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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/12/03 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular Official minutes Environment & sustainability commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota 12/3/2025 1. Call to order – 6:30 p.m. 1a. Roll call Members present: Chair Jessie Hendrix, Vice Chair Bennett Myhran, Marisa Bayer, Tatiana Giraldo, Kati Helseth, Ethan Kehrberg, Avital Krebs, Avery Kuehl, Adam Oien, Sasha Shahidi, Natalie Wagner Absent: Shaina Ashare, Ryan Griffin Guests: none Staff present: Emily Ziring, sustainability manager 2. Approval of minutes – Nov. 5, 2025 – The minutes were approved unanimously as presented, with 3 abstentions. 3. Business a. Presentations – legislative process in St. Louis Park Ms. Ziring explained the city’s legislative process, how to stay aware of what council is discussing, how to get topics heard by the council, and what tools are available for the ESC to communicate with council and vice versa. Ms. Ziring described the uses of the “advisory communication to council” form and the “council study session topic proposal request” form. She stated that ESC members can always come to meetings with agenda ideas for the council, and if the majority of the body votes to send the advisory communication to council she can assist with filling it out. This form is specifically for advisory boards and commissions, while individual residents utilize a different form. Ms. Ziring added that the form is attached to a staff report and is required anytime there is a policy idea or concern that the commission wants to communicate to council. Ms. Ziring stated the form has not been used by the ESC in the last 12 months, but before the current process she sent memos to the council on behalf of the ESC when needing to relay information. Ms. Ziring stated that if the council wants an advisory board or commission to weigh in on a new policy idea, any council member can use the checkboxes at the bottom of the council study session topic proposal request form to direct staff to go to the commission(s) for input as they write their response memo. Commissioner Shahidi stated it is notable that the city council has not used the checkboxes on the form to direct staff to contact the ESC anytime in the last 12 months. Environmental & Sustainability Commission Dec. 3, 2025 Commissioner Wagner asked if there is a mechanism to remind the city council about this tool. Ms. Ziring stated there are two new council members joining the city council in January, and it is likely they will discuss this in orientation. b. New business  2026 ESC workplan brainstorming launch Ms. Ziring showed the ESC the workplan template for reference. Ms. Ziring stated the workplan will be created in January and February by the ESC and then may be approved by the city council in May, but that timeline is not confirmed yet. Ms. Ziring noted research projects, gathering community feedback, events, and current policy amendments are all good ideas for the workplan, but they must all be within the scope of the Climate Action Plan. Chair Hendrix stated that in January a workplan brainstorming session will be held, and she asked the ESC members to come with ideas and thoughts that can be discussed. 4. Staff updates Ms. Ziring updated the commission on the following items:  EPA Thriving Communities grant implementation  Working on the Climate Action Plan amendment  The Electrify Everything workshop was a success, with over 15 residents in attendance  Climate Champions for homes is continuing to be successful and busy  Administering the grant reimbursement for the shade structures at Aquila and Ainsworth Parks, and replacing equipment  Wrapping up Climate Champions reimbursements for the year and also working on a grant application for a climate action planning grant with the MPCA 5. Work plan update  CAP update – will wait until January. 6. Sustainability issues  Group share out – Commissioner Shahidi noted the greenhouse gas protocol standards comment period has been extended until the end of January 2026.  Kudos -- welcome back to Commissioner Helseth after having her baby. 7. Items to discuss at a future meeting  Zoning Code Update phase 2 and proposed changes to parking regulations – Commissioner Shahidi asked if this could be discussed at the January ESC meeting so that the ESC’s recommendations could get to the planning Environmental & Sustainability Commission Dec. 3, 2025 commission and city council. Ms. Ziring stated that she shared information about the zoning code update with the commission before the meeting, and she requested that the commission read through it. Ms. Ziring stated that the planning commission and council would not make any policy decisions until community engagement is complete in January, and there should be adequate time to submit comments if the body wishes to do so. Questions about the zoning changes can go to her and Gary Morrison. 8. Upcoming/proposed events  Jan. 7, 2026 – January ESC monthly meeting 9. Adjournment – 7:31 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Emily Ziring, liaison Jessie Hendrix, chair member