Minutes
KEEP ARKANSAS BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION
Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
January 22, 2004
Commissioners Present:
Sarah Wruck, Chairwoman Mary Smith, Vice-Chairwoman
Laurie Black Dixie Carlson
Thurston Lamb Gelene MacDowell
Linda Westergard Brenda Williams
Commissioners Absent:
Phyllis Jones
Staff Present:
Robert Phelps and Brenda Halbert, Keep Arkansas Beautiful
Guests Present:
Gloria Robins, AR Dept. of Parks & Tourism
Richard Davies, AR Dept. of Parks & Tourism (attended briefly to present Advisory Report)
Steve Holcomb and Julie Robbins of Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper
Teresa Caveness, Great Arkansas Cleanup
Richard "Matt" Webber, Sue Wagner and Betty Benedict of Cabot City Beautiful
Paul Mansfield, Keep Benton Beautiful
Dave Fuller, Saline County Environmental Officer
Carol Bevis, Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District
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 approval of the November 22, 2003 minutes. Two corrections to page 5 were indicated, as follows:
Ms. Westergard stated that the Congressional District 2 report should be changed
to reflect that Mr. Singleton had met with Mayor Dailey (not a church) and a
group of young people who were working through community service; also,
Ms. Smith noted that the Congressional District 4 report should reflect that
Parent Rick Hill and students representing the Oakbrooke Elementary Green
Team assisted with the KArB booth during the Arkansas Quarter Celebration.
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 2
Thurston Lamb made a motion, seconded by Linda Westergard, to
approve the KArB Commission Minutes for November 22, 2003, as
amended. The motion passed.
Chairwoman's Report:
Ms. Wruck again expressed appreciation to the special guests in attendance. She reported on the following:
· KAB 50th Anniversary Conference in December: Arkansas was well represented with attendance by her along with Mr. Phelps, Mr. Singleton, Carl Garner, Michelle Gilliam of ADEQ, Cheryl Watterson of KFCB; also, Charlie Wood as well
as Dhu Thompson and family attended to receive an award for Delta Plastics of the
South.
· Today we look ahead to a new calendar year with better connection to Keep
America Beautiful with revised KArB membership criteria.
Executive Director's Report:
Mr. Phelps reported as follows:
· 2003 Year End Review: No report will be given, rather a report will be presented each year during the November meeting, reviewing the Commission's activities for the calendar year.
· Today we look ahead to a new level of opportunity based on experience. Focus will be on finding new methods to provide services to our citizens in the state who rely on us. Stronger partnerships have been established with AGFC, ADEQ, AHTD and others to work on programs and projects together.
· KArB Awards 2004:
1) A record number of 56 entries received, plus 5 for Community of the Year and 2 in Media Advocacy;
2) A list of entries in each Congressional District was provided Commissioners;
3) Press conferences will be held in finalists' communities with Mr. Phelps stating he hoped Commissioners would be able to attend and participate as in 2003.
· Statewide Network Conference: April 21-22.
· Anti-Litter Task Force: Ralph Hall of AHTD has been chairing an Anti-Litter Task Force to find better ways to abate litter. The group will meet tomorrow with KArB as a member of 3 of the 6 action teams.
· Statement of Financial Interest: This must be completed and filed with the Secretary of State's office by January 31.
· Volunteer Hours Report: Commissioners, staff, Affiliates and other volunteers contributed almost $2 million last year with a return of nearly $5 in service for every $1 spent; Commissioner's value is calculated at $100 an hour.
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 3
· Commissioner expenses:
1) Per diem: Currently $70 with action needed to approve the same rate for 2004 or raise to a maximum allowed of $75 per day;
2) 1099 form: Commissioners will receive a 1099 if their reimbursements exceeded $600 in 2003 with Mr. Phelps's encouragement to save receipts whereby they can
claim excess expenditures as contributions.
Ms. Wruck asked for a motion regarding travel with action taken as follows:
Thurston Lamb made a motion, seconded by Mary Smith, authorizing
the KArB Executive Director to approve reimbursement for travel and
other expenses of KArB Commissioners in their official capacity as
Commissioners and designated on their TR-1 forms. The motion
passed unanimously.
Ms. Wruck asked for a motion regarding the per diem amount:
Linda Westergard made a motion that the KArB Commissioners retain
the current per diem of $70 in consideration of the state's current
budget restraints. The motion was seconded by Laurie Black and passed
unanimously.
Mr. Phelps continued his report, as follows:
· Meeting Schedule for 2004: Seven scheduled regular meetings with the Commission Chair having the discretion of calling a special meeting, if necessary.
· Governor's Conference on Tourism: March 7-9, 2004 at the Fayetteville Town Center and Radisson Hotel. Mr. Phelps will represent Keep Arkansas Beautiful, but we will not have a booth or make a formal presentation.
Ms. Wruck asked for approval of the meeting schedule:
Linda Westergard made a motion, seconded by Laurie Black, to
approve the KArB Commission Meeting Schedule for 2004, as
printed, requesting that Commissioners reserve the fourth Thursday
of each month for potential called meetings. The motion passed.
Lengthy discussion followed regarding representation and participation by Keep Arkansas Beautiful at the Governor's Conference on Tourism and other professional meetings. Ms. Wruck recommended, due to budget restraints, that we send no more than two Commissioners as official representatives to the Governor's Conference. Both Ms. Wruck and Ms. Westergard said they would not be able to attend. Ms. Smith and Ms. Black volunteered to attend with the following action taken:
Gelene MacDowell made a motion, seconded by Dixie Carlson, that
Mary Smith and Laurie Black be the Keep Arkansas Beautiful
Commission official representatives at the Governor's Conference
on Tourism, March 7-9 in Fayetteville. The motion passed.
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 4
Ms. Wruck stressed the importance of representation at other meetings in keeping with the KArB mission, particularly the Arkansas Enviromental Education Association and the Arkansas Recycling Coalition. Mr. Singleton stated he would be attending the AEEA Conference at the Eureka Springs Basin Park Hotel from March 5-6.
Linda Westergard made a motion, seconded by Laurie Black, that
up to two official KArB representatives be sent to the AEEA Conference
in Eureka Springs. The motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Black asked about expense reimbursement when she attends the Arkansas Federation of Garden Clubs Annual Meeting in March and the prior regional council meeting. Ms. Westergard said Ms. Black's travel expenses would be reimbursed as an official representative of the KArB Commission, however, her registration expense would have to be approved by Mr. Phelps.
Mr. Phelps continued his report:
· Mr. Davies will join the Commission later for a governmental/legislative update.
· "Take Pride in America": Mr. Phelps has been appointed by Governor Huckabee as the official Arkansas representative. This volunteer organization was originally founded in 1993 as part of the protection of public lands and has been reinstated by President Bush at the recommendation of Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton.
Financial Report:
Mr. Phelps reported on the period ending December 31, 2003, reflecting year-to-date expenditures of 47% of the budget.
Linda Westergard made a motion, seconded by Thurston Lamb,
approving the KArB Financial Report for the Period Ending
December 31, 2003. The motion passed.
Advisory Reports:
Richard Davies, Executive Director of ADPT, presented a brief report on the legislators' efforts to provide an equal educational opportunity for each child in Arkansas with insufficient monies available to do so without some consolidation efforts and a tax increase. He stated the Supreme Court is in session now, because the State Legislature was not able to agree upon a plan. There had been a threat that state government might have to be shut down, with the exception of an emergency skeleton crew, if a decision could not be reached.
Ms. Westergard stated the Commission is committed to the work of Keep Arkansas Beautiful, and it might continue to function under the auspices of the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Foundation. Both Mr. Davies and Mr. Phelps stated there would be some protection in that KArB is funded by the 1/8th of a cent conservation tax which is constitutionally provided, not legislatively mandated. Mr. Davies said he would keep everyone updated.
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 5
Volunteer Services Report:
Jack Singleton reported on the following:
· Recycling tour: Discussions are underway with Martha Treece of Ozark Recycling to organize a bus tour on recycling some time in October.
· Keep Arkansas Beautiful Affiliate Network: Revised criteria has been developed and will be filed with the AR Legislative Council in the near future:
1) "Together We Can": 4 pages of revised criteria were presented;
2) New name: Community Action Network;
3) Mission statement: The Keep Arkansas Beautiful mission statement will remain the same;
4) Organizational structure: Composed of business, government and non-profit entities, looking to KArB for resources;
5) Levels of membership:
a) KAmB Affiliate - currently five associated with Keep America Beautiful;
b) KArB Chapter - $50 membership fee and eligibility for grants;
c) KArB Partner - no fee.
Lengthy discussion followed with the following action taken:
Linda Westergard made a motion, seconded by Thurston Lamb, to
accept the New Community Action Network Criteria and Attachments,
moving forward with the necessary paperwork to complete the official
process of filing with the AR Legislative Council. The motion passed
unanimously.
Mr. Phelps said he felt encouraged by the new criteria and approval by the Commission, stating we now have a theme to "tailor" the Conference. Ms. Smith asked what would happen to the current members, and Mr. Phelps stated they could make a choice to determine how their community wished to work with KArB and at what level they wanted to be involved. Ms. Wruck stressed the importance of communicating the change to current members by letter before they read it in the newspaper, and Matt Webber suggested it be prefaced by a personal call from the KArB office. Ms. Smith recommended the public hearing to approve the change be scheduled during the general session of the Statewide Network Conference. It would also afford
Mr. Singleton and/or Mr. Phelps an opportunity to make a presentation at the Conference, then Mr. Singleton will followup with state regional meetings after the conference.
Great Arkansas Cleanup 2003:
Ms. Caveness presented her final statistics for the Great Arkansas Cleanup 2003 as follows:
· 12,750 volunteers (less than 2002)
· 55% of age 21 and over plus much greater participation by elementary age volunteers
· 1,866,332 estimated pounds of trash collected (less than 2002)
· 23 illegal dumps closed or cleaned (much greater than 2002)
· 57 counties with 73 events (3 more counties and 13 more events than 2002)
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 6
Recommendations:
· Wrap-up form needs to include community beautification/improvement events, as many community events include beautification as well as litter pickup and recycling.
· Suggested beginning campaign earlier this year, particularly to acquire sponsors.
Ms. Caveness shared photographs from several events. Sue Wagner of Cabot expressed her appreciation to Ms. Caveness for help in their cleanup campaign. Ms. Wruck stated the numbers indicate more "awareness" in the state, in addition to the results of a much "cleaner" state!
Ms. Caveness was commended for her efforts.
Congressional District Reports:
Ms. Wruck opened the floor for Congressional District reports in the following order:
Congressional District 4:
Ms. Black said she would be representing the Commission at the Arkansas Federation of Garden Clubs to be held March 28-29 in North Little Rock.
Congressional District 3:
Ms. Jones's written report was shared by Ms. Wruck, including her observations of litter problems as well as positive "adopted" areas during her travels in the Southwest United States.
Ms. MacDowell reported as follows:
· Encouraged by Awards entries she had promoted, including Huntsville, Rogers Garden Club and City of Russellville.
· Fort Smith Flower & Garden Show scheduled for March 26-28:
1) Booth planned - may need assistance with items;
2) Promotional ad for magazine - working with MHRC, requesting KArB help.
Congressional District 2:
Ms. Westergard stated she had been focused on getting people to the conference in April.
Congressional District 1:
Ms. Williams said she is still working on getting the banks in her district involved somehow in the KArB mission.
Ms. Carlson distributed photographs of natural areas "dumped" in her district. It was suggested that she contact Michelle Gillham or Robert Hunter at AR Department of Enviromental Quality.
KArB Commission Minutes
January 22, 2004 - page 7
Ms. Wruck reported on District 1 as well as the state as a whole:
· Continues to work with Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Clean & Beautiful to assist with their program and a new limited budget; however, she commended the new Director, Tiffany Camp, for having a great attitude and genuine concern for the program's mission.
· Ron Beach of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had made a suggestion that we make litter bags available at gasoline stations, and Ms. Wruck noted it might be a worthwhile consideration at some point.
Mr. Phelps said he could take Mr. Beach's suggestion to the Litter Task Force. Ms. Westergard suggested it be put on the agenda of the state petroleum agency.
Guests' Remarks:
Keep Benton & Saline County Beautiful:
Paul Mansfield said he looked forward to Keep Arkansas Beautiful's input and guidance as he and Mr. Fuller work together in Saline County, hoping it can be one of the new "model" communities. He said he had been instrumental in recycling efforts as a Wal-Mart manager before retirement, pointing out the impact of a "Green Leaf" program they had implemented. He said he hoped to make a connection with that corporation again in the Benton/Saline County efforts.