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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSCMinutes_2025_07_09City of Brookings Sustainability Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, July 9th, 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 Madalynn Graham, City Staff: Samantha Beckman Assistant to the City Manager & Joshua Bauman Assistant Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director 1. Call to Order T. Shanks 2. Approval of the Agenda Motion to amend switching agenda items 6 & 7: R. Buterbaugh Second: A. Patin Aye: All Opposed: None 3. Approval of Minutes Motion to Approve: A. Heich Second: K. Jamison 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 ● Six Mile Creek Maintenance: The City's contractor completed work between the Hwy 14 diagonal and Western Ave - just in time for the weather events. The creek swelled and entered Sexaur Park and Harvey Dunn but have subsided to below flood stages. ● Flooding update: The City weathered the rain event a couple of weeks ago well. As expected, there were pockets of localized flooding and Six-Mile Creek caused some flooding at Sexaur Park but overall things look like they handled things well as maintenance of storm sewer and waterways, and stormwater improvements have helped minimize the impact storms such as these have on the community. Several staff members helped with the clean-up of the event. ● Mosquitoes -- spraying this week in anticipation for Summer Arts Fest + lots more since the rainfall ● Parks Dept updating lots of the flower beds around town ● Slurry Seal project completed ● Engineering Division presented at the Big Sioux Water Festival which educated 5th graders on what they can do to enhance their water quality in the watershed ● Landfill parking lot pavement completed ● Landfill - new bull fences arrived. These portable fence structures are designed to capture wind-blown litter and are a critical component in preventing debris from migrating beyond the landfill perimeter into surrounding agricultural fields. The fences will enhance ongoing efforts to maintain site cleanliness and environmental compliance ● Pine Wilt Disease - There has been a significant uptick in Pine Wilt Disease. In response, the Parks Dept will be updating the City's tree ordinances to include this as a regulated disease. ● Josh Bauman, Assistant Parks, Recreation & Forestry Director will be taking over the Sustainability Council liaison starting August 1. Sam Beckman will continue to help with transitions, when necessary. 6. Food Forest Fence Update ● Sustainability Council 6/23/25 email vote to purchase and donate string trimmers for up to $2,100 for the Brookings Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department as a contribution for agreeing to build the fence at the Community Food Forest. ○ Motion by Robin, Second by Albert Yes votes: Kiley, Robin, Madalynn, Louis, Albert, Tony, Kyle, Abstained Votes: Alicia, Connor. ● Valero donated $1500 for food forest fence. ● Committee for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the fall - pending signage implementation etc. 7. Pollinator Day at Brookings Farmers Market - August 9th ● M. Graham: ○ 9 confirmed booths to participate in Pollinator Passport ○ Bee City to send kid activity handouts for the event. ○ Budget Proposal: will split marketing expenses with Downtown Brookings. ■ 2-sides for a-frame sign, flyers, pollinator photo props, pollinator passports, stickers to handout, and stamps for the passports. ■ Motion to approve up to $600 for Farmers Market Pollinator Day materials: K. Jamison Second: A. Heich Aye: All Opposed: None ■ L. Hesler to review from an entomological standpoint if stickers are accurate for native pollinators. ○ Sustainability Council to have a booth focusing on Bee City, booth fee is waived. ■ T. Shanks: will send volunteer sign-up to see if we’re able to have a booth (involve Parks Board?) ■ S. Beckman: will print some informational pages about native plant lists, etc. 8. Updates/Reports from Subcommittees a. Education and Outreach ● No Updates. b. Climate (Biodiversity) ● No Updates. c. Waste ● No Updates. d. Energy ● E. Abele: Letter sent off requesting electric vehicle charging station at new Marketplace addition. e. Local Foods ● No Updates. 9. Updates from LIaisons a. Parks and Recreation Board i. S. Hartung: Focusing on the Food Forest fence. b. Planning Commission - K. Jamison i. Civic zoning changes due to state law saying use of public park land, the City can’t sell it for development purposes, but can swap civic land for civic land vs. having to rezone. c. Historic Preservation (Vacant) d. Local Emergency Planning Commission i. No Updates. e. BATA (Vacant) 10. Continuing Items a. SDSU Student Project Ideas i. M. Graham: Downtown Brookings met with Parks & Rec Dept. about replacing landscaping along Main Ave. with native plantings. b. Mayor’s Awards Planning i. Motion to nominate Kool Beans and their reusable cup initiative for the (only) 2025 Mayor ’s Sustainability Award: C. Evers Second: A. Patin Aye: All Opposed: None c. Downtown Brookings Brainstorming 15. Call for Future Agenda Items ● Food Forest Signage 16. Adjourn Motion to Adjourn: E. Abele Second:R. Buterbaugh Aye: All Opposed: None Respectfully submitted by Kiley Rath.