Minutes of the Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter
Meeting Date: October 8, 2005
Call to order: An Executive Committee meeting of the Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter was held at the Community Center in Frisco, Colorado, on October 8, 2005.
The meeting convened at 9:11, Chairman Steve Welter presiding, and Michele Bobyn, secretary.
Members in attendance:
AL Greg Casini
AL Kathy Glatz
AL Linda Batlin
AL Todd Chamberlin
BRG Howard Morton
BRG Karn Stiegelmeier
EMG JoLynn Jarboe
IPG/Chair Steve Welter
MEG Betsy Kelson
PCG Dan Bihn
PPG Jim Lockhart
PPG Kirby Hughes
RCG Bill Campbell
RFG Bob Millette
RFG Maggie Pederson
SdCG/Secretary Michele Bobyn
SPG Gloria Shone
TLG Rich Levy
Conservation Chair Kirk Cunningham
Staff
SW Office Adriana Raudzens
Chapter Director – Susan LeFever
Chapter Coordinator – Dan Disner
National Staff Attorney – Eric Huber
Members not in attendance:
Uncompahgre, Weminuche, High Plains
Approval of the minutes:
Changes to the minutes: None
Motion was made by Bob Millett, and seconded to approve the minutes of the July 2005 meeting. Motion carried.
Report on online polls:
RMC ExCom Poll 2005-8: The RMC Executive Committee has voted to endorse Colorado State Referenda C & D.
RMC Admin Poll 2005-3: The RMC Administrative Committee voted to appoint Greg Casini to the Political Committee as a replacement for Jennie Crystal.
RMC Admin Poll 2005-4: The RMC Administrative Committee, on the recommendation of the IPG ExCom, voted to endorse Boulder County Issue 1A. This referendum would permit the county to retain county tax monies that would otherwise be refunded by TABOR. A portion of these funds will be earmarked to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling, and other environmental programs.
RMC Admin Poll 2005-5: The RMC Administrative Committee voted to endorse the following candidates for Boulder City Council: Macon Cowles, Shaun McGrath, Andy Schultheiss, and Eugene Pearson.
RMC Admin Poll 2005-6: The RMC Administrative Committee voted to appoint Ed Wright as the new RMC Transportation Issue Chair.
Approval of the agenda:
Changes to agenda:
- Add brief statement about oil and gas campaign 10 minute after Council Delegate Report.
- Add a resolution to establish Roaring Fork Group after water quality control
- Greg will provide highlights from Council Meeting instead of Tony Ruckel.
Motion was made by Betsy Kelson, and seconded to approve the agenda of the October 2005 meeting as revised. Motion carried.
Reports:
Council DelegateReport Greg Casini reported on resolutions passed and not passed at the Council national meeting that affect chapters, groups and volunteers. (See attachment). Also discussed new FRIP rate.
Chair Steve Welter reported on our progress on the Oil and Gas Priority Campaign and the need for a committee.
Vice Chair Greg Casini reported on Chapter’s participation in the Sierra Summit and the results of the decision making process and the results of the NPLA report. More info at the Clubhouse Website.
Resolution in Support of Colorado Water Quality Control Commission. (See attachment 1) Conservation Chair Kirk Cunningham discussed a proposed motion.
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini and seconded that we adopt the resolution, attached.
Motion carried
Resolution to form the Roaring Fork Group.
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini and seconded that the Rocky Mountain Chapter hereby authorizes the formation of the Roaring Fork Group. RFG will include the following Zip Codes:
Aspen 81611
Aspen 81612
Basalt 81621
Carbondale 81623
Glenwood Springs 81601
Glenwood Springs 81602
Marble 81623
Meredith 81642
New Castle 81647
Redstone 81623
Rifle 81650
Silt 81652
Snowmass 81654
Snowmass Village 81656
Woody Creek 81656
Motion carried
Chapter Funding for Roaring Fork Group
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini and seconded that we pay the Roaring Fork Group their dues subvention retroactive to January 1, 2005.
Motion carried
Additional Reports
Chair Steve Welter presented the list of proposed chairs for 2006 Administrative
Committees. Conservation Chair Kirk Cunningham presented a list of proposed conservation committee chairs: (See Attached) Kirk will inform Bill Kossack that there are concerns about positions he is taking as Rocky Flats Chair.
Southwest Field Representative Adriana Raudzens reported on activities from the Boulder office, including work on roadless areas and the Radio News Service.
Chair Steve Welter reported on 2006 chapter political activities including chapter attendance at national training next week, and possible committee structure.
Awards Chair Gloria Shone reported on the need for awards candidates for the December 10 event.
Executive Session:
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini and seconded that the Executive Committee go into executive session. The ExCom invites Kirby Hughes, Maggie Pederson, Kirk Cunningham, Mark Collier, and staff, to join the meeting.
Motion carried
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini and seconded that the Executive Committee go into regular session.
Motion carried
Motion: Moved by Greg Casini that the Rocky Mountain Chapter Executive Committee hereby requests Eric Huber to draft a new matter form for the proposed Fountain Creek lawsuit as described on October 8th and to seek from the national Sierra Club office approval to file the lawsuit.
Furthermore, the Rocky Mountain Chapter Executive Committee authorizes its own Administrative Committee to approve filing of the lawsuit (provided national approval is granted) and allocates up to $1000 from the revolving litigation fund to cover litigation costs (not to include expert witness fees or attorneys fees at this time.
Motion carried.
Additional Reports:
Groups & Sections reported on their activities.
Chair Steve Welter reported on the status of HPG and WG. Both have been struggling to be active and engage members. Looking for direction from the ExCom.
Motion:Moved by: GregCasini and seconded that we will put a notice in the next newsletter announcing the potential dissolution of the High Plains Group. This would be the first action toward official dissolution.
Motion Carried
Action: A Task Force was formed to help the Weminuche Group get up to speed. Bob, Kathy, Rich, Kirby, Greg, Michele have offered to help. Rich will chair, and report to Steve by the end of October.
Fundraising Chair Greg Casini reported on upcoming fundraising events.
Treasurer Mark Collier reported on treasury and finance committee. Year to date, total income is $150,446; total expense is $170,764; net income -$20,379. Total liability and equity is $99,908.
Inner City Outings representative Kathy Glatz reported on the ICO’s programs.
Funding request for ICO
Motion: Moved by Rich and seconded that we give the ICO an additional donation of $500, and that ICO create a fundraising plan for 2006 to move toward self-sufficiency.
Motion carried
Announcements:
- Next Executive Committee meeting in Boulder January 21-22.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:25
______
SecretaryDate of Approval
Attachment 1. Resolutions passed at National Meeting
Council Of Club Leaders Resolutions
September 2005
1. SC California: Permanent Regional Conservation Structure
Motion passed by a significant majority.
The Council of Club Leaders (CCL) requests that the Board of Directors recognize that some regional conservation work involving multi-chapter campaigns or projects needs a permanent regional structure similar to the former Regional Conservation Committees (RCCs). The CCL requests that the Board of Directors commence a process to provide for such structure where it is determined that will be useful and to commit to continued regional funding in an adequate amount so that continuing regional conservation work can be assured of continuity.
2. SC California: No abrupt termination of volunteer entities
Motion passed by a significant majority
The Council of Club Leaders (CCL) requests that the Board of Director's not abruptly terminate important volunteer entities, such as the RCCs, without prior notice and without consulting other relevant volunteer Sierra Club entities and the Council of Club Leaders.
3. New Jersey Chapter: Examine Relationship of National to Local
Fundraising Efforts
Passed Unopposed
The Council of Club Leaders requests that the Board of Directors establish an ad-hoc committee with representatives from the National organization and the Chapters to study the Club's current practice of separating National and local (Chapter) fundraising efforts and to develop recommendations on how to more effectively integrate the Club's local presence into its fundraising efforts at all levels.
4. Florida Chapter: Extend the current FRIP rebate for chapters and groups
Passed without opposition
The CCL requests the BOD to continue for three more years the current experimental program for sharing the new membership income through the FRIP program.
5. John Muir Chapter: Increase training support for local leader development
The CCL requests the BOD to increase funds for the Integrated Training Budget and the Training Academy to allow them to implement training activities that would promote development of effective chapters and groups and to provide uninterrupted funding for existing training staff.
6. CCL Support Services for WILD
The CCL requests the BOD to direct the Executive Director to ensure updating and management of WILD, within 2 weeks of receipt of information or requests.
7. Sub-Chapter Organization Alternatives
The Council shall establish a standing committee to:
• Annually survey groups for compliance with existing bylaws.
• Communicate status report at the next Council meeting.
• Direct Chapters to convert groups out of compliance to some other organizational structure.
8. Support for CCL Governance Overview Task Force
In recognition of the value of the CCL and the role it can play in advancing the Club’s mission, the CCL expresses its support for the mission, responsibilities, and tasks listed in the draft charge of the CCL Governance Overview Task Force and requests the BOD adopt this charge.
Further, the CCL requests the BOD to provide sufficient funding for the CCL’s new mission, responsibilities, and tasks.
9. Increase Youth Involvement
In order to effect greater integration of youth into the leadership of the Sierra Club, the Council directs its ExCom to establish a committee for the purpose of engaging youth more completely in all levels of the Sierra Club, especially chapters and groups.
The Committee shall be made up of two Council delegates (one of which will initially serve as chair) appointed by the Council Chair; two Organizational Effectiveness Governance Committee (OEGC) members appointed by the OEGC Chair, a Club Director appointed by the Club President, and two SSC members appointed by the SSC ExCom Chair.
Areas of concern that they will be encouraged to address include:
• Integrating youth into the leadership structure of Club chapters and groups specifically and the Sierra Club generally
• Recommending the best way to have youth leaders included on chapter and group leader lists, including WILD
• Recommending the best way to increase outreach to and recruitment of youth in both the SSC and throughout the Club.
10. Funding for NPLA Efforts
The CCL agrees to help the National Purpose Local Action (NPLA) Team to execute another effort that is designed to:
• Distribute the findings of the NPLA study to the Chapters and Groups.
• Once appropriate Club entities have identified how the NPLA findings can help chapters and groups to be more effective, communicate those findings to chapters and groups.
• Continue the two way dialog between all levels of the Club regarding possible changes.
After the effort, the CCL will work to continue this dialog between Groups, Chapters and National.
We request that the Board support and fully fund these efforts.
11. The communication role of the CCL
The CCL requests the Communication & Education Governance Committee (OEGC) work with the CCL to enhance internal communications between the chapters and any national Club entity as well as between chapters.
12. Label and Mailing Lists
The CCL requests the BOD to direct the Executive Director to ensure rapid turnaround to label and mailing lists requests.
13. Staff and Chapter Interactions
Staff and The CCL requests the BOD to direct staff to begin efforts to improve interactions between national and regional field staff and local chapters and groups, regardless the funding source.
The following motions did not pass or were postponed indefinably:
Ozark Chapter-Oppose Coal Burning Power Plants
The Council of Club Leaders (CCL) requests the Board of Directors to acknowledge the crisis presented by climate change and adopt a policy opposing new coal burning electric power plants.
Revisit the definition of functioning group
CCL requests OEGC to revisit the definition of functioning group and to design and implement procedures that reflect the definition.
Tennessee Chapter: Sierra Magazine Advertisement Policy
The CCL requests the Board of Directors to mandate that all Sierra Club publications, including the Sierra Magazine, must reflect the core values of the Sierra Club and only the core values of the Sierra Club.
Further, the CCL requests the BOD to establish a set of standards that includes a background and business practice check for all advertisements that are accepted for any Sierra Club publication.
These include but are not limited to:
1) Water quality violations
2) Air quality violations
3) Toxic waste violations
4) Fair trade violations
Any potential advertiser not meeting these standards does not qualify as an organization that meets Sierra's environmental standards and shall not be permitted to advertise in any Sierra Club publication.
Referred to Committee
Florida Chapter: Restore pre-2003 dues allocation levels to grassroots
The CCL requests that the BOD restore the pre-2003 formula for dues allocations to the grass roots through the Chapter and Group structure.
Cumberland Chapter: Resolution to add a new Introductory Membership classification
The Council of Club Leaders supports the proposal of the Club’s Election Reform Task Force to add a new Introductory Membership classification.
We ask the Board of Directors to establish this new classification for members who have NOT yet renewed one time as of the date names are selected for the ballot mailing. This classification would apply to all new members, except for Life Members, until the member’s first renewal.
Introductory Members would NOT be eligible to vote in National Club
Elections but would retain all other benefits of club membership.
Attachment 2.
Water Quality Resolution
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CWQCC – Kirk Cunningham
Resolution to Protect Colorado’s Natural Resources-
Support for the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission
WHEREAS:
* energy development is occurring at an unprecedented pace in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West;
* the energy industry expects to drill approximately 4,000 new oil and gas wells in Colorado in 2005;
* the Energy industry predicts as many as 400,000 new oil and gas wells will be drilled in the United states over the next 15 years, many of which are expected to be located in this state;
* drilling pad construction disturbs soil and plants, spills fuel, solvents and chemicals into the soil and produce sediments that can pollute streams and lakes;
* storm water runoff in the form of rain and melting snow flowing across drilling pads and other construction areas associated with oil and gas operations can cause soil erosion, sending sediment into streams and rivers;
* water quality in Colorado streams will decline due to increased storm water runoff, impacting aquatic life, irrigation and drinking water if storm water discharge from oil and gas development is not controlled;
* Colorado counties and municipalities where residents have been impacted by the rapid increase in oil and gas development have been prohibited by court rulings from taking formal actions to regulate stormwater runoff from oil and gas sites under the argument that such actions are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal and state government;
* the federal government, having in the past regulated storm water discharges from oil and gas construction sites, is now largely precluded from doing so by the Energy Bill of 2005;
* the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission has adopted regulations to control storm water discharges from oil and gas construction sites by applying best management practices and is not precluded by the Energy Bill of 2005 from continuing to implement those regulations;
* all other industries and private citizens in Colorado must comply with Colorado Water Quality Control Commission regulations for storm water discharges, which require the use of best management practices to control storm water runoff;