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Corte Madera climate committee weighs outreach-first approach, considers recycling drop‑off and partnerships
Summary
The Corte Madera Climate Action Committee discussed shifting its annual focus toward community engagement, coordinating with local groups and piloting a hard‑to‑recycle drop‑off or promotion of private services as part of its 2025 focus-area planning.
The Corte Madera Climate Action Committee on Oct. 15 debated whether to continue selecting one substantive focus area per year or to pivot toward broader community engagement and multi‑partner coordination. Committee members discussed options including a local hard‑to‑recycle drop‑off program, promoting the private service Ridwell, and increased collaboration with countywide programs such as Resilient Neighborhoods.
Committee Chair Burges opened the brainstorming session by asking whether the committee should “continue with this approach of trying to focus on sort of one big effort” and solicited suggestions for next‑year priorities. Several members urged an emphasis on outreach and leveraging existing county or regional programs rather than pursuing only equipment‑oriented projects such as heat pump water heaters or EV chargers.
Sarah (committee member) said the committee should “put the emphasis on the community engagement outreach pieces” and explore partnering with nonprofits and other working groups in Marin to amplify messaging on the Climate Action Plan’s built‑environment and transportation priorities. She noted that tabling events and postcard campaigns have produced useful data about resident interests and recommended leveraging those channels.
Another committee member proposed investigating the logistics of a local drop‑off for hard‑to‑recycle items (plastics and batteries), noting the private firm Ridwell as a model. The member said the committee could either promote Ridwell to Corte Madera residents or explore a town‑run drop‑off, but cautioned about resource limits and whether formal partnerships are permitted.
Phil (committee member) and others urged simpler, everyday outreach as a complement to larger projects. Phil used a figurative example—“you have to get his attention”—to describe the need for easily adopted habits that reach residents in their daily routines. Several members emphasized avoiding a lecturing tone in public outreach and suggested framing activities to meet residents where they are.
Staff members Phoebe and Adam encouraged coordination with countywide groups. Phoebe noted prior committee subcommittee work that produced candidate focus areas (heat pump water heaters, EV chargers for multi‑tenant buildings, and residential energy storage) and suggested Resilient Neighborhoods and MarinCan as potential partners. Adam said the committee’s prior campaigns — postcards, tabling, a heat‑pump event and an education sticker idea — have been useful supports for town staff.
Committee members agreed to flesh out concrete options before the next meeting. Chair Burges offered to work with Sarah on a draft of one or two executable proposals that align with the Climate Action Plan and the town’s 2025 staff work plan for council review. The committee indicated interest in discussing those proposals at the November meeting and in coordinating any committee focus with the staff work plan that will go to council in January.
The discussion concluded with staff and members agreeing to return with more detailed, implementable scopes for consideration at the next meeting.
