EC Agenda 6-26-2023
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
Remote Attendance: Members of the public may attend this meeting via Webex by calling 1-
415-655-0001 and entering access code 2453 165 1685.
Questions/Comments: Members of the public who have questions about the commission or
any items on the agenda should contact the staff commission liaison – Eric Eckman,
Environmental Resources Supervisor, eeckman@goldenvalleymn.gov, 763-593-8084.
1. Call to Order
2. Land Acknowledgement
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of Agenda
5. Council Liaison Sophia Ginis (5 min)
6. Approval of May 22, 2023 Regular Meeting Minutes (5 min)
7. Old Business
A. Keeping of Honeybees (25 min)
B. Composting Code Update (15 min)
C. Recycling Report Part 2 (10 min)
D. Recap Compost Pickup (5 min)
E. Recap Electric Vehicle and Equipment Showcase Event (5 min)
F. Recap No Mow May (5 min)
8. New Business
A. DEI update (5 min)
i. EC/DEIC Subcommittee
B. Program/Project Updates (5 min)
C. Council Updates (5 min)
D. Other Business
i. Board/Commission promotion opportunity
ii. Work plan prioritization discussion in July
9. Adjournment
June 26, 2023 – 6:30 pm
City Hall Council Conference Room
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Remote Attendance: Members of the public may attend this meeting via Webex by calling 1-415-655-
0001 and entering access code 1773 93 4642.
Questions/Comments: Members of the public who have questions about the commission or any
items on the agenda should contact the staff commission liaison – Eric Eckman, Environmental
Resources Supervisor, eeckman@goldenvalleymn.gov, 763-593-8084.
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Weirich at 6:30 pm.
2. Land Acknowledgement
3. Roll Call
Commissioners present: Wendy Weirich, Tonia Galonska, Dawn Hill, Debra Yahle, Ellen Brenna,
Sarah Drawz, Paul Klaas, Kenna Brandt
Commissioners absent: Rachel Zuraff
Council Members present: None
Staff present: Eric Eckman, Environmental Resources Supervisor;
Drew Chirpich, Water & Natural Resource Specialist;
Mars Muehleis, GreenCorps Member;
Carrie Nelson, Engineering Assistant.
4. New Members Ellen Brenna, Sarah Drawz, Paul Klaas
A. Commissioners Brenna, Drawz, and Klaas were sworn into the Commission. Chair Weirich lead
them in their Oath of Office.
5. Approval of May 22, 2023, Agenda
MOTION by Commissioner Brenna, seconded by Commissioner Yahle to approve the agenda for May
22, 2023, and the motion carried.
6. Approval of April 24, 2023, Regular Meeting Minutes
MOTION by Commissioner Hill, seconded by Commissioner Galonska to approve the minutes of April
24, 2023, as submitted and the motion carried.
May 22, 2023 – 6:30 pm
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
May 22, 2023 – 6:30 pm
2
7. Old Business
A. Keeping of Honeybees
i. The City Council and City Manager asked us to add this to our work plan after a resident
request.
ii. There will be an article in the next City Newsletter about the Environmental Commission
looking into the Keeping of Honeybees and asking for community comments and
feedback.
iii. Are corner lots not allowed to have bees since they don’t technically have a back yard?
Possibly build exceptions and setback distances into the code or the ability to go to the
Board of Zoning Appeals.
iv. Require Licensee to have some sort of bee food sources?
v. There are currently 5 active chicken licenses in the city.
1. These don’t require a lot of staff time.
2. There have been no inspections of coops in the last 3.5 years.
3. There has only been one complaint since chickens have been allowed. It was in
Dec 2019. Hens were running free, and waste was not picked up.
vi. Staff will move forward with drafting an ordinance for the Commission to review.
8. New Business
A. Consider Updates to Composting Code
i. The city code currently permits residential properties up to four dwelling units to have
composting on-site.
ii. Be sure to differentiate between Organics collection service and backyard composting.
iii. Could we open this up to more properties who aren’t currently included in Organics
recycling?
iv. Is backyard composting hot enough for paper products?
v. Add noxious and invasive species to the list of prohibited materials?
vi. Could we allow different sizes of compost bins based on residential vs commercial?
vii. Staff will bring an updated draft of the ordinance to June’s meeting.
B. Commission Re-Orientation
i. Commissioners reviewed the Boards-Commissions Orientation Power Point and the
Commission’s Bylaws.
C. Election of Officers
MOTION by Commissioner Yahle, seconded by Commissioner Galonska to elect Commissioner
Dawn Hill as Chair and the motion carried.
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Weirich to elect Commissioner
Debra Yahle as Vice-Chair and the motion carried.
D. Program/Project Updates
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
May 22, 2023 – 6:30 pm
3
i. The new GreenCorps member will start in September.
ii. There will be a recap of the Compost pick-up at Hampshire Park at next month’s
meeting.
E. Council Updates
i. None
F. Other Business
i. Agenda items come from a variety of places. Mostly seasonal or timely based on the
work plan. Others can come from resident requests/interest but have to go through the
staff liaison and chair.
9. Adjournment
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Brandt to adjourn the meeting at 8:16
pm and the motion carried.
ATTEST:
________________________________ _______________________________________
Carrie Nelson, Administrative Assistant Dawn Hill, Chair
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: June 23, 2023
To: Environmental Commission
From: Mars Muehleis, MN GreenCorps Member
Eric Eckman, Environmental Resources Supervisor
Subject: Beekeeping Ordinance
The Commission has been researching beekeeping since January 2023. Past agenda packets
include information that was reviewed and discussed by the Commission. At the May meeting,
staff shared information about other cities beekeeping requirements as well as Golden Valley’s
experience with chicken licensing. Following discussion, the Commission requested that staff
draft an ordinance for its review at the June meeting. Attached is the draft ordinance for
Commission review.
Since the last Commission meeting, the City published an article in the May/June CityNews about
the Commission’s consideration of a beekeeping ordinance, along with an opportunity for the
public to provide input and feedback. To date, only one comment was received from the general
public (addressed to the Commission and attached for review). Staff also received an email from
Golden Valley Garden Club Vice President Barb Ego clarifying that People for Pollinators Golden
Valley as a group has not expressed an interest in hobby beekeeping and has taken no position
on the issue, and that their focus remains on supporting the full range of native pollinators and
their habitats. There was some misunderstanding about this previously.
Staff requests that the Commission review the memo and attachments, the draft ordinance, and
all information researched and shared since January, and come to the June meeting prepared to
discuss and consider next steps and recommendations.
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2023 12:02 PM
To: Planning <planning@goldenvalleymn.gov>
Subject: Opposed to Beekeeping in Golden Valley
Dear Members of the Golden Valley Environmental Commission,
I am writing with my concerns regarding the consideration of beekeeping in Golden
Valley. I saw the announcement in the May/June 2023 edition of the City News and am
opposed to any ordinance that allows beekeeping in Golden Valley. I was alarmed by a
paragraph in the announcement stating that “the EC’s recommendation to the City
Council would likely include a draft ordinance that benefits beekeepers, the community,
and natural resources as a whole.” I fear that your mind is already made up. I am
providing links to articles that dispel the myth that urban beekeeping is a way to help
native pollinators. I have highlighted important points from each article but please take
the time to read them. The information is invaluable in making your recommendation to
the City Council.
I have lived in Golden Valley since 1999. I installed a 700 square foot native garden in
2008 and have incorporated smaller native gardens into the landscaping since then. My
native plantings now comprise over 1,000 square feet of my yard and have provided me
with countless hours of education and fascination regarding all the creatures that utilize
the native gardens. Over the past few years, I have noticed an influx of honeybees
utilizing my gardens. I assume there are rogue beekeepers within a certain radius of my
home. I still have native bumblebees, butterflies, wasps, dragonflies and other
pollinators but I am concerned about the increased competition from honeybees should
Golden Valley officially allow beekeeping. I would like to see more education on creating
habitat for native pollinators, more education on all of our native pollinators, more grants
for obtaining native plants, more volunteer help establishing native plantings, more
education on the harmful effects of pesticides and less talk about honeybees helping
native pollinators.
My main points in opposition to allowing beekeeping in Golden Valley:
1. The claim written in the notice that “honeybees….can help supplement the
work of native bees and other pollinators” is misleading. What is your source
for this statement? Please read the articles and educate yourselves as to why
that is a misleading thing to publish.
2. Hives that aren’t properly maintained can introduce disease to native bees that
visit the same flowers as honey bees. This is a scenario likely to happen with
an influx of new, enthusiastic and possibly undereducated beekeepers.
3. There aren’t enough spaces with sources of native flowers to begin with.
Honeybees are better at competing for the nectar and pollen that native bees
need. That forces competition that puts the native pollinators at risk even more
so than they already are. What percentage of Golden Valley has quality,
diverse native habitat? Not enough to provide for both honeybees and native
bees and other pollinators!
4. You’re assuming that beekeepers will provide diverse native plantings to
provide for their apiary. Depending on the size of their hives and their city lot,
they most likely cannot provide the amount of plants the honey bees need. The
honey bees cannot be fenced in and will forage many miles from their hive
adversely affecting native bees ability to gather nectar and pollen.
5. If you want to help native pollinators and meet the goals and policies of
the City’s Resilience and Sustainability Plan, then:
a. More education is needed in creating habitat by removing turf grass and
planting native plants, grasses and trees. Hanging baskets composed
of horticultural cultivars are for human appreciation not pollinators.
b. More education is needed on letting areas of your yard be messy. The
obsession with a manicured, golf-course type of lawn is not beneficial to
native pollinators. The Bee Lab has a good web page with information
on creating nesting habitat for native
bees. https://beelab.umn.edu/create-nesting-habitat
c. More education is needed on avoiding the use of pesticides. Many
homeowners hire companies to fog or spray their yard for mosquitoes.
The companies claim it only affects mosquitoes but that is not true. Most
of what is used is a systemic pesticide which harms all insects, including
pollinators in all stages.
6. The Three Rivers Park District - Natural Resources Management department
posted on their Facebook page on May 30, 2023 that they are working “to phase
out "educational" honey bee hives from park locations. There are two parks with
research hives in partnership with the University of Minnesota. Other locations
such as Gale Woods Farm, The Landing, and Noerenberg Gardens maintain
hives for agricultural/garden use and teaching history. Teaching the public the
importance of native pollinators is a goal we take seriously and look forward to
connecting with you all! ” If our largest park system in the metro is phasing
out honey bee hives, why are cities like Golden Valley trying to introduce
them?
Article 1:
The Problem with Honey Bees - Scientific American.
To many people, honey bees symbolize prosperity, sustainability and environmentalism.
But as a honey bee researcher, I have to tell you that only the first item on that list is
defensible. Although they are important for agriculture, honey bees also destabilize
natural ecosystems by competing with native bees—some of which are species at risk.
High densities of honey bee colonies increase competition between native
pollinators for forage, putting even more pressure on the wild species that are
already in decline. Honey bees are extreme generalist foragers and monopolize
floral resources, thus leading to exploitative competition—that is, where one
species uses up a resource, not leaving enough to go around.
Article 2:
Want to Save the Bees? Focus on Habitat, Not Honey Bees
https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/23-
011_Wings_Spring2023_XercesSociety.pdf (scroll to page 10)
Native bees coevolved with our native plants and often have behavioral adaptations that
make them better pollinators than honey bees. For example, buzz-pollination, in which a
bee grasps a flower and shakes the pollen loose, is a behavior at which bumble bees
and other large-bodied native bees excel, and one that honey bees lack.
Agricultural plants such as tomatoes, bell peppers, and blueberries also benefit from
buzz-pollination, and therefore rely mostly on visits by native bees to maximize fruit
production.
The way that honey bees interact with flowers means that they sometimes contribute
little or nothing to pollination. One reason for this is that honey bees groom their pollen
and carry it in neat pollen cakes, moistened with nectar and safely tucked into the
baskets on their hind legs. By contrast, many of our native bees tend to be messier,
carrying pollen as dry grains, often all over their bodies. This messiness means that the
pollen they carry is more likely to contact the stigma of another flower and pollinate the
plant. So, while both honey bees and native bees are good at extracting pollen, in a
bee-to-bee comparison our native bees tend to be more efficient at spreading that
pollen around.
In short, beekeeping is not bee conservation. Managed honey bees are
domesticated livestock, and not only will their care and husbandry not help native
species, their very presence has the potential to harm them.
Article 3:
The trouble with beekeeping - The Messenger
Honeybees aren’t wild insects. They’re not even native to the United States. Apis
mellifera, commonly known as “the honeybee” (though there are roughly 10 bee species
globally that make honey), was originally imported from Europe. Honeybees are
livestock. As Hoffman Black likes to say, “Protecting pollinators by getting a honeybee
hive is like trying to protect birds by getting chickens.”
Honeybees can withstand environmental stress factors better than native species,
Raine said.
Hoffman Black said solitary bee species are a bit like single moms. Once the female is
ready to have offspring, she has to dig a hole for a nest, go to every flower to collect
pollen and nectar, lay an egg, and do it over and over again, he explained: “That’s a
huge amount of work.” If honey bees are in the area, this might mean she has to travel
farther and take longer to get the same amount of food.
Colony life gives honeybees a tremendous advantage. There are more of them, which
means not only are all the jobs split up, but individuals are relatively disposable.
(There’s a reason honeybees can die after giving one sting.) It doesn’t harm a
honeybee hive if 20 or even a few hundred bees die out of tens of thousands; for
native bee species, that’s the end of not just those bees but 20 potential families
and gene pools.”
Article 4:
Challenging the sustainability of urban beekeeping using evidence from Swiss cities
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-021-00046-
6?fbclid=IwAR3p1_eU03UW5C8cGnF4e1kSnxEGMBfRuXsTOegwsqLh4TvHz5DVVnBf
_eo
“Beekeeping is a particular form of livestock raising. Livestock are in large part
dependent on the resources provided by their owners, and beekeeping represents a
special case for four reasons. First, beekeepers do not need to provide their own floral
resources, as honeybees can move freely and exploit available resources. Second, it is
impossible to control the movements and foraging locations of honeybees. Third,
honeybees reproduce faster than other livestock. Fourth, beekeeping might not be
perceived as an exploitative activity (regarding floral resources) because of the positive
association between honeybees and pollination services. Still, floral resources might be
limited, also in cities. For example, research in London has shown that in a large part of
the city the existing resources are insufficient to maintain the current number of
honeybees9.”
Honeybees are not spatially limited and can exploit the available resources freely,
regardless of ownership. This skews the perception of the relationship between
the consumed and available resources, and thus of the sustainability of the
system.
Article 5:
Focus on Native Bees, Not Honey Bees
https://blog.nature.org/2019/08/19/focus-on-native-bees-not-honey-
bees/?fbclid=IwAR22AuPFWL6hERrh0CU5wC0LMN1nCs6k5bMgDtwzA5UNHGv4LkY
voGcs1_k
Honey bees also don’t cover the wide range of ecological roles played by our diverse
native bee communities. The aforementioned variety of features and behaviors found
within native bees means they can meet the needs of an incredible diversity of flowering
plants. In contrast, honey bees provide pollination for a relatively small percentage
of native flower species (estimates from around the world vary between 25 percent
and 40 percent). In order to conserve the full species diversity and resilience of our
ecosystems, we need our native bees.
The public already cares about pollinators; we just need to be smarter about how
we talk about them. If we’re successful, we’ll save much more than just bees. We
can start by fixing our myopic focus on honey bees.
Thank you for taking the time to read the articles and please reach out if you have
concerns or questions. I would value a discussion regarding this topic before a final
decision is made.
Sincerely,
Kate Larson
Keeping of Bees.
No person shall own, harbor, or keep within the City honey bees unless a valid license for such bees has been
obtained pursuant to the provisions stated herein.
(1) License.
a. Licenses shall be obtained every five years and expire on April 1 of that year.
b. License application fees are due upon submittal of the license application. The fee shall be
established by ordinance.
c. The City may deny or revoke any license application or renewal if it deems the applicant:
1. Unable or unwilling to fulfill the provisions stated herein
2. Failing to comply with the provisions of this article
3. Submitting inaccurate or incomplete license information
4. Failing to meet the conditions of the license
5. Creating a nuisance
or if the public health and safety would be unreasonably endangered by the granting or renewing
of such license.
d. An initial inspection of the property and proposed hive location is required prior to issuance of a
license. A similar inspection is also required for license renewals.
e. The City may inspect the licensed property at any time to ensure compliance with the provisions of
this article.
(2) General.
a. The keeping of aggressive honey bee strains is prohibited.
b. Every lot within the city shall be limited to the following number of colonies based on the size of
the lot:
a. One-half acre or smaller = two colonies.
b. More than one-half acre to three-quarter acre = four colonies.
c. More than three-quarter acre to one acre = six colonies.
d. More than one acre = eight colonies.
c. The sale of honey or other goods produced from bees or hives must follow applicable state and
federal laws.
d. Beekeeping training and education is required for the beekeeper prior to the issuance of the
initial beekeeping license by the city. At the time of application, the beekeeper must attest to
having acquired adequate knowledge of beekeeping. At a minimum, the training and education
received must include the University of Minnesota Beekeeping in Northern Climates manual and
companion video or equivalent.
e. A site plan drawn to scale showing proposed hive location, applicable setbacks, flyway barriers,
and existing pollinator habitat is required at the time of application.
(3) Beehive Requirements.
a. Honey bee colonies shall be kept in hives with removable frames which shall be kept in sound
and usable condition.
b. Each colony on the site shall be provided with a convenient source of water located on the site so
long as colonies remain active outside the hive.
c. Materials from a hive or colony which might encourage the presence of honey bees, such as wax
comb, shall be promptly disposed of in a sealed container or placed within a building or other
bee-proof enclosure.
d. Beekeeping equipment shall be maintained in good condition. Unused beekeeping equipment
must be protected to prevent occupancy by swarming honey bees.
e. Hives shall be continuously managed to provide adequate living space for their resident honey
bees in order to control swarming.
f. In any instance in which a colony exhibits unusual aggressive behavior, it shall be the duty of the
beekeeper to promptly implement appropriate actions to address the behavior.
g. Any beehive shall be set back at least 10 feet from the principal dwelling, 25 feet from principal
dwellings on abutting lots, and 10 feet from the property line. The beehive shall be located closer
to the principal dwelling of the licensed property than to the principal dwellings on abutting
properties.
h. Flyway barriers shall be required when the hive is less than 20 feet from lot lines. The beekeeper
shall establish and maintain a flyway barrier at least 6 feet in height. The flyway barrier may
consist of a wall, fence, dense vegetation or a combination there of, such that bees will fly over
rather than through the material to reach the colony. If a flyway barrier of dense vegetation is
used, the initial planting may be 4 feet in height, so long as the vegetation normally reaches 6
feet in height or higher. The flyway barrier must continue parallel to the lot line for 10 feet in
either direction from the hive, or contain the hive or hives in an enclosure at least 6 feet in
height.
i. Once the owner is finished beekeeping, the beehive must be removed from the property.
j. Beekeepers must attest that their properties contain enough native or natural vegetation to
supply their onsite colonies with sufficient food resources. This vegetation should be
supplemented as needed with other sources such as pollen substitute and sugar water.
(4) Private Restrictions and Covenants on Property. Notwithstanding the issuance of a license by
the City, private restrictions or covenants on the use of property shall remain enforceable. Private
restrictions include, but are not limited to, deed restrictions, condominium master deed restrictions,
neighborhood association bylaws, and covenant declarations. A license issued to a person whose
premises are subject to private restrictions and/or covenants that prohibit the keeping of honey bees is
void. The interpretation and enforcement of the private restrictions is the sole responsibility of the
private parties involved.
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: June 23, 2023
To: Environmental Commission
From: Ethan Kehrberg, Sustainability Specialist
Subject: Consider Updates to Composting Code
In May, staff brought the compost code to the Environmental Commission for discussion and
comment. Based on feedback from commissioners, staff drafted updated language for the
composting code. Attached is a redlined version of current city code, as well as a clean version
with the proposed new language.
The updates should help provide more clarity, equity, and opportunity so that more people in
more zoning districts may participate in backyard composting, especially at multifamily
properties, schools, religious facilities, and businesses where people may already have gardens.
Staff asks that Commission members review this section and come to the meeting with any
comments, questions, or edits. After discussion, Commission members may consider
recommending the attached compost code updates to City Council.
Golden Valley
Sec. 22-25. - Composting.
Composting is permitted only on real property within the City residential properties having up to four
dwelling units provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(a) Permitted Composting Materials. Only yard waste, straw, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee
grounds or eggshells generated from the site on which the compost is located are permitted
composting materials. In addition, commercially available ingredients specifically designed to
speed or enhance decomposition can be placed in the composting structure.
(b) Prohibited Composting Materials. The following materials shall not be placed in the
composting structure: hedge, tree trimmings and twigs one-quarter inch diameter or greater;
holidayChristmas trees; meat; bones; fat oils; whole eggs; dairy products; unshredded branches
or logs; plants on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weeds List or weeds
heavily loaded with seeds; plastics; synthetic fibers; non-compostable papers; human or pet
wastes; diseased plants; and any other solid waste or hazardous waste not permitted in
Subsection (1) of this section.
(c) Composting Structure. All composting materials must be contained in an enclosed structure
which may be constructed of wood, wire mesh, or a combination of wood and wire, or in
commercially fabricated compost bins designed to contain composting materials. Maximum of
one structure is allowed per lot.
(d) Composting Structure Size. Composting shall be conducted within an one or more enclosed
structures not to exceed a combined/cumulative total of 500 cubic feet (for example, 10 feet by
10 feet by five feet) in volume. The maximum height of the composting structure shall be five
feet.
(e) Location. The composting structure shall be located in the rear yard of the property, and be
at least five feet from the property line, or 35 feet if the property line is also a street line, and no
closer than 20 feet to any habitable building, other than the residents' own home. on an
abutting property. Compost structures shall be located no closer than 25 feet from stormwater
ponds and storm sewer drains, and must meet all setback and buffer requirements in the
Stormwater Management section of city code.
(f) Maintenance. The compost shall be managed in keeping with standard compost practices
which include providing adequate air circulation to prevent combustion and objectionable odors
to adjacent properties. and turning over the compost within the compost structure to promote
effective decomposition.
(g) Nuisance. The operation of composting in a manner that results in objectionable odors or
the placing of prohibited materials in a composting structure to create a health hazard is
considered a public nuisance.
(h) Sale Prohibited. Compost shall not be sold or used for commercial purposes.
(Ord. No. 674 , § 2, 11-19-2019)
Golden Valley
Sec. 22-25. - Composting.
Composting is permitted on real property within the City provided that all of the following conditions
are met:
(a) Permitted Composting Materials. Only yard waste, straw, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee
grounds or eggshells generated from the site on which the compost is located are permitted
composting materials. In addition, commercially available ingredients specifically designed to
speed or enhance decomposition can be placed in the composting structure.
(b) Prohibited Composting Materials. The following materials shall not be placed in the
composting structure: hedge, tree trimmings and twigs one-quarter inch diameter or greater;
holiday trees; meat; bones; fat oils; whole eggs; dairy products; unshredded branches or logs;
plants on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Noxious Weeds List or weeds heavily
loaded with seeds; plastics; synthetic fibers; non-compostable papers; human or pet wastes;
diseased plants; and any other solid waste or hazardous waste not permitted in Subsection (1)
of this section.
(c) Composting Structure. All composting materials must be contained in an enclosed structure
which may be constructed of wood, wire mesh, or a combination of wood and wire, or in
commercially fabricated compost bins designed to contain composting materials.
(d) Composting Structure Size. Composting shall be conducted within one or more enclosed
structures not to exceed a combined/cumulative total of 500 cubic feet (for example, 10 feet by
10 feet by five feet) in volume. The maximum height of the composting structure shall be five
feet.
(e) Location. The composting structure shall be located in the rear yard of the property, and be
at least five feet from the property line, or 35 feet if the property line is also a street line, and no
closer than 20 feet to any habitable building on an abutting property. Compost structures shall
be located no closer than 25 feet from stormwater ponds and storm sewer drains, and must
meet all setback and buffer requirements in the Stormwater Management section of city code.
(f) Maintenance. The compost shall be managed in keeping with standard compost practices
which include providing adequate air circulation to prevent combustion and objectionable odors
to adjacent properties and turning over the compost within the compost structure to promote
effective decomposition.
(g) Nuisance. The operation of composting in a manner that results in objectionable odors or
the placing of prohibited materials in a composting structure to create a health hazard is
considered a public nuisance.
(h) Sale Prohibited. Compost shall not be sold or used for commercial purposes.
(Ord. No. 674 , § 2, 11-19-2019)
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: June 23, 2023
To: Environmental Commission
From: Ethan Kehrberg, Sustainability Specialist
Subject: Organics and Recycling Update
In March, staff presented Part 1 of the Organics and Recycling Update to the Commission. That
update was based on tonnages provided by Republic Services, but we were still waiting on data
from the state and county. Now that we have a more complete picture of waste and recycling in
Golden Valley, staff is presenting Part 2 of the Organics and Recycling Update
Broader Trends
The Twin Cities population generates almost 3.3 million tons of waste each year, or about a ton
per person, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Two thirds (2/3) of the
trash in the Twin Cities can be reused or recycled, yet the recycling rate was only 45.2% in 2021.
To guide their work managing waste in the seven-county metro area for the next 20 years, the
MPCA released a draft of their Metropolitan Solid Waste Policy Plan 2022-2042. The plan includes
70 recommendations for improving the area’s growing waste problem. The MPCA will have a
public meeting on this plan on July 11, 2023. Comments may also be submitted any time through
their online form or via mail.
Many cities in Hennepin County started their organics recycling collection in 2022 and dealt with
several issues like deployment, education, contamination, driver shortages, COVID-19 absences,
and weather disruptions. However, by the end of the year, most of these issues had been
resolved or lessened over time. Now, especially in Golden Valley, organics recycling and
traditional recycling have both been running smoothly for several months.
According to Republic Service’s annual report, “Overall, recycling commodity markets remain
very soft and close to historic low points for many materials. Unfortunately, the trend for light
weight packaging continues and as we know a lot of these new packaging types are not desirable
for our End Markets. Metal and plastic markets are yielding positive value but we continue to pay
vendors increasing tip fees to accept and further process glass. The Fiber Market is extremely soft
and the general consensus is it will remain so, likely through at least Q2 of 2023. On the supply
side, we are still experiencing increased recycling volumes from the COVID-19 Era, primarily
cardboard. Many homeowners shopping patterns changed whereby they continue to buy online
vs retail. This has resulted in receiving higher volumes of cardboard. WestRock’s (St. Paul Paper
Mill) decision to shut down half of their St. Paul Plant in October of 2022 has severely disrupted
the Cardboard Market in our Region (specifically baled cardboard). Movement for loose
cardboard remains undisrupted.”
Reporting Process & Calculations
Haulers report their tonnages to the MPCA. Using the data from the MPCA, tonnages for the
licensed haulers in Golden Valley can be filtered out. Because the city has a contract with
Republic Services for organics recycling and traditional recycling, only yard waste and trash tons
are collected from licensed haulers through Re-TRAC for residential service.
Once the yard waste and trash tonnages are compiled from the licensed haulers’ routes in
Golden Valley, that data is combined with the monthly report of recycling tons from Republic
Services to get a complete picture of waste streams in Golden Valley.
Waste Stream Overview
Residential 2019 (tons) 2020 (tons) 2021 (tons) 2022 (tons)
Trash 5480.3 5853.6 6609.1 4384.7
Yard Waste 645.9 1573.6 1124.6 547.1
Organics 16.7 28.1 28.7 459.1
Recycling 1861.6 1918.9 2011.8 1787.1
Commercial 2019 (tons) 2020 (tons) 2021 (tons) 2022 (tons)
Trash 5430.9 3599.6 6202.0 5959.0
Yard Waste - - - -
Organics 2788.5 3102.4 3813.3 2804.6
Recycling 2185.2 1507.8 2401.8 2253.8
Recycling Composition Study
As required by the contract, Republic Services worked with city staff to schedule and complete a
traditional recycling composition study this spring. Recycling was collected from homes on Friday,
May 12 and brought to Republic Service’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Minneapolis where
it was mixed and randomly sampled. Below is the summary of materials in the sample:
Product Type Net Weight (pounds) % of Load
HDPE - Natural 2 1%
HDPE – Pigmented 2 1%
PET 10 4%
3-7 Plastics 5 2%
Glass 36 15%
Tin 5 2%
Aluminum 9 4%
Mixed Paper 46 19%
OCC (Cardboard) 108 45%
Residual Garbage 19 8%
TOTALS 242 100%
Here are the additional notes from Republic’s Recycle Center Auditor: “Mostly consisted of
bagged material, film, bubble wrap, and food waste. Metals, pizza boxes, Styrofoam, air filters,
and wet material were also found in the sample.”
Organics Composition Study
Staff is currently working with Republic Services and the SMSC Organics Recycling Facility to
schedule a composition study of the city’s organics recycling stream.
Takeaways
It is too early to definitively say whether diverting food waste through organics recycling service
and the associated increase in awareness of waste sorting is driving the reduction in trash, but
the trend is encouraging.
Golden Valley’s residential cycling rate is at 39%, and the commercial recycling rate is at 46%, so
the city will need to continue making improvements if it wants to keep pace with MPCA’s plan to
reach a 75% recycling rate by 2030.
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: June 23, 2023
To: Environmental Commission
From: Mars Muehleis, MN GreenCorps Member
Ethan Kehrberg, Sustainability Specialist
Subject: Electric Vehicle Showcase Recap
On Thursday, June 15, the City of Golden Valley hosted an Electric Vehicle (EV) and Equipment
Showcase with over 80 attendees coming to look and listen. 12 Electric Vehicle owners from
Golden Valley and the surrounding community brought their EVs and other equipment and
electric modes of transport to display at the event and engaged in conversations with attendees.
Partner organizations present at the event included the American Lung Association, who had a
representative present to share information on available vehicles and incentives, EV batteries
and recycling, and other electric mobility options; Golden Valley staff, with resources on Home
Energy Squad, residential solar, EV charging stations, and organics and traditional recycling along
with LED kit and organics bucket giveaways; Gear West, displaying different electric bike models;
and Spin, to share information about their electric scooters they just deployed in Golden Valley.
Electric car models displayed at the event included a Lincoln Corsair PHEV, Rivian R1S, Nissan
Ariya and Leaf, Volvo C40, Ford F150 Lightning, Chevy Bolt, Toyota bZ4X, and Tesla Model 3, Y,
and S. Other electric vehicles included Spin scooters, Gear West electric bikes, and a RadMission
e-bike and a Xiaomi Mi Pro e-scooter brought by an EV owner. Equipment included a Kobalt 80V
e-lawnmower, EGO e-mower, EGO snowblower, and a Solectrac Tractor.
Among the 30 most populous cities in Hennepin County, Golden Valley continues to rank 2nd in
electric vehicle ownership per capita. The city currently has two Level 2 EV chargers, one at City
Hall and one at Brookview Golden Valley. Golden Valley staff, residents, and event volunteers all
appreciated this opportunity to share the benefits of electric vehicles and equipment with
attendees.
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: June 23, 2023
To: Environmental Commission
From: Drew Chirpich, Water and Natural Resource Specialist
Subject: No Mow May - Year One Update
Golden Valley City Council passed a resolution in winter of 2022 supporting a No Mow May
initiative. Interested residents registered to participate on the City’s website, and were
subsequently allowed to keep their lawns above the thresholds outlined in property maintenance
code. The resolution was intended to help support pollinators in the City by providing them with
additional habitat and food resources early in the season when options are limited.
During the first year of this initiative, 260 properties registered to participate, which amounts to
about 3.7% of the total properties in the City. Registrations began in February, picked up mid-
March and kept steady through mid-May. The greatest number of registrations came right at the
beginning of May.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
8-Feb11-Feb17-Feb20-Feb26-Feb2-Mar8-Mar13-Mar19-Mar22-Mar25-Mar28-Mar31-Mar3-Apr9-Apr12-Apr15-Apr18-Apr21-Apr24-Apr27-Apr30-Apr3-May6-May9-May12-May16-May20-May24-MayFeb
Mar
Apr
May
Staff continuously monitored registration, and worked with the People for Pollinators Group and
GV Garden club to makes signs indicating participation in the initiative available to the public.
Staff also communicated with City property maintenance staff to monitor the rate of violations
issued during and shortly after the initiative and found no substantial increase in property
maintenence violations relating to vegetation when compared to before implementing No Mow
May. Property Maintenence staff did include the caveat that it was still fairly early for such
violations, especially in light of the abnormally dry spring.
Now that the first season of No Mow May is complete, and additional data has been presented,
staff are interested in hearing feedback from the Commission.
PROGRAM/PROJECT UPDATES –June 2023
GREENCORPS PROGRAM
The member organized and hosted the second annual Electric Vehicle (and Equipment) Showcase on
Thursday, June 15 at the City Hall parking lot alongside the Sustainability Specialist. They tabled with materials
on energy, organics, and recycling at this event as well as Golden Valley Pride. They attended their third
quarter GreenCorps training, beginning preparations for the end of term and the next GreenCorps member
serving at Golden Valley. Planning for the fall tree sale continues, and they are also working on environmental
outreach to multi-family unit property owners.
WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES
2024 Bassett Creek Restoration Project (Regent Ave to Golden Valley Rd) – The BCWMC approved funding
for a feasibility study for a stabilization and restoration project on Bassett Creek from Regent Ave to Golden
Valley Rd. This study began this fall with research and field work. Public comment can be provided by
accessing the project webpage at Bassett Creek Feasibility Study | Golden Valley, MN (goldenvalleymn.gov) There
was also an open house for the project at Brookview Community Center on March 1st. The study will wrap up
in spring 2023. Construction is scheduled for fall/winter 2024 following a design and community engagement
process.
Medley Park Stormwater Improvement Project
Construction began in early November and is substantially complete. Native vegetation establishment and
management will occur over the next three years. More information is available on the project webpage and
via weekly construction updates emailed to residents.
DeCola Ponds SEA School-Wildwood Park Flood Reduction Project
The SEA School-Wildwood Park flood storage portion of the project was awarded to Rachel Contracting by the
City Council on March 7. Work began on May 1. The DeCola Ponds D and E storm sewer outlet pipe
replacement phase of the project is currently out for bids and will start this fall. The plans are available for
viewing on the project webpage.
Lagoon Dredging within Theodore Wirth Park
The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission has finished removing accumulated sediment from
the lagoons within Theodore Wirth Park. The objective is to return these lagoons to their historically designed
condition, and improve water quality by dredging out accumulated sediment and its associated phosphorus.
The project ran through winter 2022 with restoration of disturbed areas being completed in spring/summer of
2023.