Green Saves Green Member Meeting Minutes

Monday, October 13, 2025

5:30 p.m., Pasquotank County Library


Present:  Martha Ann, Cole Barlow, Kevin Baugham, Libby Baugham, Felix Bilabeng, Karl Brandspigel, Sharon Burtner, Nita Coleman, Donna Gilbrand, Laura Granado, Marlene Greer, Rafeal Griffin Sr., Rafeal Griffin Jr., Norma Hatat-King, Rodney Johnson, Linda Jones, Charles Jordan, Bill Kruse, Sue Kruse, Sue Miller, Misti Rewis, Amy Shannon, Jared Tardiff, Steve Van Giesen, Abigail Vilalba, Gail Ward, Terry 

Guest speaker: John Shannon, Assistant County Manager

Chair report

  • The Camden Heritage Festival.  Marlene, Terry, Raphael Jr., and Christian showcased GSG’s initiatives. Christian brought a display on river plants and macroinvertebrates. Attendees got to put their hands in a bucket of duckweed and learned the differences between duckweed and an algal bloom. The display was very informative and will be kept for future events.

  • Knobbs Creek Rec Center Litter Cleanup. Fourteen kids in the after-school program cleaned up the parking area, playground, and around the center.  They also planted a rain garden and created posters for the Do Not Litter contest.

  • Fall Litter Sweep. 37 people participated. Seventeen bags of litter and some roadside debris was collected. Participants cleaned every downtown street and around MOA. This was the third time GSG has held litter cleanups in the downtown area this year. Two dedicated participants continued to pick up litter until noon. 

 

Do Not Litter Poster Contest Wrap Up

Marlene reported on the very successful conclusion of the Do Not Litter Poster Contest and congratulated the GSG Litter Team - Bill, Sue, Julie, Linda, Norma, Gail, MaryAnn, Sharon and others - for coming up with the idea and creating a terrific action plan. GSG held 17 poster drawing events throughout the summer. Nearly 300 posters were submitted.

Marlene thanked the 3 judges - Zacki Twiford, Kelly Cameron and Ian Lowry - for dedicating nearly 3 hours of time judging the posters. All three judges said what a positive experience it was and how much they enjoyed it. Marlene showed the winners in all categories. Each age/grade category had a first, second, and third place, and some honorable mentions. Julie and Marlene contacted the parents and teachers of the kids and students who won. 

An Awards Ceremony for the poster contest winners will be held October 21 at 5pm at the Arts of the Albemarle. All members of GSG, city leadership, county officials, students, parents and teachers are invited to attend. Prizes will include cash, one week art camp at AOA, gift basket of art supplies, Chick-fil-A coupons, sketch books, and watercolor paint sets.

Marlene has a meeting with the Tourism Development Authority on Friday, October 17 to discuss the $4,800 grant funds request to turn the winning posters into aluminum signs to be posted throughout Elizabeth City. 

The poster contest was step 1 in a 5-step plan for litter awareness, litter education, and litter action. Step 2 will be for Elizabeth City Downtown Inc.  to get approval to place more trash cans in the downtown area.  The next steps will be discussed at the November GSG meeting.  

Pasquotank County Litter Task Force Recommendations

John Shannon, Assistant County Manager

Last year, GSG invited NCDOT personnel and Pasquotank County Assistant Manager John Shannon to a GSG meeting to discuss the issue of roadside litter. After the meeting, our members submitted five pages of recommendations to the county’s new litter task force. Mr. Shannon shared the task force’s plan of action.

What does litter enforcement, education, and awareness look like? A few months ago, Mr. Shannon presented county commissioners and the solid waste committee with some recommendations.  Raising awareness of the law requiring people to cover their loads of trash was at the top of the list. 

The county created “Cover Your Load” flyers for convenience site attendants at all 7 county sites to hand out to anyone coming in who does not have their load covered. NC law mandates loads be covered, but many people are not aware of the law. The county also created a Do Not Litter and Cover Your Load campaign on its social media sites. 

The county is looking into Wake County’s ordinance for use of cameras at its dump sites identifying uncovered loads and issuing citations. For now, they are using the education approach. The county does want convenience centers to appear as hassling people by fining them for uncovered loads, as this may cause them to dump waste at other locations in the county. Pasquotank County convenience centers have cameras, but they are not for enforcement. They are just to monitor the convenience centers. If the convenience center attendants see businesses (like landscapers) who don’t cover their loads, the attendants contact Mr. Shannon, who follows up with the company to ensure compliance.  

Pasquotank County has a non-emergency phone line to report littering. They are looking into Chatham County’s use of a “hot line” to report litter issues to see if it can be replicated here.

The county plans to expand its program of helping local cleanup efforts by providing more groups with litter cleanup supplies. They are considering the installation of trail cameras in “high dump” areas. The county does not have litter dumping fines and ordinances if license plate numbers are identified on trail cameras. Mr. Shannon plans to speak with the Sheriff's department to determine additional steps to take to enforce litter issues.

Marlene suggested putting “Cover Your Load” signs on county dump trucks, as a traveling billboard to promote awareness, plus large signs at the convenience centers. Nita brought up that many commercial and residential lots are full of garbage and are derelict. Mr. Shannon advised contacting Code Enforcement. 

 

 Upcoming Events 

  • Oct 15:  NEAAAT Litter Cleanup 10:30-11:30am.  The cleanup will include 100 sixth graders who will pick up litter on several streets in the area around MACU. Meet at MACU at the corner of  Poindexter and Ward streets. Kids will be divided into five groups and will go to their preassigned station to get instructions and cleanup supplies. Volunteers: Marlene, Sharon, Julie, Linda, Gail

  • Oct 17:  Albemarle Kayaking Paddle & Camping Trip. Misti and Rodney will coordinate camping on the Northwest River platform on Friday, Oct. 17. Rodney will take the camping supplies and food out by boat. Meet at 11am at Shingle Landing in Moyock and paddle out from there. If you don’t want to camp, you can paddle out about 2.5 miles to the platform, enjoy lunch, then paddle back. 

  • Oct. 21:  Do Not Litter Poster Contest Awards Ceremony – 5pm Tuesday, Arts of the Albemarle. Everyone is welcome. 

  • Oct. 29:  Albemarle Watershed Watch Sampling – 9-11am Wednesday. This will be the final water test for this year. 

 

Other Business

STRIVE liver cancer study. Collaboration with Duke Health, Emory, NC State, & UNC Chapel Hill. How environmental chemicals (PFAS, toxic metals) in our bodies affect genes and liver health. Research will help prevent, diagnose, and treat liver cancer more effectively. Age 40-75. Water samples, soil samples and blood samples will be required for this study. Cases of liver cancer are on the rise in NC. https://strive.wordpress.ncsu.edu/

 

Next meeting will be Tuesday, November 4th, 5:30pm at the Pasquotank County Library

A board meeting will follow at 6:30pm.