Minnetonka City Council — Transcript

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan Development

Community Engagement and Outreach Strategies

Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAP) Implementation and Reporting

Waste Reduction and Energy Efficiency Initiatives

Votes (1)

Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

No vote required; discussion only. Feedback collected to inform future draft and recommendation.

Ally presented the draft 2026 work plan, highlighting 2025 successes like the Home Energy Squad campaign and Sustainable Minnetonka Awards. The plan proposes new activities organized by the commission's four duties, incorporating measurable targets and aligning with the CAP. Commissioners provided extensive feedback via Mentometer and open discussion, emphasizing tours, specific outreach initiatives, and addressing ambitious goals like organized trash collection. There was strong interest in subcommittees for event planning and a desire for more consistent CAP implementation updates and data.

Notable Quotes (6)

First is to be a sustainability ambassador to the city council as we all know. Second is to be uh or sorry adviser to the city council. So, you're reviewing and um considering and drafting and commenting on city plans, policies, procedures for the city council. So, you're just acting as another set of eyes um in making recommendations to the city council. We're not approving anything. We're simply acting as adviserss um trusted adviserss to the city council.

Ally [0:07:07]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

What's really incredible, too, is that a third of the households, 160 of the households have a household income of less than 80% of the area median income, which is about 10 times the average annual signups for income qualified households.

Ally [0:13:30]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

I know that a big reason why we had the cap was because um minutes or what we were making it for if I'm remembering correctly um chair is because we were trying to work towards getting to um what zero emissions in 20 did we decide on 2050 or did we decide it on 2070? I can't remember.

Commissioner Patan [0:19:14]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

There's tons of fantastic information in here and I think we have a tendency to kind of set it aside and I think we need to periodically read over this document again. There's terrific ideas, terrific things that we we I think we may have forgotten about and I think we need to refresh ourselves.

Chair [0:20:00]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

I have looked at other um communities, Colorado in particular, um, and some some um communities here. Adina has neighborhood associations with different goals. Plymouth has um a resident academy with education core um materials looking at waste and um and land use and water and air. And with that training program, then they become neighborhood champions and are able one-on-one with neighbors, trusted neighbors, able to share the things that we want to implement through our climate action adaptation plan.

Commissioner Meyer [0:37:34]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

Again, this is just to make sure that we're, you know, creating a work plan that the commission likes because it is the commission's work plan, right? So appreciate the thoughts.

Ally [1:03:00]
Discussion of Draft 2026 Sustainability Commission Work Plan

Ordinances & Resolutions (7)

Minnetonka Sustainability Commission Work Plan (Draft 2026)Plan

The primary document under discussion, outlining goals, priorities, and objectives for the commission in the upcoming year.

Minnetonka City CodeOrdinance

Defines the Sustainability Commission's goals and responsibilities.

Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAP)Plan

A key city document whose implementation updates and strategies are integrated into the commission's work plan.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) grantOther

Funding source that covered two-thirds of the cost for the free Home Energy Squad visits.

Energy Action PlanPlan

An older city document (2021) that still contains useful background information for the commission.

2025-2027 Strategic Priorities of the CityPlan

City Council-approved priorities that informed the creation of the draft 2026 work plan.

Multifamily Energy Efficiency ProgramProgram

An Xcel Energy program offering free energy audits for multi-unit property owners, to be promoted by the commission.

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Minnetonka City Council - Minnetonka Recorder