02/10/2010 - Energy and Environment Advisory CommissionAGENDA
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010
7:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS / EAGAN CITY HALL
I . PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND ROLL CALL
II. AGENDA ADOPTION
HI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
IV. VISITORS TO BE HEARD
V. OLD BUSINESS
A. Communications Update
VI. PRESENTATIONS
A. Presentation re: Eagan's Community Development Department
B. Presentation on Complete Streets by Becky Rawlins, Eagan High School
Mentor Student
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Follow Up Responses to GreenStep Cities Inquiries / Determine Next Steps
VII. STAFF / COMMISSIONER REPORT
A. Sustainable/Energy Efficiency Efforts in Eagan
B. Dakota County Active Living Grant
C. Sperry Wind Study Report
D. 2011 EEAC Meeting Schedule
E. 2011 EEAC Commission Terms
VIII. ROUNDTABLE
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities will be provided upon advance notice of at least 96 hours. If a
notice of less than 96 hours is received, the City of Eagan will attempt to provide such aid.
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TO:
FROM:
DATE:
City of Evan Memo
THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION (EEAC)
DIANNE MILLER, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
FEBRUARY 1, 2011
SUBJECT: ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING / FEBRUARY
10, 2011
A meeting of the Energy and Environment Advisory Commission (EEAC) will take place on Thursday, February
10 at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. To ensure that a quorum is present, please contact Mary O'Brien at
651- 675 -5005 if you are unable to attend.
I. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND ROLL CALL
II ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The agenda, as presented or modified, is in order for adoption by the Commission.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the December 14, 2011 EEAC meeting are enclosed on pages through 6 . These minutes,
pending any modifications, are in order for adoption by the Commission. Enclosed on pages through
�, but not needing formal consideration, are the meeting notes from the January 18, 2011 EEAC workshop.
IV. VISITORS TO BE HEARD
The Eagan City Council and its Commissions set aside up to ten minutes at the beginning of public meetings to
permit visitors to address items of interest that are not addressed on the regular agenda. Items that will take
more than ten minutes or that require specific action can be scheduled for a future meeting agenda.
V. OLD BUSINESS
A. Communications Update —Per the request of the Commission, a standing agenda item has been added
to announce and discuss communication initiatives within the City addressing issues pertinent to the EEAC. A
reference to the City's participation in the GreenStep Cities program will be included in the next edition of
Experience Eagan as part of the 2010 Annual Report.
VI. PRESENTATIONS
A. Presentation re: Eagan's Community Development Department —Per the request of the
Commission, Director of Community Development Jon Hohenstein has prepared a presentation for the
Commission summarizing the operations of the Community Development department, as well as a summary of
key projects and initiatives currently underway in the department, many of which pertain to the GreenStep
Cities program. City Planner Mike Ridley, Chief Building Official Dale Schoeppner, and Community
Development Office Supervisor Sarah Brandel will also have a role in the presentation to speak to their
respective areas of expertise.
B. Presentation on Complete Streets by Becky Rawlins, Eagan High School Mentor Student — At the
request of the Commission during the January EEAC workshop, Eagan High School Mentor Student, Becky
Rawlins, is prepared to give a brief Power Point presentation regarding Complete Streets, including examples of
how other Minnesota cities have included Complete Street approaches in their transportation planning
documents and comprehensive plans. As a supplement to the presentation, enclosed on page /0 is a handout
that the City of Duluth uses to explain Complete Streets to the public. Also enclosed, on page J I is a list of
additional resources on Complete Streets, which Ms. Rawlins used in preparing her presentation.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Follow Up Responses to GreenStep Cities Inquiries / Determine Next Steps — Enclosed on pages
througha7 is a memo responding to questions raised by the Commission at the January 18, 2011
EEAC Workshop pertaining to the GreenStep Cities. The Commission is encouraged to give thought to
additional information needed from City staff or outside resources that may of assistance as the Commission
formulated recommended next steps for the Council's consideration. It is anticipated that a joint meeting
between the EEAC and Eagan City Council will occur sometime in the spring /summer of 2011, at which
time the Commission could make recommendations on additional best practices the City may wish to
consider to become a Step III GreenStep City. Philipp Muessig, the Coordinator of the GreenStep program,
is currently reviewing the City of Eagan's reported progress on each of the best practices, and will be in
contact with the City sometime in February to inform the City which best practices they deem the City has
achieved.
In keeping with the Commission's expressed desire to learn about the various operations, departments, and
divisions within the City, the Commission may wish to consider having staff from Dakota Valley Recycling
attend the April EEAC meeting. Additionally, Wayne Schwanz, Superintendent of Utilities, has offered the
Commission an opportunity to tour the Water Treatment Facility, which could be done in conjunction with a
Commission meeting on a Tuesday evening (e.g. April 12), or an alternative date could be chosen as well.
Likewise, the Commission is welcome to tour the new geothermal system at the Civic Arena.
VIII. STAFF / COMMISSIONER REPORT
A. Sustainable/Energy Efficiency Efforts in Eagan — Enclosed on page-w, • through is a
summary of sustainable practices currently underway in the City of Eagan. The memo was shared with the City
Council to demonstrate the work that has been completed over the past two years in response to the Council's
environmental sustainability and energy efficiency goal.
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B. Dakota County Active Living Grant — The City of Eagan will be receiving a $22,000
grant from Dakota County Public Health through a program titled "Improving Environments for Active
Living ". This grant is made possible due to funding from the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP).
The grant will provide funding for bicycle racks at nine City park facilities, a series of 8 trail way - finding signs
to be placed throughout the city, and an incentive program to encourage people to bicycle to the weeldy
Marketfest event and Cascade Bay Aquatic Center. The goal is to increase the number of residents bicycling or
walking to city parks, events, and facilities while reducing vehicular traffic and congestion at community
events. All projects and activities associated with this grant will be completed during the summer of 2011.
C. Sperry Wind Study Report — Per the request of the Commission at the January 18 workshop,
enclosed on pages 3 through -j-0 is a report from the Sperry Wind Study, which includes data collected
from November 2009 -March 2010.
D. 2011 EEAC Meeting Schedule Enclosed on page
E. 2011 EEAC Commission Terms — Enclosed on page`. is the EEAC roster, showing that
the terms of Commissioners LeClair, Palmer, and Casper will expire in April 2011. All incumbents wishing to
reapply for service on the Commission must submit an application and informed consent form, which are
available at: http: / /www.cityofeagan.com /live /Commissions.asp ?Commission= 4648 &menu =2021. The deadline
to apply is March 31, 2011.
IX. ROUNDTABLE
The Roundtable is scheduled as an opportunity for Commissioners to ask questions, make requests for future
agenda items, or provide informative updates to the Commission pertaining to energy and environment
initiatives.
X. ADJOURNMENT
/s/Dianne E. Miller
Assistant to City Administrator
is the 2011 EEAC Meeting Schedule.
MINUTES OF THE EAGAN
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING
DECEMBER 14, 2010
A regular meeting of the Eagan Energy and Environment Advisory Commission was held on
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Those present were was James Casper, Bruce Goff, Jeff
LeClair, Salman Mitha, Amir Nadav, Wade Olsen and Kari Palmer. Also present was Assistant to
the City Administrator Miller.
AGENDA
LeClair made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Palmer seconded the motion. All
members voted in favor.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Palmer made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 12, 2010 regular meeting of
the Energy and Environment Commission as presented. Casper seconded the motion. All members
voted in favor.
VISITORS TO BE HEARD
There were no visitors to be heard.
COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE
Miller noted an article appeared in the September /October 2010 edition of the Experience
Eagan newsletter focusing on the efforts of the EEAC and, it is anticipated, that articles will appear
in future Experience Eagan newsletters or Eagan Business News regarding the Commission and
City's efforts in the GreenStep Cities Program.
It was also noted that an article appeared in the Star Tribune featuring the City of Eagan and
the GreenStep Cities Program.
GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM
Chair Goff introduced the item giving background on the subcommittee that was formed to
partner with students from a Sustainability Capstone Course through the University of Minnesota in
support of the City of Eagan's participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program.
Commissioner LeClair gave background on the GreenStep Cities Program and Best
Practices and noted the City adopted a resolution on August 17, 2010 to participate in the GreenStep
Cities Program. LeClair then presented the report to the Commission. He stated Eagan has
completed 18 Best Practices and 4 actions are still required by the City to complete.
Energy and Environment Commission
December 14, 2010
Page 2 of 3
The Commission discussed the report and the next steps for consideration based on the
findings presented in the GreenStep Cities' report. Miller noted that the next action would be to
input data from the spreadsheet on to the GreenStep Cities' website. She also noted GreenStep
Cities' staff will then confirm Eagan's findings, or make suggestion on areas where the City needs
to do additional work to reach a specific best practice.
Miller noted that the City of Eagan will be recognized at the June 2011 League of Minnesota
Cities Conference and she stated more information regarding the recognition will be forthcoming.
PRESENTATION BY TOM COLBERT, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Goff introduced the item along with Public Works Director Tom Colbert who was invited to
give an overview on the sustainability efforts currently underway in the Public Works Department.
Director Colbert gave an overview of the Public Works Department noting its 3 divisions;
Engineering, Street Maintenance and Utilities. His presentation also included statistics of the City
relating to miles of streets, trails, lakes, ponds and gallons of pumped water. He discussed efforts
relating to these areas which included infrastructure, water resource management, sanitary sewer
(conveyance), inflow & infiltration, structural and operational maintenance of streets and trails.
Questions generated from the Commission were related to rain gardens, signal lights,
sidewalk installation, plowing of sidewalks /trails, roundabouts and the Robert Street Corridor.
LEAD NON - ATTAINMENT FINDING AT GOPHER RESOURCE
Miller introduced the item stating that in November, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency declared a portion of Eagan as being among 16 areas in the nation having too much lead in
the air. She stated since November, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the
Minnesota Department of Health have reassured the community that the MPCA and Gopher
Resource are taking the appropriate steps to bring Gopher Resource in compliance with the new
National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Commissioner Palmer, who works for the MPCA, provided a presentation and brief
overview to the Commission on the issue of lead non - attainment findings near Gopher Resource.
She noted that the lead concentration standard has been lowered which has now put Gopher
Resource over the standard limit.
COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS
Miller introduced the item stating the results of the community survey administered by
Decision Resources to approximately 400 residents had overwhelmingly positive results across the
board. Miller noted to Commissioners the survey questions pertaining to recycling, energy and the
environment.
Energy and Environment Commission
December 14, 2010
Page 3 of 3
DAKOTA VALLEY RECYCLING GREEN TEAM AND BUSINESS AUDIT GRANT
PROPOSAL
Miller introduced the item stating Dakota Valley Recycling has submitted a grant proposal
to Dakota County seeking funds for a new two -step recycling education program for local
businesses. She further stated Dakota Valley Recycling should be notified by the end of the year as
to whether they were successful in obtaining the grant. Miller noted these programs will meet the
best practice requirements of the GreenStep Cities Program.
The Commission discussed the Shoe Recycling Program that took place in November and
discussed ways they could encourage the community to participate next year.
GEOTHERMAL TOUR AND CELEBRATION AT THE EAGAN CIVIC ARENA
Miller stated the Geothermal Tour and Celebration event that was scheduled for Saturday,
December 11, 2010, was cancelled because of snow.
JANUARY 18, 2011 EEAC WORKSHOP
Goff made a motion to hold an EEAC workshop on January 18, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in
Conference Room 2A & 2B; Olsen seconded the motion. All members voted in favor.
ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion by LeClair, seconded by Mitha, the meeting adjourned at 8:31 p.m. All
members voted in favor.
DATE SECRETARY
JANUARY 18, 2011
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION
WORKSHOP NOTES
Chair Goff made a motion, seconded by Mitha to adopt the agenda as presented. Aye: 6 Nay: 0
BRAINSTORM NEXT STEPS ON GREENSTEP CITIES
It was the consensus of the Commission to recommend that Eagan achieve Step 3 status of the
GreenStep Program. There was also consensus that the City and the Commission should work
together to communicate the City's green efforts to the public, emphasizing the sustainable
nature of the work and also the good stewardship of taxpayer dollars (good return on
investment).
Commission Goff emphasized the need for stretch goals.
Best Practice 3
• Have the City work with HOA's with regard to Best Practice 3.5 (covenant guidelines)
• Chair Goff noted HOA covenants often trump City policy /regulations
• Commissioner Casper suggested a stretch goal of a sustainable building policy for Eagan
where the City could require LEED standards without LEED certification
• Commissioners suggested a building permit fee discount for residential solar PV systems
• Commissioners suggested that the City further educate residents and contractors
regarding residential geothermal and PV solar improvements
• Complete Streets
Chair Goff moved, Commissioner Palmer seconded a motion to have staff prepare a PowerPoint
presentation for the February 8 EEAC meeting on Complete Street research to include one
document that best sums up what Complete Streets is, as well as examples of what other cities
have done following implementation of Complete Street policies.
• It was noted that once the Commission reviews the research in February, a decision can
be made whether to ask Public Works to prepare a brief one -page report or presentation
to the Commission at either the April EEAC meeting or a March workshop as to what
is realistic /doable /recommended with a Complete Street Program.
• Commission Palmer asked for input from Public Works as to whether the City uses
asphalt versus coal tar for street overlays – What are we using? What is the impact on
Eagan's water quality /storm drainage system?
• Best Practice 15.7 – Does DVR have any examples?
• Best Practice 15.4 – Water sense —Get feedback from Mike Sipper —Do we meet the
requirement? What do we have to do to meet the requirement?
• Best Practice 15.8 —Does DVR have green standards that apply to this Best Practice?
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• Best Practice 16 —Low maintenance yard policy —Have Director Hohenstein address
the policy in February including the role of the HOA's with regard to the policy.
o Do covenants trump the City —Is there anything that the City can do about the
HOA regulations?
o Comments to the policy —Why only backyards? Code 10.21 – Is this up for
discussion? Why does Dakota County include sunflowers as weeds?
• Best Practice 20.1 —Get a one page white paper from Wayne Schwanz on what we do
as an alternative to the program suggested in the Best Practice for consideration as a
petition to the GreenStep Program to demonstrate the City's effort.
o Show the baseline data that we currently have
o Has our Utility staff considered using B3 or Energy Star's Portfolio Manager?
Economic and Community Development
• What benchmarks do we currently have available? (BP 24)
• Can we pursue a partnership with Eagan High School, Rasmussen College, or the
School of Environmental Studies with regard to web design assistance to update the
City's GreenStep efforts on the City's web site?
• Work with IT and City Attorney to determine what limitations we have in partnering
with an outside group for web assistance.
• Use E -TV and billboards to announce the City's GreenStep progress
• Check with the City of Edina on what they have communicated or reported to the
public regarding their GreenStep efforts
• Get Sperry Wind data for the Commission
• Email outgoing Commissioners with the Commission application and deadlines
• Inform Juli regarding Amir's assistance in the Active Living webinar in May and ask
if she would like to participate with him
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Minnesota Department of Transportation Legislative Report on Complete Streets January 2011
http: / /www. dot. state. mn. us / planning/ completestreets /legislation.html #report
Conclusions and Recommendations of the "Complete Streets Report: A Report Commissioned for
the Minnesota Legislature Final Report December 2009 Prepared by Minnesota Department of
Transportation."
"Complete Streets does not mean "all modes on all roads"; rather, the goal of Complete Streets
should be to 1) develop a balanced transportation system that integrates all modes via integrated
modal planning inclusive of each mode of transportation (transit, freight, automobile, bicycle and
pedestrian), and 2) inclusion of all transportation users of all types, ages and abilities.
Bloomington's Comprehensive Plan
Perhaps most on point is the strategy listed on Page 4.52 to:
"Consider all users and modes, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists
and transit users, when planning and designing transportation systems
and reviewing development proposals with the intent of creating a
"Complete Streets" transportation system."
Bloomington's Alternative Transportation Plan
http: / /www.ci.bloom ington.mn.us /cityhall/ dept /commdev/ planning/ longrang/alttranplan /alttrans.htm
Albert Lea's Complete Street ordinance
All subdivisions shall be designed with complete streets. Complete streets means a
system that provides for auto, truck, pedestrian and alternate vehicle travel including
bicycles, scooters, wheelchairs, and similar transport devices. These system requirements
will be determined based on the most appropriate facility. Shared user paths may be
appropriate and on street dedicated bicycle lanes, may also be required. If there are
sidewalks they shall be not less than five feet in width and setback off the curb not less
than five feet. The system shall connect to adjoining subdivisions and to destinations such
as parks, churches, schools, institutions, and other public facilities. Appropriate
accessible facilities shall be placed at all intersections.
(Code 1980, § 12.22; Ord. No. 124, 4d, § 1, 9- 14 -09)
Cross reference— Streets and sidewalks, ch. 50
Duluth Complete Streets Report
RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR A COMPLETE STREETS POLICY AND REQUESTING
CITY STAFF TO DEVELOP IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES TO INCREASE THE
USABILITY OF ALL STREETS FOR ALL APPROPRIATE MODES OF TRAVEL FOR
CITIZENS OF ALL INCOME LEVELS, ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES IN DULUTH.
http://vvww.duluthmn.gov/clerk/council/resord10/10-0128R.pdf
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
City of Evan MeMo
THE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION (EEAC)
DIANNE MILLER, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
FEBRUARY 1, 2011
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
The following is additional infoiiiiation that the Commission requested at the January 18, 2011 workshop
pertaining to specific best practices of the GreenStep Cities program . The responses were provided with input
from various City staff members.
General Questions (not specific to best practices)
Is the City of Eagan currently using coal tar for street overlays?
According to Tim Plath, Eagan's Transportation and Operations Engineer, the City of Eagan does not use coal
tar or coal tar based oil in either its overlays or sealcoating operations. Eagan is therefore compliant with the
State law that went into effect on July 1, 2010 that prohibits the use of coal tar by any State agency (including
cities).
HOA covenants —Does the City have the authority to restrict HOA 's covenants?
According to the City Attorney, there is the constitutional principle of freedom of association and the right of
contract. Thus the City cannot restrict HOA covenants.
Could the City fix the current ambiguity in the code for residential geothermal and PV solar improvements?
In follow up with Chair Goff and Commissioner Mitha, it was determined that the issue was not ambiguity in
the Building Code or City Code relative to alternative energy and HVAC systems, but an unfamiliarity by a
contractor with the agencies responsible for aspects of a geothermal system. The plumbing and mechanical
codes reviewed, permitted and enforced by the City and well drilling of any kind is reviewed, permitted and
enforced by the County. Our Chief Building Official clarified:
• The City's Protective Inspections Division observes an air test and inspects the lines from the system
into the buildings.
• The County permits and inspects the wells themselves.
• For the geothermal systems, a separate State chapter 4725 addresses them and the required
clearances are:
• Vertical exchanger must be 35 feet from a water supply well. 4725.7050
• Horizontal piping must be 10 feet from a water supply well. 4725.7050
'c�
FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
February 1, 2011
Page 2
® Gas and electric must have 10 feet clearance. This can be reduced under certain conditions.
4725.2150
• No clearance required to the sewer lines!
What communication efforts has the City of Edina taken with regard to their GreenStep Cities efforts?
The City of Edina does not have anything posted on the City website pertaining to their GreenStep efforts, other
than Council and Commission meeting agendas and minutes where the GreenStep program was discussed. An
article did appear in the Edina Sun current neew about their GreenStep efforts (includes an Eagan
reference too),which can be found on page or - r ll at
http: / /www.mnsun.com/articles /201 1 /01/30 /edina/news /ed27green.txt. City staff contacted staff in Edina's
Administration department to learn of any other communication efforts, but at the time of packet preparation,
the City had not heard back from their staff. As another example of media coverage, an article about the City of
Farmington's GreenStep efforts is included on pageaP or can be found online at
http: / /www. farmingtonindependent .com /event/article /id/ 16478 /group/News /.
Best Practice 3 —New Green Buildings: Construct new buildings to meet or qualify for a green building standard
(OPTIONAL)
Green Building Best Practice #3
Best Practice 3.1 As an effort to reach /require green building standards, could the City require LEED
standards to be met without needing to achieve LEED certification?
A City may not require a building construction standard more restrictive than the International /State Building
Code by ordinance or policy. The Building Code permits, but does not require LEED building techniques. The
City may provide educational information to make property owners aware of green building rating programs
like LEED and Green Globes, but it can only enforce the code minimums and maximums.
Best Practice 3.4 —Could the City offer a building permit fee discount for residential solar PV systems?
Permit pricing and discounts are policy issues for the City Council to consider. Typically, the City establishes
fees based on those outlined in the Building Code and /or to recover the basic costs of processing applications,
reviews and permits and performing inspections. If the Council finds a public purpose in setting a fee at
something less than that, they are able to do so.
Best Practice 3.5 —Can the City work with HOAs with regard to Best Practice 3.5 (covenant guidelines)?
Covenants are contracts that owners within the effected neighborhood enter into as a condition of buying the
property. As noted above, third parties, including cities, may not interfere with the contracts by applying
standards more permissive than the covenants. In order for a covenant to be amended, a property owner would
need to pursue a modification of the private document through the amendment process in the Association by-
laws. The City may prepare information sheets or other educational materials to communicate best practices if
an association wants to modify its covenants in that direction and the same information could be shared with the
developers of new neighborhoods if they wished to position their development in that way. Since the City is
l
FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
February 1, 2011
Page 3
nearing build out of its residential areas, new developments will be primarily in -fill or redevelopment and there
will be fewer of them than in the high growth era.
Best Practice 15 Purchasing: Adopt an environmentally preferable purchasing policy (REQUIRED)
Best Practice 15.4 — Does the City of Eagan meet the best practice requiring purchase of U.S. EPA WaterSense-
certified products for all product categories covered by the WaterSense program? What does the City have to do to
meet the requirement?
According to Building Maintenance Engineer Mike Sipper, the City purchased numerous WaterSense- certified
products as part of the upgrades that were completed with the Federal Energy Block grant monies. Mr. Sipper
suggested that City would simply need to enact a policy to formalize the City's current purchasing practices.
Mr. Sipper cautioned that any policy created should provide flexibility to allow for purchases without the
Water -sense label in the infrequent event that a WaterSense labeled product would not meet the operational
needs of the City.
Best Practice 15.7 – Does DVR have any examples of polices to lower the environmental footprint of City
meetings and /or events?
Dakota Valley recycling is not aware of any policies per se to lower the environmental footprint of City events
and meetings; however, DVR has used practices that meet such policy goals, including reusable coffee cups,
"green" disposable paper products at large luncheon functions, etc. DVR staff welcomes the opportunity to
speak to the Commission about additional components that could be included in such a policy, pending Council
direction.
Best Practice 15.8 —Does DVR have sample standards or polices that speck the use of state and national green
standards /guidelines for at least 3 of the following categories of purchasing:
a. Electronics, including printers, printer supplies - especially remanufactured cartridges - and printer
operation.
b. Wood products
c. Organic food
d. Cleaning products
e. Paints, coatings and adhesives
f. Carpets
g. Furniture
h. Paper products
Anne Olson, Environmental Technician at Dakota Valley Recycling , noted that the City of Burnsville adopted
a Recycled Product Purchasing Policy in 1993 (enclosed on page` ), which includes language that City
should purchase products made with recyclable materials whenever possible, provided they do not cost more
than 10% above non - recyclable material products.
FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
February 1, 2011
Page 4
Best Practice 16 — Urban Forests: Increase city tree and plant cover (REQUIRED)
Best Practice 16.5c. —Low maintenance yard policy Can Director Hohenstein address the policy in February
including the role of the HOA 's with regard to the policy?
Community Development Director Hohenstein will address the low maintenance yard policy in his presentation
on February 10, including the role /impact of home owner associations (HOA) in such a policy.
Best Practice 16.5c— Comments to the policy —Why only backyards?
Community Development staff noted that the original intent of turf establishment and maintenance standards in
the City Code was to establish an appropriate groundcover, for both esthetic and practical reasons, to prevent
erosion and control noxious weeds. In the historic suburban context, most people were perceived to prefer lawns
and the standard practice was to establish turf grass wherever the property had been disturbed and mow it to a
length that would help prevent most weeds from getting big enough to seed and spread. Presumably, that also
kept the neighbors happy. Typically, in the grading of subdivisions, the front and sideyards would be disturbed
and would be subject to turf establishment. Some backyards may not be and could be maintained differently.
Code 10.21 (Planting and maintenance of trees and grass on private property) — Is this up for discussion?
According to staff from Community Development, the current City Code was based on the philosophy noted
above. Staff has drafted a low maintenance yard standard for consideration by the Council, which will be noted
in the presentation on the 10 It is something that staff has discussed separately, but waited to present,
knowing that EEAC would be interested in the philosophy and approach. The draft is more permissive than the
current code, but it still requires plant material to be mowed or maintained at a maximum height within
proximity to buildings (Fire Department expectation to reduce fire hazards) and adjacent to public streets
(Engineering expectation for sight distances and vehicle /pedestrian safety). In neighborhoods where front and
side yards are at the minimum setbacks, it is less likely that someone can meet those setbacks in the front or side
yard, but there would be substantial latitude in backyards and in neighborhoods with larger lots, irregularly
shaped lots and where building setbacks are greater. In order to permit a property owner to do low mow
maintenance, however, the draft standards do require noxious weed control by some means — hand removal, less
frequent mowing or herbicide applications. It would still be up to the property owner to decide whether they
wanted to maintain their yard one way or the other, but it would permit the option.
Why does Dakota County include sunflowers as weeds?
The County has clarified to Community Development staff that the annual sunflower that is listed is different
from the large head or cultivated sunflower. The limner is harder to control and considered a weed, the latter is
permitted to be planted and maintained.
Best Practice 20— Efficient Water and Wastewater Facilities: Assess and improve drinking water and
wastewater facilities (OPTIONAL)
Best Practice 20.1 —The Commission requested a white paper from Utilities Superintendent Wayne Schwanz on
the system that Eagan uses to track energy consumption and improve efficiency (the suggestion was made that
J5.
FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
February 1, 2011
Page 5
perhaps the GreenStep staff could be notified of Eagan's tracking system as an alternative to the specific
systems encouraged through the GreenStep program).
Enclosed on pages througl1Z 7 is a memo from Superintendent of Utilities Schwanz pertaining to the
energy monitoring system that is used for Eagan's Utilities program. Included with the memo are examples of
monthly spreadsheets showing energy usage at the North Water Treatment Plant. The second column of the
spreadsheet demonstrates the savings the City realizes each month thanks to rebates that have been negotiated
over several years. The forth column shows what the City would pay if the rebates were not in place.
Best Practice 24-- Benchmarks & Community Engagement: Adopt outcome measures for GreenStep and
other city sustainability efforts, and engage community members in ongoing education, discussion, and
campaigns (REQUIRED)
Best Practice 24.1 —Can the City pursue a partnership with Eagan High School, Rasmussen College, School of
Environmental Studies, etc. with regard to web design assistance to update the City's GreenStep efforts on the
City's web site?
According to Communications Director Garrison, the City is always open to partnerships, provided they meet
the Council's goals and objectives. The details of such partnerships would need to be worked out once the
Commission and City Council have a better understanding on the next steps the City will take with regard to the
GreenSteps program. Additionally, it is the City's policy and practice to brand all communication uniformly o
the City's website and not have "micro sites" that are different from the overall branding and style of the City's
site. That said, there are certainly opportunities to use the City's website for additional outreach and
communication about the City's GreenStep efforts.
Best Practice 24.1 —What limitations does the City have in partnering with an outside group for web
assistance?
According to Communications Director Garrison, for Internet security reasons, those who update the City's
website have generally worked out of City facilities or had to be granted special VPN access from the outside to
get through the Fire Wall. Therefore, a partnership where the partners come to the City to complete the majority
of their work, and work directly with City staff, would be preferred over a partnership involving remote posting.
City web design standards would need to be adhered to, but there are numerous possibilities for content and
photos /visuals.
Best Practice 24.1 —Could the City use E -TV and electronic billboards to announce the City's GreenStep efforts
and progress?
Absolutely!
Best Practice 24.2 —What benchmarks /outcome measures do we currently have available (particularly as it
relates to Community Development)?
The Community Department prepares its own annual report and submits excerpts of it to Communications for
the City -wide annual report. The standards that we compare to are typically Eagan's historic trends rather than
external benchmarks, but they are instructive. A fair amount of benchmarking and trend analysis is done
through the Comprehensive Guide Plan update process, but that is only done every ten years, so it is not as
1 U'
FOLLOW UP TO GREENSTEP CITIES INQUIRIES FROM 1/18/11 EEAC WORKSHOP
February 1, 2011
Page 6
frequent or variable as annual reports. We will be communicating the outcomes of the Opportunity Cities report
as we do other study results. I hesitate to call those communications benchmarking by themselves, because they
aren't repeated and updated to track trends beyond the snapshot identified in the studies. The Opportunity
Cities process does provide suggestions and best practices found in other cities that may be implemented if the
City determines it wished to pursue certain priorities. So in a way it is one -time, one -way benchmarking.
The City also has performance measures across all departments as part of the annual budgeting process.
Likewise, the City Council has biannual goals, with progress on those goals tracked and communicated
throughout the year. The 2011 -2012 City goals are anticipated to be formally considered by the February 15,
2011 City Council. Lastly, an annual report is communicated to the public in the March/April edition of
Experience Eagan each year. The 2010 annual report will reach homes beginning the week of March 7, 2011.
I hope the information included in this memo responds to all of the questions raised at the January 18 meeting.
If you have any further questions in advance of the February 10 meeting, please feel free to contact me.
/s /Dianne Miller
Assistant to the City Administrator
17
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By Katie Mintz - Sun Newspapers
Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2011 9:44 PM CST
NEWS BY READERS
Edina City Hall could go solar
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Edina City Hall could begin to feel the heat.
The Edina Energy and Environment Commission wants to install solar
panels on the building's roof as one of Edina's first steps toward becoming a
Minnesota GreenStep City. The Edina City Council unanimously authorized
preparation of a request for proposals for the renewable energy system
Tuesday, Jan. 18.
It also voted to pursue the state's new voluntary challenge program meant
to help cities achieve sustainability goals.
We were pleased to formally have the green light on it," said Energy and
Environment Commission Chair Diane Plunkett Latham.
She said the council has long supported the idea. The commission first
began working on the GreenStep project in fall 2009 as one of five
demonstration cities. The GreenStep City program is based on 28 best
practices in five areas: buildings and lighting, transportation, environmental
management, economic and community development and land use.
Edina, along with Bloomington, Falcon Heights, St. Louis Park and Victoria,
provided feedback to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Prevention
and Assistance Division on its list of suggested ways cities can reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
"For example, we found an air quality step was missing," said Plunkett
Latham. "We chose that as one of our optional steps of course."
Edina must complete nine of GreenStep's required best practices, along
with seven measures of its choice, to qualify as a GreenStep City. Each
best practice can be implemented by completing one or more specific
actions.
Several other cities around the state, from Eagan to Blackduck, have
already signed on. With its city council's approval, Edina will also now begin
work toward the goals.
Plunkett Latham presented the Commission's recommended steps to the
council at the meeting. She said some could change if determined too
costly or difficult to implement.
"As you know, the budget is tight...so its not going to be easy necessarily to
get this done, but we are very hopeful and we do feel it is a good expansion
of the city's commitment to reducing energy consumption and teaching
residents about the importance of energy conservation," she said.
First on the list is to install a lightweight solar photovoltaic system on the
roof at City Hall. The project would partially meet the requirements for the
renewable energy best practice under the economic and community
development category.
"This building consumes a lot of energy," said Commission member Bill
Sierks, a member of the Commission's working group on alternative energy.
The solar panels, he said, would allow the city to make a small dent in its
energy use with little cost to taxpayers.
10
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2/3/2011
Minnesota Local News - minnlocal.com > Edina > News > Edina City Hall could go solar Page 2 of 3
The estimated total price tag of the project is $135,000 to $175,000. The
city has received preliminary approval for a state Department of Commerce
renewable energy grant made possible with federal stimulus dollars.
The grant would cover 40 percent of construction costs. Edina is also
eligible for an Xcel Energy rebate of close to $45,000, meaning the city
would pay about $35,000 to $60,000, depending on the total cost.
The 25- kilowatt system, based on current electricity rates, would save the
city $2,250 a year on its electric bill - or up to $67,500 over its 30 -year
lifespan.
Council members said while the return on investment is low, they could see
the value in moving ahead with the project as an educational tool for the
community. The Commission would like to include an online tool for
residents to track energy produced by the solar panels and a display in the
City Hall lobby.
"It's an active step toward energy independence," said Surya lyer, a
Commission member.
The council must still approve a bid before construction. Plunkett Latham
said that beyond solar panels, Edina has already completed some of the
best practice substeps.
The city's Braemar and Fred Richards golf courses are certified as Audubon
Cooperative Sanctuaries, which count toward the green infrastructure best
practice under environmental management.
Edina also has implemented a watering ordinance and conservation rate
structure, a substep for achieving efficiency at existing private buildings
under the buildings and lighting category.
Proposed changes Include adoption of an environmentally preferable
purchasing policy that requires EnergyStar certified equipment and paper
with 30 percent recycled content.
"We need a centralized purchasing department to do green purchasing and
save money with bulk purchases," Plunkett Latham said.
Other work includes Increased recycling and organics collecting at the city,
integrating the city's sidewalk and bicycle transportation plan into a
complete green streets policy and partnering with five businesses to
undergo personalized energy and waste audits.
"We'll be bringing forward changes to city ordinances, proposals for more
task forces and getting more people involved in implementation of each of
these steps," Plunkett Latham said.
Once Edina has completed the nine required and seven optional steps, it
will be recognized as a GreenStep City for three years.
Plunkett Latham said the Commission would work closely with other groups
to meet that goal, including the Nine Mile Creek and Minnehaha Creek
watershed districts on water quality Issues, and the Edina Transportation
Commission on mobility issues.
"Much of this we aren't doing on our own in a vacuum," she said. "We'll be
getting help from others."
She said the Energy and Environment Commission is seeking help on its
working groups: Recycling and Solid Waste, Education and Outreach, Air
Quality, Water Quality, and Alternative Energy.
Residents interested in participating in a working group can e-mail
edinamail @ci.edina.mn.us. For more information on GreenStep Cities, visit
g re e n ste p. pca. state. m n. u s.
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Mark Lokowich wrote on Jan 27, 2011 7:40 PM:
" (" The solar panels, he said, would allow the city to make a small dent In Its
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http://www.mnsun.comlarticles/20 11 /01 /30 /edina/news /ed27green.txt 2/3/2011
Farmington is making progress on going green 1 The Farmington Independent 1 Farmingto... Page 1 of 1
Home ', News Sports Lifestyle i Education '; Announcements ', Opinion ,Obituaries ', Classifieds '. Public Notices F.A.O's
Published February 01 2011
Farmington is making progress on going green
The city of Farmington's operations already meet several guidelines included in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' new Greensteps program.
These days, everyone seems to be talking about "going green." As the catch- phrase gradually evolves into a lifestyle, new programs are starting all the time,
in hopes of helping people become more earth friendly.
Now, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has started a new sustainability program called Minnesota GreenStep Cities. With that program
comes a list of 28 best practices, and 163 action steps to help communities help the environment and conserve energy.
But the city of Farmington is ahead of the curve. When city planner Lee Smick received the details of the GreenStep program, she discovered Farmington is
already doing several of the proposed best practices.
"Out of the 28 best practices, we've already got 11 of those completed," Smick said. "We've been doing a lot of it for a while already."
The recommended steps to a greener community include things like installing rain gardens, holding farmers markets and offering community gardens, or
making sure city vehicles are being maintained and using fuel efficiently. Reusing public buildings and developing maps of trails and walking paths are just
some of the suggested action steps.
In most cases, the city is simply following its own policies - making sure there is ample filtering around stormwater ponds, for example. When the new
Farmington City Hall was built, energy efficient equipment was installed, and ultimately, the older city hall building was recycled into the Rambling River
Center.
But with so many best practices and action plans in place, city officials know there is still more work to be clone. It won't happen all at once, but gradually
becoming more sustainable is on the city's to -do list.
And soon, it will be on the official to -do list: the city's comprehensive plan. Smick brought the GreenSteps information to the Farmington Planning
Commission Tuesday night so members could start to identify goals and objectives to implement more of the GreenSteps initiatives.
Participation in the program is voluntary, but the Farmington City Council has expressed an interest in being part of the program. Once the planning
commission sets up the parameters of future participation, city officials will look at adding a chapter on sustainability to the current comp plan.
"Sustainability is a big issue right now," Smick said. In a lot of cases, were just doing these things because we know they're good to do. Like filtering the
stormwater from the salt, that's a good thing to do.
"With 163 action steps to go through, it's going to take a little bit of time, we'll have something to work with. Farmington is becoming sustainable."
Tags: news, fannington, outdoors
http:// www. farmingtonindependent.com/event /article /id/16478 /group/News/ 2/2/2011
PURPOSE
RECYCLED PRODUCT PURCHASING
��� ��
^` l -' a`~,~--
POLICY NUMBER 5.235
The City should buy products made with recycled paper, plastic, rubber, or any other
recyclable material whenever possible and economically feasible in order to assist in the
necessary market development of recyclable materials.
II. POLICY
A. All printing should specify the use of recycled paper with at least 1096 post-consumer
waste whenever possible. A standard of accepting a 5% increased cost shall be
followed.
B. Other items with recycled material content should be considered for purchase
whenever possible. A standard of accepting a 10% increased cost for these items
shall be followed. Authorization from the City Manager is required if the additional
cost to buy with recycled material is greater than $1,000.
III. PROCEDURE
Normal purchasing procedures should be followed, with the above price differential
considered.
IV. RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY
Administrative implementation of policy.
Submitted by: Craig Ebeling Date: December 8, 1992
Reviewed by: Greg Konat Date: January 13, 1993
Submitted by:
Reviewed by:
Craig L. Ebeling Date: December 8, 1992
Gregory Konat Date: January 13, 1993
City of Evan Demo
TO: Dianne Miller, Assistant to the City Administrator
FROM: Wayne Schwanz, Superintendent of Utilities
DATE: February 2, 2011
SUBJECT: Utility Energy Use Tracking
The Eagan Utility currently works closely with Dakota Electric to monitor energy use at the two
water treatment plants to maximize rates, and maximize pumping sequences to reduce electrical
demand.
The North Water Treatment plant located at 3419 Coachman Point is on the Dakota Electric's
Rate 70. Rate 70 is referred to as the time of day rate. The time of day pumping at the North
Water Treatment facility goes off -line at 4:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. The intent of the rate is to
keep high electrical users off the grid during the peak residential demand periods.
The South Water Treatment plant located at 1395 Cliff Road is on Dakota Electric's Rate 54.
Rate 54 is an interruptible rate. The South Water Treatment plant is equipment with a generator
that is able to supply power to the treatment plant and Well #5. During high peak demand
throughout the summer the Utility is notified by Dakota Electric that the power at the treatment
will be interrupted. The generator will run until the power is restored by the electric company.
Normally, in a typical summer, the South Water Treatment plant is interrupted 8 times by Dakota
Electric.
The Utility runs both water treatment plants during the day to keep the system operational and
the reservoirs as full as possible. At 4:00 p.m. the North Water Treatment plant goes offline and
the South Water Treatment plant continues to run and is able to put water into the high and
intermediate zones to compensate for the loss of water from the North Water Treatment plant.
Utility Energy Use Tracking
Page 2
This continues until 11:00 p.m. at which time the north plant will come back on -line and finish
filling the system over the evening hours for peak demand that will occur the following morning.
The north well field assists up to 13 wells. Two of the wells are natural gas, 6 of the wells are
located in the Dakota Electric grid and 5 of the wells are located in the Xcel Energy grid.
The south well field consists of 8 wells that are in the Dakota Electric grid.
During the pumpage sequence during normal operation at the north well field, we will have the
wells rotated on a monthly basis to even hours on the pumping equipment and to sequence them
for the annual five year rotation well rehab. At 4:00 p.m. the six Dakota Electric wells are taken
off -line until 11:00 p.m. for time of day pumping. The two natural gas wells compensate into
the system for any necessary water at that time period and the south well field runs continuously
24 -7 throughout the year to supply the south water treatment facility.
The Utility has been monitoring all monthly electric bills, the amount of power used along with
the rate and price that is being expended for all facilities within the Utility since 1978. The
spreadsheet shows any rebates or discounts based on the either rate 54 or 70. The Utility is
constantly monitoring its electric usage and pumping sequences to maximize its electrical
shaving and saving possibilities. Our power consumption spreadsheets are on file from 1996 to
present and represent historical view of consumption and also reflect the Utilities desire to be
green even before it was common practice.
Wayne Schwanz
Superintendent of Utilities
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TO: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES
FROM: ASSISTANT TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR MILLER
DATE: JANUARY 20, 2011
SUBJECT: CITY OF EAGAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
Per your request, below is a list of efforts and initiatives that the City has taken or is currently exploring
to reduce energy use, increase sustainability, and reduce the City's carbon footprint. These efforts
respond to the City Council's 2009 -2010 environmental goal to:
Exemplify a broad -based and comprehensive commitment to environmental sustainability and
energy efficiency by adopting conservation and alternative energy strategies pursuing the use of
local, non - polluting, renewable, and recycled resources, while encouraging residents and
businesses to do likewise.
The following is a summary of efforts being taken City -wide:
Energy Reductions
• The City was awarded a $657,000 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant through the
Department of Energy as provided through the Federal Economic Stimulus Program. Upon receipt of
the grant and with the assistance of its energy providers, the City implemented energy saving and
conservation initiatives throughout City buildings. These include improvements to heating and
cooling systems, replacement of inefficient fixture and lamps, improved control systems, building
envelope enhancements, and water conservation measures.
• Completed energy audits on City buildings
• Lighting sensors to automatically turn off lights at City facilities, including Fire Stations
• Lights in soda /vending machines remain off while the machines remain operational
• Programmable thermostats in City facilities, including fire station bays and park shelters, which have
been programmed to correspond to scheduled activities
• Installation of high efficiency lighting fixtures in all park buildings
• Employed water saving technologies at irrigated athletic sites including the use of rain sensors,
surfactants to improve absorption, high efficiency spray heads and controllers and off -peak run
scheduling
• Using grant dollars from Dakota Electric, a three phase energy audit and sustainability engineering
review occurred at the Central Maintenance Campus during late 2008 /early 2009. The lighting
retrofit is predicted to result in a greenhouse gas reduction of 147,444 lbs. of CO2 annually.
• Currently investigating various alternative energy efficient street lights options
• Installed two Roundabouts (Northwood Parkway in '08 and Rahn & Diffley in '09) to reduce
congestion, idling and vehicle crash severity
CITY OF EAGAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
January 20, 2011
Page 2
• Established an Odd -Even Sprinkling ban for water conservation purposes minimizing the need to
build additional wells and reservoirs
• Generator in place at the south water treatment plant
• Participation in Dakota Electric's Toad shedding program to reduce energy needs during peak times
• Time of day pumping schedule for energy savings on plant and wells in reduced rates
• City policy requiring employees to turn off computer monitors at night; research underway to
determine way to turn off CPUs at night, but still allow for necessary updates
• Purchase of green products such as recycled paper
• Reduced the number of printers across City, which has lead to a reduction in overall printing and a
more energy - efficient approach to sharing of printers
• Converted Eagan Civic Arena to Geothermal HVAC system using demonstration project funding from
the Federal Department of Energy ($1.338 million).
o The guaranteed savings for the first year of this project (August 1,2010- September 30, 2011)
is $103,757 in energy savings and $25,284 in operational savings. Projected guaranteed
savings for 2011 -2012 are $107,907 and $26,399 respectively. These guarantees continue as
long as the City of Eagan chooses to maintain the agreement with Harris Companies in
subsequent years.
o This project also resulted in approximately $90,000 in energy rebates.
• Construction has begun on the New Fire Safety Center, and when completed, the City will seek to
become the first fire safety center in the country to receive Green Globe certification. A sampling of
the green features of the building will include:
o Geothermal heating and cooling
o Lighting —LED outside, natural lighting in building, and efficient T -5 florescent lighting
o A white, solar reflective roof that projects light and minimizes heat effects
o Natural Landscaping /Rain Water Management —low impact plant landscaping, rain gardens,
and catch basins that minimize storm runoff
o Recycled products throughout building
o Use of local products for some construction materials
o Energy Recovery System in apparatus bays- recaptures 70% of heated air to reuse in bays
Vehicle and Equipment Usage
• Downsized three fire vehicles to more fuel efficient Ford Escapes versus the previously used mid or
full sized SUV's
• Implemented a "no idling" policy for all City vehicles
• Developed a" Non- motorized Maintenance Program" for the maintenance of trails and trail
corridors. The program utilizes a bicycle pedaled by a staff member to pull a cart carrying hand tools
to trim grass, pick up debris and make minor repairs in trail corridors and boulevards. It has
minimized the need for the vehicle previously used to conduct these activities.
• An electric maintenance cart was rented to transport Park employees and equipment to the nearby
Community Center in lieu of using a vehicle. The cart is also used to assist with on -site maintenance
activities.
• Mowing routes requiring that mowers be trailered to sites have been modified to minimize the drive
times
• Ground speed oriented spreaders, pre- wetting (applying liquid salt brine to salt as it leaves the
truck) and a new machine that allows up to 90 gallons of salt brine to be applied along with each ton
aq
CITY OF EAGAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
January 20, 2011
Page 3
of salt have all resulted in the reduction of winter chemical usage from approximately 170 tons per
event during the 05 -06 season down to an average of 88 tons per winter event in 08 -09 season
• Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) program has been started in Public Works Street Maintenance and
Police, resulting in savings in fuel and vehicle maintenance. costs (e.g. With AVL, maintenance
employees can currently drive past a winter parking violation, press a button in the cab, and that
mapping data is electronically transferred directly to a Police "beat map" that will display directly
onto the computer in our squad cars so that officers can proceed directly to the location of greatest
concentration when time allows. Direct "real time" information prevents fuel usage where officers
otherwise might drive around the community looking for violations /violators. This mapping of "snow
birds" has also helped minimize the travel time for subsequent cleanup plowing.)
• The Lebanon Hills Regional Park /Holland Lake Lift Station was recently rebuilt with high capacity
variable speed pumps replacing earlier high energy demand 3 -stage pumps providing increased
pumping capacity with comparatively Tess power requirements.
• The city has moved to state mandated increase from 2% to 5 % bio diesel on May 1, 2009. The "bio"
portion is primarily derived from local soybean production (reducing oil consumption)
• To evaluate the viability of utilizing vehicles powered by hybrid technology in the City's fleet, at
Council direction, staff implemented a plan to purchase three Ford Focus sedans. Two of these
vehicles are hybrids while the third is powered only with a gasoline engine. The idea is to make
comparisons between the technologies to determine if there are environmental and /or cost
benefits to either of the technologies. Hopefully the data gathered will help determine if hybrid
technology is in the City's future.
City Operations
• Deep water wells are pulled, inspected and repaired on a scheduled preventative life cycle basis to
insure that they continue to operate at maximum efficiency rather than waiting for pump efficiency
curves to dictate the timing of major repairs.
• Taking advantage of new technology, advanced training for staff and diligently managing application
rates of winter chemicals have all resulted in a net reduction of approximately 44% for winter
chemicals per storm event over the past 4 snow seasons (2009).
• Eagan's successful computerized Pavement Management Program (PMP), now in its 20 year, has
resulted in numerous energy savings . Pavements are refurbished at approximately 80% into their
traditional Iifecycle in ways that use Tess new asphalt resulting in oil savings.
• "Emerge" software program installed in 2008 that enables technicians to enter pavement condition
data onto a tablet PC in the field, thus streamlining the data collection and entry process resulting in
Tess fuel consumption
• Specified the use of recycled asphalt shingles in Hot Mixed Asphalt (HMA) pavements for street
resurfacing contracts
• Mowing lines continue to be pulled back at various park sites as appropriate, equating to fewer
acres and fewer hours of mower operation
• Reviewing St. Paul pilot study on the use of sphagnum- moss - conditioning systems moss a natural
swimming pool filtration technique for possible use at Cascade Bay.
• Pursuing a Trail connection policy to position the City to assist in obtaining grant /private funding for
trail efforts.
• Pursuing a low maintenance yard management policy.
3D
CITY OF EAGAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
January 20, 2011
Page 4
Capitalizing on Natural Resources
• Solar Study completed by SEH (for use at City sites — reservoirs, buildings, etc.). The City Council
received the report and provided direction to wait for the economic benefits of solar PV systems to
improve before pursuing such technology in the City of Eagan.
• An anemometer has been installed on a city water tank to collect wind speed data for future
research into the practicality and feasibility of local wind generation opportunities
• Native prairie has been installed at several locations to replace manicured turf
• Carpet used in City buildings contains at least 25 percent recycled material and is 100 percent
recyclable
• Buffer strips are maintained around ponds and wetlands to filter run -off and help minimize the need
for treatment efforts, especially in adjoining lakes
• Rain garden and rain barrel program implemented to utilize storm water versus groundwater
sources
• Wetland buffers & wetland banking - promote the protection & preservation of natural areas
• Erosion and sediment control program
• Use of influent water to help cool water treatment facility
• The City takes the following efforts to use recycled materials:
o Recycling existing bituminous surfaces for use in the production of new bituminous mixes
during our contractual overlay projects
o Use of recycled shingles as an ingredient in new bituminous mixes during our contractual
overlay projects
o Use of bituminous millings produced during certain street maintenance operations as
aggregate in other maintenance activities.
o Recycling and reusing aggregate from our sealcoating operations for future year's
sealcoating projects.
o Reusing sand, soil and other grading materials generated during excavation as fill material in
other project areas.
o Recycling and /or reusing engine oil, filters, and other engine fluids in the equipment fleet
o Reusing wood chips generated from boulevard tree trimming /removal as mulch in park
facilities.
Partnerships
• Participation in Gun Club Lake Watershed Management Organization
• Signed U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement
• Marketfest program promotes local food sources and reduction in transportation of food
• Encouraged County to implement radio transmitted traffic signal coordination for improved traffic
flow and reduced congestion along Yankee Doodle & Pilot Knob Road corridors
• Partnered with Dakota County to be the first in the state to use flashing yellow left turn arrows to
reduce vehicle idling
• Partnership with Caponi Art Park to maintain the park and green space in the community
• Ongoing partnership with Dakota Valley Recycling, including the ARROW (Awards for Reduction and
Recycling of Waste) business recognition program
• The City Council signed a resolution in August 2010 showing support for the City's participation in
the GreenStep Cities program.
CITY OF EAGAN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
January 20, 2011
Page 5
• The City Council approved a partnership in August 2010 with the University of Minnesota's School of
Sustainability to allow a group of students from a Capstone Sustainability course to provide
benchmarking on sustainable best practices underway in the City, and recommendations to the City
on additional best practices from the GreenStep Cities program that the City may wish to consider.
The students worked with the Energy and Environment Advisory Commission (EEAC) to present their
findings.
• The EEAC completed their GreenStep Cities report and will be making recommendations to the City
Council in Spring 2011 as to additional best practices the City may wish to consider.
Community Planning
• Continually constructing new trails to increase connectivity throughout city promoting and providing
for alternative transportation modes
• Designated as a Tree City USA
• Walkability /Pedestrian focused development and redevelopment
• Mixed use housing /retail availability
• Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor
• Park and Ride facilities (bus)
• Density and transit oriented development thereby reducing the length of trips to work
• Completing infill development to maximize resources and amenities
• Comprehensive Guide Plan— master plan for proper and uses, transportation, and public
facilities /parks
• Conservation of park land and open space; creation of 55 parks across City
Citizen Opportunities
• Adopt -a -Park Program
• Rain Garden installation assistance
• Rain Barrel workshops
• Buckthorn removal from private property
• Oak Wilt Control Program on public property
• Dutch Elm Control program on public property
/s /Dianne E. Miller
Assistant to the City Administrator
Choose
R enewa L1es
educate. evaluate. empower:"
Detailed Wind Energy Study
Data Set: 11/3/2009 thru 3/29/2010
Location: 3830 Pilot Knob Road
Eagan, MN 55122
Choose Renewables, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
Wind Study #10 -0006 —
City of Eagan
August 24, 2010
33
Issue
Name
Title
Prepared By
Michael Ford
President
Contact Information
Choose Renewables, LLC
3400 Innovation Court SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
616-975-4738 (M. Ford Direct)
616-975-4717 (Fax)
fordmchooserenewables.com
http://www.chooserenewabies.com
Signature
Electronic
Date of Issue
August 24, 2010
Issue
Date
Purpose of Issue & Amendment
F1
8/24/2010
Final Report
F2
9/13/2010
Updated with Additional Commentary
Document
Contents
Wind Study 10-0006_City of Eagan.doc
Detailed Wind Energy Study — City of
Eagan
D = Draft
Choose Renewal) les, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
Document Issue Record
F = Final Issue
Topic
Page
I. Site Information
4
II. Data Analysis
5
HI. Summary & Next Steps
7
Table of Contents
Choose Renewables, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
Anemometer Location:
1. Site Information
Customer: City of Eagan, MN
Anemometer Location: 3830 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan, MN 55122
Anemometer Installation Date: November 2009
Data Analyzed: 11/3/2009 through 3/29/2010
One anemometer was installed at the beginning of November 2009 at the top of a water
tower located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in Eagan, MN. The anemometer was
approximately 90 feet above ground level. The general location and nearby land use is
exhibited below.
Choose Renewables, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
4
Av Wnicl
MSP
November
8.65
6.88
December
7.93
8.60
January
7.66
7.54
February
6.31
6.38
March
8.20
7.59
Total
7.75
7.43
M axrnurn - out!
.-
A verage :, [rn
cl ty oEEag
MSP
November
23.7
22.0
December
21.2
29.0
January
23.7
26.0
February
16.4
21.0
March
21.7
21.0
Total
23.7
29.0
Count[hours] :,
: p6
1 oi3:4
November
655
655
December
744
744
January
744
744
February
672
672
March
684
684
Total
3499
3499
II. Data Analysis
In total, ChooseRenewables has analyzed approximately 145 days (more than 42,000
data points) of accumulated wind data from the anemometer installed on the water
tower located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road in Eagan, MN. The location is fortunate to have
at least one ASOS weather station within reasonable proximity. The ASOS weather
stations provide the best available reference data to which we can make a reasonable
projection regarding long-term wind power potential.
We have selected one reference location for our analysis:
0 MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (Station# 14922)
The summary results of our analysis are presented below.
We have developed a predictive model to project long-term wind resource estimates
based on the 145 days of data accumulated to date. The robustness of our predictive
model is very good. The site located at 3830 Pilot Knob Road maintains a good
Choose Renewables, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary 5
9/13/2010
.77.14
N Dir '
IP, a
Mean
...„-, Spee
N
8
11.05
NNE
3.4
10.59
NE
2.8
10.01
ENE
3.6
10.47
E
4.9
11.16
ESE
64
10.24
SE
7.5
9.44
SSE
6.8
10.24
S
7.8
11.39
SSW
5.2
10.24
SW
5.2
9.09
WSW
4.5
9.21
W
6.4
10.70
WNW
6.9
11.62
NW
8.5
12.31
NNW
5.4
11.97
CUM
5.5
0.00
VAR
1.1
4.33
correlation value with the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport ASOS weather stations with a
0.66 correlation. This means the model we have developed is robust and can be used
to reasonably predict long term wind power potential.
We have analyzed the wind resource at the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport ASOS weather
station for the thirty year period beginning January 1, 1980. The average wind speed
over that thirty year period is presented below:
0 MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL INTL AIRPORT (Station# 14922) = 10.01 mph
The prevailing wind for the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport site is southwesterly with
strongest winds originating from the west as well as the north. The "wind rose"
(directional summary) for Minneapolis-St Paul Airport during the 30 year period
beginning January 1, 1980 is presented below:
Based solely on the on-site data we have analyzed and the long term average wind
speed at the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport weather station, we can predict the long-term
wind speed at the exact location of the anemometer to be:
® Long Term Average Wind Speed Projection = 10.4 mph
We'll discuss these results in more detail in the next section. A long term average wind
speed projection around 10.4 mph is above average.
Choose Renewables, LLC - Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
nci meal° _
City of
vgrag Eagan tiPurly
Hourly Average '
Wind Speed _.-4, "
Eagan
MSP
ount
0
7.63
9.66
79.0%
99
10
6.53
9.28
70.3% .
92
20
6.19
9.75
63.6%
55
30
4.09
8.26
49.5%
34
40
3.93
7.81
50.4% • i
21
50
4.31
8.25
52.3%
44
60
5.27
9.31
56.6%
78
70
6.55
8.96
73.1%
77
80
8.20
9.85
83.3%
66
90
9.63
10.70
90.0%
43
100
9.80
9.83
99.7%
69
110
11.63
9.54
121.9%
80
120
11.08
8.23
134.6%
108
130
11.22
7.48
0
150.1%
. 0
105
140
11.17
7.72
144.0%
123
150
13.17
9.04
145.7%
104
160
13.71
10.01
. _
.
137 0%
102
170
11.12
8.92
124.7%
79
180
8.47
6.74
125.7%
38
190
6.66
5.00
133.2%
30
200
8.13
5.70
142.5%
37
210
6.77
5.85
115.9%
39
220
7.08
6.09
116.3%
79
230
6.71
5.94
129%
81
240
6.73
6.10
110.2%
58
250
6.98
6.91
100.9%
57
260
7.66
7.66
100.0%
58
270
8.10
8.55
94.7%
47
280
7.84
9.00
87.1%
74
290
8.04
9.04
88.9%
116
300
7.32
7.97
91.9%
132
310
7.30
8.87
82.3%
163
320
8.16
10.25
79.6%
152
330
8.45
10.26
82.3%
140
340
8.19
10.57
77.5%
139
350
7.48
9.63
135
77.7%
"Grnd T ::'
f: 5 7.
''',.':
-;•°21:10
)4 ;:, , , - -7„4499
III. Summary and Next Steps
The long-term average wind speed prediction of 10.4 mph at the site located at 3830
Pilot Knob Road is above average. To better understand the wind regime at this
location, we analyzed the wind speed at this location versus that at the Minneapolis-St
Paul Airport by wind direction. The results are shown below:
Choose Renewables, LLC - Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
7
60
10.4 to 12.3
90
11 to 13
120
11.5 to 13.5
150
11.8 to 14
Wind Rose - City of Eagan v. MSP
0
—City of Eagan Hourly Average Wind Speed
MSP Hourly Average Wind Speed
The wind rose data shows some very interesting site characteristics. The anemometer
was negatively impacted for winds originating from the West Southwest to the East
Northeast. This is likely caused by the placement of the anemometer. The data
suggests that the anemometer was placed on the southern end of the water tower —
thus winds from the northern quadrant of the compass were negatively impacted. The
primary method to reduce the impact of these obstructions is to place a wind turbine
nearer the prevailing wind direction (West) and/or on a taller tower.
If you were to install a wind turbine nearer the Western edge of the location at
least 20-30 feet above the height of the water tower, we'd expect an average wind
speed between 11 and 12 mph. If you were to place a wind turbine on the
Western corner of the property on a very tall tower (120 feet +), we'd expect an
average wind speed between 12 and 14 mph, which is a good wind resource to
location a wind turbine. The table below provides an estimate of the annual wind
speed at different tower heights.
Choose Renewables, LLC — Confidential and Proprietary
9/13/2010
Tower Height Eftl Estimated Annual Wind Seed m h
Lib
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION
2011 MEETING SCHEDULE
January 18, 2011 Workshop
February 10, 2011* Thursday Regular Meeting
April 12, 2011 Regular Meeting
June 14, 2011 Regular Meeting
August 9, 2011 Regular Meeting
October 11, 2011 Regular Meeting
December 13, 2011 Regular Meeting
* Thursday, February 10, 2011 due to a Special City Council Meeting
41
Name
Original
Appointment
Term Expires
Bruce Goff
May 2010
April 2012
Salman Mitha
May 2010
April 2012
Wade Olsen
May 2010
April 2012
Amir Nadav
May 2010
April 2012
Jeff LeClair
May 2010
April 2011
Guillermo Etienne James Casper
May 2010
April 2011
(former alternate; filled Guillermo
term following resignation)
Kari Palmer
May 2010
April 2011
Alternate— VACANT
May 2010
April 2011
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION
STAFF CONTACT: Dianne Miller, Assistant to the City Administrator
Meetings: Second Tuesday of every other the month at 7:00 p.m. (even months —
February, April, June, August, October, and December)