Oakdale Environmental Commission Elects New Leadership, Plans EcoFair
The Oakdale Environmental Management Commission elected Commissioner Gerding as chair and Commissioner Dittle as vice chair for 2025 during their February 10 meeting at City Hall.
The commission spent considerable time planning their first-ever EcoFair, scheduled for April and coinciding with Arbor Day activities. Staff member Hannah reported that vendor coordination is progressing, with promotional materials and flyers to be developed in the coming weeks. The indoor event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with one food truck stationed outside.
Commissioners discussed various promotional strategies for the EcoFair, including road signage, partnerships with local churches and the chamber of commerce, and outreach through radio stations serving diverse communities. The commission also explored kid-friendly activities such as composting demonstrations and nature-based crafts like bird feeder construction.
The commission adopted their 2025 drain cleaning schedule, continuing their voluntary program to maintain three city drains throughout the year. Individual commissioners will take responsibility for clearing debris from drains in the city hall and Walton Park parking lots during assigned months.
Mayor Zabel provided updates on city developments, including the new Public Works campus where walls went up that day, and the Metro Gold Line bus rapid transit service beginning March 22. The commission also discussed their annual environmental communication strategy, considering topics like water conservation and home energy audits for their 2025 editorial calendar.
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Votes (5)
Ecoair Event Update and Promotional Strategy Discussion
Hannah provided an update on the Ecoair event, noting it is three months away with vendors being finalized and communications ramping up. Commissioners discussed diverse promotional strategies, including using yard signs on city streets, engaging local community groups (churches, fire departments), leveraging local media calendars (WCCO/KARE 11), and targeting specific demographics via ethnic radio (e.g., Hmong radio). Ideas for youth engagement included composting demonstrations and bird feeder making. Logistics like the number of food trucks and the indoor/outdoor nature of the event were also addressed.
Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Moved by Chair Gerding [20:11] · Seconded by Unknown [21:11]
The commission proceeded with its annual election. Commissioner Gerding was nominated for Chair, and Commissioner Dittle (the absent current Vice Chair) was nominated for Vice Chair. After a motion to close nominations was seconded and approved, a verbal vote was held for the election of both positions.
2025 Adopted Drain Schedule Review
Hannah presented the proposed 2025 schedule for Commissioners to clear three adopted drains at City Hall and Walton Park. Discussions clarified the voluntary nature, time commitment (15 minutes, twice a month), and the types of debris typically found (mostly non-compostable items like plastics). Chair Gerding shared insights on the process, including recommended supplies and varying debris levels between drains.
2025 EMC Environmental Communications Strategy Discussion
The commission reviewed the 2024 editorial calendar to develop a flexible 2025 communication strategy. Key ideas included aligning April's theme with the Ecoair event, potentially moving food scraps promotion to August, and shifting water conservation (May/June) and energy efficiency (June) promotions to better align with seasonal relevance and rebate opportunities. The addition of a general 'Sustainability' theme was proposed, and the efficacy of current plastic recycling messaging was discussed, referencing the 'Recycling Exists' campaign. The role of informal channels like Nextdoor for cardboard reuse was also noted.
Staff Liaison Updates
Hannah provided updates on the Metro Gold Line BRT service launch, the new Metro Transit micro Mobility shared ride service in the area, and the opening of the RFP for 3MP PFAS Priority Settlement Money. Mayor Zabel elaborated on the Home Energy Audit program, highlighting city cost-sharing and federal tax credits. He also discussed the current high interest from developers, the start of construction for the new Public Works Campus with its integrated environmental and landscaping plan, and the imminent adoption of the Park System Master Plan, which includes environmental upgrades like native pollinator areas.
Notable Quotes (11)
you stick it there on sun on Friday it's going to be they're not going to take it down because mot doesn't work on the weekends unless they have to yep
I just watched this video before I came it's called Composting 101 for kids I don't know if you've seen that or not
one of the things we talked about was being more intentional on communicating in ways that how the communities um communicate right and a lot of it had to do with the um the Asian community and the small communities that were around here and part of it was well you know with social media everything shared a lot of it was they get a lot of their news through the radio right especially the small radios and the Mong radio and is that something we can look into
the drains that I've we adopt three drains and as you can see from the map and generally what I find is limited to no compostable items so it's a lot of like plastic bottle caps plastic bottles that are crunched driven over cans those kinds of things
the drain in the roundabout uh the West drain by the first field um I I have found over the last few years uh does not have as much debris as the drain U adjacent to City Hall and the parking lots up front
how would we feel about potentially moving water conservation to like May or June potentially just driving around the city the amount of water waste I see with sprinklers going off like maybe promoting time sprinklers or humidity sprink sensors on sprinklers
instead of having a call out with the Eco day was sustainability right because that's not on the list yet right yeah yeah just general sustainability
I know that for the month of October we talk a lot about Energy Efficiency and having just gone through uh at our house a home energy audit I'm wondering would it how would Commissioners feel about sharing that maybe in like June I us be able to do better cuz I think that would be better cuz you know I know fall is when people start thinking about it but um they really should be doing it ahead of time before it gets cold
the city picks up 50% of the cost of it so um and the other 50% I think it's just $50 right $100 total we pick up half the resident picks up half um but the half covered by the resident is is a tax deduction the feds will give you that as a tax credit so for doing home energy audits
what how how is the city thinking about Landscaping erosion water things any other kind of Environmental investment that could be a showcase for Oakdale at the new Public Works campus yeah so a full environmental and Landscaping plan was designed when the building was designed
because we tried to limit the the asphalt and concrete as much as possible so there is still um Green Space and buffer around the building as well and then things like the salt storage those are going to have enclosed toine spaces for for that to live
Ordinances & Resolutions (10)
Previous meeting documents referenced to refresh Commissioners on past Ecoair discussions.
Reviewed by the EMC to inform the development of the 2025 environmental communication strategy.
A proposed schedule assigning Commissioners months to clear designated city drains.
Annual plan developed by the EMC to guide public outreach on environmental themes.
A Bus Rapid Transit service set to begin operation on March 22nd.
A new shared ride service by Metro Transit operating in parts of Woodbury, Oakdale, and Lake Elmo.
A Request for Proposals opened by the DNR for settlement money related to PFAS cleanup, which city staff will review for potential projects.
A program offering home energy assessments, with city cost-sharing and federal tax credits for residents.
A multi-county public awareness campaign aimed at dispelling myths about recycling.
A comprehensive plan for the city's 29 parks, developed with public feedback, nearing adoption by the City Council.
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Other Topics from This Document
Ecoair Event Planning & Promotion
Commission Leadership Election
Adopted Drain Program Schedule
Environmental Communications Strategy
City Updates on Infrastructure and Environmental Initiatives
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