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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020/03/04 - 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 March 4, 2020 Community Room, City Hall Members present: Chair Claire Lukens, Abdi Ali, Thor Anderson, Shaina Ashare, Sue Bloyer, Nicole Ciulla, Stefan Collinet-Adler, Zoe Frank, Ryan Griffin, Bridget Rathsack Excused absence: Jim Leuthner Staff present: Emily Ziring, Sustainability Manager; Annie Pottorff, Sustainability Specialist Guests: None 1. The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Chair Lukens. 2. The minutes of the February 2020 meeting were approved unanimously. 3. Staff updates and introductions of Sustainability Specialist - Ms. Pottorff stated she will working on the Climate Champions program, and will be collecting data for the Green Steps program. She will also be working on Earth Day, Ecotacular and Arbor Day events. 4. Work group and/or project updates Ms. Ziring noted the following: - Benchmarking ordinance – an information letter will be going out to property/business owners soon and an education session will be held April 28th. - A benchmarking website is now available for property owners. - Climate Champions – met with MN Chamber Energy Smart Staff and Xcel, who offers design assistance with materials. An MOU will be signed with Xcel next week to begin this work. - Met with community development staff about how to help with Home Energy Squad competition. Staff will promote this on social media when ready as well as have commissioners promote with their networks as well. - Working on Earth Day and Ecotacular and hoping ESC members will be able to staff the table and volunteer with the Chevy Bolt. Register via Signupgenius. - SLP SEEDS is offering the ESC a table on Sat., April 19 at Roots and Shoots event. If ESC is interested in volunteering, please notify staff. - A bicycle swap or EV showcase were ideas the ESC wanted to work on with Ecotacular, but these are not feasible for the event according to Emily Barker who is heading up Ecotacular planning. - Commissioner Collinet-Adler asked if the EV event could be held at a different St. Louis Park Event, if not the Ecotacular event. It would need to be at an event that draws many residents to the event. Ms. Ziring stated possibly at the city’s art fair. Commissioner Collinet- 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 Adler stated it would have to be in the main parking lot at the Rec Center though. Ms. Ziring stated she would explore this more if the ESC is interested in pursuing this. - St. Louis Park SEEDS is working on getting Farmer’s Markets within the city. - Commissioner Ashare mentioned a vehicle fair held in the fall at a temple with fire trucks and school buses on display. However, Commissioner Collinet-Adler said the type of vehicles are utility so it’s not an appropriate venue. - Ms. Ziring will check into the Parktacular, Art Fair and Farmer’s Markets for the EV event. - Commissioner Collinet-Adler stated last month the commission began to explore an anti- idling ordinance. He sent a case study to Ms. Ziring as well and asked that she forward it to the ESC members. 5. The commission adjourned to council chambers for a Racial Equity and Inclusion 101 presentation at 7:00 p.m. 6. The commission reconvened at 8:12 p.m. Thoughts on the Racial Equity presentation: - Commissioner Griffin stated the planning, diversity, economic inclusivity and climate piece all intersect. He noted the city is only 50% walkable and this will be something to work on. - Commissioner Ciulla stated she agreed, and in an article she shared about equity and climate action plans noted there are intersections between climate plans and social justice, but these items are not flushed out in the city’s climate action plan yet. The article stated that several plans did not have steps, but then outlined how they developed these steps. - Commissioner Anderson stated he learned a lot and needed to learn more. - Ms. Ziring stated Ms. Sojourner can be invited back to the ESC for more discussion. a. City Council written report – this will be revisited at a future meeting. b. 2020 ESC work plan – select new date for presentation to city council at study session – April 13 will no longer work. The new date will need to be either May 26, June 8, June 22 or July 13. The ESC decided June 8 would work best. c. Debrief February 24 Boards and Commissions event- The event was great, and well attended. There was entertainment from Wat Thai, and a presentation by Treehouse, and a presentation about the Census 2020. The Boards and Commissions did presentations as well. The ESC liked the new format of the event. Commissioner Rathsack appreciated the low- income housing information presented by the housing commission and noted this might be an opportunity to partner the ESC with this group in order to help promote Home Energy Squad visits. 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 d. Upcoming/proposed events Hennepin County Environmental Commission events: • March 18, 9-10 a.m. – meeting with Hennepin County commissioners – a representative can be sent from the city to meet with county commissioners and staff. Commissioner Ciulla is willing to go to the meeting, with Commissioner Griffin being a back- up person if needed. April 4, 2020 Environmental Commission Conference at Hennepin Ave United Methodist Church – the conference is from 9-3 p.m. and is inclusive of the whole state this year. Commissioner Collinet-Adler stated he may have attended this event a few years back. The event is still evolving, and will be focused on climate action this year. Ms. Ziring sent the ESC an email about it, and Commissioner Bloyer is attending. Other events: • April 19, 2020 – SLP SEEDS 6th Annual SLP Earth Day Celebration event at SLP high school, co-hosted by Roots & Shoots – more details will be shared. • April 25, 2020 – Arbor Day/Earth Day event at Westwood Hills Nature Center – this is a volunteering event/tabling, and tours will be given of the Interpretive Center. Volunteers are needed and there is a place to sign up on the Signupgenius site. • May – Bike the Park event – Commissioner Griffin stated the route is set and help is needed with promoting the event on social media. He added the event could be paired with another event also. Later in the summer might be better because of the weather. e. Commissioner Collinet-Adler noted a case study related to an idling ordinance in Minneapolis passed in 2008. He noted it was helpful in understanding advantages and pitfalls and it could be a starting point on clean air. He noted this could be done at schools as a pilot, and also signage “No Idling” could be piloted. The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 p.m.