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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/11/03 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular Official minutes Environment & sustainability commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota 11/3/2021 1. Call to order 1a. Roll call Members present: Chair Marisa Bayer, Shaina Ashare, Ryan Griffin, Holly Johnson, Sasha Shahidi, Andrew Willette, Dave Wilsey, Eric Zweber, Tatiana Giraldo, Paige Kane Members absent: JD Moore, Lillian Hertel Staff present: Emily Ziring, Sustainability Manager Guests: Councilmember Larry Kraft; Building and Energy Director Brian Hoffman 2. Approval of minutes – Oct. 6, 2021 – the minutes were approved unanimously with two abstentions (Commissioners Kane and Giraldo). 3. Business • Climate emergency declaration discussion with Councilmember Kraft Councilmember Kraft explained details behind the declaration. He stated he sees this as a beginning of this work and a way to have more power and more say with state government on this issue. He stated so far at least 15 cities and some counties within MN are pursuing this declaration at the same time. Mr. Hoffman added that previously, the ESC shared concern that this would only be a symbolic statement. But now that it is building and moving to a statewide coalition level, there could be more interest from the public and media. He stated there is good reason for this timing. Councilmember Kraft stated this is the right time to do this, adding the impacts are climate change are being seen here now and if this can be used to get more residents involved, that will also be helpful. Commissioner Zweber asked how this relates to the climate action plan and whether there would be legislative actions that come of this. Councilmember Kraft stated yes, along with more funding from the state, the climate action plan serves as the guiding document. Ms. Ziring added that as an example, the net zero building goal will only be reached and advanced if the state is on board, so there are direct tie-ins to the climate action plan. Commissioner Zweber asked if all the members of the coalition are at the same place and have a climate action plan, and is St. Louis Park going to be at the same place with other cities. Councilmember Kraft stated the cities are not all at the same place, but there are specific tools to acknowledge this in the resolution template. He stated the power is in a large number of cities coming together to declare there is a climate emergency. ESC meeting -2- Nov. 3, 2021 Mr. Hoffman stated the declaration will also help keep the community engaged as well. Commissioner Ashare added she is in support of this and asked if there is a way to make a big splash with media, such as all cities’ advocating for climate action at the legislature wearing the same color t-shirt. Commissioner Shahidi asked if there are requests at the state or federal level for specific legislative asks, or actual benchmarks that cities wish to be checked off. Councilmember Kraft stated there are not at this point. He added he has reached out to the house climate energy finance policy committee chair to talk about leveraging this. He stated this is a beginning. Commissioner Shahidi stated she is worried about the other cities having different ideas they are lobbying for, and this then might lose its power or long-term benefit. Councilmember Kraft stated the focus at first will be on St. Louis Park’s asks, and then having discussions about legislative issues. He added good ideas are beginning and this can be the springboard and then continue discussions even after the declaration is in place. Commissioner Willette asked if principles or broader and general themes can be brought forward. Commissioner Wilsey stated the action of the collection of cities will not change climate significantly, and no one city can affect climate. He is concerned that the emergency declaration will be a big burst and then fade off later, and wondered how this can be avoided. Mr. Hoffman stated most of the legislation is unknown because the session has not yet begun, but the principles will stay the same, and the desire is for the legislature to take measures to reduce greenhouse gases. He stated the council does meet with the city’s representatives each year and review city priorities, so the concepts and principles are in place. Commissioner Shahidi stated it will be then very important to have the cities within the coalition in agreement, and especially for the public to see this. Chair Bayer added that cities agreeing on broader values will help as well. Commissioner Giraldo added it will be important to get funding also. Commissioner Wilsey asked if state funding is aspirational or will happen. Chair Kraft stated it is aspirational at this point, adding this is not the same as declaring a state of emergency, where relief funding is offered. Commissioner Griffin stated he is supportive of the resolution and that up to this point it has been symbolic, but with more cities involved it is good timing, especially with Glasgow and the Build Back Better bill. Commissioner Zweber asked if the coalition is set up so they could vote on supportive legislation if it is brought forward. Councilmember Kraft stated that the caucus is not a membership organization at this point. He stated they are working to do something meaningful now and then build on that together with the other cities. ESC meeting -2- Nov. 3, 2021 Commissioner Zweber asked how PR can come from a coalition such as this. Councilmember Kraft stated the group is working on a communication plan. Commissioner Wilsey stated he is still concerned about the group continuing to work together, even after the climate declaration is in place. He hopes the group will continue to collaborate over time. Councilmember Kraft stated this can all be built into the overarching goals and communication plan of the group. Mr. Hoffman stated the benefit is that there are officials talking together and engaged together about sustainability and the environment. This also helps city councils doing this to contact their legislatures and ask them to do more. Commissioner Griffin asked if there is a way for the city to double down on climate action within this effort. Ms. Ziring stated that actions are all either underway or planning to be rolled out in 2022 and everything is tied back to the climate action plan. Staff will continue to work on getting community buy in. Commissioner Zweber asked if there will be an ask of the ESC. Councilmember Kraft stated he will not make an ask, but that council will ask the ESC for their support of this. Commissioner Zweber asked for this to be added to the Dec. 1 ESC agenda for further discussion. Commissioners Zweber, Griffin, Johnson, and Wilsey will form a work group to review the resolution and come back with a recommendation to ESC at the Dec. 1 meeting. • Review draft Tariffed on Bill pilot program letter to Public Utilities Commission The commissioners discussed the letter. Commissioner Shahidi asked about the housing stock and rental rate data. Commissioner Griffin asked about the details of the tariff being proposed. Commissioner Zweber stated there needs to be a 20% energy savings to make the project feasible. He added there is a process to audit and determine if savings has been realized. He added it is not intended to pilot financing for fuel switching. Commissioner Griffin stated that this is the wrong thing to do, and it is best to get away from investing in natural gas. Commissioner Ashare stated there is no other program that does fuel switching at this time, and it is helping people to add insulation to their homes, as well as other improvements that help with energy conservation, not just furnaces. Commissioner Zweber asked if rather than reduces energy, a phrase about customers saving money be used instead. ESC meeting -2- Nov. 3, 2021 Commissioner Griffin stated a high-efficiency furnace replacement would take many more years to pay for, so fuel switching is really the best way to go. Commissioner Zweber stated he likes the idea of 12 years to payback vs. 30 years and this program could help until electrical heat options are widely available. Commissioner Giraldo stated she investigated getting electric heating, noting that in very cold temperatures it may not work effectively. Chair Bayer noted there are options but finding contractors to install air source heat pumps is difficult. She added there is workforce development and training being developed now for contractors. A motion was made by Commissioner Wilsey, seconded by Commissioner Zweber to recommend forwarding the document to the city council. The motion passed with two abstentions (Commissioners Griffin and Bayer). Commissioner Zweber stated the ESC had hoped this agreement would be with Xcel and Minneapolis, and not Centerpoint, but this opens the door to more discussions and collaboration later. 4. Staff updates Ms. Ziring updated the commissioners on current projects: • Climate Investment Fund was approved with funding for 2022. It will carry over from year to year. • Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory – on Nov. 22, a five-year progress report will be delivered to the city council at a study session. • Building Operations Champion program – training those who work in buildings to take care of buildings more efficiently. Also supports building a more diverse workforce and training them. • 2022 programs – tree growing initiative, climate champions for multi-family. The anti- idling report went to council and council was very supportive of the options for a policy for city staff and for an educational campaign. A work group will be needed for this at a future date. • Thanks to all for their help with the Twin Cities Film Festival, which was a success. • Climate Champions update – 20 businesses have had assessments and 4 are applying for cost-share program. 5. Workgroup and/or project updates o EJ workgroup and “parking lot items” next steps Multifamily information – incentives and program – Environmental Justice work group had a meeting to discuss. Chair Bayer said there are many existing programs for multifamily buildings. She said that the workgroup has concerns about whether adding a Climate Champions for multifamily buildings program would get any participation if it is not very different from what already exists. She asked the ESC if anyone has experience creating surveys that can be conducted with multifamily property renters. Commissioner Ashare stated she has some survey expertise. ESC meeting -2- Nov. 3, 2021 Ms. Ziring stated staff applied for two CERTs grants, including one for a community engagement study to look at barriers to using NOAH housing programs. She added it is important to look at the barriers before moving ahead with new program designs. This grant would be for electronic surveys and focus groups. She stated she would like to table the EJ work group item until information comes back on the grants. Commissioner Willette stated when doing the survey, there should be an idea set for survey takers to react to. This will be further discussed at the January 2022 ESC meeting. 6. Environmental justice open discussion Commissioner Shahidi stated there is design contest, with winners announced in December. 7. Upcoming/proposed events • ESC retreat – Dec. 5, 2021 from 12-4 p.m. at Westwood Hills Nature Center • ESC elections – Jan. 2022 – Chair and Vice Chair to be elected 8. Adjournment – 8:10 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Emily Ziring, liaison Marisa Bayer, chair member