CITY-COUNTY ADVISORY BOARD ON CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY Ald. Nik Kovac and Marcelia Nicholson, Co-Chairs Pam Fendt, Linda Frank, Julie Kerksick, Ted Kraig, Janet Meissner Pritchard, Supreme Moore Omokunde, Pamela Ritger, Erick Shambarger, and Rafael Smith Staff Assistant: Linda Elmer, lelmer@milwaukee.gov, 414-286-2231 Legislative Liason: Luke Knapp, luke.knapp@milwaukee.gov, 414-286-8637 Google documents for this body can be found at : http://bit.ly/CCTFCEE Monday, March 29, 2021 11:00 AM Virtual Land Use Work Group Zoom link, this meeting only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7807475204?pwd=bHo3d2ROdDJRT2VrRUNaS2xsdDhyUT09 Meeting ID: 780 747 5204 Passcode: 030609 One tap mobile +13126266799,,7807475204# US (Chicago) Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdM9DIUtY2 Working Group Members (16) Linda Frank, Chair George Martin, Janet Meissner Pritchard, Bruce Wiggins, David Weingrod, Dynasty Ceasar, Kelly Moore Brands, Monica Wauk Smith, Sam Leichtling, Scott Baran, Kimberly Kujoth, Tracy Staedter, Benjamin McKay, Katherine Riebe, Enrique Figueroa, Damien DeBuhr 1. Call to order and roll call Working Group Members (16) Present: Linda Frank, Chair Janet Meissner Pritchard, Bruce Wiggins, David Weingrod, Kelly Moore Brands, Sam Leichtling, Kimberly Kujoth, Tracy Staedter, Benjamin McKay, Katherine Riebe Absent: City of Milwaukee Page 1 CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY George Martin, Dynasty Ceasar, Monica Wauk Smith, Scott Baran, Enrique Figueroa, Damien DeBuhr Visitors: None Meeting convened: 11:08 A.M. With 10 members present, a quorum was reached. 2. Approve minutes of 2/15/21 and 3/1/21 meeting The minutes were approved. 3. Updates a. Google Drive for Task Force Working Groups: Linda Frank i. link to the folder -https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aHuU64sJETOY75e3Gmr-FQTPpPJzgBbp? usp=sharing ii. link to the instructions - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jTgh8oK9la-CaAmi80qULh1QWwzgqvQZyXayfaXzub E/edit?usp=sharing a. Google Drive for Task Force Working Groups: Linda Frank i. link to the folder -https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aHuU64sJETOY75e3Gmr-FQTPpPJzgBbp? usp=sharing ii. link to the instructions – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jTgh8oK9la-CaAmi80qULh1QWwzgqvQZyXayfa XzubE/edit?usp=sharing Linda Frank presented an overview of the Google Drive folder as a document repository for the task force, including public access, folders and subfolders provided for the working group, purpose, requirement that documents be uploaded by the chair, and requirement that other processes be used for collaborative working documents in small teams. 4. Assignment of members to teams (tentative team names listed below) a. Biodiversity and wildlife habitat b. Tree canopy c. Community-led green space d. Transit-oriented development a. Biodiversity and wildlife habitat b. Tree canopy c. Community-led green space d. Transit-oriented-development (TOD) By consensus vote, the Land Use group will discontinue work on TOD with the understanding that this important topic is being addressed by the Transportation working group. Criteria for coming back to main group with City of Milwaukee Page 2 CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY Modeling from our group is still on the table according to Janet and Bruce 5. Discussion a. General comments on topic ideas; plan for work moving forward in breakout rooms b. Logistics for collaborative work within teams c. Join Breakout Rooms for teams d. Report back on Breakout Room discussions a. General comments on topic ideas; plan for work moving forward in breakout rooms b. Logistics for collaborative work within teams c. Join Breakout Rooms for teams Minutes of Biodiversity and Soil Health Breakout Room Meeting Objective of increasing presence of wildlife corridors throughout MKE County Starting with what baseline is in city and county parks and other public lands and how we could increase wildlife corridors Research into soil organic carbon is ongoing Very first thing that must be done is protection of the best soil carbon stocks that currently exist. Our strategy is to look at moratorium on clearing land. Linda’s research showed that once land is cleared for agriculture (for example), it would take 100 years or more to restore that soil carbon. This group needs to identify specific areas of research, write up concluding statement or discussion. Look at Linda’s research memo that she circulated. Protecting existing strong soil organic carbon stocks. Also, two of the articles were on studies of WI soil organic carbon. Do we want to look at how we can increase soil organic carbon? What are the methods? What are the best and most feasible measures of soil organic carbon? And what are the barriers to implementation? We could be tackling biodiversity issues at the same time as soil organic carbon (co-benefit). Seeking first to protect and maintain; then seeking to increase; then seeking to replace (turf, impermeable surfaces). Program; research/data; get people to sign up; much like MMSD’s rain garden plant sale To what extent is our strategy around convincing homeowners/property owners/landowners to implement certain practices? And to what extent will we focus our strategy on public lands? Assumption that focus on public lands is something we can make happen. We have a lot more control of making that happen in the short term. Linda would tend to focus on public lands; this could be a demo of what the broader public could do. More opportunities on public lands. A lot of it is education. New developments could have requirement to include native plants? Engaging the private sector in some way feels like it has to also be part of our strategy. Are there large tracts within City/County that aren’t already developed? Do we need to investigate that? Ben McKay from SEWRPC should have at least some of that data (primary environmental corridors). LINDA will pursue research on where we stand with remaining significant lands and how we might look at policies to look at this. In our county, these corridors are generally along the waterways. Seminary Woods on the south side, owned by Milwaukee Archdiocese is a prime target for permanent protection. Conservation zoning, acquisition by MMSD, City or County, through land trusts. Project or policy? We need to combine both. Protecting the prime existing areas is the first thing we have to look at. The other part is increasing soil carbon in other areas. County Grounds in Wauwatosa example – does this still need to be protected from City of Milwaukee Page 3 CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY development? Could we create a policy like MMSD’s Chapter 13 stormwater rule; could we create guidelines that would incorporate green space, trees, shrubs, native plants? TRACY will look into that more, call some of the scientists that did the studies and other cities that have done this kind of thing. Increasing native plant populations in urban environments. Tracy also has another resource who could come talk to the group; he has a connection already with Milwaukee and might have a lot to say about what we could do. Might have to pay him. MMSD hired a consultant (J.B. Hines) – SAM will send report to this group. Brownfields and remediation is another research topic. Is there opportunity there? KELLY will look into this. LINDA will send information that has been shared with her (maps). Let SAM know how that work goes, team of people at the City that are experts at this, what’s working, areas for growth. What has to be done to remediate, what have been the barriers so far. Does the City own brownfields that could be remediated and used for biodiverse gardens? What are the levels of remediation and what are the smallest impacts to brownfields in order to create a soil carbon sink? KATHERINE can do some research into what other cities have done to increase biodiversity. Environmental corridors. TRACY will send KATHERINE stuff that she’s already collected and she will focus on soil researchers. Policies for new development and renovation that would have biodiverse greenspace requirements. KATHERINE could look at other cities. Minutes of Urban Agriculture/Community-Led Green Space Breakout Room Meeting Participants: Ben McKay, Bruce Wiggins (notes by Wiggins) We discussed two items that could have measurable results: 1. Food miles – reducing the distance food travels to us - with the added benefit of helping our regional economy. a. A challenge is getting a baseline. Wiggins will be developing an approach. b. McKay will talk to a SEWRPC modeler/transportation staff re available or potential data. c. The SEWRPC Regional Food System Plan will also be looking at this topic and developing data in the next few months. 2. Reducing organic materials going to landfills (organics decomposing creates methane), composting and increasing carbon sequestration with compost in soils. a. SEWRPC has soils data. b. McKay will research food scrap collection in municipalities in the County. c. Note this topic overlaps with the Waste Work Group. An additional urban ag challenge to be addressed is finding an urban farmer who is able to make a living or at least significant income from farming. Possibly concentrating on City-owned land in 30th St. Corridor that has been remediated and improved with a water system. An individual has been growing there the past couple of years, though the property has been underutilized. Minutes of Tree Canopy Breakout Room Meeting • Branch Out Milwaukee Master Plan establishes baseline tree canopy, need for additional tree canopy, and barriers to increasing canopy • Tree canopy has carbon benefits including mitigating urban heat island effect, reduction in summer energy costs, carbon sequestration in leaves, trunk/branches, roots and soil, etc. Trees provide a range of co-benefits that magnify their carbon contribution including improvements in mental health, physical and respiratory health, City of Milwaukee Page 4 CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY increase property values, etc. • Discussion of next steps – how to move beyond Branch Out Master Plan and develop a framework for implementing tree canopy increases • Implementation strategies should identify short-, mid- and long-term goals to measure progress • Implementation strategies will need to identify sustainable funding mechanisms that promote tree planting on both public and private property • City/County will need to implement policy framework to support, incentivize and mandate tree planting to achieve 40% tree canopy cover goal. Possible examples: o Reduce stormwater fee for private property owners that plant and maintain trees o Adopt property tax incentive for private property owners who plant and maintain trees o Require developers to plant trees based on size of development o Require a fee if remove trees, etc. o Fees generated from new tree policies can be used to fund pre-arborist training (Northcott Neighborhood House) for marginalized communities and fund NGOs (Milwaukee Community Service Corps/Walnut Way Conservation Corp, etc) to maintain trees • Policy makers/community need to understand and value the contribution of trees – recognize individual actions on private property to plant or remove trees has a community impact and either helps mitigate or contributes to climate change – learn lessons from policies around stormwater – how to communicate this? • Strategies will need to provide education to public on tree benefits, proper tree selection/planting techniques, maintenance, etc. • Implementation strategies will have to establish criteria to prioritize tree planting projects, continue to look for opportunities for small, medium and large tree planting projects, continue to pursue grant funds, but can’t move the needle on these projects only • Have studies on carbon sequestration impact of trees been used to achieve buy-in from the community and policy makers in other cities and/or review case studies of existing policies that promote tree planting and maintenance and their effectiveness d. Report back on Breakout Room discussions i. Biodiversity report by Kelly; first, save existing rich organic stocks; various research identified on increasing soil carbon and biodiversity; promoting native plantings; brownfield remediation to prairies, etc.; barriers ii. Tree canopy report by Kimberly; building from Branch Out; identifying importance of tree canopy; policies and funding and workforce development to be pursued; private property to be addressed; look at development; some consensus on building a framework for reliable funding; iii. Green space report by Ben – food miles and transportation; Bruce is researching; Ben is checking for resources; planning commission is working on this; urban ag; composting; reducing organic material to landfill; municipal organic and yard waste collections; Cream City to be developed further; Bruce to send notes Soil Carbon research is documented and is ongoing. Kelly reminds us of equity concerns 6. Action Items and Next Steps a. Items for next agenda b. Next regular meeting, 4/12/21 at 11:00 AM a. Items for next agenda – none noted b. Next regular meeting, 4/12/21 at 11:00 AM City of Milwaukee Page 5 CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE ON Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC EQUITY 7. Adjournment 12:37 pm Minutes provided by Linda Frank. City of Milwaukee Page 6