2023-9 AgendaSUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
Regular Meeting Agenda
Thursday, September 28th, 2023, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
Commission Members Staff/Others Liaisons
Amanda Kueper, Matt Dobratz, Adam Burnside, Craig
Heinen, Logan Thein, Santwana Dasgupta Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Specialist) Ben Whalen (City Council)
David Vrieze Daniels (CSC)
1. Call to Order/Welcome
2. Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Regular Meeting Minutes: August 24th, 2023
3. Public Comment
Any resident comment and items not printed on agenda
4. Staff Reports (Lindholm)
Forestry/EAB update
Buzz Fest recap
Organics audits
5. Discussion Items
2023 Workplan (Kueper)
• June – Digital guide (Kueper, Heinen, Dasgupta)
• July – EAB (Kueper)
• August – Youth Commissioners (Burnside, Heinen) and pollinator plantings/alternative
vegetation (Thein)
• September – Microplastics (Burnside)
• October – Recognition program (Dobratz)
• November – End of year recap and 2024 planning
Resident Digital Sustainability Guide (Dasgupta, Heinen, Kueper)
6. Action Items
Revised bylaw approval
7. Committee Reports
Community Services Commission (CSC) (Vrieze Daniels)
8. Next Meeting
Thursday, October 26th, 2023, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
9. Adjournment
REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday, August 24th, 2023
Heredia Room, City Hall
PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Logan Thein, Adam Burnside, Craig Heinen
STAFF: Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Specialist)
LIAISONS: None
ABSENT Matt Dobratz, Santwana Dasgupta, David Vrieze Daniels (CSC), Ben Whalen (City Council)
Call to Order
Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm.
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Heinen motioned, Thein seconded, approved by all.
Public Comment
None
Staff Reports
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm reported:
Forestry follow-up
• Farmers’ Market outreach will happen. Tabling to discuss Emerald Ash Borer. Possibly Sept. 30th. Sept. 16 is also buzz fest,
so that date might not work.
• EAB removal is still happening through the DNR grant. Still over $250,000 available for more tree removal. Guidelines are
online. 75% of cost of removal paid for by the city/grant.
ECO comments
• Richfield signed on to west metro letter to Xcel and CenterPoint regarding their filed triennial utility plans.
Buzz Fest
• Saturday the 16th of September at Moir Park 10am to 1pm. Exhibitors, 25 venders, plant walks, music, plant sale (native
plants). Kid friendly.
Discussion Items
Youth Commissioners (Burnside, Heinen)
• Work with the schools to set this up. Green Team club. Put together document/duties/etc to share with them.
• Possibility of class credit or community service credits for participation on commission
• Need for more info on website regarding what a youth commissioners would do, responsibilities, etc.
Pollinator plantings/alternative vegetation (Thein)
• MN Department of Transportation grant program, city could apply. $10k in plantings, maintained by state for 3 years.
• Continue to look into program, granting info and guidelines
Resident Digital Sustainability Guide (Dasgupta, Heinen, Kueper)
• Reviewing ongoing additions to Guide
• Possible work on intro from members, work on the editing to work into final project.
• Use Hyperlinks, not URLs…
Action Items
None
Committee Reports
The Community Services Commission did not meet last month.
Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment
Next Meeting: Thursday, September 28, 7:00pm in the Heredia Room.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm
DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION