It's been a month since my last posting, an interruption caused in part by the crash of my laptop and by a visit to Ranquitte, Haiti. Now that I'm back, I promise to be more faithful in posting news and comments.
AUGUST 8 -- KFTC Chapter Voter Empowerment Workgroup Meeting on August 8 at 2 p.m. Folks interested in helping further plan and carryout this year's voter empowerment efforts are meeting again at the KFTC office in Berea (behind the MACED building on Chestnut). All are welcome to participate.
AUGUST 14 -- The Madison County KFTC chapter's energy workteam will meet next Thursday, August 14th, at 6:30 p.m. in the community meeting room of the new Madison County Library in Berea. Members will continue their discussion about how to work locally and beyond regarding energy related issues.
AUGUST 19 - The City Council will be holding a work session to discuss the proposed Berea utility rate increase. This important public discussion will be around 5 p.m. (stay tuned for a specific time) on the 19th in the Community Room of Berea City Hall. At 6:30 the City Council will hold their regular meeting where a vote on the utility issue is possible. Please plan to attend if possible to demonstrate the communities continued interest in energy and conservation.
AUGUST 25th -- The Madison County Chapter will hold its annual meeting on Monday, August 25th at the Child Development Lab on Jefferson St. in Berea. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. (a half hour earlier than normal). At the annual meeting members have the opportunity to elect members to fill chapter leadership positions, make suggestions for KFTC's issue platform, nominate members to serve on KFTC's statewide committees, and decide whether or not to remain a KFTC Chapter. Documents to help guide these decisions can be found on on our website at
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/chapters/annual-chapter-meeting-materials. Also, below are notes from the previous chapter meeting on July 28.
Please contact me with any questions or for additional information.
Carissa Lenfert
Madison County Chapter Organizer
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
859-986-1277, Ext. 224
Carissa@kftc.org
Notes from Madison County KFTC Chapter MeetingMonday, July 28, 20081.
- We discussed plans for Fall voter outreach activities in Madison County.
- The voter workgroup laid out their proposal for the fall which included:
- Tabling at Kroger/Big Lots in Richmond and Walmart/Sav a lot in Berea
- Tabling at Spoonbread Festival and KY Artist Guild Fall Fair
- Door-knock two days in the fall
- A sign-up sheet was passed around for folks to volunteer for these activities
- Folks were also interested in trying to register students at Berea College and EKU as well as reaching out to the Latino population.
- Folks were encouraged to attend the voter empowerment training in Louisville August 1st and there was also interest in holding a similar training locally for folks who can not attend the Louisville training.
- The voter workgroup will meet again on Friday, August 8th at 2 p.m. at the KFTC office in Berea - all are welcome to attend!2. We heard an update on the Berea Utility Proposed Rate Change
- Steve Boyce and Bill Stolte provided an update about the Berea City Council's proposed utility rate change. The Berea city council is proposing to increase rates for city-owned electric, water and sewer. At issue is the extent to which the particular rate changes recommended by the Prime Group, a consulting firm hired by the city, reflect the values being singled out by KFTC and its allies: promoting and rewarding the conservation of water and electricity; encouraging the emergence of renewable energy; shielding all rate payers, especially low-income people, from unnecessarily high utility bills by promoting energy efficiency and addressing the root causes of waste.
- The City Council has made modifications to the original proposal that KFTC member believe move it in the right direction. They are now proposing to only increase the "base" rate (flat fee that all customers pay regardless of use) to $9 (was originally proposed at $10). In addition, the city council is now proposing that all revenue adjustments in the future only address the usage rate and not the base rate - which could attempt to promote conservation in the future.
- Folks agreed that these were all movements in the right direction and that they likely would not have been made without the efforts of KFTC members and other allies working on this issue!
- Folks anticipated that the City Council members will discuss the utility rate change at an upcoming work session and possibly vote at their August 19th meeting. Folks liked the idea of attending those meetings to demonstrate their continued interest in this issue. Stay tuned for more information about those as the dates get closer.
- It was also agreed that the energy work-team will meet again in August to continue developing plans for additional work around energy related issues. Stay tuned for a meeting date and time.3.
- We discussed plans for fall fundraising and membership recruitment.
- Folks discussed again the Each One Reach One campaign, which asks KFTC members to each recruit at least one new member. Almost everyone present signed up to participate in Each One Reach One.
- We reviewed our commitment towards fundraising as a chapter and discussed ideas for fall chapter fundraising efforts.
- People liked the idea of doing another fall friendraiser. Some also liked the idea of having an issue meeting that raises money.
- It was announced that an anonymous donor has committed to donating $2,000 as a challenge grant if the chapter can set a fundraising goal and meet that goal. Folks discussed various ideas surrounding the challenge grant including setting a fundraising goal around the fall friendraiser.
- We decided to convene a small workgroup to plan through the various ideas and activities. This group will meet at some point in August. Stay tuned for information about a date and time.
- If you are interested in participating in this planning, please contact Carissa Lenfert at Carissa@kftc.org or 986-1277 Ext. 224.4.
- We made plans for the August Chapter Annual Meeting.
- Folks reviewed the agenda from last year's annual meeting. We agreed that the format of having a business meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and then inviting a guest speaker from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. works well. People liked the idea of focusing on a local public official. Possible guest speakers for this year's annual meeting included: The Mayor of Berea, Mayor of Richmond, Berea City Manager, Berea City Council (chairman of the finance committee), and Madison County Fiscal Court Judge Executive.
nd Latino children are being demonized in our schools. 
nd Latino children are being demonized in our schools. 
