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EC Agenda 7-22-2024 REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Remote Attendance: Members of the public may attend this meeting via Microsoft Teams by calling 1-872-256-4160 and entering access code 910 737 312#. 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 We acknowledge and honor the Dakota nation, on whose ancestral land the City of Golden Valley is built, and whose land resources we use. We commit to counteracting the erasure of the cultural practices and presence of the Dakota people through education and by amplifying a wide range of indigenous voices. 3. Roll Call 4. Approval of Agenda 5. Approval of June 24, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes (5 min) 6. Old Business A. Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ-Bassett Creek 2024 efforts i. Subcommittee updates 1. Clean-up event (15 min) 2. Water Ceremony (5 min) ii. Watershed co-naming update (5 min) iii. Dakota plant walks (5 min) Action Requested 7. New Business A. Recycling progress report (30 min) B. GreenCorps member service summary (5 min) C. Council Updates (5 min) D. Other Business (5 min) 8. Adjournment July 22, 2024 – 6:30 pm City Hall Council Conference Room REGULAR MEETING MINUTES 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 Chair Yahle at 6:30 pm. 2. Land Acknowledgement 3. Roll Call Commissioners present: Debra Yahle, Sarah Drawz, Ellen Brenna, Wendy Weirich, Kari Cantarero Commissioners absent: Paul Klaas, Tonia Galonska Council Members present: None Staff present: Ethan Kehrberg, Sustainability Specialist; Carrie Nelson, Engineering Assistant. 4. Approval of June 24, 2024 Agenda MOTION by Commissioner Weirich, seconded by Commissioner Brenna to approve the agenda for June 24, 2024 as submitted and the motion carried with the following change: • Move 8B. Tree Trust Spring Tree Sale and 8D. GreenStep Cities Actions to before 7. Old Business so we have quorum due to a commissioner having to leave early. 5. Approval of May 20, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes MOTION by Commissioner Drawz, seconded by Commissioner Cantarero to approve the minutes of May 20, 2024 as submitted and the motion carried. 6. New Business A. Tree Trust Spring Tree Sale MOTION by Commissioner Weirich, seconded by Commissioner Brenna to approve allocating $1,750 of the Commission’s annual budget to sponsor a tree sale with Tree Trust in 2025 and the motion carried. June 24, 2024 – 6:30 pm City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting June 24, 2024 – 6:30 pm 2 B. GreenStep Cities Actions MOTION by Commissioner Brenna, seconded by Commissioner Cantarero to approve the updates to GreenStep Cities Actions 16.6, 27.3, and 29.6 for submission to GreenStep Cities and the motion carried. 7. Old Business A. Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ-Bassett Creek 2024 Actions i. Subcommittee updates: 1. Clean-Up Event – Commissioner Galonska was absent, so the commissioners agreed to table this until next month. 2. Water Ceremony 1. Will take place October 14. 2. The location hasn’t been chosen yet. Will maybe be in Crystal so the location has amenities, such as a bathroom and covered area. ii. Watershed co-naming update 1. BCWMC prefers to have the Ȟaȟa Wakpadaŋ name before Bassett Creek. iii. Joint Watershed Meeting 1. Staff reviewed information found in the 6-24-24 agenda packet. 8. New Business A. No Mow May i. Staff reviewed the memo in the agenda packet. ii. Is there any way to know if this actually benefits pollinators? 1. It is at least a way to raise awareness about pollinators and get people thinking about them. iii. Could the Commission/City promote planting native vegetation and native vegetation permits? B. Packaging Waste & Cost Reduction Act i. Staff reviewed the memo in the agenda packet. ii. This shouldn’t affect the SCORE Grant Funding, but it is still unclear how the two will work together. C. Council Updates i. None D. Other Business i. None City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting June 24, 2024 – 6:30 pm 3 9. Adjournment MOTION by Commissioner Drawz, seconded by Commissioner Cantarero to adjourn the meeting at 7:26 pm and the motion carried. ATTEST: ________________________________ ____________________________________ Carrie Nelson, Administrative Assistant Debra Yahle, Chair Date: July 22, 2024 To: Environmental Commission From: Eric Eckman, Environmental Supervisor Subject: Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ-Bassett Creek: 2024 Actions The Environmental Commission’s work plan includes the advancement of environmental justice and land acknowledgement actions in the community. This includes increasing awareness and usage of the Dakota name for Bassett Creek (Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ) and the importance of clean water for all living beings. At its March and April meetings, the Commission approved the sponsorship of two events and formed sub-committees to help plan and participate in these events. • Creek clean-up in Golden Valley (Date TBD) • Water ceremony on Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 14, 2024) Staff and sub-committee members will be present to give updates and receive feedback on these items. Staff will also share information on two additional items of interest as the Environmental Commission looks to pursue more actions in 2024 and beyond. • Study co-naming opportunities for Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ-Bassett Creek (receive updates on BCWMC progress) • Dakota native plant walks (consider potential partnership with MWMO, Hennepin History Museum, and others in 2024-25) Date: July 19, 2024 To: Environmental Commission From: Ethan Kehrberg, Sustainability Specialist Eric Eckman, Environmental Supervisor Subject: Organics Recycling Participation Discussion The Environmental Commission work plan includes efforts to increase traditional and organics recycling opportunities in the community, including receiving and discussing progress reports from staff and the City’s recycling contractor. Below is the 2024 recycling progress update. Midwest Recycling Market Trends The following is a summary of the current recycling market and trends provided by Republic Services in their annual report to the City of Golden Valley: “Overall, recycling commodity markets remain historically soft relative to the pre-2018 ‘China sword’ market transformation. 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. Locally, we are [currently] seeing relatively strong demand for fiber (cardboard & paper) as mills are looking for feedstock. Plastic markets have been steadily moving upward. A major concern is virgin pricing for plastic resin is much cheaper than recycled feedstock, so state and brand-owner initiatives or mandates stipulating the usage of recycling content in their product is critical. Product circularity is gaining steam with brands as consumers push for greener alternatives. Aluminum and metal markets are experiencing decent movement and steady pricing. Though commodity pricing as a whole is generally favorable right now, the nature of commodity pricing can be fluid and things can change quickly.” Golden Valley Waste Stream Overview Approximately 41% of eligible households (1-4 unit housing) participated in the organics recycling program in 2023. Republic Services also collected 1737.4 tons of traditional recycling from Golden Valley residents in 2023, which is a slight decrease from 1797.1 tons in 2022. On average, approximately 498 pounds of recycling is generated per eligible household per year. This is higher than average across the metro area. Participation in the traditional recycling program reached approximately 95% in 2023. Traditional 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 in Golden Valley on Friday, April 12, 2024 and brought to Republic Service’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Minneapolis where it was mixed and randomly sampled. Republic’s staff worked to sort and weigh the different product types. Below is the summary of materials in the sample: Product Type Net Weight (pounds) % of Load HDPE – Natural 2 1% HDPE – Pigmented 1 1% PET 8 6% 3-7 Plastics 1 1% Glass 13 9% Tin 2 1% Aluminum 5 4% Mixed Paper 29 21% OCC (Cardboard) 74 53% Residual Garbage 6 4% TOTALS 141 100% 0.00 500.00 1000.00 1500.00 2000.00 2500.00 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Annual Residential Recycling Tonnages Residential Organics Residential Recycling Republic Service’s Recycle Center Auditor included additional notes about the sample: “Residual garbage mostly consisted of bagged material, film, and food waste. A rag and bubble wrap were also found in the sample.” The 2024 recycling composition study found 4% residual garbage in the sample, which is an improvement over the 8% contamination reported from the 2023 study. This means that based on the sample, approximately 96% of the traditional recycling material collected in Golden Valley should be processed for recycling. Republic Services also offered some recommendations to improve recycling: “Continued education of all residents regarding the appropriate materials for each recycling container (traditional and organics). The City can have an impact on the quality of material we collect by continuing to educate residents about what material goes in each bin. The 2023 waste sort results indicate that more education may be needed on acceptable traditional recycling material, specifically that bagged recycling, film and plastic and bubble wrap are not acceptable.” Education, Outreach, & Future Initiatives Staff and the Minnesota GreenCorps member have been busy doing outreach to multifamily properties. We completed outdoor site assessments at every multifamily site in Golden Valley inventorying trash and recycling access, EAB-impacted trees, chloride use, and opportunities for additional green infrastructure. Property managers were not present during the assessments, but staff did present sustainability information to property managers at the quarterly STAR Meetings and sent out emails with grant information, various resources, and offers to support them with their sustainability needs. The next GreenCorps member will continue working with staff to set up more visits with property managers to learn more about their needs and connect them with the appropriate resources to support them and their tenants. Staff and the Minnesota GreenCorps member have also engaged in a variety of other outreach activities about recycling and waste reduction in the past year, including a presentation and discussion with a coffee group at Brookview Community Center, another presentation and discussion with the Golden Valley Rotary Club, and conversations with attendees at Market in the Valley in both winter and summer. The City’s Waste Hauling, Recycling, & Yard Waste email list has 4,562 subscribers (approximately 65% of eligible households) that receive regular updates about service, schedules, and other important information. Staff continue to share information and resources through posts on the city website and social media channels, regular stories and updates in the City News, which is mailed to every address in Golden Valley, direct mail campaigns to encourage participation in organics recycling, and annual guides and calendars mailed by Republic Services. Staff continue to look for effective ways to share information with the community and frequently refer to the Environmental Commission’s recommended strategies to increase organics recycling participation discussed at the November 2023 meeting. Recycling Exists RecyclingExists.com is a website brought to you by Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties. The counties have been promoting this site to dispel some of the misunderstandings about how recycling works and its efficacy. Here is their pitch for the website and their summary of how recycling works in the metro: “In Minnesota, recycling is real and it works. Minnesota and the Midwest are home to many recycling facilities that collect, sort, process, and manufacture items made from the bottles, boxes, and other containers we put in our recycling carts. For example, clean glass is made into bottles for drinks, pickles, salad dressing, and more in Shakopee, plastic milk and laundry detergent jugs are made into durable decking, fencing and landscaping products in Paynesville, and paper and cardboard are made into cereal and cracker boxes in Saint Paul. Here in the Twin Cities, you can be assured the recycling you put in your cart is getting recycled as long as the materials are accepted in your program and prepared properly. Minnesota law requires this. Our efforts to recycle and reduce waste save energy, protect resources, and support about 78,000 jobs in the state.” Learn more at RecyclingExists.com Hennepin County Solid Waste Management Plan The MPCA is working on a new Solid Waste Management Plan and each county is required to implement actions to achieve the goals of the plan. Counties can choose from a list of optional strategies, each with their own point value, to reach a minimum of 75 points. Hennepin County is currently asking for input on the optional strategies they have selected. Some of the optional strategies Hennepin County is considering are listed below: • Contract for residential recycling and organics by 2030 (done in Golden Valley) • Establish a curbside set-out day to allow residents to set out used items for reuse • Create a wood waste management program • Add food-derived compost to city construction and landscaping projects Hennepin County will be releasing a draft of their Solid Waste Management Plan, which will be open for a comment period in August before final edits are made to the plan in September. Hennepin County residents may review the plan here: https://beheardhennepin.org/solid-waste-plan. Date: July 19, 2024 To: Environmental Commission From: Annie Knoll, MN GreenCorps Member Subject: GreenCorps Member Service Summary August marks the end of my 11-month GreenCorps service term with the City of Golden Valley. Below, I highlighted my major accomplishments as a GreenCorps member and the service priorities for the incoming member. Thank you, City staff and Environmental Commission, for supporting my professional and academic development over the past year. I am inspired by your collective enthusiasm for environmental issues and commitment to improving the lives of Golden Valley residents. Multifamily Property Site Visits & Outreach Engaging with multifamily property owners and residents was central to my work plan. I developed a site visit survey to evaluate recycling accessibility, green infrastructure, tree health, and other environmental and sustainability indicators. I compiled site visit notes, contact information, and outreach priorities for 44 multifamily properties in a spreadsheet. The future GreenCorps member will update the spreadsheet, devise new outreach strategies, and collaborate with the Housing & Economic Development Manager. The Sustainability Specialist and the incoming member will also revisit multifamily properties with site plans or landscape plans in their Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) to assess compliance with minimum tree and shrub quantities. Organics Recycling Program & Outreach I spent the first half of my service term utilizing my art and design background to make an organics recycling video. The incoming member will continue outreach to increase participation in the City’s curbside program and reduce contamination through print materials, presentations, social media, and tabling at Market in the Valley. In June, Ethan and I wrote a proposal for an organics recycling drop-off site program to increase equitable access to recycling and composting. Evaluating the feasibility of drop sites and implementing the plan will be a large portion of the incoming member’s service. GreenStep Cities Reporting Quarter two of my service term largely comprised GreenStep Cities annual reporting. Data collection was highly collaborative, requiring communication with City Hall staff and outside organizations like Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Hennepin County. Despite its challenges, annual reporting was one of the most rewarding projects of my service term. It was inspiring to learn how Golden Valley — alongside 145 cities and Tribal Nations in Minnesota — has taken action against climate change. Writing update memos to the Environmental Commission on GreenStep Cities Best Practice actions was also a wonderful opportunity to refine my technical writing skills. Energy Efficiency Navigating existing and upcoming financing options for residential energy efficiency projects, including low-income programs, grants, loans, and rebates was a large part of my service. My outreach included presenting at a Senior Coffee Discussion and an energy efficiency poster. Thus far, outreach efforts have primarily targeted residents. Considering the commercial sector is the largest consumer of electricity and natural gas in Golden Valley, I encourage future GreenCorps members to partner with local businesses to reduce energy use or advocate for programs like Business Blitz. Promoting the City’s Energy Hero Recognition Program is another worthwhile endeavor. Tree Health & Emerald Ash Borer Outreach I assessed tree health at multifamily properties, researched tree-removal grants, and contacted property owners about emerald ash borer (EAB), especially in environmental justice priority areas. Tree canopy loss due to EAB is a major concern in Golden Valley. Therefore, expanding on this work is a high priority in the 2024-25 GreenCorps work plan. Aquatic Invasive Species Detector Certification & Advanced Training The University of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Detector certification and training was the largest independent project of my service term. The certification process consisted of about 16 hours of virtual coursework and an eight-hour in-person training with an exam. Along with the coursework and in-person training, I toured the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC), did volunteer AIS monitoring, and attended an aquatic biology course at the Sax-Zim Bog in Meadowlands, MN. Because of GreenCorps, I have a much greater understanding and appreciation of Minnesota's aquatic ecosystems.