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Absent: Keith Austin, Mark Brown, Ken Bodie, Mark Cawood, Neal Denton, Phyllis Fansler, Terry Faulkner, Kim Hansard, Jan Hutchison, Susan Long, Page Pratt-Greene, Jenny Raines, Goldie Simpkins, Lori Tucker and Garrett Wagley

Staff: Tom Salter & Cortney Piper

Guests: Captain Gordon Catlett, KPD, Chief Deputy Bill Christol, KCSD and Allison Teeters with Keep Sevier Beautiful.

Overview
The board of directors has held a planning retreat in January for a number of years. The retreat was held at the KUB conference room at their facility on Middlebrook Pike. A committee of the board of directors determined we would not use a facilitator, the retreat would be a half day starting with lunch and that we should discuss litter ordinances and enforcement as well as get an overview of the graffiti situation. Everyone attending the retreat received a copy of the book "The Tipping Point, How Little Things Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell.

Litter and Crime - Presentation and Discussion
Tom presented background information on litter & crime. Enforcement includes not only ordinances, but also citations, actions by the DA and judges. The Broken Windows theory was reviewed. A very brief summary of Dr. Felton Earls' study in Chicago on "Effective Efficacy" was presented. Information about Douglas D. Perkins' studies were presented. Dr. Perkins is based in Vanderbilt. The KAB national initiative to obtain Federal discretionary spending to fund a landmark litter and crime study was presented.

Data was provided on the number and types of I Spy on Litter reports and the number of litter cases in Knoxville City Court and Knox County Courts.

Allison Teeters, Executive Director of Keep Sevier Beautiful and former employee of Keep Knoxville Beautiful discussed a recent litter law enforcement "summit" held in Sevier County. Their summit covered ordinance improvements, comments by a judge, a report on a covered load awareness program and a junk car removal program. Tom ended this section by suggesting things KKB could do with additional resources and with present levels of resources.

There was a discussion of these issues including comments by representatives of Knoxville Police Department and Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Comments by the group:

1. Crime
2. Lack of concern (care)
3. Permissive
4. What is the cost?
5. Citizens think it (cleanup) provides prisoners with something to do
6. Have costs in ad for GAC™
7. Do we want officer writing tickets? (for littering)
8. Pressure being applied to enforce more major crimes rather than lesser crimes
9. Use same logic for littering as do for DUI on New Years (unacceptable now to drive drunk)
10. Use organized groups to clean up and plant trees
11. Positive programs - Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN

Is Keep Knoxville Beautiful a…….?
There was a discussion about what kind of organization is Keep Knoxville Beautiful? The purpose of the discussion is to shape how we talk about ourselves to others. The board was split into three groups. Here are the questions and comments:

Is Keep Knoxville Beautiful an environmental group?

1. How disposal of solid waste impacts
2. Air and water
3. Streams
4. Leakage of oil, HHW
5. Burning trash - impact on air
6. Help recycling, Earthfest, creek cleanups, DTD on K-TOWN, planting trees, planting ground cover (after junk cars are removed.
7. Scout cleanups
8. Target whole families, sponsor trash containers at events like baseball games

Is Keep Knoxville Beautiful a neighborhood improvement group?

1. Total quality of life
2. Resources for neighborhoods
3. Especially for cleanups - GAC™
4. Christmas Tree Cycling
5. Big Education Role - the Talking Tree, Youth Advisory Board, have presence at Safety City Big Event
6. Litter bags in cars
7. Tax exempt partner

Is Keep Knoxville Beautiful an economic development or tourism promotion group?

1. Visitors want attractive areas
2. They promote our clean area to others
3. TN Trash ads were good, Trashbuster ads too.
4. Pollution damages buildings
5. Keep our waterways clean
6. More business & industry
7. Have a meeting with economic development people
8. Radio ads linked to tourism
9. Kids hear
10. Stick with the mayors in the ads
11. Quality of life

Graffiti Hurts…Everyone
Tom showed a PowerPoint from the Keep America Beautiful national office on their Graffiti Hurts program. A new Graffiti Hurts brochure was also distributed.

Empowering Board to Succeed in Fundraising
This was a brief summary of a seminar attended by Page Pratt-Greene, Tom Salter and Cortney Piper in November. The original presenter and owner of these ideas is Barbara Talisman, President of Talisman Associates. It was presented as the latest thinking on boards and fundraising. Some of the concepts:

Comments

1. You give your top two gifts to church and United Way and the third largest to the organizations you serve as a board member.
2. Board members have direct responsibilities for fundraising
3. Boards should look first at donors as prospects for new board members
4. Individual board member performance should be evaluated
5. 100% of board members should contribute - those of higher means give more, those of lesser means give less, but everyone gives
6. Board members should give first before any "outside" donors are asked
7. Make fundraising a part of every board meeting
8. Eliminate any development or fundraising committees
9. Chairperson sets the tone for giving
10. Board members attend events and bring friends
11. Board members provide names of potential donors and helps cultivate them

There was a discussion of why we should give CASH to Keep Knoxville Beautiful:

Comments

1. Education for schools and youth
2. Educate the general public
3. Physical effort - cleanup material
4. Quality of life
5. Stops pollution
6. Aid economic development
7. Increase tourism
8. More volunteer hours
9. Match for other grants

__________________________________________________________

Harold Byrd, Secretary Date