Loading...
01/16/1996 - 00003775CITY OF FRIDLEY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING JAN UARY 16, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Sielaff called the January 16, 1996, meeting to order at 7:55 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Brad Sielaff, Bruce Bondow, Jack Velin, Dean Saba Members Absent: Richard Svanda Others Present: Lisa Campbell, Planning Associate APPROVAL OF October 17, 1995, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES: MOTION by Mr. Bondow, seconded by Mr. Saba, to approve the October 17, 1995, Environmental Quality & Energy Commission minutes as written. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. APPROVAL OF JANUARY 16, 1996, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION AGENDA: Chairperson Sielaff asked if there were any additions to the agenda. Mr. Saba stated he had one addition that would be item D, Application for the Governor's Award for Excellence in Pollution Prevention. MOTION by Mr. Saba, seconded by Mr. Bondow, to approve the agenda as amended. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 1. NEW BUSINESS: a. Review of 1995 Workplan and Consideration of 1996 Workplan Ms. Campbell stated that a review of the Environmental Quality & Energy Commission's 1995 workplan showed that approximately 50 percent of the workplan items have been completed. While this figure is much lower than previous years, it does not accurately reflect the effort that the Commission and others put toward accomplishing many of the ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 2 unaccomplished items. These items included the development and implementation of a wellhead protection plan and the redevelopment of the recycling center. Ms. Campbell stated that significant accomplishments for 1995 include a change in the Anoka County funding policies that will not result in a loss of SCORE funds if the City does not reach its goal, no increase in the 1996 abatement goal over the 1995 abatement goal, and the execution of the 1995-97 recycling contract. This contract continues to provide Fridley residents with one of the lowest per unit contract costs in the seven county metropolitan area. Ms. Campbell stated that in looking forward to 1996, she hopes that significant progress will be made in the following areas: 1. Revise and implement redevelopment plan for recycling center. 2. Develop wellhead protection plan. 3. Develop and implement an environmental public education program. Ms. Campbell reviewed the 1996 Environmental Quality & Energy Commission workplan. She stated that the first objective of the plan is to advise the City of Fridley and its management of environmental resources and to provide City staff and Council with accurate information to assist them in making and implementing sound environmental policy. This would be done by continuing to investigate a broad range of environmental resource management policy and program areas including solid waste abatement, environmental education, and water resource management. Ms. Campbell stated that the first goal under Solid Waste Abatement would be to meet the 1996 abatement goal. This would be done by maintaining the existing level of participation in the recycling program. Related actions to this objective are promoting the curbside recycling program through program brochures, curbside recycling reminder signs, improved service delivery, as well as container replacement and expanding the environmental education programming to both Fridley students and residents. Ms. Campbell stated the second objective under the goal of Meeting the 1996 Abatement Goal is to increase or sustain multi-unit participation rates. She stated that actions related to this step would be: ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 3 a. Consider applying for the multi-unit recycling grant from Anoka County. b Conduct a revised version of the 1994 multi-unit recycling promotion program. Expand the 1994 multi-unit recycling promotion program to include a multi-unit recycling task force. Ms. Campbell stated that a third objective under the goal of ineeting the 1996 abatement goal would be to conduct a spring recycling day. Mr. Bondow asked if it was necessary to conduct a spring cleanup day since the City just completed the Fridley Pride/City-Wide Cleanup Week. Mr. Velin stated that he thought another cleanup day would be too costly. Mr. Sielaff suggested they include a more broad-based cleanup of City parks and other public facilities. Mr. Saba agreed that it would be good to have a City-wide volunteer base, rather than just a City-run program. After a lengthy discussion, the Commission members decided they might want to postpone the spring cleanup day until the fall of 1996. This would give them time to decide whether a cleanup day would be needed to reach the 1996 abatement goal and to provide some distance for a cleanup day event from the Fridley Pride/City Wide Cleanup Week held in September 1995. The concern was that the cleanup day or recycling day might be confused with the larger Fridley Pride/City Wide Cleanup Week. Ms. Campbell stated that the fourth goal under the objective of ineeting the 1996 abatement goal is to develop and implement a new redevelopment strategy for the recycling center. The Commission expressed an interest in seeing the revised development plan at the February 1996 meeting. Ms. Campbell informed the Commission that the City is currently completing some minor interior improvements to the building. The purpose of these improvements is to maintain a building temperature of at least 50 degrees for the current employee and to improve the customer experience at the recycling center. Ms. Campbell stated that a second goal of the 1996 workplan is to provide residents with a proper yard waste disposal option. The objective ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 4 of this goal is to provide seasonal drop-off for yard waste. The action items for this goal are the usual action items: Open site in April, close site in June, open site in September, close site in November, hire yard waste transfer contractor, and hire yard waste transfer monitors. The Commission had no comments regarding this workplan item. Ms. Campbell stated that a third goal of the 1996 Environmental Quality & Energy Commission workplan was to implement environmental education programs. This goal specifically is to educate residents regarding the consequences of their environmental resource management choices on the environment. The objective under this goal would be to provide a comprehensive environmental curriculum to segments of the City of Fridley. Action items would include working with the school district and corporations to implement the Global Action Plan's elementary curriculum. Staff will meet with the local Global Action Plan executive director. Staff will also meet with Columbia Heights' recycling coordinator to learn that City's interest in participating. Staff will establish a program budget. Staff will work with Columbia Heights and Global Action Plan to obtain funding for the program. Staff envisions a shared funding strategy of one-third coming from SCORE funds, one-third coming from school district, and one-third coming from corporations. She stated that she would work with the school district to begin the process of gaining approval for the Global Action Plan curriculum. Ms. Campbell stated the second objective under the goal of Environmental Education would be to promote the revised ECO Team model to Fridley residents. This would be an adult education component. Ms. Campbell informed the Commission that the ECO Team model has been revised and improved. She suggested that the ECO Team be promoted through the block captains and that the Commission might want to discuss this with Director of Public Safety, Dave Sallman, when he attends the February 21, 1996, Commission meeting. Ms. Campbell stated that the final action statement under the Environmental Education goal is to find ways to interface these activities into the Community Values program. Mr. Saba suggested the Commission work with Springbrook Nature Center staff in reviewing the Global Action Plan curriculum and seeking their suggestions on how the curriculum might best be implemented in the school system and, possibly, determine their interest in using the curriculum at the Nature Center. ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 5 Mr. Sielaff suggested Northern States Power as a possible funding source for the program. Mr. Velin suggested they include Spring Lake Park School District as well since many Fridley residents attend Spring Lake Park schools. Ms. Campbell stated she would contact the City of Spring Lake Park's Recycling Coordinator to find out her interest in coordinating the Global Action Plan in the City of Spring Lake Park. Mr. Sielaff suggested that we add a program goal of "Waste Reduction" and requested that staff develop some objectives and action items to be included in the next revision of the 1996 workplan. Commission Saba agreed. Ms. Campbell stated she would do that. Ms. Campbell stated that the next section of the workplan was "Water Resource Management," and the goal under this item was to "advise City in responding to new state laws regarding the proper management of water resources." The objectives were to "assist the City in making sound water resource management policy." The first action item under this objective was to "make an application to the MPCA for a wellhead protection plan and implementation grant." Mr. Sielaff stated he would be interested in seeing a draft budget completed for that item for the February 20, 1996, meeting. Ms. Campbell agreed to have that completed. Mr. Sielaff stated he would also like to see an explicit objective for continuing to work to resolve water quality and quantity problems at Springbrook Nature Center. He realized that an application for the Challenge Grant was listed under the action items for "Water Resource Management," but he wanted an objective to clearly say that the Commission will continue to work on water quality and quantity problems at Springbrook Nature Center. Mr. Sielaff also stated that he would like to see the Commission incorporate some monitoring activities for wetland conservation actions. Mr. Bondow suggested that the Commission work with staff to stay ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 6 updated on the development of wetland conservation activities. Ms. Campbell stated that she would invite Michele McPherson to the Commission quarterly to provide updates on wetland conservation activities. b. Update on Six Cities Watershed Management Organization's Plan Rewrite Ms. Campbell stated that revisions of the Six Cities Watershed Management Organization plan would be available for the Commission's review at both the February and March Commission meetings. Mr. Sielaff stated his concern about when and how public discussion would be permitted and asked staff to follow-up on that question. c. Approval of 1996 Meeting Dates MOTION by Mr. Bondow, seconded by Mr. Velin, to approve the 1996 meeting dates as presented. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. d. Application for Governor's Award for Excellence in Pollution Prevention Mr. Saba stated that he would like staff to complete this application that is due on February 23, 1996. Ms. Campbell reviewed the application and stated that she would have a draft application completed for the February meeting. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Mr. Bondow, seconded by Mr. Velin, to adjourn the meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE JANUARY 16, 1996, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:15 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, ENVIRONNIENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMIS SION MEETING, JAN UARY 16, 1996 PAGE 7 Lisa Campbell Recording Secretary