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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2024_09_11City of Brookings Sustainability Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 11, 2024 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, Emily Abele, Kiley Rath, Kyle Jamison, and SDSU Student Representative Valentyna Stopul, City Staff: Samantha Beckman Assistant to the City Manager 1. Call to Order T. Shanks 2. Approval of the Agenda Motion to Approve: B. Pengra Second: E. Abele Aye: All Opposed: None 3. Approval of Minutes Motion to Approve: A. Patin Second: B. Pengra 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. SDSU Discussion - Tyler Miller ● Instructor at SDSU ○ “Environmental Psychology” Course : Course began Fall of 2020 ■ Studies the relationship between humans and the natural environment ○ Looking to have a member of the council to come speak at a class once a year ■ About what the Sustainability Council does–sustainability efforts in the community ○ S. Beckman: https://cityofbrookings-sd.gov/870/Speakers-Bureau ○ T. Shanks: We will coordinate a member from the Council to speak. 6. City Update - Samantha Beckman ● First reading of 2025 budget was 9/10 -- BSC budget $5k ● New fire chief interviews ongoing ● HHW event -- 381 cars (323), $1,015 & a trailer full of nonperishable food donated to Brookings food pantry… 18% increase in vehicles, 3% increase in HHHW (35k pounds in 2024) ● City transferred about $500k in left over ARPA funds to the Boys & Girls Club/School District for their new child care collaborative/facility & that project is officially fully funded & ready to roll ● Branch creek ribbon cutting tomorrow at 5pm -- affordable housing (AKA under SD first time homebuyer rate) ● PRF staff are kicking off a financial sustainability process that will look at cost of services and provides a sustainable plan cost recovery model --- BSC will be engaged at some point, I am on this now ● Micro-Pollinator Plots - in partnership with SDSU, Parks will establish micro- pollinator plots (3ftx3ft) at the Community Gardens and the Nature Park. The Students will be tracking a number of pollinators and the variety that visit each plot (pending grants) ● New stormwater drainage fee (ERU - Equivalent Residential Unit) -- roughly $6/month on utility bills to help with $12M in stormwater projects over the next few years ● Mosquitos - counts remain below the citywide fogging threshold; however, staff continue to treat all standing water with larvicide ● BPD - e-bikes (2) ● EAB update - can start cutting down some of the boulevard trees in the next few weeks, working on a GIS dashboard for the website to color code where all the ash trees are/what stage they're in. 20-30% of the trees in Brookings will need to be treated or removed within the next 15 years ● Proposition for next meeting be changed from Wednesday, October 9th, to October 16th so it is after the City Council study session with a No Mow May update on October 15th. ○ So moved. ● Entire Council: Mayor’s Sustainability Awards: Motion to update the 2024 Mayor’s Sustainability Award for an Industrial organization from Northwestern Energy to NorthWestern Energy – Methane Capture Project. ○ Motion to Approve: R. Buterbaugh ○ Second: A. Patin ○ Aye: All Opposed: None Not Present for Vote: Emily Abele 7. Update on Solar Project - Samantha Beckman ● Solar Project - last week the City/County Joint BOA met to approve the conditional use permit 8. Budget Update ● Last meeting: ○ $200 Bee USA Application ○ Spend up to $2000 on food forest signs: Approve a design soon. ○ Phone-charging bench: still discussing with Parks Dept on contribution. ■ Bench location: Hillcrest Park ○ Soil Testing for the food forest: Approved up to $500 ○ SDSU Landscape Architecture students “Technical Consulting Fee” for food forest design ○ Sustainability Conference ○ Leaves roughly $918 left for the year 9. Housekeeping: Update Contact Info a. Member contact info has been updated. 10. Updates/Reports from Subcommittees a. Marketing and Communication ● No Updates b. Climate Action Plan ● No Updates c. Waste ● A. Patin: Interested in seeking out other initiatives to be a part of. d. Energy ● No Updates e. Local Foods ● SDSU Landscape Architecture students to help with design in the Spring semester ○ Will charge a “Technical Consulting Fee” ● Signage - S. Beckman: ○ Sign near road requires permit…Price TBD ○ “Eat at your own risk”/Informational f. No Mow May ● Potential alternatives to “No Mow May” are being discussed. ○ How to “Support Pollinators All Summer Long” ○ “Slow Mow Summer” ○ “No Spray May” ● The Sustainability Council will recommend to City Council to no longer partake in No Mow May, but rather promote an initiative similar in purpose to help pollinators, but to be more agreeable to the community. ● Potential for organizations to sponsor pollinator plots? ○ Pheasants Forever? ● R. Buterbaugh: Reallocate money for “Bee Lawn” seed mix? ● R. Buterbaugh and L. Hesler will attend the City Council study session on October 15th with recommendation. 12. Call for Future Agenda Items ● Bee City Application to be submitted by T. Shanks soon and will report back on approval next meeting. ● T. Shanks & A. Patin to present BSC by-laws document next meeting. 13. Adjourn Motion to Adjourn: B. Pengra Second: K. Jamison Aye: All Opposed: None Respectfully submitted by Kiley Rath.