Sustainability and Resiliency Committee Minutes - June 13,2023
The meeting of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee was held in the City Commission Chambers at Fargo City Hall at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
Present:
John Strand (chair), City Commissioner
Bruce Grubb, City Administration
Nicole Crutchfield, Fargo Planning Director
Brenda Derrig, Assistant City Administrator
Ben Dow, Public Works Director
Becki Majerus, Director of Facilities Management
Shawn Ouradnik, Inspections Director
Julie Bommelman, Transit Director
Abhinjuna Kavasseri, Youth Initiative Representative
Jennifer Sweatman, At-Large Member of the Public
Greta Gramig, At-Large Member of the Public
Mike Williams, At-Large Member of the Public
Zoe Absey, At-Large Member of the Public
Shawn Paschke - Xcel Energy Representative (Ex-officio)
Paul Matthys, Cass County Electric Cooperative Representative (Ex-officio)
James Hand, Fargo School District Representative (Ex-officio)
Dave Leker, Fargo Park District Representative (Ex-officio)
Tim Mahoney, Mayor (present 3:11-3:47 o’clock p.m.)
Absent:
Casey Steele, At-Large Member of the Public
Chair Strand called the meeting to order. Introductions were done around the table.
Approval of Agenda
Ms. Derrig moved, second by Mr. Grubb that the agenda be approved as read. There was unanimous approval.
April 11, 2023 Minutes Approved
Ms. Derrig moved, second by Mr. Grubb that the minutes from the April 11, 2023 meeting be approved as read. There was unanimous approval by all the members present.
Presentation on Hempcrete
Mr. Grubb said he, Mr. Strand and Mr. Williams, met with Hempcrete representatives who introduced them to this new type of building material and they concluded Hepcrete would be an informative topic for this committee.
Grassroots Development Company President Justin Berg and Homeland Hempcrete Builder Matt Marino were present and Grassroots Development Sustainability and Design Manager Sydney Kenny and Dakota Hurd Company Operating Partner Aaron Templin attended virtually to make a presentation on Hempcrete. They shared their backgrounds and goals along with efforts to visibly integrate hemp in the local economy and explained how Hempcrete competes and performs and their future projects.
The presentation included the following:
• The mission is to build better homes in FM by creating high-quality, sustainable building materials made from industrial hemp.
• The vision is to cultivate a thriving local supply chain by creating renewable value-added materials to build healthier structure benefiting the people, economy and planet.
• Opportunities industrial hemp presents are:
o Additional revenue for farmers
o Phytormediation
o Erosion control
o 50x faster growth than trees
o Minimal inputs
o High Carbon Sequestration
Carbon credits
o Rapidly Growing Markets
Building materials
Animal bedding and feed
Erosion control
Bioplastics
Textiles
• Dakota Hurd Company in Wahpeton (Industrial Hemp Processing)
o 100 acres contracted in 2023
o Decorticates baled hemp stalks
Separates fiber from hurd
1,000 acre capacity
o Sells value-added products into market
• Homeland Hempcrete in Bismarck (Hempcrete Panel Builder)
o Founded in 2018
o Pre-fabricated panel system called Hempcrete
o Worked on standardizing build methods
• About Hempcrete
o Biocomposite
o Insulation, not structural
o Globally popular for 50+ years
o Approved for IRC Appendix
o Fire Rating ATSM E 84-19B
o Benefits
Nontoxic, natural
Carbon negative
Fire resistant
Acoustic buffer
Increases durability
Biodegradable
R-value = 2-2.4 inches
Natural based, adaptable material
Longevity
• Hempcrete Tiny Home Research Project in Fargo
o 308 10th Street North
o Started research January 1, 2023
o Compare Hempcrete v. conventional dwelling
Unit A = Hempcrete unit, Unit B = Conventionally built unit
Build cost
Operating cost
Total Value
Observe performance in cold weather climate
o Contribute data to Hempcrete industry
o Opportunity for people to experience Hempcrete
o Sensors in each unit measure moisture, air quality, temperature and energy usage
o Partners: Energy for Energy and Environment and Agricultural Utilization Research Institute
o Learned so far: Limitations – high material transport cost, air leakage heating season, improper sensor selection;
o Can improve through – localize material, continue research through March, educate local subcontractors, researching to find new sensors
o Next for project
Earn Certificate of Occupancy
Build supply chain
Research lime byproduct and water treatment as binder
Localize binder material
Extend research until 3/1/24
Eventually make tiny homes AirBnb units
Propose a 1,500 square foot rambler with panels in Moorhead
Ms. Kenney said when they reviewed Fargo’s Go2030 Plan they saw it had aspects that align with their goals. By bringing Hempcrete homes to the area in an affordable and obtainable manner, better indoor health can be achieved, she said.
In response to a question from Mr. Grubb asking about difficulties obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, Mr. Ouradnick said the Inspections Department has questions about how Hempcrete works as a building material. He said it does not appear to meet current energy codes and there are questions about moisture content. He said the developers have submitted some information he has not yet studied and they do have some approvals through ICC that could go through code hearings; however, he will be looking for more approvals and standardizations as far as mixtures. His department is doing due diligence, he stated.
Mr. Strand said he recalls when sunflower crops emerged as an option for crop rotations and along those lines, he expects industrial hemp will become a crop rotation and it will be interesting to see the impact.
Ms. Gramig said NDSU may be a partner on the agronomic side of industrial hemp.
In response to a question from Ms. Gramig asking about the products longevity and climate effect, Mr. Marino said there is a report that says Hempcrete can last 150 years or more, plus the material can later be recycled in another mix or ag products. Lime plaster is most protective, he said, which is what the comparative builds have and is essentially an insulated stone home.
Mr. Williams said the City could take what other communities in the area have learned and apply it here. Growing product locally would help cut costs, he said, product transportation costs are a big expense.
Sustainability Work Plan
Mr. Grubb said there was a presentation at the April 11, 2023 meeting on the concept of sustainability work plans which the SRC Committee may want to consider for the City of Fargo. He said based on the level of cost, the City’s Procurement Policy requires solicitation of at least 3 competitive quotes. An informal quote solicitation process was approved, he said, and it was submitted to WSB, HDR and Stantec. Virtual Q&As were conducted prior to their submittals and Mayor Mahoney, Chair Strand and he did the reviews, selecting HDR as the preferred quote for a recommendation to this committee. The price quoted is $25,000.00, he said, and the Solid Waste utility has agreed to pay for it from the landfill renewal energy revenues.
Brian King, Matthew Huettl and Colin Rohlfing (virtual) of HDR, outlined the proposal they submitted. Mr. King said HDR, headquartered in Nebraska, is a worldwide company with over 200 offices across the country. The Fargo office has grown to 18 since being established in 2011 and is located in the Alerus building Downtown. They are kicking off an EV Readiness Plan with MetroCOG and other current projects are the Fargo Waste Composition Study, Street Light Fixture Replacement Project, Water Treatment Plant Coagulant Optimization Study and Moorhead’s Facility Assessment Plan Update. They have worked closely with Xcel, MetroCOG, Planning and Engineering departments, the FM Diversion and the DOT.
Mr. Rohlfing reviewed the project scope and the four tasks:
• Data review and benchmarketing
• Visioning
• Strategy compilation
• Final reporting, next steps
He said the process will take about six months and the tasks will overlap. They will look at assets and regulatory review. He shared similar projects including City of Tempe Master Planning and Sustainability Reporting, Vanderbilt Campus and NYC 80x50 Decarbonization Plan. Dashboard development is important in analytics, he said, and the first phase is important for discovery. He hopes for a long term relationship to help achieve the reduction target in the future, he said.
Commissioner Strand said grant opportunities will be looked into down the road and there is an availability of Federal grants.
Ms. Crutchfield moved and second by Ms. Derrig to accept the proposal submitted for Professional Services from HDR for the Development of Sustainability Priorities and Work Plan, in the amount of $25,000.00. All the members voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
SRC Bus Wrap – Youth Initiative and Arts and Culture Commission
Mr. Grubb said in the past Commissioner Strand has suggested that if there is a bus in the city currently without a wrap, it would be an opportunity to relay a message. He said new member Ms. Kavasseri and the Youth Initiative along with the Arts and Culture Commission have been gracious to help in the effort. He said the cost for production and installation of a bus wrap is approximately $9,000.00 and there are renewable energy revenues through the Solid Waste Utility. He said a copy of a poster of Ms. Kavasseri’s call for art is included in the packet.
Ms. Bommelman said the buses have a lot of exposure and the wraps have had positive feedback.
Ms. Kavasseri said she reached out to art teachers at Davies, Fargo North and Fargo South high schools and is awaiting a response. She said Plains Art Museum is displaying the poster to help get the word out.
Ms. Crutchfield said this was presented at the Arts and Culture Commission meeting last month and several members offered to help connect for resources and the Planning Department will also help.
Mr. Grubb moved and second by Ms. Gramig to approve the sponsorship of the initiative to create a sustainability themed full bus wrap with assistance from the Youth Initiative and the Arts and Culture Commission. All the members voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Next Meeting
The tentative date for the next meeting is August 8, 2023.
The meeting adjourned at 4:22 o’clock p.m.