2020-07-27 EC Minutes7800 Golden Valley Road I Golden Valley, MN 55427
763-593-8027 � TTY 763-593-3968 1 763-593-8198 (fax) I www.goldenvalleymn.gov
Environmental Commission
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
city of
golden,l
Y
July 27, 2020 — 6:30 pm
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by the City under Minn. Stat. § 12.37. The public may monitor this meeting by calling 1-415-655-
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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
This document is available in alternate formats upon a 72-hour request. Please call
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City of Golden Valley Environmental Commission Regular Meeting 2
April 27, 2019 — 6:30 pm
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 3
April 27, 2019 — 6:30 pm
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. 51" bullet from top: Add —...and prioritize bike/ped routes in and through new
developments in the downtown area.
ii. 8t" 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. 4t" 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
April 27, 2019 — 6:30 pm
D. Council Updates
i. Election Year
Environmental Commission Regular Meeting 4
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
-5�&7
Scott Seys, Chair