HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-11-17 ENR Minutes
November 17, 2014 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 1 MINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION 7:00 p.m., Monday,
November 17, 2014 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
7:05 p.m. by Chair Palzer. 2. ROLL CALL Randee Edmundson, Commissioner Present Deborah Fideldy, Commissioner Absent Mollie Miller, Commissioner Present Ann Palzer,
Chair Present Tom Sinn, Commissioner Present Dale Trippler, Vice Chair Present Ginny Yingling, Commissioner Present Staff Present Shann Finwall, Environmental
Planner Joe Ballandby, Minnesota GreenCorps Member City Council Liaison Present Kathleen Juenemann, City Councilmember 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Trippler moved
to approve the agenda as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Miller. Ayes – All The motion passed. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the
September 15, 2014, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting minutes as submitted. Seconded by Chair Palzer. Ayes – Chair Palzer & Commissioner Trippler
Abstentions – Commissioner’s Edmundson, Miller, Sinn, & Yingling The motion passed. Commissioner Trippler had a correction to the minutes of October 20, 2014: item
5(b)(i) the sentence should read “Environmental Planner Finwall introduced Joe Ballandby.”
November 17, 2014 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 2 Chairperson Palzer asked to better clarify 8(a) to reflect that Commissioner Yingling submitted
the article on the plastic bag ban in California, but that she was not present at the meeting and staff gave the presentation in her absence. Commissioner Trippler moved to approve
the October 20, 2014, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Sinn. Ayes – All The motion passed. 5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Wetland Buffer Variance to Construct a Garage at 1703 Jessie Street i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall gave the report and answered questions of the Commission. ii. The
applicant, Scott Miller, 1703 Jessie Street, addressed the Commission and answered questions. The Commission had the following questions/comments: What size rain garden should
the applicant install to ensure it captures stormwater runoff from the roof? Is there an estimate for the cost of the rain garden? The watershed district offers grants for stormwater
best management practices, perhaps they would help design or fund the applicant’s rain garden. Will the applicant’s driveway be Class 5 material? How can the city be assured
that the rain garden will be constructed correctly and to the right size? Environmental Planner Finwall stated that she will have the engineering department do a calculation on
the roof runoff to determine the size and cost of the rain garden. That information will be available for the Planning Commission’s and City Council’s review of the variance. Since
the rain garden is a required mitigation strategy for the wetland buffer variance, the applicant is not eligible for a watershed district grant for the rain garden. The applicant
does propose a Class 5 driveway until the funds are available for a hard surface driveway. City staff did explain to the applicant that a future porous pavement driveway that allows
water to infiltrate or other stormwater best practices constructed on site would be eligible for a watershed district grant. Finally, staff recommends adding text to condition number
three that states that the rain garden design plans must be approved by the City engineer prior to issuance of a building permit. Commissioner Yingling moved to recommend approval
of the resolution approving a wetland buffer variance for the construction of a garage at 1703 Jessie Street. Approval is based on the following reasons: 1. Strict enforcement
of the ordinance would cause the applicant practical difficulties because complying with the wetland buffer requirement stipulated by the ordinance would prohibit the building of any
permanent structures, substantially diminishing the potential of this lot. 2. Approval of the wetland buffer variance will redirect stormwater from the garage to a rain garden and
areas near the wetland will no longer be maintained as a mowed lawn, but allowed to grow as a naturalized area.
November 17, 2014 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 3 3. Approval would meet the spirit and intent of the ordinance since the proposed garage would
be built in an area that is already maintained as lawn. Approval of the wetland buffer variance shall be subject to the following: 1. Shift the garage 3 feet to the south to maintain
a 5-foot setback from the house and increase the setback to the wetland. 2. Install a gutter on the north side of the garage and a downspout on the northeast corner of the garage
which directs water to a rain garden. 3. Install a rain garden on the northeast corner of the garage, adjacent the driveway. The rain garden will be designed to infiltrate water
from the garage roof and driveway. Rain garden design plans to be approved by the City engineer prior to issuance of a building permit. 4. Discontinue maintaining the area to
the north of the applicants’ property line, within the city property, as mowed lawn area. Allow this area to grow as a naturalized area adjacent the wetland. If the owner would prefer
to restore this portion of the lawn to native plants at their own expense, the city would allow for that but would need to approve restoration plans. 5. The applicants should submit
an escrow to cover up to 150 percent of the cost of the gutter, downspout and rain garden. The escrow will be released when the gutter, downspout, and rain garden are installed per
the city’s approval. Seconded by Commissioner Trippler. Ayes – All The motion passed. There will be a public hearing for the variance at the Planning Commission meeting on
November 18, 2014, with final review by the City Council on November 24, 2014. b. Partners in Energy – Xcel Energy Community Partnership i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall
introduced the item. ii. Minnesota GreenCorps Member, Joe Ballandby addressed the Commission and introduced the Partners in Energy program. iii. Community Relations Manager with Xcel
Energy, Jake Sedlacek addressed the Commission and gave a presentation on the Partners in Energy program. iv. Yvonne Pfeiffer, Community Energy Efficiency Manager with Xcel Energy
answered questions of the Commission v. City Council Liaison, Kathleen Juenemann addressed the Commission Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall stated that Maplewood was chosen to
participate in the Partners in Energy program which is a two-year community support program sponsored by Xcel Energy. Maplewood will be offered the tools and resources necessary to
develop and implement an energy action plan that outlines short and long-term energy goals. The partnership begins with the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the
planning phase of the program and identifying a team of City stakeholders to develop the energy action plan. Tonight staff is recommending that the Commission recommend approval of
the MOU and appoint a Commissioner to serve on the energy action team. Commissioner Yingling moved to recommend approval of the Partners in Energy Memorandum of Understanding
and recommends appointing ENR Commissioner Miller to serve on the energy action team with Commissioner Sinn serving as alternate.
November 17, 2014 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 4 Seconded by Commissioner Trippler. Ayes – All The motion passed. This item will go to
the city council on November 24, 2014. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Environmental Ordinances i. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall gave the update on the tree ordinance revisions.
Staff is recommending the Commission review the final edits to the tree ordinance, standards, and environmental ordinance chapter reconfiguration. Once the Commission recommends
approval of the ordinance, staff will schedule a workshop with the City Council early next year to discuss the changes, with the City Council’s final review taking place spring of
2015. The Commission discussed the final amendments and made a few minor revisions. Commissioner Yingling moved to approve the tree ordinance revisions, tree standards,
and environmental ordinance chapter reconfiguration with the minor edits discussed during the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Trippler. Ayes – All The motion passed.
7. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None present. 8. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. Climate Solutions and Economic Opportunities Stakeholder Engagement Process - Commissioner Miller mentioned
the workshop being offered by the Environmental Initiative at the Minnesota Science Museum on November 20, 2014. Commissioner Miller is planning on attending and invited other Commissioners
to attend as well. 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Nature Center Programs Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall presented the upcoming Nature Center programs. For more information
contact the Nature Center at (651) 249-2170. 10. ADJOURNMENT Chair Palzer adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.