Citizen's Environmental Quality Committee

March 1, 2021 Citizens Environmental Quality Committee Winona, Minnesota 55987 Dear Committee Members: The next meeting of the Citizens Environmental Quality Committee meeting will be held virtually on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. We will be using Zoom to video conference, with a call in option as well. To access Zoom: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85610993614 Passcode: 55987 Optional Call in: +1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID (Web and call in): 856 1099 3614 1. Call to Order 2. Review of February Meeting Minutes 3. Noise Pollution Consideration (10 Minutes) 4. Citizens Climate Lobby Introduction (10 minutes) 5. Community Garden Planning Update (15 minutes) 6. Community Commercial Shared Kitchens (10 minutes) 7. Sustainability Planning update (5 minutes) 8. Other Business (5 minutes) 9. Adjournment Sincerely, John Howard Natural Resources Sustainability Coordinator CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETING NOTES DATE: Thursday Feb. 4, 2021 TIME: Scheduled for 4:30 pm (Virtual Zoom Meeting) PRESENT: Dan Hall, David Ruff, Niki Ciulla, Lynette Power and Julie Fassbender GUESTS: Jim Worthley, Kelsey Ocello, Jeanne Franz, Deb McClellan, Bonnie, Chris Meyer, Pam Eyden, Tom Kujawa, Bruno Borsari, Lea Karlssen, Liz McCheel, Jan Taylor, Amy Koehler, Alex Leschisin, Emilie Falc, Patrick Byron. STAFF: John Howard, Chad Ubl, Patrick Menton, Malia Fox, Laura Hoberg, and Katie Grannes (Community Forestry Corps) 1. Call to Order: Call to order at 4:31 PM by Dan Hall (Chair) 2. Review and Approval of Jan. 2021 Meeting Minutes: Motion by Julie, second by David. Approval unanimous. 3. Community Garden Discussion: Dan asked for an update. John said he spoke with the Park and Rec department following the January meeting, and they are in attendance to discuss future plans. Chad introduced himself as the assistant City Manager who oversees the Parks Department. He turned the meeting over to Malia Fox, who oversees the Friendship Center. Malia shared a video of a Gretna, LA community garden near New Orleans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox1nrBAsaKQ&feature=emb_l Audio was not working so Malia provided narration. The garden has nice raised beds. The garden does educational classes, has ample space for walking, and butterfly gardens. Malia sees this as a good model for the proposed Community Center. Laura shared about the experience of the Friendship members who volunteered at the East Rec. Center City garden and programs they helped coordinate. The more multi- functional the garden can be, the better in their opinion. Lynette asked whether the activities Laura described are in the past or planned for this year. Laura indicated the intent is to retain these features. Dan asked about retaining a garden at the site of a new Community Center. Laura affirmed that this the goal. Lynette asked about the number of plots at the garden presently. Laura described there are 53 plots, some managed by groups or the community, but principally individuals. There is a variety of sizes from 4x4 feet to 4x16 feet. Lynette praised the work of the City to fit as many plots in. Dan asked whether a garden would be planned for a new community center. Chad spoke of the intent to maintain current community garden resource to some capacity at the current location and through additional locations. Julie brought up the potential use of Sobieski and West Lake Park as community garden sites. Chad said staff are considering expansion and alternatives if the ERC site were to be reduced. Chad and staff is interested in understanding the user desires and goals to figure out the best options. Julie asked if there was a waiting list, and Chad replied that there were waiting lists in the first years, but not in 2020. Specifically plots were available at the end of the year, but claimed at the beginning. Julie asked if the Prairie Island plots were spoken for. Chad said he believed there were, but they are managed by the campground operator. Chad suggested Prairie Island expansion is another option. Julie provided some background that 15-20 potential sites were evaluated for a future community garden, with West Lake and Sobieski getting the most support from the CEQC as future sites. Julie asked if the meeting attendees could weigh in with comments. Dan said this would be an appropriate time for attendees to hop in, but asked to keep comments brief. Liz McHeel is involved with the sustainable food and farming program at MSCS. She noted MSCS is looking to establish a community garden and could receive help from the construction program. Chris Meyer introduced herself as a former Master Gardener and shared that she invited Jim Worthley and Tom Kujawa to speak. Lynette asked about the Stone Point Park gardens and if they are still in operation – yes they are. Jim Worthley asked if the community garden would need to be on City land. Jim has talked with the community garden organizer at St. Mary’s (Kyle Black). St. Mary’s has a large area with a fence across Hwy. 14 from main campus area. Dan and Patrick Menton said that non-city land is being considered. Tom Kujawa mentioned that Redeemer Lutheran hosted in the past and may be available in the future. Bonnie stated that it is important that the City do outreach so people who need space or have constraints (food insecure, transportation limited) are able to use garden. Bruno Borsari provided his thoughts. Bruno described how Wapasha Gardens and J.R. Watkins were successes, but discontinued. Bruno said the location is vital – he noted Stone Point Park is disadvantaged by being 6 miles out of town. The East Rec garden has been great way to bring community together, and he has been active in bee keeping there. He thoroughly supports community gardens and shared a link about a book chapter on sustainability and another about the WSU arboretum. It is a must to convert lawn into productive landscapes. Bruno stated MSCS would be a good partner. Winona sustainability: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321343637_Achieving_Sustainability_in_the_City_of_Winona_ Minnesota_USA_A_Case_Study WSU: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323483545_An_economic_value_assessment_of_ecological_ser vices_in_the_tree_community_at_Winona_State_University_Arboretum Deb noted that the SHIP program funds quite a bit for community gardens, including Maplewood, Prairie Island and St. Anne’s. Kelsey Ocello is new SHIP coordinator: info@winonacountypartnership.com. Patrick Menton asked about the total plots in town, and availability. Bruno said they don’t have numbers at this moment, but all spaces are getting used. Patrick asked about who administered the Maplewood Garden? Deb said a sociology class helps with the management [Jay Palmer at WSU is the professor who organized the HRA garden]. Patrick also asked about getting food to those who need it. Chris Meyer described her experience sharing food from community gardens. Jeanne Franz said the WSU garden produce is taken to Winona Volunteer Services over the summer, and given to Warrior cupboard when school is in session. David asked if there is a coordinator or ability to coordinate community gardens? Seems there would be potential to share best practices. Deb indicated that SHIP could help develop organization and bring resources, such as funding a stipend and materials. It might helpful to think of it like a farmers market where a coordinator helps with individual vendors. Patrick stated the sustainability of the project will be important. Bruno said the ERC site and Wapasha did a good job by providing needed amenities, and achieved this with coordination. Patrick noted that having staff time is a challenge, and raises cost. Dan stated that there was a lot of good input, and the CEQC is probably not in a position to make a decision today. Requested that John share information in the minutes and write up action items. David brought up Chris Meyer’s comment in the chat of mapping the community garden resources, and asked that it be included in the minutes. Bruno asked if it is possible to build a garden yet in 2021. Julie said that ideally the CEQC was looking for starting a new garden in 2021. Lynette said fencing at Lake Park would be needed to secure the site. Lynette sees it is very important to have local accessibility. Lynette asked about Hamilton St. location and other CEQC recommend sites? Patrick described that Tillman Park has future work with flood control that may be problematic. In his view, Sobieski is a front-runner followed by the West Lake site as future locations. Bruno said his favorite memories are tending bees at the East Rec. garden. He sees the gardens as a magnet for community engagement. Chad said Sobieski might not solve locational limitations. He is concerned infrastructure costs would be high for West Lake, and there is no budget for work this year. Water to west Lake site will be expensive.  Dan wondered if CoVID restrictions would be an issue to building new garden. Lynette stated that where there is a will, there is a way. Covid does not need to be a barrier. Bruno stated that even infrastructure does not need to be a barrier. Lea added her thoughts to the conversation and introduced herself as being involved in Wapasha Garden. She wonders about the West Lake site being too wet. Chad said this site is wet during the spring, summer and fall. Chad reiterated that each site has pros and cons, and that he is trying to get to yes. Lynette wonders about surrendering baseball field. It would not be popular with sports folks. Julie suggests picking a spot and working from there. This would help in determining the budget needs. Dan agrees. Dan wonders if Laura could mentor new coordinators who are community members. Chad says the City can seek estimates of cost by working with community members, and the more details about sizing and material needs, the better. Staffing is a concern, so public involvement is needed. Niki introduced herself as a St. Mary professor and CEQC member. She has St. Mary’s students who are excited about community gardens and could do a lot of planning legwork. Will have a new cohort available every year to supplement and help with ongoing sustainability of the garden. Lynette shared that her daughter was a coordinator for two gardens in Maplewood, and therefore knows that funding is available. Dan suggested that the action items are selecting a spot, the needs for the spot, etc. Lynette said a timeline is also needed especially since the tight timeline before planting. CEQC likes the idea of creating a task force to consider garden options and further the conversation. Julie will discuss with the Mayor as part of the check in process. 4. Sustainability Planning Update: John provided a brief update on the sustainability plan, and that CEE was selected as the consultant by the City Council. Lynette asked if there are meetings to discuss which issues will be part of the plan. John described that the steering committee selected six topics: energy, water, food production, material & waste, land management [and transportation]. John said a community survey is forthcoming to get input on what to focus on, should be online by mid-March. John expects to come back to the CEQC at that time for collective and individual CEQC member input. 5. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 6:16 pm. Motion by Julie, second by Dan. Approval unanimous. Notes prepared by John Howard. Chat Log: Patrick Byron: ARE community gardens located near those who have the greatest need? GREAT comments, Bonnie!! RIGHT ON, BRUNO!! HOW can we tie any location with school kids? Could we find out who might be interested in various aspects of these potential projects? Bruno Borsari: Dear all, greening the urban space with edible landscapes, gardens, restoration is (and will continue to be) an imperative to educate, engage society in learning and actions aimed at achieving food security and a sustainable development. Here in attachment is a document that tells the achievements towards sustainability in 2018. As you will see, gardening and composting were keystone activities in Winona. I hope that we will be able to create opportunities to engage more Winonans in growing food in town and I remain fully committed to get involved wiith this and similar projects. Thanks.! Bruno https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321343637_Achieving_Sustainability_in_the_City_of_Winona_Minn esota_USA_A_Case_Study Here attached is a paper describing what we did at Winona State. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323483545_An_economic_value_assessment_of_ecological_service s_in_the_tree_community_at_Winona_State_University_Arboretum Kelsey: Patrick, one of the projects SHIP recommends is a community garden to school lunch room program, so that would be something we could look into as well. Chris: Maybe we could put together a map and information about all the gardens and for those that can be rented maybe we can get that information Emilie: An intern could be paid to get gardens on a map https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=44.73711586246581%2C- 93.42208&spn=1.096471%2C1.118395&source=embed&mid=15sjWGPwTvcrRfm1odWkkGKZi1EY&z=9 Or all you have to do is send an email to info@northerngardener.org to get on their community garden project map for the MN state Horticultural Society Jeanne Franz: If you need soil analysis done on potential new locations for gardens, Winona State students would love to do that as a research project. Malia Fox: I am very happy to have met all of you. I hope you saw the value of our community garden presentation. I sure hope we can work together! Thank you!  CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM: 3. Noise Pollution Considerations PREPARED BY: John Howard DATE: March 4, 2021 Mr. John Finn, a resident in the 300 block of W. 4th St., contacted Chair Hall and City Staff to suggest the CEQC consider noise pollution. The noise that detracts from his neighborhood seems to be caused by multiple sources including semis crossing the bridge, trucks with modified exhaust systems, and industrial activity. He provided the following article from The Atlantic for CEQC consideration on the negative health effects of noise pollution: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how- noise-harms-heart/618091/ 3/1/2021 How Noise Pollution Hurts the Heart - The Atlantic HEALTH Traffic Noise Is a Silent Killer The ruckus of cars and planes can damage not just your ears, but also your heart. CYPRESS HANSEN AND KNOWABLE MAGA ZINE FEBRUARY 21, 2021 JOHANNES EISELE / AFP / GETTY In 2011, Germany’s Frankfurt Airport—the country’s busiest—unveiled its fourth runway. This addition sparked major protests, and for years demonstrators returned to the airport every Monday. “It’s destroying my life,” one protester told Reuters in 2012. “Every time I go into my garden, all I can hear and see are planes right above.” The new runway also channeled dozens of aircraft directly over the house of Thomas Münzel, a cardiologist at the University Medical Center of Mainz. “I have lived close to the German Autobahn and close to inner-city train tracks,” he says. “Aircraft noise is the most annoying by far.” Münzel had read a 2009 World Health Organization report linking noise to heart problems, but evidence at the time was thin. Driven in part by concern for his own health, in 2011 he shifted the focus of his research to learn more. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-noise-harms-heart/618091/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_source=face… 1/5 3/1/2021 How Noise Pollution Hurts the Heart - The Atlantic Exposure to loud noise has long been linked with hearing loss. But the ruckus of planes and cars takes a toll beyond the ears: Traffic noise has been flagged as a major urban environmental stressor, second only to air pollution. In the last decade, a growing body of research more directly links air and road-traffic noise to heightened risks for a number of cardiovascular ailments—and scientists are starting to pinpoint the mechanisms at play. RECOMMENDED READING Why Everything Is Getting Louder BIANCA BOSKER City Noise Might Be Making You Sick KATE WAGNER The Future Will Be Quiet AL ANA SEMUELS Evidence of noise’s physiological effects—whether on cells and organs or entire populations—“is really coming together and painting a picture of the problem,” says Mathias Basner, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania and president of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise. Yet, he adds, few people are aware of the severity of what his colleagues call a “silent killer.” Estimates suggest that roughly a third of Americans are regularly exposed to unhealthy levels of noise, typically defined as starting around 70 to 80 decibels. For comparison, normal conversation is about 60 dB, cars and trucks range from 70 to 90 dB, and sirens and airplanes can reach 120 dB or more. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-noise-harms-heart/618091/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_source=face… 2/5 3/1/2021 How Noise Pollution Hurts the Heart - The Atlantic Numerous studies link chronic exposure to environmental noise to an increased risk of heart-related troubles. People living near the Frankfurt airport, for example, have as much as a 7 percent higher risk of stroke than those living in similar but quieter neighborhoods, according to a 2018 study in Noise & Health that investigated the health data of more than 1 million people. An analysis of nearly 25,000 cardiovascular deaths between 2000 and 2015 among people living near Zurich’s airport saw significant increases in nighttime mortality after airplane flyovers, especially among women, a team reported last year in the European Heart Journal. As researchers probe the physiology underlying noise’s cardiovascular consequences, they’re zeroing in on a culprit: dramatic changes to the endothelium, the inner lining of arteries and blood vessels. This lining can go from a healthy state to one that’s “activated,” and inflamed, with potentially serious ramifications. When sound reaches the brain, it activates two important regions: the auditory cortex, which interprets noise, and the amygdala, which manages emotional responses to it. As noise gets louder, and especially during sleep, the amygdala activates a stress response—even if the person isn’t aware of it. Once initiated, this response releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol into the body. Some arteries constrict; others dilate. Blood pressure rises, and sugars and fats flood the bloodstream for quick use by the muscles. The cascading stress response also prompts the creation of harmful molecules that cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the lining of blood vessels. This dysfunctional endothelium meddles with blood flow and affects numerous other processes that, when impaired, contribute to a range of cardiovascular illnesses, including high blood pressure, plaque buildup in arteries, obesity, and diabetes. Studies on people and mice show that the endothelium doesn’t work as efficiently after just a few days of nighttime airplane-noise exposure, suggesting that loud noise isn’t a concern only for people already at risk for heart and metabolic problems. Healthy adults subjected to recordings of trains during their slumber had impaired blood-vessel function almost immediately, according to a 2019 study published by Münzel and his colleagues in Basic Research in Cardiology. “We were surprised that young people, after hearing these sounds for just one night, had endothelial dysfunction,” says Münzel, coauthor of an overview on noise https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-noise-harms-heart/618091/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_source=face… 3/5 3/1/2021 How Noise Pollution Hurts the Heart - The Atlantic and cardiovascular health in the 2020 Annual Review of Public Health. “We always thought this was something that takes years to develop.” While the data continue to accumulate, untangling cause and effect can be tricky. It’s not easy to conduct long-term sleep experiments or to distinguish between the effects of daytime and nighttime noise—or the effects of the noise itself versus the combined effects of noise and air pollution (which often go hand in hand). The consequences of environmental noise are also tough to parse due to the subjective nature of sound, says Andreas Xyrichis, a health-services scientist at King’s College in London. Xyrichis studies hospital intensive-care units, where ringing telephones and clattering food dishes can be either comforting or counteractive to recovery, depending on the patient. “We are really trying to make this distinction between decibel levels and perception of noise,” he says. Despite the remaining questions, there’s a growing recognition of connections between noise pollution and reduced physical health. A 2018 report by the World Health Organization noted that each year, Western Europeans are collectively losing more than 1.6 million years of healthy life because of traffic noise. This calculation is based on the number of premature deaths caused directly by noise exposure, as well as the years lived with noise-induced disability or illness. And that number is likely to grow: In 2018, 55 percent of people lived in cities, and by 2050 that count is expected to reach nearly 70 percent, the United Nations estimates. Some governments, heeding public protests, have tried to quiet the clamor of urbanization by adopting nighttime-flight bans, incentivizing quieter technologies, and issuing fines for noise complaints. Individuals can help themselves by ensuring that bedrooms are as quiet as possible: retrofitting windows, hanging noise- reducing curtains, or (if they can afford it) moving to quieter neighborhoods. Cheaper solutions, Basner says, include wearing earplugs at night or moving bedrooms to a quieter part of the home. He believes that people should take such steps even if they don’t find themselves especially fazed by noise. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-noise-harms-heart/618091/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_source=face… 4/5 3/1/2021 How Noise Pollution Hurts the Heart - The Atlantic “If you’re living in Manhattan, you won’t notice how loud it is after a while, because it is normal,” he says. “But if you have habituated to it psychologically, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have negative health consequences.” This post appears courtesy of Knowable Magazine. CYPRESS HANSEN is a writing intern at Knowable Magazine https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/how-noise-harms-heart/618091/?utm_medium=social&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_source=face… 5/5  CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM: 4. Citizens Climate Lobby Introduction PREPARED BY: John Howard DATE: March 4, 2021 Mr. Daniel Botz, who spoke with the CEQC about a Project Pick-Up initiative previously, contacted the CEQC about a new organization in the area called Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL). A main goal of CCL is to enact a federal carbon fee and dividend program as outlined in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763). Mr. Botz and colleagues will describe the organization and wish to determine if the CEQC would be supportive of the objectives.  CITIZENS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM: 5. Community Garden Planning Update PREPARED BY: John Howard DATE: March 4, 2021 Included for CEQC consideration are items shared to the Mayor and potential members of a Community Garden Task Force. Niki may also have updates on work her students are doing to assess the feasibility of additional community garden space. Growing Community in Winona COMMITTEE PROPOSAL Prepared February 5th 2021 WHAT IS THE GOAL? To grow the community garden inventory by one for the 2021 growing season. WHO WILL BE ON THE TEAM? A group of three to four people who hold the knowledge, passion, and willingness to move the community garden initiative forward. The members will be invited by the Mayor. WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF SERVICE? This small planning group will remain in place until a long-term coordination plan for the garden can be implemented and a long-term coordinator (individual or group) is identified. HOW WILL THE GOAL BE MET? The committee will work with the City of Winona to meet the following goals: 1. Identify and secure a garden site. 2. Identify and secure funding for initial development and plans to cover annual operation costs. 3. Plan for initial implementation and long-term coordination. 4. Develop a format which can support new garden sites to come to fruition. 5. Work with the City of Winona, Park and Recreation Department to meet these goals. KEY CONSIDERATIONS Over 20 community members gathered on February 4th, 2021 to discuss and support the expansion of community gardens in Winona; The comments of this group and ideas for best practices can be accessed in the CEQC minutes from that meeting Key factors and considerations of the new community garden should include but are not limited to: soil quality, water access, use as a neighborhood gathering site, access by waking, biking, and public transit, citizen engagement, food insecurity, intergenerational access. There's potential funding in SHIP grants The garden should use existing City of Winona infrastructure when possible and practical This committee should work to develop a citizen oversight group and management strategy to support long-term functionality