May 19

In attendance: Rob, Lisa, Lindsay, Max, Basav

Treasurer

Lindsay willing to take it on as an interim role. Wants to make sure we have a spreadsheet set up to share.

We have little more than 2k in the account.

Petworth Festival June 8     

Petworth Festival sent out a bunch of info about what they are looking for, including $45 vendor fee to hold a spot. There may be an exemption for organizations that are not selling, but not certain.

Action Item: Basav will ask if give exemption for non profits or groups that aren’t selling.

Action Item: Basav and Catherine will bring folding table and chair.

Action Item: Lisa will bring two chairs.

Action Item: Basav will email Greenpeace contact about a tent.

Action Item: Lindsay will set up a signup genius for people to sign up, email the listserv, and add the event to the event calendar / website post.

Action Item: If anyone has a friend or neighbor that was thinking about joining, invite them to help run the booth! ) and need to decide slots, who can be there.

What info should we be handing out: brochures, perhaps Exelon call to action.

Ideas for things to do:

selfie station / white board

giveaway

kids art station

Petworth Market Green Neighbors Day – June 20

Will do similar thing to the other day, but the market provides the tent and tables, and it’s like 9-1pm.

Figuring out if / how Day Eight do a performance piece within the event and what that would be like.

Action Item: Basav will ask Catherine if she can CC Rob in to email communication about the Green day. Communicate how GN could help or participate if Day Eight does a performance.

Action Item: Rob and Annette can brainstorm (with others?) before the next meeting on how some of the stations from Day Eight’s recent field day could be adapted for the Green day (science table, what types of plants can be identified in the square, etc.). If in time, we can use for Petworth Day, too.

Groundswell

May 22^nd is the deadline for signup, which will likely be extended.

Spread word about it as much as we can individually; this is an opportunity to spread the green agenda, to let folks know that there are ways we can make green choices.

PowerDC Update

Maryland voted to approve (3-2) the Pepco-Exelon merger; they included about 46 conditions, and Exelon agreed to them.

Action Item (already accomplished): Lisa has details and will send to the list for us all to see.

The AG in Maryland saying it’s not a done deal, but that doesn’t mean the courts will really have standing to overturn. In DC, the PSC has through May 27 to accept comments and has 90 days from then to issue the decision. It seems likely to take the 90 days to make the decision. There’s a renewed push to get more comments into the PSC before the decision. They also want to get the city council on our side to write an op-ed.

So far, the positions of the councilmembers are:

For

Orange: For

Evans: For

Recused

Mendleson

Not on the Record

Nadeau

McDuffie

Todd

Alexander

May

Bonds

Against

Silverman

Grosso

Cheh

Allen

Walter Reed

Comments weren’t entered into the new record but can be entered as a comment. Recent article proclaimed 20 acres of green space. No matter how that is technically calculated, (assuming that it is true), the plan still actually seriously lacks green space.

Action Item: Rob will submit already approved and drafted statement as a comment /statement during the comment period.

Action Item: Rob will draft a letter to the editor; will ask Lisa the technical question to send to Jason Braine (Sierra Club).

Oceana

Lindsay volunteers with a group that is fighting Seismic Airgun Testing (which is used for prospecting for offshore oil).

Oceana realized that if you can make headway on that issue, you can delay offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic, which currently isn’t protected except for some northern states (and the ocean doesn’t follow state lines).

Oceana is creating a big grassoots push to get beach towns to sign on and object to the issue.

Interested in getting resolution against… Is there any advice on supporting it, how to get the resolution?

Group advised writing to the city council, particularly Mendleson’s people. Lindsay will report back if any more help is needed from GN.