7-12-23 MIN1
Chanhassen Environmental Commission (EC)
6:00 pm
July 12, 2023
Members Present: Kristin Fulkerson, Leslie Elhadi, Greg Hawks, Scot Lacek, Scott Grefe, Billy Cripe,
Kaisa Buckholz
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Matt Unmacht, Assistant City Manager, Jamie Marsh, GreenCorps Intern
Visitors: Judy Harder
Minutes
June minutes were approved.
July 3rd Business Expo Event Summary and Review
There weren’t as many people as in the past because of the heat. Experts from the Arboretum answered
questions but they had to draw people in. Printed materials that the master gardeners came with were all
distributed. There were around 50 environmental academy handouts given away. Seeds were a popular
item to hand out and were gone by the end of the event. The bags were also popular. The butterfly
identification page was a popular handout. Butterfly release bags could be a future giveaway. There
could have been just one expert or a bigger table to handle the three experts. A tablecloth would have
been good. Overall, the event went well. A more interactive display might draw in more people such as
a spin of a wheel for a prize. A door prize like a rain barrel or ask for donations from the community.
Finalize Environmental Academy
August 22nd event will have Manuel Jordan there to answer what’s wrong with my tree and will likely be
held at City Hall. Currently, there are eight people signed up, in September there are eight signed up and
in October there are 12 attendees. Name tags can be printed for the Environmental Commissioners for
the Academy.
Review Communications Calendar
Billy Cripe will help with September’s topic and will do August’s as well. Discussion was had about the
possible topics.
Review Greensteps Progress
Jamie gave an overview of the Greensteps program. It is a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA) program that cities can opt into. Cities can take various actions to become better stewards of
the environment. It is a five-step program and the City of Chanhassen is on step two. The reporting for
the program is due in April each year. This year reporting was missed so the city would look to report
next year. There is an assessment form to show how Chanhassen is doing in the program. There are 16
2
items that need to be completed to get to step three and there are currently eight completed. The goal
would be to keep progressing on the Greensteps program.
Plan Fall Community Service Event
Trivia night at the Chanhassen Brewery, dates were discussed and follow up will be done with the
Brewery to pick a date.
Commission Presentations:
Scott Lacek was featured in the Chanhassen Villager about rocks in Lake Minnewashta and educating
people where there are dangerous spots in the lake.
Jamie Marsh will be staying on with the city until February and she will be the liaison for the
Environmental Commission going forward.
Meeting adjourned at 6:59 pm
Minutes prepared by Jenny Potter