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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019/03/06 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Environment and sustainability commission (ESC): Sustainable SLP Minutes March 6, 2019 Community Room, St. Louis Park City Hall Members present: Chair Bridget Rathsack, Sue Bloyer, Katie Christiansen, Niki Ciulla, Stefan Collinet- Adler, Zoe Frank, Ryan Griffin, Larry Kraft, Jim Leuthner Excused absence: Hanna Ampe, Shaina Ashare, Claire Lukens Staff present: Shannon Pinc, ESC coordinator; Meg McMonigal, staff liason; Lauren Michaels, intern Guests: Marc Berg, Bike and Park; Sandy Frazeli, consultant, Lotus Engineering and Sustainability 1. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Rathsack. 2. The minutes of the February 2019 meeting were approved with one abstention (Chair Rathsack) 3. Commission updates The commissioners discussed the vision and mission draft on the Sustainability Champions program. Chair Rathsack forwarded the vision and mission draft to the commission members during the meeting. Vision – Community feels informed to make sustainable choices, models sustainability and influences others to do sustainability work, creating a culture in the community on sustainability and projecting that outwards. Mission – Build a network of informed residents, to encourage work on community goals, and foster sustainability. Mr. Griffin said every bullet point has the word sustainability in it, so maybe working the words around more might help. He noted “sustainable choices” is not a phrase he feels should be used either. Community solar update – On April 24, a community meal, and information session on community solar will be held for residents at the high school. The presentation will be aimed at residents and businesses on solar energy and other programs as well. The grant from Great Plains Institute allows for training session by Solar United Neighbors and door knocking with a custom readout of their buildings solar capacity will be given to residents and businesses. St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 A Facebook notice has been added regarding this training session, to be held on March 13th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at city hall. If the ESC would like to table at the solar info session on April 24, 1-2 commissioners will be needed from 5 - 7 p.m. Recap of the boards and commissions with the city council – Presentation went well, council had questions on solar, but overall the council was very supportive. One council member stated the Climate Action Plan (CAP) is the most important item going on in the city right now. Mr. Collinet-Adler noted the planning commission had questions about greenhouse gases and they asked what else can be done beyond electric vehicles. He stated the planning commission is looking at zoning related to this and to SWLTR, so as to use it to the maximum. He stated it would be helpful to have meetings with the planning commission and continue to discuss the CAP, and how zoning can be redone to accommodate for the CAP. Mr. Griffin asked how the commission can be advisors to the council, as it relates to the CAP. Ms. McMonigal stated there will additional meetings to discuss this with the council later this spring. Mr. Griffin stated he would be interested in attending these meetings. Bike tour – Mr. Griffin and Mr. Berg presented. Mr. Griffin stated this is the third year of the Bike the Park event. In 2016 there was an event, with city officials representing different parts of the city, biking on a pre-defined route and looking at ride ability within the city. He added there were about 20 people who did the bike ride, and results of a survey were presented to the council afterwards about ride ability. Mr. Berg noted the route involving Dakota and Texas avenues, with a bridge over the railroad tracks, is the route being reviewed at this time. He said there are five different stops, and folks can provide feedback during the route, looking at the biking experience. He proposed doing another event in May. Mr. Griffin stated they rode Texas Avenue where bike lanes were recently added, and there was positive feedback there for city engineering as well. Chair Rathsack asked if they had worked with engineering on the survey and feedback. Mr. Griffin stated engineering had participated, and added other routes would include 28th Street and other areas where work has been done recently on streets. Mr. Berg said this proposed route is about 6 miles, with four stops. He stated it would start at The Nest near the high school, and head east on Lake Street, and then up Dakota on Connect the Park for 2019, and then all the way up to Peter Hobart and Dakota Park, so the bridge can be discussed. Then head over to 28th Street the city wants to make more bike friendly, then south on Texas over the Highway 7, and go across there, where crossing is difficult, but into the South Oak Hill Neighborhood, and then access the Cedar Lake Trail back to Wooddale Crossing, and then back to The Nest, and over to Steel Toe for more discussion. He asked if the commission is interested in doing a version of this route, but added they are open to changes to this route as well. St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Mr. Kraft asked if there is any data on bike usage in St. Louis Park. Ms. McMonigal stated it is difficult to find any data on this. Mr. Kraft asked if there is a way to measure the impact and if the group had any influence with the new bike trails in the city. Mr. Griffin stated yes, some influence was felt on Texas Avenue. Mr. Griffin stated they would want to try to influence bike lanes on Wooddale also. Mr. Berg stated a route and date needs to be decided soon, so it can be publicized. A motion was made by Mr. Collinet-Adler to support a Bike the Park event in 2019 and seconded by Mr. Leuthner. The motion passed unanimously. Anyone interested in being involved should contact Mr. Griffin. EV Event Vendors – Mr. Collinet-Adler said he has found two electric bike vendors interested in being involved. He stated a few more vendors are needed, including hardware stores. If anyone has other thoughts about other vendors for electric items, please let him know, and he will pursue other vendors and items as well. He noted the event is June 8, 11 – 2 p.m. Chair Rathsack stated Solar Power Hour has reached out to the commission, related to their advisory committee. She asked the commissioners to let staff know if they are interested in participating. 4. Staff updates a. Report and direction from council from Jan. 28, 2019 Ms. Pinc gave a recap of information given to the council and Ms. Frazeli gave the consultants presentation regarding the CAP. Ms. Pinc discussed projects related to the CAP including all youth activities related, highlights on the grant, and presenting in front of the school board with youth and staff related to the CAP goals. Ms. Pinc added more information has been added to the ESC website related to the CAP, and more will be added over time, and staff is open to suggestions from the commission on information to be placed there, including submission forms from businesses. Ms. Pinc stated the solar resource map was also developed and noted there has been good feedback so far. She added staff will also be looking into more analysis on solar power with city businesses and develop more information around this. he added staff joined a cohort of cities to learn about electronic vehicles, and she went to various webinars and meetings with other cities to learn more. From this the electric vehicle ordinance was drafted. Also, a free assessment was done by Xcel Energy related to the city fleet, greenhouse gas reduction and other items for a holistic plan for city vehicles. Ms. Pinc also noted staff will look more at where to add electric charging stations throughout the city, and overall city strategy, beyond what the ordinance requires. St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Ms. Pinc stated there is a budget for electronic charging stations in the city. She stated level 2 chargers will be added at the Westwood Hills Nature Center. Ms. Pinc stated many gas-powered tools used by staff were changed over to electric. She added making the nature center a zero energy building was also critical work completed in 2018. She added this work is now being integrated across departments and among city staff, which is very good. Ms. Pinc showed graphs of energy use and emissions reductions since 2015 for city facilities, which indicates progress is being made. Some of this is related to increasing energy efficiency in city buildings and adding renewable energy sources on fire station 1 and the MSC. Ms. Pinc stated the Rec Center is showing definite reduction in use through many efficiency projects being conducted during the last few years, even with the addition of the ROC and doubled attendance in the last two years. Ms. Pinc stated staff will be working with businesses and assisting them in on energy efficiency. She added council is very supportive of these items, including solar power initiatives, energy bench-marking ordinance and how this would work with building owners, and how they can make changes. She stated Minneapolis is doing this, as well as Edina, and others as part of a cohort. St. Louis Park will join this cohort to work together. Council directed staff to do this. Energy audits for buildings are being looked into by staff as well. She noted the council is supportive of youth pledges, solar projects and community solar awareness, and to ensure that all resources are being equitably offered throughout the city. b. Residential outreach Ms. Frazeli introduced her consultant team and gave a summary of the work Lotus Engineering has been doing related to the CAP. Lotus is based in Colorado, and Ms. Frazeli is based locally. She stated the owners are both women, and the company started in the last few years. Tasks being worked on include collecting and tracking sustainability information related to the CAP, and then having the city communicate successes. She added they have worked on a survey for businesses on how they are working on energy initiatives, and a survey will be worked on for residents as well. She stated they are adding information online about the work being done and to share information on how to take sustainability actions. She added they are looking into rebates and expanding and leveraging these programs in St. Louis Park. Ms. Frazeli added they want to partner with the commission on residential outreach as well. Chair Rathsack asked if the commission can look at the surveys being produced. Ms. Pinc stated yes this can be shared. St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Ms. Frazeli added the council was interested in also assisting lower income residents in energy efficiency, and expanding and leveraging programs to do this. She added another area could be working with local contractors and equipping them with information on energy rebates, and to help residents upgrade their homes and take advantage of available programs. Ms. Frazeli noted solar energy is also an area Lotus will look into with data and provide educational resources to residents, along with homeowner education to help achieve cost-savings. Ms. Frazeli stated they are also looking at ways to help residents support the CAP and provide guidance, as well as information around green leasing. Mr. Leuthner asked if renters in St. Louis Park pay utilities. Chair Rathsack stated usually its electric that homeowners pay for. Ms. Frazeli stated there some creative structures on payments by building owners and residents that Lotus can research. Ms. Frazeli added Lotus is interested in supporting the commission’s efforts and help do outreach with residents as well. Ms. Pinc stated the consultant and staff will continue to help the commission on their work as needed, and as directed by council. She added the commission is welcome to contact staff with questions, and utilize staff and Lotus for initiatives on CAP, as well as supporting data gathering. Niki asked if Lotus was hired to work on residential outreach, adding she thought they were hired to work mainly on business outreach. Ms. Pinc stated they are working with resident outreach and also assisting with tracking and some things related to business as well, along with helping develop tool kits. Ms. McMonigal added the Council goals task the commission to develop a residential outreach team. Mr. Kraft thanked staff and Lotus for their presentations. He stated because of time restraints there will not be time for engagement this evening and also expressed concern that the commission was not aware of the presentation on energy issues to council in January. He stated if he had known, he would have wanted to be at the meeting. He asked staff to leverage the commission better. Mr. Griffin added this feels very disconnected from what the commission planned to do. He stated the focus was to be on business and communication should be increased. Ms. Pinc stated the CAP update with council – will be going back to council with updates and will make sure to invite the commission in the future. She added Lotus was hired to assist with a number of CAP related tasks, which includes tracking and reporting with staff and building systems to help support the work of the CAP. She stated staff will keep the commission connected. Chair Rathsack is excited about this and understands the residential component, but understanding synergies will be important and added breaking into workgroups might help. St. Louis Park Administrative Services Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 A motion was made by Chair Rathsack to add another ESC meeting on March 27, seconded by Mr. Kraft, in order to have Ms. Pinc and Ms. Frazeli present for discussion and Q & A by the commission. The motion passed unanimously. 5. Topics for next meeting a. Staff speaker: Jim Vaughn, natural resources coordinator The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.