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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-07-13 PACKET 07.2.Environmental Commission City of Cottage Grove Wednesday, June 8, 2011 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on June 8, 2011, in the Council Chambers. Attendees Members Present: Karla Bigham, Rick Chase, Rita Isker, Patrick Lynch, David Olson, Rosemary Palmer Members Absent: Barbara Gibson, Patrick McLoughlin, Thaddeus Owen Others Present: Justin Olsen, City Councilmember Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer Danette Parr, Economic Development Director Call to Order Vice Chair Bigham opened the meeting at 7:02 p.m. Olson made a motion was made to approve the agenda. Chase seconded. Motion passed unanimously (6 -to -0 vote). Open Forum /Additional Agenda Items Councilmember Olsen introduced Rosemary Palmer, who was just appointed to the Environmental Commission, and Danette Parr, the new Economic Development Director for the City. New Business None 56' ! _ ; - 6.1 Environmental Commission Work Plan McLoughlin suggested the Commission explore wellhead protection plans and form subcommittees including a permit review subcommittee. Isker suggested that the Environmental Commission should increase their exposure and provide more public education. She asked if the Commission should review past and current dump sites in the City. Environmental Commission June 8, 2011 Minutes Page 2 of 3 Palmer asked about working with Washington County on similar goals. She stated that she struggled to find information on the Environmental Commission and suggested increasing the information available on the City's website. She also thinks that the Commission should provide education to the public. Chase asked if 3M's long -term work plan included higher hazardous waste processing. He inquired about how the City is monitoring 3M or is that being done through state agencies. He would like to look at preventative measures. He suggested getting feedback from Woodbury and Oakdale on how they are dealing with PFCs. He would like a list of all hazardous materials on each property in the City. Bigham agreed about exploring wellhead protection plans. She suggested reviewing and evaluating hotspots in the community. She asked about the Commission being involved in flood management such as with the All Hazard Plan and the training process and reviewing it with the Public Safety Commission. She asked about the products being used by the Public Safety and Public Works Departments and if they look for more environmentally friendly products. She also suggested providing educational information in the Residents' Guide about recycling, hazardous waste, garbage collection and that the City should create a flier with advertising and possibly a business guide to provide information on energy programs. Olson asked about a vetting process to get a manageable size. McLoughlin explained that staff set the agenda for this workshop and the Commission can better set the agenda based on these discussions. Olson stated that he likes having subcommittees but is concerns with the additional time commitment that would be required. The Commission discussed suggestions for three entities in the City: Emitters, Citizens, and City Council. For Emitters, the Commission felt there should be exploration of permitting, hotspots or dumps, and infrastructure. For Citizens, the Commission wants to do more educational outreach. The Commission would like to work with the City Council on City policies such as ordinances and program implementation, products used by various City departments, and the GreenStep Cities program. There was a question if there are specialized groups in the community. It was noted that a budget was needed, possibly funded by a grant from Washington County. Levitt stated that she would review Washington County grant opportunities and expenditures. There should be historical research done and mapped. It was suggested that the City should work with EPA on how local communities can be organized. At next month's meeting, which will be another workshop, the Commission will prioritize the suggestions, decide what is realistic to take action on, and categorize the goals by either short- term or long -term. It was noted that events already exist, including tree planting day, Arbor Day, and spring clean -up, and the Commission does not need to reinvent the wheel on these issues. Reports City Council Update Olsen provided an update on financing options for the Public Safety /City Hall facility. He discussed the engineer's estimate, the timing of the project, and the project's status. He also Environmental Commission June 8, 2011 Minutes Page 3 of 3 updated the Commission on the splash pad that will be constructed at Highlands Park. The Commission asked if they could see the plans and what would happen with the City pool site. Response to Commission Inquiries None Environmental Commission Comments and Requests E- Packets It was decided that meeting packets should be e- mailed to the Commissioners. W= . Isker made a motion to adjourn. Olson seconded. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA To: Environmental Commission From: Jennifer M. Levitt, P.E., City Engineer Date: July 6, 2011 Re: Joint Environmental Commission Meeting The Joint Environmental Commission meeting is scheduled Monday, August 15, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the Ash and Birch conference rooms on first floor of Woodbury City Hall. Currently the Cities of Woodbury and Oakdale are confirmed for attendance at this meeting. We have also invited Washington County and the following cities in Washington County that have Environmental Commissions: White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi, and Lake St. Croix Beach. The following are potential topics that have been currently identified for the agenda: • Commission objectives and projects • Issues that may be explored in the future and possible ways to approach those issues • Discussion of the possibility of collaborating on any projects together Please review the agenda topics and provide direction on any additional agenda items. The Commission should review the agenda and prepare discussion points for dialog at the meeting.