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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConservation Commission - 03/14/2017 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2017 5:30 PM—CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A&B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Lori Tritz (Chair), Amanda Anderson (Vice Chair), Gena Gerard, Michael Bennett, Ashley Young CITY STAFF: Senior Planner Beth Novak-Krebs, Planning Division, Leslie Stovring, Engineering, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary STUDENT MEMBERS: Hayden Bunn, Emilie Cleveland, Zoe Pettit, Annika Quam I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Tritz called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Absent were commission member Anderson and staff Novak-Krebs. Ana Heck, University of Minnesota Bee Squad, and Becky Copper, resident,joined the meeting. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS MOTION: Bennet moved, seconded by Gerard to approve amended agenda with the removal of the discussion of the recently adopted design guidelines, and the additions of the status of Fire Station#2 and an update on the City's website. Motion carried 4-0. III. MINUTES A. COMMISSION MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 14, 2017 MOTION: Gerard moved, seconded by Bennett to approve the minutes. Motion carried 4-0. IV. PRESENTATION A. PRESENTATION BY THE BEE SQUAD Ana Heck, MPP, gave a presentation on the services offered by the Bee and Pollinator Research Lab when opened in October, 2016 at the University of Minnesota. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 2 There are over 3,000 different species of bees in the United States, of which most species are solitary. Bumblebees and honey bees are social insects. The University of Minnesota recently hired Dan Cariveau to research human effects on bees but there is no real data on how pesticides affect bees other than honey bees. 80 percent of bees are ground nesting, and 20 percent nest in cavities. Recommendations for creating welcoming habitats for native bees include retaining or creating patches or piles of bare soil, planting native bunch grasses and flowers, and clearing away some plants from well drained slopes. Bee tunnels can be mistaken for ant hills. Bumble bees thrive in undisturbed land, brush, grass, and in created habitats such as boxes with nesting material, and some can be raised. Interested citizens can submit a sighting of bumblebees to bumblebeewatch.org, which is tracking their decline. Minnesota bumblebee survey has a Facebook page. Humans rely on animal pollinator for 35 percent of our food supply. In the United States,honeybees are managed, and there are no exposed combs in Minnesota as one may find in more equatorial regions. They are cavity nesters, bred in boxes, and are hoarders (i.e., produce a surplus of honey). Honey is produced in every state, and leading producing states are California, Florida, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The almond crop in California is completely reliant on honeybees for pollination. If a resident encounters a bumblebee nest on a property a decision should be made as to whether the resident can live with them. These bees change locations each year and are nonaggressive, so leaving a swarm where it is remains the best option. However, the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association (Mnbeekeepers.com) is glad to perform free and safe swarm removal. The University will also try to remove them,but bumblebees in particular don't do well after being moved, and are best left alone. Minnesota has lost 50 percent of its honeybees due to multiple factors: mostly the Varroa parasite, which is a mite, like a tick, that can only live on honeybees, and due to viruses, pathogens, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and an increasingly "flowerless" landscape (e.g., the prevalence of lawns). Bees of all kinds ingest nectar (a carbohydrate used to produce honey and wax) and pollen (a protein source). Both are needed for good nutrition. Two million flowers will make one pound of honey, and honeybees need 75-100 pounds to survive a winter. Honeybees will fly 3-5 miles to forage, whereas most native bees will forage in only about one mile radius. Gerard asked if pesticides also ended up in the honey, and Heck replied it possibly could,but not as easily, as honey cannot hold pesticides as readily as pollen does. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 3 Heck reported cities could support bee populations through apiary projects, pollinator resolutions, and beekeeping ordinances. Resources include the Pollinator Discovery Center at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (Beelab.umn.edu) which offered information on plantings for Minnesota bees, and the Guide to Minnesota Bumblebees. Gerard asked why it was important to track bumblebees, which are native, and Heck replied more historical data on them was needed, as their population was declining as well, and bumbles were also social, managed pollinators like honeybees. They were also quite easy to identify, making them conducive to crowdsourced, citizen reporting. Europe also has native bumblebees. However, bumblebees don't make extra honey, as honeybees do. Heck explained bee wax is used to build hive, and while the real reason for the hexagonal shape was unknown, the hexagon is an efficient use of space. Only honeybees build them;bumblebees build pots. Gerard asked if honey was an anti-inflammatory, as has been claimed, and Heck replied honey does have antibacterial properties. Tritz asked the commission members to remember for the Expo the key messages: people automatically think of protecting honeybees,but Minnesota has over 400 species of native bees that need protecting as well, and they live underground, or in stems, and pesticides,held by pollen, adversely affected both native and non- native bees. V. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. STATUS OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE Stovring announced a workshop scheduled for the City Council on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. where they will be discussing the Comprehensive Guide Plan Update. A joint meeting with the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission will be held on Monday, May 1, 2017, 7 p.m. Arbor Day was scheduled for Saturday, May 6, 2017. Reusable drinking water bottles have been ordered to hand out at the event. 2. SUSTAINABLE EDEN PRAIRIE AWARDS Stovring handed out a sample of the postcard that Communications developed to call for nominations. The announcement is also on the website, which offered a form to download. Nominations must include at least one photo. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 4 Stovring displayed the Living Green website, and discussion followed on suggestions for an alternate name for the Landscape page. Tritz stated "pollinators" is the keystone issue, and recommended that as a top level label, with "native plant landscape" as a subtitle. Stovring offered to discuss this with Novak-Krebs upon her return. Gerard suggested having both labels ("landscape" and "pollinators") as separate and linked pages. Tritz stated that she saw"pollinators" as the umbrella topic, that the two terms are not mutually exclusive. Stovring stated for Saturday's Expo event she has updated the related links page,but a page like Tritz's submitted draft has not been completed at this time. A pollinator page will need to be developed going forward. 3. SELF-GUIDED TOURS Stovring stated the route remained as it had been discussed at the February 14 meeting, with the Community Center, Dunn Brothers, the Senior Center, and Eco Village (Eden Gardens) as suggested sites. The plan was to solidify a route in time to provide a handout at the Green Fair. Bennett asked what system would be in place to identify participants, such as a stamp on a piece of paper, etc. Stovring replied she would be discussing that idea with Novak-Krebs, Matt Bourne, and Jeff Cordes. 4. FIRE STATION#2 Stovring announced there will be a few modifications to the design. There will be a series of smaller roofing cisterns, perhaps three, instead of one large cistern facing the trail. A total of 2,500 gallons would be held by these cisterns, and, a trellis and a planter box may be incorporated into the design. Because it is a utility installation it must be screened per City code, but can be screened with plantings. There will also be a larger cistern in back of the fire station behind a brick wall. There will still be an educational area out front with plantings along the trail, a rest stop with a bench, and a bike rack. Gerard asked how was this site was selected as a demonstration site. Stovring replied the City had looked at three fire stations (Round Lake, Dell Road, and this one) for a unique aspect on the use of water, to highlight conservation. The new design will also add a larger pump to put out sufficient water(1,000 gallons/minute) to fill a tanker truck quicker than gravity fed, and will also make the cisterns available to the street sweeper to fill up with water to maintain a minimum usage of water. A discharge point would be located above the base water level for the Fire Station's use. The City must capture and use a certain amount of water to qualify for grant. Stovring pointed out on an aerial photo the proposed trails and where the screening shrubs and tall grasses would be planted. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 5 The redesign would be completed this summer. 5. DISCUSS FINAL PLANNING FOR HOME AND GARDEN EXPO/WEBSITE UPDATE Stovring displayed the revised flyers ("Pollinators," "Bee Homes," "Pollinator Friendly Cleanup," "Avoid Pesticides") online and described her final revisions: removing the logo, enlarging the font, shortening links, the revised list of sources. She also displayed coloring buttons for the children. Discussion followed on the plan to enlarge and laminate the "Avoid Pesticides" flyer to use it as a standalone on an easel. Stovring said she would work with Novak-Krebs to make sure everything is set. Bennet asked for the location of the commission's table, and Stovring displayed a map of the booth breakdown. Stovring also displayed the Living Green survey, aimed toward identifying future education opportunities or focus areas, which would be offered at the City's booth. She had written it so that each question has an answer/resource as a prompt. Tritz stated the commission's survey is completed. Stovring announced on April 15, 2017 the Community Center will host a native plant gardening 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Outdoor Center, and she is in the process of booking a Master Gardener. 6. THE ARBOR DAY GREEN FAIR EVENT [Commission member Gerard left at 8:30 p.m.] Tritz displayed items from the Green Steps seminar she had attended, and said the key points were water conservation and reduction, which also must be in every city's water work plan. The largest use of water is lawn irrigation, which d is evidenced by the drop in use of water during the winter. Irrigation systems are the biggest driver of that, and Kentucky bluegrass is Minnesota's most irrigated "crop." For example, Tritz recalled that Blaine ran out of water recently, and had to buy it from neighboring communities. Discussion followed on impaired waters in the City, and Staring Lake is impaired. Tritz stated that water use reduction and fertilizer reduction were key messages of the commission this year at the Green Fair. Discussion followed on the availability of the storm drain map for Eden Prairie. Stovring replied the entire city map image would be too dense for an 8.5 x 11-inch display,but she could print out the lake and immediate area to display for the public since we will be on Staring Lake. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 6 Tritz asked if there were stenciling equipment for storm drains, and Stovring replied she has new peel-and-stick decals, which were sturdy, easy to use, and did not require paint or glue, which congealed with age. Stovring displayed a chart that tracks Eden Prairie well pumpage (gallons per 1,000) throughout the year. Tritz stated this or other creative use of data would be a great prop for Arbor Day, and Stovring agreed to email it to her. Stovring displayed the Storm Drain Marking Program flyer with new the "no dumping - drains to waterway" decal. It was a generic message, not a focused "drains to Staring Lake" etc., message that Tritz had envisioned, and Tritz urged the commission to push for a more specific set of messages. Becky Copper stated she saw a presentation that incorporated art in stenciling, with the message "drains to Mississippi," etc. Stovring replied she had also seen these custom-made stencils, which required the program participants to identify watershed boundaries. The City of Eden Prairie used to have stencils with spray paint,but the spray was difficult to handle. Copper stated the custom decals were not sprayed,but a large decal affixed to the drain. Young stated it would be nice to have the peel-and-stick storm drain marking kits at Arbor Day, and Stovring agree to provide some. Tritz observed there was an Adopt a Storm Drain program in St. Paul which the commission should consider as a model. She offered to follow up on this. Quam suggested a comparison of water consumption between Kentucky bluegrass versus native plants. Tritz displayed a package of low-mow fescue seeds and said she was not able to locate a turf sample. Stovring replied Eden Gardens bought fescue turf which was 80 percent native fescue, and offered to contact them or perhaps Nine Mile Creek Watershed District to get the name of the supplier. Nine Mile Creek has a fescue lawn also. Tritz suggested including the Rain Bird Irrigation system rebates information, and Stovring displayed a list of vendors. Tritz noted the Minnetonka native plant sale was canceled for this year. Stovring offered to call some of those vendors. Bennett stated he had seen little spruce trees given away as prizes. Stovring replied Jeff Cordes presently does so. Bennett also suggested providing low cost saplings as an opportunity to bring in the trees that the commission is trying to encourage in the community. Young asked if Optum or United Health Group or similar health companies or groups had a program such as "don't flush your prescriptions," and Bennett replied the Police Department provided bags. Young suggested Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 7 actually having a vendor present such a program, if one existed, at the Arbor Day event. Tritz asked for and Stovring agreed to provide historical aerial photographs of Staring Lake before it was mitigated. Bennett asked if the growth was due to algae bloom, or to dissolved oxygen and contaminants. Stovring replied it was due to nutrients from runoff fertilizer, and mercury. Tritz stated this again brought up the issue of fertilizer use, and Bennett added grass clippings entering storm drains were also a problem. Stovring added the Minnesota Recycling Association was having another recycling/rain barrel sale, and offered to try and get one for a grand prize drawing. Stovring suggested recruiting Girl or Boy Scout troops and/or Explorer groups to present their projects. Young noted her group was first graders and this may not be the venue for them. Stovring displayed two samples of"Pollinator Friendly Garden" yard signs. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR 1. Pollinator Workshop Tritz announced she and Stovring had attended a pollinator workshop at which the messages were similar to what the commission was trying to convey. 2. Conservation Minnesota/Neill Lake Conservation Minnesota is working in Eden Prairie and has held three meetings so far. It is very small,but comprised of citizens trying to take action. The last meeting was about organics recycling. Tritz was not able to attend any of the meetings so far. Also, citizens who live on impaired Neill Lake were taking action to improve the lake, including discussing floating islands that filter water. Tritz welcomed the opportunity to engage with these groups. 3. New Member Orientation Tritz also announced the new commission members come on board next month (April), and wanted to welcome them and have the existing commission members prepared to talk about their special areas of interest. The idea of preparing a set of standard questions for everyone to answer at the meeting was discussed. Young suggested having an ice breaker at the first meeting, and also inviting them to stop by the commission's booth at the Expo. Stovring agreed to work with Novak-Krebs on both ideas. Bennett added he attended the Expo last year and stopped by the Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 8 commission's booth to introduce himself as a new member, and suggested they also be told about Arbor Day. Stovring agreed to discuss with Novak- Krebs the idea of sending the new commission members the upcoming schedule and events, including the upcoming May 2 meeting. Bennett suggested starting the June meeting early with food, and Stovring agreed to work with Novak-Krebs to arrange this. C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. Announcement Bennett announced student representative Bunn was running for school board. 2. Partners in Enemy Bennett had attended the Partners in Energy program, which was collaboration with Excel Energy. Members of the community sit on a committee with Excel to assess the community's energy use. Its focus is on electrical use, although natural gas was a focus in the past. The committee looks at residential and commercial use data from 2014-2016. 23 percent of the electrical use in Eden Prairie is residential, and the rest is commercial or institutional. The committee includes Novak-Krebs, Tritz, Bennett, and Anderson from the commission, Greg Leeper, two businesses, and the Mall of America. This is in the formative stage, and its goal is to begin implementation after six months toward a two-year plan. The next meeting will be held in April, and the committee will formulate a vision statement. D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS VI. OTHER BUSINESS VII. UPCOMING EVENTS Home and Garden Expo, Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Grace Church Native Plant Workshop — Outdoor Center—April 15, 2017 City Council Workshop —May 2, 2017 Arbor Day Green Fair, Saturday, May 6, 2017 at Staring Lake Park VIII. NEXT MEETING The next Conservation Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, April 11, 2017 in Prairie Rooms A & B. Conservation Commission Minutes March 14, 2017 Page 9 IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bennett moved, seconded by Young to adjourn. Motion carried 4-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m.