EC Minutes 05-20-20247800 Golden Valley Road I Golden Valley, MN 55427 L i # v o
763-593-8027 1 TTY 763-593-3968 1 763-593-8198 (fax) I www.goldenvalleymn.govgolde-
Environmental Commission valley
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
May 20, 2024 — 6:30 pm
Remote Attendance: Members of the public may attend this meeting via Microsoft Teams by
calling 1-872-256-4160 and entering access code 587 275 181#.
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 Vice -Chair Yahle at 6:38 pm.
2. Land Acknowledgement
3. New Member Kari Conterero — Oath of Office
4. Roll Call
Commissioners present: Debra Yahle, Tonia Galonska, Sarah Drawz, Kari Cantarero
• Commissioner Klaas attended from the Hanover Inn, 2 East Wheelock St, Hanover, NH
03755
• Two community members called in to listen.
Commissioners absent: Ellen Brenna, Wendy Weirich
Council Members present: Sophia Ginis
Staff present: Eric Eckman, Environmental Resources Supervisor;
Carrie Nelson, Engineering Assistant.
5. Approval of May 20, 2024 Agenda
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Cantarero to approve the
agenda for May 20, 2024 as submitted and the motion carried.
6. Approval of April 22, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Drawz to approve the
minutes of April 22, 2024 as submitted and the motion carried.
7. Old Business
A. Haha Wakpadaq/Bassett Creek efforts
i. Water Ceremony —The first event was held at the Golden Valley Library.
Trying to pick a location by June 15t. It may even be held in Crystal. Chair
Weirich will hopefully be able to figure out what the City and Commission roles
will be.
This document is available in alternate formats upon a 72-hour request. Please call
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City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting 2
May 20, 2024 — 6:30 pm
ii. Creek Clean -Up —Tonia and Sarah will have the first meeting about this on May
23
iii. Water and Land Acknowledgement Statement
1. The BCWMC statement calls attention to the importance of water. The
BCWMC consulted with indigenous community members.
2. BCWMC is working on a new map and signed a contract with
indigenous community member Jim Rock to assist. The name Haha
Wakpadaq will be on the map.
B. 2024 Work Plan
i. It is unclear as to whether we should be doing a work plan or not.
ii. Commissioners Klaas and Galonska each have a list of suggestions for the work
plan if we do one:
1. Draft Climate Action Plan
2. Update outdoor lighting ordinance
3. Continue to support the Hennepin County Zero Waste Initiative
4. Invigorate organic recycling
5. Prepare a recommendation to the City Council about a Citywide
contract for garbage hauling
6. Organize an Earth Day 2025 Fair
7. Sponsor an Environmental Awareness Family Puppet Shows from the
www.weallneedfoodandwater.or
S. Get Brookview Golf Course environmentally certified by the Audubon
Society
9. Add the Haha Wakpadaq name to everything Golden Valley controls
that says Bassett Creek. For example, the Bassett Creek Room at
Brookview Community Center.
1. At a meeting, the Council did direct the City Manager to start
adding "Naha Wakpadap" after Bassett Creek on all City
materials.
i. It came up when talking about City Communications.
10. Consider becoming a Blue Zones Project Community
iii. Council did not direct commissions to not do a work plan. However, the City is
in a time of transition and must prioritize getting new staff on board and
keeping the City running.
iv. The City needs some very essential management plans like a comprehensive
park plan, an economic development plan, and some financial planning needs.
These may have to take priority.
v. The City will hopefully have a new City Manager on board sometime this year.
vi. Whether it's the staff liaisons, or their managers, there is only so much that
staff can get done in a day.
vii. It is good to think about work plans and start to develop them. The
Commission will need to give the City some grace and understanding that
there are bigger things that also need to get done.
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
May 20, 2024 — 6:30 pm
viii. Council Member Ginis thinks all the ideas sound great, and she hopes we can
get to all of it, especially the outdoor lighting ordinance.
ix. The Council is really interested in #9 (Haha Wakpadaq). Some of the Council
members talked a lot about #5 (Citywide contract for garbage hauling) while
campaigning.
x. Work on the old stuff and start thinking about the new stuff.
A. Continue to stay the course. We're just delayed a little bit.
A. The by-laws say we should create a work plan. Should we, or shouldn't we?
1. Council Member Ginis suggests working on preparing a work plan and
staff will navigate how that fits into the schedule and agenda. It might
be later in the year than it already is, and that process is still kind of
playing out a little bit.
2. Staff is hearing that work plans and the approach for developing work
plans may be changing slightly and there may be a certain process and
expectation for what the work plans look like, what the content is, how
we prioritize and make sure that board and commission priorities align
with the Council's priorities. What could be frustrating is if we went
through the process of developing a work plan and then find out a
month afterward that we need to do it a different way. Staff
recommendation is to follow the direction of the City Manager, wait a
little bit and be patient, and the information about work plan process
and content will be coming out soon. We don't want to spend a lot of
time working on it and then have to redo work later.
xiii. What is the harm of a commission preparing a work plan in whatever form the
commission chooses right now?
xiv. The City Manager has directed staff to push pause on the work plans. City staff
will be working on what those plans will entail, what they will look like, how
they will be developed, what our approach is as boards and commissions. Staff
currently doesn't have the resources to do that.
1. It is the effort of staff liaisons working with the commissions
2. It is working with the Communications staff who puts them together in
a format viewable for the public
3. It is the Chair presenting the draft work plan to Council
1. Right now, none of these meetings are on the calendar. Our
City Manager works with staff to add agenda items for work
sessions and formal meetings
xv. The Commission could have conversations about what they would like to see
on the work plan and what might be a priority. It doesn't have to be
something formal. Can also look at Council's priorities and make sure they
align.
8. New Business
A. Commission Re -orientation
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
May 20, 2024 — 6:30 pm
4
i. Staff and commissioners reviewed and discussed the Board and Commission
New Member Packet.
B. Equity Plan
Staff informed commissioners about the City's new Equity Plan approved by
Council — attached to the May 20, 2024 agenda.
C. Election of Officers
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Klaas to approve
Debra Yahle as Chair and Sarah Drawz as Vice -Chair and the motion carried.
D. Council Updates
i. New City Employees include the Parks Director, Finance Director, and Fire
Chief. There is an executive search firm to help in the hiring of a new City
Manager. The Deputy City Manager is helping the Council during the process.
ii. The Council reviewed a potential location for a 2"d fire station. There are four
sites the City has looked at. Council/Staff not comfortable with the location
that was recently proposed.
iii. The Council has been working on a grant application for a new business in
Golden Valley. It will be on the Council Agenda again for another hearing.
E. Other Business
Commissioners agree Dawn should be invited to the Boards & Commissions
Appreciation Dinner on June 6 at Brookview. Can staff ask about this?
9. Adjournment
MOTION by Commissioner Cantarero, seconded by Commissioner Galonska to adjourn the
meeting at 8:16 pm and the motion carried.
ATTEST:
ra . �JAY-,_� s.
Carrie Nelson, Administrative Assistant Debra Yahle, Chair