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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/28/2012 Environmental Board MinutesENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING February 28, 2012 DRAFT MINUTES 1 APPROVED CITY OF LINO LAKES DATE : February 28, 2012 TIME STARTED : 6:30 P.M. TIME ENDED : 7:52 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT : Mary Jo O’Dea, Barbara Bor, Paula Andrzejewski, Martha DeHaven, Steve Heiskary, Theresa Klaman and Nancie Klebba MEMBERS ABSENT : None STAFF PRESENT : Environmental Coordinator Marty Asleson 1. CALL TO ORDER Ms. O’Dea called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. SWEARING IN OF BOARD MEMBERS Mayor Jeff Reinert was present to administer the oath and swearing in of reappointed Environmental Board Members Theresa Klaman and Paula Andrzejewski. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 25, 2012 Environmental Board Minutes Approved with the following changes: Change Kelbba to Klebba. Change VonDuke to VonDyke. Mr. Heiskary made a motion to approve the January 25, 2012 Environmental Board Minutes. Ms. Klaman seconded the motion to approve. Motion carried unanimously. 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Postpone Item 7A until March 28, 2012 meeting. Add Item 7F: Coal Tar handout. Ms. DeHaven made a motion to approve the agenda with changes. Ms. Andrzejewski seconded the motion to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously. 5. OPEN MIKE Open mike closed at 6:37 p.m. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING February 28, 2012 DRAFT MINUTES 2 6. ACTION ITEMS A. Wollan’s Park Wetland Bank, Part B: Wetland Bank Supplement Marty Asleson presented his staff report on Wollan’s Park, Minnesota Wetland Bank Plan Application, Part B: Wetland Bank Plan Supplement. Mr. Asleson’s stated City staff has communicated to Critical Connections that we have a restricted deed for a park that the City would need to maintain the area as a park, with a trail either implied on the plan or the trail placed on the plan or both. Land would need to be subtracted from the bank figures to compensate for the trail use. Ms. Bor questioned when this will go to council. Mr. Asleson stated the March 12 council meeting. Mr. Asleson stated work cannot start until the document is signed. Mr. Bor questioned the discussion years ago regarding schools using the area as a living classroom. She stated the concept should be included. Mr. Asleson stated he would add this. Mr. Heiskary stated to try and not burden the language down. Ms. Bor stated for a council perspective it should be mentioned. Ms. O’Dea suggested when referencing the trail also reference school use. Ms. O’Dea inquired if board members had comments or additions to the plan. Mr. Heiskary questioned if City staff will be taking on the 5 year plan as it will require a significant amount of work to be done. Mr. Asleson stated yes. Ms. O’Dea questioned the start date. Mr. Asleson stated maybe fall of 2012. The Board made a recommendation to forward the Wollan’s Park Wetland Bank document on to City Council. Mr. Heiskary made a motion to forward the document. Ms. Bor seconded the motion to forward the document. Motion carried unanimously. 7. DISCUSSION ITEM A. Waste Reduction and the People-Power-Planet ( PPP) Program, Trish Curtis – Item postponed to the March meeting. Change the name Trish to Jessica. B. Recycling Program Discussion with Amy Ulbricht/Anoka County Commercial Waste Management Specialist ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING February 28, 2012 DRAFT MINUTES 3 Mr. Asleson stated he and Mike Grochala, Community Development Director, met with all of the Lino Lakes waste haulers. One hauler stated in organized cities, such as Lino Lakes, they were able to jump into single sort sooner than other cities. Mr. Asleson stated the amount of recycling since single sort has been implemented has gone up. Ms. Bor questioned percentages of recycling. Mr. Asleson stated he was not sure what the totals are. All the garbage haulers are unanimously for a single hauler. Problem is all the haulers want to be the single hauler. Haulers stated they would be willing to run lighter trucks on bad roads. Mr. Asleson stated that the City engineer had a map of the really bad roads. Ms. O’Dea questioned what a lighter truck is. Mr. Asleson stated a truck that is only half full. Recycling haulers stated they would pass along recycle information on how to minimize garbage to residents in their newsletters. Ms. O’Dea also questioned if the haulers had numbers of their percentages of recycling. Mr. Asleson stated no. Ms. O’Dea questioned if he could get the numbers. He stated he would try. Amy Ulbricht was present from Anoka County who is a Commercial Waste Management Specialist. Mr. Asleson has been giving updates on the City’s Solid Waste Master Plan process to the County. Ms. Ulbricht stated when board members question the numbers for residential v. commercial recycling it is a hard number to get at. The County sends out recycling survey requests to businesses each year. The survey covers such things as how recycle containers are emptied, how big are containers, what type of product is being recycled, etc. She stated there are four haulers in Lino Lakes that she requests recycling information from. Ms. O’Dea questioned if haulers are required to give recycle information to the County. She stated no. She reviewed the Solid Waste Management fee that is a charge from the County and informed the board of the incentive program for businesses based on a recycling credit they can get. She stated there is a Solid Waste Management charge assessed on all properties that have improvements. The charge assessed is based on the value of a building. Businesses are eligible for a recycle credit by recycling 15% of their waste. Schools and municipalities receive a different type of credit. Schools do their best to recycle 50% as well as purchase environmentally friendly products. Schools and businesses are different. There are provisions for non generating waste facilities such as water towers, etc. They are not required to pay the Solid Waste fee. Ms. Ulbricht presented a copy of the County’s survey to board members. She would like to send out a recycle survey to all business in the City using Surveymonkey.com. Ms. O’Dea stated the need here is to focus to increase recycling. Mr. Asleson stated Mary Divine, Economic Development, was thinking about getting North Area Chamber of Commerce involved. Ms. Bor stated we need to identify what we are trying to do. It was stated to increase the number of people/businesses who recycle would be ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING February 28, 2012 DRAFT MINUTES 4 our first step. Mr. Asleson stated one of the points made to the haulers was we would like to see what is being recycled in Lino Lakes. Ms. Ulbricht stated she will send out the County survey to board members to look at. Ms. Bor stated we need to prioritize what we want to accomplish and chip away a little at a time. Mr. Asleson stated he would contact Mary Divine regarding sending out a recycling survey to businesses. Ms. O’Dea stated she would like Mr. Asleson to follow up with haulers and see where they are at. Mr. Heiskary stated he would like Mr. Asleson to follow up with a letter to the haulers thanking them and outline specific questions we would like them to respond to. C. Peltier Island Heron Maintenance Day Summary. Mr. Asleson stated on February 23, 2012 a group of volunteers went out onto Peltier Island to flash trees. He stated 30 trees were flashed and they were more to be done but they ran out of flashing. The group fixed about 15 trees. He stated there are an incredible number of nests on the island. Ms. Bor questioned if there has been bridging between trees. Mr. Asleson stated yes. The group that went did creative things to break this up. D. Earth Day – April 21st, 2012 Mr. Asleson stated the first meeting at Wargo Nature Center was Friday, February 24, 2012. The Environmental Board will be responsible for making popcorn and for a display table. The Board discussed ideas to present at the table. It was mentioned to make a call to Excel Energy to see if they can donate energy saving kits. Amy Ulbricht from Anoka County stated the County is involved with Earth Day. They had a display up at Wargo Nature Center last year. Ms. Ulbricht will have a display for us to use for the upcoming 2012 recycling day event. E. Community Garden update Information on the community gardens went out in the Spring/Summer Lino Lakes Newsletter. The garden plots will be $15.00 each this year. ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING February 28, 2012 DRAFT MINUTES 5 It was reported there has been much interest in the gardens. F. Coal Tar: Mr. Heiskary presented information on coal tar to the Board. He stated he believes industries/applicators discontinued selling these products. Individual businesses may still be using coal tar containing PAHs. Mr. Asleson stated currently businesses do not need to talk to the City when they put sealant on their driveways. Mr. Heiskary stated he would make a few calls to find out if the harmful products are still being used. 8. ADJOURN It was noted that the next meeting of the Environmental Board will be on Wednesday, March 28, 2011at 6:30 p.m. There being no further business, Ms. Andrzejewski moved to adjourn at 7:52 p.m. Mr. Heiskary seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. Transcribed by: Lisa Hogstad Community Development Secretary