HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes 9-8-08City of Falcon Heights
Environment Commission
Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2008
Present: Diane Ross, Ron Kroese, Nina Semmelroth, Gretel Keene, Peter Lindstrom Stan Sveen,
Michael Talbot, Ethan Wagner
Absent: Justin Miller, Sam Bontrager
The commission meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM.
1. Minutes of July 14 were approved
2. Xcel Wind Energy Program. The commission supports participating in Xcel's wind energy program and would like to see a sign indicating our participation in a high profile area of
the city, such as community park or city hall. The commission directed staff to identify potential places for discussion at the next commission meeting.
3. Community Garden Expansion. The commission support expansion of the garden. There was general support of expanding the garden in the shape of an "L" in order to keep plots close
to the water source. Commission members would like staff to send them the link to the garden's blog.
4. Ice Cream Social. Traffic was pretty slow to the booth but they did speak to several residents. It was suggested that in future years the booth should be made more interactive
with hands-on activities for kids, such as a scavenger hunt. One or two re-usable grocery bags were sold.
5. Wood stove. Diane's neighbor has a wood burning stove that she believes was installed improperly. The house is vacant - 1829 Simpson. She can smell the smoke which bothers some
neighbors, but not her. She asked that staff report at the next commission meeting on what our policy is on wood burning stoves and what some common practices are in other cities.
Stan informed the commission on a solar panel that generates about 500 watts on a clear day and is about the size of a picnic table. It can be pluged into an outside home outlet. An
inverter allows energy to flow into the home. http://www.melinkcorp.com/ingrid_info.pdf