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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainability Commission - 04/12/2022APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022 7:00 P.M., Prairie Room 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Aaron Poock (Chair), Emily Eddy-Theis (Vice Chair), Laura Bishop, Tim Conners, Gretchen Enninga, Cindy Hoffman, Daniel Katzenberger, Jeff Nobleza, Carolyn Wieland CITY STAFF: Jennifer Hassebroek, Sustainability Coordinator, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary STUDENT MEMBERS: Abi Rajasekaran, Amoligha Timma, Anna Maristela, Augie Stukenborg, Julia Harris, Muthu Meenakshisundaram I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Poock called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Absent were Commissioners Nobleza and Katzenberger. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS MOTION: Bishop moved, seconded by Hoffman to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 8, 2022 MEETING MOTION: Eddy- Theis moved, seconded by Hoffman to approve the minutes of March 8, 2022 Sustainability Commission. 3-0 with four abstentions (Bishop, Conners, Enninga, and Wieland). IV. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. NEW COMMISSIONER WELCOME Poock welcomed the new commission members and the commission members introduced themselves. Sustainability Commission Minutes April 12, 2022 Page 2 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING STANDARD REVIEW Hassebroek displayed a PowerPoint and introduced a sustainable building standard concept to the commission members: a policy the City can adopt that has specific triggers of funding or land use and which establishes minimum sustainability criteria going beyond existing state code for new construction or significantly renovated developments. The City of Eden Prairie has a Climate Action Plan with a goal carbon neutrality by year 2050. Subgoals included having 5 percent of new construction be net zero by 2030, 80 percent by 2040, and 100 percent by 2050; 5 percent of the electricity load met by on-site solar by 2025, and 10 percent by 2030; and 30 percent of passenger vehicles being EV by 2030, 50 percent by 2040, and 100 percent by 2050. Implementing a sustainable building standard aligns with those goals. Staff is currently requesting these features on a voluntary basis in new developments and has had some success but in some developments more than others. The standard would set a level playing field and set a consistent metric for success. Other similar policies/standards had been around in some form for around 10 years in St. Paul and St. Louis Park. Duluth, Edina, Maplewood, Minneapolis, Northfield, and Rochester also have similar standards. The standard consisted of two components: the third-party green building standard, and city-selected universal requirements. Minnesota’s State Building and Energy Code, while strong, was not as strong as it could be, and so Eden Prairie is interested in adding these components on top of it. Hassebroek summarized the third-party rating system options. Conners asked if each rating system’s energy efficiency standards would be identical, and Hassebroek replied they were slightly different, but all had the same intention. Hassebroek displayed and listed the ratings system components, all of which centered around the commission’s focus areas of waste and energy. The universal requirements are city-specific, wherein the city and not a third party determined any additional metrics. They also centered around the commission’s waste and energy focus areas. She clarified the commission could always add/change additional requirements as needed. A major component of the suggested universal requirements is electric vehicle (EV) charging standards for all new construction, which includes EV capable, EV ready, and EV installed options. Sustainability Commission Minutes April 12, 2022 Page 3 Accessible EV parking stalls would be required. Multi-family units were a priority for EV charging infrastructure. Nursing homes and memory care facilities were excluded from multi-family EV standards as their occupants typically do not drive. Conners suggested basing the EV capability on the number of employees instead. Hassebroek replied the City Council could consider that but wanted to remain sensitive to costs for senior care facilities. Discussion followed on this proposed standard as opposed to those in other peer cities. She clarified the definitions of EV-ready and EV-capable for Conners. Discussion followed on EV charging at public parking stalls. Hassebroek summarized the universal requirement for energy efficiency standards in single-family and multi-family/commercial buildings. Other components of the suggested universal requirement were predicted greenhouse-gas emissions and a renewable energy standard. It would require developers to build to a solar-ready standard in the roof layout and material and in the provision of electrical conduit and space for a meter. Developments would have to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of supporting up to 5% of the building’s energy use with solar. If payback is 15 years or less, they would be required to install solar at construction. Projects that request a financial incentive such as a request for Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a Met Council LCA Grant, Hennepin County Grants, or Conduit Bonds would trigger the sustainable building standard. The other proposed trigger are projects that ask for a land use incentive such as PUD zoning. The land use incentive has not yet been tested yet in MN. The City Council is aware of this but is still interested in exploring its use. Edina had adopted a similar policy which went into effect April 1, 2022, and that will be the first test of the land use incentive trigger. The Sustainable Building Standard would apply to both new construction and building additions over 10,000 square feet. Hassebroek added renovations were discussed, and there were a number of concerns around implementation. Staff was not looking at renovations being included in standard at this time. Hassebroek asked for a recommendation from the Sustainability Commission, which would be included when the framework was presented at the City Council workshop in May. The City Council will provide feedback and staff will refine the standard for potential formal adoption later this summer, with possibly an implementation date of January 1, 2023. Discussion followed on the standard with commission members viewing and asking questions on several of the previous slides. Hassebroek emphasized the universal requirement could change after City Council review; this was the first version. Sustainability Commission Minutes April 12, 2022 Page 4 MOTION: Hoffman moved, seconded by Wieland to recommend the Sustainability Building Standards as presented. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. 2. REACT EDEN PRAIRIE OVERVIEW AND PROGRAM LAUNCH INFORMATION Hassebroek summarized the program for the new commission members and stated this would be launched next week. Based on social norms and public recognition, it was closely modeled after but different from GreenStep Cities. She displayed the website and explained how one could pull up an address and get detail about potential solar and emissions savings, as well as time of use, native planting, recycling and organics information, and the rooftop solar potential. Those who participated would receive a certificate and a window cling. The map focused on items most impactful to Eden Prairie’s climate goals. The survey would allow the City to track climate actions. Wieland suggested the option to opt-out of a paper certificate, and Hassebroek agreed to add this. Hoffman suggested placing the action link closer to the top of the text. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR Poock welcomed the new commission members. Poock thanked Hoffman and Katzenberger for helping with Eco Expo booth. Hoffman asked the commission members to consider for the future whether the Spring Expo at Grace Church was the best use of the commission’s time. She stated she was glad she had attended the Eco Expo and had the conversations she did. C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. WATER UPDATE 2. WASTE UPDATE 3. LANDSCAPE/POLLINATOR UPDATE 4. ENERGY UPDATE Sustainability Commission Minutes April 12, 2022 Page 5 D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS Stukenborg and Meenakshisundaram presented their reports Stukenborg and Maristela had presented a solar webinar that reached over 90 students and residents. Meenakshisundaram and Rajasekaran were working on a presentation on educating students, particularly elementary-age students, on their effects on the environment by helping them draw upon experiences in their own lives. A slide show was prepared, and a virtual presentation was scheduled for next Monday at a local elementary school. V. OTHER BUSINESS Hassebroek brought up Arbor Day, which was April 30, 2022 and asked which students could attend and to let her know what materials they would need. Hassebroek would be there. The Metro-Wide Commission meeting was also being held that day; commission members could attend that or show up at Arbor Day. The commission was also signed up for Park Clean Up Day on April 23, 2022. VI. UPCOMING EVENTS • Spring Recycling Drop Off Day: April 16, 2022 – 8 AM to Noon, Yard Waste Site • Park Clean Up Day: April 23, 2022 – 8 AM, Riley Lake Park • Arbor Day and Green Fair: April 30, 2022 – 9 AM to Noon, Round Lake Park • Environmental Commissions Conference: April 30, 2022 – 10 AM to 1:30 PM, Ridgedale Library and Online • Board and Commission Banquet: May 12, 2022 – Garden Room, Eden Prairie City Center VII. NEXT MEETING The next Sustainability Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Heritage Rooms 1&2. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bishop is moved, seconded by Hoffman to adjourn the meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 p.m.