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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 01/21/2025 - WorkshopAPPROVED MINUTES Eden Prairie City Council Workshop 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 City Center Heritage Rooms, Council Chambers 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES City Council Members: Mayor Ron Case, Council Members Kathy Nelson, Mark Freiberg, PG Narayanan, and Lisa Toomey City Staff: City Manager Rick Getschow, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Julie Klima, Parks and Recreation Director Amy Markle, Police Chief Matt Sackett, Fire Chief Scott Gerber, Administrative Services/HR Director Alecia Rose, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Maggie Neuville, and Recorder Sara Potter Guest Speakers: Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Fierce, Sustainability Commission Chair Aaron Poock, Community Services Manager Paja Xiong, Human Rights and Diversity Commission Chair Greg Leeper, Human Rights and Diversity Commission Members Babar Khan and Savannah Riese MEETING AGENDA Heritage Rooms I. Sustainability Commission Work Plan 5:30 to 6 p.m. Case welcomed members from the Sustainability and Human Rights and Diversity Commissions. Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Fierce introduced Sustainability Commission (SC) Chair Aaron Poock. Poock highlighted commission members and student members and their involvement. Poock next summarized the SC’s 2024 accomplishments including implementing the Climate Action Plan to promote emission reduction strategies. The Going Electric Showcase has expanded to electric lawn equipment and bikes. The Renewable Energy Challenge encourages residents to participate in community solar subscriptions or installing solar panels. The City received a solar on public buildings grant from the State for rooftop solar at Fire Station 1. Poock explained the City replaced the level two electric vehicle charging stations at City Center with two fast chargers and was awarded a bronze designation through the Charging Smart program. Case asked how the City is notifying potential users of the fast chargers. Fierce stated CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA January 21, 2025 Page 2 there are maps displaying the location and type of electric vehicle chargers in the area. The chargers have had steady use since their installation. Toomey asked how much a full charge costs using the fast charger. Fierce stated it costs $0.35 a kilowatt hour, roughly $15 for a full charge. If staff need to charge a City vehicle, the payment system can be bypassed. Poock summarized the SC’s 2025 goals including expanding exposure for the Climate Action Plan and the Electrify Everything Minnesota event. The SC will continue hosting the Going Electric Showcase, and potentially pair it with another City event to increase attendance. Additionally, the SC will research the requirements to upgrade the City’s Charging Smart designation to gold. The SC will research offering a commercial energy squad program for small businesses. The City was awarded a second solar on public buildings grant from the State for rooftop solar on the den road liquor store. Case asked if the solar energy savings will be shared with the building tenants. Fierce confirmed the City receives one electric bill for the building, the savings could be pass onto the tenants. Poock stated there are several recycling events planned for 2025 including the Drop Off Recycling Event, a Fix It Clinic, and free compost giveaways at Arbor Day. Student commissioners are planning a clothing swap for the school community. Freiberg asked for further information on the Fix It Clinic. Poock explained the Fix It Clinic is held in partnership with Hennepin County. Volunteers assist in fixing items such as vacuum cleaners, toasters, and lamps to divert waste. Case noted much progress at the state and municipal level for renewable energy. There may be a few setbacks in the coming years, but it is unlikely to slow down. The Council Members thanked the commission members for their assistance and expertise. II. Human Rights and Diversity Commission Work Plan 6 to 6:30 p.m. Community Services Manager Paja Xiong introduced Human Rights and Diversity Commission (HRDC) Chair Greg Leeper and HRDC Members Babar Khan and Savannah Riese. Khan summarized commission members and student members and their involvement. The HRDC is involved in many community engagement activities including an Iftar celebration, the Words in Action contest, Human Rights Awards, and PeopleFest. The HRDC also participates in events including Party for Pride, Pop-up Splash Pads, and the Citywide Open House. CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA January 21, 2025 Page 3 Khan explained the HRDC has hosted several groups for presentations including City staff presenting on disability and inclusion services, voter engagement and accessibility, Race Equity Initiatives, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion foundational language. There have also been presentations from the PROP Shop and an Assistant United States Attorney on The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act. Riese stated the HRDC began the year with an anonymous survey to help determine future initiatives. Based off survey results, the HRDC will focus on engaging with BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) youth and the LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transexual) community. Additional areas of focus include creating community conversations sessions around high interest topics and continuing involvement in legacy events including PeopleFest, Words in Action, the Human Rights Award, and Iftar. Toomey asked if the HRDC has noticed changes in interactions with the community. Leeper answered Peoplefest attendance has significantly increased. Additionally there has been an increase in applications to serve on HRDC, especially diverse applicants. Members of the BIPOC community now make up 51% of Eden Prairie Schools attendees from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Freiberg asked how many student commission members are serving on HRDC. Leeper confirmed there are eight student commission members. HRDC members work hard to challenge students. Student members engage in meetings and help plan events. Leeper noted the HRDC celebrates, educates, or builds community around diversity and inclusion. The HRDC has focused on reviewing legacy events to determine which events are strong and warrant more focus, and which events can be sunset to better direct efforts elsewhere. Case asked the HRDC for an update on Race Equity Implementation progress. Leeper noted the City has an online Race Equity Implementation dashboard that is kept up-to-date with progress on various initiatives. Case asked for a brief update on Race Equity Implementation at an upcoming Council Workshop. Case noted similar to sustainability, DEI initiatives may disappear at a federal level over the next few years. It is important this work is continued at state and municipal levels. Case expressed the Council’s support for the HRDC. Although the City cannot contribute financially to religious CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA January 21, 2025 Page 4 celebrations, the HRDC and the City can still partner with and highlight such events. Case noted his interest in growing the party for pride event. The Council thanked the HRDC Members for their time and efforts. Leeper noted the HRDC’s thanks for Xiong’s assistance. Council Chambers III. Open Podium IV. Adjournment