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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEC Packet 7.13.2026City of Falcon Heights Environment Commission City Hall 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West AGENDA Monday, July 13, 2026 6:30 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Adam Keester (Chair) ____ David Smith ____ John Pellegrini (Vice-Chair) ____ Monika Chandler ____ Nuz Sanidad (Secretary) ____ Erica Bjelland ____ Beth Mercer-Taylor ____ Staff Liaison Myhren ____ Council Liaison May ____ C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. June 8, 2026 E. NEW BUSINESS 1. Lawn & Garden Tours 2. Ice Cream Social Tabling 3. Partners in Energy – Implementation Debrief 4. Les Bolstad Redevelopment Project – CAC Update F. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Staff Liaison Report 2. Council Liaison Report G. ADJOURN Next regular meeting date: August 10, 2026 City of Falcon Heights Environment Commission City Hall 2077 Larpenteur Avenue West MINUTES Monday, June 8, 2026 6:30 p.m. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:30 p.m. B. ROLL CALL: Adam Keester (Chair) _X_ David Smith _X_ John Pellegrini (Vice-Chair) _X_ Monika Chandler _X_ Nuz Sanidad (Secretary) _X_ Erica Bjelland _A_ Beth Mercer-Taylor _A_ Staff Liaison Myhren _X_ Council Liaison May _X_ C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Keester made a motion to prove the agenda. Motion passed by consent. D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. May 11, 2026 Chair Keester made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 11, 2026 meeting. Motion passed by consent. E. NEW BUSINESS 1. Indoor Air Quality The commission discussed an upcoming informational event focused on indoor air quality concerns, including mold, third hand smoke, and other home environmental hazards. Falcon Heights resident Nina Sherburne shared her personal experience with undisclosed property issues and proposed a community listening session featuring expert speakers. Sherburne is still looking for more volunteers, leads, or experts in indoor air quality. The commission expressed support for partnering on the event, including helping promote it through the city newsletter and exploring the use of City Hall as a venue. Commissioners also discussed adding indoor air quality resources to the city website. 2. Boulevard Tree Update Staff Liaison Myhren reported that sign-ups for the free boulevard tree program were lower than expected, with only 17 residential trees requested so far. Staff are considering additional trees for public spaces. Discussed promotion for fall tree sign-ups which could begin at the Ice Cream Social on July 16, 2026. 3. Lawn & Garden Tours As of June 8, 2026, eight hosts have confirmed participation in the Lawn and Garden Tour, with two additional likely prospects. The commission hopes to secure more hosts before the July 10 deadline. 4. Climate Action Plan Implementation Update Staff Liaison Myhren highlighted a few climate action goals that the Commission could focus on starting and finishing this fall for commissioners to pick up. Chair Keester mentions as a member of the CAC, he will explore with plan options that could be targeted with the development on the old golf course. The commission agrees that waste management and water, wastewater, is a good area to prioritize. F. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. CAC Update Report - Chair Keester reported on recent discussions within the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). At this time, no formal development proposal for the former golf course has been submitted to the city. Until a proposal is available, the CAC and the Environment Commission will continue sharing relevant information as issues arise. Chair Keester will relay updates between the two groups to ensure alignment on environmental and planning considerations. 2. Staff Liaison Report – None. 3. Council Liaison Report – Council Liaison May provided updates on city, county, and state initiatives, with a focus on multimodal transportation goals and related grant opportunities currently in progress. She also noted that the Metropolitan Council has launched a study of Larpenteur Avenue across Ramsey County, which may inform future transportation and safety improvements within Falcon Heights. G. ADJOURN Commissioner Keester made a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned by consent at 8:09 PM. Next regular meeting date: July 13, 2026 REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Lawn & Garden Tours Description The Environment Commission has agreed to hold the Lawn & Garden Tours on Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 9 am – 12 pm. Sign-ups for hosting a Tour are now closed. This is an update of all hosts signed up and status of yard signs. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) N/A Action(s) Requested No action requested. Meeting Date July 13, 2026 Agenda Item E-1 Attachment N/A Submitted By Hannah Myhren, Community Development Coordinator / Planner REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Ice Cream Social Tabling Description The City’s annual Ice Cream Social is being held on Thursday, July 16 from 5 PM to 7 PM at City Hall. The Environment Commission has been assigned one table, per their request, for providing information to residents. At the Commission’s last meeting, it was decided a focus could be on recycling, waste management, and reuse. Staff will prepare materials for handouts during the information fair. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) N/A Action(s) Requested Staff request Commissioners discuss and decide who will be tabling at Ice Cream Social and provide feedback on handout materials. Meeting Date July 13, 2026 Agenda Item E-2 Attachment N/A Submitted By Hannah Myhren, Community Development Coordinator / Planner REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Partners In Energy – Implementation Debrief Description Staff recently met with Partners in Energy to discuss the end of the implementation period of the Partners in Energy program for the City’s Energy Action Plan. The presentation being shared is from the PIE team and outlines the progress the City has made. This will be an opportunity to establish where to focus future goals. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) - Presentation Action(s) Requested Staff request Commissioners discuss future goals and strategies for Energy Action Plan implementation. Meeting Date July 13, 2026 Agenda Item E-3 Attachment Presentation Submitted By Hannah Myhren, Community Development Coordinator / Planner IMPLEMENTATION DEBRIEF June 25, 2026 1 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. AGENDA Meeting Agenda Falcon Heights Energy Action Plan in Review Implementation Successes and Challenges Partners in Energy Experience Next Steps for Falcon Heights 2 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. FALCON HEIGHTS PARTNERS IN ENERGY PROCESS 3 Jan –August 2024 Planning Phase (3 Workshops, 3 Surveys, and 2 Open Houses) October 2024 EAP approved by City Council November 2024: MOU signed, Implementation begins Nov 2024 – April 2026: Implementation phase – Partners in Energy support June 2026: Implementation Debrief – Next steps to 2030 goals © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. FALCON HEIGHTS’ ENERGY ACTION TEAM (17 COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS) •Xcel Energy representatives •City staff and City Council liaison •Partners in Energy facilitation team •University of Minnesota student and energy staff rep •Environmental Commission members •Falcon Heights’ residents and homeowners 4 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. ENERGY ACTION PLAN Vision “Falcon Heights prioritizes energy strategies that lead to a sustainable and equitable future.” Alleviating Energy Burden Enhancing Energy Efficiencies in Buildings Embracing Clean, Renewable Energy Focus Areas © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. FALCON HEIGHTS’ ENERGY ACTION PLAN GOALS 6 Energy Efficiency • Increase energy savings by 53% through participation in energy efficiency programs • Targets: 594,100 kWh electricity savings and 79,900 thermgas savings • Target: 400 program participants during implementation period Renewable Energy & Emissions • Avoid an additional 34% of community-wide GHG emissions (Baseline year: 2023) © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. •Residential •Home Energy Squad postcard •IQ HES bilingual flyer (Spanish / English) •Tabling script for residential engagement •Demystifying Renewables flyer •Multi-family •MF flyer for rental licensing inspections •MFBE and (1-4 unit) HES flyer •ROI Energy improvements flyer •Business •Business Decision Tree 7 MATERIALS LIBRARY © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. MORE VISUALS OF RESOURCES 8 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. REFLECTIONS What is one strategy or action you are proud of accomplishing in Falcon Heights during implementation? 9 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. IMPLEMENTATION HIGHLIGHTS Residents •Promoted Home Energy Squad® through a postcard to 1,100 residents in older homes •Residential Heating and Cooling became top program in Falcon Heights with 103 participants •Hosted Sustainability Fair in 2026 with HES and Citizens Utility Board tabling alongside •Developed and utilized tabling scripts and tips at community events •Summer Ice Cream social –had a great turnout, distributed nightlights and flyers •Community received income-qualified, bilingual HES and Energy Assistance flyers at events •LI-HES had 3 participants and LI-MFBE went from 0 to 4 participants 10 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. IMPLEMENTATION HIGHLIGHTS 11 Businesses and Multi-family Buildings •Multi-family flyers created for sending out to rental licensing applications •Falcon Heights installed solar panels on City Hall through grant. •HVAC+R participation grew from 10-18 (strong year over year growth) •ROI Energy Improvement flyers for building owners •Business Decision Tree flyer created (interactive and print versions) © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. PROGRESS TOWARD GOALS 12 Data is from November 1, 2024-December 31, 2025. Important context: One large C&I entity (removed from consumption data per the 4/50 privacy rule) completed significant energy efficiency projects at the start of implementation. Their EE program savings and RE subscriptions remain in the dashboard data per Partners in Energy policy, significantly inflating the cumulative energy savings and emissions numbers above. Program participation is the most meaningful metric for evaluating Partners in Energy’s direct community impact. © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. PROGRESS: IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD TARGETS BY FOCUS AREA 13 Alleviating Energy Burden •LI-HES: 3 participants in 2025 (up from 1 in 2024) •MFBE grew from 0 to 4 participants Enhancing Energy Efficiency –Residential •Residential Heating & Cooling; 103 participants in 2025 (up from 80 in 2023 baseline) •Home Energy Squad: 34 more participants in 2025 •Insulation & Air Sealing: 6 participants in 2025 (up from 3 in 2023) Embracing Clean, Renewable Energy •Renewable*Connect is the highest participating program - 182 participants •City installed solar panels through grant •RE kWh subscribed increased 31% (12.4M → 16.4M kWh) © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. PROGRESS: IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD TARGETS BY FOCUS AREA 14 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. YOUR PARTNERS IN ENERGY EXPERIENCE •What worked well? •What could be improved? •What didn’t we get to that you wanted to work on? 15 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. ROAD TO 2030: WHERE WE STAND EAP 2030 Targets (4.5 years remaining) •Energy Efficiency Participation: 350 of 1,736 cumulative target (~20%) •2025 Annual EE participation was 240 –growth needed on annual pace (290 per year needed) •Energy savings and emissions targets appear on track –driven largely by one C&I entity (violator) Key takeaway: The Partners in Energy implementation period built the foundation. Now, sustaining momentum through graduate support and city- led action is critical to reaching 2030 targets. 16 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES Graduate support application:xcelenergycommunities.com/graduate-support 17 © 2025 Xcel Energy Inc. NEXT STEPS FOR FALCON HEIGHTS •What is your priority to continue in 2026? •What support are you interested in from Partners in Energy? 18 REQUEST FOR DISCUSSION City of Falcon Heights, Minnesota __________________________ Item Les Bolstad Redevelopment Project – CAC Update Description The Community Advisory Committee for the Les Bolstad Redevelopment Project last held a meeting on June 17, 2026 at the Highland Bridge development in St. Paul. A walking tour was provided of the development before a meeting occurred in the Lunds & Byerlys community taproom to discuss MetCouncil’s Comprehensive Plan requirements for 2050, the developer selection, and other topics. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) N/A Action(s) Requested Staff request Chair Keester provide an update on the CAC’s last meeting and future steps. Meeting Date July 13, 2026 Agenda Item E-4 Attachment N/A Submitted By Adam Keester, Environment Commission Chair