Survey of Tuesday vs Saturday
- Brianne is in on Tuesday, so Tuesday mornings would be a good time
Organics Collection
- U pays $64/ton for waste, $15/ton for organics
- Minneapolis is opt-in organics
- Hennepin/Ramsey drop off sites do collect organics (except Arden hills)
- Elk river (and others) participate in a blue bag program where residents are sent blue compostable bags and put in regular garbage bin
- Is SAV requiring haulers take waste to waste-to-energy
- Do SAV haulers offer organics anywhere else?
- Could we ask haulers to put organics bins in parks and other large parking lots like Minneapolis?
- Columbia heights has community collection locations
- We usually meet with Jay in January, this can be included
Communications
- Better leverage quarterly Village Notes
3 meeting series at Nativity
- Latest was on trees
- maple are no longer suggested
- diversity is more important
- perhaps we could suggest what trees are offered to residents after street replacements
- tree city should have done an assessment
- what does the city plant on its own land?
- work with landscaping companies to influence
- gather list of trees more resilient to climate change
- maple are no longer suggested
Dark sky compliance
- suggest compliance in comp plan
- members could do an informal assay
Working with the city
- City could sponsor xcel/centerpoint energy audits
- What ordinances can the city write toward business energy?
- there is a state energy code for remodeling and new construction
- what about when a building’s use changes?
- aging natural gas line replacement taxes?
- how do we incentivize energy efficiency?
- is there funding for a city award
Water quality
- water/fertilizer/pesticide use
- salt use
- could we work with watershed?
- do the master water steward program (fresh water society, water districts)
- participants are required to volunteer/educate
- we could ask for volunteer participation
- grass alternatives
- cut high, leave clippings, spread compost not commercial fertilizers, normalize native plantings/grasses
- make city property an example
- more broad plantings, not just feature gardens
- attach to storm water efforts
- golf courses, cemeteries, schools, business complexes
- awards?
- we have pollinator and rain garden awards, can we setup an award for responsible landscaping
Lowry Grove
- city has a lot of leverage when a large space is redeveloped
- make an example
- too high?
- additional traffic
- additional students in a crowded district
- alert each other when Lowry Grove meetings occur
- environmental review?
- citizens can petition for an environmental review, if it hasn’t happened
- with higher density, we need to be sure it has green space
- letter writing campaign (create form letter)
- environmental review
- density
- affordability (how does developer care for existing residents)
- write to city council
- invite Brianne to meeting with Jay
Sustainability plans to review
- Falcon Heights
- Maplewood
Next GreenCorps member
- Nothing known yet
GreenSteps city
- request SAV data from step 4
SAMS
- Ecology club weekly meetings, 2:15/2:30 on Tuesdays
- opportunity for citizens to come in
Kudos to NE Middle School’s rain garden
- MWMO funded
- 5 contractors involved
January 28th meeting
- should be potluck
