All right.

So we're going to call together the uh April 8th meeting of the Rochester Sustainability and Resiliency Commission.

So we're going to start with a roll call of attendance.

So Seth Barons.

Not here.

Amy Cockett here.

Amanda Holloway present.

Terry Kinsey here.

Casey McQuaid.

Probably.

Edward Cohen.

Brian Morgan is absent.

He's out of town for work.

Leah Moria.

Here.

Stuart Rassier.

Here.

Great.

So we have quarrels and take action.

All right.

Our next order of business is to approve the minutes of the March meeting.

Can I get a motion?

Were there any uh concerns, comments or corrections to the minutes?

Motion to approve the meetings minutes from March.

So approved.

Second.

All in favor.

Any opposed?

No.

Okay, Mark.

Great.

All right.

So next is our open comment period.

Um this is an opportunity for the public to provide comments to the commission regarding items that are not on the agenda.

Is it only not on the agenda?

It could be there.

Either.

I don't know why it says that.

Okay.

No, to items that are or not on the agenda.

The commission will not discuss or take action on them.

According to the board, advisory boards, committees, and commission rules of procedure and operation.

Each speaker is limited to four minutes, and there's a 15-minute time limit for open comment period on the agenda.

So at this point, we'll ask is um is there anyone online?

No.

Okay.

Is there anyone in the room who would like to make comments to the commission?

Could you please join us at the table so you're we can pick you up on the mic?

That's good right here.

Um good evening.

My name is Mike Deggerstrom.

And I'm reading a letter from the Zungo Valley Audubon Society from our board.

So tonight we want to stress the urgency for protecting and growing our native habitats.

We have many local species dropping a number specifically on our flutter flies, around 15% from the numbers just a few decades ago.

We have several of our bumblebee species on the path to extinction.

Bird numbers have dropped about one third since the 1970s, uh, with grassland birds dropping more than 50 percent.

Just this past February, Science Magazine published a study that 63 bird species have declines that are actually accelerating.

Having a healthy and sustainable ecosystem is something that many of us enjoy being in nature, has been shown to be healthy for people, uh, both physically and mentally.

We're lucky to live in the city with the top rated medical institution.

It seems logical that residents and visitors should have easy access to nature.

Moreover, a healthy ecosystem is required for growing food for clean water air and water and other essentials.

In 2019, RPU announced 100% renewable energy by 2030, but on my bulletin board for six, seven years, whatever.

Um back side of it.

This is a commitment that residents recently insisted be kept.

Similarly, we need a goal for recovering lost habitat.

Yeah, Rochester continues to expand housing into habitat and farmland to accommodate the projected 55,000 new residents.

Uh we do not think limiting urban urban sprawl must necessarily limit economic growth.

While we do know that much of the residential housing needs will be met with single family housing.

Uh, we encourage and support continued efforts towards the denser housing types.

There are approaches to add housing and perhaps still revert the local habitat destruction.

Duncalny, a well-known entomologist explains in his book, Nature's Best Hope, that is possible for urban areas to offer a lot more natural areas.

Specifically, he promotes replacing about 50% of our lawns with native plants.

We realize that uh there is a later attendant items uh related to lawn pollinator habitat for city and private properties.

We completely agree with uh that all types of properties be considered for native plantings.

This includes city side streets, mediums, and other rights away, parks and other public properties.

It should also include businesses that that we recognize uh where we recommend that larger businesses implement at least 50% of the natural landscape.

However, private properties constitute much of the area within Rochester and the greatest opportunity for transition to natural areas to focus on residential lawn to native convergence.

Here are some goals and requirements to meet these goals.

If we want the transition to be 15 years, then that would require starting at 100 participants at 50% growth uh per year for a 20-year transition, the needed growth rate year over year drops to 35%.

This represents a modest start as the goal of having 100 year one participants represents only 0.2 of Rochester's approximately 50,000 households.

To summarize, be assured, we strongly support all approaches to incorporate more natural areas into the city.

We hope to still start some projects complementary to the city's efforts.

More most importantly, we're encouraging the city to set specific goals and develop plans to meet these goals.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

At this point, because we have a guest today, should we talk about actually pollinators and turf grass conversion?

We would like to just to uh change the order of the agenda and do new business first.

Um so is anyone in favor of a motion to change the agenda of just new good by the poor old business.

So second, all in favor?

I'm opposed.

No.

Right.

So I'm willing to turn over uh to you and remind me, I believe this was from our discussion of priorities that came from the commission members as part of looking at those the work plan.

And I believe that this one came from yes.

So this idea or this topic kind of originated back in the fall when we had SRC members kind of pitched different ideas that they'd like to dig into further in 2026.

Um, something that was brought up as turf grass conversion and then promoting pollinator species.

And so we felt that the next step would be bringing in city staff to kind of talk about what programs we have currently and how SRC can kind of support.

And um, I will be kind of sharing uh some parks programs, and then I'll turn it over to Rachel Strauss, who's here, she's our stormwater education coordinator, is that your title?

Environmental education specialist for stormwater.

Yeah, um, and she'll share some stormwater specific programs, including our Rochester garden grants.

Um so I'm going to kind of read my speaker notes for the parks slides, turn it over to Rachel, and then we'll take questions and then we'll open it up for discussion.

And if you have specific questions about the parks programs, um, we can definitely take note of that and find answers for you all, and then hoop back with you on that.

Um, on the slides that I created, I did link where I could try to link uh videos, YouTube videos, and so I'm happy to send those out in the slides as well.

And then I also put the um link to kind of more information for all of these programs.

Um so um there is more information on our website about the the parked programs as well.

Um, so first wanted to talk a little bit about uh how the parks department is converting turf grass in parks themselves.

Um, and so across the park system, parks is identifying areas that are currently mowed, but then not actively being used for recreation.

So, where in the parks, you know, could we transition some of this land?

And then they're transitioning that those spaces to native or to non-mowed areas.

So this is um allowing for more intentional land management, so they're maintaining the turf in the parts where it's needed, where people are using it, and then reducing maintenance in those lower use areas.

So 6.2 acres are being converted to pollinator habitats across four parts, uh, Joyce Park, McQuillen Park, Meadow Park, and Meadow Park Estates Park.

Uh, this work is grant-funded and supported through a partnership with the trust for public land.

Um, in addition to that, approximately 10 acres of native prairie have been seated at the KR6 reservoir in collaboration with On Site Crony Parks.

Um, so from a goals perspective, this work supports improved habitat for pollinators and wildlife, reduces again that long-term maintenance and mowing needs and the emissions associated with that, and contributes to overall ecosystem resilience.

Um, they also wanted to mention that during kind of this transition period, the the parks in the space might not look like you know it is intended to, so give it a year or two and kind of as these conversions are establishing and getting up and going, um, they might look differently than what they will kind of in the long run.

Okay, the next parks program here is the park department slow mo summer.

Um, this has also been known as um no mow May, but it's transitioned to slow mo summer.

The intention is to kind of um not just focus on the month of May, but kind of stretch it out across the entire summer and encourage you know more responsible uh mowing habits throughout the entire kind of flowering period.

So again, a shift away from traditional mowing practices, looking at higher mowing heights and reduced mowing frequency.

So the goal here is to allow flowering plants like clover and dandelions to bloom, which is the food source for the pollinators throughout the growing season.

We talked about building on the earlier Nemo May approach, but then extending yes to the full summer, recognizing that many pollinator species emerge later in the season and not just in May, and then requiring the ongoing habitat and food sources throughout the summer months.

So within the park system, the strategy is implemented in select locations each year.

So the parks department in public spaces is supporting pollinators while still maintaining that usability and appearance in the higher use areas in the park, similar to kind of what we just discussed.

We do also, the city does also promote this program to residents as a voluntary action they can take at home.

So yard signs are available, I believe, here at City Hall to promote NOMO May.

So if you're interested in participating and supporting the program, you can pick up a yard sign and kind of implement these practices at your own home.

Okay, so this program is designed to balance the pollinator support with the compliance under the city's tall grass ordinance.

So just to note that if you do choose to participate in this program, you would still be required to maintain turf under 12 inches and manage noxious weeds on your property.

So kind of balancing the pollinators with the well-maintained yards.

Okay, next is native landscaping.

Let's see.

Yes, so kind of native landscaping on private property and some of our forestry permits.

So we do have forestry as the shutter.

Okay, so yes, so they wanted me to highlight uh the 2024 state statute that changed.

So the recent legislation now does allow for naturally occurring and managed native vegetation on private property.

Um so as a result, Rochester no longer requires permits for uh most natural landscaping outside of the boulevard, um, as long as it's intentional and maintained.

So permits are required in specific situations.

So for example, um a natural landscape permit is needed if turf if turf grass is allowed to grow beyond the 12-inch height that we had talked about, or for any non-turf plantings within the boulevard because the boulevard still is um city property.

So anytime you are, you know, um planting in the boulevard, um, planting trees, planting species, taking out grass, there would be a permit involved with that.

Um but if it's on your property because of the change in state law, you you are not uh required to pull a permit for that.

So the goal of this state statute was to again help residents transition away from natural turf, kind of be able to install more native species in their yards.

And then the last program here that the parks department wanted to share is the parks work to expand registered urban tree canopy.

Um and so this is uh a it's a US forest service grant that was received um, I believe in 2023, um, creating a free tree program.

So it's supported by federal and state grant funding, um, and it is income qualified.

So if you qualify by income, um you can receive a free tree planted on your property at no cost.

Um, so it looks like they are see, yep, so certain census tracts, free trees for residents and census tracts one, two, three, and six.

Um, and they're looking at 146 trees planned for planting this spring.

Um looks like they have a goal of planting um over a thousand trees across Rochester between 2025 and 2028, including both uh the private property plantings and boulevard trees on city property.

And then they are distributing quite a few free trees at Arbor Day, which Rachel will talk more about.

Um it looks like there was over 2,000 boulevard trees planted in 2025.

So lots of tree plantings, um, lots of work in the forest department.

And with that, I will turn it over to Rachel, and I'm just gonna hand you this so that you have oh, great changes.

Well, good afternoon, everyone.

As Kayla said, my name is Rachel Strauss.

I am in Public Works Environmental Services, specifically in the water resources department in my role as environmental education specialist or stormwater educator.

And thanks for welcoming me today to talk a little bit more about our Rochester Garden Grants and then our stormwater and community outreach programs.

So I wanted to start by talking about our Rochester Garden Grants and the Lonsa Legumes grant.

Just first wanted to share that these are complementary programs.

They are not competing programs.

In fact, you can receive both grants.

So a little bit about our city grants.

It's a city funded funded program.

It's for pollinator habitat and water stewardship or like rain gardens.

It actually started out as a rain garden program, but then has been expanded to include pollinator habitat.

It is open to any Rochester resident, Rochester School or Rochester community organization.

And again, the focus is on benefits for stormwater, and then also emphasizing an educational component to it too.

There's a requirement that if you do receive the grant that you provide some sort of education to tell others about why you put in your garden and how it's helping.

And we're very flexible with what that can what that can be.

And our grants are up to 1,000.

Then the state program, Los Legumes, it's across the state.

It is something that Blue Thumb Planting for Clean Water facilitates with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

That one is open to anyone in Minnesota who is an owner or renter of a residential property.

It does not include groups and organizations.

They're not eligible for this one, but Bowser Pollinator, there's a Bowser Pollinator Pathway Grant for organizations if organizations are looking for something.

And the focus for this one is native planting projects, and they really give priority to habitat areas supporting those at risk pollinators mentioned earlier in this meeting, like Rusty Patch Bum will be monarch butterflies.

And that grant is up to 400.

Just something to like distinguish them too that are to point out that Lost Legumes is statewide.

So it is more competitive because it's across the state, where Rochester grants are limited to people in Rochester.

This is just a little bit more information from our website, our city website, about our Rochester garden grants.

And on our website, you can also see a map of where people have where our garden grant recipients are and pictures from those gardens.

So people can check those out as well.

And then piggybacking off of that.

So in our department, and I do apologize, I don't know a lot of specifics about this.

So if you have further questions about some of these projects, I'd be happy to take them back to my supervisor who shared this information with me.

But just to share that we have like their programs happening on the ground through projects and then behind the scenes through policy and maintenance practices.

So some of the stormwater-related projects are the 37th Street Infiltration Basin, again, trying to restore native vegetation and pollinator-friendly plants to improve that water quality, stabilized soils and enhance habitat, and then pebble creek and cule wet sedimentation basin, same thing, trying to fully restore that native vegetation and pollinator habitat.

And then just some behind-the-scenes practices to that we have maintenance activities that are trying to promote and restore that native vegetation, like doing following selective mowing and prescribed burns, um, to know that city requirements for development follow the Minnesota stormwater manual, and it is a standard best management practice to restore native vegetation and pollinator-friendly plants where feasible.

And includes promoting green infrastructure, native vegetation, pollinator plantings as well.

And then transitioning into other programs.

So in addition to our Rochester garden grants, we do have other programs to engage the community.

So coming up actually, April 25th is the start of our litter bit better spring campaign cleanup campaign.

We are celebrating 20 years of litter bit better here in Rochester.

And now we hold it in the spring and also in the fall.

My favorite volunteers adopted maintain our local storm drains.

And then encouraging smart salting practices, educational opportunities and training for people that do winter maintenance as well.

So those are some of the programs that we provide or promote.

And finally.

Oh, sorry.

Nope, not finally yet.

Thank you, Kayla, for adding this too.

This is just to kind of pull it all together, like why what we're doing matters.

And again, we're supporting pollinators and biodiversity, trying to improve soil health and stormwater infiltration, try to reduce mowing fuel use and maintenance costs, expand tree canopy for shade and climate resilience and creating more diverse and natural park experiences.

And we invite you to help us support this work.

Thank you for your help promoting our programs and opportunities to the community and supporting education and awareness around pollinators and native landscaping.

Appreciate your feedback on program gaps or opportunities that you see for us and identify ways that we can expand our impact across Rochester.

And now finally with that, thank you ahead of time.

I understand that quite a few of you have volunteered to help us at RPU's Arbor Day event.

So I just wanted to give you an overview of what to expect that day and just some details.

So it is going to take place Friday, April 24th from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

This year it's being held at McQuillen Field Park.

You'll see in the pictures though, that doesn't look like a park, that's indoors because last year uh it was moved indoors due to severe weather.

So if um if it is raining or there's severe weather, they will move it to our CTC field house.

Um if that happens, they I think last year they let us know a day beforehand, but I'll be in touch with Kayla too and let you all know if it does get moved.

Um, if you would be able, we'd love to have you arrive around 10:30 a.m.

I'm gonna get there ahead of time to try to have everything set up, but they they like to have everyone there and in place before the kids all arrive so that when they arrive and the pandemonium begins, we're all set up and ready to go.

Um, our role is really this we're offering clean water mini golf as our engage to engage with the students and the families.

Uh we've expanded it.

So last year we had five polls, now we have eight polls.

Um ideally, we would like to connect uh the benefits of trees to stormwater and water water quality and share messaging um that is at each poll about you know to reinforce the learning about why they're doing it.

The reality is there were over 2,000 attendees last year.

There are kids waiting in line.

You can kind of see in that one picture, there's a long line, especially for things like mini golf.

Um, it's loud.

Uh the kids are eager but impatient to have a turn.

Um so we kind of have to keep a moving through quickly.

Um we will have chairs available for the volunteers to be able to sit, but you really don't have a chance to sit.

You will be standing most of the time.

Um, it is really fun, but it is tiring because it is two hours of just intense, like yeah, noise and activity, but the kids really do love it.

Um so thank you in advance for being part of it.

And I didn't know I don't know if anyone else has anything to add.

I know you were there last year.

I'm in picture, I can say myself.

That's right.

I was gonna there was a picture of all of us I was going to put in there and not doing it.

Yeah.

And just as a reminder, who we have signed up for this event, um, Terry, Brian, Amy, Seth, and Leah.

And so really what you'll do, they'll be one of you in each mini golf hole.

And so a student or a person will come up, you will give them the putter, you'll you might have to explain to them.

Some of these kids have never played mini golf.

They don't even know how to hold the putter or what to do.

Some of them will try to do like a full swing, and you have to tell them, like, nope, but just a little tap.

Um, yeah.

Uh, so so it is kind of education about how to play mini golf too.

Um is it fourth graders?

Um, so it is open to third, fourth, and fifth grade, and then they do have some first and second graders there, but it's also open to the public.

Does every school participate?

Um, it is open to all the Rochester public schools, and then there are some, I know some of the Rochester Catholic schools, other schools in the area do participate.

Um, I think that then teachers just have decide if they want to participate, bring their class.

All right, yeah, and that that is all I have to do.

And there was we got lunch last year.

We got like a hot dog and chips and a cookie and a what they bring water, yeah.

I wish they would have water there, like there would bring a water bottle.

Yeah, um, yeah, because they I feel like that's changed from year to year.

Like they used to have water bottles, then they didn't have water bottles that had fillings, they should, yeah.

So um, we will try to have some other city staff if available there to come and maybe rotate in if people need to take a bathroom break or just need a minute too.

So I know we have question and answer and discussion, but maybe in the sake of time, we'll just do both at the same time.

Sure.

All right.

I'm gonna start because I have a message from Brian, who's not here, but who reviewed everything ahead of time, and he said I didn't realize how much support is out there for homeowners to convert turf grass to native pollinators.

I agree that this should be an area focus and we'll happily champion these programs.

I will also look at putting something in it at my house this summer as a model.

So that was his comments.

So uh anyone else, Edward?

Yeah, uh two quick comments.

One is on the uh literature better program.

I think we've all grown up with the association of green with good things, uh recycling and clean is green, and none of us have grown up with green is garbage.

So I I would urge the switching of the bags of color every year, it's the same thing.

Blue is recycling, green is garbage.

Like reconsider that the years that I've been going with groups to do that, people get confused, they automatically think green is recycling, so that's one comment.

Um, the the other is uh the city you know perhaps the city could consider making it easier for people to convert some are all over their boulevard strip to the sorts of uh native friendly landscape and that we would like because right now, besides the cost and having to learn what to do and where to get the the seeds, um, then there's a permit.

And of course, we like to encourage people to use uh electric boards rather than gas boards.

So anything that could be put together that might streamline or assist um individuals who wanted to do something to their boulevard, I I think would make that happen a lot more quickly.

Thank you, Hebrew.

He's yeah, he had his hand up.

I was gonna ask if there were enough volunteers for the Arbor Day mini call.

There's never enough volunteers.

I have it in my calendar reading, so okay.

Okay I had you as an option, so I think it would probably be a tab you there.

Sure.

And then I know Seth and Brian are here either.

So I'll send um email to all six of you, and we very well could have some on drop box.

So just um you mentioned you need to get a permit if you're growing something making a change in the boulevard, or if you want to grow something taller than what is we said, I think most things grow taller than to like 12 inches, unless you've got fancies or something.

So where would you go to get the permits?

So I think that's for if it's um turf grass, that's taller than a ball of uh 12 inches, or for any non-terp plantings in the boulevard, and you can um go you can get the permits online, so no cost.

So through the parks department, yeah, okay.

Yep.

Yeah, they're free, yeah, free and help us comply with the ordinances.

So it's kind of just to find out where it's happening, it's not like to make it difficult for people to do this on and slow people down, which I don't think so.

I don't think that that's you know the intention of the permit, and again, state statute says that you now can do this on you know, plant um native vegetation on private property, and so I think the permit is probably just to track where it's happening on that boulevard area.

Can the garden grants be used on the boulevard, or is that on the resident side of the property?

So in the last one people so yes, however, if it's in the boulevard, that's city property, is there risk that then if there's a project that's going to take place, then that you know, all the that planting and work could be torn up for projects.

So yeah, that's that's part of the risk.

So we when people do apply and they want it in the boulevard, we have to have like a discussion about that too.

Rachel question for you as far as like education and awareness around the projects.

I've heard of most of them at other organizations, other nonprofits who have chosen to sponsor, but just generally heard the website and how how is awareness built?

How's education?

How's the community informed and what suggestions do you have for how others can advocate?

Okay, so like the programs like garden grants, yeah, the better things like that.

Um yeah, so part of my job is like going to schools, going to groups and sharing about those.

Um so that's I do that.

Um, then we try to have the information on social media, like, oh, we're opening our garden grants.

Um, so you know, we'll do something at social media about it.

Uh, we do have actually I forgot to mention this and I should have put that in there.

We have um uh Rochester Garden Grant stories on YouTube right now.

There are about eight different stories of people that have um received the grant and what they've done with it.

Um yeah, see a commercial or a different stormwater.

I guess the smart salting.

I said commercial on TV when I was at the gym one time.

Yeah, commercials, going on Midwest Access on ATTC.

I mean to leverage the media when we can.

Kiaska the mall.

Yeah, do you have like virtual tours like on the website so you people can see what has been done?

You know, like instead of doing something really big, like the garden tours that are done by the master gardeners, but to do it just on video so people have an idea of how you do it and what it looks like.

We don't have um, so the garden, the people that have received our garden grants, we don't have virtual tours, but we do have on the website it shows where they're located, and we do have photos.

Okay, um, but yeah, we don't have virtual tours.

Although everyone that has received the grant, part of the agreement is that they're open to meeting with people, showing them their garden, discussing it.

And I think that was one of the slides right if people back that you had an image of the website and what that looks like.

Um we'd like to see the yes, you can see all of them.

Yep.

What about have you ever considered yard signs?

Like us like saying I got a registered garden grant.

Yes, sorry.

So yeah, we do have signs for the people that receive the garden grants.

Okay.

Are the applications the application window for the city grants still open for this year?

Open from October 1st to December 30th.

For the following plantation.

Yeah, okay.

Any other comments, Amanda?

Fantastic programs.

I really appreciate all of the support that the city of Rochester and Parks Department provides.

Like there's a lot of opportunity here.

Agree.

Uh the challenge is getting the information out to everybody.

It seems like that's always the hardest is you know, just sharing all this um great stuff.

But even just from my personal, so I live in town, so I have a little 0.2 acre lot and have added natives, not the whole thing, but even just adding a few or a handful of native plants makes a huge difference.

Like I've noted a ton of pollinators in my yard compared to when I just had you know some nice flowers.

Yeah, I would second all that.

I have someone who's participated in a little bit better a lot of times.

And um, I believe my brother got a grant for rain garden uh for something a couple of years ago.

Um, I have seen these actually create a direct impact, and I really like them when I really want to support them.

My question is as a commission, what is the most effective thing we can do to promote these, like beyond what's already being done?

Um yeah, I guess for me too, being like immersed in the data day work, I feel like oh, everybody knows all about this because you know, and you've tried all these different avenues.

So I don't know if even if you have suggestions for different avenues that we can use to get get the information out, or you know, your networks too.

You know, how do we how do we connect with more people?

Um I don't know.

So that's it's kind of a question back to your question too.

Um yeah.

Do you have information like in all the garden stores?

People are making of doing something with their yard, at least for me, it's almost always in April or May when I was sergeants and things.

You know, that plant didn't work well.

I put here.

I did take some cards once to sergeants uh to promote it.

Um so yeah, I should do that again.

Um, and we usually we I took my like the garden grant postcards there, um, but did that closer to when the the application period was opening.

So maybe I should just be in touch with them year round and just make sure to keep filling those.

Well, the yeah, because the problem is the grants are not when people are going to sergeants, right?

Right.

So you you almost have to take them now, and then they have to remember to do it in October, right?

That's the because then I don't think people are going to sergeants to get Christmas stuff in you know, November.

But I think it's I think it's common for people to say, Oh, we can also do this, and then it's like, oh, well, maybe I can apply for a grant to do that next year, you know, kind of like a phased approach.

True.

Not even a grant, just if you're doing it on your own education.

And places like Sargents say, here is what people put into water gardens.

Yeah, so so I know I went to Cory Hill and I bought some native plants, which I only one survived because the deer ate that even the deer resistant things, but I think that that's another place where you know that they were expensive.

Expensive, right?

So I think ways to get rid of that cost at that same point of purchase seems to me to make a lot of sense because that's when people are saying, why is it so much money?

Well, you know, it's actually is you have to you dig up the grass and you need dirts, everything is dirts expensive.

Plants are not that simple to find always.

So I don't know what you can get at Sergeants.

Like, do they have a native plant section?

That's to me, one of the barriers is where do you get the plants?

It's a again, my limited success.

My husband's actually like been in the backyard willing to try and change things out to start as an experiment, but it is hard to figure out what grows where it's not.

It's almost like we need master gardeners.

Is there a master gardeners or an extension group here?

Where that's about the Minnesota U of M must have an extension office here.

Yes.

That's what I was gonna ask if you were working with the Master Gardeners or the Extension Service.

We we usually refer people to the master gardeners and the U of M extension because so because we don't provide the technical uh like expertise, we're just providing the grants.

So yeah, we when people then have questions, we usually connect them with Master Gardeners or UVA extension.

Yeah, we've even done that on some of the city projects.

We've reached out to the master gardeners to provide advice on what to apply, you know, so some of the restoration projects.

And we have two other ones that I saw weren't noted that'll be coming up.

We're looking at converting another four acres, possibly eight out of KR, um KR6, one of the reservoirs into um uh uh native plantings and you know, yet to be determined, but we were gonna reach out to the master gardeners to help us with that.

And then the other is um in western Rochester along Cascade Creek.

The city is working with the DNR and Olmstadt County Soil and Water Conservation District to convert it'll be a little over 42 acres of what is currently egg land.

Will we do a Cascades Creek Stream realignment and restoration project and then conversion of the rest of that floodway into um data paragraphs that are more conducive for wet wetter conditions too?

So with some wetland wet feeds and things like that.

So that's in design right now.

Um most likely construction, the 2780.

And again, we historically work with the master garden to expand extension, but if there's others we should reconsider, that would be helpful.

Um, you know, feedback as well.

So we do also refer people to the blue thumb banning for clean water um web page because they have pretty robust uh amount of resources for people too, and they also have a listing of native plant nurseries around the state as well.

So that's another good resource.

All right, take chairs part of less things where we have these big projects.

Is there signage as you say it's ugly when you first make these transitions?

So if where people are, you know, some of them are probably in places where a lot of people aren't walking, but is it is that an educational opportunity as well and sort of like do this at your own home, click here sort of thing.

Do we have those kind of signs?

Um we do, and again, but even on the individual projects, um you know, rain garden water garden pass assign it for the city projects.

I mean, one of the biggest ones was the previous cascade phase one of the cascade project, which again is kind of at the intersection of country club road and coming road 22, just west of that.

There's a sign right there the toxical project and what was done um as part of that restoration project.

We'll do the same thing West of 40 Fit, which is the next phase.

I don't think we have signs of the reservoir, so if I need to look into that, I know there is a game haven't um there's been some restoration projects done out there, and like we've done some wetland conversion projects out there, and so we have education signage at team because it's a large um kind of scout uh usage and all that.

I don't think there's anything in KR6 or even KR7.

We've done a few things with some birding out there and where um I don't think there's signage out there though, so that's something we should definitely consider.

So which one of them is the Res Warden Southwest?

Um well, yeah, sorry, throw it on so game haven't well said in southern there's an KR6, seven three or the western part of town and right along 19th Street.

So they are six is what we call dry reservoir, um, north of um 19th Street, yeah, and then 50th avenue connects into that for promoting a pathway three service is kind of right on the edge of KR6 there.

That's on the north side of 19th Street as as you continue to head out, and then PR three is just south of the county landfill.

Um so if you go all the way up to Kalmar landfill to directly solve that is for three, which is a web reservoir.

There isn't any, we haven't done any restoration projects other than here three, but um yeah, we're gonna bring the role up here.

So some um birding burning areas were intentionally have allowed it uh based on the problem.

So thank you so much for coming.

And again, adopted rain, it's not hard, right?

Edward, it's literally cleaning out your drains, and then sometimes when you're walking around, you can pick up garbage.

And you get a beautiful damn site, yes, and you can name it, right?

Yes, mine are Bert and Ernie.

I knew and roadie holds you can name it.

You can name it on their website.

Yeah, I didn't know there was a website.

Yeah, where you can track your uh you can go in and log how much you clean up.

Yeah, turn it in.

Yeah, you can name them.

So mine are there's little girls across the street.

We adopted their grain thing.

Okay, great.

Well, thanks again.

And um again, this is um as it came out of our work plan discussion.

This is great.

It is to we want to contribute more than just what we do here at this meeting.

So I think as all of us think about how can we share this information moving forward, which does include your social media networks or the organizations that you're a part of where you could, you know, neighbors, neighbors are big.

I have to say, my husband reduced our lawn mowing, that was very difficult for him.

He loves to have a meticulous yard, but by but he didn't know because that's how he was raised, yeah, right.

So that is exactly the target that we're talking about.

But the neighbors were doing no money, and he's like, it's really not that bad.

And you know, I think it is there's that that is very powerful.

It got him to buy an electric one or and barely mow the art and look at putting in other stuff.

So it can be done.

So great.

And as we continue to write our sustainability spotlights, we can keep these nice as well.

So we've just highlighted a the rusty that wrote the sustainability spotlight highlighting pollinators, and so and I know we promote the stormwater programs and our sustainability newsletter, but certainly you know, we can continue to promote those and then link it to your programs and things like that.

So thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for coming.

We appreciate it.

Have a good evening.

Okay, and then now we're gonna move on to our old business, which is a discussion about the natural gas franchise fee engagement process.

So um, I'm going to provide a very, very brief overview.

I'm gonna start again with thanks to everyone on the commission, the engagement that we had from all of you.

Um attending presentations, virtual ones, live ones, um, ones with other community groups was fantastic.

Um green drain, spray, and um lots of places where I forgot you went to one community housing.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, two of them.

Yeah, lots of them.

Yeah, thank you for coming.

Um again, we got a lot of great feedback from the consultants that was unheard of to have that level of engagement.

So this is great.

Um, at the Marsh meeting, we discussed that our where we are in this process is city council will have a study session on Monday.

Um what we are providing is a letter that will go with our thoughts on where we are in the project right now, which is we are part of the engagement.

So we're we're not being asked right now to tell city council what to do.

And there were some questions about that, right?

We're not we're not here to say it has to be exactly this and exactly that.

That is not the place where we are.

We can certainly, if you read the letter, right?

We give context, we give our discussion, we talk about this overall, but it's premature for us to say it has to be exactly terms or per person or the amount.

That's not where the process is.

So does everybody understand?

I think that that was pretty clear.

It's tempting to want to weigh in, but I'm not sure that from our discussion last month.

We didn't actually have consensus on that ourselves.

We had questions of more data we wanted, we had multiple ideas, and so um what you have before you is let me have the letter.

Okay.

It was in the file on page seven.

Um again, we just as a reminder, as we we will be saying we're gonna do this.

We see if there's any questions, then we'll get comments from everyone.

Right.

Yep.

Questions and that may sort of go together.

Um as a reminder, there's this is there's a lot of information that goes to city council.

So we we could make this 10 pages long.

It could be your report.

We're really looking at sort of at the executive summary level as well.

And right now we're at about a page and a half.

Um because we have names and we have you know the introductory stuff.

Um so how about we just pull the letter up?

Okay, I really like your headings so that you know for people that just scan, they can see what really telling them the need for stable funding, and that we we have a lot of ideas for different ways to do it.

Um just not just the three the paper approval and then uh version, which is great.

Okay.

Are there any general questions about what we're trying to accomplish today?

Because this has to be done today.

Okay, with the rest of our this is basically aside from staff reports and any comments at the end.

Any questions about what we're gonna try and accomplish?

Okay.

Sure, what exactly are we trying to go?

Yeah, I have an idea.

I just want to yes, no, very good.

No, it has an excellent question.

Going to have any comments, we're gonna finalize this and we're gonna have a motion and vote to send this letter to City Council with any changes that we agree on as cool.

And I think it will be done tomorrow.

It will be yes, it's gotta go because they need a Monday.

So I was just making sure I didn't basically.

Nope, that was perfect.

Thank you.

Um, I can start with Brian since he sent his comments.

That's okay.

All right.

I support the letter as written.

I would like to see us provide a little bit more clarity in what we recommend though.

As I read the letter, it wasn't clear what the committee is recommending beyond that we support the fee.

I recognize the value in staying open-ended.

So could we offer some examples of possible uses from those that scored highly in our engagement session?

Now we don't have the engagement data, but what we can do is, and I think he's talking about um what the fees will be used for.

So if I go down second paragraph from the uh before the conclusion, yeah, right there.

Um across all perspectives, the commission strongly emphasized that the intended use of funds is the most critical components.

Um so what he's saying is did we want to use put any suggestions in there?

Um but but not here, but supports the letter.

So who stood biggy backing off that?

So I I would I agree letter is is is a great start and really appreciate uh the effort there.

I think the the two things that I wanted to emphasize is one, what are the benefits?

Um, and two um putting a little bit more emphasis on accountability um through that.

Those are kind of the two things themes um following up from Brian's piece.

I think one of the things is if we could right now we're we're PTing this up as the reason we're doing this is we need stable funding, which isn't incorrect, but I don't actually think that's very sellable to the community.

Um so I for me, we're doing this for all the benefits, which includes you know, eco-efficiency programs, uh, benefits, uh, a more innovative community, um, opportunities to provide um you know assistance to the community that are having challenges pay paying their electricity or gas bills or different things like that.

So I think part is pulling those benefits um either from this letter, but also another good location for it is in the um the one where it's it's a two-pager um that's on the website that we've shared.

There's some specific tangible examples of possible projects for the community and for the city that could also uh be pulled up to the front.

Um and then on the accountability side, I actually think probably a quick way to solve for that or to highlight it a little bit more is on the bullet points, the four bullet points under key considerations how we talk about clarity and how we talk about transparency are sort of similar, and I actually think we changed it clarity to accountability, um, define and communicate how funds would be used.

I think that might resonate a little bit more with the council and with um community members.

So you're saying change clarity here to accountability.

Looking for heads, I see some heads nodding.

Um and then my third thing, which I which we did talk about, which isn't in here, and I guess I'd ask the group if we want to do this in here.

Do we want to put something in there about timing?

Um, and geopolitical and regional political issues of like this when is the right time to do this because coming out of the natural gas fee when we're invading Iran and gas fees are going up, it's this would not be a politically expedient time to talk about a natural gas fee.

Perhaps if we can tie it back to how these fees are going to be used to reduce our dependence on the same fossil fuels that we're currently paying the fee for, if we use less natural gas in the future as a result of the investments we're working currently, that would be a great sell it as a long-term sustainable measure.

So, where it says need for stable funding, what I'm hearing is to say benefits, because stable funding is one of the benefits, right?

Is to broaden that instead of saying need for stable site, say benefits of a franchise fee.

Yeah, and then about this uh innovation and long-term reductions and usage.

I mean, the reason we don't have the same problem we had in earlier gas crisis is because we use less energy as a country, and so the impact that we have right now is not what it was in the when was that in the when was Jimmy 70s in the 70s, right?

When there were gas lines everywhere, we don't have that because things have changed, but I think it's important to if we're going to point out the need for stable funding.

We need the stable funding so these various programs can take place that's right.

Uh I wouldn't say don't mention it, but use it as a means to an end.

And the end is reducing um gas use reducing uh greenhouse gas emissions, uh enabling people who need help to reduce.

Yeah, all this time, and we can't do all those things unless it's yeah, exactly.

Yeah, I I could I don't think it needs to disappear.

I just think it it I think a lot of it's just actually just switching like even the front, the first sentence, right?

It's in bold, is to create a stable, equitable and local funding source to advance Rochester sustainability and resilience goals.

It would even be we need the fee to advance the Rochester's sustainability goals and priorities with a by providing a stable and equitable funding.

A lot of it's just switching the order.

So switching you're saying so say for natural gas size fees to advance Rochester sustainability responsibilities grow and yeah, and provide or so lead with the impact that makes actually seems like a very businessy thing to do.

Yeah, I no, I don't think it is right, yeah.

Right, so that's why we're doing it, and then how we do it and what we do comes later, but it should still be in there.

And making some of the suggested things we want to do.

Yeah, uh, it's gonna be important.

You're gonna see another line item on their bill.

They know why the line items for the amount of gas saying.

What's in it for me for whatever is for this franchise fee.

Yeah, everyone's favorite radio station.

W I F M.

What's in it for me?

Yeah.

When you said need for stable funding, that means it's sound like need for stable funding for us.

Like our group.

Well, that's safe for stable funding for community.

To do something like that.

Yeah.

Uh to help our community.

Need for investment.

In communities today to build out of hot funds that's about funding for community investment.

The investment is a good word to add.

Yep.

So instead of benefits of a natural gas fee heading, it's need for stable funding for community investment.

Need for investment.

Well, don't you say the stable funding, but it's for community investment.

Yeah, like for our group to decide.

Yeah.

You know, we need it so we can pay K up.

In community sustainability.

Try that.

What was that?

Need for investment in community sustainability.

Need for that.

I don't know.

That's not right.

Program people reduce their use of their needs.

Well, we need a very short grabbing bold statement there.

Um I mean, honestly, so need for stable funding.

I feel like we have requested city council several times, made requests to city council for funding for sustainability.

I feel like this is a way to not just say we need the funding, but here's a way to do it.

I feel like that's where we've we haven't necessarily provided uh how or where the funding comes from in the past.

So I don't necessarily want to lose the fact that the sustainability resiliency commission has continually requested or raised the issue for funding, because I think that this is really important to create stable sustainable funding.

Um yeah to make sure that they recognize that for the administration of it.

I mean, that's not I thought I thought it's more about what we're doing for people who need the money to make um make themselves sustainable, so it's part of a community project.

Okay.

I mean, you even bubble going in, you know streaming along creative, and before you came along, the same thing with pay borrowing and steel model theories and core things are and we only need so much with so much.

So I would say after this, you know, like a sentence or two that programs that have only been programs uh have been limited by the available funds, you know, through various means, but no sustainable funds have been available to them.

Kayla, can you share what you're planning on sharing with the council in the that's a study session?

Because I wonder too, rather than trying to like jam pack a bunch of details into this letter, if we can somehow allude to the you know the details that you'll also be doing more in depth during the share specifics because we want to be careful about you know not sharing things before the council packet is published, which happens to be tomorrow.

Um but we are you know, um, in a nutshell sharing the overview of the engagement, um well, an overview of the project and background, overview of the engagement, so what types of engagement strategies did we use, the results of the engagement.

So essentially going through each of those main topic area questions that we asked, and what were the results that we saw from both the survey and the community engagement sessions, and then you know what does that mean for a policy and ultimately what are we recommending as next steps?

Are you sharing any of the possible uses for the funds, like possible project items just to clarify?

I went to the C website and looked at the meeting and they have your agenda packet out and in it.

I can click a couple of links and get to the presentation for natural friendship, yeah.

It looks like it's full as a final recommendation that's like 30 some pages long, maybe more included.

Oh, with the final report, yes, but there's also the presentation.

Okay, so I don't know if that's what we're talking about.

It might already have been published then.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Would it be valuable at all to mention that the sustainability resiliency task force assembled over a hundred projects or valuable efforts, none of which are can really be done at this point with the resources that we have.

So sustainability plan.

To show that you've done a lot of work already that's been done, and then a lot of ideas have been brought forward, which we'd love to do.

And the community wants us to do.

That's a great idea.

I really like that of tying it back to the sustainability and resiliency community work plan.

Because then you could just say there's already a number of projects that are based.

Yeah.

So where?

Okay, so I heard.

Well, and to go back to your part about meet the part around in community sustainability.

So that maybe it's something around creating like it could be like a greener, healthier community, uh, more efficient community, more innovative community, not use the word sustainability.

But but yeah, either healthier, happier costs, more efficient, more innovative community, all of those.

We don't want all of those, but maybe there's three of them.

So if we look up here, I think the two options on the table for this heading is need for stable, keeping the heading as it is, which is need for stable funding, full that the other heading is need for investment in something, community sustainability and efficient community.

Programs that help people reduce their use of energy, reduce their gas use, and be more comfortable energy efficiency programs, more efficient use of energy industry for the you don't mention that a bunch of we're focused on building energy, so well, and the projects in the bullet points for the two-pager things that we specifically highlight for helping residents, businesses, community programs or sport home energy savings and building improvements, fund rebates or cost share programs, connect with existing programs and incentives and grants and partnerships, and then fee could help the city upgrade energy efficiency efficiency in city buildings, replace old costly equipment, and improve reliability safety and long-term savings.

So those are very tangible.

These would be good examples of what a more healthy, efficient uh would uh innovative city would look like when it comes to the city efforts, could it be condensed down to replacing inefficient equipment, making best possible or making the most vision possible to reduce the cost of the cities, uh reduce cost to the city, which isn't the eastern lot for the city where people just know I don't want to spend so much the words energy independence play well with the city council at all?

Because this would be a step towards that, getting away from relying on all these other energy sources we get from across the C's that could be thrown into chaos at a moment's notice.

Whereas if we're able to generate all of our energy internally around Rochester, like with the solar panels and the wind farms for setting up, this would be a way to help encourage that.

So I thought I'd see it as an investment toward energy independence.

I think resilience would be a more like a stronger pull for all right.

I don't think anybody believes we've become energy independent right now.

Not right now, this is like a bad timing to say that right.

I mean, with the with everything that's going on in the butt resilience indicates a direct push to negate that negative effect in the future.

Yeah, yeah.

So that looks like that's a we are addressing this.

Yeah, withstand shocks.

Yes, yeah, recover quickly.

So, like even considering the the header, you know, that we were chatting about, it could be like need for um community resilience funding, need for stable community resilience funding or something like that.

I think if we um push too much on the efficiency piece, then the question might be the question might come up well.

Well, that's RPU's responsibility to provide like the RP rebates and those, and this goes further into resilience versus just efficiency.

Yeah, that's the other hard part.

I think about getting into the energy independence or insinuating that this fee would mean that we wouldn't be using gas at all in Rochester anymore.

That kind of thing, I think could be hard.

Um I like the resilience angle.

The the comment I still have on the table right now was Edwards around highlighting the work that has been done on kind of a smaller budget in the past, and then relating it back to there's been this sustainability plan that was developed, there are always strategies in the plan, and we need funding.

So where?

So, first question does the group agree that that should be in here?

Secondly, where they already grouped it.

They accepted it as a guiding document.

Oh, we some council members that don't know anything about well that's all in, you push your pushback.

Well, there are some new members.

Yeah, there are some new members since it was officially accepted.

Who has anybody have anything that they want to comment?

I was just making sure everybody's had comment.

Jim, I think I guess my question is just is it okay with you all if I add that in here?

So somewhere in okay, the this first paragraph, need for investment and community resilience.

Are we all okay with that?

As the okay, we're adding in some benefits of a gas franchise fee, some specifics around programs, then before that, we would probably add it in right after this first sentence.

The commission has consistently emphasized the need for dedicated reliable funding to support sustainability initiatives and staffing capacity.

Then get in, you know, I feel like that might be a good spot where you would add in a little bit about to do work.

Um previous work completed and highlight the tactics in the sustainability plan.

And then Rochester's long-term goals will require sustained investment beyond short-term or grant-based funding sources.

Do we need that franchise fee?

If we're adding all these other things in that sentence, yeah, you have stating, I mean, you're gonna have to not get too long, right?

Yeah.

I feel like that's been their direction though, council's direction in the past has been we'll just get a grant just to get a DOE fellow or you know what I mean.

And a more right, there's no federal funding.

I do feel like it is important in that sense because we're showing the difference between short-term investments and grants and then long-term stable funding.

Anything else on and then that's so the long-term stable funding to execute the resilient resiliency plan, right?

This is resiliency plan.

Are you talking this first sentence here?

No, just more broadly, just connecting the funding back to the outcomes.

Right.

We're not we're not we're not doing this.

We're not asking to do it for the so we can get more money, we're asking the fee to get the outcomes, right?

To to deliver on the plan to fund rebates to support home energy settings.

The community-based plan.

The community-led sustainability resiliency task force, like Edward said.

Yeah, led to the development of the sustainability plan.

Now we have all these tactics there funded, and this could fill up the NACAP.

We make it clear somewhere that there's something in it for the homeowner.

This is that because then I read it, it's it's um we need stable funding, staffing capacity, our initiatives.

It sounds like it's for this group.

So the last one, community program, strategic municipal and staffing capacity.

You want that to explicitly state community programs, individual homeowner, something.

That's what the plan individual property owners.

Right.

Community programs are okay.

Like it's funny if some of some of them could be a community program through the housing coalition or something.

But to explicitly state in here somewhere, assist resident residents.

Assistant resident, thank you.

Residents and local businesses.

Yeah.

Well, in the last sentence in that paragraph two, the franchise fee represents one potential pathway to establish to support community programs.

If you had that direct like right after the first sentence, then it's sort of stating like here's we need this fund for sustainability initiatives and staffing capacity, and then go immediately into a franchise fee represents one potential possible pathway.

And emphasizing.

Right, because after that first sentence, we we're going to add in previous work, sustainability plan, all and that could go maybe after later.

Yeah.

Sorry, I don't want to make this more complicated.

This is an important document.

We still have a bit of time here.

I like that we put in somewhere about residents because community programs once again sounds like our thoughts.

What we want to do, we've got to solve what we are doing instead of one benefits, individual property orders that they can apply for, not something we come up with.

Is it important that the word equity or representing all income?

Yeah, that's that's in your equity, age clarity, do accountability, community and back transparency.

It's it's all ready here.

It's the first one at word listed under key considerations.

I think that's really important.

So you're right.

Okay, so if I'm hearing you, I heard that after community programs, you'd like it to explicitly state that the fuel assist residence businesses reducing energy costs through efficiency.

So you're saying get more specific here, and then move this sentence up to the top here after the first sentence.

Is that the one you want to say and then get into the history of the task and the plan?

So that would be and oh hey, we have a ready list of projects that we can find, but also under equity because it always says consider impact.

Sorry, Kayla.

Okay.

Letters by committee are really frustrating.

Anything else on the letter?

Can we agonize over this symbol that you can read it?

At least I guarantee at least one person will read it.

Yeah, right.

Can you scroll down?

There was something there was another component where I think there was an opportunity to run actually.

If you go back, sorry, go up after the bullet points.

I think was pretty early on.

There, and there's definitely reference residents.

I think there's also as far as benefits.

Okay, they're down.

Um I just what we were missing the equitable equitability or the equity for residents, but also the consideration for we talked about not all businesses are equal, right?

There's a lot of small businesses, there's larger businesses here in the community.

There's a way to emphasize that.

I thought we talked about business.

There was a lot of discussion on how to apply the fee.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Written in there.

Is it written in there at the at the end?

Um there was discussion alternative approaches to the fee, prior evaluation.

Yeah, so maybe if we just scroll back up into the priorities, if we could put something um equity, minimize impact on residents, consider renting impacts.

Um as impacts and consider entering and ensure fair cost review fair cost distribution across businesses, like across the business community.

The last size.

Yeah, the last sentence with paragraph right up to the bullet points, yeah.

Or the last one of the case.

Oh, while scaling contributions from businesses, yeah.

But that one's specifically for the tier flat P.

Yeah, so I think it's just going to be that we can't necessarily say that that also applies to the other ones.

It's just that we haven't necessarily as explicitly stated it.

So I agree, it would be worth putting it somewhere as a more general statement.

Yeah.

So maybe it's just adding it into the equity bullet point because we talk residents, renters, and then we talked about equity for businesses as well.

And insure care costs are we able to potentially combine including different businesses types and minimize businesses, renters.

What do you and oh I would think it feels a little bit more than you're saying?

Change it to minimize impacts on residents, comma, renters, comma, and businesses.

Sure.

I think that that keeps it short.

I think that's good because I think the business only thing is going to be a few eyes.

The redundancy on the impacts on residents, renter impacts.

Yeah.

I think we should say homeowners then because renters are residents.

So yeah, yeah.

So homeowners, renters, renters, and businesses.

Yes.

Yeah, I thought not for profits might be avoidable.

Yeah.

Well, they'd have to pay the fee.

Well, yeah, they will be paying.

Yeah.

I feel like it's so yeah, I don't.

So I think it's so I think it was it's the equity is two things.

It's one, it's we want to ensure that renters, homeowners don't have a disproportionately paying.

And then we also want to ensure that there's the fair distribution, the cost distribution.

Basically, I mean, we don't want a small mom and pop business paying the same amount as the mayor.

I think you need to put an ad shape and find tax when we say minimized impacts on homeowners or understand businesses.

Yeah, where it's nobody pays.

I know exactly.

Right.

Yeah, exactly.

So minimize inequitable proportion.

Yeah, except we say equity.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that's good.

And insure fair or proportionate costs distribution across businesses.

Doesn't mean pay a lot.

You sort of expect you'll get a lot of little maybe right for emerging.

So minimized disproportionate impacts and homeowners or energy business.

Yeah, proportionate or you know we're minimize, so minimize disproportionate or our it's to it's too it's minimizing for residents and proportional for businesses, which would then be equitable.

What I'm gonna ask Kayla to do is scroll up to the top and let's go through the changes.

Can you can you sort of read through them?

All right, so we're gonna kind of reframe the first kind of overarching sentence.

And I think this is resated at the end, so I'll make sure it's represented there to highlight advancing the goals and priorities before talking about creating stable and equitable funding sources.

Um in the need for stable funding paragraph, we're gonna change it to need for investment in community resilience.

We are going to highlight um some of the benefits, which is a stable funding source, efficiency programs, reducing long-term dependence on empty gas, reduced emissions, supporting low moderate income folks in these programs.

Um just on that, Caleb, don't bleed with stable, yeah.

Okay, yeah.

But yeah, as one of the benefits.

Yep.

Oh, I thought it was asking, do we want to say what it more does is creates an incentive to move that way, but it does not actively do that by itself.

So it it makes an incentive to limit our use of it and potentially move towards energy, but by itself, it doesn't I just don't think it's gonna it's that's but the is not gonna move the needle on that's not right.

Even then it's more of a secondary effect, yeah.

But for homeowners are gonna see a couple dollars a month, it's not gonna make them cut down on half the amount of natural gas using the winters.

Okay, so leave it out for now.

Um we're going to highlight the potential pathway that a natural gas fee um establishes all these benefits at the beginning of the paragraph.

We're gonna explicitly state that the fee will assist residents and businesses in reducing energy costs through efficiency.

We're gonna add information in this paragraph about the community-led sustainability and resiliency task force and how that task force created the sustainability plan, which has a list of projects that could be funded.

Expects to get some money out of this effort as well.

So should and our city government in that list.

But then we see pay the fee of the commercial.

No, they could possess benefit, but they don't pay anything and they get money.

I think you're talking more on the distribution of the revenue, the 50-50 split revenue.

Not really.

We don't, I've not even heard us mention that.

I'm just saying that the benefits will also include city government or coming back to us through.

Increase the city's efficient use of gas.

We don't, I'm just saying through city government in with that list of who's going to work for this.

Yeah, I mean the only thing I will throw out is some of the feedback we received from the public is really emphasize why not the energy basically.

So there's not agreed, but it didn't seem like this is going to fly unless the city gets a portion of the fees potentially.

Yeah.

So okay.

We are going to leave it.

Okay.

I added it.

I'm not saying every moment.

I just wanted to offer that, you know, additional number.

I did add it some or less.

I don't think I don't think it's a good idea.

Any of them's going to us.

Okay.

Let's see.

We're gonna change uh we're gonna clarify the sentence on equity, make sure it's saying proportional.

Um change the clarity to accountability.

That is it.

And that last sentence is the first sentence.

You're going to look at the order of it also flipped, it looks like just since you're in the document.

Okay.

All right.

So what would happen is uh Kayla would make these changes and it would be submitted tomorrow to city council for state session on Monday.

Right.

We're ready for a motion.

I'm ready for a motion.

I move to adopt the uh letter uh with the changes that we just discussed.

I second that one for a second.

Any further discussion?

No, take a vote.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion passes.

If you really think that not many of the council members will read this, you might there might be benefits of the U at least reading perhaps that first paragraph, which is a pretty crunchy paragraph.

Yeah, and I will say, I mean, we we receive feedback from the council members that they appreciate these letters, they they read them.

Um, I think you know, Terry, you had mentioned that keeping them truncated, short and sweet to the point.

They'll read honestly appreciated that if we write a book, yeah.

That goes down, but they only have been reading them.

Um, and they provide that feedback on me.

All right, thank you, everyone.

It's been a lot of work.

And so can we thank Kayla for everything she's done on the and then we can you know discuss how to kind of regroup it next month's meeting after the study session?

We can certainly give a report out on the presentation, the discussion.

Um, if you all, I mean, we can talk about what makes sense if we wanted to go through the final report and recommendation, the results of the engagement, things like that.

Um, and then talk next steps.

And it's posted at the city as well.

So people want to look at it.

Yes, there is a robust final report as well.

I think it's 31 pages.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, staff updates.

Okay.

Moving on to staff updates.

Um, so we have we are moving forward with the planning of the Healthy Homes program.

It has been uh rebranded to be called Healthy Home Helpers, and we've hired two healthy home and energy navigators.

So the navigators will begin at the end of April uh with training through April and May, and then in-home consultations in June.

So I'm hoping if franchise fee doesn't take up the next fall of next meeting to uh bring this topic back to you all at the main meeting, kind of get into we kind of left off the conversation the last time around needing to talk more about um marketing and communications for the new program.

So I think that's where we'll pick up um next time we discuss healthy homes, which I think will be next month.

Um we did submit an application public works environmental services, which is myself and Rachel Strauss, who is just here, our Stormwater uh education coordinator just submitted an application seeking a Minnesota Green Corps member to support Stormwater and sustainability um beginning in late summer 2026 and lasting 11 months.

And we do have an interview scheduled for us as a host site.

So we're moving through that process.

That she drafted and published for us.

So that's really great to see.

If you aren't signed up already, please sign up and share the link.

We are also um submitting.

I think we had submitted and we're just getting a few more numbers in there.

Um our annual report uh to the Minnesota Green Step Cities program.

So this is annual reporting that we we do on several different topic areas regarding emissions, building efficiency and transportation, things like that.

That will be included in our kind of data update meeting that we do annually at SRC, similar to last year.

Um we again are going to city council to talk about the natural gas franchise fee engagement.

Um a little bit better spring cleanup is starting soon, April 25th and May 3rd, um, which is the litter cleanup that Rachel talked about.

And then looking at next month's meeting, we will be talking about healthy homes again, like I mentioned, and then starting conversations around uh the sustainability plan community event, as you all know.

You all are responsible for assisting with reporting on the community-led tactics and the sustainability plan.

And so we that was quite the process last year, and so we put an item on our work plan to kind of talk about how to improve that process for this year.

Okay, looking at um the events and meetings calendar.

We have lots of events coming up.

So starting next week, um, there's an Earth Fest film viewing, youth begov with the panel to follow starting at 6 30.

Um, April 20th, Terra Locos, $55k um at 5 45.

April 28th, um, is an Earth Bust Trivia night at Little Thistle.

Um beginning at seven.

Um WeBike Rochester has several different rides this month.

I believe those have specific dates now.

Um, and Earth Best is being highlighted at those.

Um little bit better again, and then May 2nd, I think this is at the last meeting before then, um, Earth Fest Expo.

So Saturday, May 2nd from 9 a.m.

to 2 at St.

Mary's University at Cascade Meadow.

Um, and I will follow up with the um SRC members who had volunteered to assist with that.

Um, can make a note of that.

I should at least in the morning.

Oh, okay.

Kristen is on that for volunteering or for tabling the sustainability booth.

And that's it for me.

I didn't put that for space for them.

We got like three minutes left for commission comments.

I will say that we were shared the uh annual commission spring tour and social hour is Tuesday, June 9th at 4 p.m.

up in St.

Paul.

Um there's a guided tour of the We Are Water Exhibit at the Capital Region Watershed District Learning Center, a tour of their lead gold certified building and a water bar, followed by a social hour at a brewery, which is hard.

Um details will be shared in future day, but if you want to launch your calendar, uh any other commissioner comment?

Uh related to our earlier topic, um, Mayo Clinic does have an internship, sustainability internship available for this summer.

Uh it's for anyone who is um enrolled in an undergraduate program and we are the project that we're going to work on this summer is formalizing a sustainable landscape management plan with formalizing our activities.

Um if you know of a student, uh Kayla, can I send you the link to that?

Would you mind sharing that out to the group if you guys know anybody that might be interested in an internship for the summer?

So now is it full time?

Full time.

Okay.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Yeah, yeah.

Quick personal, I have not volunteered for anything in April and May because my big personal news is we are adopting uh baby girl at the end of this month.

Um, so over the next couple of months, if I am not available or responding to emails at strange hours, uh, it'll be because uh everything has successfully happened on that update.

And uh and yeah, but that is so I might be a little out of pocket for the summer, but I'll be back on board in the hall.

Very cool.

We like little visitors.

I know.

Anyone else?

All right, so with no one else.

Uh, can I get a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Very good.

All right, all in favor, uh stand up and leave.