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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainability Commission - 10/08/2024APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2024 7:00 P.M., Heritage Rooms 1&2 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Aaron Poock (Chair), Laura Bishop, Tim Conners, Gretchen Enninga, Cindy Hoffman, Moussa Ousmane, Carolyn Wieland, Michelle Frost, Jim Nehl STUDENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Akhil Agrawal, Raghava Dwivedi, Evie Elmquist, Gabriel Hernandez, Lucinda Jacobs, Simone Kirkeby, Ishika Nanavati CITY STAFF: Jennifer Fierce, Sustainability Coordinator, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Poock called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Commissioners Wieland and Enninga were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS MOTION: Bishop moved, seconded by Nehl to approve the agenda. MOTION CARRIED 6-0. Poock asked the commission members and the new student representatives to introduce themselves. [Frost arrived at 7:06 p.m.] III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JULY 9, 2022 MEETING MOTION: Nehl moved, seconded by Frost to approve the minutes from the July 9, 2024 meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM AUGUST 5, 2024 MEETING MOTION: Nehl moved, seconded by Frost to approve the minutes from the August 5, 2024 meeting. MOTION CARRIED 6-0 with one abstention (Bishop). IV. REPORTS Sustainability Commission Minutes October 8, 2024 Page 2 A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. SUSTAINABLE EDEN PRAIRIE AWARDS SELECTIONS Fierce explained the Sustainable Eden Prairie Awards, nomination process and selection for the student representatives. She displayed a PowerPoint with photographs and summarized the nominations: Sunil Bhujile - landscape Natalie Sell – landscape, water ,waste, energy The Ellie apartment building (new construction) – landscape, water waste, energy RedLadder - waste Storm Trees – waste Eden Prairie Schools – water, waste, energy Discussion followed on the nominees. The winners were: The Ellie – water Natalie Sell - landscape Eden Prairie Schools – energy Storm Trees – waste Fierce stated the discussion on renaming categories could be revisited the following year (2025). She invited the student representatives to attend the award ceremony at the November City Council meeting. SOLAR ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS GRANT UPDATE Fierce explained the city received a State of Minnesota grant program to install solar on Fire Station #1. An RFP process was used, and 14 proposals were received. The winning proposal from True North Solar was $103,478.48. The State of Minnesota grant is $51,739.24, and the City was also eligible for a Federal direct pay credit was $31,043.54. The out of pocked cost to the City of Eden Prairie was $20,695.70. A 40 KW AC solar system will be installed, which has a payback of 3.7 years and approximately $101,000.00 in lifetime electrical savings. Fierce stated the final application was being reviewed. Fierce expected construction to start in early spring of 2025. The commission members applauded Fierce’s work on this. Sustainability Commission Minutes October 8, 2024 Page 3 ELECTRIFY EVERYTHING MN WEBINAR RECAP Fierce stated 48 people registered, and 26 attended the webinar. There were primarily technical and cost questions, and there was a fair amount of interest in taking next steps. Fierce added there would be future webinars after the state rebate program is launched. RENEWABLE ENERGY CHALLENGE UPDATE Fierce stated the challenge ended last Friday, and entries were lower than anticipated, despite being advertised in Life in the Prairie, on social media, via SEP emails, and two in-person events. There were 59 participants. STUDENT PROJECT DISCUSSION Fierce displayed a PowerPoint slide of options and explained the student project to the new student representatives. Hernandez suggested a clothing swap with his club Threads for Change. Nanavati mentioned the botany club and asked for ideas to take back to it. The student representatives expressed enthusiasm for a clothing swap. Conners suggested the student representatives also assist at the annual Eco Expo. He offered to get the date for the upcoming event. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR Poock summarized the Going Electric Showcase at Staring Lake in August. It had not been as well attended as the previous years but was still well attended, with residents sharing information with other residents. Electrify Everything Minnesota was also there. C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION Conners described the program “Making trash bloom with pollinators.” He asked for volunteers and offered to bring information for the commission members. He would also work with Fierce to have RedLadder present at the commission in the future. He commended Nehl for talking to local businesses about putting solar panels on their buildings. Nehl stated this was part of his effort to take the opportunity to utilize the space on these buildings. Discussion followed on other methods of solar promotion, such as a video or a kiosk. Sustainability Commission Minutes October 8, 2024 Page 4 Frost asked when Fierce’s Wild Ones presentation would be held. Fierce stated it would be held November 13. Agrawal offered to bring up the solar program in his meeting with business owners he was attending for a class. V. OTHER BUSINESS VI. UPCOMING EVENTS VII. NEXT MEETING The next Sustainability Commission meeting will be held Monday, November 12, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. due to the SEP Awards, room TBD. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bishop moved, seconded by Frost to adjourn the meeting. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.