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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEC Packet 12.8.2025City of Falcon Heights Environment Commission City Hall 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West AGENDA Monday, December 8, 2025 6:30 p.m. A.CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. B. ROLL CALL:Beth Mercer-Taylor (Chair) ____ Georgiana May ____ John Pellegrini (Vice-Chair) ____ David Smith ____ Adam Keester ____ Nuz Sanidad ____ Monika Chandler ____ Staff Liaison Lynch ____ Council Liaison Mielke ____ C.APPROVAL OF AGENDA D.APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1.November 10, 2025 E. NEW BUSINESS 1. Sustainability Fair Updates 2. Standing Rules Review 3. Goal Setting for 2026 F.INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Staff Liaison Report 2.Council Liaison Report G.ADJOURN Next regular meeting date: January 12, 2026 City of Falcon Heights Environment Commission City Hall 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West Minutes Monday, November 10, 2025 6:30 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Beth Mercer-Taylor (Chair) _A_ Georgiana May _X_ John Pellegrini (Vice-Chair) _X_ David Smith _X_ Adam Keester _X_ Nuz Sanidad _X_ Monika Chandler _X_ Staff Liaison Lynch _X_ Council Liaison Mielke _X_ C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Vice-Chair Pellegrini made a motion to approve the agenda. Motion passed by consent. D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. October 13, 2025 Vice-Chair Pellegrini made a motion to approve the October 13, 2025 minutes. Motion passed by consent. E. NEW BUSINESS 1. Boulevard Tree Plantings Staff Liaison Lynch gave an update on the boulevard tree planting program. She stated 24 new boulevard trees were planted throughout the City, with three leftover trees which were planted at Community Park. She stated the response was good, but there were two unhappy property owners. One issue is two trees were ordered which were later discovered are soon to be on the Minnesota Invasive Species list. This issue was corrected within the hour of finding out, but the resident that brought this to Staff’s attention did not want to be part of the program anymore. The other resident that was unhappy with their tree thought they would be getting a drought-resistant elm, but residents were not allowed to choose their tree. Moving forward, Staff Liaison Lynch stated she would likely offer tree choices on the form, but also have residents check a box acknowledging that they may not get the tree they are choosing and it will depend on availability, size of the space for the tree, and other concerns. For the residents that received boulevard trees this year, a reminder notice will be sent out in the spring about watering. 2. Energy Action Plan Update Staff Liaison Lynch gave an update on the Energy Action Plan and stated that the City is well on the way to meeting goals. She presented the data set from the first half of 2025. She stated that the focus will be moving to more residential outreach with Home Energy Squad (HES) visits and follow-up in neighborhoods where many HES visits already took place. They will also begin to look at energy-burdened Census blocks. She stated the numbers are slightly skewed due to a large industrial/commercial data set within the City’s numbers. She also stated that recently flyers were mailed out to all residential rental license holders and all business license holders within the City to notify them about different Xcel Energy programs. 3. SCORE Funding Staff Liaison Lynch gave an update on SCORE funding for 2025. There was a total of $36,636 in funds available, with $14,009 of that to be used for incentives. She asked Commissioners for ideas for any last events or activities to provide to residents for 2025. Suggestions included another e-waste recycling, textile recycling, and paper shredding event, reusable produce and grocery bags, recycling bins for the parks, a mattress recycling event, and possibly a clothing donation bin for City Hall. F. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Staff Liaison Report Staff Liaison Lynch advised on the status of the City Hall solar panels. They are all installed and awaiting final inspections before they can be energized. Additionally the Sustainability Fair is tentatively scheduled for April 18, 2026 at the City of Lauderdale, and March 9, 2026 will be a joint meeting between the Falcon Heights and Lauderdale Environment Commissions. Finally, code changes around landscaping and trees and the Green-To-Go ordinance is on hold, likely until February, when City Council will have a chance to review these items. 2. Council Liaison Report Council Liaison Mielke stated City Council is currently working on the capital budget, and the City will potentially need to purchase two new trucks. A hybrid vehicle is being explored but it would also need to have a charger installed. G. Adjourn Meeting was adjourned at 8:08 p.m. Next regular meeting date: December 8, 2025 ITEM FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Sustainability Fair Updates Description City Staff have been working with the City of Lauderdale to begin planning the Sustainability Fair. The Environment Commission should now begin to think about organizations for tabling at the event. There will have a maximum of 15 tables if presentations are done again, and a maximum of 25 if there are no presentations. The deadline for suggestions to this list is January 2, 2026. No further suggestions will be accepted after this deadline as tabling organizations are getting booked now for Earth Day events. We will not pay organizations to table at the event. Budget Impact None. Attachment(s) 2025 Sustainability Fair – Tabling Outreach List Action(s) Requested Staff requests the Environment Commission discuss any additional organizations to reach out to for the 2025 Sustainability Fair. Meeting Date December 8, 2025 Agenda Item E-1 Attachment See below. Submitted By Hannah Lynch, Community Development Coordinator Organization Contact Contact Notes Emailed? Response? Committed? Follow Up Notes as of 1/6 - deadline 1/31 Cooperative Energy Futures info@cooperativeenergyfutures.com x x Bee lab contact form x MN Toy Library outreach.mtl.committee@gmail.com x Monarch Joint Venture mailto:rmorris@monarchjointventure.orgmailto:kpuffer@monarchjointventure.orgcontact form x sent me contact form have until 2/21 to decide Bees Kneez https://www.thebeezkneezdelivery.com/contact x x have until 2/21 to decide bim bam boo tricia@bimbamboopaper.com x from mccc Ted/PBD/team x yes x Metro Transit Douglas.Cook@metrotransit.org x Yes x Minnesota Tool Library outreach@mntoollibrary.org Kate hersey x YES x x Solar United Neighbors bking@solarunitedneighbors.org janderson@solarunitedneighbors.org x YES x x CERTs ambassadors "Bruce" <3p14159pi@comcast.net>krau@gpisd.net x YEs yes x CRWD mxiong@capitolregionwd.org lschwantes@capitolregionwd.org x Yes x x Bicycle chain info@bicyclechain.com x Yes x x Ramsey co recycling ambassadors Gabe Reynolds, Gabriel <Gabriel.Reynolds@co.ramsey.mn.us> x YES YES x RC master gardeners contact form on site dlochner@umn.edu x YES x x The Good Acre Nikki Warner x YES x Reuse MN emilybarker@reusemn.org emilyn@reusemn.org x Yes x Bell museum Bea /Nehwoen x Yes x x Russ Henry email x YES x facebook group? Kate Anderson kanderson@coonrapidsmn.gov x seemed in?YES St Paul Water joshua x yes YES Gibbs Farm Sammy Nelson x YES YES Home Energy Squad sbootscamp@mncee.org Gerardo Roca <groca@mncee.org>x YES YES Adopt a Drain info@adopt-a-drain.org x no x got flyers from Hamline office great river greening jdrummond@greatrivergreening.org greening@greatrivergreening.org x NO x no capacity Mosaic on a stick mosaiconastick@gmail.com x no - want $ x emailed 1/21 Art Scraps Contact – ArtStart Cindy x no - costs $400 Ramsey co library/fix it clinic FixItClinics@ramseycounty.us x No Friends of the Mississippi River jcunningham@fmr.org wclark@fmr.org x No do it green mn contact form x blue thumb jacqueline@metroblooms.org x no x wants to have RC MG do it? freshwater society freshwater@freshwater.org sthompson@freshwater.org x NO x Seth will let me know after team mtg Xcel Energy elisa rasmussen EV chargers, solar programs, smart thermostats, etc.x no x combine with Gerardo from HES RCWD kendra x NO x mailing flyers Urban EggPlant order@eggplantsupply.com x no - busy bicycle alliance of mn ted@bikemn.org angela@bikemn.org form for availability x NO x sending info? Electrify everything MNCEE mdouglasmay@mncee.org Matthew must be signed up x No reached out to Matthew abt this Env Comm Sophie from Env Comm? Bridging maybe Better Futures Free Geek maybe Habitat ReStore solar - GPI Sydne Turke x not able x emailed 1/21 ITEM FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Standing Rules Review Description In January of every year, each Commission is required to review their standing rules. This is a review of the existing rules. Any amendments needed should be discussed. Budget Impact None. Attachment(s) • Environment Commission – Standing Rules • Administrative Manual on City Commissioners • Sikkink’s Seven Motion System Action(s) Requested Staff requests the Environment Commission discuss the Standing Rules and any potential amendments. Meeting Date December 8, 2025 Agenda Item E-2 Attachment See below. Submitted By Hannah Lynch, Community Development Coordinator City of Falcon Heights – Environment Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2025 FALCON HEIGHTS ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION STANDING RULES January 12, 2026 PURPOSE & DUTIES The purpose of the Environment Commission is to serve in an advisory capacity to the City Council on all policy matters relating to energy use, air quality, recreation and aesthetic appreciation, green infrastructure, water, solid waste, and environmental education. The commission's duties and responsibilities shall be to: 1. Recommend community objectives and policy related to environmental concerns; 2. Plan and coordinate environmental events for the city, using existing educational resources from other governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, research bodies, or university and academic resources; 3. Work with other city commissions to identify issues of common interest; 4. Make recommendations regarding the handling of solid waste within the city; and 5. Review all matters relating or affecting current and future handling of solid waste within the city. MEMBERSHIP TERMS & ORGANIZATION The commission may consist of up to seven (7) members, including one optional Youth Commissioner (excluding the Planning Commission). A majority of members must be Falcon Heights residents unless otherwise specified. Information on appointments, membership, and operations can be found within Section II, Commissions, of the City of Falcon Heights Administrative Manual. The term of office for all commissioners shall be three years. No member shall serve more than two consecutive three-year terms. All seven commissioners have one vote each and all can introduce motions. For purposes of leading the meeting, the chair, or in the absence of the chair, the vice-chair will be considered the chairperson. In the absence of the chair and vice-chair, the Commission shall name an acting chair for the duration of the meeting. The commission shall elect a chairperson from among its appointed members for a term of one year. The commission may create and fill other offices as determined necessary, also, with a term of one year. City of Falcon Heights – Environment Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2025 RULES I. Agenda To be considered, an item must be on the agenda and the agenda must be distributed to all the commission members and any other persons having responsibility for an item at least three working days prior to the meeting. Distribution may be made by electronic media, including the city website. An agenda can be modified with addenda by a majority vote but this should be used only for minor items or items with extreme time constraints. Since there may be an audience not familiar with each item, the chair, or person appointed by the chair, will give a brief explanation of each item as it is addressed. The order of items on the agenda need not be followed absolutely. The chair may adjust the order in the interest of: 1. Filling in time before a scheduled item, i.e., a public hearing. 2. Grouping several items to best make use of consultant time. 3. Accommodating individuals who have attended the meeting specifically, to provide input on an item. II. Process - Regular Commission Meetings For these proceedings the commission will use the 'open discussion' procedure. That is, discussion is open to any member before or after a motion is made. This privilege is also extended to the Staff Liaison and any of the consultants who may have an interest in or can contribute to the item at hand. At the discretion of the chair, this privilege is also extended to those members of the audience who wish to provide input. The chair may also rule out of order any input felt to be redundant, superfluous or irrelevant. The chair can make liberal use of the "unanimous consent" procedure. That is, items that in the judgment of the chair are likely to be unanimously approved, can be introduced for approval with the statement "If there are no objections, ... stands approved (or denied)." If any commissioner has an objection, then the item reverts to the standard motion procedure. This "unanimous consent" procedure cannot be used for items requiring formal votes, i.e. resolutions. The standard motion procedure is changed to not require a second. A motion need only be made to be considered. This also applies to amendments. To eliminate confusion, only one amendment will be considered at a time and that amendment must be germane to the motion. An amendment cannot itself be amended. If a City of Falcon Heights – Environment Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2025 change to an amendment is deemed appropriate, the amendment should be withdrawn and reintroduced accordingly. The general mode of voting will be by acclamation but with enough clarity that the individual votes can be recorded in the minutes. If in doubt, the secretary can request a clarification. If the commission action is the result of a resident request and that request is denied in whole or in part, reasons of fact supporting the denial will be made part of the public record. No commission meeting will extend beyond 10:00 P.M. except by unanimous vote. This rule is not subject to the modification or suspension provisions of the Standing Rules. The commission shall hold scheduled meetings, not less than one per calendar quarter. ADOPTION/MODIFICATION/SUSPENSION These rules, with the exception of the mandatory 10:00 P.M. adjournment, can be adopted, modified or suspended in whole or in part by a 3/4 vote of the commission. If suspended, they are automatically reinstated at the next meeting. Should they be suspended or a situation occurs that is not covered by the standing rules, Sikkink's Seven Motion System (attached) will apply. ANNUAL REVIEW These rules will be reviewed annually in January. INTERPRETATION The chair will interpret the rules. However, the chair's interpretation can be appealed by any commission member and can be overruled by a majority vote. City of Falcon Heights Administrative Manual Section II Commissions Appointments, Membership, and Operations I. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to formalize the procedures and expectations for appointment, participation, and conduct of members serving on city commissions. Commissions serve as advisory bodies to the city council and are integral to public engagement and effective municipal governance. II. General Policy The City of Falcon Heights seeks to promote open and equitable access to public service through commissions, reflecting the city’s diversity and encouraging citizen participation in governance. Commissioners provide insight, review policies, and make recommendations to the city council. III. Commission Structure A. Standing Commissions The City Council has established the following standing commissions: • Planning Commission • Parks and Recreation Commission • Community Engagement Commission • Environment Commission Additional ad-hoc committees may be created by the council as needed but are not covered under this section. B. Membership Each commission may consist of up to seven (7) members, including one optional Youth Commissioner (excluding the Planning Commission). A majority of members must be Falcon Heights residents unless otherwise specified. IV. Appointment Process A. Recruitment and Application 1. Vacancy notice: All vacancies are advertised for a period of at least 30 days with a post and end date stated. Vacancies are advertised through the city website, e-newsletter, and may also be advertised on social media. Applications received after the stated end date shall not be considered. 2. Term vacancies: Openings can be advertised starting 30 days prior to the end of a commissioner’s second term. 3. Resignation vacancies: vacancies due to resignation or removal are announced following formal acceptance by the council. New commissioners appointed following a resignation or removal vacancy would be eligible to serve full terms as outlined in Section IV C. 4. Application: All applicants must submit a completed application including contact information, interest statement, relevant experience, and availability. Applications will not be saved for future consideration. B. Appointment 1. Applications for a city commission are collected by staff when a vacancy occurs as outlined in Section IV A. 2. Applications will be reviewed in a reasonable time frame by an interview committee consisting of the Staff Liaison, Commission Chair or senior ranking officer, and City Council Liaison to that commission. The interview committee will interview applicants and make a recommendation for appointment based on the applicant’s application and interview to select the most qualified candidate for the commission. The criteria for determining the most qualified applicant is their ability to reflect the General Purpose as outlined in Section II. 3. The Mayor has the opportunity to review the recommendation of the selected applicant and reach out directly to the applicant if additional information is requested. 4. Appointments are made by majority vote of the City Council as a consent agenda item following a recommendation from the interviewing committee. 5. Commissioners may be reappointed up to a maximum of two consecutive terms, unless otherwise approved by the Council. C. Term 1. Regular commissioners serve three-year terms, with up to one reappointment allowed consecutively. Upon completion of service on one commission, commissioners are eligible for appointment to another commission, or after a period of at least one year, for appointment to the same commission on which they termed out of one year prior. 2. Youth Commissioners serve one-year terms and may be reappointed up to two times. 3. Terms begin on the date of appointment by the City Council, not a fixed annual schedule. D. Resignation and Removal 1. Resignations must be submitted in writing and formally accepted by the Council before a vacancy is filled. 2. Commissioners may be removed by a majority vote of the Council for any reason, including but not limited to poor attendance. V. Youth Commissioners A. Role and Eligibility 1. Youth Commissioners are full voting members and count toward quorum. 2. Must be residents of Falcon Heights and between ages 16–18. *If a youth commissioner would turn 19 years of age during their appointed term and seek reappointment, they must then be appointed as a regular commissioner, as vacancy allows. 3. Enrolled in high school or equivalent education program. B. Appointment and Term • Appointed through the standard process. • Serve one-year terms from date of appointment. • May serve up to three total terms. The maximum term shall not exceed six years total, as a mixture of youth and regular commission years served consecutively. VI. Stipends and Compensation 1. All commissioners, including youth members and officers, receive a $50 stipend per formally noticed meeting attended, provided they are present for the majority of the meeting. 2. Stipends are paid through a sign-in record and processed as employee W-2 income. 3. Commissioners may decline compensation and serve voluntarily. 4. Commissioners receive stipends even if a meeting is canceled for lack of quorum, as long as attendance is pre-communicated with Staff Liaison (see VIII). VII. Orientation and Onboarding 1. The Staff Liaison will provide new member orientation before or shortly after appointment, including overview of commission duties, policies, and open meeting laws. 2. Officers and continuing commissioners are encouraged to assist with recruitment and mentorship of new members. VIII. Attendance and Participation 1. Regular attendance is expected. Missing more than 25% of scheduled meetings or three consecutive absences may result in removal. 2. Members should notify the Staff Liaison in advance of absences. If an absence is not communicated to the Staff Liaison by 3:00 PM the day of the meeting and the absence results in a meeting being held with a lack of quorum, this Member shall not receive their monthly stipend due to a non-communicated absence resulting in lack of quorum. 3. Members may be asked, on occasion to lead a project and/or to volunteer their time at events. IX. Meeting Procedures and Reporting 1. Commissions meet at least quarterly and follow the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. 2. Each commission shall: o Elect officers annually. o Keep public records of actions. o Submit formal reports or requests to the City Council regarding policies or recommendations pursuant to their purpose as defined in City Code. X. Staff and Council Liaisons 1. Each commission is assigned a Staff Liaison to assist with agendas, provide policy guidance, ensure communication with city departments. 2. A Council Liaison may be assigned annually to foster communication between the council and commission. XI. Conflicts and Communications 1. Members must distinguish between personal opinions and official commission recommendations when speaking publicly. 2. Recommendations requiring City Council action must be submitted through the Staff Liaison to the City Administrator for agenda placement. SIKKINK’S SEVEN MOTION SYSTEM General Rules for a Simplified System of Parliamentary Procedure 1. The purpose of this decision making system is to allow efficient decision making that represents a majority position. Any motion, request, discussion or proposal, which seems to have as its purpose unreasonable delay, manipulation, or the goal of serving individual ends rather than group ends, can be ruled out of order by the chair. Such a ruling by the chair will be subject to the motion called appeal. 2. Free and open discussions are valued in this decision making system. For that reason, most motions are discussable and the motion to restrict discussion requires a 2/3 vote in order to pass. In recognizing persons for discussion, the chair first recognizes the person who made the motion, next recognizes other persons and always recognizes a person who has not spoken over a person who has already participated in the discussion. As far as possible, the chair should try to alternately recognize persons representing different viewpoints. 3. In examining the chart on the following page, you will note that five of the seven motions are amendable. However, only one amendment at a time may be considered. As soon as that amendment is passed or defeated, another amendment may be proposed. 4. The number in front of the motion listed indicates the rank of each motion. Thus, #1 – General motions are lowest in rank, and #7 – Restrict Debate motions are highest in rank. Two rules apply: (1)You usually cannot consider two motions of the same rank at the same time, and (2)If a motion of one rank is being considered, a motion of the same rank or lower rank is usually out of order, but a motion of higher rank is in order. While these rules generally apply, the chair may allow some flexibility in certain circumstances. These situations almost always occur with motions #5, 6 and 7. For example, if #7 - “Restrict Discussion” is being discussed and a member wants a secret ballot vote on the matter, Request, while lower in rank, could be used to accomplish this purpose. The chair is allowed to make all decisions on exceptions, but all such decisions are subject to appeal. Important Note: The previous page and the chart below are taken verbatim from the existing Administrative Manual of the City of Falcon Heights, now in revision. Please note that in the chart, the motions were put in order of rank from highest (#7) to lowest (#1). Type of Motion/Rank Purpose Applies To What Situations Needs Recognition Needs Second Can Be Discussed Amendable Vote Required 7. Restrict Discussion (highest rank) To stop or limit discussion All discussable motions Yes Yes Yes Yes 2/3 6. Appeal To let the group vote on a chair’s decision To decision of the chairperson No Yes Yes No Majority 5. Request Not a motion but a way to question, challenge, or seek help Any appropriate situation No No No No Chair decides subject to appeal 4. Postpone To delay action on any general motion to a future time General motions Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority 3. Refer To have a general motion studied by a committee General motions Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority 2. Meeting Termination To recess during a meeting or to end a meeting Made to recess or adjourn Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority 1. General (lowest rank) To bring up business for majority decisions by the group For doing business Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority ITEM FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Goal Setting for 2026 Description In an effort to organize projects and allow for adequate time to prepare, it is prudent to set goals for 2026 now. These are fluid, however it should be noted that any additions to these goals must be voted on by the Environment Commission with enough advance notice for the project to be completed successfully with staff support. The Commissioner suggesting the project will be considered the lead on the project, unless another Commissioner agrees to take it on. Budget Impact None. Attachment(s) • 2026 Goal Setting Document Action(s) Requested Staff requests the Environment Commission discuss goals for 2026. Meeting Date December 8, 2025 Agenda Item E-3 Attachment See below. Submitted By Hannah Lynch, Community Development Coordinator Project Tentative Date / Timeline Project Lead Cost Notes City Code Updates - Landscaping, Boulevard Trees February - City Council Workshop? Hannah Lynch N/A Sustainability Fair with City of Lauderdale April 18, 2026 Hannah Lynch $5,000 - SCORE Funding Will be held at City of Falcon Heights; shredding, textile recycing, e-recycling; tabling Lawn and Garden Tours July 2026 $200 Cost of yard signs Tree Sale June or October 2026 Hannah Lynch Possibly in partnership with Arbor Day Foundation and City of Lauderdale; maybe TreeTrust Fall Shredding/Recycling Event October 2026 Hannah Lynch $2,000 - SCORE Funding Green To Go Ordinance February - City Council Workshop? Hannah Lynch