The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group’s Outreach Committee met on Thursday, January 12, at 6:30 p.m., in the offices of the Fifth Avenue Committee, at 621 Degraw Street.
The agenda included planning for a Community orientation/re-orientation meeting, and a discussion of EXPO Gowanus 2017.
Committee Members Present
Rafael Gomez de Luna
Katia Kelly
Eric McClure
Christine Petro
Guests
Owen Foote, Gowanus Dredgers
Owen Foote offered a number of observations:
- Organizational structure of CAG hasn’t been adequately introduced to the community.
- Engagement at Newtown Creek is far superior to the Gowanus CAG. Website, outreach, etc.
- The CAG website includes no information regarding National Grid’s surcharge to ratepayers. Is the surcharge permanent? Does it sunset? Gowanus Dredgers are getting a lot of questions regarding that, and many other aspects of the cleanup.
Outreach Committee can ask for an update from National Grid and EPA regarding the details of the surcharge: how much, how long? According to Owen, ratepayers are blaming advocates of the Superfund cleanup for increased utility bills.
New York Public Service Commission? Who can explain it? State Assembly or State Senate reps.?
EXPO Gowanus Update
Saturday, May 20, Thomas Greene Park & Douglass Street
CAG tabling at EXPO – Eric did that last year on behalf of the Outreach Committee
GCC looking to involve neighborhood artists in the EXPO; Christine proposes teaming up artists with the CAG to educate and share information. Could the Outreach Committee advise participating artists on what the important takeaways are for the community?
We’ll invite interested artists to the February Outreach Committee meeting. Make sure Natalie is available. We could do a post-meeting walking tour around key features. Help them to understand the history, explain what an MGP is, etc.
Owen: What will the EPA be doing in 2017? What’s the 12-month look-ahead?
Katia: EPA will be dredging the 4th Street basin in 2017 following successful debris clearance in fall of 2016. Also opening up the head end of the 4th Street basin under the 3rd Avenue Bridge.
Can we ask the EPA for a month-by-month timetable? Info is typically more general.
Christine: How do we anticipate the information that people are going to want to know from a Gowanus Superfund 101 meeting? What do businesses want to know?
Owen: Gowanus Dredgers get a lot of questions about the cost of the cleanup, how much has been spent, is $500 million the real number, etc.
Eric reported that Congresswoman Velazquez is not available on March 7th or 9th for a Superfund 101 public meeting. Dan Wiley will supply alternate dates.
Next Outreach Committee meeting: Friday, February 10, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at 621 Degraw Street.