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11/21/2000 - 00008417CITY OF FRIDLEY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING NOVEMBER 21, 2000 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Johns called the November 21, 2000, meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Barb Johns, Jack Velin, Rich Svanda, Pete Panchyshyn, Barbara Kovacic, Mary Gliniany Members Absent: Michelle Maher Others Present: Julie Jones, Recycling Coordinator APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2000, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES: MOTION by Mr. Panchyshyn, seconded by Ms. Kovacic, to approve the September 19, 2000, Environmental Quality & Energy Commission minutes as written. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 1. NEW BUSINESS: a. Welcome New Commission Member, Mary Gliniany The Commission members introduced themselves to Ms. Gliniany, and Ms. Gliniany explained her background in environmental education. Ms. Jones distributed an updated membership list. b. Review Status of 2000 Work Plan The status of each task in the 2000 Commission work plan was reviewed. Ms. Jones stated that basically all items have been completed except review of the commuter rail EIS, which just became available, and review of the Solid Waste Management System in the City. The Commission had set this project aside until further issues arose. Ms. Jones noted that one item that should be added to the list is the Commission's ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 21. 2000 PAGE 2 work on deconstruction. Ms. Jones stated that the Commission may want to begin developing the 2001 work plan. Ms. Gliniany asked if the Commission has ever done more work on ground water. The response was that the Commission has been following the Wellhead Protection Planning process and will continue to do so next year. Ms. Johns questioned if lawn care, including phosphorus in fertilizers and sweeping leaves in the street, should be an issue that the Commission tackles. Ms. Gliniany suggested requesting the U of M College of Natural Resources class to conduct an environmental assessment of storm water issues in the City of Fridley. She said she would look into this possibility. Another topic of potential discussion was energy-efficient and downcast street lighting issues. It was suggested that staff investigate what is currently being addressed regarding this issue in the City. Ms. Johns asked Ms. Jones to draft a 2001 work plan for the Commission to review at the next meeting based on the suggestions made and unfinished or continuing items from the 2000 work plan. c. Consideration of 2001 Meeting Schedule MOTION by Mr. Velin, seconded by Mr. Svanda, to accept the proposed 2001 meeting dates as submitted. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. d. Staff Report on Mobile Home Recycling Ms. Jones reported that survey numbers indicate continued lack of curbside recycling participation in the City's mobile home parks; however, the numbers do not indicate a decline in recycling participation since the use of garbage carts began at the mobile home parks. She stated that extra recycling education has occurred this year at both Fridley Terrace and Park Plaza Estates. She will plan to repeat special mailings and newsletter articles in these two locations in the spring. She recommended repeating participation surveys in the spring as well in an attempt to gauge any progress. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 21. 2000 PAGE 3 Ms. Gliniany voiced interest in helping to conduct a door-to-door education project in the mobile home parks if that was deemed beneficial. 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Consideration of Deconstruction Policy Ms. Jones reported that Deconstruction Services has been working on the HRA house on East River Road this week, but she did not have any information on how the project is going. She stated the demolition of the house following deconstruction is not yet scheduled and probably won't occur for a month or two. Ms. Jones encouraged the Commission members to begin work on a policy statement that could be brought to the City Council at a later date. She said that Anoka County may be willing to provide grant funds for deconstruction in 2001, and it would be good to announce the policy statement and public education ideas in conjunction with potential grant funds. Mr. Svanda questioned how the fees related to Deconstruction Services' work. Ms. Jones explained the City's findings in the current test house project. Ms. Gliniany suggested that the City apply for an OEA grant to conduct a more widespread test on the cost effectiveness of deconstruction. b. Update on Food Waste Reduction/Compost Bin Distribution Plans for Spring 2001 Ms. Jones reported that the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) is planning a mass sale of compost bins next spring that will not work for the City of Fridley. Anoka County is planning on pooling its grant funds with the SWMCB project, so she would not have funding to proceed with the compost bin distribution project she had tentatively planned for spring 2001. Ms. Gliniany asked if she could provide any assistance by attending the next SWMCB meeting. Ms. Jones stated that if the SWMCB decides to allocate additional funds to this project, then Anoka County may be willing to fund Fridley and neighboring communities to make the truckload sale concept a pilot project companion to the SWMCB project. c. Update on October & November Monthly Recycling Drop-off Days ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 21. 2000 PAGE 4 Ms. Jones reported that the November 11 recycling day was extremely successful. The scrap metal weight is not yet available, but she believed that the total weights will likely make the 2000 tonnages for the eight collection days equal to the weights collected in 1999 with much less expense. It appears that the reminder postcard was as effective in bringing in participants as the free electronics recycling event brought in last year. The electronics event cost about $7,000, so Ms. Jones recommends sending out postcard reminders when financially feasible in 2001, particularly for the first and last collections of the year. She also recommended adding batteries to next year's collections, if feasible. She did not recommend adding scrap lumber as a permanent recycling item because it was a very difficult item to deal with. She will be negotiating terms for the 2001 collection over the next several months. d. Review of Commuter Rail Project EIS Ms. Jones announced that the Commuter Rail EIS arrived late last week. The public review period ends January 2, 2001, and a public hearing will be held in Fridley on December 14, 2000. The last City Council meeting of the year is on December 18, 2000, when the City Council will have to approve any comments for submission by the January 2 deadline. This means the December 19 Commission meeting date needs to be moved up if the Commission wants an opportunity to comment. Ms. Jones stated staff recommends that the meeting be changed to Tuesday, December 12, which will allow staff adequate time to review the EIS and formulate a summary of recommendations for the Commission members' response. Ms. Jones distributed the Northstar Corridor Draft EIS summary for the Commission members to review over the upcoming weeks. MOTION by Mr. Svanda, seconded by Ms. Kovacic, to reschedule the December meeting from Tuesday, December 19, to Tuesday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. OTHER BUSINESS: a. Update on Springbrook CWP Project Ms. Jones reported that she received a letter stating that the MPCA has received applications for $20 million in projects, which is three times the amount of funding available. She stated she is still hopeful that Springbrook will still be in that top one- third of applications. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES NOVEMBER 21. 2000 PAGE 5 b. Update on Wellhead Protection Ms. Jones stated that she had no new information, other than to report that upon John Flora's retirement, Jon Haukaas is the new Public Works Direction and SCWMO representative for Fridley. c. Climate Change Ms. Jones distributed copies of an article on global climate change and solid waste. She mentioned that a satellite forum is planned for December 7, 2000, at Bunker Hills Activity Center related to climate change and solid waste. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Ms. Velin, seconded by Mr. Svanda, to adjourn the November 21, 2000, Environmental Quality & Energy Commission meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JOHNS DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE NOVEMBER 21, 2000, MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:12 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Julie A. Jones Staff Laison