AVTT MONTHLY MEETING – and Christmas and Finger Food Potluck!

Regular meeting starts at 6PM – Potluck starts at 7PM

(Note this Agenda may change as members communicate additional items before the meeting is started and agenda approved)

AVTT December 18, 2019 – Preliminary Agenda – 6:00PM – Char’s Landing

  1. Acknowledgement of unceded territory – 6:00PM
  2. Greetings and Introductions – 6:05PM
  3. Movie After the Meeting –> POTLUCK! 🙂
  4. Approval of Agenda – 6:10PM
  5. Approval of Minutes – 6:15PM (below)
  6. Unfinished Business and Current Topics
    • Approval of Minutes and Report on Special board meeting on Council Liaison
  7. Upcoming Events – 6:30
    • Seedy Saturday, March 21, 2020
  8. Reports and Sub-Groups – 6:35
    • Education and Networking
    • Food Group / Food Hub
    • Cycle Alberni
    • Housing
    • Watershed Protection
    • Other Groups and Reports
  9. Finances – 6:50
    • Current State of Accounts, Grants and Contracts – Rob
  10. New Business and Other Fun Stuff! –
  11. ADJOURN – 7:00PM

    NOTE – Next Meeting is the AGM – January 15, 2020

Minutes from November Regular Meeting

                                             Alberni Valley Transition Town Society

                                             Board Meeting – November 20, 2019

Present: Chris Alemany, Dan Schubart, Rob Powelson, Edna Cox, Bob Brown, Karl Korven, Mike Youds, Debbie Brummel 

Chris opened the meeting at 6 p.m. and acknowledged with thanks that we meet on the unceded traditional lands of the Tseshaht and Hupacasath peoples. H also thankd Charlene for hosting our meetings. 

Tonight’s movie will be “A Simpler Future”.
Dan moved, Bob seconded approval of the agenda, with the change of the movie’s title. Carried. Dan moved, Rob seconded approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. Carried. 

Unfinished Business and Current Topics 

Community Mapping Project – Rob reported that the project is gathering historical and contemporary data which will be accessible as a map on a touch-screen. Meg is seeking photos for a related exhibit. Rob distributed a one-page handout about the photo call-out. 

Upcoming Events 

Seedy Saturday, March 21, 2020 – AVTTS will be a co-sponsor. A Community Investment grant is in hand. Jen Fisher-Bradley will still be involved. Karl is the volunteer coordinator and is collecting email contacts from those who want to help. 

Christmas Party, December 18 – Let’s celebrate together. Bring finger-food to share. There will be games, music and lots of visiting. All are welcome. Watch the AVTTs website for more information. 

Alberni Farmers Institute AGM, tonight. Meg Curtis is attending. 

Reports and Sub-groups 

Education and Networking – Movie showings will continue. Food Group/Food Hub 

Gleaning – Funds have been donated for a trailer which will arrive soon.
Community Gardens – Meg and Rob met with the City Clerk and Deputy Clerk on November 20 and can expect a response in about a week. They were asked to make a presentation to City Council.

Cycle Alberni – Re the bike valet, which will use the trailer, fencing has arrived; racks are under construction; the first run will likely be on Seedy Saturday.

Housing – This week’s AV News has an article about George Koning‘s passive house. Step-by-step videos are available on youtube. Michelle Frost has built a net-zero house. Presentations to AVTTS will be explored.

The Alberni Low Energy Housing Societyis holding an open house tonight about their proposed housing project on 4th Avenue. 

Watershed Protection – Now that the recommendations of the government’s review of the Private Managed Forest Lands Act have been made public (November 5), Chris will re-engage with MLA Scott Fraser to arrange a meeting. The recommendations can be viewed on line; Chris will send the link. 

Finances

Rob presented the report.

Total balance: $13,795.82 

AVTTS $ 8,169.06

Food Group $ 298.95

Grow Local  $ 800.00

Education $ 629.99 

Gleaning $ 3,457.37

Cycle Alberni $ 1,697.60

Shaun Loney $ 2,668.88 

New Business 

Carbon Offsets – A page about carbon assets will be added to the AVTTS website. Groups could ask for funds for their initiatives. Donors may choose how to calculate their carbon offsets. 

Adjournment – Chris moved, Bob seconded that the meeting be adjourned at 7 p.m.

Next Meeting – Wednesday, December 18 – Christmas Party – 6 p.m. 


Special Meeting of the Board to discuss Council Liaison – Minutes

Minutes:
Meeting began at 4:03PM

Present:
Sam, Jen, Stephen, Dan, Meg, Rob, Chris

Chris related the background of the Mayor’s request on Nov 27th to appoint a city liaison to AVTTS.

Those present discussed various options and benefits/detriments of having a city appointee either on the board (non voting) or as a regular public attendee.

Action:
Send out a invitation to council inviting them to dec 18
Send a report to council on a regular basis on initiatives happening at AVTT.

Adjourn 5:07PM

Letter sent to City Council. (Web link to PDF file)

Alberni Valley Food Hub Committee Minutes

Meeting – December 11, 2019

MINUTES
Present: Rob Powelson (chair), Edna Cox, Meg Curtis, John Mayba Regrets: Janis Nairne

Minutes of the previous meeting, November 13 were revisited:
There has been no more word from the City about the community gardens request.

The Food Security and Climate Disruption Committee has 2014 maps of available (mostly wooded) and unavailable sites. AV Food Hub Committee will ask for a delegation to Council in January. The Coulson Group is still considering a request for use of property at 4th and Mar.

Reviews: – A budget for 2018-2019 funds and Food Atlas funds was sent to Analisa Blake, VIHA. – Remaining funds ($1700) were authorized by AV Community Foundation

for the Food Recovery project.
– Agricultural Development Committee meeting, November 26:

Cannabis law has been postponed.
Meg will meet with Guy Langlois, Shelter Farm. Institutional purchasing is under discussion.

– First meeting of Gleaning Committee, December 8:
Rob, Meg, Cheryl Hillman attended. Rob is acting as coordinator for now and is willing to be the dispatcher. Cheryl will provide social media passwords and keys to equipment storage. The brochure will be updated and a list of pickers gathered.

– “Fish Are Food”, Food Connections Conference, November 28 Edna attended and provided notes about the speakers and workshops. (See separate email.) Erika Goldt, Eat West Coast, wants to meet with AVFHC in January.
– Food Processing and Innovation Hub meeting re terrestrial production, November 22: Edna attended and provided notes. (See separate email message) Meg will take the Food Processing Foodsafe course in the New Year. Breaking News: ICE-T grant ($300,000) has been confirmed. (See Heather’s email, December 12)


– BC Farmers Institutes AGM, November 28: Meg attended. Minister of Agriculture, Lana Popham, spoke.
Meg is now Vice-President of AVFarmers Institute. AVFI will continue to voice concerns about surveillance on ALR land, and about Bills 15 and on 52, the regulations of which are currently being rewritten.

– AVTTS special meeting re City Council liaison, December 7:
Decision: to welcome Councillors to attend AVTTS meetings, but not to sit on the AVTTS board. Chris will write a letter to Council.

Upcoming: – AVTTS meeting and winter party, December 18
– VI Food Hubs Evaluation teleconferencing workshop, January 16 – Tree Pruning Workshop, February 22
– Food Hubs Strategic Planning, March 9

Adjournment: 5:30 p.m. Next Meeting: January 8, 2020 4 p.m. 4727 Pemberton Road