Canton Sustainability Minutes May 2 2022

Source page 1

Canton Sustainability Committee
Minutes
May 2, 2022 – 7:00 PM
Meeting was held via zoom with full remote participation.
Members present: Christine Smith, Patricia McDermott, Katy Clark, Erin Connor, Tarini Dasari, Andrea 
Stuart, Tim Calabrese (arrived late)
Members absent: Stephen Marshall, Carolyn Elkort
7:00 pmReview and approval of minutes from April 4, 2022
Reorganization Discussion
Christine Smith noted that it was the time of year when town boards and committees reorganized. She asked if anyone else wanted to take over duties as Chair. No one indicated an interested
in doing so. She told the Committee she would handle duties as Chair for the next year but after one year she would step down and someone else would need to take over. 
Master Plan Implementation Committee Request
Christine Smith reported that the Sustainability Committee had a request from the Master Plan Implementation Committee to attend their next meeting on May 19 via zoom. The MPIC wants
to discuss the sustainability goals outlined in the Master Plan and hear where we stand in terms of meeting those goals. Christine Smith noted that the status of the energy aggregation
program is one of the goals. 
Canton Farmer’s Market Date Request
Christine Smith reported that the Canton Farmer’s Market has asked if the Sustainability Committee would be able to attend the CFM on August 7th. There are plans for some sort of sustainability
theme on that day. Members present agreed that this would be a good day. Christine Smith, Katy Clark, and Tarini Dasari said they would be free to attend that day. 
Recap of Canton Cleanup Day on April 30, 2022
The first annual Canton Cleanup Day was a success. Christine Smith reported that she was with a group cleaning up trash along Route 138 from Farm Street to the edge of the Ponkapoag
Golf Course. She noted they had a police detail with the new police Chief Helena Rafferty, who joined the volunteers in picking up trash. Christine noted that there were separate bags
for alcohol and smoking related trash and her only feedback was that these bags were too thin and should be thicker next year.
Erin Connor also attended and said she was at the high school as well as the Hansen School and the Middle School and noted there were a lot of people involved. She said she took a lot
of pictures and would post them to the Facebook page. 
Textile Recycling Second Location Discussion
Patti McDermott reported that the Department of Elder Services board met and decided not to host a second bin location at the Senior Center. The Committee will have to brainstorm and
come up with another option for a second location. Andrea Stuart reported she had been to the textile bin in April and the bin would not open. But she said she called the number on
the side of the bin and Bay State Textiles called right back and said it would be fixed. She noted that it was fixed two days later so the response and service was very good 
Teracycle Discussion
Andrea Stuart reported that she tried to reach out to Teracycle through contact form on the webpage and then she also sent an email to the email address on the municipality page. She
followed up with a phone call but has not received a response. She wondered how Salem set this up and if they had a specific contact with Teracycle.
Katy Clark said she had the contact for the Salem people but would not have a chance to reach out and call them for a while due to other commitments. Andrea Stuart said she could contact
them if Katy could send her the information. 
Paul Revere Heritage Site – Canton Heritage Festival – May 14
The Sustainability Committee will have a table at the upcoming Canton Heritage Festival at the Paul Revere Heritage site. Christine Smith reported that they would be under the Community
Tent and a table would be provided. Set up starts at 7 and needs to be completed by 9:45 am and the festival ends at 3 and cleanup needs to be done by 4:30 pm. There is no parking
on site but there is a pickup and drop-off area on site and then parking at the MBTA lots. There will be shuttles between the lot and the Paul Revere site. Christine Smith stated that
she has a family event in the afternoon and asked if anyone else could attend in the afternoon; if not, she would stay for the entire day. Patti McDermott said she could attend for the
entire day. Andrea Stuart said she could also attend in the morning. Katy Clark and Tarini Dasari said that they could attend in the afternoon. 
In terms of what the Committee will have at the table, the members present decided to do what we did for the Farmers Market last year. Christine Smith said she could bring her Black
Earth Compost bin and print out the promotional flyers from Black Earth. She said she would also bring the committee banner and her Teracycle container for battery collection. Katy Clark
said she would bring a Teracycle bin. Erin Connor also has an office kitchen/lunchroom bin as well. Christine Smith said there were extra recycling postcards from the mailer and she
will get them from town hall and bring as well. It was suggested that we could ask people where they would like to see a teracycle bin. Andrea Stuart said she has a white board she
can bring and people can write down questions about recycling, etc. She also said she would bring her “recycling game” that we had at the farmer’s market. Christine Smith said we should
try to remember to take photos. Patti McDermott said she’d bring a sign-up sheet in case anyone wants to join our mailing list. 
Other Updates
Christine Smith that someone had asked on Everything Canton if we were doing rain barrels again. She responded that we did not do it this year but directed him to the Great American
Rainbarrel website. 
Christine Smith noted that the application for the DEP grants would be due soon but that the program changed from last year and the town can apply with no minimum. If the grant is awarded
we will need to determine where to spend the money. She added that our budget increased to $3000 from $1000. We might want to send out the recycling mailer annually. 
Christine Smith updated the group that the ability to meet remotely under the open meeting law was extended through July 15, 2022 but there is no indication that it will be extended
again. There is a provision under the regular provisions of the open meeting law to allow some members to meet remotely if there is a quorum in person. However, that needs to be adopted
at the Town level so she can check with Charlie Aspinwall about that after Town Meeting. 
Christine Smith reminded the members that if there was a better time for meetings or if people preferred to meet later to please let her know.
Adjourn
Motion was made by Andrea Stuart to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Tim Calabrese. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 7:57 pm.