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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-11-09 PACKET 07.a.Environmental Commission City of Cottage Grove Wednesday, September 14, 2011 A meeting of the Environmental Commission was held at Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 — 80th Street South, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, on September 14, 2011, in the Council Chambers. Attendees Members Present: Karla Bigham, Rick Chase, Barbara Gibson, Rita Isker, Patrick Lynch, David Olson, Thaddeus Owen, Rosemary Palmer Members Absent: None Others Present: Jennifer Levitt, City Engineer, Justin Olsen, Councilmember Call to Order Chair Owen opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Approval of Agenda Bigham made a motion was made to approve the agenda. Gibson seconded. Motion passed unanimously (8 -to -0 vote). Open Forum /Additional Agenda Items Isker suggested having general recycling bins in the community to increase visibility to pro- mote recycling. Bigham inquired about when garbage haulers were allowed to start for pick up. She is con- cerned there may be violations occurring. Palmer noted that the Waste Management trucks are not covered and asked that staff check the requirements. Levitt reported on air monitoring status and schedule. The last week for air monitoring will be the end of September. The equipment will be removed from 3M property in early October. In late December /early January a final one -year summary will be presented. Levitt reviewed the public service announcement for environmental awareness to gain feed- back for the Cable Commission. If members are interested in participating in a cable access public service announcement, please let staff know. Levitt reported that the air emission facility permit for Northern Tier Energy LLC (Permit #16300003 -18 was reviewed due to a name change and safety instrument system. Environmental Commission September 14, 2011 Minutes Page 2 of 3 New Business 5.1 Presentation on Wellhead Protection Mark Janovec gave a presentation on the City's wellhead protection plan. Olsen asked if pri- vate well logs define depth, range, and aquifers. Janovec responded that private well logs identify the depth of the well, the casing depth, and which aquifer the well is in. Chase asked how many wells 3M has and if they are required to have a wellhead protection plan. 3M is not required to have wellhead protection plan. Palmer asked if the City reviews adjacent communi- ties' wellhead protection plans. Janovec responded that they do, noting that it is important as aquifers do not follow City boundaries. Owen asked if more wells will be needed as the City develops. Levitt responded yes and discussed how area charges work to fund future wells and water towers. Palmer was interested in understanding the PFC plumes and concentrations. Levitt stated that she would send maps showing wells and PFC concentrations to the Com- mission. Old Business 6.1 Continue to Draft Work Plan Lynch stated that promoting education should be the Commission's highest priority. Gibson noted that other communities don't focus on permits. Councilmember Olsen recapped how the Cottage Grove Environmental Commission came into existence. Olson asked if the City Coun- cil wants input on permits. Olsen confirmed the Council's desire for the Environmental Com- mission's involvement relative to permits. There was a discussion regarding authority and influence on permits and the challenges and balances of environmental issues. Gibson stated that other communities have more resources and that this Commission needs to have a more rigorous review to determine the focus due to limited resources. Lynch suggested looking into an option such as Mahtomedi's Green Corps. Palmer noted that other communities had strong outreach and community engagement. She recommended surveying Cottage Grove residents to find out what their concerns are and who may be interested in volunteering. Olsen stated that he will review the possibility of using Survey Monkey. Owen suggested a weekly or quar- terly newsletter could be sent to residents. Palmer stated more information could be included in the City's newsletter that is sent out in the water bills and maybe produce a professional marketing flyer. She also suggested that a notice or article could be included in the South Washington County Bulletin with more information about the Environmental Commission. The Commission would like to meet from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on October 12 with a facilitator to help work toward the Commission goals and objectives. 6.2 Review Notes from Joint Meeting The Commission reviewed the meeting notes from the joint meeting held in Woodbury on August 15, 2011. Approval of Environmental Commission Minutes Chase made a motion to approve the Minutes of the July 13, 2011, Environmental Commission Meeting and the August 15, 2011, Joint Meeting. Olson seconded. Motion passed unanimously (8 -to -0 vote). Environmental Commission September 14, 2011 Minutes Page 3 of 3 Reports City Council Update Olsen reported that Clean Water Action had expressed interest in meeting with the Commis- sion or Council. Discussion was held on the organization and organizational structure. The Commission agreed not move forward with a presentation until they knew their clear focus and priorities. Olsen announced that the groundbreaking for the Public Safety /City Hall facility will be held on September 29 at 8:30 a.m. on the site of the new building at Keats Avenue and 85th Street. He provided an update on the project, noting that the Council will be voting on the bid award at their September 21 meeting. Response to Commission Inquiries None Environmental Commission Comments and Requests None Adjourn Gibson made a motion to adjourn. Isker seconded. The motion passed unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.