Community Economic Localization (Colorado)

CEL General Meeting minutes, November 2, 2006

DISCUSSION: Brook LeVan led discussion on how the CEL Group can flow more freely in the area of personal relations and community spirit. More transparency, opening up the Steering Committee membership to all interested parties, more time for Team reports in Group meetings were all agreed upon. We are building a new way to exist together and all need to remember to keep our spirits open!

TEAM REPORTS:

FOOD: Malcolm McMichael is heading up developing a food model outlining the carrying capacity for the greater Carbondale area for food. What would it take to feed 10,000 people?

ENERGY: Reviewed Carbondale energy plan. Has list of priority projects. Will make recommendation to environmental board on priorities. The Board will be recommending how to spend $29,000 balance of franchise fee budget for energy in 2006. Town budget has energy budget for $140,000 for 2006. Work will be coordinated by CORE. Ballot initiative 2F has no apparent opposition. Vote YES for 2 large solar systems in Carbondale!

WATER: Water meeting with Jim Pokrandt had a positive response from other stake holders. Formed important relationships within the water community. Colorado River Round Table task force consists of representatives from water basins studying use patterns, future distributions and projects throughout the state. Colorado Basin focused on 2 sectors: users and non-consumptive uses. Key issues include minimum stream flows for water quality, avoiding trans-mountain diversions, future energy demands for oil, gas and oil shale. Next meeting for Round table is public: Deciding on projects within basin with existing budget of $600,000 and grant opportunities of $14 million at state level. Next meeting November 27, Monday, 1-4pm at GWS Community Center.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT:

CURRENCY: The currency team has chosen to expand it’s focus to include business development based on the WELL Business Group. Adding the business focus will allow us to expand the influence and energy of CEL much more rapidly and will get more of the business community educated and empowered to participate. We have discussed the potential value that TimeBanks gives us in terms of allowing people to people and potentially business to person, person to business service exchange and have decided to go forward. We have purchased the initial package for 35 members and are getting familiar with how it works. Additionally, we have chosen to follow the lead from Boulder TimeBanks and implement a similar policies and procedural approach. During the next several days, we will be writing up a budget and exec sumary and plan to propose this to various funding sources to include CORE, Manaus Fund and Carbondale Rotary.We will initally propose a part time person to work alongside volunteers from CEL to implement the initial plan. In the absence of getting funding we will use a volunteer approach.

COMMUNICATION: Continue to collect descriptions of each Team including a current project and future goal. Will post on website. Sustainable movie ideas tossed around. Will research Sierra Club's traveling sustainable film fest to bring to Carbondale. SEI has capacity to show movies - will research starting a film night there and talk with Crystal Theatre for future showing possibilities.