Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter, 4th edition
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Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter, 4th edition

Posted by barbf on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 15:12

Sunnyvale Cool Green Letter
August 28, 2009
 
Great events and important opportunities coming up! 
 
Upcoming Events

  • Sunnyvale Cool General Meeting:  Thursday, August 27, 7-8:30 PM, Toyota Sunnyvale (El Camino, between Mary and Hollenbeck/Pastoria), second floor classroom.  Presentation by Stevens and Permanente Watershed Council on considerations for siting the Stevens Creek Trail, discussion of Land Use and Transportation General Plan revision, and challenge to calculate or re-calculate personal carbon footprint.
  • Free Gardening 101 Class:  Saturday, August 29, 10 AM-12 noon, Toyota Sunnyvale.  Presented by Charles Street Gardens. 
  • Presentation and Book Signing--"The Truth about Green Business:  You Don't Have to Choose Between Making Money and Making Sense" with Gil Friend, Natural Logic, Inc:  Tuesday, September 8, 7-9 PM.  $20.  Register by September 1 at:  http://www.conexions.org/wordpress/?page_id=71#TruthAnchor
  • Thomas Friedman, author of Hot, Flat and Crowded, speaks at the Celebrity Forum: Thursday, September 10 and Friday, September 11, Flint Center, De Anza College, 8 PM.  Tickets $35, to benefit Los Altos GreenTown. Purchase at:   www.greentownlosaltos.org/drupal/friedman  Highly recommended.
  • Free Gardening 101 Class:  Thursday, September 17, 6-8 PM, Toyota Sunnyvale. Presented by Charles Street Gardens.
  • GreenPoint Showcase Tour: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 10 AM-5 PM, throughout the Bay Area.  Tour of GreenPoint rated homes presented by Build It Green and KTVU. (GreenPoint is the standard Sunnyvale has chosen for residential construction beginning January 1.)  Remodels and new construction.  See green technologies up close, including solar electric systems, radiant floor heating, bamboo flooring, salvaged wood products, green roofs...$10/person.  Purchase tickets on-line at:   http://builditgreen.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=210604
  • Free Commuter Tax Benefit Workshop:  Wednesday, October 7, 8 -noon, Sunnyvale Community Center Ballroom.  A free workshop for employers to learn how to provide and benefit from a Communter Choice Tax Benefit Program.  Press release at bottom of this newsletter.
  • International Day of Climate Action, October 24.  http://www.350.org/
  • Sustainability Change Agent Training with Alan AtKisson:  November 16 and 17, 8:30 AM-5 PM. Santa Clara.  Early Bird pricing ends August 31.  http://www.sustainablesiliconvalley.org/

Upcoming Government Meetings

  • City outreach meeting on Stevens Creek Trail: Monday, August 31, 7 PM, DeAnza Park Building, 1150 LIme Drive. To receive community input on issues and ideas concerning the Trail.
  • Peninsula Cities Consortium's Teach-In on High Speed Rail:  Saturday, September 12, 8:30-3 PM, Palo Alto City Hall.  Free.  Information and tickets at:  http://peninsulacities.eventbrite.com/
  • Bay Area Air Quality Management District Outreach Meeting on Lehigh Cement Air Pollution Issues, Thursday, September 17, 6:30-9 PM, Quinlan Center, 10185 N. Stelling, Cupertino. To receive public comment.  More info at:  http://www.baaqmd.gov/Divisions/Engineering/Public-Notices-on-Permits/2009/081209-17947/Lehigh-Southwest-Cement-Company.aspx
  • Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Association Candidate Forum:  Monday, September 21, 7-9 PM, Washington Park Building, Washington and Pastoria.
  • First televised Candidate Debate: Thursday, September 24, Council Chambers. (Time TBD)
  • Planning Commission considers alternative energy permitting standards: Monday, September 28, 8 PM, Council Chambers, City Hall.  Study includes small wind, biodiesel, fuel cells and geothermal. Opportunities for public comment. 
  • SNAIL Neighborhood Association Candidate Forum: Saturday, October 3,         4 PM, Fair Oaks Park Building.
  • League of Women Voters Candidate Forum:  Thursday, October 8, Council Chambers, Time TBD.
  • Second Televised Council Candidate Debate: Tuesday, October 13, Council Chambers, time TBD. 
  • City Council considers alternative energy permitting standards: Tuesday, October 20.  Meeting starts at 7.

Hands-on Opportunity
 
Help our Mountain View neighbors recycle at their Art and Wine Festival, September 12 and 13.  Three hour shifts.  Monitor recycling bins.  Encourage visitors to dispose of trash and recyclables in appropriate bins, transport bags of recyclables and trash. To sign up as a volunteer:  http://tinyurl.com/gmvArtWine
Employer Tax Benefit Workshop press release:
 

Santa Clara County Air Quality Resource Team
 
Contact:  Stephanie Anderson                                                                       For Immediate Release
Tel:  510.763.2500 ex. 1
Email:  sanderson@communityfocus.org
 
SAVE MONEY FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES AND YOUR COMPANY
A  FREE WORKSHOP ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT COMMUTER TAX BENEFITS
The Santa Clara County Air Quality Resource Team is pleased to announce a free workshop for employers to learn how to provide and to benefit from a Commuter Choice Tax Benefit program.   Hear how an employer can offer a variety of financial incentives to its employees that increase the company's tax savings.  The workshop is designed to help employers understand the IRS tax code Section 132(f), which allows for some commute costs to be paid pre-tax. 
Hear directly from Jeanine DeBacker, a partner of Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, on how to avoid pitfalls and implement a successful program. Learn the pros and cons of using a third party administrator from Stuart Baker, VP of Marketing for Accor Services USA, and hear from large and small employers on the effects a commuter choice tax benefit program has on their business once it is implemented.
 
Mark your calendar for October 7, 2009 to take advantage of the free workshop and to take the first step in saving your company money.  The workshop will be held at the Community Center Ballroom,
Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94087, 8:30 am until 11:30 am.
The Santa Clara County Air Quality Resource Team is working to help employers develop commute solution programs that are alternatives to driving solo.  Part of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's community outreach efforts, Resource Teams are made up of stakeholders from business, government and community –based organizations who come together to educate their communities about air pollution and develop actions community members can take to reduce air pollution.  There are nine Resource Teams throughout the nine-county Bay Area.
 
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If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Stephanie Anderson, please call 510.763.2500 ex