Do you have like a tie on and a suit coat that you leave in the car and run into our meeting?

I believe uh at the office.

Oh, there you go.

It's not that we set.

All right.

All right.

Good afternoon.

Welcome to the City of Rochester Sustainability and Resiliency Commission.

Forgive me, I should say that at the beginning of the supporting so people know.

We're gonna start with a call to order and a roll call attendance.

Um Seth Barrens.

Present.

Amy Cockkin.

Here.

Amanda Holloway is out of town at a conference.

Terry Kinsey here.

Casey McQuaid.

Here.

Edward Cohen.

Here.

Brian Morgan.

Not here yet.

Liam Arroyo.

Stuart Russ here.

Stuart also said he was unable to make it tonight.

So next, we will um review and approve the minutes from our last meeting in April.

Were there any additions, corrections, or comments on the minutes?

Hearing none, can I get a motion to approve?

Motion to average the minutes.

Second.

Thank you.

All in favor?

Aye.

Awesome.

Okay.

We're now going to move into our open comment period.

This is an opportunity for the public to provide comments to the commission regarding items not on the agenda.

The commission will not discuss or take action on them.

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

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

Is there anyone wishing to make comments during the open comment period?

Do we have anyone online?

No, nothing.

Yes.

Can you please join us at the table so that we can pick up the sound and appreciate it?

Thank you.

Um my name is Mike Deggerstrom, and I'm here to read a letter on behalf of the Zenville Valley Audubon Society.

Most members were likely present last month when we read a letter describing the rapid and concerning declines in our local wildlife.

We also explained that a 35 to 50% annual growth rate in native plant landscaping could add significant habitat within a 15 to 20 year time span.

Such adoption rates may actually offset the habitat destruction currently occurring from rapid residential development.

Because year over year growth starts from a small base, it takes between five and 10 years before direct surveys can even reliably measure adoption rates.

We are aware that two local growers that sell native plants and some residents also procure plants and seeds for more distance suppliers, such as Purry Moon Nursery and Blazing Star Gardens in Owatonna.

Collectively uh Prairie Moon Nurseries in Winona.

Collectively, uh adoption rates can be estimated from annual gross sales increases at these suppliers.

We therefore continue to advocate for the city's formal growth rate uh goal and develop strategies to achieve our recommended rates.

Most people are simply unaware that ecological decline has been occurring for decades.

Tech first call this the shifting baseline.

Each generation accepts the diminished natural world.

Um that they inherit as normal without realizing what has been lost.

Uh when I was I was lucky enough one summer to hear a whipper will calling every evening from my backyard as a child.

It is very likely that no child in this county will hear one this summer.

Um this is just one of countless experiences that were common 50 years ago and now are largely gone.

A bit of uh illustration comes from Scott Black, executive director of the Zersey Society for Invertiment Conservation, speaking to the National Wildlife Federation.

He says, Decades ago, a short drive down any road in the Midwest or the Great Plains would yield hundreds of dead bugs splattered across the front of your car.

So drive across the entire state of North Dakota, Nebraska or Iowa today, and I'll add Minnesota as well.

Uh and your car will be practically spotless when you go to the other side.

Many of us appreciate a cleaner windshield after summer evening drive, but those insects are critical roles in our ecosystem.

Birds and other wildlife, uh, following plants that provide us with food.

Um their absence is a warning sign we cannot afford to ignore in future meetings.

We hope to share examples of what other communities are doing to raise awareness and to actually implement programs that reverse ecological decline.

Finally, we encourage you to find 45 minutes to explore these topics and more deeply.

Um Douglas Tall, uh, a University of Delaware entomologist and author who researches native plants and habitat as shape conservation thinking nationwide.

I recommend looking up his YouTube talk, Nature's best hope.

Um that's Douglas Talently Natrix Best Hope expansion on much of what we try to convey in this three to four minute letter.

And we think you'll find the time well spent.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, I can't Brian.

Thank you.

Um we have a guest today uh for our meeting.

And so um we wanted to uh see if anyone would like to make a motion to change the order and do our new business first out of respect for the time for our guest.

Motion motion, all in favor?

Aye, uh anyone opposed.

No, we'll try and get you some time back, or you are always welcome to stay, and you're always welcome to watch us too if you're not here.

So get down to your slides.

We're gonna get yeah.

All right, I'll just let the take us off and then I'll hand it over.

Can you do the introduction?

Um please welcome Lorenzo Munoz from umsack county.

He is the new sustainability coordinator here to give an overview of Ulsa County sustainability priorities and initiatives.

Um about a 10-minute presentation.

So the full time for this uh discussion item is 20 minutes, so about 10 minutes for presentation and then 10 minutes for some QA and discussion.

So really just a discussion around shared areas of interest, collaboration and alignment between the city and the county.

Uh well, it was nice meeting you all.

Hi, Rupertman.

I actually think I slow mo summer and the already summer and then low as little as I can.

Um, it's again great to meet you all.

My name is Lorenzo Munoz.

Um, I come here from Homestead County and then before that, roller Colorado, where I worked in corporate sustainability and have made the change to um local government.

And so during the next few minutes, I'll just give you a very high-level view of what the county's doing for a sustainability perspective.

Um my position is new, which is great so that it tells you that there's momentum already, just in terms of the priorities of the county.

And I'll give you a bit of uh overview of you know what we're sort of prioritizing what we're at in that process, and then give you all some time to ask questions so that you have a good informed understanding.

Feel free to interrupt me if you want at all.

Any questions?

I'm just gonna I have probably about five slides here, but um we can take through on it.

So I'll start off with um the county is let's see, one, two, three, five strategic priorities.

Um, these were uh last adopted in April of 2024.

As we'll see, environmental sustainability is one of those five, which I think is a really big deal.

Um, I'm not gonna go as far as to say it's 20% of everything we do, but the fact that it takes up 20% of our strategic priorities, just at least on paper, shows that there's a shifting um priority within the county.

This used to be, as far as I understand, again, I moved to the county four months ago.

Um, this used to be something that was sort of discussed on the side, but it was never actually having its own uh time to shine as it does now.

And so this again uh represents a market shift from county priorities in the past.

So currently the county has a uh climate action plan um has 32 activities, and we have them again, high-level parked here for you that are specific to our own operations.

So different from the community-wide scope.

This is an operational scope, just to start because we have much more influence on what we're doing versus the entire county.

Um these activities focused on climate mitigation and adaptation.

Um they focus really on five buckets, which you'll see is building and energy, natural resources, which is in the top right, waste and materials, transportation, and people.

Um so I've highlighted just a few for each one of these, and we'll go through a quick high-level example of what we're doing through each of these, but um, there's much more than just what we're highlighted here.

Um, and again, there's a lot of these are underway before I got here.

A lot of these are new since I've gotten here, and a lot of these have yet to begin, but again, are on the docket because we have this climate action plan that's currently largely internal, but we plan to continue to um are the bolded ones things that have already happened, or they're within each circuit.

Um bold.

You mean the ones that are in yellow?

Those are sorry.

Uh or those the topic sentences or what?

Recent bold.

I'm sorry, they're yellow.

Energy efficiency, soil management.

Yeah, those are the ones I'll um provide a bit more detail on.

I see I thought maybe they were completed.

No, no, no, it was um yeah, there's a lot here honestly.

I don't want to take up a full hour, but okay.

These are the ones I think are kind of the most exciting right now.

Any other questions?

This is kind of uh we're gonna hold them till the waste material bucket.

Um, I think one of the most exciting things we're working on right now, and I'm not sure if you've heard about it or not, is our MERT or other uh material recovery facility.

Uh essentially, as things currently stand, we have our trash goes to the waste energy facility, the recycling goes to that area as well.

But then crucially, we take that recycling and we truck it to different state to a different part of the state.

Um, and that's actually sorted and recycled there.

The difference is that we're actually building a material recovery facility.

You can basically just think of it as a recycling center right next to our existing waste energy plant.

Um, my office, this would expand.

I literally sit right here and see it being built every day.

So we can like seven days ago, which is kind of exciting.

Nice.

Yeah, it's but it's it's exciting to know that it's for a good reason.

And so what's nice about this is that we're going to be able to actually take our recycling and sort it and potentially make you know usable, valuable material out of it within the county without having to truck it hundreds of miles sometimes.

Also, we have something called second half chance recycling where we'll actually um take a portion of the trash and then finally recycle them within the trash and do the same thing.

So we're able to again try to increase our diversion rate within the county um and really make it ourselves a leader in that regard.

So very exciting, and I think this is something that's really we're innovating.

Um again, this is the newest and greatest mercuraries out there.

Um looking at buildings and energy.

Uh, so this is we haven't finished uh our GHG inventory yet, greenhouse gas inventory, but we expect this to be a large portion of our operational greenhouse gases similar to the city.

Um right now we have 76 solar panels on the roof, somewhere over there.

Um, and then in 2024, we created or um installed four electric EV charging stations outside the campus as well that you can see out there.

Um this is something that's again kind of happened before I got here, but we're looking to expand these um practices much further.

Some of these will be very cool initiatives that you might notice.

A lot of them might just be in the background efficiencies that save a lot of energy, therefore save money, save greenhouse gases, etc.

But this is definitely a large um priority for the county.

And then natural resources.

Um I am here.

So this is something that has been probably one of our most mature uh sustainability initiatives.

This is something we don't even really consider sustainability, though it is because it's just something that is so baked into what the county does.

Um, one such program is our soil health program with the soil and water conservation district.

Um, we help pay farmers to find cover crops or small grains, uh, where we cost share for hay and grazing.

Again, this helps with lower tillage, more carbon sequestration, um, better for the soil taxes and having sponge, and it's better for the farmers.

Um, cost us less money, costs some less money, it's better for the environment.

Um, so this is again something that we've been doing for quite a while.

This is just one example, but there's plenty of other um programs that we're having already been working on for the last few years and also continuing to push new and innovative programs.

Um, now that I'm here as a full-time resource to sort of project manage them.

But um I have a lot more that I can tell you about, but I know it's gonna take us a bit more time, but thank you for your your ears.

And uh let me know if you have any questions because this group has questions.

Okay, I'll go first.

Yeah, I'm Ace McQuaid, vice chair of this commission.

What can we as a commission do to help further the sustainability goals for the county?

As a commission yourself, um I would say the county commissioners listen to I only can do as much as what they're comfortable with, and so part of my job is to make them feel comfortable doing something, but I think it's basically two angles, right?

It's me as staff, and it's also you as constituents.

That's probably uh a tired expression, but really gathering community sport for something that you feel is important, makes my job a lot easier.

Um if I'm if me saying something to some person they've ever heard of something, it's a lot harder than they're like I haven't hearing this for a while, and now you're saying it too.

Should probably have a full discussion.

Um, so if you come to the commissioners before I do, I have a much better chance of getting something done.

I'll put it down.

All right.

Oh, I'll go next.

So I I went to the state of the city address, and I think that was what it was called.

I'm still relatively new.

And the county commissioner that spoke, and I don't remember their name.

They did talk a decent amount about sustainability.

Were you there?

Did you remember who it was?

Oh, it's not there.

Okay, well, then anyway, whoever they were, this gentleman did speak a lot about sustainability.

And obviously, that was uh to me, I was really huh.

It was Jay Sentium, he is the one who cares.

That's why you're here because he worked two years to get your position priorities.

He was clearly very articulate about it, and also, you know, we spent a lot of time on it, which is great.

So I just two things.

One is we just heard about native plantings.

Can you explain the difference between native plantings and native planting landfill?

Yeah, that's not a correct sentence.

It's it's uh is it's good planning at the so using the landfill as a space for native planning.

Okay, we're trying to make it so there's more native planning stuff.

And then the other native planning is like in parks and in city in city little green spaces, you know, everywhere, yards, yards.

Um the county owns a lot of random little spaces around town.

So you've only been here four months, but you know, we always uh Kayla is also our connection, yeah, right.

So yeah, uh a collaboration with Kayla, it gets information to us as well.

So it's great.

Don't feel like this is the only time you're welcome to come and talk to us.

So yeah, if you ever want us to share info from you, or you know, if there's any events or opportunities to engage, um, I can always share those in staff updates or on our MS and meetings calendar, or I would say if you are similar to how we do if you have a project and you're like 40 to 60-ish, 30 to 60 percent of the way through planning it.

This is a good group to kind of bring it to and bounce ideas off of, and they can give you feedback on it too.

Yeah, that's helpful.

Uh um you you've broken ground and MERF.

You guys have all the money for that now.

I mean, that was years getting from the bonding bill.

And I'm not uh privy to the financial parts of it, but yeah, I mean, we're so you're not like building part, you're building the whole thing.

Okay, I don't want to speak on the record exactly, but I'm pretty positive that's okay.

Is are we going to be able to do here the food food waste?

I remember when that was told to us it was you can put it in bags and we'll take it to Iowa.

But is that is that gonna start here now?

So currently, I actually I bring my food waste to are you familiar with the current food drop law location?

I haven't it was too much.

Yeah, so I happen to work like 100 feet from that, it's very convenient for me.

It may not be convenient for everyone.

Um, there's currently a bin, it's blaze orange that you can take your food scraps to is currently, which is right by the MERF.

It's in the campus area.

But we are expanding that one bin.

We're gonna have I think four or five that will be throughout that.

So you'll have a phone, you have your phone with an app, and then you scan it and it opens it up for you, and then we're gonna track how much in that the thought is that you know we crawl before we walk, we walk before we run.

So we're expanding it, but also with a more um bespoke program like that, we're gonna really limit the amount of contamination so that way we don't have to worry about it being spread too quickly, and people start throwing away glass and trash and then moves the program for us.

I don't think in Colorado, I feel like we learned the lesson from that.

The heart of it, yeah.

People worked in this field in Colorado and cities just have passing policies saying everyone must compost, you know, businesses, multi-family, and all these cities were mandating composting everywhere.

And the industrial compost facility got so contaminated that they had to basically shut the entire operation down for all of the front range of Colorado.

And so within basically a month, all of the sustainability staff in all the cities had to tell all of their residents that composting was no longer an option because of all the contamination, and they had tons and tons of photos of contamination.

And they had tons and tons of photos of contamination.

It just was it was a big story because it just got so out of hand because there was really no way to keep up with all the contamination because there just wasn't that, you know.

It's cautionary tab for sure.

Yeah.

We wondered how you would come up with a way to minimize that and just scroll there, but IDF school.

Yeah.

And it gives us more metrics to track.

There could be super, I don't know the details, whether it be like supercomposters where we're like, oh, this person keeps adding like a ton, so then I can relate to see that you're not only offering bags, but a more rigid content or I use that as well.

We have the bags, and then we have our smaller container, and then we have our five-gallon bucket we gave out at Earthfest, which has a sealable wood to it so it doesn't leak a lot.

So where are these big orange recycling places?

Will it tell you how to get the app on them?

Okay, we don't have to.

I know a nap is always like how far or along is this next year.

Um I don't know offhand, but um I'm gonna say soon, and I'm not just gonna say soon, but actually I think it's not gonna give you a date, but I think I can continue to provide updates and stack updates as the moves forward and keep you all in the loop net launches.

Yeah, I used to work in conversing as well before this too.

So I again it's convenient for me because I work out there, but I'm excited to see them.

I think we may have one around this area as well.

So we'll have to go very far, is the goal.

Right.

Thank you.

Yeah, great for coming.

Thank you.

Keep up the good work and okay, we are well, one is we do it's hard to even, I know you guys have some billboards now about not using paper towels, and I take that like that's like one of my pet peeves with my children um in their own hands.

But um that that, but we there's so much going on that we don't know about.

So if if things are coming on, especially beforehand, if we can get it to Kayla, I'm sure that you will work closely together.

We work very closely, so I can kind of use her as my second to you all then you'll all think that's right.

Fun fact, Kayla and I used to I'm gonna ask each other live within what a couple miles from each other back in Colorado.

So might be children.

My old staffer who moved into my position when I left Colorado and they got to grad school today.

And she's also from Wisconsin, so I feel like we're really presenting off the country here.

Um, you can you can help me.

You're welcome to stay or I'll say for a little bit just to kind of see okay.

I brought a spike over here in the back of my car.

So I have all right.

That's great.

Um, then we're going to go back to old business.

Item number one on the old business is the natural gas franchise fee engagement.

We have Kayla gets the slides ready.

We have 48 minutes.

I think you're going to give us an update and then we'll have some question answered, and then there's ample time for discussion about what's next.

So you can okay.

Um start and Aaron, feel free to jump in.

We were both there at City Council.

So, you know, you may have a different perspective on council feedback and discussion as well.

Um, and I did include the final report in the packet.

So I'm not really planning to go through all the graphs that were in the final report.

If you're interested in kind of the details of the engagement period and the, you know, um, all of the different, you know, viewpoints throughout the engagement period.

Feel free to take a look at the final report.

Um, but here's kind of a high-level overview.

So our engagement period for gas franchise feeds, as you all know, is December of last year through March of this year.

Um, we reached over 3600 community members, and this is through uh direct email, so direct emails and then list served emails.

Um, and then community presentations.

We did a lot of community presentations.

So that was going to small groups, think like the chamber board, um, the rotary, the caruanas, um the green drinks, all those kinds of things to present on the topic and and kind of first educate but also gather feedback from community members.

Um we also have so 30 uh yes, 50 plus engagement activities, 38 of those were residential, and 14 were business or property manager.

So really trying to get you know a good sense across the community um of feedback on this topic.

We also had uh a survey.

Uh the survey questions were created to essentially mimic the exact questions that we were asking at these in-person events, so that you know, although we split out the results in the final report, we did then um, you know, um you know, kind of look at the results together as well and kind of some of the similarities between online versus in-person.

I think we recognize, you know, when you have a serve, when you have an online survey that anyone can fill out, it might be um people that don't live in Rochester or something like that.

So we wanted to in the final report separate out the engagement results and then kind of um look at them together.

Um so all of that, and then three in-person open house events as well.

So those were kind of the more official um project uh engagements.

So looking at themes that came out of uh the the community engagement period, we did find that over our engagement, so the online survey and the in-person um and virtual events that we did, about a majority of folks did support the grant base fee.

Um conditionally, I would say.

And so there is, you know, um, a slight majority that said yes, we are willing to pay a fee, and a majority of those folks said yes, we want it to be used to expand um sustainability program offerings.

Um, you know, I think it makes sense that the willingness um to pay the fee is generally limited to lower monthly amounts, so about around that one to two dollar uh rate for residential and affordability really is a primary factor right now.

I think you know, we hear about that um in in a lot of different ways, and that certainly came up both in-person, virtually, and in the survey.

Um I think we're you know, kind of trying to walk um we were trying to find a balance here because I think city council had asked us to go to the community and kind of ask some more broad questions and not as specific on this is exactly how we would use the the funding, but to be more broad to say if there were to be a fee, what would you like us to spend it on?

And something that we did hear from the community um quite strongly was that they really do want those details.

They want to see program structures that are clearly defined, details, um, and then those program structures tied to outcomes and metrics.

Um when we did ask people what what types of programs do you want to see?

We saw home rebates, home rebates being the strongest um and most popular selection.

So people really, you know, consistently saying we want to see lower energy costs, lower utility bills, things like that.

We also heard pretty clearly and strongly that the programs that we create, any sort of rebates or anything should include non-homeowners.

So renters, uh, multifamily dwellers, um, lower income folks, um, you know, typically I think people have felt that you know we have these fees or we have these taxes, and then they create these programs that only homeowners can participate in.

So that was clear.

And then a preference for community-driven projects, um, projects that provide direct community benefits that are shaped by the community, um, where we can see the impacts.

Um, we also heard a lot about transparency, accountability of the funds.

Um, I think that's you know, clear that they want, you know, they want to see where is the dollar going, how is this funding being spent.

And then really on the structure, we were asking about fee structure because that was you know something that we would have considered had we uh recommended moving forward.

Um, no clear consensus.

It was essentially split third third on the fee structure.

I think there was a little bit of a preference for the um tiered flat fee.

Um, so that would certainly be something we would need to continue kind of evaluating.

So ultimately, our proposed approach when we did go to city council was to develop and implement uh one to two pilot initiative.

So instead of kind of as Lorenzo talked about, walking, that was a good analogy.

What was it?

Walk before you.

Oh, call before you walk.

Yes, that's a good one.

Um, so instead of kind of asking for the full franchise fee, we we asked uh council to consider us bringing back one to two pilot initiatives um that are really informed by what we heard through this engagement period, focusing on reducing energy costs, improving homes, um, and creating programs that are accessible.

Oh, there's a spot.

Um creating programs that are accessible to those that outside of just homeowners and provide community benefits for the funding request not to exceed 100,000.

Um again, we feel that this could, you know, kind of pilot some of these ideas, build trust and understanding in the community, and inform future funding decisions.

That's levy money.

Correct.

Council contingency funds would be levy, correct?

That would be your when you're asking for this budget money, it's through the levy, it's not some other fee, the contingency at all.

Okay, it would be you question in the budget.

Got it.

But it's console contingency funds.

Yeah, so every year the council sets aside a bottom money in case something comes up with fund that would be a priority things like that.

So we're sort of no longer.

Oh, did oh, okay.

It essentially is funding that can be um unlocked outside of the budget process.

So we it's not like we would have to wait to go through the formal budget process.

So we'll bring it up.

Yeah, it was used for golfers last time.

And I think it's been used for swimming pools and time to use a persistent.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay.

So the first um potential pilot program is an electrification, and these are just, you know, these are just my thoughts.

So these are not formal titles of programs or anything like that.

Um, electrification and energy efficiency, basically incentive stacking or gap funding program.

And so the concept here would be providing supplemental city city incentives that support existing um RPU programs and rebates to essentially enhance or expand uh programs and fill potential funding gaps that RPU has.

Um we have been talking through some potential measures with RPU.

These are all just you know potential at this time.

Um, and we really, you know, will be continuing to work with RPU kind of in lockstep as we kind of whittle the list down, get the specifics together on numbers and things like that, and then bring the list back for console consideration.

We are hoping to go soon ish, which is why we put this on the agenda for today.

I don't want to wait until June for this.

Um, I would like to have um the presentation proposal, you know, in a good spot this time next month.

The other kind of um follow-up is on the sustainability dashboard.

They brought up the sustainability dashboard again, which is on our work plan.

It's not a part of this conversation, but that's something Kristen and I are also working on that we need to have um basically um a proposal together for that as well by the time we go back to council.

So we kind of have a few different things that we're working on.

Um so just wanted to kind of show this potential list right now.

And these are certainly measures that I would love to hear your thoughts on when we get to the discussion period.

But we're looking at things like air source heat pump um incentives, heat pump hot water heaters, potentially electric panel upgrades that would be partnered with an electrification measure.

So if you were electrifying something, then you could unlock funding for an electric panel upgrade.

And then um focusing on renter options as well.

So things like indoor air purifiers, e-bikes, and electric bond equipment.

So we're looking at mowers, trimers, blowers, and as chainsaws is on the list for our studio.

So we would probably put in one for that as well.

Um, I know you all had asked me to tell you what other cities are doing.

And so let me just um I put this together.

So we are seeing Minnesota communities increasingly using local funding, variety of different funding, sometimes franchise fees, sometimes general fund, uh, to stack on top of utility state and federal incentives to reduce those upfront costs.

So we're seeing Hopkins um is using franchise fees for electrication and energy incentives.

I'm not gonna read through all these, but you can kind of see that there are several other communities that um have some programs that are similar to this.

They essentially uh stack on top of existing rebates, and they the equipment that they're funding is very similar to what we would be looking at.

It is important to note though that these communities are all Excel energy communities, so they have you know a structure like that with an investor-owned utility um rather than Raptors your public utilities, which is a publicly owned utility.

So we just have a different utility model, and that's something that we're needing to kind of continue to work through with our PU.

All right, looking at the second kind of concept uh here is the community sustainability partnership grant, um, or just grant go title and be changed, but it essentially is a community grant program that would uh provide small scale funding for neighborhood or community-led sustainability projects that align with and support our sustainability plan and our greenhouse gas goals.

So this really speaks to that feedback that we heard during community community engagement period saying we want to see projects that exist in a community that are community led.

Um we want the funding to go back into the community and to not essentially be just used by the city.

Um so again, it supports our goals.

I think it would build um neighborhood level engagement and provide that direct benefit, and again, is another example of a program that supports non-homeowners.

So renters might say all of the above.

Um, a list of some potential applicants.

So again, neighborhood associations or just neighbors, community organizations runs resident or youth groups, and then faith uh communities and resplits.

So these again are just potential um examples of what projects could look like, that's something like community gardens, neighborhood tree planting.

Um, and also for all of these, we would want to connect with existing programs as much as possible to reduce the cost.

So, for instance, our forestry team does have a federal grant where they can support funding for neighborhood tree planting.

So maybe this would supplement an existing program if there are costs that through that program that can't already be covered.

Uh shared equipment libraries, energy efficiency education and outreach, electrification or renewable energy demonstrations.

And again, this is samples.

We're thinking small grants, um, two to ten thousand uh with an annual application cycle, a simple application process with support from sustainability or maybe our healthy homes navigators if folks are interested.

And then scoring, looking at equity, greenhouse gas emission reduction and alignment with the sustainability plan, community impact, and then um how can we replicate this and how can we essentially scale these products?

Who would select?

I think that's TPD.

You know, I think we'd have to think through.

I want, you know, I bet the city council would love to do that, and then maybe they get you get more buy-in from it if you just had one of the work plan times and you say which ones do you want to do?

That's an interesting idea.

I'll have to look at, I know our DEI uh division has a program that is uh community grant.

So look at maybe at least get a few councilmillers who might be interested on or ZPAM.

Okay, that's it for me.

Again, I don't I'm not filling up the final report and kind of going through that.

Um, but that wasn't a tackle if we're interested.

Um, and so I would love, I don't know how I didn't have time there, but you're good.

I would love to hear from you all um any feedback that you have on the proposed pilot program concepts, um, anything that we can kind of we really are in a place right now where we can, you know, hear your feedback, take your feedback and use that as we create these programs or work with RPU to, you know, kind of come to a final proposal to bring back to Pencil.

So any thoughts?

We'd love to hear it.

Okay, so we're gonna go give everyone a chance to speak for like you know, two minutes here to start, and then we'll see how it goes.

Anyone that wants to go first and then be prepared because we'll probably go around the room for the interest of time.

I just have a question.

I'm not hearing anything that the healthy home helpers role durable list.

So that's kind of a separate program right now.

That is next on the agenda.

So if you're they are specifically asking about how that um works with the franchise fee pilots.

Yeah.

I mean, I think if we had instead uh stacking incentives, the Healthy Homes Navigators could certainly help to get the word out about those incentives to residents.

Um, but I think you know the navigators are, I mean, we've got a good list of people already that are really interested in the program.

And so there's not a lot of capacity with the navigators to be working on other things right now.

But should this be approved by council?

I think that's something that they would definitely be able to help get the word out about when they're at these assessments.

Does that answer your question?

Yeah, I'm we're gonna well, uh maybe I should work in like two minutes, but given them your two minutes now.

So I needed somebody to go first.

Um I guess I had my first reaction was oh, does the community recognize what the what the heck does the sustainability commission do?

Like our view is just given our the same program, and maybe they have a little more money.

Um, and there's no recognition to the work that we're called upon to do.

Um I didn't bring it, but I drafted our program kind of the standard.

You take two similar groups, you give them all each the same things, but you do one additional thing to one of the groups, and then see what the uptake of the actions is between the two.

And the difference would have been get these folks into the homes and then follow up to say after so much.

Um did you end up implementing these things?

And I guess it would be more for uh renters and of course there's two different kinds of renters.

Renters can see a difference in their utility bill, knows it won't no matter what they do.

So I'm I understand the limitation or under, I was just disappointed that all we do is stack.

And maybe that's the only thing we that's open to us, but I definitely see the Healthy Homes program supporting this program and working with this program.

Um the navigators as kind of the ones to help to explain to residents kind of the you know the different incentives.

And I think the uh navigators being part of the sustainability division would certainly understand that this is separate funding.

Um I mean, we'd have to think, yeah, we still need to think through details of are there going to be two separate application forms, but I think they're likely maybe would be.

Um so it would be clear that the funding is a little bit separate from just a regular RPU, even though we are collaborating closely with RPU.

And I may not be fully clear on how different what those two groups will be doing.

So it maybe something I need to learn more about, but um, I was just hoping it would do something that would shine more of a light on the load the uh what we're here to see rather than more RPU stuff, which and why doesn't the city just say spend another two percent on the programs that do that work?

Which are already doing when it's a lot of money they spend spend a little more.

Let us use this money for slightly other things.

I'm gonna follow up because I I sort of have a follow-up to what you just said, Edward.

First off, I said it in this committee, I'll say it again.

I find some of their programs are impossible to do, they're ridiculous, and the paperwork is horrendous.

And if I can't figure it out, and there's a lot of people out there that can't, we need things that are really approachable for people.

And I'm gonna bring those examples, like the getting my air conditioner serviced and all of the massive amounts of paperwork and like the window rebates where the window people will tell you don't buy those windows because they're so overpriced, and the tiny bit of money you get on the rebates, it's not worth it.

Like, I mean, I feel like we have a lot of things that are not practical for everyday people.

So I like number two.

One, because I'm so if Terry Kinsey is already getting money for heat pump and Terry can Kinsey can afford to buy three heat pumps, it's not gonna change my life.

It's not gonna make me feel that this is affordable and gonna help me.

I mean, I feel like we have to be going after people who really are struggling with their electricity bills, with their water bills, with you know, with everything that they can't they can't drive their car because they can't pay $4 and 19 cents for you know a gallon of gas.

So the second one is much more attractive because we're partnering with the community.

We keep saying we need to know what the community is doing, we need them in our work plan.

To me, I feel like if we can say we're gonna go out to the community, we're gonna find people who are working with mostly with renters, right?

I think about the programs we had during the ice flare-ups that where they were helping people that were having trouble with their rent, they know where the renters are.

We can learn what renters really would benefit from, that it really truly is a pilot.

And so I get go to this with you, Edward, and I'm like, and then it's very clear that this is something new, and there's a trustworthiness that comes from working with community partners, particularly with communities that are probably still very upgrade, and they might be afraid to have a healthy home helper that works for the government in their homes.

So I feel like anyways, that was my two minutes, but you want to go next, we'll go around the room.

Uh the only comment that really came to my mind was in that first option where you're talking about uh options for giving back to renters and the homeowners.

Uh, I know Minnesota's working on potential legislation for plug-in solar.

I'm wondering if that would fit in and what's one of the rebate options for them to help renters to set up uh plug-in solar in their own apartments.

Is that something that can be rolled into this should that pass legislation?

I think that's something we can evaluate.

Yeah, yeah.

That's really the only thought I had.

That's good.

Initially, I thought the stacking rebates uh the benefit of being kind of measurable and tangible, and um, I'm a numbers person, and so I where the community engagement and grant funding felt a little I worried that it felt a little vague.

Um, and I guess I would just I like the ideas behind the the community funding.

I'm just wondering if if we feel confident that you know there's going to be engagement and groups like looking to tap into that.

I'm not sure if there's any way to evaluate that before bringing the city council as a recommendation.

But it just feels like that that proposal maybe needs to be a little like a little bit more robust.

But I like, I mean, I like the ideas behind it.

So it's a fine line too because council has said we want you to invest these dollars into things where we can measure the impact as well.

And it's a little bit tougher when it's investing in community building crop tax.

You know, I think that there are a lot of co-benefits of things like this, but it's not like you said, as um clear-cut as well, here are the KWH savings of this rebate.

Okay, so we supported as many additional rebates.

You know what I'm saying?

So uh thoughts on the first one stacking with RPU.

There's an elegance to efficiency, which is where we see in government taking advantage of people and systems that are already in place.

Um many of the programs, say what you will about the paperwork.

I don't argue with that one.

Um but at the end of the day, it's a system that's already there.

And if we're trying to be efficient with limited amounts of money, and you want to build community trust, RPU has a lot of all of that and be a really easy way to go do it.

If we go do anything on a tier two, you're gonna eat through your money pretty quickly, I think.

But if it's a project that has like a flashy element to it or something that looks good PR-wise that can help build momentum for the overall thing, I can see support for that.

Um we have environmental justice listed as one of the scoring mechanisms.

I'm gonna provide a counterpoint, which is that greenhouse gas emissions don't care how much money the person has that's part of them.

Uh the goal is to reduce emissions, whoever you can find that is willing to participate in your program is probably somebody worth having a conversation with.

So I would caution us, like I'm not against us going out trying to find people that really are struggling.

That's a great noble thing to do, but I don't think that we should make that our primary goal because we are a sustainability commission first and foremost, and we should care about dropping greenhouse gas emissions where we can.

Yeah.

So I will just say from a perspective of a youth member on the board.

Um I really like the idea of the second pilot program.

Um, being a member of multiple organizations that I have seen take on projects that arguably could qualify for something like that.

I think there is definitely uh potential for demand if it's advertised well.

Um specifically, I can think of one or two that I'm part that I would probably want to utilize that for.

So I think I think we absolutely can find the demand for it if we can find the funding for it.

And that's something I would love to see.

Thank you.

And I would love to hear that the one or two is like one of the problems I found with the potential grants is um is all five are things that are I think are already being done.

None of them look to me like new or um, I mean, they're community gardens everywhere, we have neighborhood tree plantings, um, you know, energy outreach.

I would suggest that when your healthy home helpers get going, have it be a two-way communication where not only do they tell, here's how you can get your house better, but ask them what would so that you get input from those people on what they would like to see.

You could I think you get something broader than what's listed here.

Um, I I just like something more that's why I'm interested in what your ideas are, something that would grab that would be cheap.

I mean, things I can think of that would be useful is you know, insulating the town, or what you really have to do is go into some of these old houses and you've got to structurally correct them before you can insulate them.

I mean, that's hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This is just two thousand or three thousand.

So I'd love to see some um a little bit more catchy eligible projects, and maybe you could pick put some in there that would be newly different.

Um I'm sorry to hear that RPU is so difficult to get money out.

I mean, you have to really want that $10.

I could perhaps speak to that if I've had to put together programs like this in the past.

And perhaps some of the reason that they're so complicated is you want data at the end.

And that involves a whole lot of work at the front end and structuring the program such that you have the data you want and it's clean data and reliable.

So I we shouldn't underestimate what's going to be involved if we want a program where somehow we're gonna have to sift through noise and funds our data.

But let's ask those healthy home helpers to query the people they're visiting.

Well what would you like to see?

I think one of the things that was most subscribed to in the state was electric bicycles.

Those were and those are cheaper than like electric cars or electrifying houses or and you maybe could get more of them quick.

Building on Amy's point about getting feedback, we could possibly set up something where the homeowners and renters can provide their feedback electronically, maybe a website or QR code to complete with them, or they can provide the feedback of what else they think would help them instead of just working on word of mouth.

I do think it's a really good idea.

But if they've got the person right in the home, they could do that also.

Say they're having a nice little discussion.

They could response rates on surveys are extraordinarily low.

Particularly if you don't have incentives to run another information center.

It's it's I do too.

I always do them because I know how few people do.

Survey bias is a is a real thing.

And so you're lucky to get 20, 30% response.

It's amazing.

So and shocking.

So everyone.

And let's let the council decide.

I think they would have a lot of fun going through these.

Oh much better.

I mean, two and ten, I mean, they're little tiny grants that they'd be given out, but think of how proud they feel choosing the winners.

And they wouldn't all have to be in their award.

Well, yeah, they could make sure there was one.

And that would probably be one of the equity things is to have one in every word.

Right.

Um is that what you were looking for?

Excellent.

Okay.

Great.

Yeah, that's really helpful.

I think the one thing I'll add to it.

Um so based on some of the feedback we were in council as well as discussions, you know, with our PU, you know, someone was in line with what Brian said.

Our law was we're trying to reduce overhead as much as we can, especially with a shorter amount of time and limited funding.

So utilizing any systems that are already built, you know, from that standpoint.

So that's some of the things that fed into the list that um that we came up with.

And then the other is making sure that we bring something forward that isn't in competition with our view.

So you know, we'll we uh you know, just to be clear, some as we filter down to the final logs.

Um, we do want to make sure it's either something that you're compliments or um certainly does not compete against uh some of our use priorities, and um we'll keep you posted as we continue to move forward with this.

I certainly this is great feedback and and uh yeah, we'll have more discussions, see if we can narrow the list down, add new items to it.

Okay, and depending on the timeline, um we may be bringing a draft letter recommendation letter to next month's meeting.

We'll just have to skip timeline for council looks.

But you know, we'll take the thoughts and feedback from this discussion, like we did with the previous one, and well, the three of us will draft something and bring it to you all for discussion.

We get that draft letter prior to the meeting in the packet, yeah.

So you'd get it the week before.

And would that be just um talking about the uses of the income, or would that also be potentially a suggesting this is what we think the best way to implement it would be.

For example, that which of the three types of fees.

Probably this would just be focused on the pilot programs.

Yeah, that's kind of where we're at right now.

Be sure to give your ideas.

We have a couple more there, swampier at this list.

You can send them afterwards if some things come to mind.

So are we ready to move on?

Yes.

Okay, well, that's our work fun this question item.

Um, an update on the healthy home helpers program.

So how do you know fit?

They just got put together in the speed.

Um, oh, I think she without reading from the all she's gonna probably annoy.

Um do you know about you?

What's the kids?

Sure.

So maybe I think I might have a slide on this, so maybe we'll know I'll just put it out here.

Everyone can look at wallets.

While you do that, showing how people send them feedback.

Uh oh, yes, Larry and I just did a product to our uh the kits uh right before this.

Um okay.

So I will provide an update on the healthy home program.

Um we will also be discussing.

And so we're looking to see if anyone in this room is interested in letting us assess your home or kind of move through the full process with you, probably a pre-assessment phone call.

You do have to live within city limits.

Um and then actually come out to your home and do the assessment.

Lorenzo has offered, so we'll be assessing his home.

Um and then over.

Okay, well, great.

Yeah, we're looking for for volunteers.

Um, and then also as we do um quite frequently.

I'm also asking for your help, um, getting the word out about the program.

So I have copies of the flyer right here.

I think I made 30 copies.

So if you want to grab a few and put them at, you know, bulletin boards, coffee shops, people's co-op, whatever it may be.

I will pass those around.

Um we spent a lot of time last year posting flyers, and we just I don't know.

I just we're not really we're using you all a little bit more this year to kind of put the flyers where you where you go, where you frequent, where you think people will see them.

Um people stand in long lines, like the post office.

Yes, actually after Christmas, I go to strike.

Yeah, a few of these flyers.

I had several people tell me nothing saw the fire.

So um, so yeah, so any thoughts that you have on additional outreach and communication strategies to help increase their NSF participation in the program.

Um we're doing all the typical, I think I might have a slide on this, so I'll just as many as you want.

So we make this available to all of our elected people.

We can mute up electronically centered for it's in others or city council.

Oh, we have to pull it out from the packets in your packet.

So we'd have to pull out that one particular slide.

Is that what you're saying?

Well, the PDF is linked in your packet.

Oh, linked.

The flyer isn't in your packet.

But I can send it via email.

Yeah, were you asking?

I would just think if you would, I I obviously will send it to the city council, but how about other elected people like the county board?

Like I mean, maybe they'd like many of them live in the city, and our legislators who are going to be finishing up by the 18th of May, um, might like to see what's going on.

I guess what is it?

What are your thoughts?

Do you think it would be better to come from like a myself or to come?

Yeah, my initial thought was yeah, we get a door and we're on so distributed through this connections there and my legislative we have a legislative coordinator or tell her to do it right away so they get it as soon as they come home.

Yeah, if they're done sleeping.

We are uh holding just for basically another week or so.

Um we're kind of slowly moving into the outreach um and engagement period for this.

We have the opposite problem that I usually have.

And uh we already have a hundred people on the waiting list for this program.

Isn't that great?

Which is great, but some of them we just have emails for.

So what we did today was we set up a kit, took some fancy pictures, and then we're gonna send uh the actual interest uh survey to all the people that have expressed interest in events.

Um we're gonna show them what a kit looks like and then have them actually fill out the survey, which really is the thing that initiates the the process for the navigators because right now we only have their name and their email, so that doesn't really help us that much.

We need to verify they live within city limits and and other things.

And so um since we have quite a list already, we are you know wanting to move into kind of this um pilot or you know, slow start, which would be the friends and family kind of assessments, follow up with the list that we have, and then we also are doing mailers.

I'm gonna wait because I do think I have this on a slide.

Um let me walk into this here quick.

So again, I think we all know this.

The program goals are improving indoor air quality, reducing energy costs, increasing home comfort and safety, and connecting residents to existing energy and housing resources and programs.

Um throughout the presentation, you'll see some of the graphics that we've created.

Um we have um the on the navigator training is underway.

So Kristen is actually one of our Healthy Homes navigators.

So picked up the rest of her hours per week, uh becoming our new our new navigator, yep.

And then our other navigator is Tom.

Um he is an RCTC student who is um in the FAS program, so facility and service technology program at RCC.

And he previously worked at IBM.

He um has previous contractor experience and things like that.

So great, great team.

Um we're beginning outreach, we have a waiting list, and then we're looking to start visits in early June.

So what do residents receive through this program?

First, the in-home, the no-cost in-home consultation.

So the navigators will come out, they will help identify some you know simple improvements like programming your program old thermostat if it isn't already.

Um, learn about these concepts.

So what is important when it comes to indoor air quality, moisture, um, you know, rate on CO, things like that, and then energy efficiency.

Connect with rebates, um, weatherization and assistance programs, and then navigate these resources and actually get registered for these programs.

So the support from the navigators does not end at the end of the assessment.

It's really supporting them in getting through to that next.

So we need to actually, to your point, Everett, um, set reminders to for a follow-up um phone call at minimum, like two weeks after the assessment, two to three weeks out to check in with them and say, how are things going?

Were you able to get enrolled?

What support do you need from us?

Yes, done to report how many of these homes have a thermostat.

Or maybe they got just a dumb thermostat.

Uh-huh.

That's in there.

Do you have programmable thermostat?

And if so, is it programmed?

Um, and then the other piece of this is the three healthy homes kit.

And so this is over 120 value.

Everything from, I mean, you can see it all.

So we have um three LED bulbs in each kit.

We have uh child safety outlet covers right here.

These are from RPU.

We have an LED night light.

This is from RPU.

We have quite a few weatherization materials.

So we have two different kinds of spray foam.

Um we have weather or door weather stripping and a window uh kit.

We have hot water heater pipe insulation.

This doesn't mean hot water heater pipe.

Um, let's see.

Okay, we have aerators.

Um, so these came from the uh Minnesota Energy Resources Water Conservation Kit.

So two shower heads, two um bathroom aerators, and a kitchen aerator.

Um we have green cleaning supplies.

So soon these will be filled with um um water vinegar or yes, uh recipe that we have for uh cleaner with uh a sticker on here that kind of detail about the recipe and then uh bankroom and the reusable bag that the cell comes in, which is shameless promotion for sustainability if you turn it around.

Oh, wonderful.

Never never miss an opportunity.

I'm glad you have those.

We got them made for this program.

Um all you're lacking is a plant.

That was actually on the original list, and I think sergeants to uh we also looking at um kind of the indoor air quality.

We are covering the cost of an uh Umster County public health remote test kit.

That's something the navigators can bring out to the home and help set up, help the resident set it up.

They can requested, come back to the home and pick it up and bring it back.

So that's a really really easy kind of next step.

We also have these um Lord Sphere absorber packets.

So if people have wet basements, things like that, um, this is good, a good kind of um just band-aid, I guess, but probably a bigger issue.

Um, and then uh carbon monoxide detector.

And so this is essentially a referral to the Rochester Fire Department program where they will come out and install a number of smoke and CO detectors, make sure that you are fully um ready to go.

But if we do come across a home that you know doesn't have any or or it's very outdated, we do have some of their smoke and CO detectors that we're able to install in the home and then refer them to the fire program.

So there is a more broad fire department program, no cost.

And then last but not least, we're covering the cost of an RPU energy um audit reimbursement.

The catch here is that the person still has to go through the full neighborhood energy challenge process.

So after the Healthy Homes assessment, they would still have to go to the neighborhood energy challenge workshop, then schedule the RPU audit, receive the audit, and then they would be able to um the reimbursement through our program.

That's the blower door problem.

Yeah.

Yep.

Yep.

We also have a connection with the CEEs of the last, it's not on here, but the other connection, and we had the training this morning.

CEE, um, their electrification advisors, um, they're great.

We've already paid for this through our federal grant um and our partnership with CEE last year.

Um, but they are, you know, trained folks that can help residents get um bids, they can compare bids, they can help with contractors, they can, you know, provide specific information about panel sizing and really anything related to electrification upgrades or energy efficiency that will lead to electrification.

They are resources.

So I think that's a good referral if someone maybe doesn't want to go through the whole neighborhood energy challenge program, but they want they're interested in becoming more efficient or decarbonizing.

Okay.

So those are all the materials in the kit so that you all can shamelessly promote the program in the community.

Um program partners, OC public, Rochester Public Utilities and Minnesota Energy Resources.

We have our community action agency, SUMCAC is a partner for long-term folks, Center for Energy and Environment with their electrification advisors, a variety of city departments, so community development, fire, GIS, and then destination benefits center.

We have radon, smoke and carbon dioxide, uh what else?

Ventilation and moisture, the moisture track.

What about water temperature?

Measuring we're not measuring the water temperature in this one.

I mean, there's all kinds of little simple stem thermometers in the um we do have a page on the um workbook that has behavior changes that you know resident can go through.

Um so we could add that little list of things to do.

Check your water temperature and turn it down if it's too high.

Yeah, keep turning it down until someone complains and then turn it up one step.

Tell like my husband.

Yeah, that's a good one.

For sure, we can put the range on there.

It's the recommended range.

Um Navigator training.

So again, we kind of went over this, but we're kind of doing comprehensive training.

So healthy homes, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, all the partner programs and rebates.

Um, we're also learning about home visit safety, communication, how do we talk to people both on the phone and in their home, how to be respectful and culturally appropriate.

Um, and then they are working towards building science principles, training and certification through most important things.

Kristen, I learned this when I went on some corrections, probation things and dollars.

Never have anyone between you and the door in case you have to get out, and don't ever take off your shoes.

So just remember that.

We just stay safe.

Thank you.

Okay, getting into outreach and awareness.

Um, so we launched the website, Rochester Mn.gov/slash healthy homes.

We have the flyers that we passed out.

Um, we have our social media graphics that I just showed.

Um, we do have paid advertising campaigns.

So let me know if you start seeing that on social media in the next month or so.

Um, we also designed postcards.

We're doing mailers of these postcards, um, starting with the DMC district and then kind of going out from there, working with community development on that.

Um, we're publishing a press release.

I think probably next week.

Obviously, we'll include this in the next sustainability e-newsletter.

I know we included it in the last one, and I did see an uptick in registration.

So Lorenzo and I are working on some community partner outreach via email.

So essentially sending um community contacts boards, whoever that may be, some text to copy and paste into their own newsletters, and then also offering to come out to and do presentations similar to what we did for franchise feed, although Lorenzo is going to be the presenter this time because I said I just did this for the last three months.

And so it's not Caleb's show anymore.

So Lorenzo graciously offered to come with me and to help um with these community group presentations.

So we're thinking again, like Rotary Kowanas, anyone who might be interested.

We can bring a kit and then get people registered on the spot.

Um presentations too.

We would take up any amount of time that I think someone would have.

I mean, it would just be how detailed we could get into the program.

So a lot of times people will say we just have five, 10 minutes.

Can you come and give a spiel?

And so we'll do that, or we could have it be 20 or 30.

There's a lot of opportunities between the first and second services within a lot of these uh food communities.

Oh, okay.

Coffee hour.

Yeah, I'm gonna say they're dying for present presenting.

It's often an easy cell.

You reach a lot of people who do care about things.

It's good.

All right.

And then the last thing is just the practice assessments.

We talked about this, but we're looking for volunteers, um, your home or someone else's home again, open to um single family, multifamily up to four units and manufactured or mobile homes, um, renters or homeowners.

Okay, that's it for me.

So I will leave it there.

And I know we kind of had some question and discussion throughout the presentation.

I am looking for um the raise of hands up who we can contact for practice assessments, and then any other discussion that you have on the program.

Any other feedback?

Um, you know, something that we always could do because I just did, I just did this.

I just wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper yesterday.

Yeah, is someone on the commission could when the time is right, write a brief letter to the editor of the newspaper.

I just wrote one, that's why I can't.

I just submitted one yesterday.

Okay.

Not and again, this is also to this idea of how do they know what the commission is doing.

Yeah.

Right to be able to send this out saying sustainability is doing this part with partnerships and sign it and you know, commission co-chair or whatever.

To the Rochester Bulletin or something.

Yes.

250 word limits.

All right.

That's it.

Yeah, we'll go to that.

But I mean, it is something that we could add to our outreach.

And again, I think this idea of visibility.

Um, Edward, that you brought up is really important.

I feel like we need to get a nice, like the yard sign, but not the yard sign that when we go and we volunteer at the Arbor Day thing and we volunteer at the Earth Fest that the city is well represented, but nowhere does it say that we're the commission.

T-shirts.

I'd buy the t-shirts.

Or even if we but I do think it's important that people know that that other people in the city are trying to help and get them engaged.

You know, this is really the same thing.

But I mean, just something that we could go.

Did you say what?

Yeah, SRC leather jackets.

Leather chatters are vegan leather.

Yeah, right.

This is so great when people complain about well, what's government only does stuff to me.

From your government.

Of course, somebody's gonna complain.

Oh, the text is so high because you're giving out free stuff.

Well, most people, I think, will say this is really great.

They're gonna be actually doing something that benefits me.

And I think it is also supplemented by grant funding.

So you say that as well.

Which is fine.

I wanted our state legislators to see this.

Yeah, here's the government that works.

Okay, so for the practice assessments, we have um Terry and Eddie.

If anyone else is interested or knows anyone that's interested, let me know.

In the practice.

Okay.

All right.

Next.

Oh, you're reading my all years, I'm saying.

Whoops.

Okay.

Staff updates.

Um sustainability division.

We did receive an MPCA local climate action grant to support this program through 26 and 27.

We need to go.

Yeah, I know we just found out.

So the funding will support navigator stipends and additional healthy homes kits for 2027.

Oh.

Um, welcome to our healthy home navigators.

They will be supporting the program and conducting the at home assessments um in the community through the fall of this year.

Then we'll kind of wrap it up, do some program analysis, and then kick up the program again in 2027 as a new program.

Um, City of Rochester has been recognized again this year as a step four and five community in the Minnesota Green Step Cities program.

Um, so as you all know, um, we've been in this program for uh a long while, but it's um a statewide initiative that supports sustainability best practices, innovation.

Um, we report quite a lot of data to that program.

We typically take one meeting in the summer and we give updates and all of our kind of data um uh collection and and reporting programs.

So we'll be reporting more on this.

We'll probably hear more about this in in August.

Um Earth Best Expo.

Oh, I might open it up to you all to talk a little bit about that if we have a few minutes about your experience there.

But 2026 Earth Best Expo occurred on Saturday, May 2nd.

Um, it was an extremely successful event, about 1500 attendees.

So last year we had 700 some, which was the most attendance that we had had, and this year we doubled that.

So really, really great turnout.

Um I don't know, Crystal, do you have anything else to add?

Kristen really was the brain power behind it all.

So she coordinated the whole event, um, worked with the vendors, the exhibitors, all the presenters, all of the logistics, and really supported the event this year.

So I feel like the highlight is that there were so many families.

There was so many young people, there were teenagers, college-age kids.

Like you saw, you know, residents, people come coming from outside the city in Rochester too.

Like I saw some people from Austin, you know, system traveling.

Um, and so I think that part really excites me of just how wide an audience we're able to get this awesome event.

And it was a nice game because we came indoors.

I mean, funny story about our kids there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I was there for our air quality alliance, which is also that we all work on.

We had an iPad with our air quality sensors, and a kid who's maybe four walks five locks up, and uh person who's at the booth means she goes, hi, um, are you in school?

And Kim looks at her and she goes, No, it's the weekend.

Right, right.

Um, yeah, if I will say we were really busy at our table.

We needed two people.

Oh, yeah.

If you're trying to run the wheel and then you're actually trying to engage with people about healthy home helpers, and it it takes a little bit to explain because people are like, I mean, it's free.

Yeah, they really just want the free stuff.

So I made them listen to my spiel before they can spin the wheel.

It's I I mean, looking back, like I think having this would have been great to have so helpful.

I'm like, oh, this could be yours.

Yeah, or the price of what I say earlier for the price of fillet art and yes, yeah.

For those who attended, do you have any reaction to what the noise level and the ability to be heard?

Oh, it was so loud.

We were right behind some speakers.

So whenever someone got on a microphone, we could not communicate with the people directly in front of us.

I got overwhelmed and I actually kind of left after my shift of over because it was just too noisy for me.

So where I was actually quiet.

It wasn't quiet, but it was less thought.

So I really think we've been where you were in that program.

We went down with to the speaker one or two, but it was also just a re-leave.

And there's nobody you can say, oh, it's your fault.

It's the building.

Yeah, and it's free, or I don't know what they're paying for it.

But I just wish there was some place that wasn't quite as packed and quite as noisy, and maybe we would get even more people.

But a tent.

All right, just a few more here.

So link buses are starting to action.

Production will finish up around June 8th.

Um, and all the IFLs will be here in Rochester by August.

Sorry, what are linked buttons?

Uh the electric buses that will be used in the downtown cool project.

Yeah, maybe that in interesting.

Yes, we have our kingdom agenda.

It's gonna be open before the class system.

But um, there is a link here if you want to learn more about like that later, right?

Um, summer sustainability spotlight articles due to June 15th.

Stuart had volunteered to write the article with the topic of why businesses should care about sustainability.

We need, I think we're gonna have to, yeah.

No, I think we're gonna actually have to delay his.

So if someone is willing to volunteer on a topic, yeah, that would be helpful.

Yeah, I think he needs to he won't be, I don't think he's gonna be able to do it.

You know, you just did one.

I just knew I can't.

I know so I'm not looking at you, I'm just I'm looking at you, but I'm not looking at you.

Next one was Edward, but I think yours was specific to a false topic.

Yes, we think about I can talk to you all too.

Yeah, talk.

Let's think about it.

If we can maybe we can find a topic, someone's really inspired and let us know if you really want to write.

Yeah, so see, yeah, we probably haven't talked about this in a few months, but it's what do we say, 200 to 400 word article that's educational about a topic of your choice that we put in the sustainability e-newsletter.

I wrote the spring one about the rusty patch bubble B and how people can plant flowers in their yard to help support Paul Airpostulations.

Yeah, we typically connect it back to like something happening locally, like some sort of program or next step action, some call to action at the end, but it's more of a narrative, whereas the rest of our articles and the sustainability newsletter are like this program, this program.

I mean, it it I think I said this last year, I'll say it again.

And I think it'd be great for people to know what youth are doing in our city.

You know, if I'm not telling you you have to do the one for June, and I know it's the end of the school year, right?

And you probably got a lot on your mind.

I actually just finished up on my stuff.

So we don't say that.

I feel like I could probably take that off.

What are the youths doing this summer?

Yeah, yeah.

No, I mean, I think what our opportunities I think people would like to know what are opportunities for you.

Yeah, yeah.

Or what are youth doing?

I think it's we we don't have that, and that's and that we know that we want that perspective.

So you think something hopeful about that's our bad state.

It's a hard one to small project.

Yeah, no, no, yeah, but even just existing groups, as you say, you're parts of groups, and and these are some of the things that are happening in the city, you know, that are that are youth-led or you know, youth informed.

Okay, and then um last but not least, next month.

You have the municipal sustainability dashboard and sustainability plan, uh community-led tactic reporting, which we keep pushing past the bank or exposition about how to more info to come.

And we certainly could have the franchise fee back on here if um we are talking about the recommendation report.

That would be first priority.

And that's kind of where some of these keep getting shifted, is that you know, we have these priorities that kind of bubble to the top when it comes to city council and their direction.

So for now, that's the plan for June.

Um, for events and meetings calendar.

Uh we pulled some dates from some info from the website since we don't really have a lot coming up for us.

Um, open house for Elton Hills Drive improvement project on May 20th.

Um, Slomo Summer, which Lorenzo has um uh yard signed for.

I think you can pick those up at the parks department and then participating in move to the market, which is an initiative through the mayor's office.

What is that?

Move to the market.

It is or is it move with the mayor?

It's moved to the market, which isn't kind of a new curve um initiative, and so it's a part, yeah, it's a grant that was received um to support it's with the mayor's office and the village, uh, which is the agricultural co-op um supporting C.

Oh, to go to those to the farmers, as opposed to the different farmers' market, though.

That's not they're moving the farmers' markets around.

Anyways, it's linked in your packet if you would like to find out more about it.

All right, thank you.

All right, commission.

I'm gonna start by we got a lovely email from Rachel Strauss and Public Works.

I just want to tell you guys how proud I am of this commission and the number of people between the Arbor Day golfing and the the um Earthfest.

This commission is so active and volunteered so much, and she sent a lovely email about you know how it wouldn't have been possible to do what they did with the goal without our commission.

So I think that's speaks highly for all of you.

So we should all be again.

It's how do we get out there and people know what we're doing?

So some people did it jacket free.

Some people are idiots and don't read the forecast.

Yeah, you're learning to do it.

I think someone wore shorts too.

I know some people are crazy.

I know I wanted to talk about your nicknames, like you know, sunglass guy and lady in gloves, and anyway.

Other commissioner comments, yeah.

All right, one last thing.

So you know, if anybody's watching, whatever it is, uh Rochester wide garage sale, so it's a great reuse, reduce, reuse, recycle event in big one down on just on Friday at Bethel Lutheran Church.

A lot of them I saw this year.

Also, they're giving their proceeds to charities, which is also great.

So great opportunity if you want to contribute to producing waste.

So it's this weekend, yeah.

It starts.

There's a there's a website that they actually have an interactive map where you can actually see where they are and they have lists of what people are selling.

So if you're looking for, you know, you need boys' clothes, you go to this one, you need girls' clothes, you go to this one, you need furniture, you go to this one, sort of thing.

So they this of a woman, and I don't know her, I've never met her, but I've done this a couple years as a person that was selling.

She runs this just out of the kindness of her heart.

There's more than a hundred sales.

It's in Rochester, it's all over Rochester.

So every garage sale conglomerated into one.

It's just kind of yeah, it's very efficient.

So but again, it's it could ties up with the you know, it's a very sustainable thing to do.

So you're saying we should go thrift vegan leather jackets that we've got brands.

That would be awesome.

Write down your five or vegan leather jackets by next meeting.

I don't know why that and about your journey finding the meeting.

There we go.

There's the useful contribution.

I think on the motion to the journey.

So moved, all right.

I just want to quickly tell people I was in my granddaughter goes to Oberlin College and Oberlin is I think Carlton too is confirmed carbon neutral by some outside group, and it's mainly because of geothermal, but they also have the physics majors there about 20 years ago, designed a program to get all the gray water used through.

I mean, it's very fabulous, but I think we should steal some of their language here.

Later is too late.

Oberlin residents are taking action now.

We can just say later is too late.

Rochester residents are taking action now.

So I hope you steal what you can from that.

I was very impressed.

That's wonderful.

I just didn't think anything good came out of my I came out of Ohio.

Oh sorry.

Two things.

I have one other quick item because I'm interested in sorry.

And I should have got this on Cable's list.

I didn't think about it that line.

But um, so on May 27th, um, I will be going to City Council study session to talk about implementing what we call stormwater transfer ratios, or the unique situation where our our ordinance allows off site stormwater treatment.

I won't go into the full details, but basically order requires that if you're going to build a building, you have to provide on site stormwater treatment.

In some cases, especially in fill downtown high density, it's just not feasible to be able to do that.

Um, and so state rules and ordinance allows you to then do something off site.

Right now, that's at a one to one ratio.

So you could you could build stormwater treatment on the complete opposite end of town, opposite from a project, and um there's no additional environmental gain or anything.

I'm proposing that city council implement ratios that says if you're going to participate and be allowed to do that.

A portion of that you have to go above and beyond so that there's an environmental gain that can come out of being able to do this offside stormwater treatment.

And depending on how far away you go from your project site, there's a higher transfer ratio, meaning you have to build something that even provides more water quality benefits, and that will force them to try and look closer to their site, or at least the further away you go, there's more community environmental gain.

So um I'll be talking to council about that idea on May 27th and seeing getting a reaction.

So um something might be interested in.

Okay, well, can you get that mailed the time?

Exactly.

It's there's a long agenda, right?

Like it's a portion of the time of the agenda.

Yeah, I have I have 60 minutes out of yeah, we'll be at three hours.

But yeah, can you can you find the the time the room and and um send it to the commission, please?

Yeah, where you are as well.

Yeah, and where you are on the agenda.

So first or last.

Yeah, some of you there's a future meeting that you'd like to time.

If there's some sort of recommendation report, we'd like Messer C when it goes to I don't mean we're gonna talk about that.

We're a little bit later as a spot.

All right, exactly.

So all right.

So do we have a second?

Oh no, we did not seconds to adjourn.

Okay, all in favor, stand up and leave.

Hi, thank you.

That's your vote.

Yep.

Okay.

Oh, that's right.