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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-11 PacketMinutes of the Regular Meeting of the Energy and Environment Commission Edina City Hall Community Room Thursday, March 11, 2010, 7:00 P.M. Members In Attendance and Roll Call: Dianne Plunkett Latham, Bill Sierks, M. Germana Paterlini, Jeannie Hanson, Michael Platteter, Paul Thompson, Julie Risser, Surya Iyer Absent: Steve Christianson, Hailey Lee Staff Present: Heather Worthington, Jane Timm Welcome Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Iyer. 2. Discussion and Approval of Agenda. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to approve the meeting agenda with amendments. Commissioner Latham seconded. Motion carried. 3. Approval of the February 17, 2010 Meeting Minutes. Commissioner Latham made a motion to approve the minutes of the February 17, 2010 meeting. Commissioner Paterlini seconded. Motion carried. 4. Community Comment Diana Windhorst, 4907 Lakeview Drive was in attendance and wanted some general information about the Energy and Environment Commission. 5. Staff Update Assistant City Manager, Heather Worthington announced that City Manager, Gordon Hughes would retire July 30, 2010. 6. Commission Business Chair and Vice Chair Elections: • Two candidates were, nominated; Commissioner Platteter and Commissioner Latham. Paper ballots were cast. The outcome was 5-3. Commission Latham was elected Chairperson. • There was one candidate for Vice Chairperson. Commissioner Paterlini was elected as Vice Chair. Commissioner Thompson gave an update and encouraged all commissioners to attend the Twin Cities Sustainable Community Conference March 12 and 13. Commission Thompson gave an update on the March 23, Report to the Community. There was a discussion and the event was finalized. Ms. Worthington gave an update on the GreenStep Cities meeting she attended with the four other pilot cities. They discussed: • Goals, • Best Practices • Missing Best Practice -Air Quality • Hara Measurement Tool Kristina Smitten a consultant on behalf of Urban Land Institute Minnesota will meet with Hara and get a demonstration of the software package. Commissioner Latham showed a website for Easy Office Recycling. There was a discussion about endorsement by the EEC and it was decided not to endorse the website, but forward the information to the Edina Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner Latham introduced a product stewardship resolution that was supported by the Edina Recycling and Solid Waste Working Group. Commissioner Latham made a motion that Edina City Council be requested to endorse the Product Stewardship Resolution. Commissioner Risser seconded. Rollcall Vote: Ayes: Latham, Paterlini, Hansen, Risser, Sierks Nays: Iyer, Platteter Abstain: Thompson Motion carried. Commissioner Platteter talked about working on a residential program that is set up specifically for Edina or a program that already exists. Commissioner Platteter and Sierks will meet with utility companies. They are in the informational stage at this time. Commissioner Latham brought handouts from the 9 Mile Creek Watershed. They are willing to come to the city and present a 2 hour workshop on water and natural resource management. Commissioner Platteter gave information about USGBC Conference (United State Green Building Councils) in May 2010. After a discussion about the cost and how many commissioners should go they decided to table it until the April 2010 EEC meeting. Any commissioner interested in going was instructed to contact Ms. Worthington. Commissioner Risser gave an update on the new intern, Elizabeth Templin. She would be working on EEC issues and located in the Planning Department of Edina City Hall. 7. Adjournment Commissioner Latham made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Sierks seconded. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m. The next meeting will be the regularly scheduled meeting at 7:00 p.m. April 8, 2010 at Edina City Hall. Respectfully submitted, Jane M. Timm, Deputy City Clerk.; EDINA PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES PUBLIC COPY During "Public Hearings" the Chair will ask for public comment after City staff membe wish to speak on the topic, you are welcome to do so as long as your comments are relevant to the discussion. To ensure fairness to all speakers and to allow the efficient conduct of a public hearing, speakers must observe the following guidelines: • Individuals must limit their presentations to 3 minutes or less. The Chair will modify presentation times as deemed necessary. • Try not to repeat remarks or points of view made by prior speakers and limit comments to the matter under consideration. • In order to maintain a comfortable environment for all those in attendance, the use of signs, clapping, cheering or booing or any other form of verbal or nonverbal communication is not allowed. During "Community Comment," the Chair will ask to hear from those in attendance who would like to speak about something not on tonight's agenda. Individuals must limit their presentations to three minutes and cannot speak to an issue for which a public hearing was previously held and closed within the last thirty days or a matter scheduled for a future hearing on a specific date. Individuals should not expect the Chair or Commission to respond to their comments. Instead, the Commission might direct the matter to staff for consideration at a future meeting. The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification, an interpreter, large -print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861 72 hours in advance of the meeting. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION AGENDA FOR MEETING April 8, 2010, 5:30 PM — 7:30 PM 1. Welcome, Call to Order and Roll Call (2 min) Attendance record procedures - Dianne 2. Approval of Agenda and Topic Time Allocation (5 min) 3. Approval of March 4 minutes (3 min) Procedure clarification - Dianne 4. Community Comment (10 min) — Procedure proposal — Dianne 5. Staff Report (10 min) — May USGBC Conference (City sending Heather Worthington); Public Work Site Small Area Guide Process update; GreenSteps Template 6. GreenStep Assignments & Working Group appointment confirmations (25 min) 7. Green Step Cities Reports http://www.ci.edina.mn.us/pdfs/best%20practices%20green%20step%20cities.pdf #6 Comp Plan — Heather (10 min) #17 Storm Water Management —Heather (10 min) #15 Purchasing — Germana (10 min) - Approve proposed policy #22 Solid Waste — Dianne & RSW WG (10 min) 8. Chair Report (10 min) Commissioner Openings; City Manager Search Process; EEC business cards; June NEMO workshop; Product Stewardship Resolution Status; April 26 panel discussion at Golden Valley City Hall; Mayor's Climate Protection Awards (Commissioner Hanson volunteers to draft the 2/2011 application). 9. Education Outreach Working Group Report — Paul (10 Min) 3-12-10 Local Government Workshop 3`h of July Parade Plans Sun Current Article Schedule — Status of Environmental Champion article Bike Edina Task Force South Metro Roundtable - Thursday April 8, School for Env. Studies 12155 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd. Apple Valley, MN 55124. Sponsored by Valley Natural Foods— see the movie "Food Inc." West Metro Roundtable - Tuesday May 4, St. Louis Park Recreation Center 3700 Monterey Drive, SLP 55416 east of Hwy 100 on West 36th St. Co-sp6nsored by the City of St. Louis Park North Metro Roundtable - Thursday May 13, Fridley City Hall 6431 University Ave., N.E. Fridley, MN 55432 a mile north of 694 on University. Co-sponsored by the City of Fridley East Metro Roundtable - Monday May 17, Boutwell's Landing 5600 Norwich Parkway, Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 —just north of Hwy 36 10. Future Meeting date(s) — May 13, 2010. Does the Nov. 11 (Veteran's Day) present conflicts for anyone? (5 min) Green Step Cities Report Template DRAFT 4-1-10 Contents: Best Practice Title, ie: "Solid Waste or "Public Buildings" (these are on the report to the Council dated 2/1/10) • Current Practice (1-2 sentences) • 1-2 Paragraph Description of the BP as it applies to Edina • Barriers to implementation (1 paragraph) • Implementation schedule (1 paragraph, including timeline) • Step Effectiveness (see below) Notes: It would be ideal if each report could fit on one page—that will still be about a 30 page report! will write an "overview" of the project, including the process to date, and a brief narrative about Edina's current efforts. "Barriers to implementation" should include any kind of regulatory or statutory issues we know about that would prevent an immediate implementation (such as the building code), or excessive financial cost for implementation. The Implementation schedule should include a rationale for the speed of implementation, and a realistic timeline for achieving that goal. For instance, it could be a few months, or because of needed changes in state law a few years. For these steps, it probably makes sense to try to achieve them in a 3-5 year window. I've included an example of a report for the Comp Plan step. For Step Effectiveness, consider the following: Is it complete? Does it have sub -steps that are nearly impossible to achieve, or others that are too easy? Should some required steps be optional, and other optional steps be required? Add any other applicable comments. I will take all of these and format them into a final report draft. You can just cut and paste into this document, rename it with the title of the step, and send it to me via e-mail. Best Practice: Comprehensive Plan Description: Adopt a Comprehensive Plan and tie regulatory ordinances to it. Current Practice: The 2008 Comp Plan Update includes mixed-use housing as a goal, and provides areas in the city to accommodate such uses. It also includes a full-scale report on bicycle and pedestrian access prepared by the Bike Edina Task Force (BETF) in conjunction with the Transportation Commission. Best Practice as it applies to Edina:l n 2008, the City Council adopted the final draft of the 2008 Comprehensive Plan Update. In 2009, the Planning Commission began meeting twice a month to update the zoning ordinance, and address any inconsistencies between the city's ordinances and the Comprehensive Plan. Their work continues, and will likely be done this year. The Comprehensive Plan addresses land use, zoning, transportation, water resource, environmental, and housing issues. The Comprehensive Plan is updated every ten years, according to state statutory requirements. The Metropolitan Council oversees the formulation and implementation of each city's comp plan. Barriers to implementation: This plan represents very few barriers to implementation, apart from the more typical budgetary and community -related matters that arise to block or prevent implementation. Since it is a required document in state law, it is typically understood to be a guiding mechanism for planning activities. Implementation schedule: The City is currently in the implementation phase of the updated comp plan. This implementation will continue over the next ten years, and will be formally reviewed at the end of that period as part of the decennial update of the comp plan. Staff and elected officials will use this document as an overall guide for development, changes to transportation facilities, and other regional planning issues during that time. Changes to the document must follow a prescribed process which includes community input and approval by the City Council, followed by review and approval by the Metropolitan Council. Step Effectiveness: This step is a required step. The statute prescribing the requirement for Comp Plans has been in place for about 40 years. No changes are recommended. GreenStep Cities - http://www.ci.edina.mn.us/pdfs/best%20practices%20green%20step%20cities.pdf Proposed Assignments April 1, 2010 - Draft Required Steps GrnStep# Reporting Month Responsible Commissioner/Staff 1. June Public Buildings & Li hg tiny - #1 & 2 are required plus 1 additional #1 B3 data base — Required - Complete Germana #2 Building Audit - Required Michael #6 Internal Loan Fund - Complete Heather 6. April Comp Plan - #1, #2, #4 are required — Complete - Heather 11. June Complete Streets — #1 plus 2 additional sub steps are required — On 3-27- 10 refered to Transportation Commission (Geoff Workinger & Jennifer Janovy) & Bike Task Force (Kirk Johnson & Alice Hulbert) #1 Complete Street Policy — Complete for arterials but could be expanded to side streets #5 Traffic Calming measures on at least 1 street redevelopment project — Complete but expand #6 Service Standards for street types including ped & bike performance goals —Complete but expand 15. May Purchasin& - #1 & #2 are required plus 2 additional sub steps #1 Purchasing Policy —Complete Germana #2 Purchase 15% renewable energy by 2015 — Jeannie & Alternative Energy WG 49 Policy decreasing toxic & hazardous chemicals - Germana 16. May Urban Forests — 2 Sub Steps are Required — Dianne, Jeannie & UFTF #1 Qualify as Tree City USA — City Forester Tom Horwath to apply for 2011 #6 Choose two: Enact ordinances to protect trees during the development process Adopt Landscaping performance standards for parking lots and other mostly impervious surface 17. April Efficient Stormwater Management - At least one sub step #2 Adopt by ordinance - Complete Heather Narrower streets allowing 24 ft roads 1.5" rainfall on-site infiltration design requirement 23. May Benchmarks and Community Engagement #1 Carbon Benchmark - Complete Germana #2 City Measurement Reporting - Required Germana #4 Community Education Paul and Education Working Group 24. May Green Business Development - Requires at least 1 sub step — Dianne & RSW WG #2 Invite Assistance providers such as Minnesota Waste Wise... to conduct personalized energy, environmental sustainability, and waste audits with at least 5 businesses. #4 Support businesses using local waste products — Complete - City brush currently goes to St. Paul District Energy EEC's 8 Top Optional GreenSteps (at least 7 must be Completed) GrnStep# Reporting Month Responsible Commissioner/Staff 25. May Renewable Energy: 6 votes — At least one sub step is required Jeannie & Renewable Energy Working Group 42 Install renewable capacity on at least one city -owned building, street light, speed display or chargeable message sign - Bill Sierks and Greg Nelson are working on getting a grant to install solar panels on a school. 2. June Efficient Private Existing Buildings & Lighting_ 5 votes (2 must be selected from #1-9) #2 Work with local utility, tailor a utility conservation improvement pgm (CIP) for your city. Bill 1 #3 Promote residential energy efficiency programs via city mailings, newsletters — Paul & EO WG #5 Watering Ordinance, Conservation Rate Structure — Complete - Heather 19. June Surface Water Quality: 4 votes — Julie & Air and Water Quality WG & 9MCWD 3. June New Green Buildings: 3 votes (not on EEC Policy & Project Initiatives) Select 1 public sub step from #143 #2 Build renewable energy into 1 city Bldg — Heather — (Complete) Public Wks Geothermal Select 1 private sub step from #448 — Michael 22. April Solid Waste: 2 votes Dianne & RSW WG #1 or #2 is required plus one of #5 - #10 #1 Percentage reduction goals from city operations in at least 3 areas — Areas chosen are: 1) Parks 2) Junk mail 3) Toxicity reduction of cleaning supplies. #6 Bring MPCA to help 10 commercial businesses modify existing or create new resource management contracts with waste haulers to manage recyclables, compostibles and Hazardous materials — Dianne and Jim Jones — Arrange Chamber of Commerce presentation on GreenStep Cities and the Easy Office Recycling PowerPoint programs. Dianne and Mary Brindle are working on a similar Rotary presentation. #8 Organized Hauling — Dianne & RSW WG (long term goal) Invite MPCA's Peder Sandhei to give PowerPoint presentation to City Council Work Session & work towards amending MN Stat 115A.94. 10. May Conservation: 2 votes — Dianne Jeannie & UFTF? At least 1 sub step required #1 Conduct a Natural Resource Inventory and Assessment (NRI & NRA) and incorporate protection of priority natural systems or resources in the subdivision or development process #3 For cities in the metro area, incorporate best management practices from `Conserving Wooded Areas in Developing Communities' '(DNR: 2000) into zoning or development review. Most likely sub step. 18. May Green Infrastructure: 2 votes (not on EEC Policy & Project Initiatives) Choose 3 sub steps Dianne, Jeannie & Urban Forest Task Force #6 Park Management Standards of: a) Low Maintenance native landscaping b) Organic or Integrated Pest Management — A Task force is needed to update Edina Turf Management Plan c) Sources of Non potable water for irrigation —Complete - Braemar uses retired well #14 #7 Certify golf courses for Audubon Cooperative. Sanctuary — Complete — John Valliere #9 Develop a program that involves community in land restoration and stewardship 8. July Efficient & Healthy Development Patterns: 2 votes (not on EEC Policy & Project Initiatives) — Choose at least two Julie and Michael 26 A new Air Quality Step - Needs to be described. Recommendation: 1. Each selected step and sub step will have a Champion to see it through. Every Commissioner should volunteer for at least 2 steps/sub steps and draft the report for at least 1 step or sub step. 2. If we have no volunteers for a selected optional step, perhaps we should reevaluate whether we have the capacity to complete that step. One optional steps can be dropped, but if we drop 2, we would fall below the required 7 and would need to choose another more realistic optional step. 3. Heather will provide a template for the June report, which all Commissioners will adopt for their report. This template will be used by each commissioner for their step(s) report. The month of the commission meeting in which that step's report will be placed in the meeting packet and discussed at the meeting is listed above. 2 4. The report will address whether the GreenStep City steps and sub steps are adequate. Are there any impediments, which disable performance for a city like Edina? Should any steps/sub steps be added, deleted or modified? 5. Each report will indicate the selected sub steps and state specifically how they are recommended to be implemented. Consider options for implementation, including future funding of initiatives: • Earmarked Funding for environmental incentive programs • Bonding for large capital expenditures • Tax incentives • Grant writing • Staffing and/or volunteers 6. Please Confirm the names of all those participating in your working group: Recycling & Solid Waste Working Group- DP. Latham, Laura Benson, Michelle Horan, Jim Jones, Tim Rudnicki, Melissa Seeley & City Staff Solvei,Wilmot Urban Forest Task Force — DP Latham, Jeannie Hanson, Joseph Hulbert (Pk Bd), Michael Schroeder (Planning) & City Staff Tom Horwath Alternative Energy Working Group — Jeannie Hanson, Richard Griffith, Bob Gubrud, Richard Oriani, Greg Nelson, Ron Rich, Renee DiVicino Education Outreach Working Group — Paul Thompson, Bob Gubrud, Wendy Morris Air and Water Quality Working Group — Julie Risser, DP Latham, Jullie Mellum, Bob Genovese Best Practice: #22 Managing Solid Waste Description: Increase Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Current Practice: The city of Edina has an organized hauling contract for residential recycling with payment made on the resident's utility bill. Residential solid waste and yard waste are removed via an open hauling system having six participating haulers where residents pay haulers directly. One residential solid waste hauler provides an organics collection option. City schools separate their organics. Recycling is not required for commercial businesses. There are no outdoor recycling bins in city parks. Best Practice as it applies to Edina: The Recycling and Solid Waste Working Group will be undertaking sub steps #1 and #6 as short term goals plus sub step #8 as a long term goal. #1 Percentage reduction goals from city operations in at least 3 areas. The areas chosen are: 1) Parks — The objective is to place recycling bins in all parks 2) Junk mail reduction 3) Toxicity reduction of cleaning supplies. #6 Bring MPCA to help 10 commercial businesses modify existing or create new resource management contracts with waste haulers to manage recyclables, compostibles and hazardous materials. The RSW WG will work with local trade associations and give educational presentations on recycling as well as aiding them with an Easy Office Recycling program. The long term objective is to require commercial recycling. #8 Organized Hauling — Invite MPCA's Peder Sandhei to give a PowerPoint presentation to a City Council Work Session on MPCA's "Analysis of Waste Collection Service Agreements" published in June 2010 with a goal of amending MN Stat I I5A.94. Barriers to implementation: 1) Park Recycling Bins - Difficulties in raising funding for outdoor recycling bins costing from $415 - $665/bin for forty parks given that the size of each park generally requires more than one bin. 2) Requiring Commercial Recycling - A sufficient education program must be undertaken to reduce push- back. Cooperation is needed from business organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc. City Ordinances need to be amended. 3) Organized Residential Solid Waste Hauling — MN Stat 115A.94 must be amended. Step Effectiveness — Best Practice #22 should be required. A city without a recycling program can hardly be considered environmentally responsible. Implementation schedule: 1) Park Recycling Bins — 2 Years 2) Requiring Commercial Recycling —'2 years 3) Organized Residential Solid Waste Hauling — 3 years CITY OF EDINA ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING POLICY Draft, March 28, 2010 Prepared for the Energy & Environment Commission by Germana Paterlini, Commissioner Table of Contents Purposeand Scope................................................................................................................................ 3 Definitions............................................................................................................................................. 3 Background........................................................................................................................................... 4 GeneralPolicies....................................................................................................................................4 Research, Planning and Education........................................................................................................5 Identification of Products and Services................................................................................................5 A. Source Reduction........................................................................................................................5 B. Recycled Content Products..........................................................................................................6 C. Forest Conservation.....................................................................................................................7 D. Toxics and Pollutants................................................................................................................... 7 E. Energy and Water Savings........................................................................................................... 9 F. Green Building - Construction and Renovations.........................................................................9 GWaste Minimization...................................................................................................................10 H. Landscaping...............................................................................................................................10 I. Bio -Based Products..................................................................................................................... l l J. Producer Responsibility.............................................................................................................. l l K. Renewable Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reductions................................................................ 11 L. Automatic Substitutions............................................................................................................. 11 Purpose and Scope The City of Edina Environmental Purchasing Policy is a guide to the selection of goods and services that have minimal impact on the environment. The City recognizes that every purchased product or service affects the environmental throughout its life -cycle — from the extraction of raw materials, the manufacturing and transportation of products, to their use and disposal. Careful purchasing decisions use natural resources more efficiently, can lead to significant savings, protect our environment, and increase demand for better products. Specifically, the Policy is adopted in order to: • conserve natural resources, including water and energy, • eliminate or reduce the use of toxic and hazardous compounds, • reduce materials that are landfilled or incinerated, • lower overall costs by addressing full life -cycle cost accounting • leverage buying power, • assess long term financial/market changes, • invest in technological advances This policy will apply to all City departments and employees. This policy is subject to the Municipal Contracting Law (MN Statue 471.345), the Presidential Executive Order 13101, and all other applicable laws and ordinances. Definitions For the purpose of this Policy, the following definitions and abbreviations shall apply: ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials Bio -based product: A product using biological or renewable agricultural (plant, animal or marine) or forestry materials. Biodegradable: The ability of a substance, material or product ingredient to readily decompose by the action of microbes. Carcinogen: A chemical that causes cancer. CFL: Compact Fluorescent Lamp. Energy Star: An energy efficiency product labeling program by the EPA (http://www.energystar..qov). EPEAT: Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool; an on-line tool helping institutional purchasers select and compare electronic equipment such as computers and monitors based on their 3 environmental attributes. Forest Stewardship Council: A global non-profit organization that certifies responsible forest management (http://fscus.org/htmin. IPM: Integrated Pest Management; the use of a combination of pest control methods including improved sanitation, mechanical, physical, biological, or chemical means. PBT: Persistent, Bio accumulative Toxic; pollutants that are toxic, persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in food chains and, thus, pose risks to human health and ecosystems Petroleum-based organic solvents: Chemicals derived from petroleum capable of dissolving or dispersing other substances and are common ingredients in cleaning and degreasing products. Post -consumer recycled content: Refers to an end product containing material that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and would otherwise have been disposed of as a solid waste. Product lifecycle considerations: Refers to the environmental effects of a product through raw materials acquisition, manufacturing, distribution, use, maintenance and disposal. Processed -chlorine free paper: Refers to paper that is manufactured using a percentage of post- consumer recycled paper fiber and is whitened without adding chlorine or chlorine derivatives. Recovered Material: Fragments of products or finished products of a manufacturing process that include pre -consumer and post -consumer material. VOCs: Volatile organic compounds are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the earth's atmosphere Water Sense: A water conservation product labeling program sponsored by the EPA. Background The City of Edina has an opportunity to serve as a community model for environmental leadership by incorporating environmental considerations in public purchasing that reduce its burden on the local and global environment, remove unnecessary hazards from its operations, protect public health, reduce costs and liabilities, and help develop markets for environmentally responsible products. The Edina Environmental Purchasing Policy has been developed with advice from the Energy and Environment Commission, whose duties include "examining and recommending changes in City purchases and operations to conserve energy". General Policies The City Assistant Manager shall coordinate the implementation of the Edina Environmental 4 Purchasing Policy and may establish a special interdepartmental Environmental Purchasing Task Force (hereinafter "the Task Force") with representatives from Administration, Assessing, Building Inspections, Communications & Marketing, Engineering & Public Works, Finance, Fire, Health, Park & Recreation, Planning and Police, and other relevant departments/ operations to: 1. identify opportunities for environmental purchasing initiatives 2. provide a forum for open discussion by affected personnel 3. educate and inform staff about the environmental purchasing program The Task Force shall meet quarterly following the adoption of this policy. Research, Planning and Education The Task Force shall research opportunities to: 1. continuously expand the purchase of environmentally preferable products 2. identify environmentally preferable alternatives 3. recommend goals to practice alternative processes within the City of Edina operations that will reduce the use/disposal of hazardous substances and will promote resource conservation 4. collect and maintain up-to-date information regarding manufacturers, vendors, and other sources for locating/ordering environmentally preferable products. The Task Force and/or Assistant City Manager shall provide applicable information to the City Departments. The Assistant City Manager shall submit annual reports to the City Council and Energy and Environment Commission regarding the status of this policy's implementation. This report shall include total purchases of environmentally preferable products by each department, results of designated product evaluations, and financial data on costs/savings resulting from implementation of this policy. Identification of Products and Services A. Source Reduction A.1. Edina will institute practices that reduce waste and result in the purchase of fewer products whenever practicable and cost-effective, but without reducing safety or workplace quality, including but not limited to: • communicating electronically instead of printing • photocopying and printing double -sided E • streamlining and computerizing forms • printing of documents and reports only as they are needed • using long -life products with service agreements supporting maintenance and repair • sharing equipment and occasional use items • choosing durable products rather than disposable • buying in bulk, whenever storage is available and operations allow it • reusing products such as file folders, storage boxes, office supplies, and furnishings. • using washable and reusable dishes and utensils • using rechargeable batteries A.2. The City will purchase remanufactured products whenever practicable, but without reducing safety, quality or effectiveness. Examples of remanufactured products are laser toner cartridges, tires, furniture, equipment and automotive parts. A.3. All buyers will evaluate life -cycle product costs in comparing product alternatives, when feasible. This includes comparison of total costs expected during the time of ownership, including, but not limited to, acquisition, warranties, operation, supplies, maintenance, disposal costs and expected lifetime. A.5. The City of Edina will require to the extent practicable, that surplus or outdated electronic equipment be designated for reuse and or recycling. A.6. Vendors will be encouraged whenever practicable to take back and reuse pallets and packaging materials. A.7. City funds will not be used to purchase single -use bottled water unless it is necessary to protect public health. B. Recycled Content Products B.1. Printing paper, office paper, and paper products shall contain the highest postconsumer content practicable, but no less than the minimum recycled content standards established by the US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. B.2. Janitorial paper products will contain the highest postconsumer content practicable, but no less than the minimum recycled content standards established by the US EPA Comprehensive 0 Procurement Guidelines. B.3. Materials and products such as those for construction, landscaping, parks and recreation, transportation, vehicles, miscellaneous, and non -paper office products, will contain the highest postconsumer content available, or, when postconsumer material is impracticable for a specific type of product, contain substantial amounts of recovered material, but no less than the minimums established by the US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. B.4. When specifying asphalt concrete, aggregate base or Portland cement concrete for road construction projects, Edina will use recycled, reusable or reground materials when available and cost- effective. B.5. To the greatest extent practicable, Edina will specify and purchase recycled -content transportation products, including signs, cones, parking stops, and barricades, and other recycled products approved by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. B.6.The City of Edina will purchase re -refined lubricating and industrial certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API) oil for use in its vehicles and other equipment. B.8.The City of Edina will purchase low VOC paint meeting Green Seal or other equivalent environmental standard for recycled content latex paint whenever practicable. C. Forest Conservation C.1. To the greatest extent practicable, Edina will not procure wood products such as lumber and paper that originate from forests harvested in an environmentally unsustainable manner. Edina will give preference to wood products that are certified to be sustainability by independent third -party auditors, and that meet standards equivalent to, or stricter than, those of the Forest Stewardship Council certification. C.2. The City of Edina shall encourage the purchase or use of previously used or salvaged wood and wood products whenever practicable. D. Toxics and Pollutants D.1. When making a choice among comparable products, the City will favor those products whose production, use, and disposal involve fewer hazardous materials. The City will avoid: • carcinogens, neuro -toxicants and reproductive toxins • PBT, including, but not limited to, lead, mercury, dioxins and furans 7 • compounds that are acutely toxic to humans or aquatic life, corrosive to the skin or eyes, • substances that contribute to the production of photochemical smog, tropospheric ozone production, or poor indoor air quality. D.3. The City of Edina will review its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan in regard to those practices for indoor and outdoor areas that include chemical controls, with the goal of constantly lowering its use of chemicals, adopting bio -based herbicides, and providing on-going training for City staff. Purchases of materials and services made by the City will be consistent with its revised IPM policies. DA. When maintaining buildings, the City of Edina will use products with the lowest amount of VOCs, and low or no urea formaldehyde. Examples of such products include paint, carpet, adhesives, furniture and casework. D.S. The City of Edina will reduce or eliminate its use of products that contribute to the formation of dioxins and furans. Examples are: • finding safer alternatives to products that use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) such as, but not limited to, office binders, furniture, flooring, and medical supplies, whenever practicable, • purchasing paper, paper products, and janitorial paper products that are unbleached or that are processed without chlorine or chlorine derivatives, whenever practicable. D.6. The City of Edina will reduce the use of disposable batteries by purchasing rechargeable batteries for battery-operated devices. D.7. Edina will purchase products and equipment with no lead or mercury whenever available. For products that contain lead or mercury, Edina will give preference to those products with lower quantities of these metals and to vendors with established lead and mercury recovery programs. CFLs, which contain mercury, will be recycled. D.B. The City of Edina will specify that computers and monitors purchased or leased meet, at a minimum, all EPEAT environmental criteria designated as "required" by the IEEE 1680 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products, whenever available. D.9. When replacing vehicles, the City of Edina will lease or purchase only the most fuel-efficient models available that are suitable for each task and will minimize the number of vehicles purchased through use of carsharing and carpoolirig. D.10. When replacing vehicles, the City of Edina will consider less -polluting alternatives to the vehicles that are being replaced. D.11. All City Departments and Agencies are prohibited from purchasing or acquiring polystyrene foam disposable food service ware and where affordable will use biodegradable or compostable disposable food service ware. D.12. Compostable plastic products purchased will meet ASTM D6400-04 standards. Biodegradable plastics used as coatings on paper and other compostable substrates will meet ASTM D6868-03 standards. D.13. The purchase of all pentachlorophenol, arsenic and creosote treated wood by the City of Edina is prohibited. D.14. The City will avoid purchasing products containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs), bisphenol-A, and phthalates wherever practicable. D.16. Edina will reduce the use of salt and other toxics in the cleaning and snow removal of hard surfaces when feasible.. E. Energy and Water Savings E.1. Where applicable, energy-efficient equipment will be purchased with the most up-to-date energy efficiency functions. When necessary, the City will train equipment operators and maintenance personnel in the proper enabling and use of energy efficient and sleep mode functions on their equipment. E.2. All appliances and products purchased by the City and for which the US EPA Energy Star certification is available, will meet Energy Star certification. Typically, this would include lighting, heating and cooling systems, exhaust fans, water heaters, computers, exit signs, and appliances. E.3. When Energy Star labels are not available, choose energy efficient products that are in the upper 25% of energy efficiency as designated by the Federal Energy Management Program. E.4 The City will purchase water -saving products whenever practicable and for which the US Water Sense certification is available. This includes, but is not limited to, high-performance fixtures like toilets, waterless urinals, low -flow faucets and aerators, and upgraded irrigation systems. F. Green Building - Construction and Renovations F.1. All building and renovations undertaken by the City will follow green building practices for design, construction, and operations. Oj F.2. The City will purchase high efficiency cooling and heating equipment and motion sensitive lighting, whenever practicable. G. Waste Minimization G.1. The City will prefer packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable, when suitable uses and programs exist for these materials. G.2. Vendors will be encouraged to take back and reuse pallets and packaging materials. G.3. The City of Edina will dispose of electronic equipment, including but not limited to computers, monitors, printers, and copiers, or use disposal companies that will take back equipment for reuse or dispose them according to certified environmentally safe recycling. G4. Whenever practicable, the City will provide City buildings and parks with containers for the recycling paper, glass, plastics and organics. H. Landscaping H.1. Workers and contractors providing landscaping services for the City will employ sustainable landscape management practices whenever practicable, including: • Using IPM, including minimal pesticide use Fertilizing only as needed, as indicated by a soil analysis. Slow release and/or organic fertilizers are preferred Scheduling irrigation between 3:00am and 6:00am. Drip irrigation is preferred whenever practicable • Recycling plant debris by composting and/or maintaining a layer of mulch under all trees, shrubs and groundcovers and in all open areas. H.2. Plants should be selected to minimize waste by choosing species that are appropriate to the microclimate; species that can grow to their natural size in the allotted space and perennials rather than annuals. Native and drought -tolerant plants that require no or minimal watering once established are preferred. H.3. To the greatest extent practicable, Edina will not procure mulch products that originate from virgin forest products. When practicable, Edina will give preference to mulch products that are produced on- site or from regionally generated plant debris. H.4. To the greatest extent practicable, Edina will procure compost that is produced from feedstock 10 that includes at least 50%, by volume, regionally generated plant debris and/or food waste and less than 0.5% by volume, physical contaminants. H.5. Minimal use of hardscapes and landscape structures, constructed of recycled content materials, is encouraged. Concrete substitutes are encouraged for walkways, such as rosin emulsion paving or other porous materials. I. Bio -Based Products 1.1. Vehicles fuels made from plant -based contents are encouraged whenever practicable and unless they are determined to be less environmentally friendly than the alternative. 1.2. Paper, paper products and construction products made from non -wood, plant -based contents and residues are encouraged whenever practicable. J. Producer Responsibility J.1. The City of Edina will, whenever practicable, favor products that are manufactured by companies that take financial and/or physical responsibility for collecting, recycling, reusing, or otherwise safely disposing of their products and packaging at the end of their useful life. K. Renewable Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reductions K.1. The City of Edina will commit to reducing energy use as much as feasible and the remaining energy needs will be met by renewable, minimally polluting, energy sources as much as is practicable. K.2. As it becomes practicable the City will attempt to reduce and record greenhouse gas emissions. L. Automatic Substitutions L.1. The City will work with their office supply contractor to establish an automatic substitution of environmentally and preferable alternatives for office supplies that are readily available, cost effective and can perform for the intended use. ' 11 Recycling and Solid Waste Working Group A subcommittee of the Edina Energy and Environment Commission Community Conference Room, Edina City Hall March 4, 2010 Working Group Members Present: Chair, Dianne Plunkett Latham; Tim Rudnicki, Melissa Seeley and Jim Jones, Michelle Horan Members Absent: Laura Benson Staff Member Present: Solvei Wilmot, Recycling Coordinator and Assistant Sanitarian Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. Approval of Minutes Minutes from February 4, 2010 meeting were approved as written. Reports Commercial Recycling — Jim Jones Mr. Jones presented the changes to the Easyoffieerecycling.com website. Mr. Jones has a letter Editor of the Edina Sun Current ready for publication in regard to office recycling. The Energy and Environment Commission will review the website prior to public access and City endorsement. Athletic Association Recycling Ms. Horan reported that the message to the Soccer Association board was "leave the park better than when you came" to encourage not just recycling but to pick up after the game/practice. The association is very receptive to the initiative and has invited Ms. Horan and Ms. Seeley to present the information to the soccer coaches meeting in April. Public Art/Recycling Container — Ms. Horan Ms. Horan presented a concept for ,promoting recycling community wide by soliciting sponsors to provide decorated recycling containers. The program would have guidelines for the recycling container, decoration and a requirement for a recycling emblem on it. Ms. Latham and Ms. Horan will present the concept to the Edina Art Committee in April. Green Steps Cities Update Ms. Latham presented a priority chart from the Energy and Environment Commission along with a proposed work plan for GreenStep Cities item #22. Members discussed the workplan and agreed on the plan. Trash Burners A tour will be scheduled for May for the resource recovery facility in Minneapolis. The district energy plant in St. Paul may be scheduled in June. Product Stewardship Resolution Ms. Wilmot presented a resolution from the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board for the Minnesota Legislature to adopt a product stewardship framework. Melissa Seeley MADE A MOTION FOR THE RECYCLE AND SOLID WASTE WORK GROUP TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP RESOLUTION PRESENTED BY THE SOLID WASTE COORDINATING BOARD AND TO FORWARD THE RESOLUTION TO THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. Michele Horan, SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED. Announcements Ms. Latham announced that Mr. Jones will be honored at the Volunteer Recognition event on March 29, 2010 for his work in increasing recycling in commercial buildings. Members congratulated Mr. Jones. On Friday March 12, 2101 the Alliance for Sustainability will hold a free workshop at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. Ms Latham is planning on attending. Next meeting: April 1, 2010, Edina City Hall Community Conference Room, 7:00 p.m. Adjourn Meeting adjourned 9:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted by, Solvei Wilmot, R.S. Assistant Sanitarian Edina Health Department 2 250 Third Avenue North, Ste 450 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 612-338-2029 Fax 612 338-2088 w\v\v.L11Bcorp.coni April 1, 2010 PILOT WITHIN A PILOT – GrREENSTEP CITIES PROJECT MEASURING ACTUAL CONSUMPTION OVERVIEW The GreenStep Cities program, has begun and the leaders of five prominent Minnesota cities have stepped up to serve as Pilot Cities for the program—Edina, Blooni.ington, Saint Louis Park, Falcon Heights, and Victoria. These cities and their leaders have a reputation for environmental progressivity and a strong desire to continue to improve. An important next step is to measure actual performance and this is exactly where the Pilot within a Pilot GreenStep Cities Project (Project) steps up too. Goals of the Project: The goals of the Project are threefold: • The five Pilot Cities will estimate the energy value and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with citywide energy consumption by people who live, work, learn, travel, and play within each city's geographical boundaries. The analysis will cover two prior years (2008 and 2009) and then continue measuring for at least two years going forward (20 10 and 2011). • Analysis of the experiences of the five Pilot Cities will determine the feasibility of collecting this data for all GreenStep cities. • The data must be transparent and able to be replicated, updated, and compared with other similar baseline assessments. Reasons for the Project: There are several reasons to go to this next level of participation. Most current environmental initiatives fall under the categories of adopting good intentions (plans and guidelines), predicting outcomes (modeling), and implementing strategies (best practices). The Project will involve measuring actual citywide outcomes. This will benefit the Pilot Cities because the resulting analyses will: • Deepen the understanding of opportunities to save energy and money, mitigate climate change, and manage risk in the face of future GHG emission regulations and oil insecurity. Assist in promoting public understanding of the cities' effects on climate change and increasing awareness of activities that can reduce carbon footprints. r-1 0 Inform subsequent analyses, plans, and policy decisions by the cities and others. a Serve as a model for other GreenStep cities. Pilot within a Pilot — GreenStep Cities Project Pap 2 April 1, 2010 The Project will require measurement of electricity, natural gas, and water consumption and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is not as easy as it may seem since the metrics, the infrastructure, and all of the support systems were designed to collect revenue for the providers, not to measure cumulative usage. It will take the full cooperation of local and private utilities, as well as the cities and their staff', to assist the consultant team. The analysis should also include the GHG emissions associated with transportation (including vehicles, rail, and each city's proportional share of airport - related emissions), solid waste management. and storinwater management. These metrics are even more difficult and will require cooperation of the state Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the railroads, and the various waste managers serving the cities. 0 t:1 SCOPE OF WORK Participating cities will need to pay a fee to cover the cost of the consultant tears. This fee will cover the following: • Establish the feasibility of this approach. • Collect the last two years of data for benchmarking. • Establish a process for collecting data for the next two years. • Evaluate the specific best management practices (SMP) selected by each, city and correlate them to the outcomes being measured. • Produce a final report that measures each metric individually (i.e. kBTUs, gallons, vehicle miles traveled, etc.) as well as in total dollars and tons of carbon. The report will include data on a per -capita basis as well. If a city elects, the consultant team can assist with the collection and analysis of the energy and GHG emissions associated with city buildings and operations for an additional buildings PROJECT TEAM LHB, Inc., working with J. Michael Orange Environmental Consulting, will conduct the tD C� work. Michael is a former city planner for the City of Minneapolis who has conducted similar studies for the cities of Minneapolis and Falcon Heights. LIM, Inc. is the state's leading firm in sustainable design and energy efficiency. Each city will need to designate M a primary staff contact to help with data collection. FEE The fee for this work will vary by city. We propose a fixed fee that will be paid to ULL LHB will have an agreement with ULI and each city will have an agreement with U1.1. In order to produce results that meet the third goal listed above (transparent and able to be replicated, updated, and compared with other similar baseline assessments), it's important to use the internationally accepted ineasurement protocol. The organization that has produced this measurement too], in collaboration with a wide variety of other international organizations including7 The Climate Institute, is the International Council on I-ocal Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). ICLEI makes the too] available (along with Z> Pilot within a Pilot. — GreenStep Cities Project Page 3 April 1, 2010 many other services) free of charge to its member cities. The proposed fee foreach city is 4� as follows, including the fee to join ICLEL l SCHEDULE We estimate the data collection phase for each city to take approximately 4-6 weeks. This schedule may vary, based upon the number of cities who elect to participate and the ability of the utilities to provide data in a timely manner. We are prepared to being this process on May 1, 20.10. Please contact Caren Dewar at ULI with a notice to proceed no later than that date. An initial payment (5010 of the total) will be due to ULI by June 1, 2.010 and the final payment will be due at the tinie of the report, no later than October 1, 2040. Contact Rick Carter with any questions. It is important to note that this is very unique and different than what most cities in the country have done in terms of "carbon footprinting" to date. Rather than just collecting ZD data for the city's own impact (i.e. city buildings, fleets, etc.), this study intends to measure the actual impact of most carbon producing activities within the city's boundaries. 1_1113 t RICK CARTER, AIA, LEED AP SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, c: 1-1-113 File No. 100 169.PD 1 The fee for tile City of Falcon Heights is to complete the City's cun-ent assessment to be comparable to those to be developed for the other Pilot Cities. The City of Edina is already a member of ICLEL For U.S. cities, ICLEI membership is based oil city population. Consultant 1CLE1 Total Fee Membership Fee Fee Falcon Heights $1,800 $600 $2,400 Victoria $5,400 $600 $6,000 Edina $7,0001 N/A St, Louis Park $7,000 1 $600 __57,000 $7,400 — ------ $8,000 1 __$1,200 $9,200 SCHEDULE We estimate the data collection phase for each city to take approximately 4-6 weeks. This schedule may vary, based upon the number of cities who elect to participate and the ability of the utilities to provide data in a timely manner. We are prepared to being this process on May 1, 20.10. Please contact Caren Dewar at ULI with a notice to proceed no later than that date. An initial payment (5010 of the total) will be due to ULI by June 1, 2.010 and the final payment will be due at the tinie of the report, no later than October 1, 2040. Contact Rick Carter with any questions. It is important to note that this is very unique and different than what most cities in the country have done in terms of "carbon footprinting" to date. Rather than just collecting ZD data for the city's own impact (i.e. city buildings, fleets, etc.), this study intends to measure the actual impact of most carbon producing activities within the city's boundaries. 1_1113 t RICK CARTER, AIA, LEED AP SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, c: 1-1-113 File No. 100 169.PD 1 The fee for tile City of Falcon Heights is to complete the City's cun-ent assessment to be comparable to those to be developed for the other Pilot Cities. The City of Edina is already a member of ICLEL For U.S. cities, ICLEI membership is based oil city population. Determining a City's GreenStep Category Questions 1 Approximately how many public buildings does the city own? 2 Approximately how many paid full time equivalent (FTE) staff does the City have? 3 List all the separate departments in which the City has paid staff. Second department Third department Fourth department Additional departments? 4 Does the City have fixed route transit service (bus or rail) with at least two separate routes that make more than one local stop? Exclude dial -a -ride, paratransit. 5 Is the City required to have an MS4 (Municipal Separate Storni Sewer System) permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency? 6 Does the City operate a centralized wastewater treatment facility that serves most residents? 7 Does the City operate a drinking water treatn'ient facility and serves most residents? 8 flow many distinct commercial areas and industrial parks does the City have? 9 Is the City part of a metropolitan area? 10 If the City is not part of'a metropolitan area, does it share a border with more than one other incorporated city'? If so, is the City the largest in population of the adjoining communities? 11 Does the City administer a zoning ordinance? Your City is a Category GreenStep City Best Practice March 2010 rough draft for comment - -.*- Local Air Quality: Prevent generation of local air contaminants. Optional Category Environmental Management Summary Through implementation ol"GreenStep City land use and transportation best practices, cities can shape physical development patterns and the actions of community members such that vehicle miles traveled are decreased, and thus air pollution from vehicles is decreased. Air pollution from other sources - businesses and local power plants — can be cut through implementation of actions in the GreenStep business assistance and renewable energy best practices. In addition to these actions, cities can take additional measures to support the action,-, of community members that result in lower outdoor and indoor air pollution, improved public health and decreased health care costs. Several. or these actions have cities conducting, or assisting others to conduct, education campaigns tied to making it easier/cheaper for citizens and businesses to adopt behaviors or e , quipment that prevent the generation of air pollutants. Best Practice Actions For all cities: complete at least one ofthe following actions to implement this bestpractice, (1) Conduct an education/financial assistance lcampaign around one of the following issues: a. Indoor wood burning,, to result in community members upgrading from fireplaces and inefficient/more polluting wood stoves to EPA -certified wood stoves and natural gas stoves. b. 'Smoker cars -' older model/high polluting vehicles, to result in repairs spurred by modest repair vouchers. (2) Adopt, with modifications as needed including prohibition language, the model open burning ordinance developed by the League of Minnesota Cities. (3) Ban outdoor wood boilers or adopt at ,least the U.S.'EPA -white tag" performance standard lor these devices. (4) Conduct one or'more education/behavior change. campaigns on the topics below and document: a. Decreased use of bum barrels. b. Decreased idling in specific locales or by specific fleets. c. Increased sales by retailstores of horne products that improve indoor air quality. d. Replacement of gasoline -powered equipment with lower polluting equipment, such as rechargeable electric lawn mowers and electric or 4 -cycle gasoline boat motors. (5) Document the participation of at least 3 larger businesses/fleets in at least one of the following: a. Clean Air Minnesota's Project GreenFleet. b. U.S. EPA's SmartWay Transport program. c. Installation of auxiliary power units that reduce truck and bus idling. (6) Install at least two public charging-9gitions for plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles. See the Renewable EiieqD, best practice for coinniunity-scale biomass energy plants. GreenStep Advisor • Lisa Herschberger, Analysis & Outcomes Division, MN Pollution Control Agency: 651/757-2432, Lisa.1 lerschbergere,&state.nin. us, Implementation Resources (tied to the relevant action by number) (I a) MPCA resources on residential wood burning, and U.S EPA Burn Wise resources that can be customized for Minnesota: litti)://N"vw.t)ct.state.niii.us/air/,.Nc)odsmoke/iiidex.htnil and http://-NvvNN,,kv,e.,i.)ov/btimwise (lb) See the Valley Clean Air Now (CAN) Tune In & Tune Up 2007 Program from Arvin, California: litij):/hNr";Av.11eXtStCP.St',ItC.11111.Lis/downfoads/xxxxx (2) LMC open burning model ordinance: httl2://NvNNxN,.Inic.org search for: open burning (3) A number of urbanized cities have placed a ban on use of these wood burners (Savage, Burnsville, Stillwater). Other cities have adopted performance standards. The U.S. EPA white tag pollution standard is 0.32 lbs. of PM 2.5 (particulate matter sized 2.5 microns or less) per MM (100,000) BTU beat output: bttp:/www.epa.gov/xxxxXX (4a) MPCA burn barrel resources: li.ttp:H\"vw.pea.state.mii.us/oea/redticcJburiibarrel.cfiii (4b) MPCA anti -idling resources, including model policies and educational materials: littp: //www.pca, state.mn.us/air/cleandiesel.html (4c) Indoor air quality resources: lit.tp://www.pea.state.iiin.us/publications/nine.tivii-oniiieiit/.f,-tl]2008/iiidooi-air.htiiil and littp://NN,,ww.health.state.iiin.us/divs/eii/airI ndex.litin, (4d) Lawn inower sharing campaign: http:/hvw­vv.nextsten.state.inn.us/res detail,cfni?id=4264 (5a) Project GreenFleet, a collaborative effort lead by Minnesota Environmental Initiative, with business, government agencies and non-profit organizations, to improve air quality and protect public health by reducing emissions from Minnesota's school buses and other diesel vehicles: htti):Hk�,,NNw.projectgi-eeiif.leet.o (5b) U.S. EPA's Smar(Way Transport program: SmartWav Transport Program (5c) MPCA financing for auxiliary power units: littp://,vv%N,w.l)ca,state.iiin.tis/progra.iiis/sboilib loan.litmWevaluation (6) For resources on public charging stations, contact Fran Crotty, Prevention and Assistance Division, MN Pollution Control Agenc 651/757-2297, fran.crotty( Y �)Vca.state. i -nn. Lis Bencrits • Outdoor wood boilers emit up to 1,000 times more pollution than traditional indoor gas and oil furnaces and warrant attention if they are significantly present within a city. • Vehicles with diesel engines represent only 10% of traffic on Minnesota roads, but contribute to more than 50% of air pollution generated by vehicles in the state, making improvements to them a high payoff investment. • Air pollution levels in borrics are often two to five times higher than outdoors, according to EPA studies. Many years of attention to indoor smoking has improved indoor air quality, but now widely available non-toxic paints, cleaners, furnishings and other ]ionic products .make ftirther improvements possible. Connection to State Policy • While Minnesota cities have overall air pollution levels that fall under state/national standards, local air quality can be compromised by a variety of specific conditions, which cities can address by targeted actions. 16. Urban Forests 17. Efficient Storm water Management 23. Benchmarks and Community Engagement 24. Green Business Development Optional: 2. Efficient Private Existing Buildings 3. New Green Buildings 22. Solid Waste 18. Green Infrastructure 8. Efficient & Healthy Development Patterns Kristina goes on to say: "The City is already satisfactorily completing six Best Practices (5, 6, 12, 13, 26, 27). As a reminder the City needs 15 total to claim itself as a GreenStep City. This is not a requirement of the Pilot, but if the City is interested then some of the Optional BP's may be of greater interest." This information is based on a report I submitted about our activities as a city. You may want to take that into consideration when you make your final recommendation to the Council. You can find the corresponding number/step on the attached sheet entitled "Program Requirements". Xcel Energy/Centerpoint Meeting Michael Platteter, Bill Sierks, Paul Thompson, Mayor Hovland and I met with representatives from Xcel Energy and Centerpoint Energy, as well as representatives from the Center for Energy and Environment (the contractor who provides home audit and maintenance activities for the utilities). It was a very good meeting, and we discussed a couple of things that I think the EEC should take action on at tonight's meeting before we move forward: • Promotion of the Xcel and Centerpoint "Energy Squad" program (see attachments). • Promotion of programs, probably through the city website (would need approval from City Manager): o Old Refrigerator rebate --$35.00 o Ground Source Heat Pump rebate program o Saver Switch program • Energy Efficient Cities Program through CEE—this is not statewide yet, but we may be able to work with them to implement portions of the program. I can work with Xcel to implement these programs once you take action on a recommendation. EEC Staff Report 4-8-10 Heather Worthington, Staff liaison Green Step Consumption Measurement Pilot Please see the attached letter from Rick Carter regarding a proposal for Green Step Cities to participate in a measurement of local energy consumption. I would like to work with Commissioner Paterlini to determine if this is something we would recommend to the EEC. Some work has already been done in this area, so I would not want to duplicate earlier efforts. We will report back to you at the May meeting. Green Steps The required and optional steps have been revised, and as you can see from the attachment, they have added "Efficient Existing Private Buildings" as a required step. I met with Kristina on Tuesday of this week, and we also reviewed the EEC's recommendations. She asked that the EEC narrow down the list of goals based on this information: 25 – the City is already doing enough of the action steps to be able to count it. 2 –there is interest, and it's now a requirement for Cat. C cities 19 – is not applicable to Edina as it relates to water bodies 3 – City is interested in implementing 22, 18, and 8 – City is partially implementing, has interest, and could accomplish necessary actions to achieve BP relatively easily 17 – City is interested in implementing 10 – is not applicable to Edina as it relates to larger undeveloped natural resource areas Kristina recommended that we have a total of 9 optional goals in our final report. As you can see, based on her review, some of the goals you chose were not applicable to Edina. In particular, these relate to surface water (which is regulated by the watershed districts), and conservation (which, according to Green Steps, is related to areas where specific species or ecosystems are protected—not typically in urban or suburban environments). As a result of this conversation, I would recommend that the EEC narrow their goals down to the required goals, and 8 optional goals from the original list: Required: 1. Efficient Existing Public Buildings 2. Efficient Existing Private Buildings 11. Complete Streets 15. Purchasing ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION NAME TERM J F/C F M A M J J A S O N D Christianson, Steve 2/1/2012 X X X Hanson, Jeannie 2/1/2012 X X X Iyer, Surya 2/1/2012 X X X X Latham, Dianne 2/1/2012 X X X X Lee, Hailey student X X Paterlini, Germana 2/1/2013 X X X Platteter, Michael 2/1/2012 X X X X Risser, Julie 2/1/2013 X X X Sierks, Bill 2/1/2013 X X X X Thompson, Paul 2/1/2013 X X X X F/C = February meeting with City Council