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| | | | Land Use, Urban Ag & Reforestation Working Group
a/k/a Nature in the City
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| | | | This is a virtual meeting. Those wishing to attend should go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7807475204?pwd=bHo3d2ROdDJRT2VrRUNaS2xsdDhyUT09
Meeting ID: 780 747 5204
Passcode: 030609
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,7807475204# US (Chicago)
+13017158592,,7807475204# US (Washington DC)
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| | 1. | | Call to Order
Minutes note: 1. Call to order, assign notetaker Linda Frank and roll call 11:04
Correction to member list in agenda – Kimberly Kujoth is no longer a member
With 11 members present, a quorum was obtained (2 additional members joined later)
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| | 3. | | Approval of Previous Minutes
Minutes note: Corrections – Dulmini was present; the Chat should be deleted; in Natural Areas, revise it to state the group will consider recommending completion of acquisitions by 2030; motion by Weingrod, seconded by Frank to approve the minutes as amended; with no objections, the minutes were approved. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Announcements
Minutes note: a. Items in Google Drive document repository
b. Community Engagement Website and Education/Outreach Update
The website is still active with other engagement opportunities past the 11/15 last date for completing surveys.
c. Work group timeline and remaining meetings
We are wrapping up our official meetings this year but members may be contacted for input in the future on an informal basis; we are not expecting to make any further official recommendations
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| | 5. | | Reports on Progress of Chapter Template Drafting
Minutes note: Frank announced the need to pare down each of our proposals to 1-2 pages plus ½ page for the Secondary Strategy to meet the page limit requested by Shambarger. There was a discussion of whether to submit the Nature proposals as 5 separate Chapter Templates, as currently drafted, or to combine the separate topics into one template before submission. The consensus was to combine the templates into one document. This will be done by Staedter. The proposal should emphasize the climate issues of storms and heat, too much pavement, not enough trees; so, the solutions put forward are to protect remaining natural lands, add tree canopy, incentivize green lots, and install more green schoolyards. Our umbrella concept is to protect and restore nature. Weingrod suggests that hyperlinks be inserted for more info, which will shorten the actual text.
On the question of whether to include the Natural Gardens proposal, the consensus was to include it in the Secondary Strategy section of the template, with the understanding that inclusion in the final plan might be limited to a call out box on the side.
Members were invited to submit comments on the several proposal drafts to the primary drafter of each proposal, with a copy to Frank, in the next few days McKay expects to submit an updated version of the Protecting Lands proposal by next Wednesday; shortened versions are due in one week and will then be combined into one text.
Reports on the various proposals were given and feedback was received:
Protecting Lands, by Riebe and McKay –
Land acquisition and protection recommendations are made in the proposal; Shambarger commented on a recent explosion of development; the theme of reinvesting in existing infrastructure versus new infrastructure was suggested; we will ask Sam Leichtling for guidance on implementation of the SEWRPC recommendations; it was suggested that we expand on the green infrastructure requirements for large development but this does not fit within Protecting Lands nor with our specific green infrastructure proposals
Trees – tabled in the excused absence of Pritchard and with no draft proposal received to date
Green-cooling lots, by Staedter -
Prior feedback has been incorporated on metrics but is still fuzzy per Staedter; Shambarger is advising everyone to forget about metrics; Staedter recommends setting forth incremental goals, bringing attention to short-term objectives; thinking about types of jobs created was helpful; STAR rating for community leaders for sustainability from Lamont is suggested to everyone, whether or not it is cited in the proposal; STAR is now wrapped into LEED but can be useful
ReFresh MKE plan has lots of measures but they do not necessarily produce results; who is responsible for collecting the data has to be identified
Career pathway possibilities - planting, landscaping, perhaps up to the higher levels of design and engineering
Leichtling noted that de-paving work can be supported by Dept. of City Development. Depave Detroit was a great model per Staedter; fee imposed which will be reduced if the commercial lot owner de-paves; grants were thought to be more effective than fees previously but could be reconsidered per Shambarger
GI/Green Schoolyards – Brown
Hegarty, the director of Reflo, gave us feedback on the proposal draft, esp. on metrics and equity; working from the current 5 up to a goal of 10 schools per year; it will require capacity building and funding to ramp it up; Kelly sent feedback today which Brown will work in
Wiggins inquired about composting at schools - it is not in our proposal, but could perhaps go in the Waste work group proposal
Weingrod comments that trees and gardens are not evident in the photos shared but Brands says that the small trees won’t show up well; how about the use of permeables; each school has many considerations
Brands requests a link to health issues, in this proposal especially
Heather Dietzel is new sustainability director at Milwaukee Public Schools; an energy specialist is also coming on board; also, climate will be included in curriculum; 2 EPA grants are being sought by ECO and MPS and must refer to the climate plan; the medical college will quantify health benefits of green schools
Riebe asks that suburbs be considered
Secondary-Natural Gardens, by Frank
The proposal is for creation of a lawn replacement program for landowners to encourage removing turf grass and replacing it with a pollinator garden, wildflower planting bed, or similar natural garden that may include perennials, shrubs and trees.
Riebe suggested that more emphasis be put on residents installing native plants grown without chemical and toxic inputs that pollute our air, soil and water ways. Also valuable would be some data on the amount of $$ saved by the homeowner by switching to native plantings.
Wiggins suggested that many of the template headings should be eliminated here since this topic is a secondary strategy.
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| | 6. | | Sharing of Feedback from the Community
Minutes note: a. Review of Nature in the City Survey Responses
Frank shared that a high number of comments addressed decreasing atmospheric greenhouse gases and other environmental concerns and stressed the need for academic and community education and outreach on these topics. Attractive, neat and litter-free neighborhoods were a popular concern.
Also popular, was the idea of replacing paved areas with native plants and trees and keeping them well maintained.
b. Other feedback - None
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| | 7. | | Action Items and Next Steps
Minutes note: a. Items for next agenda – no suggestions
b. Next meeting 12/6 and possibly 12/20
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| | 8. | | Adjournment
Minutes note: On motion of Wiggins, seconded by Brown, the meeting was adjourned at 12:17
Minutes provided by Linda Frank. | | | |
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