2025-3 Agenda
SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
Regular Meeting Agenda
Thursday, March 27th, 2025, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
Commission Members
Staff/Others
Liaisons
Amanda Kueper, Adam Burnside, Craig Heinen, Helen Burk, Katy Boone, Chris Danner, Alexa Wozniak
Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Coordinator)
Zachary McCarty (Solid Waste Specialist)
Rori Coleman-Woods (City Council)
Hayley Tompkins (CSC)
Call to Order
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Regular Meeting Minutes: February 27, 2025
Public Comment
Any resident comment and items not printed on the agenda
Staff Reports (Lindholm, McCarty)
General updates:
Tree sale, Fowl code, Earth Day (event and proclamation), Solar on Public Buildings
Solid Waste updates:
Council policy proposal
Deconstruction updates from WLNC
County grant/program opportunities: Apartment recycling champions, Green Partners Environmental Action program
Discussion Items
Status of April Commission meeting (Lindholm, Kueper)
Workplan discussion schedule (Kueper)
Trashwalking Event (Burk)
Presentations or event tabling at middle school or high school for Earth Day or career day with staff (Wozniak)
Lead a campaign to provide reusable clothing in Richfield High School’s student room (Wozniak)
Action Items
None
Committee Reports
Community Services Commission (CSC) (Tompkins)
Next Meeting
Thursday, April 24th, 2025, 7:00 pm
Heredia Room, City Hall
Adjournment
DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION
REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING
Thursday, February 27th, 2025
Heredia Room, City Hall
PRESENT
COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Craig Heinen, Helen Burk, Chris Danner, Katy Boone, Alexa Wozniak
STAFF: Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Coordinator), Zach McCarty (Solid Waste Specialist)
Liaisons: Hayley Tompkins (CSC), Rori Coleman-Woods (City Council)
ABSENT
Adam Burnside, Matt Dobratz
Call to Order
Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm.
Approval of Minutes/Agenda
Boone motioned, Danner seconded, approved by all.
Public Comment
None
Staff Reports
Lindholm and McCarty reported:
The federal funding freeze uncertainty continues, affecting the USDA UCF and EECBG grants/allocations. Staff feel more confident about direct pay being accessible, at least through 2025.
The city sent out an organics mailer to program participants, which included a voucher that can be redeemed for compostable bags at the community center. McCarty is working with WLNC
staff to try and find outlets to donate the existing office furniture and other reusable assets. He is contacting Better Futures to see what the potential cost might be.
CSC and Sustainability will hold a joint commission meeting on April 15 to cover topics like forestry, stormwater, and WLNC.
The fleet study has been completed but data has not been analyzed yet. More info will be shared with the commission in the future.
The rain barrel sale opens on 3/1. Pick-up will be on 5/3 at the Farmers Market.
Commissioner training will be held in March. Details will be re-shared via email.
Discussion Items
Fowl Code update
Lindholm shared the work that has been done on the code amendment in the past month with Environmental Health staff. The results include an annual application fee of $50, to be ended
after a period of three years if the applicant has had no verified nuisance claims. There was also language added around cost recovery for any hearings requested. Commissioners also
saw the draft fee appendix and the draft permit application.
2025 Workplan
Commissioners shared additional projects of interest, and some projects were removed from the workplan due to lack of interest, completion or other reasons. Kueper started the discussion
about scheduling different topics for different months. Lindholm and Kueper will bring that schedule to the March meeting. Burk will discuss the trashwalking event at the March meeting.
Action Items
Motion to recommend Fowl ordinance revisions to Council – motioned by Heinen, seconded by Wozniak.
Motion to approve the 2025 Sustainability Commission workplan – motioned by Heinen, seconded by Burk.
Chair election – Kueper motioned to nominate herself, all voted in favor.
Vice-chair – Heinen motioned to nominate himself, all voted in favor.
Secretary – Danner motioned to nominate himself, all voted in favor
Committee Reports
For the CSC, Tompkins reported:
Pool is starting to pull together operations for this summer
The splash pad will be open this summer
Commissioners saw exhibit renderings for WLNC
The citywide recreation program guide was mailed out and registration starts on Monday
Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment
Next Meeting: Thursday, March 27th, 7:00 pm
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:59 pm