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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 02-15 CONCM• MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION FEBRUARY 15, 1979 CITY HALL 0- • CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center Conservation Commission met in regular session and was called to order at 7:40 p.m. ROLL CALL Commissioners Price, Jensen, Wesloh, Albright, Dorff and Lutenegger. Also present was Administrative Assistant Mary Harty and Councilmember Celia Scott. Chairman Vetter arrived later. DISCUSSION OF KALEIDOSCOPE At the last Conservation Commission meeting, Conservation Commissioners had reached a consensus that they wished to pursue an energy wing for Kaleidoscope. It was decided the Conservation Commission would coordinate the energy wing and the energy wing would be similar to the health wing at the prior Kaleido- scope. Commissioner Jensen mentioned several different possibilities for potential contributors in the energy wing. Commissioner Jensen suggested a Conservation subcommittee might be helpful in contacting various people and finalizing plans. It was decided a subcommittee of Chairman Vetter and Commis- sioners Jensen, Lutenegger, Wesloh and Albright would meet to contact various resource people and agencies and finalize plans to be presented to the Commission at the March meeting. The subcommittee indicated Lhey wuuld bLiug a p1:0puSai udck to the entire Conservation Commission at the March meeting. GOAL SETTING FOR THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION A brainstorming session ensued with Commissioners making a variety of sugges- tions as to the possibilities for activities for the.Conservation Commission for the year 1979. Commissioner Jensen commented she wished to see the Commission involved with the community serving an educational function. She noted she saw the role of the Conservation Commission as a changing role necessitated by changing times. It was suggested the Conservation Commission might wish to pursue putting together some type of newsletter in which the various conserva- tion type educational programs would be detailed. Commissioner Jensen suggested a newsletter such as this could be sent to various people who would be interested in conservation type programs. A certain amount of coordination with Hennepin County Vocational Technical Institute and other surrounding schools and agencies would be necessary to put together a newsletter. A newsletter such as this would pull together this type of information within one source. Commissioner Price volunteered to contact school districts and other agencies to find out what types of programs they are offering as a start in putting something like this together. Commissioner Wesloh suggested another possibility as a goal for the Conservation Commission. Commissioner Wesloh indicated he would like to see additional work done in development of the Palmer Lake area, noting this was a unique area to Brooklyn Center and should be further developed. He suggested the Commission 2-15-79 -1- might be interested in becoming more involved either with the City staff or with the Park and Recreation Commission. He further suggested that the Com- mission might be interested in putting together some sort of proposal or plan to present to the City. He compared the Palmer Lake area to the Woodlake area in Richfield and noted a great deal could be done with the Palmer Lake area to develop it as a passive type area. Commissioner Price suggested he would like to see the Conservation commission continue to monitor certain conservation type programs in and around the City. He also suggested the Commission should continue to publicize conservation type programs when necessary. Commissioner Albright, speaking from his experience as a new resident to Brooklyn Center, suggested the Conservation Commission might wish to put together some sort of information to share with people who are new to the community. He sug- gested the Conservation Commission might wish to put together information on the parks in Brooklyn Center, recreational programs and various other programs or services which are available within the community. It might be possible to disseminate this information through the Welcome Wagon. Commissioner Albright indicated it was often a long time after a person moved into the community that they finally became aware of the numerous amenities available within the com- munity. Commissioner Jensen suggested the.Commission might wish to consider updating the Conservation slide show. Chairman Vetter suggested the Commission might wish to pursue something in the area of energy. She suggested an energy awareness seminar for teachers u.L other types of curriculum materials on energy for teachers. Another idea might be information sessions on savings which can be realized in income tax due to energy saving retrofitting within a home. Chairman Vetter suggested the Commission might wish to look at approaching businesses with some type of an award idea for energy savings. More direct con- tact with the Chamber of Commerce and businesses in general by the Conservation Commission in various areas might be worthwhile. Commissioner Price suggested a program of field trips should be organized. The field trips might be solely for Conservation Commission members or they might be group field trips. He suggested the Minnesota Science Museum as a possibility. Additionally, he commented it might be helpful to make the community more aware of activities for families to participate in in the realm of conservation.. Commissioner Albright asked whether there was some sort of a bulletin board feature within the community which-would serve as a vehicle of information dissemination about various programs or services. It was mentioned that the-new executive secretary for the Chamber of Commerce, Lonni McCauley, was going to be writing a Chamber of Commerce column for the Post and might be interested in various types of information which the Conser- vation Commission could provide. 0 2-15-79 -2- Commissioner Lutenegger suggested he would like to see the Commission become more involved in reviewing certain proposals and site plans which needed City consideration. CouncilmemL-er Scott responded the Planning Commission handled much of that type of review but in certain areas the City could utilize the expertise of the Conservation Commission particularly in the areas of the Comprehensive Plan and the Critical Areas Plan. Commissioner Dorff agreed with earlier comments made by the Commission and noted he wished to see the Conservation Commission involved with people in the community. He agreed with the idea of field trips for family involvement, sponsored by the Conservation Commission. He indicated he would like to see trips both within the community and outside of the community. He also concurred with an earlier suggestion of offering programs through the Park and Recreation Department for young adults for example. Commissioner Dorff suggested it would be helpful to list the various suggestions made during this brainstorming session and possibly amplify and refine some of the suggestions and make a final determination as to which speific items the Commission would like to pursue. It was the consensus of the Commission that they would like to rank order the suggestions and begin to direct the energies of the Commission to a limited number of activities in the 1979 year. It was the consensus of the Commission that they wished to make some specific decisions as to activities in the March meeting. . APPROVAL OF MINUTES = 1-18-79 There c.Tas a motion by Commi gci nn- Wesl ob And GAc nnaed by Commissioner. Price to approve the 11Ll11L1l.CS of t111C CU11Se1V& i0ii VC~tititti a~iUli niee-C-ng Cif Januar'y' IS, 1979. The motion passed unanimously. SELECTION OF A VICE CHAIRPERSON There was a nomination by Commissioner Jensen of Commissioner Dorff for Vice Chairperson. Commissioner Albright seconded the nomination. Nominations were closed. The vote for Commissioner Dorff as Vice Chairperson was unanimous. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Jensen and seconded by Commissioner Albright to adjourn the Conservation Commission meeting. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 p.m. Chairman i -1.5-79 -3-