Sustainability Minutes - Sept. 26, 2024
REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024
Babcock Room, City Hall
PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Adam Burnside, Amanda McKnight, Craig Heinen, Student Commissioner Helen Burk
STAFF: Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Coordinator), Katie Rodriguez (City Manager)
LIAISONS: Kris Anderson (CSC)
ABSENT
Logan Thein (Commissioner), Matt Dobratz (Commissioner), Santwana Dasgupta (Commissioner), Ben Whalen (City Council)
Call to Order
Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Heinen motioned, Burnside seconded, approved by all.
Public Comment
No public comments.
Staff Reports
City Manager Katie Rodriguez gave a presentation about the three Parks and Recreation projects on the November ballot: a new building and ADA upgrades at Wood Lake Nature Center, a new
Community Center, and upgrades to Veterans Park amenities and buildings. The three ballot measures will ask residents if they want to approve a .5% local sales tax to help fund these
initiatives. Voters can visit
http://www.ourlegacyourfuture.orgwww.ourlegacyourfuture.org to learn more about the referendum.
Sustainability Coordinator Lindholm reported:
She created a web page on the City website for Inflation Reduction Act resources for residents
Pumpkin Smash is planned for Nov. 2 - this is an event for recycling pumpkins for compost after Halloween instead of letting them rot on the front stoop or putting them in the trash.
Burnside and Kueper, along with a local resident in attendance, volunteered to be at the event to help people sign up for curbside organics service.
Staff have been reviewing the logo drafts for the Sustainability Communication campaign. Lindholm showed the drafts to commissioners to weigh in on.
Discussion Items
2024 Work Plan
Burnside presented some information about action steps to reduce plastic trash and microplastics in Richfield’s land and water. Some options that were discussed:
- Ask council to impose a 5-cent cost for plastic bags
- Encourage recycling with the 5-cent bottle deposit
- Do an educational campaign about reducing plastic usage and plastic trash
- Burnside asked Commissioners where do we go from here to have the biggest impact, particularly when so many of the impactful measures happen at the state and federal level
- America Recycles Day is in the middle of November, so that could work for an opportunity to promote recycling plastics (suggested by Lindholm)
- How could we help connect local businesses to the MNimize program?
Lindholm provided an update from Code Enforcement and Environmental Health about the fowl code revisions.
- Need to finalize a few more things, but the draft copy has been redlined and is being reviewed by legal
- There are some technicalities being worked out around the public nuisance portion of the code
- Lindholm is hoping the new code will be approved and effective by January 2025
- The code increases the amount of fowl residents can own from three to six and establishes a permitting system for fowl/birds
Action Items
No action items. <
Committee Reports
Kris Anderson reports there is a total park inventory going on to audit every building and asset. That will help with the long-term plan for replacing amenities. The City got a $500,000
federal grant to take out and replace Ash trees near Washington and Roosevelt Parks. Around 500 trees will be planted to replace what’s being removed (per Lindholm). Anderson also reports
the CSC is talking about a communication plan for parks maintenance and other park updates.
Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment
Next Meeting: Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:00 p.m. in the Babcock Room.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m.