Probably should have looked at things before.

Oh, did this right?

Yeah.

So, all right.

Call to order.

The May 19th.

Evansville Climate Collaborative Board Monthly Meeting.

Let's go ahead and go through our um intro.

Yeah, roll call.

Stacey Melheiser.

Present.

Robert Flores.

Here.

Shannon Begaman.

Present.

We have uh two board members are absent.

Andrew Clark and Bryce Taylor, staff present, myself, Lauren Lynch, Director, Sarah Pritchett, Climate Action Coordinator.

And we have a new intern today, Hannah Jones, and she's out in the audience.

Oh, is that you?

Well, welcome.

Welcome.

Wonderful.

And I'll talk more about it.

It's customary to start with a speech.

Customary.

Start with a speech.

No, I'll um I'll have her introduce yourself when we get into the agenda.

When we get to the staff, okay.

Do we have an approval for last month's meeting minutes?

Any one motion?

I'll motion to approve.

I'll go ahead and second.

I feel like I wasn't that last month.

So I think I could second.

I guess I could second.

I'll second.

I'll second.

All right.

Meeting minutes approved.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

Let's move on.

We can skip appeals.

Moving on to our staff report.

Lauren.

I don't know if you guys have been watching the news.

We've gotten a whole lot of press about solar lately.

The city has partnered with Solar United Neighbors to conduct a solar co-op in Evansville in the Southwest Indiana region.

It's gonna include the surrounding counties, not just Vanderburg, but around Vanderburgh as well.

And basically, we're the first city in the state of Indiana to partner with Solar United Neighbors on with a resolution on conducting a solar co-op.

So we're pretty stoked about it.

So that everybody knows that it's available.

And uh we are also looking for funding to help fund some solar for low-income households as well.

We have not found that source of funding yet, but we're keeping our eyes open and we can still go ahead and do the co-op.

The co-op is for residents, nonprofits, and small businesses that can participate.

And it's kind of like going to Costco and buying your food at bulk.

It's a bulk discount rate.

So the co-op members, once they get 30 members, they'll solicit bids for a solar contractor, and that contractor will be chosen by the members, and then in you know, because that contractor will get the business for all, you know, members that want to do solar, it should be a lot cheaper to do because they're getting let's say 30 households to do.

So they should be able to give us a really good deal.

So that'll help everyone come together and make it more affordable and accessible, and then solar united neighbors will provide the technical assistance and guidance to navigate um the solar installation process and bid process.

So that is already launched.

There was a solar 101 class on Monday evening, and there's another one tomorrow, Wednesday.

I think it's at 1 30 to 2, 1 30 to 3, 1 to 2 30, like I said.

And at um that one is at McCullough Library.

Yeah.

So I I might it was probably covered yesterday, but you said that the those bids will be or or the awards gonna be given based on the membership choosing that.

Is there and I don't know, maybe like I said, maybe they already did this and I missed it.

Um is there a criteria that the that the membership is gonna be looking over, or is it strictly uh cost, you know, it would be mostly a cost analysis for it.

We will solar united neighbors will provide their expertise in issuing the request for proposals so they're more knowledgeable about what'll be in the proposal, okay, okay.

And um, but the members get to um examine the proposals.

Okay.

And help select the contractor.

Okay, okay.

Yeah, I don't think it's one of those things where you go.

I hope the people that don't know how to select something aren't making the selection.

You know what I mean?

But having the guidance and expertise.

Having that guidance is, yeah.

Okay, that's cool.

Yes, yeah.

So if you guys are interested in solar, now's the time to check it out.

You can learn more, the membership in the co-op is free.

You can go through the process and decide whether you want to or don't want to participate once you know the cost.

But you know, typically on a home, your return on investment takes a little longer to pay off than it does on a business.

I know we're looking at well, I'm gonna talk about solar on city facilities next, but we're looking at a pretty quick return on investment.

Okay, so the next one is solarize the city.

You've probably also seen news on this.

We passed um the city council adopted a resolution to pursue solar on city facilities.

Um basically um Sarah and I worked hard to assemble a spreadsheet of the city facilities.

There's like 34 of them.

We picked 20 of them.

We analyzed the annual uh energy use and cost for those facilities, and um uh got estimates for some of those systems or just used our best guess based on the square footage and the energy kilowatt hours that they've used, the electricity kilowatt hours that they've used for the year, and so we've narrowed it down to 17, and those 17 facilities are going to um be put into a request for proposals that's going out Thursday for anyone that wants to bid on it, and uh we may not do all 17 facilities, we may do two.

We just don't know until we get the bids back and know what the actual cost is going to be.

Um, but this isn't gonna cost the city more than the energy that we would have to buy from center point, so basically we're paying for the solar systems based on the future savings that we won't be paying to center point for our electricity bill.

So we will try to make it as close as possible to what the actual bill would have been, um, so that we're instead of paying for your announce uh a utility to to energize our buildings, we'll be paying ourselves for that solar system.

The return on investment is like six years or less.

It's amazing.

So um so you're gonna have capital.

We are doing it with some um, so basically the water ensuing utility has to have a debt reserve, and they have excess in that debt reserve of three to four million, and they're going to front us the money to do the solar and put solar on, and then we will pay them back over six years with the savings we get on those bills.

So um and it's a really quick return on investment because um the federal government still has um clean energy investment tax credits that can be directly paid to even nonprofits and municipalities that don't pay taxes, you can still get reimbursed for those systems.

We can get 50 to 60 percent back from the federal government for those systems.

So we picked those 17 city facilities, they're either the biggest energy users or um they have animal life support systems or they're emergency responders, or they're gonna be a resilience hub for residents, and so um they use um I think their energy costs is 1.6 million a year, and we're gonna be able to put solar on as many as we can, but the total cost for all of them would be like 2.6 million.

So that's not even two years of energy bills for those facilities, and um, I think the total cost for the projects would be 6.4 million, but with the tax credit, it would be more like 2.6 million for us to do all those facilities.

I know, right?

It's a huge savings.

You know, we just can't pass that up, and we've known about it for a while, but you know, sometimes there's just a there's a movement in a day and age for these things to come to fruition, and the higher energy rates is a very good um, well, it's very much prompted us to take action.

It changes the ROI.

It changes the ROI return on investment.

You're absolutely right.

Um, speaking of which I haven't um gotten into the the weeds on solar in Indiana in a few years.

Um we used to have net metering, and I remember they did away with that.

So then, how does it benefit both the city as well as with the co-op consumers?

Like, is it only if it's time of use?

Like if you're putting power on the grid and you're not home, do you get value for that?

Can you just claim it?

Yeah, so net metering was when you could put a solar system on your house.

So this was state law, and you could put a solar system on your house.

Yeah.

So basically, if you were generating power on your roof and you only used 70% of it, the other 30% of it went to the grid, and Center Point had to pay you for that electricity.

Um I think they did it kind of as a credit on your bill.

So that you know, at night when you have to import energy to say run the air conditioner, you know, you're that that's a credit that you can use.

So you fed them solar back to the grid, and now they're gonna give you credit on your bill for when you need to pull energy from the grid.

So that was net metering, and the legislature did away with that.

Um so um now, and I'm not a solar expert, but now I think you know, if you're paying, let's say you're paying you have solar on your house, and for the energy that you import, you're paying 22 cents kilowatt hour.

Well, now if you have solar on your house and you're using 70% of that, you send 30% of it back to the grid, they're only paying you four cents a kilowatt hour for it.

So it's kind of like you've invested in all that solar technology generating power, and you get next to nothing on your bill as a credit for giving that energy to the grid.

So that's the huge difference.

That's why net metering was um killing that really increased the ROI because you're not getting that credit back, you're not getting that in uh return on your investment for the solar.

It still makes great economic sense though, even without net metering.

Um especially with these direct pay tax credits, it makes it a no-brainer.

Yeah, with the city facilities, most of them are gonna be using energy during the day when it's generated.

Right, whereas, you know, for the consumers, it might be a little different.

Yeah, so when we when we size a solar system, we will size it to just the right point where we can maximize our energy generation without going over what we need and sending it back to the grid.

Um, so you might you might shoot for 70% offset, you know, because you you can always use 70% of that energy, um, but anything more you you might waste it and send it back.

So you don't want to you don't want to build your system so that you are it has to make economic sense, and that's the way it makes economic sense.

Yeah, we don't want to overbuild.

And there's no reason for us to have to worry about any type of battery energy storage systems either.

So well, we're going to.

Um CK Newsome, we're gonna put battery storage on it for the resilience, emergency responders.

Um, those are small facilities like um three fire stations and all the dispatch towers and um headquarters, you know, I can see why they would need uh battery backup.

Um and the yeah, so and the zoo has animal support systems, animal care, etc.

So um I don't know if and when we'll put in battery storage.

Right.

I was wondering if that best system if if best was a part of the the this RFP being released, or I mean if it's part of that whole design or not.

So, yeah, I don't know.

I just um I just emailed the team about that before this meeting.

I'm not sure how we're putting that in the proposal.

That RP is being released on Thursday this week.

Yes, I think it's going into the paper on Thursday.

Okay.

So it's gonna be a public release then.

Yes, not an invite, okay.

Right, and they will have exactly two weeks to get their books in.

We have we're down to crunch time.

Our deadline to get these projects um under signed contract and uh one payment made um is July 3rd.

Oh goodness.

Yes, lofty.

And if we make that deadline, then we have four years to finish all the projects.

If we don't, then we have to get them all done by the end of 2027.

Oh, at a year and a half.

Yeah.

Okay.

So we are working hard to save harbor, and the water treatment plant is also the utility is also doing the water treatment plant with solar, and that's a separate project.

Yeah.

Okay.

Lots of information there, huh?

But I'm just excited, it's actually happening.

I'm thrilled.

Because to me, you know, we put all we put together all the data because it was just it just made it a no-brainer because you see the data right in front of you, you.

You see the ROI, you see you know what the tax credit is giving you back.

It's just like can't argue with data sometimes.

You're paying you're paying anyway.

Get something back from it.

Yeah.

And then the lifespan of the panels is about 30 years.

Yeah.

So we're gonna pay for it in six years and have 21 years of free energy.

Yeah.

That's sweet.

Yeah, it is.

Um I'm even joining the solar co-op from my own house.

I'm gonna look into that myself because that is sweet.

Okay.

Any questions?

That's a really huge project, and I it's gonna be one of those things I'll be reporting on for the next four years, I'm sure.

But it's exciting stuff.

Uh EV charging stations, um, we are working hard to get those done.

You know, weather's a factor, and the contractor we hired to do the electrical, um, had some paternity leave in there, so we're behind just a little bit on schedule, but we are um, I think we have the zoos done, and um Swanders and Deaconess Aquatic Center should be done.

I haven't got her update lately, but we talked to them about a week ago and it wasn't done.

They started, but I'm not sure if it's completed yet.

So once they're done, do they automatically show up in the maps for the electric cars?

Yep, you can find the zoos and sonders in there now.

Um, you should be able to, and they're operational, and we will be so those should be done by our next board meeting, and um, they should all be operational.

Um we charge for that electricity, um, just a little bit more than the cost of electricity, so we have funds in the kitty to maintain and repair those those um chargers, and we hope to grow the program.

So um, yeah, we have a new intern, um, Hannah Jones.

Hannah, would you like me to introduce you or would you like to introduce yourself?

Do you have any comment up here?

Yep, to that microphone right there.

Why don't you tell the board where you're from and what you're doing?

I am from Westfield, Indiana, but I technically grew up in Oklahoma, so I kind of associate with both.

I had just finished my senior year at IU and I got my degree in environmental management, but I also I'm doing an accelerated program.

So I just finished the first year of my master's as well.

I'm doing an environmental policy and natural resource management concentration, but it's through the same program that Sarah did actually for the NPA.

Um, I'm excited for the summer.

I really like doing community outreach.

I actually the program I'm in is McKinney Climate Fellows, and I actually did it two years ago with a nonprofit in Indy called Second Helpings, and it was a lot of like community outreach volunteer training, stuff like that, and I really liked that.

So excited to see where that goes, and then also working on like seeing how I can help out with implementing like climate action plan stuff.

I've been looking over that mostly on paper since my computer seems to be down right now.

But yeah, excited to get started this summer.

Welcome.

Well, thank you.

But you've come in at a great time.

Yeah, so it's it's an exciting time with a lot of growth.

So you're part of that.

How long is the internship?

For the summer, that's all until August.

People have only trained her by then.

We usually have the option of keeping them into the fall if they're interested.

We did, we did that last year.

Good deal.

But she'll be um hanging out with us and learning all she can as well as going to a lot of outreach events and helping us do more outreach um education.

So yeah.

You've got good people that you're hanging out with.

Oh, yeah.

Really great.

Yeah.

I wasn't here yesterday.

I just met her like two hours ago.

Well, they're driven.

And I met her over a virtual call.

Driven and inspired and get things done faster than anybody ever has, I think.

So whatever.

Thank you, Stacey.

So, yeah, welcome, Hannah.

All right.

Um, we are um, so these are just some next level updates.

Resilience Hub Study has um we're doing a um half day community engagement session with 20 residents.

We put that off until August because their team is so booked.

Um we were they were gonna do May, but I was out of town, and they we that was like the next available.

So that'll be in August.

We are looking for funding of about three to five thousand dollars to pay those 20 volunteers for half a day or five or six hours because we are asking a lot of them.

We want to um get um community input from the various neighborhoods in the city because resilience hubs, of course, are places within the neighborhoods that people can go to take safe refuge from storms and extreme temperatures and power outages and things like that.

So that is something I thought maybe you might have ideas on.

Any ideas?

So we can brainstorm and maybe I know I'm sending out a lot of emails lately too.

It's only because when something comes up, I don't want to forget.

So as opposed to most people who take all those ideas and put them on one email, just expect to get oh, I better send this now.

That's fine.

Yeah, I know.

Oh, do you really?

Oh, for sure.

Oh, good, okay.

Yeah, that one's done.

So speaking of your emails.

One, I uh I wasn't sure when the survey was due.

So I might have missed the right.

I think the deadline is whatever Lauren makes the deadline.

I did it like today.

It's still on my screen right now.

Yeah, it's okay.

I opened it, pull that up on that time.

Well, I don't think it was set out until what, Friday?

What did I send it out?

When did we send it out?

When did you take off?

I I was gone Thursday.

We sent it on Wednesday.

What when did what day do we have lunch?

Wednesday.

That was point number two.

This lunch feels very exclusive.

Oh, well, next time we can do that too.

This was one of those.

Hey, want to grab a bite.

That was one of those.

So it was not like a special.

So from now on, it's gonna be to the group chat.

When anybody want to grab a bite?

How's that sound?

Just say it.

Yeah.

You were absolutely not left out.

This was a this was one of those.

Let's go, let's go grab a bite to eat type things because we had it free.

Oh, okay.

I haven't haven't talked in a while.

Let's do this.

So that was good.

So there you go.

So we'll talk more too in a few minutes about uh the board at number five.

When we get to number five, we'll talk about some thoughts.

Um for fun stuff, not for work.

This is not you know, nothing you should ever do should feel like work.

Just remember that.

Plus, it's volunteer.

All right, the cooling kits are going out pretty soon.

You know, it's already starting to get hot.

It's been an amazing spring, but it's starting to get hot.

So we have cooling kits that are gonna go out to our most vulnerable vulnerable populations, and we have some partners that are gonna distribute that to their clientele for us.

Evansville Rescue Mission, Aurora, and United Carrying Shelters.

So now that Hannah's here, we're probably gonna start building those.

We've got box after box after box in our office of of supplies, so we'll start building those and get those out to our partners.

We have 200 200 kits.

Um, we there is an opportunity to get a composting grant.

Uh well, I should start over.

We there's an opportunity for a state grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

It's an annual grant.

They do one in the spring and one in the fall.

They're slightly different.

Um, but we want to go after it for our composting site, because as you know, we did a composting feasibility study for a municipally operated compost yard so that just the city agencies and county agencies could use it for land management and storm debris, but we eventually want to open it up to the public.

Well, we have to just get it ready.

We have to get the site permitted and ready, and um I don't have the the number on top of my head, it's somewhere around $275 dollars, seventy-five thousand dollars to get the site up and running.

Um, and so Idem has a grant for $500,000, but it requires a match, a big match, 50% match.

And so we're looking for a match.

It didn't have to be all of it, but we're looking for you know sponsorship, a partial match, whatever.

And so I just wanted to put that out there because obviously we need help finding that.

I sent you guys an email.

Is that the same one?

I believe it is.

Because it said from a thousand up to 100,000.

It did.

And it's a 25% match.

That one is the spring one.

What's that?

That's the one in the spring.

Okay.

So it's a hundred thousand max.

Okay.

We can go after that one too.

Okay.

But the bigger one is in the fall.

Right, right.

Okay.

Good.

So it is a different one.

It is.

It's the same, it's IDAM, it's same annual cycle, but yeah, they have two different ones.

This will fit under both of them, but we need more than 100,000 to get the whole thing going, but we could still apply for it to get some of the work done.

Okay.

Okay.

So even if, let's say, for some reason, I don't want to say for some reason.

I'm gonna be very glass is half full.

If for some reason we don't get this one, uh there's that opportunity in the spring to apply for something else for another, yeah.

And it's a little bit less of a match, you said it's a 25% match.

Is that what it was?

This one, or the this one is a 50%.

That's coming out now is 50%.

For the fall one is the fall is 50%, but there's a morning grant funds available.

Okay.

So spring is 100,000 max.

Yeah, 25%.

25% match.

Okay.

So can you remind me?

As part of the uh study we did, did we foresee that the city would run the compost or private business?

Um the firm that did the study proposed several um methods of doing that.

We uh we feel like we as a city and county need to get the site up and you know permitted and ready.

There's some things that have to be done to the physical site to get it operational.

Um, and then you know, we could look at if it's just used for city or county agencies, we can partner with those agencies to just you know chop up the storm debris and run it through a chipper and manage it to that to that amount.

If we wanted it open to the public, then it's a whole nother business model, right?

Um, you we could do a private public partnership where we contract out the operation of the yard.

Um, we can do it for you know a modest fee um for drop-off, that kind of thing.

Um, you know, we've even talked about you know opening it up to tree trimming services and you know um businesses that could really benefit from dumping at a compost yard instead of landfill.

We charge maybe half of the cost of dumping versus what they would pay at the landfill.

So that because we also need there's a critical threshold of material that we need to get in so that it pays for itself, so to speak with dumping fees.

Um just I was just trying to think this through, and my first thought was that obviously if we partner with the private business, they'd be open in money, but from what you're saying, that would be where we would start.

Um can our half of the match be the land for the facility?

I don't know because we already own it.

The city already, yeah.

I'll look into that.

That's a great idea.

That's a really great idea, thank you.

I will look into that.

I don't know.

So, we need to find out if the value of the land can be our match.

Okay.

See?

That's why we keep Rob around.

It's great ideas.

I do Sunday.

Um, I bet that lands worth half a million.

That's right.

Yeah, it's at least 500,000.

I hadn't thought of that, but I will look into it.

Um with whatever existing assets are on there.

Can we count that as well?

It's a former landfill.

It was a former landfill.

Um, it is not in the city limits, but it's owned by the city.

Oh, okay.

So yeah, it's like a 30, no, can't remember.

Like a 40-acre old landfill.

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

Well, there you go.

So I would really like to get that started.

You know, my projects take a long time to get going.

It's hard to, you know, find the money.

All right, so some other upcoming things, education and events.

I've already spoken of the solar 101.

We have our round table meeting tomorrow for sustainability practitioners or energy practitioners.

It's at EVPL West, the West Library.

It is tomorrow one to 2:30, same time as the solar one-on-one I just told you about.

So Sarah and I are dividing and conquer.

I'm going to the solar one-on-one and she's going to the round table.

And Hannah's going to the round table.

I'm going to try to be at the round table, and I always say that, and then you guys are like, she doesn't show up anyway.

So maybe maybe it'll be a big surprise.

When I'm an ear, right?

So I've seen you.

I've been to one.

I think that Andrew came to a few two.

Andrew came.

Okay.

And we are having Climate Happy Hour, which is a social event for anyone that wants to join us.

And sustainability enthusiasts.

There are so many people in the community that are passionate about this topic and this work, and we see them everywhere, but we don't really have a chance to socialize because we're in a meeting, or we're in a city council meeting, or you know, so um climate happy hour will be May 28th, 5 to 7.

Please come and see what it's like.

We usually just have a small group of you know, six to 10 people.

Um this one's gonna be at the rooftop right here on Martin Luther King Drive.

Um it's got outdoor seating.

I'm hoping the weather's nice, and we can just kind of sit outside.

So it's five to seven, come anytime, leave anytime.

Um we just dedicate two hours for Sarah and I to be there, but um, yeah, we've had fun.

We've this is our third, so they're good.

They're good, good time to just chat and learn more about what else is going on in everybody's lives, and you learn more about projects happening everywhere and things like that.

I think that's all I have.

All right, just put it on my calendar.

How about that?

Yay, all right.

Um that's it for your report.

That's it.

That's quite a bit.

That's nice.

Okay.

Um, when you guys put together the cooling kits, is that gonna be on day work hour time?

Is that what it is?

Or okay, okay.

If you need help with that, don't come to me because I'm stuck working.

Just saying.

But if it goes beyond work hours, I'm happy to jump in.

Okay, okay.

Um, oh, so that's uh watch for us community events this summer, which brings us to the other business discussion board engagement.

Um this came up at the exclusive luncheon that you were not invited to.

And it was actually started off to be a personal thing for me because I said we are in two and a half years in to uh our board, and for me, I thought, am I adding any value to this board other than listening and my input and I know I'm extremely professional and the subject matter expert on so many things.

Um, mainly your personality, just to keep it going and make it you know encouraging for other people.

Uh, but I did want to say that I thought, what can I do to actually be helpful in this, uh, rather than just showing up and visiting and hanging out, which I love.

Um, I absolutely love seeing you guys.

And I was thinking too about um, and I was we we were discussing that, and I said I I want to be able to be helpful, but I also know that my schedule is limited, and this is a volunteer thing.

I serve on a few different committees, and we'll, you know, I have one in particular that you are required to beta-day but-da-da-da.

And that just came about this this year, and I thought, really?

I have all these requirements now on top of what I'm already doing, and I have to do this, and time is tight, but I still want to be helpful.

So, so what can we do?

That A is just enjoyable for us, and B is not a requirement.

It's just if we want to jump in and we could try to be helpful, or you know, and if we can't, we can't.

It's all right.

It's not gonna make, you know, it won't really, it's not the make or break thing.

Um, but one of the things that I'm I love doing, and I looked at my thought about my skill set, and that is uh more public awareness, poor more public engagement.

Because the more support that we have from that public and the more aware they are of it, obviously, the more support we'll have at that administrative level level when things need to be approved and and that those initiatives need to be you know set and running.

Um so how can we bring it basically bring it to the masses that aren't already seeing it?

So of course we have people that naturally visit the website, we have people that are naturally involved already, but how do we take it to those people who are not already there?

You know, those newer folks, so maybe we can um be a little more uh uh out there and seen a little more visible, that's the word I'm looking for, a little more visible in uh in the efforts of what what it is that we're trying to do, and it might just be something where we happen to have you know.

Have we ever had like a table uh with information?

Have we you know what I mean?

We have so and and I ask that meeting.

You deserve to have help with that, you know.

If there's more things that need to be done and you're not able to do one, um, I'm happy to jump in and man a table for us.

Do we have table coverings?

Do we have um, you know, the do we have that stuff?

And I feel like a jerk that I don't know this, and I now I'm asking, you know.

We do have luckily.

We do have all that.

I I mean I would even like to have make pins that we can wear as the advisory board that the easy you know, something as simple as that that we're able to wear and do, and if we have those, we'll get together and discuss that.

So maybe kind of just start thinking.

If you want to be involved in things like that, uh brainstorm and say, Oh, well, there this this particular event is happening, it might be good if we have a table there, it might be good if we have a table there, and you guys may not be able to do it, but I might be able to do it and say, hey, I'll I'll take it for this weekend, or I'll I'll do this night, you know, for us.

Um, and do that.

So that's one thing.

Um, but it's not meant to be uh a requirement for us to do, it's more of along the lines of want to come hang out with me for two hours at an event.

Let's make fun of people as they walk by.

You wanna, you know, so which I wouldn't, just letting you know, Hannah, I would not make fun of people to where they could hear me.

Let's be clear.

Um, so there's that.

Uh the other thing that I think I might have sent out was uh, of course, when we came and with you and did a field trip and a tour with how much fun was that?

And what a learning experience, and how much respect I had for you and your teams and what they do after seeing that, and now I'm so excited to be able to share with people.

Oh my gosh, guess what happens right here?

And guess here's all the good things that's happening, you know, that people just weren't aware of, and now I get to do that, and we both know how loud and and and proud I am of stuff and how I put it out there, you know.

But how many people can do that?

So I think the more opportunities we have as a team to go out and do things, you know.

When we had when we were there for the IDEMs uh the bronze city award day that we got to do, which by the way, can I just say we need to get a new picture taken together?

Because we all do look very different, and we all are are not I'd like to have one where we're not sweaty and wind in our faces, and uh you know, but it is time because things have changed, you know.

So I think it's time for us to probably have a is that picture in your email because I literally was looking at that picture in the last week.

And it's also on the on the website.

It was it's on the website.

I was like, I know.

It's multiple places, I've put it other places, just we weren't expecting that to be on the website, so it'd be a place, you know.

We we didn't prep for that, so you'll have our entire time.

So it might be time for us to have a full photo because you weren't in the photo and you weren't here yet, right?

Um for that.

We go gold.

Were you here for that?

Actually, I wasn't here for that, but yeah.

I will say that we only have like really one project, unless if we get denied only one project that we need to submit to go gold.

So, and I don't know if we even have it might be something where we have to try to achieve one of those projects, but still outstanding.

Wait, what?

I'm sorry, it's still outstanding for the goal.

Like, what are we missing?

Just one project that is.

So you have to complete projects from a list.

And honestly, I think that if B they said B City would count, but there's been no updates on that, so I can't really submit it in the form that they give us because you have to be able to like put down a specific pro program that they have listed.

Um but honestly, if they get B City on that form, and I probably just need to message Missy again.

I think we would be to gold as long as they approved all of our projects, so we submitted.

But it's quite I mean, off the top of my head, I can't.

I don't think they approved that.

Missy message us back and said that they did, but it's not like when you submit for a project, like the way it's not in the form.

It doesn't list it.

So it's like not like I can't submit for that project.

So I need to tell Missy that.

But as soon as we get that reality cleared up.

I think I did email her about it though.

So I think I already did by my near reminder.

Yeah, the list of approved things.

Yeah.

Like it was like a menu that comes down and you have to enter it.

It's like required.

So like, so we can't just make up our own project and go, boom, there's another one.

Right.

No, no.

I kind of did.

I was like, can you make B City count?

Yeah.

Like, yeah.

So would that fall on?

We can we can suggest things.

Oh, by the way, I I just sorry, I've been using AI.

This is what AI thought our lapel pin should look like.

Oh nice.

Oh, I love that one.

Do you guys like that one?

Oh, nice.

I can't say it real well, but I'll look at it after the mean one.

So maybe you could uh that's really good.

That's a nice one, yeah.

Sometimes they don't know how to do words.

Show them and oh yeah, words.

Ain't that nice?

You know what's crazy is that Canva specifically doesn't know.

Which you'd think Canva would do well, but they can't it can't do so maybe if there's a way, this is our new city logo.

This is our new city branding.

Oh, so we should use this, and then just like well, yeah, this is new.

She announced it at the same time.

Oh, with the E, I see it.

We announced it today.

I was gonna say you were mentioning outreach events.

So maybe we could just get this.

Right.

Yes, it's already here.

So uh the whole city will have is using the E city of Evansville, and then the department names are underneath it.

Love it.

And the climate and so we could actually just take this and make turn that into our pen.

I mean, it would, you know, it could just be a I'm sure we will.

She had stickers printed.

Could we do that?

She had stickers printed, so yeah, we'll probably get um maybe we could get um yeah.

Oh, there you go.

So yeah, we'll do something like that.

So and I don't know if it's I would I would be happy to sponsor the funding for that.

I would be happy to do that.

So have our pens made.

So, you know.

Nice, thank you.

As long as it's not, okay, there's a minimum of 500.

No, no, no.

But but make a note in the meeting minutes that uh I will that will be privately funded then.

So that does not come out of any any of our okay.

Did you want a lapel pen or did you want a name tag?

Something else?

Oh some board.

No, I think I think it strikes me more as like a giant belt.

You don't be so well.

Oh Lord.

Pass that belt buckle on over here.

My pants are falling down now.

I I don't I think just a plain old lapel pin would work because you know, what happens if one of us gets fired?

Then we just got, you know, the Shannon pin sitting there and hoping we now we gotta find somebody else named Shannon to come sit in.

So if we just have to for the regular non name, you know.

I that that would be my thought.

Uh um, I was gonna say you're talking about outreach.

If you have ever see events that you think that we could table at, you can send those my way.

Because we do like, you know, it's kind of hard sometimes to figure out what like events are always happening, but otherwise, you know, we're at events like the next one we know we're doing is um super Saturday um at the Evansville Museum for Sustainability, it's in like towards the end of July.

The near nearing the end of July.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

But that's one we know for sure, but we're actually about to meet with them and we're gonna go over our summer outreach plans.

So we'll definitely be we'll probably do Franklin Street, yeah, Franklin Street Bazaar again, and but we do a lot of outreach, especially during the summer in the warm months.

So I don't have my hearing aids in, so I'm just gonna nod and and I'm gonna say maybe I know that normally you you provide the upcoming events, I mean upcoming events on here, but I don't know if those are necessarily once.

Yeah, I don't know if those are always the ones that we put on that sheet.

So, right.

So we're kind of if you could just drop a note into emails for us and I wouldn't say you necessarily need to come and man the table, but if you want to visit us or like you know, show up and so you're saying you don't want to man the table with you.

No, I mean, it's just normally we don't need I don't necessarily need to.

I've got I'm gonna have this new lapel pit.

But you can come and come out and talk around.

Just network with people.

How about that?

So okay.

Oh no, yeah, yeah.

So we can yeah, we can talk about that later and yeah, try to work something up.

On that note, uh 4 Hair has one day where they do environmental thing.

Oh, see, I didn't know about that.

There you go.

Okay.

Um for volunteers at that.

Oh, that's great.

Okay.

And then the only other thing on my radar from um the things we do as a sustainability club are uh WNIA and kids' festivals, which is not too late.

We were gonna do that last year, and for some reason we didn't, but we probably will think about doing it again this year, I think.

So yeah, so maybe we get a maybe we get a few of those on the calendar where we as a board might be able to show up and network a little bit and have some fun and smile and you know.

Is there an electric vehicle event talked about again at all?

Or is that off the um I think it's off the table because they did it for three or four years, and Caroline Nellis, you know, of course, was the champion, um, and she was trying to retire from it, but she really couldn't find um a way to keep it going.

Tri-state creation care is an all-volunteer board, and some of them are getting off the board, and there's just not an actual organization that's got any paid staff to take it on.

Okay.

Uh finally, my thought, and we didn't actually even discuss this, I just thought of it when I did my part of the survey was uh I have I I'm heading up north uh next month to Partners for Clean Air, which is an IDEM, you know, thing um to the Northwest uh Indiana meeting.

I've got that one, and then I'll have I have the make hog as well, but I wasn't able to make the make hog.

But I'm doing the Northwest, and um one thing that they do is um now we would not do this, but this is what kind of spawned the idea, is they give scholarships, annual scholarships to students who are going into the environmental sciences.

Um so because who does this again?

Because I actually WhatsApp who gives these scholarships?

These are do you live in this would be in Northwest Indiana?

Uh this is I know.

Oh, why don't we talk about Northwest Indiana?

Well, because that's what's that's the idea.

Let me finish.

Oh my gosh, you're you're oh this is why we get along, because you're so much like me in so many ways.

But this it spawned the idea for me, is what it was.

So they give out scholarships to these students that are going on.

Well, one thing I thought that would might be interesting down here is because we don't necessarily have funding for scholarships because that's not what our job is.

Uh, but that's what they do up there, they actually create funding for scholarships, but what we can do instead is give out an award, a recognition award.

And I would think that it would be like one student from each of the Evansville high schools.

And they would be, you know, they would receive that, you know, an award for at recognition, and maybe it might be the environmental science teacher who nominates them.

And uh, and we don't have to give out just one.

I think it'd be great to give out one to each high school, you know, for each student.

Um for and and we would do it at some type of city event that would bring recognition to what it is that we're trying to accomplish and how we want to support our kids and our students, and um and and start that culture of cleaner living, sustainability, clean air, you know, um, to kind of kind of do that and and then possibly even.

I would be more than happy to present at schools and things like that.

Um, I know, yeah, it's a lot, it's a little extra work on my part, but it's something I enjoy doing, so it doesn't feel like work.

I keep doing this to Hannah, so that you know whatever it is you're doing, if it doesn't feel like work, you're working, but if it doesn't feel like work, you you love doing it.

So anyway, um that's another thought.

All right, and I'll send out the responses to everybody.

And if you don't like it, it'll be a completely anonymous survey.

Yeah, it can be anonymous.

What do you mean all four four people said no?

Who was that?

Who were the four that said no?

I'll make it anonymous, but yeah, go ahead and fill it out.

So anyway, those are just ideas of okay, and then I'll send out responses.

You did great.

Yeah, yeah.

So thank you.

I like the scholarship idea.

Uh, or the um the recognition idea, yeah.

And I think if you can do it, maybe start with one student, and I don't I would just bet that if we're recognizing the student for something environmental, we could probably get at least a small amount of money together that we can all that would that would be able to and you know what the other one success story we can.

Yeah, and I think it would be smart, and maybe it maybe even consider doing it.

Um I don't know if it would be, you know, we could do a senior and a junior, because they can use that award to put on their applications, for whether it's college or grants or scholarships, you know, that they have that they're applying for that shows, oh, well, I've received this award from the city, you know, the city's uh Evansville, you know, the city of Evansville's climate collaborative, um, you know, and so maybe it would be something to help them out just by the recognition alone, you know.

So that's something we can discuss later, and that that's not a cost to us, which is wonderful, other than just, you know, maybe taking out a little bit of that time and reaching out to the teachers or whomever it is that would that we would get names from or whatever, you know.

And I wouldn't necessarily want the kids to have to write papers, you know, in order to get this.

That that is more of big scholarship money thing.

Yeah, you know, it's more about the what teacher is nominating their student to receive this award, you know.

So, but I think in order for us to vote on which student, we need something from the students, don't we?

Not necessarily, like I just went to Wright's senior day this morning, they were handing out awards that the teachers chose the students.

Okay, so each department chose a set of students.

Well, I was in school, I remember we did like this whole day where like teachers just nominated students for awards where it was like Christian attitude.

I remember that one because I won it twice, which was unheard of just so you made history.

I was uh very, and I and they would give these like long speeches, and like you didn't know if they were talking about you, so I wish I could have like recorded it because like they were saying like really nice things.

Oh, yeah, they would give like long speeches, and I was like, Oh, wait, that was another one that was about me.

I wish I would have, you know, but yeah, no, that record of that.

No, they had like a bunch of awards that were kind of like that though, where they would just give us like a little plaque that said like Christian attitude in the corner.

So with with all of that in mind, with that kind of stuff, and and just like I said, a lot cheaper than scholarships.

They are you're right.

But the idea of scholarship.

I do like the idea of a scholarship.

That would be something maybe down the road that could be go to one, you know, with a war with recognition to others, you know, and maybe that, you know.

Um, so so maybe that'd be something we'll talk about later.

I do want to make sure that we all understand it should not be extra work, like when I say extra work.

I I can't imagine anything like that taking up more than an hour a week for a very short amount of time just to get it in place.

And number two, it should not be something that you guys have to do.

That is a board that's to me.

That that it makes sense, it's a board thing, not something that staff has to do.

Um that this is one way that we can be we can add some value and just help getting that word out and do something to kind of take this take this culture and lift it up and kind of start moving it forward.

So, anyway.

Yes, that's it.

On that note, the evidence will be to polls also been working on a green team council, so perhaps they would be say that again.

Oh, sorry, should I have been doing that?

Um, so um, I think that's still like a developing ongoing kind of effort, but oh the green team council.

Yeah, I was a part of it when I was 16.

They've been doing it for a while, but they've had some pretty big pitfalls with it, so we'll see if they can get back running up and running again.

So, yeah, I've had some conversations with a couple of key sustainability folks in the community about a youth council as well.

So we're just beginning to talk about what that might look like because it is quite involved, you know, to do something like that.

So we'll see.

We're like next year, maybe next year.

Um, anybody else have any input?

For other business, no?

And by all means, the ideas, ideas are, you know, even just coming up with ideas for yeah, you know, things that's a big thing.

So, so as Stacey said, I I concur, and I'll I'll share the responses with the whole board.

I mean, it's just a survey about some ideas to allow you guys to engage a little bit more because you know, I do feel like I'm just giving you a report, and I mean that's the purpose of the board is to advise on what's going on in the agency.

But um, I just want you all to have fun and want to engage and feel like you're doing having an impact too.

Well, I know that it, you know, this just becomes a big kumbaya moment sometimes.

But with this board, it's so easy because I think we all get along so well, but I just want to say thank you so much for all the hard work you guys do, and it makes me proud to be able to go to these other to the conferences and the summits and be able to say that I'm from Evansville and I get to work with some really cool people who are inspiring and motivating.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

I got you.

That's what I was hoping for.

So if we don't have anything else to cover, our next meeting is June 16th.

Uh oh gosh, you know.

What's on your calendar?

So there might check your calendars.

I got that, but um, I need to check my uh my June calendar here.

Yeah, I have a thing that I'm gonna skip.

So I'll be here.

You got a thing you're gonna skip so you can be here.

Uh no, I'm here, I'm here as well, so we're good.

All right, I'm good.

Are you good so far?

Okay.

Uh so our next meeting is June 16th.

Um, and it looks like we'll have a quorum, so we'll definitely go on.

And if there's nothing else, uh motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second?

Second.

Woo!

Meeting adjourned.

All right.