Green Tier Legacy Community Committee — Minutes

AD HOC GREEN TIER LEGACY COMMUNITY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 1 WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026 2 (Approved) 3 4 5 1. Call to Order & Roll Call 6 The July 8, 2026 meeting of the Green Tier Legacy Community Committee was called to order by 7 Chair Louise Howson at 10:34 A.M. 8 9 Present: Louise Howson, Jill Wiebe, Lisa O’Hearn, Paula Anschutz. Mary Smythe- Excused, 10 11 Staff: Benjamin Andrews Village Administrator, Sarah Bertges Administrative Assistant 12 13 2. Approval of the Agenda Motion by O’Hearn to approve the agenda as presented, second by 14 Wiebe. Motion carried- all ayes. 15 16 3. Approval of the Minutes – June 10, 2026 17 A spelling error was noted on page one. 18 Motion by Wiebe to approve the minutes as amended, second by O’Hearn. Motion carried-all ayes. 19 20 4. Comments, Correspondence, and Concerns from the Public 21 Staff noted that recent email communication had been sent among committee members in a 22 manner that could constitute a walking quorum. Members were reminded that as a best practice, 23 any group communications should be blind carbon copied to all recipients, and that 24 correspondence intended for the committee should be routed through staff for distribution. It was 25 noted that the communication in question was well -intentioned and that the member was 26 unaware of the requirement. 27 28 5. Discussion/Action Items 29 a. Strategic Planning; Green Tier Legacy Committee 30 Staff presented the strategic planning framework that was distributed following the June 10 31 meeting. The document was sent to members on June 11 along with instructions for populating 32 objectives and was noted to exist as a working document accessible via a shared link. 33 The committee discussed the overall approach to completing the plan. Howson raised the question 34 of whether this was an appropriate time to narrow the focus to a limited number of key objectives, 35 given the volume of items identified. O'Hearn suggested identifying two to three near -term 36 priorities while retaining other items for future years. Staff clarified that the plan is structured as a 37 three-year framework covering 2026 through 2028, with items assigned by year, and that items 38 not yet assigned could be placed at the bottom as a future cut list. 39 Staff recommended that each objective be clearly defined, including a timeline, assigned 40 committee lead, budget estimate, relevant committees or approvals required, and anticipated 41 implementation steps. The committee agreed that the most productive approach would be to 42 assign individual members as leads for specific objectives, allowing work to proceed between 43 meetings according to each member's strengths and areas of interest. 44 The committee worked through the strategic plan document and discussed several categories in 45 detail: 46 Organizational and Governance Howson noted the need for quarterly status reporting. Staff 47 confirmed this would be an administrative function supported by staff, with a reporting framework 48 to be developed. Howson indicated she would coordinate with staff on this. Grant identification 49 was discussed, with staff clarifying that grants are most useful when tied to clearly defined projects 50 Minutes of the July 8, 2026 Meeting of the Green Tier Legacy Community Committee - Approved 2 rather than sought generally. Once priority projects are established, a grant calendar can be 1 developed around application deadlines. 2 Website and Communications The committee discussed the current state of the Green Tier page 3 on the village website. Bertges confirmed she had attempted to update the page earlier in the year 4 and welcomed content submissions. The committee agreed that a single point of contact should 5 manage content submissions to staff. O'Hearn was designated as the committee lead for website 6 content, responsible for reviewing the current content, coordinating updates, and serving as the 7 liaison to Bertges for ongoing changes. Other members were directed to route suggested content 8 through O'Hearn. 9 The committee also discussed a GoDaddy domain name renewal invoice that had previously been 10 paid from the committee budget. Bertges confirmed the charge was under fifty dollars. Members 11 noted uncertainty about which domain names are registered and how long they are paid through, 12 and agreed this should be clarified. 13 The possibility of leveraging social media for outreach was raised. Members acknowledged that a 14 sustained social media presence requires dedicated time and a consistent posting plan, and that 15 the village does not currently maintain social media accounts. Anschutz suggested approaching the 16 Sister Bay Area Association (SBAA), which has an established following and a social media presence, 17 about occasionally featuring Green Tier content. Members agreed this was worth exploring, with 18 Anschutz volunteering to make the inquiry. The committee recognized that a fully developed social 19 media program would require a committed volunteer or committee member and is better suited 20 for a future planning year. 21 Engagement, Communication, and Education The committee discussed strategies for increasing 22 public awareness, including in-person events, printed materials with QR codes linking to the village 23 website, and coordination with partner organizations. Anschutz proposed developing a simple 24 poster or display summarizing the committee's top initiatives, to be used at events such as the 25 Farmer's Market, Marina Fest, and other community touchpoints. Members agreed this was a 26 practical near-term step. 27 The committee discussed the value of participating in broader regional coalitions, including the 28 Door County Green Tier network coordinated by Jeff Lutzey of the Climate Change Coalition. 29 Howson suggested that a unified regional presence — rather than isolated municipal social media 30 accounts — may be a more effective communications strategy and noted this as a topic for a future 31 conversation with Lutzey. 32 The committee discussed the possibility of presenting brief updates to the Village Board or Parks 33 Committee once or twice per year to maintain visibility and report on progress, particularly once 34 the strategic plan is finalized. 35 Regarding partnerships with local businesses, the committee discussed initiating a conversation 36 with Piggly Wiggly management about reducing single -use plastic bag usage and potentially 37 coordinating a bag giveaway or reusable bag station in their lobby. Members agreed that a meeting 38 with store management should be pursued. Howson volunteered to coordinate this outreach. 39 Sustainability and Environmental Impact The committee discussed the food waste composting 40 program currently operated in partnership with the Climate Change Coalition. Howson noted the 41 expectation that the program may be transitioned to the committee's management around 2028, 42 and indicated she would continue coordinating with Jess from the Coalition. Members noted that 43 if the committee were to independently operate a composting program, grant funding would likely 44 be necessary to cover equipment and operational costs. 45 Regarding the community garden, the committee discussed the current underutilization of 46 available plots at the existing site. Members raised concerns about the garden's proximity to an 47 adjacent field where pesticides are applied. Discussion turned to a longer- term vision for a 48 community garden model based on shared cooperative plots rather than individual assigned beds, 49 potentially located at a more suitable village-owned site. Members expressed interest in exploring 50 Minutes of the July 8, 2026 Meeting of the Green Tier Legacy Community Committee - Approved 3 this concept for a future planning year, with Anschutz noting the Lo gerquist site as a potential 1 location given its space and historic character. 2 Action Items: 3 ● Howson to coordinate with staff on a quarterly status reporting framework. 4 ● O'Hearn designated as committee lead for village website content; all members to route 5 suggested content through O'Hearn, who will coordinate submissions with Bertges. 6 ● Staff to clarify which GoDaddy domain names are registered and their renewal dates. 7 ● Anschutz to contact SBAA regarding the possibility of featuring Green Tier content on SBAA's 8 social media platforms. 9 ● Howson to contact Piggly Wiggly management to discuss plastic bag reduction and potential 10 reusable bag outreach partnership. 11 ● Howson to reach out to Jeff Lutzey regarding regional Green Tier communications coordination 12 and a potential invitation to a future meeting. 13 ● All committee members to review the strategic plan working document, populate assigned 14 sections, and add notes on objectives, timelines, and suggested leads prior to the August 15 meeting. 16 17 b. Reusable Bags; Follow-Up 18 The committee continued discussion on the procurement of reusable tote bags for distribution to 19 Sister Bay residents. O'Hearn presented pricing information from Tote Bag Factory for a large 20 square canvas tote measuring approximately 15.5 inches wide by 13.75 inches high by 6 inches 21 deep. At a quantity of 500 units with two -color printing, the estimated cost was approximately 22 $5.91 per unit, for a total near $3,000. 23 The committee discussed the purpose and distribution model for the bags. The primary goals were 24 identified as reducing single -use plastic bag usage and raising awareness of the Green Tier 25 committee's work. It was agreed that bags would be distributed free to Sister Bay residents, with 26 a voluntary cash donation accepted from non-residents. Given the village's lack of a payment 27 platform, donations would be accepted in cash only, with proceeds receipted and deposited to the 28 general fund designated for Green Tier use. The committee noted the distribution could coincide 29 with the Marina Fest booth in September and potentially a subsequent campaign at Piggly Wiggly. 30 Regarding design, the committee agreed that for this initial order a two -color version of the 31 committee's logo would be used, with no full -color artwork at this time. Members acknowledged 32 this is a first run intended to test the distribution model, and that future orders could incorporate 33 more distinctive design elements. 34 By consensus, O'Hearn was directed to order additional samples from Tote Bag Factory and any 35 comparable vendors as needed, assess quality, confirm specifications, and place the order. A 36 delivery deadline of August 15, 2026 was established to ensure bags are on hand prior to Marina 37 Fest on September 5 and 6. Staff confirmed the village credit card could be used for payment upon 38 order placement. 39 Action Items: 40 ● O'Hearn to order samples of canvas tote bag options, confirm final selection, and place an 41 order not to exceed approximately $3,000, with a target delivery date of no later than August 42 15, 2026. 43 ● O'Hearn to coordinate with staff for payment processing at time of order. 44 45 c. Marina Fest Booth Coordination; September 5 & 6, 2026 46 Howson reported that she had been in contact with Marina Fest organizers regarding a booth for 47 the September 5 and 6 event. Abby, the primary contact, was out of town at the time of the 48 meeting, but it was expected that the committee would not be charged a booth fee given its 49 nonprofit status . The booth is anticipated to be a standard 10 -by-10 tent. Full confirmation is 50 pending Abby's return. 51 Minutes of the July 8, 2026 Meeting of the Green Tier Legacy Community Committee - Approved 4 Action Items: 1 ● Howson to confirm booth reservation and logistics with Marina Fest organizers upon Abby's 2 return. 3 4 d. Standing Meeting Adjustments 5 The committee discussed adjusting the standing meeting day and time to better accommodate 6 members' schedules. After discussion of available days, the committee agreed to move to Tuesdays 7 at 8:30 AM for the second week of each month, conducted primarily via Zoom with hybrid 8 attendance available. Staff noted that August 11 falls on a primary election day and therefore 9 cannot be used for the August meeting. The committee agreed that the next meeting would be 10 held on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM as an exception, via hybrid format. 11 12 6. Matters to be Placed on Future Agenda, Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee 13 ● Continued work session on the strategic plan. All committee members to review the strategic 14 plan working document, populate assigned sections, and add notes on objectives, timelines, 15 and suggested leads prior to the August meeting. 16 ● Tote bag update and final design confirmation 17 ● Marina Fest booth logistics 18 ● Presentation or update from the composting program — staff to send an invitation to Mike 19 (Climate Change Coalition representative coordinated through Jess) to present a composting 20 program overview at the August meeting 21 22 7. Next Meeting 23 The next meeting of the Green Tier Legacy Community Committee is scheduled for Wednesday , 24 August 12, 2026 at 3:30 PM, to be held in person in the small conference room at the fire station, 25 with hybrid/Zoom participation available. 26 27 8. Adjournment 28 A motion was made by Anschutz , second by Howson to adjourn the June 10, 2026 meeting of the 29 Green Tier Legacy Community Committee at 12:08 P.M. Motion carried – all ayes. 30 31 Respectfully submitted by Sarah Bertges, Administrative Assistant 32