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2025-2 AgendaSUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION Regular Meeting Agenda Thursday, February 27th, 2025, 7:00 pm Heredia Room, City Hall Commission Members Staff/Others Liaisons Amanda Kueper, Adam Burnside, Craig Heinen, Matthew Dobratz, 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) 1. Call to Order/Introductions 2. Approval of Minutes/Agenda  Regular Meeting Minutes: January 16, 2025 3. Public Comment  Any resident comment and items not printed on the agenda 4. Staff Reports (Lindholm, McCarty)  Federal funding freeze (USDA UCF and EECBG funding)  Solid Waste: organics mailers, WLNC reuse/deconstruction efforts  Joint meeting with CSC on April 15  Fleet study update, rain barrel sale, commissioner training 5. Discussion Items  Fowl Code update (Lindholm)  2025 workplan finalizing (Kueper) 6. Action Items  Position elections (Kueper) 7. Committee Reports  Community Services Commission (CSC) (Tompkins) 8. Next Meeting Thursday, March 27th, 2025, 7:00 pm Heredia Room, City Hall 9. Adjournment REGULAR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, January 16th, 2025 Heredia Room, City Hall PRESENT COMMISSIONERS: Amanda Kueper, Craig Heinen, Helen Burk STAFF: Rachel Lindholm (Sustainability Coordinator), Zach McCarty (Solid Waste Specialist) Incoming Commissioners: Chris Danner, Katy Boone, Alexa Wozniak ABSENT Adam Burnside, Matt Dobratz, Kris Anderson (CSC), Rori Coleman-Woods (City Council) Call to Order Kueper called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. Approval of Minutes/Agenda Heinen motioned, Burk seconded, approved by all. Public Comment None Staff Reports Lindholm and McCarty reported: • The EECBG project has been started with contractors brought on for both the lighting and the federal wage reporting requirements. • Richfield submitted an interest for Centerpoint’s networked geothermal pilot project. Lindholm showed a diagram and explained some site ideas the City submitted. • McCarty presented on the 2024 organized collection statistics (specifically trash and recycling tonnage and trends as well as organics program tonnage and participation), the MPCA waste reduction grant, and the MNCC plate -to-garden program. He mentioned that commissioners with ideas on organizations that might be interested in the latter two programs should talk to him. • Lindholm gave an overview of the three positions up for election next month – Chair, Vice-chair, and Secretary. Commissioners should consider if they are interested in running for any position, but don’t need to inform staff of their int erest until next meeting. Discussion Items 2025 Workplan Commissioners each identified ideas from the 2024 list that they were interested in pursuing and some added new ideas to the list. Kueper asked commissioners to review the list before the next meeting and identify specific project(s) that commissioners mig ht like to be the lead on. Lindholm will send out the list to commissioners and it will be discussed at the next meeting. • Heinen suggested farmers market tabling about backyard fowl and other commission-related topics (Burk and Wozniak also interested). • Boone wants to research/talk to multi-unit buildings near City Bella to learn what sustainability efforts they’ve taken. • Wozniak wants to create an organics participation survey and/or focus groups of participants and non -participants (Kueper also interested). • Wozniak is also interested in creating a reuse/donation campaign for RHS student room supplies and conducting a BPI certified compostable product check for farmers market vendors. • Danner expressed interest in engagement around the new community center as it could potentially relate to a resilience hub. • Kueper wants to continue working on homeowner awareness re: EAB, and partnering with master tree stewards to table at the Farmers Market. • Kueper is also interested in seeing a tree canopy preservation policy written. • Burk wants to organize a youth-focused trash-walking event around/on Earth Day. Action Items None Committee Reports There was no CSC report as the liaison was absent. Other/Next Meeting/Adjournment Next Meeting: Thursday, February 27th, 7:00 pm in the Heredia Room. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm DRAFT MINUTES UNTIL APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION