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Sustainability Council
June 14, 2017
A meeting of the Sustainability Council was held on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. at Brookings
City & County Government Center with the following members present: Norma Nusz Chandler, Nels
Granholm, Mike Lockrem, Stephanie Aure, Ben Kleinjan, Bob McGrath, Jennifer McLaughlin, and Jane
Hegland. Betty Beer, Caleb Vukovich and Paul Peterson were absent. Others present: Laurie Carruthers.
Vice-Chair Nusz Chandler called the meeting to order at 4:04 p.m. A motion was made by McGrath,
seconded by Granholm, to approve the agenda. All present voted yes; motion carried.
A motion was made by McGrath, seconded by Aure, to approve the April 12, 2017 minutes. All present
voted yes; motion carried.
A motion was made by Granholm, seconded by McLaughlin, to appoint Nusz Chandler as Chair and
McGrath as Vice-Chair. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Update on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) north of Brookings. Granholm attended and
updated the Council on the Brookings County Planning & Zoning Commission’s June 6 Meeting where
Jason Oines requested variance/conditional use permits for a concentrated animal feeding operation
(CAFO) to house 395-490 head of cattle. Many people testified for and against this item. The legal issue
was the 3-mile joint jurisdiction area with other objections of water pollution, property values, odor and
sump pump issues. The final vote was 4 yes, 4 no, so it was not approved. Granholm advised that
Brookings will likely receive more CAFO applications in the future.
Lockrem arrived at 4:14 pm.
McGrath advised this area was surveyed for potential landfill prior to the current location. The area was
drilled down 100 feet, but the city selected a different location.
Updates / Reports: Committees
Earth Day 2017/2018.
Earth Day at the Larson Nature Center was very successful with 50 attendees. Plans are to celebrate Earth
Day on April 21, 2018 at the Larson Nature Center.
Green Building Policy
Nusz Chandler reported the sub-committee is touching base with other entities, and the City has been
supportive.
Urban Ag/Local Food Promotion
Urban Ag committee has been researching curbside composting collection. The Landfill is currently
permitted to compost yard waste, but not organic compost. Rapid City can compost organics, but
further research needs to be conducted to see if they were grandfathered in. In 2015, Minnesota
changed their law to permit organic material collection. South Dakota currently does not have any
regulations, and no requests have been made. Federal regulations under composting require a liner.
Currently, curbside pick-up of organics (food waste or contaminated recycling) is not permitted.
Questions the subcommittee is reviewing: How much organic waste is produced? What would the
participation rate be? Further discussion will be on the July agenda.
Pollinator Initiatives
SDSU is looking at the process and management plans to become a Bee Campus and pollinator friendly.
The City is developing several pollinator plots.
Storm/Clean Water
Granholm is registered for the CAFO training on June 21 through SDSU & Extension Service. Topics
include: water quality, food to feed animals to minimize nitrogen & phosphorus and nutrient content for
animals. This information will be useful to provide to people interested in developing CAFO’s. A motion
was made by McGrath, seconded by Hegland, to cover Granholm’s registration and mileage. All present
voted yes; motion carried.
Green Drinks
Jessica Garcia Fritz presented on community space. The Council discussed concerns with turnout. Are
there social opportunities or conflicts with other events that need further review? On June 29, Dan
McColley will give Green Drinks on “Creating a World Where Everyone has a Decent Place to Live.”
Executive Committee Report
Dubuque Sustainability Conference – First week in October. McLaughlin and Nusz Chandler are
interested in attending.
Hegland left at 4:52 pm.
“Creating a Sustainability Strategy for your Organization” webinar – July 11-13. Nusz Chandler is
interested in attending.
Membership – Thornes will meet with the Mayor to review applications.
Liaisons:
Affordable Housing Task Force
SD Home Builders President Lynn Mennis is meeting with Vice President Mike Pence today about
affordable housing.
Bicycle Advisory Committee
Goals and objectives will be reviewed at the next meeting. SDSU is working on a campus bike friendly
application. The Committee was asked to assist with hosting a Bike Summit. Day one of the Bike Summit
would be community involvement – learn bike master plan perspective. Day two would be for bike
enthusiasts. They are available if it is in 2018, but 2017 is filled with goal accomplisments. CVB
interested in participating if it is in 2018.
Engineering is starting to implement the Bicycle Master Plan around city in their projects. Snow removal
for shared use paths needs a decision on who would be responsible.
Comprehensive Master Plan Steering Committee
Currently, reviewing “Best Practices for Incorporating Sustainability in Comprehensive Plans” as a
resource and planning the July 11 Stakeholder Meeting with RDG Consultants. Kleinjan missed the May
15 meeting that reviewed the survey results. Stormwater was a large topic. Kleinjan advised the
sustainability perspective is a focus and he shared an article from Jonathan Rosenbloom, Professor of
Law from Drake University.
Kleinjan is concerned that affordable housing was not an imperative issue for RDG and this needs to be
addressed. The poverty report provided a quality check. If you build too much low income housing, you
invite too many and end up supplimenting rent. More lower income housing is needed. Building houses
with unfinished basements requires a buy-in investment, creating $270k house in $220k market.
Brookings needs to do more for affordable housing when the housing in price range is already occupied.
Many people are choosing to live in Volga, Aurora or White.
Kleinjan, Aure, Lockrem left at 5:14 pm.
Granholm reported the Friends of the Big Sioux River Board are concerned with what comes
downstream and CAFO’s. They are working on a monthly newsletter, pollinator plots and partnering
with Butterfly House. Steven Dahlmeier is providing an aerial analysis of Big Sioux River. This summer a
kayak trip is planned to research everything coming into river as a ground truth analysis. July 22 is the
trip scheduled from Brookings to Flandreau and volunteers are welcome to attend.
Announcements/Correspondence/Communications/Calendar
Guest Dion Simon reported on the Animal swine unit, a new facility that is neighborhood friendly with
no smell. Guests are welcome to take tours by contacting Dr. Crystal Levesque. Simon also questioned if
Brookings is planning to join the Climate Change Alliance.
Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Submitted by Laurie Carruthers