Minutes Environmental Stewardship Commission 5 5 09
MINUTES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ADVISORY COMMISSION
MAY 5, 2009
5:00 P.M.
CITY HALL ANNEX, 1300 MAIN, CONFERENCE ROOM # 1
Wayne Klostermann called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mike Buelow, Wayne Klostermann, Ed Cawley, Chad
Oberdoerster, Gayle Walter, Joe Suarez
MEMBERS ABSENT:
One seat remains vacant
STAFF PRESENT:
Mary Rose Corrigan, Jon Brown, Don Vogt, Paul Schultz
Mary Rose Corrigan completed the Certification of Compliance with the Iowa Open
Meetings Law.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Mike Buelow moved to accept the Minutes of the March 10, 2009 meeting. Ed Cawley
seconded the motion. No changes and the motion passed 6 – 0 by roll call vote .
TEST AGENDA:
Joseph Suarez moved to accept the Agenda as published. Chad Oberdoerster
seconded the motion. There were not changes and the motion passed 6 – 0 by roll call
vote.
ITEMS FROM COMMISSION:
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Committee Reports.
- Developers Roundtable (Mike Buelow) - No report.
- Stormwater/Erosion Control Committee – No report.
- Unified Development Code Citizen Advisory Committee(Wayne Klostermann) – No
report.
NEW BUSINESS.
1. Use of Bottled Water at City events.
Jim Prochaska, Chair of the City’s Long Range Planning Commission, could not attend
the meeting as planned. Therefore, Gayle Walter presented Jim’s request on his behalf.
The Long Range Planning Commission is requesting the City not have bottled water at
City events and neither purchase or supply them. Although it is not received yet, a letter
is to be forthcoming from the Long Range Planning Commission via Laura Carstens,
City Planner, with the specifics spelled out. The Commission discussed whether the
intent is solely for not having bottled water at City facilities and City-sponsored events or
community-wide events. The Commission discussed that it would be difficult to enforce
at community-wide events and needed careful consideration due to the economic and
logistic ramifications of not being able to sell bottled water. Paul Schultz stated that 1%
of bottled water purchased is actually recycled. Michael Buelow moved to table this item
to the next meeting upon receipt of the letter from the Long Range Planning
Commission. Chad Oberdoerster seconded the motion. Motion passed with a 6 – 0 roll
call vote.
2. Expansion of the Food Scrap Composting Program.
Paul Schultz, the City’s Resource Management Coordinator, provided an overview of
the current food scrap curbside collection program in the City of Dubuque. There is high
demand for participation in the program, particularly by businesses and institutions.
Unfortunately, this demand for participation is greater than the DMASWA’s capacity for
legally co-composting additional food scraps. In order for the DMASWA to increase its
capacity, a variance would have to be granted by the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR) to expand the program. IDNR has stated that they do not want to
grant a variance to DMASWA . The DMASWA variance request to accept up to an
addition 4 tons per week of food scraps will be coming before the State’s Environmental
Protection Commission for a decision in the near future. The new Wastewater
Treatment Plant is future option for dealing with biogas producing materials and is
considering a design alternative to take food scraps utilizing the unused portion of the
plant’s capacity. Don Vogt gave an overview of the surrounding issues dealing with
improvements to handle food scrap composting, increased tonnage and a significant
capital improvement investment it would take to do so. The Commission contemplated
what it should do: send a letter to City Council, individually send letters to IDNR and
State legislators, etc. Chad Oberdoerster will draft a letter to the City Council requesting
them to support a variance from IDNR to expand the food scrap composting program.
Mary Rose will circulate the letter for approval from the Commission. Ed Cawley moved
to submit the letter to City Council once it is reviewed by Commissioners. Gayle Walter
seconded the motion. Motion passed 6 – 0 with a roll call vote.
ITEMS FROM STAFF:
OLD BUSINESS:
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Urban Deer Management.
Mary Rose Corrigan reviewed the process for approving the Deer Management Plan.
First the Commission and City staff submit their recommendations to the City Council
for approval. Upon approval, the Council forwards a letter to the Iowa Natural
Resources Commission who in turn directs the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
to allocate deer hunting tags for the City’s Urban Deer Management Plan. Mary Rose
explained that this year’s hunters’ survey did not note any problems or indicate any
needed changes to the current system. Therefore, Mary Rose is recommending keeping
the Plan the same as this year, which was presented to the ESAC. Paul Schultz added
that even though the deer numbers are down, along with the number of dead deer
picked up by Public Works, there are other concerns such as the plant bio-diversity and
plant growth, indicating the deer are still a problem. The Commission discussed burning
as a method for moving deer out of highly populated, hard-to-hunt areas, as well as
improving and increasing plant bio-diversity. Michael Buelow moved to approve the staff
draft for the 2009-2010 Urban Deer Management Plan and also submit a letter to the
City Council requesting they approve funding for other alternative deer management
strategies such as burning. Joe Suarez seconded the motion. Motion passed by a roll
call vote.
ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC:
No one present to address the Commission.
CLARIFICATION OF TASKS:
Mary Rose Corrigan will draft a letter for the City Council for Wayne’s signature
regarding the Urban Deer Management Plan. Mary Rose Corrigan will enlist technical
assistance from IDNR on using burning as a deer management option. Chad
Oberdoerster will draft a letter to City Council regarding the variance for increasing the
food scrap composting program
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
Board/Commission reports, burning for deer management, plastic water bottles at City
events.
NEXT MEETING DATE:
June 2, 2009.
ADJOURNMENT:
Ed Cawley moved to adjourn the meeting. Gayle Walter seconded the motion. With a
roll call vote, Motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
MRC/cj