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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/12/05 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Study Session Official minutes – annual retreat Environment & sustainability commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota 12/5/2021 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; Annie Pottorff, Sustainability Specialist 2. 2021 Work Plan Review Chair Bayer reviewed the 2021 work plan and asked commissioners if there was anything that was accomplished in 2021 that wasn’t captured. Commissioner Shahidi stated that the Climate Emergency was not covered in the workplan but that it touches many of the goals. The commission briefly discussed the history of the work plans. Commissioner Griffin stated that the current work plan outline is focused on big picture items the commission can work on rather than individual workgroup goals. Commissioner Ashare added the new outline also reflects how there are now more staff resources to take on projects that were previously worked on by the commission. Ms. Ziring stated that sometimes commissioners or residents submit requests that fall outside the scope of the Climate Action Plan, such as natural resource issues. Commissioner Ashare asked if there were any suggestions to navigate this discrepancy. Ms. Ziring stated she could review natural resource staff availability to support special projects as they arise but that generally, there are staffing constraints that make it difficult to support much natural resources work for the ESC. Commissioner Zweber stated he is excited to revisit the work plan, as the commission will be able to conduct more in-person engagement in 2022. Commissioner Willette stated he is interested to learn more about progress towards the Climate Action Plan, and how those results should drive the work plan. Commissioner Wilsey stated that there is an opportunity to include reflections about commission recruitment, race equity and inclusion, self-maintenance, and continued development and learning in the work plan. ESC meeting -2- December 5, 2021 3. Climate Action Plan Progress Ms. Ziring reviewed progress towards Climate Action Plan goals. Commissioner Zweber stated it would be useful to see travel emissions broken down by sectors to evaluate transportation electrification potential. Commissioner Griffin stated it would be helpful to indicate which Climate Action Plan goals the commission can influence and which they cannot. Ms. Ziring reviewed the planned 2022 staff projects and programs. Commissioner Griffin asked if the energy efficiency rebate match could be expanded. Ms. Ziring stated she would inquire if the rebate match could be expanded and scaled to financial need. Commissioner Zweber said that if there is rebate funding leftover during the year, the rebate eligibility should be expanded, but if existing funding is being allocated currently he is more hesitant. Ms. Ziring agreed she would rather expand the budget first in order to broaden the rebate match. Commissioner Griffin asked if the 2021 budget allocated to program cost shares had been spent. Ms. Ziring answered that staff has reached goals for Climate Champions energy assessments, but that moving business owners from assessments to conducting projects has been challenging. Ms. Pottorff added that this largely seems due to overburdened business owners, COVID-19 concerns, and supply chain issues. Commissioner Johnson stated a neighbor approached her who was concerned about tree care in the city parks and asked if public tree care could tie in to the ReLeaf St. Louis Park tree program. Ms. Ziring stated that there are staff limitations to watering all the trees in the city. Commissioner Shahidi suggested an adopt-a-tree in the park program to care for park trees. Ms. Ziring stated she would follow up with natural resources staff to see if this already exists. Commissioner Wilsey asked if there were any considerations with promoting both the ReLeaf St. Louis Park tree program and the Solar Sundown program. Ms. Ziring stated that staff can communicate the option of planting lower height trees or less shady trees if residents are interested in installing solar on their property. Commissioner Ashare asked if heat maps would be used to guide the tree program. Ms. Ziring stated the new Metropolitan Council tool, Growing Shade, would likely be used. Commissioner Griffin asked if staff had considered program components like paying a parking lot owner to create a raingarden. Ms. Ziring stated that staff will be meeting with the city’s Water Resources Manager to discuss this possibility tied to a future depaving program. Commissioner Shahidi asked if the city communicated messages around the long-term maintenance of trees and how to plan for dying trees and tree replacement in a landscaping plan. Ms. Ziring stated this could be included in program communications. ESC meeting -3- December 5, 2021 Commissioner Giraldo stated the city is going to be removing trees for an upcoming sidewalk project in Fern Hill and asked if tree education could be integrated. Ms. Ziring stated she thinks there is typically not a neighborhood notification program for municipal tree maintenance and removal. Commissioner Zweber asked how the Year of Climate Action would relate to these proposed programs. Ms. Ziring stated these programs would be presented to the public along with the Year of Climate Action and the Climate Investment Fund. Ms. Ziring asked the commission if these programs met the city’s Climate Action Plan goals. Commissioner Griffin stated each program should have a clear goal in terms of emissions reductions. Commissioner Zweber stated this would be useful but that reporting might vary, as one year could be too early to show accurate program progress. Commissioner Wilsey asked if programs are goal-driven or budget-limited, and how participation should be maximized. Commissioner Willette stated if there is a disconnect between goals and the budget, council should be aware. Commissioner Zweber stated that by having a goal and a measurement process, the commission can show council where more funding is needed. Ms. Ziring stated she wrote a council report in 2020 to show how much funding will be required to meet Climate Action Plan goals, and that this information could be integrated into the program plan. Chair Bayer asked the commission how they can help the community understand they have a part to play in Climate Action Plan goals. Ms. Ziring agreed that creating a survey asking the community what they think their role in climate action is would be useful. Commissioner Shahidi asked if there is a way to reach new residents that move to the city such as a welcome sustainability packet. Ms. Pottorff stated there are homestead packets that are sent to new homeowners in the city that include information about Home Energy Squad visits. Commissioner Ashare suggested the commission learn from community organizing techniques. Commissioner Giraldo stated messaging should focus on how much money people will save through sustainability projects. Commissioner Kane stated the messaging could focus on the additional money available for projects, rather than savings that will be gained. Commissioner Shahidi stated visibility needs to be improved and provided the example of a yard sign to show a resident installed a high efficiency furnace. ESC meeting -4- December 5, 2021 4. 2022 ESC Workplan Chair Bayer directed commissioners to write down any new ideas they wanted to add to the 2022 workplan. Commissioners shared their ideas with the group and the ideas were sorted and recorded by Chair Bayer to inform the 2022 workplan development. 7. 2022 ESC Workplan Action Plan: Small Groups Chair Bayer assigned commissioners to small groups to discuss events, environmental justice, and partnerships/guest speakers for 2022. The small groups reported their ideas to the large group. Commissioner Zweber stated the events group discussed creating a dedicated events workgroup that would focus on the Year of Climate Action. They also discussed travel-specific events including Bike the Park, Bike to Work Day, and Ride and Drives. They suggested the commission explore a neighborhood competition to drive engagement. They also discussed the need to create a list of all upcoming city events, especially ones at the Recreation Outdoor Center, for the commission to join. They recommended presenting about the Climate Action Plan to various groups in various locations, such as grocery stores or breweries. Commissioner Wilsey stated the environmental justice group discussed community organizing as a model for accessing difficult to reach communities, and the importance of considering the disproportionate time tax that exists for vulnerable populations. They also discussed the need to review the commission’s environmental justice memo in light of the federal Justice40 initiative. Commissioner Kane stated the partnerships/guest speakers group discussed connecting with commissions from other cities, University of Minnesota staff and students, businesses interested in electric vehicle charging, public schools, the Roots & Shoots high school environmental club, and local climate activist groups. They also discussed having a shared booth at the Minnesota State Fair about the climate emergency, and partnering with other cities in the west metro area to create a toy and/or tool library. 8. Adjournment ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Emily Ziring, liaison Marisa Bayer, chair member