HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/01/12 - ADMIN - Minutes - Environment & Sustainability Commission - Study Session Environment & sustainability commission meeting
January 12, 2025
Annual retreat
Official minutes
Environment & sustainability commission
Members present:
Chair Eric Zweber, Vice Chair Abigail Oppegaard, Shaina Ashare, Tatiana Giraldo, Ryan Griffin,
Jessica Hendrix, Ethan Kehrberg, Bennett Myhran, Natalie Wagner, Avery Kuehl
Members absent:
Marisa Bayer, Ramil Goonetilleke, Sasha Shahidi
Staff present:
Emily Ziring, sustainability manager; Annie Pottorff, sustainability specialist; Ellie Rabine,
sustainability specialist
Guests:
None
1. Call to order – roll call
a. The meeting was called to order at 9:32 a.m.
2. Unfinished business
• Approval of minutes (Dec. 4, 2024)
o Commissioner Wagner moved to approve minutes
o Vice Chair Oppegaard seconded
o Motion passes
• Approval of letter to Planning Commission re: expanding neighborhood housing options
o Commissioner Hendrix moved to send the letter to city council
o Commissioner Kuehl seconded
o Motion passes with one abstention (Commissioner Myhran)
3. Sustainability in St. Louis Park
Emily reviewed the city’s climate action plan history and goals; staff, council, and
commissioner roles; and current projects/programs. She also discussed plans for staff work
on resiliency, particularly with respect to responding to extreme heat.
4. Introduction to the 2025 draft ESC work plan
• Chairs reviewed the proposed work plan topics. No new/missing topics were proposed
by commissioners.
• Commissioners split up into small groups to review work plan initiatives.
5. Report out on 2025 work plan
o Initiative 1 – Climate Action Plan update
Commissioner Ashare
Commissioner Kehrberg
Environment & sustainability commission meeting
Suggest this topic become an established work group. ESC can help
identify when an update happens. It should be an amendment, not a
rewrite. Break things up into how we can lead, how can we influence, and
what’s out of our hands. Are there any science-based targets we need to
align with? Align with legislation that has passed since the CAP was
written, add better definitions and deadlines, build out glossary and
terms, consider Hennepin County waste efforts, partner with other nearby
environmental commissions, consider community input. Thinking through
federal and state funding availability. Think through if we should still have
language around carbon offsets or reconsider this.
o Initiative 2 – Electrification event
Commissioner Wagner
Commissioner Giraldo
Group considered goal for electrification event based on e-bikes and
home electrification incentives. Goal is twofold: increase awareness of SLP
programs/incentives and increase awareness in general around benefits
of electrification. Engage residents, business owners, and people visiting
St. Louis Park. Propose a bike event. Pedals, Pints, and Power / Cycle, Sip,
and Sustainability! Involve 3 different breweries. The first would focus on
SLP incentives. Invite hardware store such as Jerry’s (showcase electric
snowblowers, etc.). Second would focus on electrification incentives in
your home, invite someone (from Park Nicollet?) to talk about health
benefits. Third would be all about e-bikes, would invite Erik’s.
Opportunities for local businesses to partner. Host a raffle where the prize
could be bike-related. City staff would also be present to talk about bike
infrastructure and answer questions, especially about first mile/last mile
journeys to/from the future LRT stations. Could potentially invite local
HVAC or solar contractors/resources. There are two new microbreweries
in St. Louis Park. Invite a current residential SLP champion who has
electrified that can talk about their experience. Late summer/early fall
timeline.
o Initiative 3 – Promote curbside organics program to single-family households
Commissioner Hendrix
Chair Zweber
Considered common barriers to participation as well as how to
communicate benefits such as free bags, residents are already paying for
it, GHG emissions reduction, reducing need for landfills or incinerators.
Discussed creating a poll to dig into reasons. Reach out to 2 - 4 unit
properties. Help support some kind of compost awareness event. Support
automatically giving people bins. Sponsoring a tour of a composting site.
Connecting with local composting council to see how ESC could support
efforts. Would like to set a goal of 60% participation by 2030, if that is
deemed reasonable by staff and further research. Build on existing event
workgroup to support outreach.
Environment & sustainability commission meeting
o Initiative 4 – Educate residents at elementary school open houses
Commissioner Kuehl
Vice Chair Oppegaard
This could also be combined with an events workgroup. Brainstormed
some crafting ideas – seed bombs, painting tree cookies, and
recycling/composting sorting games. Math nights, book fairs, Parktacular,
art fair, should all be considered as well beyond elementary school events.
o Initiative 5 – Promote value of trees
Commissioner Myhran
Commissioner Griffin
Keeping in mind that the average life expectancy for an urban tree is 7
years… think about how to keep trees alive longer, when they begin
providing carbon benefits (~30 years). Think about canopy goal and how
will we hit that? Consider how new tree ordinance is working, as well as
other tree-related policy such as preferred contractors. Consider
standards that are being set, and if future amendments/specificity is
needed. Understanding city’s involvement in overhead lines as it relates
to tree trimming. How could ESC support/push for undergrounding
power? Understanding emissions due to wood waste – mulching has high
carbon emissions. Better communicating how burying trees is a better
carbon sink. Suggest creating a city definition of “wild space” vs. “green
space,” e.g., WHNC vs. soccer field. Focus on preserving these wild spaces.
Also discussed exploring biochar further. City of Wayzata has a contractor
to create biochar from municipal wood waste (great as a soil amendment,
neutralizes pH, and more benefits). Great River Greening has mobile kilns
to produce biochar – who is an existing city partner. Could explore this
partnership further.
• Commissioner Giraldo asked about large tree removal and how to
repurpose it to products.
• Commissioner Myhran answered that the City of Minnetonka has
a portable mill and they produce lumber. They have partnered
with other communities that want to try it out. Could also partner
with contractors who could mill the tree and offer it back to you.
o Emily Ziring noted that a few of the work plan items will require support from
staff in departments outside of Sustainability—specifically solid waste (within
Public Works), planning (within Community Development), and natural resources
(with Parks & Recreation)—and that progress on those work plan items will be
dependent on their staff capacity.
6. Revising standing agenda
• Chair Zweber discussed the proposed agenda item of introduction of guests.
• As the city moves forward with their comprehensive plan and Vision 4.0, this will be
grouped under the work plan update section, and the ESC will have opportunities for
feedback.
Environment & sustainability commission meeting
• Chair Zweber suggested a standing agenda spot for commissioners to recommend a
topic for further discussion, even if it is not strictly CAP-related.
• Commissioner Hendrix asked why the environmental justice agenda item was removed,
and the chairs explained this is now meant to be included under item 6 – sustainability
issues. The spot can be used to discuss environmental justice issues or others that are
important to the commission.
• Commissioner Griffin suggested a spot/reminder for the ESC to connect and consider
collaborations with other city commissions. Chair Zweber said this is a topic that could
be brought up under his suggested agenda spot for recommendations for further
discussion.
• Emily Ziring added that she is discussing and planning cross-commission meetings with
fellow staff including the liaisons to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and
Planning Commission.
• Commissioner Kehrberg asked if there had ever been a land acknowledgement for the
commission meetings.
• Emily added that council has it in their work plan to consider this year for council
meetings.
• Commissioner Hendrix recommended waiting to see how council moves forward with
crafting their possible acknowledgement. Others agreed.
• Vice Chair Oppegaard moved to approve the standing agenda.
• Commissioner Griffin seconded.
• Motion passed with unanimous support.
7. Future meetings
• Emily will confirm if the March meeting will be rescheduled because of Ash Wednesday.
The April meeting will also likely be rescheduled because of spring break.
• Chair Zweber brought up the future Planning Commission combined meeting.
• Commissioner Griffin proposed discussing the wild space definition with the Planning
Commission. Chair Zweber also recommended discussing commercial and multifamily
development, which have large parking lots that could be considered for depave and
other city initiatives.
• Commissioner Ashare brought up that the October date will be during Yom Kippur.
Emily noted this meeting will also be rescheduled.
8. By-laws
• Chair Zweber highlighted section 4.b) and recommended that the elections are held at
the September meeting instead of the first or second meeting of the year, to help give
existing members time.
• Emily suggested that the wording be changed instead to “at the discretion of the
commission” for flexibility.
• Emily will suggest to staff that 4.c) be updated to broadly say “all city-recognized
holidays.”
• Commissioner Ashare was wondering if the city holiday calendar aligned with the school
district, such as for Eid Al Fitr.
Environment & sustainability commission meeting
• Chair Zweber suggested changing the official meeting time from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Emily will work with staff to update these changes, then bring it the commission for
approval, and then the changes will need to be approved by council.
9. Wrap up
• Commissioner Myhran asked about next steps for the work plan and if all suggested
items from the retreat would be included.
• Chair Zweber said the draft work plan will be on the agenda for the next meeting.
• Emily plans to incorporate commissioners’ notes into a draft work plan and email it
ahead of the February meeting. Commissioners will then provide feedback and then
formally adopt the plan at the February meeting.
• Emily does not know when the work plan will officially go to council for approval.
Everything related to the environmental stewardship strategic priority will be discussed
at May-June city council study sessions. Emily clarified that the work plan will still be
adopted by the council before then, and commissioners can begin working towards
goals.
• Commissioner Griffin liked the work plan topic sheet structure but wants another
chance to wordsmith items.
• Emily re-confirmed that she will send it in advance of the meeting and solicit feedback
from commissioners who were unable to attend. She noted that the work plan
implementation is dependent on this group of volunteer commissioners and that no one
will be judged for progress on any items.
• Commissioner Griffin added for next year that it would be nice to have more time to
discuss the proposed work plan ideas as a group. Emily said there will be an opportunity
at the February meeting to discuss items further.
• Emily suggested formally re-establishing the events workgroup at the February meeting.
• Commissioner Griffin asked if the commission could be informed of upcoming council
discussions in May-June so that they could potentially advise on topics outside of the
work plan.
• Emily said she knows she will be updating council on the Better Climate Challenge and
replenishing the climate investment fund. She added that the commission can also
recommend topics, whether in the work plan or outside of the work plan, and those
could be brought up during this time.
• Commissioner Giraldo asked if the commission should look into a resilience workgroup.
• Emily said that this should be revisited later in the year or for a future work plan. Annie
and Ellie can also present to the commission on their resilience research and findings
later in the year.
10. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 1:29 p.m.
______________________________________ ______________________________________
Emily Ziring, liaison Eric Zweber, chair member