Meeting Minutes

Participants in the first meeting of 2016

Beautify CNMI meeting
February 1, 2016
Hyatt Chamolian Room

Participants: Vinnie Sablan (Legislature), Tatiana Babauta (MVA), Steve Jang (CARE), Lucy Sablan, Ike Cabrera, N Horiguchi, Walt Goodridge, Jojo Cruz (MINA), Angelo Villagomez (Pew), Aileen Benavente (BECQ), Jose Kaipat (BECQ), Brad Ruszala (CUC), Ed Propst (Legislature), Shelane Borja (CARE), Jill Arenovski (SCC), Jenny Hegland (CARE), Jon Perez (media), Cinta Kaipat, Arnold (media), Frau (media)

Cinta welcomed the group and introduced Angelo.

Angelo showed two movies from 2007:
What is Beautify CNMI?
One Year Anniversary
Cinta followed up with a history of Beautify CNMI and discussion of our values:
Beautify Virus – We must always be growing and sharing the message of our coaltion
We are a coaltion, not an organization – we steamroll bureaucracy
Do it now – if you have to ask if you can do it, the answer is yes
Give from your heart, we’ll take as much or as little as you can give
Everyone’s a member, even if they don’t know it yet

Following the talk, a discussion followed:

Please visit the website and sign up for the email list:
www.BeautifyCNMI.org

About 80% of the discussion was about solid waste
Solid waste management – Vin & Ed & Joe K. & MINA, Jen, Steve were identified as leaders and possible committee chairs. Taken as a whole, solid waste is too big an issues, so we discussed breaking up into sub-committees
-Enforcing Litter laws
-Village Cleanups- canvassing neighborhoods that still have typhoon debris & illegal dumping
-Restructuring price of dumping (tipping fee)
-Recycling, Tires
-Abandoned Structures – don’t have permission to remove debris from abandoned properties. How do we clean this up? What’s beautiful is also safe!

MINA brought up their work with marine debris & litter & plastic
It was mentioned that ocean issues as a whole are also important

Animals were discussed in two terms:
There is still an issue of abandoned and feral issues, and we should talk to Saipan Cares for Animals because they are doing great work. In the past we worked with PAWS and help public education activities and events
Dead animal cleanup – is there a government or a private sector solution to this perennial problem? It is related to the number of stray animals.

Working with the community was an overarching theme for all the discussions
There should an Education & Outreach committee
We should make educaitonal PSAs
Focus should be young kids & the parents

We want to plant trees to replace the ones destroyed by the Typhoon. We are having a tree planting this week.

Historical monuments & buildings – Aya & Ike
We need to talk to HPO
Promote this history

Diving was mentioned as important

Next meeting?
Ed Propst will convene a solid waste meeting in two weeks.
Joe Kaipat will see if we can hold the next general meeting at BECQ in March

Beautify CNMI! Meeting set for Monday

The Beautify CNMI campaign will hold their first organizational meeting of 2016 next week. The once highly visible coalition was founded in 2006 and spent several years organizing beach cleanups, planting trees, painting over graffiti, and recycling. There is hope among some of the former volunteers to revive the campaign and to join it with other environmental initiatives taking place on the island today.

“Our goal is to enhance the work of the community,” said Beautify CNMI founder Cinta M. Kaipat. “We’re not looking to replace existing efforts, but to lift them to new heights.”

According to their website, Beautify CNMI! Is a coalition of concerned citizens, private groups, and government entities united to enhance the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ natural beauty and foster community pride in its residents and visitors. They have been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Congress for their volunteer work, and were the Saipan Tribune’s 2006 Person of the Year.

Interested participants are invited to a meeting on Monday, February 1 at 2 PM in the Chamolinian Room of the Hyatt Recency.

Kaipat will chair the meeting and lead a discussion on how now is a great time to reinvigorate the coalition. Co-founder Angelo Villagomez will make a presentation on how the campaign was created in 2006.

For more information about Beautify CNMI’s ten year history, please visit www.BeautifyCNMI.org.

Who: Beautify CNMI coalition kick off meeting
What: A meeting to discuss Beautify CNMI
Where: Hyatt Regency Chamolinian Room
When: February 1, 2 PM
Why: To enhance the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ natural beauty and foster community pride in its residents and visit

2010 Kick Off Meeting Scheduled

Friday, January 22, 2010, 3pm

at the DEQ Conference Room

We hope that you will find time to join us on Friday afternoon as we kick off 2010 with a brainstorming session.

Our first priority will be to establish (or re-establish) our 2010 committees. Each committee will then be responsible for establishing its projects and goals.

Beautify CNMI consists of a colition of like-minded people interested in coming together to create and work on projects that improve the overall beauty of our home and generally improve our quality and standards of living. There are no specific membership requirements. Committee leaders meet monthly to collaborate and report on project progress.

To join, all you have to do is get involved!

Show up at a meeting or volunteer for a project or start your own project and then look forward to getting support from a wide-range of experienced community members.

Everyone and anyone who has a project idea or existing organization related to the beautification of the CNMI is encouraged to get involved with Beautify CNMI! Any organization looking to establish a partnership with Beautify CNMI is encouraged to bring ideas to Friday's meeting.

For more information on the activities of Beautify CNMI and to volunteer, call DEQ at 664-8500 or contact Laurie Peterka at laurie.peterka@saipan.com

We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

Attend a meeting

Beautify CNMI sets monthly meetings

The Beautify CNMI coalition has set their monthly meetings for the second Thursday of each month. Meetings will take place at the TO BE ANNOUNCED at 6:00 PM. For more information contact Joe Kaipat at DEQ at 664-8509.

August 2007 General Meeting Notes

August 2007 General Meeting

Restoration – Angelo Villagomez with help from Cinta Kaipat

Planted 100 Flame Trees so far, about 25 ready to be planted
Purchasing supplies for more plantings with RCDs NFWF grant
Upcoming Obyan Planting – Sept.
Upcoming Laulau Planting – Sept.
Saipan Southern HS painting on Aug. 11
MHS Tree Planting on Aug. 10
Year of the Coral Reef mural contest
-Reina needs a budget/proposal
-Cinta wants to have a one day painting
-We need to talk to Officer Seman

Micronesia Challenge – Angelo Villagomez

Panel Discussion on MC on Aug. 24. May have to postpone one week due to American Samoa conference – I’ll find out tomorrow
Reserved www.micronesiachallenge.com – redirects to the Unofficial MC Blog
Photo contest has 11 submissions. We need more.

Parks & Trails – Angelo Villagomez for Ken Kramer

Working with BSA to restore Banadero Trail
Coordinating with RCD, MINA, HPO, and DFW
Next meeting is on August 17, 1 PM at USDA NRCS

Animal Welfare – Angelo Villagomez, read an email by Katie Busenkell

- We are still working towards opening a humane shelter with the Mayor's office. So far, the Mayor's office is unwilling to entertain the idea of re-designing the shelter. Chair Katie Busenkell objects to the Mayor's current design plan because: (1) it is absorbing too much money and appears to be ill-designed; and (2) No one from the Humane Society, or with experience operating a shelter, has been consulted about the design plan. Proper design is extremely important, as ill-designed shelter can quickly become death traps that cultivate and host diseases.

-Passing anti-cruelty legislation. A presentation to the Senate/House Committee will hopefully take place sometime in the next couple of weeks. With approval from the committee considering the bill, AWC members and PAWS members will be invited to attend the presentation;

-PAWS President.AWC Chair Katie Busenkell just returned from a conference in Samoa, hosted by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), a United Nations Partner. The conference focused primarily on educating children about responsible pet ownership and government methods of animal control.

PAWS will be hosting a general meeting in September wherein the conference will be discussed in greater detail. All are invited to attend and participate in discussions and endeavors. The date and time will be announced later.

-Katie mentioned the Turtle Conservation Project to WSPA representatives. They will send AWC what materials they have about turtle conservation/preservation.

Legislation & Zoning – Cinta Kaipat

Cinta submitted a Global Warming bill
Zoning hearing on August 14, 6:30 at the Multipurpose Center

Solid Waste – Steve Hiney

The project has been slowed because there was no property to work on the cars and no permits from DEQ
Bali Steel and DPL signed Lease on August 3, they now have land.
They are writing a permit application for DEQ
Going to do a survey of the area next week looking for cars
Mayor has not responded, may have equipment, but hasn’t confirmed
There are some issues concerning what to do with the parts of the car that can’t be sold as scrap metal – it will probably end up in the landfill

July General Meeting Notes

Animal Welfare:
Shelter is being built, needs funding for training, staffing
Mayor’s office has to spend $75,000 by Sept 30, we still have concerns that Tinian was able to build a shelter for $8000. Why is ours so expensive?
Neutering Clinic killed by Doctor Tudor

Restoration:
Still doing weekly cleanups
13 Flame trees this year
Planting more on Sunday
There have been two articles in the Variety about the damage bush cutters are doing to Flame Trees
Continuing Lighthouse cleanups
Sam’s Class

Parks:
Had a meeting with Lynn Knight & Perry Tenorio
Not much to report

Grafitti:
I have a quote from Ace…I need to give to MVA
Painted several bus stops

Micronesia Challenge & Turtles:
No movement since the turtle meeting in May
Had a Micronesia Summer Camp with 15 students
Teny wants to have monthly presentations – we should invite Teny, Angelo, Katie will work on some conservation presentations with turtles perhaps

Media:
Sponsoring Friday Family Fun Night
PSAs on 103.9 and 101.1
We Love Saipan network has helped with creation of 100 blogs, been mentioned on Radio, MP Magazine, Marianas Variety

SAVE Club:
Will be meeting on the first Wednesday of every month at Java Joes
Will be Saipan wide, not just Hopwood
Goal is to have 100 members by December

Junk Cars:
Garapan first as a pilot
Moving on to other villages, starting in a few weeks