TEG Minutes – July 17, 2020
Minutes The Earthbuilders’ Guild
Board of Directors’ Meeting – Friday, July 17th, 2020 Meeting convened via Internet/Zoom
Call to order at 8:03 a.m.
Ben Loescher chairing the meeting
Attendance – Board members in attendance: Pat Rutherford, Helen Levine, John Jordan, Ben Loescher, Kurt Gardella, and Jane Whitmire. Rob Taylor joined later in the meeting. Not present: Ernest Aragon Member Guest: Kirk Higbee
Business briefs
– Multiple reports given by all attendees
Approval of minutes from 5/20/20 TEG Board meeting in Albuquerque, NM:
– Approved unanimously.
Next TEG Board meetings:
- – September 21st, 2020, at 8:00am Mountain Time, via Zoom.
- – 2020 schedule of meetings are yet to be determined due to ongoing
pandemic.
Treasurer’s Report:
- – $10,148.88 balance.
- – Upcoming expenses consist of the quarterly website maintenance cost.
Membership Update:
– 46 Members, 5 renewals since last meeting/report, 1 member dropped: Vista Grande High School
Website report/update:
- – May 2020 484 visitors
- – June 2020 436 visitors Facebook Report :
– 1,308 Followers (up from 1,130 on May 19, 2020)
General Correspondence:
Received an inquiry regarding architectural help.
Received an inquiry from a Mr. Jack Chavez regarding single family home plans and whether TEG members can help.
Committee Reports:
- – Helen suggested that the Santa Fe Community College Oversight Committee activities be added to the list of Committee Reports. Voted on and unanimously approved.
- – Jane reported that the NM CID may be reviewing the Energy Codes. Pat suggested that we reach out to Melanie @ NM Home Builders Assoc. to see if we can find out the details of this. John volunteered to do this. Will report back at the next meeting.
SFCC Oversight Committee Report:
- – Primary mode of class participation will be online, but there is hope for a blended approach. Enrollment is low at this point.
- – Discussed the effort to add CEB course to the curriculum.
IBC Committee Report:
- – No movement to report, most efforts are frozen due to Covid.
- – The Adobe Codes have been put into the process for incorporation.
TEG Code Committee Report:
– The Code Committee is on hiatus. Will discuss in subsequent meetings.
Certification Committee Report:
– Test schedule will be kept as is, nothing else to report.
By-Laws Review Committee Report:
– By-Laws Committee is working towards modifications to the Committee creation, structure, attendance, and oversight verbiage. John will send out the initial version of this before the next meeting.
New Business:
– It was brought up and discussed that TEG should perhaps have a more formal and regular approach for deciding on the funding requests from entities outside of TEG, such as the request to fund the Code Development effort.
o It was proposed that this should include parameters on the disbursement of funds, i.e. when to use the funds, results of the funding, etc.
o A motion to create a working group to establish grant request management was put forth, discussed, voted on and was unanimously approved. Jane, Helen, and Ben will start the ground work on this.
Old Business:
- – TEG Newsletter
o Articles are due July 31st.
o John – Ongoing testing at Sandia Labs.
o Ben – Will come up with something.
o Kurt – AIA report; earthen in Germany.
o Kurt – will reach out to Simone Swan for an article. - – Advertising via Facebook
o Motion to approve expenditures for advertising, voted on andapproved unanimously.
- – TEG Logo Project
o Clarified our desires on the various options provided by Jenny and let her know what these are. Waiting on word back from Jenny once she reviews.
- – ASTM standard for earthen floors. Ben will check on the progress of this and report back.
- – Terra sponsorship. Waiting on feedback from that group regarding options for support and/or sponsorship.
- – TEG accomplishments and initiatives 2020 paper. Pat will report on this at the next meeting
Motion to Adjourn:
– 10:09 am – Moved, seconded, unanimously approved. Respectfully submitted,
John Jordan, TEG Board Member-at-large
