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Home My WebLink About2023/09/06 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Regular Official minutes Environment & sustainability commission St. Louis Park, Minnesota 9/6/2023 1. Call to order – 6:30 p.m. 1a. Roll call Members present: Chair Shaina Ashare, Vice Chair Tatiana Giraldo, Marisa Bayer, Ramil Goonetilleke, Ryan Griffin, Sasha Shahidi, Abigail Oppegaard, Andrew Willette, Dave Wilsey, Eric Zweber Members absent: Paul Zeigle Staff present: Emily Ziring, Sustainability Manager; Cheyenne Brodeen, Administrative Services Director Guests: Nancy Rose, Friends of Bass Lake 3. Approval of minutes – August 2, 2023 – The minutes were approved unanimously as presented, with two abstentions. 4. Business 4a. Focus group on Boards & Commissions program purpose with Cheyenne Brodeen, Administrative Services Director Ms. Brodeen presented background on the boards & commissions revisioning project. Commissioner Shahidi noted that she attended the virtual meeting of the boards & commissions report to observe. Commissioner Shahidi noted that the ESC seems like an outlier and that the frustrations she heard in the meeting from other commissions did not reflect the ESC at all. She stated she noted this in the meeting and is worried the ESC may go away because other boards and commissions may be dissolved. Ms. Brodeen thanked her for her feedback and will take that back to staff. She said there will be changes to all boards and commissions coming. Commissioner Goonetilleke asked if all boards and commissions will be treated the same. Ms. Brodeen stated staff would want to be as consistent as possible on how all boards and commissions are treated. Commissioner Zweber noted he watched the city council workshops related to boards and commissions, and noted staff and the consultants did a good job. He added he was disappointed at the second meeting when he heard comments like “council are elected officials and they have the authority.” He stated that if only they have authority, why should boards and commission members put in the effort. Commissioner Shahidi added she does not think all the councilmembers feel that way. Environmental & Sustainability Commission Sept. 6, 2023 Ms. Brodeen proceeded with the focus group and asked the commissioners to fill out written answers to questions and respond verbally if comfortable. Ms. Brodeen recorded verbal responses. What have you found to be most rewarding about the program so far and where do you think your input has been integrated most effectively? • Working with staff and Ms. Ziring is most rewarding • Working with staff and giving feedback and working on how that meets city priorities is also positive • Meetings are very well organized and productive • Best support from staff in years • Climate action plan and direct involvement with that • Direct energy purchasing policy, input on trees and memos to council • ESC has had a great voice and proud of that – didn’t always have that or good leadership in past – accomplished much in history of the ESC • Helps with personal development, education, changed career paths because of influence from the commission • Helps learn about city government approach to sustainability • Helps when running high school sustainability group – taking input from ESC and bringing to the high school and hopes that will continue • Helps build relationships with residents about sustainability • Helps with volunteering and interaction with residents and what the city is doing – and why you can and can’t do things within the framework of city government – and telling friends about what’s going on, while also being a resource to others on sustainability • Interesting to see how passionate residents are about the environment • Good pipeline to help build leaders who went on to become elected officials on city council How do you see your work aligning with city strategic priorities? • ESC is high functioning because it is aligned with strategic priorities • Helps get more time with council since the ESC is directly connected to strategic priorities • Helps the committee to measure progress while aligning with the priorities • Having the ESC retreat also helps with alignment with city priorities • Retreat also provide onboarding into the process of the ESC • ESC onboarding was very clear and comprehensive, thanks to staff leadership How could we use this program to connect with community? And reduce barriers to participation? Environmental & Sustainability Commission Sept. 6, 2023 • Direct connection with ESC and race equity • Have activities where ESC engages with all residents, not just some but all residents of all backgrounds • Good engagement on the ESC, but we are not comprehensive in coverage of the community – use all boards and commissions members to capture things that need to be attended to or thought about and then bring back to staff • Looking at different meeting times, or meeting virtually, and be more flexible, and the once-a-month meeting is helpful • Some level of formality helps the ESC function well • Volunteer work is needed, can the ESC be a conduit here to train and assist staff in bringing on volunteers • Have an open town hall meeting for residents to give input, bring concerns, and ideas – have it at times that are helpful so people can attend, and possibly with childcare • Work on more awareness that these commissions exist, and the city should be more intentional about this • Explore more ways to communicate and expectations for being involved • Open events to residents so they can understand commissions and boards and what they do • Building camaraderie is important and helpful • Get the ESC and other boards and commissions involved in elementary school to get younger kids more interested in environmental issues • Recruit members for boards and commissions – current board members and council members do notify residents when new members are needed • Other cities provide incentives – possibly serve dinner to commission and board members How could this program influence and build trust in the decision-making process of the city council? • Don’t have enough exposure to the city council • Each councilmember should go to all commission meetings each year • Have a councilmember liaison with each commission • ESC members could also attend more council meetings • Communication feels one directional to the council, need council to tell us what information they want from boards and commissions • ESC is very under leveraged by council and has been historically – Ms. Ziring assists here, but would be best to have a more real time process with council approaching the ESC • Create a workgroup pulling from multiple commissions to work on projects • Staff makes time to be the conduit between city council and boards and commissions and this is more of a staff role v. a role of the board or commission member Environmental & Sustainability Commission Sept. 6, 2023 Ms. Brodeen said staff will be in touch with the ESC and developments that occur related to this initiative. 5. Staff updates Ms. Ziring updated the commission on the following items: • Electrification project • Tree preservation report to council two weeks ago • Climate Champions for homes and multifamily active • Tabled at Beth El – good conversations were held • Tabling at SLP Art Fair • Working with high school environmental club and collaborations • Procuring solar for Fire Station #1 • EV 101 event – more to come on Facebook and newsletter Ms. Ziring described the outcomes of the tree preservation report to council on August 28. She noted they discussed an inventory of city trees on public and private property. She stated council discussed a tree canopy goal, as well as heritage tree preservation options and what is being done for ash, oak and Dutch elm trees. She added that council discussed private and public tree treatments, as well as creating an environmental justice element to treatment programs and resident education on tree preservation. Ms. Ziring noted there will be a tree canopy goal percentage. She noted staff will research heritage tree preservation in greater depth. She stated staff is also looking at other cities and how they do this work. She stated she will send the presentation given at the council meeting to the ESC. Commissioner Zweber asked about the funds-in-lieu program to help meet the canopy goal. Ms. Ziring stated this is an existing policy and could be increased for removal of heritage trees. Commissioner Zweber asked about influencing tree preservation into the future. Ms. Ziring stated this will not go away and this conversation will continue. 6. Work plan update 6a. Expand our outreach – no updates 6b. Share our voice – no updates 6c. Measure our progress – no updates 7. Environmental justice and current events open discussion Commissioner Shahidi mentioned a shoutout to Ms. Ziring on the Hopkins episode of the City Climate Corner podcast. Environmental & Sustainability Commission Sept. 6, 2023 Commissioner Wilsey noted that if there were a talk in St. Louis Park about favorite trees, it could be a good environmental justice topic as we learn how folks connect to trees. Ms. Ziring noted an article in the New York Times this week about farmers in Minnesota draining wells and using groundwater to grow potatoes for French fries. She stated she will send the article to the ESC. 8. Upcoming/proposed events • SLP Art Fair – Sept. 9 • Fire Station Open House – Sept. 19 9. Adjournment – 8:20 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Emily Ziring, liaison Shaina Ashare, chair member