved as amended.
2. General News & Announcements
a. Nicole shares webinar on “Best Practices for Maximizing your Food Resources”
organized by the EPA/USDA. March 19th 2PM. Should be Useful information.
b. Rec & Ed “Farm-to-School Collaborative” School Gardens Workshop Monday March
23. (5:30/6-8PM)
3. Updates: Full Policy Council and PAT Updates
a. Nicole: WFPC Communications Team Met Yesterday. Came up with Task list for different
committees, events, outreach, website maintenance, social media. Successful meeting.
Created an ongoing events list to determine which events we want to partake in.
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Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Ariane Reister at reistera@ewashtenaw.org
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
i. There is now a “Communication and Marketing” folder in GoogleDrive where
we can add events for WFPC
Noelle: There is space to host WFPC exhibition table at Environmental Excellence
Partnership Program Annual Ceremony on April 9th at Weber’s. – Can provide copies of
Agenda, PAT handout, plus other resources.
Nicole: At last Full Council meeting, elected New Secretary, Alice Gannon-Boss
Farmer’s PAT submitted Grant proposal for Act 88. 20,000 research and make
recommendations for local food incentive program around institutional-based food.
Nicole: Think we should still pursue this mini-grant through OCED.
Nicole: Heading to Lansing to interview with Randy Bell with MSUE, Ingham County, 3
MSU students for an internship urban collaborators. Looking to Start in April 2015.
Food & Packaging Waste PAT Meeting on April 21st to be held at Washtenaw Food Hub.
We will view 2 vermiculture systems used to process food waste from various
commercial food generators that use this location as a commercial kitchen. Example:
The Brinery.
4. PAT Action Items current projects updates
a. MDEQ P2 Grant: Washtenaw County Solid Waste team working to help develop two
separate grant proposals with opportunities for zero waste policy development:
i. Grant 1 – “Washtenaw County Zero Waste Events Initiative & Educational
Toolkit”
Working with Recycle Ann Arbor for Zero Waste Event Initiative in Washtenaw
County. This project seeks to expand and provide recycling and organics
collections at public events, small and large (i.e. Dexter Daze, Farmer’s Markets,
HomeGrown Festival, etc.)
Recycle Ann Arbor has an existing Zero Waste Events Program for inside A2 city
limits. This Grant Proposal seeks to expand RAA’s existing program to meet
demands within A2 City limits and also to serve events County-wide. The project
seeks to provide Zero Waste for 20 events per year, or to reach 25,000 people
per year over course of next 2 years (though 2017). Grant Proposal includes
expanding upon and establishing Washtenaw County waste diversion metrics
for special events, so that we can gauge what waste is generated and
opportunities for waste reduction, and zero waste.
The Grant Proposal includes Zero Waste Policy development and presenting to
LUGs for official adoption.
ii. Grant 2: “Increase Recycling in Schools” Working with WISD to expand recycling
and zero waste efforts in WISD Schools. Had initially thought this grant proposal
could include organics/food scraps collection during school lunches, but
recycling efforts are not yet established enough to incorporate organics aspect
at this time.
b. Zero Waste Sonic Lunch Series: Continuing to work with BOAA, A2 City, RAA to organize
“Zero Waste Sonic Lunch Series.” Due to BOAA policy, the grant partnership MAY NOT
include Sonic Lunch Series, but we will still be include this event in the County-wide
waste diversion metrics.
i. Idea: Nicole to incorporate Water Bottle Waste Girl Scout campaign at Sonic
Lunch Concert Series??
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Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Ariane Reister at reistera@ewashtenaw.org
c. Junior Master Composter Curriculum Development – seeking to integrate composting at
school lunches. We will visit Dave Corsa’s class at Thurston Elem March 23 to view their
vermiculture system used to accommodate all fruit/vegetable food waste generated at
school lunch. This can serve as a model for other schools, and lay groundwork for zero
waste policy in schools.
d. EPP Policy Development for Food Service items within County, Next Steps:
i. Tackle EPS at Staples Advantage purchasing site;
ii. Raise awareness about K-cups at department meetings and how the recently
adopted Washtenaw County EPP Policy demotes single-use throw away items
such as K-cups.
5. Project Development
6. Closing Comments, etc. – None.
7. Adjournment – 5:00PM
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