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12/17/1996 - 00003782CITY OF FRIDLEY ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Sielaff called the December 17, 1996, meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Brad Sielaff, Dean Saba, Jack Velin, Rosalie Landt Members Absent: Bruce Bondow, Peter Panchyshyn, Rich Svanda, Others Present: Wanda Brown, Recycling Coordinator Scott Hickok, Planning Coordinator Mary Gliniany, Global Action APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 15, 1996, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MINUTES: MOTION by Mr. Velin, seconded by Mr. Saba, to approve the October 15, 1996, Environmental Quality & Energy Commission minutes. Ms. Gliniany stated she would like to make the following change to the minutes on page 5 under item e, GAP/MN Progress Reports, second sentence: "The City of Fridley will be receiving a Global Leader Award from GAP/MN for the City's continued support for the Journey for the Planet Program for younq adults and the EcoTeam program for adults." UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY AND THE MINUTES APPROVED AS AMENDED. NEW BUSINESS: a. GAP Minnesota - Mary Gliniany (guest speaker) Ms. Gliniany thanked the Commission for the opportunity to speak to the Commission. She stated she is the Associate Director of Global Action Plan Minnesota. It is a non-profit, environmental, and community developing organization that is committed to empowering individuals at the household, workplace, and community levels to help people live sustainable lifestyles. The United States has 1/5 of the world's population, accumulates 33% of the world's natural resources, and wastes 75% of those natural resources. GAP Minnesota started in 1990. As a result of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the founders decided they needed to do something about the problems, and Agenda 21 was formed. Agenda 21 is basically a commitment/plan for environmental protection. Some of the things addressed are the reduction in waste, water consumption, energy consumption, and fuel ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 2 consumption, Eco-wise consumption, buying power, etc., and empowering others to do the same. Ms. Gliniany stated, basically, GAP Minnesota set up a plan that will help communities reach that 15% of the population who actually have a behavior change occur. Action steps were created and a program called the EcoTeam Program. Once the program is completed, Global Citizens certificates and Global Citizens pins are given out from the United Nations. Ms. Gliniany stated the children's program is called Journey for the Planet. The City of Fridley and Target, along with others, have co-sponsored this is in the schools in Fridley. This year they are seeking more funding as more classrooms have requested the program. With this program, the children take these action steps home and apply them to their every day lifestyles. That is what makes the program unique. She stated the children get Global Hero certificates and Global Hero patches from the United Nations. Ms. Gliniany stated she wants to start the EcoTeam process in the City of Fridley. Fifteen hundred EcoTeams have been formed since 1990, and none in the Fridley area. Fridley, Columbia Heights, and Anoka are the closest to becoming the model for a sustainable community. Honeywell is already sending her a check in support of getting Journey for the Planet on the Internet. Honeywell is sponsoring the piloting of Journey for the Planet in three schools in Stockholm, Sweden. Ms. Gliniany stated that by completing the EcoTeam program, they can save 42% less waste going into the waste stream, 25% less water consumption, 16% less CO2 emitted into the air, 16% less fuel consumption, and $400 per household per year can be saved. The results that are not measured are the results of the children, their self-esteem, excitement of parents and children. Ms. Gliniany stated that since the Journey for the Planet program in Fridley has been so successful, she wants to start the adult EcoTeam Program by picking the most active people in the City of Fridley. She would like to see at least two EcoTeams started in the City of Fridley. Businesses are also starting EcoTeams—Ryan Construction and Honeywell have EcoTeams which have been very successful in reducing costs. Ms. Gliniany stated she brought along information which gives a little history of the EcoTeam and Journey for the Planet Programs and answers commonly asked questions about EcoTeams. Ms. Gliniany stated she would like the EcoTeams to be like a contract service. GAP Minnesota does all the work, and if the waste isn't reduced by a certain percentage after one year, the City can terminate the contract. Mr. Saba asked how waste prevention is measured as a metric. The City has recycled almost as much as they can recycle without being penalized. One thing the ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 3 Commission has been struggling with is how to get more into waste prevention and how to measure waste prevention. Right now, all the incentives are for recycling, and no incentives for waste prevention because it cannot be measured. For some people, a program has to be economically feasible. Ms. Gliniany showed an 8-minute video on EcoTeam and Journey for the Planet Programs. Ms. Gliniany stated that as mentioned in the video and from the organization's experiences since they have started, especially with the Journey for the Planet Program complementing the adult EcoTeam Program, the things that cannot ever be measured are the things going on inside the individual, that the person is taking responsibility, has learned a lot, has a new respect and understanding for natural resources, etc. Ms. Gliniany stated her reason for coming to the Commission is to see if the City of Fridley is interested in starting the adult EcoTeam Program. The Journey for the Planet program is already in its second year in the Fridley elementary schools, and the program is growing. She would like to see Fridley be one of the first sustainable communities that can be measured. Mr. Sielaff asked how pilot programs are handled. Ms. Gliniany stated they have pilot programs all over the metro area. In Powderhorn, there are EcoTeams that have gone to the fourth level. It is like an upside down pyramid. No contract is needed to start. They can start by just getting two adult EcoTeams going and then see how it goes. Her office manages the program and keeps the City's Recycling Coordinator informed of how the program is going. Ms. Gliniany stated that as far as Mr. Saba's question about measuring waste reduction, she invited him to be part of the task force to find a way to do that. Mr. Saba stated he believed the Commission would be interested in finding out how that can be done effectively. Ms. Gliniany stated that out of the thousands of programs that can help people come to sustainable communities, the President's Council for Stable Development endorsed the EcoTeam program, along with two other programs. On the state level, the State Legislature made a resolution supporting and endorsing the EcoTeam Program. Skip Humphrey and the Mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis have endorsed the program. On the county level, Anoka County has endorsed it. On the local level, the City of Fridley has endorsed it. As far as she is concerned, the thing that speaks for the program more than anything else is that any adult on an EcoTeam or any child who has participated in the Journey for the Planet Program will endorse the program. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 4 Mr. Sielaff stated that since the Commission has a full agenda, they will probably discuss this more at the January 1997 meeting. Personally, he believed a pilot program was more appealing. Ms. Gliniany thanked the Commission for this opportunity to talk to the Commission. b. Clean Water Partnership Grant Ms. Brown stated the grant was submitted on November 27, 1996. Mr. Sielaff thanked staff for getting this grant submitted in such a short timeframe. Mr. Hickok stated Ms. Brown is to be complimented as she spearheaded the effort. Ms. Brown stated she believed they had submitted a good grant. The grant can be better explained during the interview process. Mr. Hickok will be the contact person as she will no longer be with the City after the first of the year. Notification of the grant will be March 5, 1997. Mr. Hickok stated that with the need for more time to commit to working on the grant, Ms. Brown's hours were increased to 24 hours per week. With the increased hours and the help of Brad Sielaff and Shannon Lotthammer, she was able to get the grant submitted on time. They are very proud of the process and will defend it to the best of their ability. Mr. Sielaff stated it is important to have a strong project manager who knows how to manage the project. Mr. Hickok agreed. He stated Siah St. Clair and he will be the lead contacts, along with the new Recycling Coordinator. c. Yard Waste Transfer Site Ms. Brown stated that the yard waste site opened on September 13, 1996, and closed on November 23, 1996. Things seemed to go well at the site; however, the yard waste monitors reported very little activity the first week the site was open. The Commission might want to consider opening the site 1-2 weeks later in September 1997. The site remained open one week longer than originally scheduled because of customer demand. The yard waste monitors, Jim Wolfe and Mel Kocinski, made her job easier because of their excellent knowledge in running the site. Ms. Brown stated that 9,403 bags and 130 loose loads of yard waste were collected at the site. Only 6 people were turned away because of branches. Mr. Sielaff asked if any cost figures were available for the yard waste site. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 5 Ms. Brown stated those figures should be available for the January 21, 1997 meeting. d. Solid Waste Abatement Goal for 1996 and 1997 Ms. Brown stated the City's 1996 solid waste abatement goal was 2,459 tons. As of November 30, 1996, 2,197.41 tons were collected, 89.36% of the 1996 goal. The City is 261.59 tons away from its 1996 goal, but she was confident that the goal could be met by the end of December. There are some things that can be done to help increase the City's tonnage. One example is that Fridley High School collects aluminum cans as a fund raiser for the Senior All-Night Party. The City can get credit for that tonnage, so the City might want to consider contacting the Fridley High School to get that information and receipts. Mr. Saba stated some of this tonnage is directly taken out of the curbside recycling. Ms. Landt asked who would be responsible for checking with the schools and churches. Ms. Brown stated the Recycling Coordinator could do that. She stated she hoped to contact the high school yet this year and try to get copies of receipts if those are still available. Another example for getting credit for tonnage is by contacting appliance recyclers who pick up appliances within the City. These companies are usually very cooperative in reporting this information for the cities. Ms. Brown stated the 1997 goal has been increased to 2,468 tons (based on population), an increase of 9 tons. One way to help reach this goal is by expanding the collection at the recycling center by looking at small businesses to bring in materials for tonnage or to provide the City with recycling data so the City gets credit. She stated the new Recycling Coordinator may be looking into this. Mr. Saba expressed concern over the low price paid for recycling aluminum cans at the Fridley Recycling Center. It is the lowest in the metropolitan area. Mr. Velin stated he and his neighbors recycle their cans elsewhere. He stated there is a special rate for 100 pounds or more, usually 42-43 cents per pound. e. Multi-Unit Recycling Grant Ms. Brown stated that Anoka County has extended the multi-unit recycling grant deadline from December 31, 1996, to June 30, 1997. The purpose of this grant is to help cities increase the tonnage coming from multi-units. Apartments have to be recorded separately, and they have the lowest volume. The groundwork has been started in the education process, and a subcommittee has been working on generic recycling education materials such as magnets, brochures, and handouts for property managers. Anoka County is trying to get cities to look at the untapped source of recycling. The tonnage for apartments in Fridley is not very high. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 6 Apartment buildings with 13 or more units are not on the City's contract, and the haulers for those apartment buildings have not been reporting any tonnage. She has been calling haulers to try to get this information but has had some problems doing so. Mr. Sielaff asked if recycling is required as part of the rental license process. Mr. Hickok stated, yes, it is. He stated Kurt Jensen-Schneider, Code Enforcement Officer, recently went through all the rental licenses due in 1997 and sent back many applications from owners who did not submit the recycling contract information along with the application. The applications will not be accepted until that information is made available. Mr. Hickok stated there is a lot of material out there that is not being accounted for and is not being coordinated properly, and they plan to get that tonnage through this program. 2. OLD BUSINESS: a. Recycling Center Update Mr. Hickok stated that at the last meeting, staff reported that RMR was asking for a substantial increase in monthly payment from the City to continue to operate the site. Because of this, the City made the decision to take over the operation of the Recycling Center at the end of December. Staff will soon be interviewing candidates for a staff person at the site. The City will soon sign an initial three-month contract with Weyerhaeuser who will provide all new equipment, pick up the materials, market the materials, and pay 10 cents over the redemption fee. He stated they will also be taking into consideration the comments made by the Commission members about the low price for recycling aluminum cans, particularly providing incentives such as the higher price for 100 pounds or more. Mr. Hickok stated he is very optimistic about the City running the site. If all goes well, this will become a full-time, full benefit position for the employee. Mr. Sielaff asked about the equipment costs for the City. Ms. Brown stated the City must purchase a weights and measure scale certified by the State, a cash register, and safety equipment. b. Recycling Coordinator Position Mr. Hickok stated that at the last City Council meeting, the City Council raised the issue of the title for the Recycling Coordinator position. Councilmember Bolkcom wanted the Commission members to know that she was interested in the comments made at the December EQE meeting about a possible title change, and she led the discussion on whether or not the title should be changed. As described by William ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 7 Burns, the position is a planning assistant from an internal hiring structure. The Community Development Department has three planning assistants, each with its own emphasis, and the Recycling Coordinator position is one funded through SCORE funds and has a heavy recycling emphasis. However, the one thing staff looked for when reviewing the candidates' applications was a mix of experiences. Mr. Hickok stated Councilmember Bolkcom was agreeable to having the title stay the same as long as the environmental emphasis came through and that the responsibilities of the individual were broader with the different areas. Mr. Hickok stated they received 140 applications. After a rigorous grading process and, finally, a written test to pick the 6 candidates for the interview process, the top candidate, Julie Jones, was chosen. She is very well rounded in different areas. She has spent 9 years in recycling, has an interest in planning, and has done code administration. She has worked for the Cities of Crystal, Brooklyn Center, and, most recently, Edina. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Housing. She went to work for the City of Crystal where she spent most of her time in recycling and related environmental activities. At the City of Brooklyn Center, she did some work in housing activities, and, at the City Edina, she worked in the area of recycling, code administration, and "environmental health". Mr. Hickok stated Julie will be starting on January 6, 1997, and will be introduced to the Commission on January 21, 1997. c. Six Cities Watershed Management Organization Plan Ms. Brown stated the Second Generation Plan for SCWMO is currently waiting for approval from the Board of Soil & Water Resources. Approval is anticipated in the early part of January 1997. d. Wellhead Protection Plan Ms. Brown stated the Commission members had received a memo dated December 16, 1996, from John Flora on this subject. Mr. Sielaff stated he did not have a sense for the overall planning of this. He would like to see what the overall plan is. This is just a limited part of that plan. Ms. Landt stated she is curious about the Phase II section. As the costs go up, have any of the ten cities contemplated applying for funding? Sixteen thousand dollars is not enough for wellhead protection. Certain foundations can give funding to municipalities specifically for wellhead protection. If a foundation will give only to non-profits, is there a sponsor that is a nonprofit organization that could apply for that funding? These are options the City could pursue. Mr. Velin stated Phase II talks about identifying possible contamination sources. He stated he is more concerned about the contamination that exists right now in a ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & ENERGY COMMISSION MEETING DECEMBER 17, 1996 PAGE 8 couple of wells in Fridley, and he would like to know what has been done in the last 1-2 years to find out where that contamination is. Mr. Saba stated they need regional data to find out where the contaminants are coming from. Mr. Sielaff stated they need the regional data, but the focus has to be on Fridley wells, and he did not see the focus here. He asked if Bruce Olson, Department of Health, has been involved in this plan. Mr. Hickok stated he believed Mr. Olson has been on the advisory group, but he would verify that information. Mr. Sielaff stated Mr. Olson would know better than anyone else what needs to be done in the plan. It appears the Commission has a lot of questions about this plan. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION by Mr. Saba, seconded by Mr. Velin, to adjourn the meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON SIELAFF DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:20 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Lynne Saba Recording Secretary