2016-10-24 EC Minutes GOLDEN VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
Regular Meeting, Minutes
October 24, 2016
Commissioners Present: Lynn Gitelis, Dawn Hill, Debra Yahle and Tonia Galonska
Staff Present: Eric Eckman, Public Works Specialist and Hannah Garry, GreenCorps
Member
Absent: Council Member Larry Fonnest and Commissioners Tracy Anderson, Jim
Stremel, and Larry Johnson
Call to Order
Lynn Gitelis called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm.
Approval of Reqular Meetinq Minutes
MOVED by Hill, SECONDED by Yahle, and the motion carried unanimously to approve
the minutes of the September 26, 2016 regular meeting.
City Solar Arrav Presentation
Eric Seaburg gave a presentation to the Commission describing the City's rooftop solar
array systems on the Public Safety Building and Park Maintenance Building installed in
2015. Seaburg also explained how the projects were funded using State grant funding
and third party financing. City Hall was rejected for a project due to the types of HVAC
units on the roof. In 2016, the City Council approved a contract with Sundial to install
and maintain solar arrays on the Utility Maintenance/Streets maintenance Building. The
Commission voiced its support for these projects and instructed staff to provide this
information to the public via Facebook and the City website. Staff mentioned that
Communication staff is working on this.
Resilience/Sustainabilitv Plan — Comp Plan Kickoff Meetinq Results and
Communitv Survev Results
Eckman explained the City entered into an agreement with Great Plains Institute to help
develop the Resilience/Sustainability Plan. A representative from Great Plains will be
present at a future meeting to work with the Commission on the existing conditions
assessment and goal-setting.
The Commission was provided with data from the comprehensive plan kickoff event
held in September. The most common goal listed by the public at the kickoff meeting
was "Encourage use of renewable energy, including wind, solar, etc." The complete
summary data is on file.
Staff also discussed the results of the Community Survey administered by the Morris
Leatherman Company. A statistically valid random telephone survey of 400 people was
conducted and is done every three years. General results for topics pertaining to the
Environmental Commission include:
Recycle services: 93% rated good or excellent
Storm Drainage/Flood Control: 96% rated good or excellent
Brush Pickup/Mighty Tidy Day programs: 77% somewhat or very important
Curbside Pickup of Composting/Organics: 70% somewhat or very interested
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October 24, 2016
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Yard Waste Curbside Pickup: 79% somewhat or very interested
Yard Waste Drop-off: 65% somewhat or very interested
Dirt/Mulch Pickup: 64% somewhat or very interested
Solid Waste - go from open system of 8 haulers to an organized system: 51%
supportive
Plastic Bag Ban: 64% supportive
Community Gardens funded by City: 72% supportive
Most important environmental issue in City: "None" at 18%. However, if you add a
couple of the other related responses together you get "Water Quality" at 19%.
Water Quality of surface waters: 86% rated good or excellent
Concern about invasive species (buckthorn, emerald ash borer, etc): 54°/a somewhat or
very concerned
These results along with other information will help inform the drafting of goals and
policies in the upcoming resilience/sustainability plan.
GreenStep Cities BP #29 —Action 1, 3 Star Ratinq — Prepare to Maintain Public
Health and Safety
The Commission discussed this action at the previous meeting and instructed staff to
make minor changes. Garry provided the Gommission with an overview of the final draft
of this entry. The Commission suggested adding language about exploring the use of
assistive technologies for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired.
MOVED by Hill SECONDED by Galonska and the motion carried unanimously to
approve the BP29 Action 1 summary for entry in the GreenStep Cities website
with the additional language and minor formatting changes.
GreenStepCities Inventorv Update — Best Practices 8, 10, 16, and 18
Garry provided the Commission with an overview of best practices #8, #10, #16, and
#18. The Commission reviewed and discussed a number of action items under these
best practices, but did not complete review of all items included in the packet. The
Commission decided that in the future about 45 minutes of each meeting would be
devoted to reviewing and approving Greenstep Cities inventory items until the inventory
is completed.
MOVED by Hill SECONDED by Galonska and the motion carried unanimously to
approve Actions 1, 2 and 7 of Best Practice 8 and Action 1 of Best Practice 10
with grammar and formatting changes for entry in the GreenStep website.
GreenStepCities Inventory Update — Mavor's Monarch Pledqe, Bee Citv USA
Resolution.
Tabled to next meeting, November 28, 2016.
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Minutes of the Environmental Commission
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Proqram/Project Updates
The complete program/project updates will be discussed at the November 28, 2016.
Commission Member Council Reports
None at this time.
Council Updates
None at this time.
Other Business
Commission needs to schedule/determine date of December 2016 meeting and
requested staff to include this agenda item for the November 28, 2016 meeting.
Adiourn
MOVED by Hill, SECONDED by Yahle, and the motion carried to adjourn the
meeting at 8:30 pm.
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Sue Schwalbe
Administrative Assistant
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