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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConservation Commission - 06/11/2019 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY,JUNE 11, 2019 7:00 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: I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Absent were commission members McGuire. Carol Lundgren, Sustainability Coordinator, and Nicole Mosteller, Sustainability Intern, joined the meeting. Resident Becky Copper joined the meeting. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Dwivedy moved, seconded by Poock to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MAY 21 MEETING MOTION: Lohnes moved, seconded by Poock to approve the minutes of May 21, 2019 Conservation Commission meeting. Motion carried 7-0. IV. REPORTS A. REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. SWEAR IN OF NEW MEMBER Novak-Krebs swore in the new commission member Dwivedy. 2. DISCUSS ECO-EXHIBIT AT STATE FAIR Conservation Commission Minutes June 11, 2019 Page 2 Lundgren passed around the proposal submitted to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The video project was too ambitious for staff schedules and was abandoned. Giveaways were fans and light bulbs and magnets from Xcel Energy. Lundgren requested the commission choose three items. Eden Prairie would be participating again the Home Energy Squad Visit Buy-Down at any rate. Discussion followed on narrowing the priorities. The commission chose the Ice Arena Reuse System, the Electric Vehicles and the Home Energy Squad Visit Buy-Down program. Lundgren took the names of volunteers to fill the booth schedule. 3. DISCUSS CLIMATE ACTION RESEARCH FOR COUNCIL Anderson led the commission in a brainstorming session with the white board to come up with creative ideas only at this point. The commission's piece was to be finalized by September. • Race to Reduce (St. Paul, MN) • Creating neighborhood"Green Teams" with a Night to Unite Kickoff(Joan Gregerson, Green Team Academy, Denver, CO) • Residential outreach teams—door knocking • One hundred percent renewable energy by 2050 (St. Louis Park, MN) • Annual Sustainability Workshop: "Growing Greener Generation" (Florida) • Students plant 10 trees before graduation (United States and Indonesia) • Set a goal for Southwest LRT usage (Twin Cities) • Partnership with Southwest Transit Prime (and/or a voucher program since this is limited to certain locations) • Incentives to purchase hybrid/EV cars (prime parking spots, etc.) • Incentives to business for installing charging stations, etc. • Required proof of compliance for meeting energy efficiency to get rental licenses renewed (Boulder, CO) • Bike share program(Minneapolis, MN), Divvy (Chicago, IL) • Disincentivizing demolition, incentivizing deconstruction with charging stations, solar-ready features added • Reuse of construction materials (Habitat for Humanity) • Collection of food waste in City buildings • City of Eden Prairie adopt rules requiring meeting goals • Owned solar, wind turbine owned by Eden Prairie, complete carbon disclosure form Conservation Commission Minutes June 11, 2019 Page 3 • Partnership with Xcel • Conservation Commission goes paperless in three years and the City Council by 2025 • Electric mowers • Lift prohibition against crops in front yards • What prevents the commission from making changes to the Flying Cloud Airport • City policy against bottled water DeSanctis cautioned the commission against limiting itself to goals considered "realistic" today considering the target year was 2050. Lohnes reiterated the difference between "real" and aspirational goals. Dwivedy emphasized a flexible plan that took account the effects of the weather and the seasons on actions such as clean energy. DeSanctis suggested having more proximate goals (e.g., 2025 or within five, 10, and 20 years) to add more incentive. Dwivedy pointed out that 75 percent achievement of one goal was a 400 percent achievement of another depending on the date. DeSanctis suggested school-based projects could have a goal for elementary, middle-, and high-school students. Discussion followed on the probability of a Farmer's Market. [Katzenberger arrived at 8:04 p.m.] Anderson offered to share the list with the commission members and asked them to fill in more information about these suggestions. They could be discussed further at the July meeting, and narrowed down at the August meeting. She asked them to disregard implementation for now. Senthilkumar suggested grouping these into categories. Dwivedy decided using a color code based on feasibility. Katzenberger stated he knew many Eagle Scouts looking for Eagle projects. Poock emphasized knowledge, such as the fact the Reuse Centers of Carver County is open to all residents, not merely Carver County residents. Lohnes suggested an online hub and/or a welcome guide that shared this information. Anderson offered to put the list into categories and color-code it. B. REPORTS FROM CHAIR C. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION 1. WATER UPDATE 2. WASTE UPDATE Anderson called for articles on recycling to get the topic better coverage. Conservation Commission Minutes June 11, 2019 Page 4 3. LANDSCAPE/POLLINATOR UPDATE Hoffman stated along Eden Prairie Road the City sprayed beneficial plants included wild bergamot on the hillside in Birch Island Park in an attempt to eradicate the Canadian Thistle and she thought a blanket spray should be avoided. Anderson asked for the guidelines for spraying and for residents avoiding sprayed areas. Lohnes stated some cities that did spray had some kind of educational communication. Lundgren offered to find out more about this from the Parks Department. 4. ENERGY UPDATE D. REPORTS FROM STUDENTS V. OTHER BUSINESS VI. UPCOMING EVENTS Lundgren announced the City Cleanup Day was Saturday, June 15, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. VII. NEXT MEETING The next Conservation Commission meeting will be held Tuesday, July 9, 2019, 7:00 p.m. in Prairie Rooms A & B. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Katzenberger moved, seconded by Poock to adjourn the meeting. MOTION CARRIED 8-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.