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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1-22-25 ENR PacketAGENDA CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION RESCHEDULED: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 7:00 p.m. Maplewood City Council Chambers 1803 County Road B East 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes a. December 16, 2024 5. New Business a. Election of Chair and Vice Chair b. 2025 Work Plan and Environmental Priorities 6. Unfinished Business 7. Visitor Presentations 8. Commissioner Presentations 9. Staff Presentations (oral reports) a. February Meeting Rescheduled to Tuesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. due to Holiday b. Consider Rescheduling Monthly ENR Commission Meetings: 1) Proposed Day of the Month: Second Wednesday 2) Proposed Time: 6 p.m. c. City Programs and Events 1) Bluebird Monitor Training – Friday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m. 2) Tree and Shrub Care and Pruning Basics – Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. 3) Edgerton Community Garden Registration a) Returning Gardeners – March 3 – 17 b) New Gardeners – March 19 c) Garden Season Starts – April 25 4) Arbor Day Tree Sale a) Online Order March 3-May 2 b) Tree Pick Up May 17 and 19 10. Adjourn MINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION Monday, December 16, 2024 7:00 P.M. 1.CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Guell called a meeting of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission to order at 7:04 p.m. 2.ROLL CALL Rebecca Bryan, Commissioner Present Joanne Cryer, Commissioner Absent Nancy Edwards, Commissioner Absent Benjamin Guell, Chairperson Present David Lates, Vice-Chairperson Present Ted Redmond, Commissioner Present Wes Saunders-Pearce, Commissioner Present Staff Present Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner Carole Gernes, Natural Resources Coordinator 3.APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Guell moved to approve the November 18, 2024, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Bryan. Ayes – All The motion passed. 4.APPROVAL OF MINUTES a.November 18, 2024 Commissioner Lates moved to approve the November 18, 2024, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission meeting minutes as written. Seconded by Chair Guell. Ayes – All The motion passed. 5.NEW BUSINESS a.Natural Resources Projects Agenda Item 4.a. 2 Environmental Planner Finwall introduced Carole Gernes, Natural Resources Coordinator. Natural Resources Coordinator Gernes presented current and proposed natural resources projects taking place throughout the City. Environmental Planner Finwall stated that Commissioners should assess where the Commission could have a role in advancing the natural resources projects during their annual Work Plan and Environmental Priorities meeting scheduled for January 2025. 6.UNFINISHED BUSINESS None 7.VISITOR PRESENTATIONS None 8.COMMISSIONER PRESENTATIONS None 9.STAFF PRESENTATIONS Environmental Planner Finwall updated the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission on the following: a. Green Building Code Update: The draft Green Building Code is under review by various City departments. That feedback will be brought back to the Commission for review. b.Rescheduled January and February 2025 ENR Meetings Due to Holidays: The meetings are rescheduled to Wednesday, January 22 and Tuesday, February 25. c.January/February ENR Commission Meeting Schedule: Agenda items on the January and February ENR Commission meetings include the Election of Chair and Vice Chair, 2025 Work Plan and Environmental Priorities, and Review of Annual Report. 10.ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Guell made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Lates. Ayes – All The motion passed. Chairperson Guell adjourned the meeting at 8:11 p.m. ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting Date January 22, 2025 REPORT TO: REPORT FROM: PRESENTER: AGENDA ITEM: Action Requested:  Motion ☐Discussion ☐ Public Hearing Form of Action: ☐Resolution ☐ Ordinance ☐Contract/Agreement ☐ Proclamation Policy Issue: The Environmental and Natural Resources Commission ordinance requires that the Commission elect a Chair and Vice-Chair to run the meetings each year. Recommended Action: Nominate a Chair and Vice-Chare. Motion to approve the Chair and Vice-Chair nominations. Fiscal Impact: Is There a Fiscal Impact?  No ☐ Yes, the true or estimated cost is $0 Financing source(s): ☐ Adopted Budget ☐ Budget Modification ☐ New Revenue Source ☐Use of Reserves ☐ Other: n/a Strategic Plan Relevance: ☐Community Inclusiveness ☐Financial & Asset Mgmt Environmental Stewardship ☐Integrated Communication  Operational Effectiveness ☐Targeted Redevelopment The Environmental and Natural Resources Commission was formed to establish environmental priorities and to propose changes necessary to existing environmental ordinances and policies, which ensure that the city’s environmental assets are protected, preserved, and enhanced. The Environmental and Natural Resources Commission ordinance outlines the duties of the Chair and Vice-Chair as follows: The Chair is responsible for calling and presiding at meetings and shall have an equal vote with other members of the Commission. If the Chairperson is not at the meeting, the Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair for that meeting. Background: In 2024, the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission elected Commissioner Guell to act as Chair and Commissioner Lates to act as Vice-Chair. The Commission should nominate a Chair and Vice-Chair for 2025, and make a motion to approve those elected positions. Attachments: None Agenda Item 5.a. ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION STAFF REPORT Meeting Date January 22, 2025 REPORT TO: REPORT FROM: PRESENTER: AGENDA ITEM: Action Requested: ☐ Motion Discussion ☐ Public Hearing Form of Action: ☐Resolution ☐ Ordinance ☐Contract/Agreement ☐ Proclamation Policy Issue: The Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Commission ordinance outlines the Commission’s duties and responsibilities to include: The Commission shall establish environmental priorities for the city in partnership with the City Council and recommend changes or new policies that control, protect, preserve, and enhance the City’s environmental assets. Yearly the ENR Commission adopts environmental priorities to help achieve those duties and responsibilities. Recommended Action: Review the 2025 Work Plan and Environmental Priorities and offer comment and feedback. Fiscal Impact: Is There a Fiscal Impact?  No ☐ Yes, the true or estimated cost is enter amount or $0.00. Financing source(s): ☐ Adopted Budget ☐ Budget Modification ☐ New Revenue Source ☐Use of Reserves ☐ Other: n/a Strategic Plan Relevance: ☐Community Inclusiveness ☐Financial & Asset Mgmt Environmental Stewardship ☐Integrated Communication  Operational Effectiveness ☐Targeted Redevelopment Establishing environmental priorities will allow the ENR Commission to operate effectively by setting an agenda and work plan for the year. It also assists the City in meeting its environmental stewardship strategic priority. Background: Work Plan Last year’s work plan included the Trash and Recycling 2024 Annual Review, Green Building Code, and Climate Mitigation Plan. Following is a list of work items and possible dates for review by the ENR Commission in 2025: 1.Trash and Recycling 2025 Annual Review: The contracts with Republic Services for residential trash collection and Tennis Sanitation for residential recycling collection require Agenda Item 5.b. that they submit an annual report for review by the ENR Commission and City Council. The ENR Commission also reviews a work plan that outlines system improvements yearly. The annual review is currently scheduled for review by the ENR Commission in March. 2.Trash and Recycling Request for Proposals: The residential trash and recycling contracts end June 30, 2027. The contracts were extended for two years in 2024, from the previous end date of June 30, 2025. Therefore, any new contracts should be the result of a request for proposal (RFP) process. The creation of an RFP, proposal review, and contract drafting process takes approximately 18 months to the beginning of a new contract. The ENR Commission should begin work on a residential trash and recycling RFP beginning in the winter of 2025. 3.Climate Mitigation Plan: Two members of the ENR Commission were appointed to the Climate Mitigation Planning (CMP) Team. The CMP Team began their work in June 2025 to collaboratively explore needs and actions to address climate mitigation of both municipal operations and community-wide, with the end result being the creation of a CMP to assist the City in reducing GHG. A draft CMP is expected to be complete in March 2025. The ENR Commission will review the draft goals and action items after that date. Future CMP action item implementation may also come before the ENR Commission once the plan is approved by the City Council. 4.Green Building Code: Continue to review the City’s Green Building Code to ensure it is meeting the City’s sustainability goals, and to review options for electric vehicle requirements and other green building initiatives. Review of the Green Building Code is tentatively scheduled to be brought back to the ENR Commission once the plan is reviewed by City Departments for comment and feedback, tentatively in March 2025 or thereafter. Environmental Priorities The 2024 environmental priority focused on by the ENR Commission was recycling and food scrap education and outreach. To implement the education and outreach, the ENR Commission coordinated outreach at existing events including the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District’s annual Waterfest event and the City’s Summer Celebrations. To help guide environmental priorities for 2025, the Commission should review the City Council Strategic Priorities, Commission duties and responsibilities, 2040 Comprehensive Plan (Natural Resources and Sustainability Chapters), Climate Adaptation Plan, and the GreenStep Cities and Gold Leaf Programs. Those details are found on the attached document entitled Environmental Policy Guide. Summary Review of the items presented during the meeting will help guide the ENR Commission’s recommendations for the 2025 Environmental Priorities. These priorities will be presented again to the ENR Commission for final consideration and recommendations on implementation strategies during the February meeting. Final recommendations will be included in the ENR Commission’s annual report to the City Council. Attachments: 1.Environmental Policy Guides 2 1 Environmental Policy Guide Strategic Plan and Ordinance When reviewing yearly environmental priorities, the Environmental and Natural Resources (ENR) Commission should refer to the City’s strategic plan and ENR Commission ordinance for guidance as follows: City Council Strategic Priorities The Maplewood Strategic Plan serves as the community’s roadmap and is used to prioritize initiatives, resources, goals, and department operations and projects. The strategic plan is a big- picture document directing efforts and resources toward a clearly defined vision. 1.Community Inclusiveness: Create a city where everyone is valued and respected, and celebrate our strengths as a diverse multi-cultural, multi-lingual community. We recognize that our different perspectives and experiences bind us together to make us stronger. 2.Environmental Stewardship: Lead in the protection and enhancement of our natural resources and assets through stewardship, education, and proactive policy. Preserve and advocate for a healthy and sustainable environment. 3.Financial & Asset Management: Maintain fiscal sustainability while building, and managing assets to preserve long-term investment and ensure uninterrupted quality services. 4.Integrated Communication: Create a long-term vision that reflects our community identity and effectively communicates a consistent, broad-based message and brand through a variety of mediums. 5.Operational Effectiveness: Create a culture that is built on trust, conveys clearly identified goals and expectations, and is focused on the city’s long-range mission and vision. Value organizational efficiencies which are based on performance measurement, accountability, and best practices. 6.Targeted Redevelopment: Guide residential development by leveraging resources to expand the tax base but also create housing options that meet the diversity of the community. Promote commercial development through the green building code and innovation that supports business growth. ENR Commission Duties and Responsibilities The ENR Commission ordinance outlines the Commission’s roles. In order to protect, preserve and enhance the environment of the City of Maplewood, the Commission will: 1.Establish environmental priorities for the city in partnership with the City Council. 2.Recommend to the Community Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council changes necessary to existing policies, operating procedures and ordinances that control, protect, preserve and enhance the city’s environmental assets. Attachment 1 2 3. Actively participate in and support the mission and goals of the Maplewood Nature Center and Neighborhood Preserves by promoting environmental awareness through educational programs, communications and co-sponsored activities. 4. Proactively promote greater use and appreciation of the city’s environmental assets. 5. Review the role of other city groups and how they might assist, support and advise the ENR Commission. 6. Sponsor environmental projects to enhance, repair, replace or restore neglected or deteriorating environmental assets of the city. 7. Develop educational programs and materials that foster the mission of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission. 8. Develop and promote the use of “sustainable practices” for city policies and procedures. Environmental and Natural Resources Goals and Policies Many of the goals and action items listed below have been complete, or are currently under review. The items listed are intended to generate thought and discussion on environmental priorities for the year. 2040 Comprehensive Plan Following are the environmental goals and action items adopted in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Natural Resources Develop and implement a Maplewood Tree Plan to cover boulevard trees, park trees, woodlots, and forests. Energy Goals a. The City will follow the state energy goal guidelines of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent of the City’s 2015 baseline levels by 2050 (an 80 percent reduction). b. The City will establish interim goals every 5 to 10 years to assure City emission reductions track against the primary goal outlined above, and to adjust policies and strategies as needed. Future interim goals will be established by the City at the completion of the first interim timeframe. c. The City will encourage and support renewable energy. d. The City will obtain a minimum of 50 percent of all electric energy from renewable sources by 2040. This includes having a minimum of 20 percent in on- site solar photovoltaic generation within the City, with the balance being met through Xcel Energy’s 31.5 percent renewable portfolio requirement. 3 e. City facilities will be powered by 100% renewables by 2040. Actions a. Modify the City’s operating procedures and annual budgets to implement the Climate Action and Adaption goals. b. Conduct a site-specific solar energy capacity study to identify the 20 most beneficial sites for solar PV development. Use the site-specific study as the basis of outreach to the owners of the top 20 sites, educating them on the opportunities and benefits of installing solar PV within the existing timeframe of the Federal Tax Incentive. Study should occur by mid-2018 to support leverage of tax incentive potential. c. Coordinate with Ramsey County and Minnesota PACE to develop a communications plan to review the financing opportunities and financial advantages available to utilizing PACE financing for solar PV, especially while the Federal Tax Incentive remains in effect through 2021. d. Develop and distribute an informational brochure outlining the current incentives available to Maplewood residents and businesses as well as the potential short and long-term benefits of installing solar PV. Work with City businesses and community groups to assure broad distribution. e. Coordinate with Ramsey County to explore the development of new incentive programs, particularly those aimed at low and moderate income residents. Program opportunities may include development of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) based funding sources. f. Conduct a Green Economy Business and Economic Development Potentials study to identify strategies in leveraging economic opportunities in the Green Economy and emerging renewable energy field. Study should focus not only on national, state, and metro area trends, but should identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats unique to Maplewood. The goal of establishing a robust business atmosphere capable not only of serving Maplewood renewable energy and green economy needs but fulfilling a unique economic niche within the Metropolitan area. g. Adopt a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan that includes strategies for dealing with the effects of climate change. Local Food Access Goals a. Create a healthy, walkable community by providing healthy food options and accessibility for all people, regardless of income. b. Support development patterns that decrease the distance between households and healthy retail food options. 4 c. Encourage healthy retail food options such as food stores and farmers markets that are located in places easily reached by bus, bike or foot. d. Support the establishment and maintenance of community gardens throughout the community to provide residents with easy access to healthy food. e. Support the establishment of urban farms in appropriate areas. f. Encourage edible and pollinator-friendly landscapes on all properties. g. Support the keeping of bees, chickens, goats and other animals appropriate for the size and location of the property. h. Support food-related business and initiatives that advance the development of local and regional economies. i. Support innovative practices such as mobile food markets and mobile food pantries/shelves to bring food closer to under-resourced consumers. j. Support the efforts of small food stores to sell more healthy and fresh foods. Actions a. Conduct a community food security assessment to identify barriers and gaps in healthy food access and community assets. b. Complete an urban agriculture zoning review to remove barriers and promote local food access in all zoning districts. c. Allow and encourage single-family subdivisions and multi-family developments to incorporate community gardens. d. Integrate community gardens into public housing developments and create incentives for community gardens in affordable housing developments that receive public assistance. e. Encourage townhome and other types of housing associations to allow gardening as part of allowable activities. f. Analyze and address sidewalk and trail gaps near food stores, hunger relief programs, farmers markets, community gardens, and other healthy food sources. g. Require new developments that will have food options to provide safe, internal circulation for pedestrians and cyclists and bike racks. h. Explore partnership opportunities to provide education and skill development for families around healthy food selection and preparation. i. Collaborate on equipment-lending libraries and seed and seedling programs to support garden efforts of families. 5 j.Identify and educate on options for testing of soil of contaminants to ensure new gardens are safe. k.Review and modify as needed healthy food options available at city facilities. l.Explore how to add community supported agriculture delivery sites to serve multi- family developments. m.Modify land use policies to support pollinators through city ordinance and city operations/maintenance. n.Partner with the business and school communities to promote health and well- being within worksites. o.Review management of locally owned public land, and take steps to increase its contribution to pollinator health. p. Partner with local food retailers to market a buy local food campaign. Climate Adaptation Plan The May 2021 Climate Adaptation Plan establishes the ENR Commission as the main citizen- body to support the implementation of the Climate Adaptation Plan. Green Step Cities Program Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. Maplewood is a Step 5 Green Step City, the highest award category. To maintain this status the City must measure its sustainability best practices and make improvements on those metrics. The ENR Commission serves as the oversight committee for the City’s sustainability best practices, with the Green Team serving as the steering committee. There are 29 best practices outlined in the program in the areas of buildings and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management, and resilient economic and community development. Gold Leaf Program The Gold Leaf Program is the next step in the Green Step Cities program. It is a new program that will focus on pathways for communities to take local climate actions. In 2023 Maplewood participated in the pilot program along with ten other communities. Participants of the pilot Gold Leaf program will be recognized as they achieve 'gold leaves' for completing any new climate action from 44 high-priority, high-impact climate actions under the categories of: 1.Climate mitigation 2.Climate planning 3.Climate adaptation 4.Community connectedness for Minnesota's changing climate Maplewood has been working on the Climate Mitigation Plan and Green Building Code as part of the Gold Leaf pathway program.