Greening Greater Memphis
Stakeholder II Meeting
December 9, 2008
Question and Answer Session Transcription
· Question (Steve Sondheim): I have been thinking about built environment. At the last meeting, people talked about wanting trails, bike paths, walk paths, parks…what are you thinking in the way of future built environment? I am raising this issue because money will be available from the Obama economic stimulus bill. The new administration is asking people to come up with projects that can start right away. Question to all, what built environment projects are in the mill that could be considered?
· Answer (David Williams): The intent of GGM is not to duplicate what is being done by other groups, but amplify their work. The organization would not actually build trails, etc. They would convene interested parties around an issue such as this to determine who is interested.
o Question (Steve): Would this group help a group that wanted to build something get financed or get to the right people—TDOT, the Obama transition team? Would GGM help them put forward their statement, get in the hopper, etc.?
o Answer (David): I would anticipate that. We are not the board, but if you are going to coordinate, convene and advocate you will be doing some of that.
· Statement: [difficult to hear] As part of communication, GGM would let people know that something like this (Obama stimulus package) is available.
· Answer (David): Yes, that would be part of the coordination function.
· Question (Don Richardson): Sustainable Shelby and this organization seem to be perfectly aligned to make each other succeed. I would like to see us using that phrase more often—that GGM will be the private sector arm of Sustainable Shelby. I know that you are not going to disagree with that, but those words have not been spoken out loud.
· Answer (Tim Moreland): As for Sustainable Shelby, this fits right in with what we are thinking because while Sustainable Shelby is the government response, we need a three-pronged response that includes business and citizen grassroots. We will work in tandem with the others. (David) That came up in our conversations. It may not be explicit in there, but it is designed that way.
· Question (Steve): We initially gave these surveys [at fall 2007 GGM volunteer recruitment meeting?]. I have never seen people more interested in doing things. They wanted to clean up, help fundraise. We need to get back to those people, take advantage of those people. How will we do that?
· Answer (David): GGM will be very reliant on volunteers. One of the first things the database will do, perhaps, is come back to that [information]. It would make logical sense to capture that; find out who is still there and who is still interested and reengage as many of those as we can. (Laura) Do you want to say anything about the larger launch in the spring that the new board of directors might have? (David) We talked about a bigger splash in the community. Many of you have been stakeholders from the beginning and we have wanted to come back to you as the process has evolved before taking it community-wide. I think the idea would be in the spring, when the new board is in place, they would do a bigger launch and communicate much of what you heard tonight (mission, goals). (Lauren) A big function of the website as we discussed it will be to connect those people with the organizations that need people to do whatever it is that needs to be done. (David) The idea is for GGM to be the intermediary so we can help channel those people to the organizations already doing the work in the community.
· Question: Is the idea to have a database you can go on and sign on and say “I am interested in clean-ups, planting trees,” so when those things happen I will hear that they are happening this week? Will the volunteer management function be part of the database? (David) Good idea…put on your form. (Glenn) The website can be as big and as good as technology and your imaginations allow. You go on the site to get responses but also go on site to see who is doing what so you can self-select, etc.
· Question (Art Sutherland): How many other governmental organizations are involved? Sustainable Shelby, the health department?
· Answer (David): Up to this point it’s been the stakeholders and a group of 200 or so stakeholder organizations. That’s the group we invited to the last meeting and tonight. It consists of other government groups.
o Question (Art): I ask because the health department is trying to launch a health equity initiative that this ties into nicely [difficult to hear].
· Question: Will there be a way to develop a community organizing aspect, or is it mainly organizing all the preexisting organizations? For example, in the surveys there was a lot of interest from citizens in finding out what communities they are in and what needs those communities might have, greening up just in their area.
· Answer (Glenn): People can find out what community organizations/associations they are affiliated with, and then the website would allow the community organizations to post what they are doing.
· Question: Would GGM then go into these communities and help them figure out what they need to do to green their communities?
· Answer (Laura): It would probably be more likely that we would put that community in touch with the right organization that already does that kind of work, depending on if it’s a community garden, clean up, etc.
· Question: Will GGM have projects itself, or will it wait for other organizations to create projects? Will the organization just be a facilitator or reach out to communities to help them figure out where to go?
· Answer (Nancy): There will be committees that will be formed through GGM, and that will be one of our jobs; those committees will help you get involved with the right organization.
· Question: But what if there is no organization doing it already?
· Answer (from crowd): If there is not an organization already existing, GGM would be the way to find interested people.
· Question: If GGM will also be hub, shouldn’t GGM also have its own volunteers, etc.?
· Answer (David): [Gives example of Partners for the Homeless.] The participating organizations come together, say what they all do and ask “what are the gaps?” Together they identify, do we create something new or should this be folded into an existing organization? They are very strategic about getting the funding.
· Statement: Another aspect of the database and website might be to have information about organizations that do community organizing as one of their functions, training and things like that. Even if there isn’t an organization with that exact function in that community where a need is rising, [GGM can say] “here is where you can go to learn how to organize your community to meet this need.” So you can incorporate that as well.
· Statement (Don): I want to remind everyone that GGM has already done this. We organized a Green Expo in 2007 that allowed a community garden group to create itself and meet other people at the expo and now there is a coalition of those that evolved from the second GGM event. So they are already on the record of doing that. It’s an excellent model. What I like is that GGM is an organization of organizations that basically allowed an event to happen and organize itself because going green is not just a marketing plan. It’s the writing on the wall. We helped those organizations make themselves better just by getting in the same room. We’re already there.
· Answer (David): We are trying to create a structure that allows from maximum innovation and creativity for people to make the community greener and sustainable in an organic way. We’re not trying to dictate everything, run the show. We are trying to create a structure that allows other people to get a picture in their mind, recognize something that needs to be accomplished, then set forth and find others in the community that share interest in doing that as well.
· Question: In trying to accomplish what you just said, a greener, more sustainable community, and looking at the third part of being an advocate, how would this organization be influential with governing bodies like the Shelby County Commission and City Council? How would this organization lead the way in adopting this green ethos in public policy or being an advocate for that because you can have all kinds of community organizations and projects but it seems to me that unless your public policy has this as a vision like Sustainable Shelby, you are not going to accomplish as much as you would if it were part of policy.
· Answer (Nancy): Are you asking how we would get people to turn out at, say, a City Council meeting? We would have the ability through the list of people that are signed up through GGM.
o Question: That would be part of it. This organization could be very influential just by showing up and being in the newspaper. They could say “This organization has surveyed our members and we support…” That would be one part of it, but the other part would be initiating policy so that we don’t just speak the words of advocating but keep going down the same road.
o Answer (Lauren): We did talk about at certain points, as far as advocacy goes, there needs to be some kind of mechanism in place, however that is among partner council or board, to review and make decisions like that, on where GGM stands on issues. It will be up to the board to decide what the protocol is for dealing with an issue, whether it’s a policy they create or something already existing. (David) With some issues, there might be nuances. People might agree in general but there might be side issues they need to work through. Power comes to mind, there is power in numbers. As a community we are just beginning to learn the importance of having those numbers and seeing the results. (Glenn) At the very first meeting, Mayor Herenton wasn’t going to show up, but as numbers increased, we had to make a place on the agenda for him to speak. Emily Trenholm, at CD Council, has a policy committee, and she has a lot of experience working on advocacy for community development policy. We can talk to her about the process we should work through on the greening side.
· Statement (Steve): The Mayor made an announcement that night and committed a substantial amount of money to the Wolf River Greenway. I don’t know if it was pre-prepared or not, but that meeting might have been a key factor, might have been the thing that swung him.
· Statement (Nancy): Put some ideas down there for the board because that’s going to be really important. It’s your organization.
· Statement (Steve): The money will be in green jobs. It’s not necessarily going to have to be structure money (buildings, highways). It can be in rapid transit, van pools or organizations like this that will allow people to get places easier, healthier and fun jobs. How can people who may not be employed get employed to help us do this?