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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-09-20 ENR Minutes MINUTES CITY OF MAPLEWOOD ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION 7:00 p.m., Monday, September 20,2010 Council Chambers, City Hall 1830 County Road BEast 1. CALL TO ORDER A meeting of the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by Chair Trippler. 2. ROLL CALL Dale Trippler, Chair Randee Edmundson, Commissioner Judith Johannessen, Commissioner Carole Lynne, Commissioner Carol Mason Sherrill, Commissioner Bill Schreiner, Commissioner Ginny Yingling, Commissioner Present Present Present Absent Present Absent Present Staff Present Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner Nick Carver, Green Building Manager City Council Liaison Present Councilmember Kathleen Juenemann 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Trippler added the following items under Item 8, Commissioner Presentations: 8b. Report on the Fridley waste hauling meeting attended by Chair Trippler 8c. Update on Planning Commission meeting with regard to the Chicken Ordinance Commissioner Johannessen moved to approve the agenda as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Yingling. Ayes all; the motion carried. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of August 16, 2010, Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Minutes Proposed amendments included: a. Page 4, Wind Turbines, first item: change "...correct sighting..." to "...correct siting..." September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 1 b. Page 7, Trash Collection System Analysis, last sentence: correct to convey that if there are residents in the City of Maplewood who support the program, they need to let the council members, staff and/or commissioners know they support it. Commissioner Yingling moved to approve the minutes of August 16, 2010, as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Johannessen. Ayes, 4; Abstained, 1 (Commissioner Mason Sherrill); the motion carried. 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Energy Presentation Shann Finwall, environmental planner, introduced Carl Samuelson, of Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS), and Yvonne Pfeifer, Community Energy Efficiency Manager at Xcel Energy, who presented a preview of the Community Energy Sweep program and the Energy Efficiency Workshop. The workshop will be sponsored by the ENRC and held on October 19, 2010, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center. Carl Samuelson addressed the commission to introduce CERTS and its mission to the commission. Mr. Samuelson presented information on CERTS programs and their benefits. Yvonne Pfeifer addressed the commission to present and discuss the various programs currently underway at Xcel Energy, including the following: . Community Energy Sweep . Home Energy Squad . Rebates . Whole building analysis . New construction design assistance and Energy Star homes . Load management such as Saver Switch . Electric rate savings . Solar Rewards . Wind Source Anyone interested in learning about opportunities for energy efficiency are encouraged to attend the workshop. It is a free event at which residents can sign up for the Home Energy Squad program. It was noted that some of these programs have the potential to increase home values for owners who participate. Ms. Pfeifer offered the following specifics regarding energy audits and the Energy Squad program: Energy audits are done at three levels: 1. First level includes a walk through that identifies quick easy things that can be done to save money. This level of audit is $30. 2. Second level is the standard audit, which is $60 and includes the above plus blower door test. 3. Third level includes all of the above-mentioned services plus infrared at $100. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 2 Ms. Pfeifer offered the following explanation on the differences between Energy Squad and an audit: In the Energy Squad program, Xcel Energy is actually going in and doing the work as well as explaining how things like programmable thermostats, etc., are used. With an audit, the result is a written report, but no work is completed. Energy Squad costs includes materials only (labor is free) and are offered at two package levels: $50 for the base package and $80 for the premium package. Residents may also add individual items such as additional light bulbs. For residents who have already completed Energy Squad upgrades but would like to do more, an audit is recommended to identify more in-depth changes. Questions and discussion included the following topics: 1. How to determine what the payback period is or how much energy a solar panel will generate. Mr. Samuelson offered that the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society offers a calculator for determining what the payback for each improvement would be. Ms. Pfeifer indicated there is also information on the State of Minnesota's website. Ms. Finwall noted that Nick Carver, assistant building official who is present at the meeting tonight, may also be able to offer information on the conversion question. 2. Rebates from Xcel Energy can cover up to 60% of the cost, plus excess energy can be sold back to Xcel. b. Introduction to Maplewood Green Building Program Nick Carver, assistant building official with the City of Maplewood, was introduced by Ms. Finwall. Mr. Carver presented a preview of the proposed green building program. Mr. Carver presented and discussed the proposed guidelines of the new code. Specifically, Mr. Carver outlined the base documents for the commercial and residential programs, including the International Green Construction Code and the National Green Building Standards. He also described the various program levels and the incentive structure that would be part of the program. Questions and discussions covered the following topics: 1. How the city will manage the program 2. How the program compares to LEED and other similar programs 3. The program cannot be mandatory for residents because it hasn't been adopted by the State of Minnesota, but the City of Maplewood can make it mandatory for its buildings. The program covers all types of buildings and establishes minimum codes that must be met. 4. Is there a way to give incentives to a neighborhood or group of homes to upgrade existing buildings 5. Chair Trippler requested additional information regarding auto shutoff devices for water. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 3 Kathleen Juenemann, City Council liaison, addressed the commission, and explained that the LEED program is something that requires you to pay to participate. The Green Building Program offers incentives to participants and would be built into the permit system. She also noted that some of the items in the code would apply to the environmental utility fund from which participants could get additional incentives. Ms. Finwall noted that many of the codes included in the Green Building Program are already included in existing city building code. She went on to inform the commission that the program will ultimately be drafted into an ordinance and follow the normal, formal approval process. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Alternative Energy Ordinance Ms. Finwall updated the commission and gave the report of the draft alternative energy ordinance. The ordinance will assist in the development of alternative energy sources throughout the city, including wind, solar and geothermal energy sources. Ms. Finwall presented an updated version of the draft ordinance for discussion. Notably, updates include the following: 1. Placement of wind turbines has been modified to clarify that commercial wind turbines are allowed in commercial zoning districts, multiple zoning districts, planned unit developments, and areas of the city guided as institutional or government only, with a CUP. 2. Placement of wind turbines will be prohibited in areas guided as park and open space. 3. Terminology was standardized to include references to only commercial and residential turbines - not noncommercial and micro/macro. Nick Carver, Assistant Building Official, has reviewed the ordinance and offered to answer questions from the commission. His feedback included the following: 1. Title of the alternative energy ordinance should be changed to "renewable" energy ordinance. 2. The commission should consider including solar thermal for water heating 3. There should be setbacks for geothermal well drilling to ensure the drilling is kept away from the property line. 4. Reference to permitting processes should not be included in the ordinance; this process already exists in the building code. 5. Height requirements for the turbines exist in the building code. Those requirements might differ from what is in the draft ordinance. 6. The definitions should be vetted to ensure they are correct. 7. Foundation requirements as specified in code are not necessary, since those are covered in the building code. 8. The proposed ordinance should cover what wind turbines look like and where they should be located. 9. By law this code cannot be a supplement to the building code. 10. There are already safety standards and certifications in the building code. They should not be included in this code. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 4 Discussion continued around the following issues: 1. The ordinance should include restrictions on time of day and seasonal use of turbines with regard to wildlife preservation. Specific studies cited by commission members will be submitted to staff for review. 2. Roof mounted wind turbines that extend beyond the edge of the roof-may be an issue for some types of turbines, i.e., vertical versus horizontal wind turbines 3. Page 11, Coverage, B, 3: explain the significance of 15%. 4. Page 12, 6, Coverage, explain the significant of "half of the building footprint" restriction. 5. Page 5, should be amended to include buildings other than the principal building. 6. The gap between 10 and 100 kilowatts; Mr. Carver noted that you may not want to limit the wattages as this may limit use of updated technology; the possibility of limiting height and not the power of the turbines was discussed. 7. Page 5, C, 1, c, 1: Revisit the number of commercial turbines on one parcel to reduce potential of harming wildlife; it was suggested there should be a distance requirement for placement of turbines on larger parcels. 8. Page 8, 6, references Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Guidance for Wind Projects 2009 version; however, this document cannot be located. 9. Definition of "significant trees" has been added. Chair Trippler will submit a series of minor changes to staff. Ms. Finwall will work with Mr. Carver to incorporate the appropriate changes. Councilmember Juenemann offered the point of view that the commission should start with refining the definitions and ensuring they are correct before finalizing the ordinance. The commission shouldn't feel pressure to complete the ordinance quickly. Chair Trippler noted that there is a great deal of technical information included in this ordinance that commission members are not familiar with. Ms. Finwall will continue to work with Mr. Carver to update the ordinance. 7. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS There were no visitor presentations. 8. COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS a. Sub-Committee Reports Neighborhood Subcommittee Commissioner Johannessen reported that the subcommittee has not had any special meetings since the last report; however, the committee is working on the presentation for the Energy Squad workshop with Xcel Energy. The committee will meet on October 1 to review the workshop presentation. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 5 Greenway Subcommittee Commissioner Yingling reported that the subcommittee is still developing a strategy for communicating with residents in the Priory Greenway area. Ms. Finwall met with the MN pollution control agency regarding the status of the Maplewood dump site. Commissioner Yingling reviewed the reports associated with this issue and determined that the city needs to renew its permit with watershed district and move forward with removing some of the appliances in the flood plain of the creek and finish capping the site. Waste Hauling Subcommittee Chair Trippler reported that he attended a meeting in Fridley on waste hauling on September 14, 2010. It was an informational meeting that was attended by waste haulers and a University of Minnesota representative who spoke on air quality and environmental impact issues relative to the hauling vehicles. A MNDOT representative was scheduled to attend but was not present; however, a brief memo on the long-term effects of hauling vehicles on pavement was distributed. Maplewood City Council will hold a special council meeting on October 4, 2010, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. to hear public testimony on the city's trash hauling system. No formal action will be taken as a result of this meeting. b. The Planning Commission reviewed the proposed chicken ordinance at its August 24, 2010, meeting. Several questions were posed to staff by the commission, particularly with regard to the impact on neighborhoods and the cost of the program to the city. The revised ordinance will be reviewed at the Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 21, 2010. 9. STAFF PRESENTATIONS a. September 13 City Council Meeting - Review of Recycling Proposals This item has been tabled until the September 27,2010, City Council meeting due to discrepancies identified in how the revenue sharing was analyzed among the contractors. Ms. Finwall requested an ENRC member be present at the September 27 meeting. b. Fall Clean-up Event Flyers describing the items that will be accepted along with the collection fees are available. The event will be held on October 16, 2010, at Aldrich Arena from 8:00 a.m. to 1 :00 p.m. In an effort to promote the concept of reduce and recycle, additional items will be accepted without fees. These items include: the Bridging organization will collect furniture and house wares for distribution to families in transition, Recycle will collect used bicycles for restoration and reuse, and Pride in Living will accept mattresses, box springs, and sleeper sofa mattresses. This event will take place in conjunction with the Ramsey County Household Hazardous Waste Collection program, which will accept things like automotive oil, antifreeze, paint, etc. This portion of the event will run from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The event will also include a food drive for Second Harvest. ENRC volunteers are encouraged to participate. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 6 c. Update on Recycling in Parks The City Council approved the purchase of recycling bins as part of the county's Be Active, Be Green recycling project. Maplewood has requested 137 bins through the grant program. Maplewood, in conjunction with its recycling provider, will collect the materials and maintain the containers for five years. d. Update on State Shoreland Rules Specific shoreland regulations are included in the city's wetland ordnance for wetlands that are adjacent to lakes until such time that a shoreline ordinance is adopted by the city or until 2012. The state of MN is undergoing a rules review for shoreland ordinance. In August Governor Pawlenty returned the rules to the DNR for further work. e. Update on State Mississippi Critical Corridor Rules Commission Yingling has been attending these committee meetings. The group is proposing holding two public meetings on the rule making: September 29, 2010, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Hastings. This will have an open house format for interested parties. The DNR will review the rules and get feedback on the districts and standards. The League of Minnesota Cities is sponsoring an event on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, to allow affected cities to get an overview of the rules and offer a question-and- answer forum. This event will take place at their site in St. Paul from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Ginny Gaynor is planning to attend. f. Maplewood Nature Center Programs, 2659 East Seventh Street: Staff updated the commission on programs being offered in August: 1. A demonstration on how to identify and remove buckthorn will be held on Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 to 11: 15 a.m. This is a free event that will take place at the Applewood Neighborhood Preserve. 2. The annual buckthorn removal is a free event being held this year at Vista Park on Saturday, October 2, from 9:30 to 12:00 p.m. for adults and children 11 years old and older, and from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. for adults only. 3. Nature in Your Neighborhood will take place on Saturday, Oct 9,2010. Residents can nominate their neighborhood for a site visit with a naturalist. Applications are due to the Maplewood Nature Center by September 30. 4. Free Buckthorn Drop-off Sites and Dates: Buckthorn can be brought to either Maplewood City Hall or the London Lane Fire fire station on October 30 and 31 or November 6 and 7. 5. Residents can register their neighborhood for free curbside buckthorn pick-up. City crews will pick up from neighborhoods with three or more registered households. More information on these programs is available at the Maplewood Nature Center website: http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us 10. ADJOURNMENT Chair Trippler adjourned the meeting at 9:43 p.m. September 20, 2010 Environmental and Natural Resources Commission Meeting Minutes 7