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Sustainability Council
April 12, 2017
A meeting of the Sustainability Council was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. at Brookings
City & County Government Center with the following members present: Holly Tilton Byrne, Norma Nusz
Chandler, Nels Granholm, Mike Lockrem, Stephanie Aure, Paul Peterson, Bob McGrath, Jennifer
McLaughlin, Betty Beer and Jane Hegland. Ben Kleinjan and Riley Larson were absent. Others
present: Shari Thornes and Laurie Carruthers.
Chair Tilton Byrne called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. A motion was made by McLaughlin, seconded
by Nusz Chandler, to approve the agenda. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Minutes will be approved at the next meeting.
4:04 p.m. Lockrem arrived.
Review and Comment on City of Brookings Small MS4 Storm Water Management Program
City Engineer Jackie Lanning advised the Brookings Small MS4 Storm Water Management Program needs
to be reviewed annually as required by the DENR and Clean Water Act. EPA guidelines require the
following six areas need to be addressed by the City’s Storm Water Management Program:
Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts
Public Involvement/Participation
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
Post-Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
These areas were rewritten based on a recommendation from DENR. Lanning advised the subcommittee
meeting educational brochures still needs to be produced, and there was a delay due to staff turnover.
Illicit discharge is anything going into stormwater that is not stormwater. Penalties include court fees,
punishments, clean-up costs. Currently, there are no cronic users. It is the City Engineer’s responsibility
to reminder industries and the public of the regulations and track events such as Earth Day and how
many volunteers helped and for how long. SDSU is exempt. Agriculture would be outside scope of what
the City can do as it is not in the city limits. A suggestion was made to connect with County offices or
extension. The water table is high in Brookings because it sits on acquifer. BMU issues fines for violators
of sump pump regulations, which is not usually a problem. Heavy rains are usually the problem. When
structures are built, the developer is required to have a detention pond. Flood plain can be developed as
long as it has a detention pond .Some developers have donated detention ponds to the City and
occasional maintenance is required. The question was raised if the water is tested in detention ponds.
Currently, the city does not test this water and there is no ordinance. However, if an illicit discharge
ordinance is passed, the water could be tested. The City must mitigate the water from developments
and is currently updating the FEMA maps. Lanning advised the stormwater plan is an evolving document
and they will conduct public meetings to highlight the new FEMA maps. Members recommended
contractors, homebuilders and AGC be notified of the meeting.
Updates / Reports: Committees
Storm Water
Peterson advised the subcommittee met last month. The passive home put out a bid for permeable
pavement. Chicago, Davenport and Fargo have examples of permeable pavement. Xeriscaping,
bioswales, rainchain and pollinator zones are all being discussed. When building on the south side of
Brookings, it is important to have a basement. Since the water table is changing, this may be an
educational opportunity to advise, “if you build here, it is recommended to do this.” Floodplains and
acquifers are different, and FEMA does not cover acquifers.
Smart Energy: Wind Turbine
Beer contacted Sioux City. Their municipal code encourages or allows solar and wind. At this time,
only one resident has solar for supplement energy. She will contact Lincoln, NE.
Earth Day 2017.
Earth Day will be held Saturday, April 22 at the Dakota Nature Park from 10 am – 12 pm. Tilton Byrne
provided an overview of the event. There will be a table for the Sustainability Council and volunteers are
needed to staff it. Granholm and McLaughlin volunteered. The event was advertised with the Register,
Town & Country Shopper and free avenues.
Green Building Policy
Nusz Chandler reported that the subcommittee met with City Engineer Jackie Lanning, she approved the
policy. The subcommittee will meet with contractors and architects and then it will go back to the
Sustainability Council before presenting to the City Council. It was asked if the Sustainability Council
wanted to provide a stance on the proposed Armory (a WPA project) demolition. Members agreed and
Nusz Chandler will provide a draft letter at the next meeting.
Pollinator Initiatives
Pollinators are the focus of the Earth Day event. The subcommittee has met with the Parks & Recreation
Department regarding pollinator zones at the Dakota Nature Park and working on a plot at Pioneer Park.
The official sign will be revealed at Earth Day. The public education campaign has also produced a poster
on pollinators. It was mentioned the pollinator zones were sprayed with herbicide or pesticide. The
Sustainability Council has an opportunity to educate the Parks Department on other methods to
mitigate grass and will work with them. The Mayor’s Monarch Pledge Report will be a part of the
narrative for the Earth Day presentation.
Local Food Promotion
Through a grant, the Farmer’s Market will install bike racks in 2017, and a power hook-up through
Brookings Arts Council has been installed. They are still raising money for Manager.
Hegland left at 5:05pm.
Green Drinks
Renewable energy presentation from Tim Hansen was the last Green Drinks presentation and
attendance has been excellent the last few months. Tilton Byrne will check with Wooden Legs about
reserving the meeting at a non-profit rate and recording Green Drinks.
Beer and Lockrem left at 5:07 pm.
Executive Committee Report
Public Education Committee – Lockrem has offered one of his staff members to educate committee on
social media. Aure, McLaughin and Tilton Byrne can contribute. National sources should be posted, not
controversial. Postings should be approximately once a week to start building a following. A meeting
needs to be scheduled with Lockrem’s staff.
Recycling containers in city facilities (budgeted for 2018) – an action plan is being made by conducting a
survey of city departments on if they have recycling containers, where they are located, how many and
what they look. A uniform approach needs to be developed, but first we need to find out what is out
there already. Contaminating recyclables is a concern.
Liaisons:
Affordable Housing Task Force
Lockrem advised the meetings are continuing with much discussion. A Housing Trust Meeting is
scheduled for April 19-20. The next AHTS meeting is Thursday at 1:00 p.m. with a speaker from Rapid
City.
Dubuque Sustainability Conference – First week in October. Tilton Byrne interested, but traveling to
California prior to the conference. McLaughlin and Nusz Chandler are also interested.
City Budget Request 2018 – numbers and a narrative are needed by the end of May. Currently, it is a
$5,000 budget, with an additional $2,000 for an intern.
Affordable Housing Workshop – Tilton Byrne and Nusz Chandler attending.
Bicycle – goals identified, Bike Month, Historic Sites on Bikes
Friends of the Big Sioux River Board – Granholm provided update. Gilbertson to present at future
meeting.
Agricultural runoff into the Big Sioux River
SD Supreme Court decision regarding non-meandering water. Issue is “non-meandered water” –
lakes that have formed on private land. Court ruled in favor of the land-owner. SD Game, Fish &
Parks was forced to close boat ramps on 25 lakes. However, SD legislature has the authority to
change how lakes are managed.
Northeast SD lakes are expanding (Jay Gilbertson). Role of Water Development Districts like the
East Dakota Water Development District in Brookings are managed by Jay Gilbertson. Status of
the Minnehaha County Drainage District.
Use of tiles and tiling to drain water off from fields to promote agricultural practices and the
inherent drainage problems of pollutants reaching streams like the Big Sioux River.
USD Earth Science person identifies increases in selenium in streams following serious tiling of
fields.
Discussion on funding for Friends of the Big Sioux River from local Sioux Falls business interests.
Big Sioux River Mapping Project – map out the Big Sioux River from Watertown all the way to
the Missouri River in Sioux City, Iowa. Includes all aspects of the Big Sioux River and adjoining
land – cropland, forest, urban, commercial, industrial, buffer strips, tributaries, buffer strips, all
discharges into the Big Sioux River channel including all drainage tiles. About 160 miles of
walking, paddling and flying. It will note every aspect of the channel – timber, debris, old car
bodies, low dams, all conduits that drain into or leave the channel of the Big Sioux River and
others. Important water quality data could be collected from all input drains; perhaps East
Dakota Water Development District would partner. Satellite imagery as well – EROS (every 16
days), GIS, Google Earth, Annex Maps, digital maps. A committee of 4-5 people will be selected
to work on this project.
Friends of the Big Sioux River “Green Drinks” program – the first one being 04/12/17 on the
topic of Earth Day activities.
Fescue grass project on Kiwanis Avenue.
Earth Day Activities with the Butterfly House and Aquarium. Partner with Friends of the Big
Sioux River to conduct workshops on matters of interest to water including: a) Runoff and how
to minimize; b) Pollinators and their importance; c) How trash harms aquatic animals and plants;
d) What kinds of yards are good for the environment; e) Aspects of Non-Point Source pollution;
f) Watershed characterizations, and a series of related Earth Day-themed activities like reading
“The Lorax.”
Friends of the Big Sioux River Newsletter – periodicity and content.
Friends of the Big Sioux River Website
Topsoil – overall value and disposition (why does it sometimes disappear during house and
commercial site construction).
Aure left at 5:26 pm.
Announcements/Correspondence/Communications/Calendar
3/14 Consultant presentation to the City Council on the Comprehensive Master Plan
3/28 Pollinator Presentation, Optimist Club, Tilton Byrne
4/12 Sustainability Council Meeting, 4 pm
4/19-20 Affordable Housing Trust Meeting
4/22 Earth Day
5/4 Volunteer Appreciation Event, McCrory Gardens Visitor Center
5:00-7:00 pm
Adjourn
A motion was made by Peterson, seconded by Granholm, to adjourn at 5:30 p.m.
Submitted by Laurie Carruthers