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80 6. 2023 Sustainability Update <br />81 Ms. Noelle Bakken made a presentation on sustainability program <br />82 accomplishments that the City has worked on over the year. <br />83 <br />84 Member Misra loved the list of goals for 2023 and all topics being talked about. <br />85 One topic she was curious about was a presentation the Commission received afew <br />86 years ago about sod and irrigation and changes in lawn management to diminish <br />87 water use and she wondered if that was anything staff talked about in terms of a <br />88 goal to have residents look at their irrigation practices and look at maybe different <br />89 types of sod that might be more sustainable. <br />90 <br />91 Ms. Bakken thought Less Mow May would be a great opportunity to bring that in. <br />92 She thought it would be an interesting engagement to have the U of M <br />93 representatives come on site for some education to talk to people about different <br />94 water -friendly lawn care practices as well as having some pollinator plant <br />95 information alongside that as well. <br />96 <br />97 Mr. Dale Howey, 911 Parker Avenue, explained he has a native lawn in their front <br />98 yard and did not have to water it at all this past year. He also noted this brings in <br />99 the pollinators and wildlife as well. He explained there are about six pollinator <br />100 yards on Parker Avenue between Victoria and Lexington. It might be interesting <br />101 to take a field trip to see what is going on. <br />102 <br />103 Ms. Bakken explained that is kind of the point of the City's sustainable steward <br />104 program. It recognizes these people who are doing these kinds of things and the <br />105 ultimate goal with that is to create a little community map of where all of these <br />106 resources are so if people wanted to go out and see an example of a pollinator yard <br />107 or rain garden or solar on the roof or something like that, people can walk around <br />108 and see them. <br />109 <br />110 Member Collins asked regarding stormwater runoff near gas stations and filling <br />111 stations, there is an excessive amount of fuel and spillage running right into the <br />112 gutter and he wondered if there has ever been a study done upstream and <br />113 downstream of that and if there has ever been any correlation between the business <br />114 and the City. <br />115 <br />116 Ms. Bakken did not think there has actually been a study done as far as specifically <br />117 runoff from gas stations but she did know there are water quality checks that are <br />118 done regularly. <br />119 <br />120 Mr. Johnson indicated at some point in time there would have been some report <br />121 done from the PCA or somebody similar. He knew that the City has not done <br />122 anything specific. <br />123 <br />124 Member Hodder indicated he did not hear anything in the report about geothermal <br />125 and he wondered if the City tracks how their geothermal facilities are doing. He <br />Page 3 of 5 <br />