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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2012_11_15Sustainability Council November 15, 2012 A meeting of the Sustainability Council was held at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at Brookings City & County Government Center with the following members present: Ryan Carda, Brooke Sydow, Norma Nusz Chandler, Donna Hess, Bob McGrath and Paul Peterson. Absent: Arika Sanders, Justin Fjeldos and Jane Hegland. Shari Thornes was also present. Carda called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. A motion was made by Hess, seconded by Sydow, to approve the agenda. All present voted yes; motion carried. A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Hess, to approve the October 25, 2012 minutes. All present voted yes; motion carried. Meeting Schedule: No meeting in December. January meeting TBD. Brookings Sustainability Indicators. A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Sydow, to approve the following sustainability indicators for Brookings. All present voted yes; motion carried. Principle Theme Indicator Regional Economy Economic Growth Growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capital - Growth in per capita GDP from previous year. Regional Economy Economic Growth Net Job Growth - Percent change in total employees Regional Economy Economic Growth Unemployment Rate - Percent of residents who are unemployed Regional Economy Economic Resiliency Economic Section Diversity - Index measuring diversity of the MSA economy through employment by sector Regional Economy Economic Resiliency Poverty - Percent of city residents living in poverty Regional Economy Economic Resiliency Gender Wage Gap - Female earnings as a percentage of male earnings for full-time, year-round workers Regional Economy Municipal Finance Debt Burden per Capita - Outstanding municipal debt per capita Regional Economy Municipal Finance Interest Rate on Municipal bonds - True Interest Cost (TIC) on general obligation (GO) bonds issued by the City of Brooking in a fiscal year Smart Energy Energy Affordability Energy Assistance - Percentage of households applying for energy assistance in the form of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Smart Energy Energy Utilization Household Energy Use - Residential energy use per household per year. Smart Energy Municipal Energy Three highest categories in city expense budget excluding payroll Smart Energy Municipal Energy Renewable Energy Use - Percent of municipal energy use derived from renewable sources Smart Energy Municipal Energy Energy Savings - Energy savings, measured in dollars, from demand reduction and energy efficiency projects in municipal buildings. Smart Resource Use Water Use Total Water Consumption - Residential water consumption per household Smart Resource Use Water Use Groundwater Conservation - Net water withdrawal from local groundwater sources Smart Resource Use Waste & Recycling Trash/Refuse Generation - Average weekly total pounds of solid discards produced per household Smart Resource Use Waste & Recycling Sustainable Materials Management - Percent of city curbside discards diverted to beneficial use instead of landfilling Smart Resource Use Waste & Recycling Hazardous Materials - Percent of residents participating in small business & household hazardous waste disposal Community Design Access To Complete Streets - Ratio of miles of sidewalks and bike paths to miles of roads Community Design Access To Mixed Use - Average land-use mix factor Community Design Access To Quantity of open space - Percent of city that is open space (including parks, schoolyards, and woodlands Community Design Access To Access to Open Space - Percent of households within walking distance (1/4 mile) of public open space (including parks and public schoolyards.) Community Design Heritage Historic Preservation - Number of buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places Community Design Smart Development Urban Density - Residents per acre of developed land Green Buildings Efficiency Buildings Green Standards - percent of non-residential buildings that meet Energy Star or LEED standards Green Buildings Efficiency Buildings Percent of residential with geothermal, solar, etc. Green Buildings Efficiency Buildings Percent of new buildings with geothermal, solar, etc. Green Buildings Housing Affordability Affordable Housing - Percent of households living affordable housing Green Buildings Safe and Healthy Buildings Safe Housing - Percent of rental housing inspections that result in housing code violations Healthy Local Food Access To Proximity to health foods – percent of residents with low access (more than one mile) to a supermarket or large grocery store in a food desert Healthy Local Food Access To Number of food producing greenhouses Healthy Local Food Local Food Community Gardens - Square footage of community and school gardens Healthy Local Food Local Food Farmers Market Attendance - Annual estimated attendees at Brooking's farmers market/produce stands Healthy Local Food Local Food Dollar value of local foods purchased by local institutions Healthy Local Food Healthy Food Healthy Diets - Percent of adults in the county who eat an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables Healthy Local Food Healthy Food Obesity - Percent of adults in the county who are obese Community Knowledge Sense of Place Volunteerism - Volunteer hours precipitate for city initiatives and national service programs Community Knowledge Sense of Place Voter Participation - Voter participation in general elections Community Knowledge Education Education Level: % of high school graduates, % of college graduates, % of upper lever graduates Community Knowledge Education 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency - Percent of 3rd grade students who meet or exceed proficiency standards Community Knowledge Eco-Literacy Sustainability Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior - Percent of residents who are aware of sustainability and have made specific behavioral changes to contribute to sustainability Community Knowledge Sense of Community Number of Church members, number of service club members, and number of clubs Community Knowledge Sense of Community Arts & Cultural festivals or events Reasonable Mobility Affordability True Housing Affordability - Percent of residents paying over 45% of their income on housing and transportation costs Reasonable Mobility Affordability Percent of employer who pays wages at or below poverty level Reasonable Mobility Net Pollution Vehicle Miles Traveled - Average annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita Reasonable Mobility Modal Diversity Walkable Neighborhoods - "Walk Score" derived from the Street Smart Walk Score index Reasonable Mobility Modal Diversity Public Transit Ridership - Number of public transit passenger trips per 1,000 residents Reasonable Mobility Safety Safe Travel Network - Number of collisions on the transportation network per 1,000 residents Healthy Air Outdoor Air Quality EPA Air Quality Index - Percent of monitored days with "Good" air quality Healthy Air Indoor Air Quality Household Radon - Percent of homes tested for radon above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) Healthy Air Air and Human Health Asthma - Annual emergency department (ED) visits for asthma (%/capita) Healthy Air Local Contribution to Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Emissions - Annual carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions in tons Healthy Air Reducing Net Pollution Clean Fleet - Percent of municipal vehicles meeting efficiency standards Clean Water River, Stream, & Watershed Quality Bacterial Concentration - Highest assessed average Escherichia coli (e. coli) concentration within Brookings (colonies per 100 mL of water) Clean Water River, Stream, & Watershed Quality Impaired Stream Segments - miles of impaired streams as a percent of EPA-assessed miles within the county Clean Water River, Stream, & Watershed Quality Chloride Concentration - Highest average chloride concentration in city surface waters (mg/L) Clean Water Groundwater & Drinking Water Quality Drinking Water Contamination - Number of EPA health- based, public drinking water violations from local ground or surface water sources Clean Water Sewer Management Wastewater Discharged - Gallons of wastewater discharged from sanitary sewer overflows Native Plants & Animals Ecological System Health Urban Forest - Diversity of tree species Native Plants & Animals Ecological System Health Municipal Chemical Use - Municipal use of fertilizers, pesticide, herbicide and fungicide in pounds (lbs./ac) Native Plants & Animals Ecological System Health Bird Count - Annual local bird counts Native Plants & Animals Native Lands Prairie and Wetlands - Acres of established and restored prairies and wetlands (percentage) The Council discussed each of the proposed comparison communities and made decisions based on the following criteria: population, percentage of college students, manufacturing presence, density, sustainability interest and ag based. Pierre, SD: (McGrath/Sydow) Motion to exclude Pierre due to size and lack of student population. All present voted yes; motion carried. Dubuque, IA: (McGrath/Hess) Motion to include Dubuque due to amount of data available and that Dubuque provided the model for the indicator project. All present voted yes; motion carried. Saint Cloud, MN: (McGrath/Hess) Motion to include St. Cloud due to presence of industry, student population, size and ability to collect data. All present voted yes; motion carried. Ames, IA: (Hess/McGrath) Motion to exclude Ames due to student population and ag base. All present voted yes; motion carried. Laramie, WY: (McGrath/Peterson) Motion to exclude Laramie due to lack of information and interest in sustainability. All present voted yes; motion carried. Aberdeen, SD: (McGrath/Peterson) Motion to exclude Aberdeen due to lack of data and interest in sustainability. All present voted yes; motion carried. Grand Forks, ND: (Sydow/Peterson) Motion to include Grand Forks due to student population, ag based, manufacturing, and size. All present voted yes; motion carried. Oberlin, OH: (McGrath/Hess) Motion to exclude Oberlin due to size (8300 pop) and location. All present voted yes; motion carried. Grand Island, NE: (McGrath/Nusz Chandler) Motion to include Grand Island due to college population and size. All present voted yes; motion carried. Manhattan, KS: (Peterson/McGrath) Motion to include Manhattan due to student population, size and location. All present voted yes; motion carried. Normal, IL: (Carda/McGrath) Motion to exclude Normal due to size and proximity to larger metropolitan areas. All present voted yes; motion carried. The Council selected the following four comparison cities for the indicator project: Dubuque, IA; Manhattan, KS; Grand Forks, ND, and St. Cloud, MN Public Education Initiative Update. Thornes reported that Mike Lockrem, Director of SDSU ‘s Marketing and Communications Department, said his department would be willing to assist with the ad campaign including shooting all photos, ad layout and tag line development for a flat fee of $1000. Establish Nomination Committees. Carda and Hess volunteered to serve on the nominating committee and will present a proposed slate of officers at the January meeting. Establish Annual Report Subcommittee. The 2012 Sustainability Council Annual Report must be submitted to the City Manager by February 15th. McGrath and Hess volunteered to serve on the subcommittee. Earth Day Updates. The McCrory Gardens Visitor Center has been booked for the event. No updates were available on event and speaker arrangements. Plain Green Updates. Tabled until next meeting. Announcements Correspondence/Communications/Calendar • NO MEETING IN DECEMBER • January meeting TBD • December 6 – Mayor’s Holiday Party, McCrory Gardens Visitor Center, 5-7 pm • April 22 – Earth Day • Membership: Members’ terms were staggered with one, two and three terms when the Council was created on September 15, 2011. Terms for Carda, Nusz Chandler and Peterson expire on 12/31/12. All are eligible for a full three year term. • Financial Report: Council’s remaining balance is $2768.74. City fiscal year ends on 12/31/12. Council’s funding for 2013 is $5000. Draft December Agenda: Brookings Sustainability Indicators (Distribution to Department Heads, SDSU Classes, Extension), Public education project, Nominating Committee Report & Election of Officers, Year-to-date financials and Annual report update. Meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Submitted by Shari Thornes