This post is my notes on the steering committee meeting of July 13, 2011. They should not be considered official meeting minutes. They are my notes on things we need to do and subjects we discussed.
Bicycle and pedestrian safety. To discuss this subject for discussion click here:
The resolutions passed by the Oahu County Convention are posted here. Half of those resolutions are resolutions submitted by the Environmental Caucus. We need to review each of those resolutions and decide what actions we need to take in order to implement them.
We discussed the first meeting of the clean energy workshops and agreed that that meeting was a resounding success. We recognize that given the time constraints of putting these meetings together in a relatively short time Gary has done an amazing job. Members generally expressed their disappointment that they had not had a greater part in recommending speakers.
We recognize the need for a better sign up sheet and Bill will develop one and circulated for steering committee review and suggestions.
We need to send a thank you e-mail to members who attended our meeting thanking them for coming and asking them to return with a friend to our next meetings and giving them the link to the meeting video that they can share with their friends. Bill will assemble the email list from the sign up sheet.
An organization that advocates geothermal power development on the Big Island and an undersea power transmission cable tying the power generation grids of the Big Island and Maui to Oahu has generously contributed $1000 to the Environmental Caucus to help us pay for the clean energy meetings. However, as we understand our obligations in accepting this donation. We understand the strings attached require us to display their banner, distribute their literature and publicly thank them for their support at each of our next clean energy workshops. The steering committee expressed a consensus with one dissenting vote that we can accept donations from any organization that wants to support our mission. However, we must not accept donations from any organization that wants to be a sponsor in return for appearing to endorse their program. In the present case, we must make sure that the donor understands that we are accepting his donation as support for the clean energy workshops and we can not endorse the donor’s program or distribute their literature.
In my opinion, we should have a table where literature from any organization or business involved in clean energy can display their literature. We must make sure that we have invited as many businesses and organizations as we can reach to use this service all. We do not have room to provide a table to representatives from each organization. I have no problem with publicly thanking those donors who wish to be recognized. However, that recognition should be extended to each donor without regard to the size of the contribution. That could become an extensive list and the best way to acknowledge contributors might be in a printed list of supporters.
To add you thoughts to the discussion of our policy for accepting donations click here.
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