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08-24-15 E.C. Agenda PacketAGENDA GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION Regular Meeting Golden Valley City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Road Council Conference Room, Monday, August 24, 2015 7:00 PM 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes — July 27, 2015 3. Composting and Organics Recycling a. Bokashi Composting— Garden Club b. Review Organics Recycling Report 4. Pollinator Article 5. Program/Project Updates (Staff) 6. Commission Member Council Reports (Commissioners) 7. Other Business 8. Adjourn This document is available in alternate formats upon a 72 -hour request. Please call 7l.`2_cm-onnf.. frrv. 7&2_rrr2_'2n1.o1'Fn —i- n rnLne.F Cvarrnlnn of �ItnrnnFn #nrm.�� may include large print, electronic, Braille, audiocassette, etc. GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION Regular Meeting Minutes July 27, 2015 Present: Commissioners: Tracy Anderson, Tonia Galonska, Lynn Gitelis, Dawn Hill, Larry Johnson, Jim Stremel, and Debra Yahle; Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist; and Claire Huisman, Administrative Assistant Absent: Council Member Larry Fonnest Call to Order Gitelis called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Approval of Reaular & Joint Commission Meetina Minutes — April 27. 2015 and June 22, 2015 MOVED by Stremel, seconded by Hill, and the motion carried unanimously to approve the minutes of the April 27, 2015 regular meeting and June 22, 2015 joint meeting. Composting and Organics Recycling Tim Farnan from MPCA along with John Jaimez and Ben Knutson from Hennepin County gave a presentation on Organic Compost Recycling. They presented information on how Cities can provide Organic Recycling to their residents either as a City wide service or as a Subscription (opt -in) service. There are three different models for ways to collect organic recyclables: 1. Providing separate cart for collection 2. Mixing the organic recyclables in with yard waste 3. Providing compostable bags for the organic recyclables which are then placed in the trash cart. Minneapolis is providing organic compost recycling city wide at a rate of $40/year added to the resident's utility bill. Residents have to sign up and ask for a cart. 30% of the houses currently with curb side recycling have signed up for organic recycling. Minneapolis' service provides a separate cart for organic recyclables. St. Louis Park offers a subscription based program to their residents which also costs $40/year. Their service allows for mixing the organics with the yard waste in the yard waste bin. There is currently 11 % resident participation. Smaller organized cities are using a blue bag system. Organic recyclables are put into a blue bag and then thrown into their trash cart to be sorted later at a special facility. Cost can vary, but it is currently around $80/year. Q&A during the meeting: 1. Can a City that has organized recycling pick-up, add organic recycling to their service? At this time, no city has tried this and the law is a bit grey. 2. Has organic recycling worked with apartments, condos and office buildings? Pilot programs done on these types of facilities have seen Minutes of the Environmental Commission July 27, 2015 Page 2 of 2 mixed success, and often there are low participation rates and high percentage of contamination. 3. How many haulers have the capability to offer organic recycling pick-up? Every hauler is capable, but they may not offer that service. 4. Is Brooklyn Park the closest drop site for residents to bring their organic recyclables? Yes. Is the Minneapolis drop site open to residents outside Minneapolis? No, not at this time. 5. Are there plans to build a digester? Hennepin County does not generate enough material so it will not be happening in the near future. 6. If the Metro area did succeed in reaching the goal of 75% rate for recycling, could all of that compost material be used? They felt this could be managed and used in a lot of different areas. There is great success in selling all of the compost that is being made now. The Commission was tasked with identifying and exploring various options for composting and organic recycling to present to the Council. These options should include looking at garbage haulers currently licensed in the City. Options should include the advantages and disadvantages along with cost & benefits for the City to offer organic recycling. Rough draft should be available for review by next month's meeting and final version ready for presentation to the Council by September. The Commission will invite the City's Garden Club to their next meeting to talk about backyard composting. Program/Project Updates The complete program/project summary is on file. Additional discussion included: DeCola Ponds flooding issue — Commissioner Hill expressed her dissatisfaction with the mailer that went out to residents summarizing the information exchanged at the neighborhood meeting. A few members suggested that the City should communicate more information to residents and also acknowledge that some residents are scared or upset. Commission Member Council Reports None Other Business None Adiourn MOVED by Hill, seconded by Anderson, and the motion carried to adjourn the meeting at 9:20pm. Claire Huisman Administrative Assistant city 0 golden MEMORANDUM �a E'�% Physical Development Department JJ 763-593-8030 / 763-593-3988 (fax) Date: August 19, 2015 To: Environmental Commission From: Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist Subject: Composting and Organics Recycling At its July 2015 meeting, the Environmental Commission began looking at composting and organics recycling options available to Golden Valley residents. MPCA and Hennepin County staff attended the meeting and presented the Commission with an overview of the organics recycling industry and a brief summary of what other cities are doing. Much of this is summarized in the July meeting minutes. Presenters included: Tim Farnan, MPCA John Jaimez, Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department Ben Knudson, Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department One point worth noting, Hennepin County staff mentioned that the long term trend in recycling funding is to provide more grant money to help fund organics programs like those in St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, and Bloomington. Staff was not certain whether traditional recycling funding would be impacted long term as organics recycling funding increases. Following the discussion, the Commission asked staff to help prepare a report to forward on to City Council. The report will summarize the existing and potential composting/organics recycling options available to residents, including the pros and cons of each option. The draft report is attached for review at the August Commission meeting. GAEnvironmental Commission\Memos\composting-organics recycling_0815.docx Existing and Potential Composting/Organics Recycling Options available to Golden Valley residents Existing options available to residents 1. Backyard composting (available to residential properties having up to 4 dwelling units, and meeting conditions set forth in city code) Pros — inexpensive; simple; fairly convenient Cons —requires time, labor, physical space, acp :ued need for compost/soil; potential for odor, aesthetic, and animal im,clt5 2. Drop off organics/food waste at Hennepin Cophtybp-off facility (Brooklyn Park) Pros — no aesthetic, odor, animal impact:(,comp A� pg process occurs offsite); less expensive than collection (no fee) �A �� Cons— inconvenient, distance to`", ' facility (time and ney), only open Tuesday -Friday 3. Contact trash hauler to see if they offer" nics cy tion s U Pros —convenient, no esthetic, ani mRWAtnpacts 80 Cons —expense ($75 =er year); li availability in Golden Valley currently (only 1 licensed hauler' ' tj erin th�'� ' ( Y �� �. g �rvice) Potential options to Based on ourarch a professionals, c p �� re spa rate Pros PE Cons - ones �\ 2. ide a bag to' s —could be Co takes up 3. Provide abag to pI Pros yi a Cons - take ' (contamination' tbvidecl] le organics recycling models for organics recycling collection. sk of contamination car anage orga ` within your trash cart Moved , I ly with trash; less carts sce in trash cart, bag may break open (contamination) c �ganics within your yard waste cart T not generated all year; less carts space in yard waste cart during certain times, bag may break open ; pick up every two weeks The options for setting up these types of programs include a mandatory citywide program or a subscription (opt -in) program. City wide programs generally result in lower costs for the resident. Opt -in programs generally result in higher costs for the resident. These options also depend on whether or not a City has organized solid waste collection. Additional options to consider In addition to the program models described above, there may be additional options for the City to consider: 1. Add organics material to an existing or new recycling contract (either cart or bag). Organics material is considered recyclable material under State Statute and it also fits within Hennepin County's funding policy (exceeds County's minimum recycling standards). Adding organics to a recycling contract has not been attempted by a city, and therefore it is not known if it would be challen� rider the organized collection i� statute. However, county staff has suggested th�ay be possible for cities like �'q Golden Valley with existing recycling contras a 4 organics collection to our contracts. It is recommended that the City cb , uu v i� is attorney before proceeding. ��\ MAW 2. Modify existing trash hauler license pity code to requ�ensed haulers to �h provide organics collection (cart or` as an optional servic residents. (Currently Ay only one hauler provides this service). ervice3r y also incld „v ,ducational "tagging" if contaminatior Look to partner in some Currently, recycling is a joi Dwable and sense. Minnetonka and Plymouth. Pollinator Species (Recent email sent by staff in response to concern about decline in pollinator numbers...) Thank you for your email and the insight on pollinators in your neighborhood. Over the past few years, there have been many reports about the declining populations of pollinators in the U.S. Because of this awareness we are starting to see government agencies and the education and private sectors taking steps toward creating more pollinator habitat, or adopting policies and strategies that encourage pollinator habitat. The City recently completed a Natural Resources Management Plan. The project steering committee identified habitat enhancement for wildlife and insects, i.e. pollinators, and natural resource outreach and education as important needs in the community. The plan contains goals, objectives and policies which support efforts to meet these needs. The City Council has directed the Environmental Commission to develop educational information about pollinator species and habitat to inform and encourage residents and businesses to explore ways to increase populations and use less chemicals that may affect these species. This is one of the commission's tasks in 2015. Here are some examples of efforts we're aware of to improve and diversify wildlife habitat or attract pollinators: • The City maintains about 25 native shoreline/prairie buffers that include vegetation that attracts bees and butterflies. When I was out last week checking a few of the City's buffers, I noticed many monarchs and bees. For reference, the nearest native vegetation buffer to your residence is the one at Hampshire Pond at Olympia and Louisiana. • The private sector has constructed around 80 ponds and rain gardens that include native vegetation, and many new developments have included native grasses/wildflowers and perennial plantings on their properties. • We're seeing a lot of milkweed in places we didn't see it years ago in Golden Valley (City Streetscape areas, roadside and railroad ditches, residences, and edges of parks and wooded areas, etc). This is purely anecdotal, but we think it's a good sign. • The Golden Valley Garden Club maintains flower beds around the City. Checkout their website or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GoldenValleyGardenClub • I believe the Perpich Center for Arts Education recently received a grant to plant a small orchard on their property in Golden Valley to attract pollinator species. Thanks again for your concern about pollinators. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the City's natural resources in more detail, please contact me at 763-593-8084. Sincerely, Eric Some important website links... (Info for EC to review by August 24) https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/Pollinator%20Health%2OStrategy%202015 pdf http://dnr.state.mn.us/pollinators/­`index.html http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/bmps/`pollinators.aspx http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/about-mpca/mpca-news/featured-stories/bring-back-the-pollinators html • Pollinators and their Habitat - Minnesota Department of Agriculture's webpage on best management practices. • I! 'a Bee Lab (University of Minnesota)' - Research for the health of bee pollinators. • IJ Pollinators of Native Plants (Heather Holm):P - Local author with book, blog, and free downloadable posters. • U Native plant suppliers and landscapers in Minnesota (Minnesota DNR) Y - List of native plant suppliers and landscapers in Minnesota. • U Saving Minnesota's Prairie Butterflies P - Minnesota Zoo's Prairie Butterfly Heritage Project • U Beez Kneez education program P - Experiential education about honey bees. PROGRAM/PROJECT UPDATES—JULY 2015 WATER RESOURCES Briarwood/Dawnview Pond Construction The contractor is working to finish up the last punch list item and we will be finalizing out the permit and requesting reimbursement from BCWMC. Vegetation is established and we have some native flowering already adding color to the pond. We will have to do some spot treatment on invasive species, but overall the vegetation looks good and the pond is functioning as designed. Schaper Pond Diversion Project A pre -construction meeting was held with the contractor, Sunram Construction. The project is scheduled to start October 18th, and expected to last approximately two weeks. 2015 Bassett Creek Restoration Project (Rhode Island Ave to Duluth St) Staff is finalizing plans and specifications and preparing to bid the 2015 creek restoration project in August/September. The project will begin in November 2015 and run through Summer 2016. Twin Lake Alum Treatment The first phase of the in -lake alum treatment was completed in May 2015. Alum chemically binds to phosphorus in bottom sediments to prevent re -suspension. Early monitoring showed improvements in water clarity. There have been no reports of algae growth in the lake this yea r. Annual Stormwater Training As part of the City's NPDES permit and MS4 stormwater program, the City held its annual training for all engineering and maintenance personnel on August 19th. The training covered maintenance responsibilities, best management practices, illicit discharges, and things to keep an eye on when working around the City. RECYCLING Republic Services provided the following recycling numbers for Golden Valley: 2012 = collected 2,361 tons (or 4,722,000 lbs.) 2013 = collected 2,237 tons (or 4,474,000 lbs.) 2014 = collected 2,153 tons (or 4,306,000 lbs.) ...and so far through July 2015, they have collected 1,248 tons. If that were extrapolated through the whole year, the 2015 annual amount would be 2,139 tons (or 4,278,000 lbs.) If you look at the numbers, you will see that recycling volume collected has trended downward. That does NOT mean that Golden Valley residents are recycling fewer things or that fewer residents are recycling. Across the industry, across the Twin Cities and across the country virtually all recycling tonnages are down over the last 4 years. This has been attributed to the "light -weighting" of packaging (lighter packaging materials and using far less of it with packaging innovations) and a significant decline in home newspaper and magazine subscriptions (on-line subscriptions are up dramatically), fewer catalogs being mailed, etc. Republic Services believes that approximately the same number of Golden Valley households recycle (approximately 90-92%) as have I the past 4-5 years. The 90-92% of households that participate in recycling is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than the State of Minnesota figure (about 48% of the State households recycle), and the Twin Cities average (somewhere in the 70% range). SOLAR ENERGY City Hall Campus Rooftop Solar Project The solar arrays located on the Park Maintenance Building and Public Safety Building are now complete. Staff is working with Xcel Energy to have the final connection and final inspection completed. The systems will be fully operational in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the solar array on the Park Maintenance building will produce more than enough energy for Park Maintenance and that the unused/excess energy will be sold back to the grid. The solar array on the Public Safety Building will reduce the energy draw in that building by about 20%. FORESTRY Tree Preservation/Landscaping code revisions Upon direction from Council, staff is making revisions to city code to simplify, improve, and in many cases, bolster certain provisions in the tree preservation section of city code. The City's landscape standards will also be merged into this section of code. If this goes to Council/Manager on September 8, then it will go to Environmental Commission and Planning Commission for review and comment on September 28. If it goes to Council/Manager on October 13, it will go to the Commissions on October 26. PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS Cornerstone Creek (9300 and 9310 Golden Valley Road)—Final PUD. Redevelopment of two parcels for a 45 unit facility for adults with developmental disabilities, administrative offices for Jewish Housing and Programming, and a public multi-purpose space. Planning Commission recommended approval (6-0) on July 27th. Council approved (4-0) on August 18th. 9000 Golden Valley Road—Conditional Use Permit. Allow for a professional office within a principal structure containing 20 or more dwelling units. Planning Commission recommended approval (6-0) on July 27th. Council approved (4-0) on August 18th. 9000 and 9050 Golden Valley Road—Zoning Map Amendment. Rezone from Commercial to High Density Residential (R-4) zoning district. Planning Commission recommended approval (6-0) on July 27th. Council approved (4-0) on August 18tH Lupient (7100 Wayzata Boulevard)—Minor PUD Amendment. Demolition of one of three dealership buildings on site. Council approved (4-0) on August 18tH. The Three•Nine•Four Apartments—Final Plat, PUD Permit, and Development Agreement. Construction of 303 market rate apartment units and 107 senior living units. Final PUD Plan approved on October 15, 2013. Tentatively scheduled for a special HRA meeting and City Council on September 1't for approval.