Minutes
KEEP ARKANSAS BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION
Ramada Inn, 912 Highway 65, Lake Village, Arkansas 71653
October 23, 2003
Commissioners Present:
Sarah Wruck, Chairwoman Brenda Williams, Vice-Chairwoman
Laurie Black Dixie Carlson
Phyllis Jones Thurston Lamb
Gelene MacDowell Mary Smith
Commissioners Absent:
Linda Westergard
Staff Present:
Robert Phelps, Brenda Halbert and Jack Singleton, Keep Arkansas Beautiful
Guests Present:
Marynell Branch, Office of the Governor
Rev. Ted Christopher of Little Rock
Steve Holcomb, Rob Bell and Julie Robbins of Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper
Call to Order:
Sarah Wruck called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m., and Brenda Halbert called the roll. Guests were welcomed.
Presentation of Minutes:
Ms. Wruck asked for corrections or additions to the August 28, 2003 minutes:
Gelene MacDowell made a motion, seconded by Mary Smith, to
approve the August 28, 2003 KARB Commission Minutes as written.
The motion passed.
Chairwoman's Report:
Ms. Wruck extended appreciation to hosts of the October Commission meeting as well as the social event and dinner the evening before, including Mr. and Mrs. Fred Black, the Mayor of Lake Village and City Council, the Economic Development Committee and other dignitaries. She noted it had been a wonderful opportunity to meet and mingle with members of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 2
Executive Director's Report:
Mr. Phelps reported on the following:
· Keep America Beautiful:
1) Mr. Phelps attended the State Leaders Council meeting last week in Austin, TX;
he compared the relationship between KAB and certified state affiliates to KArB's relationship with its statewide affiliates; he also noted the importance of recognizing non-affiliates who participate in some KAB events such as the Great American Cleanup;
2) 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., December 2-6:
a) To be attended by Mr. Phelps and Mr. Singleton;
b) Carl Garner, first "Iron Eyes Cody Award" recipient will be recognized with
his travel complimentary of the State;
c) Two state award winners will be recognized: Delta Plastics of the South as the third place winner for Business/Recycling with Dhu Thompson and his family in D.C. to receive the award (after having been a winner in the local competition, they have also agreed to sponsor the state award); Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper will receive an award for the movie trailer of the 2002 Great Arkansas Cleanup.
· Arkansas Quarter Celebration at the Crater of Diamonds State Park on October 28 to introduce the commemorative quarter with attendance by U. S. Treasury officials, the Governor and other notables:
1) KArB will help coordinate the recycling and cleanup efforts in partnership with Upper Southwest Regional Solid Waste Management in Nashville who will provide the disposal cans and rolloff;
2) KArB staff will set up a booth and promote the mission of KArB to a crowd including 3,000 students;
3) Mary Smith, Commissioner, will be heavily involved in Murfreesboro activities throughout the day and evening.
· Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper: Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl was commended on her promotion to Principal of MHRC.
· Appreciation to KArB from Larry Cargile, ADPT Chief Operating Officer, noting: "Keep Arkansas Beautiful claims the sole position of having zero problems for three quarters running" in AASIS.
· An "Anti-Litter Task Force" comprised of multiple agencies has been convened by the AR State Highway & Transportation Department toward improving the litter problem across the state (Mr. Phelps is a member):
1) First meeting was organizational with each agency reporting on their efforts
to combat litter and resources they have to offer to the Task Force;
2) Second meeting was getting ready for recommendations to the Legislature and Governor in the spring:
a) Container deposit legislation ("bottle bill") introduced by Sen. Madison in the last session would primarily increase general revenue under the auspices of an "anti-litter" bill, however there has been some opposition due to the difficulty of implementation and burden on retailers;
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 3
b) Mayor Coody of Fayetteville has been a proponent of the bill with the Fayetteville City manager serving on the Task Force.
· 2004 Awards Luncheon & Conference:
1) Awards Luncheon will be concluding event of the Conference with cost
included in conference registration; however, it will be open to individuals and groups that want to attend only that portion;
2) Hot Springs Convention Center and Embassy Suites - venue for April 21-22;
3) Turf Catering (Oaklawn caterer) will cater - menus will be obtained for review at the next meeting;
4) Limited funding is available from the KArB Foundation;
5) Sponsorship packets were reviewed, including sponsorship opportunities, i.e., the "Community Environment Grant" sponsorship supported by Nucor in 2003 (they have been contacted regarding a repeat in 2004); monetary grants are a great enhancement to the awards;
6) Commissioners' responsibility:
a) Identify groups and projects in their district to drive entries; KArB staff will identify potential projects via the newspaper clipping service and forward to Commissioners;
b) Encourage participation in both events;
c) Identify and make contact with potential business sponsors where you have a connection, either in your district or that have a statewide presence;
7) Table costs and seating was discussed: children's groups will be given a discount rate of $300 a table; patron table sponsorship will be $150 that will identify the sponsor and provide two tickets, enabling KArB to sell the other eight tickets;
8) Awards sponsorship overview was presented, including the $1,500 annual
commitment for five years;
9) Important dates including entry deadline and notification of finalists were
reviewed.
Discussion followed with Laurie Black expressing concern that the five-year commitment might be difficult for some businesses who cannot project that far in advance with the present economy, however, she felt the monetary amount was attainable on an annual basis. Ms. Wruck concurred. Mr. Phelps stated flexibility of commitment might have to be considered in some instances.
Mr. Phelps reviewed available sponsorships. He expressed appreciation to Peggy Weidman and Cricket Communications for changing their sponsorship category to allow other prospects to enter the field. Final sponsorships should be procured no later than the middle of February. Mr. Phelps stated he could produce a letter of introduction as well as accompany any Commissioner who wanted to make a personal visit to a business being considered for an award sponsorship.
Mr. Holcomb suggested a number of support opportunities in the Hot Springs area for sponsorships and/or in-kind donations such as food for the events, including Charles Cella,
Turf Catering, Oaklawn and the Racing Commission, Mountain Valley Water (supportive at past events), Simmons and other local banks, plus other possibilities acquired from the Chamber of Commerce. Rev. Christopher suggested Jennings Osborne for sponsorship or donating food for the events.
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 4
Mr. Phelps continued his report as follows:
· Awards & Conference - 2004 (contd.):
10) Two new awards have been added to the three traditional categories:
a) KArB Community of the Year - a community who enters projects in each category; he pointed out that these are really living the KArB mission;
b) Media Advocacy Award - an entry nominated by an Affiliate recognizing
local media who have been a tremendous support to their program;
11) Judging format will be changed somewhat with each category judged by experts in that category;
12) Entry criteria was reviewed;
13) Trophies for 2003 Award of Excellence recipients: these were unique but expensive; this year, there is a possibility of having these made locally through a school entity;
· KArB/UAMS NCSA Campaign: Non-commercial sustaining announcement program through a KArB Foundation grant to AR Broadcasters Association; in the second quarter, we received $78,400 in radio and television announcements at a cost of $6,250, reflecting a 12.5 to 1 ratio (guaranteed only a 4 to 1 ratio).
Financial Report:
Mr. Phelps reported on the period ending September 30, 2003 reflecting expenditures of 22%, stating it was a little below budget for the first quarter of the fiscal year. With outstanding invoices from Ms. Caveness for GAC 2003 coordination and MHRC, he projected that we will be under budget at the end of December. Ms. Wruck called for discussion followed by the motion:
Thurston Lamb made a motion, seconded by Phyllis Jones,
approving the KArB Financial Report for the Period Ending
September 30, 2003. The motion passed unanimously.
Volunteer Services Report:
Jack Singleton reported:
· New Affiliates: Keep Redfield Beautiful and Keep Rosebud Beautiful;
· Huntsville, Helena and Eudora - contacts in September;
· Strategy of interacting with communities:
1) When a club requests a speech, we also try and establish presentations or meetings with a school group, garden club and a visit with community leaders, focusing on all mission areas;
2) New Affiliate communities require representation from business, government
and volunteer/non-profit sectors;
3) Development on the front end is important in getting groups started on the right track to create a solid Affiliate.
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 5
· Weyerhaeuser Foundation recycling grants for schools: Applications have been distributed along with the KAB "School Recycling Guide" to assist schools in "how to enter".
· Statewide Master Gardener Leadership Training at Ferndale with sixty Master Gardener groups represented: Mr. Singleton presented a program on "how to construct an award winning entry", using the KArB draft, emphasizing that the best "entries" usually win the award, not necessarily the best "program".
· Meetings are scheduled this week in Crossett, Camden and Redfield.
· AGFC: meeting held with Col. Day of the law enforcement section, noting that we are now getting regular reports from them on litter enforcement. (Ms. Black noted the AGFC at this week's meeting had expressed pride in spearheading litter enforcement in the state.)
· AR Flower & Garden Show: Mr. Singleton has collaborated with Janet Carson and Jennifer Gibson of the UA Cooperative Extension Service, considering a joint project focusing on school gardens and beautification via the Junior Master Gardener Program.
Ms. Black commended Mr. Singleton's presentation recently to a Eudora group, noting all echelons of the community responded enthusiastically. Additionally, Ms. Black suggested promoting a "Star" program, providing stickers to businesses who maintain their grounds, encourage recycling, etc. Mr. Singleton said standards are being developed now for such a program in Keep Faulkner County Beautiful.
Ms. Wruck shared a success story in Wynne, Arkansas, due in great part to the efforts of the Wynne Beautification Committee, a KArB Affiliate under the leadership of Marguerite Burt, whereby the community attracted a corporation offering 240 jobs to locate there. Ms. Wruck emphasized the importance of a clean and attractive community in economic development.
GAC 2003:
Ms. Wruck commended Ms. Caveness on her leadership in coordinating the GAC 2003, stating that she has kept her posted on events and progress of events statewide. Mr. Phelps presented the first portion of the GAC report:
· GAC 2003 Progress Report as of October 21:
1) 57 counties participating (up from 54 in 2002);
2) 73 events planned (up from 60 in 2002);
3) 1/3 of the events were held on the kickoff date of September 6;
4) Reviewed other cleanup events beginning with September 20 thru October 26;
5) Remaining events list: Commissioners were encouraged to attend if there is an event in their district.
· Goal was to involve more young people this year: Four wrap-up reports have been received to date with 1200 total volunteers and 36 organizations, indicating events with as much as 70% participation by youth groups, elementary thru college age; this validates our efforts to make this an educational experience as well as a cleanup.
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 6
Mr. Phelps praised Ms. Caveness' diligence and establishment of rapport with the groups she has worked with over the years. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of the wrap-up reports including statistics from the events, stating these figures along with GAmC figures will be important when preparing performance based budget projections and reporting to the Legislature.
Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper:
Ms. Robbins reported on the ad agency's role in the fall cleanup efforts, focusing on media relations and its value to KArB:
· Summary of media relations for GAC 2003 with a $4,500 budget:
1) 21 media kits were sent to major newspapers, TV and radio;
2) 104 articles and news stories in 62 outlets reached 56 communities in 42 counties with a viewer/readership of 1.2 million;
3) Value equivalency totaled $25,218 (5.5 times budget);
4) News clippings are still coming in from late events.
Mary Smith expressed concern of no media activity in many of the counties in her district.
Mr. Holcomb emphasized the significance of Commissioners making personal contact with editors in helping make that happen.
Advisory Reports:
ADPT:
Mr. Davies was not present for a report.
Governor’s Office:
Marynell Branch reported for the Governor as follows:
· Arkansas Quarter Celebration October 28 in Murfreesboro: reviewed the day's agenda beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, local entertainment on the town square that afternoon, Mr. Osborne serving barbeque at 4:00 p.m., Capitol Offense performing at 6:00 p.m. followed by fireworks.
· Education is the Governor's main focus these days, particularly higher education.
· Letters received regarding litter complaints are referred to KArB for a response.
· The Governor supports KArB "Please Don't Litter" bumper stickers distribution to state agencies with Ms. Branch suggesting the agency directors be contacted first.
Mr. Phelps reported that the Litter Task Force is looking for something representative of the "anti-litter" message that all agencies can use, however, they might be sensitive to using the "Keep Arkansas Beautiful - Please Don't Litter" sticker with our logo. Mr. Holcomb stated it might be considered generic, since it does not have the word, "Commission" on it.
KArB Commission Minutes
October 23, 2003 - page 7
After lengthy discussion, Ms. Wruck concluded that we need to get a vehicle count and determine if the agencies are receptive to the idea, and if we can use the current design or have to go with something different. The cost can then be obtained, depending on whether or not it will be a partnership effort with other agencies or if it will be an underwritten effort. She requested that this information be available for discussion at the November meeting, if possible.