PlacerSustain Background Information
[THIS IS A BACKGROUND INFORMATION SHEET DEVELOPED FOR THE PLACER BOAD OF SUPERVISORS WHEN CONSIDERING THE PROPOSED BOARD SUPPORT RESOLUTION]
PLACERSUSTAIN
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
· Origins: PlacerSustain evolved after an initial meeting in the fall of 2009 attended by Jeff Bordelon, Joanne Neft, Steve Frisch, Joan Clayburgh, Otis Wollan, Pat Malberg, and Gregg Bates. The formative group of interested participants changed and grew from there.
· Mission: “PlacerSustain connects people and inspires collaboration to build healthy communities and thriving local economies.”
· Incorporation and Board of Directors: PlacerSustain became of California non-profit corporation in May of 2010. Federal tax exempt status is pending. The initial Board of Directors included: Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Director, Sierra College Center for Applied Technology; Gary Liss, Councilman, Town of Loomis; Otis Wollan, Fire Safety/Watershed Management Consultant; Marie Brown. Owner, Eco-Chic Design, LEED Certified Green Design Consultant; Bralynn Newby, Project Management and LEED Certified Design Consultant; and Jeff Bordelon, Attorney and Planning Consultant, President of PlacerSustain.
· Basic Functions: The support of a community based sustainability network that:
o Connects people and organizations
o Facilitates public access to sustainability information.
o Publishes information about the people, organizations, and programs that are currently working in sustainability related areas.
o Conducts informative and collaborative forums on sustainability matters.
o Furthers sustainability practice public education and outreach.
o Helps expand the resources available to local government and community organizations.
o Supports the development of an open, inclusive, and diverse community sustainability network that attracts broad citizen involvement by helping to build relationships, share information, and engage in collaborative efforts that support needed local grass roots action.
o Supports and cooperates with the sustainability related program efforts of other local, regional, state, and federal organizations that are working in areas that affect Placer County.
· Monthly Community Meetings: Starting in September of 2009, PlacerSustain has hosted 16 monthly meetings at various locations around the County, including, Roseville, Rocklin (Sierra College), Loomis, Auburn, and Colfax. To date approximately 400 people have attended PlacerSustain Discussions.
· Website: In 2010 PlacerSustain launched a sustainability network website that includes news, blogs, discussion forums, knowledgebase, polls, web surveys, and other features. During the period from October 15, 2010 to January 25, 2011, the website has experienced 1,195 visits, 8,511 webpage hits and 576 unique visitors. [Website: http://placersustain.org]
· Non-Partisan / Non-Ideological. PlacerSustain the organization and network is open to all, diverse, local grass roots, non-partisan, and non-ideological.
· Early Achievements:
o Website deployment
o 16 Monthly Community Forums
o Submittal and Approval of Sustainable Economic Development Goals in the Placer County Economic Development Board Roadmap.
o Town Hall Meeting in Roseville on fall, 2010, Proposition 23, Pro and Con Speakers.
o Organizational working relationships with PlacerArts, Roseville Arts, PlacerGrown, Shepherd of the Sierra Church, Town of Loomis, Placer Resource Conservation District, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Sierra Vista Community Center, the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, Sierra College, and others.
o Support for the Town of Loomis, Sustainable Loomis initiative and task force resulting in the Council adoption of initial sustainability objectives.
o Participation in the Placer County Farm Conference as a workshop leader.
o Support for the commencement of the Sierra College sustainability forum.
· Contact Information: Jeffrey Bordelon, 530-305-4607, jfb@placersustain.org.
[January 24, 2011]
