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2. Minutes 01-23-12 GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION Regular Meeting Minutes January 23, 2012 Present: Commissioners Tracy Anderson Rich Baker, Jim Stremel, Debra Yahle; Jeannine Clancy, Public Works Director; Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist; Mark Ray, Engineer; Al Lundstrom, Park Maintenance Supervisor and Lisa Nesbitt, Administrative Assistant Absent: Commissioners Dawn Hill and Lynn Gitelis (attended via conference call) 1. Call to Order Baker called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Introduction of New Member Baker introduced Debra Yahle. She is an operational risk consultant for Wells Fargo. She served for three years on the Human Rights Commission and left at the end of her term. 2. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes – November 28, 2011 MOVED by Stremel, seconded by Baker, and the motion carried unanimously to approve the minutes of the November 28, 2011 meeting. 3. Bottineau Transitway There will be a joint City Council, Planning, Environmental, and Open Space and Recreation Commissions meeting on January 30th to discuss the Bottineau Transitway. The goal will be to get feedback from the Commissions which would be included in a draft letter from the City to the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Council Member Pentel stopped into the meeting to offer information she found regarding the potential for archeological findings in the path of the light rail. Staff will review further and add to the letter. Commissioner Gitelis asked that noise consideration be a part of the letter. 4. GreenStep Cities Discussion The City reviewed the GreenSteps program and discovered 14 of the 28 steps have already been completed by the City. A summary of the findings is on-file. The Commission decided that they would not pursue the program for now due to the programs currently in place. 5. Tornado Cleanup in S. Theodore Wirth Park Baker explained that over the past couple of months, he had become concerned about the clean-up effort that took place in Theodore Wirth Park following the May 22, 2011 tornado. His principal concern was the amount of clearing done and the potential long-term damage done as a result of the cleanup. He spoke to, and exchanged emails with, staff at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and was featured in a Star Tribune article. He asked City staff to provide information about policies and agreements pertaining to Wirth Park. Copies of Minutes of the Environmental Commission January 23, 2012 Page 2 of 2 emails, the Star Tribune article and information from City staff are on-file. Baker wanted the Commission to be aware of the situation. Damon Struyk, Golden Valley’s representative on the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Wirth Park Master Planning effort, attended the meeting at Baker’s request to offer his insight on the situation and inform the Commission about the park planning progress to date. Lundstrom outlined how the City manages nature areas and Eckman explained the steps the City took when they were notified of the cleanup efforts in Wirth Park and the impact to the wetland. A memo from staff, summarizing the information, is on-file. The Commission will draft a letter to MPRB outlining their concerns regarding the wetland in the Park and express a desire to have future practices improve. Baker and Stremel will work on the draft and bring it to the next meeting. Baker suggested that a future agenda item might be to develop a policy regarding natural area management in Golden Valley owned parks and nature areas. 6. Program/Project Updates A summary of the program/project updates is on file. Additionally, MCES is having a workshop on February 16th regarding I/I. Golden Valley will be part of the panel. The workshop is free and commissioners are encouraged to attend. Staff will forward information to the commission. 7. Commission Member Council Reports Baker attended the December 6, 2011 Council meeting to present the Waste Hauler Licensing ordinance. 8. Other Business Baker asked the Mayor to fill the commission vacancy as soon as possible as he would like to focus on the 2012 plans at the next meeting. The City is looking for a representative to the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission. Commissioners that are interested are encouraged to apply. 7. Adjourn MOVED by Anderson, seconded by Stremel, and the motion carried to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm. The next scheduled meeting will be February 27, 2012 at 7 pm.