The meeting was called to order by Leah Schad at 6:30 p.m.

 

Members in attendance: Leah Schad, Chair Cathy Probst, Support Staff Keith Shivers Cheryl Wagner Winston Crosbie Dave Self Robert Trepp Karen Keogh Lucius Wilcox

Absent: Josh Gentry Ralph Bair Mike Sexton Jesus Armas Rosa Durando Cindy Ponga

Also in attendance were Jim Callery, Nat Roberts and James Dubois.

The minutes from the May 31, 2006 meeting were approved as written.

Chair Schad welcomed new member Cheryl Wagner.

Guest speaker, Dr. Jennifer Languell, Trifecta Construction. Dr. Languell discussed Green building techniques using a PowerPoint presentation. Dr. Languell teaches Green Building and Development Techniques to educate about reducing the impact of construction on the environment and to demonstrate the positive economic incentives for builders who employ Sustainable methods and design. Several certifications are available for builders who use Green construction and development techniques. Areas of design and construction, which can be improved with Green Construction include:

Energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water quality, passive design efficiency, material selection, construction process, site development and landscaping.

Dr. Languell believes we can do things better for the environment and her company has received many certifications for builders who achieve Green building standards. Her company works with builders and developers to determine how construction can take place in a more environmentally, ecologically and economically efficient manor. Dr. Languell noted that 1/3 of all landfill waste is generated from construction and demolition material. Green building starts with the physical structure, the construction process and the end result. One area mentioned for Green building is passive design. Passive design includes cross ventilation, natural light, reducing dependency on mechanical systems, porches, roof color, solar lighting and shade overhangs. Active systems such as Photovoltaic cells can be built into a concrete tile roofs to produce energy. Photovoltaic cells should be considered for gas stations to assist in providing service when conventional power is down.

When building communities, some considerations should include tree preservation, smart design of landscaping with no narrow strips of grass, to reduce over watering and landscaping that holds up in storms as well as native vegetation that doesn’t require constant irrigation thereby improving the environment and reducing costs associated with property management.

Residential energy use:
Cooling 40%
Infiltration 14%
Appliances 22%
Lighting 7%
Hot water 15%
Heating 2%

Other considerations for residential building are “Energy Star” appliances, programmable thermostats, high efficiency water heater, heat pump/HVAC, solar panels.

Residential water usage – 125 gallons per person per day
Landscape irrigation 36%
Shower/Bath 27%
Laundry 14%
Faucets 10%
Other 13%

Rainwater harvesting allows rainwater to be captured in tanks or cisterns to be used for various nonpotable applications such as golf cart washing or landscape irrigation.

Indoor air quality can be improved by reducing the use of products containing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which produce toxic gasses. When selecting paint, carpet and other items, check the VOC content and select material with low VOC emission. Hard flooring is better than carpet, as many carpets contain VOCs. Homes should be dehumidified to improve human comfort, reduce energy use, and help prevent mold formation.

The committee referred to two checklists utilized in Green building for residential, commercial and the overall development of land. The checklists provide a point system for rating Green compliance with criteria of Green building construction. In order to receive Green certifications, a certain point value must be achieved.

Green building is an industry trend with 7.4 billion dollars in 2005 spent on these techniques. Dr. Languell mentioned several communities built with consideration to green building including:
WCI Community in Venice, Florida
Park Square Homes in Orlando, Florida
Lakewood Ranches in Sarasota, Florida

Nat Roberts thanked Dr. Languell for her presentation. He asked the committee members for suggestions on future meeting topics. Some suggestions were further discussion of native vegetation for landscaping and review of the preliminary site plan for the library being considered for the town center.

The next meeting is scheduled for August 24, 2006. It was decided not to hold a meeting in July because of conflicts with vacations. The August meeting has also been moved to a week earlier than the normal schedule due to the Labor Day weekend.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m.