Resilience Meeting Notes 10/15/2021 for meeting between Stacy Gloss, Meredith Moore, and Morgan White

1. We discussed ideas for the Design for America RSO project on Environmental Justice.  Stacy will set up a meeting with D for A RSO students to discuss potential project topics and request a 1/2 page - 1 page project idea back to us for approval/revisions. The project might cover an environmental justice topic and be worked on from now through May. We will request that the complete project be designed to be presented in the late Spring, and the results go beyond educational/informational and lead to an initiative of some kind.
2. Stacy provided a progress update on Resilience iCAP objectives.

1. 1. Green Certifications Inventory. Stacy will present this for comment at the next resilience ICAP meeting
   2. NGICP exploration
      1. Stacy will submit SSC proposal to support a pilot program for F&S staff to receive NGICP training at Parkland. The project will evaluate the benefits and decide whether to adopt having more or all campus grounds workers take the training later.
      2. Stacy will request Heidi and Eliana present at a (future proposed) joint meeting of the land/water use and resilience committee about the NGICP program and benefits
   3. Coordinated rainwater planning
      1. Morgan said that she recently had a conversation with a director at Sanitary District who asked for campus to become more involved with watershed management through a watershed working group, which is different than MS4 compliance.  
      2. Morgan also requested that Stacy involve Eliana Brown more in coordinated rainwater planning for future meetings
      3. Stacy will attend the stormwater management organization’s conference on Oct. 20.
   4. Sustainability leadership topics – plan for Stacy to present these at next resilience ICAP meeting
   5. Vision Zero Discussion
      1. Stacy will submit a white paper on next steps for Vision Zero on Campus late next week.
      2. Stacy and Sarthak will meet with a professor who supports / advocates for Vision Zero next week. 
      3. We discussed who would need to be involved for approval and planning of a Traffic Garden, Stacy will report back to Sarthak on this subject.

Attached are the meeting minutes from 9-22-21. The agenda focused on iWG iCAP 2020 priorities, Council/Sub-council updates, ZW004 and LW002 next steps, an overview of campus sustainability month, and updates from the student groups. 

Congratulations to the newest recipients of our Green Office, Event and Chapter certifications! 

Green Chapter Gold Certification:

Zeta Psi-October 2021

Green Office Gold Certification:

iSEE (Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment)-October 2021

Event Certifications:

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers General Meetings-Certified September 2021

iSEE Campus Sustainability Trash Cleanup-Certified September 2021

iSEE Campus Sustainability Celebration-Certified September 2021

SECS (Students for Environmental Concerns) Divestment Teach-In-Certified September 2021

iSEE Illini Lights Out-Certified October 2021

Keep up the great work!

America Walks sponsored a webinar in 2016 about Walking and Walking Campaigns. Here is the link to this webinar: https://vimeo.com/180652941

The 1st discussion was about a Walking Campaign from Seattle. Basically, they started a campaign called “Walktober”, which had a goal of recording 25,000 miles on foot during the month of October. That is nearly equivalent to cover the world, hence their slogan “Walk the World.”

The 2nd discussion was about Vision Zero from San Diego. What to look for when creating a VZ campaign, how to formulate it, and ideas for how to implement it.

ICAP Objective 8.4 Background Discussion between Stacy Gloss and Ximing Cai 9/28/2021

Related Tasks and Deliverables

• 8.4 [iSEE] Take leadership in addressing the most pressing sustainability challenges in our local communities through collaboration with local governments and related community groups, by forming an advisory panel for coordinating efforts across jurisdictional boundaries. By FY24, select at least three major local sustainability issues to address and identify lead agency and key stakeholders.
  • Coordinate an initial meeting with the new advisory panel to share current campus efforts and learn about local governmental efforts
    • Deliverable: meeting notes from advisory panel discussion posted on iCAP Portal, by 3/15/22

Meeting Notes

Planning for the objective (procedural):

1. Stacy should summarize identified major-issue topics and present to resilience committee 
2. The committee may discuss the topics and select 3 priorities aligned with objective 8.4.
3. In parallel, members of the committee should identify potential collaborators for the advisory panel on sustainability topics.  
4. The committee will write a recommendation for the iWG as part of committee work.  (Also note, is it possible for the panel to meet before the iCAP sustainability committee submits a recommendation to the iWG?)

Major Sustainability Topics in our conversaton were identified that bridge Campus, Champaign, Urbana, Savoy & County

Climate Change Adaptation

• Urban growth and development (city managers, county execs, economic development agency to be involved)
  • Smart growth / how do we grow questions: looking forward two – three decades – worsening climate change, coastal flooding likely means an influx of new residents into communities like C-U, especially if we are adding jobs along the lines of manufacturing, medtech, and agtech, not just part of the University and current large employers (like health care)
  • Addressing current environmental issues in communities: local neighborhood flooding, addressing existing pollution from past industries.
• More extreme heat days, heat waves, and heat risks (would need to include county emergency mgmt. agency & health department, social safety net programs like weatherization)
  • Cooling centers
  • Resources for low-income or under-resourced residents
  • Adapting to protect health
• Dealing with more and heavier rainfalls
  • Green infrastructure plans, water management, green roofs – shared resources & plans between campus and cities

 Renewable Energy & Resource Sustainability:

• Renewable Energy Development (climate change mitigation)
  • Develop case studies & share best practices:
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Bioenergy (self note: set up a visit with the energy farm to learn more)
• Waste and Recycling:  reducing landfill waste, increasing recycling, saving energy and resources  (resource sustainability)
  • Industrial
    • E.g. hospitals, manufacturing plants
  • Commercial
    • Incorporate green office practices
  • Campus practices

Sustainable Agriculture (identify additional stakeholders, like Farm Bureau, Land Connection)

• Biodiversity
• Cover crops
• Addressing nutrient loss
• Water quality
• Bioenergy / perennial grasses like to renewable energy sources
• Food systems: from ag to production to distribution to consumption
• Ties to South Farms for best management practices related to ag, water, and air quality – as a lab
• Land use considerations (and regulations at federal, state, and local level

iCAP 8.6 Vision Zero Meeting 9/29/2021 

Present: Sarthak Prasad, Stacey DeLorenzo, Stacy Gloss

Background: 8.6 [F&S] Support Vision Zero as a county-wide goal for safe and sustainable transportation.   Coordinate with Professor Benekohal, the City of Urbana Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), and F&S Transportation Demand Management to identify actions needed to support Vision Zero  Deliverable: white paper identifying key steps needed by 11/15/21

Sarthak and Stacey shared details about Key existing organizations:  Urbana BPAC, CUUATS, Campus Transportation Demand Management, and CTAC.

Off campus staff would participate on a Vision Zero taskforce if it forms, would provide input ona Vision Zero Action Plan, continue to represent campus at BPAC and at CUUATS.

Community contacts were identified.

Potential next steps:

• Sarthak set up meeting with Dr. Benekoha and Stacy Gloss for updates
• Set a meeting to discuss white paper discussing tasks for supporting Vision Zero
• Reach out to Vision Zero to discuss a Vision Zero Campus Designation – Can this be made real?