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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConservation Commission - 04/09/2019 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY,APRIL 9, 2019 7:30 PM—CITY CENTER Prairie Room, 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Anna Anderson (Chair), Jeanne DeSanctis, Aaron Poock, JoAnn McGuire, Debjyoti Dwivedy, Cindy Hoffman, Kate Lohnes, Daniel Katzenberger, Priya Senthilkkumar CITY STAFF: Senior Planner Beth Novak-Krebs, Planning Division, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary STUDENT MEMBERS: Troy Johnson, Rhea Sharma, Govind Makaram I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Absent were commission members Dwivedy, Senthilkkumar and Katzenberger and student representative Sharma. Carol Lundgren, Sustainability Specialist, and Eden Prairie resident Kurt Etchison joined the meeting. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: DeSanctis moved, seconded by Hoffman to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Lohnes moved, seconded by Hoffman to approve the minutes of March 12, 2019 Conservation Commission meeting. Motion carried 6-0. IV. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. INTRODUCTIONS AND SWEAR IN OF NEW MEMBERS Conservation Commission Minutes April 9, 2019 Page 2 This was the first night for the newly appointed members. Anderson asked everyone around the table to introduce themselves and say a bit about why they wanted to be on the Conservation Commission. Novak-Krebs swore in the new commission members DeSanctis, Poock, and McGuire. 2. PRESENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE EDEN PRAIRIE Lundgren presented a PowerPoint overview of the program. The new mission statement had been informed by the 20/40/15 initiative. She displayed the Education and Outreach webpage with hits statistics from 2017-2018 and a tally of the most visited pages. Other outreach included the "Life in the Prairie" quarterly newsletter, electronic communications, and social networks. She summarized the Sustainable Eden Prairie Awards and the Youth Education and Engagement initiatives, and gave the Environmental Learning Center and Water Treatment Plant tour numbers along with the Outdoor Center classes numbers and iMatter program activities. Volunteer programs included storm drain marking, adopt-a- street initiative and the Wetland Health Evaluation Program (WHEP). Landscape conservation included rebate programs, sod conversions, and a new focus on the tree canopy now that so much land in Eden Prairie had been converted to pollinators. Water conservation included usage and goals graphs from 2018, conservation rebates that were updated for 2019, the smart controller audit program, and the water reuse system at Fire Station No. 2. Programs tackling waste included the 2018 Clean Up day, and Lundgren displayed a breakdown of the tonnages amounting to 175.3 tons in total. The City was still working on a yard waste drop off site, which did not allow grass clippings or organics. Lundgren stated the Solid Waste Management Plan had been completed in January, 2019. Hoffman asked how the City would control for Emerald Ash Borer infected wood at the drop-off. Lundgren replied it would be monitored but was not a huge issue since the City planned to treat area trees and the heat from the compost should destroy the organism. Etchison stated the Polar Vortex might have killed the Ash Borer, and Hoffman agreed that 90-95 percent of the larvae had been killed by the cold weather. Energy goals included the recent Energy Action Plan in collaboration with Partners In Energy, which was completed on March 31, 2019. The Home Energy Squad was very successful and went above its set targets for residential and commercial properties but did not hit its goals for public/nonprofit in participating in Xcel Energy programs. The City was purchasing more hybrid vehicles. Other goals were to have public E.V. (electric vehicle) charging stations, with one at City Center among other Conservation Commission Minutes April 9, 2019 Page 3 locations such as the Fleet Department and more installations planned at the Community Center, et cetera. Other programs included SolSmart, a solar energy program similar to Green Step Cities which had Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. The City was reaching for Gold designation by the end of 2019, and this could involve code adjustments. A sustainability intern was working with the City and the Metropolitan Council on this. Lundgren mentioned that the Council would like the Conservation Commission to research environmental conservation initiatives at the state and local level and provide a list to the council. McGuire asked about a possible ban on plastic bags. Lundgren replied it was considered by the City Council, and then rejected. Lohnes noted studies on such bans actually had a correlation to the amount of trash. Etchison stated Cub or Walmart provided a bin for plastic bags and asked if how many were returned could be measured. Poock replied it was likely these were administered by a third party, making metrics difficult to collect. Anderson suggested holding no-waste events. Novak-Krebs stated at next month's meeting the commission members would discuss a plan for completing the research, what this looked like, and who would be involved. A workshop would be held in October or November. [Makaram left at 7:55 p.m.] Anderson stated it would be helpful to consider the energy program for multifamily outreach in terms of this presentation. Hoffmann stated she was going to attend the Metrowide Commission meeting on Saturday. She invited the new members to attend. Lundgren said the City had a solar plan to add solar panels to the Community Center, water treatment plant and the maintenance facility, and residents could purchase solar and wind source credits. Etchison asked about wind initiatives and Lundgren replied with the exception of Best Buy and Xcel Energy, there was not many wind source programs. Hoffmann described the Xcel Energy program for the commission members. Lundgren offered to have Novak-Krebs send out the presentation to those who requested it. 3. DISCUSS MULIFAMILY OUTREACH Anderson gave the background of this plan and described the present initiative for the new commission members. Hoffmann stated she had connected with Elim Shores to formulate questions and develop manageable next steps. Hoffmann was in the process of information Conservation Commission Minutes April 9, 2019 Page 4 gathering: setting a meeting with Chris from Elim Shores, getting photographs, meeting with the residents, and defining possible obstacles. Novak-Krebs stated she received contact information for the two multi- family buildings they have talked about and would reach out soon. Lohnes suggested reaching out after Hoffmann returned with data. [Johnson left at 8:12 p.m.] DeSanctis stated she and her mother, a resident of Elim Shores, were working with Chris Lori Tritz and the Watershed District on a shoreline restoration. She envisioned this being a learning center for the City. 4. DISCUSS TABLING FOR ARBOR DAY EVENT Anderson announced Arbor Day would be May 4, 2019 from 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. at Round Lake Park and called for volunteers for shifts. Discussion followed on possible offerings. The commission would have only one table, the water display, a quiz, a drawing for a smart irrigation controller and a rain barrel and Sustainable Eden Prairie magnets as giveaways. The commission members agreed to nail down last-minute logistics via email. Novak-Krebs offered to put together the necessary language for the drawing. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR Poock asked about the park clean-up this year, and Anderson suggested commission members sign up individually with their families. Lohnes stated she had signed up individually for Red Rock, and Anderson asked if the commission members would like her to make a request to either join Lohnes or find another park and notify the commission which park. C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. WATER UPDATE 2. WASTE UPDATE 3. LANDSCAPE/POLLINATOR UPDATE 4. ENERGY UPDATE D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS V. OTHER BUSINESS Conservation Commission Minutes April 9, 2019 Page 5 Hoffmann asked if there were adult tours of the Water Treatment Plant. Lundgren stated they were not held often since it required the plant to be shut down. However, it had been held in the past and remained a possibility. VI. UPCOMING EVENTS Arbor Day/Green Fair, May 4, 2019. Park Cleanup Day April 27 8 am— 12:00 p.m. Watershed Open House April 10 VII. NEXT MEETING The next Conservation Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 7:00 p.m. in Prairie Rooms A & B or possibly at the Water Treatment Plant at 14100 Technology Drive for a tour before the meeting. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Lohnes moved, seconded by Hoffman to adjourn the meeting. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.