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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConservation Commission - 04/10/2018 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY,APRIL 10, 2018 7:00 PM—CITY CENTER Prairie Room, 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Lori Tritz (Chair), Cindy Hoffman, Anna Anderson, Michael Bennett, , Daniel Katzenberger, Kate Lohnes, Nate Pischke, Ashley Young, Lena Zakharova CITY STAFF: Senior Planner Beth Novak-Krebs, Planning Division, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary STUDENT MEMBERS: Abhishek Aravalli, Elizabeth Arnold, Hayden Bunn, Sophia Truempi I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Tritz called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Absent were commission members Gerard and Pischke, and student members Aravalli, Arnold, and Truempi. Bunn arrived at 7:07 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Katzenberger moved, seconded by Bennett to approve the agenda. Motion carried 8-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Bennett moved, seconded by Young to approve the minutes. Motion carried 6-0 with two abstentions. IV. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND SWEAR IN NEW COMMISSIONERS Tritz invited the commission members to introduce themselves to the new commissioners. Tritz summarized the current projects of the commission. Novak-Krebs swore in the new commissioners. Conservation Commission Minutes April 10, 2018 Page 2 2. CITY STORM DRAIN PROGRAM Novak-Krebs passed around a flyer on the City's storm drain marking program and a sample of the stick-on marker. She stated the commission members could suggest changes and revisions to the program. Zakharova asked for and received confirmation the citizens needed to seek out these markers. Hoffman mentioned she had done this last year and found the information to be difficult to find; also, one-third of the markers lost their adhesiveness with the melting of the snow. Bennett observed it was difficult to find an adhesive that worked on storm drains, especially if the marker was not affixed to an entirely flat surface. Tritz agreed the adhesive was not a permanent solution and added the markers did not mention the body of water to which the drain emptied. Young observed some storm drains were not flat and would not hold a marker. Discussion followed on the advantages of a spray paint/stencil kit versus the stick-on markers. Zakharova suggested a magnetized marker. Katzenberger asked if there was a map of which drains emptied into which waterways. Novak-Krebs offered to find if this information was available. Tritz suggested a permanent marker such as a stamp in the concrete while it was wet, or yard signs that identified the specific body of water included; otherwise she would lean toward the spray paint/stencil idea. Anderson asked if there was a sufficient volume of markers. Katzenberger remarked the paint/stencil project required supervision when done by children. Bennett warned the chemicals from the paint could still end up in groundwater. Discussion followed on the history on the program. Hoffman asked if the focus would be only on big waterways, or if it could become as granular as drains to neighborhood waterways such as Duck Lake. Tritz stated she wished to see the commission be as specific as the available information provides. She added this was an opportunity to communicate to residents, not just to mark drains, and the spray paint/stencil would more readily lend itself to talking to residents. Young asked if the City had looked at what other cities were doing or contacted the manufacturer regarding a better paint solution. Young offered to research what other communities are doing. Bennett noted cities with downtowns sometimes had metal molded storm drains with animals and a message. 3. DISCUSS ARBOR DAY DETAILS Novak-Krebs summarized the plans for this event: There would be a bee house for display. Tritz offered to bring low-mow turf samples from the University of Minnesota. Novak-Krebs would bring the "spot the neonicotinoids" game, and Tritz summarized for the newer commission Conservation Commission Minutes April 10, 2018 Page 3 members the dangers of neonicotinoids to bees. Tritz noted there were handouts for the event. Novak-Krebs stated there would also be seed packs to hand out. Bennett asked if the seed packs had been checked for invasive species. Novak-Krebs replied they had. She asked if the commission members would want to have pledge cards this year for water conservation and pollinator support. Lohnes offered to help provide content for the pledge cards. Tritz offered to step through the hands-on water display with commission members. Novak-Krebs offered the previous year's water quiz, and Tritz offered to recreate a pollinator quiz in paper form. Anderson emphasized having a few clear messages instead of a busy, congested table with too much information. Discussion followed on this idea. Bunn suggested offering the game without the quiz. Bennett agreed, saying the table's size did not handle the ambitious number of messages, displays, and takeaways the commission offered in 2017. Anderson suggested attaching the seed pack to the pledge card. Tritz summarized the final decisions on displays, messages, and takeaways for the two focus areas. Zakharova suggested attaching seed packs to the Mayor's Water Pledge as well. Discussion followed on crafting a message regarding transitioning from Kentucky Bluegrass to low-mow fescue. Novak-Krebs took the names of commission members to staff the booth. 4. BEGINNERS GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE EDEN PRAIRIE CLASSES Tritz displayed the flyer and stated there were around three or four people signed up. She and Bennett displayed sample presentations (Pollinators, Water, Waste) and Tritz summarized the curriculum and the process for the new commission members. Discussion followed on publicity and building an ongoing curriculum. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR 1. DEBRIEF OF EDEN PRAIRIE CONGREGATIONS CLEAN ENERGY FORUM Young summarized the event for the new commission members and stated the attendance was not as high as hoped, but 200 people attended. The speakers and booths were well organized, but the small group discussion may have been too ambitious. Young learned a lot about Pax Christi's environmental initiatives. Katzenberger added the churches have created a coalition that would continue to meet. Tritz summarized the Energy Action Plan for the new commission members and stated the next phase of work for this constituency (faith communities) was to support the small groups and networking that has resulted. Conservation Commission Minutes April 10, 2018 Page 4 2. DEBRIEF OF HOME AND GARDEN EXPO Tritz summarized the successes at the event and brought up the issues that came up: there were only two tables, and the quiz which had been used in the past was unable to be printed or used. She asked for ways to head off confusion next year. Bennett suggested the commission again had too many messages and the L-shape from three tables prevented the crowd from seeing part of the display and one commission member. He noted having a booth location nailed down early would be helpful. Tritz asked for better communication in the future. Discussion followed on the approval process. Zakharova suggesting having a longer preapproved standing list of quiz questions from which the commission would pick for specific events. Lohnes offered to send the link to the Drop Box so that commission members could audit and share materials. Novak-Krebs offered to find out if there was a platform to contain these materials and which would give all commission members access to them. C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. WATER GROUP UPDATE Tritz stated stream bank erosion was becoming a greater issue and the Watershed District was presenting mitigation plans for that in discussions with cities, including Eden Prairie. 2. WASTE GROUP UPDATE Bennet stated businesses were becoming more involved in recycling, and Pauling Homes Keller Williams Realty was having an event this Saturday, 9:00 a.m. until noon. Recycling, electronics, paint, and onside shredding were offered, and vendors would be there. Also Subaru was partnering with Teracycle to promote recycled materials. Hennepin County was mandating each city to have a program to recycle organics by 2022. The DemCon tour staff person was now available and Anderson offered to reach out to schedule a tour. 3. LANDSCAPE/POLLINATOR GROUP UPDATE 4. ENERGY GROUP UPDATE Katzenberger offered to get his PowerPoint slides to Tritz for review. D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS Conservation Commission Minutes April 10, 2018 Page 5 Tritz reported on behalf of Truempi: the student members of"iMatter" presented their efforts to the City Council, and the faculty head of the"Tree Huggers" group contacted Tritz regarding creating projects at the high school for the students by September, 2017. V. OTHER BUSINESS Tritz thanked the commission members who attended the Metro Wide Environmental Commission meeting. VI. UPCOMING EVENTS Arbor Day/Green Fair—April 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. VII. NEXT MEETING The next Conservation Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, May 8, 2018, 7:00 p.m. in Prairie Rooms A & B. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bennett moved, seconded by Young to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 8-0. The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 p.m.