Sustainability Advisory Commission Meeting

APPROVED CITY OF URBANA, ILLINOIS SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMISSION Council Chambers, Urbana City Building Tuesday, June 4, 2019 Commissioners Present: Stacy Gloss, Dustin Allred, Andrew Stumpf, Morgan White, Todd Rusk, Maddy Garbacz Commissioners Absent: Tesfaye Wolde-Medhin Staff Present: Scott Tess, Amanda Flores Call to Order, Roll Call, and Declaration of Quorum Chairperson Stacy Gloss called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Amanda Flores called the roll and a quorum was present. Approval of Minutes Morgan White motioned for the approval of the minutes from the 05/07/19 meeting. Todd Rusk seconded the motion. The minutes were approved. Changes to the Agenda There were no changes or additions to the agenda. Public Input There was no public input Presentation Staff Report Scott Tess reported on the Solar Urbana-Champaign 4.0 that Solar Power hours have been finalized and print materials are available for distribution. Mr. Tess also reported that the City’s developer will be applying for the merit-based Solar for All Low Income Community Solar incentive that closes on June 15th. Mr. Tess shared that the City and the Integrated Pest Management Institute has received a grant from the Lumpkin Family Foundation to conduct public engagement about natural lawn care practices and to further develop the same practices at a City and Park District property. Mr. Tess shared Staff’s participation in public engagements in Parkland College’s National Green Infrastructure Certification class. An update on the electronics recycling event was given. Courtney Kwong came to the podium to share that manufacturers are paying for the processing of the electronic recyclables and there is a discussion on a County level of the possibility of having a permanent electronics recycling drop-off as there is a definite need for it, although it is still in the early stages. 1  APPROVED Lastly, Mr. Tess shared that staff reorganization has taken place at the Public Works department to focus and improve service delivery. The next meeting is scheduled for July 2, 2019 in the Council Chambers. Recycling Report Recycling coordinator, Courtney Kwong presented her Waste Management Report, which is a summary of waste diversion and recycling activities. Discussion ensued. Ms. Kwong also gave an update on the Food Scrap Survey which yielded 428 responses, majority of which came from single-family owned homes. However, cost seems to be the predominant concern for people to consider a voluntary Food Scrap collection program, followed by convenience of the program, time constraints, space and odor/vermin concerns. Mr. Tess interjected that for this program to be successful, it needs to be self-funding. Chair Stacy Gloss suggested that this discussion be added to continuing business, as a further discussion would be needed. Welcome and Introduction with City Administrator City Administrator, Carol Mitten was introduced to the commission and gave a summary of her work history and her current role in the City. Ms. Mitten shared the City’s vision and urged commission members to leverage their collective knowledge and bring a sustainability perspective to get integrated in the City’s planning efforts and decision-making. Announcements Scott Tess thanked Dustin Allred, Todd Rusk and Claire Johnson for their service on the Sustainability Advisory Commission. Mr. Allred will serve out the remainder of his time with the Planning Commission. Mr. Rusk’s appointment is ending. Ms. Johnson has an opportunity to do research up north. Stacy Gloss echoed Mr. Tess’s thoughts and announced that there are several open commission seats that need to be filled. Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:51 p.m. This meeting was recorded. Respectfully submitted, Amanda Flores Recording Secretary 2