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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-10-19 ENR Minutes MINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION 7:00 p.m., Monday, October 19, 2009 Council Chambers, City Hall 1830 County Road BEast A. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Mason Sherrill. B. ROLL CALL Carol Mason Sherrill, Chair Judith Johannessen, Commissioner Carole Lynne, Commissioner Frederica Musgrave, Commissioner Bill Schreiner, Commissioner Dale Trippler, Commissioner Ginny Yingling, Commissioner Present Present Present Present at 7:03 p.m. Present Present Absent Staff Present Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner Larry Farr, Chief Building Engineer Alan Kantrud, City Attorney Bill Priefer, Recycling Coordinator C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the aqenda as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Schreiner. Ayes - All The motion passed. D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Trippler moved to approve the September 21. 2009. Environmental and Natural Resources Commission minutes as submitted. Seconded by Commissioner Schreiner. Ayes - Commissioners Mason Sherrill, Musgrave, Schreiner,Trippler, Yingling Abstention - Commissioner Johannessen The motion passed. E. NEW BUSINESS a. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy: 1. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall gave the report and answered questions of the commission. 2. Senior Energy Scientist, George Johnson with SEH, Vadnais Heights, gave the presentation, addressed and answered questions of the commission. October 19, 2009 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 1 3. Chief Building Engineer, Larry Farr gave a brief presentation and answered questions of the commission. Commissioner Trippler said in the document he didn't see Landscaping - or positioning of trees or vegetation as a means of sun or wind block. He also didn't see under Heating Systems- geothermal. Also, on page 13(7)(a) under implementation action plans, the CDRB should be included to review things. On page 19(D) it discusses personal vehicles. He stated that personal vehicles should be defined and how the city could make an impact to a person's personal driving habits. Mr. Johnson said he was not aware of the CDRB and the process but it's appropriate to include. He said he was referring to personal vehicles in the sense that the city staff could volunteer to step down with the need to use cars or switch to smaller vehicles if it was too far to bike or walk to a location. Commissioner Musgrave said Ramsey County is using more water than we are putting into the system and the use of water needs to be reevaluated. She is concerned about capturing the green jobs and about the number of contracts that are done with the city. The city can spend a lot of money trying to save money, such as trying to be cost efficient with energy and then spending it elsewhere. Commissioner Musgrave stated that Xcel Energy did a home energy inspection on her home and there was a standard checklist used for the audit. She wondered what the standard checklist was for the energy audit for the city. Mr. Johnson said the money that is coming to Maplewood in the form of these energy grants is not enough that the city to complete all of its energy efficiency upgrades. It is a down payment or a gift to cover a small portion. Far more is needed to convert our society to something more sustainable. This money is a bonus and a chance to get a jump on energy efficiency projects. Lighting is one of the biggest energy wasters. There are also many problems with light pollution. We have become too dependent on bright light, and we don't understand what all of that light is doing to our night sky and the environment. Public transportation is not very good in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. That drives many people to using their cars. Minneapolis is better with public transportation. We all come from a former culture where people walk to their destination. People moved to using their car to drive four blocks. Mr. Johnson said regarding baseline modeling, we need to compare apples to apples. Chief Building Engineer, Larry Farr is working to put all the city buildings into the B3 Benchmarking System. That is the system whereby the State of Minnesota can compare every building and its energy consumption based on its footprint. This hasn't been done before. This information will go a long way towards answering the concerns about comparable data. Chair Mason Sherrill thanked Mr. Johnson for the excellent report. She clarified that the goal is to upgrade and retrofit the buildings to make the city buildings greener with this money. As a community this is a great place to start because it is government putting its money where its mouth is. This document is a starting point. She is concerned about the world wide tree loss and other factors that are affecting the real green in our culture. Planting and preserving trees saves money. Chair Mason Sherrill said she felt Maplewood is not very pedestrian friendly. She said the commission has discussed that in the past. She asked if Mr. Johnson was familiar with Peter McDonough from the Kestro Group. She was going to pass information onto Mr. Johnson regarding his work which includes research on using plants and vines on buildings and around buildings to keep the temperature constant, reduce heat island effect, etc. Commissioner Johannessen said Mr. Johnson did a great job of giving an overview of the kind of energy challenges the city should be prepared for in the future. She would like to see more information on educating the public on this. She wondered if individual residents could participate in the teams that are going to be conducted and act as leaders or carry on with the educational part of this when it gets to the more individual homeowner level. October 19, 2009 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 2 Environmental Planner Finwall stated that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy will go to the Green Team, and then back before the commission in November, before the city council's final review in December. b. Chickens in Residential Zoning District: 1. Jeremy and Amy Decker, residents of south Maplewood, addressed the commission and discussed their experience with chickens in residential areas and how they would be supportive of a zoning code change to allow for chickens. 2. City Attorney, Alan Kantrud answered questions of the commission. 3. Ron Cockriel, 943 Century Avenue North, Maplewood addressed the commission and commented on chickens in residential zoning districts. Environmental Planner Finwall stated staff will research this item and bring further information back to the commission at a later date. c. Commission Handbook: 1. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall introduced the item. 2. City Attorney, Alan Kantrud gave the presentation and answered questions of the council. Commission Musgrave stated that Rosenberg's Rules of Order were not attached to the document. Commissioner Trippler said one change that needs to be made in the Environmental Commission's rules is the meeting times. This should be changed to the commission's new date and time of the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. Also, Robert's Rules of Order should be changed to Rosenberg's Rules of Order. In addition, the commission ordinance has conflicting dates for the election of chair and vice chair. The Commission Handbook states this should take place in December. The commission ordinance and the rules state this will take place in January. F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Eureka Recycling Contract: 1. Environmental Planner, Shann Finwall introduced the item to the commission. 2. Recycling Coordinator, Bill Priefer addressed the commission and gave a short update on the Eureka Recycling Contract and report. 3. City Attorney, Alan Kantrud addressed and answered questions of the council. 4. President and Chief Operating Officer of Eureka Recycling, Timothy Brownel addressed the commission. Commissioners Trippler and Musgrave felt the city should go through the RFP process rather than extend and amend the contract. Commissioner Trippler asked what happens when the value of recycled paper has dropped. The price of other commodities has also dropped. The economy is a cycle, it goes up and it goes down. He said it's now down. He asked what happens when the price of paper triples and the price of aluminum goes up. He asked how the city benefits from the changes that Eureka proposes or does the city not benefit. Commissioner Trippler said the contract says nothing about a contract extension. He would support the extension of the contract if there was language in the contract to allow for that. When he worked with the city to put together the original contract he strongly suggested numerous times that it should be set up for the ability to have extensions without having to go back through the RFP process because its time consuming, it takes a lot of energy and resources to go through October 19, 2009 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 3 this process but unfortunately when the contract was put together that was not included. From his standpoint he doesn't think the contract allows the city to do that. Commissioner Trippler said he doesn't disagree with City Attorney Kantrud that the city can do what they want as long as Eureka, which is the partner in the agreement, agrees. From the standpoint of being a representative of the public he believes we have a higher standard here. Even if the specifics of law say that with recycling you don't need to go through an RFP process you can change the contract. The government needs to fulfill the letter of the law. Commissioner Trippler also said he would like Eureka to address how the markets have gone to pot and there is no money in paper and they are losing money. He doesn't see anything in the contract stating what happens when the market rebounds back. At some point the recession will end and the economy will spring back but he doesn't see how making these changes in the contract will affect the market coming back. Commissioner Musgrave agreed with Commissioner Trippler's comments. She stated the city needs a valid contract, solicitation, proposals and so forth. Just giving a single source contract an extension bothers her, especially when the reimbursement is different. Part of the staff's job is to do bids, process, and solicitation for the citizens to get the best price and best services rather than doing the minimum. She doesn't see a quantitative reason extend and amend this contract. Mr. Brownel said there is a revenue share clause within the contract, which is the benefit mechanism for the city. As the revenues of these different materials go up then the city gets 60% of that material value which in turn lowers the cost for the service. He said Eureka is experiencing a very significant change in the composition of the materials. Eureka is seeing a lot less newspaper in recycling and it continues to decline. Commissioner Trippler said he was listening to NBC national news and they had a story about San Francisco having a law that requires recycling food waste. Commissioner Trippler asked if Eureka Recycling was looking into that type of market. Mr. Brownel said Eureka is looking into the process of collection of compostable materials so that is not just food waste, it would be any household material that would be organic based and compostable including certain paper products such as a frozen pizza box which can't be recycled in any system currently. Chair Mason Sherrill said she wants the city to continue working with Eureka Recycling. Staff is recommending the commission approve option 1, which would amend and extend the contract. The City Attorney has given a legal opinion that the city is within our rights to do this. Because of our history with Eureka and the good work they do for the community, she is supportive of this option. Commissioner Trippler said there is a fourth option here which is to go through the RFP process and to generate a new contract. If Eureka is the lowest bidder they will get the contract anyway. Commissioner Schreiner said his concern is that another company may come in and compete for the bid and be the low bidder. But once they get the contract with the city they may raise their prices. He feels Eureka should remain the recycling haulers for the City of Maplewood. They are looking out for the best interest for the citizens of Maplewood and he agrees with staff's opinion to recommend approval of the extension and the amendment. October 19, 2009 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 4 Chair Mason Sherrill made a motion to approve the amendment and two-vear extension of the Eureka Recvclinq Contract (Option 1). Seconded by Commissioner Schreiner. Ayes - Commissioners Lynne, Schreiner, Johannessen, & Mason Sherrill Navs - Commissioners Musgrave & Trippler The motion passed. b. Alternative Energy Ordinance (Tabled until November) G. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS 1. Ron Cockriel, 943 Century Avenue North, Maplewood. Mr. Cockriel discussed Lions Park and the stormwater issues. H. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. Subcommittee Reports 1. Stormwater update 2. Greenways update 3. Trash Hauling update b. Fisk Creek Ad-Hoc Commission - Ron Cockriel 1. Mr. Cockriel gave an update on the ad-hoc commission's work. Mr. Cockriel is the vice- chair of the ad-hoc commission. I. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Term Expirations b. Recap of Slope Tour c. Fall Clean Up Event - October 24, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gethsemane Church d. Joy Park Buckthorn Pull on the north side of Silver Lake - November 14, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon e. Wetland Ordinance Update (first and second reading in November) f. Maplewood Nature Center Programs - October 24, Vista Hills buckthorn removal 12:30 until 2 p.m. J. ADJOURNMENT Chair Mason Sherrill adjourned the meeting at10:00 p.m. October 19, 2009 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 5