2022-1 AgendaSUSTAINBILITY COMMISSION
Regular Meeting Agenda
Thursday, January 24th, 2021, 7:00 pm
Held Virtually on WebEx
Commission Members Staff/Others Liaisons
Jeremy Barthels, Carolyn Engeldinger, Amanda
Kueper, Alyssa Sanden, Brian Shaw
Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Specialist)
Roxanne Nelson (MN GreenCorps)
Ben Whalen (City Council)
Jenna Hanson (CSC)
1. Call to Order/Welcome
2. Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Regular Meeting Minutes: December 9th, 2021
3. Public Comment
Any resident comment and items not printed on agenda
4. Staff Reports
New Commissioner Introductions (Lindholm)
Organized Collection (Lindholm)
Partners in Energy (Lindholm)
DNR Tree Grant (Lindholm)
5. Discussion Items
None
6. Action Items
None
7. Committee Reports
Community Services Commission (CSC) (Hanson)
8. Next Meeting
Thursday, February 24th, 2021, 7:00 pm
Virtual on WebEx
9. Adjournment
REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Virtual
PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Alyssa Sanden, Jeremy Barthels, Brian Shaw
STAFF: Rachel Lindholm, Roxanne Nelson (MN GreenCorps), Amy Markle
LIAISONS: Ben Whalen (City Council)
ABSENT Carolyn Engeldinger, Jenna Hanson (CSC)
Call to Order
Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Sanden moved to approve the agenda and previous minutes, seconded by Shaw, approved by all.
Public Comment
Donna Drummond and Susan Rosenberg from the League of Women Voters talked about helping residents and businesses
reduce their carbon footprint. The League is interested in partnering with the Commission in having sustainability fair with
resources around waste management, solar panels, EVs, green construction, gardening, and more.
Staff Reports
Other (PiE, commissioner applications)
- Lindholm gave a reminder about re-applying to be on the Commission for those with terms ending soon.
- Lindholm discussed the recent PiE efforts. Richfield had 35 lighti ng audits during business blitz, which is very successful!
She also talked about the recent residential energy event where staff handed out energy kits.
Organized Collection
- Staff is continuing to work with haulers to fix kinks in the system
- Smooth transition overall
- 2021 yard waste season is officially over
Discussion Items
2022 Commission Brainstorm
Commissioners, liaisons, and staff went through a brainstorming exercise to identify projects that are already on the
Commission’s workplan for 2022 as well as ideas that the group is interested in potentially pursuing in 2022. These ideas
include:
- Community tour of resident gardens (a la Parade of Homes/remodel tour)
- Green event team
- On-going community cleanup- trashwalking
- Farmers market- schedule of edu opportunities
- WL new building work
- Tree planting events
- Tree sale
- Food forest
- Community earth day celebration
- Sustainable policy review (city ordinances)
- Digital booklet for residents about sustainable practices
- Resources on albedo-conscious construction
- Home gardens
- ID opportunities in city for urban forest expansion
- Pollinator plantings along the wall by 62
- No mow may
Action Items
Hennepin County Anaerobic Digestor
- Kueper brought up the anaerobic digester letter of support, and explained the changes she made. Lindholm will follow up
with the missing statistics for the letter.
- Motion to approve the letter and submit to the County by Barthels, seconded by Sanden, approved by all.
Committee Reports
Markle’s CSC update talked about reconstructing and improving 494, the VEAP food drive, the Wood Lake Building project, and
winter recreation programming.
DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE SC DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE SC
Whalen (City Council) talked about bicycle parking, EV charging stations, and increasing density options (duplexes/townhomes)
Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment
Next Meeting: Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 pm, virtual on WebEx
Adjournment: Motion to adjourn by Sanden, seconded by Barthels. Meeting adjourned by Kueper at 8:25 pm.