As an expert transcriptionist, I have reviewed the text and the provided context. Note that while the City Council and Department Directors were provided, the **Environmental Management Commission (EMC)** consists of specific commissioners (Gerding, Wilson, Young, and the newly appointed Ditt) and a staff liaison (Hannah Dunn) who are identified through the dialogue. The timestamps are estimated based on the progression of the meeting as no timestamps were provided in the source text. *** **[00:00:00] Chair:** I'd like to call the order the November 20th 2023 meeting of the Oakdale Environmental Management commission and we'll start with a uh call of our role. Commissioner Gerding? **[00:00:05] Commissioner Gerding:** Here. **[00:00:06] Chair:** Commissioner Wilson? **[00:00:07] Commissioner Wilson:** Here. **[00:00:08] Chair:** Commissioner Young? **[00:00:09] Commissioner Young:** Here. **[00:00:10] Chair:** And Commissioner Ditt? **[00:00:11] Commissioner Ditt:** Here. **[00:00:12] Chair:** And um like to welcome Commissioner Ditt who has just been appointed to the commission so thank you, thank you for being here. Uh we'll start with our Pledge of Allegiance so if we can all stand and turn to the flag. **[00:00:20] All:** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. **[00:00:35] Chair:** So we have a uh new format with our agenda this evening and uh I would uh look for a motion to approve the agenda that we have before us. **[00:00:42] Commissioner:** So moved. **[00:00:43] Chair:** Do I have a second? **[00:00:44] Commissioner:** Second. **[00:00:45] Chair:** All in favor of approving our agenda for this evening say I. **[00:00:47] Commission:** I. **[00:00:48] Chair:** Opposed? Our agenda is approved and the next item on the agenda is approval of the meeting minutes from our last meeting which was actually in September on September 18th. Uh I think everybody should have had a chance to review the minutes ahead of time so I would look uh if there are any changes that would like to be made uh to the meeting minutes. Hearing none I would look for approval of the September 18th 2023 meeting minutes as written. **[00:01:10] Commissioner:** So moved. **[00:01:11] Chair:** Do I have a second? **[00:01:12] Commissioner:** Second. **[00:01:13] Chair:** All in favor of approving our September 18th 2023 Oakdale Environmental Management commission meeting minutes say I. **[00:01:18] Commission:** I. **[00:01:19] Chair:** Opposed? Meeting minutes are approved. Uh it's now time that we have our open forum and uh we have uh only one person present who is going to be giving a presentation this evening so we're going to open the floor for our presentation from uh the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District and Paige, welcome. **[00:01:40] Paige (Watershed District):** Thank you yes, is this good here? Okay. Uh yes thanks for having me tonight. No what I don't know if we that we've met in person right? Never. Oh good okay good to see you. Uh yeah so I am here to tell you a little bit about our well the Watershed District in general and then specifically about our stewardship grant program... [Paige presents detailed information regarding watershed boundaries, water quality monitoring, grant programs for homeowners/commercial sites, and the enhanced street sweeping initiative]. ...And then South Washington Watershed District um just to kind of promote the benefits of street sweeping to people, the adopt-a-drain program, and that is it. Kind of a quick overview but happy to answer any questions. **[00:08:15] Commissioner Wilson:** I do have a question on sweeping. Yeah thank you for being here. **[00:08:18] Paige (Watershed District):** Yes thank you. **[00:08:19] Commissioner Wilson:** Um does the street sweeping include surfaces and curbs and gutters or is it does it extend below the storm grates also? **[00:08:25] Paige (Watershed District):** No I think just yeah surface. Yeah real sweeping yes. **[00:08:28] Commissioner Wilson:** Okay. You had also talked about a um a Ramsey County—forgive me—Social Diversity Index? **[00:08:35] Paige (Watershed District):** Social Vulnerability Index, pardon me. **[00:08:37] Commissioner Wilson:** Social Vulnerability Index. Does Washington County also have one? **[00:08:40] Paige (Watershed District):** I don't think so and that's why—and don't quote me on that—but what we were looking at... [Explains data sources for Washington and Ramsey counties]. **[00:09:10] Commissioner Wilson:** Thank you. **[00:09:11] Chair:** I do have a question regarding um you mentioned water quality areas and so do you take water quality data for uh lakes and uh ponds and Wetland areas in our parts of Oakdale that is in the Watershed? **[00:09:25] Paige (Watershed District):** Yep so we do for um Tanner Lake and Battle Creek Lake and then we have the Alum plant treatment system for Tanners... [Explains monitoring processes]. **[00:10:05] Chair:** Great and is that data uh available on your website? **[00:10:08] Paige (Watershed District):** Yes it's on our website... [Explains report availability]. **[00:10:20] Commissioner:** A question that the street sweeping looks like a great partnership between cities and and you guys what what where else can Oakdale partner with you guys on initiatives like that? **[00:10:30] Paige (Watershed District):** Yeah it's a good question um you know we love to help out... [Suggests park projects and rain garden conversions]. **[00:11:05] Commissioner Wilson:** One more question. Yeah excuse me so you had mentioned getting the word out there that's a theme to this commission's work... [Asks about outreach to multi-family property owners]. **[00:11:30] Paige (Watershed District):** Yeah specifically with multi-family living, maintenance is always the big thing... [Explains reimbursement and maintenance grants]. **[00:12:45] Chair:** Any other questions? No? But it was really enlightening, thank you. **[00:12:48] Paige (Watershed District):** Thank you yes, thank you thank you for coming this evening. **[00:12:55] Chair:** We will now move to our um review agenda and start with old business and our item on this is our draft 2024 Environmental Management commission work plan... [Introduces Hannah Dunn]. Hannah Dunn our Community Development specialist and our liaison to our commission thank you for your work on this. **[00:13:30] Commissioner Wilson:** Guess just one comment. Yes uh chapter 8 goal one I think it's on the last page... [Asks about city capacity to host an environmental fair]. **[00:13:45] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Andy and I have talked about it a little bit but um we haven't really dug into the details so that might be something I should probably talk further with him about and then get back to you on on what that might look like or what we might have capacity to handle. **[00:14:00] Commissioner Wilson:** Sure. Okay yeah that the the great word there is explore so I know that we're not committing to doing something but just making sure that the capacity is top of mind. **[00:14:10] Chair:** Yeah I I appreciate that comment and that um you know we rely on City staff to get a lot of this work done... [Summarizes the plan status]. Do you have any comments on this Hannah? **[00:14:40] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Nope I believe um the meeting with city council is is finalized but I want to check with the city clerk before I I send that out to you... [Explains the 2024 schedule]. **[00:15:10] Chair:** All right um our new business um there are some Environmental Management committee organizational um updates and Hannah do you want to— **[00:15:20] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Yes I will go ahead and take take the the lead on this. Yes I'll quickly recap um what was in the memo... [Explains updates to city code, standard operating policies, reduction of meetings from 11 to 8 per year, and training requirements]. **[00:17:10] Chair:** I'm wondering where the city stand operating policy—that— **[00:17:13] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** That's an internal policy so um I as liaison will make sure that any information that you need to know is given to you... **[00:17:45] Chair:** And I guess the other question I have there's also chapter six solid waste and and environment and this has also been uh revised? **[00:17:55] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Yep a few a few sections were repealed and moved to the standard operating procedure or policy um but that that no no big changes... **[00:18:05] Chair:** All right well thank you I think this is all good um becoming more organized. I like that. Commissioner Ditt, do you have a question? **[00:18:15] Commissioner Ditt:** I do have a question about that. What will the training consist of? **[00:18:18] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** I'm not sure yet that's they're still being finalized... [Explains potential orientation materials]. **[00:18:40] Chair:** All right any other questions before we move on? No? Great um next item is our um we've concluded the business portion of our meeting and we'll move to updates and we'll start with the staff liaison Hannah Dunn. **[00:18:55] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Yes um so staff liaison updates... [Discusses the editorial calendar, successful pumpkin recycling, and upcoming social media themes for "Low Waste Holidays" and "Wish-cycling"]. **[00:20:45] Commissioner Wilson:** Regarding the food waste um I noticed the sub bullet of food scraps pickup updates. Where where are we at as a city with that? **[00:20:55] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** Uh I think the Count's still you know working this thing. Yep. So it food scraps pickups only available in four cities... [Explains pilot status]. I do know that we could have a table at the indoor market for one of their Market days if we wanted it. **[00:21:20] Commissioner Wilson:** mhm. **[00:21:21] Hannah Dunn (Staff Liaison):** I talked to Andy at my check-in on Monday um that I should probably Identify some dates to get to the indoor market. **[00:21:30] Chair:** Okay well thank you Hannah and uh now is time we have some commissioner updates. The Commissioners has have anything that was not on the agenda that they'd like to bring forward? Please do so. Well hearing none um we'd move to our Council liaison who is our mayor, Mayor Zabel. Thank you for being here. **[00:21:50] Mayor Kevin Zabel:** Oh my pleasure good to be with you again. Uh first and foremost a big welcome to Tim to the EMC... [The Mayor provides updates on Buckthorn removal, development projects like the Helmo-Limberg overpass, the 2024 budget, property taxes, and the addition of three new police officers]. ...The theme of this year's budget is we're looking forward we're anticipating some big costs you know in the near future and so we're trying to get our financial ducks in a row. **[00:25:20] Chair:** Well I'd like to thank you and the council for uh approving a um energy audit rebate program so that'll be help our work plan for next year and uh— **[00:25:30] Mayor Kevin Zabel:** Absolutely. Can get that rolling and implemented. Yeah you know it's um sorry I forgot to mention that but you know that is an exciting opportunity for us to do something we haven't done in the city... [Explains the energy audit subsidy for residents]. **[00:26:30] Commissioner Ditt:** Well I live near that um Harland Apartments that's going up and I am just curious about when it's going to be finished... [Asks about the mixed-use development]. **[00:26:45] Mayor Kevin Zabel:** Yeah so you know when that came to the city council I believe it was last fall um you know that was a different proposal... [Discusses the vision for the commercial/residential area]. As for timing I think 2025 sometime I think spring 2025 we had heard so but but who knows you know that can change quickly. **[00:27:30] Chair:** Any other questions Commissioners? Well I will hang around if anybody wants to talk to me after the meeting. Thanks everybody. **[00:27:40] Chair:** Thank you. Thank you. All right that is the last item on our agenda. Our next scheduled meeting is February 19th 2024 uh at 7:00 PM and that will be our our regular commission meeting. So with that I would look for a motion to adjourn our November 20th 2023 meeting. **[00:28:00] Commissioner:** So moved. **[00:28:01] Chair:** Do I have a second? **[00:28:02] Commissioner:** Second. **[00:28:03] Chair:** All in favor of adjourning our November 20 2023 meeting of the Oakdale Environmental Management commission say I. **[00:28:08] Commission:** I. **[00:28:09] Chair:** Opposed? Meeting is adjourned.