2020-08-24 EC Agenda Packet
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
This meeting will be held via Cisco Webex in accordance with the local emergency declaration made
by the City under Minn. Stat. § 12.37. The public may monitor this meeting by calling 1-415-655-
0001 and entering the meeting code 133 703 2251. For technical assistance, please contact support
staff at 763-593-8007 or webexsupport@goldenvalleymn.gov. If you incur costs to call into the
meeting, you may submit the costs to the City for reimbursement consideration. Additional
information about for monitoring electronic meetings is available on the City website.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. New Member Felix Fettig (5 min)
4. Approval of Agenda
5. Approval of July 27, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes (5 min)
6. Old Business
A. Partners In Energy Update (5 min)
B. Curbside Organics Collection Update (5 min)
C. Environmental Justice Collaboration Update (10 min)
7. New Business
A. Using Goats for Vegetation Management (20 min)
B. Energy Update (15 min)
i. GreenStep Cities Step 4-5 Energy Metric (10 min)
C. Program/Project Updates (5 min)
D. Council Updates (5 min)
E. Other Business (5 min)
8. Adjournment
August 24, 2020 – 6:30 pm
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
This meeting will be held via Cisco Webex in accordance with the local emergency declaration made
by the City under Minn. Stat. § 12.37. The public may monitor this meeting by calling 1-415-655-
0001 and entering the meeting code 141 267 1740. For technical assistance, please contact support
staff at 763-593-8007 or webexsupport@goldenvalleymn.gov. If you incur costs to call into the
meeting, you may submit the costs to the City for reimbursement consideration. Additional
information about for monitoring electronic meetings is available on the City website.
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Seys at 6:32.
2. Roll Call
Commissioners present: Scott Seys, Debra Yahle, Tonia Galonska, Dawn Hill, Jim Stremel,
Shannon Hansen
Commissioners absent: Wendy Weirich
Council Members present: Larry Fonnest
Staff present: Eric Eckman, Environmental Resources Supervisor;
Emma Pierson, MN GreenCorps Member;
Carrie Nelson, Administrative Assistant
3. Approval of Agenda
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Stremel to approve the agenda
of July 27, 2020 and the motion carried.
4. Approval of June 22, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
MOTION by Commissioner Yahle, seconded by Commissioner Galonska to approve the minutes of
June 22, 2020 as submitted and the motion carried.
5. Old Business
A. Partners in Energy Update (PIE)
i. About 18 applications have been received so far with more expected. The
selection committee will review them later this week and select the 12-
member team.
ii. The first workshop will take place mid-August – Virtual meeting
July 27, 2020 – 6:30 pm
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
April 27, 2019 – 6:30 pm
2
B. Curbside Organics Collection Update
i. A draft of the contract should be ready for the EC by Sept/Oct.
ii. It will go to a council manager’s meeting one more time.
iii. RFP late this year.
iv. Award contract early next year.
v. Will have almost a year to prepare and promote this.
vi. City of Edina 2020 roll out:
1. Has had 1 full month of city-wide use.
2. Everyone has a 35-gallon bin with a big sticker of what you can and
can’t recycle that resident say has been very helpful.
3. 30% participation.
4. Very low contamination rates.
5. They will be testing out 13-gallon bins in the future. This was put on
hold because of Covid-19. Older residents have mentioned wanting
smaller carts.
6. 10-12% of residents have returned their bin at contractor’s expense.
C. Environmental Justice Collaboration
i. Chair Seys discussed the high-level plan that he and the HRC subcommittee
have recommended so far. It is a three-pronged approach as outlined in the
agenda packet.
ii. In order to continue the collaboration with the HRC in an efficient manner,
Chair Seys offered to form a small subcommittee of 2-3 members tasked with
communicating and coordinating directly with HRC’s subcommittee members
between meetings and up through the events in order to execute the plan.
Chair Seys asked for volunteers and Debra Yahle agreed to join the group.
iii. Council member Fonnest offered that the Commissions, or their respective
subcommittees, could reach out to Joelle Allen from Rising Tides Task Force.
He also inquired about the environmental inequity mapping, and asked if there
is information on income strata or immigrant populations in Golden Valley?
Staff discussed the information available and pointed to a couple mapping
resources to help show this.
iv. Staff showed the results of its latest analysis to look at social, economic, and
environmental information and merge these data within maps to show where
Golden Valley has existing inequities in green amenities and environmental
resources and where future partnerships, investments, and service events
could be proposed.
v. One thing for the Commission to consider: Should the various social,
economic, and environmental parameters in the maps have weighted values?
Perhaps the priority partnership and investment areas in the maps would look
slightly different. The Commission thought this should be something the HRC
and its subcommittee could look into.
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
April 27, 2019 – 6:30 pm
3
MOTION by Chair Seys, seconded by Commissioner Hill to approve the creation of a sub-
committee of 2 or 3 Environmental Commission members to work with the Human Rights
Commission sub-committee on the Environmental Justice Collaboration and the motion
carried.
D. Downtown Study
MOTION by Commissioner Hill, seconded by Commissioner Galonska to approve the list of
Environmental Considerations for the Downtown Study with the following changes and the
motion carried.
i. 5th bullet from top: Add – …and prioritize bike/ped routes in and through new
developments in the downtown area.
ii. 8th bullet from top: Change – Require the vast majority of parking spaces… – to –
Require at least 75% of parking spaces in the downtown area be contained within
stacked/decked parking ramps instead of land extensive at-grade parking lots.
iii. 4th bullet from bottom:
1. Change – Encourage native plantings over manicured landscapes – to –
Encourage native plantings in place of manicured landscapes.
2. Add - Plant shade trees near parking areas.
3. Add - Include edible plants and trees in the landscapes.
iv. 2nd bullet from bottom - add Green Roofs to sentence.
v. Add new bullet – Encourage LEED design achieving gold or platinum standard
(similar to PUD Amenity Option in city code).
Staff will forward this list to planning staff and the planning consultant working on the
study.
6. New Business
A. Farewell to Emma Pierson, MN GreenCorps Member
B. Pollinators – Chemical Application Practices and Procedures
i. The staff overseeing the chemical application are trained and certified by the
Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
ii. All products are applied according to state and federal law and label
recommendations.
iii. Phosphorus-free fertilizer and herbicides on high-use turf areas are applied on a
limited, as-needed basis.
iv. The City uses weather forecasting, instrumentation, and technology to more
efficiently and effectively target and apply products.
v. Brookview Golf Course is the only location with a regularly scheduled process.
C. Program/Project Updates
i. On file.
City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting
April 27, 2019 – 6:30 pm
4
D. Council Updates
i. Election Year
1. Vote by mail, absentee, or in person
2. Call City Clerk – Kris Luedke - to vote by mail – 763-593-8012
ii. Golden Valley is hiring an Equity Manager to work along with the Riding Tides Task
Force and to help move forward to build an equitable Golden Valley.
E. Other Business
i. None
7. Adjournment
MOTION by Commissioner Galonska, seconded by Commissioner Yahle to adjourn the
meeting at 8:38 pm and the motion carried.
ATTEST:
_________________________________ _________________________________________
Carrie Nelson, Administrative Assistant Scott Seys, Chair
G:\Environmental Commission\Memos
Date: August 20, 2020
To: Environmental Commission
From: Eric Eckman, Environmental Resources Supervisor
Subject: Using Goats for Vegetation Management
In its 2020 Work Plan, the Environmental Commission included the following action:
• Natural Resources Management Plan: Continue to assist in implementation of the plan,
including:
o exploring the potential to revise City Code to allow temporary use of goats for
vegetation management on public and private properties
For background, staff has received numerous requests over the past few years from residents,
contractors, and public entities to utilize goats to manage vegetation on properties in Golden
Valley. Staff is generally supportive of this chemical-free vegetation management method and
would appreciate the Environmental Commission’s input and feedback before approaching city
council with a recommendation to revise city code.
To better understand this topic and what other cities are doing, staff has assembled the following
resources for Commission review:
Eagan
https://www.cityofeagan.com/goats
Cottage Grove
https://www.cottagegrovemn.gov/departments/environment/vegetation_management.php
Maplewood
https://library.municode.com/mn/maplewood/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH10AN_ARTX
GOSH
https://maplewoodmn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23340/GoatSheep-Permit-PDF?bidId=
Burnsville
http://www.burnsville.org/1956/Goat-Grazing
http://www.burnsville.org/DocumentCenter/View/19748/Prescribed-Grazing-For-Land-Management-
Policy?bidId=
Minnetonka
https://lakeminnetonkamag.com/minnetonka-testing-out-eco-friendly-program-improve-
parklands%E2%80%99habitat-restoration
Hennepin County
https://ccxmedia.org/news/hennepin-county-using-goats-to-battle-buckthorn/
Mpls
http://www.startribune.com/grazing-goats-fewer-pesticides-considered-to-fight-weeds-in-mpls-
parks/372632591/
Golden Valley’s existing code on Animals
https://library.municode.com/mn/golden_valley/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIGEOR_CH6AN_A
RTIIIKEMA
In addition to the resources above, in 2017 the City’s GreenCorps Member Hannah Garry offered
this summary on the use of goats for removing buckthorn and other invasive species.
Buckthorn Removal Method 6: Goats
Letting goats graze on a buckthorn infested area is
a control method that is growing in popularity
around the Twin Cities metro area. Goats will strip
leaves and bark, causing woody vegetation like
buckthorn to die back. They are able to graze on
steep slopes that can be more difficult for humans
and machinery to reach, and can stand on their
hind legs to reach heights of up to 6 feet. Goat
grazing has been found to be most effective when
goats are allowed to graze in an area multiple times
per season. But 80-100 goats can clear one 5
acre area of woody vegetation in one 2 week
grazing period. Positives of using this method
are that it is herbicide and machinery free. Goats will also leave behind fertilizer which enriches the soil
Photo Credit: Evan Frost for MPR News
and can work native plant seeds into the ground with their hooves. One possible negative is that goats will
eat all woody vegetation, not just buckthorn, although they will leave more desirable grasses alone,
preferring broad-leafed plants. Another negative is that depending on the length of time goats are
allowed to graze, some form of follow-up control may be necessary to keep buckthorn from re-emerging.
Goats need to be fenced into the area where grazing is desired, both to contain goats and deter the public
from interacting with them.
Cost: Minneapolis paid Diversity Land Works $33,000 for 80 goats to graze a 6-acre site for 10 days. May
vary depending on site but that suggests a rental rate of approximately $41.25 per goat, per day. A smaller
site (1-2 acres) may need only 8-15 goats, resulting in an approximate 10-day rate of $3,300 - $6,188.
Staff requests that the Commission come to the August 24 meeting prepared to discuss this topic
and potentially develop a list of questions or concerns that would need to be addressed before
moving forward with a recommendation to Council for a proposed code change.
G:\Environmental Commission\Agendas\2020\8 - August\7B - Energy Update_0820.docx
Date: August 7, 2020
To: Golden Valley Environmental Commission
From: Drew Chirpich, Environmental Specialist
Subject: Energy Update
As part of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement that was adopted by Council on
January 22, 2008, staff began collecting energy consumption data on Golden Valley’s buildings
and facilities. The data is tracked using the Minnesota B3 Benchmarking program
https://mn.b3benchmarking.com/. In addition to collecting consumption data, the City has been
actively implementing energy-saving projects to help reduce the City’s costs and carbon
emissions. These projects have been accomplished by using a combination of City funds, state
and federal grant money, and public and private partnerships. As a result, the City is starting to
see a reduction in the amount of energy, specifically electricity, it is consuming.
City buildings
Below is a year-over-year analysis of the amount of electricity consumed at 18 City buildings since
2007 and the corresponding change from 2007 consumption levels. This information is derived
from utility bills and the B3 Benchmarking program.
Electricity Consumption at City Buildings (normalized for weather)
Year Electricity Consumed (kWh) Change From Baseline
2007 (Baseline) 1,383,855 - 0%
2008 1,262,914 - 8.74%
2009 1,284,529 - 7.18%
2010 1,273,916 - 7.94%
2011 1,238,579 - 10.5%
2012 1,278,054 - 7.65%
2013 1,245,138 - 10.02%
2014 1,244,747 - 10.05%
2015 1,226,268 - 11.39%
2016 1,178,421 - 14.85%
2017 1,200,666 - 13.24%
2018 1,398,435 + 1.05%
2019 1,275,648 - 7.82%
There were notable drops in consumption that might be explained by improvements to the City
Hall campus. In 2013, the City Hall parking lot lighting was replaced with LEDs. In 2015, two 40-
kWh solar arrays became operational, dropping consumption 11.39% below 2007 baseline levels.
In 2016, the City Hall lower level remodeling project was completed and two more solar arrays
were added to City buildings in late 2016. The change from baseline dropped 14.85% in 2016 and
13.24% in 2017 respectively. Part of the reason for the drop might be that the solar arrays
produce more energy than the City can consume at times, and the excess energy is sold back to
the grid.
2018 and 2019 are interesting in that consumption was higher than previous years. This could be
explained by the new Brookview Community Center coming online, hotter summers and colder
winters, and the addition of more electrical technology and equipment for employees. Staff will
continue to analyze these data for possible explanations.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
In looking at total C02 emissions at City buildings, it is apparent that CO2 emissions due to
electricity consumption follow the overall electricity consumption trend and are reducing
annually. Note that C02 emissions from natural gas consumption fluctuates more than electricity
due to seasonal conditions. As a result, the B3 Benchmarking model normalizes the emissions
from natural gas consumption.
CO2 Emissions at City Buildings (normalized for weather)
Year C02 Emissions
Electricity (lbs)
C02 Emissions
Nat. Gas (lbs)
Total
CO2 Emissions
Change From
Baseline
2007 (Baseline) 2,396,591 1,160,794 3,557,385 - 0%
2008 2,187,143 1,096,329 3,283,473 - 7.7%
2009 2,103,211 1,072,686 3,175,897 - 10.72%
2010 1,967,763 1,098,905 3,066,669 - 13.79%
2011 1,913,180 1,167,252 3,080,432 - 13.41%
2012 1,831,230 1,150,285 2,981,515 - 16.19%
2013 1,784,067 1,122,798 2,906,866 - 18.29%
2014 1,711,779 1,075,576 2,787,356 - 21.65%
2015 1,686,367 1,211,869 2,898,237 - 18.53%
2016 1,469,561 1,193,055 2,662,617 - 25.15%
2017 1,497,303 1,209,080 2,706,385 - 23.92%
2018 1,746,414 1,412,022 3,158,437 - 11.21%
2019 1,593,073 1,437,288 3,030,362 - 14.81%
Traffic Signals
The City has also been tracking electricity consumption for all traffic signals. In 2010, a
widespread LED retrofit project was initiated to convert the signals to LED bulbs. The results of
this retrofit project are shown below and have made a significant difference.
Traffic Signal Electricity Consumption
Year Electricity Consumed (kWh) Change From Baseline
2008 (Baseline) 344,117 - 0%
2009 329,695 - 4.2%
2010 300,340 - 12.7%
2011 171,331 - 50.2%
2012 135,304 - 60.7%
2013 134,897 - 60.8%
2014 119,098 - 65.4%
2015 121,155 - 64.8%
2016 - -
2017 119,316* - 65.3%*
2018 106,283 - 69.1%
2019 100,790 - 70.7%
*Estimated value based upon 8 months of data. Xcel Energy in process of providing actual values
and 2016 data.
Street Lighting
In 2018 Xcel Energy changed out more than 500 standard street light bulbs with new energy
efficient LEDs. In 2019, the traditional decorative street lights were changed out with LED. The
LED bulbs are as bright as the old lights but use far less energy, saving the City more than $3,800
per year and preventing roughly 221,000 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere per year.
Based on the limited data we have so far, it appears the changeout is making a difference.
Street Lighting Electricity Consumption
Year Electricity Consumed (kWh) Change From Previous Year
2017 886,780* - NA
2018 767,605 - 13%*
2019 597,928 - 22%
* Estimated value based upon 8 months of data. Xcel Energy in process of providing actual values.
Solar Production Data
In addition to reducing the amount of energy that the City uses, the City has also looked for ways
to produce renewable energy. Over the past few years the City has installed four, 40-Kilowatt
solar arrays on top of buildings at the City Hall campus. Arrays on top of the Public Safety and
Park Maintenance Building were installed in 2015, and arrays on top of the Utility Maintenance
and Streets Maintenance buildings were installed in 2016. Each array produces an average of
38,890 kWh annually for a total of 155,560 kWh coming from City solar. This is equal to about
10% of the energy consumed by the City each year.
The lifetime energy production of the panels is 614,519 kWh, which is equivalent to 430,163
kilograms of CO2 emissions abated compared to energy produced from fossil fuels.
Community Energy Consumption and Renewable Energy Production
Attached is the GreenStep Cities Step 4/5 metrics for Renewable Energy. Data is based on Xcel
Energy’s annual community reports and the City’s solar diagnostics website. Staff will share more
information about the metrics at the August Commission meeting.
Units
Previous
Year Values
(2016)
Current
Year
Values
(2017)
Annual
Change
14.1 Number of sites 24 65 41
14.2 kW 273 839 566
14.3
CO MWhr/year 88 155 67
14.4 MWhr/year 0 0 0
14.5 Number of entities 438 701 263
14.6 % 0.60% 0.80%0.20%
14.7 % 0.00% 0.10%0.10%
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics:
14.1 - 24 private from 2016 Xcel Community Report plus 2 public sites (City Hall 2016) = 26 sites. In 2017, 61 private + 4 public = 65.
14.2 - 193 kW from 2016 Xcel Community Report + 80 kW City Hall in 2016 = 273 kW. In 2017, 679 kW + 160 kW = 839 kW
14.3 - City's solar array diagnostics website
14.5 - 2016 Xcel Community Report
14.6 - Add 1,797 MW from Xcel Community Report + 88 MW from 14.3 above, then divide by total consumption in City 336,000 MW from Xcel
Community Report (this is for entire community). In 2017, add 2,457 MW + 155 MW, then divide by 320,647 MW
14.7 - In 2017, 338 MW divided by total city consumption 320,647 MW = 0.1%
Annual renewable energy purchases by the city
Number of private entities participating in renewable energy
purchasing/green power programs
Percent of total city energy use that is generated and purchased
renewable energy
Percent of total city energy use that is purchased from a community
solar garden
Annual production at city-owned renewable energy generation sites
#14 Renewable Energy CORE
Number of city-owned and private renewable energy
generation sites
Generation capacity of city-owned and private renewable
energy sites
PROGRAM/PROJECT UPDATES – August 2020
GREENCORPS
Member for 2020-2021 service term – The City has been informed that they have been selected to host a GreenCorps
member for the upcoming 2020-2021 service term and a member has accepted the position with Golden Valley. The
member will be in the Air Pollution Reduction track and will work on many of the City’s sustainability and energy
reduction goals.
Market in the Valley- This year City staff and our current serving GreenCorps member, helped to make the event more
sustainable by providing the opportunity to recycle organics at the market, and eventually will try to move towards
making Market in the Valley a zero-waste event.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Pennsylvania Woods DNR Habitat Grant – The City recently received confirmation that it was selected to receive a
habitat grant for areas of the Pennsylvania Woods Nature Area that are outside of the DeCola Ponds B and C Flood
Mitigation project boundaries. The project will involve the removal of buckthorn and other invasive species, and the
planting and establishment of native vegetation. The contract has been awarded to Landbridge Ecological, and the
project is expected to commence this fall.
Hennepin County SCORE funds- The City was recently informed that the County will be extending its existing funding
agreement with cities to assist with their Recycling programs. The current allocation of funds is distributed 50% for
recycling programs and 50% for organics programs.
WATER RESOURCES
DeCola Ponds Flood Mitigation Projects - The DeCola Ponds B and C Project is about 95% complete. The excavation and
utility work is complete, the trails have been paved and are now open, and the City’s native vegetation contractor has
installed all trees, shrubs, plant plugs, and seeding except for the bare-root tree planting scheduled for September.
The City and Bassett Creek Watershed are beginning to plan and study the next flood mitigation project areas. The SEA
School-Wildwood Park area has been identified as having potential for flood storage to benefit properties around
DeCola Ponds D, E, and F. A planning level study to understand opportunities and challenges and develop concepts is
underway and includes engagement with the community, the school, and nearby stakeholders. The Isaacson
Park/Industrial Area is also being looked at for potential future flood storage. The DNR is supportive of the projects in
Golden Valley and has requested flood damage reduction funding in the 2020 state bonding bill this legislative session. It
is still unclear whether a bonding bill will move forward.
Look for another community engagement opportunity in the next couple weeks to review the concept plans developed
for the SEA School-Wildwood Park area based on valuable input provided to date.
Medley Park Stormwater Improvements
The Bassett Creek Watershed in partnership with the City of Golden Valley is considering engaging in a feasibility study
to look at options for providing water quality treatment and flood storage in the western portion of Medley Park to
benefit the local area and protect and improve downstream waters such as Medicine Lake. The study will include
community engagement to better understand existing conditions, issues, and needs and help develop concept plans for
consideration.
PLANNING AND ZONING AND DEVELOPMENTS
July 24, 2020
Planning Commission
Comprehensive Plan Re-zonings (Batch 2)—Rezoning selected properties south of Highway 55 in order to bring
them into compliance with the Future Land Use Map in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. On July 13, the Commission
voted (7-0) to recommend approval of rezoning 8 properties. 10 others (in the Harold Ave, Winnetka Ave, Hwy 55
vicinity) were tabled for additional discussion. Scheduled for City Council consideration on August 4.
R-3 Zoning District Densities—A Zoning Text Amendment to adjust the densities allowed in the Medium Density
Residential (R-3) Zoning District. In order to come into alignment with the density ranges approved as part of the
2040 Comprehensive Plan, the Planning Commission discussed increasing the maximum number of units per acre
for multi-family and senior buildings in the R-3 zoning district. The public hearing was continued to allow time for
staff to provide more information. Scheduled for the Planning Commission meeting of July 27.
Mixed Use Architectural and Material Standards—A Zoning Text Amendment to add Architectural and Material
Standards for Mixed Use properties to the Zoning Chapter. The Commission discussed this on July 13 and asked to
proceed with a public hearing at the next meeting on July 27.
Fencing and Garden Structures—A Zoning Text Amendment to clarify issues around fences, screening, and garden
structures. Staff asked for input from the Commission on July 13 on topics ranging from additional fence height
along frontage roads to providing clearer definitions of garden structures. Additional discussion will follow.
The Planning Commission and City Council are working through a number of property rezonings in order to bring
the City’s Zoning Map into alignment with the adopted 2040 Comprehensive Plan. In many cases, this simply
means updating the zoning to reflect the uses that exist today, but in some cases – such as in target locations
along Douglas Drive and in the downtown – it means zoning for a preferred use which will only occur with future
redevelopment.
City Council
Narrow Lot Regulations—A Zoning Text Amendments to modify regulations for homes built on narrow lots
(those 65 feet in width and less). The Planning Commission held a public hearing on June 8 and continued it to
June 22 where they voted (5-2) to recommend approval. The City Council considered the proposed changes on
July 21 and voted (3-2) to approve the amendments as proposed. Debate primarily centered on the allowance of
second stories on lots under 50 feet wide.
10 West End Public Art—On July 21, staff introduced the interim report for the Public Art Committee charged
with selecting the public art to be installed north of the parking ramp at 10 West End. The Council voted (5-0) to
approve the recommendations of the committee. Information about this installation can be viewed on the City’s
public art page: https://www.goldenvalleymn.gov/about/public-art/index.php