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<br /> <br /> 1 <br />Orange County <br />Commission for the Environment <br /> <br />Meeting Summary <br /> <br />March 10, 2014 <br />Orange County Environment and Agricultural Center, Hillsborough <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />PRESENT: Jan Sassaman (Chair), May Becker, Peter Cada, Loren Hintz, David Neal, Jeanette <br />O’Connor, Rebecca Ray, Gary Saunders, Lydia Wegman, David Welch <br /> <br />ABSENT: Donna Lee Jones, Steve Niezgoda <br />STAFF: Rich Shaw, Tom Davis GUEST: Bill Kaiser <br />_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />I. Call to Order – Sassaman called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm. <br /> <br />II. Ad ditions or Changes to Agenda – There were no changes or additions, however <br />Hintz informed the CFE of an Orange County Expo that would be held April 4. <br /> <br />III. Approval of Minutes – Sassaman asked for comments on the minutes for February 13. <br />Wegman motioned to approve as written; Neal seconded. Approved unanimously. <br /> <br />IV. Orange County Recycling Program update – Sassaman reminded CFE members that <br />the County will hold public hearings on the proposed solid waste service tax district. The <br />hearings will be on March 18 in Chapel Hill and April 1 in Hillsborough. He noted that <br />former CFE member Terri Buckner has asked members of the CFE to help provide <br />factual information at the meetings. Hintz and O’Connor said they plan to attend. <br /> <br />Sassaman reminded members of the CFE resolution in support of the proposed tax <br />district that was adopted at the February meeting. He said members were welcome to <br />reference that resolution in any remarks that they might make on this subject. <br /> <br />Sassaman handed out a draft letter that he and Neal prepared for submittal to the <br />Chapel Hill News. The letter describes reasons for supporting the proposed solid waste <br />service tax district for Orange County. He asked members to read the letter and offer <br />any feedback. Comments and editorial suggestions were provided by Wegman, <br />O’Connor, Hintz, Welsh and Ray. Neal and Sassaman thanked members for the <br />comments and said they would submit a revised letter to the newspaper the next day. <br /> <br />V. Environmental Summit – Sassaman thanked O’Connor and other ad hoc committee <br />members for securing the Maple View Agricultural Education Center for the May 31 <br />environmental summit. Sassaman said Dr. Norm Christensen is lined up as keynote <br />speaker for the event. Shaw suggested the committee identify other potential speakers <br />to discuss important issues highlighted in the State of the Environment report. <br /> <br />CFE members discussed potential topics for a panel discussion or concurrent sessions. <br />Among the topics mentioned were invasive species identification and remediation, <br />energy efficiency and renewable energy options, the effects of the anticipated reductions <br />in state monitoring of surface and groundwater resources, and the ongoing conversion of <br />hardwood forest to pine plantations across the rural landscape. Saunders noted that <br />many people will be interested to learn more about the recent coal ash spill and fracking.