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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/06/08 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionOfficial minutes Study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota June 8, 2026 The meeting convened at 6:03 p.m. Council Members present: Daniel Bashore, Jim Engelking, Sue Budd, Tim Brausen, Yolanda Farris, Paul Baudhuin, Mayor Nadia Mohamed Council Members absent: none Staff present: city manager (Ms. Keller), community engagement coordinator (Mr. Coleman), sustainability manager (Ms. Ziring) Environment & Sustainability Commissioners: Jessie Hendrix, chair; Bennett Myhran, vice-chair; Avital Krebs, youth member; Sasha Shahidi; Natalie Wagner Discussion Items 1. Environment and Sustainability Commission annual meeting with council Mr. Coleman introduced Ms. Hendrix and the commission members in attendance. Ms. Hendrix presented the Environment & Sustainability Commission (ESC) 2025 work plan accomplishments. The commission supported the Climate Action Plan update by reviewing three sections in collaboration with Ms. Ziring. The ESC supported the Electric Vehicle Petting Zoo event, which allowed residents to interact with EV owners and learn about ownership experiences. The commission met several times with the solid waste division to discuss barriers to participation in the curbside organics program and contributed to developing a mailer targeting non- participating households. Youth commissioners tabled at elementary school open houses alongside city staff, running eco-friendly craft activities for children while parents engaged with staff on topics such as home electrification. The commission also supported promotion of the “MVTree” contest and commission members volunteered to serve on the scoring committee. One member conducted research into alternative options for wood waste disposal, though no cost-effective solution had been identified. All commission members participated in the Vision 4.0 process. Council Member Budd asked for participation numbers from the “MVTree” contest. Ms. Ziring confirmed the contest received many submissions and that a commission member served on the review committee; she would retrieve specific participation figures. Council Member Bashore asked whether the campaign would be annual. Ms. Ziring indicated the intent was to hold it approximately every five years, given the slow rate at which tree canopy changes. Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A Study session minutes - 2 - June 8, 2026 Ms. Hendrix presented the ESC’s commission approved 2026 work plan. The Climate Action Plan update would continue with the commission's most intensive review occurring through the remainder of 2026. Ms. Ziring clarified that a consultant would be engaged in 2027 to assist with calculations and authoring, with the goal of bringing the updated Climate Action Plan to council in 2027 or 2028. The commission identified two work plan items for which it sought council direction: a project or policy on which the council desired broader ESC input, and a research topic the commission could investigate independently and report on to inform future council decisions. Ms. Hendrix requested that council provide direction by the end of summer to allow adequate time for the commission to produce substantive work. Additional 2026 activities included co-hosting the “Walk the Park” event at Louisiana Oaks Park on July 11, 2026. Natural resources staff plan to participate to highlight sustainability efforts at the park. The ESC also launched a list of youth volunteer opportunities tied to sustainability efforts, designed to help students fulfill school or honor society service hour requirements. Finally, the commission would assist with stewardship of the food forest at Ainsworth Park, where approximately a dozen fruit trees were planted in 2024. The commission received a tree pruning lesson in April 2026. They also planned a volunteer event for July 11, 2026, following the “Walk the Park” event, to begin buckthorn removal near the fence line in preparation for further planting. Council Member Farris asked to be notified of the Ainsworth Park volunteer event date so that she could help engage nearby residents and youth. Ms. Ziring confirmed that postcards would be sent to surrounding apartment buildings approximately two weeks prior to the event. Council Member Budd noted that a new neighborhood group has formed in the Oak Park neighborhood and committed to sharing event information with them. Council Member Baudhuin expressed appreciation for the ESC's approach to engaging youth commissioners. He asked whether council direction needed to take place in a study session or could be shared informally. Ms. Keller indicated that the appropriate process depended on scope — straightforward items could proceed with informal consensus, while larger cross- departmental efforts would warrant additional staff involvement. Council Member Baudhuin requested that staff send a reminder to council members in late July 2026 to prompt ideas for commission direction. Council Member Brausen emphasized the importance of the Climate Action Plan update and noted that the city was not on track to meet its 2030 goals. He expressed interest in identifying where the greatest carbon reduction opportunities exist and how funding set aside in the prior year's budget for environmental programs was being deployed. He also raised school composting as a topic of continued interest. Council Member Bashore expressed support for continuing work on the Climate Action Plan. He suggested the ESC conduct an assessment of existing city sustainability programs — including the curbside organics program, Rainwater Rewards, tree sales and energy incentive programs Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A Study session minutes - 3 - June 8, 2026 — to evaluate utilization levels and identify opportunities for improvement, expansion or more targeted outreach. Council Member Budd noted that a summary of programs funded through the Climate Investment Fund was presented at the study session on May 18, 2026. Ms. Ziring confirmed that report did not cover every sustainability program; it focused specifically on city cost sharing incentive program expenditures paid from the climate investment fund. Ms. Ziring added that she provides the ESC quarterly updates on program participation numbers. Council Member Budd suggested the ESC could add value by recommending strategies to grow underutilized programs. Council Member Bashore agreed emphasizing outreach for programs such as organics recycling. Council Member Engelking thanked the commission for its work. He suggested exploring a "project in a box" concept through which neighborhood associations could use city-provided equipment to undertake self-contained sustainability projects such as buckthorn removal. Ms. Hendrix noted that the city's new adopt-a-plot program, which allows groups to take responsibility for smaller naturalized spaces, could serve as a vehicle for that type of engagement. Council Member Engelking also suggested that underutilized space at passive parks, such as Jackley Park in the Brookside neighborhood, could be considered for community gardens or native pollinator plantings, potentially connected to neighborhood food shelf donation efforts. He further suggested the ESC explore ways to promote and generate excitement around the upcoming light rail opening to encourage first-time ridership. Council Member Baudhuin asked whether the Climate Action Plan update would include an analysis of why the 2030 goals would not be met and what barriers existed. Ms. Ziring confirmed that the updated plan would include a staff narrative addressing current status and modifications to strategies. She noted that progress had been limited primarily by voluntary participation from property owners, as the city has little regulatory authority over private decisions. She added that greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by approximately 25% since 2017. Council Member Baudhuin expressed interest in identifying whether any council-level actions could remove barriers or strengthen incentives. Council Member Budd noted that the Rainwater Rewards program was oversubscribed — with a lottery due to high demand — and suggested that model of engagement could inform other programs. Council Member Budd asked whether the ESC could take on a research project examining the waste implications of incinerator closure discussions, given concerns that reducing incineration without increasing composting or recycling would simply result in more waste being transported elsewhere. Ms. Ziring indicated she would defer to solid waste colleagues and Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A Study session minutes - 4 - June 8, 2026 Hennepin County staff, who had likely already conducted relevant research, and committed to following up with public works staff. Mayor Mohamed reflected that the ESC's alignment with the city's climate leadership strategic priority made it a natural and efficient resource for council direction. She supported allowing council members to formulate ideas until the end of summer. She asked staff to vet submitted ideas before passing them to the commission, out of respect for volunteer time. Ms. Keller committed to taking the ideas discussed, sorting them by complexity and cross- departmental scope, and developing an appropriate path forward for each. Ms. Hendrix closed by reiterating the commission's willingness to serve as an ongoing resource to council beyond the formal annual work plan cycle. 2. Consider study session topic proposal: council ambassador program for advisory boards and commissions Mr. Coleman gave the staff presentation. He noted the council ambassador program originated approximately one year prior as a council liaison concept, was set aside, and was subsequently revisited by a small work group consisting of Council Members Brausen, Budd and Bashore along with staff liaisons. Council Member Budd summarized the program's purpose: to strengthen communication and support between the council and advisory boards in both directions. She described the core commitment as attending up to two commission meetings per year and serving as a communication channel. Ms. Keller framed three questions for council: whether to implement the program, whether to implement it as described in the report, and how to assign council members to commissions. Council Member Bashore noted that commissions had consistently expressed a desire for more council-driven ideas and direction, and that existing communication mechanisms — annual check-ins and ad hoc contact forms — had not fully addressed that need. He described the ambassador program as an effort to keep communication more active and to better utilize commissions in their advisory capacity. Council Member Baudhuin asked for clarification on the program structure. Council Member Brausen explained that one council member would be associated with each of the five advisory boards or commissions and would attend one to two meetings per year for that assigned body. Mayor Mohamed expressed support for the concept but raised concerns about the potential for workload imbalance among council members, particularly if some members had greater scheduling constraints. She noted that the prior discussion had contemplated exempting the mayor from participation given existing responsibilities. She also raised the question of what precedent the program would set for future councils. Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A Study session minutes - 5 - June 8, 2026 Council Member Brausen confirmed the intent was to evaluate the program after one year and that it was not intended to be permanent without review. Council Member Budd acknowledged the legal limitations on requiring council member participation and suggested the program be framed as a norm or expectation included in onboarding materials for future council members. Ms. Keller noted that the city had limited ability to mandate attendance but that onboarding guidance and norms could set clear expectations. Council Member Baudhuin expressed full support for the program, citing his longstanding interest in more direct communication between council and commissions. He compared the concept to committee assignments common on school boards and suggested the council approach it as a team, covering for one another when scheduling conflicts arose. Council Member Farris agreed the concept was strong but noted her own current capacity constraints, expressing openness to participating in a future cycle. Council Member Bashore suggested that if a council member was unable to cover their assigned commission in a given instance, another council member could fill in voluntarily. The council discussed the communication reporting structure. Council Member Bashore had proposed a standing agenda item at study sessions for ambassadors to briefly report back to the full council. Mayor Mohamed suggested that updates could instead flow through staff or be included in before-the-weekend communications. Council Member Brausen noted that a standing agenda item would be redundant with existing commission minutes and would add staff workload. Ms. Keller suggested that any standing agenda item be coordinated with the staff liaison in advance and that a time cap of approximately ten minutes per report be considered to manage meeting length. The council also discussed the exit survey component of the program. It was agreed that a survey — rather than a formal exit interview — would be the appropriate tool for gathering feedback from departing commission members. Ms. Keller asked council to confirm their preference for the survey approach, and consensus was reached. The council agreed to proceed with the program. Mr. Coleman noted that the initial assignment process would be interest-based and that staff would send a before-the-weekend communication asking council members to submit ranked preferences. Ms. Keller confirmed the communication would go out shortly. Relevant scheduling information was noted: the Police Advisory Commission, the Racial Equity and Inclusion Commission, the Environment and Sustainability Commission and the Community Technology Advisory Commission all meet on Wednesdays; the Human Rights Commission meets on Tuesdays. Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A Study session minutes - 6 - June 8, 2026 Written Reports 3. Rainwater Rewards Program overview 4. Environmental impacts of drive-throughs Council Member Brausen noted appreciation for the report. Council Member Budd expressed surprise at the volume of drive-through facilities in the city. Council Member Baudhuin expressed interest in exploring a future requirement for businesses with drive-throughs to post signage encouraging customers to turn off their engines while waiting, noting the potential benefit for both air quality and employee health. He suggested the concept could be connected to the city's existing idle-free policy framework. 5. Emerald Ash Borer update 6. Annual Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program Council Member Budd asked about outcomes and participation data from the citizens monitoring program (CAMP) component of the Annual Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, noting the existence of a promotional video for the program. Ms. Keller committed to obtaining that information and providing it to Council Member Budd. The meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Yolanda Farris, mayor pro tem These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited and finalized by a city staff person. Docusign Envelope ID: 98F156E1-F75E-834C-809E-5266AF85CD8A