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PAGE 2 ■ SUSTAINABILITY NEWSLETTER Ramsey County Environmental Center Officially Open! As the sun peeks through the clouds, snow begins to melt and the temperature warms, you may find yourself in spring cleaning mode. Lucky for you, Ramsey County opened a brand new Environmental Center on April 1 st! At 29,421 square feet, this new facility will make it easier for residents to reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle. This building not only enhances environmental health services to better meet the needs of residents but also reaffirms Ramsey County's commitment to sustainability, reuse, and supporting natural and native landscapes and habitats: • The building is powered and operated by geothermal and solar energy sources: • Geothermal: 42 wells, each roughly 150 feet deep, which will generate 412,560 BTU in heating and 786,240 BTU in cooling. • Solar: 221 panels, 90kW array • Outlets are designed to reduce phantom energy (electricity being used by a device that is plugged in but turned off), and all lighting is on motion sensors • Sustainable landscaping: • 2,300 tons of food scrap compost used across the project site, helping retain water • Prioritized protecting large trees, and smaller trees that were removed are used as wildlife habitat in the stormwater pond • Native plants and insect hotels to attract pollinators • 76 trees and 453 shrubs planted • Water quality, conservation, and protection: • Installation of a stormwater retention pond that serves half of the property • Rain chain and rain barrels for catching rooftop rainwater • Closed collection drip, or floor drain, throughout the household hazardous waste (HHW) drive -through that has no outlet. That means it is completely self-contained, preventing chemicals and oils contaminating stormwater or sanitary sewer system. • Recycled and sustainably-sourced materials throughout the building's interior and exterior: • Exterior picnic tables and patio furniture produced by Vestre, a manufacturer of urban furniture • Patio pavers salvaged from roads in the Twin Cities that were removed during road rebuilds • Shelving end caps in the reuse room made from Green Ash lumber from City of Minnetonka • Walking trail loop around the stormwater pond is made from recycled asphalt The Environmental Center is located at 1700 Kent Street, and is open Tues-Fri 11am-6pm, and Sat 9am- 4pm. Roseville pivots away from "Less Mow May" In our ongoing efforts to support native pollinators and provide habitat, based on new scientific evidence, Ro- seville is moving away from support of Less Mow May to affirm and promote year-round pollinator support efforts. We've updated our yard care web page to include more resources about supporting pollinators in your backyard, including tips about responsible mowing practices and water conservation. We still have "Less Mow May" yard signs and don't want them to go to waste! As such, we have stickers to add to your signs that say "summer." Look for an email about when the stickers will be available soon! To kick off our new direction, Roseville will be offering a native plant sale to residents in late May. Resi- dents will be able to purchase plant kits or seed mixes at a low cost. Plants will be available for pre -order on the Roseville website starting in late April. More information about how to order will be ready soon! Page 16 of 57