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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 17 15 Minutes  Minutes    Tuesday,  November  17,  2015    6  PM   Robert  Gilliam  Municipal  Complex,  City  Hall   Second  Floor  South  Conference  Room   150  Dexter  Ct.,  Elgin,  IL  60120     A. Call  to  order  (chairperson)     B. Roll  Call  (staff  liaison)     Chairperson  Knoerr  and  Commissioners  Aageson,  Frazier,  Hernandez,  Jacobs,  Keare,  Masterson,   and  Segel  are  all  present.       C. Approval  of  previous  meeting’s  minutes   The  October  2015  meeting  minutes  were  approved.       D. Discussion  Items   Chairperson  Knoerr  expressed  the  need  to  review  Roberts  Rules  of  Order  and  adhere  to  them  to   help  respect  everyone’s  time  and  keep  our  meeting  running  smoothly.     There  is  also  a  need  to  review  the  Open  Meetings  Act.  Liaison  will  send  out  a  copy  of  rules  and   main  points  to  remember  for  Open  Meetings  Act  to  commissioners.     E. Old  Business   1. Solar  ordinance   Continued  discussion  on  potential  changes  to  the  City  of  Elgin’s  current  solar  ordinance   based  on  findings  of  other  nearby  community  solar  ordinances.     The  commission  reviewed  Commissioner  Jacobs’  suggested  modifications  to  the  solar   ordinance.  Commissioner  Masterson  reviewed  the  original  spreadsheet  along  with  these   for  his  analysis.  Both  said  that  screening  solar  panels  from  view  seems  logical.  Commercial   buildings  were  not  specifically  addressed  regarding  screening  in  the  suggestions,  as   Commissioner  Jacobs  stated  they  are  on  property  that  is  zoned  as  commercial,  and   therefore  has  different  building  requirements.     One  suggested  modification  of  Commissioner  Jacobs’  is  to  require  that  contractors   installing  solar  must  be  licensed  by  the  North  American  Board  of  Certified  Energy   Practitioners  (NABCEP),  which  seemed  like  the  prevailing  organization.  This  related  to  the   “E:  Additional  Regulations”  section  of  the  ordinance.  Commissioner  Frazier  said  if  this   becomes  ordinance,  it  could  create  issues  when  requiring  a  specific  certification  of  a   organization/body,  for  example,  if  the  organization  went  out  of  business.  Commissioner   Commissioner  Keare  suggested  they  installer  be  a  certified  electrician.  Chairperson  Knoerr   suggested  the  text  be  changed  to  say  installer  is  certified  or  industry-­‐recognized.  ”She   suggested  we  look  up  another  ordinance  that  governs  electrician  certifications.   Commissioner  Frazier  stated  that  the  City  of  Elgin  requires  contractors  provide  proof  of   license  and  insurance.  Commissioner  Masterson  stated  that  the  Rockford  ordinance  says  it   shall  adhere  to  the  national  electrical  code.  Commissioner  Frazier  suggested  we  rephrase   the  language  to  say,  “Certified  by  an  industry-­‐standard  organization  such  as  NABCEP.”   Commissioner  Aageson  stated  that  while  looking  over  Chicago’s  ordinance,  all  solar   systems  are  subject  to  review  by  the  city  and  it’s  a  policy,  not  an  ordinance,  meaning  they   withhold  the  right  to  decide  whether  or  not  each  installation  is  feasible.  Commissioner   Frazier  suggested  we  do  not  have  the  staff  to  do  what  Chicago  does,  and  we  want  to  make   it  simpler,  not  as  burdensome  for  citizens.     In  one  modification  recommendation,  Commissioner  Jacobs  suggested  offering  residents  a   rebate  of  a  percentage  of  the  installation  cost.  The  cost  of  installation  is  much  more   expensive  than  the  solar  panels  themselves.  Liaison  suggested  with  the  current  state  of   the  budget,  it  would  be  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  fund  such  a  rebate  program.  If  there’s   no  way  to  fund  a  rebate,  maybe  we  could  waive  the  permit  fee.   Commissioner  Masterson  mentioned  he  was  unsure  of  what  tree  ordinance  is  referencd   and  how  it’s  relevant  in  the  solar  ordinance.  Liaison  agreed  to  find  additional  information.     Commissioner  Frazier  made  a  motion  to  present  these  ideas  to  the  Planning  and  Zoning   commission.  Commissioner  Jacobs  seconded  the  motion.  Commissioner  Hernandez   suggested  that  Andy  Urbock  (solar  teacher  at  ECC)  could  be  a  great  resource  for  additional   information  on  the  topic.  Chairperson  Knoerr  asked  if  he  would  be  able  to  provide   feedback  on  the  suggested  ordinance  modifications.  Commissioner  Frazier  rescinded  her   motion  and  made  a  revised  motion  to  have  the  mentioned  Andy  Urbock,  if  available  to,   review  our  modifications  &  Commissioner  Hernandez  facilitate  such  a  dialogue.  The   motion  was  passed.  Liaison  would  reach  out  to  Sarosh  Sahar  of  the  Community   Development  department  to  see  if  he  can  attend  December  8  meeting  to  answer  any   questions.     2. Partners  for  Places  grant  proposal   Continued  discussion  on  project  idea,  requirements,  and  timeline.     Commissioner  Segel  stated  it  was  not  sensible  to  get  a  proposal  together  by  December.  He   suggested  the  need  to  focus  on  Elgin,  and  not  worry  about  other  entities.  He  stated  that   the  commission  has  quality  ideas,  but  the  best  thing  to  do  is  taking  a  different  approach,   and  plant  the  seeds  for  a  project,  not  make  up  a  project.  He  suggested  the  commission  try   to  get  organizations  in  partnership,  and  work  on  the  things  that  are  important  related  to   water  quality  and  sensibility  for  the  future.  People  need  to  be  engaged,  and  this  could  give   groups  a  reason  to  meet  together.  He  suggests  we  need  to  make  a  toolbox  available  to   such  groups  and  organizations.     Commissioner  Masterson  said  one  project  example  he  was  interested  in  was  urban   agriculture,  but  would  need  to  first  find  if  it  would  be  feasible.  Some  questions  include  are   there  empty  lots  that  weren’t  ground  sites,  and  if  they  happen  to  be  in  neighborhoods   where  there  is  an  association,  would  the  city  allow  that  neighborhood  to  use  it  for   neighborhood  gardening?  The  commission  could  support  materials  &  tools  for  such  a   project.  Chairperson  Knoerr  commented  that  having  a  visible  project  is  the  best  way  to   spread  the  message.  Commissioner  Masterson  went  on  to  suggest  there  could  be  a  pilot   program  with  two  or  three  lots,  in  an  area  where  an  organization  is  already  in  place  and   they  are  more  likely  to  succeed.  After  a  year,  the  program  could  be  evaluated  and   potentially  expanded.     Commissioner  Hernandez  suggested  that  schools  would  be  a  great  place  to  start.   Commissioner  Masterson  commented  that  there  could  be  issues  with  that  related  to  the   summer  when  kids  are  out  of  school.  Commissioner  Hernandez  said  it’d  be  a  good  activity   for  kids  during  the  summer,  and  since  it’d  be  voluntary,  there  wouldn’t  be  cost  for  kids  to   enroll.  Commissioner  Knoerr  suggested  that  to  move  that  forward,  another  organization   would  need  to  be  involved  and  buy  into  it.  Soil  in  lots  would  also  need  to  be  tested.  The   land  by  Gail  Borden  is  visible  and  gets  a  lot  of  sun,  but  commissioners  suggested  that  land   was  a  prior  recycling  area,  and  the  soil  is  not  healthy.  Potential  partners  for  such  a   program  include  the  Elgin  Community  Garden  Network,  the  Boys  and  Girls  Club  of  Elgin,   and  the  Gail  Borden  Public  Library.  The  liaison  said  the  city  currently  has  an  “Adopt  a   Garden”  program,  but  that  is  for  city-­‐owned  garden  beds.  This  project  would  be   Community  Use  of  Public  Land  for  Public  Gardens.     Elgin  Community  College  has  a  summer  program  for  children.  Commissioner  Jacobs  said   the  money  from  the  grant  would  provide  money  to  hire  people  to  carry  out  such  a   program  and  teach;  there’s  no  need  to  find  volunteers  to  run  programs.  Commissioner   Keare  has  a  friend  in  Chicago  that  bought  a  lot  of  land  for  an  urban  farm,  and  he  may  be  a   good  resource  for  both  community-­‐level  gardening  and  school/neighborhood  gardening.     Commissioner  Aageson  looked  at  idea  bank  and  found  one  to  be  most  all  encompassing   projects  was  Charlottesville,  VA’s  project  to  reduce  energy  consumption  by  increasing   efficiency.  By  getting  people  to  see  their  costs  go  down,  they  can  be  more  inclined  to   change  habits.  Retrofit  homes,  outreach  (encouraging  behavior  changes),  and  deliver   targeted  outreach  to  the  hard-­‐to-­‐reach  segments  (low  income,  renters)  are  some   examples.       Commissioner  Frazier  wants  to  keep  stay  in  line  with  our  strategic  goals  and  plans,  and   especially  how  economic  development  relates  to  sustainability.  She  would  like  us  to  work   towards  Shared  Harvest  coming  into  fruition.  Chairperson  Knoerr  suggested,  since  they  are   a  for-­‐profit  organization,  we  cannot  help  them.  Partnering  with  Waste  Management  to   educate  the  public  on  sustainable  issues  is  a  good  option.  We  could  have  a  very  broad   request  for  funding.  We  are  losing  a  stream  of  revenue,  and  we  are  looking  for  money  to   help  support  our  goals/initiatives.     Commissioner  Keare  suggested  having  rooftops  gardens  or  community  gardens  would  be  a   nice  project  for  the  commission  to  look  into.    Chairperson  Knoerr  said  even  when  you  give   out  fresh  produce,  not  all  know  what  to  do  with  it.    Many  people  are  used  to  eating  out  of   cans  or  having  prepackaged  foods.  Commissioner  Aageson  suggested  community  dinners   with  expertise  from  ECC’s  culinary  department  could  help  address  that  issue.     Cooking  classes  and  pop-­‐up  dinners  could  support  community  gardens,  and  they  could   feed  off  of  each  other.  It  could  talk  about  nutrition  in  general  and  sustaining  a  new,   healthy  generation  and  population.     Commissioner  Hernandez  suggested  a  composting  facility  could  help  with  economic   development.  Liaison  will  look  into  grant  writing  and  whether  there  is  someone  on  staff   that  can  help  or  if  someone  can  be  hired  to  do  such.  As  Commissioner  Masterson   mentioned  the  need  to  to  first  find  out  if  its  feasible,  liaison  also  mentioned  the  need  to   find  out  what  parcels  are  available  and  suitable  before  looking  at  grant  writing  and   applying.   Commissioner  Masterson  mentioned  his  interested  in  doing  some  sort  of  reusable  bag   program.  He  described  how  ACE  Hardware  does  a  “20%  off  anything  you  can  fit  in  a   reusable  bag”  promotion.  If  we  can  partner  with  an  organization/business  we  could  share   the  cost  of  the  bags.     Chairperson  Knoerr  commented  the  city  should  consider  creating  an  ordinance  so  that  the   city  can  only  order/purchase  local  supplies,  and  supplement  it  with  a  “buy  local”   campaign.     Commissioner  Hernandez  discussed  a  documentary  called,  “Just  eat  it”  and  suggested  the   City  of  Elgin  have  a  store  that  sells  bruised  fruit  and  food  that  grocery  stores  would   normally  just  throw  away.  Commissioner  Aageson  suggested  outreach  with  different  food   establishments  and  offer  them  solutions  to  food  waste,  like  donating  to  the  Crisis  Center,   etc.  Commissioner  Jacobs  described  a  pickup  program  Waste  Management  has  for  grocery   stores  that  is  specific  to  food.     3. Waste  Management  partnership   Update  on  collaborative  efforts/ideas  with  Waste  Management  related  to  plastic  bags   and  promoting  proper  recycling.   Liaison  updated  the  commission  on  Waste  Management  route  audits  and  cart  hangers.       F. Commissioner  comments/announcements   1. Update  related  to  Wanxiang  New  Energy  tour  possibility   The  Open  House  was  moved  to  Tuesday,  December  8.  Gary,  Laura,  and  David  will  carpool.     2. 2016  Sustainability  Commission  meeting  dates     Commissioner  Jacobs  made  a  motion  to  change  the  meeting  start  times  to  6:15  p.m.,  and   the  motion  was  passed.     G. Adjourn      The  City  of  Elgin  is  subject  to  the  requirements  of  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  (ADA)  of  1990.  Individuals  with  disabilities  who  plan  to  attend   this  meeting  and  who  require  certain  accommodations  in  order  to  allow  them  to  observe  and/or  participate  in  this  meeting,  or  who  have  questions   regarding  the  accessibility  of  the  meeting  or  the  facilities,  are  requested  to  contact  ADA  coordinator,  at  (847)  931-­‐6076,  or  TTY/TDD  (847)  931-­‐5616   promptly  to  allow  the  City  of  Elgin  to  make  reasonable  accommodations  for  those  persons.