Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainability Commission - 05/10/2022APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, MAY 10, 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 Hoffman. Maristela, Stukenborg, Harris, Meenakshisundaram II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS MOTION: Katzenberger moved, seconded by Bishop to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 8, 2022 MEETING MOTION: Bishop moved, seconded by Enninga to approve the minutes of March 8, 2022 Sustainability Commission. 6-0 with one abstention (Katzenberger). IV. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN DATA UPDATE Hassebroek displayed a PowerPoint and explained how the data related to the City’s climate goals. Emissions in Eden Prairie were down 19 percent in 2020, which was the year the data was available. However, this was 36 Sustainability Commission Minutes May 10, 2022 Page 2 percent lower than when the City began tracking in 2007. Though the pandemic affected emissions this was a significant change. Xcel increased its provision of carbon-free electricity faster than projected, and this was a permanent change. She displayed a chart that showed the difference in emissions between no action taken and the actions taken by the City so far. Discussion followed on the difference between residential and commercial/industrial emissions. Hassebroek displayed a chart that showed the origins of the emissions in 2020 broken down by waste, vehicle travel, residential natural gas, residential electricity, commercial/industrial natural gas, and commercial/industrial electricity. Xcel was 62 percent carbon-free in 2020. Coal plants were becoming more costly to operate and were now operated seasonally. Xcel was ahead of schedule in emissions decrease. Estimated travel emissions were reduced more than normal. Changes in work patterns due to the pandemic were responsible for this. Poock asked if Southwestern buses were projected to be electric, and Hassebroek replied she knew they were investigating this. Katzenberger asked if the Climate Action Plan included the light rail, and Hassebroek replied yes. Waste was also down 10 percent from 2019 and 40 percent from 2007. Overall, this represented a small piece of the emissions puzzle. Discussion followed on pathways that would best engage residents. Katzenberger suggested the drill that was currently replacing natural gas pipelines could be used to install early-adopter geothermal. Conners suggested the City hold EV rides and drive events, and HVAC seminars. Katzenberger replied the City has had solar vendors present to residents before. Discussion followed on heat pumps. Bishop stated she had lived in a home with geothermal energy and found this difficult to repair. Katzenberg replied this was a gap that could be profitable in the future should young people start a career in alternative installation and repair. Hassebroek stated she was working on a building electrification cohort and would have news in the future. The question was how to start to move the market toward ground and air source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. There were few contractors on hand that have a lot of experience in this area. Bishop suggested window replacement incentives, rebates, etc. Hassebroek replied there was a budget for water heater heat pump rebates. Katzenberger stated Dandelion Energy was a vendor from the Northeastern United States that had developed a specialized well digger. Conners asked if there were geothermal restrictions in Eden Prairie as there were in other cities, and Hassebroek replied she was not aware of Sustainability Commission Minutes May 10, 2022 Page 3 any. Katzenberger suggested setting standards for this to protect wetlands and the water supply. This had been discussed years ago with the Planning Commission. Hassebroek replied this might be a discussion with the Watershed. Discussion followed on the depth of the aquifer. Poock noted residential electric use was now half of that in 2007. Hassebroek replied appliances had different standards today, and also Eden Prairie resident were using less water than in the past despite population growth. Enninga asked if there were metrics to track emissions reductions, and Hassebroek replied utility companies provided data which meant there was a delay, so staff would not be able to track it instantaneously but could develop reasonable expectations with regard to new projects. There were also privacy issues with utility data. Katzenberger asked that the Climate Action Plan be revisited annual, and Hassebroek agreed. 2. EV RIDE AND DRIVE EVENT PLANNING 32.45 Hassebroek displayed a PowerPoint and asked for feedback on the bullet points she had pulled from Metro Guide Minnesota and asked for the commission members’ vision of the event. She envisioned a site with a large outdoor area where vehicles could be displayed, and for a speaker and food. She asked the commission members to consider locations with charging stations available and advised that midweek events typically worked better than weekends. She also asked the commission members to identify the type of EV (all-electric PHE, specific range, etc.) they wished to highlight. A route needed to be chosen that would allow different driving conditions (highway and city street) for a five-minute drive time (actually a 15-minute turnaround). There would be display vehicles and test drive vehicles. This was also an opportunity for EV owners in the community to participate. She suggested partnering with dealerships to deal with insurance needs. Discussion followed on possible dealers. Hassebroek agreed the commission could give preference to Eden Prairie dealerships. Wieland asked if electric bikes would be included, and Hassebroek replied it was possible. Nobleza urged the commission to pitch those as well. Discussion followed on the commission holding its own event instead of attaching to an existing event. Hassebroek stated she felt confident the commission could hold its own event. The EV Mustang would also be available at the event. There would be a bank of charging stations out from of City Hall soon, and perhaps more fleet vehicles by the time of the event too. Katzenberg suggested an EV vehicle/electric bike parade, and a Minnesota EV Day involving the governor. Sustainability Commission Minutes May 10, 2022 Page 4 Discussion followed on the state grant application for an electric bus in Eden Prairie. Hassebroek replied Southwest Transit was prepared to move ahead with electric vehicles in 2021 but there had been a delay. 3. RECYCLING EDUCATION PLANNING/FIT IT CLINIC HOST SITE Hassebroek displayed a PowerPoint slide and summarized the 2022 Work Plan Items. The Fix It Clinic was a definite possibility, and Hennepin County wanted a date in December. December 10 was available. Other work items were education around recycling/organics and the proper disposal for construction waste. The commission members needed to evaluate opportunities for online education or in-person events. Discussion followed on existing educational materials. Nobleza stated there should be a part for the student representatives. Discussion followed on the disposal problems of specific items that were difficult to sustainably dispose of (carpet, etc.). Wieland suggested a zero-waste shopping event. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. WATER UPDATE 2. WASTE UPDATE 3. LANDSCAPE/POLLINATOR UPDATE 4. ENERGY UPDATE Katzenberger announced there were 30-40 attendees at the Environmental Commissions Conference on April 30, 2022. D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS Poock thanked the student representatives for attending. Timma gave a brief overview of her and Rajasekaran’s project on waste. They had initiated a water goal with the Tree Huggers club at school, which would be implemented next year. V. OTHER BUSINESS Sustainability Commission Minutes May 10, 2022 Page 5 Katzenberger asked for an update on the community solar project. Hassebroek replied the program was 60 percent subscribed. The specific transformer Xcel requested was not available due to supply chain issues. Construction would be the least time-consuming aspect of this project. Staff had asked for a “carve-out” of 25 percent of low-income, renters, or new immigrant participants but the threshold had not been met. She had hoped that construction would begin last autumn but it had not started yet. Katzenberger asked if the commission could help with the carve-out, and Hassebroek replied she thought it would be a different conversation if she, rather than developer staff, approached residents. She noted it was also a long process to educate residents and get them signed up. Conners suggested the City could be a bridge to building trust, and Hassebroek agreed. VI. UPCOMING EVENTS • 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, Jun 14, 2022, in the Heritage Rooms 1&2. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Nobleza is moved, seconded by Bishop to adjourn the meeting. MOTION CARRIED 8-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.