HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2023_09_13City of Brookings
Sustainability Council Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 4:00 PM City/County Government Center; Room 300
Sustainability Council Members: Bruce Pengra, Cynthia Kunkel, Louis Hesler, Albert Patin, Samuel
Krueger, Anthony Shanks, Robin Buterbaugh, Betty Beer, Emily Abele, Kiley Rath, Kyle Jamison, and
SDSU Student Representative Gabrielle Bolwerk, City Staff: Samantha Beckman Assistant to the City
Manager
1. Call to Order
E. Abele
2. Approval of the Agenda
Motion to Approve: G. Bolwerk
Second: B. Pengra
Aye: All Opposed: None
3. Approval of Minutes
Amend minutes for G. Bolwerk to be absent from previous meeting
Motion to Approve: B. Pengra
Second: R. Buterbaugh
Aye: All Opposed: None
4. Open Forum
At this time, any member of the public may request time on the agenda for an item not
listed. Items are not typically scheduled for the end of the meeting; however, very brief
announcements of invitations will be allowed at this time.
5. City Update - Samantha Beckman
● 48 acres of No Mow May area the City partook in
● Budget issues for Food Forest, still talking about location
● Preliminary conversations for energy saving
● Updated flood plains; Brookings Flood Risk Open 5-7 in the Chambers 9/18.
6. Stormwater Master Plan & Stormwater Best Practices Program - Charlie Ritcher, City
Engineer
● Subsidy program (modeled from Des Moines, IA program)
○ Residential only at this point
○ Rain Barrels
○ Rain Gardens
○ Soil Quality Restoration
○ Native Landscaping
○ $10-15,000 a year for the program
○ Citizens must apply prior in order to determine eligibility, and define limits of
financial contribution
○ Create the option for Permeable Pavement!! Something easy for contractors.
○ Challenges:
■ Rain Gardens more difficult to evaluate, requires engineering
■ Difficulty acquiring staff to do evaluations
■ Educating contractors
● Involve Sustainability Council Members to help with this?
● Promote with No Mow May!! Not only the “No-Mow” aspect, but collaborate with
contractors to promote native landscaping
● BMU participate as well? (Water conservation)
● Medary Acres/other local greenhouses on board with native plants? Once program is in
place, that’d be incentive for them
● Collaborate - make it art!
● Follow-up at next meeting to make things more definitive
○ Council to research other communities that do programs like this
○ Perhaps SDSU grad students could take on a project to help with this
○ “Bloom box” - kit of plants with sample layout designed for sun or shade… could
transform that into native plant kits
○ Lowe’s - educational component (down the line)
7. 2023/2024 Strategic Plan - Accomplished/Future Objectives
● Education and Outreach: If we do something of interest (ex. Food Forest, No Mow May)
successful/ Register will take that story on their own. Perhaps save money on ads
○ Partnership with BMU - promote site about energy-saving rebates/incentives
○ Marketing: Give “free” press releases to City and see if they will post
● Revisit next meeting because no access to updated plan*
8. Discussion on Budget Priority 2023
● More handouts at events
● No more table toppers
● More No Mow May signs (additional native plant info?) buy with this year’s money?
● Event in February?
● Pheasants Forever (Outlaw)
● Pay for Trees for Food Forest this year, receive next year
● Herbicide report? - city compost
9. Updates/Reports from Subcommittees
a. Marketing and Communication
i. No Updates
b. Climate Action Plan
i. Pale Blue Dot - inquiring about funding for baseline tests
c. Waste
i. Solid Waste Master Plan–documents prepped and completed
d. Energy
i. No Updates
e. Local Foods
i. No Updates
10. Updates from Liaisons
a. Parks and Recreation Board
i. No Updates
b. Human Rights Commission
i. No Updates
11. Call for Future Agenda Items
Robin’s friend Lauren may come to the next meeting to speak.
12. Adjourn
Motion to Adjourn
Moved: A. Shanks Second: G. Bolwerk Aye: All Opposed: None
Respectfully submitted by Kiley Rath