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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972-04-24 Evironmental Quality Commission Meeting MinutesEDINA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMISSION Special Meeting Notice Monday., April 24,,1972 7:30 P.M. AGENDA I. Call to Order and Rollcall. II. Special Business - Directions Committee Questionnaire Results ' and Recommendations- Mr. Sandilla. (Material to be dis-, tributed at the meeting) III. Film: "Things W6rth Saving". Special fleeting of the Environmental Quality Commission Conference Room, Edina Village Hall fleeting was called to order by Ronald Hays, Vice. Chairman with the folloeing members present! Carol Deis Ronald Hays June Schmidt Fred Richards Don Johnson Chairman, Robert Sandilla arrived during the film. Village staff present; Gary. Hest Harold Sand James Bentley Hillard Horst John Telfer Earl Cars= Robert Dunn Viee-Chairman advised the COmmission that Robert Sendilla would be a few minutes latex and therefore, the movie on solid waste collection and recycling would be presented at that tint. Following the movie, Chairman Robert Sarrlilla advised the Commission that on April 20, 1972, the Directions Committee, composed of himself, Robert Johsnon,liarlearson, and Willard horse net to discuss the results of the questionnaire distributed to the Core mission members and the Village Council. A tabulation of these results was made and the Committee, after considerable discussion made seven recommendations. This tabu lation and the recommendations were distributed to the Commission member in memorandum form. This memorandum is hereby Lade a portion of the minutes as "Appendix A". Nr. Sandilla reviewed the questionnaire question by question, tabulating the results to each section of each question. Several items on this questionnaire invoked consid-. erable amount of discussion, primarily as to definitions which wore used in answering the specific questions. Question 2 was discussed in detail. It seemed to be the consensus that some sort of review of proposed developments should be made by the Environmental Quality Commission. The point of disagreement on this question was the mechanics and vehicle to be used in this review. A suggestion was made and generally accepted that a simple form of an environmental impact statement could be used at the time the matter was presented to the Planning Commission or at the time of application for a building permit. It was decided that additional investigation of the environmental impact statement requirement for development proposals be made by Robert Johnson and a report be given to the Com- mission as soon as practical. The Chair contitued through' vestionS 4 . 12 listing the number of yes votes to each question, and indicated some of the written comments by various members of the Commis— sion and the Council. DiseueSion teas held on each of these questions with action being deferred until consideration of recommendations by the Directions Committee. The Chair read the Directions Coanittee recommendations 1 - 5. Recommendation 1 dealing with the revieual of the questionnaire at the present meeting. Recommendations 2 .e 5 dealing with standing committees to be appointed and the selection of chairmen for these committees. The Chair entertained the motion that recommendations 2 -.'5 be approved 4 ci Special Neeting of the Environmental Quality Commission Page 2 as made by the Directions Committee. The Chairman of those committees would select their committee members with these selections to be approved under the rules of the Commissionhylaws. It was so moved by James Bentley and seconded by June Schmidt. notion Carried uanimously. The Chair indicated recommendation 6 and stated that the Commission had some communiw cations concerning this reeommendation which he requested Gary Ucet to read into the minutes. The letter was carbon copy sent to Robert Sandilla, Chairman of Edina Envi- ronmental cuality Commission. The latter signed by Ewer Arthur C. Dredesen, Jr., was dated April 24, 1972 and addretsed to the Board of flanagers, Uine flile Creek 'ilater... shed District. (see "Appendix 3" for text of letter) Upon ootpletion of the reading of,tht letter to the Uine ale Greet Uaterehed District Board of flahagers, the Chair explained that this letter was in reference to a otate- ment presented to the fine Ili to Creek Uatershed District toard of fanagero by Le. John Telfer. The Chair further requested that the entire text of this stattment be it in the minutes. (see "Appendix C") Considerable discueeion was invoked by this let- ter from the flayof and nr. Telferls written statement to Dine Idle Creek Uatershed trict. Richarde moved that the Directions COMmittee or whomever woUld be appropriate, draft an amendment to the bylaws which would require that any official position taken by the Environmental Quality Commission be approved by the normal voting procedures of the Commission, only then would an inditidual commissioner be permitted to make public statements to the media or before Groupe expressing or inferring an official position or policy of the Edina Environmental Quelity Commietion or its cemmittees. notion seconded by Ron Days. During further ditcussion, it was clarified by Ur. Rich. ands that the sense of his motion was that no commissioner nor committee member would be permitted to speak without endorsement of his statement by the total body of the Commission. notion paned unanimously. Uillard florse moved that all committee reports should be required to be in writing. This motion was :subsequently uithdrawn and it was euggeottd that the Directions Comm mi ttet may have other additional recommendations for this type of procedure concerninf.; committee reports. It was determined that the Directions Comtlittee would prepare re.. commendations for committed reporting procedures to be presented to the Commission at the flay 8 meeting. The Chair read the recommendation, item 7 on the Special Task Force Committees suggee- ting that these might be for specific broad areas that might overlap into several standing committees. The Chair suggested that a task force of this type be created immediately for the End Lake area, asking this task force to create a summary of the many reports that are available of previous studies on the fad Lake area and present a written summary within two menthe. Considerable discussion was held on this matter. Ur. Telfer and Don Johnson stated that there uould not be time to have this study completed because of the proposed bearing en the Lincoln Drive proposal before Council nay 15. They Glee argued that their 'dater Resources Committee had completed a consider- able amount of study on the fuck Lake area and that this would be needless duplication of their :Andy. It was panted cut by staff that there is Very little likelihood of Lincoln Drive being approved on flay 15, and that the purpose of this hearing is simply Special neeting of the Envi..ro1nenta3. Quality Commi El.on Pogo 3 to make available the cost estimates for Lincoln Drive to the Council, Dennepin County, and to the property miners. Conoiderable discussion was held botuoen the Chair, Don Johnson, and Jchn Telfer concerning the appointment of a task force on liud Lake. Follouing this discussion, James Dontley moved and Carol Oeim seconded that a task force on liud Lake be created ulth iron Nays as Chairman uith members of this task force being composed of a hater Resources Committee member, an Education Committee member, a Park Committee member, and others to form a committee of five to gather the data available to the Village on alternativeo, the ramifications of these alternatives, and to present a written summary and report at the July 10 mooting of the Commission. Notion carried unanimously. Carol Dein euggested that the Commission have a poster or some sort of other ad- verticement at the Earth Zepo to be hold at Southdale April 29 - flay 7. She au tested that this poster simply advertise that there is an Environmental.Commiseion in Edina. It uas moved by Carol, and seconded by Pred Uichat'ds that the Educational Committee prepare a poster and attempt to arrange its display at the Earth i. ,o at Southdale. notion carried unanimouply. fir. Sandilla summarized the Directions Committee's report stating that they did not fool that the limited distribution of the queotionnaire decreases its affectiveneos and that sufficient data had boon obtained to enable the Commission to set goals -and direction for the Commission and for its future activities. Furthermore, that the Direction° Committee would continue to moot and attempt to develop bylaw changeo to implement some of the recommendations that had boon approved this evening. Con- siderable discussion uas hold on possible distribution of this questionnaire, or a shortened form of this questionnaire through the news media. Ilouevor, the Commission decided that this uould not be necessary in view Of the recommendation of the Diroc- ticns Committee. There being no further business, the meeting ties declared adjourned.