Sustainability Commission

Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15 th , 2024 Atte nd e e s: Sheryl Burns, Mark Graf, Nathan Inks, Riley Maher, Jonathan Matthews, Matthew Smith, Alexis Richards, Ryan Fox. Abse nt: Victo ria Carlino , N ake ta Jo ne s, Michae l T abbe rt Speakers may be referred to by initials. Speech attributed to speakers is paraphrased unless quoted. City Council, Department of Public Works, Green For Life, Sterling Heights, and Sterling Heights Sustainability Commission may be abbreviated as CC, DPW, GFL, SH, and SHSC, respectively. Call to Order – 6:02pm Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call – Sheryl Burns, Mark Graf, Nathan Inks, Riley Maher, Jonathan Matthews, Matthew Smith Absent: Victoria Carlino, Naketa Jones, Michael Tabbert Also in Attendance – Alexis Richards, Planner II Ryan Fox, Planner I Ava Miller, Planning Intern Approval of Agenda Motion: Burns Support: Smith Ayes: Burns, Graf, Inks, Maher, Matthews, Smith Considerations Approval of Minutes from 04/17/24 Motion: Smith Support: Burns Ayes: Burns, Graf, Inks, Maher, Matthews, Smith Abstained: Matthews CORRESPONDENCE Mr. Graf received a package from SEMCOG that included promotional items for Southeast Michigan’s One Water education campaign which could be distributed at a city event in the future. This included: • 20 Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) bags • 10 water-resistant phone case for recreation • 15 dog waste bags • 100 educational tip cards COMMITTEE REPORTS R^3 Committee Mr. Inks, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Graf described a recent tour of Troy’s SOCRRA facility they went on. They recounted on how the percent of plastic that get recycled is unclear, and an example of 40% was given for one type of plastic. SOCCRA representatives indicated they do not track how much plastic ultimately gets recycled once sorted bundles leave their facility but shared some skepticism on using generalized figures to represent all plastics. However, 15- 20% of their general incoming recyclables is contaminated upon arrival and has to be thrown away immediately, and they also receive items they can’t use such as batteries and electronics. Ms. Richards stated that ICLEI offers a communication cohort which could bolster communication through Priority Waste. Mr. Inks questioned if it is possible to see what houses have recycling bins, and Ms. Richards mentioned that there will be an upcoming ordinance requirement for multifamily residential to have recycling bins. Mr. Matthews then presented information from the report and suggested the city adds information tracking as seen in the Michigan recycling report on pages 7, 10, and 11. Ms. Richards and Mr. Fox will speak to administration and follow up. Green Energy Committee Mr. Inks presented information from the report and stated that the solar panel ordinance is now being revised. Stormwater and Wetlands Committee No report this month. Biodiversity Conservation Committee Ms. Burns presented information from the report and suggested adding a link to the city website for growing native plants would be useful. It is discovered that the SHSC website is not fully functional and an email was sent to investigate the issue. MI Healthy Climate Mr. Graf presented information from the report and reported that it is difficult to get a response from the MI Healthy Climate Committee. Trees Committee Mr. Inks presented information from the report and described the successful Earth Day event! All 217 rain barrels and 50 seedlings were given away, and 15 trees were planted in Dodge Park. It is pointed out that mulch volcanoes are still an issue. OLD BUSINESS Sustainability Plan Ms. Richards said she met with Fresh Coast Solutions to coordinate how the Climate Action Plan and the Sustainability Plan can influence each other. The Planning interns will be analyzing what was and was not accomplished from the current sustainability plan. Mr. Inks stated that there is a form in the drive for the SHSC to fill out regarding ideas for the plan. ICLEI GHG Data Update Mr. Maher reached out within DTE to see if he could assign the task to his team but is not sure yet. Discussion ensues to figure out how to extract a response from DTE for the data needed. Administration Checklist of Meeting Minutes, Updating SC Page Ms. Richards stated that there will be a folder for approved minutes within the drive and that they will be uploaded to the folder after approval to introduce a more systematic format. Ms. Richards also wants to have packet information by 5pm the Wednesday before meetings. NEW BUSINESS New Master Plan Survey Mr. Inks encouraged everyone to spread the word about the survey and mentioned that there will be an open house on June 10th at the Community Center focusing on land use. Integrating Equity into Climate Change Webinars Ms. Richards wanted to know if SHSC wants to be a part of these webinars. There are 4 separate webinars that are for 1 hour. Tree Canopy Ms. Richards stated that there will be training for Tree Keeper Canopy available and to message her if interested. Mr. Graf asked who from the city uses Tree Keeper and Mr. Fox said that Crimboli uses it. Mr. Graf questioned if there are dollar values on the trees which the SHSC found that some of them do have values attached. More specifically, previous reviews of some TreeKeeper individual trees surveyed by Davey were missing the data fields for the i-Tree Eco Tree Benefits. A spot check on a couple of previously noted addresses showed this data was now present. Composting Request Mr. Maher stated that Mr. Yanez thinks that there is untapped potential for more composting initiatives within SH. Mr. Fox responded that there is some work done investigating composting food from dining establishments. Mr. Graf says that there is a biodigester being created locally but perhaps not in SH. Mr. Graf also mentioned that citizens do not have access to the yard waste facility that Priority Waste uses and that it would be nice to receive some benefit from the input to the facility. Arbor Day Event Contact Mr. Maher said that a contact from Priority Waste expressed a desire to work with SHSC in the future. Her contact information was left with Mr. Maher. Appointment of Ex -Officio Members SHSC discussed adding an ex-officio member in July. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION – None Motion to adjourn at 8:46pm: Motion: Mathews Support: Smith Ayes: Burns, Graf, Inks, Maher, Matthews, Smith