[Notes on Jason's session] Ecotopia - Jason ----------------------- Arcata - 17 000 people N. California 1971 Ecotopia book about Bolinas which becomes an independent city because of anti-nuke stance. Ernest Callenbach - "Ecotopia". Arcata in logging region. Humboldt State University late 60's anti-Vietnam movement strong in Arcata cause [?] of returned GIs going to Humboldt - Also back to the land movement. Now 40 - 60 organic farms. Affordable housing. Early 70's conservative Republican governing. 1972 liberals. Road expansion issue - Caltrans wanted an 8 line highway. Stop at 4 campaign solidified liberals, got into council. Mid 80's - new waste system of reed beds, ex dump waste system now also a bird sanctuary, eco-tourism. Draft resisters sanctuary declared 1991 by Arcata city council during Gulf War in case of draft. Composting workshops in city parks run by city council. Large student population - 7,500, roughly a third. Free bus passes, bike racks on backs of buses, hydrogen energy plant part of University, using hydrogen as fuel for cars or fuel cells, waste is water. (Hydrogen and water split by solar energy) Farmer's market every Saturday. Free music - community space. Box scheme - city owned property model organic farm for kids to come look at, educational. Jason elected onto council as a Green 1994. Food not Bombs - asked for donations from bakers and grocers, fed the hungry every evening 5.30. City council voted to sue Food not Bombs cause of trades complaints, not wanting homeless attracted to the city centre - 3 years 30 million cost - more than cost of city kitchen. Resolved when Green majority in Council. Community programming citizen link, city council meetings filmed and various departments police etc. had 1 hour programmes explaining what they do and making them accountable to the public. Free Arcata Radio, broadcast out of a closet, pirate station. Understanding Local Government, workshops yearly, before budget brought out and city council goal setting. Conservatives etc. involved. 1996 Green majority on the Council for first time. 2 members not activists or used to politics. 1 - Banned time limits on meetings. Used to be 3 minutes. First meeting went on till 3.30 am 2 - Transport committee - decentralised process - doubled bike lanes. 3 - Free bike programme - like white bikes in Amsterdam. Inexpensive even if bikes often stolen. Trained secondary school children to be mechanics. Cuts down on air pollution. Every bike stolen, they're still riding a bike. Bikes green, wheels and all. All used bikes. 4 - Daylighting creeks, bringing underground piped creeks up, brings back wildlife. 5 - Rewriting city plans, transportation, housing etc. Visioning sessions. Went to neighbourhoods and asked what they'd like their neighbourhoods to look like in 20 years. Broad consensus on clean air, bike lanes, clean water. 5 citizen committees working on the plan up for approval next year. 6 - 1990 skateboarding banned downtown and offered a skatepark, decided too expensive. Part of Jason's campaign platform to build the park. Benefit concerts. Kids started up punk rock bands, used community halls, hired an architect, built a clay model, and changed state law on skatepark insurance. 7 - Medical marijuana law 1996, Prop 215. 74% of Arcata voters voted for it. How to implement? Patients took a note from the doctor to the police chief, who checked doctor out with medical association, gave the patient an ID card (420 police code for marijuana) so no police interference. 8 - Referendum 9 - Arcata owns a redwood forest - passed a sustainable management plan, impact taken into account. Guilt-free redwood fetches a higher price. 10 - Electric car co. Aim to make Arcata electric car capital. 11 - Town hall meetings on citizenship, participatory democracy. Seattle is giving money to neighbourhoods which submit grant plans for projects - Arcata will do the same, hopes to bring community together. 12 - Redefining organic - Arcata decided on a city definition of organic if organic was redefined to include GM foods. That redefining has so far been defeated. 13 - Chain food stores banned - "formula food stores" - same menu, ingredients, uniforms etc. the definition. 14 - £1 at local store, 60p stays in community, Tesco etc. 6 - 16% stays in the town, instead of 60%. This argument helped pass formula food ban. 15 - No female police officers before Jason elected - 1st officer elected after, a woman. 16 - Domestic violence free zone - resolution to highlight domestic violence. 17 - Gay, lesbian, bisexual rights - domestic partner register certificate in Arcata. Medical insurance and visitation rights helped by this cert also jail visitation. 18 - Investment policy - $6m dollars reserve fund for emergency. Usually given to state for investment - in arms, tobacco, etc. Arcata statewide coalition for responsible public investment, for socially responsible investment: (1) trying for a statewide socially responsible investment (2) local investment, city gets 5.6% on investments usually. Given to a local cohousing project at 6% so city makes 1/2% more and borrowers get it at 3% lower rate than from a bank. 19 - LETS system - local currency system called an Hour, Arcata group trying for a hybrid of the 2, LETS and local currency. Local monetary system to be started. 20 - Sundays every other Sunday art, plays, music on the plaza. 21 - Corporations' role. Wording for public referendum - "can we have a democracy when corporations hold so much power?" Public voted for examination of this by 60%, townhall meetings set up to discuss role of corporations. This could lead to laws against certain corporations operating within Arcata. Endorsed by Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky - Proposition F. Seattle has made businesses provide transport and creches for workers. Town meetings and getting voters involved lessens the risk of town council being sued by multinationals. Harder to sue a whole town. Websites ------------- www.arcata.com/green www.arcataeye.com On Measure F (citizen democracy): www.monitor.net/democracyunlimited/index.html