Acton Climate Action Team

26-April-2004

Minutes of the fourth meeting of ACAT: Acton Climate Action Team

Bask in glory of Party

  • Good party / Do it next year / Have a party a month ahead of Earth Day.  Some were confused about the purpose event.  Make that abundantly clear next year. 
  • Action Item: Matt will write follow-up thank you letter to Peg Mikola. 
  • Warren suggests that ACAT not be the organization that coordinates the environmental community in Acton or we will never get to the climate change.  Group concurs.
  • Matt suggests there are a lot of heroes out there. 
  • Observation.  The water district needs to communicate the Town.  No action item but their should be on this one.
  • The planning board and water board are not discussing enough over growth issues.
  • Action Item: Matt will write a letter to the Beacon.

Preliminary review of meta-outline strategy plan

  • Need to difereiante between the official “Town” government, and the “Townspeople”
  • Most of the strategy plan seems to be focused on the Town goverment
  • Add more on how to affect the Townspeople is not included
  • Change Section 3 from “Community Action” broadened to “Action”
  • Change “Document Actions Taken in Town”, “Document Action Taken”
  • Include an overall 6.1 “General Actions and Strategies: Education, Communication, and Advocacy”. 
  • Warren suggests that we need to gather more information.  Dan suggests a timeline.   Different strategies for the:

  • Town,
    Town residents / businesses within the physical boundaries of Acton
    Things ACAT can/should do. 
    Divide document into Three Columns
    Residents,
    Schools & Businesses in the Town
    Acton Government

  • Dan would restructure Goals for the “Town of Acton” “Residents” and the actions of each. 
  • This document / plan needs to be an iterative. 
  • Action Item: Tom is going to update to include non-“Town” emphasize more non-“Town” perspective / actions. 
  • Action Item: Tom will send out URL’s of other Plans and revised plan. 
  • The plan needs to include priorities and sequences. 
  • Want to do an emission inventory.
  • Find out what the Town spends on electricity and what NSTAR programs
  • Matt suggests as an example getting a database of vehicles types to help on GHG inventory.
  • Tom will work with Adam and Matt on the GHG Inventory plan and fill-in. 

Environmental group directory

  • Action Item:  Jim will enter the data with hopefully Steve Long.  Jim wants any more environmental directories from party. 
  • Action Item: Matt will mail speaker list to Jim.  Matt is holding directory fill-in sheet from party.

Follow-up on who will be MCAN liaison

  • Will be assigned in Round Robin fashion.  We will volunteer someone for next MCAN meeting as events come up.

Next steps with Dean Charter / Town

  • Dean had met recently with NSTAR representative.  And was motivated to move forward.  Dean asked Jim to contact in a few weeks.  Dean had all sorts of ideas from meeting with NSTAR.  Warren suggests that it should be a pretty big priority to meet with Dean (Jim/Steve/Tom).  Tentative date morning of May 14th. 
  • Action Item: Jim will set up meeting.  Might want a bylaw voted at Town meeting.

Next steps with Schools

  • Identified an equivalent of Dean Charter in the schools.   (Authors Note: Who is doing this????)

Treasury issues

  • Warren, Matt, have now paid $20 annual household fee. 

Bylaws

  • Tempers were frayed by the end of the meeting because of some intense emotional disagreements.  It was decided that subsequent meetings would be run using a customized version of Roberts Rules of Order and new bylaws.  After a heated debate a special rules / organizational structure subcommittee was appointed consisting of Adam, Tim, Angela and Rohan. 
  • Action Item: Adam will draft new organizational bylaws, circulate among the subcommittee, then re-draft for submission to the next plenary session, but only after approval of least 3/5 of the subcommittee, which will meet separately on May 6th.   The draft by-laws will then be voted on by the full paying membership of ACAT; validity of amendments will be scrutinized by the subcommittee, prior to being submitted for vote.  Passage of the bylaws will be authorized with a majority + 1 vote (votes will be assigned to households, not individuals, households may cast fractional votes).  
  • Adam, did you bite on this at all?
  • Editors note: the above section was invented by the note-taker for the amusement of those who actually read minutes.

Membership – Recruitment / Retention. 

  • This agenda item was tabled onto next meeting

Next meeting date Wednesday May 19th, 7:30 pm.