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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2025_02_12City of Brookings Sustainability Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, February 12th , 2025, 4:00 PM City/County Government Center; Room 300 Sustainability Council Members: Anthony Shanks, Louis Hesler, Albert Patin,, Robin Buterbaugh, Emily Abele, Kiley Rath, Kyle Jamison, Conner Evers, Alicia Heich, and SDSU Student Representative Valentyna Stopul, City Staff: Samantha Beckman Assistant to the City Manager 1. Call to Order A. Patin 2. Approval of the Agenda Motion to Approve: R. Buterbaugh Second: C. Evers Aye: All Opposed: None 3. Approval of Minutes Motion to Approve: Second: 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 ●City Charter Presentation Feb 22 @ 10am in Chambers ●Legislative Items Update: Parkland dedication bill ●Parks, Recreation, & Forestry ○Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Dedication March 11 @ 5:15 at Pioneer Park ○Activity Center Impact Report for 2024 showed 28,361 meals (delivered or served) ○Stephen will become a certified pollinator steward - focusing on creating pollinator areas (large scale, small scale) - first session yesterday about bees ○Parks reclassifying Park Tech to Natural Resource Specialist - part of job duties will be DNP & liaison for ●Public Works ○ 2024 Landfill Depletion Report - Bottom Line, 12 years have been added to the landfill lifespan and are expected to generate $32M more in gross revenues thanks to staff and best practices (increased compaction, training, staff, new equipment, continual operational improvements) ○ New FEMA map will become effective on April 23, 2025 ○ Brookings Area Transportation Plan - Open House Feb 19 from 4-6pm in Chambers ○ Engineering Staff met with a consultant to explore funding options to further study mitigation options for Six-Mile Creek ○ Conferences/workshops on many things including slurry seal efficiencies ○ Holiday Light recycling is over. They'll provide an update on the weight collected later on ● Downtown fire ruled accidental, cause unknown ● Community Development ○ Federal Funding -- our $75k of Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) has been suspended ○ Lighting Efficiency Update - City/County building complete. Exterior at DBC & LIC completed. Library interior completed. DBC interior working on. ○ HVAC project - HVAC updated at LIC (2), East Fire, & Chillers at DBC ○ Other - new roof at East Fire, Fire alarms at DBC waiting on parts, window projects scheduled for spring ● Sales Tax ended about 5-6% over budget (most communities were at 2%). We expect that increase was from large developments ● Lion's club presentation March 17 - create presentation & who is presenting? ● Who wants to go to Growing Sustainable Communities Conference April 1-2, 2025 in Dubuque? 6. Plastic Water Bottle Fill Stations ● Parks Dept. has requested the Sustainability Council help search for funding options ● Looking to add 7 fill stations - $3,500 each ● Delegate funding opportunity search to Waste Subcommittee 7. Bee City USA City Council Presentation Update ● A. Patin: ○ No pushback on eliminating No Mow May. ○ Will dive into what programs will replace No Mow May during next presentation on 2-25. ○ Once the application gets further along, we will see what other resources are available on Bee City website for Community Education. ● R. Buterbaugh: An organization called Monarch Watch will provide region-specific milkweed for monarch butterflies (pollinators). ○ S. Beckman: S. Council will require a Pollinator Committee or assign to another subcommittee to ensure all correct planning is in place. 8. Subcommittee Assignment Updates a. Education and Outreach: K. Rath (LEAD), A. Heich, V. Stopul b. Climate (Biodiversity): R. Buterbaugh, A. Heich, C. Evers, L. Hesler (LEAD) c. Waste: A. Patin (LEAD), C. Evers, V. Stopul, K, Jamison d. Energy: E. Abele (LEAD), K, Jamison, A. Patin, T. Shanks e. Local Foods: R. Buterbaugh (LEAD), K. Rath, C. Evers 9. Updates/Reports from Subcommittees a. Education and Outreach ● Will work on updating the Sustainability Council portion of the City’s website b. Climate (Biodiversity) ● No Updates c. Waste ● Will take on Water Bottle FIll Station funding search d. Energy ● No Updates e. Local Foods ● SDSU Landscape Architecture class has Food Forest designs in the works. ● Find a time/place for Community Engagement Meeting 10. Updates from LIaisons a. Parks and Recreation Board (vacant liaison seat) i. NA b. Planning Commission i. K. Jamison: In process of amending City ordinance adding a Civic Zone to reclassify government buildings, parks, etc. ii. K. Jamison: City is implementing a Tax Increment Financing district - alleviating some tax burden to help fund new construction (primarily commercial). To include street improvement, underground plumbing, etc. c. Historic Preservation (vacant liaison seat) i. NA d. Local Emergency Planning Commission i. No Updates e. BATA (vacant liaison seat) i. NA 11. Continuing Items a. SDSU Student Project Ideas i. A. Patin: SDSU website resources to link to the Sustainability Council site ii. Help put together plant packs/kits for Native Plant Initiative iii. Planting and maintenance/upkeep of new City native plant spaces/Food Forest/Downtown “bump-out” native plantings iv. Search for grant options for EV options b. Mayor’s Awards Planning i. Categories to consider: Nonprofit/Government, Industrial, Individual 14. Call for Future Agenda Items ● None 15. Adjourn Motion to Adjourn: C. Evers Second: A. Patin Aye: All Opposed: None Respectfully submitted by Kiley Rath.