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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/01/06 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular St. Louis Park Building and Energy 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 Minutes January 6, 2021 Community Room, City Hall Members present: Chair Marisa Bayer, Shaina Ashare, Marisa Bayer, Zoe Frank, Lillian Hertel, Paige Kane, Claire Lukens, Ryan Griffin, Bridget Rathsack, McKenna Taylor, Andy Willette, Eric Zweber. Excused absence: Stefan Collinet-Adler Staff present: Emily Ziring, Sustainability Manager; Annie Pottorff, Sustainability Specialist Guests: None 1. The meeting was called to order at 6:33 p.m. by Chair Bayer. 2. The minutes of the December 2020 Annual Retreat minutes meeting were approved unanimously. 3. The minutes of the December 2020 ESC meeting were approved unanimously. 4. Staff updates – Ms. Ziring and Ms. Pottorff presented. Items being worked on include: - Solar Sundown program launch - Climate Champions - Green Building Policy – cohort of cities met twice. Best practices document will be released. May also work with Hennepin County on a regional approach, similar to model used for benchmarking ordinance. - Scorecards delivered to all property owners who submitted their benchmarking – full data set was received. Will use data to target Climate Champions program. - Working with Great Plains Institute and looking at what metrics can track for Climate Action Plan – this is at no cost to the city. - Trees initiative – city council will discuss next week regarding funding. - Dept of Labor and Dept of Commerce issued a report on advanced building energy standard workgroup – final recommendations released and report going to Governor. They recommend adopting a framework for the statewide commercial building energy code that ensures that all new commercial and large multifamily construction is net-zero by 2036 but will require legislation. Will continue to push on this and will share updates as they are available. - Drafting a 2020 year in review – progress over year on CAP and preview in 2021. - Working on funding proposals for EV chargers due in Feb. as well as EV MPCA application. - Energy Home Squad – 173 total visits and closest competitor is Bloomington – we have 1.19% per capita for St. Louis Park visits. Should know if SLP won in next few weeks. - Looking at annual Green Steps Cities inventory – install signs on Hwy. 7 – working to achieve Step 5 metrics which is due April 1, 2021. St. Louis Park Building and Energy Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 - Participating in meetings with Community Technology Advisory Committee and looking at Smart City approaches for sustainability work in the city and collaboration – will keep ESC updated. Commissioner Zweber asked with the extension of Solar ITC, will the Solar Sundown program have changes. Ms. Ziring stated will still give rebate and will describe it as difference between 2020 and 2019 at 30%. Details of the program do not change, but framing will change. The program will be continued into 2021 as a pilot program and can potentially extend at the end of the year. 5. Signing on to joint Local Government Coalition IRP comments – Ms. Ziring stated comments to PUC were already submitted as a city after approval through council. This would be looking to sign on to joint letter, which aligns well with letter already submitted and goals align well with city goals. The letter was sent to the ESC for review. Chair Bayer stated speaking at the PUC is also helpful and asked if there is a plan in place for this along with the letter. Ms. Ziring stated she will check into this. Commissioner Rathsack added it might be helpful to share this via the city’s social media presence and website. Commissioner Zweber made a motion and Commissioner Willette seconded, to approve and sign on to onto the letter as presented. The motion passed unanimously. 6. Drafting letter to Public Utilities Commission on Clean Cars Minnesota rulemaking Ms. Ziring stated comments to the MPCA are due by March 15. She suggested sending out a draft letter from staff to the ESC and then after approved, sending to the city council for approval and for the Mayor to sign. The purpose of the rulemaking is to strengthen vehicle emissions standards and have zero emissions standards for cars sold. She continues, this supports climate and air pollution reduction and would help further travel goals in the CAP as well, with more electric vehicles on the roads and better emission standards for regular vehicles. Chair Bayer asked if it is worth doing another cities coalition letter on this topic as well. Ms. ZIring will check into this and report back. Commissioner Willette asked if this letter will look at the higher costs of purchasing gasoline cars, and total cost of ownership and equity, and reliability. Ms. Ziring stated this will all be noted in the letter also. Ms. Ziring stated the draft will be sent to the ESC in a couple weeks for review and feedback. 7. Process for filling ESC vacancy Ms. Ziring stated she spoke with Ms. Solano and discussed the process to get a business member on the ESC. St. Louis Park Building and Energy Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 She stated the annual application process runs from January – May each year. Filling the vacancy will be treated as part of the annual recruitment through the city process and will allow for a good pool of candidates. The applications are open now and council will review and interview through March and April, and new members are appointed in May. Ms. Solano is happy to attend a meeting to discuss further. ESC feedback is welcome to assist in recruiting candidates. Commissioner Zweber asked how many members terms are up this year. Ms. Pottorff stated 7 terms are up in May. All would have to reapply and go through the application process. Commissioner Zweber this makes sense, and he will support this process. Chair Bayer stated she would like to include some language for a boilerplate email to businesses and a business member along with why they should participate in the commission. Chair Bayer suggested contacting Twin West Chamber of Commerce to help with recruitment and also contact those who benchmarked and had high energy efficiency scores. Ms. Ziring stated she will check with Twin West. She added that the letter can be added to the ESC webpage. Commissioners Zweber and Rathsack stated they will help with this project. 8. Work Group and/or project updates - Establish 2021 work groups Commissioner Griffin stated in past the work groups have been asked to be in alignment with the ESC goals and workplan. Chair Bayer stated there is no formal action needed to develop work groups, and groups can form, identify, and establish as interests and discussions come up. Commissioner Ashare suggested the legislative group might include the report on environmental justice that goes to council. Commissioner Zweber agreed. Commissioner Taylor said she would like an exploratory meeting this month to discuss the event work group to get it up and running. Commissioners Rathsack and Ashare, along with Ms. Pottorff (as staff liaison) stated they would be happy to join this meeting also. Chair Bayer stated Mike Bull, Director of Policy at CEE, could come speak to the ESC to share information about state policy impacts and how can the ESC influence policies and PUC. Commissioner Willette liked this idea and volunteered to be on the legislative work group. Commissioner Rathsack added if might be good for staff to check in with the city lobbyist before a presentation were to occur. Ms. Ziring stated as long as the presentation were neutral and general it should be fine. St. Louis Park Building and Energy Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 www.stlouispark.org • Phone: 952.924.2531 • Fax: 952.924.2170 • TTY: 952.924.2518 Chair Bayer stated Mike is not a lobbyist and she can make sure the presentation is factual and how it could impact our work. Ms. Ziring will pass on the city’s legislative goals as a guide as well. Commissioner Zweber stated he is in support of the presentation from Mike. 9. City Council written report - Update on environmental justice report to council Commissioner Ashare stated this is about 80% completed and there is still a bit more work to do. She added a parking lot section was created for ideas and she will share this with the ESC in an email. These ideas were listed as current and future items that are being acted on and policy recommendations that will be made. She stated this draft will be cleaned up a bit more and reviewed with the ESC and then forwarded to council. Ms. Ziring recommended submitting this report to the council separately from the work plan discussion with council that takes place around June. 10. Environmental Justice open discussion – no comments were made. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m.