4-12-23 MIN1
Chanhassen Environmental Commission (EC)
Chanhassen City Hall, Fountain Conference Room
6:00 pm
April 12, 2023
Members Present: Kristin Fulkerson, Leslie Elhadi, Greg Hawks, Kaisa Buckholz, Scot Lacek, Julia
Adams, Scott Grefe, Billy Cripe
Members Absent: none
Staff Present: Matt Unmacht, Assistant City Manager, Jamie Marsh, GreenCorps Member, Jenny
Potter, Admin Support Specialist
Visitors: One visitor (name unknown)
Oaths of Office:
Jenny Potter administered Oaths of Office to Leslie Elhadi and Billy Cripe.
Elect Environmental Commission Chair and Vice-Chair
Commissioners elected Scott Grefe as Chair and Greg Hawks as Vice-Chair.
Adopt Environmental Commission Bylaws
Bylaws were adopted as written.
Minutes
March minutes were approved.
June Meeting Update
Matt Unmacht will not be in town for the June 14 Environmental Commission meeting. Options for the
June meeting would be to cancel, have it on June 14 without a staff member, or reschedule to a date that
Matt can attend. The meeting was rescheduled for June 21, 2023, 6:00 pm at the East Water Treatment
plant for a tour and a meeting afterward in the conference room located at the treatment plant.
Finalize Arbor Day Event Plan
The event will be held from 9-11 AM on May 6, 2023, at Bandimere Park. There will be yard tic-tac-
toe, an Evergreen Identification game, Tree Riddles, milkweed seed bombs, and tree stump frisbee.
A planting demo will be given for volunteers and then a map will be given out for where people should
plant. Holes will be dug by city staff prior to the event for people to plant the trees. There have been
postcards mailed to residents about the event and social media posts to let people know where and when
the event is happening. The Commissioners will arrive at 8:30 am to help Jamie Marsh prepare for the
event. Manuel Jordan, Environmental Resource Specialist will be assisting with the Arbor Day Event as
well.
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Select Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner
Winners were selected.
July 3rd Trade Fair Planning
Environmental Commission has a table at the Trade Fair and there are activities and giveaways. This
year the theme will be Sustainability. Environmentally friendly gardening and composting will be the
focus for this year.
Other Discussion Items:
• The question was brought up if the Environmental Commission can assist with the Adopt-a-
Drain program that the city has. Matt Unmacht will follow up and get back to the group on how
they can help.
• Clean Energy Resource Team, part of the Met Council, is having a clean energy resource event
in the Metro Region. The event is May 24 in Shorewood.
• The State Environmental Commission Regional Meeting will be at Ridgedale on May 20, 2023,
from 9-12:30.
• Hwy 5 project and chloride level – Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed does annual testing
around Hwy 5, but the Minnehaha Creek Watershed is the group that would do additional testing
when the highway is expanded.
Commission Presentations:
Kristin’s service as chair was commended and she was thanked by the Commission.
Meeting adjourned at 7:14 pm
Minutes prepared by Jenny Potter