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EQEM 05/02/2017 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ENERGY COMMISSION Fridley Municipal Center, 6431 University Ave Ne MINUTES May 2, 2017, 7:00 p.m. Location: City Hall, Conference Room A (Main Level, City Hall) Call to Order Chair Hansen called the meeting to order at 7:08pm. Members present: Mark Hansen, Sam Stoxen, Justin Foell, Paul Westby, Nick Olberding, Kyle Mulrooney (arrived 7:18). Staff present: Julie Jones, Planning Manager. Absent: Heidi Ferris Approval of Minutes Commissioner Westby moved to approve the April 4, 2017 meeting minutes as written. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. New Business Environmental Planner Opening 1). Chair Hansen asked for an update on the hiring of a new Environmental Planner. Julie Jones said the job opening closes May 5. She hoped to have the new staff person on board by the June 6 meeting. Town Hall Meeting 2). Chair Hansen said the postcards have been mailed out for the May 20 Town Hall meeting. Julie Jones clarified the date and time. Chair Hansen suggested that commissioners watch the replay of the May 17 Planning Commission meeting for details on the Civic Campus development project. Bike and Hike Event 3). Chair Hansen reported that Nick Olberding, Justin Foell, and he met April 28 to plan the Bike and Hike Event that will be held on Saturday, June 3. Chair Hansen said the Mayor is committed to participate. The plan is to leave Riverview Heights Park at 10:30am and bike on the MRT th following the river to Kennedy Park across East River Road along 85 Avenue to SNC, where Grandpa’s Ice Cream trailer will be set up. A scavenger hunt for kids and other activities are planned, which Heidi Ferris is helping develop. They were thinking of asking Coon Creek Watershed District to participate in the event. Justin Foell asked Julie Jones if she could get the password for posting the event on a National Trail Day web site. Julie Jones said she still needed to secure a paper shredding truck as listed in the City Newsletter article on the event. The Commissioners asked if the City could provide about 600 copies of a flyer next week they were creating to provide to the area elementary schools. Julie Jones said she would check with Mike Mahr on the use of SNC for the event that day and someone needed to confirm with Grandpa’s Ice Cream. Recycling Drop-Off Day 4). Julie Jones reported that she is set with enough staff to cover the event, but could use another volunteer if anyone is interested to help, they can contact her. . Old Business EAB Clinic 1). Julie Jones reported that the April 13 EAB clinic was well attended with about 30 participants. The speakers were excellent and many good questions were addressed. Green Expo 2). Julie Jones reported that she thought the April 22 Green Expo event at the National Sports Center in Blaine was well attended. She was surprised that nearly every Fridley resident she spoke to was collecting their organics waste separately and taking it to one of the County drop off points. Each person was anxious to participate in a curbside collection program. Paul Westby suggested surveying people about organics at the recycling drop off on Saturday. Arbor Day Event 3). Chair Hansen and Sam Stoxen said the event was great. The girl scouts and other volunteers were done planting the trees in Moore Lake Park by 10:30am and could have planted some more. Beekeeping Ordinance 4). Julie Jones explained that staff is discussing the issue and working on drafting new code language that would allow issuance of permits for beekeeping in Fridley. Staff was not sure at this point if the new text would be a stand-alone section of code or be incorporated into the animal control ordinance. May 6 Recycling Day 5). Julie Jones reported that Kay Qualley had made arrangements for a company to collect wood waste as a new addition to the event. She said she was nervous about accepting wood as it was problematic when the City tried it a number of years ago. Only unfinished wood can be accepted, and the wood waste that people want to get rid of usually is partially painted or stained. Tree Planting Events 6). Julie Jones reported that Jeff Jensen is working with the DNR and Tree Trust to complete a massive boulevard tree planting project in the Hyde Park Neighborhood on Tuesday, May 9 with volunteers from Medtronic. Kyle Mulrooney reported that he expects to have 20 volunteers from rd BMO Harris to plant trees along 73 Avenue on June 1. They will plan to meet in Madsen Park. He is working with Sam Graf to get tree planting materials. Chair Hansen suggested that Edgewater Gardens Park (next to Redeemer Lutheran Church) could be planted with more trees too and church volunteers could water them. Other East River Road MnDOT Planting Project 1). Julie Jones asked Kyle Mulrooney if he was interested in helping maintain the seeded parts of the MnDOT planting project off East River Road along the MRT. Kyle responded that neither he nor others on the EQEC were native plant experts. They had helped Kay get the site weeded under her careful guidance last fall to help her prepare for a site inspection, but doing so was not their area of expertise. Chair Hansen said MnDOT is waiting for another landscape plan to react to on University Avenue. He suggested that the City push for getting a top rail on the future MnDOT chain link fence replacement. He said MnDOT could also reduce the lane widths to allow for a wider pedestrian refuge area to the bus stop at Mississippi. Election of Officers 2). Julie Jones apologized that she just realized that the Commission should have had election of officers on the agenda, as that is traditionally done in May. It was decided to postpone the election of officers until the June meeting, so it could be properly placed on the agenda. Adjournment Paul Westby moved to adjourn the meeting and Justin Foell seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.