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Solar Hot Water ~ Green Business ~ SEE Water ~ TRAC

The Summit for Environmental Action produced four goals to improve our local environment. Since the end of April 2008, over 60 citizens have been self-organizing in committees around the goals set at the Summit. This webpage chronicles the progress of the committees as they work toward the action goals from the Summit. Below, you will find information on each group and documents from the Summit Implementation Meetings, held from April 2008 through January 2009. The entire community was invited to those meetings to learn about each committee and get involved if they chose. As we move into year two, the committees will be hosting a variety of events focused on their specific topic.

For information on joining a small group, please contact Kate Irwin at kirwin@scopexcel.org.

SEA Action Goal: "Fifty percent of Sarasota County buildings have solar hot water heaters in five years."

Status: The  Solar  Hot  Water  Heater  group  completed a study and were asked to continue their mission as a Sarasota County Task Force.  Four members of the SEA committee were on the Sarasota County Solar Hot Water Heater Task Force. The mission of the task force was to maximize the number of solar hot water heating systems in Sarasota County in the next five years, resulting in more renewable energy and more green jobs. On April 14th, the Task Force presented their reccommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. Read more about their presentation here and watch the video of the meeting here.

Documents:
Report presented to the Board of County Commissioners on April 14th, 2009
Report from the 6/30/2008 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting (Revised July 16th, 2008)

SEA Action Goal: "Attract sustainable/green manufacturing to the local area."

Status: This committee is working on getting high-quality energy audits done on two houses to determine the return on investment for a variety of green retrofits.

Documents:
Handout 1 and Handout 2 from 6/30 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting

SEA Action Goal: "Develop rainwater, stormwater, greywater and reuse as alternate water sources."
SEA Action Goal: "Require low impact development techniques for new development and incentives to retrofit existing development."

Status: The Alternative Water Sources and Low Impact Development groups merged due to their similar goals. This group is currently active and members are working in three areas:

1. Data Collection: Gathering data from various homes and businesses that use & reuse water. The primary project here is the Pelican Cove well meters. Read a FAQ on Pelican Cove.
   
   
2. Individual Actions: Promoting water efficient technologies - specifically the bathroom faucet water aerator, the "water equivalent of the energy efficient light bulb." See Co-chair Suzanne Dameron discuss this on ABC 7. Read Suzanne's October 27, 2009 guest editorial in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
   
   
3. Policy: Making policy reccomendations about how to streamline water reuse in one's home or business. Read Co-chair Tim Rumage's November 3, 2009 guest editorial in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The group hosted a showing of FLOW the film on May 15th and a screening of Fuel on August 1, both at Ringling College of Art & Design . See pictures from the event here.

The group has a website, www.connectthedrops.org. To contact group members, email connectthedrops@gmail.com. You can also 'friend' the group on Facebook to stay updated on their activities.

Documents:
Handout 1 from 6/30 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting
Handout from 6/30 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting
Pictures of River Forest from 6/30 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting

SEA Action Goal: "Redesign transit system in conjunction with targeted mixed-use redevelopment zones - Great Transit connecting Great Communities."

Status: The committee held their Community Forum on May 1. The forum invited public opinion on transit oriented development possibilities as related to the case study of Bee Ridge Road. On July 22nd, the committee presented their findings to the Board of County Commissioners. You can watch them present here (jump to Agenda Item 11 in the video).

TRAC also publishes a monthly newsletter. If you would like to recieve it, please email Kate at kirwin@scopexcel.org.

Documents:

• A Vision for Bee Ridge: Guiding Principles and Recommendations for Tranportation and Redevelopment - TRAC's final report. It was presented to the Board of County Commissioners on July 22nd.
  
• Background Information Citizen's Guide - Created by a New College of Florida Sociology Class in partnership with the TOD Committee.
  
• Handout from 6/30 Summit Implementation Committees Meeting
  
• Learn more at the committee's website: www.beeridgetod.blogspot.com