BEMIDJI SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AGENDA, SUMMARY AND GOALS June 7, 2017 Present Anna Carlson, Jordan Lutz, Nicole Deziel, Diana Kuklinski, Mike Ruffenach, Michael Meehlhause, Brad Kingery, Matthew Rogotzke, Matthew Liedke (Pioneer), Jesse Robertson, Naomi Carlson GREENSTEP CITIES Description Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free continuous improvement program, managed by a public-private partnership, is based upon 29 best practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. The 28 best practices are under five categories, including: (1) Buildings and Lighting; (2) Land Use; (3) Transportation; (4), Environmental Management; and (5) Economic and Community Development. Action Items Sustainable City Award – The City of Bemidji will be applying again for the Sustainable City Award. GreenCorp Member – The City was awarded a GreenCorp member for the 2016-2017 season. Nicole Deziel started in September and is working on a tree inventory and tree standards policy. Step 4 Recognition – The GreenStep Cities program has added a Step 4 which focuses on metrics and tracking. A future Step 5 is being developed which would show the improvements within the metrics. Bemidji participated in Regional Indicators Initiation which could help Bemidji in reaching Step 4 recognition. Hunter Edberg completed his internship regarding entering data for Step 4. Reporting – We currently do not have a GreenStep Cities Volunteer Coordinator. Best Practices – To date Bemidji is recognized as a Step 3 City by reporting on 16 Best Practices and 48 actions within those best practices. Reporting on actions is achieved by either new implementation or reporting on things the city is already doing. Without a GreenCorp member designated to work on GreenStep Cities and without having a Volunteer Coordinator, it has been a challenge to focus on gathering and reporting information into GreenStep Cities. One option is for the city to have a structured city commission with appointed members that would work strictly on the GreenStep Cities program. Goals/Previous Discussion Anna stated that more work should be done by this group as it relates to GreenStep Cities’ best practices, actions and reporting. Past opinions of the committee feels the city should focus on the Step 4 recognition of the GreenSteps Program. Diana suggested picking topics from the Regional Indicators Report that can be benchmarked in addition to continue to report on Step 3 best practices. Anna suggested inviting individuals knowledgeable in specific areas to help the group focus on either metrics or implementation. SUSTAINABLE PLACES TOUR Description Every year committee members organize a tour highlighting area homes and businesses engaged in renewable energy and sustainability. The event is usually held the last Saturday of July and provides tours for approximately five-seven places throughout the day. Action Items The Sixth Annual Sustainable Places tour will take place this summer. Potential sites include the Leech Lake Prescott Community solar array, conducting an energy audit, having a scavenger hunt highlighting pollinator gardens, the Facebook contact (Hannah Mestemacher-CSA Farm) Anna received last year and Erika Bailey-Johnson’s home and electric vehicle station. Anna suggested changing the date to August 12 to accommodate the Leech Lake Prescott Community schedule. Future sites could include the Food Shelf greenhouse and a farm that uses the no-till technique. Goals/Previous Discussion The Fifth Annual tour took place on July 30. The least attended was Security Bank. As past pattern dictates, it appears businesses are not well attended. The majority of the people heard about the tour from Facebook. Anna counted a total of 52 tour participants, with 26 people signing in. There was an average of 6-8 people per home. The Redby tour stop started 45 minutes late with six people who showed up. Anna was very happy with how engaged the hosts were this year. Participants appear to like topics that they can relate to and possibly implement themselves. In the future, if there is a tour spot out of town, possibly having it last. BEMIDJI PIONEER ARTICLES Description Bi-monthly articles, published in the Bemidji Pioneer, will be written by members of the Sustainability Committee to profile and promote sustainability within the community. Diana and Anna have been the initial authors of the articles. Each article consists of 500-600 words. Action Items Diana and Anna would like to rejuvenate the submission of articles. Anna said it was a great networking opportunity for her while interviewing people for articles. The Pioneer usually has more space in the second Sunday of the month issue. The deadline for submission would be the Wednesday prior. Goals Diana and Anna are looking for people to write articles. Erika Adams plans on doing an article regarding pollinators. Jordan Lutz will look into doing an article for One Vegetable One Community. Diana also has an article planned for Harmony. COUNCIL UPDATE Description Members of the Sustainability Committee report to the City Council on a quarterly basis. Action Items Jesse and Erika reported to council on November 21. Goals Nothing specific. WEBPAGE CONTENT Description It was suggested that we update our webpage contact based on the November update to council. Action Items Michelle stated that hyperlinks were going to be created once information is generated for each topic under “Sustainability Goals”. Goals/Previous Discussion Members will gather information and links to help update the content. A sub-committee would be a good idea in updating the webpage. RECYCLING INITIATIVES Description Erika conducted a solid waste panel and has also met with the new solid waste manager, Brian Olson regarding their plans for the future of recycling. As of now, the county does not have plans for expanding recycling. Action Items Everyone agrees that education is critical regarding what can and cannot be recycled. Goals/Previous Discussion More efforts should be taken within the City Buildings and properties (i.e. parks and sidewalks) to encourage recycling. As of now, there is a holding pattern to see what happens with the County and their potential new transfer station. Erika doesn’t believe in the argument that there is no market. Recycling is not profitable anywhere. It is a service for those that want to recycle. MONARCH-BIRD CITY DESIGNATIONS Description Monarch Pledge - The city is now participating in the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. The Mayor’s Monarch Pledge helps to promote saving the Monarch butterfly by creating habitats and educating citizens about the benefits of pollinators. Bird City - A Bird City is a community that comes together to implement and celebrate activities which restore, protect and improve bird habitat, reduce threats and engage people by teaching them how they can help birds thrive. Action Items Bird City - Peter Buesseler stated that the City approved the Resolution making Bemidji the third Bird City in the State of Minnesota. An event is planned for June 10 and 11. They are working with the Bemidji Downtown Alliance regarding the downtown planters rather than having a color theme of flowers, that pollinator plants be put in the planters. Monarch Pledge - Master Naturalists and the Bemidji Garden Club are working with the Monarch group to organize plantings. They have been establishing demonstration gardens. A brochure is also being created to help both the monarch pledge and the Bird City programs. A festival is being planned for August. Two new plantings were done at the Public Library this week. A garden will also be planted at North Country Park. Goals/Previous Discussion Monarch Pledge - The City needs to complete at least three actions but can get special recognition for doing eight. Bird City - Bird City Minnesota is a program that is sponsored by the Audubon Minnesota group. The structure is very similar to GreenStep Cities. Volunteers from the Bird City group and Monarch group will work together in promoting native plantings. An initiative called “Birds, Bees, Butterflies & Babe” is being organized to help both efforts in the community. BELTRAMI ELECTRIC SOLAR GARDEN Description Beltrami Electric approved the idea for an 80kW community solar garden project. The garden would consist of 200 panels. They will be selling full and half panel memberships with a 20 year contract. Action Items Erika stated that Beltrami Electric is moving ahead with the solar garden project. Goals/Previous Discussion Nothing specific. SOLSMART CITIES Description Solsmart Cities is looking for cities to promote solar energy. Those discussions could include barriers, planning and zoning and financing options. Action Items Work would need to be done with the planning office regarding changing the zoning code. Goals/Previous Discussion Anna and Natasha will discuss solar zoning further with the planning office. RETAP & PERMACULTURE RETAP - Diana conducted an energy audit on True North and the Walker Area Community Center. She is also going to be doing a comparison audit at Security Bank. Permaculture - Diana stated that she is working on a permaculture project at the American Indian Resource Center to include an education component to it. MOTHER EARTH SANCTUARY A community grassroots effort to grow fruit and vegetables in a natural state, using permaculture, aquaponics, no till techniques and high tunnel greenhouse. They hope to teach these techniques or provide food to low income families. CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY Brad Kingery spoke about the local chapter of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. This is a nationwide non-partisan, non-profit group whose objective is to get a price signal on carbon. They are proposing a fee in dividend, a revenue neutral fee on carbon starting at $15 a ton per CO2 emitted at the source of production.