2024-1 AgendaSUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
Regular Meeting Agenda
Thursday, January 25th, 2024, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
Commission Members Staff/Others Liaisons
Amanda Kueper, Adam Burnside, Craig Heinen, Logan
Thein, Santwana Dasgupta, Matthew Dobratz, Helen
Burk
Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Specialist)
Brittany Bartlett (Equity Coordinator)
Amanda McKnight (incoming commissioner)
Ben Whalen (City Council)
David Vrieze Daniels (CSC)
1. Call to Order/Welcome
Introductions
2. Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Regular Meeting Minutes: November 16th, 2023
3. Public Comment
Any resident comment and items not printed on the agenda
• Brian Bergstrom’s public comment
4. Staff Reports (Lindholm)
Equity Coordinator Introduction
Organized Collection
HERC
Digital Guide Update
Position elections – Feb meeting
5. Discussion Items
2024 Workplan
6. Action Items
None
7. Committee Reports
Community Services Commission (CSC) (Vrieze Daniels)
8. Next Meeting
Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
9. Adjournment
Call to Order
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Public Comment
Staff Reports
Discussion Items
Action Items
Committee Reports
Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment
REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Heredia Room, City Hall
PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Santwana Dasgupta, Adam Burnside, Craig Heinen, Matt Dobratz
STAFF: Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Specialist)
LIAISONS: None
ABSENT Logan Thein, David Vrieze Daniels (CSC), Ben Whalen (City Council)
Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm.
Heinen motioned, Dobratz seconded, approved by all.
None
Sustainability Specialist Lindholm reported:
Renewable Connect Update
Xcel folding old Windsource in with Renewable Connect - Flex. Will incorporate wind and solar. Hopefully will be able to sign up online
soon. Xcel does not get to claim additional credits for these.
Carryout Bags
Edina passed fee for carryout bags (state has ban on bans, so fees are tool to reduce usage ala Minneapolis)
HERC
Hennepin trash incinerator will be going offline sometime between 2028 - 2040. Concerns over air pollution concentration in lower
income neighborhoods. Will mean more landfill usage.
WLNC
Proposals for new nature center at Wood Lake have been received, narrowed down to three firms. Planning ongoing.
New Commissioner
New Sustainability Commissioner has been selected after interviews by the city council. Will be in place for January 2024 meeting.
Youth Commission
Heinen and Burnside working to set up date to meet with Richfield HS students to pitch two student seats on commission. Still working
to set something up with Holy Angels.
2023 Workplan
• Environmental Fair
• Farmers Market information table.
• Action to fill youth commissioner seats.
• Climate Action Plan passed by City Council with input from commission.
• Letter to Editor to Sun Current
Update to Bylaws
Heinen motioned, Burnside seconded to clarify in bylaws that November meeting will be Thursday before Thanksgiving Day. Approved
by all.
None
Next Meeting: Thursday, January 25, 7:00pm in the Heredia Room.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm
first_name = Brian
last_name = Bergstrom
To Rachel Lindholm and the Richfield Sustainability Commission:I would like to find out about any
current efforts regarding restaurant container waste reduction and to advocate for improvements. I
have reviewed the Richfield Climate Action Plan (1)and appreciate the objectives in “Goal 5: Reduce
Waste Generated”, but I don’t see anything addressing the styrofoam and plastic generated by
restaurant takeout/to-go containers which is a gap that needs to be addressed.Our Minneapolis
neighbors are a great example on this front with their Green To Go program (2). I understand this
approach requires enforcement and for a challenging rollout to existing businesses, but Hennepin
county has existing programs to assist with this (3). Additionally, the MNMize program (4) already has
the owners of Protagonist and Sandy’s Tavern involved so they may make a great use case study. As
a long time resident of Richfield, I want to support local restaurants but find it hard when it involves so
much plastic and styrofoam. The plastic is at least usually recyclable, but the styrofoam is straight up
nasty poison for the environment (and us). I suspect I’m not the only one in Richfield who feels this
way, and influences some of my restaurant dollars to goto Minneapolis instead of Richfield. I strongly
encourage you to review this concern and hopefully move Richfield towards greener food
containers.1. https://www.richfieldmn.gov/residents/sustainability_recycling/climate_action_plan.php2.
https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/business-assistance/run/food-business-
rules/green-to-go/3. https://www.hennepin.us/businessrecycling4. https://mnimize.org/