--- ## author: Linnea Graffunder-Bartels date: D:20260514112049-05'00' --- ## AGENDA ## Environmental Management Commission ## The next regular Environmental Management Commission meeting will occur on June 15, 2026. ## REGULAR MEETING May 18, 2026 ## 7:00 PM ## Oakdale Hadley Conference Room ## 1. CALL TO ORDER ## 2. CALL OF ROLL ## 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ## 4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ## 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. March 16, 2026 ## 6. OPEN FORUM ## a. Guest Presentation – LHB (Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data) ## 7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION REVIEW ## a. OLD BUSINESS ## i. 2026 Eco Fair Recap ## b. NEW BUSINESS ## i. Wetland and Water Resource Education Campaign ## 8. OTHER ## a. Staff Liaison Update(s) ## i. 2026 EMC Editorial Calendar ## ii. Community Development Update(s)* ## b. Commissioner Update(s)* ## c. Council Liaison Update(s)* ## 9. ADJOURNMENT *Items marked with an asterisk have no accompanying materials. ## REGULAR MEETING ## OAKDALE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ## MARCH 16, 2026 ## CALL TO ORDER The Oakdale Environmental Management Commission (EMC) held a meeting on Monday, March 16, 2026 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 7:00 PM. ## CALL OF ROLL On a call of roll, the following were present: ## Commissioners: Noah Gerding, Chairperson ## Justin Brendon ## Laura Fenstermaker ## Katie Lasch ## Chang Yang ## Not Present: Tim Doolittle, Vice Chairperson ## Keegan Anderson, Commissioner ## Also Present: Kevin Zabel, Mayor and City Council Liaison Hannah Dunn, Sr. Community Development Specialist and City Staff ## Liaison ## Quorum Present: YES ☒ NO ☐ ## PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ## APPROVAL OF AGENDA ## A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER FENSTERMAKER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ## LASCH, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 16, 2026 AS ## PRESENTED. ## 5 AYES ## 0 NAYS ## MOTION CARRIED ## APPROVAL OF MINUTES ## A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER LASCH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ## FENSTERMAKER, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF FEBRUARY 9, ## 2026 AS WRITTEN. ## REGULAR MEETING MINUTES ## ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ## MARCH 16, 2026 ## 5 AYES ## 0 NAYS ## MOTION CARRIED ## OPEN FORUM Chair Gerding invited comments from the audience. No comments were heard. ## ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION REVIEW ## a. OLD BUSINESS ## i. 2026 Eco Fair Update Staff Liaison Dunn provided an update on the status of planning for the 2026 Eco Fair. She then requested input on materials and resources to have at the City of Oakdale and Environmental Management Commission table. There was conversation about whether there were volunteer opportunities to promote at the table. Mayor Zabel suggested having materials about the loan opportunities for home improvements, including diseased tree removal and energy efficiency…

--- ## author: Hannah Dunn date: D:20260611132037-05'00' --- 1 ## REGULAR MEETING ## OAKDALE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ## MAY 18, 2026 ## CALL TO ORDER The Oakdale Environmental Management Commission (EMC) held a meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026 at Oakdale City Hall, 1584 Hadley Avenue North, Oakdale, Minnesota. The meeting began at 7:00 PM. ## CALL OF ROLL On a call of roll, the following were present: ## Commissioners: Tim Doolittle, Vice Chairperson ## Justin Brendon ## Katie Lasch ## Chang Yang ## Not Present: Noah Gerding, Chairperson ## Laura Fenstermaker, Commissioner Also Present: Hannah Dunn, Sr. Community Development Specialist and City Staff ## Liaison ## Quorum Present: YES ☒ NO ☐ ## PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ## APPROVAL OF AGENDA ## A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER LASCH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER YANG, TO ## APPROVE THE AGENDA OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF MAY 18, 2026 AS PRESENTED. ## 4 AYES ## 0 NAYS ## MOTION CARRIED ## APPROVAL OF MINUTES ## A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER BRENDON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LASCH, ## TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 16, 2026 AS WRITTEN. ## 4 AYES ## 0 NAYS ## MOTION CARRIED ## REGULAR MEETING MINUTES ## ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ## MAY 18, 2026 2 ## OPEN FORUM Vice Chair Doolittle invited comments from the audience. No comments were heard. ## a. Guest Presentation – LHB (Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data) The Environmental Management Commission received a presentation from staff members at LHB, the consulting firm that was hired by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to update community-wide greenhouse gas inventories for communities that were awarded the Local Climate Action Planning Grant. The presenters went over emissions data for Oakdale for three sectors – travel, energy, and waste – and allowed Commissioners to ask questions about the data. In response to Vice Chair Doolittle’s question about resources and success stories that the Environmental Management Commission should know about, the presenters shared that subsidies have been critical for reducing commercial and industrial electricity use. Some cities have worked with larger and smaller businesses within their communities to connect them with resources. Additionally, reducing electricity load for large commercial and industrial customers can benefit the whole community by reducing rates. St. Louis Park, for example, has a program where the city pays part of the cost for energy audits for larger commercial and industrial businesses. Other opportunities to encourage these customers to conduct energy audits and reduce electricity include revolving loans or grants. Lastly, sustainable building policies can help incentivize new construction to go beyond State Building Codes. Following the presentation, the Environmental Management Commission discussed ways to get information about energy efficiency and…