Sustainability and Resiliency Meeting Minutes - June 11, 2024
Sustainability and Resiliency Committee
Fargo City Commission Chambers
June 11, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
Present
John Strand (chair), Fargo City Commissioner
Tim Mahoney, Fargo Mayor
Bruce Grubb, Fargo City Administration
Maegin Elshaug, Fargo Department of Planning and Development
Brenda Derrig, Assistant Fargo City Administrator
Ben Dow, Director of Public Works for the City of Fargo
Shawn Ouradnik, City of Fargo Inspections Director
Julie Bommelman, City of Fargo Transit Director
Abhijna Kavasseri, Youth Initiative Representative
Mike Williams, At-Large Member of the Public
Zoe Absey, At-Large Member of the Public
Casey Steele, At-Large Member of the Public
Greta Gramig, At-Large Member of the Public
Dave Bietz, Fargo Park District Representative (Ex-officio)
Absent
James Hand, Fargo School District Representative (Ex-officio)
Becki Majerus, Director of Facilities Management for the City of Fargo
Jennifer Sweatman, At-Large Member of the Public
Shawn Paschke, Xcel Energy Representative (Ex-officio)
Chad Brousseau, Cass County Electric Cooperative Representative (Ex-officio)
Mr. Strand called the meeting to order.
Approve Agenda:
Mr. Dow moved, second by Ms. Derrig that the agenda be approved. There was unanimous approval.
Approve Minutes:
Mr. Grubb moved, second by Ms. Absey that the minutes from the April 9, 2024 meeting be approved. There was unanimous approval.
SRC Bus Wrap Update:
A video was shown featured featuring Kaylee Trana and her winning design for the bus wrap, and a second video was shown on how the wrap was installed on the bus. Ms. Kavasseri said it was fun working with Planning and Transit staff as well as the finalists for the contest. She said this would be her last meeting with the SRC as she has graduated from high school and will be attending Princeton University in the fall.
Clean-Up Week Report
Solid Waste Utility Director Scott Olson said Clean-Up Week is a collaboration between Solid Waste, Public Works and private contractors. This year, he said, 1,520 tons of material was collected plus 33 tons of tires and 140 tons of metal. He said the tonnage of trash collected over the last 5 years has decreased, which he attributes to more recycling and residents bringing items to the transfer station throughout the year rather than waiting for Clean-up Week. There are several general rules for Clean-Up Week, he said, including electronics, stains, paints and other household hazardous waste should not be set out as well as no lumber, concrete, brush and tires. Other general rules, he said, include separating items to make collection easier and there is a limit of two appliances per address. Each year there are challenges during Clean-Up Week, he stated, including excessive piles, which require additional resources, non-sorted debris piles and piles placed on the curb too early, which become weather-impacted. He said excessive piles are a challenge and homeowners with excessive piles in the future may be charged a fee. This year, he said, there was one address where it took seven truckloads to clear a pile. A video highlighting the transfer station at the landfill was shown and Recycling Supervisor Jen Pickett said any resident may bring items to the transfer station for disposal and there is no fee. Mr. Olson said some of the financial information for Clean-Up Week costs include $75,000.00 for private contractors, $53,000.00 for overtime, $8,600.00 for fuel and $10,000.00 for tire recycling. He said the City was paid about $6,000.00 for items taken for metal recycling; therefore, the total financial impact to the City for Clean-Up Week this year was about $152,000.00.
In response to a question from Mayor Mahoney asking what is the difference between Fargo and West Fargo Clean-up Weeks, Ms. Pickett said West Fargo pays Waste Management for garbage collection vs. the City of Fargo, which operates its own Solid Waste division.
In response to a question from Mr. Strand asking if recycling is profitable, Ms. Pickett said if residents sort their recycling themselves at any of the recycling sites around town, that is profitable; however, curbside recycling is not profitable due to the fact that the City has to pay people to sort the recycling and the City also pays companies to take the sorted material.
In response to a question from Ms. Gramig asking how messaging is delivered to citizens about Clean-up Week and recycling, Mr. Olson said outreach happens with flyers, press releases and through the website.
LED Lighting Effects:
Kristina Klinkhammer gave a presentation on LED lighting and its effects on human biology. She said LED light is a non-native electro magnetic frequency, which does not occur in nature and is a narrow frequency band of radiation, which is alien to humans. She said LED bulbs flicker 100 to 120 times per second and flicker rates can have negative health effects, including seizures, headaches, fatigue, blurred vision, eye strain and reduced visual performance. LED lights shut down melatonin production, she said, and electromagnetic radiation is emitted, which is disruptive to circadian biology. LEDs also induce metabolic stress, she said, and damage the cellular function of the retina, causing macular degeneration and cataracts.
In response to a question from Mr. Strand asking what is the answer, Ms. Klinkhammer said the City should stay with incandescent bulbs and if that is not possible, remove any LED bulbs that are 3000k or higher. She said if that is not possible, use diffusers. Many cities have stopped installing LEDs, she said, due to citizen response.
Public Comments:
James Drew spoke about the health and safety of LED lights and that more public awareness is needed.
Next Meeting:
The tentative date for the next meeting will be August 13, 2024.
The meeting adjourned at 3:50 o’clock p.m.