*The Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. regularly scheduled meeting was RESCHEDULED TO Tuesday, February 17, 2009 from 4:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 

TASK FORCE MEMBERS:  Jeanne-Marie Rosenmeier (Chair), Bernard Meyerson (Vice-Chair), Patricia Gerber, Woody Hastings, Benjamin Lowe, Jason Mark, and Cal Simone.

 

ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

1.      Call to Order and Roll Call.  The Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force meeting convened at 4:17 p.m.  Present: Chair Rosenmeier, Vice-Chair Meyerson, Members Gerber, Hastings, Lowe (4:22), Mark (4:27), and Simone.  Mr. Cal Broomhead, Energy Manager, Department of the Environment. Ms. Monica Fish, Commission Secretary, and Ms. Sue Vaughan, Volunteer Editor, were in attendance at the meeting.

 

2.      Approval of the February 3, 2009 Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force Regular Meeting Draft Minutes. (Discussion and Action) Upon Motion by Member Hastings and second by Member Simone, the February 3, 2009 Meeting Minutes were approved without objection. (AYES: Chair Rosenmeier, Vice-Chair Meyerson, Members Gerber, Simone and Hastings; Absent:  Members Lowe and Mark) (Explanatory Document: February 3, 2009 Approved Meeting Minutes)

 

3.      Presentation of Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force Draft Report. (Continued Discussion from the February 3, 2009 Meeting). (Informational Presentation, Discussion and Possible Action) (Explanatory Documents reviewed: (1) Draft Report; (2) Transportation Section Alternate Version; and (3) Executive Summary).

 

Task Force members, Mr. Broomhead, Department of the Environment Energy Manager, and Ms. Sue Vaughan, Volunteer Editor, provided recommendations for revisions to the Draft Report.  Task Force members discussed holding a special meeting to continue finalizing the report.

 

Public Comment:  Mr. J. Michael Queen, Ph.D., teacher of Human Ecology at Pomona College, recommended that the report be written in one voice and that there be a standardization of the footnotes.  It was stated that the report is a good start, but that the process should have started ten years ago because the subject of peak oil has been known about since 1956.  Mr. Queen stated that it would be interesting to find out how recommendations would be implemented and would send in his comments on the report.  Mr. Queen provided recommendations to (1) develop an early childhood program in San Francisco schools in which the environment is showcased as a part of the general education curriculum; (2) encourage raising funds and developing a prize to be awarded every year for a school or community group that makes the biggest contribution to addressing these problems and making it enough of a prize so that it receives publicity. If it were a large enough of a prize, it might influence groups to really start working on the issues and would receive public attention.  Vice-Chair Meyerson recommended also introducing this topic at a multi-level though middle schools, high schools and junior colleges. It was explained that there is a lack of local focus through higher education, and it was recommended that term papers and experimental projects could be directed toward local issues especially in time of community economic budget shortages, where there is insufficient funding to hire consultants or to do the work themselves.  Mr. Queen stated that the report subscribes to a predictive economic model that is out of date for various reasons, and schools and universities could be encouraged as part of their graduate studies to work on preparing a better model.  Mr. Queen stated that it is possible to achieve good and/or better results more economically through the efforts of universities rather than through consulting firms.

 

4.      Planning for a Press Conference for the Official Release of the Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force Final Report. (Discussion and Possible Action)  This agenda item was not discussed. Continued to the next meeting.

 

5.      New Business/Future Agenda Items. (Information and Discussion) This agenda item was not discussed at this meeting.

 

6.      Public Comments:  Members of the public may address the Task Force on matters that are within the Task Force’s jurisdiction and are not on today’s agenda.  There was no public comment at this time.

 

7.      Adjournment.  The Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

** Copies of explanatory documents are available at (1) the Task Force office, 11 Grove Street, San Francisco, California between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., (2) upon request to the Task Force Secretary, at telephone number 415-355-3709 or via e-mail at [email protected], or (3) at the Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force meeting website as attachments with each agenda or meeting minutes.

 

Approved: March 3, 2009