CFS Meeting Notes – March ’16

Pollinators Updates

Pollinator Day at Nativity Lutheran Church

  • CFS handed out seed packets
  • Held seed exchange and had sign-up for another seed exchange in spring

Pollinator pathways

  • The city is dedicated to continue improving city plantings
  • Folks can still apply for pollinator garden funds (city has $5000 to offer to residents)–fill out the application and send it to kristin.seaman@ci.saint-anthony.mn.us

Walk/Bike Updates

  • CFS members were invited to circle problem intersections on an SAV map for the Parks Commission
  • Hennepin and Ramsey Counties presented on Active Living could use our help tying bike/walking paths together

Silver Lake Village Neighborhood Association

  • Association just started up. Neighborhood borders: Stinson Blvd, Silver Ln, Silver Lake Rd, 37th Ave NE
  • Upcoming event: Cleanup of Salo pond area (April 23rd)
  • Event supplies: Will approach city and Inland
  • Additional Event Volunteers: Ask Inland’s commercial tenants
  • City tie-in: Bring in police and fire for community education and show of city support
  • Idea: Seek Adopt-a-park status?

Model Energy Remodel in SAV

  • Retrofitting standard home to make it energy and water efficient
    • Began with a U of M class assessment
  • Event dates are not yet set, will allow the public to review the project and at least one other home with solar panels installed
  • Kristin will provide a handout of building envelope and mechanicals tips (related to the house upgrades)

Solar Sub-group Update

  • Solar Power Hour in Roseville
    • Event overview–reiterated solar best practices:
      1. Make efficiency updates to reduce needed solar system size
      2. Install solar panels
  • Perhaps CFS should encourage a city ordinance for Solar Ready roofs on homes like California? (protrusions on North-facing parts of roof, etc.)

Electronics Recycling

  • LEGO leagues group from December went on to win state competition
  • Their key takeaway is instead of mining virgin materials, reclaim precious materials from unused/old/broken electronics given their speed of replacement
  • Wilshire Park, St. Charles, and Nativity students have implemented cell phone collection
  • Tech Dump will be part of the SAV city cleanup in May

Questions and Comments

  1. Why do they aerate Silver Lake?
    1. To improve water quality? Kristin will check
  2. Why is one pond low in Salo park?
    1. We don’t know
  3. Look for an SAV Community Service gardening course–taught by a CFS member!
  4. Tips for encouraging an associate to replace lawn with native plantings?
    1. Committee has worked with Metro Blooms, try Rich Harrison
  5. Ways to improve Salo Park?
    1. Inland has a good opportunity to develop park/pond area with the city
    2. Is it possible to develop it into a better green space?
    3. It’s probably time to create a sub-group for Salo Park
    4. People would be more willing to volunteer if they knew the city was supportive
  6. Community Garden interest renewed?
    1. Yes, but only if land is available
    2. Member suggested looking on Silver Ln
  7. April 11: Parks Commission Visioning Session
    1. Bring up Salo Park – Inland
  8. June __: SAV Comprehensive Plan meeting
    1. City’s major points will each be covered
    2. CFS should propose priorities for the Comprehensive Plan
    3. US Green Building Council will be present
  9. Can we build a list of, say, 10 priorities for the city?
    1. Solar! (Paul, Dan, Kristin)
    2. Green space! (Lona) – aesthetics, native plantings, rain gardens
    3. Bike/walk! (Mary, Kara, Becky)
    4. Add water stewards group? (Idelle) – water quality?
  10. How do we find out who in CFS is interested in what?
    1. Send an email to the full group to vote on our favorite topics
    2. Create a half-sheet with these priorities to bring to community meetings
  11. Met Council will be looking for equity discussion in SAV comp plan
    1. title 6, ADA, age discrimination act, health impacts
    2. CFS could create a sub-group for transportation more broadly
    3. Keith Ellison’s team will bring in community members (District 5) on an evening or a weekend
    4. Contact Mary to be alerted to this meeting
  12. For April 9 CFS meeting:
    1. breakout sessions for each of the subgroups to use to develop top talking points.
  13. For May 14 CFS meeting:
    1. finalize/focus list
  14. North side of Stinson, there was a building torn down near Prestemon Park. Why?
    1. Will be built into dental office
    2. developer has agreed to connect Stinson to the park
  15. Encourage building managers to provide shopping carts to residents near grocery stores (equity)
  16. Issues to bring up with legislators
    1. Reestablishment of the Citizens Review Board of the PCA
    2. Gathering stances on the PolyMet mine
  17. Reminder about Emerald Ash Borer: the state has made funds available to cities
    1. For homeowners: visit arrest the pest or 1-888-545-6684
  18. SAV will become a Tree City USA in 2016
    1. Nat’l arbor day foundation backed
    2. $2/capita city spending on trees
    3. part of the comprehensive plan
  19. When planning commission, parks commission, city council have openings, we should share within CFS
    1. For CFS Calendar: Add a reminder every every September to check for openings on the planning and parks commission

Items to communicate to our list

  1. Create a form (with an ‘other’ option) for the subgroups
  2. Bring a comprehensive list to June meeting
  3. EAB Arrest the pest: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/arrestthepest (1-888-545-6684)

By Dan Kunitz

Dan Kunitz is a Minnesota native interested in decarbonization. He is a business analyst at the University of Minnesota and volunteers his website and design skills to Citizens for Sustainability.

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