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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-03-18 ENR Minutes March 18, 2013 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 1 MINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION 7:00 p.m., Monday, March 18, 2013 Council Chambers, City Hall 1830 County Road B East 1. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission was called to order at 7:03 p.m. by Chair Johannessen. 2. ROLL CALL Randee Edmundson, Commissioner Present Judith Johannessen, Chair Present Carol Mason Sherrill, Commissioner Present Ann Palzer, Vice Chair Present Cindy Schafer, Commissioner Present Dale Trippler, Commissioner Present Ginny Yingling, Commissioner Absent Staff Present Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Mason Sherrill moved to approve the agenda as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Trippler. Ayes – All The motion passed. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Mason Sherrill requested the wording be clarified on page 4, second paragraph. In the next paragraph she requested the last four words be reworded “with one and other”. As well as cleaning up the paragraph at the top of page 4, Commissioner Trippler’s comments regarding parking and sidewalks in the Living Streets Policy should be clarified. Commissioner Trippler asked that his comments regarding his nay vote for the Extension of Tennis Sanitation’s Recycling Contract be included. Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the February 21, 2013, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Palzer. Ayes – All The motion passed. March 18, 2013 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 25. NEW BUSINESS a. Wetland Ordinance and Shoreland Ordinance Variance Requests for a Swimming Pool at 660 Eldridge Avenue East i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall gave the report on the wetland ordinance and shoreland ordinance variance request for a swimming pool. ii. The applicant, Amanda Schneider, 660 Eldridge Avenue East, addressed and answered questions of the commission. iii. Rob Anderson of Poolside addressed and answered questions of the commission. The commission discussed several issues regarding the project as follows:  Is it possible to shift the pool closer to the house in order to reduce the variances? Mr. Anderson indicated that the only other location in the back yard where the pool could be located is behind the garage. That area has a retaining wall and is heavily wooded. Additionally, if the pool was shifted to this location it would no longer meet the City’s setback requirements for a pool to a structure and the side yard.  Will trees be removed with the construction of the pool? Mr. Anderson indicated that one tree will be removed with the construction of the pool. The commission recommended that other trees in the area be protected with safety fencing during the construction of the pool and that the tree removed be replaced as a condition of approval.  The 15-foot-wide buffer is going to help mitigate impacts of the pool to the lake. In addition, it will serve as an educational component for neighbors who are interested in restoring their shoreline. The applicants should consider hosting a neighborhood party to spotlight the buffer once complete. The Commission opted to vote on each variance request separately as follows: Commissioner Trippler moved to recommend approval of the shoreland setback variance for the pool at 660 Eldridge Avenue East with conditions outlined in the staff report and the following conditions:  Protection of trees near the pool during construction per the City’s tree preservation ordinance.  Planting one tree to replace the tree that is being removed.  Working with staff to have the pool placed as far away from the ordinary high water mark as possible, if that is an option.  Working with staff on impervious surface issues. If the impervious surface is found to be over 30%, the applicant should install a rainwater garden as a form of stormwater management best practice. Seconded by Commissioner Edmundson. Ayes – Chair Johannessen, Commissioner’s Edmundson, Mason Sherrill, Palzer, & Schafer Nay – Commissioner Trippler The motion passed. Commissioner Trippler stated he voted against the shoreland structure setback variance because he doesn’t think the City should approve variances that are greater than 50%. Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the wetland buffer variance for the pool at 660 Eldridge Avenue with conditions as outlined in the staff report. March 18, 2013 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 3Seconded by Commissioner Edmundson. Ayes – All The public hearing will be heard at the Planning Commission meeting on March 19, 2013 with final review by the City Council scheduled for April 8, 2013. b. Allied Waste Services’ 2012 Yearly Report and 2013 Work Plan i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall gave the report on Allied Waste Services’ 2012 Yearly Report and 2013 Work Plan. ii. Rich Hirstein, Allied Waste Services, addressed and answered questions of the commission. The commission had the following comments/questions about the report:  The commission asked about Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) readers? Mr. Hirstein stated that Allied purchased RFID readers and installed them in their new trucks for the City’s trash system. Allied uses the readers for tracking carts and billing purposes.  Can you explain the number of delinquent accounts shown in the report? Mr. Hirstein explained that the initial number of delinquent accounts was high due to the roll out of a new system. The City and Allied used Ramsey County data for the address list. These addresses were accurate, but many of the homeowners changed. Therefore, the initial bills were being forward to previous residents, etc. It took some time to get the correct billing names for many properties; therefore, some of those bills were late. Now that we have accurate homeowner data for billing purposes, the delinquent accounts are decreasing.  It’s a good idea to coordinate a fall cleanup campaign in addition to one clean up day. This will allow the City an opportunity to educate its residents about reduce, reuse, recycling in addition to proper disposal of bulky items.  Commission members commented on how nice it is on trash day to have just one truck picking up residential trash in the City. The commission thanked Mr. Hirstein and Allied Waste for the reports and their service to the City. c. Environmental and Natural Resources Commission 2012 Annual Report i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall reviewed the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission 2012 Annual Report Commissioner Schafer asked that her name be corrected on page 3 of the report from Cynthia Palzer to Cynthia Schafer. The date at the top of the report on page 2 should read March 18, 2013 rather than 2012. Commissioner Mason Sherrill requested that the Tree City USA participation be included in the annual report as well as the Heritage Tree Program. Staff and the commission discussed the subcommittees formed and how to get the groups started. If someone wants to take a leadership role in the subcommittees that would move things along in setting up a meeting. Staff will send out an email reminder. Staff will make the amendments and this report will go to the City Council in April. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. March 18, 2013 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 47. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None present. 8. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. Commissioner Mason Sherrill 1. Earth Hour – March 23, 2013 A short video was shown to the Commission on Earth Hour. Commissioner Mason Sherrill provided a handout to the Commission. To learn more information about Earth Hour visit www.earthhour.org. Commissioner Palzer commented that Earth Hour is also using social media to get their message out. 2. Chemical Reaction Documentary Commissioner Mason Sherrill said a speaker will come to speak to the commission in April about a documentary on Chemical Reaction. Commissioner Mason Sherrill shared a clip of the documentary and the adverse effects chemicals have on the health of humans. 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Maplewood Nature Center Programs Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall presented the upcoming Nature Center Programs. For more information contact the Maplewood Nature Center at (651) 249-2170. 10. ADJOURNMENT Chair Johannessen adjourned the meeting at 9:11 p.m.