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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainability Commission - 03/10/2026Approved Meeting Minutes Eden Prairie Sustainability Commission 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026 City Center – Heritage Rooms 1&2 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES Commission Members: Aaron Poock (Chair), Cindy Hoffman (Vice Chair), Tim Conners, Michelle Frost, Daniel Hendrickson, Alexis Junker, Jim Nehl, Moussa Ousmane, Carolyn Wieland Student Commission Members: Lillian Beutz, Avni Maheshwari, Ava Muilenburg, Shailee Rana, Paili Rice, Atharva Sarmah, Jhansi Senthilkumar, Syon Shetty, Ipshita Tiwari, Colin Weiher City Staff: Jennifer Fierce - Sustainability Coordinator, Kristin Harley – Recording Secretary MEETING AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order Chair Poock called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Commission members Hoffman and Ousmane and student representatives Muilenburg, Beutz and Weiher were absent. II. Approval of Agenda and Other Items of Business MOTION: Wieland moved, seconded by Hendrickson, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. III. Minutes A. Sustainability Commission meeting held Tuesday, February 10, 2026 MOTION: Hendrickson moved, seconded by Junker, to approve the minutes of the Sustainability Commission Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Motion carried 7-0. IV. Reports A. Reports from Staff 1. GREEN STEP CITIES UPDATE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES March 10, 2026 Fierce displayed a PowerPoint showing highlights of the data and explained the program for the student representatives, which had a list of best practices for sustainability. Improvements have included changing lighting to LEDs, improved rooftop and heating and cooling units, and creating a dedicated sustainability fund for capital improvements. The fleet vehicle mileage over time ranged from 9.8 to 13.7 (gas) and 4.58 to 6.8 (diesel). Electric vehicles were not represented in this metric. More hybrids and overall improvements in fuel efficiency would eventually improve these numbers. Poock stated the impact of staff buying their own EVs would not be reflected in the report but had a significant and lasting impact. Eden Prairie was a leader among cities in its size in EV use. Publicly available EV charging ports grew from 10 in 2016 to 39 in 2026. Many multifamily buildings in Eden Prairie now offer public charging ports. Conners asked for and received confirmation that a law had changed to allow residents to sign up for solar gardens. These results would be submitted to the state, and Eden Prairie would retain its Step 5 status. 2. SUSTAINABILITY CITIZEN’S ACADEMY PLANNING Fierce displayed several foundational questions asking what problem was to be solved, what gaps in knowledge for stakeholders needed to be addressed, what the audience was, what audiences were underserved, what could be gained by participation, and what the desired outcomes were for the city and participants. Discussion followed on the questions Fierce displayed in the PowerPoint. Fierce stated that these questions did not have to be answered tonight. The commission members did not decide on final topics but decided to focus on residents, and have some sort of measurable outcome, such as a survey. Fierce displayed information on the City Government Academy and the Eden Prairie Police Department Citizen’s Academy. The cities of Eagan and Plymouth both offer similar sustainability programs. Junker suggested spreading out seasonally relevant topics. Frost suggested having a single-topic speaker series. Poock suggested reserving swag for those SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES March 10, 2026 who completed the series. Hendrickson replied most citizen’s academies had a set schedule for which residents applied. Wieland spoke against requiring a commitment of four to six weeks in favor of an open, drop-in series, especially for the first time. Conners replied competition attracted some people. Book Swap Results: There were 222 attendees, with 1,095 pounds of books donated, 643.5 pounds of books swapped, and 451.5 donated to the Salvation Army. B. Reports from Chair Poock stated he visited the Book Swap and commended the student representatives on their work. He added the 2026 Work Plan was successfully presented to the City Council in February. The Mayor and Council expressed their support and appreciation of the commission’s work. C. Reports from Commissioners Conners reminded the commission the Eco Expo was April 18. He urged the student representatives to recruit youth to staff tables. Five EVs would be there. Marketing and website volunteers were needed. D. Reports from Students Rice stated she had made the planning documents available to Fierce for next year. V. Upcoming Events A. Eco Expo – Saturday, April 18, Eden Prairie Center, 10 AM to 5 PM B. Edina Clothing Swap, Edina Senior Center, April 18, 10 AM to 3 PM (volunteers needed) C. Spring Recycling Drop Off – Saturday, April 18, Yard Waste Site, 8 AM to Noon VI. Next Meeting A. Tuesday, April 14, 2026 VII. Adjournment SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES March 10, 2026 MOTION: Junker moved, seconded by Hendrickson, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Chair Poock adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m.