Food Policy Council (FPC) Meeting on Mon, May 16, 2016 - 6:30 PM

1. Administrative items 
   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval
   2. Approval of April meeting minutes

                           

2. Food Assessment
   1. General discussion and feedback from review (Marlin Bates)
   2. Key data points/findings for summary document
   3. Graphic Designer hired (Helen Schnoes)
      1. $2,000 from CDC grant received by Health Department
      2. Vote: $2,500 from FPC (initial FPC funding approval 11/15)
   4. Budget motion:
      1. Approve Helen to oversee $1000 to use for food plan public meetings

          

3. Food Plan
   1. Review list of community events; identify gaps (Marlin Bates)
   2. Gathering feedback overview and exercise (Trudy Rice)
      1. Review list of questions and narrow
      2. Meeting facilitation techniques and how to document feedback

          

4. Farmers’ Market Project
   1. First site visit June 7-11. Opportunities to meet Meg and Anthony on
      1. 6/8 at 7:30am with City Subcommittee at The Merc
      2. 6/10 at noon for lunch (location TBD)
   2. Volunteers needed to assist with farmers’ market research

       

5. Subcommittee Reports
   • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)
     1. Urban ag passed: education is next
   • County (Jen Humphrey)
     1. Policy tour connected with Kaw Valley Farm Tour
   • Community (Carol Gilmore)
     1. FPC Member info collection—handouts available to fill out at meeting.

         

1. Public comments

    

2. FPC member updates

    

3. Adjourn full council meeting

Present: William Vesecky, Ashley Jones-Wisner, Carol Gilmore, Marlin Bates, Crystal Hammerschmidt, Carolyn Wulfkuhle, John Pendleton, Kim Criner, Jan Hornberger, Aundrea Shafer, Jen Humphrey, TK Peterson, Joshua Falleaf, Russell Mullin

Absent: Jennifer Kongs, Chris Tilden, Jill Elmers, Scott Thellman, Pattie Johnston, Elizabeth Burger, Rita York Hennecke, Brady Pollington

Staff: Eileen Horn

Public: Trudy Rice, Bonnie Murrell

1. No pre-meeting presentation: Thanks for reviewing the assessment!

1. Administrative items  (6:34pm)
   1. Determine quorum of members, agenda approval
   2. Approval of April meeting minutes (Gilmore, Humphrey)

1. Food Assessment
   1. General discussion and feedback from review (Marlin Bates)
   2. Key data points/findings for summary document

Group discussed purpose of the document and the audience. Clarified that this isn’t about public education, but informing the policies that will be in the food plan. It’s an opportunity to work on behalf of the City and the County. Need identified to ensure content covers whole county.

The end format was discussed, including the opportunity to think more creatively than a traditional report/plan. Can make a lot of use of an executive summary, bullet points, hyperlinks, etc. to condense the presentation. Idea emerged to have web-based format that allows an interested reader to dig deeper. This would allow for versions that can be utilized by policy makers and the general public.

Group discussed why much of the agricultural data was from 2012—a product of the process behind the USDA Census of Agriculture and a lack of other robust datasets.

1. Graphic Designer hired (Helen Schnoes)
   1. $2,000 from CDC grant received by Health Department
   2. Vote: $2,500 from FPC (initial FPC funding approval 11/15) (Peterson, Criner)
2. Budget motion:
   1. Approve Helen to oversee $1000 to use for food plan public meetings (Hornberger, Steinle)

1. Food Plan
   1. Review list of community events; identify gaps (Marlin Bates)

Group began this conversation but determined that it would be better to first discuss the questions to more strategically identify groups to include. Noted some gaps around Eudora and Lecompton.

1. Gathering feedback overview and exercise (Trudy Rice)
   1. Review list of questions and narrow

Group reviewed a list of questions that Trudy presented and selected questions to target.

Then, the group discussed a few needs:

• They will be pressed for time, therefore, Helen’s intro should be brief and simple.  Simple rules for the focus group, but no infographics, etc.
• Josh and Jen volunteered to work with the questions to simplify them.

1. Meeting facilitation techniques and how to document feedback

Helen will attend each meeting to take notes and help answer questions about the process and food plan. Members should coordinate with her as they plan their meetings.

                                Next steps: The group agreed that the next meeting will be a “practice session” to conduct a public meeting. They will invite past FPC members (and family/friends) to participate. Staff will look into providing dinner.

1. Farmers’ Market Project
   1. First site visit June 7-11. Opportunities to meet Meg and Anthony on
      1. 6/8 at 7:30am with City Subcommittee at The Merc
      2. 6/10 at noon for lunch (location TBD)
   2. Volunteers needed to assist with farmers’ market research

Eileen passed out a sheet for sign-ups.

1. Subcommittee Reports
   • City (Crystal Hammerschmidt)
     1. Urban ag passed: education is next
   • County (Jen Humphrey)
     1. Policy tour connected with Kaw Valley Farm Tour
   • Community (Carol Gilmore)
     1. FPC Member info collection—handouts available to fill out at meeting.
     2. Urban ag presentation to the community on June 21.
     3. Directory will be updated over summer to include restaurants. TK will host a happy hour at Merchants for interested chefs, include some producers to talk about how they work with restaurants.

1. Public comments – NONE

1. FPC member updates

Eileen announced that her office received a grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council to work with the Delaware Tribe and other stakeholders to develop a plan to convert their land (90 acres) north of I-70 into a place of sustainable agriculture, native seed and medicinal plant production, etc.

1. Adjourn full council meeting (8:25pm)