SoCoCAN! Meeting Notes - Monday, May 24, 2021

[SoCoCAN!]

Sonoma County Climate Activist Network (SoCoCAN!)

Networking Meeting

Monday, May 24th, 7- 9 p.m.

 

Facilitator - Shelly

Notetaker - Pete

Zoom Host – Woody

 

 

Meeting Minutes

 

7:00 Introductions

Woody Hastings (CONGAS)

Pete Gang (SCCM, Imagine Sonoma County, Climate Action Petaluma)

Jack Swearingen (Chair: Friends of SMART, small company doing carbon free fuel))

Jenny Blaker (CONGAS, and forthcoming biomass group)

Kevin Conway (FoCAP)

Mark Mortensen (“A Climate Butterfly”)

Emerald (Occupy Sonoma County, admin for SoCoCAN!)

Shelly Browning (Public Banking)

Anna Jacopetti (350 Sonoma)

June Brashares (Local Clean Energy Alliance)

Steve Birdlebough (Sonoma County Transportation and Land-Use Coalition)

Terry Harrison (CAFF)

 

7:20 Approve Agenda

No campaign proposals in advance of this meeting

 

7:25 Housekeeping (Admin & Finances)

Admin.- Emerald

No one has been covering Instagram. The position is available. Emerald can do, but not immediately.

Many petitions, letters to government, etc. circulating on listserv. Procedure exists for SoCoCAN! to endorse, but is cumbersome. Emerald would like SoCoCAN! to be more nimble. Common Ground Statement would be the foundation document. Agreed that Emerald will sign when causes are obvious. Will give ~24 hours notice -- allowing people to voice overriding objections -- if there’s possibility of disagreement.

Login problems with SoCoCAN! email: set up custom account not tied to Google. No customer support with our free account. Suggest switching to paid account which would give support. ~$25/year.

Website: finished for now. Emerald plans to expand Resources page. And plans to add “Additional Resources” for crowdsourced additions.

Undesignated group within SoCoCAN! currently working on Forestry/Biomass issues. Do we want to formalize as a Committee? Jenny clarifies that most of the people are not active in SoCoCAN!. Therefore not appropriate as a Committee.

 

Financial Report - Mark

RCU bank account.

Deposits thru website. Payments for alt website/email account, mail merge account, web hosting, Weebly. Current balance: $870.57

Kevin mentions that we have not been reimbursed for the $ paid to Odd Fellows Hall for Summit rental.

 

7:35 Proposed Discussion

(Started at 7:35 pm)

 

Topic: Public Banking (Shelly)

Brief overview of what’s happening around the State. Public banking bill allows for the creation of (10) new public banks.

 

City of Los Angeles Economic Development and Jobs Subcommittee approved formation of Municipal Bank of LA. City Council votes next.

San Francisco County Supervisors launched a “Reinvest in SF” Ordinance and Task Force. Draft business plan for a public bank.

San Diego: supermajority asked for business plan for public bank.

East Bay: public bank in process.

Central Coast (Monterey, San Benito, SLO, Santa Barbara): 3 counties have responded “Yes.” Plus several cities.

 

To date, we don’t yet have a public banking movement here in Sonoma County.

 

May 4th: meeting with Sen Mike McGuire. Public bank could finance Hwy 37 for lower cost than issuing bond. McGuire says $5B needed. Shelly says actual cost is usually double estimated cost. Asked McGuire to host a public forum for public bank of the north coast. Small jurisdictions need to aggregate in order to compete with large jurisdictions (like LA, SF, etc.) McGuire wants to wait until Fall for public forum. Public banking never rises to highest priority. County Supervisors have never responded to Shelly’s emails.

 

AB857 allows charter cities to create a public bank without the need for ballot measure. (5) charter cities in North Bay: Santa Rosa, Petaluma, San Rafael, Fortuna, Eureka(?) To date, Shelly has focused on Santa Rosa.

 

Dec 2019: Sonoma County Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of sustainable investments. County’s investment portfolio: $2B. Banking on Climate Chaos issued annually. Last year: $461million total invested into bad banks. $506 million invested in bad banks since Dec 2019 resolution passed.

 

Need a viability study for public bank.

 

Google Form (“Organizations Working for Public Good”) soliciting names of organizations that could benefit from public bank funding.

 

Renewable Sonoma’s proposed composting facility is a candidate for public bank funding.

 

Where should cities bank? Other large banks that do not finance fossil fuel projects. Shelly will share list.

 

What legal recourse is available to enforce jurisdictions to make good on resolutions?

 

Emerald volunteers to work on legal avenues if requested.

 

7:55 Group Reports, including requests for support (3-5 minutes each)

(8:26 pm)

Jenny -- CONGAS:

Trying to get a countywide ordinance for no new gas stations. At recent BoS meetings, we heard strong support for no new gas stations (Chris Coursey, David Rabbitt, Lynda Hopkins).

Santa Rosa: Chris Rodgers directed CONGAS to Climate Action Subcommittee. Subcommittee members Alvarez and Natalie Rodgers agreed. CONGAS wants a simple ordinance: no new gas stations. (Thanks to Mark and Kevin for support).

Cotati: Drafted letter to Cotati City Council. Will be agendized.

Sebastopol: will be on agenda for upcoming Climate Action Committee, possibly two weeks from this Weds. Simple prohibition on new gas stations.

Petaluma: Safeway withdrew their proposed 16-pump gas station.

Four gas stations still proposed in the County, some on hold.

Novato: proposed Costco gas station. Staying in touch. CEQA lawsuit against Novato City Council. Campaign organized by StandEarth against Costco.

 

(8:41 pm)

Pete -- Sonoma County Climate Mobilization

Need to connect the dots in Sonoma County.

 

(8:45 pm)

Kevin – FoCAP

Pushing on Climate Action Subcommittee. Pushing City to join USDN. Pushing the City to hire a Sustainability Director. Trying to get people to attend the next Climate Action Subcommittee zoom meeting.

 

(8:48 pm)

Emerald – Occupy Sonoma County

May Meat Challenge: recipes and other information etc. going out on Earth Action listserv. Also weekly newsletters.

Plastic Free July - annual zero waste campaign.

Sept 17th: 10th anniversary of Occupy Movement. Occupy Wall Street event in Zucotti Park. OWS has been working mostly on poverty issues in NYC.

 

(8:50 pm)

Terry Harrison – water issues

Last drought: Sonoma County not aware of degree of siltation in Lake Sonoma. Percent capacity levels do not account for siltation. Up to Army Corps of Engineers or up to Sonoma County Water?

County keeps encouraging events due to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue and ignoring Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT’s).

 

(8:54 pm)

Steve – Update on State Route 37

Meetings this week.

Need to reduce number of cars on the road. Population may also be peaking in CA. Do we still need to be planning for increased traffic volume? Put money instead into housing?

 

(8:55 pm)

Woody – next Santa Rosa Climate Action Subcommittee is Weds June 9th

 

(8:56 pm)

Shelly for Michele Miello:

 

(8:58 pm)

Pete – Arm-in-Arm:

Sunrise Movement planning trek from Paradise to Sacramento to Santa Rosa (June 10th) to San Francisco. Leaving Paradise this Friday.

 

8:55 Choose facilitator and notetaker for next meeting on August 30.

Mike Turgeon volunteered to take notes. Volunteer needed to facilitate.

 

9:00 End of meeting

 

 

Additional notes by Shelly Browning:

Progress Across the State with Passage of AB 857 Public Banking Act

Public Bank LA – last week the Los Angeles City Council’s Economic Development and Jobs Committee unanimously approved the motion for the formation of the Municipal Bank of Los Angeles, next up vote from council.

San Francisco County Supervisors launched a "Reinvest in San Francisco" Ordinance and Task Force to draft a business plan for a public bank within 1 year and will be taking a vote on this on June 3rd.

San Diego - A supermajority of city council members recently asked Mayor Todd Gloria to hire an economist to write a proposed business plan for a public bank: and will be voting on this on June 8th.

Public Bank East Bay – activists have hired a prominent banking attorney to draft a business plan to guide their process of applying for and acquiring the license to run the bank.

Public Bank Central Coast – Members of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors sent letters to county supervisors in the counties of Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to seek their interest in sharing in the cost of a viability study to create a Central Coast Public Bank. Monterey County and Santa Barbara County declared their support and Santa Barbara has agreed to put in $25k. Cities: Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Del Rey Oaks (and Capitola votes tomorrow)

North Coast Public – Met with Senator McGuire and asked that he host a Public Bank North Coast Forum. Received a call from his aide today, saying that he would like to wait until fall. Like Central Coast, no city is large enough to organize a public bank on their own.

 

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a Socially Responsible Investing Resolution in December, 2019 asking that the “County Treasurer make no new or renewed investments in fossil fuel development corporations to the extent that other, more socially responsible investments achieve substantially equivalent safety, liquidity, and yield;”

I have been monitoring his investments since then, in accordance with the annual Fossil Fuel Finance Report, which lists the top 56 banks financing fossil fuels globally.

2020 Investments in Major Banks Financing Fossil Fuels

Q-1 $ 95,000,000.00

Q- 2 $100,297,000.00

Q-3 $236,630,000.00

Q-4 $15,000,000.00

Total 2020 - $461,927,000.00

 2021 Investments in Major Banks Financing Fossil Fuels

Q-1 $45,000,000.00

 Grand Total Invested Since Resolution was Adopted: $506,927,000.00

 What we are working on now and how you can help.:

 1) Contact County Treasurer Erick Roeser and ask that he stop all investments in the major banks financing fossil fuels. (707) 565-2631 Erick....@sonoma-county.org

2) What are your respective organization’s missions for public good that could potentially be financed by a regional public bank?  

3) Complete Survey by end of June.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScm_WQWocD253mfSTBamkdrZli2VGJ0j9rRG0x1FAQ6TfoBGQ/viewform

4) Think of this and name the financial need and how a public bank could help finance this every time you speak with city council members or county supervisors.

Sonoma County Climate Activist Network (SoCoCAN!)

https://www.SonomaCountyCAN.org

https://www.facebook.com/SonomaCountyCAN
https://twitter.com/SonomaCAN

[creek shade]

Below are the letter I sent and an auto-response to the letter protesting the proposed rodenticide drops on Farallone Islands.  

Many thanks to all who signed on - names are listed in the order received.

Best wishes,

Maya

AUTORESPONSE:

Coalition Members,

Thank you for your comments related to the Draft Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy.

 

The State is reviewing all comments received as they work to finalize the strategy.

 

Thanks – Lisa Marie

Outreach Team

OUR LETTER:

Respected Biologists and Managers,

Our understanding is that you are considering the use of toxic rodenticide drops over the Farallones. 

We would like to draw your attention to a 2-year risk assessment study examining the toxic effects of rodenticides on non-target animals including raptors. The study used ecological risk assessment calculations based on previously established toxicity data, and included a wide variety of commonly used rodenticides including diphacinone, imidacloprid and zinc phosphide. Please note that brodifacoum, which has been used in the past, is a rodenticide in the same anticoagulant family as diphacinone. Imidacloprid is sometimes blended into the anticoagulant rodenticides and is also extremely toxic to non-target receptors including native birds (Mineau and Palmer 2013). 

As the name indicates, anticoagulant rodenticides cause animals to bleed internally. Causes of mortality are internal hemorrhaging and related toxicity effects (McMillin 2017); non-target wildlife is definitely impacted (Lima and Salmon 2010; Hosea 2000; US EPA 1998a). Significant toxic impacts have been observed on screech owls, great-horned owls and golden eagles. These previously obtained toxicity studies indicate negative impacts are anticipated for burrowing owls and other native birds. 

The study concluded that rodenticide drops would have heavy impacts on non-target wildlife including protected and sensitive species. Furthermore, many rodenticides can persist, which can result in exposure over longer terms.

Please consider our note as a strong recommendation against pesticide drops on the Farallon Islands. We cannot afford to lose more wildlife. Please consider using non-toxic rodent removal options, if at all, or benign neglect. 

Multiple other references and our exposure dose calculations are available if desired.

Best regards, 

Maya Khosla, Wildlife Biologist and Toxicologist

Stephanie Lennox, Envirichment 

Kamran Nayeri, Ph.D. Editor: Our Place in the World: A Journal of Socialism

Veronica Jacobi, OurGreenChallenge.org

Nick Thayer, high school biology teacher

Ariane Eroy, Ph.D

Christine Hoex 

Jenny Blaker

Larry Hanson, President, California River Watch, www.criverwatch.org

Selected References

Hosea, R. 2000. Exposure of Non-Target Wildlife to Anticoagulant Target Wildlife to Anticoagulant Rodenticides in California. Proceedings of the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference.

Lima L. and T. Salmon. 2010. Assessing some potential environmental impacts from agricultural anticoagulant uses. Proceedings of the 24th Vertebrate Pest Conference. Proceedings of Vertebrate Pest Conference. University of California Davis. 199-203.

McMillin, S. 2017. Conference Paper: Impacts to non-target wildlife from rodenticide use in urban areas. Urban Wildlife Conference. June 7.

Mineau, P. and C. Palmer. 2013. The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds. American Bird Conservancy Report.

US EPA.1991. Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED): Rodenticide Cluster. EPA 738-F-98-004.