CEFT Minutes April 2, 2008

In attendance: Deb Bennett, John Zinsser, Katie Freygang

(Please note, we need people to facilitate the program set forth in this meeting. Parens indicate the need for a point person to undertake the item. Please let me know where you (?) can help.)

Administrative Reports: March Minutes approved. Sterling Planet sent $800 in rebates to Town Hall and Gordon stipulated that we could use this for our programs rather than for the general budget.

Two ideas came up that we want to pursue. One is a flier to send home with kids to promote the Smartpower Program and try to get the third panel (Katie). The second is a field trip to the new exhibit on energy at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport (Katie).

Opening Notes: This meeting preceded by the Energy Workshop on Solar Power put on by the CT Clean Energy Fund and attended by the CCS seventh grade, town’s people and officials. We have earned 2 panels and are the town with the greatest percentage of sign-ups in the state. That is 1 in 5 people. This is a milestone. Congratulations Cornwall and thank you CCEF.

Old Business:

• School Update: See above and Lynn Meehan (lynnmeehan@comcast.net, 824-0866) is the new energy educator for the school. Welcome Lynn!
  Two other venues for the school are to develop a ride share program through the school (?) and to get help with artwork to anticipate our solar installation and encourage Smartpower signups (Katie).

• Smart Power Campaign Update: John is still working on the master list with the intent of splitting it up for a phone-a-thon. One positive note from Bob Wall at CCEF is that they will work with us to acquire status for a third panel so we do not have to go through another installation process.

• Solar Installation Update: Gordon is reviewing possible sites with the CCEF engineer today. The process to final installation and inspection will take 2-3 months.
  
  

• Town Footprint Update: Debbie and Gordon completed a walk though of CCS with the professionals from Energy Alliance. Although our construction is fairly new, improved technology in lighting and insulation would make significant savings in energy costs for the school as well as other town buildings. A full report will follow.

• Webpage and NW Corner Green Team Update:
  To combine the efforts of the towns in the county, a new blog has been instituted to start the dialog. See buildgreennwcornerct.blogspot.org. It is being managed by
  Elvia Gignoux of Salisbury (435 2888, 435 0345 h). Please send your posts and help develop this valuable tool. <elviagignoux@yahoo.com>

• Event and Publicity Update:
  Our Roger Liddell talk, Kill a Watt, was a success and the Lakeville Journal article by Karen Baromioli great. You can see this online at http://www.tcextra.com/news/publish/cornwall/Everything_you_always_wanted_to_know_about_energy_but_were_afraid_to_ask/480900.shtml
  
  Joyce submitted a statement to the Cornwall Chronicle from Town Hall regarding our status with the CCEF and the upcoming solar panel installation.
  
  We now have a display at the library showing available books, films and tools (kilowatt meters) that can be borrowed, plus flyers and Smartpower sign up sheets.

• New Members: Nicholas Xatzis who you may remember built one of the homes on our November house tour. Welcome Nicholas!

• Transportation: We want to promote Ride Sharing. Suggestions are to write a letter to the editor of the Cornwall Chronicle by the 15^th as a call to action (?). This means deciding on a trip taken weekly and then either call a friend to share or post it on the website to share. We would like to hear people’s stories (?). Any other ideas (?) to get this program rolling (no pun…)?

New Business:

• Upcoming Events:
  Earth Day Exchange, April 22-
  Since we had our Energy Fair and will be having a Memorial Day Event and a Solar Panel Event, for Earth Day, we are having an Earth Day Exchange. Many events are posted through out the state which will be referenced on the website. We would like people to go to these towns, see what is cooking and then come back and tell us what others are doing. The best reports will be posted. Publicity for this has to be actualized (?). Katie has the references and postings.
  
  Memorial Day, May 26-
  We need lots of volunteers to pack this event with resources and ideas such as:
  Opportunities to sign up for clean energy (?)
  Kilowatt Meters for sale (?)
  Light bulbs for sale (call Techniart ?)
  Listings of resources (?) Listings of events (?)
  Home audit plans (?)
  Other ideas (?????)

On Hold Ideas:
Upcoming Installation Celebration, Dump and Ski Lodge Review.

Next Meeting: Tentatively, May 2, plus mid-April meeting for Memorial Day.