Arkansas Sierra Club's Ozark Highlands Group minutes of most recent meeting

OHG ExCom Minutes, 11/16/2011

Present: Eric Boles, Johnnie Chamberlain, Art Evans, Dawn Farver, Michele Halsell, Olivia Hines, Shannon Joyce, John Kester, Rob Leflar, Tom McKinney, Tiffany Morrow, Joanna Pollock, Aubrey Shepherd

1.     Michele opened the meeting at 7:10. Everyone introduced themselves.

2.     Joanna & Michele reported on upcoming OHG events:

a.     The OHG ExCom election is about to be held, ballots to go out this Dec. 1, ballots to be counted at the beginning of January. We have a full slate of candidates.

b.     Alternative gift fair, Sunday, Dec. 4, St. Paul’s, 9 am – 4 pm.

c.     Next membership meeting Dec. 6: Bryan Welch, author of Beautiful and Abundant, publisher and director of Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, . . . Venue: Fayetteville Public Library.

d.     Dec. 8: Trip to Little Rock on Beyond Coal, transportation paid for by SC.

e.     Beyond Coal campaign: Turk plant update, Clean Air Act sec. 126 petition to Fayetteville to address Texas coal fired power plant pollution drifting up to Arkansas.

3.     Tom reported on the Chapter Conservation Committee conference call.

a.     Remington Arms pollution of Bayou Meto; SC 60-day notice of lawsuit we’re planning to file against against ADEQ and EPA for not enforcing the law, with clear violations established.

b.     Process of setting up the Chapter’s environmental priorities.

4.     Michele explained PACE and REFIT programs in Arkansas. Joanna mentioned the possibility that municipalities can move first, under home rule principles. Some lawyer on the ExCom is supposed to be researching this for her.

5.     Aubrey announced that Nat’l Wildlife Federation is trying to get 200 households into the Habitat Communities program in Fayetteville.  If successful, Fayetteville will be the first community in Arkansas.

6.     Michele moved and Dawn seconded that the ExCom authorize Joanna to be reimbursed for the following expenses:

a.     $160 for Carlos Velasquez, speaker at last meeting at the Fayetteville Public Library

b.     $35 FPL charge for the use of the Walker community room

c.     $43 for printing flyers

The motion passed without dissent.

7.     Next ExCom meeting: Jan. 10 (Tues), 6:30 pm, Nightbird. OHG officers will be elected at that meeting, and the 2012 year will be mapped out.

8.     Adjourned at 8:10, after Aubrey took photos of the distinguished members.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob Leflar

Secretary