The URL can be used to link to this page

2024.01.02 Council Meeting Packet 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: Dec. 22, 2023 City Council Meeting Schedule Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 Time Meeting Location 6:45 p.m. City Council work session to discuss: 1. Constituent issues. 2. New business. 3. Announcements. 4. Hennepin Energy Recovery Center closure and Hennepin County Zero Waste. Council Chambers/Zoom 7 p.m. City Council meeting Council Chambers/Zoom Immediately following the City Council meeting Economic Development Authority (EDA) annual organizational meeting Council Chambers/Zoom Immediately following the EDA meeting Continuation of City Council work session, if necessary Council Chambers/Zoom In accordance with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 13D.02, Council Member Forest Eidbo will appear remotely via interactive technology from the following public location: Sestiere Dorsorsoduro, 2286, 30123, Venice, Italy, within the lobby. The public may attend the meetings via Zoom by connecting through one of the methods identified below. Topic: Crystal City Council work session, City Council meeting, EDA meeting and continuation of Council work session, if necessary. Time: Jan. 2, 2024, 6:45 p.m., Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88630066551?pwd=aml1eEcranJKbGRFM0l0djB1MEludz09 Meeting ID: 886 3006 6551 Passcode: 414141 One tap mobile: +13126266799,,88630066551#,,,,*414141# US (Chicago) +16469313860,,88630066551#,,,,*414141# US Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 689 278 1000 US +1 646 931 3860 US +1 719 359 4580 US +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 253 205 0468 US +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 305 224 1968 US +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 309 205 3325 US +1 360 209 5623 US +1 669 444 9171 US +1 386 347 5053 US +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 507 473 4847 US +1 564 217 2000 US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kblIv55ZhL Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the city clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: Dec. 22, 2023 City Council Work Session Agenda Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 6:45 p.m. Council Chambers/Zoom Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the work session of the Crystal City Council was held on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at ______ p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. If the agenda items are not completed in time for the City Council meeting at 7 p.m., the work session will be continued and resumed immediately following the Economic Development Authority meeting. The public may attend the meeting via Zoom by connecting to it through one of the methods identified on the City Council Meeting Schedule for Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. I. Attendance Council members Staff ____ Cummings ____ Bell ____ Eidbo ____ Gilchrist ____ Kamish ____ Therres ____ Kiser ____ Elholm ____ Onesirosan ____ Larson ____ Adams ____ Perkey ____ Budziszewski ____ Revering ____ Sutter ____ Serres II. Agenda The purpose of the work session is to discuss the following agenda items: 1. Constituent issues.* 2. New business.* 3. Announcements.* 4. Hennepin Energy Recovery Center closure and Hennepin County Zero Waste. III. Adjournment The work session adjourned at ______ p.m. * Denotes no documentation included in the packet. Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the city clerk at (763) 531-1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529. 1 Adam Bell From:David J Hough <David.Hough@hennepin.us> Sent:Tuesday, October 31, 2023 10:06 AM Cc:Irene K Fernando; Maria Rose Subject:HERC communication to cities Attachments:Memo to commissioners summary of recommendations - FINAL.pdf; HERC Report Briefing Sep 21 2023 Final.pdf; zero-waste-plan.pdf; hennepin-county-climate-action-plan-final.pdf; RESOLUTION 23-0384 R1 HERC.pdf Mayors and City Managers, In February 2023, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a historic Clean Energy Bill, which will redefine HERC as a non‐ renewable energy source starting in 2040. Currently, the HERC processes 365,000 tons of trash annually and produces 200,000 megawatt hours of electricity every year. Connected to this, a staff report and briefing were prepared for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, including a unanimously passed Board Action Request authored by commissioners. Per the passage of Resolution 23‐0384 R1 by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners during their October 24, 2023 meeting, this communication is to provide cities that use the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) with relevant information and to invite partnership. The resolution specifically relates to the closure of HERC between 2028 and 2040. The HERC has been operational since the 1980’s. The facility incinerates trash and converts it to steam energy. There are many steps that need to be taken by Federal, State, County and City governments before closure can happen. With this resolution, Hennepin is moving forward toward a zero‐waste future. We look forward to remaining in partnership with the State of Minnesota as we collectively and aggressively work to meet the vision of the Clean Energy Bill. And we ask you, as cities, to take bold and concrete actions in anticipation of the HERC’s closure and to use this opportunity to accelerate recycling and zero‐waste programs, while creating alternative plans for waste management. Attached to this email, in addition to the resolution, you will find relevant documents including a report fully outlining the role of HERC in the solid waste system, a summary of recommendations, and Hennepin County’s Zero Waste and Climate Action plans. These materials will also be sent to your office via U.S. Mail. As stated in the Resolution, we are requesting cities submit input by January 15, 2024. You can provide feedback via: U.S. Mail: Maria Rose – Clerk to the County Board Hennepin County 300 South Sixth Street Ste A2400 Minneapolis, MN 55487 Or email: board.clerk@hennepin.us Thank you. Irene Fernando Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Chair David J. Hough Hennepin County Administrator Hennepin County Memo To: Hennepin County Board of Commissioners From: David Hough, County Administrator Lisa Cerney, Assistant County Administrator Public Works Date: September 20, 2023 Re: Hennepin County Climate Action Plan/Zero Waste Plan and HERC - Recommendations You received a report on the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) and its role in the solid waste system on September 16, 2023. This memo provides County Administration’s recommendation that is aligned with the county’s Climate Action Plan, Zero Waste Plan and state and federal statutes. Included is a summary of the staff report and a consideration of actions and recommendations that will be presented in the briefing on Thursday, September 21, 2023. Recommendation: Establishing a target closure date for HERC with the necessary conditions to meet the goal The county is committed to meeting our climate action goals and achieving zero waste, as well as being compliant with state and federal law. Based upon our goals and existing laws we are recommending an anticipated year range closure for HERC of 2040 to 2050. To achieve this year range there are many conditions which need to be met. They include: • Compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations • Achieving the county board approved Climate Action Plan goals • Achieving the metrics identified in the county’s Zero Waste Plan • The State of Minnesota is at or near its 100% renewable electricity goal • Recycling rate of at least 85% • Food waste, paper, and other biogenic materials make up less than 10% of trash needing disposal • Alternative funding sources are secured for county natural resources, forestry, zero waste, and climate work • Alternative energy sources are found to heat, cool, and electrify homes and businesses Hennepin is a national leader in waste reduction and recycling. In order to maintain this status, we recommend focusing on HERC to highlight Hennepin County’s trash problem and pushing for robust goals and building a zero-waste future that reduces our reliance on incineration and landfilling. This strategy will ensure Hennepin County remains in compliance with state waste management laws. To 2 achieve zero waste, the state, Hennepin County, and cities will need to deliberatively commit to new policies and programs. Setting a date for HERC’s closure will require the county attaining all previously mentioned conditions. By not meeting these conditions a premature closing of HERC will create a significant number of collateral consequences that impact the environment and our residents. Required State Legislative Action As stated in the report, “If HERC’s shutdown is contingent on getting to zero waste, the state legislature needs to prioritize these policy actions to advance zero waste and protect the environment”. • Adopt policies on par with national zero waste leaders - including but not limited to packaging, organized collection, hauler licensing and material bans at landfills. • Invest in recycling infrastructure, advancing circularity and waste reduction and reuse – including but not limited to increasing SCORE recycling grants, funding of a pre-processing facility in Hennepin to recover reusable and recyclable materials from trash, fully funding the anerobic digestion facility, increasing state taxes/fees on landfills to fund county zero waste programs and other investments. • Reduce disproportionate impacts from the solid waste system – including but not limited to direct funding to areas of environmental justice concern, phased in emissions requirements for waste trucks and updating landfills to achieve greater environmental outcomes. • Amend existing policies to remove disincentives – including but not limited to adopting a food waste composting requirement in MnDOT specs, reducing barriers for businesses to use refillable containers, revising building codes and zoning ordinances that inhibit recycling and revising the current system to cover collection of all electronic waste. Required Federal Action The county board needs to recommend and support policy changes and initiatives that lead to greater standardization and coordination across the country to improve consistency among all stakeholders. Areas where standardization and coordination are most needed include product labeling to indicate recyclability, ability to compost and perishability, producer responsibility legislation, sustainable product design standards, mandating single use plastics reduction and pollution prevention. In addition, seeking increased federal funding for recycling market development, zero waste infrastructure and Justice40 initiatives. Required County Efforts As previously mentioned, the county board will need to prioritize zero waste efforts in its legislative priorities. In addition, the board will need to advance zero waste policies focused on the following Zero Waste Plan priorities: • Revise Recycling Ordinance 13 to provide clarity in existing language and expand requirements • Require the use of food waste compost in county construction and landscape projects • Bolster the county’s sustainable purchasing policy using MPCA guidance • Transition to organized waste collection countywide, which cities would oversee and implement • Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs, which cities would oversee and implement • Require cities to add multi-family waste service to single-family residential service • Adopt a single use ban and zero waste packaging requirement for food service • Establish food waste reduction targets and timeline • Fully implement a county plan to eliminate food waste 3 • Evaluate needed collaboration in providing zero waste infrastructure o Expand recycling drop-off options o Establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers o Support innovation hubs, districts, and resource recovery parks o Study options for recovering recyclables from the trash Required City Efforts With forty-five cities in Hennepin County there is a significant need for city leadership. Minneapolis is the largest city in the state and the biggest generator of waste in the county. Minneapolis will play a crucial role in achieving climate action and zero waste goals. The city has achieved many notable successes on residential recycling, but the county will not meet its goals if Minneapolis does not adopt policies similar to other zero waste leaders across the country. Required policy changes are as follows: • Establish organized commercial collection, including multi-family • Require mandatory large generator waste reduction and diversion plans • Increase hauler accountability by requiring reporting and service standards • Implementing multi-family recycling programs with adequate staffing • Improve options for managing large items and specialty recyclables in the multi-family sector • Adopt specifications to increase the use of food-derived compost in city projects • Develop a construction and demolition waste diversion ordinances requiring recycling on construction and demolition projects • Enhance enforcement of existing city ordinances These policy changes at the federal, state, county and city levels are needed to move Hennepin County toward zero-waste, make meaningful progress toward climate emissions reduction, and mitigate the impacts of the potential closure of HERC. As demonstrated by the 2023 legislative session, modest recycling polices and funding are progressing, but the transformative policies and funding resources that match the scope of the waste problem we face are not yet moving forward. Policy questions and discussion: As discussed in the report and in this memo, the closure of HERC requires certain conditions being satisfied. Many of those conditions are outside or beyond our control. The intent of our report and this recommendation was to provide an objective analysis based upon available facts and data. As a data informed organization, it is critical that we provide you with all relevant details to inform your decision. During the briefing, after a short presentation, it is our intent to ask the board specific policy questions in order to inform the discussion and assist the board in future board actions. In preparation for the briefing, we are providing some of the questions you will be presented with. Those questions are as follows: • Is there support to pursue a targeted closure date range for HERC of 2040-2050 if all the conditions mentioned in the report and this memo are achieved (e.g., federal, state and county required actions and climate action/zero waste goals attained)? • If the targeted closure date conditions are not all met, is there understanding that the closure date may be delayed? 4 You have received much information about the impacts and consequences of a premature (before 2040) shutdown of HERC. Pages 21 through 44 of the report outline the many consequences of a premature closure. If the county board directs staff to shut HERC down prior to 2040 there are a series of questions that the board will have to answer specific to the consequences. Those questions include but are not limited to the following: • How will the county address noncompliance with state and federal law? • How will the county modify its Climate Action Plan and Zero Waste Plan? • Will Hennepin county completely divest itself from managing waste streams in the county (e.g., trash, hazardous waste, recycling, composting, organics, etc.)? • Without the enterprise revenue how will the county support its environmental and climate efforts and programs? • Where should trash generated in Hennepin County be disposed of while we are advancing a zero- waste future? We look forward to presenting this information and getting your direction on the policy questions. cc: Rosemary Lavin – Director, Environment and Energy Diana Chaman Salas – Director, Climate and Resiliency 1 The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center and its role in the solid waste system A staff report for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners September 2023 2 Contents Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3 How to read this report ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Background ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Solid waste planning ................................................................................................................................................. 5 County trash management facilities .................................................................................................................... 7 Additional solid waste facilities .......................................................................................................................... 10 History of waste management in Hennepin County .................................................................................. 13 Trash generation and disposal methods ........................................................................................................ 17 What materials are still in our trash? ................................................................................................................ 17 Minnesota’s land disposal abatement policy ................................................................................................ 18 MPCA direction on waste-to-energy facilities .............................................................................................. 20 Considerations and consequences ........................................................................................................................ 21 Buildings...................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Contracts and employment ................................................................................................................................. 22 Jobs ............................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Trash disposal and impacts to cities................................................................................................................. 25 Control and further consolidation of the solid waste system ................................................................ 27 Legal and financial considerations .................................................................................................................... 28 Compliance with state statute ............................................................................................................................ 28 Landfill capacity ........................................................................................................................................................ 29 Solid Waste Enterprise Fund ............................................................................................................................... 32 Environmental considerations ............................................................................................................................ 39 Legacy impacts of landfilling............................................................................................................................... 46 Summary of considerations and consequences ............................................................................................... 51 3 Purpose This report was prepared for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to provide information and context related to decision-making for the 2024 Solid Waste Management Plan, the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), community concerns, and a provision in the state legislature’s 2023 infrastructure bill that the county must submit a plan for the cessation of operations at HERC to access the $26 million appropriated for the construction of an anaerobic digester. How to read this report This report includes background information and operational, historical, legal, financial, and environmental considerations. Throughout the report, waste refers to all materials discarded as trash, recycling, or organics recycling. Trash refers specifically to materials put in the garbage. Background section  Solid waste planning includes a description of the county’s responsibilities for managing a solid waste system in accordance with the state’s Waste Management Act.  County trash management facilities includes a description of the two facilities the county owns and operates: HERC and the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station. This section also includes a description of additional transfer stations and privately owned landfills that manage trash generated in the county.  History of waste management provides a chronological review of key steps the county has taken to meet state-mandated waste management and recycling goals from the passage of the Waste Management Act in 1980 through today.  Trash generation and disposal methods provides an overview of how much waste is generated in the county and what methods have been used to dispose of trash over time.  Landfill abatement policy provides a description of the state’s Metro Policy Plan, reviews the forecast of waste generation growth in this next planning period, and shows waste management in Hennepin County in five-year increments, noting significant milestones described in the history section. It also includes a summary of the MPCA’s position on waste-to-energy. Considerations and consequences section  Operational considerations include impacts to county buildings, contracts, jobs, and resiliency of energy infrastructure. It also includes impacts on waste disposal, including service considerations for the municipalities and businesses and associated liability assessments. Additionally, it includes information about landfill capacity. 4  Legal and financial considerations provide an overview of the county’s Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, including revenues, expenditures, and impacts of the potential loss of revenue for environmental programs if HERC were to close.  Environmental considerations include information on climate, air, and water pollution associated with waste-to-energy and landfills, as well as legacy impacts from landfills.  Policy and legislative considerations provide a set of state legislative actions and supporting federal, and county led efforts to be implemented to advance a zero-waste future and environmental impacts. Summary of considerations This closing section provides a summary of the key considerations identified by staff in this review and next steps. 5 Background Solid waste planning Counties engaging in solid waste management in Minnesota are responsible for managing their solid waste systems in accordance with the state’s Waste Management Act, which establishes a waste management hierarchy (Minn. Stat. § 115A.02) (Fig. 1). The hierarchy prioritizes, in descending order of preference: reduce, reuse, recycle, organics recycling, waste-to-energy, landfill with gas recovery, and landfill without gas recovery. Implementing a system that complies with state law is a shared responsibility between government, the waste management industry, businesses, manufacturers, retailers, and residents. Minnesota’s waste management hierarchy Fig. 1 Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The county is required to develop a solid waste management plan that implements the Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan and identifies strategies to meet the recycling goals and objectives of the Metro Policy Plan (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.149; 473.803). The county’s current solid waste management plan for 2018 to 2023 establishes the county’s solid waste strategies to achieve the goal of 75% recycling by 2030 and zero waste to landfills. Figure 2 shows the county’s recycling rate compared to established state recycling goals by year. As the chart indicates, setting a goal is not enough. Progress toward the state’s ambitious goals has been incremental, and it has been challenging for the county to achieve a diversion rate greater than 50% despite the implementation of many new programs. A serious effort to reduce the trash we produce will require bold action at the state and local levels on policy, new infrastructure, and expanded funding. 6 The state has a draft of its 2022 to 2042 Metropolitan Policy Plan (draft Metro Policy Plan) available for public comment through September 17, 2023 (subject to change). Once the state policy plan is finalized, the county has nine months to complete its own Solid Waste Management Plan. The county’s plan requires approval by the county board and the MPCA commissioner. The county recently completed a Zero Waste Plan to transform the waste management system to a future where all materials are designed to become resources for others to use. In the Zero Waste Plan, the county has defined zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated. This plan will serve as the foundation of the county’s Solid Waste Management Plan that will be developed in 2024. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%1992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022Recycling rate and state recycling goals Fig. 2 7 County trash management facilities To support the county’s integrated waste management plan, the county owns and operates two solid waste facilities: HERC and the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station. Waste facilities include transfer stations, processing facilities, and disposal sites and facilities (Minn. Stat. § 115A.03, subd. 35). A transfer station is a facility where trash is unloaded from smaller trucks and reloaded into larger vehicles for transport to a final disposal site. Waste transfer stations make trash collection more efficient and reduce overall transportation costs, air emissions, energy use, truck traffic, and road wear and tear. “Processing” describes the treatment of trash after collection and before disposal, typically to recover resources from the trash (Minn. Stat. §§ 115A.03, subd. 25 & 473.848, subd. 5). Cities and private haulers contract with the county and pay the county tipping fees to deliver trash generated in Minneapolis and the surrounding communities to HERC and the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station. These tipping fees fund the county's Solid Waste Enterprise Fund and the Environment and Energy Department’s activities (see page 33). Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) Located in downtown Minneapolis (505 N 6th Ave), HERC is a mass-burn facility that processes trash to avoid landfilling and recover resources from the trash stream. It is the only waste processing option located within the county. 8 How HERC works Fig. 3 As depicted in Figure 3, about 200 garbage trucks per day deliver trash from Minneapolis and 16 suburban communities (see page 25) to HERC. The facility is limited by its state permit to processing 365,000 tons of trash annually. The trash is dumped out of garbage trucks and pushed into the fully enclosed waste pit with loaders. A crane picks the trash up from the pit and feeds it into two boilers. Operators pull out hazardous and problematic materials such as appliances, televisions, and bulky items, and those items are either recycled or landfilled. The trash is burned in boilers lined with water-filled tubes. The heat of combustion converts the water in the tubes to steam that turns a turbine to generate electricity. HERC produces about 200,000 megawatt hours of electricity every year, enough to power 25,000 homes. The electricity is sold to Xcel Energy at the market rate. A portion of the steam produced is sent to the steam line under the 7th Ave bridge. This steam provides heating and cooling to the downtown Minneapolis district energy system (operated by Cordia Energy Solutions) and Target Field. The district energy system is a network of pipes that aggregates the heating and cooling needs for 100 downtown buildings. District energy systems are more efficient and less costly than buildings operating their own boilers and chillers.1 1 Project Drawdown Climate Solutions District Heating 9 As shown in Figure 4, HERC’s pollution control equipment and operators control air emissions to be consistently below the MPCA’s permitted levels.2 HERC emissions as a percent of permitted levels Fig. 4 The combustion process reduces the volume of trash by 90 percent. The material remaining after combustion is non-hazardous ash that is disposed of at the SKB Landfill in Rosemount. The non-hazardous ash is processed by GEM-Ash at the landfill to recover and recycle additional metals. In 2022, 17,251 tons of metal were recovered from waste processed at HERC. Since HERC opened in 1989, it has processed 12 million tons of trash – enough to fill Target Field 100 times. HERC has produced enough electricity to power 25,000 homes for 34 years and has recovered 350,000 tons of metal. Brooklyn Park Transfer Station (BPTS) The county’s transfer station is located at 8100 Jefferson Highway in Brooklyn Park. BPTS is used to unload trash from haulers in smaller trucks and reload it into larger vehicles for transport to disposal facilities, including HERC. In 2022, the county transferred 154,000 tons of trash through this facility, with 70,000 tons delivered to HERC and 84,000 tons delivered to the Elk River 2 MPCA Point source air emissions data 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 10 year average 2022 Permitted level 10 Landfill, which is owned and operated by Waste Management. The county also uses this facility as a drop-off center for residents to dispose of hazardous items and to transfer organics to composting facilities. The central location of BPTS provides an opportunity to efficiently collect and process organics and reduce emissions from transporting the material. The location of the county’s proposed anaerobic digestion facility is adjacent to the transfer station, at 9401 83rd Avenue in Brooklyn Park. Additional solid waste facilities This report includes references to additional solid waste facilities that are a part of the county’s solid waste system, though some are located outside of Hennepin County. The draft Metro Policy Plan requires counties to complete an environmental justice review when developing their solid waste management plans. Map 1 shows the locations of solid waste facilities and census tracts that are considered areas of concern for environmental justice. Areas marked with blue lines are census tracts with more than 40% of the population earning incomes less than 185% of the federal poverty level. Areas shaded in green are census tracts with greater than 50% people of color (see MPP 2022 – 2042 Draft, 56, Appx. B.). Transfer stations In addition to BPTS, five transfer stations are part of the county’s solid waste system:  City of Minneapolis Transfer Station, 2710 N Pacific St, Minneapolis, MN 55411  City of Minneapolis Transfer Station, 2850 20th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407  Republic Flying Cloud Transfer Station, 9813 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55347  SKB Malcolm Ave Transfer Station, 630 Malcolm Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414  Waste Management Maple Grove Transfer Station, 10633 89 th Ave N, Maple Grove, MN 55369 Landfills Modern landfills are designed to keep waste and landfill byproducts separate from soil and groundwater. Landfills that accept trash are constructed with a layer of clay and a flexible plastic liner to contain liquids. As stormwater and liquids in the trash passes through the landfill, this leachate draws out contaminates from the trash. The leachate is collected though a drainage system that conveys the liquid to tanks or a holding pond. It is then most commonly trucked or piped directly to a wastewater treatment facility where it can be treated to remove traditional contaminants before being released back into local waterbodies. Lined landfills are designed with leak detection systems called lysimeters to monitor for leaks in the liner, and landfill operators are required to test groundwater wells to monitor for liner leaks. Landfills typically require a Conditional Use Permit by the local government and are issued solid waste permits and air permits from the MPCA for the landfill gas and flare/energy recovery unit. 11 Monitoring wells are permitted by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and, sometimes, the local government. Trash trucks unload trash on the working face of a landfill, and a loader moves and compacts the trash into cells. Every evening, a layer of soil or other materials is used to cover the trash to minimize odors, litter, and wildlife problems. The food, paper, and wood in a landfill will decompose over time. The decomposition process produces gas that is approximately 50% carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and 50% methane, a flammable and potent greenhouse gas. Local landfills that accept municipal solid waste have low permeability liners and covers and gas extraction systems to manage the gas to protect the integrity of the cover and prevent migration of the landfill gases to adjacent areas. Methane recovery systems for modern landfills collect approximately 75% to 85% of the methane produced. This methane gas is flared or used as fuel source. Metro-area landfills outside of Hennepin County There are no active landfills in Hennepin County, and those located elsewhere in the metro must receive permission from the MPCA to expand their current capacities (see page 29). There are four landfills that are part of the county’s solid waste system:  Republic Pine Bend Landfill, 2495 117th St E, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077  SKB Rosemount Industrial Waste Facility, 13425 Courthouse Blvd, Rosemount, MN 55068 (ash only, not permitted for municipal solid waste)  Waste Management Burnsville Sanitary Landfill, 2650 Cliff Rd W, Burnsville, MN 55337  Waste Management Elk River Landfill, 22460 Highway 169 NW, Elk River, MN 55330 12 13 History of waste management in Hennepin County The waste management hierarchy that guides the county’s priorities today was established by the Minnesota Waste Management Act in 1980. The first citywide curbside recycling program began in Minneapolis in 1983 with monthly collection. The county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance 13) was adopted in 1986, and curbside recycling became available throughout the county in the late 1980s. Building waste-to-energy plants The state Waste Management Act also required metropolitan counties to submit plans for facilities that would process waste rather than disposing of it in landfills. Specifically, the act required counties to create proposals to “address at least waste reduction, separation, and resource recovery” (1980 Minn. Laws Ch. 564, Art. X, § 8,adding Minn. Stat. § 473.803, subd. 1b). Hennepin County looked to Europe, where, because land for disposal is limited and energy is needed, pollution control technology was developed to turn garbage incinerators into waste-to- energy plants that can exist in metropolitan areas. In 1984, the county explored two north Minneapolis locations, first on the west bank of the Mississippi River and then on its east bank, for a 2,000 tons per day waste-to-energy facility (double the capacity of HERC). These locations were explored due to the proximity of the Riverside Power Plant. Residents successfully opposed the north Minneapolis sites. Legislators also limited the average daily throughput of resource recovery facilities in Minneapolis to 1,000 tons per day (Minn. Stat. § 383B.235 (1984)). The county then narrowed the search for locations that were large enough for a 1,000 tons per day facility, had truck routes and freeway access, were screened from neighborhoods, and were close to a potential downtown steam market. In 1985, the final site, a former Greyhound bus garage site, was selected. This location was selected because few people were living nearby, it was an industrial area with salvage yards and a chemical processing hub, it was adjacent to steam heating lines, and it was near downtown Minneapolis where large amounts of trash were generated. In 1987, the MPCA granted final permit approval, the City of Minneapolis approved the conditional use permit, and construction began. HERC was constructed by Blount Corporation at a total cost of $160.5 million, funded primarily by Hennepin County debt of $134.5 million. Blount sold HERC to General Electric in 1988. Covanta Energy operated the plant from 1989 until 2018. In total, seven waste-to-energy plants were developed in Minnesota in the 1980s. This includes three plants in addition to HERC that were planned to serve the metropolitan area. Ramsey/Washington Recycling and Energy facility opened in 1985, and the Elk River Resource Recovery Facility opened in 1989. As part of the 1980 Waste Management Act, the legislature also created a landfill siting process and required metro counties to identify potential landfill sites within their respective counties (1980 Minn. Laws Ch. 564, Art. X, § 8 (adding Minn. Stat. § 473.803, subd. 1a)). Hennepin County 14 identified four potential sites in Corcoran, Dayton, Greenfield, and Independence. In 1988, these cities sued the county to block the study of a landfill to dispose of incinerator ash and municipal waste within their boundaries. By 1991, the legislature halted the landfill siting process for all counties (1991 Minn. Laws Ch. 337, § 90). Flow control overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court When HERC began operations in 1989, the county implemented waste flow designation (flow control) that required all haulers to deliver trash generated in Hennepin County to HERC or county-designated transfer stations. From 1990 to 1994, almost all trash generated in Hennepin County was being processed rather than landfilled. In 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court decided C & A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, N.Y., which overturned local flow control ordinances. After this decision, the county began contracting with haulers for trash deliveries to HERC. Some haulers chose not to contract with the county and delivered trash to local landfills instead. Managing hazardous waste In addition to being concerned about the volume of trash being disposed of in landfills in the 1970s and 1980s, the community was concerned about waste mismanagement, particularly for hazardous waste. Hennepin County adopted a hazardous waste management ordinance (Ordinance 7) in 1980 and started licensing, inspecting, and handling enforcement for businesses that generate hazardous waste. The county also started holding community collection events where residents could drop off their household hazardous waste, such as cleaners, electronics, appliances, paint, automotive products, and batteries, in the mid-1980s. Hazardous waste collection events for residents became so popular that the events were often over capacity, so the county opened permanent drop-off facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park in the early 1990s. Additionally, one of the first product stewardship initiatives started in 1994 with NSP (now Xcel Energy) reimbursing counties for collecting and properly disposing of fluorescent light bulbs. The county’s household electronics collection program began in 1992 with the goal of removing heavy metals and other materials from the trash. The county formed a unique partnership with a nonprofit to demanufacture electronics, meet high environmental standards, and provide paid job training for adults with barriers to successful employment. The quantity of electronic waste continued to grow, and management of e-waste became a key concern in the mid-2000s. In 2006, the state banned electronics containing cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from the garbage because they contain lead, and the Electronics Recycling Act in 2007 required electronics manufacturers to reimburse counties for the collection and proper disposal of electronics. Focusing on reduce, reuse, and recycle Programs to minimize trash continued to evolve. The county started waste prevention programs in the early 1990s, including a rewear fashion show, free product centers at the drop-off facilities, and reducing waste in county operations. The state prohibited yard waste from being 15 included in trash in 1990, and the last landfill in Hennepin County closed in 1993. The metro area counties formed the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) in 1993 to work collaboratively on solid waste issues. Recycling in multiunit buildings became mandatory in the early 1990s. Recycling programs began accepting plastic bottles in 1991, and recyclable materials have continued to expand and evolve. Organics recycling launches With recycling programs well-established, the county started to focus on the most prevalent material in our trash – food and other organic waste – in the early 2000s. The county sold compost bins to residents, and a citywide curbside organics recycling pilot launched in Wayzata in 2003 as well as programs in 21 schools in Hopkins, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park. To help further expand recycling, the county funded grant programs to support recycling improvements in schools, businesses, multifamily buildings, and public spaces. Waste prevention efforts expanded in the 2010s with the start of the Community Recycling Ambassador program, Fix-It Clinics, and Zero Waste Challenge. County program development also began to increase salvage, reuse, and recycling of building materials. County pursues efforts to process more waste; takes ownership of HERC The state legislature eliminated the 1,000 tons per day limit for HERC in 2000, allowing it to process waste “to the full extent of its maximum yearly capacity,” if it did so in compliance with federal and state environmental laws and with a conditional use permit from Minneapolis (2000 Minn. Laws, Ch. 488, Art. 3, § 30). In 2003, the county bought HERC from General Electric for $37 million and paid off the debt for the original purchase in 2012. In 2010, the county sought modifications of both HERC’s conditional use permit and air permit to allow HERC to operate at its full capacity (1,212 tons per day). The county pursued this effort in conjunction with new waste reduction and recycling strategies to further reduce the amount of trash going to landfills and to maximize energy revenues for environmental programming. Processing additional trash at HERC received opposition from community and Minneapolis city council members. The air permitting process was drawn out over three years. Eventually, the county board withdrew the application in 2014 (Resolution 14-0058R2). This resolution also required the City of Minneapolis to offer organics recycling to its residential customers. New operator agreement In 2018, the county hired Great River Energy HERC Service LLC (GREHS) to operate HERC. The structure of the agreement with GREHS is a cost pass-through contract that includes the county paying GREHS a management fee. Under the terms of the agreement, the county reviews and approves operating and capital expenditures, providing greater transparency and accountability. 16 Amending the recycling ordinance Organics recycling programs for residents, at various businesses and nonprofit organizations, and at many schools continued to develop throughout the county during the 2010s. To accelerate the development of these programs, the county amended Ordinance 13 in 2018 to require businesses that generate high volumes of food waste to recycle that waste and to require all cities to offer organics recycling service to their residents. Also during this time, recycling programs switched to single stream so that all recycling is collected together, and the county reinvigorated efforts to improve recycling at multiunit buildings. Additionally, the state and the county passed new recycling requirements for businesses. Waste-to-energy facilities face pressure Seeking approval to process more trash at HERC and receiving negative attention while the Twins’ ballpark was sited next to the plant in 2010 renewed efforts by environmental activists and political leaders to close HERC. An international anti-incineration organization funded grassroot organizers in Minnesota to call for shutting down HERC. Efforts began at the state legislature to remove waste-to-energy from the definition of “renewable energy,” despite allowing landfills that recover methane to continue qualifying as “renewable” and receive the related benefits. Privately owned waste-to-energy plants also faced economic pressures. The owner of Elk River Resource Recovery Facility (ERRRF), Great River Energy, decided it was no longer economically feasible to continue operating ERRRF. GRE offered to sell ERRRF for $1.00 to Anoka, Sherburne, or Hennepin counties and continue to operate ERRRF under contract with the county that purchased it. Politically, Anoka County had no interest in staying in the waste business. Sherburne County was too small and could not afford to finance ERRRF operations. Hennepin County’s commissioners did not want to buy a facility that was located two counties away. Without an interested government entity, ERRRF closed in 2019, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of trash from the metro area being landfilled. 17 Trash generation and disposal methods In 2022, approximately 1.27 million tons of waste was generated in Hennepin County, a 2% decrease from 2021. Of the total waste generated, 41% was recycled or composted, and the rest was managed as trash. Figure 5 shows how trash has been disposed, either in a landfill or processed to recover energy. What materials are still in our trash? Organics are the single biggest opportunity for reducing and diverting trash. Currently, almost 30% of trash is organic material, which includes food waste and other compostable materials. Additionally, 15% is recyclable and 20% is other specialty or hard-to-recycle materials such as mattresses, carpet, building materials, and furniture. There is still a lot of trash – or materials for which the county does not currently have viable recovery options for – in the county’s waste stream. This trash, which represents 40% of the waste generated, includes pet waste, diapers, hygiene products, and nonrecyclable plastics. Figure 6 depicts the 10 most prevalent materials in trash by weight and presented in percentages. - 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 19841991199319951997199920012003200520072009201120132015201720192021TonsHow trash has been disposed in Hennepin County Fig. 5 Landfill Waste-to-energy 18 Minnesota’s land disposal abatement policy The MPCA’s Metro Policy Plan sets goals and policy for the metropolitan solid waste system, including establishing specific and quantifiable objectives for abating the need for and practice of land disposal in the metro region over the next 20 years. Waste generation in the metro area is forecasted to grow to 3.92 million tons by 2042, an increase of 18% from 2021 levels of 3.3 million tons. The draft Metro Policy Plan has established objectives for waste reduction, recycling, organics recycling, waste-to-energy, and landfilling to address this increase. The objectives are based on the following assumptions:  Metro counties will achieve the 75% recycling goal rate by 2030 in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 115A.551  All waste-to-energy facilities will operate at their full permitted capacities  Landfilling will be minimized, with only 5% of waste managed by land disposal by 2030 Based on statistical modeling by the MPCA, an estimated 1.55 million tons of waste will be generated in Hennepin County per year by 2042, a 19% increase from 2022. Figure 7 shows waste management in Hennepin County in five-year increments, noting significant milestones. Figure 7 also includes a projection for 2025 waste management based on the MPCA’s modeling in the Metro Policy Plan. 2.7% 3.0% 3.8% 4.2% 4.3% 4.9% 4.9% 5.7% 6.3% 19.0% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% Non-recyclable durable plastic Non-recyclable paper Non-recyclable plastic film Yard waste Treated wood, plywood Pet waste Diapers & hygiene products Compostable paper Very small items (< 1/2") Food waste Top 10 most prevalent materials in the trash Fig. 6 19 As shown in Figure 8, if HERC were to shut down, all trash generated in Hennepin County will be disposed of in landfills, resulting in disposal methods mirroring results from the early 1980s. 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 1984 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2020 2025 MPCA projectionTonsWaste management in Hennepin County Fig. 7 Landfill Waste-to-energy Recycling Yard waste and organics 0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 198419921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020w/o HERCTonsTrash disposal methods in Hennepin County Fig. 8 landfill waste to energy 20 MPCA direction on waste-to-energy facilities In its draft Metro Policy Plan, the MPCA states: The MPCA “supports waste to energy (WTE) facilities. WTE facilities provide important services and reduce environmental risk. They do not carry legacy impacts that result in later clean-ups. They also result in lower greenhouse gas emissions than landfills because they offset coal power and landfills emit methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Finally, WTEs are vital for destruction of medications and drugs that can contaminate drinking water. While the MPCA supports the concept that waste should be managed as high on the waste hierarchy as possible, as is evident from the rest of the policy plan, closing WTE facilities without a strong plan is inadvisable. It will only result in more landfilling and less material recycling, rather than increasing recycling and composting.” The draft Metro Policy Plan also includes a policy to “assure elected county officials understand the importance of supporting and maintaining WTE facilities” and a required strategy that “counties must continue to support the implementation of Minn. Stat. § 473.848 Restriction on Disposal.” The Restriction on Disposal prohibits disposal of unprocessed metro waste at a landfill unless that landfill meets new landfill standards, and (1) the trash has been certified by the county as unprocessible; or (2) the trash is transferred from a resource recovery facility, no other landfill can accept it, and the trash is unprocessible. Shutting down HERC prematurely before more meaningful waste reduction and recycling requirements are established by the legislature and adequately funded would be voluntarily taking a form of waste processing offline and would put the county out of compliance with the current landfill abatement laws. 21 Considerations and consequences This report describes the operational, legal and legislative, financial, and environmental conditions that should be met before HERC can be responsibly retired. In addition to these conditions, this report highlights the consequences – direct and indirect – that will result from a premature HERC closure. Operational considerations Buildings HERC plant If the county shuts down HERC, the county will need to decommission the plant. Decommissioning a power plant in the downtown area would be complex and expensive. Staff will work with consultants on developing cost estimates to decommission the facility. The adjacent county parking ramp would remain. Currently, Target Field Plaza’s snowmelt system uses excess heat from the production of energy at HERC to heat antifreeze and pump it through 50 miles of plastic tubing embedded in the parking ramp’s concrete. This warms the concrete and melts the snow without salt or other chemicals. Unless a new source of thermal energy was connected to this system, likely from the downtown district energy system, the sidewalks and driveways would need to be cleared with contracted snow removal services. Brooklyn Park Transfer Station (BPTS) Currently, the county transfers trash from the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station (BPTS) to HERC and landfills. This allows the county to control trash volumes delivered to HERC, an important operational component of managing HERC. If HERC were to shut down, there would be no regulated requirement to control trash volumes. The county may wish to evaluate other options for the solid waste portion of the transfer station:  Shut down the facility.  Lease or sell the solid waste transfer station capacity to a waste company or municipality that needs to transfer trash to a landfill. The transfer station’s proximity to freeway access and the Elk River landfill could be of interest to waste haulers.  Repurpose to serve as a reuse center or to manage construction and demolition waste. The Zero Waste Plan includes actions to establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers and to assess the feasibility of a building material reuse exchange warehouse and yard. BPTS could serve as a permanent location for repair clinics or as a hub for upcycling, sharing, refurbishing, and reusing. Alternatively, BPTS could serve as a construction materials bank where materials can be examined, repaired, and shared. Examples of materials that can be amassed and shared include rubble, fill, bricks and 22 pavers, stone and boulders, clean dimensional lumber, and compost. The county would need to determine how to fund these operations.  Explore opportunities to recover more recyclable materials. The Zero Waste Plan includes actions to expand drop-off options for harder to recycle items and to study options for recovering recyclable materials from the trash. Harder to recycle items include clothing and other textiles, plastics, and bulky items. Recovering material from the trash could be limited to high value, easily recoverable items (such as cardboard, ferrous metals, and plastics #1 and #2). The challenge is that the current footprint of the transfer station is not large enough to accommodate extensive operations with a lot of equipment. Smaller scale options would need to be evaluated. Contracts and employment The county manages six major contracts to operate HERC. If the county board decides to shut down HERC, there will be contract decisions to be made and employment consequences for hundreds of employees. HERC operator The county contracts with Great River Energy HERC Services, LLC (GREHS) for the management, operation, and maintenance of HERC. The current contract terminates December 31, 2025. The contract is structured as a pass-through contract with a monthly management fee paid to GREHS. Ash landfill/metal recovery The county contracts with SKB Environmental (Waste Connections) for ash disposal, metal recycling, and additional metal recovery at SKB’s Industrial Waste Landfill in Rosemount. SKB contracts with GEM-Ash to mechanically recover gold, copper, aluminum, steel, and other precious metals from ash. The contract with SKB expires on December 31, 2025. Steam sales The county has two contracts for the sale of steam that is generated at HERC. The first steam sales agreement is with Energy Center Minneapolis LLC, the downtown district energy provider. The contract with Energy Center Minneapolis expires March 2, 2025. The county also sells steam to Twins Ballpark LLC through a contract that expires in 2040. Power purchase agreement The county contracts with Xcel Energy for the sale of electricity generated at HERC through a power purchase agreement that expires on December 31, 2024. 23 HERC apprentice/workforce development The county contracts with Project for Pride in Living LLC for workforce development program for HERC apprentices. The contract expires on July 31, 2024. Jobs A total of 352 jobs are associated with HERC and are summarized in the table below. Jobs associated with HERC Table 1 Position Number of jobs Employer Associated with HERC operations Union representation County HERC contract managers 3 Hennepin County Direct Non-union Waste loader operators 3 Hennepin County Direct Local 49 union positions Scalehouse attendants 3 Hennepin County Direct AFSCME 2822 union positions HERC GRE operators and administration 53 Great River Energy HERC Services Direct 66% of employees are members of IBEW union HERC pathway apprentices 3 Great River Energy HERC Services Indirect Members of IBEW Sub-contractors for HERC outage projects and maintenance 250 Various contractor teams Indirect Local union teams complete 95% of the projects Metal recovery from ash 7 GEM-Ash Indirect Non-union County forestry and natural resources staff 30 Hennepin County Indirect Non-union Total jobs associated with HERC 352 The county employs three full time employees who oversee the operations at HERC, three AFSCME 2822 scalehouse attendants to manage hauler transactions at HERC and Brooklyn Park Transfer Station, and three full time Local 49 union employees at the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station and to transfer trash to HERC. Through the operations contract, GREHS employs 53 people to operate HERC, 35 of whom are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The average annual 24 salary at HERC is $102,000. These employees are highly trained and have an average of 11 years of experience working at the HERC facility. Long-term staff may begin leaving for other employment opportunities if a closure date is identified, which would make operations more challenging and present risks that would need to be mitigated. To maintain HERC, there are regularly scheduled outages each year to make repairs and ensure safe operation of the facility. Local union labor teams of, on average, 250 contractors complete approximately 95% of the projects, totaling $7 million in operational projects and $5 million in capital projects. In 2022, the county, GREHS, and Project for Pride in Living (PPL) started a HERC operator apprenticeship program to hire three diverse candidates to participate in a nine-month training program. The program provides a pathway to careers in the trades while supporting apprentices with full-time pay, benefits, and union access. Participants receive on-the-job training, classroom learning, and coaching to navigate barriers to employment. After the completion of the first year of the program, one apprentice has been hired by GREHS to a full-time position, another was hired by Hennepin County Facility Services, and the third apprentice is continuing their education and pursuing other employment. Year two of the apprenticeship program started in July 2023 with three new apprentices. Another company, GEM-Ash, employs seven people who operate equipment that mechanically recovers gold, copper, aluminum, nickel, steel and other precious metals from HERC’s ash at the SKB Environmental landfill.3 The county’s 30 natural resources positions are funded largely by HERC revenues from the sale of energy and recovered materials, as allowed by state statute (Minn. Stat. § 383B.236). Natural resources programming revenues are outlined on page 35. Resiliency of the energy infrastructure One goal of the county’s Climate Action Plan is to prepare for and ensure the safety of communities responding to extreme weather events such as flooding, extreme heat and cold, and other natural disasters. The county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies power-outages as a hazard, and the county’s Continuity of Operations Plan identifies HERC as an essential, top-level priority for waste disposal services and electricity generation. The county’s Climate Action Plan includes a strategy to create a more resilient energy infrastructure. HERC currently plays a role in ensuring redundancy and reliability in the power supply to withstand significant environmental extremes and to reduce the potential for blackouts, power outages, price spikes and public health risks associated with power loss. As more on-site, renewable energy and distributed energy storage becomes available, the role of HERC in a resilient energy infrastructure will decrease. 3 Star Tribune, How GEM-Ash recovers fold and other metals in HERC’s ash, Sept 2020 25 To fully determine the energy impact of ending HERC operations on the downtown electrical grid and related impacts to system reliability, Xcel Energy or others would need to complete an engineering study to determine the impact of taking HERC off the power grid. Trash disposal and impacts to cities About 75% of the trash delivered to HERC comes from Minneapolis residents and businesses. This accounts for the majority of all Minneapolis solid waste, both residential and commercial. The remaining 25% is residential trash from primarily Bloomington, Champlin, Deephaven, Excelsior, Hopkins, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Osseo, Robbinsdale, Richfield, St. Bonifacius, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay, and Wayzata. If HERC is no longer available as a disposal option, there will be direct financial impacts on Hennepin County businesses, municipalities, and residents. The county cannot foresee the exact severity of the price hikes, but in a completely privatized solid waste market, it is certain that the county will have no influence on the tipping fees the private sector transfer stations and landfills charge. Businesses, cities, and residents located closer to a landfill than to HERC may see a price increase to what they are currently paying for disposal services at HERC. Those located closer to HERC, where the distance to a landfill is greater, are likely to see larger price increases related to the need to transfer and transport trash further distances. The costs associated with transferring and transporting trash would be passed on from the haulers to residential and commercial customers. Minneapolis considerations The City of Minneapolis’ solid waste services includes organized collection of 107,000 residential units’ recycling, organics recycling, and trash, as well as collection from 200 larger residential or commercial properties, parks, and city buildings. In 2022, Minneapolis delivered nearly 80,000 tons of residential trash to HERC. Minneapolis solid waste services customers recycle and compost 35% of the waste generated.4 The City of Minneapolis and its contracted haulers send approximately 60 garbage trucks per day (Monday through Friday) to HERC. In addition, Minneapolis sends one to two transfer trailers per week from its South Transfer Station to HERC. If HERC were to shut down, the City of Minneapolis will need to identify alternative strategies to manage and haul trash. Staff do not have information from the City of Minneapolis, but the county estimates that costs would significantly increase based on current available market rates. The tipping fees paid to dispose of nearly 80,000 tons of residential trash would likely rise from the current $69 per ton at HERC to closer to $90 to $100 per ton at metro landfills, including tipping fees, surcharges, transfer costs, and transportation costs. A $20 to $30 per ton increase in disposal costs would 4 Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling Annual Tonnages report 2018-2022 26 represent a 30% to 45% increase in the cost to manage trash generated within the City of Minneapolis. Overall, this change could result in $1.7 million to $2.5 million of additional costs per year. Those costs will be passed directly on to homeowners and renters. Trash generated by Minneapolis businesses About 180,000 tons of trash are produced annually by businesses located in Minneapolis, and more than 90% of those tons are delivered by private waste haulers to HERC. Ceasing operations at HERC would likely mean this trash would be delivered to the Malcolm Transfer Station in southeast Minneapolis before going to a landfill and/or go directly to metro area landfills. Again, the waste fees will, in all likelihood, increase costs for business owners. Assuming the cost to dispose of waste could increase to $90 to $100 per ton, a conservative estimate of $3.4 million to $5 million in increased costs for Minneapolis businesses per year. Suburban considerations Nearly every city in the county has trash delivered to Brooklyn Park Transfer Station and/or HERC. Numerous suburban cities contract directly with waste haulers to dispose of all residential trash at HERC: Bloomington, Champlin, Deephaven, Excelsior, Hopkins, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Osseo, Robbinsdale, Richfield, St. Bonifacius, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay, and Wayzata. Without county participation in solid waste management, it is likely that these cities will need to truck their trash to a transfer station or directly to a landfill in Burnsville, Elk River, or Inver Grove Heights. Additionally, haulers deliver trash to HERC from businesses and residential accounts across the county, not just from these cities. Without HERC, these haulers would also need to find alternative disposal options and would pass those costs onto their customers. Consequence: A HERC shutdown will lead to increased waste removal costs for cities, residents, and businesses in Hennepin County. Liability assessments All cities and other public entities that will contract for additional landfilling in the absence of HERC, including Minneapolis, will need to submit a potential liability assessment and plan to the MPCA, accounting for the potential liability to the city and its taxpayers for landfilling the trash. This is because landfilling is lower on the solid waste hierarchy than waste-to-energy, and landfilling would be in violation of the county’s (current) solid waste management plan (Minn. Stat. § 115A.471). In general, potential landfill environmental cleanup liability and closure costs across the region will be increased due to increased landfilling. 27 Control and further consolidation of the solid waste system The county’s research for its Zero Waste Plan showed that more public control over the solid waste system was a defining factor in the success of high-performing communities. The gaps analysis notes that leading zero-waste communities exert a higher level of control over their materials management, hauling, and processing systems by providing direct service, using contracts, or adopting franchise agreements. This has helped those communities increase access to services for all generators, reduce the number of trucks driving down their streets, provide competitive rates to generators, and use incentive structures that encourage haulers to achieve greater levels of diversion and reduced contamination. The Office of the Legislative Auditor produced a report on Recycling and Waste Reduction 5 that summarized the implications of a further privatized system: Several events in the last decade have curtailed counties’ ability to manage their garbage. The waste hauling industry has consolidated as small independent haulers have been purchased by larger companies. These large national waste hauling companies also own landfills and transfer stations in Minnesota and surrounding states. These changes in the waste hauling industry have highlighted the tension between counties’ efforts to meet state policy goals and private sector interests. Because the larger hauling companies own their own landfills, they have an incentive to maximize the amount of garbage that is landfilled and a disincentive to encourage their customers to recycle. In addition, waste haulers are not paying the full cost of disposal at landfills which includes landfill closure, post-closure maintenance and monitoring, and financial assurance for possible cleanup of future groundwater contamination. If HERC were to shut down, the county expects further privatization of the system. Local landfills are operated by two multinational corporations – Republic Services and Waste Management. These corporations also offer trash hauler services in the county in addition to four larger independent haulers and 62 smaller haulers, which includes small- and minority-owned business enterprises. Consequence: Further loss of control over the solid waste system and risk of consolidation to independent and small haulers will likely contribute to higher waste collection costs. 5 Office of the Legislative Auditor Program Evaluation Report on Recycling and Waste Reduction (2002) 28 Legal and financial considerations Compliance with state statute Minnesota statutes require metropolitan counties to submit to the MPCA solid waste management plans that adhere to and implement the Metropolitan Policy Plan, the most recent draft of which prioritizes landfill diversion and aims to “achieve full use of resource recovery facility capacity” (MPP 2022 – 2042 Draft, 11). The Metropolitan Policy Plan “shall address the state policies and purposes expressed in section 115A.02 [the waste hierarchy].” (emphasis added). (Minn. Stat. § 473.149.) The Metropolitan Policy Plan itself is statutorily required to set “quantifiable metropolitan objectives for abating . . . land disposal,” which the county solid waste management plans must implement (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.149, subd. 2d; 473.803, subd. 1c). The draft Metro Policy Plan also includes a policy to: “Assure elected county officials understand the importance of supporting and maintaining WTE facilities,” and a required strategy that “counties must continue to support the implementation of Minn. Stat. § 473.848 Restriction on Disposal.” (see page 20; MPP 2022 – 2042 Draft, 10; 41). If the county’s solid waste management plan does not comply with the Metropolitan Policy Plan, the MPCA could reject the county’s plan, and the county would have to revise it and resubmit it for approval (Minn. Stat. § 473.803, subd. 2). It is unclear whether the MPCA would reject a county plan that closed HERC before waste reduction and recycling rates allowed for a simultaneous reduction in the need for landfilling and that made cities and the private sector responsible for disposing of the current volumes of solid waste into landfills. An unapproved solid waste management plan could lead to a loss of the county’s SCORE (the Governor’s Select Committee on Recycling and the Environment) funding (Minn. Stat. § 115A.557, subd. 3). In addition to the county’s solid waste management plan, the county must comply with the state’s landfill abatement statutes and annually submit a certification report to the MPCA detailing how much unprocessed trash went into landfills in the preceding year, explain why the trash was not processed (which includes waste-to-energy), include a strategy to increase the processing of trash, and report any progress towards that goal. (Minn. Stat. § 473.848, subds 2, 5). The statute indicates the MPCA will approve of a certification report “if it determines that the county is reducing and will continue to reduce the amount of unprocessed waste” (Minn. Stat. § 473.848, subd. 2). Absent that finding, it is unclear whether the MPCA will continue to approve the county’s annual certifications required by this statute. Finally, if the county were to delegate its solid waste responsibilities to the private sector or to cities (or to a combination of both), there are statutory and financial requirements the county must meet to accomplish this. The county would need to “establish a funding mechanism to assure the ability of the entity to which it delegates responsibility to adequately carry out the responsibility delegated” (Minn. Stat. § 115A.46, subd. 4). Additionally, the county would need to ensure, by “active oversight,” that the private sector accomplishes the goals and requirements of the Metro Policy Plan, which prioritize resource recovery over landfilling (Minn. Stat. § 473.803, 29 subd. 5). The county would also be required to continue to “enforc[e] waste management law,” which includes adherence to the landfill abatement statutes. Consequence: Removing HERC from the county’s solid waste management system would render the county unable to implement the anticipated Metro Policy Plan and the state’s landfill abatement policy, therefore putting the county out of compliance with current state statute. It would also require the county’s ongoing financial support for the cities that take over solid waste responsibilities and active oversight of the private sector and enforcement of waste management laws. Landfill capacity Landfills have finite capacity based on MPCA and local governance permits, space constraints, and the surrounding land use. Landfills in greater Minnesota and surrounding states are less constrained that metro area landfills, but transportation costs and the associated environmental impacts are greater. State law requires that no metro area landfills expand their capacities without a Certificate of Need (CON) issued by the MPCA indicating that the additional landfill capacity is needed. The MPCA must certify that there are no feasible and prudent alternatives to landfilling, including waste reduction, source separation, and resource recovery (Minn. Stat. § 473.823, subd. 6). Advocates for HERC’s closure frequently cite HERC’s existence as a barrier to the formation of a fully equitable zero-waste system, asserting that a shutdown date and transition plan would create a concerted effort across local governments and mobilize the county's resources and will towards achieving zero waste. The solid waste system in Minnesota has two case studies of waste-to-energy plant closures that contradict this theory: the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District’s waste-to-energy facility closure in 1999 (Fig. 8) and the closure of the Great River Energy Recovery Facility in 2019 (Fig. 9). 30 Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) – Impact of waste-to-energy facility closure on disposal method Fig. 9 The closure of the waste-to-energy facility in Duluth shows that closing a waste-to-energy facility leads to more landfilling (figure 9) and demonstrates the challenge of making progress toward zero waste. More recently, in 2019, the Great River Energy Resource Recovery Facility in Elk River closed. The closure of that facility has resulted in more than 250,000 tons of trash per year going to landfills (figure 10) and directly caused the need for landfill expansions in the metro area. Impact of GRE Elk River closure in 2019 on metro trash disposal method Fig. 10 - 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016Tons Landfill Waste-to-Energy 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021Tons Landfill Waste-to-energy 31 MPCA analysis determined that over the next seven years, assuming HERC remains operational, approximately 6 million tons of trash from the metro area will need to be disposed of in landfills.6 With fewer metro waste-to-energy facilities available and the high financial and environmental costs associated with hauling trash to facilities outside the metro, the MPCA decided in 2021 that additional metro area landfill capacity was necessary. Without the expansions, the MPCA had concerns that metro area residents would be unable to manage their trash. If HERC were to cease operations in the very near future, the recently granted additional landfill capacity will last five years instead of the planned seven years. It is not clear if additional expansion of metro area landfill capacity is possible. Total landfill capacity in the metro area may be limited to 8 to 22 years. The prospect of permitting a new landfill in or near the metro area would be extremely challenging due to location siting, zoning limitations, obtaining a local use permit, and public concerns. The MPCA would be responsible for environmental review and would need to issue the solid waste permit. As shown in figure 11, if HERC were to cease operations before fully resourcing and implementing the county’s Zero Waste Plan, the county could expect to see a dramatic increase in the amount of trash landfilled, reversing 40 years of solid waste system investment to avoid landfilling. Hennepin County trash disposal method Fig. 11 6 MPCA Metro landfill certificate of need process documentation - 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000 800,000 900,000 1,000,000 19841991199319951997199920012003200520072009201120132015201720192021w/o HERCTonsLandfill Waste-to-energy 32 Consequence: Closure of HERC within the next several years, given the county’s current trash generation levels, will require additional landfill capacity and/or new landfills sited in the metro in the next five years. These options will be logistically, politically, and regulatorily complex and problematic. Alternatively, county residents and businesses will pay to truck their trash further and further away, assuming those facilities will accept metro area trash. Solid Waste Enterprise Fund State law requires the county to maintain a Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (Fund 34 or “fund”) to receive revenues from the county’s solid waste services – including waste tip fees, the Solid Waste Management Fee (Ordinance 15), and sale of HERC’s energy and recyclable material (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.811, subd. 9; 400.08). This fund also receives any federal and state grants used to pay for waste, recycling, and other environmental programs. Revenues generated by HERC significantly exceed capital and operating expenditures for the facility and provide the primary revenue source for the county’s natural resources programs. The fund’s cash balance from solid waste activities, as of March 31, 2023, was $49.3 million. The county’s debt for the initial construction of HERC ($134.5 million) was paid off in 2012. The county plans approximately $5 million to $6 million per year in capital improvement projects. These investments maintain the facility and preserve HERC’s complex environmental controls to not only ensure compliance with air emission permit requirements but also to invest in emission reduction technology to achieve greater environmental performance for residents and safety measures for employees. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding debt from capital projects was $37.7 million, and would be fully paid off in 2042 (if it is not added to going forward). This indebtedness is through general obligation bonds tied to 20-year maturities. Currently, revenue generated by HERC pays this debt service obligation. If HERC is decommissioned and no longer generates revenue, the county will need to find other revenue sources to pay this debt. If the county ceases operating HERC, the county would lose the primary funding source for its current natural resources programming, which includes key climate initiatives such as the one million trees goal. Additional detail on the complexity of the natural resources program revenues are outlined on page 35. Revenues The county’s 2023 revenue budget for the Environment and Energy department is $93.6 million. Of this amount, nearly $59 million will be generated by two different solid waste management fees: the Ordinance 15 Solid Waste Management Fee and the “tip fee.” In 1995, the county established Ordinance 15, the Solid Waste Management Fee, to fund the implementation of state mandates governing waste management programs. The fee is paid by residents and businesses that pay private waste haulers and/or cities for trash pickup. The fee is not applied to recycling or organics pickup services. Fee revenue collected by the county 33 increases when the volume of trash being collected by haulers increases or when the price of trash collection services increases. Additionally, haulers pay a “tip fee” to deliver waste to transfer stations, HERC, and landfills. The county’s 2023 contract rate for tip fees at both HERC and BPTS is $69 per ton, generating an estimated revenue of $30.4 million. The rate for non-contract tip fees (gate rate) is $90 per ton. Tip fees are adjusted periodically to keep up with increased costs to operate the system. County revenue from tip fees is also volume-based and increases or decreases based on the amount of trash being delivered to county-owned solid waste facilities. As shown in Figure 12, tip fees, together with the Solid Waste Management Fee (Ordinance 15), provide the primary sources of revenue to support the county’s solid waste system, including its waste reduction, recycling, and education initiatives, and all of the county’s continued efforts to advance a zero-waste future. In addition to tip fees and solid waste management fees, Hennepin County generates revenues from energy and metal sales from HERC. Legally, only these HERC-derived commodity revenues, not the tip fees or Solid Waste Management Fee, can be used to fund the county’s natural resource programs (Minn. Stat. § 383B.236). The county sells the energy and metal commodities at market rate. Because the market rates for electricity, steam and metal are volatile, the county budgets conservatively for these revenues each year. Revenue streams from commodity sales include:  Electricity produced at HERC and sold to Xcel Energy (range: $3 million to $4 million)  Steam produced at HERC and sold to Cordia Energy for the downtown district energy system (range: $250,000 to $350,000)  Steam produced at HERC and sold to the Twins Ballpark (range: $100,000 to $135,000)  Metal recovered from HERC and sold to SKB (range: $350,000 to $450,000) 34 Environment and Energy Department Revenues Fig. 11 (2023 budgeted revenues) Expenditures The primary expenditures for HERC include:  Operations agreement: The county contracts with GREHS to operate HERC. The county paid GREHS $24.56 million in 2022. This covers labor, supplies, and commodities.  Ash disposal: After combustion at HERC, the volume of waste is reduced by 90%. The county contracts with SKB to screen the waste to recover additional metals and dispose of the remaining ash in a landfill. The county budgeted $2.8 million in 2023 for managing these services.  Property insurance and fleet services fees: The county budgeted $2.2 million in 2023 for these expenses. During a year when there is an extended maintenance outage at HERC related to repairs to the turbine/generator, tip fees and electrical revenue will decrease, and expenditures may exceed revenues for that budget year. The county plans and budgets for these fluctuations and pays for expenses during these periods using the fund balance. Environment and Energy Department programming revenues Without revenues from managing solid waste, projections indicate that the county would experience considerable uncertainty and disruption to the revenues it uses to support the activities of the Environment and Energy Department. Property Tax $250K, 0% Federal and State, $6.45M 8% Solid Waste Management Fees $27.45M, 33% Tipping Fees $31.02M, 38% HERC Energy and Metal Sales, $5.69M 7% Environmental Response Fund, 4% PACE, 7% Licenses,1% Other, 2% 35 If the county shut down HERC, the county could also expect to stop collecting any revenue from the “tip fee” for trash that is currently delivered to the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station or to the HERC. Tip fees are budgeted at $30.4 million in 2023. County Ordinance 15 would remain in effect, and the county’s Solid Waste Management Fee would continue to be collected. As seen in Table 2, revenue from this fee is budgeted at $27.5 million in 2023. The sustainability of relying on Ordinance 15 as the sole revenue source for Environment and Energy programs is unclear, especially as efforts toward achieving zero waste continue. As the volume of solid waste decreases with zero-waste efforts, revenues from Solid Waste Management Fees may decrease. Furthermore, the cost to implement zero-waste strategies are largely unknown at this time and may exceed the amount of revenue generated by collecting Solid Waste Management Fees. The 2023 annual budget for waste reduction and recycling is $11.5 million, with about $3.5 million of state SCORE dollars passed through to the cities. The 2024 proposed budget includes $12.4 million for waste reduction and recycling. A conservative estimate would be a 5% increase each year for expanded zero-waste programming. However, it is important to note that advancing zero waste will not be achieved through county programming alone. As identified in the Zero Waste Plan, the county must play an important role in zero-waste infrastructure as well. Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties collaborate in areas of waste and energy management, including legislation and policy development, communications, and planning and evaluation of waste processing technologies. This collaboration, established through a joint powers agreement between Hennepin County and Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy (R&E), is called the Partnership on Waste and Energy. Both Ramsey and Washington counties are pursuing significant investments in solid waste infrastructure. These counties have jointly invested approximately $50 million in their Recycling & Energy Center to recover more recyclables and organics from the waste stream. They are also moving forward with plans for an anerobic digestor facility that will be almost three times the size of Hennepin County’s proposed facility. The facility would process waste from Ramsey and Washington counties and other entities. The estimated annual cost of their anaerobic digestion waste delivery contract is $6 million over a 20-year period. In addition, Ramsey County has plans for a new $29 million recycling center, and Washington County has plans for a new $18 million residential waste disposal facility. Apart from the capital budget maintenance projects at HERC, Hennepin County last invested significant resources into solid waste infrastructure in 2000 with an expansion at the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station. Natural resources programming revenues Natural resource program expenditures are budgeted at $6.3 million in 2023, with $4.5 million of funding coming from the sale of energy and recovered materials from HERC (see Table 2). 36 Historically, land and water programs, including conservation work and the Lake Minnetonka program, were funded primarily by property tax. In 2009, the state legislature allowed the county’s Environment and Energy Department to transition these costs away from property tax and finance them with revenues derived from HERC’s energy and recovered materials sales instead (Minn. Stat. § 383B.236). The recovered energy sales revenue created an opportunity for the county to manage trees on county property and meaningfully address emerald ash borer, saving the county hundreds of thousands of dollars, typically funded with property tax, by completing much of this work with the county’s own foresters. The county began expanding conservation easement work as the county assumed the role of the Soil and Water Conservation District. The Climate Action Plan further prioritized the county’s natural resources work to sequester carbon, manage increased stormwater, and reduce the heat island effect. The Department’s 2023 budget significantly ramps up investments needed over the next several decades to address climate change, adding FTEs and dollars to the department’s core functions to advance and expand climate initiatives. This work is largely funded by revenues from HERC (see Figure 13). The revenue generated from the sale of energy and recovered materials cannot continue to sustain the level of investment needed to continue these initiatives. Funding sources for natural resources and forestry programs Fig. 13 (2023 operating budget) State Grants $1.22M, 19% Watershed Partnership $270K, 4% HERC $4.59M 73% Property Tax $250K, 4% 37 If HERC were to shut down prematurely, forestry, natural resources, and some climate programming would need to significantly and immediately scale back, or the county would need to allocate funds from property tax or other sources to fund these programs. State law prohibits Hennepin County from accessing other solid waste management revenues not derived from the sale of energy and recovered materials to support these initiatives (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.811, subd. 9 & 383B.236). Scaling back these activities would negatively impact the county’s progress toward reaching its climate action goals. Some of the county’s natural resource programs are statutorily mandated, including enforcement of the Wetland Conservation Act and Buffer Law, the agricultural inspection program including noxious weed control, and the Lake Minnetonka program. Consequence: If HERC shuts down without a clear and robust plan for alternative funding, the board will need to significantly scale back or eliminate much of the county’s current forestry, natural resources, and climate action programming. 38 Environment and Energy Department revenues and expenses Table 2 39 Environmental considerations Climate impacts Methane emissions Greenhouse gas mitigation experts7 continue to recognize waste-to-energy as a transitional climate solution because it reduces methane emissions by keeping trash out of landfills. When food waste, paper, wood, and other biogenic materials in trash end up in landfills, they create methane, which is 28 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 100- year period.8 From a climate perspective, until most of the biogenic waste is removed from the waste stream or recycled, it is better to manage biogenic waste with waste-to-energy than to dispose of the waste in landfills. Currently, about 50% of trash generated in Hennepin County is biogenic material. Modern, local landfills have gas recovery systems that capture 75% to 85% of methane gas and flare it or use it as fuel.9 Based on information provided by the MPCA, the landfills in Burnsville, Elk River, and Inver Grove Heights are flaring this gas – meaning the methane is burned without recovering energy. This produces carbon dioxide and other pollutants. The Inver Grove Heights landfill is both flaring and converting some gas to fuel. The Elk River landfill has a renewable natural gas plant coming online in the next 18 months. The Burnsville landfill is exploring adding a renewable natural gas plant. Landfills that flare gas have three times higher global warming impacts than HERC. This is calculated by using standard protocols to compare the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emission offsets from the energy generation associated with HERC with a landfill that flares its landfill gas. The difference in overall CO2e emissions from the two scenarios is approximately an increase of 52,000 tons of CO2e per year for landfilling, or approximately 150% of the annual net CO2e emissions from HERC. If local landfills were to add renewable natural gas plants, the climate impacts depend on whether the renewable natural gas is converted to electricity or used as vehicle fuel. If converted to electricity, the difference in overall CO2e emissions is approximately an increase of 18,000 tons of CO2e per year for landfilling, or approximately 52% of the annual net CO2e emissions from HERC. If converted to fuel and replacing diesel fuel, the CO2e emissions per year for landfilling is comparable to HERC. The MPCA compared the climate impacts of processing trash into energy to disposing of trash in a landfill over time. This is important because a ton of trash put in a landfill will continue to produce methane over many decades. As depicted in Fig. 13, the example assumes one ton of trash per year for each disposal method for 25 years. In a landfill, one ton of trash will emit some methane initially. Eventually, conditions in the landfill develop where anaerobic digestion is 7 Project Drawdown Climate Solutions, Waste to Energy 8 USEPA Overview of Greenhouse Gases 9 USEPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program, Landfill Gas Energy Projects 40 efficiently converting carbon to methane. In this example, no more trash is added to the landfill after year 25, but methane emissions continue for decades until carbon is depleted. By comparison, when a ton of trash is burned each year, 0.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide is released. The release ends when the ton of trash is completely burned. In this example, no further carbon dioxide is released at year 26, so the graph is flat. Recent studies10 using direct monitoring of landfills show the current emission factors vastly undercount methane and other landfill emissions, so the climate impact of landfilling waste over processing through waste-to-energy is even greater than estimated. Consequence: If HERC shuts down when the current volume of trash is being produced in the county and when a significant portion of that trash is still organic material, the shutdown will result in an immediate and significant increase in landfilling and a parallel increase in methane released from those landfills, putting the state and the county further from established greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Comparing climate impacts of trash disposal methods over time (source MPCA) Fig. 13 10 Environmental Integrity Project, Notice of Intent to the USEPA, December 9, 2021 41 Metal recovery Metal in the trash is also recovered from the ash from HERC. Approximately 16,000 tons a year are recovered, which is more than double the amount of metal recovered through curbside collection programs in Hennepin County. Comparatively, local landfills do not process trash to recover metal before land disposal. Producing new metal to replace the amount currently recovered at HERC and recycled would produce approximately 43,000 CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions each year.11 Consequence: If HERC shuts down without an alternative method for recycling large amounts of metals from the waste stream, that metal will go straight into landfills and more greenhouse gases will be emitted in the production of new metal. Electricity production The electricity produced at HERC powers the equivalent of 25,000 homes annually. A ton of trash processed at HERC creates electricity to run a house for 18 days. A ton of trash buried in a landfill that coverts its landfill gas to electricity would run a house for 3 days.12 As more energy in the electrical grid is generated from renewable sources, the climate benefits of waste-to-energy will decrease. Minnesota recently updated its renewable energy standard to require 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Xcel Energy’s renewable electricity percentage is currently 34%.13 The steam produced at HERC and put into the downtown district energy system, owned by Cordia Energy, offsets the use of natural gas, the system’s primary fuel source. Further, natural gas is still used to heat two-thirds of Minnesota homes.14 Consequence: With the shutdown of HERC, annual electricity used by 25,000 homes and steam to heat downtown buildings on the district energy system will be eliminated and no longer offset the use of fossils fuels by energy producers. Water Impacts to both groundwater and surface water from landfills have traditionally been tied to the production of leachate. 11 EPA CCCL Emission Factor Hub. April, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/ghg-emission- factors-hub and World Steel Association, https://worldsteel.org/wp-content/uploads/Life-cycle-inventory- LCI-study-2020-data-release.pdf 12 Calculations made by Hennepin County staff based on US Energy Information Administration estimate of 900 kWh/month of electricity for an average house, and EPA comparison of kWH/ton recovered from WTE (600 kWh/ton) vs landfill gas recovery (65 kWh/ton), 13 Xcel Energy Certified Renewable Percentage, 2021 14 Decarbonizing Minnesota's Natural Gas End Uses (e21initiative.org) 42 Many operating landfills have documented impacts to groundwater. These impacts are largely connected to a “legacy” unlined portion of the landfill that has been capped and a modern, lined landfill has been developed adjacent to the unlined portion. Subtitle D regulations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) include proscriptive requirements for the location, design, construction, operation, groundwater monitoring, closure, post-closure care, and financial assurance of landfills. The MPCA has been given the authority to administer the Subtitle D requirements. This is done through the facility permitting process that also addresses the liner, leachate collection, and proper leachate management. Landfill leachate is managed in several ways. Many facilities accumulate and temporarily store leachate in tanks, while some use ponds. Most leachate is sent to publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities for treatment, and the treated water is discharged along with treated municipal wastewater. Some leachate is recirculated in the landfill to enhance waste degradation with the goal of achieving relatively inert material. Modern landfills can still leak. In fact, leakage is assumed in design and modeling calculations even given full compliance with RCRA in design, construction, and operation. Other factors leading to leaks include mismanagement, accidents, and extreme weather. Leak detection systems are installed underneath the leachate sumps, which are the most likely places a liner will leak. The MPCA requires landfill operators to test groundwater monitoring wells to determine whether waste pollutants have leached from the landfill. Leaks from areas of the liner other than the leachate sumps would eventually show up in the monitoring wells but would take a long time to contribute at a level to detect in groundwater. Following closure, the rules require a minimum 20-year period of post-closure monitoring and maintenance. The goal is to continue post-closure care until the facility reaches a relatively stable state based on leachate, gas quantity and quality, physical stability and environmental monitoring. When landfills seek to expand, the project may require environmental review in the form of a mandatory or supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will assess impacts and mitigation measures associated with:  Groundwater quality and areas of impact in the vicinity  The groundwater monitoring plan  Predicted future groundwater levels and flow direction using existing and updated information  Potential impacts to nearby drinking water wells  Potential changes in impacts to groundwater resulting from the additional weight  A comparison of the pre-expansion surface water discharge rates to the post-project surface water discharge rates for 2-year, 10-year, 500-year storm events and extreme 43 flooding events, and identification of potential impacts and suggested measures to mitigate those impacts  An assessment of the change in drainage to wetlands located within the new development area for the pre-expansion and post-project conditions A modern, well-maintained landfill in compliance with its permits poses little risk to groundwater or surface water at the landfill location. But with leachate being treated at a wastewater treatment facility, there is the potential for pollutants to be discharged into surface water with the treated wastewater. HERC has two sewer discharge permits: a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is for cooling tower blowdown that discharges to surface water through the storm sewer and a Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) permit is for sanitary and industrial discharge to the water treatment plant. HERC meets all water discharge permit requirements and poses little risk to surface waters. Consequence: A shut down of HERC will result in increased risk for water contamination as the amount of unprocessed waste being landfilled climbs. Forever chemicals Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been commonly used for their water- and grease-resistant properties in many industrial applications and consumer products. This includes carpeting, waterproof clothing, upholstery, food paper wrappings, cookware, personal care products, fire-fighting foams, and metal plating. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are persistent and can bioaccumulate, meaning the amount builds up in the body over time. PFAS have been linked with certain cancers, immune deficiencies, and developmental problems.15 According to the MPCA, PFAS in landfills can migrate into the leachate, which is often treated at a wastewater treatment facility. Few existing removal systems installed at landfills or wastewater treatment plants are capable of removing PFAS, creating the potential for PFAS to be discharged into surface water with the treated wastewater. A recent report16 commissioned by the MPCA found that the removal and destruction of PFAS from certain wastewater streams in Minnesota could cost an estimated $14 billion to $28 billion over two decades. While there is uncertainty that waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities consistently maintain the operating conditions required to completely destroy PFAS, thermal destruction is among the mitigation technologies suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control 15 Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS explained 16 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, News release and report on unaffordable costs of destroying PFAS in wastewater 44 PFAS in air emissions.17 HERC, along with 144 other waste facilities, is likely to be asked to participate in the MPCA’s PFAS monitoring plan18 to collect and analyze PFAS air emissions data in HERC’s annual emissions test. This data will help the MPCA and federal agencies develop minimization strategies to reduce PFAS releases into the environment. Results of this data collection effort are expected in 2025. Consequence: Shutting down HERC before research on whether waste-to-energy facilities are able to completely destroy PFAS means the county could be losing a potential solution to the problem of forever chemicals. Air pollution Health risks In 2021, the county contracted with Barr Engineering to complete an evaluation of HERC’s air emissions and associated health risks using the MPCA’s MNRisks analysis tool. The analysis provided context about the relationship between air emissions (the pollutants released into the air from numerous types of sources), air quality (the concentrations of pollutants in the air we breathe), and risk (potential health impacts associated with outdoor air quality). The EPA, MPCA, and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) use the science of “risk assessment” to characterize the nature and extent of potential health impacts to people due to chemical contaminants in the environment (air, water, and soil). To summarize the findings:  HERC operates air pollution control equipment to reduce pollutants in the exhaust released at the stack.  MPCA’s risk assessment data indicates that cancer and non-cancer risks from HERC emissions are well below MDH’s incremental risk thresholds.  Like other permitted facilities, the MPCA does not allow HERC to emit pollutants in amounts that would increase cancer or non-cancer risks above incremental risk thresholds.  Emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by mobile (72%) and non-point (24%) sources, and those are sources more likely to have greater health impacts on residents in the area compared to permitted sources like HERC.  Based on MPCA data, the overall impact from HERC’s emissions, in isolation, is negligible, and especially when compared with the current background cancer and non-cancer levels that result from all other sources, such as vehicle emissions, unpermitted emissions sources, other environmental sources (water and soil contamination), poor indoor air 17 US Environmental Protection Agency, Interim Guidance on the Destruction and Disposal of PFAS and Substances and Materials containing PFAS 18 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, PFAS Monitoring Plan 45 quality in homes and workplaces, smoking, limited access to health care, and food insecurity.  HERC emissions are not likely to cause more cancer or non-cancer health effects in one part of the community than in another. MPCA’s data indicates no disproportionate impact on any particular census tract; rather, it shows similar and low impact to all populations.  Shutting down HERC will not result in observable health outcome improvements for residents of Minneapolis or its suburbs. Consequence: Closure of HERC will increase truck transport of trash throughout the county and outside of Hennepin County to landfills, resulting in more than 10,000 additional trips by semi-trailer trucks and the associated vehicle emissions annually. Air pollution from landfills Comparing air pollution from managing waste at HERC to disposal at landfills is challenging. The MPCA states: “the comparative standing of landfills will be quite limited when it comes to air emissions because there has been a persistent lack of actual data about air emissions from the surface area of landfills. While waste-to-energy plants must provide continuously or regularly monitored emission data for a specific set of air pollutants, landfills do not have to collect any continuous data from the surface of the landfill, only from the landfill-gas collection system and only if they have one.”19 The following air pollutants are emitted from landfills through several means, including from the waste directly through the landfill cover, from the combustion of landfill gas, or from trucks and compaction vehicles at the landfill:  Criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Air toxics and hazardous air pollutants: vinyl chloride, ethyl benzene, toluene, and benzene  Greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide calculated as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). Air pollution from landfill fires The risk of fires is another air quality concern associated with land disposal of trash. The growing use of lithium-ion batteries in electronics, power tools, flashlights, toys, and other products increases the risk of fires in trash caused by damage to these batteries.20 Fires are very difficult to control in a landfill because of the large fuel source. Once put out, landfill fires can continue 19 MPCA Program Management Decision Memo, Issue Waste-to-Energy in an Integrated Solid Waste Management System, Effective date: June 14, 2010. 20 An Analysis of Lithium-ion Battery Fires in Waste Management and Recycling (epa.gov) 46 to smolder and emit toxic smoke for weeks. Contaminants of concern for landfill fires include carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, benzene, VOCs, dioxins/furans, heavy metals, and PAHs.21 Landfills are not equipped with air pollution control equipment to reduce the emissions impact when fires do occur. Depending on the size and location of the fire, the landfill liner and leachate and gas collection systems can be damaged. According to the MPCA, there have been 26 fires at municipal solid waste landfills in Minnesota since 2010. The most recent landfill fire occurred at the Rice Lake Landfill in May 2023. By documenting the response to the emergency, Rice County provided an example of relevant concerns associated with landfill fires.22 The fire burned for four days. Air quality monitoring equipment was ordered but not available for three days due to limited regional supplies. When residential properties within one mile of the landfill were tested for particulates and gases, air quality met standards. The cause of the fire remains unknown. Rice County is now determining if the landfill liner was damaged by the fire. Legacy impacts of landfilling According to the MPCA, landfills must be managed forever to prevent groundwater contamination, and decomposing waste will continue to release greenhouse gases. Further, trash in landfills can overheat, causing underground fires, and continue to compact, creating unstable ground that cannot be used for future development.23 In 1994, the Landfill Cleanup Act created Minnesota’s Closed Landfill Program so the state could effectively protect human health, safety, and the environment associated with certain closed, state-permitted, mixed municipal solid waste landfills throughout Minnesota. The program’s goals include managing the risks to human health and the environment associated with:  Human exposure to landfill waste  Contaminated groundwater and surface water emanating from the waste area  Landfill gas migrating from the waste that could threaten nearby structures as well as be released to the atmosphere as a greenhouse gases  Chemical vapors released from shallow contaminated groundwater into structures In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature established the Closed Landfill Investment Fund (CLIF) for the purpose of setting aside and investing money for future post-closure care of the Closed Landfill 21 Landfill Fire Response Guide for Surface and Subsurface Fires at Solid Waste Facilities October 2018 Version 2.0 Referenced from USFA-FEMA 22 Landfill fire updates | Rice County, MN (ricecountymn.gov) 23 MPCA Waste-to-Energy GHG presentation Source: Rice County 47 Program landfills. The Closed Landfill Program is responsible for the permanent, long-term care of the program landfills. Each year, the Closed Landfill Program projects its future, 30-year financial obligations and liabilities required to care for the landfills. The program’s current contractual obligations over the next 30 years are anticipated to be $309 million. Financial obligations have increased significantly due to:  The addition of three landfills to the Closed Landfill Program, including the Freeway Landfill in Burnsville  The need to conduct vapor investigations and increased monitoring and impacts of PFAS and 1,4-dioxane (another cancer-causing chemical that can leach from products that are difficult to remove from water)  Better understanding of the extent and magnitude of groundwater contamination An increase in future obligations is anticipated to evaluate alternative technologies to address landfill greenhouse gases and remove PFAS and 1,4-dioxane from the groundwater at several closed landfills. Stable, long-term funding is needed to address the public health and environmental risks posed by the 111 closed landfills in Minnesota, including three in Hennepin County in Eden Prairie, Hopkins, and Medina.24 The program will depend on three funding sources: the Remediation Fund, the CLIF, and state general obligation bonds. Consequence: If HERC were to shut down, given the county’s current waste production and recycling rates, an additional 365,000 tons of trash produced in Hennepin County for a total of 750,000 tons would be landfilled each year. The county cannot forecast the exact liability risks or considerations that will accompany this dramatic increase in landfilling waste, but examining and understanding the region’s current and legacy landfilling landscape is instructive. Policy and legislative considerations The county’s Zero Waste Plan includes 17 zero-waste policy actions that are key to realizing a zero-waste future (see Zero Waste Plan pages 32 to 38). Drafting, passing, and implementing these policies is not solely in the control of the county, so following through with these actions requires working across county and city borders, building coalitions, and long-term planning. Their implementation will require the county to collaborate with partners, stakeholders, and lawmakers to advocate for the adoption of the policies at the state legislature and federal action. 24 MPCA Closed Landfill Program GIS Map 48 State legislative action If HERC’s shutdown is contingent on getting to zero waste, the state legislature needs to prioritize these policy actions to advance zero waste and protect the environment: Adopt policies on par with national zero-waste leaders  Adopt extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging  Change organized collection process and hauler licensing  Adopt and enforce material bans at landfills for all materials that emit methane – food/organics, paper/cardboard, wood, and textiles  Eliminate the diversion of solid waste management tax for other purposes and provide to local government for recycling programs as intended  Set a 50% or higher diversion requirement for construction and demolition (C&D) waste Invest in recycling infrastructure, advancing circularity and waste reduction and reuse  Stop diverting solid waste management tax revenue to the general fund, instead provide to local government through increasing SCORE recycling grants  Fund a pre-processing facility in Hennepin County to recover reusable and recyclable materials from the trash before disposal (estimated cost $100 million to $200 million)  Fully fund the anaerobic digestion facility  Increase state taxes/fees on landfills to fund county zero-waste programs  Improve statute language on volume- or weight-based pricing to incentivize waste reduction (115A.9301)  Increase fees on construction and demolition (C&D) waste disposal to fund reuse and recycling of building materials  Invest in market development for both traditional and hard-to-recycle items  Provide resources for MPCA to enforce state statutes (115A.151, etc.)  Increase the Solid Waste Processing Facilities Capital Assistance Program (CAP) grant amounts Reduce disproportionate impacts from the solid waste system  Direct funding to areas of environmental justice concern  Phase in emissions requirements for waste trucks (use of compressed natural gas, % electric, etc.)  Update landfills to achieve greater environmental outcomes – require gas recovery systems and monitoring and reporting on air emissions. Amend existing policies to remove disincentives  Adopt a food waste compost requirement in MNDOT specs (3890)  Reduce barriers for businesses to use refillable containers  Revise building codes and zoning ordinances that inhibit recycling  Revise the current EPR system to cover collection costs for all electronic waste 49 Federal action On the federal level, county staff recommend supporting policy changes and initiatives that lead to greater standardization and coordination across the country to reduce confusion and inconsistencies for brand owners, manufacturers, consumers, and local waste management systems. Areas where standardization and coordination are most needed include improve product labeling, both to indicate recyclability or composability and perishability of food, passing extended producer responsibility legislation, implementing sustainable product design standards, removing barriers in the food code to allow for reusable packaging,, mandating single-use plastics reduction and pollution prevention, and reducing the toxicity of plastics additives. Increased federal funding for recycling market development, zero-waste infrastructure, and Justice40 initiatives that channel benefits to disadvantaged communities would also be highly impactful. County-led efforts The county board will also need to prioritize zero-waste efforts in their legislative priorities and advance zero-waste policies within the county’s authority. Staff have prioritized the following county-led policy efforts as identified in the Zero Waste Plan:  Revise the Recycling Ordinance 13 to provide clarity on existing language and expand requirements  Require the use of food waste compost in county construction and landscaping projects  Bolster the county’s sustainable purchasing policy using MPCA guidance  Transition to organized waste collection countywide, which cities would implement  Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs, which cities would implement  Evaluate the county/city role in providing zero-waste infrastructure: o Expand recycling drop-off options o Establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers o Support innovation hubs, districts, and resource recovery parks o Study options for recovering recyclables from the trash  Repurpose BPTS for reuse and hard-to-recycle materials  Use county hauler licensing agreements to advance zero-waste efforts  Require cities to add multifamily waste service to single-family residential service  Adopt a single-use ban and zero-waste packaging requirements for food service  Establish food waste reduction targets and timeline  Fully implement a county plan to eliminate food waste Minneapolis-led efforts As the largest city in the state and the biggest generator of waste in the county, Minneapolis will play a crucial role in making progress toward zero waste. The city has achieved many notable 50 successes on residential recycling, but the county will not meet its goals if Minneapolis does not adopt policies on par with zero-waste leaders across the country:  Establish organized commercial collection, including multifamily  Require mandatory large generator waste reduction and diversion plans  Increase hauler accountability by requiring reporting and service standards  Create a funding mechanism, such as a clean community fee, to support zero waste initiatives  Implement a multifamily recycling program with adequate staffing  Improve options for managing large items and specialty recyclables in the multifamily sector  Provide waste reduction community grants to support innovative, community-based efforts  Adopt specifications to increase the use of food-derived compost in city projects  Develop a construction and demolition waste diversion ordinance requiring the recycling of a portion of construction and demolition debris  Enhance enforcement of existing city ordinances 51 Summary of considerations and consequences As this report outlines, the closure of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) is complex and requires operational, legal, financial, and environmental considerations. These considerations need to be conditions precedent. In other words, the conditions need to be accomplished prior to the closure date. If the conditions are not accomplished, there may be collateral consequences that adversely impact residents, the environment, and the county’s climate action goals and natural resource priorities. These considerations are summarized here. Operational considerations County buildings If the county closes HERC, the county will need to decommission the plant. A study is underway to determine the costs and ongoing liabilities related to the decommissioning of HERC, but the county can expect decommissioning a power plant in the downtown area to be complex and extremely expensive. The county will also need to consider various options for the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station, which primarily serves to control trash volumes delivered to HERC. This facility may be closed. Impacts on jobs and employment 62 jobs are directly associated with operating HERC, nine of which are county employees, six of which are union members. GREHS employs 53 people to operate HERC, 35 of which are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). A revenue source is needed to support implementation of a transition plan for these employees. Another 30 jobs in the county’s natural resources and forestry units are funded largely by revenues from HERC energy sales. To close HERC, a replacement funding source for the county’s natural resources and forestry programs and the associated climate-driven priorities needs to be identified. In 2023, the total budget for these program costs, including climate initiatives, was $6.1 million. Without replacement funding, the closure of HERC will require the county to significantly scale back its natural resources and forestry work and develop a transition plan for these employees. Impacts to cities The City of Minneapolis will experience the greatest operational, financial, and environmental impacts if HERC closes. The city will no longer be able to depend on the county’s solid waste system for its waste management and, as a consequence, could expect a significant increase in tipping fees each year and additional administration, equipment, labor, and fuel costs. Financial impacts on businesses and the 16 suburban cities that contract with waste haulers to dispose of residential trash at HERC is unclear. Changes in prices for waste pickup service for 52 businesses and cities will likely increase depending on geographic location and other market variables. The county cannot foresee how trash disposal fees at landfills will change, but in a completely privatized solid waste market, it is certain that the county would have no influence on the tipping fees the private sector disposal sites charge. In the end, customers will, in all likelihood, pay more. The City of Minneapolis and the county’s 16 suburban cities may want to seek a financial analysis to better understand the operational and financial impacts on these cities if HERC were to close. Impacts to the regional solid waste system Strained landfill capacity Landfills have finite capacity based on permits, space constraints, and the surrounding land use. If HERC closes, the recently granted out-of-county additional landfill capacity will last five years instead of the planned seven years. It is not clear how much further expansion of metro area landfill capacity is physically or politically possible. Total landfill capacity in the metro area may be limited to 8 to 22 years. Landfills in greater Minnesota and surrounding states are less constrained, but transportation costs and the associated environmental impacts are greater. The county should also consider the possibility that landfills outside the metro area may refuse to accept trash generated in Hennepin County. Further privatization on the solid waste system If HERC closes, the county can expect further privatization of the solid waste system. In all likelihood, this will increase the costs for four larger independent and 62 smaller haulers, some of which are small- and minority-owned business enterprises. As described in the Office of the Legislative Auditor report, the larger hauling companies that own their own landfills have an incentive to maximize the amount of trash that is landfilled and a disincentive to encourage their customers to recycle. In addition, waste haulers are not paying the full environmental associated with land disposal, which includes landfill closure, post-closure maintenance and monitoring, and financial assurance for possible cleanup of future groundwater contamination. Statutory and legal considerations Compliance with state statute Statutorily, the county is required to implement the MPCA’s Metropolitan Policy Plan, which currently prioritizes waste processing and waste-to-energy methods over landfilling. The plan also emphasizes landfill abatement, not expansion. It is unclear how the MPCA will react to a county solid waste plan that prematurely closes HERC and dramatically increases landfilling, putting the county out of compliance with the plan and state statute. The MPCA could reduce the county’s SCORE funding, refuse to approve the county’s solid waste plan, and/or refuse to 53 certify the county’s annual unprocessed waste report, putting the county out of compliance with its statutory obligations. To shut down HERC without rendering the county noncompliant with state waste management law, the state legislature must act prior to closure. Specifically, the legislature must amend statutes and administrative rules that currently require Hennepin County to comply with the Metro Policy Plan and landfill abatement law and to enforce waste management law within the county. The legislature could also fundamentally change the waste hierarchy itself by putting landfilling on an equal footing with incinerat ion-based resource recovery, which would require a new Metro Policy Plan. Financial considerations Without revenues and expenditures associated with the solid waste management system, the county can expect significant uncertainty and disruption to the revenues it uses to pay for activities of the Environment and Energy Department. Revenue from the Ordinance 15 Solid Waste Management Fee would continue to be collected, though tip fee revenue is expected to be nearly eliminated. Revenue from the sale of energy and recovered materials from HERC would be eliminated. State grants that are tied to compliance with the state’s solid waste management statutes may also be jeopardized, such as the SCORE grant funding that is passed through to cities to assist with recycling and waste reduction programs. The 2023 budget includes $11.3 million for waste reduction and recycling programming. With continued investments in zero-waste initiatives, conservative projections indicate these annual costs will reach $16 million or more over the next decade. Closure of HERC would have consequences for outstanding county debt. The county would need to pay its outstanding debt service, which totaled $37.7 million as of December 31, 2022, and is currently paid for by HERC-related revenues. A study is underway to determine the costs and ongoing liabilities related to the decommissioning of HERC. This study will not identify the costs to restore this site for future needs, so that would remain a significant unknown. Furthermore, statute doesn’t allow the county to use revenue from solid waste activities to fund natural resources programs. The 2023 budget includes $6 million for forestry and natural resources programs. Projections indicate that this amount will grow to more than $7 million in the next decade. Currently, the primary sources of funding for these programs come from the sale of electricity and recovered materials from HERC, partnerships with local watersheds, and state grants. 54 If revenue from the sale of electricity and recovered materials form HERC operations are no longer a funding option for natural resource and climate programming, the county will need to consider implementing one or more of the following solutions for solving for the funding gap:  Seek flexibility from the state legislature to use all sources of revenue in SWEF to fund natural resources work  Obtain state revenue to support natural resource programming  Significantly scale back natural resources programming Continued investment in zero-waste infrastructure and climate initiatives related to natural resources work will require additional revenue whether or not HERC is operational. Environmental considerations Climate From a climate perspective, waste-to-energy is preferable to landfilling. The size of the climate benefit of waste-to-energy is measured primarily by the amount of food, paper, and other biogenic materials in the waste stream (currently about 50% of trash) that would break down in a landfill, producing carbon dioxide and methane. How these gases are then managed at landfills is another significant factor to determining the size of the waste-to-energy climate benefit. Landfills that flare these gases, which is the current practice at local landfills, have three times higher global warming impacts than HERC. The climate impacts would decrease if local landfills were to add renewable natural gas plants, but the size of that decrease depends on whether the renewable natural gas is converted to electricity or used to replace fossil-based vehicle fuel. The Inver Grove Heights landfill has an operational renewable natural gas facility where a portion of the landfill gas is converted and connected to an Xcel Energy pipeline. Another significant factor in determining the value of the waste-to-energy climate benefit is how much the energy recovered offsets the use of fossil fuels. Currently, our region’s electricity is 34% renewable, and the downtown district energy system, where HERC sends steam to heat downtown buildings, uses primarily fossil-based natural gas. As more energy in the state is generated from renewable sources, the climate benefits of waste-to-energy will decrease. There are additional climate benefits associated with preventing the metal recovered from HERC from being landfilled. Air pollution Air emissions from HERC are, and have been, significantly below permitted levels. For many individual pollutants, air emissions are fractions of permitted levels. HERC emissions account for 0.2% of countywide air emissions. Vehicles account for 74% of countywide air emissions. Closure of HERC will increase truck transport of trash throughout the county and outside of Hennepin County to landfills, resulting in more than 10,000 additional trips by semi-trailer trucks and the associated vehicle emissions annually. 55 In response to community members’ concerns about air pollution from HERC, staff pursued an additional science-based review and repeatable analysis of HERC’s potential health impacts. This review confirmed that cancer and non-cancer risks from HERC emissions are well below MDH’s incremental risk thresholds. HERC is not more likely to cause cancer or non-cancer health effects in one part of the community than in another; rather, the review shows similar and low impacts across all populations. Comparing air pollution from managing waste at landfills is challenging because landfills do not collect continuous data from the surface of the landfill. Air pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and air toxics, are emitted from landfills in several ways: from the waste directly through the landfill cover, from the combustion of landfill gas, or from the trash trucks and compaction vehicles operating at the landfill. Further, landfill fires can be a significant air pollution concern. Water pollution Landfill impacts on groundwater and surface water are associated with leachate. The primary concern is the potential for PFAS and other emerging chemicals of concern to be discharged into surface water with the treated wastewater. Next steps On Thursday, September 21, 2023, the Hennepin County Board will hold a briefing to review this report and participate in a working session to discuss HERC’s future. Based upon the considerations, conditions, and consequences presented in this report, a series of policy questions will be asked to inform the decision and next steps. Any closure of HERC will require accomplishing many complex actions and meeting many conditions required to protect our environment, ensure Hennepin County is in compliance with state waste management law, and reduce any unnecessary financial burden to county residents. 300 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, MN 55487-0240 RESOLUTION Board of Hennepin County Commissioners RESOLUTION: 23-0384 R1 At a meeting of the Board of Hennepin County Commissioners, a motion was made by Commissioner Lunde and seconded by Commissioner Goettel, that the Resolution be adopted. The motion passed. WHEREAS, population and density near the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) facility has grown dramatically since its opening 34 years ago in 1989; and WHEREAS, about 75% of the trash delivered to the HERC facility comes from Minneapolis and the remaining 25% is primarily from Bloomington, Champlin, Deephaven, Excelsior, Hopkins, Loretto, Maple Plain, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, Osseo, Robbinsdale, Richfield, St. Bonifacius, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay, and Wayzata; and WHEREAS, HERC’s operation has enabled the county to manage its waste in compliance with current state statute which requires implementation of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan(s) (Minn. Stat. §§ 473.149; 473.803), and adherence to the Restriction on Disposal (Minn. Stat. sec. 473.848) and the waste hierarchy (Minn. Stat. § 115A.02), as well as United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations and federal laws; and WHEREAS, the county currently lacks sufficient infrastructure, and the state legislature has not advanced policies or resources, to meaningfully remove biogenic and recyclable material from waste and to reduce overall waste generation; and WHEREAS, in September 2023, the County Administrator provided a staff report to the Hennepin County Board on the HERC and its role in the solid waste system, including considerations and recommendations related to closure; and WHEREAS, on September 21, 2023, as part of a public board briefing regarding the HERC, the County Administrator and staff recommended establishing a closure date for the HERC in the estimated timeframe of 2040 - 2050; and WHEREAS, the County Board seeks a comprehensive strategy for the closure of the HERC, consistent with its previous adoption of the Climate Action Plan in 2022 and the finalization of the Zero Waste Plan in 2023, and its declaration of Racism as a Public Health Crisis in 2020; and WHEREAS, the County Board seeks to identify and understand the necessary conditions, prerequisites, and ramifications for closure of the HERC on a more expedited timeline, between 2028 and 2040. Resolution: BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to develop a plan for the closure of the HERC facility between 2028 and 2040 (the Page 1 Printed on 10/26/23 Hennepin County, Minnesota File Number: 23-0384 R1 “Plan”), and to submit such plan to the County Board no later than February 1, 2024, and directs staff to prepare contingency plans in the event a sooner closure date is established by the Legislature or Board; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Plan must address statutory compliance, the County’s Climate Action Plan goals, the County’s Zero Waste Plan metrics, and the County Board’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis, including efforts to reduce or mitigate environmental racism; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Plan should include: (1) an estimated timeline, (2) estimated financial requirements, and (3) foreseeable environmental consequences related to the following: a.prioritization of the county’s Zero Waste Plan action items that would accelerate the achievement of zero waste in Hennepin County; b.decommissioning of the HERC facility; c.transitioning the labor force currently working at the HERC and other labor connected to HERC; d.land disposition after HERC is decommissioned; e.paying HERC’s existing debt service; f.future of Brooklyn Park Transfer Station; g.alternative waste disposal methods for the waste generated across the county; h.ongoing natural resources and climate action programming; i.timeline mapping out future legislative agenda items and priorities to fund natural resources and climate action programming, closure of the HERC and payment of related debt service; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners further directs the County Administrator to consult with County Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) and other county staff to propose legislative priorities as well as legislative platform items no later than December 1, 2023, relating to closure of the HERC facility and in anticipation of the 2024 Legislative Session, and such legislative proposals should specifically address: 1.legislative actions including but not limited to actions that would facilitate the County’s ability to significantly reduce waste levels and remove the biogenic and recyclable material from the waste stream before 2040 in a manner consistent with the County’s Zero Waste Plan; 2.legislative actions that would clarify the County’s ongoing waste management responsibilities if and when the County elects to divest from waste infrastructure; 3.legislative actions to provide adequate funding for the closure and decommissioning of HERC; 4.legislative actions to provide adequate funding to replace revenue currently derived from tipping fees, and electrical and commodity sales, in order to maintain current funding levels for the County’s waste reduction efforts, and natural resources and climate action programming; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to engage in a Request for Proposals (RFP) to retain a consultant that can ascertain the viability of the County investing in renewable energy sources, like solar, hydro, geothermal/geo-exchange technologies, with the goal of engaging a consultant no later than February 1, 2024; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the County Board is directed to send the materials from the September 21, 2023 public board briefing to city council members and mayors of cities Page 2 Printed on 10/26/23 Hennepin County, Minnesota File Number: 23-0384 R1 that use the HERC and invite individual cities to provide feedback or input regarding proposed legislative priorities or platform issues relating to closure of the HERC to the County Administrator no later than January 15, 2024. RESOLUTION ADOPTED ON 10/24/2023 The question was on the adoption of the resolution with the votes as follows : Aye:6 Commissioner Fernando, Commissioner Greene, Commissioner Lunde, Commissioner Conley, Commissioner Goettel, and Commissioner Anderson Attest by Maria Rose Page 3 Printed on 10/26/23 Hennepin County, Minnesota Zero Waste Plan HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 2 Table of contents Executive Summary 3 Section 1: Developing the plan 6 1.1 Plan process 7 Section 2: Reaching zero waste 9 2.1 Actions for achieving zero waste 10 2.2 Action planning 11 2.3 Plan impacts 13 2.4 Moving beyond 80% 14 Section 3: Zero-waste actions 16 Aim: Create a materials management system that reduces racial disparity and advances equity 17 Aim: Expand the reach of county waste education, grants, and programs 24 Aim: Adopt policies that accelerate the transition to a zero-waste future 31 Aim: Implement programs to advance circularity, reduce waste, and support reuse 38 Appendix A: Bibliography 44 Appendix B: Impact analysis results 45 Appendix C: Zero waste actions – full listing 48 HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 3 Hennepin County is committed to achieving a zero-waste future where all materials are designed to become resources for others to use, the volume and toxicity of waste and materials is systematically eliminated, and all resources are conserved and recovered and not burned or buried. The county has defined zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated. The actions in the Hennepin County Zero Waste Plan are designed to collectively move the county as close as possible to the goal of zero waste. Executive summary Developing the plan The plan’s development process was guided by Hennepin County’s Racial Equity Impact Tool (REIT) to ensure the plan aligns with the county’s goal to reduce disparities. The plan was also developed to complement the county’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan and will be the foundation for the county’s state-mandated 2024 Solid Waste Management Plan. The development process and the ensuing plan was designed to value waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting above waste-to- energy and landfilling, to prioritize actions over aspirational language, and to include space for diverse stakeholders to be fully engaged. The plan was shaped by broad community engagement and community voices and intentionally placed diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of planning. The engagement process included more than 500 conversations with community members, collaboration with 18 community groups, 10 meetings with industry stakeholders with a total of 170 participants, and surveys, stories and ideas shared by 457 site visitors on BeHeardHennepin.org. The project team collaborated with county staff, stakeholders, and community members to identify and refine programs, actions, and solutions for inclusion in the Zero Waste Plan. Nearly 150 participants formed action planning work groups where, through four virtual meetings, they learned about community and system needs, heard findings from research, and explored and amended the zero- waste actions. The plan was then drafted and released to the public for comment. Final feedback was considered, edits were made, and the plan was finalized. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 4 Plan actions The plan includes 62 total actions to transition the county to a zero-waste system. The actions: • Increase the recovery of recyclables and organics. • Address harder to recycle materials such as bulky items and construction debris. • Reduce consumption and increase circularity • Bolster and expand end markets . • Encourage or incentivize behavior change. • Look upstream to reduce waste by influencing what is sold into the regional market. With these actions, change is achieved through optimizing existing programs, developing new programs, investing in infrastructure, engagement, and grants, passing local and regional policy, and increasing partnerships with local community groups and others. Collectively, the actions have the potential to more than double the county’s current diversion rate (39% in 2021). If the county were to achieve an 80% diversion rate, it would be the highest performing county in the United States and one of the highest performing jurisdictions in the world. The actions are mapped to be implemented over time. As depicted in the map to a zero-waste future, some of the actions are low-hanging fruit that can be implemented relatively easily and are not contingent upon the completion of other actions, others will work to transform the system by increasingly focusing on policy and infrastructure, while the last set of actions are best implemented as the county approaches zero waste by focusing on technology, mandates, state policy, and investments in innovation. The plan considers that some programs require a complementary action to be implemented first or are best suited for successful implementation once a foundational program has been established. The action plan prioritizes creating a system that is equitable and accessible for all of Hennepin County while also focusing on the largest gaps and opportunities in the system. Once these needs and gaps have been addressed, actions that recover significant tons, increase circularity, expand the reach of programs, or support infrastructure and markets are recommended for adoption. Low-hanging fruit Number of actions: 21 Additional tons diverted: 107,000 to 120,000 Additional diversion rate: 8.4% to 9.4% Total diversion rate: 49% to 50% Approaching zero waste Number of actions: 11 Additional tons diverted: 159,000 to 188,000 Additional diversion rate: 12.7% to 15.0% Total diversion rate: 77% to 83% System transformation Number of actions: 30 Additional tons diverted: 183,000 to 211,000 Additional diversion rate: 14.5% to 16.8% Total diversion rate: 64% to 67% Map to a zero-waste future HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 5 Achieving zero waste Collectively, the actions in the Zero Waste Plan are estimated to achieve between a 77% to 83% diversion rate in Hennepin County. These actions would divert approximately 500,000 tons of waste to recycling, composting, and waste reduction. To achieve a diversion rate of 90% and meet the county’s zero-waste goal, the county will need to divert an additional 147,000 tons from disposal annually. Despite the challenges, there are potential viable pathways to achieving a zero-waste system with 90% diversion. The chart below demonstrates that the pathway to zero waste would require increased recovery of currently hard-to-recover items in the trash and changes in consumption and waste reduction. Plan implementation State statute requires metropolitan counties to prepare solid waste management plans every six years to implement the strategies identified in the state’s Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan and achieve the state’s recycling goal of 75% diversion by 2030. Development of the county’s next solid waste management plan will begin in 2023, and adoption of the plan by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is anticipated in 2024. The county will use the solid waste management planning process to prioritize the implementation of actions in the county’s Zero Waste Plan over the next six years. More information about the details, cost estimates, and timelines for priority actions will be provided as the county moves forward with implementation. The county will continue to work with community groups on implementation and will report on progress toward implementing the actions. The county provides an annual recycling progress report to share updates on implementation, progress toward diversion goals, and a summary of results from the county’s waste management programs. Pathway to zero waste HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 6 Section 1: Developing the plan The development of Hennepin County’s Zero Waste Plan included a review of the existing waste management system and the programs and policies that influence it, a robust engagement process of community members and industry stakeholders, and the identification of actions that will accelerate the county’s path to zero waste. The plan was developed to complement the county’s newly adopted Climate Action Plan and will be the foundation for the county’s state-mandated 2024 Solid Waste Management Plan. Hennepin County contracted with several consultants and community groups to develop the plan. Dr. Antonia Apolinário-Wilcoxon, a local diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator, and 18 community groups were hired to conduct community engagement centered on community voices traditionally left out of the solid waste management decision-making process. Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) conducted a gaps analysis of the county’s solid waste system, completed a scan of communities with high recycling rates, facilitated industry and other stakeholder engagement, and developed the plan. County staff coordinated and supported the efforts of the consultants and community groups. The county team included waste reduction and recycling managers and recycling specialists and an environmental education manager and specialists. Two county REIT Champions served on the core planning team, and staff from the county’s Engagement Services department participated in consultant and community contract selection and provided input throughout the process. Acknowledging the community group cohort The Zero Waste Plan’s team of consultants and county staff acknowledge the significant contribution of the community groups to ensure community voices traditionally left out of the solid waste management decision- making process were centered in the plan development process. Thank you! • Action to Equity • Audubon Neighborhood Association • Center for Hmong Arts and Talent • Climate Generation/Youth Environmental Activists of Minnesota (YEA! MN) • Community Power/MN EJ Table • Congregations Caring for Creation/Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light • Eastside Neighborhood Services • Ebenezer Oromo Evangelical Church • Encouraging Leaders • Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota • Little Earth Protectors • McKinley Community • MN Renewable Now • NoMi Roots • Off The Blue Couch • Somali American Women Action Center • Resilient Cities and Communities with Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia • Thai Cultural Council of Minnesota HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 7 1.1 Plan process The development of the Zero Waste Plan followed the process depicted in Figure 1 with the following phases: Phase I: Listen and learn Initial public engagement work included community conversations, online engagement, and industry stakeholder meetings. Research on the solid waste system, including a baseline evaluation of the county’s current solid waste system and a comparative scan of national and global zero-waste leaders, was completed. The findings from the engagement and research were used to complete a gaps analysis that identified opportunities for the county to advance a zero-waste future. Phase II: Draft actions The project team recruited and coordinated action planning work groups with nearly 150 community members and industry stakeholder participants who met to develop actions. These actions were further analyzed for their impacts on equity and waste diversion. The actions were organized into aims and how they address needs identified in phase 1: listen and learn. The community group cohort then reviewed and provided input on the actions. Phase III: Review The Zero Waste Plan project team provided a briefing to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners on the plan development process, key findings from community engagement and research, and recommended plan actions. The plan was then drafted and released to the public for comment. Phase IV: Finalize plan After considering the feedback, the final plan was finalized and shared with the board in June 2023. The team will continue to work with community groups on implementation and will report on progress toward goals. More information, including summary reports of the process to develop the Zero Waste Plan and key findings from engagement efforts, are available online at BeHeardHennepin.org. • Community conversations • Online engagement • Industry stakeholder meetings • Solid waste system research • Gaps analysis • Work group meetings • Actions development • Actions analysis and refinement • Cohort actions review • Further refine strategies based on board direction • Public comment • Finalize plan and share with the county board • Continued relationship with community groups on implementation • Report on progress toward goal and established metrics Phase 1: Listen and learn Phase 2: Draft actions Phase 3: Review Phase 4: Finalize plan Figure 1: Plan development process HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 8 Using the Racial Equity Impact Tool The plan’s development process was guided by Hennepin County’s Racial Equity Impact Tool (REIT) to ensure the plan aligns with the county’s goals to reduce disparities. Two county REIT Champions served on the core planning team, and staff from the county’s Engagement Services department participated in consultant and community contract selection and provided input throughout the process. Defining desired results: The first step of applying the REIT is clearly defining the plan’s goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes. This was outlined by the county board for this plan: develop an operational plan to map Hennepin County to an equitable zero-waste future that includes a broad community engagement process with a strong focus on equity and disparity reduction. The measurable outcome is 90% diversion of waste from incinerators or landfills. Analyzing the data: Another step in the REIT process is considering who benefits and who is burdened. Based on experience and data around low participation and lack of access, staff identified Black, Indigenous and other people of color as well as low-income residents and residents with disabilities as commonly not benefiting from and being more burdened by the current solid waste system. This is most prevalent for residents living in cities with solid waste facilities, multifamily housing or rental units, areas with high rates of illegal dumping and litter, densely populated communities that experience more trash truck traffic, and areas affected by cumulative health impacts from multiple sources of pollution and other social conditions. The county’s youth were also identified as being more burdened by the system because they will live with impacts of the solid waste management decisions made today. The waste industry, large waste generators, residents in single family homes, and product manufacturers were identified as benefiting from the current system. Community cohort members and other stakeholders were asked during listening sessions to further consider who is burdened and who has benefited. There was agreement with the initial assessment of who is most burdened by the current system and who is currently benefiting from it. Residents who spoke English as a second language, had limited space for collection, and had limited transportation options were also mentioned as more burdened by the system. Additionally, participants noted that those who benefit, including product manufacturers and large waste generators, aren’t doing enough to reduce and better manage materials while those most burdened don’t have equitable access to waste programs. Community engagement: Design of the community engagement process for the plan was guided by the understanding of who is currently burdened by the solid waste system. To center the voices of those burdened and traditionally left out of the decision- making process, the county contracted with 18 community groups representing diverse communities to develop engagement plans for their communities, host community listening sessions, and communicate updates to their members on the process and feedback opportunities. County staff also sought feedback and help with promoting engagement opportunities through established county engagement networks, including the Trusted Messengers and Community Engagement Community of Practice. Developing strategies for racial equity: With the help of the facilitator, the community group cohort met 11 times to collaborate, gain a broader understanding of the solid waste system, provide input on the process, develop community-identified solutions, and define themes for use in the subsequent plan development phase. Meeting with the community group cohort throughout the process provided staff and consultants the opportunity to check in at multiple points and adjust based on the cohort’s feedback. The ideas and themes that emerged from their community engagement efforts provided the foundation for the action planning work group structure and initial list of actions to consider. Many representatives from the cohort organizations participated in the action planning process. Implementation, communications, and accountability: Once the draft actions were refined, they were presented to the community group cohort to ensure they both aligned with the themes that emerged from their community conversations and addressed issues identified by their communities. Their feedback provided clarity on the actions and informed elements in the plan focused on the last two steps of REIT: implementation and communication and accountability. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 9 Hennepin County is committed to a achieving a zero-waste future. A zero-waste future is defined as a waste management system where all materials are designed to become resources for others to use, the volume and toxicity of waste and materials is systematically eliminated, and all resources are conserved and recovered and not burned or buried. The key performance measure is diverting 90% or more of all discarded materials from landfills, incinerators, and the environment1. Despite implementing many progressive programs and policies aimed at reducing waste and increasing recycling over the past several decades, achieving a recycling rate greater than 50% has been challenging for Hennepin County. Waste touches all our lives, but historically the system to manage it hasn’t been equitable to all residents and businesses. Shared responsibility is needed, but we also must shift who benefits from the system to ensure those currently burdened by the system are able to participate in ways that reduce disparities and advance equity. Reaching zero waste will require significant changes to current solid waste policies, programs, product design, consumption habits, and resources. It will require engaging and supporting communities and local businesses in new and creatives ways to build momentum and spur collective action to advance a more equitable zero-waste future. Section 2: Reaching zero waste Recycling 26% 1 As defined by Zero Waste International Alliance (www.zwia.org) 2 Results from the 2016 Hennepin County residential waste sort study Waste in Hennepin County About 1.3 million tons of waste was generated in Hennepin County in 2021. Of that, 39% was recycled or composted, and the rest was managed as trash. Waste composition studies show that about 25% of what is currently trashed is compostable, 15% is recyclable, 20% is potentially divertible, and 40% has no current viable diversion options. Figure 2: Waste management in 2021 Figure 3: Composition of the trash2 (percent by weight) Waste-to- energy 27% Landfilling 34% Trash 40.8% Organics 24.9% Recyclables 13.8% Construction and demolition 8.9% Yard waste 4.2% Other 7.4%: Textiles 3.1% Scrap metal, electronics, mattress 3.1% Recyclable plastic bags and film 0.9% Household hazardous waste 0.3% Organics 13% HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 10 2.1 Actions for achieving zero waste While achieving zero waste will be challenging, there is demonstrated support for this goal within the county. More than 98% of the stakeholders engaged in the planning process supported the county’s aim of achieving zero waste and recognized the benefits of the transition to zero waste3. The Zero Waste Plan contains actions that increase the recovery of recyclables and organics, address hard-to-recycle materials such as bulky items and construction debris, reduce consumption and increase circularity, bolster and expand end markets, encourage or incentivize behavior change, and look upstream to reduce waste by influencing what is sold into the regional market. Change is achieved through optimizing existing programs, developing new programs, investing in infrastructure, engagement, and grants, passing local and regional policy, and increasing partnerships with local community groups and others. The plan includes 62 total actions to transition the county to a zero-waste system. Collectively, the actions have the potential to more than double the county’s current diversion rate (39% in 2021). If the county were to achieve an 80% diversion rate, it would be the highest performing county in the United States and one of the highest performing locations in the world. However, this is not true zero waste. A pathway for diverting the last 10% and reaching the true definition of zero waste is outlined in this plan. Diverting the last 10% will require changes in technology, consumption, and manufacturing that are not available today. As a result, the specific actions to achieve the last 10% are not specifically detailed or modeled in the plan. Modeling the impacts The project team used a dynamic zero-waste planning model to calculate the potential impacts of the plan’s actions on the county’s overall diversion rate. The model is based on Hennepin County’s two-year average generation, disposal, and diversion tonnages, relies on U.S. Census data for population and household counts, and incorporates data on waste composition from past studies conducted in Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, surrounding counties, and the State of Minnesota. Each of the 62 actions were included in the model to estimate each action’s impact on generation, diversion, source reduction, and disposal. Model impacts are cumulative and include dependencies. For example, modeling the impacts of the adoption of the local policy in action C.7. Single use ban and zero-waste packaging for food service first requires the county to successfully complete action C.13. Advocate for the repeal of the state’s ban on bag bans. The underlying zero-waste model assumes that all the actions have not only been implemented, but that they have been implemented successfully and effectively. For example, the modeled impacts assume that extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation is not just advocated for, but that a well-designed and effective EPR policy is adopted at the state level and implemented across Minnesota. The model outputs, including the range of estimated impacts for each action, is included in Appendix B. 3 Based on the results of the Hennepin County Industry Stakeholder Meeting surveys and voting conducted from April to May 2022. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 11 2.2 Action planning The community members and stakeholders involved in the plan’s development recognized that the systemic changes needed to truly reach zero waste will take years and significant resources to achieve, and thus, recommended that the county take action towards zero waste as soon as possible4. The county does not have the resources to implement the full plan at once, so actions are mapped to be implemented over time. Some of the actions in the plan can be adopted as soon as possible and can be implemented simultaneously (for example, A.6. Establish and maintain community equity panel and B.7. Expand reach of county waste education programming). The action plan considers that some programs require a complementary action to be implemented first and that others are better suited for successful implementation only after a foundational program has been established (for example, C.6 Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs). Additionally, the action plan aims to create a system that is equitable and accessible for all Hennepin County residents and businesses while also focusing on the largest gaps and opportunities in the system (for example, A.5 Increase access to organics recycling options for multifamily residents). Once these needs and gaps have been addressed, actions that recover significant tons, increase circularity, expand the reach of programs, or support infrastructure and markets are recommended for adoption. The action plan presents the programs in three phases: low-hanging fruit, system transformation, and approaching zero waste. A summary of the phases and their impacts is presented on the following page. The full listing of actions in the Zero Waste Plan, their implementation phase, and their impacts is included in Appendix B. 4 Two-thirds of stakeholders believed it would take at least until 2040 for the county to achieve zero waste, and over one-third (35%) believed it will take until 2050 or beyond to achieve the goal. Low-hanging fruit Number of actions: 21 Additional tons diverted: 107,000 to 120,000 Additional diversion rate: 8.4% to 9.4% Total diversion rate: 49% to 50% Approaching zero waste Number of actions: 11 Additional tons diverted: 159,000 to 188,000 Additional diversion rate: 12.7% to 15.0% Total diversion rate: 77% to 83% System transformation Number of actions: 30 Additional tons diverted: 183,000 to 211,000 Additional diversion rate: 14.5% to 16.8% Total diversion rate: 64% to 67% Map to a zero-waste future HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 12 The actions in the plan are mapped to be implemented in three broad phases – low-hanging fruit, system transformation, and approaching zero waste. The plan includes a description of each action, the phase it belongs to, and the estimated impact it will have on moving the county toward zero waste. Low-hanging fruit This is the first set of actions that should be implemented. They directly address equity, improve access, and fill gaps in the existing system. These actions are generally easier to implement and are not contingent upon the completion of other actions. There are 21 total actions in this category that, when fully implemented, will divert between 106,900 and 119,800 additional tons from landfill and incineration. System transformation This is the largest set of recommended actions that collectively work to transform the system from its current state to one in which zero waste will eventually be possible. These actions have an increased focus on policy and infrastructure, including organics and mixed waste processing. They also target food waste, consumption, upstream materials, and building materials. This group includes 30 actions that combined will keep as much as 211,100 tons from disposal. Approaching zero waste The last set of actions move the county as close as possible to zero waste using state-of-the art technologies, mandates, state legislation, and investments in innovation. The last set includes 11 actions that have the potential to divert between 158,800 and 187,700 additional tons Zero Waste Plan action phases HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 13 2.3 Plan impacts Collectively, the actions in the Zero Waste Plan are estimated to achieve between a 77% to 83% diversion rate. Nearly half of this diversion is from increases in organics recovery (45% of new tons diverted), and another 31% comes from increased recovery of construction and demolition debris and fibers (including paper, carboard, paperboard, cartons, and others). The actions aimed at increasing reuse and source reduction, which are both harder to influence and measure, are estimated to contribute 4% to 7% of the total impacts. In addition to potential diversion, the potential capture rate for different materials was estimated. Capture rate is a measure of the proportion of a material that is recovered compared to generated. It differs from diversion rate since it looks at a single material rather than the full waste stream. For example, a county may have a diversion rate of 50% (meaning half of the materials discarded are kept out of the trash) that is achieved by capturing 90% of the available carboard, aluminum, and plastics and 25% of the available organics. Capture rates can help a community both gauge the relative success of their programs and identify additional potential for recovery. Combined, the actions in the Zero Waste Plan have the potential to capture 80% to 90% of the currently recyclable materials and 83% to 91% of the currently compostable materials, depending on the material and the generator sector. For harder to recycle materials, such as bulky plastics, textiles, and household hazardous wastes, potential capture rates for Zero Waste Plan actions are in the range of 30% to 45% due to limitations in collection, sorting technologies, and viable end markets. Figure 4 displays the total tons diverted by material type and the remaining tons in the waste stream once the Zero Waste Plan actions have been implemented. The proportion of the two is the material’s capture rate. The figure shows that although there would be additional tons available to capture to potentially help the county reach zero waste, the opportunities are limited. The majority of available tons are those that remain in the trash (items that are currently not recoverable or may never be recoverable) and materials such as textiles, plastic films, bulky plastics, and others with limited technologies for recovery today. 0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 140000 160000 Figure 4: Potential capture rate with plan actions implemented Food scrapsConstruction and demolitionRecyclable fibersOther organicsOther plasticMetal recyclingYard wasteFurniture/bulkyTextileRecyclable glassScrap steel#1 PETBulky plastic#2 HDPEElectronicsPlastic filmHousehold hazardous wasteAppliancesMattressesTrashTons captured TonsTons remaining HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 14 2.4 Moving beyond 80% To achieve a diversion rate of 90%, the county will need to divert an additional 147,000 tons from disposal annually. This is above the approximately 500,000 tons that would potentially be diverted through the full implementation of the actions outlined in the plan. Despite the challenges, there are potential viable pathways to achieving zero waste. As shown in the Sankey diagram in Figure 5, the pathway to zero waste would require increased recovery of currently hard- to-recover items in the trash and changes in consumption and waste reduction. The pathway to achieving the last 10% is discussed in more detail below. Figure 5: Pathway to zero waste The path to recovering the last 10% includes the following: Maximizing recovery: To reach zero waste, capture rates for all recyclable and compostable materials would need to be approximately 85% to 90%. If the Zero Waste Plan were fully implemented, the county would achieve or be close to achieving this metric for many materials. Additional technologies, end markets, educational programs, and collection solutions would need to be identified to reach this rate for the harder to recycle materials in the stream. Adoption of new technologies in sorting, recovery, and processing: There are currently no technologies used widely in the U.S. for the efficient recovery of materials like multi-layer laminates, very small items, and multiple other non- recoverable items currently in Hennepin County’s waste stream. The industry is constantly evolving to innovate and incorporate new technologies to recover more materials. This includes expanded use of artificial intelligence and robotic separation, improved optical sorting, chemical recycling technologies, secondary sorting facilities for plastics, and improvements in mixed waste processing. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 15 Reaching zero waste depends on the advancement and implementation of these new technologies, some of which are already being tested in the marketplace but not available at scale. Changes in consumption: There are several programs in the action plan that focus on changing consumption habits through expanded education, awareness, and behavior change. Reducing consumption has impacts that go far beyond waste diversion and is integral in the county’s approach to zero waste and circularity. To have major impacts on consumption and reach zero waste, the county will need to identify and implement a viable program to significantly change consumer behavior. This will need to go well beyond what other communities around North America have been able to achieve. Upstream impacts: The materials sold and consumed in Hennepin County impact the county’s ability to achieve zero waste. The county can somewhat influence what is sold by supporting local sustainable manufacturers, offering incentives and grants, flexing its procurement power, and expanding education efforts. All of these actions are included in the Zero Waste Plan. However, the county’s ability to impact change at the scale needed is quite limited. Hennepin County operates as part of the global market and has limited influence on what is manufactured and sold in the region. This extends beyond just consumer packaged goods and includes clothing, food, furniture, electronics, appliances, and other consumer goods. This also includes the built environment and the materials that go into the homes and buildings in the county. To reach the highest rates of diversion, the county is reliant on macro-scale marketplace influences to change what is bought, sold, and built. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 16 Section 3: Zero-waste actions The recommended zero-waste aims and actions presented in this plan were driven by community and industry stakeholder engagement, are technically and economically feasible, and were identified to maximize environmental and social benefits. Core aims The actions are organized around four core aims: Create a materials management system that reduces racial disparities and advances equity Expand the reach of county waste education, grants, and programs Adopt policies that accelerate the transition to a zero-waste future Implement programs to advance circularity, reduce waste, and support reuse Impact on tons diverted Estimated amount of waste diverted annually Less than 826 tons 826 to 3,300 tons 3,301 to 6,675 tons More than 6,675 tons Figure 6: Zero-waste actions and estimated impact on tons diverted Within each aim, the actions are further organized by the system need they address based on what was heard during engagement. Action phase and impact For each action, the zero-waste action phase it belongs to and the estimated impact on tons diverted (represented by one to four recycling symbols) are identified. Tons diverted estimates include impacts on waste reduction, composting, recycling, and other activities that divert materials from landfill or incineration. The estimated amount of tons diverted for each action are included in Appendix B. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 17 Aim: Create a materials management system that reduces racial disparities and advances equity Throughout the zero-waste planning process, county staff, community members, and industry stakeholders identified the following communities as being unfairly burdened by the current system: Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC), low-income families, residents with disabilities, and youth. This is especially prevalent for residents who live in cities with solid waste facilities, multifamily housing units or rentals, areas with high rates of illegal dumping and litter, densely populated communities or those by busy roads that experience more trash truck traffic, and areas affected by cumulative health impacts from multiple sources of pollution. Inequity in the system places unfair economic burdens or costs on some communities, results in uneven access to services and opportunities, and creates pollution that is unfairly borne by certain communities and neighborhoods. This includes the impacts that facilities such as the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) have on their adjacent communities. Creating an equitable zero-waste system will require all communities in the county contribute equitably to the effort. If only a portion of the county has access to programs that lead to zero waste or all the negative impacts of waste diversion are borne by a sector of the community, zero waste will not be achievable nor will the system be equitable. The aim of the following set of actions is to reduce disparities, improve equity and participation, and ensure that future actions continue to promote equity in a zero-waste materials management system. It is important to note that these are not the only actions that are designed to address system inequities; actions listed under other aims also contribute to a more equitable system. In total, there are 14 actions recommended to specifically address equity in the future zero-waste system. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 18 Action Phase Impact A.1 Expand drop-off options Low-hanging fruit A.2 Increase bulky item reuse and recycling Low-hanging fruit A.3 Expand collection and drop-off options for hard-to-recycle items System transformation A.4 Add waste and recycling bins in public spaces System transformation A.5 Increase access to organics recycling options for multifamily residents Low-hanging fruit A.6 Establish and maintain a community equity panel Low-hanging fruit A.7 Expand workforce development for living-wage, green jobs Low-hanging fruit A.8 Improve measurement to track progress and ensure accountability Low-hanging fruit A.9 Evaluate HERC upgrades to reduce impacts on community in the short term Low-hanging fruit A.10 Establish milestones to phase out the use of HERC as county approaches zero waste Low-hanging fruit A.11 Expand funding and support for community-centric solutions Low-hanging fruit A.12 Provide financial incentives to increase participation in targeted communities System transformation A.13 Implement low-income rate assistance Low-hanging fruit A.14 Launch multifamily recycling champions program Low-hanging fruit Zero-waste equity and access actions HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 19 Zero-waste equity and access actions System need: Provide convenient and equitable access to recycling, composting, and other materials management services for all county residents The gaps analysis identified lack of equal access to recycling, composting, and diversion options as a limitation to an equitable zero-waste system. Although access was generally available for residents in single-family homes and the majority of businesses, significant gaps were identified in access for residents in multifamly settings, particularly around organics recycling. Gaps were also identified for those without easy access to transportation and to services beyond conventional recycling. Collectively, these gaps contribute to system inequities since diversion options are not equally available to all community members. The following set of actions seek to expand access to services, reduce inequities, and increase diversion. A.1 Expand drop-off options Low-hanging fruit • Evaluate locations of existing drop-offs in relation to areas with high proportion of residents in multifamily settings, dense urban areas, rural areas with limited access to curbside services, and communities that do not have equal access to curbside services. • Establish evaluation criteria to identify locations for investments in improved or expanded drop-off options. Use partnerships, such as with libraries, city or county buildings, schools, and businesses to expand the number of drop-offs in county. • Evaluate options to support (with technical, financial, regulatory, or other assistance) neighboring businesses or properties that choose to consolidate and share services for recycling and composting (such as a shared dumpster) and consider allowing and providing financial incentives to those that share service with community to increase local access. Note that allowing shared dumpsters may require changes to local ordinances or regulations and will be a multiphase action. • Expand the materials accepted to include a wider range of items, potentially including food waste. A.2 Increase bulky item reuse and recycling Low-hanging fruit Work with cities, communities, and nonprofit organizations in the county to increase collection and reuse opportunities for bulky items, such as by: • Expanding collection opportunities either at the curb or via additional drop-offs. • Hosting or financially supporting drop-and-swap events. • Supporting community-led efforts to address transportation barriers and expand access for multifamily residents with mobility barriers. A.3 Expand collection and drop-off options for harder to recycle items System transformation Expand collection opportunities via curbside and drop-offs for harder to dispose items, including clothes and other textiles, household hazardous waste, plastic wrap, and appliances. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 20 A.4 Add waste and recycling bins in public spaces System transformation • Add new collection stations or increase the number of existing public trash and recycling bins in areas of high need, which include areas with significant amounts of litter, limited curbside recycling options, and higher density of people. • Work with cities, park districts, and transit providers to identify areas with high rates of illegal dumping and work to improve cleanup efforts. • Expand and improve access to public collection containers to reduce litter and illegal dumping. A.5 Increase access to organics recycling options for multifamily residents Low-hanging fruit Increase organics recycling options available to multifamily residents by: • Providing and evaluating incentives to property managers. • Expanding the county’s existing grant program that covers the initial start-up costs of collection, countertop bins, and compostable bags. • Expanding organics drop-off site options in multifamily-dense areas. • Considering longer term actions for partnering with cities to adopt requirements for service to multifamily properties or expand the scope of existing requirements in the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13). Zero-waste equity and access actions HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 21 Zero-waste equity and access actions System need: Ongoing community engagement in zero- waste processes to ensure transparency and accountability and reduce disparities The community group cohort and industry stakeholders identified the need for increased transparency in zero-waste planning as well as a continued and expanded focus on equity in future planning. The following actions seek to capitalize on the momentum gained during the zero-waste planning process and build upon best practices identified in the community scan. A.6 Establish and maintain a community equity panel Low-hanging fruit Establish a diverse community panel to provide input on future county zero-waste programs, actions, and facilities to help ensure the county waste systems will not put environmental justice areas of concern at greater risk or result in increased inequities. The panel will capitalize on the existing energy and engagement with the county’s diverse communities and will be charged with: • Hosting zero-waste community listening sessions on a regular basis and in a variety of formats (including online, in person, and in different parts of the county). • Supporting collaboration on implementation. • Raising awareness of county programs and facilitating the delivery of resources to communities. County staff will continue to include its Racial Equity Impact Tool analysis in significant zero-waste decisions prior to implementation. A.7 Expand workforce development for living- wage, green jobs Low-hanging fruit Expand the county’s existing workforce development programming (such as mattress and battery recycling and deconstruction) to provide training, skills development, and job certifications to people hoping to work in the recycling industry. Workforce development will be centered around addressing gaps in the system, reducing racial disparities in income and employment, and creating new green jobs. A.8 Improve measurement to track progress and ensure accountability Low-hanging fruit • Continue to advocate for increased compliance with state reporting requirements, improve data sharing, support consistent county reporting methodologies, and develop additional metrics for benchmarking (such as for waste prevention, climate impacts, and economic impacts) to ensure accountability. • Present data in a manner that is accessible, transparent, and understandable to the public. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 22 Zero-waste equity and access actions System need: Reduce reliance on incineration and landfill disposal and create a more equitable system for managing waste The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) is a waste-to- energy facility located in downtown Minneapolis. The facility incinerates garbage and recovers energy and metal from trash. The HERC is a part of the county’s integrated solid waste system. Although it is above landfill disposal in the state’s hierarchy of waste management, it falls below all other options including waste reduction, recycling, and composting. Throughout the community and industry stakeholder engagement process, the HERC was identified by some as a barrier to the formation of a fully equitable zero-waste system. The point-source pollution, noise, and truck traffic associated with the facility were specifically identified as concerns. In Hennepin County, residents and businesses put over 800,000 tons of stuff in the trash per year, with approximately 45% being sent to the HERC. Until the county can achieve zero waste, the need for an end-of-life destination for non-recovered items, whether it is an out-of-county landfill, incinerator, or some other option, remains. As the county approaches zero waste, the need for disposal will be reduced but will not disappear entirely. The following set of actions is aimed at reducing reliance on the HERC and increasing equity. A.9 Evaluate HERC upgrades to reduce impacts on community in the short term Low-hanging fruit Continue to evaluate the potential for short-term upgrades and operational improvements at the HERC, including improvements in the capabilities for pre-sorting trash to increase material recovery and eliminate hazardous items from incineration, increases in pollution control measures, traffic reduction measures, or other operational improvements to the facility. A.10 Establish milestones to phase out the use of the HERC as county approaches zero waste Low-hanging fruit Establish specific milestones for the long-term phase out of the HERC that are tied to performance metrics and include the identification of suitable alternatives for disposal of trash generated in Hennepin County. Base the milestones on progress toward state goals, reduction in disposed tons, reduction in per capita trash generation, and diversion rates for materials such as organics, paper, and plastics. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 23 Zero-waste equity and access actions System need: Encourage participation in Hennepin County materials diversion programs by addressing system costs and barriers Implementing actions that leverage and financially support local organizations and leaders, harness the power of the community, reduce financial barriers, and incentivize participation were highly supported by the action planning work groups. The following set of actions advance the connections and networks established during the zero-waste planning process, encourage participation, and reduce economic barriers. A.11 Expand funding and support for community- centric solutions Low-hanging fruit Provide funding and technical support to local organizations to support engagement with residents, businesses, and property managers and harness the power of community-centric solutions for zero waste. • Projects would be developed and led by community partners and may range from providing recycling education sessions to developing locally managed reuse clinics or organics drop-offs for multifamily residents. • Promote success stories of community-driven actions to engage more partners and share lessons learned and best management practices. A.12 Provide financial incentives to increase participation in targeted communities System transformation Explore and pilot models to provide direct financial incentives to residents and small businesses in low diversion areas. Incentives will be aimed at increasing participation in recycling, preventing waste, and reducing litter. A.13 Implement low-income rate assistance Low-hanging fruit Work with cities to design and implement payment assistance programs for trash and recycling collection service. Programs will be designed to reduce participation barriers. Eligibility requirements may include age, income, disability, need, or others. Look to cities such as Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Tuscon for leading practices in implementation. A.14 Launch multifamily recycling champions program Low-hanging fruit Launch a multifamily recycling champions program to provide direct support to both renters and property managers through recycling champions who live at the property. Focus on properties in areas with low recycling participation and compensate residents for their time as recycling champions. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 24 Aim: Expand the reach of county waste education, grants, and programs Community members and industry stakeholders identified both the need for and the challenge of significant behavior change on the path to zero waste. Lack of awareness on where, how, and what to recycle, services available, and how to participate were noted as some of the biggest barriers to achieving zero waste in Hennepin County. Identified gaps include the need to address consumption and waste generation and to educate the community on the impacts that consumer choices have on the environment. The following set of 15 actions rely on expanded engagement, technical assistance, and the growth and optimization of Hennepin County’s existing grant programs to move the county closer to zero waste by raising awareness and impacting behaviors. They include actions designed to increase participation in existing and expanded programs. The need for additional organics processing capacity in the county is also addressed. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 25 Action Phase Impact B.1 Improve marketing of grant programs Low-hanging fruit B.2 Expand grants to businesses System transformation B.3 Expand grants for deconstruction and building reuse System transformation B.4 Support upgrades to improve performance at material recovery facilities System transformation B.5 Improve compliance with recycling requirements for multifamily and commercial generators Low-hanging fruit B.6 Increase compliance with organics requirements in the recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13) and expand requirements Low-hanging fruit B.7 Expand reach of county waste education programming Low-hanging fruit B.8 Expand partnerships to provide culturally relevant outreach Low-hanging fruit B.9 Improve new resident education System transformation B.10 Launch a broad consumer campaign on food waste prevention Low-hanging fruit B.11 Help schools prevent and divert more waste System transformation B.12 Help businesses and multifamily properties prevent and divert more waste System transformation B.13 Expand deconstruction and building material reuse Approaching zero waste B.14 Develop large-scale organics processing infrastructure System transformation B.15 Support growth of community-scale composting sites System transformation B.16 Increase capacity of transfer stations to manage organics Approaching zero waste Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 26 Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions System need: Enhance the county’s grant programs to help businesses, schools, and institutions achieve zero waste while supporting neighborhoods and communities Hennepin County provides funding and support to advance recycling and waste reduction in the community though a wide range of grant offerings. Examples of existing grants programs include business waste prevention grants, deconstruction and building material reuse grants, Green Partners environmental education grants, multifamily recycling grants, and school waste reduction and recycling grants. The following set of actions looks to build upon the existing grant programming to collectively increase the impact of the grants, expand their reach, and add new targets. B.1 Improve marketing of grant programs Low-hanging fruit • Develop and implement a countywide marketing strategy to raise awareness of existing and future grant programs. • Include a pathway to provide grant writing and application assistance to those who need it, increase community storytelling to share successes, and get the assistance of local community partners for marketing. • Leverage community partnerships to increase awareness of the grants with an emphasis on neighborhoods, communities, and businesses that have historically been underrepresented in grant applications. B.2 Expand grants to businesses System transformation • Evaluate the existing business grant programs and identify pathways to expand the grant funding available for commercial generators. • Design the grants to help businesses launch new organics recycling and food waste reduction programs as well as improve the effectiveness of existing programs. B.3 Expand grants for deconstruction and building reuse System transformation Expand grants and incentives for commercial and residential building demolition and remodeling projects to encourage deconstruction techniques, building moves, incorporation of used building materials, and deconstruction training. B.4 Support upgrades to improve performance at material recovery facilities System transformation Evaluate opportunities for upgrades at material recovery facilities in the county to expand material collection and the use of robotics and artificial intelligence for sorting and data collection by: • Considering financial assistance, incentives, or grants to offset costs of equipment upgrades. • Prioritizing facilities and projects that commit to providing a living wage. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 27 Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions System need: Optimize the implementation and enforcement of the the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13) to increase recycling, organics recycling, and diversion The Hennepin County Recycling Ordinance (Ordinance #13) regulates the separation of recyclable materials, including organics, from solid waste in the county. The ordinance was most recently updated in 2018. The ordinance requires that cities have an ordinance to ensure curbside collection of recyclables from all residents and that cities provide residents of single-family homes the opportunity to participate in organics collection4. The ordinance requires that commercial generators implement programs for mixed recyclables. Commercial generators that produce more than one ton of waste per week must also implement a food scraps collection program. Food scraps may be diverted though donation, collection for animal feed, anaerobic digestion, or composting. The ordinance requires that multifamily property owners provide recycling services and education for tenants. It does not address organics recycling for multifamily. The requirements for diversion and access are clearly laid out in the ordinance, and the ordinance follows best practices from the community scan. However, the gaps analysis found that enforcement of the ordinance is not as robust as needed and there are opportunities to expand the ordinance’s reach. The following actions are designed to eliminate these gaps and increase the positive impacts of the ordinance. B.5 Improve compliance with recycling requirements for multifamily and commercial generators Low-hanging fruit Provide additional county resources to improve compliance with recycling requirements at multifamily properties and businesses. As a complement to increased compliance efforts: • Increase technical support to building property managers and business owners to implement requirements and to increase program participation. • Provide incentives through the expanded grant offerings. B.6 Increase compliance with organics requirements in the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13) and expand requirements Low-hanging fruit • Increase staffing to support the implementation of business food waste recycling requirements. • Evaluate other resources to improve compliance and participation, such as incentives and technical assistance. • Consider expanding the applicability of the organics portion of the ordinance to maximize diversion of organics, including a gradual reduction in the minimum thresholds for commercian generators, adding multifamily properties to the organics requirement, and eventually requiring all generators to have organics service. • Place an emphasis on the food rescue and donation option for compliance to deliver food to the best and highest uses whenever possible. 4 Opportunity can be provided through contractor hauler or private, open market haulers, or a drop-off site for Class 4 cities. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 28 Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions System need: Provide consistent and relevant messaging and programming to fully engage residents, businesses, neighborhoods, and communities on the path to zero waste Recycling systems continue to evolve as new programs are adopted, material composition changes, and processing technologies improve. Thus, county residents need regular information delivered in a variety of ways to ensure material recovery facilities, organics processors, and end markets receive good quality material while continuing to decrease the amount of disposed materials. To reach zero waste, engagement must also address consumption and encourage behaviors that reduce waste, increase reuse, and minimize litter and pollution. Despite the strong outreach and education programs already implemented by the county, the gaps analysis and community and industry stakeholder engagement identified expanded education as a key action for the Zero Waste Plan. Additionally, the county’s Climate Action Plan calls for expanded education around the climate impacts of consumption and reducing the environmental impacts of waste. These themes should be amplified in the zero-waste engagement. B.7 Expand reach of county waste education programming Low-hanging fruit Expand the reach of existing waste education programs and partnerships to ensure clear and consistent information on what is recyclable, compostable, and reusable, how to participate, who provides services, why zero waste is important, why certain materials cannot be recycled, and the impact of the materials we throw away. • Expand collaborations with the private sector and nonprofit partners. • Identify new marketing channels. • Develop clear, consistent marketing collateral that identifies actions steps for community members and supports behavior change practices. • Use research on the barriers and benefits of reducing wasted food at home to develop and implement a consumer campaign on food waste prevention. • Increase participation in organics recycling programs by developing a broad campaign to promote the benefits, provide a call to action, and share helpful tips for getting started. • Support youth environmental education programs that foster a connection to the natural world, promote a better understanding of our relationship to the environment, and motivate environmental stewardship. B.8 Expand partnerships to provide culturally relevant outreach Low-hanging fruit • Expand partnerships with local, community-based organizations and networks to understand what zero waste means for different communities and how to customize strategies, approaches, and messaging to resonate with different audiences. • Provide culturally appropriate strategies based on community needs, such as recycling training sessions in different languages and interpreters for technical assistance to non-English speaking business owners. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 29 B.9 Improve new resident education System transformation Partner with or incentivize cities, property managers, and realtors to deliver consistent recycling and diversion information to people and businesses who move to a new address. Make it easy for residents and business owners to understand service options and requirements where they live and work. B.10 Launch a broad consumer campaign on food waste prevention Low-hanging fruit • Use research on the barriers and benefits of reducing wasted food at home to develop the campaign. • Use the campaign to support existing initiatives around food waste prevention. Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 30 Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions System need: Provide technical assistance to support diversion The following set of actions are designed to provide hands-on technical assistance to businesses, contractors and developers, nonprofit organizations, multifamily properties, and schools. The technical assistance will help these generators set up new programs, address contamination, review contracts, and troubleshoot issues with odors, pests, or participation. Assistance will address gaps in resources, technical knowledge, and contracting for schools, help commercial generators and multifamily property owners comply with the the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13) and expand service offerings, and target deconstruction. B.11 Help schools prevent and divert more waste System transformation Expand funding and staffing to increase technical assistance resources for schools: • Consider supporting waste champions at school districts in lower income areas. • Focus resources on helping school staff with solid waste contracting, setting up and optimizing school diversion programs, and engaging with students, staff, and families. B.12 Help businesses and multifamily properties prevent and divert more waste System transformation • Expand technical support to commercial generators, business owners, and property managers. • Support compliance with recycling requirements for recycling and organics diversion, help set up successful multifamily recycling programs, and provide marketing collateral to support education and engagement. B.13 Expand deconstruction and building material reuse Approaching zero waste Connect contractors, building owners, architects, and developers to deconstruction and used building material resources. Resources could include funding, local outlets for used materials, deconstruction training, sample project specifications, and used building material design guides to support the growth of deconstruction and building material reuse. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 31 Zero-waste education, grants, and program expansion actions System need: Address the need for increased capacity for processing organics Organic materials make up the largest portion of Hennepin County’s trash. The tons of organics diverted from the waste stream will continue to increase as the county implements new programs, such as enforcing and expanding organics requirements in the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13). The following actions are recommended to ensure that there is both enough processing capacity for additional diversion and cost-effective access for haulers and generators. B.14 Develop large-scale organics processing infrastructure System transformation Increase the capacity of organics processing through direct development, establishment of partnerships, or support of private, commercial-scale processors. Include the potential to develop a county anaerobic digestor facility and private/public design-build for organics processing. B.15 Support growth of community-scale composting sites System transformation Support the development and growth of community-scale composting sites (less than 5,000 cubic yards per year) and expand backyard composting through financial, technical, and educational assistance. B.16 Increase capacity of transfer stations to manage organics Approaching zero waste • Support investments in transfer stations that complement the needs of organics collection programs and organics processing facilities. • Consider the expansion of transfer capacity, the ability to manage different streams of organics, or the use of technology to implement innovative new methods that increase organics diversion. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 32 Aim: Adopt policies that accelerate the transition to a zero-waste future To reach zero waste, policy will need to be crafted to ensure responsible recovery of material is standard practice throughout the community, not just the best practice. In the global community scan, well-designed policy at both the local and state/ provincial level was identified as a key component of successful zero-waste systems. The gaps analysis found that while an open market system, like Hennepin County’s current system, does provide some benefits to generators and the industry, it also results in inequities in costs, service offerings, and data reporting. A fully open market system also creates an efficiency gap, results in multiple vehicles servicing the same street, and has adverse impacts on pollution, safety, and noise. The following set of 17 zero-waste policy actions are designed to move the county closer to an equitable zero-waste system. They also complement the actions in Hennepin County’s Climate Action Plan. For example, the Climate Action Plan identifies reducing food waste as one of the most effective solutions to addressing climate change and acknowledges the role that public purchasing has in advancing sustainability. The following zero- waste actions includes recommendations around addressing food waste and procurement. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 33 Action Phase Impact C.1 Support the transition to organized collection across the county System transformation C.2 Expand regional coordination for policies, facilities, and education System transformation C.3 Evaluate adding multifamily to single-family residential service Approaching zero waste C.4 Require haulers to track and report multifamily waste data System transformation C.5 Require events to be zero waste System transformation C.6 Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs Approaching zero waste C.7 Adopt a single-use ban and zero-waste packaging requirements for food service Approaching zero waste C.8 Establish food waste reduction targets and timeline Low-hanging fruit C.9 Develop and implement a county plan to eliminate food waste System transformation C.10 Implement county procurement policies that support circularity System transformation C.11 Require cart and dumpster color coding and labels System transformation C.12 Prioritize extended producer responsibility System transformation C.13 Advocate for the repeal of the state’s ban on bag bans System transformation C.14 Support adoption of truth in labeling legislation Approaching zero waste C.15 Advocate for minimum diversion requirement for construction and demolition projects System transformation C.16 Support adoption of right-to-repair legislation Approaching zero waste C.17 Secure more state recycling funds System transformation C.18 Support changes to product stewardship for electronics recycling System transformation C.19 Reduce barriers for businesses to use refillable containers System transformation C.20 Revise building codes and zoning ordinances that inhibit recycling System transformation Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 34 Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste System need: Propose and adopt county-level policies to reach zero waste, reduce pollution, and increase equity The following set of policy recommendations can be implemented the county level. The policies address the county’s open market collection system, food waste, procurement and purchasing, packaging, and generator behaviors. Collectively, the policies create a system in which zero waste can be achieved in Hennepin County. C.1 Support the transition to organized collection across the county System transformation Work alongside cities and haulers to define roles and responsibilities and establish a roadmap to transition the county to more organized hauler collection systems. This transition will help reduce hauling impacts on infrastructure and neighborhoods, increase cost efficiency, improve access and equity for rate payers, reduce climate impacts, reduce pollution, and provide consistency in service options. Depending on the city and sector, this may include the adoption of hauler contracts, franchising, expanded licensing requirements, or other organized collection schemes for multifamily and commercial. The future organized collection system should: • Incorporate hauler incentives, such as pay-as- you-throw, that favor reuse, hard-to-recycle items, increased diversion, and reduced contamination. • Include a pathway for local and regional haulers to continue to operate within the system regardless of their size. • Be used as a mechanism to explore a pilot for every-other-week trash collection combined with weekly organics collection. • Support a transition to increased prevalence of alternative fuel sources for collection, such as compressed natural gas or electric vehicles, complemented by county funding or other financial incentives. C.2 Expand regional coordination for policies, facilities, and education System transformation • Expand coordination with neighboring counties to advance regional planning for zero waste, such as with the Partnership on Waste and Energy, Solid Waste Administrators Association, or Recycling Education Committee. • Areas of collaboration includes grants to support end market development, market development accelerators and matchmaking, regional planning for waste facilities, and regional agreements on acceptance of a common set of materials with labeling and consistent engagement. C.3 Evaluate adding multifamily to single-family residential service Approaching zero waste Evaluate requiring cities to add all multifamily properties to their residential waste programs. • Cities could work with private haulers to provide the service. • Consider using state recycling (SCORE) or other funds to support the transition for capital equipment (trucks and dumpsters), contracting, marketing, or technical assistance. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 35 C.4 Require haulers to track and report multifamily waste data System transformation • Modify hauler licensing language or work with cities to require haulers to report tonnage (disposal and diversion) from the multifamily routes they service for trash, recycling, and organics. • Work alongside haulers to develop an effective tracking and reporting methodology that aligns with the existing state reporting structure while minimizing hauler impacts. C.5 Require events to be zero waste System transformation Work with cities to establish a countywide requirement that all events over a minimum size threshold (for example, 500 people) are required to be zero waste (have recycling, composting, and trash stations with limits or bans on single-use and non-compostable products). C.6 Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs Approaching zero waste Work with cities to adopt mandatory recycling and organics participation requirements for all generators. The requirements would ban recyclable or organic materials from the trash and mandate source separation. Enforcement would occur though on-call generator inspections and at the point of disposal. Include exceptions for lack of space, provide financial support for those that need it, and develop a monitoring/enforcement plan. C.7 Adopt a single-use ban and zero-waste packaging requirements for food service Approaching zero waste Design, adopt, and implement a policy to transition to zero-waste food service packaging and eliminate single-use, non-compostable, non-recyclable items in a phased approach: • Ban the sale and use in county facilities and hosted county events. • Work with cities and vendors to design a countywide ban for designated generators. • Include language to transition to zero-waste packaging in ways that encourages the use of reusable containers or no-waste food service packaging. C.8 Establish food waste reduction targets and timeline Low-hanging fruit Establish a baseline and target metrics to guide the identification of the largest areas of food waste and how to track progress in those areas. Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 36 C.9 Develop and implement a county plan to eliminate food waste System transformation Develop and implement a county food waste prevention and rescue plan. Strategies may include increasing use and sale of imperfect produce, supporting federal and state tax incentives for food donation, encouraging school waste reduction programs such as shared lunches, longer lunch periods, and student engagement, considering regulations on food production to reduce waste, improving data tracking, supporting community food hubs, and providing education on food labels and expiration dates. C.10 Implement county procurement policies that support circularity System transformation Develop and implement a county sustainable purchasing policy on par with other leading public entities and provide sustainable purchasing best practices: • Provide model language for cities in the county and support widespread adoption of circularity- focused procurement. • Address county procured electronics (computers, phones, others) and electronics waste. • Ensure that policies align with and can be integrated into Climate Action Plan strategies. C.11 Require cart and dumpster color coding and labels System transformation Use hauler licensing, the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance #13), and local city ordinances to require haulers operating in the county adopt phased deployment of a consistent cart color and labeling scheme. • The colors would be coded by materials stream (blue for recycling and green for organics) to reduce confusion for users in the county. • During the phase-in period, haulers would be required to provide up-to-date, easy-to-read stickers or other labels for carts and dumpsters that have yet to be replaced. Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 37 Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste System need: Support state laws that advance zero waste and materials circularity The following policies must be passed at the state level. If adopted, they will help to advance zero waste across the entire state, not just in Hennepin County. Drafting, passing, and implementing these laws is not solely in the control of the county, so following through with these recommendations requires working across county and city borders, building coalitions, and planning for the long term. The state-level polices address access, upstream manufacturing, labeling, and construction and demolition debris, among others. Their implementation will require Hennepin County to collaborate with partners, stakeholders, and lawmakers to advocate for the adoption of the policies at the state legislature. C.12 Prioritize extended producer responsibility System transformation • Lead the development of a state law for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and printed paper at the state level. EPR places responsibility for the end-of-life management of a product or material on the producers, importers, and/or wholesalers of that product or material. Under full EPR, producers are charged with designing, financing, and managing the systems for the end-of-life of goods. • Consider the inclusion of eco-modulation fees, which, if properly implemented, send an economic signal to manufacturers that incentivizes recyclable and compostable packaging over non- recoverable plastic and paper packaging. C.13 Advocate for the repeal of the state’s ban on bag bans System transformation Work with state legislators, neighboring counties, and regional stakeholders to repeal Minnesota statute 471.9998 Merchant Bags, a state preemption prohibiting bans. The repeal would allow the county to support and adopt bans at city and county level. C.14 Support adoption of truth-in-labeling legislation Approaching zero waste Support the adoption of truth-in-labeling legislation, similar to those adopted in California and Oregon5. The legislation would require manufacturers to clearly, consistently, and accurately identify local recyclability and compostability of packaging label claims. 5 For example, the Oregon legislation requires that the state Department of Environmental Quality establish a task force to study and evaluate misleading or confusing claims regarding the recyclability of products made on a product or packaging. The California legislation (SBS 343) prohibits the use of the chasing-arrows symbol and the term “recyclable” on products that are not recyclable. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 38 C.15 Advocate for minimum diversion requirement for construction and demolition projects System transformation Work with state legislators to adopt a mandatory minimum diversion requirement for construction and demolition projects. Continue to investigate alternative pathways to adopt the policy at a county or city level. Under the policy, construction and demolition projects over set thresholds and types (for example, residential remodels larger than 1,000 square feet and all new construction) would be required to recycle or divert a minimum percentage of total materials (for example, 50% required diversion) from landfill disposal. • Use best practices, such as incentives, fully refundable deposits, and certificate of occupancy final approvals, to increase compliance. • Consider how to incorporate mixed construction and demolition waste processing certifications into construction projects to reduce logistical and cost challenges for contractors. C.16 Support adoption of right-to-repair legislation Approaching zero waste Support state level efforts on right-to-repair as laid out in the county’s Climate Action Plan. C.17 Secure more state recycling funds System transformation Advocate for increased state funding for SCORE, including solid waste management tax funds that are currently diverted to the general fund, evaluate permissible SCORE expenditures (115A.557, sub. 2), and advocate for deconstruction and reuse as eligible programs. C.18 Support changes to product stewardship for electronics recycling System transformation Amend e-waste statutes to cover collection and recycling program costs and expand access to electronics recycling for all residents. C.19 Reduce barriers for businesses to use refillable containers System transformation Support revisions to the food code that allow and prioritize the switch to reusables for takeout containers and food storage C.20 Revise building codes and zoning ordinances that inhibit recycling System transformation Work to revise building codes and zoning ordinances that create barriers to providing recycling and organics service. Building codes should require adequate space for recycling in new construction, and those space requirements should extend to organics recycling, particularly in buildings that must have organics recycling to comply with the county’s recycling ordinance (Ordinance 13). Zoning ordinances should allow flexibility for recycling infrastructure, specifically with respect to exterior enclosures. Local, county, and state policies for advancing zero waste HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 39 Aim: Implement programs to advance circularity, reduce waste, and support reuse Maximizing recycling, composting, and waste diversion alone will not be enough for the county reach zero waste. To truly reach a point at which 90% or more of all discarded materials are diverted from landfills, incinerators, and the environment, the county must broaden its focus to include upstream impacts, consumption, reuse, waste minimization, and the built environment. The materials sold and consumed, the buildings demolished and built, and the waste that is not generated in the first place will determine how close Hennepin County can get to zero waste. Looking upstream will influence the county’s ability to achieve broader climate goals and help to build resilient and robust local economies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s systems- based greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which accounts for the emissions that result from the production, transportation, use, and disposal of materials, shows that 42% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are from materials management. On a global perspective, the 2019 Global Resources Outlook from the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Resource Panel states that “up to half the global greenhouse gas emissions stem from the extraction and processing of materials, fuels, and food6”. Reducing waste and supporting reuse also has the potential to create local sustainable jobs. For example, Humanim, a nonprofit workforce development organization in Baltimore, MD, reports that for every one job that demolition creates, deconstruction creates 6 to 8.7 A recent study conducted for the City of Austin, TX, found that circular economy activities in the city, which include waste reduction and reuse activities, contribute over $1.1 billion in total economic activity to the region and creates approximately 6,300 permanent jobs8. The following set of 12 actions related to circularity, waste reduction, and reuse are aimed at creating a resilient system that is good for people, the planet, and business. 6 http://www.resourcepanel.org/reports/global-resources-outlook 7 https://humanim.org/news/humanim-announces-closure-of-details-deconstruction/ 8 The Recycling and Reuse-Related Economy of Austin, Summer 2020. TXP Inc., www.TXP.com HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 40 Action Phase Impact D.1 Advocate for sustainable building codes Approaching zero waste D.2 Support and encourage city adoption of deconstruction policies System transformation D.3 Require building demolition notifications Low-hanging fruit D.4 Assess the feasibility of a building material reuse exchange warehouse and yard System transformation D.5 Host and support expanded reuse, repair, and fix-it events and clinics Low-hanging fruit D.6 Establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers System transformation D.7 Support innovation on zero waste Approaching zero waste D.8 Evaluate feasibility of providing tax benefits or other financial incentives for the reuse industry System transformation D.9 Develop local and regional end markets for recyclable commodities System transformation D.10 Develop local and regional end markets for construction and demolition materials Approaching zero waste D.11 Adopt city and county specifications and policies to increase demand for finished compost Low-hanging fruit D.12 Study options for recovering recyclable materials from the trash Approaching zero waste Zero-waste actions for circularity HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 41 Zero-waste actions for circularity System need: Adopt programs to improve circularity of the built environment and reuse, recover, and divert construction and demolition debris When it comes to the built environment, the county estimates that 80% of construction and demolition waste could be diverted, but only 30% is currently being diverted. The U.S. Green Building Council reports that buildings account for 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions, which makes addressing the built environment an imperative for both zero waste and climate action. D.1 Advocate for sustainable building codes Approaching zero waste • Advocate for research-informed changes to building codes and other regulations to increase use of reused and deconstructed materials in new construction and significant remodels. • Investigate the potential to adopt requirements, incentives, or other actions that create a preference for reusing materials, including green/sustainable materials in construction, and phasing in quality materials that can be dissembled in the future. D.2 Support and encourage city adoption of deconstruction policies System transformation • Work with cities to develop model language and adopt policies that prioritize and incentivize building deconstruction over demolition. • Work with industry representatives to educate policymakers on the value of deconstruction related to climate change and zero waste. D.3 Require building demolition notifications Low-hanging fruit Require cities to notify the county of demolition permits and include data on project type and size. The county will publish the building demolition permit application data to increase salvage of reusable materials. D.4 Assess the feasibility of a building material reuse exchange warehouse and yard System transformation Assess the feasibility of a private/public partnership for a construction and demolition material exchange warehouse and yard. The facility could: • Create a construction materials bank where materials can be examined, repaired, and shared. Examples of materials that can be amassed and shared include rubble, fill, bricks and pavers, stone and boulders, clean dimensional lumber, and compost. • Include a retail area for reusable materials, such as cabinets, lighting, doors, and others. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 42 Zero-waste actions for circularity System need: Increase reuse, repair, and waste reduction actions countywide The gaps analysis and community and industry stakeholder engagement identified the need for the county to invest in reuse-focused businesses, activities, and programs. Equitable access to reuse infrastructure, like stores, and resources, like durable goods, was identified as a gap. These resources are especially needed in low-income and rural areas. The following actions will help reduce waste, increase reuse, support local economic opportunities and job creation, and foster innovation in local and regional circularity. D.5 Host and support expanded reuse, repair, and fix-it events and clinics Low-hanging fruit Increase support for existing repair and reuse mobile and temporary events like Fix-It Clinics. • Expand programs to reach more neighborhoods and community members. Include clinics for sewing, bike repair, small electronics, and tool sharing. • Tie programs into county job creation and workforce training programming and skill sharing. Include virtual options and partnerships with existing organizations to expand reach. D.6 Establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers System transformation Expand reuse and repair clinics to establish fixed- location neighborhood reuse or repair hubs, a reuse mall, or other facilities for upcycling, sharing, refurbishing, and reusing. Similar to the mobile events, connect efforts with workforce development and job training to supporting local green jobs. D.7 Support innovation on zero waste Approaching zero waste Support existing zero-waste businesses, identify gaps, and develop innovation hub and districts to engage with local entrepreneurs and incubate new ideas and activities that can lead to a more circular economy. • Explore options for the co-location of reuse, recycling, manufacturing, and retail businesses in a central facility or area, sometimes called a resource recovery park. • Reserve space for tenants focused on using recycled materials, including both conventional recyclables and organics as well has harder to recycle materials such as plastic films and textiles, as feedstock. • Establish through partnerships and include maker spaces, small business support services, mid-scale manufacturing spaces, and a retail component. D.8 Evaluate feasibility of providing tax benefits or other financial incentives for reuse industry System transformation Evaluate pathways and options to provide tax benefits for reuse and repair businesses. • Determine feasibility at the county level and advocate at the state level if needed. • Include restaurants that implement reusable to-go programs and companies that offer takeback programs. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 43 Zero-waste actions for circularity System need: Improve circularity through the support and development of regional end markets A successful circular economy depends on thriving end markets for the recycling and organics that are collected. By supporting end markets, the county can help increase demand and create a pull for additional materials that, in turn, drives supply. Supporting economic circularity on a regional level also creates local jobs and businesses by keeping valuable resources local. The following set of programs is focused on supporting end market development in the region. D.9 Develop local and regional end markets for recyclable commodities System transformation Complement state efforts to develop local and regional end markets through grants and public/ private partnerships. • Grants can range from mini seed grants (less than $10,000) for rapid support of local business development to large-scale grants for development of regional end markets. • Look to programs in Colorado, Michigan, and Washington that couple end market development support with elements from accelerator programs to leverage public sector grants with private sector investment to grow regional circular projects. • Include road construction to spur the use of reusable and recycled materials in municipal road construction and maintenance projects. D.10 Develop local and regional end markets for construction and demolition materials Approaching zero waste Support and incentivize the growth of end markets for construction and demolition materials (such as asphalt shingles, gypsum board, ceiling tiles, carpet, and dimensional lumber) through collaboration with agencies, financial support, and other actions. D.11 Adopt city and county specifications and policies to increase demand for finished compost Low-hanging fruit Work with cities to implement a set of actions to increase the use of finished compost in city and county activities. Actions include: • Model language for ordinances that require the use of soil amendment with sod installation and landscape projects (for example, contractors must apply 4 cubic yards of STA-certified compost for every 1,000 square feet of project area). • City specifications for the use of compost in green infrastructure, parks, top dressing, and capital projects including roadside revegetation and run-off control. • Local government buyback requirements. • Engagement with city staff, landscapers, and landscape architects to share best practices for compost application and address concerns and barriers related to compost application. • Establishment of test plots and storytelling to demonstrate the advantages of compost use. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 44 D.12 Study options for recovering recyclable materials from the trash Approaching zero waste Study options for recovering reusable and recyclable materials that remain in the trash after residents and businesses have separated out their recyclables. Mixed waste processing facilities use a variety of technologies and manual sorting to recover reusable, recyclable, and compostable materials from the trash. Combining mixed waste processing with existing source separation programs has the potential to significantly increase recycling rates. Leading zero-waste cities and counties have incorporated post-collection processing into their efforts to advance their diversion programs. Conduct a cost/benefit evaluation and feasibility analysis to determine whether the county should invest in the post-collection recovery of reusable and recyclable materials from the trash. This may be particularly useful for sectors of the county that struggle to source-separate materials, such as multifamily properties and small businesses. • The operation could occur at an existing transfer station or an off-site location. • Could be limited to high value, easily recoverable items (such as cardboard, ferrous metals, and plastics #1 and #2) • Would be a supplement, not a replacement, to programs focused on increasing source-separation behaviors by generators. Zero-waste actions for circularity HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 45 Appendix A: Bibliography Item Date Hennepin County zero-waste baseline assessment July 2022 Comparative system scan July 2022 Industry stakeholder summary report July 2022 Hennepin County gaps analysis July 2022 Phase 1 community cohort report July 2022 Online engagement findings July 2022 Zero-waste actions draft memo October 2022 Zero-waste future board briefing presentation January 2023 Zero Waste Plan summary of process report January 2023 HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 46 ID Name Tons low Tons high Source redux low Source redux high % Diversion low % Diversion high Low hanging fruit (106,900 to 119,800 tons diversion, 3,900 to 4,100 tons source reduction) B.1 Improve marketing of grant programs 5,000 5,600 --0.40%0.40% B.5 Improve compliance with recycling requirements (Ordinance 13) for multi-family and commercial generators 17,400 19,200 --1.40%1.50% B.6 Increase compliance with Ordinance 13 organics requirements and expand requirements 32,100 36,300 --2.50%2.90% B.7 Expand reach of county waste education programming 4,800 5,800 300 300 0.40%0.50% B.8 Expand partnerships to provide culturally relevant outreach 3,600 4,400 700 700 0.30%0.30% B.16 (new) Launch a broad consumer campaign on food waste prevention 400 400 1,200 1,400 0.00%0.00% C.8 Establish food waste reduction targets and timeline ----0.00%0.00% A.1 Expand drop-off options 7,000 7,800 --0.50%0.60% A.2 Increase bulky item reuse and recycling 3,200 3,600 --0.30%0.30% A.5 Increase access to organics recycling options for multi- family residents 5,300 5,900 --0.40%0.50% A.6 Establish and maintain community equity panel ----0.00%0.00% A.7 Expand workforce development for living wage green jobs ----0.00%0.00% A.8 Improve measurement to track progress and ensure accountability ----0.00%0.00% A.9 Evaluate herc upgrades to reduce impacts on community in short term 9,400 10,400 --0.70%0.80% A.10 Establish milestones to phase out the use of herc as county approaches zero waste ----0.00%0.00% A.11 Expand funding and support for community-centric solutions 2,600 2,800 500 500 0.20%0.20% A.13 Implement low-income rate assistance 900 900 --0.10%0.10% A.14 Launch multi-family recycling champions 600 600 --0.00%0.00% D.3 Require building demolition notifications 1,700 1,900 700 700 0.10%0.10% D.5 Host and support expanded reuse, repair, and fix-it events and clinics 300 300 500 500 0.00%0.00% D.11 Adopt city and county specifications and policies to increase demand for finished compost 12,600 13,900 --1.00%1.10% Appendix B: Impact analysis results HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 47 ID Name Tons low Tons high Source redux low Source redux high % Diversion low % Diversion high System transformation (183,300 to 211,100 tons diversion, 9,200 to 10,200 tons source reduction) B.2 Expand business organics grants 8,400 9,400 --0.70%0.70% B.3 Expand grants for deconstruction 3,100 3,500 1,400 1,600 0.20%0.30% B.4 Support upgrades to improve performance at material recovery facilities 4,400 5,000 --0.30%0.40% B.9 Improve new resident education 700 700 100 100 0.10%0.10% B.10 Help schools prevent and divert more waste 1,400 1,600 100 100 0.10%0.10% B.11 Help businesses and multi-family properties prevent and divert more waste 3,900 4,500 600 600 0.30%0.40% B.13 Develop large scale organics processing infrastructure ----0.00%0.00% B.14 Support growth of community scale composting sites 2,300 2,500 --0.20%0.20% C.1 Support the transition to organized collection across the county 9,300 10,500 --0.70%0.80% C.2 Expand regional coordination for policies, facilities, and education 2,900 3,300 --0.20%0.30% C.4 Require haulers to track and report multi-family waste data ----0.00%0.00% C.5 Require events to be zero waste 400 400 100 100 0.00%0.00% C.9 Develop and implement county plan to eliminate food waste 37,800 44,400 2,100 2,500 3.00%3.50% C.10 Implement county procurement policies that support circularity --800 1,000 0.00%0.00% C.11 Cart and dumpster color and label requirements 3,200 3,600 --0.30%0.30% C.12 Prioritize extended producer responsibility 30,300 37,100 1,500 1,700 2.40%2.90% C.13 Advocate for the repeal of the state’s ban on bag bans ----0.00%0.00% C.15 Advocate for minimum diversion requirement for construction and demolition projects 44,000 49,600 --3.50%3.90% C.17 Secure more score funds ----0.00%0.00% C.18 (new) Support changes to product stewardship for electronics recycling 600 600 300 300 0.00%0.00% C.19 (new) Reduce barriers for businesses to use refillable containers --400 400 0.00%0.00% C.20 (new) Revise building codes and zoning ordinances that inhibits support and increase recycling 11,200 12,600 --0.90%1.00% HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 48 ID Name Tons low Tons high Source redux low Source redux high % Diversion low % Diversion high System transformation (183,300 to 211,100 tons diversion, 9,200 to 10,200 tons source reduction) A.3 Expand collection and drop-off options for hard to recycle items 6,100 6,900 --0.50%0.50% A.4 Add waste and recycling bins in public spaces 800 800 --0.10%0.10% A.12 Provide financial incentives to increase participation in targeted communities 3,300 3,700 --0.30%0.30% D.2 Support and encourage city adoption of deconstruction policies 1,400 1,600 700 700 0.10%0.10% D.4 Assess the feasibility of a building material reuse exchange warehouse and yard 3,100 3,500 600 600 0.20%0.30% D.6 Establish brick-and-mortar reuse and repair centers 1,400 1,600 200 200 0.10%0.10% D.8 Evaluate feasibility of providing tax benefits and other financial incentives for reuse industry 2,000 2,200 300 300 0.20%0.20% D.9 Develop local and regional end markets for recyclable commodities 1,300 1,500 --0.10%0.10% ID Name Tons low Tons high Source redux low Source redux high % Diversion low % Diversion high Approaching zero waste (158,800 to 187,700 tons diversion, 4,600 to 5,400 tons source reduction) D.12 Conduct feasibility study of recovering recyclable materials from the trash 82,600 97,200 --6.50%7.60% B.12 Expand deconstruction and building material reuse 5,900 6,900 1,200 1,400 0.50%0.50% B.15 Increase capacity of transfer stations to manage organics 2,900 3,300 --0.20%0.30% C.3 Evaluate adding multi-family to single family residential services 1,100 1,300 --0.10%0.10% C.6 Mandate participation in recycling and composting programs 52,900 63,300 --4.20%5.00% C.7 Adopt a single use ban and zero waste packaging for food service 200 200 300 300 0.00%0.00% C.14 Support adoption of truth in labeling legislation 1,900 2,200 --0.10%0.20% C.16 Support adoption of right to repair legislation 900 1,100 200 200 0.10%0.10% D.1 Advocate for sustainable building codes 7,000 8,200 2,200 2,600 0.60%0.60% D.7 Establish a county-wide innovation hub 2,100 2,500 700 900 0.20%0.20% D.10 Develop local and regional end markets for C&D materials 1,300 1,500 --0.10%0.10% HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 49 Appendix C: Zero Waste Actions – Full Listing All zero waste actions and programs discussed during the Phase 2 engagement (work groups) are presented below. Actions are organized by work group. As a result, individual actions discussed in multiple work groups are repeated. ADVANCING CIRCULARITY 3 - C&D - END MARKETS - Support / incentivize growth of end markets for C&D materials (e.g., asphalt shingles, gypsum board, ceiling tiles, carpet, dimensional lumber) through collaboration with agencies, financial support, siting, and others. Provide reliable storage of salvaged material, explore innovative reuse options. 4 - C&D - DECONSTRUCTION POLICY - Work with cities and state agencies to educate policy maker on the value of deconstruction, adopt policies that prioritize and incentivize building deconstruction over demolition. Include model codes for cities, work with public housing authorities and institutions (schools, hospitals, etc.). 5 - C&D - SALVAGE BUILDING MATERIALS POLICY - Require cities to notify county of demolition permits & publish building demolition permit applications so deconstruction firms can better salvage reusable materials, county to provide list of preferred deconstruction firms at time of permit application. 6 - C&D - MINIMUM DIVERSION REQUIREMENT POLICY - Require construction and demolition projects over a size threshold to recycle or divert a min. % of total materials; diversion could be source separated or sorted at a mixed waste processing facility. Potential details: deposit fee system, C.O. based on proof, submission of waste management plans, amp up requirements over time, options for fees based on project type and size, construction emissions standards, excluding concrete in measured weight. 20 - HAULING - EV AND EMISSIONS - Provide incentives, rebates, requirements for to accelerate a transition of collection vehicles and other rolling stock to electric and/or the clean alternatives. 27 - ENGAGEMENT - DECONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING DESIGN - Connect demolition contractors /owners / developers with reuse options and resources; educate architects on design for deconstruction; develop resources for how to write salvage into specs; help developers better understand cost/ benefit with more sustainable materials. 33 - ENGAGEMENT - WASTE PREVENTION COMMERCIAL - Expand commercial engagement on waste prevention actions, incentivize local businesses to use compostable materials, incentivize local purchases to minimize packaging and transportation. 37 - GRANTS - BUILDING MATERIALS - Offer rebate programs, tax breaks, or other incentives to encourage use of more durable or reused building materials and support local green jobs; ensure inspectors/plan reviewers are aware of reuse priorities and support them; build into RFP/Contract proposals a necessity to reuse building materials. 39 - GRANTS – DECONSTRUCTION - Continue to offer (or expand) grants and incentives for small commercial projects to use deconstruction techniques, structural move projects that relocate entire properties, projects that install used building materials. Fund deconstruction training programs to increase deconstruction workforce with diversity emphasis 52 - CIRCULARITY - INNOVATION HUB - Develop innovation hub or districts to incubate new businesses using recycled materials as feedstock; consider innovation challenge around specific waste streams, partner with cities for funding, partner with innovation grants for business to provide space. 62 - PROCUREMENT - COUNTY LEVEL - Leverage County and city spending power to improve circularity by partnering with suppliers with favorable circular economy offerings; adopt a county sustainable purchasing policy to lead by example, consider materials marketplace platform 65 - FINANCIAL - TAX BENEFITS FOR REUSE - Provide tax benefits for reuse and repair businesses, include restaurants that implement reusable to-go programs, consider sales tax reduction option for repair services, include incentives for companies that offer take back programs. 70 - SHARING ECONOMY - C&D - Establish or support reuse warehouses for building materials, evaluate county-run options alongside C&D landfills; create a material ‘bank’ for temporary storage of construction materials where the materials are examined, repaired, and shared. 71 - SHARING ECONOMY – REPAIR - Offer more repair / reuse events like Fix-It Clinics, sewing, and bike repair, offer after school training job program, provide workshop space with access to tools, advertise skill sharing, offer virtual options. Programs provided by county or financially supported by county 78 - ZERO WASTE - BLOCK PILOT - Get one small zone (a block or two) to fully implement a local zero waste model as a test pilot / example of what a local reuse economy could look like, encourage a zero waste multi-unit pilot as well. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 50 84 - SHARING ECONOMY – REUSE HUBS - Develop neighborhood reuse or repair hubs, a ‘reuse’ mall, or other facilities for upcycling, sharing, refurbishment, and reuse and building local green jobs, partner with food shelves, parks with rec centers, ensure proximity to transit, aggregate a map/guide of all facilities. 116 - EQUITY - COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF ABANDONED AREAS - Community groups take over abandoned properties for community benefits (e.g., composting, community gardens etc.). Consider utilizing abandoned facilities as educational malls/ interactive spaces to discuss waste. 135 - BY-PRODUCT SYNERGY - Promote statewide exchange program for large manufacturers / businesses who have excess of a specific type of waste that can be input for another business. BLUE STREAMS 10 - CODES - SPACE FOR RECYCLING - Advocate for requirements for new and significant remodels of multifamily buildings to have a recycling/organics room and/or chutes that are accessible and convenient for all residents; modify building codes to allow for more collection space and access for haulers. Provide incentives, grants, or tax breaks. Expand requirements to all commercial buildings, all local govt. buildings. 11 - COLLECTION - HARD TO RECYCLE - Expand collection opportunities (either via curbside or drop off) for hard-to-dispose items, i.e., textiles, clothes, household hazardous waste, plastic wrap, and others 25 - ENFORCEMENT - ORD 13 RECYCLING - Enforce the Ordinance 13 recycling requirements for multifamily and commercial; require or offer incentives for building/property managers/owners to provide quarterly education/reminders to tenants and residents; develop incentive program to reward positive behavior change. 30 - ENGAGEMENT - NEW RESIDENTS - Partner with or incentivize cities and/or haulers to deliver consistent recycling and diversion information to people who move to a new address, create mapping tool so new residents can see requirements and who to contact, create contact form for renters to request recycling, requirement literature be sent to property managers, deliver info through door-knocking 54 - MANDATORY PROGRAMS – RECYCLE - Require that households and / or businesses properly separate recyclables from the trash; consider accompanying this with a disposal ban; consider incentives so small businesses and schools are not disproportionally impacted; develop education, a monitoring plan and eventually a program to provide feedback for improper recycling (e.g., oops tags, etc.). 59 - POLICY - MULTI-FAMILY PAYT - Enact a volume-based pay-as-you-throw fee structure for trash for multifamily with rebates and incentives at the building level. 60 - POLICY - SINGLE FAMILY PAYT - Enact a volume-based pay-as-you-throw fee structure for trash for single family residential across entire county, ensure that rates differentials are significant enough to encourage diversion behaviors; consider system that is equitable and doesn’t financially burden certain households more than others. 69 - COLLECTION - SHARED DUMPSTERS / SERVICE RECYCLING - Help neighboring businesses or properties consolidate and share services for recycling and composting; consider allowing and providing financial incentivize to those that share with community; provide certification and other recognition tools to promote those that share service. 86 - HAULING - CART COLOR / LABEL REQUIREMENTS - Require haulers to phase in color coded collection carts and dumpsters by material stream to reduce confusion for users; provide up-to-date, new, easy-to-read labels for carts that are not up for replacement yet. 102 - CODES - BUILDING CODES - Develop codes addressing the materials in the built environment - establish requirements and / or incentives for reusing materials when possible, including green materials in construction, and phasing in quality materials that can be dissembled in the future. 110 - ZERO WASTE - FRIENDLY STORES - Audit and incentivize stores to carry easier-to-recycle packaging and packaging with better labeling (e.g., How to Recycle labels); publish list of “recycling friendly” stores. 111 - JOBS - WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - Workforce development program to provide training, upskilling, certification, etc. to people hoping to work in the recycling industry. 112 - ENGAGEMENT - PUBLIC COMMITMENT - Create an opportunity for the public to evaluate businesses and multifamily residences commitment to sustainability; consider giving them a ‘sustainability grade’ based on certain criteria; recycling and organics could be an easier way to start. 121 - ENGAGEMENT - JANITORIAL STAFF - Engage with janitorial staff, through property managers and/or unions, at office buildings, schools, event spaces, malls, institutions etc. to ensure waste is properly disposed in the correct receptacle. 133 - COMMERCIAL - GREEN BUSINESS RECOGNITION - Create a Green Business recognition program to highlight how business are successfully implementing recycling/organics programs, work with cities to promote these events. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 51 EQUITY AND ACCESS 2 - SHARING ECONOMY - BULKY ITEM REUSE - Expand opportunities for bulky item reuse and donation, increase access, address transportation barriers, create community bulky item drop offs, partner with community donation orgs, subsidize hauling for swap events, dedicate County location for swap, ‘how to’ kits for hosting swaps, promote with social media channels 14 - EQUITY - COMMUNITY PANEL - Establish diverse community panel to provide input county zero waste programs; pay community members to be on board; board to voice residents’ needs and concerns; ensure waste systems will not put environmental justice areas of concern at greater risk; include racial equity impact analysis in zero waste decisions, provide transparency and accountability, ensure authentic diversity beyond just race. 16 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM - EXPANDED ACCESS - Improve / increase drop offs (recycle, organics) in multifamily dense, urban, and rural areas; align drop offs with public transportation routes and/or link with community resources; explore mobile drop-off sites or events, encourage / incentivize businesses and stores to be in drop-off network, use sliding scale payment options for drop-offs 17 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM - HARD TO RECYCLE - Increase opportunities for hard-to-recycle item drop-offs, including collection events for hard-to-recycle items in urban, multi-family, rural, and areas with limited access. 18 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM – POLICY - Advocate for better access to drop offs by eliminating city/county residential requirements for drop-offs (“You can drop things off here only if you live in this city”), work with transportation companies (Uber, Lyft, Nice Ride, Transit) to provide rides to or near the drop offs. 28 - ENGAGEMENT - COMMUNITY LED SOLUTIONS - Leverage and financially support local leaders to: harness the power of community; identify cultural values and connections; raise awareness of available services and supports; increase participation, focus on communities that have historically been underserved, tap into faith-based groups to share messaging, market programs through neighborhood associations, invest in community groups to support engagement, provide incentives for adults to take education classes, provide ongoing funding to local environmental organizations 44 - HAULING - CONTRACTS / FRANCHISE - Investigate potential for cities or the county to adopt hauler contracts, franchising, or other organized collection scheme for multifamily and commercial; establish a roadmap to organize collection to reduce impact on the infrastructure and neighborhoods; provide hauler incentives in agreements (incentives for diversion, reduced contamination, others). 47 - HAULING - MULTI-FAMILY REPORTING - Require haulers to report on the multifamily properties they service for recycling and organics 48 - HAULING - SCHEDULES AND OUTREACH GUIDES Leverage the hauler licensing ordinance to develop clear schedules and outreach guides; guides should be consistent with the guidance provided by the Recycling Education Committee (REC); consider county / municipal use of online lookup tools, such as Recollect, clear consistent messaging posted in buildings, offered to agencies serving unhoused populations. 49 - HERC - PHASE OUT - Establish milestones to phase out the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) as county approaches higher levels of diversion; includes identification of alternatives for disposal of MSW generated in Hennepin County. Milestones for phasing out acceptance of materials at HERC that have higher / better use elsewhere or cause inefficient / high pollution combustion. Milestones to include a definitive shut down. 50 - HERC - EVALUATION AND UPGRADES - Evaluate upgrades at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) to increase pre- sorting of MSW and material recovery, reduce hazardous items from incineration, increase pollution control measures, and other operational improvements to the facility. 55 - MULTI-FAMILY – BULKY - Expand bulky-item programs for multifamily and encourage reuse / donation for bulky items that could be targeted at specific audiences, provide a county pick up / reuse center for large items. 56 - MULTI-FAMILY - ORGANICS COLLECTION - Increase access to hauler-provided curbside composting for multifamily buildings; Options include: offer incentives or rebates for property managers and residents; long term consideration of requirement for service, incentives for remodels to create bin space, property tax credit for multifamily property owners who participate in organics recycling. 79 - ENGAGEMENT – MULTIPLE LANGUAGES - Provide community recycling training sessions in different languages; provide interpreters and not just translations; offer commercial technical assistance for non-English speaking business owners. Connect culturally on what recycling looks like, incorporate community knowledge, get people that look like the audience to engage, work with cultural centers within cities, provide education/assistance/financial support to individuals at multifamily properties, provide a translators 87 - FINANCIAL - SUBSIDY FOR SERVICE - Subsidies, rebates, or bill discount to reduce burden of recycling and organics service costs for low-income customers and improve participation, 88 - MANDATORY PROGRAMS - MULTI-FAMILY - Require cities to add all multi-unit properties to their residential waste programs, if they opt out provide list of alternatives rather than a fee. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 52 93 - FINANCIAL - RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVES - Reward residents and provide incentives to increase participation, especially for low- income families (ideas: stipends for recycling captains, reward programs for recycling, financial incentives for neighbors hosting backyard composting for their street, etc.) 94 - ENGAGEMENT - INFORMATION SHARING - Widely share information with the public on the costs, benefits, and burdens of the solid waste system, who generates materials, who is paying for the system, who is profiting, increase funding to expand education and outreach channels, emphasize school education, partner with private partners to promote. 130 - EQUITY - COMMUNITY LISTENING - Host ‘Zero Waste’ community listening session on a more regular basis and in variety of formats (online, in person, in different parts of the county etc.) to encourage continued participation and feedback. GREEN STREAMS 9 - CIRCULARITY – ORGANICS - Adopt policy to procure finished compost to support end market. Require cities to do the same, look to advance the requirement at the state level. Consider pairing with market study of end users 10 - CODES - SPACE FOR RECYCLING - Advocate for requirements for new and significant remodels of multifamily buildings to have a recycling/organics room and/or chutes that are accessible and convenient for all residents; modify building codes to allow for more collection space and access for haulers. Provide incentives, grants, or tax breaks. Expand requirements to all commercial buildings, all local govt. buildings. 13 - POLICY - ZERO WASTE PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS - Adopt a county zero waste packaging ordinance, enforce the use of reusable, recyclable, and BPI certified compostable materials by businesses, events, stadiums, institutions, restaurants, foodservice vendors; include recycling signage requirements. Offset costs with grants. 22 - END MARKETS – ORGANICS - Suite of actions to grow compost uses such as: requirement for soil amendment for sod installation, landscape projects; inclusion in municipal climate resiliency planning; support / grants for carbon farm projects, public education program (uses and benefits of compost), grants for businesses that collect and/or use their own compost, engagement with landscapers 24 - ENFORCEMENT - ORD 13 ORGANICS - Enforce the Ordinance 13 commercial organics requirements; consider reducing threshold levels to below 1 ton per week (or 8 cubic yards) in the future and ramp up to require all generators to comply; Potential details: hire enforcement staff, enact fines, provide awards to entities that compost/divert organics, partner with ethnic chamber of commences / business councils for outreach, create easy way to report non-compliance. 30 - ENGAGEMENT - NEW RESIDENTS - Partner with or incentivize cities and/or haulers to deliver consistent recycling and diversion information to people who move to a new address, create mapping tool so new residents can see requirements and who to contact, create contact form for renters to request recycling, requirement literature be sent to property managers, deliver info through door-knocking 35 - FOOD WASTE – PLANNING - Develop and adopt a county food waste reduction, resiliency, recovery plan; Strategies examples: using imperfect produce; supporting federal / state tax incentives for donation; school food waste reduction; changing regulations on food production; improving data tracking; community food hubs/fridges; education on - food labels, expiration dates, recovery and rescue program, storage, menu planning; create network of food donators and recipients; encourage restaurants to offer ‘normal’ portions, increase/change requirements of larger generators. 36 - FOOD WASTE - SCHOOL WASTE MINIMIZATION - Establish a school policy to allow students to place uneaten, pre-packed food into donation area / share table for other students to eat, refrigerate excess food for reuse. 38 - GRANTS - COMMERCIAL ORGANICS - Re-evaluate (and potentially expand) grants to launch composting (organics collection) at businesses, details include: mailer / email outreach to property managers / tenants, grants specific to nonprofits, virtual session for applicants on how to apply, grant success case studies, base grant on diversion, decrease funds if stream is heavily contaminated. 53 - MANDATORY PROGRAM – COMPOST - Require that households and / or businesses properly separate food scraps and food soiled paper from the trash; consider accompanying this with a disposal ban. Include exceptions for lack of space. Details include incentivize by making it ‘free’, tied in with pay-as-you-throw system, education resources and bins, require large commercial producers first before households / smaller businesses. 56 - MULTI-FAMILY - ORGANICS COLLECTION - Increase access to hauler-provided curbside composting for multifamily buildings; Options include: offer incentives or rebates for property managers and residents; long term consideration of requirement for service, incentives for remodels to create bin space, property tax credit for multifamily property owners who participate in organics recycling. 58 - ORGANICS - LARGE SCALE PROCESSING - Increase available capacity for organics composting through large or regional facilities, could include public-private partnership, colocation at wastewater treatment plant, county / city run, or other options, research potential sites early to ensure environmental justice is served. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 53 89 - FOOD WASTE – TRACKING - Work with food establishments (grants, incentives, or requirements) to use food waste tracking/ inventorying software, evaluate if County can make the food waste tracking products available for free to the public and / or food establishments 104 - FOOD WASTE - MANDATORY RESCUE - Mandatory food rescue / donation program for large generators. 119 - ENGAGEMENT - AD FACILITY TOURS - Host student field trips and community events at the anaerobic digestion facility. 120 - FOOD WASTE – PARTNERSHIPS - Partner with food justice orgs, farms and produce distributors to glean excess/imperfect produce for use in schools, county foodservice, unhoused residents, and for county events. Utilize Master Recyclers/Composters for volunteer gleaning / distribution hours. 121 - ENGAGEMENT - JANITORIAL STAFF - Engage with janitorial staff, through property managers and/or unions, at office buildings, schools, event spaces, malls, institutions etc. to ensure waste is properly disposed in the correct receptacle. 125 - ENGAGEMENT - LANDFILL LANGUAGE - Mandate the use of the word ‘landfill’ or ‘incineration’ in commercial and multifamily settings to increase awareness around disposal, provide information around pollution and trade-offs with options. 132 - PROCUREMENT – RESTAURANTS - Cooperative purchasing agreements for restaurants to purchase BPI certified compostable products. NEIGHBORHOOD SOLUTIONS 2 - SHARING ECONOMY - BULKY ITEM REUSE - Expand opportunities for bulky item reuse and donation, increase access, address transportation barriers, create community bulky item drop offs, partner with community donation orgs, subsidize hauling for swap events, dedicate County location for swap, ‘how to’ kits for hosting swaps, promote with social media channels 16 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM - EXPANDED ACCESS - Improve / increase drop offs (recycle, organics) in multifamily dense, urban, and rural areas; align drop offs with public transportation routes and/or link with community resources; explore mobile drop-off sites or events, encourage / incentivize businesses and stores to be in drop-off network, use sliding scale payment options for drop-offs 26 - ENGAGEMENT – COMMERCIAL - Expand technical assistance pgm. for business owners; example details: onboarding and training for new employees; monthly lunch and learns; recording trainings; signage for participating businesses’; platform to connect businesses with each other for support / mentorship; include property owners / multi-family businesses in program. 28 - ENGAGEMENT - COMMUNITY LED SOLUTIONS - Leverage and financially support local leaders to: harness the power of community; identify cultural values and connections; raise awareness of available services and supports; increase participation, focus on communities that have historically been underserved, tap into faith-based groups to share messaging, market programs through neighborhood associations, invest in community groups to support engagement, provide incentives for adults to take education classes, provide ongoing funding to local environmental organizations 31 - ENGAGEMENT - GENERAL EDUCATION - Provide clear and consistent information on what is recyclable and reusable, available services, why recycling is important, why certain materials cannot be recycled, the impact of the materials we throw away; ensure messages and messengers are tailored to resonate with specific audiences, use local leaders to deliver culturally specific engagement, community-based efforts at the neighborhood level, offer trainings in other languages, provide videos and tours of facilities, leverage digital resources for residents; utilize social media to reach new/younger audiences, partner with ‘influencers’, school groups, community colleges, and social orgs. 32 - ENGAGEMENT – SCHOOLS - Improve technical assistance resources for schools, support for developing and understanding waste hauling contracts; emphasize organics recycling, reducing food waste, reusable service ware, school gardens; partner and provide resources / outreach to families, parent groups, PTO boards and school boards; facilitate feedback system for teachers / admin to identify gaps; establish a ‘Green Liaison’ per school; provide sufficient compost / recycling bins; create turnkey lessons for different grades. 41 - GRANTS - MICROGRANTS FOR BUSINESS - Expand micro-grants to businesses to make the transition to circularity; grants for small businesses working in reuse and repair - not just for nonprofits, support local green jobs / economic development, open ended grant for unique projects. 57 - ORGANICS - SMALL SCALE COMMUNITY - Support small-scale organics infrastructure including; technical assistance/resources/ badges for home/backyard composting; composting sites at the block, opportunities for community gardening and composting; incentives/rebates to purchase compost bins/tumblers; tie in with Master Gardeners program; partner with senior centers as garden/compost sites; have local groups build and sell / donate bins; grant support for neighborhood / backyard composting; network for finished compost sharing; compost giveaways, provide financial incentives for neighbors hosting backyard composting for their street, give starter kit bins / bags at no cost. 66 - FINANCIAL - INCENTIVES FOR REUSE - Provide financial incentives for private businesses focused on repair and circularity, eliminate or reimburse sales tax for used items. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 54 69 - COLLECTION - SHARED DUMPSTERS / SERVICE RECYCLING - Help neighboring businesses or properties consolidate and share services for recycling and composting; consider allowing and providing financial incentivize to those that share with community; provide certification and other recognition tools to promote those that share service. 79 - ENGAGEMENT – MULTIPLE LANGUAGES - Provide community recycling training sessions in different languages; provide interpreters and not just translations; offer commercial technical assistance for non-English speaking business owners. Connect culturally on what recycling looks like, incorporate community knowledge, get people that look like the audience to engage, work with cultural centers within cities, provide education/assistance/financial support to individuals at multifamily properties, provide a translators 80 - ENGAGEMENT - MULTIFAMILY - RECYCLING CHAMPIONS - Expand multifamily technical assistance to include cohort of residential ambassadors from cities; include composting assistance and education focused on commercial property managers (note that some of this is already underway in the County); provide funding for meetings/presentations at buildings; encourage property managers to recruit residents as recycling ambassadors. 81 - ENGAGEMENT - MULTIFAMILY GO GREEN - Develop a ‘green apartment’ program to model success / best management practices - recycling, composting engagement, and reuse programs within multifamily buildings; develop education and certification program for commercial property managers, target property owners who own lots of properties; other hyper-local programs for multi-family complexes; encourage properties to form sustainability committees 87 - FINANCIAL - SUBSIDY FOR SERVICE - Subsidies, rebates, or bill discount to reduce burden of recycling and organics service costs for low-income customers and improve participation. 93 - FINANCIAL - RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVES - Reward residents and provide incentives to increase participation, especially for low- income families (ideas: stipends for recycling captains, reward programs for recycling, financial incentives for neighbors hosting backyard composting for their street, etc.) 105 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM - MANDATORY POLICY - Policy that every neighborhood should have a smaller collection site / drop-off within a certain distance (walkable and bikeable). 108 - ORGANICS - COMMUNITY SCALE SITES - Support the development (grants, technical, permitting) of community scale composting sites to increase access to compost and overall processing capacity. 114 - MULTI-FAMILY - HAULING PROBLEM SOLVING - Problem solving (beyond 311) solution for multi-family residents & neighbors when private waste haulers are not emptying dumpsters. 115 - FINANCIAL - COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS - Add a surcharge on tipping fee to pay for community -based solutions and for coordinated community, city and county to address cumulative pollution impacts. 116 - EQUITY - COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF ABANDONED AREAS - Community groups take over abandoned properties for community benefits (e.g., composting, community gardens etc.). Consider utilizing abandoned facilities as educational malls/ interactive spaces to discuss waste. 130 - EQUITY - COMMUNITY LISTENING - Host ‘Zero Waste’ community listening session on a more regular basis and in variety of formats (online, in person, in different parts of the county etc.) to encourage continued participation and feedback. POLICY 1 - FINANCIAL - ADVANCE DISPOSAL FEE - Adopt ordinance that places a fee on the sale of certain disposables, potential litter, or toxic items (ex. disposable shopping bags, fast food wrappers, cigarettes, pesticides, batteries (vape pens)). Fee covers end of life, creates disincentive for purchase. Focus on items where a consumer has a choice between alternatives. 4 - C&D - DECONSTRUCTION POLICY - Work with cities and state agencies to educate policy maker on the value of deconstruction, adopt policies that prioritize and incentivize building deconstruction over demolition. Include model codes for cities, work with public housing authorities and institutions (schools, hospitals, etc.). 6 - C&D - MINIMUM DIVERSION REQUIREMENT POLICY - Require construction and demolition projects over a size threshold to recycle or divert a min. % of total materials; diversion could be source separated or sorted at a mixed waste processing facility. Potential details: deposit fee system, C.O. based on proof, submission of waste management plans, amp up requirements over time, options for fees based on project type and size, construction emissions standards, excluding concrete in measured weight. 10 - CODES - SPACE FOR RECYCLING - Advocate for requirements for new and significant remodels of multifamily buildings to have a recycling/organics room and/or chutes that are accessible and convenient for all residents; modify building codes to allow for more collection space and access for haulers. Provide incentives, grants, or tax breaks. Expand requirements to all commercial buildings, all local govt. buildings. 12 - COMMERCIAL - SINGLE USE WARES - Advocate for an update to health codes to allow reuse models in foodservice where wares are washed offsite by a third party. Clearly define what is / isn’t reusable and provide support (grants, incentives, others) to help restaurants offset costs. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 55 53 - MANDATORY PROGRAM – COMPOST - Require that households and / or businesses properly separate food scraps and food soiled paper from the trash; consider accompanying this with a disposal ban. Include exceptions for lack of space. Details include incentivize by making it ‘free’, tied in with pay-as-you-throw system, education resources and bins, require large commercial producers first before households / smaller businesses. 54 - MANDATORY PROGRAMS – RECYCLE - Require that households and / or businesses properly separate recyclables from the trash; consider accompanying this with a disposal ban; consider incentives so small businesses and schools are not disproportionally impacted; develop education, a monitoring plan and eventually a program to provide feedback for improper recycling (e.g., oops tags, etc.). 60 - POLICY - SINGLE FAMILY PAYT - Enact a volume-based pay-as-you-throw fee structure for trash for single family residential across entire county, ensure that rates differentials are significant enough to encourage diversion behaviors; consider system that is equitable and doesn’t financially burden certain households more than others. 73 -POLICY - RESTAURANT SINGLE USE BAN - Prohibit foodservice establishments from providing expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) takeout containers; require single-use takeout containers be recyclable or compostable; encourage used of reusable containers and ban or fee on plastic bags for to-go orders. Include incentives and financial support for restaurants to offset costs. Ramp up program over time to allow businesses time to plan. 74 - POLICY - COUNTY SINGLE USE BAN - Ban single-use items in county facilities and hosted county events. 75 - STATE POLICY – EPR - Lead the development and adoption of producer responsibility policies at the state level - evaluate pairing program with a bottle bill, a value added tax, eco modulation fees, or other options. Ensure policy covers imported and distributed goods. 76 - STATE POLICY - PREEMPTION REPEAL - Repeal state preemption to allow/support bans at city/county level. 77 - STATE POLICY - TRUTH IN LABELING, REPAIR INDEX, COMPOSTABILITY - Support MNCC’s composting labeling bill and / or other ‘truth in labeling’ legislation to identify recyclability / compostability of packaging; consider adopting requirement for publication of repair scores/indexes. 85 - MANDATORY PROGRAMS - LARGEST CITIES - Requirements for the largest cities such as multifamily composting program, commercial collection franchise zones including education for generators, increased city involvement in commercial organics recycling collection, provide more drop off options, food donation and prevention of wasted food, or others. 90 - POLICY - GENERAL SINGLE USE BAN - Ban single-use plastics and / or require fee for single-use goods across entire county, include event centers, concert venues, and sports arenas. 92 - STATE POLICY - ORGANIZED COLLECTION - Amend the organized collection statute so that it applies only to municipal solid waste. 100 - POLICY - E-WASTE - Suite of policies to address e-waste in the county including EPR or advance disposal fees, requirements for disassembly, county contracting, and / or prohibition from exporting waste. 101 - MEASUREMENT - CITY TRANSPARENCY - Policy that cities must provide a website that shows amount of material collected for garbage, recycling, organics, etc. The transparency page would include the specific end market for each recyclable commodity. Require that haulers or MRFs provide end market info to cities that contract with them. 102 - CODES - BUILDING CODES - Develop codes addressing the materials in the built environment - establish requirements and / or incentives for reusing materials when possible, including green materials in construction, and phasing in quality materials that can be dissembled in the future. 104 - FOOD WASTE - MANDATORY RESCUE - Mandatory food rescue / donation program for large generators. 105 - DROP-OFF SYSTEM - MANDATORY POLICY - Policy that every neighborhood should have a smaller collection site / drop-off within a certain distance (walkable and bikeable). 106 - MANDATORY PROGRAMS - ZERO WASTE EVENT REQUIREMENT - Events over a minimum size threshold are required to be zero waste. 107 - NATIONAL POLICY – PLASTICS - Support national standards for plastic to encourage producers to manufacture and sell packaging that can be recovered in the existing recycling system. 117 - FINANCIAL - WASTE SURCHARGE - Establish new or increase existing waste surcharge to capitalize recycling and recycling businesses, revenues go into economic development / job training. 128 - STATE POLICY – LOBBYING - Lobby the state legislature to pass laws that help with the County’s zero waste efforts. 136 - MANDATORY WASTE AUDIT & PLAN - Mandatory completion of waste audits and submission of waste reduction for largest generators in County - include public and private sector. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 56 SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 8 - PROCESSING - CHEMICAL RECYCLING / ADVANCED RECYCLING - Evaluate feasibility of chemical recycling or advanced recycling technologies for hard-to-recycle plastics, textiles and other items currently destined for the landfill. 21 - END MARKETS - LOCAL AND REGIONAL - Support local / regional end market development through grants and innovative programs (could neighborhood, county, regional or state level effort), increase local green job opportunities. Include reuse and alternatives to high carbon intensity products in end markets. 42 - GRANTS – MRFS - Provide grant funding to material recovery facilities (MRFs) for equipment upgrades that help to reduce contamination and increase recovery, prioritize grant funding for facilities / projects that provide living wage. 46 - MEASUREMENT – REPORTING - Collaborate to increase compliance with state reporting requirements, improve data sharing, consistent county reporting methodologies, and develop additional metrics beyond traditional weight-based measurement. Examples include generation, source reduction, GHG impacts, job creation, or other metrics. Present data in a manner that is accessible, transparent, and understandable. 49 - HERC - PHASE OUT - Establish milestones to phase out the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) as county approaches higher levels of diversion; includes identification of alternatives for disposal of MSW generated in Hennepin County. Milestones for phasing out acceptance of materials at HERC that have higher / better use elsewhere or cause inefficient / high pollution combustion. Milestones to include a definitive shut down. 50 - HERC - EVALUATION AND UPGRADES - Evaluate upgrades at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) to increase pre- sorting of MSW and material recovery, reduce hazardous items from incineration, increase pollution control measures, and other operational improvements to the facility. 51 - HERC - INFORMATION SHARING - Provide more information about HERC and the impact on the surrounding community. Include cost / investment information, impacts on different demographics and community members, add Continuous Emissions Monitoring (CEMS) data. Ensure data is from a trusted sources and presented in a language / format that is accessible to the public. 52 - CIRCULARITY - INNOVATION HUB - Develop innovation hub or districts to incubate new businesses using recycled materials as feedstock; consider innovation challenge around specific waste streams, partner with cities for funding, partner with innovation grants for business to provide space. 58 - ORGANICS - LARGE SCALE PROCESSING - Increase available capacity for organics composting through large or regional facilities, could include public-private partnership, colocation at wastewater treatment plant, county / city run, or other options, research potential sites early to ensure environmental justice is served. 61 - PROCESSING - POST-COLLECTION SORTING OF TRASH - Evaluate efficacy of sorting trash after collection; look at options to develop or contract with existing facilities to remove and recover reusable, recyclable, and compostable materials from source- separated trash. 63 - COLLECTION - PUBLIC SPACE RECYCLING - Make it standard to have a recycling paired with every public trash can, phase to organics in the future. All bins clearly labeled with visuals and text. Ensure county-wide consistency. Adopt standard colors and lids for these bins. 64 - ENGAGEMENT - REGIONAL COORDINATION - Coordinate with neighboring counties/states to encourage consistent education and best practices; collaborate on the development of end markets and infrastructure; get involved with regional planning for siting facilities and planning how materials will be processed, regional acceptance of materials with labeling and engagement. 67 - END MARKETS - ROAD CONSTRUCTION - Incorporate reusable and recycled materials into municipal road construction and maintenance projects, support adoption regionally. Include recycle glass in road specs (where appropriate) and use of compost in roadside revegetation, run-off control, or medians. 68 - STATE POLICY - SCORE FUNDS - ADVOCATE for increased state funding for SCORE, including solid waste management tax funds that are currently diverted to the general fund; evaluate permissible SCORE expenditures (115A.557, sub. 2) and advocate for deconstruction and reuse as an eligible program. 70 - SHARING ECONOMY - C&D - Establish or support reuse warehouses for building materials, evaluate county-run options alongside C&D landfills; create a material ‘bank’ for temporary storage of construction materials where the materials are examined, repaired, and shared. 82 - LANDFILL - PHASE OUT - Establish milestones, resources, and funding mechanisms to phase out the use of landfills as county reaches zero waste, start with a phase out period that prevents landfills from expanding and then move to full phase out. 84 - SHARING ECONOMY – REUSE HUBS - Develop neighborhood reuse or repair hubs, a ‘reuse’ mall, or other facilities for upcycling, sharing, refurbishment, and reuse and building local green jobs, partner with food shelves, parks with rec centers, ensure close proximity to transit, aggregate a map/guide of all facilities. HENNEPIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE PLAN | 57 91 - FINANCIAL - Landfill Fees - Increase landfill fees to fund waste reduction and recycling, include C&D landfills and mechanism to prevent any new fees having undue burden on lower income portions of county. 108 - ORGANICS - COMMUNITY SCALE SITES - Support the development (grants, technical, permitting) of community scale composting sites to increase access to compost and overall processing capacity. 109 - ORGANICS - TRANSFER STATIONS PROCESSING - Expand capacity for accepting and consolidating organics at existing transfer stations or building new transfer stations. 117 - FINANCIAL - WASTE SURCHARGE - Establish new or increase existing waste surcharge to capitalize recycling and recycling businesses, revenues go into economic development / job training. 126 - ENGAGEMENT – HAULERS - Engage with haulers to identify the ways they can improve current service and capacity, provide rebates/incentives and support for haulers. 127 - HAULING - CART TAGGING REQUIREMENTS - Require haulers to tag residents’ curbside bins that have contamination to further education residents. Climate Action Plan Strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to our changing climate in ways that reduce vulnerabilities and ensure a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County May 2021 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2 Table of contents Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Our climate is changing and will continue to change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Developing the climate action plan . . . . . . . . .8 Planning approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Climate Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Vision for an impactful plan . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities . . . . . . . . .15 Health and livability impacts of climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Climate resilience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Protecting vulnerable communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Racism as a public health crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Inequitable climate impacts that affect health and wellbeing . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Engaging the public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Green jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Goal: Enhance public safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Reducing long-term risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Impacts of flooding due to heavier rainfall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Buildings and transportation infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Increased stormwater and localized flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Green infrastructure and resilience in the built environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Natural areas and agricultural lands . . . . .40 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Components to meeting our greenhouse gas reduction goal . . . . . . . . .44 Buildings and energy use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Waste and material use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Carbon sequestration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Public entity partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Community organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Foundational strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Engaging residents to act on climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Appendix A: Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . .70 Appendix B: Public engagement findings . . .71 Appendix C: Strategy alignment with disparity reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise . . . .82 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 3 Purpose The climate in Hennepin County is changing . Hennepin County’s climate is getting wetter year-round and winter low temperatures are getting warmer . Climate vulnerability assessments make it clear that the risks posed to Hennepin County residents, infrastructure, and natural resources from climate change warrant an urgent, significant, and coordinated response . In order to avoid the most severe and devastating impacts from climate change, we need to make significant changes to how our society operates, and we need to do it quickly . Making these changes will have clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems and will help create a more sustainable and equitable society . Through community engagement efforts, the county learned that residents, community partners, other units of government, and county operations have already been experiencing negative impacts due to climate change . Residents, community partners, and other units of government are advancing their own climate action strategies and are interested in working with the county to address the complexities of climate change . The county has an important role to play in protecting our most vulnerable residents, leading by example in our operations, and fostering partnerships to achieve shared goals . Today, with our community in the midst of combating COVID-19, facing an uncertain economic outlook, and addressing the public health crisis of structural racism, it is more apparent than ever that building a more resilient community not only helps us adapt to a changing climate but also helps us reduce racial disparities and safeguards our residents, economy, infrastructure, and environment . If we do not act boldly, climate change will progressively worsen the disparities in health, housing, and income that communities of color are already experiencing . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 4 Our vision for a climate-friendly future Acting boldly on climate change will enable us to create a better future for ourselves and generations to come . Pursuing the strategies laid out in this plan will make ourselves and our communities healthier . The buildings we live and work in will efficiently use the clean energy supplied to them, and we will have numerous sustainable and accessible options for getting where we need to go . The lakes, rivers, forests, and prairies that make Hennepin County a great place to live will be protected and enhanced so that they provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife, give us a space to connect with nature, and contribute to making our communities more resilient . Transitioning to green, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure will provide economic opportunities that will be made accessible through workforce development and job training programs . Engaging our communities and developing strong and diverse partnerships will make our strategies more creative, more ambitious, and more achievable . A focus on reducing disparities and protecting residents most susceptible to climate impacts will ensure these benefits are shared by all Hennepin County residents . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 5 Foundation for an impactful response Hennepin County’s response to climate change is important . We lead in many areas that offer the most effective ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions, such as investing in transit, conserving energy use in our buildings, protecting natural resources, and preventing waste . The county developed this climate action plan to serve as the foundation for a coordinated approach to planning, policy development, and responses to climate change . This plan both accounts for programs, services, and initiatives that are already underway and identifies new strategies that we need to pursue to effectively respond to and adapt to the changing climate . The plan establishes how a climate response will be coordinated across lines of business and how reducing the impacts of climate change and creating a climate- friendly future will be integrated into the county’s planning and decision-making . This is intended to be an iterative plan that integrates new and bolder goals and strategies as planning for climate change becomes core to how the county achieves its objectives . This plan is an opportunity for the county to further our purpose-driven culture and innovate how we deliver service . We are well-equipped to meet this opportunity because responding to big challenges brings out the best in county staff – resourcefulness, innovation, and empowerment . We cannot do it alone . Since climate change is primarily caused by humans burning fossil fuels for energy, we all have a shared responsibility – individuals, businesses, community organizations, institutions, and government – to do more to combat climate change and protect our environment for future generations . Photo © Star Tribune This climate action plan is a framework for how the county will pursue initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and strategies to adapt to the changing climate in ways that reduce vulnerabilities and ensure a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 6 Climate change is caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, for energy to power buildings, fuel vehicles, and create goods . Burning fossil fuels for energy releases excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, most notably carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) . The buildup of excess greenhouse gases acts like a blanket that traps heat around the world, disrupting the climate . According to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Climatology Office, Minnesota’s climate is already changing rapidly and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future .1 The variability in weather that Minnesota is known for between warm and cool and wet and dry will still be a staple of our climate, with projections showing that in some ways the climate will become more variable . Figure 1: Average annual precipitation by decade in the Twin Cities Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2019 1 https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/climate_change_info/index.html The region has gotten much wetter and warmer, driven by more frequent heavy precipitation and warmer winters (See Figure 1) . In fact, the 2010s is the wettest decade on record in Minnesota, and projections indicate these trends will continue . Heavier precipitation events and warmer winters increase the frequency of flooding, landslides, freeze/thaw cycles, ice storms, rain on snow events, and heavy snowstorms . All of these put increased strain on county operations, residents, businesses, and the natural environment . In addition to heavier precipitation events, the potential for drought will increase in the coming decades . Hot weather, including higher summer temperatures and heat waves, has not worsened yet, but it is expected to by mid-century . Our climate is changing and will continue to change HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 7 Increasing the understanding of the local impacts of climate change One challenge we face in Hennepin County is that the dramatic images seen in the news of hurricanes, persistent droughts, wildfires, and urban heat waves don’t match up with how we are currently experiencing climate change, so it can be harder for our staff, residents, and partner organizations to understand our local impacts . Thus far, impacts in Hennepin County have mostly been limited to small geographic areas, such as an intense rainfall inundating a portion of a city, creeping groundwater flooding affecting a small zone of residents, or landslides happening in specific areas . Additionally, the effects of extreme heat and extreme cold disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, leaving the general public with an underappreciation of these climate change impacts . There needs to be an increased understanding that a functioning, stable climate serves as the foundation of our lives . Our health and safety, water supplies, food systems, access to healthy air, and where we are able to live all depend on a stable climate . Climate change is the ground shifting under our feet, challenging our capacity to grow food, changing the diseases and pests we have to deal with, disrupting our communities, and threatening our health and safety . Our health and safety, water supplies, food systems, access to healthy air, and where we are able to live all depend on a stable climate . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 8 Developing the climate action plan Planning approach Internal and external engagement was conducted throughout the plan development . The county will track the metrics identified through the plan to evaluate whether the strategies in the plan achieve their desired outcomes . The arrow reflects the intention to make the plan iterative and adaptable as the county moves into implementation of the plan . Phase I: Research and assessment The first phase of the county’s climate action plan development involved conducting research and assessing climate change impacts and greenhouse gas emissions . A summary of the key findings are described in the background section for each goal . The full reports are posted online at hennepin.us/climate-action . In this phase, staff engaged Hennepin County’s cities, watershed organizations, park districts, and other regional and state units of government to learn about their priorities for climate work and opportunities for collaboration . Staff also reached out to partner community groups that are working on climate change to gather feedback on the community engagement approach . Assess climate change impacts to the county Assess greenhouse gas emissions Review, build support and seek approval Track indicators and evaluate outcomes Internal and external engagement Develop goals and strategies Facilitate partnerships to accomplish the work Climate action framework The development of the climate action plan has followed the process depicted in Figure 2 with the following phases: • Phase 1: Research and assessment on climate change impacts and greenhouse gas emissions • Phase 2: Develop goals and strategies • Phase 3: Review, build support, and seek approval • 2021 and beyond: Seek and facilitate partnerships to accomplish the work Figure 2: Climate action framework HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 9 Phase II: Develop goals and strategies Staff from every line of business were engaged in the following five work teams to develop goals and strategies to respond to climate change . which strategies the county should pursue to build a strong foundation for an impactful response to climate change . Seven foundational strategies were identified from that analysis . These strategies are staff’s recommendation about the best place to start that will serve as a s trong foundation for the county’s long-term response to climate change . Those strategies were presented to the county board on September 24, 2020 . See foundational strategies on pg . 65 . Appendix A includes an acknowledgement of the 59 staff members representing 20 departments that participated in the teams . Phase III: Review, build support, and seek approval The county’s approach to engagement began with internal coordination, then expanded to include public entity and community group partners, and then residents and businesses more broadly . Early in 2020, staff reached out to county subject matter experts and senior leadership in all lines of business asking for their commitment to this work and to consider how the county can best respond to climate change . For the county to succeed in an impactful response to climate change, this work needs to be a priority for all lines of business, not just work for environmental staff . Staff recognized that to achieve the desired outcomes in this plan, the county must commit to a long-term endeavor that requires significant changes to county policies, systems, and practices . In May 2020, staff reached out to Hennepin County’s cities, watershed organizations, park districts, and other regional and state units of government to learn about their priorities for climate work and opportunities for collaboration . In June 2020, county commissioners reviewed the findings from the research and assessment phase of the work and provided feedback that helped shape the development of the strategies and informed the community engagement efforts . People: health, behavior, and disparity reduction The teams proposed climate action strategies based on their focus area . The climate team leads then worked with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff to apply a disparities reduction lens to the brainstormed strategies . In total, the teams came up with more than 200 strategies to address climate change . The strategies were analyzed for similarities among the teams and categorized into themes . Finally, team leads were asked to consider the current landscape, taking into account financial realities, the county’s core work functions, and their professional expertise in their focus area to recommend Transportation and infrastructure Buildings and energy Waste and materials Water, natural resources, and land use HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 10 In August 2020, staff gathered feedback from public entity partners on proposed strategies that will require external partnership and greater coordination to achieve . Staff then further developed goals and strategies, and those were reviewed by all county lines of business . In September 2020, a board briefing was held to review the status of the plan development and to seek guidance on the foundational strategies . The board also provided direction on conducting more external community engagement . In November 2020, staff held a series of feedback sessions with community groups, youth, and the county’s Race Equity Advisory Council . A total of 84 people shared feedback on the climate action plan’s foundational strategies, impacts the community has experienced from climate change, and their priorities for a climate-friendly future . The county also conducted an online survey for residents that received more than 2,300 responses to learn about impacts the community has experienced from climate change and understand residents’ priorities to inform the plan . The survey also asked about actions residents are already taking and what actions they are interested in taking to mitigate climate change, which will be used to shape future outreach on the plan and guide the county’s education efforts on climate action . A summary of the key findings from the first phase of public engagement can be found in Appendix B . In December 2020, staff analyzed the feedback received in the first phase of public engagement and revised the plan . In January 2021, staff shared a draft of the plan with county commissioners, seeking direction on the public engagement process and when to pursue formal board adoption of the plan . In February 2021, the draft plan was shared with the public and the second phase of public engagement was held . Feedback was gathered through community meetings, an online comment form, and a survey for public entity partners . Anyone interested in the county’s response to climate change was encouraged to attend an online meeting or submit comments . Feedback was received from residents, representatives of community organizations and advocacy groups, and staff from state agencies, cities, and watershed districts . The public engagement process generated more than 1,000 ideas and comments that informed updates to the plan and will guide the county’s climate action work going forward . A summary of the key findings from the second phase of public engagement can be found in Appendix B . In March 2021, staff analyzed the feedback received to identify key themes and calls to action and shared the feedback with county leadership and climate action teams to get responses and identify updates needed to the plan . Staff revised the plan and submitted it to the board for adoption . A public comment opportunity was given in April 2021, and the final plan was submitted for adoption . personhumanfuture planetclimate change earthcareworldconcerned citizen generation living community children live impactyoung people mother parent nature life environment lives healthy animalhealth global science environmentalist member kid leave grandchildren yearslove lover responsible believer natural adultbetter student effectsworriedold enjoy grandmother plant affect species sustain worry air grandparent i'm resident water believe environmental family make safe understand cleanprotect scientist father issue resources survive time don't good value weather long outdoors thrive ecosystem experience grandfather home livable outdoor teacher things year continuejustice quality wildlife deal don’t hope neighbor woman creature destroy Word cloud of responses to the question, “I care about climate change because I am a...___” Hennepin County Climate Change survey, 2020 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 11 2021 and beyond With this plan, the county’s leaders have articulated a framework to realize our vision for a climate-friendly future . As the county moves into implementation, we will demonstrate that climate action is a countywide priority for all departments, and we will align resources with this priority . Work plans outlining timelines, budgets, and responsibilities will be created for the strategies identified in this plan . Employees are already engaged in pursuing the plan’s foundational strategies (see page 65) to showcase early successes . The plan is driven by the county’s priority of reducing racial disparities . With this plan, the county centers how climate change work is intersectional with racial equity work . Staff will use the county’s Racial Equity Impact Tool to guide how we engage with community, particularly those most impacted by a policy, program, or budget decision, and ensure that we consider how the community may benefit or be burdened by those decisions . The county looks forward to convening partners to further develop action plans for strategies, pursue collaborations for greater impact, and raise a collective voice for climate policy . The county will also help our residents understand the impacts from climate change, help residents, businesses, and organizations take action, and build support for collective action that is necessary to drive systems change . For us to achieve our climate goals, climate-driven investments need to be priorities and longer-term solutions to funding must be found . Developing and including a climate analysis framework, which builds on the Race Equity Impact Tool, that can be applied in budgets and planning work will be critical to advancing this work with tight budgets . This plan shifts the climate aspects of projects from “nice to have” to “must have” features . By accounting for a changing climate in the things that we build, we are protecting our investments into the future . On May 4, 2021, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners adopted the Climate Action Plan. 12 Climate action plan Prioritize disparity reduction Cut greenhouse gas emissions Adapt to climate hazards Results in a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County Vision for an impactful plan This plan includes initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions and strategies to adapt to the changing climate in ways that reduce vulnerabilities and ensure a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County . This plan serves as the foundation for a coordinated approach to planning, policy development, and responses to climate change . The most important values to residents and community partners in creating a climate-friendly future are: • Ensuring a healthy environment for future generations • Protecting people most susceptible to climate impacts and reducing racial disparities • Protecting wildlife and nature • Responsibly using resources and minimizing wastefulness 13 Cut greenhouse gas emissions Figure 3: Countywide greenhouse gas emission trends Adapt to climate hazards and prepare for the projected impacts In May 2019, the county board directed staff (Resolution 19-0158R1 S1) to develop a coordinated resiliency and adaptation plan . Climate adaptation is about developing and implementing strategies to help human and natural systems cope with and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change . Net zero carbon emissions is achieved by “balancing” a limited amount of carbon released with offsets that remove carbon from the atmosphere . These ambitious goals were recommended as a way to limit warming to 1 .5 degrees Celsius, which would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health, and well-being while making it easier to achieve equitable and sustainable development . Previously, the county was pursuing emissions reduction goals from a 2005 baseline by: 15% by 2015; 30% by 2025; 80% by 2050 from both the geographic area of the county and from county operations . As depicted in Figure 3, countywide greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by more than 15% from the 2005 baseline . The success in meeting the 2015 greenhouse emission reduction goal was largely due to Xcel Energy’s efforts to expand renewable energy sources . Emissions relating to waste and wastewater treatment, transportation, and energy generation from natural gas have changed little over the past 12 years . The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners updated county goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 . These goals are based on the global consensus from scientists working with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and align with the direction being taken at the federal and state level . The scientific consensus establishes that we need to substantially reduce emissions and make rapid and far-reaching changes in all aspects of society to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change .These emission reduction targets apply to both the geographic area of the county and county operations . Climate action plan Prioritize disparity reduction Cut greenhouse gas emissions Adapt to climate hazards Results in a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County 14 Results in an equitable and resilient Hennepin County The impacts of climate change will more acutely affect historically marginalized communities . Like other environmental justice issues, data shows that people of color, low-income families, and residents with disabilities contribute least to the problem of climate pollution, but these residents are the most at risk from negative climate impacts . As the county seeks to protect the most susceptible residents, we acknowledge that those who have the least capacity to respond to climate change will be most affected . Resilience is the capacity of a community, individual, business, or natural environment to prevent, withstand, respond, and recover from acute shocks and stressors . Because disparity reduction is a priority for the county, we modified a climate resiliency framework used by many organizations to show how climate resiliency aligns with disparity reduction . The county’s the disparity reduction domains are shown in the green inner circle (See Figure 4) . This helps to identify which areas of climate response and resiliency overlap with the disparity reduction domains . See Appendix C for a chart that aligns each climate plan strategy with its related disparity reduction domains . The plan will result in building a more resilient community that can withstand and adapt to abrupt and sometimes unforeseen weather, social, and economic changes . The strategies pursued in this plan need to advance equitable outcomes and not exacerbate racial disparities . Figure 4: County disparity reduction domains aligned with climate resilience framework Climate action plan Prioritize disparity reduction Cut greenhouse gas emissions Adapt to climate hazards Results in a more equitable and resilient Hennepin County HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 15 The county strives to meet the needs of our residents by enhancing safety, health, and quality of life . As we serve today’s residents, the county must also ensure a high quality of life for the generations to come . The effects of climate change related to air pollution, flooding, and extreme heat will exacerbate health threats, especially for people of color, low-income families and people with physical disabilities . These residents are most susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change due to racist decisions in the past around land use, transportation and other policies . These persistent inequities are still upheld in our systems today . They have created disparities in outcomes and have inequitably increased the risk posed to historically marginalized communities by climate change . The county must prioritize protecting the health of residents amid these increasing threats . At the same time, the investments the county makes in responding to climate change present the opportunity to reduce disparities in employment and grow the economy . To have a transformative impact, the county needs support and engagement from residents, businesses, and organizations to advance collective action and drive systemic change . Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities The impacts of the climate crisis are not felt equally, making the response to climate change a justice issue that requires authentically engaging with communities, advancing efforts to dismantle systemic racism, and reducing disparities . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 16 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Changes in our climate will result in changes to health and livability for our residents . The county anticipates preparing and responding to the following health and livability impacts: • Rising temperatures and changes in climate patterns are likely to increase air pollution . Air pollutants, such as ozone, particulate matter, and allergens, pose respiratory and cardiovascular threats . • Increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events will lead to more flash flooding, which is a safety risk, especially for historically marginalized residents . Flash flooding also threatens property and belongings and limits access for emergency vehicles to respond to calls . • Sustained high precipitation will saturate soils and disproportionately impact residents living and working in areas prone to groundwater flooding . Buildings in persistently wet soils are more likely to grow mold and bacteria that reduce indoor air quality and pose respiratory threats to people in the buildings . • Extreme heat, especially in urban areas, will put historically marginalized residents at higher risk of overheating . Increasing temperatures combined with increases in precipitation will lead to increased humidity, compounding risks to residents with underlying health conditions . • Transmission of West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and other vector-borne disease is expected to increase as the distribution of ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects change as a result of warmer and wetter conditions . • Negative mental health outcomes can be caused by the acute trauma of an extreme weather event or the gradual onset of climate change . Mental health issues may include anxiety, stress, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder . Health and livability impacts of climate change HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 17 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Most common effects of climate change that residents have experienced over the last few years (% of survey respondents who say they have experienced this effect) • Stress or anxiety due to worrying about climate change and the future (74%) • Changes in activities due to extreme, severe, or weird weather (55%) • Increase in pests, such as ticks and mosquitoes (46%) • Needing to deal with extreme heat or cold, including finding shelter and access to air conditioning (43%) • Impacts on activities caused by poor air quality (40%) Figure 5: Health effects of climate change. Source: Minnesota Department of Health, 2016 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 18 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Climate resilience Climate change is likely to bring more abrupt and challenging situations, such as flash floods or severe weather, that worsen existing disparities . Objective: Hennepin County becomes a more resilient community that can withstand and adapt to abrupt and sometimes unforeseen weather, social, and economic changes Strategy: Strengthen individual and community resilience • Collect, monitor, and communicate climate risks to public health, society, and the economy . • Foster relationships with communities to engage, listen, and respond with people-centered solutions . • Improve education and communication to promote awareness, personal action, and best practices in the areas of: –Chronic disease prevention and management . –Vector-borne diseases . –Physical and mental health, wellbeing, and resiliency . –Environmental health, including indoor air quality, wet basements, and mold . –Weather and subsequent health effects, including overheating, frost bite, and drowning . • Plan for population growth due to people relocating from areas facing more severe climate impacts and explore lessons learned from previous climate shocks to prepare for climate refugees . • Increase coordination with Minnesota Department of Health through their Climate and Health Program efforts . • Collect data from recreational beach water to monitor disease rates and respond to outbreaks . A climate hazard, such as water in the basement, could be an inconvenience for some, a manageable problem for others, or a catastrophic event for those without the means to respond . To illustrate this point, as winters have been warming, Hennepin County has seen an increase in winter rains . Rainwater flowing toward snow-covered stormwater intakes cannot infiltrate frozen soils and pools in the lowest spots . When winter rainwater flows into residential and commercial basements, the owner’s and/or renter’s financial ability to respond determines whether the damage is inconvenient, manageable, or catastrophic . The property of those without the financial means to repair the water damage may end up in tax forfeiture . Hennepin County is finding that many tax-forfeited properties have water damage, which the county repairs prior to reselling the property at market value . Building a more resilient community – for example, at the individual level by providing financial assistance to help residents prevent or repair water damage and at the community level by increasing stormwater holding capacity in areas that are most prone to flooding – will help disrupt disparities and protect our society, economy, and public health . © Star Tribune HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 19 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Protecting vulnerable communities The impacts of climate change will affect all residents, but the impacts will not be felt equally . Like other environmental justice issues, data show that our communities of color, low-income families, and residents with disabilities contribute least to the problem of climate pollution .2 Despite this, these residents are the most at risk from negative climate impacts, especially during flooding events, heat waves, and poor air quality days .3 As the county seeks to protect residents most vulnerable to climate change impacts, we acknowledge that those who have the least capacity to respond to climate change will be most affected . The darkest blue areas on the map (Figure 5, pg . 20) are census tracts where people who will most acutely feel disproportionate impacts of climate change live . This map was created by layering 14 social, demographic and economic variables to help assess the influence of social determinants of health on climate vulnerability . This approach is consistent with that used in other, similar analyses, such as Ramsey County Public Health’s vulnerability assessment, Met Council’s areas of concentrated poverty, MPCA’s Environmental Justice datasets, and CDC’s Human Vulnerability Index . Of note, this map mirrors both the county’s Historically Undercounted Communities map and the COVID-19 Equity Impact Awareness Tool maps recently created by Hennepin County GIS . This makes it clear that the communities most impacted by historic and systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic are the communities most susceptible to the impacts of climate change . 2 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Life and Breath: How Air Pollution Affects Public Health in the Twin Cities, July 2015 . 3 Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Climate and Health Profile Report 2015 . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 20 Figure 5: Human vulnerability index Variables included: • Asthma hospitalization rates • COPD hospitalization rates • Households with no vehicle • Limited English language proficiency • Median household income • No high school degree • People of color • Population age 5 and under • Populations below 185% poverty threshold • Population density • Population age 65 and older • Population with any disability • Renter housing units • Unemployment rates Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities This map will be used to inform decision-making and help staff determine where to prioritize work to reduce specific vulnerabilities . This dataset can be used as a base layer to which additional program-specific datasets can be overlaid to provide a climate lens on decision-making . This will build on the county’s use of a race equity impact tool to create a more robust picture about the impact of a policy, program, or budget decision . Using these tools can help staff and others consider how people of color and other people who are more susceptible to negative climate impacts may benefit or be burdened by those decisions . Key Population vulnerability composite score least vulnerable most vulnerable 15 - 50 51 - 85 86 - 125 126 - 245 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 21 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Strategy: Mitigate disproportionate impacts associated with climate change • Mitigate the heat island effect, especially in areas with people most vulnerable to extreme heat, by supporting increased access to air conditioning, increasing the tree canopy, and converting hardscape where possible to green infrastructure . • Address flooding in housing, especially where people most vulnerable to flooding impacts live, by promoting and providing financial support for preventative measures such as sump-pumps and landscaping to redirect water away from structures . • Build awareness of expanding flood zones among at-risk residents and businesses and the potential availability of optional flood insurance . Explore options for possible subsidized flood insurance based on financial need . • Reduce air pollution associated with transportation, especially in areas with vulnerable populations . • Reduce the health impacts associated with pollution from the production, packaging, use, and disposal of materials by supporting waste prevention, reuse, recycling, toxicity reduction, and proper management of hazardous waste . Strategy: Better understand and plan for the health needs of our diverse communities • Improve collection of data and monitor the health impacts of climate change, including increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease burdens and particularly the impact on racial disparities . • Strengthen sustainable access to affordable housing, healthcare, food, and transportation and other social determinates of health for residents . • Create relationships with the communities in ways that strengthen engagement and build trust . • Develop and include a climate analysis framework with a health and racial equity lens in budgets and planning work . • Conduct outreach to vulnerable communities using customized and culturally appropriate approaches to meet diverse communities’ needs . “Climate change is intersectional . Climate change burdens are racial/class discrimination burdens . It is all connected . Make space and time for those most impacted, along with experts . Talk to everyday people from all walks of life .” – Resident comment Objective: The county’s response to climate change prioritizes the protection of the most vulnerable residents and advances equitable health outcomes HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 22 Racism as a public health crisis The reality is that persistent disparities separate people who are not thriving in Hennepin County from those who are. Although everyone will be impacted by the climate crisis, it will not be experienced equally . Like other environmental justice issues, those who least contribute to the problem of climate change will be most impacted . In this climate action plan, the county recognizes our obligation to work toward eliminating disparities in our response to climate change . In June 2020, the Hennepin County Board passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis that affects the entire county . This declaration supports the county’s foundational work to develop strategies that mitigate personal bias and prejudice in the community, create systems that build equity, and create a future where all residents are healthy and successful and all communities thrive . In Hennepin County, inequities in education, employment, health, housing, income, justice, and transportation are starkest between residents of color and their white counterparts . Acknowledging that this is both true and unacceptable is just the beginning . When we start our work from this shared perspective and shift our guiding lens to one that is focused and committed to addressing these disparities, we can see the places, partnerships, programs, and services where we have a responsibility to act . Hennepin County will support local, state, regional, and federal initiatives that advance efforts to dismantle systemic racism, will seek partnerships with local organizations that have a legacy and track record of confronting racism, and will promote community efforts to amplify issues of racism to engage actively and authentically with communities of color wherever they live . – Excerpt from County’s Administration’s response to the board resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 23 Inequitable climate impacts that affect health and well-being Air quality Increased heat and precipitation associated with climate change is already causing adverse impacts on air quality that exacerbate many underlying health conditions by increasing stress on the body . For example, rising humidity levels in combination with more frequent flood events from increased precipitation encourages greater mold and bacterial growth in buildings . In addition, rising temperatures and the lengthening of the growing season will expand the allergy season, disproportionately impacting residents with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . The following map (Figure 7) shows a significant association of COPD hospitalizations with the populations most vulnerable to climate change impacts . Public health experts use COPD hospitalizations rather than asthma hospitalizations because they more closely correlate with poor air quality . Figure 7: COPD hospitalization rates Health impacts of air pollution Understanding the relationship between exposure to pollutants and disease is difficult because people move in and out of neighborhoods - they live, work, and are active in many settings . Some people are exposed to more air pollution than others because of where they live or work, and some people are more affected by it . For example, people with pre-existing heart and lung conditions are at greater risk, and so are the elderly and children . People of color, indigenous people, and people with low incomes face social, economic, and health inequities that often contribute to increased frequency of health conditions that can be affected by air pollution . These inequities mean that communities of color, indigenous communities, and lower-income communities tend to be more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution .4 4 The air we breathe . The state of Minnesota’s air quality 2019 https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/ default/files/lraq-1sy19.pdf Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Areas of greatest population vulnerability Key COPD hospitalization rate (age-adjusted) 1.4 - 4.5 4.6 - 8.1 8.2 - 12.8 12.9 - 22.3 22.4 - 58.2 Data not available HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 24 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Sources of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution Two-thirds of Hennepin County’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the electricity and natural gas used to power industrial, commercial and residential buildings . Most of the remaining one-third comes from transportation emissions . The rest comes from the smaller, “neighborhood” sources such as backyard fires, auto-body shops, and dry cleaners . Pollution from these emissions sources is higher in the parts of Hennepin County where our residents who are most vulnerable to climate change live because of the higher density of emissions sources . For example, with the exception of ground-level ozone, transportation-related air pollution is higher in the more urban areas of the county where the road network is densest and traffic is highest . This coincides with where many of the county’s most vulnerable residents live . Climate change impacts on air quality While Hennepin County’s air quality is generally good in terms of meeting federal air quality standards, projected climate trends will result in decreased air quality . The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency maintains an Air Quality Index that categorizes air quality on a daily basis on a scale ranging from good to very unhealthy . Air quality has improved in recent years due to the increasing transition from coal-fired to natural-gas- fueled power plants, the expansion of solar- and wind-powered energy, more transit choices, and increased vehicle fuel economy standards . However, unless significant mitigation efforts are undertaken, climate change will cause certain types of air pollution, such as particulates and ground-level ozone, to increase . This will potentially have significant consequences for our vulnerable residents . One impact of climate change that Minnesota has not yet experienced is increased periods of drought, which is already occurring in other parts of the U .S . Droughts lead to the increased occurrence of wildfires, and smoke from these wildfires, especially those in western states and Canada, can adversely impact air quality in Hennepin County . During the summer of 2018, seven of the nine unhealthy air quality days in the metro area were the result of smoke from distant wildfires . Based on current projections, we can expect the number of unhealthy air quality days caused by distant wildfires to increase . In addition, if projections of periods of localized drought prove correct, nearby wildfires will also impact air quality . Unhealthy air quality caused by Canadian wildfires. Photo: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2015 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 25 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Extreme heat Increased temperatures combined with increased humidity will disproportionately affect residents with underlying health conditions, especially those with limited means to adapt . Urban heat islands and vulnerable communities Many urban areas have more concrete and other impermeable surfaces that radiate heat along with less tree canopy and greenspace to mitigate the heat . This creates urban heat islands where the temperature measured can be significantly higher than the official reported temperature . The continued rise of temperatures due to climate change is likely worsening this heat island effect . Occurrences of daytime extreme heat are projected to increase by 2050 . While a couple of degrees may not seem significant, increased temperatures combined with increased humidity will disproportionately affect residents with underlying health conditions, especially those with limited means to adapt . Areas with those most vulnerable to the effects of extreme temperatures and the urban heat island are show in the map (Figure 6) . The map was developed using average August nighttime mean temperatures from August 2011 to August 2014, which was derived from a study by the University of Minnesota5, overlain with the areas of greatest population vulnerability . Nighttime temperatures are an important factor because our bodies are evolved to cool down at night . The inability for the body to cool off, especially at night, exacerbates physical and mental health stressors . Figure 6: Heat Island – August Nighttime These data show that the urban heat island effect is stronger at night in the summer and during the day in the winter . Temperatures in the urban Twin Cities core averaged 2 degrees F higher than surrounding areas and spiked to as much as 9 degrees F higher than surrounding areas during a heat wave . Additionally, a separate analysis by the University of Minnesota6 showed that the areas most impacted by the urban heat island effect align with areas where people who have historically faced housing discrimination live . More information about this analysis can be found online in the county’s climate vulnerability assessment . Access to cooling centers and other means to cool down Many cooling centers are not open overnight or are not reasonably available to those in need . In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the use of cooling centers, which results in very few cooling centers available in areas where the most vulnerable residents live . Once again, the capacity to respond to increasing temperatures determines whether heat is an inconvenience, a manageable problem, or a catastrophic event . For many residents, higher temperatures may translate only to higher utility bills resulting from increased use of air conditioning, but some residents may not have air conditioners or the ability to pay to run them and are more likely to have underlying health conditions that make lack of access to air conditioning a bigger problem . 5 Smoliak, Brian . Dense Network Observations of the Twin Cities Canopy-Layer Urban Heat Island . JOURNAL OF APPLIED METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY . Pgs 1899-1917 . September, 2015 . 6 University of Minnesota CREATE Lab, Islands in the Sky: Urban Heat Island and Redlining presentation, 2020 . Areas of greatest population vulnerability Key Mean nighttime temperature (Degrees farenheit) High: 67.5º Low: 62.4º HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 26 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Engaging the public Climate change affects all parts of the county and all residents, businesses, and organizations . Transformative climate policies must be driven and supported by the public . To advance an impactful climate change response, we need to engage residents, listen to how climate change is impacting them, and collectively build support for solutions . Defining and articulating our collective vision for a climate- friendly future is critical to motivate collective action . Objective: Residents, businesses, and organizations pursue individual actions and support collective actions that drive systems change Strategy: Educate and engage the public in taking collective action • Engage a broad range of stakeholders in understanding the impacts and developing solutions . • Define and communicate the county’s vision for a climate-friendly future, and work with residents and communities to articulate our collective vision for a climate-friendly future . • Understand our residents’ attitudes, barriers, and motivation toward taking action to address climate change and identify what different priority audiences need to take action . • Develop effective programs, messages, and outreach efforts to support collective action . 2015 Naturefest event, hosted by Hennepin County, with Earle Brown Elementary at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park in Brooklyn Park. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 27 Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Green jobs Several Hennepin County departments manage land and property for different purposes . New green infrastructure will help respond to projected changes in precipitation . Installing, establishing, and maintaining this infrastructure creates an opportunity to train a new green workforce and define new contract standards . Hennepin County has developed several training models to achieve other county priorities . The right workforce model will help multiple departments manage projected precipitation and achieve broader county goals to reduce disparities in employment and income . Target metrics • Include climate considerations in the development of the 2022 budget . • Determine which data to collect and begin monitoring for the health and environmental impacts of climate change by 2022 . • Develop options for a coordinated green jobs/ pathways program by 2022 to support county departments as they install and maintain green infrastructure . Objective: County climate investments support broader county goals to reduce disparities in employment and grow the economy Strategy: Maximize green economic recovery and workforce development opportunities • Explore a green jobs/pathways program concept for installation, establishment, and maintenance of green infrastructure . • Engage with youth, especially in areas of greatest vulnerability, to increase awareness of climate change and mitigation strategies, highlight careers in the environmental field, and create a community-based network of environmental stewards . • Support new job opportunities in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green infrastructure . What kinds of green jobs are most interesting to you? Youth suggested providing green job training in schools . They expressed interest in jobs such as: • Building solar panels and working in the renewable energy sector • Planting urban gardens and supporting urban agriculture • Construction jobs for energy efficiency and extreme weather resiliency • Conducting outreach to schools • Environmental consultant to companies • Transit driver Community engagement included a listening session held with high-school aged youth involved with community group partners. Snapshot from youth listening session HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 28 The county’s emergency management work includes preparing for, mitigating against, responding to, and recovering from disasters to ensure public safety and health . Hennepin County Emergency Management coordinates the countywide emergency management program, maintains public and private disaster resources in the county, and works to ensure that emergency officials, government, private industry, and volunteer organizations take a unified approach to preparing for and responding to emergencies . Within this framework, Public Health Emergency Preparedness coordinates the portion of preparedness, response and recovery activities aimed at protecting the health of residents and staff . The risk assessment process measures the vulnerabilities of communities, including loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and economic injury, resulting from hazard events . Hazards are triggered by natural processes, unintentional human causes, or intentional human threats . These triggers may also interact with each other to produce cascading impacts . Detailed local hazard assessment information provides the framework to develop and prioritize mitigation strategies and plans to help reduce both the risk and vulnerability from future hazard events . Goal: Enhance public safety Reducing long-term risk The most cost-effective disaster measures are mitigation actions that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards . For every dollar invested in disaster mitigation, six dollars are saved in disaster response and recovery costs .7 Some of the climate-related hazards in the Hennepin County Hazard Mitigation Plan include extreme heat and cold, thunderstorms, extreme straight line winds (aka, “derecho”), tornadoes, winter storms, fires, flooding, power outages, infectious disease outbreaks, and geologic hazards, such as landslides or sinkholes . Mitigation efforts undertaken by communities will help to minimize loss of life, personal injury, and damages to buildings and infrastructure, such as water supplies, sewers, and utility transmission lines, as well as natural, cultural, and historic resources . Surveying the damage from an EF-1 tornado in Minnetrista, 2019.7 National Institute of Building Sciences, “Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves”, 2017 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 29 Goal: Enhance public safety Impacts of flooding due to heavier rainfall Risks posed by heavier rainfall events Hennepin County is experiencing a significant increase in the number of 2-, 3- and even 4-inch rainfall events . More frequent, heavy rainfall events means more flooding . Increased flooding events can put vulnerable residents at risk, endanger lives, destroy property and belongings, disrupt vital services, and hinder the ability of emergency response vehicles to respond to calls . Varying ability to respond and recover The ability of property owners and residents to respond and recover from flood impacts varies greatly . For some residents and businesses, flooding may be an inconvenience or a manageable problem . For others, such as a small business or a low-income family, flooding is potentially catastrophic . Beyond property damage, flooding also can lead to mold-related health impacts, waterborne diseases, and stress . The increased need for flood insurance and protection Until recently, those getting flood insurance were mostly property owners and residents in floodplains designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) . This led many people to believe that unless they were mandated to carry flood insurance, they were not at risk . But recently with the increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall, nearly one-quarter of flood damage and one-third of flood recovery costs occur outside of the FEMA- designated floodplains, making it clear that wherever it can rain, it can also flood . This has led to an effort to increase flood insurance awareness and coverage in more areas . Hum’s Liquors at the corner of 22nd & Lyndale flooded on July 16, 2019. Photo by Jason Grote HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 30 Goal: Enhance public safety • Increase the density of the county’s network of automated weather and environmental monitoring stations (also known as the Hennepin West Mesonet) for improved warning and response decisions and increased ability to precisely target weather-related notifications . • Identify areas at risk for all types of flooding, including flowing surface water (fluvial), standing surface water (pluvial) and subsurface water (groundwater) and coordinate with public entity partners to create strategies for reducing risk, especially for vulnerable populations . • Inform development by increasing risk awareness of areas of surface and groundwater flooding, landslides, and sinkholes . Work with cities to include these risks as part of their review of new development proposals . • Work with residents and businesses to build awareness of flood risks outside of FEMA-designated flood zones . • Review emergency management preparedness plans to identify and address significant vulnerabilities in ensuring access to food, drinking water, energy supply and other living essentials during emergencies, particularly those anticipated to be exacerbated by climate change . • Help create an more resilient energy infrastructure by establishing a mix of renewable energy and energy storage that together can withstand significant environment extremes to reduce the potential for blackouts, power outages, price spikes and public health risks . Snapshot from resident survey Most respondents think they are prepared to deal with and adapt to climate change . Two-thirds of respondents describe themselves as being extremely, very, or moderately well prepared . Only 10% noted they were not well prepared, and another 10% responded they didn’t know . The perspective shifted when asked to assess how well prepared their friends and neighbors are, with only about 40% of respondents describing their friends and neighbors as being extremely, very, or moderately well prepared . Nearly 30% think their friends and neighbors are not well prepared . Perception of preparedness is even lower when respondents consider their community . Nearly 40% think their community is not well prepared to respond to climate change impacts . You 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Extremely & very well Moderately well Slightly well Not well at all Preparedness to respond to climate change • Regularly review continuity of operations plans to ensure delivery of core services and recovery after a disaster . • Increase and maintain the supplies and equipment in the Hennepin Disaster Cache and elsewhere for emergency response to flooding and other increasing climate-related disasters . • Improve natural disaster plans to include sustainable waste management practices to deal with the debris resulting from climate disasters . Objective: Hennepin County assesses, prepares for, and mitigates risks from hazard events Strategy: Improve preparation for and response to extreme weather events, flooding, and other climate disasters CommunityFriends/neighbors HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 31 Objective: Residents, businesses, and organizations understand and are prepared to respond to the impacts of climate change Strategy: Reduce risks to vulnerable people from extreme heat or cold • Clearly communicate climate risks and vulnerabilities and raise awareness about programs and services available to decrease risks and address vulnerabilities . • Coordinate operations of readily accessible and culturally appropriate cooling and heating options and communicate the availability of these centers to vulnerable people . • Advocate for expanding utility disconnect protections to include air conditioning and modifying building codes to require efficient air conditioning . Goal: Enhance public safety Target metrics • Increase the county’s network of automated weather and environmental monitoring stations (Hennepin West Mesonet) in areas most vulnerable to heat and flooding by 2022 . • Develop a mapping tool to comprehensively identify the sites most at risk for flooding of all types (fluvial, pluvial, and groundwater) to guide effective mitigation and response actions by 2022 . • Identify the structures and properties most at risk for flood damage in Hennepin County and develop partnerships that will help reduce or eliminate flood damages and disruption by 2025 . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 32 Climate adaptation is about developing and implementing strategies to help human and natural systems cope with and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change . The county needs to plan for and respond to increased pressure on natural resources and the built environment, including building sites, roads, and other infrastructure, from impacts such as increased rainfall, extreme weather, and freeze/ thaw cycles . There are also many opportunities to use green and natural infrastructure to manage stormwater, improve water quality, decrease the urban heat island, and sequester carbon . Protecting and enhancing our natural areas will provide habitat for native plants and wildlife, increase wellbeing, and make our communities more resilient . Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 33 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Figure 8: County roads locations temporarily impassable due to flooding (2014-2018) Buildings and transportation infrastructure Stormwater design standards Hennepin County uses the national standard, Atlas-14 precipitation estimates,8 to build resilient infrastructure . The dataset analyzes the historical frequency of heavy rainfall events through 2011 . Transportation infrastructure is currently designed to handle a broad range of impacts based on historic climate records and familiar seasonal variations . Preparing for climate change and extreme weather events using projections of increased precipitation and heavier rainfall events is critical to protecting the integrity of the transportation system and the sound investment of taxpayer dollars . While most county roads are kept passable with a stormwater pipe, these pipes were designed to old precipitation projections and may not adequately keep roads passable given mid-century precipitation projections . This map (Figure 8) depicts the locations where county roads were temporarily impassable due to flooding from 2014 to 2018 . The county is working to identify ways to estimate changes to projected rainfall, relative to current Atlas-14 estimates, to better understand how planning needs must change to ensure county transportation infrastructure is prepared to handle mid-century conditions . Freeze/thaw cycles Minnesota is experiencing warmer winters and an increase in freeze/thaw events, which negatively impact pavement systems . Generally speaking, more freeze/ thaw cycles will accelerate infrastructure deterioration, especially for older pavements that are distressed and have cracks in the surface and places where water will impact buildings, facades, sidewalks, and plazas . 8 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Precipitation-Frequency Atlas of the U .S . Volume 8 https://www.weather.gov/media/owp/oh/hdsc/docs/Atlas14_Volume8.pdf County road flooding events: 2014-2018 County boundary Municipal boundaries County road network County state aid highway (CSAH) County road Key COUNTY COUNTY 116 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 34 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Objective: Climate risks and impacts to county buildings and infrastructure are assessed and mitigated Strategy: Reassess policies, design standards, and maintenance practices for county buildings and infrastructure projects • Update stormwater design standards that will serve as a standard across Hennepin County lines of business to account for increased rainfall intensities . • Modify pavement and sidewalk design standards to accommodate projected changes to freeze/thaw cycles . • Change snow and ice removal practices to account for increased precipitation intensity and increased icing due to increased freeze/thaw cycles, reduce total salt use on county property, and accommodate more multi-modal transportation options on county roads . • Alter site development performance standards and design guidelines for rights-of-way and other county properties to reduce impervious surfaces and prioritize green infrastructure, such as trees, boulevard landscaping, tree trenches, and detention tactics . Adjust county policy to address long-term maintenance needs of green infrastructure assets . • Design capital projects to projected mid-century rain events and incorporate landslide hazard reduction approaches, where applicable . • Incentivize projects that are designed to control projected mid-century rainfall events in the cost participation policy for contribution to regional flood reduction projects . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 35 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources The locations on the map in dark blue are identified by the Met Council as susceptible to localized flash flooding from high-intensity rainfall based on topography . In other words, these are low spots . This analysis was conducted, in part, to examine risks from localized flooding that FEMA mapping doesn’t consider . This Met Council “Blue Spot” data does not consider the varying capacity of these locations to drain, either by the existence of stormwater drains or soil infiltration . However, most stormwater conveyance systems were designed based on outdated precipitation models . Increased precipitation also increases groundwater recharge, which in many cases results in a rise in local water tables . This can create groundwater flooding, which is already occurring in several locations in Hennepin County . The increased flooding poses risks to numerous properties, many of which may not have flood insurance because they are located outside of the mapped 100-year floodplain . While the acute risks posed by surface flooding from heavy rains are potentially covered, the longer-term impacts of increased precipitation such as rising water table levels and the expansion of wetlands and shorelines can jeopardize local infrastructure, private wells and sewage treatment systems, cause flooded basements, and create water-quality impacts . Increased stormwater and localized flooding Surface water impacts are determined by how much and how quickly precipitation falls and by the ability of soils to infiltrate water or the capability of stormwater conveyance systems to drain it away . Figure 9: Areas susceptible to floodingThis map (Figure 9) depicts the location of 100-year and 500-year floodplains as mapped by FEMA . A 100- year flood is more accurately defined as a flood that has a 1% probability of occurring in any one year . Due to increasing precipitation, the 500-year floodplain is rapidly becoming the new 100-year floodplain . While many FEMA maps take into account storm sewer capacity and soil types, the mapping doesn’t present a full picture because it doesn’t consider localized flooding . The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is working to update these maps locally . Key Lake 100 & 500 year floodplain FEMA Floodplain MetCouncil Bluespots Areas susceptible to >1 foot of flooding HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 36 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to manage increased stormwater volumes • Design capital projects to manage flows from mid-century forecasted rainfalls . • Incorporate Green Streets stormwater management strategies into the county’s Complete Streets policy . • Protect and restore streams, wetlands, floodplains, and uplands . • Reduce impervious surfaces, use green infrastructure, reuse stormwater for irrigation, and design landscapes that don’t require irrigation . • Reduce barriers to regional stormwater management by investing in partnerships, empowering staff to work beyond property line boundaries, and creating a policy for financial contributions to such projects . • Preserve open space and agricultural lands and promote stormwater best management practices to landowners . Strategy: Manage the increased risk of landslides due to increased rainfall • Conduct further analysis to determine areas of risk, rank them in terms of severity, and develop solutions . Strategy: Coordinate regional stormwater resiliency efforts with public entity partners • Align land use, zoning, ordinances, and permitting activities with the realities of climate vulnerabilities and risks . • Dedicate land at time of plat for climate change mitigation and stormwater facilities . • Consider managed retreat in areas most vulnerable to flash flooding, such as finding opportunities with Hennepin County’s tax-forfeited land portfolio, city economic development authorities, and local watersheds . • Build stormwater facilities within county rights-of-way as part of capital improvement projects in opportunistic ways that share costs while achieving county, city, and watershed management goals . • Protect drinking water by assessing vulnerability of wellhead protection areas and private wells to increased precipitation and flooding . • Develop a groundwater plan that considers the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events and wet/dry cycles, on groundwater resources, surface-level groundwater hazards, and drinking water availability . Localized urban street flooding, 2013 Objective: Risks and impacts from increased precipitation, flooding, and landslides are reduced HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 37 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources The county offers incentives for sustainable building practices and green infrastructure that can be leveraged to increase resiliency in the built environment . Green infrastructure refers to ecological systems, both natural and engineered, that act as living infrastructure . Examples include rain gardens, bio-swales, trees, and green roofs . These systems restore some of the natural processes required to manage water and create healthier urban environments . Building and maintaining green infrastructure to manage stormwater in flood-prone areas, especially on county-owned property, can protect surrounding properties, create green spaces, and make the community more resilient to climate change . Through the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) financial assistance program, the county has provided $40 million in assistance to create walkable, mixed-use, human-centered communities established around high-quality transit service . These TOD projects are compact and typically include reduced or shared parking, increased density that emphasizes public spaces, and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle amenities . Some of the projects incorporate sustainable design and stormwater management features . The county’s Environmental Response Fund, which provides grants for the assessment and cleanup of contaminated sites, helps to remove barriers to green infrastructure and has scoring criteria that encourages developers to incorporate sustainable development . In addition, the county’s Natural Resources Grants have funded 80 projects that include neighborhood rain garden programs, water reuse projects, habitat restoration, and regional stormwater facilities . The county’s forestry program was created in 2015 as the county took on an expanded role in natural resources conservation . The forestry program focuses on protecting the county’s tree canopy to increase the benefits that trees provide . Trees improve air quality by absorbing fine particulate matter and other pollutants and protect water by slowing down and infiltrating stormwater runoff . They also provide shade, reduce the urban heat island effect, lower stress, and increase property values . The county’s forestry program includes growing healthy trees, partnering in large- scale planting events, managing threats to the tree canopy, raising awareness about tree pests and disease, educating the public on the benefits of trees, providing forestry workforce development opportunities, and supporting partners through the Healthy Tree Canopy Grants program . Green infrastructure and resilience in the built environment HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 38 Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to ensure capacity to design, implement, and maintain green infrastructure • Expand the use of sustainable landscapes to increase the resilience of county properties by managing stormwater onsite, reducing the impact of the urban heat island, and sequestering carbon by incorporating Minnesota’s sustainable building guidelines (B3) site and water guidelines for building projects . • Minimize hardscape in project designs and convert existing hardscape, where practical, into pervious pavement or green infrastructure . • Assure long-term financial support to maintain green infrastructure and create green jobs . • Include green infrastructure in site development performance standards for county projects . • Reduce the volume of and pollutant load in stormwater runoff through increased implementation of stormwater best management practices on current county building sites and rights-of-way . Strategy: Use county investments to increase resilience in the built environment • Advocate for and incentivize the incorporation of green infrastructure into building renovation and site development plans on private property through transit-oriented development, Environmental Response Fund, Natural Resources Grants, and other incentive programs . • Assess all excess and tax-forfeited property for higher public uses, such as water infiltration basins or tree plantings, before considering for sale . Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Objective: The county employs green and natural infrastructure, including trees, plants, and soil, to increase resiliency of the built environment, especially in areas at higher risks for localized flooding and extreme heat Target Field Station includes a variety of features, including these cisterns and bio swale that capture and filter approximately three million gallons of rainwater and snow annually. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 39 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Strategy: Plant, diversify, and maintain trees throughout Hennepin County and increase the resiliency of the county’s community forest • Achieve a goal of no net loss of trees on Hennepin County property by planting more trees, replacing trees, addressing barriers associated with maintenance, and protecting mature trees . • Create and implement tree planting plans to expand the urban forest canopy using the tree planting prioritization map to determine greatest needs and focus on increasing tree species diversity to include bird-friendly native species as well as species that are now hardy in Hennepin County . • Partner with cities and other organizations on tree plantings and provide grants to cities and organizations for tree inventories, tree plantings and maintenance, and forestry education • Educate the public about tree benefits and threats, engage volunteers and youth through tree plantings and tree care education, and support the planting of trees on private property . Maple-basswood forest restoration on a conservation easement in Independence. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 40 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Natural areas and agricultural lands Hennepin County has an abundance of natural areas and diverse landscapes that provide critical habitat for wildlife, protect water quality, offer recreational opportunities, and serve as the foundation for the region’s environmental well- being, economic prosperity, and collective quality of life . Climate change will further disrupt our ecosystems, which are already impacted by invasive species, population growth, and development . Healthy ecosystems play a vital role not only in the health of plants and animals, but of people, too . As the Soil and Water Conservation District for Hennepin County, the county is responsible for providing technical and financial assistance to landowners to help manage natural resources, protect soil, preserve habitats, and improve water quality . The county also enforces wetland regulations, establishes conservation easements, protects natural areas, maintains natural resources data, and provides technical assistance to local governments . Native wildlife and plants are extremely sensitive to climate change impacts . Warming lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands and an increase in algae blooms impact fish habitat and recreation . Our tree canopy already faces many threats from pests, such as the invasive emerald ash borer, and climate change will only worsen those pressures by enabling more pests to survive . A warming climate is also changing the types of plants and trees that can thrive in our area, with northern species struggling while new species adapted to warmer climates start to take their place . Woodpecker activity on an ash tree infected with emerald ash borer HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 41 Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources Increasing groundwater levels pose threats to water quality as our climate trends wetter . Groundwater is not far from the surface in most of Hennepin County . Although a comprehensive evaluation of groundwater flow through shallow soils in Hennepin County has not been conducted, increased precipitation over the last decade has already affected groundwater levels across the county . As groundwater levels rise, there is a risk that contaminants in shallow soils may be mobilized in ways that are not yet fully understood . Rising groundwater levels may pose a risk to local water quality when it intersects with septic systems, petroleum tanks, areas of historic contamination, plumes, and vapors, which are all regulated by federal, state, county, and municipal offices . Protecting local water quality in partnership across jurisdictions is crucial to increased climate resilience . The trend toward a wetter climate has already added uncertainty and increased the challenge of producing food in a rapidly developing county . Working with residents to preserve open space and improve agricultural practices represent some of the best opportunities to sequester carbon, manage increased precipitation, connect habitats, and improve access to nutritious, locally produced food . However, the added business risks that climate change poses to farmers will make it increasingly challenging to realize those benefits, and the incentives to develop open space will only increase . Without efforts focused on preserving agricultural land, the vibrant local and regional economy that agricultural activity supports will shift westward out of Hennepin County . Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns will also disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems and the species that depend on each other . Shifts in food availability, migration timing, and breeding seasons will impact survivability for many species . For example, a bird species may start to arrive earlier in the spring because the temperatures are already warm enough, but they may not have enough food to sustain themselves because the plants they rely on start growing in response to the amount of sunlight available, which is not changing . Preserving the agricultural character of western Hennepin County’s open space and working to improve land management practices is one of the best ways to support local food production, protect wildlife corridors, restore habitat, and work to improve regional water quality. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 42 Objective: Natural areas and open spaces are functional and diverse Strategy: Plan for and mitigate anticipated ecosystem and open space impacts • Monitor for both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species by using early detection methods, such as community scientists, and implementing invasive species control programs that include rapid response protocols and employ integrated pest management on public and private property . • Protect, restore, and connect natural areas, including streams, wetlands, floodplains, prairies, savannas, and forests, with a focus on supporting biodiversity and providing habitat for species that alter their range in response to climate change . • Continue efforts to preserve natural areas through conservation easements . • Create pathways for residents and partners to preserve natural areas and other open spaces and adjust land management practices to provide ecosystem services crucial to climate adaptation, including –Wetland restorations that can help manage stormwater and mitigate flooding . –Erosion-control best management practices that can protect water quality even as precipitation increases . –Growing practices that support the local food system . –Habitat protection and restoration in areas that are crucial for wildlife movement . Wetland and tallgrass prairie restoration on a conservation easement in Independence Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 43 • Develop an Integrated Water Management Plan that considers findings from the groundwater plan, including vulnerabilities and/or areas of concern, with already established surface watershed management plans and land use management practices to develop a framework that protects vital aquatic ecosystems and source waters . • Create and preserve affordable agricultural space for every scale of local food production – from conventional commodity agriculture to urban farming – and work with partners to encourage the development of farm-to- table efforts, focusing especially on increasing access to these programs in low-income communities . • Promote best management practices on agricultural land with a focus on practices that create healthier soils with increased carbon storage and water holding capacity of soils while maintaining or improving long-term crop yields . • Conduct education and outreach that helps current and future agricultural producers and their partners understand both the need for and financial benefit of building climate change resiliency into their farming operations and the agricultural economy . • Work with other public agencies to address threats from climate change impacts to water quality more broadly to clearly understand the risks related to increased precipitation and changing surface-level groundwater flows and ensure that responses in one location do not exacerbate water quality degradation downstream . Target metrics • Develop stormwater design standards for mid-century precipitation projections and develop policies and practices for green infrastructure to manage precipitation projections by 2023 . • Evaluate all existing building sites to maximize water retention considering projected mid-century rain event volumes by 2050 . • For new buildings, exceed runoff rates using projected mid-century rain event volumes instead of current Atlas 14 volumes, where feasible . • Plant 1 million trees by 2030 through partnerships with cities, Three Rivers Park District, and other community partners . • Acquire 6,000 additional acres of conservation easements by 2040 . • Develop a groundwater plan by 2025 and an integrated water management plan by 2026 . Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 44 There is a path forward to meeting the county’s greenhouse gas reduction goals . That was the finding from a scenario planning exercise staff conducted that generated the graphic below (Figure 10) using greenhouse gas emissions inventory data within the county’s geographic boundaries . See Appendix D for the assumptions made for each strategy in this planning exercise . Starting after 2020, the solid line across the top is a forecast of business-as-usual based on anticipated population and job growth out to 2050 . The dotted line trending down to 2050 shows a scenario of how the county climate action plan can meet its net zero greenhouse gas reduction goal . The stars at 2025 and 2030 show the interim emission reduction goals established by the county board . Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Figure 10: Greenhouse gas emission reduction scenario planning Components to meeting our greenhouse gas reduction goal The colored wedges show what high-impact strategies will need to be pursued to reach these goals . • The top five wedges in blue show the impact of strategies that address the energy slice of our greenhouse gas emissions – from increasing efficiency in commercial and residential energy use to transitioning to a carbon-free energy mix . • The two wedges in green show the impacts from reducing vehicle travel and using clean cars . • The purple wedge shows the impacts of reducing waste and avoiding disposal of waste in landfills or waste- to-energy facilities . It is worth noting that disposal is responsible for a small percentage of the carbon footprint of most products . The biggest opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions lies in the phases of production, distribution, and use, which are not accounted for in regional greenhouse gas inventories . • The gray wedge shows the impacts achieved from carbon sequestration through tree planting, preservation and restoration of natural areas, soil health improvement initiatives including the use of compost and biochar in landscaping projects, and emerging carbon sequestration technologies for the built environment . Commercial/industrial efficiency Residential efficiency Electric grid mix Local renewable energy Building electricification Vehicle travel reduction Low- and zero-emissions vehicles Waste reduction and diversion Carbon sequestration Plan Business as usual Goal HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 45 This analysis shows we can meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, but only if we work in sync with our partners . On the energy side, the county has a role to play in leading by example and supporting the adoption of these efforts by local governments for broader impact . Because the county operates a transportation network and supports transit and transit-oriented development, we have an important role to play in reducing vehicle related emissions . Also, because of the county’s statutory responsibilities to manage a solid waste system, we can be impactful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with material use and waste . Buildings and energy use As a large organization, a major consumer of energy, and an energy generator, Hennepin County can have a significant impact through efforts to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency in buildings . The county is well situated to lead by example in reducing energy use and associated emissions, as well as influencing energy planning, policies and regulations to lessen the impact on the environment, improve communities, and protect public health . The greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings are accounted for in two ways . The initial emissions from the construction and materials used are called embodied emissions . The remaining emissions are from the energy used to operate the building . The county has a history of leading collaborative efforts to improve energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings . Recognizing the importance of energy efficiency in building design and operation, the county initiated a collaborative effort that resulted in the creation of the Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide in 1996 . This guide was a precursor to the current Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines (B3 guidelines) that are now widely used by state and local agencies to meet sustainability goals for new building design and building renovations . Other ways to avoid greenhouse gas emissions with buildings is by reusing buildings and building materials rather than building new and by using of a life cycle analysis when designing new buildings . Some of the materials widely used in construction have the highest climate impacts, including cement, aluminum, steel, and plastics . Unlike operational carbon emissions, which can be reduced over time with building energy efficiency renovations and the use of renewable energy, embodied carbon emissions are locked in place as soon as a building is constructed . As new buildings become more energy efficient, the construction and material sourcing of the building will be a much larger component of the overall building carbon footprint . Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities When the county’s Public Works Facility was commissioned in 1997, it was the first building in Minnesota to use the sustainable building design standards. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 46 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities A significant portion of meeting our greenhouse gas emission goals will require energy conservation and using energy more efficiently in existing buildings . The county has reduced energy use in county buildings by 21% since 2013 . To continue to achieve reductions in energy use, the county is investing in more comprehensive retrofits of our buildings, energy efficient technology, and continuous commissioning . These investments will allow us to increase energy efficiency and improve the space for employees and residents while preserving the county’s assets . The county is also looking to maximize the use of our existing building space to best serve the community . Electrifying buildings is another key pathway to meeting ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction goals . By transitioning to electricity for heating, cooling, and hot water needs instead of burning natural gas or fuel oil, the county can greatly reduce our buildings’ emissions . This is a new endeavor for the county that will require further study to evaluate strategies and establish priorities for electrifying county buildings . The county seeks to use carbon-free electricity sources, such as solar and wind, for county operations and to make carbon-free electricity more widely available for residents and businesses . In county operations, we generate less than 1% of our energy use from on-site solar and get another 4% from subscriptions to community solar gardens . The county can support Xcel Energy’s commitment to providing carbon-free electricity by 2050 by purchasing electricity through renewable rates tariffs . We can also work with the other local electricity providers to create opportunities to purchase and increase renewable energy in their portfolio . The cities of Minneapolis and St . Louis Park have goals of 100% of renewable electricity by 2030 . These cities comprised 33% of the county’s residential electricity use and 38% of commercial electricity use in 2018 . In 2019, about 6% of Xcel’s residential customers and less than 1% of business customers in Hennepin County participated in renewable energy purchasing programs, such as Xcel’s Windsource or Renewable*Connect . Nationally, the highest participation rate in residential green power purchase programs is Portland, Oregon, currently at 19% . Hennepin County residents, businesses and institutions are generating 21 megawatts (MW) of on-site solar, or 2 .4% of the of total community electricity use . The State of Minnesota has set a goal of 10% of total community electricity use met by on-site solar by 2030 . Capital project in 2017 to replace electric chillers at the Hennepin County Energy Center with more efficient models, saving $175,000 per year in electricity costs. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 47 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Hennepin County leads the Efficient Buildings Collaborative, which supports the adoption and implementation of local benchmarking ordinances by Minnesota cities . Energy benchmarking is the process of monitoring and reporting the energy use of a building . It allows comparison of a building’s energy use to similar buildings or the building’s past performance . Minneapolis, Edina, and St . Louis Park are cities within the county that currently have commercial building benchmarking ordinances in effect, and Bloomington is working toward an ordinance . A national study found benchmarked buildings achieve a 2 .4% annual average reduction in energy use .9 This plan makes it clear that the county is pursuing more ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals that will prioritize carbon-free energy sources, such as solar and wind . In review of the draft climate plan, community members sought clarity about the role that waste-to-energy plays in the county’s climate response and waste management plans . Neither the county nor other local governments or utilities see the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) or waste- to-energy as the solution to meeting renewable energy goals . Biomass accounts for only 3% of Minnesota’s energy portfolio, and waste-to-energy facilities are at capacity . HERC and other waste-to-energy plants in Minnesota are in place to manage trash in an environmentally preferable way to landfills, and they are not major sources of energy production . More information on HERC’s role in meeting greenhouse gas emissions goals can be found in the waste and material use section (page 57) . 9 U .S . Environmental Protection Agency, 2012, Benchmarking and Energy Savings Replacing the lighting at the Hennepin County Government Center with an energy-efficient option HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 48 Strategy: Reduce climate impacts of buildings through innovative and efficient design, including the use of climate-friendly material choices • Establish green building guidelines for county and regional adoption that include: –Using the B3 guidelines to measure and track the impacts of design features on all county capital improvement projects . –Using life cycle analysis for selecting climate-friendly building materials and furnishings for all county facilities . The analysis will: ºPrioritize renovation over building new . ºPromote the design of all county buildings for adaptability and reuse . ºImplement a sustainable purchasing policy, especially for the use of concrete and steel . –Implementing procedures that require the salvage and recycling of construction and demolition waste at all county-funded building projects . –Continuing to work with the state and Hennepin County cities to develop and adopt policies that prioritize building reuse and construction and demolition waste reuse and diversion . –Working with cities to establish guidelines around building materials that prioritize materials with lower climate impact –Working with cities to establish minimum energy performance targets for new construction and major renovations on both public and private properties . • Reassess current development grants and explore new financial incentives to increase market transformation of climate-friendly buildings and renewable energy . Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Strategy: Transition to renewable energy sources and reduce energy use overall in county operations • Prioritize conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy in policies and programs . • Invest in renewable energy through utility sources, community solar gardens, and on-site solar . • Develop strategies to convert Hennepin County buildings from natural gas to electric fuel sources . • Maximize centralized energy sources that incorporate renewable technologies . Solar panels on the roof of Hennepin County Public Works Facility in Medina. Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings and energy use are reduced to meet the county’s emission goals HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 49 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Strategy: Support Hennepin County communities in establishing initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use • Determine the approach and level to which the county encourages residential and commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy, focusing on: –Training contractors and building operators on new energy technology and efficient building construction and operation . –Supporting affordable adoption of renewable energy and conservation for energy consumers, including small businesses and low-income households . –Establishing and funding programs to promote equitable clean energy and efficient housing . • Become more engaged in: –Developing benchmarks and strategies for the state Conservation Improvement Program (CIP), which is a program funded by ratepayers and administered by utilities that helps households and businesses use electricity and natural gas more efficiently . –Advancing a statewide Advanced Energy Standard (stretch code) for a building code that would require net zero buildings by 2036, along with other regional efforts . –Advancing energy efficiency and energy resilience investments where energy-cost burdens are greatest . • Encourage energy benchmarking of buildings and expand the Hennepin County Efficient Buildings Collaborative . • Explore a uniform, county-level green building policy that cities could adopt, or advocate for B3/LEED standards and protocols above and beyond when state funding comes in for facilities and infrastructure . • Engage with municipalities to develop strategies that encourage switching to a less carbon-intense fuel source for commercial and residential buildings, such as electrification . Target metrics • Use carbon-free electricity used for county operations by 2035, and the geographic area of Hennepin County transitions to carbon-free electricity by 2050 . • 10% of total community electricity use is met by on- site solar by 2030 . • Reduce operational energy by 3% annually through 2030 . • Implement procedures that require the salvage and recycling of construction and demolition waste at all county-funded building projects by 2022 . • Use life cycle analysis for selecting climate-friendly building materials and furnishings for all county facilities by 2023 . • Develop a framework for a public sector, regional energy efficiency partnership by 2022 . Energy benchmarking is the process of monitoring and reporting the energy use of a building. Some cities require large buildings to record their energy use each year. This allows for comparison of buildings’ energy use to similar buildings or the buildings’ past performance and helps pinpoint properties with efficiency issues. The county’s Health Services Building is the top ranked public owned building in Minneapolis. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 50 Transportation Hennepin County plans, funds, builds, and manages a transportation network of roadways, bikeways, and sidewalks . Long-term partnerships with the State of Minnesota, other metropolitan counties, cities, and park districts have produced an increasingly dense network of transit and transportation options that include light rail transit, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, bikeways, and pedestrian walkways . Managing the land and infrastructure in this transportation network creates opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, sequester carbon, manage increased precipitation, and reduce the impact of the urban heat island effect . Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities In 2019, vehicle travel produced 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions within the county . Emissions in the vehicle sector are influenced by three main factors: 1 . Land use and community planning: Where people are located and where they go affects how often trips are made and how long those trips take . 2 . Mode of transportation: Whether people are driving, walking, biking, or taking transit . 3 . Fuel choice and fuel efficiency: Which could include gasoline, diesel, biofuels, electricity, or human effort . Transportation emissions have declined slightly in the past decade despite an increase in the number of miles driven due to increased transit options, higher fuel economy standards, and intelligent traffic systems that reduces congestion . Hennepin County adopted its Complete Streets policy in 2009 . Complete Streets are designed, built, and maintained to be safe and convenient for people of all ages and abilities — whether they are walking, biking, taking transit, or driving . As the first Minnesota county to adopt a Complete Streets policy, Hennepin County recognizes the importance of addressing the needs of transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians along with the needs of motorists . With maintaining current efforts, Minnesota’s transportation planners have determined that we will not be able to achieve our state greenhouse gas emission reduction goals without reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) .10 Vehicle miles traveled is a measure used in transportation planning that is calculated by adding up all the miles driven by all the cars and trucks on all the roadways in a region . Reducing VMTs means reducing the amount of time and money that people spend driving, which reduces air pollution and promotes safe and healthy communities . 10 Minnesota Department of Transportation http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sustainability/docs/advisory%20 council/stac-recommendations-response-2020.pdf HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 51 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Inequitable climate impacts: Air pollution from transportation Vehicles are a large source of air pollution . The map (Figure 11) depicts a projection of air pollution from traffic based on average daily trip data .11 As would be anticipated, transportation-related air pollution is higher in the more urban areas of the county where the road network is densest and traffic is highest . According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of traffic-related health impacts12 due to living in proximity to the highest traffic levels . According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, reducing VMT will have immediate, lasting benefits to communities of color who breathe worse air and are at a higher risk of traffic crashes . Lowering VMT will help reduce both particulate matter and other pollutant emissions and reduce the risk of traffic crashes, resulting in improved, equitable outcomes .11 Figure 11: Projection of air pollution from traffic based in average daily trips. 11 Minnesota Department of Health, Healthy Communities Count! Indicators of Community Health along the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit 12 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Life and breath: How air pollution affects health across Minnesota (2019) In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many office workers have been sent to work at home for more than a year, including two-thirds of county employees . This has led many businesses, organizations, and individuals to reconsider the need to work in an office full time . While it is too soon to tell the lasting effects of the pandemic, the greenhouse gas emissions scenario planning analysis (Figure 10 on page 44) assumes an 8% emissions reduction due to a sustained increase in remote work . In addition, work being less tied to a centralized office space could reduce the necessity or appeal of living near the urban core, causing shifts in land use and community planning . As our transportation system is evolving, reducing air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion will not only help meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, but also reduces disparities in traffic-related health impacts . County state aid highway Lowest est. concentration Highest est. concentration County road Key Pollution from traffic HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 52 Strategy: Reduce vehicle miles traveled in Hennepin County and throughout the region • Advance the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) goal of 20% reduction in VMT by 2050 by developing a more ambitious goal for Hennepin County that reflects our role in the state as a more densely populated county, and also reflects rural, suburban, and urban contexts within Hennepin County . –Develop a plan by June 2022 with a recommendations on a more ambitious goal and evaluate how to achieve this goal . • Engage with MnDOT and other transportation partners as the MnDOT develops the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan in 2021 to align greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies by: –Evaluating the preliminary goal in a public engagement process, establish a baseline year from which reductions would be measured, and consider interim goals . –Developing a method for estimating program and project VMT outcomes by assessing both induced (e .g . adding lanes) and reduced (e .g . increasing walking access) vehicle travel demand . –Participating in a new intergovernmental climate change council (once established) to coordinate efforts with partner agencies, cities, and counties . • Advocate for the buildout of planned transit routes and the development of new routes . • Expand transit-oriented development and bicycle and pedestrian facilities . • Explore strategies to reduce employee vehicle use for county business purposes Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation are reduced to meet the county emission goals • Advocate for strategies to reduce travel demand, such employer support for employee transit expenses and promoting flexible work schedules . • Prioritize roadway preservation and modernization, including expanded safety and multi-modal upgrades, to minimize system expansion . • Manage the road system to minimize pollution by leveraging additional technologies . • Support increased and more efficient transit on county roadways in coordination with transportation partners . • Update the county’s Complete Streets policy to develop a modal hierarchy framework that prioritizes transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists in urban and suburban contexts . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 53 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Strategy: Promote electric vehicle infrastructure regionally • Engage with regional and statewide efforts to advance electric vehicles . • Work with the private sector and municipal partners to increase charging capacity . • Develop electric vehicle and infrastructure guidelines at county buildings . • Complete an assessment of existing county fleet vehicles and infrastructure for electrification opportunities, right-size county fleet through new standards, and develop an electrification implementation plan to guide the procurement of electric vehicles and charging station locations . • Educate residents about proper vehicle maintenance and electric vehicle options and support incentives for low-income residents, such as a scrappage incentive for vehicles in areas of higher air pollution or low-interest loans to income-qualified households, to increase participation . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 54 Strategy: Use transportation investments to support broader county goals including reducing disparities, improving health, enhancing livability, and growing the economy • Link transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and road projects to housing, jobs, and recreational opportunities . • Prioritize vehicle emission reduction strategies in areas with the residents experiencing high health burdens . • Provide convenient, affordable access to destinations, especially for residents experiencing high transportation and housing cost burdens . • Create healthy and livable communities by including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities as well as green boulevards in roadway projects . • Strengthen the connection between land-use planning and transportation to promote orderly growth and transit-oriented development that reduces the need to drive . Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Construction at RiZe at Opus Park Apartments along the Southwest LRT line in Minnetonka. Target metrics • Plan to meet a more ambitious vehicle miles traveled reduction goal by June 2022 . • Achieve net zero emissions in the county’s fleet by 2050, with interim goals of: –Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030 . –Converting a minimum of 20% of the county’s light-duty fleet vehicles to electric and 50% to hybrid by 2030 . “The biggest opportunities for county impact are transportation and housing, and particularly their intersection . County roads are responsible for a huge amount of transportation emissions . Reallocate capacity from cars to alternatives, such as public transit and biking . Housing sprawl in the exurbs is also responsible for a huge amount of transportation and energy emissions . Promote availability of higher-density housing options closer to the core metro area .” – Resident comment HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 55 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Materials 42% Provision of food 13% Building lighting and HVAC 25% Transportation of people 24% Infrastructure 1% Use of appliances and devices 8% Provision of goods 29% Figure 12: Systems-based greenhouse gas sources Source U .S . EPA 2009 Waste and material use A traditional greenhouse gas inventory shows the emissions broken down by energy, transportation, and waste, but disposal is responsible for only a small percentage of the carbon footprint of most products . If you regroup the emissions to show how they are tied to the production of materials and goods, you see that what we buy has a big impact on the climate (Figure 12) . Creating new products requires energy – to harvest raw material, process it, manufacture it, transport it, and sometimes, to use it . Producing and transporting goods is associated with 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions . This underscores the importance of sustainable purchasing . Public entities have significant purchasing power, which provides an opportunity to make a positive impact on climate change through procurement decisions . There are also opportunities with salvaging construction and demolition waste, reducing food waste, and shifting consumer behavior . Materials widely used in construction, including cement, aluminum, steel, and plastics, have some of the highest climate impacts . Many building materials have the potential to be salvaged and reused or recycled . In fact, about 85% of the materials in a typical demolition project could be salvaged for reuse and kept out of landfills . But currently, only about 30% of building materials are reused or recycled . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 56 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Climate action experts identify reducing food waste as one of the single most effective solutions to climate change, and the county has a lead role in waste management . Food has both upstream and downstream impacts, from the energy used to grow, transport, process, and refrigerate it to the methane generated when food waste is landfilled . Although methane made up only 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions nationwide in 201813 it is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of trapping solar radiation and exacerbating climate change . An estimated 17% of all methane emissions come from landfills . From waste sorts, we know that 20% of our trash is food . Preventing food waste and composting or digesting food scraps is the biggest opportunity for our residents and businesses to reduce waste . In 2018, Hennepin County revised its recycling ordinance to make organics recycling more widely available and accessible to residents . By January 1, 2022, large cities (those with more than 10,000 residents) must make organics service available to all households with curbside recycling, which includes single-family homes and dwellings up to 4 units . Smaller cities (those with fewer than 10,000 residents) must provide an organics recycling drop-off if curbside organics service is not made available to residents . In multifamily buildings not served by city programs, properties can request organics hauling service from some haulers for a fee . The county provides financial assistance to cover some of the start- up costs through the county’s business recycling grants . The county also provides free educational materials and on-site assistance to property owners and managers . Additionally, as of January 1, 2020, businesses that generate large quantities of food waste must implement food waste recycling in back-of-house operations . Organic waste is hauled to a commercial composting facility HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 57 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Engaging and educating residents, businesses, institutions, and cities will be critical to both adapting to what lies ahead and taking action to reduce climate impacts . For materials and waste, this means engagement and education around the climate impacts of consumption and reducing the environmental impacts of waste . The county has several popular programs that shift consumer behavior by generating excitement about waste prevention, encouraging action on waste reduction and reuse, and partnering with organizations in the community to motivate behavior change . These efforts include training Master Recycler/Composter volunteers, offering educational challenges for residents to reduce waste, go plastic-free and prevent food waste, and hosting fix-it clinics to encourage repair . The county also supports reuse retailers and encourages residents to shop used first through the Choose to Reuse program . In review of the draft climate plan, community members sought clarity about the role that waste-to-energy plays in the county’s climate response and waste management plans . The county sees the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) as just one part of the county’s integrated solid waste management master plan, which outlines the county’s strategy to pursue a zero-waste future . HERC is not a featured strategy in the climate action plan because the county chose to highlight higher priority climate solutions . Climate experts at Project Drawdown recognize waste-to- energy’s potential as a transitional solution because it reduces methane emissions by keeping waste out of landfills .13 HERC also recovers scrap metal – more than twice the amount collected in city curbside programs . Recycling steel requires 60% less energy than producing steel from iron ore . Waste delivered to HERC is processed close to where it is produced, minimizing the transportation of waste and associated truck emissions . Finally, HERC creates baseload electricity and steam that might otherwise be sourced from coal or gas-fired power plants . The county expects waste-to-energy to decline in importance as waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting become more widely adopted . There is still a lot of trash created by residents and business, and we need to manage it responsibly . HERC makes environmental sense until we have successfully diverted most organic materials which include food waste, paper and wood, from the trash . Until then, HERC operates with stringent safety standards and meets all air permit requirements . Learn more about the county efforts to reach the goal of 75% recycling and zero waste to landfills in the county’s board-adopted Solid Waste Management Master Plan at hennepin.us/solidwasteplanning 13 Project Drawdown https://drawdown.org/solutions/waste-to-energyRepair Lair, Choose to Reuse retail participant HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 58 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste and material use are reduced to meet county goals Strategy: Prevent food waste and divert organic material from the trash • Support food rescue efforts to divert more food to people in need . • Help businesses and organizations that produce a lot of food waste implement best practices for preventing food waste . • Use research gathered by surveying residents and conducting focus groups into the the barriers and benefits to reducing wasted food at home to develop a consumer campaign on food waste prevention . • Continue to support and fund residential and commercial organics recycling programs and implement business food waste recycling requirements and city residential organics recycling requirements . • Develop organics recycling infrastructure by advancing anaerobic digestion and making improvements to the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station . • Close the loop by increasing the use of compost in county projects and encouraging public and private partners to do the same . • Expand organics collection and improve recycling at county facilities . Strategy: Reuse and recycle construction and demolition waste • Require the salvage and recycling of construction and demolition waste at all county-funded building projects . • Educate county contractors on building material reuse and recycling . • Increase implementation of in-place pavement rehabilitation in road projects . • Sustainably manage waste after disasters . “We need to ask more of people . The assumption that we can all continue to live as we always have, consuming and disposing wantonly, driving everywhere, is a fallacy, and we need initiatives that make it easy for people to change their habits . Or expectations that require change . And the county must lead the way . Every county building should have organics recycling, 100% green energy, and other easy changes . If the county isn’t showing up and making changes, no one else will .” – Resident comment HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 59 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Strategy: Understand the climate impacts of our consumer choices and mitigate the largest impacts • Conduct a consumption-based emissions inventory and use the results to create a more comprehensive approach to climate change mitigation . • Educate residents on the climate impacts of consumer choices and expand efforts that educate residents and businesses on the importance of practicing more thoughtful consumption by preventing waste, recycling more, participating in organics recycling or backyard composting and reducing meat consumption . • Develop and implement a county sustainable purchasing policy on par with other leading public entities and provide sustainable purchasing best practices . • Encourage purchases that prioritize reuse, durable goods, and avoiding disposables . Target metrics • Implement a consumer food waste prevention campaign by 2022 . • Recycle 75% of waste and send zero waste to landfills by 2030 . • Divert at least 75% of construction and demolition waste for reuse or recycling . Buying sports equipment second-hand. Strategy: Advocate for state leadership on zero-waste policies and producer responsibility • Support product stewardship and extended producer responsibility (EPR), especially for plastic packaging and single-use plastics . • Support standards for product design that minimize environmental impacts, improve product durability and longevity, ensure the right to repair, and establish producer responsibility for end-of-life management of goods they produce . • Advocate for state funding and market development initiatives that align with climate and zero-waste goals . • Advocate for additional authority and tools that would allow local government to implement climate action and zero-waste strategies . • Join the U .S . Plastics Pact, which brings together plastic packaging producers, brands, retailers, recyclers, and waste management companies to take coordinated action to tackle plastic waste and pollution . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 60 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Carbon sequestration Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere . This is a critical part of achieving net zero carbon emissions since it involves “balancing” a certain measured amount of carbon released with an amount of carbon offsets . Protecting, restoring, and managing natural ecosystems, planting trees and plants, and leveraging the ability of soil to store carbon are among the most effective ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere . Trees and plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis . Trees store carbon in their wood, while plants, such as cover crops on fallow agricultural lands, return the carbon to the soil when they decompose . Other examples of carbon sequestration include adding materials that improve soil health, like compost and biochar . Biochar is wood that is heated to create a specialized charcoal that acts like a sponge to hold nutrients in the soil for a long time and help plants grow better . Each decision that Hennepin County makes around the use and management of properties it owns and manages presents an opportunity to sequester carbon . Hennepin County manages hundreds of miles of road and trail rights- of-way and many building sites, buys and sells property to meet operational needs, and stewards hundreds of properties as they move through the tax-forfeiture process and back into private ownership . In addition, through the county’s role as the Soil and Water Conservation District, there is tremendous opportunity to sequester carbon on private property . This includes in agricultural soils, backyards, pastures, boulevard pollinator gardens, trees, urban farms, forests, woodlands, prairies, and wetlands throughout the county . Given the immense scale of the climate crisis, all opportunities to sequester carbon must be considered, and Hennepin County plays a crucial role in empowering residents, businesses, and communities to play their part . Researchers are also working to improve technologies that capture the carbon dioxide generated by burning fossil fuels before it is released to the atmosphere . For example, CenterPoint Energy is piloting the use of onsite carbon capture technology locally, including at the Radisson Blu Mall of America . Carbon capture technology is relatively expensive compared to carbon sequestration through biological processes, but this is a field of research to monitor for developments . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 61 Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Objective: The county sequesters carbon on county-owned property, including along county road rights-of-way and tax-forfeit properties. Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to increase carbon sequestration on county-owned properties • Develop goals, accounting strategies, and guidelines to help staff advance carbon sequestration on county projects . • Prioritize trees and native plants over turfgrass in landscape designs on new projects . • Convert from turfgrass to other landscape types where appropriate to improve carbon sequestration . • Use compost and biochar as a soil amendment on county projects . Objective: Landowners sequester carbon by protecting and restoring habitat, building soil health, and preserving and planting trees. Strategy: Assist residents to sequester carbon on private property • Develop goals, prioritization frameworks, and outreach and marketing strategies to promote carbon sequestration projects in the most impactful places around the county . • Provide assistance to landowners wishing to adjust land management practices to increase the carbon storage of soils and sequester carbon in trees and plants . Examples of the types of project the county will provide assistance for include: –Agricultural soil health practices –Improved grazing and pasture management –Diversification of agricultural landscapes and crop types –Habitat restoration and protection –Expanded shoreline and buffer plantings • Incorporate carbon sequestration potential into evaluation and planning of other natural resource and water resource projects and partnerships . • Track carbon sequestration and other benefits accrued from soil health efforts, land management improvements, habitat restoration and protection projects, and other related work on private lands . Biochar being used on Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. Target metrics • Develop and track a parcel-specific carbon sequestration metric for county properties by 2023 . • Set carbon sequestration goals by 2023 to identify areas with the best sequestration potential and greatest needs . • Start tracking carbon sequestration and other benefits, such as improved air quality and the water-holding capacity of soils, associated with county initiatives and programs by 2023 . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 62 Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges the county faces because of its significant environmental, societal, and economic impacts on both a global and local level . We know that no one entity can achieve the complex and evolving goal of climate adaptation on its own . Developing the Climate Action Plan is foundational to the county’s response to climate change . However, a plan is only as good as the execution of the strategy . The county has clear authority in some areas of this plan, for example operating the county’s roadway network or managing waste responsibly . Other strategies in this plan will require influencing and supporting other organizations that have responsibilities in those areas, like land use and energy . The plan’s success relies on engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including public partners, businesses, community organizations, employees, and residents . The county’s Racial Equity Impact Tool guides how we engage with community, particularly those most impacted by a policy, program, or budget decision, and ensures that we consider how the community may benefit or be burdened by those decisions . This process is key to understanding impacts and developing solutions . Building a more equitable and resilient community will be most effective if the county can align priorities, leverage resources, and foster partnerships . Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 63 Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful Public entity partners Staff conducted several meetings and surveys with managers, administrators and senior leaders at Hennepin County’s cities, watershed organizations, park districts, and other regional and state units of government to learn about their priorities for climate work and opportunities for collaboration and later to gather feedback on proposed strategies that will require external partnership and greater coordination to achieve . More than 80 public entity partners shared feedback through these efforts . Objective: Partnership models driven by mutual climate goals are explored and pursued Strategy: Pursue strategies with the widest agreement and clearest direction forward • Foster long-term, integrated planning that includes jointly collecting and analyzing data and modeling with a lens on health and racial equity . • Reduce localized flooding and coordinate regional stormwater resiliency efforts . • Decarbonize transportation and buildings . • Educate and engage the public in taking collective action . • Raise a collective voice for climate policy at the local and state level . Hennepin County’s climate action team meets in January 2019 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 64 Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful Community organizations • Take a strong leadership position and collaborate broadly with diverse partners to encourage bold climate action at the local and state level . • Implement solutions and support community-driven initiatives that provide financing options, offer job training and workforce development, and increase investment in vulnerable communities . • Increase transparency and facilitate community involvement in measuring progress toward meeting the established goals and ensure accountability . Staff conducted feedback sessions with representatives from community-based organizations as well as high-school-aged youth involved in environmental and climate change groups . The community organizations and youth represented a diverse set of audiences throughout Hennepin County . Staff also presented to the county’s Race Equity Advisory Council, a group of appointed members that advise county leadership on reducing racial disparities and advancing racial equity throughout Hennepin County . Partners provided feedback on the county’s priorities, foundational strategies, and approach to the climate action plan . They also shared the impacts their organizations and community have experienced from climate change and described how the county’s priorities align with what they think we need to do to create a climate-friendly future . The participants expressed strong interest in collaboration and commitment to working with us to ensure our plan is effective and impactful . Objective: Communities are engaged and empowered through partnership and shared leadership Strategy: Establish long-term partnerships to increase engagement and support community-driven solutions • Foster long-term community engagement that takes a social and environmental justice lens and gives community partners and youth a voice in plan development and implementation . • Support community initiatives and empower local leadership to ensure solutions are relevant and effective . • Improve climate education throughout the county by partnering with community groups and schools to ensure messages and messengers are relevant . Community members add design ideas for a sustainable landscaping project at the building complex where they live. HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 65 Foundational strategies Staff recommend this set of foundational strategies as the best place to start to serve as a strong foundation for the county’s long-term response to climate change . Strengthen individual and community resilience • Communicate climate risks, develop education efforts, and support collective action . • Foster relationships with communities to engage, listen, and respond with people-centered solutions . • Strengthen sustainable access to affordable housing, healthcare, food, and transportation for residents, particularly in areas that have the greatest vulnerabilities . • Improve preparation for and response to extreme weather . Transition to renewable energy sources and reduce energy use overall • Invest in renewable energy through utility sources, community solar gardens, and on-site solar . • Prioritize conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy in policies and programs . • Support affordable adoption of renewable energy and conservation for energy consumers, including small businesses and low-income households . Cut greenhouse gases from transportation • Reduce vehicle miles traveled in Hennepin County and throughout the region . –Advocate for the buildout of planned transit routes . –Expand transit-oriented development and bicycle and pedestrian facilities . –Reassess flexible work schedules and facilitate remote work for employees . –Manage the road system to minimize pollution by leveraging additional technologies . • Promote electric vehicle infrastructure regionally by working with the private sector to install charging stations . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 66 Foundational strategies Prevent food waste and divert organic material from the trash • Support food rescue efforts to divert more food to people in need . • Help businesses and organizations that produce a lot of food waste implement best practices for preventing food waste . • Develop organics recycling infrastructure by advancing anaerobic digestion and making improvements to the Brooklyn Park Transfer Station . • Increase the use of compost in county projects . Design infrastructure, buildings, and property to future climate conditions • Work with local and regional partners to reassess stormwater design standards . • Build and renovate county buildings following state’s sustainable building guidelines (B3) as possible with a goal of net-zero emissions . • Implement construction and demolition waste procedures . • Use life cycle analysis for selecting climate-friendly building materials and furnishings . • Develop and implement a sustainable purchasing policy . Build and maintain green infrastructure and sequester carbon on all county-owned property • Install green infrastructure to manage stormwater on county-owned property, including on tax- forfeited properties in flood prone areas to protect surrounding properties and create green spaces . • Explore a green jobs/pathways program concept for installation, establishment, and maintenance of green infrastructure . • Convert turfgrass to plants that sequester carbon, where appropriate . Decrease the heat island effect, especially in areas with highest vulnerability • Coordinate operations of readily accessible and culturally appropriate cooling centers . • Preserve mature trees, plant more trees and plants, and address maintenance issues . • Convert hardscape where possible into pervious pavement or green infrastructure . • Pursue site development performance standards that include green infrastructure . • Gather better, real-time data to allow for targeted notification of weather-related warnings . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 67 Engaging residents to act on climate change In responding to climate change, the county’s top priorities are changing the systems that the county controls and using our influence as a bold leader to collaborate with local and state partners to achieve broader systemic change . The foundational strategies identify the best place for the county to start on those systemic changes . Engaging our residents to take action on climate change is also important because it helps get people more engaged in the issue, can quickly scale to more impactful collective action, and puts pressure on government agencies, businesses, and institutions to make greater, systemic changes . People are often presented with a long list of actions that they can take to address climate change, and there is often a disconnect among the actions people think are effective and the actions that actually are . This can leave people feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to focus . Determining the most impactful actions to focus on for outreach and communications involves factoring in an action’s potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, people’s willingness and readiness to take that action, and the ability of the county and partners to support people in taking that action . Responses in the public survey to a question on climate actions provide useful insights (Figure 13) . This information can guide what to promote, what resources and programs to develop, and what partnerships to establish . 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Biking, walking, or taking public transitCarpooling or ride sharingCultivating a resilient yard and gardenCutting down on airplane travelImplementing energy conservation practicesInstalling and using solar or other renewable energyJoining a group or advocating for climate actionKeeping water in your yardPracticing thoughtful consumptionPurchasing renewable energy through your utilityReducing your meat consumptionDoing organics recycling or backyard compostingReducing food wasteTalking with your friends, family, and neighborsUpgrading to energy-efficient appliancesUsing your power as a consumerUsing an electric or hybrid vehicleFigure 13: Resident interest and engagement in climate actions Already doing this as much as I can Already doing this and want to do more Not doing this but want to get started Not doing this and not interested or able to HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 68 Actions residents are already taking Even among the actions that residents are already doing, there is opportunity for more engagement . The most common actions that residents who responded to the survey are already doing include (% already doing and not able to do more): • Signing up for organics recycling or composting in your backyard (55%) • Taking steps to reduce food waste (42%) • Cutting down on airplane travel (38%) It’s important to note that the survey respondents are likely more engaged in environmental issues and taking more environmental actions than the general public . So with just around half of the respondents already engaged in these actions, there is room to encourage more people to take these actions . Additionally, the responses to cutting down on airplane travel could be skewed by travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it will be important to encourage people to continue these actions . Engaging residents to act on climate change Actions with the best opportunity for increased engagement Residents identified actions that quickly scale up to having a larger collective impact as actions they want to be doing more – using their power as a consumer, practicing thoughtful consumption, and talking to others about climate change . Residents likely need tools, support, and ideas for getting engaged in these actions . Residents are also interested in renewable energy, energy-efficiency, and electric or hybrid vehicles, as well as lawn care practices that provide habitat and manage water runoff . The most common actions that survey respondents either said they are already doing and want to do more or are not doing but want to start include (% already doing this and want to do it more plus not doing this but want to start): • Using your power as a consumer to support businesses that are taking steps to reduce their climate impact (72%) • Practicing thoughtful consumption by only buying what you need, investing in high-quality, long-lasting items, shopping used, and borrowing items when possible (65%) • Installing and using solar energy or other renewable energy at your home (64%) • Cultivating a resilient yard and garden by planting native species that provide habitat for pollinators, considering turf alternatives that require less watering and mowing, or planting a tree (63%) • Keeping water in your yard by installing rain barrels, designing a rain garden, or redirecting downspouts (63%) • Talking with your friends, family, and neighbors about why you are concerned about climate change and what you are doing (63%) • Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances (62%) • Using an electric or hybrid vehicle (61%) HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 69 Actions with the highest barriers to adoption The actions that residents said would be the hardest to adopt include carpooling or ride sharing, installing renewable energy at their home, or using an electric or hybrid vehicle . Several of these actions are also on the list of actions to focus on for increased engagement, showing that some residents think the barriers to taking these actions are more insurmountable than others . Although more needs to be learned about the barriers to taking action, some barriers that respondents mentioned include renting versus owning their home and the cost to implement some of these options . Focusing on understanding and reducing barriers and changing systems to make it easier, more convenient, and more accessible for residents will make it more likely that residents will take action . Actions that survey respondents said they were least interested in or able to do (% not doing this and not interested or able to): • Carpooling or ride sharing (37%) • Installing and using solar energy or other renewable energy at your home (25%) • Using an electric or hybrid vehicle (23%) Engaging residents to act on climate change Residential solar panels, photo by Jeff Stuhr, courtesy MPCA HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 70 Appendix A: Acknowledgements Acknowledgements • Carol Anderson • Jay Baldwin • Felecia Boone • Kenny Blumenfeld • Kayla Bromelkamp • Carolyn Collopy • Patience Caso • Kelsey Dawson Walton • Neil Doyle • Christi Duffy • Chad Ellos • Denise Engen • Josh Eppen • Phil Essington • John Evans • Mary Finch • Patricia Fitzgerald • Karen Galles • Barbara Garn • Joe Gladke • Kris Guentzel • Tony Hainault • Emily Harrington • Nicki Helmberger • Christina Hill- McNeal • Leah Hiniker • Maury Hooper • Bill Howden • Melissa Illies • Bobby Jackson • Ben Knudson • Andy Leith • Toya Lopez • Robb Luckow • Abby Malkerson • Gail Manning • Ryan Marshall • Drew McGovern • Kristy Morter • Crystal Myslajek The Hennepin County Climate Action Plan is the result of collaboration of the 59 staff members representing 20 departments that participated in climate action teams: • Dale Paulson • Juan Piñero • De’Vonna Pittman • Lance Robinette • John Rode • Lauren Satterlee • Amy Schrempp • Veronica Schulz • Julia Selleys • Brian Shekleton • Tom Terwilliger • Craig Troska • Ali Turner • Nariman Vanaki • Joan Vanhala • Eric Vogel • Eric Waage • Dr . Kristi White • Lindsey Wollschlager • Lisa Cerney • Mark Chapin • Chet Cooper • Kevin Dockry • Neil Doyle • Yvonne Forsythe • Margo Geffen • Glen Gilbertson • Chela Guzman- Wiegert • David Hough • Bobby Jackson • Anne Kanyusik Yoakum • Rosemary Lavin • Susan Palchick • Dan Rogan • Michael Rossman • Chris Sagsveen • Alisa Salewski • Carla Stueve • Mark Thompson • Eric Waage • Jodi Wentland • Jamie Zwilling • John Evans • Carol Hoffman • Rosemary Lavin • Alisa Reckinger • Brian Shekleton • Angie Timmons • Barr Engineering • Hennepin County Geographic Information Systems • LHB, Inc . • Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Climatology Office County leadership that provided guidance and support: The plan was prepared by: Technical consultation was provided by: HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 71 Appendix B: Public engagement findings A series of feedback sessions were held in In November 2020 with community groups, youth, and the county’s Race Equity Advisory Council . A total of 84 people shared feedback on the climate action plan’s foundational strategies, impacts the community has experienced from climate change, and their priorities for a climate-friendly future . An online survey for residents was also conducted to learn about impacts the community has experienced from climate change and understand residents’ priorities to inform the plan . The survey received 2,300 responses . Key findings from the first phase of external engagement efforts Many insights from the feedback have been incorporated throughout the plan, including the impacts the community has experienced from climate change, the most important values they hold in responding to climate change, and their desire for green jobs . The following key findings reflect commonly expressed ideas that garnered strong support . Set ambitious goals and provide bold leadership Most open-ended comments from the online survey stressed the urgency of the issue of climate change and encouraged the county to respond by being ambitious and providing bold leadership . This sentiment was echoed in the listening sessions, with participants noting how Hennepin County’s response will be a catalyst for both local and state efforts . Participants wanted to see a more aggressive timeline and stressed that meaningful metrics need to be established so the county and community could measure progress toward meeting our goals . Climate change is intersectional with racial disparities Although everyone will be impacted by the climate crisis, it will not be experienced equally . Community partners and survey respondents see the connection of systemic racism and environmental injustices . Many community organizations see the county’s development of a climate The first phase of public engagement What else would you like to tell the county about climate change? Visual of topics identified from open-ended comments HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 72 action plan as an opportunity to advocate for changes in the county’s transportation network and waste management system, specifically operations of the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), as well as for better health outcomes for people of color . The plan provides a new opportunity to develop and implement a collective vision for: • Health and well-being outcomes • Equitable transportation system • Zero-waste future • Green economic recovery, workforce development, and job creation Focus on systems change, not individual choice A significant number of survey comments focused on the desire for transformational systems change through leadership and the use of policies, procedures, and incentives rather than focusing on educating residents on the actions they can take individually . At the same time, community partners explained that educating the public and empowering their involvement in change would help expand the county’s reach and the impact of greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies . Community partners expressed the need for the county to authentically partner with communities to empower local leadership and community-driven initiatives to make solutions relevant and effective . The second phase of public engagement Feedback on the draft Climate Action Plan was gathered from February 9 to March 3, 2021, through community meetings, an online comment form, and a survey for public entity partners . Anyone interested in the county’s response to climate change was encouraged to attend an online meeting or submit comments . Feedback was received from residents, representatives of community organizations and advocacy groups, and staff from state agencies, cities, and watershed districts . A total of 79 participants attended the online community meetings where county staff presented goals and core strategies . A recording of the meeting was also made available for those who couldn’t attend live . The online comment form received responses from 150 people . Key findings from the second phase of public engagement The public engagement process generated more than 1,000 ideas and comments that were categorized based on alignment with the five plan goals and subsections and then analyzed to identify key themes and calls to action . The following key findings reflect the most strongly and commonly expressed ideas . Appendix B: Public engagement findings HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 73 What do you like? Respondents were happy to see the county is working on a climate action plan and making it a priority . They are grateful to live in a place that recognizes the need to take urgent action . They thought the county developed a comprehensive plan and appreciated the emphasis on collaboration, equitable outcomes, complex and overlapping impacts, and community input . They appreciate the county acknowledging that county policies, systems, and practices need to change . Respondents appreciated the process of developing the plan and the opportunity to provide feedback, and they expressed support for the plan’s implementation and the county’s response to climate change . What is missing or could be improved? Ensure the plan results in meaningful action that meets the urgency of the climate crisis Respondents emphasized they want to see the Climate Action Plan be fully implemented to produce meaningful change . They encouraged the county to think bigger and more boldly to meet the reality of the climate crisis . They wanted to see a more ambitious plan with stronger commitments to act on the solutions identified . Respondents also felt the county needed to more clearly communicate the immediacy of climate change and the urgency required to respond . Set bigger goals and define performance metrics, timelines, and responsibilities Respondents made it clear that the county’s current greenhouse gas emission reduction goals are no longer adequate based on the global scientific consensus and that a more aggressive goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 should be adopted . Respondents also noted that the plan seemed more like a framework, and they felt that action plans with specific and measurable goals, targets, and implementation timelines would be needed to provide details on how the work will be accomplished and who is responsible . They also wanted to know how progress on the plan would be shared with the public, expressing interest in reporting requirements and set dates for reviewing and updating the plan . Put greater emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions Respondents wanted greater emphasis on greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts and sought more specifics about how to reduce emissions from transportation, buildings and energy use, and zero- waste initiatives . They did not think the plan went far enough in moving the county away from a car-centric transportation system and toward people-centered road design . They called on the county to establish goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled and car lane miles and increase investments in transit, biking, and walking infrastructure and transit-oriented development . Respondents wanted the plan to include more strategies to support the transition from oil and natural gas to clean, renewable energy technologies . They also called for the county to accelerate plans for increasing the energy efficiency of Appendix B: Public engagement findings HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 74 county owned and managed buildings and vehicles and incentivizing and supporting low-tech, zero-energy solutions for the community . Respondents wanted to see greater advocacy for waste prevention policies, especially for plastics, increased access to organics recycling, and more focus on shifting behaviors around household goods to focus on avoidance, reuse, repair, and zero waste . Elevate the role that natural resources play in addressing climate change Respondents emphasized the critical role healthy, functioning ecosystems play in mitigating climate change impacts and preserving biodiversity, and they felt the plan needed a stronger focus on natural resources, green infrastructure, and carbon sequestration strategies . They were very interested in efforts to protect natural resources, preserve open space, support regenerative agriculture and local food systems, and increase green roofs and green spaces in urban areas . Respondents liked that safety preparations include flooding and extreme weather . They considered the topic to be timely in regard to recent extreme weather in Texas . They appreciated the amount of data included to determine high risk areas and safety concerns . Many respondents agree that we need to be better prepared . They think that many people believe we are more prepared than we are . Ensure capacity to respond to natural disasters Recent natural disasters, such as the energy grid failure in Texas after a winter storm, have increased concern about preparedness for natural disasters . Respondents were concerned about the capacity to respond to natural disasters and other health issues related to climate change . Many respondents stated that the public needs more education about climate change impacts and preparedness, and respondents felt the county should highlight the hidden costs of climate change, including increased costs for health care, emergency responses, agricultural losses, and infrastructure, property, and road repairs . Define the county’s role, scope, and capacity Respondents felt they needed a better understanding of the scope of the county’s responsibilities and the relationships the county has with external partners who will be involved in accomplishing the goals of the plan . They also wanted to understand the capacity of the county departments involved to accomplish the goals laid out in the plan . They wanted to see requirements that all county departments use race equity and climate impact assessment tools when evaluating plans, projects, and investments, and they wanted to see the resources and budget allocated to make implementation possible . Appendix B: Public engagement findings HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 75 Increase engagement to build community buy-in and trust Respondents want the county to do more to collaborate and engage with the community . Some were concerned that the ideas and strategies in the plan were coming from the county and being brought to the community for feedback, rather than being generated by the community . Others felt the timeline for gathering feedback on the plan was too short and the opportunities were too limited . They expressed concern that those providing feedback are likely those who are already engaged in this work, and more approaches are needed to ensure broad participation and create space for more meaningful and diverse engagement . They felt that more community engagement earlier in the process would be critical when developing action and implementation plans to ensure success . How the feedback informed the plan and will guide the work The public engagement process provided insights on how the community is experiencing the effects of climate change and helped us understand how our values and priorities align with those of the community . In many instances, we heard that we are generally on the right track, and the community supports us in taking bold and urgent action . We heard the community wants us to be more bold, more urgent, and more aggressive with our emission reduction strategies, we need to provide more specifics about how the work will be accomplished, and we need to establish metrics and reporting requirements to ensure accountability . We heard the importance of taking an intersectional approach to ensure our climate action plan responds to issues of racial and environmental justice, health, workforce development, and other topics . Changes to the plan The following are key changes that were made to the plan based on the feedback from the public and commissioners: • Set a more ambitious overall goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 . • Provided more context in the introduction sections to more clearly communicate the urgency of addressing climate change and that humans are responsible for climate change pollution . Appendix B: Public engagement findings HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 76 Appendix B: Public engagement findings • Added new strategies in the Goal: Enhance public safety to more clearly define the need to support a stronger energy infrastructure and disaster plans that support basic lifesaving resources . • Renamed the goal “Protect building sites, roads, infrastructure and natural resources” to “Increase resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources” to more accurately describe this section and expanded strategies for protecting natural resources, using green infrastructure, planting and maintaining trees, and increasing carbon sequestration . • Made the following significant updates to the Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: –Defined stretch goals in a number of key metrics: ºCarbon-free electricity in county operations by 2035 ºRegional on-site solar goal of 10% by 2030 ºNet zero county fleet by 2050 ºPlant 1 million trees by 2030 ºAcquire 6,000 additional acres of conservation easements by 2040 –Added strategies to advance fuel-switching (building electrification) and getting to carbon-free electricity . –Added strategies to develop a plan to establish a more ambitious vehicle miles traveled goal and strategies to achieve it, along with participating in MnDOT’s Statewide Multimodal Plan development in 2021 . –Added strategies to achieve zero-waste goals faster, including more specifics about organics recycling services, ways to reduce gaps in recycling service at multi-unit housing, and policy advocacy work . Staff also defined the county’s position on the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) and its role in mitigating climate change . –Expanded on carbon sequestration strategies to highlight opportunities both on county properties and in partnership with private landowners . Implications to guide the work going forward As the county develops action plans for implementation of the strategies outlined in the plan, the following implications from public engagement process will guide the work: • Specific action plans for the strategies included in the plan need to be developed to provide details on how the work will be accomplished and who is responsible . The county needs to define the scope of the county’s responsibilities and the relationships the county has with external partners who will be involved in accomplishing the goals of the plan . • The impacts of the climate action plan strategies need to be further analyzed to refine the metrics that the county, community, and public can use to measure progress . Like other environmental justice issues, those who least contribute to the problem of climate change will be most impacted . The county should continue to recognize our obligation to work toward eliminating disparities in our response to climate change . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 77 Appendix B: Public engagement findings • The pathway to transformative climate policies must be created by the county and other leaders, and then supported and moved forward by the public . To advance an impactful climate change response, the county needs to engage residents, listen to how climate change is impacting them, and collectively build support for solutions . Defining and articulating our collective vision for a climate-friendly future is critical to motivating collective action . • There is a need for more education on the impacts of climate change and increased awareness about the urgency of the issues . Understanding about the connections to racial equity, health, and unequal impacts to vulnerable communities needs to be heightened . Presenting findings from the vulnerability assessment helped groups who were struggling to see the connections more clearly understand the full implications of climate change . • Community engagement efforts during plan implementation need to be multi-faceted, robust, and consistent to build community buy-in and trust . Participants want the county to do more to collaborate and engage with the community . Both community organizations and public entity partners expressed strong interest in collaborating on climate solutions and working with the county to ensure the plan is effective and impactful . Deeper engagement with more diverse audiences and vulnerable communities will require partnerships with community organizations who can help lead outreach efforts that resonate with their communities . The full results from the both phases of public engagement are available at hennepin.us/climate-action . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 78 Appendix C: Strategy alignment with disparity reduction Goals Objectives Strategy Education Employment Health Housing Income Justice Transportation Goal: Protect and engage people, especially vulnerable communities Objective: Hennepin County becomes a more resilient community that can withstand and adapt to abrupt and sometimes unforeseen weather, social, and economic changes Strategy: Strengthen individual and community resilience x x x Objective: The county’s response to climate change prioritizes the protection of the most vulnerable residents and advances equitable health outcomes Strategy: Better understand and plan for the health needs of our diverse communities x x x Strategy: Mitigate disproportionate impacts associated with climate change x x x Objective: Residents, businesses, and organizations pursue individual actions and support collective actions that drive systems change Strategy: Educate and engage the public in taking collective action x x Objective: County climate investments support broader county goals to reduce disparities in employment and grow the economy Strategy: Maximize green economic recovery and workforce development opportunities x x x x Goal: Enhance public safety Objective: Hennepin County assesses, prepares for, and mitigates risks from hazard events Strategy: Improve preparation for and respond to extreme weather events, flooding, and other climate disasters x x x Objective: Residents, businesses, and organizations understand and are prepared to respond to the impacts of climate change Strategy: Reduce risks to vulnerable people from extreme heat or cold x x x HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 79 Goals Objectives Strategy Education Employment Health Housing Income Justice Transportation Goal: Increase the resilience of the built environment and protect natural resources . Objective: Climate risks and impacts to county buildings and infrastructure are assessed and mitigated Strategy: Reassess policies, design standards, and maintenance practices for county buildings and infrastructure projects x x x Objective: Risks and impacts from increased precipitation, flooding, and landslides are reduced Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to manage increased stormwater volumes x x x Strategy: Coordinate regional stormwater resiliency efforts with public entity partners x x Strategy: Manage the increased risk of landslides due to increased rainfall x x Objective: The county employs green and natural infrastructure, including trees, plants, and soil, to increase resiliency of the built environment, especially in areas at higher risks for localized flooding and extreme heat Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to ensure capacity to design, implement, and maintain green infrastructure x x x x Strategy: Use county investments to increase resilience in the build environment x x x Strategy: Plant, diversify, and maintain trees throughout Hennepin County and increase the resiliency of the county’s community forest x Objective: Natural areas and open spaces are functional and diverse Strategy: Plan for and mitigate anticipated ecosystem and open space impacts x x x Appendix C: Strategy alignment with disparity reduction HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 80 Goals Objectives Strategy Education Employment Health Housing Income Justice Transportation Goal: Reduce emissions in ways that align with core county functions and priorities Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings and energy use are reduced to meet the county’s emission goals Strategy: Reduce climate impacts of buildings through innovative and efficient design, including the use of climate- friendly material choices x x Strategy: Transition to renewable energy sources and reduce energy use overall in county operations x Strategy: Support Hennepin County communities in establishing initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use x x Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation are reduced to meet the state’s Next Generation Energy Act and county emission goals Strategy: Reduce vehicle miles traveled in Hennepin County and throughout the region x x Strategy: Promote electric vehicle infrastructure regionally x x Strategy: Use transportation investments to support broader county goals including reducing disparities, improving health, enhancing livability, and growing the economy x x x x Objective: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste and material use are reduced to meet county goals Strategy: Prevent food waste and divert organic material from the trash x Strategy: Reuse and recycle construction and demolition waste x Appendix C: Strategy alignment with disparity reduction HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 81 Goals Objectives Strategy Education Employment Health Housing Income Justice Transportation Strategy: Understand the climate impacts of our purchases and mitigate the largest impacts x x Strategy: Advocate for state leadership on zero-waste policies and producer responsibility x Objective: The county sequesters carbon on county- owned property, including along county road rights-of- way and tax-forfeit properties Strategy: Reassess policies and practices to increase carbon sequestration on county- owned properties x x Objective: Landowners sequester carbon by protecting and restoring habitat, building soil health and preserving and planting trees Strategy: Assist residents to sequester carbon on private property x Goal: Partner in ways that can be most impactful Objective: Partnership models driven by mutual climate goals are explored and pursued Strategy: Pursue strategies with the widest agreement and clearest direction forward x x x x x x Objective: Communities are engaged and empowered through partnership and shared leadership Strategy: Establish long-term partnerships to increase engagement and support community-driven solutions x x x x x x Appendix C: Strategy alignment with disparity reduction HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 82 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Commercial/industrial efficiency 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Energy Code Enforcement Percentage of new commercial/ industrial building area (in the ten-year time period ending in the specified year) that complies with the Minnesota Energy Code 100%100%100%• Code will continue to be enforced for all new buildings . • This compliance rate is higher than the statewide average of 78% for commercial buildings . Net-Zero Energy Buildings Percentage of new commercial/ industrial building area (in the ten-year time period ending in the specified year) that meets advanced energy goals 40%78%100%• This strategy models Minnesota’s SB 2030 program of stepped reduction standards for new construction that reach net-zero energy in 2030 . • A small number of buildings (5%) will either be required to meet SB 2030 or will voluntarily meet advanced energy goals . Additionally, St . Louis Park’s green building policy requires SB 2030 for new municipal buildings and new commercial buildings above a certain size that receive financial assistance from the City . This policy is estimated to impact 15% of new commercial construction . • Multiple local jurisdictions are likely to adopt a stretch energy code option if available, which would apply to all commercial buildings . Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, and St . Louis Park participated in a working group to this end . Based on their forecasted percentage of countywide population and job growth, 63% of new construction in Hennepin County is estimated to occur within these cities . This assumes state legislation enables stretch energy code adoption in 2024 . • Based on the proposed Minnesota Energy Code trajectory from a 2019-2020 workgroup convened by MN DLI and Commerce, future versions of Minnesota’s energy code are assumed to reach net-zero energy in 2036 . The following assumptions were used to create the greenhouse gas emissions reduction planning exercise (Figure 10 on page 44) that shows the participation rates required by strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 . This work was completed by LHB, Inc . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 83 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Commercial/industrial efficiency 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Existing Building Efficiency Percentage of energy saved compared to 2018 baseline in existing commercial buildings through energy efficiency retrofits and efficient building operations by the specified year 17%28%38%• Minnesota’s Energy Conservation Improvement policy sets annual energy-savings goals of 1 .5% for electricity and 1% for natural gas .14 In Hennepin County between 2015 and 2019, commercial/ industrial participants in Xcel’s conservation improvement programs achieved annual electricity savings between 1 .6 and 2 .6% of Xcel’s total county-wide commercial/industrial electricity sales, with an average of 2% .15 • Hennepin County leads the Efficient Buildings Collaborative, which supports the adoption and implementation of local benchmarking ordinances by Minnesota cities . Minneapolis, Edina, and St . Louis Park currently have commercial building benchmarking ordinances in effect and Bloomington is working toward an ordinance . A national study found buildings that benchmark their energy use achieve an average of 2 .4% annual savings .16 • The savings rates shown here for Hennepin County assume that cities with commercial building benchmarking policies (including Bloomington) will achieve 2 .4% annual savings for participating buildings and all other buildings/cities will achieve 1 .5% annual savings for electricity and 1% annual savings for natural gas . • The following Hennepin County cities have developed Energy Actions Plans for their communities or include existing building efficiency goals in their climate action plans: Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie, Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Shorewood, St . Louis Park . The goals for these cities have not been analyzed and may go beyond the rates included here . 14 M .S . 2016B .241; https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/216B.241 15 Analysis conducted by LHB using data from Xcel Energy’s Community Energy Reports for Hennepin County; https://www.xcelenergy.com/working_with_us/municipalities/community_energy_reports 16 U .S . Environmental Protection Agency, 2012, Benchmarking and Energy Savings; https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/buildings/tools/DataTrends_Savings_20121002.pdf HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 84 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Residential efficiency 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Energy Code Enforcement Percentage of new residential building area (in the specified year) that complies with the Minnesota Energy Code 100%100%100%• Minnesota’s current residential energy code will continue to be enforced for all new buildings . • This compliance rate is higher than the statewide average of 76 .8% for residential buildings . Net-Zero Energy Buildings Percentage of new residential building area (in the specified year) that produces as much energy on- site as it uses 5%45%100%• A small number of new homes will voluntarily be designed to be net-zero energy by 2030 . • Net-zero energy becomes a requirement of Minnesota’s Energy Code in 2036 . Existing Building Efficiency Percentage of energy saved compared to 2018 baseline in existing homes through energy efficiency retrofits and behavioral strategies by the specified year 13%22%30%• Minnesota’s Energy Conservation Improvement policy sets annual energy-savings goals of 1 .5% for electricity and 1% for natural gas .17 In Hennepin County between 2015 and 2019, residential participants in Xcel’s conservation improvement programs achieved average annual electricity savings of 0 .3% and natural gas savings of 0 .9% compared to Xcel’s total county-wide residential energy sales .18 • The savings rates shown here for Hennepin County assumes that the 1 .5% annual savings goal for electricity and 1% annual savings goal for natural gas will be achieved . • The following Hennepin County cities have developed Energy Actions Plans for their communities or include existing building efficiency goals in their climate action plans: Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie, Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Shorewood, St . Louis Park . The goals for these cities have not been analyzed and may go beyond the rates included here . 17 M .S . 2016B .241; https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/216B.241 18 Analysis conducted by LHB using data from Xcel Energy’s Community Energy Reports for Hennepin County; https://www.xcelenergy.com/working_with_us/municipalities/community_energy_reports HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 85 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Residential efficiency 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Xcel Energy’s Planned Emissions Reduction Percentage reduction in CO2e emissions per kWh of electricity from baseline year 73%79%100%• Based on the emissions factors derived from Xcel’s Preferred Plan for 2020-2034 .19 • For 2035-2050, it follows a linear trajectory to Xcel’s stated goal of carbon-free by 2050 . Renewable Energy 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context On-Site Renewable Electricity Percentage of total community electricity use met by on-site renewable electricity generation in the specified year 10%10%10%• The State of Minnesota (M .S . 216B .1691) and the Cities of St . Louis Park and Eden Prairie have goals of generating 10% of electricity use from solar by 2030 . Minneapolis aims to generate 10% of its electricity from local, renewable sources by 2025 . • Hennepin County’s rooftop generation potential equates to about 50% of the annual electricity use .20 Green Power Purchase - Business Percentage of commercial/industrial electricity use met through participation in renewable energy purchasing programs (e .g . Xcel’s Windsource or Renewable*Connect) in the specified year 38%39%0%• This strategy uses city-specific goals where available, and historic county-wide trends otherwise . • Minneapolis and St . Louis Park have goals of 100% of renewable electricity by 2030 . These cities comprised 38% of the county’s commercial/industrial electricity use in 2018 .21 • In 2019 0 .7% of Xcel’s business customers in Hennepin County participated for a total of 0 .3% of total commercial/industrial electricity .22 A linear growth in this percentage based on 2015-2019 data would result in 0 .6% of commercial/industrial electricity in 2030 and 1% in 2040 . • When the electricity grid is carbon-free in 2050, green power purchase programs will become obsolete . 19 Xcel Energy, Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan 2020-2034, dated July 1, 2019 . 20 Metropolitan Council, Local Planning Handbook, Solar Resource Calculation for Hennepin County, 2017 . 21 Regional Indicators Initiative . 22 Analysis conducted by LHB using data from Xcel Energy’s Community Energy Reports for Hennepin County; https://www.xcelenergy.com/working_with_us/municipalities/community_energy_reports HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 86 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Residential efficiency 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Green Power Purchase - Residential Percentage of residential electricity use met through participation in renewable energy purchasing programs (e .g . Xcel’s Windsource or Renewable*Connect) in the specified year 36%37%0%• This strategy uses city-specific goals where available, and historic county-wide trends otherwise . • Minneapolis and St . Louis Park have goals of 100% of renewable electricity by 2030 . These cities comprised 33% of the county’s residential electricity use in 2018 .23 • In 2019, 6 .4% of Xcel’s residential customers in Hennepin County participated for a total of 2 .2% of community-wide residential electricity .24 A linear growth in this percentage based on 2015-2019 data would result in 4 .1% of residential electricity in 2030 and 5 .8% in 2040 . • Nationally, the highest participation rate in green power purchase programs is currently 19% (in Portland – assumed to be % of customers, not energy) . • When the electricity grid is carbon-free in 2050, green power purchase programs will become obsolete . Fuel Switching 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Business Electrification Percentage of commercial buildings served by natural gas for space and water heating that have switched to electricity by the specified year 9%38%70%• Derived from the “Electrification Futures Study Sensitivity” scenario used in the energy modeling analysis for Xcel Energy’s Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan 2020-2034 . Residential Electrification Percentage of homes served by natural gas for space and water heating that have switched to electricity by the specified year 17%55%97%• Derived from the “Electrification Futures Study Sensitivity” scenario used in the energy modeling analysis for Xcel Energy’s Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan 2020-2034 . 23 Regional Indicators Initiative . 24 Analysis conducted by LHB using data from Xcel Energy’s Community Energy Reports for Hennepin County; https://www.xcelenergy.com/working_with_us/municipalities/community_energy_reports HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 87 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Travel 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context VMT Reduction Percentage reduction from baseline (2017) vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per resident due to increased walking, biking, transit ridership, telecommuting, ride-sharing, and trip efficiency 14%19%26%• An 8 .6% reduction is derived from the estimated regional change in daily VMT per resident by 2040 due to all changes made to the regional transit system .25 • An additional 8% savings are estimated based on a significant and lasting trend toward telecommuting post-coronavirus as well as enhancements to the regional bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure network, advancements in rideshare technology, and autonomous vehicle implementation .26 • Minneapolis’ draft Transportation Action Plan (March 2020) calls for 3 of every 5 trips to be taken by walking, rolling, bicycling, or transit by 2030 and to cut VMT by 1 .8% each year from 2018 through 2030 (a 21% total reduction) . Minneapolis 2040 notes that “Even with the adoption of electric cars, a 38 percent reduction in passenger miles traveled by automobile is needed to achieve the 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 .” • Eden Prairie’s Climate Action Plan (published pre-coronavirus) calls for a 7% reduction by 2030, 10% by 2040, and 14% by 2050 . • St . Louis Park’s Climate Action Plan (published pre-coronavirus) calls for a 12% reduction by 2030 and models a 20% reduction in 2040 . • The numbers shown here use the city-specific goals for Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, and St . Louis Park’s portions of vehicle travel, and 12%/17%/23% reductions for the rest of the county (based on transit plus telecommuting trends) . 25 U .S . Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, and Metropolitan Council, Southwest Light Rail Transit Final Environmental Impact Statement, May 2016; https://metrocouncil. org/Transportation/Projects/Light-Rail-Projects/Southwest-LRT/Environmental/Final-EIS.aspx 26 VMT reduction from telecommuting trends were derived from the Metropolitan Council’s COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Outbreak Transportation Survey: May 2020; https://metrocouncil.org/Council- Meetings/Committees/Transportation-Committee/2020/July-27,-2020/Info-1-COVID.aspx . The percentage increase from the baseline percentage of days spent teleworking pre-COVID to the preferred future percentage of days spent teleworking (222%) was applied to the 2018 baseline teleworking rate for Hennepin County from the U .S . Census (6 .4%); https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ table?q=hennepin%20county%20commuting&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S0801&hidePreview=false . This survey includes responses from 3,244 metro area adults, with results weighted to reflect the regional population demographics . Respondents who reported never teleworking (even during COVID) and those who reported being unemployed or furloughed during COVID were not asked about future teleworking preferences and are assumed not to telework in the future . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 88 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Travel 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Electric Light-Duty Vehicles Percentage of light-duty vehicles that drive within City boundaries that are electric by the specified year 20%46%84%• BloombergNEF produces global forecasts for electric vehicles, with 64% penetration by 2050 .27 While forecasted passenger vehicle EV adoption rates for the U .S . are similar to global averages, they are likely to be higher in urban areas such as Hennepin County . • Minnesota aims to power 20% of the light-duty vehicles in the state with electricity by 2030 .28 • The Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) standard currently under consideration by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as part of the Clean Cars Minnesota rulemaking would require 22% of the light-duty vehicles delivered for sale in Minnesota to have ultra-low or zero tailpipe emissions .29 • The targets used here represent an acceleration of the global forecast by five years (e .g . the 2030 target equates to the 2035 global forecast) to reflect Minnesota’s more aggressive goals . Emissions Reductions in Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Percent reduction in emissions per mile for medium- and heavy- duty vehicles that drive within City boundaries by the specified year 10%20%20%• This strategy reflects the Future Fuels bill currently under consideration by the Minnesota legislature to decrease transportation fuel intensity by at least 20% by 2035 .30 27 BloombergNEF, Electric Vehicle Outlook 2020; https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/ 28 Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Great Plains Institute, Accelerating Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Vision for Minnesota, 2019; http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sustainability/docs/mn-ev-vision.pdf 29 California Code of Regulations, Title 13, Section 1962 .2 .; https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/ I505CA51BB0AD454499B57FC8B03D7856?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc& transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default) 30 Minnesota House of Representatives, HF2083; https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/Info/HF2083/92/2021/0 HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 89 Waste 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Waste Reduction Percentage reduction in municipal solid waste per capita by the specified year from 2018 baseline 22%22%22%• There is a regional policy goal to reduce waste generation by 4% from 2015 by 2030 .31 Accounting for anticipated population growth in Hennepin County and its increased waste generation since 2015, this equates to a 22% reduction per capita from 2018 .32 • For context, the county’s per capita waste dropped 17% during the economic recession between 2007 and 2009 . It dropped an additional 5% by 2015 .33 • Hennepin County generated 5 .6 pounds per capita per day in 2018, up from 5 .1 lbs in 2015 . The median per capita waste in Minnesota counties between 1991-2018 is 4 .3 lbs (a 23% reduction from Hennepin 2018) . Counties in the lowest quartile reported 1 .5-3 .4 lbs/person-day (a 39-73% reduction) .34 The 2017 U .S . average is 4 .5 lbs and the worldwide average is 1 .6 lbs .35 Since Hennepin County is an economic hub (managing waste generated by people living in other counties), it is expected to have higher per capita rates than the state, national, or worldwide averages . • Minneapolis has a goal of maintaining total waste at 2010 levels .36 When accounting for population growth, this would be a 17% reduction per capita by 2030 .37 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise 31 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan, 2016-2036; https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/w-sw7-21.pdf 32 Analysis conducted by LHB using municipal solid waste data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s SCORE Overview and Data (https://www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/score- overview-and-data-1991-2018), historic county population data from the Minnesota State Demographic Center (https://mn.gov/admin/demography/data-by-topic/population-data/ our-estimates/pop-finder1.jsp), and future population estimates from the Metropolitan Council’s Thrive MSP 2040 Population Forecasts (January 1, 2020) . Hennepin County began including yard waste data in their annual MSW reports in 2016 . To provide a consistent baseline, 2015’s per capita rate was adjusted using 2018 yard waste data . 33 Ibid . 34 Ibid . Yard waste may be undercounted in some Minnesota counties/years . 35 U .S . average from the U .S . Environmental Protection Agency, National Overview (https:// www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview- facts-and-figures-materials#R&Ctrends), accessed August 13, 2020 . 36 Minneapolis Zero Waste Plan, November 2017; https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/ RCA/2885/24-Zero Waste Plan_November 2017_clean.pdf . 37 Analysis conducted by LHB using the Metropolitan Council’s Thrive MSP 2040 Population Forecasts (January 1, 2020) . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 90 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Waste 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Recycling Percentage of municipal solid waste that is recycled (including organics recycling) in the specified year 75%85%90%• In 2018, 43% of Hennepin County’s MSW was recycled .38 • Hennepin County has a 75% recycling goal by 2030, including 15% organics recovery and 60% recycling .39 • Minneapolis has a goal to reach 80% recycling/composting by 2030 .40 • St . Louis Park’s Climate Action Plan has a goal of reducing emissions from MSW by 50% by 2030 .41 • Eden Prairie’s Climate Action Plan has a goal of net-zero emissions from MSW by 2050 .42 • The Zero Waste International Alliance sets a goal for communities to reduce their waste to landfill, incineration and the environment by 90% or more .43 Landfill Diversion Percentage of municipal solid waste that is diverted from landfills in the specified year 99%99%99%• Hennepin County has a goal to send a maximum of 1% of MSW to landfills by 2030 .44 • In 2018, 78% of Hennepin County’s MSW was diverted from landfills .45 Landfilled waste is expected to increase in the near term due to the closure of the Elk River Resource Recovery Facility in 2019 . 38 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s SCORE Overview and Data (1991-2018); https://www. pca.state.mn.us/waste/score-overview-and-data-1991-2018, accessed August 24, 2020 . 39 Minnesota Statute 115A .551 (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/ cite/115A.551#:~:text=Subd.,-2a.&text=(b)%20Each%20county%20will%20 develop,establishing%20a%20higher%20recycling%20goal) and Hennepin County Solid Waste Management Master Plan, 2018 (https://www.hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/your- government/projects-initiatives/documents/solid-waste-mgmt-master-plan-18-23.pdf) . 40 Minneapolis Zero Waste Plan, November 2017; https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/ RCA/2885/24-Zero Waste Plan_November 2017_clean.pdf 41 St . Louis Park Climate Action Plan 2040, February 2018; https://www.stlouispark.org/home/ showdocument?id=8214 42 Eden Prairie Climate Action Plan, March 2020; https://www.edenprairie.org/home/ showdocument?id=15547 43 Zero Waste International Alliance, Zero Waste Community Certification (http://zwia.org/zero- waste-community-certification/), accessed August 13, 2020 . 44 Hennepin County Solid Waste Management Master Plan, 2018; https://www.hennepin.us/-/ media/hennepinus/your-government/projects-initiatives/documents/solid-waste-mgmt- master-plan-18-23.pdf 45 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s SCORE Overview and Data (1991-2018); https://www. pca.state.mn.us/waste/score-overview-and-data-1991-2018, accessed August 24, 2020 . HENNEPIN COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 91 Appendix D: Net zero planning exercise Carbon Sequestration 2030 2040 2050 Assumptions/context Carbon Sequestration Percentage reduction in business- as-usual county-wide emissions due to carbon sequestration within the County in the specified year 0%6%12%• While advanced strategies to address the remaining emissions from transportation, natural gas, and waste processing may help close the remaining gap to the county’s 2050 goal, the majority of this reduction is assumed to be achievable through carbon sequestration within the county through land management practices . Additional research and analysis is needed to quantify how these goals translate directly into implementable actions . Page 1 of 3 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: Dec. 22, 2023 City Council Meeting Agenda updated Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 7 p.m. Council Chambers/Zoom Meeting The city manager’s comments are bolded. 1. Call to Order, Roll Call, and Pledge of Allegiance 2. Approval of Agenda The Council will consider approval of the agenda. 3. Proclamation 3.1 The Mayor will proclaim Jan. 15, 2024, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the City of Crystal. 4. Consent Agenda The Council will consider the following items, which are routine and non-controversial in nature, in a single motion: 4.1 Approval of the minutes from the following meetings: a. The City Council work session on Dec. 14, 2023. b. The City Council work session on Dec. 19, 2023. c. The City Council meeting on Dec. 19, 2023. d. The City Council and Inclusion and Diversity Commission joint work session on Dec. 19, 2023. 4.2 Approval of the list of license applications submitted by the city clerk to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the city clerk. 4.3 Approval of designating the Sun Post as the primary legal newspaper and the Star Tribune as the secondary legal newspaper for the City of Crystal in 2024. 4.4 Adoption of a resolution designating depositories of the City of Crystal for 2024. 4.5 Approval of the following annual city staff appointments for 2024:* a. Hennepin Recycling Group (HRG): City Manager Adam R. Bell. b. Local Government Information Systems (LOGIS) Board Member and alternate: Board Member - City Manager Adam R. Bell; and alternate – Assistant City Manager Kim Therres. c. Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission and CCX Media Board Member: City Manager Adam R. Bell. d. Pets Under Police Security (PUPS) Board Member and alternate: Board Member – Deputy Police Chief Brian Hubbard; and alternate – Police Chief Stephanie Revering. 4.6 Approval of the summary of the December 14 Closed City Council Work Session. Page 2 of 3 5. Open Forum The City Council appreciates hearing from citizens about items of concern and desires to set aside time during each meeting for Open Forum. To provide ample opportunity for all, speaking time is limited to three minutes and topic discussion is limited to 10 minutes. The Mayor may, as presiding officer, extend the total time allowed for a topic. By rule, no action may be taken on any item brought before the Council during Open Forum. The Council may place items discussed during Open Forum onto subsequent council meeting agendas. 6. Regular Agenda 6.1 The Council will consider approval of disbursements of more than $25,000 submitted by the finance department to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the finance department. Recommend approval of disbursements over $25,000.* Due to the packet going out on Dec. 22, an updated list of disbursements will be provided on Jan. 2. 6.2 The Council will consider appointments for Mayor Pro Tem and Council commission liaisons and representatives for 2024.* a. Mayor Pro Tem. b. Environmental Quality Commission Liaison. c. Inclusion and Diversity Commission. d. Parks and Recreation Commission Liaison. e. Planning Commission Liaison. f. Quad Communities Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. g. Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission. h. Blue Line Extension Corridor Management Committee. i. Bottineau Community Works Steering Committee. Mayor Adams’ recommendations for these appointments will be available prior to the meeting. 6.3 The Council will consider a resolution approving replacement windows in the Police Department. After determining that additional treatments were needed for certain windows in the police department, $229,000 was budgeted in the previous Long-Term Plan (LTP) and scheduled to be done in 2024. New quotes were obtained for the project and the lowest quote was from Northern Glass and Glazing for $56,000, which is well under the budgeted amount, so there are sufficient funds in the Police Equipment Revolving Fund for the expenditure. This new amount was also updated in the 2024-2033 LTP recently adopted. Recommend adopting the resolution to authorize Northern Glass and Glazing for police department window replacement. 6.4 The Council will consider approval of an employment agreement with the city manager for 2024. The City Council conducted my first annual performance evaluation at a work session on Page 3 of 3 Dec. 14 and provided direction for terms for my employment agreement for 2024. With my sincerest gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving the community, approval of the 2024 City Manager Employment Agreement is recommended. 7. Announcements a. The next City Council work session is Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall and via Zoom. b. City offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. c. The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall and via Zoom. d. City Council meetings and work sessions are open to the public. Current and previous meetings are available for viewing and listening at www.crystalmn.gov. 8. Adjournment Have a great remainder of the year. I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas, New Years, and holiday season. See you next year! Page 1 of 3 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov Posted: Dec. 22, 2023 City Council Meeting Agenda Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024 7 p.m. Council Chambers/Zoom Meeting The city manager’s comments are bolded. 1. Call to Order, Roll Call, and Pledge of Allegiance 2. Approval of Agenda The Council will consider approval of the agenda. 3. Proclamation 3.1 The Mayor will proclaim Jan. 15, 2024, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the City of Crystal. 4. Consent Agenda The Council will consider the following items, which are routine and non-controversial in nature, in a single motion: 4.1 Approval of the minutes from the following meetings: a. The City Council work session on Dec. 14, 2023. b. The City Council work session on Dec. 19, 2023. c. The City Council meeting on Dec. 19, 2023. d. The City Council and Inclusion and Diversity Commission joint work session on Dec. 19, 2023. 4.2 Approval of the list of license applications submitted by the city clerk to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the city clerk. 4.3 Approval of designating the Sun Post as the primary legal newspaper and the Star Tribune as the secondary legal newspaper for the City of Crystal in 2024. 4.4 Adoption of a resolution designating depositories of the City of Crystal for 2024. 4.5 Approval of the following annual city staff appointments for 2024:* a. Hennepin Recycling Group (HRG): City Manager Adam R. Bell. b. Local Government Information Systems (LOGIS) Board Member and alternate: Board Member - City Manager Adam R. Bell; and alternate – Assistant City Manager Kim Therres. c. Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission and CCX Media Board Member: City Manager Adam R. Bell. d. Pets Under Police Security (PUPS) Board Member and alternate: Board Member – Deputy Police Chief Brian Hubbard; and alternate – Police Chief Stephanie Revering. Page 2 of 3 5. Open Forum The City Council appreciates hearing from citizens about items of concern and desires to set aside time during each meeting for Open Forum. To provide ample opportunity for all, speaking time is limited to three minutes and topic discussion is limited to 10 minutes. The Mayor may, as presiding officer, extend the total time allowed for a topic. By rule, no action may be taken on any item brought before the Council during Open Forum. The Council may place items discussed during Open Forum onto subsequent council meeting agendas. 6. Regular Agenda 6.1 The Council will consider approval of disbursements of more than $25,000 submitted by the finance department to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the finance department. Recommend approval of disbursements over $25,000.* Due to the packet going out on Dec. 22, an updated list of disbursements will be provided on Jan. 2. 6.2 The Council will consider appointments for Mayor Pro Tem and Council commission liaisons and representatives for 2024.* a. Mayor Pro Tem. b. Environmental Quality Commission Liaison. c. Parks and Recreation Commission Liaison. d. Planning Commission Liaison. e. Quad Communities Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. f. Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission. g. Blue Line Extension Corridor Management Committee. h. Bottineau Community Works Steering Committee. Mayor Adams’ recommendations for these appointments will be available prior to the meeting. 6.3 The Council will consider a resolution approving replacement windows in the Police Department. After determining that additional treatments were needed for certain windows in the police department, $229,000 was budgeted in the previous Long-Term Plan (LTP) and scheduled to be done in 2024. New quotes were obtained for the project and the lowest quote was from Northern Glass and Glazing for $56,000, which is well under the budgeted amount, so there are sufficient funds in the Police Equipment Revolving Fund for the expenditure. This new amount was also updated in the 2024-2033 LTP recently adopted. Recommend adopting the resolution to authorize Northern Glass and Glazing for police department window replacement. 6.4 The Council will consider approval of an employment agreement with the city manager for 2024. The City Council conducted my first annual performance evaluation at a work session on Dec. 14 and provided direction for terms for my employment agreement for 2024. Page 3 of 3 With my sincerest gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving the community, approval of the 2024 City Manager Employment Agreement is recommended. 7. Announcements a. The next City Council work session is Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall and via Zoom. b. City offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. c. The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall and via Zoom. d. City Council meetings and work sessions are open to the public. Current and previous meetings are available for viewing and listening at www.crystalmn.gov. 8. Adjournment Have a great remainder of the year. I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas, New Years, and holiday season. See you next year! 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. JANUARY 2024 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of equality and achieving social change through nonviolence have helped shape our nation; and WHEREAS, one of the City Council’s priorities is that Crystal be a city in which all feel welcomed; and WHEREAS, across the United States, this January millions of citizens across the nation will honor and celebrate Dr. King's life and teachings, recognizing the needs of and serving their communities; and WHEREAS, on January 15, 2024, we celebrate and remember his legacy as an American hero and tireless social activist, who called upon our nation to ensure equal justice under the law; upholding our founding principles which recognize individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and WHEREAS, Dr. King encouraged Americans to come together, regardless of age, race, or creed, to strengthen their communities, alleviate poverty, and value the dignity and respect inherent in all people. Through his example, he taught the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, service, and brotherhood. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jim Adams, as Mayor, do hereby proclaim January 15, 2024, as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the City of Crystal and encourage all of us to act for the future betterment of our community. Dated this 2nd day of January, 2024. ________________________________ Jim Adams, Mayor 3.1 Crystal City Council work session minutes Dec. 14, 2023 Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the regular work session of the Crystal City Council was held at 6:31 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2023, in the upper Community Room at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. Mayor Adams called the meeting to order. I.Attendance The city manager recorded the attendance for city council members and staff: Council members present: Adams, Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kiser and Onesirosan. Council Member Kamish was absent. City staff present: City Manager A. Bell. Also present was Karen DeYoung of DeYoung Consulting Services, LLC. II.Agenda The Council and staff discussed the following agenda items: 1.Commission candidate interviews. 2.Commission reappointments. Mayor Adams closed the meeting at 6:58 p.m. pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 13D.05, Subd. 3(a) for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the city manager. Mayor Adams re-opened the meeting after a discussion of the city manager’s performance evaluation. III.Adjournment The work session adjourned at 9:42 p.m. Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: Adam R. Bell, City Manager 4.1(a) Crystal City Council work session minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the regular work session of the Crystal City Council was held at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2023 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN and via Zoom. Mayor Adams called the meeting to order. I.Attendance The city clerk recorded the attendance for city council members and staff: Council members present: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. City staff present: City Manager A. Bell, City Attorney T. Gilchrist, Recreation Director J. Elholm, Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer B. Perkey, Police Chief S. Revering, Deputy Police Chief B. Hubbard, Community Development Director J. Sutter and City Clerk C. Serres. II.Agenda The Council and staff discussed the following agenda items: 1.City Council liaison reports. 2.City manager monthly check-in. 3.Constituent issues. 4.New business. 5.Announcements. III.Adjournment The work session adjourned at 6:58 p.m. Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: Christina Serres, City Clerk 4.1(b) Crystal City Council meeting minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Page 1 of 4 1.Call to Order Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the regular meeting of the Crystal City Council was held on Dec. 19, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N. in Crystal, MN and via Zoom. Mayor Adams called the meeting to order. Roll Call Mayor Adams asked the city clerk to call the roll for elected officials. Upon roll call, the following attendance was recorded: Council members present: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. City staff present: City Manager A. Bell, City Attorney T. Gilchrist, Recreation Director J. Elholm, West Metro Fire-Rescue District Chief S. Larson, Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer B. Perkey, Police Chief S. Revering, Deputy Police Chief B. Hubbard, Community Development Director J. Sutter and City Clerk C. Serres. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Adams led the Council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 2.Approval of Agenda The Council considered approval of the agenda. Moved by Council Member Kiser and seconded by Council Member Budziszewski to approve the agenda. Motion carried. 3.Consent Agenda The Council considered the following items, which are routine and non-controversial in nature, in a single motion: 3.1 Approval of the minutes from the following meetings: a.The City Council work session on Dec. 5, 2023. b.The City Council meeting on Dec. 5, 2023. 3.2 Approval of the list of license applications submitted by the city clerk to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the city clerk. 3.3 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-110, accepting donations. 3.4 Approval of commission appointments and reappointments. 3.5 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-111, appointing Jeff Kolb as public representative to the West Metro Fire-Rescue District Board of Directors. 3.6 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-112, appointing Joan Hauer to the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission as Crystal representative. 3.7 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-113, appointing Terri Schultz as an alternate representative to the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission. 3.8 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-114, reappointing Burton Orred, Jr. to the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission as Crystal representative. 4.1(c) Crystal City Council meeting minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Page 2 of 4 3.9 Receipt of the annual notification of Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) program. 3.10 Adoption of Res. No. 2023-115, approving an amendment to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) subrecipient agreement with Hennepin County for additional Broadway Park funding. Moved by Council Member Budziszewski and seconded by Council Member Kiser to approve the consent agenda. Motion carried. 4. Open Forum No public comment was given during open forum. 5. Public Hearings 5.1 Mayor Adams announced the purpose of the public hearing: To receive comment, and Council consideration of a new off-sale liquor license for Missy Hope, Inc. d/b/a Hope Liquor located at 111 Willow Bend. City Clerk Chrissy Serres addressed the Council. Applicant Hope Mulinda also addressed the Council. Mayor Adams opened the public hearing for testimony. There being no one wishing to appear before the Council to give testimony, Mayor Adams declared the public hearing closed. Moved by Council Member Budziszewski and seconded by Council Member Cummings, to approve the off-sale liquor license for Missy Hope, Inc. d/b/a Hope Liquor located at 111 Willow Bend. Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried. 5.2 Mayor Adams announced the purpose of the public hearing: To receive comment, and Council consideration of a new off-sale liquor license for RPSM, LLC d/b/a Adair Liquor located at 6001 42nd Ave. N. City Clerk Chrissy Serres addressed the Council. Applicant Ravinder Singh also addressed the Council. Mayor Adams opened the public hearing for testimony. There being no one wishing to appear before the Council to give testimony, Mayor Adams declared the public hearing closed. Moved by Council Member Budziszewski and seconded by Council Member Eidbo, to approve the off-sale liquor license for RPSM, LLC d/b/a Adair Liquor located at 6001 42nd Ave. N. Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried. 4.1(c) Crystal City Council meeting minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Page 3 of 4 6. Regular Agenda 6.1 The Council considered approval of disbursements over $25,000 submitted by the finance department to the City Council, a list that is on file in the office of the finance department. Moved by Council Member Onesirosan and seconded by Council Member Kiser to approve the list of disbursements over $25,000. Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried. 6.2 The Council considered resolutions approving the plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids for the Joint Water Commission (JWC) Golden Valley and Crystal pump house improvements. Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer Ben Perkey addressed the Council. Moved by Council Member Kamish and seconded by Council Member Onesirosan to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2023 – 116 APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE JOINT WATER COMMISSION GOLDEN VALLEY AND CRYSTAL PUMP HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried, resolution declared adopted. Moved by Council Member Kamish and seconded by Council Member Onesirosan to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2023 – 117 ORDERING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR THE JOINT WATER COMMISSION GOLDEN VALLEY AND CRYSTAL PUMP HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried, resolution declared adopted. 6.3 The Council considered a resolution approving the purchase of a Trackless MT7 machine and attachments. Interim Public Works Director/City Engineer Ben Perkey addressed the Council. Moved by Council Member Cummings and seconded by Council Member Kamish to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2023 – 118 APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A TRACKLESS MT7 MACHINE AND ATTACHMENTS Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried, resolution declared adopted. 4.1(c) Crystal City Council meeting minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Page 4 of 4 6.4 The Council considered a resolution approving the closure of the Crystal Cove Aquatic Center for the 2024 season. Recreation Director John Elholm addressed the Council. Moved by Council Member Budziszewski and seconded by Council Member Kiser to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2023 – 119 RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CLOSING THE CRYSTAL COVE AQUATIC CENTER FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2024 Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried, resolution declared adopted. 6.5 The Council considered a resolution approving a professional services agreement for improvements to Valley Place and North Lions parks. Recreation Director John Elholm addressed the Council. Moved by Council Member Kiser and seconded by Council Member Cummings to adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2023 – 120 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH WSB FOR PROJECTS IN VALLEY PLACE AND NORTH LIONS PARKS Voting aye: Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser, Onesirosan and Adams. Motion carried, resolution declared adopted. 7. Announcements The Council and staff made announcements about upcoming events. 8. Adjournment Moved by Council Member Budziszewki and seconded by Council Member Eidbo to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 7:41 p.m. ___________________________________ Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ Christina Serres, City Clerk 4.1(c) Crystal City Council and Inclusion and Diversity Commission joint work session minutes Dec. 19, 2023 Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter, the joint work session of the Crystal City Council and Inclusion and Diversity Commission was held at 7:46 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2023, in the upper Community Room at City Hall, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, MN, and via Zoom. Mayor Adams called the meeting to order. I.Attendance The city manager recorded the attendance for city council and commission members, and staff: Council members present: Adams, Budziszewski, Cummings, Eidbo, Kamish, Kiser and Onesirosan. Inclusion and Diversity commissioners present: Paul, Haltson, Sminesvik and Slupske. Inclusion and Diversity Commissioner Cameron was absent. City staff present: City Manager A. Bell, City Attorney T. Gilchrist, Police Chief S. Revering, Recreation Director J. Elholm and Community Development Director J. Sutter. II.Agenda The Council, commissioners and staff discussed the following agenda item: 1.Commission status update and 2024 Work Plan. III.Adjournment The joint work session adjourned at 8:37 p.m. Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: Adam R. Bell, City Manager 4.1(d) Page 1 of 1 City of Crystal Council Meeting Jan. 2, 2024 Applications for City License Edible Cannabinoid (THC) RPSM, LLC dba Adair Liquor, 6001 42nd Ave. N., Crystal, MN 55422 (pre-approved by City Manager Bell on 12/20/23) Rental (New) 3657 Brunswick Ave. N. – Samory Diakite (Conditional) 4516 Douglas Dr. N. – David Junior (Conditional) 5601 Twin Lake Ter. – HPA JV Borrower 2019-1 ATH LLC (Conditional) 5408 Unity Ave. N. – Abigail Kerongo (Conditional) 6119 32nd Ave. N. – Cole Stiegler (Conditional) Rental (Renewal) 5309 Angeline Ave. N. – Taye Degafi 3305 Brunswick Ave. N. – Donald Weld 4601 Brunswick Ave. N. – Jim and Yvonne Hegedus (Conditional) 4608 Brunswick Ave. N. – Chen Zhou (Conditional) 4652 Brunswick Ave. N. – Building Ventures 4817 Douglas Dr. N. – FYR SFR Borrower LLC 5146 Edgewood Ave. N. – Michael Joy (Conditional) 2912 Hampshire Ave. N. – FYR SFR Borrower LLC 4134 Hampshire Ave. N. – Invitation Homes (Conditional) 4041 Kentucky Ave. N. – Reid Kinde 5331 Kentucky Ave. N. – Brad Buechele (Conditional) 5641-5643 Perry Ave. N. – Mercy Barros (Conditional) 5607 Rhode Island Ave. N. – Anthony Otis ( 4507 Vera Cruz Ave. N. – Michael Hillenbrand (Conditional) 5510 Vera Cruz Ave. N. – Building Ventures 3317 Welcome Ave. N. – Daniel Gil 5755 West Broadway – 5755 West Broadway LLC 3425 Xenia Ave. N. – Tiki Properties LLC (Conditional) 6205 32nd Ave. N. – Suwah Tobah 8004 34th Pl. N. – Invitation Homes (Conditional) 7019 50th Ave. N. – Alfred Reger Trust 6922 58th Ave. N. – Chen Zhou Tobacco Himalaya, LLC dba 36th Avenue Smoke Shop, 5101 36th Ave. N., Crystal, MN 55422 (pre-approved by Adam Bell 12/20/2023) RPSM, LLC dba Adair Liquor, 6001 42nd Ave. N., Crystal, MN 55422 (pre-approved by City Manager Bell on date) Walgreens, 6800 56th Ave. N., Crystal, MN 55428 (pre-approved by Adam Bell 12/20/2023) Tree Trimmer A to Z Tree Care, 36928 153rd St., Pierz, MN 56364 F A Bartlett Tree Expert Company, 5558 Smetana Dr., Minnetonka, MN 55343 Premier Tree Service, 8588 260th Ave., Pierz, MN 55364 4.2 4.3 CITY OF CRYSTAL RESOLUTION NO. 2024 – __ RESOLUTION DESIGNATING DEPOSITORIES OF THE CITY OF CRYSTAL FOR 2024 WHEREAS, the City of Crystal’s Investment Policy calls for the designation of a bank as the City’s official depository; and WHEREAS, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. has filled that function and provided a full range of services for several years; and WHEREAS, Wells Fargo Securities, RBC Dain Rauscher, PMA Financial Network/Securities, Inc. 4M and Wells Fargo Advisory have provided investment brokerage services for several years; and WHEREAS, Safekeeping services will be provided by Wells Fargo Brokerage Services and US Bank. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council hereby designates Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. – Crystal Branch as the City’s official depository, Wells Fargo Securities, RBC Dain Rauscher, PMA Financial Network/Securities, Inc. 4M and Wells Fargo Advisory as investment brokers, and Wells Fargo Brokerage Services and US Bank for Safekeeping of investment securities for the year 2024. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Contracted Finance Director, with authorization from the City Manager, is authorized to monitor and provide recommendations on all banking and investment transactions necessary for the secure and efficient operation of the City. Adopted by the Crystal City Council this 2nd day of January 2024. Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: Christina Serres, City Clerk 4.4 4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1609 Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov SUMMARY OF DECEMBER 14, 2023 CLOSED CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION The Crystal City Council held a closed work session pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 13D.05, subdivision 3(a) on December 14, 2023, for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the City Manager. Pursuant to the same section of the Open Meeting Law, the City Council is required to summarize its conclusions regarding the evaluation at its next open meeting. The City Council discussed the City Manager’s performance and will consider renewal of the City Manager’s contract at its January 2, 2024, regular City Council meeting and will proceed with developing the City Manager’s 2024 work plan. 4.6 DATE: December 28, 2023 TO: Adam R. Bell, City Manager City of Crystal City Council FROM: Jean McGann, Contracted Finance Director RE: Expenditures over $25,000 Payee Amount Center for Energy & Environment Home improvement loan/grant program $46,939.96 Lynde & McLeod, Inc.Hennepin Recycling Group yard waste disposal in Nov. & Dec. $42,007.51 Met Council Environmental Svs Wastewater services for January $143,220.09 West Metro Fire Rescue District December contribution to West Metro Fire $123,281.10 GMH Asphalt Corporation Community Center parking lot project AFP #6 $133,125.51 Hennepin County Treasurer EDA acquisition of property at 6110 Lakeland Ave N $63,214.79 North Country Chevrolet New vehicle to replace 2014 Ford Focus $26,430.79 IRS - EFTPS Federal & FICA withholding taxes for 12/22/23 pay date $67,824.54 MN PERA Employee & city required contributions for 12/22/23 pay date $68,739.48 $714,783.77 Description 6.1 updated DATE: December 21, 2023 TO: Adam R. Bell, City Manager City of Crystal City Council FROM: Jean McGann, Contracted Finance Director RE: Expenditures over $25,000 Payee Amount Center for Energy & Environment Home improvement loan/grant program $46,939.96 Lynde & McLeod, Inc.Hennepin Recycling Group yard waste disposal in Nov. & Dec. $42,007.51 Met Council Environmental Svs Wastewater services for January $143,220.09 West Metro Fire Rescue District December contribution to West Metro Fire $123,281.10 $355,448.66 Description 6.1 CCCRRRYYYSSSTTTAAALLL PPPOOOLLLIIICCCEEE DDDEEEPPPAAARRRTTTMMMEEENNNTTT “Service with Compassion, Integrity, & Professionalism” TO: Mayor and Council Members FROM: Stephanie K. Revering, Chief of Police CC: Adam R. Bell, City Manager DATE: December 20, 2023 SUBJECT: Police Department Windows: January 2, 2024, Agenda ___________________________________________________________________________ MMEEMMOORRAANNDDUUMM BACKGROUND As you may recall, we discussed last year that a portion of the windows on the police department did not have the appropriate glazing on them to prevent shattering to occur. Wold Architect was able to obtain quotes for the window replacement which are attached to this memo. PROJECT COST Wold recommends using Northern Glass and Glazing from Bloomington, Minnesota, which they submitted the lowest bid in the amount of $56,000. Wold has worked with them on previous projects and they have a good reputation. Attachment Quote from bids along with resolution. RECOMMENDED ACTION Motion authorizing the resolution to use Northern Glass and Glazing for window replacement as this was budgeted in PERF for 2024. 6.3 November 15, 2023 City Council City of Crystal 4141 Douglas Drive North Crystal, Minnesota 55422 Re: City of Crystal Police Department Window Replacement Commission No. 212028R Dear Mayor and Council Members: On Friday, November 10, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Wold Architects and Engineers on behalf of the City of Crystal received quotes for the Window Replacement project at the Police Department. The quotes received are attached for your review. Northern Glass and Glazing from Bloomington, Minnesota submitted the low base bid in the amount of $56,000.00. We recommend awarding the contract to Northern Glass and Glazing as follows: Base bid $ 56,000.00 TOTAL CONTRACT $ 56,000.00 Sincerely, Wold Architects and Engineers Melissa Stein Associate Enclosures cc: Stephanie Revering, Crystal Chief of Police Adam Bell, Crystal City Manager Joel Dunning, Wold AM/N:/CI_Crystal/212028R/crsp/nov23 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 BID PROPOSAL TO: ATTN: PHONE: FAX#: Email: JOB NAME PLANS DATED ADDRESS CITY Crystal STATE MN DATE OF BID TIME DUE 2:00 ESTIMATE FROM ADDENDUM NOTED TAX INCLUDED Yes PERFORMANCE BOND No NOTE: Bids may be withdrawn if not accepted within 30 days. INCLUDED: STANDARD EXCLUDED: SPECIFIC EXCLUSIONS: ALTERNATES #'S SIGNATURE DATE ACCEPTED BY COMPANY POSITION POSITION 1521 93rd Lane NE, Blaine, MN 55449 Main: (763) 231-0339 - Fax: (763) 231-0377 08 42 29 08 44 13 Wold Architects Replacement SECTION #DESCRIPTION City of Crystal Police Glazing 08 51 13 08 80 00 Demo of existing window and curtainwall systems, replace with new framing and 2 1/8" overall BASEBID Aluminum windows insulated bullet resistant glazing. Finish sealants. Temporary heat; enclosing ventilation; electrical power including low voltage; Glazing $61,280.00 Demo unless specified otherwise, final cleaning of glass. Framed interior glass door and wall systems - Glazing film Aluminum storefront, entrances and curtainwalls 10/25/2023 4141 Douglas Dr N 11/10/2023 Chris Schloer DESCRIPTION ADD DEDUCT 6.3 RESOLUTION NO. 2024 - ___ RESOLUTION APPROVING POLICE DEPARTMENT WINDOW REPLACEMENT WHEREAS, the City Manager's office has received and recommends approval of said appropriations; and WHEREAS, the appropriation is included in the 2024 Police Equipment Fund Budget; and WHEREAS, the City Council hereby acknowledges: 1. Certain windows of the police department will be replaced. 2. The most suitable source of funding is the Police Equipment Revolving Fund. 3. Per the Police Equipment Revolving Fund's Policy, there will be sufficient accumulated earnings to cover the appropriation without use of fund principal. WHEREAS, the City has an independent quote from Northern Glass and Glazing from Bloomington, Minnesota in the amount of $56,000 for installation and product. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CRYSTAL hereby accepts the independent bid quote and appropriates monies from the Police Equipment Revolving Fund for the purchase and installation of the windows in the amount of $56,000. Adopted by the Crystal City Council this 2nd day of January, 2024. ____________________________________ Jim Adams, Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ Christina Serres, City Clerk 6.3 Memorandum DATE: December 21, 2023 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Adam R. Bell, City Manager SUBJECT: 2024 Employment Agreement BACKGROUND: The City Council hired De Young Consulting to coordinate and conduct the city manager's annual performance evaluation. The Council and I met with Karen DeYoung and discussed my performance evaluation at a closed executive session on December 14. Following the evaluation and discussion, the Council desires to extend my employment as City Manager for another year. Attached is the 2024 employment agreement with the agreed-upon compensation and terms as discussed during the closed session. RECOMMENDATION: I sincerely and humbly thank the Council and the city for the opportunity to continue serving the community as City Manager. I recommend approval of the 2024 employment agreement. ATTACHMENT: 2024 City Manager Employment Agreement 6.4 CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT THIS CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made and entered into by and between the City of Crystal, a Minnesota municipal corporation ("Employer"), and Adam R. Bell ("Employee"). RECITALS A. Employer desires to employ the services of Employee as City Manager of the City of Crystal. B. The City Council ("Council") desired to provide certain benefits, establish certain conditions of employment, and to set working conditions of Employee. C. It is the desire of the Council to: (1) secure and retain the services of Employee and to provide inducement for Employee to remain in such employment; (2) to make possible full work productivity to ensure Employee's morale and peace of mind with respect to future security; (3) to act as a deterrent against malfeasance or dishonesty for personal gain on the part of Employee; and (4) to provide a just means for terminating Employee's services at such time as Employee may be unable to fully discharge Employee's duties or when Employer may otherwise desire to terminate Employee's employment. D. Employee desires to accept employment as City Manager of the City in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. AGREEMENT In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement, Employer and Employee agree as follows: Section 1. Duties. Employer agrees to employ Employee as City Manager to perform the functions and duties specified in the City Charter, the City Code, and applicable laws, and to perfo1111 other legally permissible and proper duties and functions as the Council may from time-to-time assign to Employee. Employee will faithfully and diligently perform all of the duties, responsibilities, and powers so vested, delegated, or assigned, and shall obey all laws of the United States and of the State of Minnesota and all ordinances of the City. Section 2. Term. A. This Agreement is effective as of January 1, 2024 ("Effective Date") and shall end on December 31, 2024 ("Term"). For the convenience of Employer, Employee may hold over Employee's employment subsequent to the expiration of the Term until this Agreement is modified or superseded by a new employment agreement approved by Employee and Council. During any holdover period, any such holding over shall also be 6.4 subject to all other terms of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement prevents, limits, or otherwise interferes with the right of the Council to terminate the services of Employee at any time, subject only to the provisions set forth in Crystal Charter, Chapter 6 and Section 4, paragraphs A and B of this Agreement. B. Nothing in this Agreement prevents, limits, or otherwise interferes with the right of Employee to resign at any time, subject only to the provisions of Crystal Charter, Chapter 6 and Section 4, paragraph C of this Agreement. C. Employee agrees to remain in the exclusive employ of Employer and neither to accept other employment nor to become employed by any other employer during the term of his employment. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "employed" is not to be construed to include occasional teaching, writing, consulting, or military reserve service performed on Employee's time off but subject to the limitation in Section 9. Section 3. Suspension. Employer may suspend Employee with full pay and benefits only if: (1) A majority of Council and Employee agree; or 2) After a public hearing, a majority of Council votes to suspend Employee for just cause as defined with reference to legal and administrative decisions interpreting Minnesota Statutes, section 197.46, and Minnesota Statutes, chapter 179A; provided, however, that Employee shall have been given written notice setting forth any charges at least ten days prior to the hearing by the Council members bringing such charges; all in accordance with Section 6.01 of the City Charter. Section 4. Termination and Severance Pay. A. To the extent permitted by law, if Employee is terminated by the Council at a time Employee is willing and able to perform Employee's duties under this Agreement, then Employer agrees to pay Employee a lump sum cash payment equal to three (3) months of the current salary and, in addition, Employee shall receive the cash equivalent of Employee's accumulated vacation and sick leave pursuant to the City's Personnel Policy (collectively, "Severance Pay"). If Employee is convicted of a crime involving theft or fraud as defined in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 169, or is terminated for other conduct involving malfeasance or willful neglect of duties, Employer shall have no obligation to pay Severance Pay. The lump sum cash payment included in Severance Pay shall be paid in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 465.722. B. If Employer at any time during the term of this Agreement: (i) reduces the salary or other financial benefits of Employee in a greater percentage than an applicable across-the- board reduction for all employees of Employer; (ii) Employer refuses, following written notice to comply with any other provision of this Agreement benefiting Employee; or (iii) Employee resigns following a suggestion, whether formal or informal, by a majority of the Council that Employee resign, Employee may, at Employee's option, elect to be 6.4 "terminated" at the date of such reduction, such refusal to comply or suggestion of resignation within the meaning of this Section 4 and receive Severance Pay. C. Employee will give Employer thirty (30) days notice in advance of resignation unless the parties agree to waive this notice requirement. Section 5. Availability for Duties. Employer and Employee acknowledge that it is critical for Employee to be available to perform Employee's duties on behalf of Employer at Employer's principal place of business and other City job sites as necessary. Employer reserves the right to review any absence of Employee in excess of four successive work weeks in order to determine Employee's continued qualification for the position of City Manager. If Employer determines that Employee is unable to perform the essential functions of Employee's position and Employee is terminated by Employer for that reason, Employee shall receive Severance Pay. Section 6. Salary. Employer agrees to pay Employee for Employee's services rendered pursuant hereto an annual salary of $179,350.00 payable in installments at the same time as other employees of Employee are paid. Employee shall be eligible for the City's Merit Pay Plan for non-represented employees. Employer agrees to increase the salary and other benefits of Employee in such amounts and to such extent as the Council may determine that it is desirable to do so on the basis of an annual salary review of Employee. Such increase, if approved, shall be no less than salary or benefit increases provided to represented employees in the existing labor agreements. Section 7. Performance Evaluation. A. The Council will formally review and evaluate the performance of Employee at least once annually. The review and evaluation will be in accordance with specific criteria developed jointly by Employer and Employee. The criteria may be modified as the Council may from time to time determine in consultation with Employee. B, The Council and Employee will annually define in writing the goals and performance objectives they jointly determine necessary for the proper operation of the City and the attainment of the Council's policy objectives. The writing will also establish a relative priority among those various goals and objectives. The goals and objectives will generally be attainable within the time limitations as specified and the annual operating and capital budgets and appropriations provided. C. In carrying out the provisions of this Section, the Council and Employee mutually agree to abide by the provisions of applicable state and federal law. Section 8. Hours of Work. It is recognized that Employee is an exempt employee as defined by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") who must devote substantial time outside normal office hours to the business of Employer. Therefore, Employee will be allowed to reasonably adjust Employee's schedule during normal City office and business hours. 6.4 Section 9. Outside Activities. Employee will not spend more than ten hours per week in teaching, counseling or other non-Employer, non-military reserve connected business without prior approval of the Council. Section 10. Automobile. Employee's duties require the extensive use of an automobile. City will pay Employee the sum of $550 per month as an allowance for the expenses incurred by Employee in the use of Employee's personally owned or leased automobile. In addition, the City will compensate Employee for mileage driven outside the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area at the same rate and in accordance with the same rules applicable to other City employees. Section 11. Vacation, Sick and Military Leave. A. Employee will accrue and have credited to Employee's personal account, vacation, and sick leave at the same rate and under the same conditions as other general employees of Employer. For purposes of computing the above, Employee will be deemed to start employment with the City with 13 years of service for the purposes of determining the accrual of vacation and sick leave. Effective upon the first day of employment, Employee shall be credited with forty (40) hours of accrued vacation leave. B. Employee shall be entitled to military reserve leave time pursuant to federal and state law and City policy. Section 12. Dental, Health and Life Insurance. Employer agrees to provide and to make required premium payments for Employee and dependents for the following insurance coverage: A. Life Insurance. Employee shall be covered at Employer's expense by a term life insurance policy in the amount approved by Employer for other City employees. B. Hospitalization Insurance. Employee may select from one of the plans available to other City employees. C. Dental Insurance. Employee may select from one of the plans available to other City employees. D. Use of Paid Leave. Employee may use accumulated sick leave, vacation, and compensatory time for leave for Employee, and for any member of Employee's household regardless of marital status, for any of the events and circumstances stated in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and the Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR Part 825, as they each may be amended. Such leave shall be administered pursuant to the applicable language of Section 8.18 of the City's Personnel Policy. Section 13. Dues and Subscriptions. Employer agrees to budget and to pay for the professional dues and subscriptions of Employee necessary for Employee's continuation and full participation in national, regional, state, and local associations and organizations necessary and desirable for Employee's continued professional participation, growth, and advancement, and for the good of Employer. 6.4 Section 14. Professional Development. A. Employer agrees to budget for and to advance or reimburse Employee for Employee's travel-related expenses, including airfare, meals, lodging, and transportation expenses for professional and official travel, meetings and occasions adequate to continue the professional development of Employee and to adequately pursue necessary official and other functions for Employer including, but not limited to, the Annual Conference of the International City Management Association, the Minnesota City Management Association, the Minnesota League of Cities, and such other national, regional, state, and local governmental groups and committees thereof which Employee serves as a member. B. Employer agrees to budget and to pay for the travel expenses as described above of Employee for short courses, institutes, and seminars that are necessary for Employee's professional development and for the good of Employer. The City Finance Director is authorized to advance or reimburse Employee for travel expenses upon receipt of duly executed expense or petty cash vouchers, receipts, statements, or personal affidavits in accordance with standard City procedures. Section 15. General Expenses. Employer recognizes that certain expenses of a non-personal and generally job-related nature are incurred by Employee and agrees to reimburse or to pay those general expenses. The City Finance Director is authorized to advance or reimburse Employee for such general expenses upon receipt of duly executed expense or petty cash vouchers, receipts, statements, or personal affidavits in accordance with standard City procedures. Section 16. Civic Club Membership. Employer recognizes the desirability of representation in and before local civic and other organizations. Employee is authorized to become a member of such civic clubs or organizations, for which Employer shall pay all reasonable and necessary expenses. Employee shall report to Employer on each membership that is taken out at Employer's expense. The City Finance Director is authorized to advance or reimburse Employee for such membership expenses upon receipt of duly executed expense or petty cash vouchers, receipts, statements, or personal affidavits in accordance with standard City procedures. Section 17. Indemnification. Employer will defend, hold harmless, and indemnify Employee against any tort, professional liability claim or demand, or other legal action arising out of an alleged act or omission occurring in the performance of Employee's duties as City Manager. Employer will compromise and settle any claim or suit and pay the amount of any settlement, judgment, or reasonable attorney’s fees rendered thereon consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 466.07. Employer shall pay any costs and reasonable attorney's fees incurred by Employee to defend charges of a criminal nature brought against Employee that arose out of the reasonable and lawful performance of duties for the City as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 465.76. Employer's obligation under this Section is limited to the scope of its duty under the referenced statutes. 6.4 Section 18. Bonding. Employer will bear the full cost of any fidelity or other bonds required of Employee under any law or ordinance. Section 19. Other Terms and Conditions of Employment. A. The Council, in consultation with Employee, may fix such other terms and conditions of employment as it may determine from time to time relating to the performance of Employee, provided those terms and conditions are not inconsistent with or in conflict with the provisions of this Agreement, the City Charter, the City Code, or any other law. B. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all provisions of the City Charter and City Code, and regulations and rules of Employer relating to vacation and sick leave, retirement and pension system contributions, holidays, and other fringe benefits and working conditions as they now exist or hereafter may be amended, apply to Employee as they would to other employees of Employer. Section 20. No Reduction of Benefits. Subject to the requirements of Sections 3-5, Employer will not at any time during the term of this Agreement reduce the salary, compensation, or other financial benefits of Employee, except to the degree of such a reduction across-the-board for all employees of Employer or as otherwise agreed by Employer and Employee. Section 21. Notices. Notices pursuant to the Agreement are given by deposit in the custody of the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows: (1) EMPLOYER: (2) EMPLOYEE: City of Crystal, Mayor 4141 Douglas Drive North Crystal MN 55422 Adam R. Bell Alternatively, notices required pursuant to this Agreement may be personally served in the same manner as is applicable to process in a civil action. Notice shall be deemed given as of the date of personal service or as of the date of deposit of such written notice in the United States mail. Section 22. General Provisions. A. This Agreement, including the recitals which are incorporated herein, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties. B. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs at law and executors of Employee. C. This Agreement may be amended in writing at any time by mutual consent of Employer and Employee. 6.4 D. All references to Minnesota statutes or other laws in this Agreement shall be to the most current version of the same and include any amendments made thereto. E. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts. F. This Agreement shall be interpreted pursuant to Minnesota law. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have approved and entered into this Agreement as of the Effective Date identified above. CITY OF CRYSTAL, MINNESOTA EMPLOYER _________________________________ Jim Adams, Mayor _________________________________ Christina Serres, City Clerk _________________________________ Adam R. Bell, EMPLOYEE 6.4 AGENDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF CRYSTAL • ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING • TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2024 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 7:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL MEETING CRYSTAL CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. Call to order * 2. Roll call * 3. Election of officers for 2024 4. Approval of minutes from December 5, 2023 regular meeting 5. Property status update * 6. Other business * 7. Adjournment * *Items for which no materials are included in the packet Page 1 of 2 __________________________________________________________________________ FROM: John Sutter, Community Development Director DATE: December 20, 2023 TO: Adam R. Bell, Executive Director (for January 2 EDA meeting) SUBJECT: Election of EDA Officers for 2024 On January 2, 2024 the EDA will hold its annual organizational meeting at which the members will nominate and elect officers for 2024. The Mayor’s recommended slate of officers for 2024 is not yet available but will be provided prior to the meeting. Please see the following page for a table showing the EDA officers for the preceding ten years. Any EDA member may nominate a slate of EDA officers, whether the Mayor’s recommended slate or a different slate. If the motion receives a second, then the slate can be approved by majority vote. EDA ACTION REQUESTED Motion approving a slate of officers for 2024. EDA STAFF REPORT Election of Officers for 2024 Page 2 of 2 EDA Officers for 2024 President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Mayor’s recommended slate of officers Slate of officers nominated by ______________ Slate of officers nominated by ______________ Previous ten years: Year President Vice President Secretary Treasurer 2023 Kiser Cummings Eidbo Kamish 2022 Banks Kiser LaRoche Parsons 2021 Parsons Banks Kiser LaRoche 2020 LaRoche Parsons Deshler Banks 2019 LaRoche Parsons Deshler Banks 2018 Parsons LaRoche Dahl Kolb 2017 Kolb Dahl Parsons LaRoche 2016 Peak Parsons Dahl Kolb 2015 Peak Parsons Dahl Kolb 2014 Deshler Hoffmann Libby Peak Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the Economic Development Authority of the City of Crystal Regular Meeting Council Chambers December 5, 2023 1. Call to Order President Kiser called the meeting of the Economic Development Authority of the City of Crystal (EDA) to order at 6:31 p.m. 2. Roll Call Upon call of the roll, the following Commissioners were present: Jim Adams, David Cummings, Forest Eidbo, Traci Kamish, Therese Kiser and Taji Onesirosan. Commissioner John Budziszewski arrived at 6:34 p.m. The following staff were present: Executive Director Adam Bell, Deputy Executive Director John Sutter and City Attorney Troy Gilchrist. 3. Approval of Minutes Moved by Commissioner Adams (Kamish) to approve the minutes from the November 7, 2023 regular meeting. Motion carried. 4. Consider a resolution adopting a 2024 budget and property tax levy and requesting their approval by the City Council Staff presented information about the proposed 2024 EDA budget and HRA tax levy, answered questions from the board and requested board approval. Moved by Commissioner Eidbo (Adams) to adopt the resolution approving a 2024 budget and property tax levy and requesting their approval by the City Council. Motion carried. 5. Consider approval of a contract with Center for Energy and Environment for administration of the Home Improvement Grant Program from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 Staff presented information about the proposed grant administration contract and requested board approval. Page 2 of 3 Moved by Commissioner Kamish (Cummings) to approve a contract with Center for Energy and Environment for administration of the Home Improvement Grant Program from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025. Motion carried. 6. Consider a resolution approving a 2023 Business District Initiative Agreement with Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority to continue the Crystal Storefront Enhancement Program Staff presented information about the proposed grant agreement, answered questions from the board and requested board approval. Moved by Commissioner Budziszewski (Eidbo) to adopt the resolution approving a 2023 Business District Initiative Agreement with Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority to continue the Crystal Storefront Enhancement Program. Motion carried. 7. Consider a resolution requesting conveyance of tax-forfeited land at 6110 Lakeland Ave. N. Staff presented information about the proposed acquisition, answered questions from the board and requested board approval. Moved by Commissioner Budziszewski (Kamish) to adopt the resolution requesting conveyance of tax-forfeited land at 6110 Lakeland Ave. N. Motion carried. 8. Property Status Update Staff provided updates on the following properties: 6827 56th Ave. N. (Bass Lake Road) - vacant Dairy Queen 3600 Douglas Dr. N. - Wine Thief & Ale Jail 3401-3415 Douglas Dr. N. (townhome development site) 9. Other Business Staff answered a question about the anticipated timeline for demolition and lot sale of 6110 Lakeland Ave. N. 10. Adjournment Moved by Commissioner Budziszewski (Cummings) to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. Page 3 of 3 These minutes of the December 5, 2023 meeting of the Crystal Economic Development Authority were approved by the Authority on ________________ ____, 20___. ______________________________ ___________________, President ATTEST: ______________________________ ___________________, Secretary Please hand this form to the Cite To provide ample opportunit) to three minutes and topic dis (Information provided on t (please p The topic 1 wish to address is: a cjlx�� Name: C V (2�- Se r' Address: a i'��% V ctyt j)A w 6 , ZipCode:_ Dal :lerk before the meeting begins.' or all, speaking time is limited fission is limited to 10 minutes. s form is open to the public) it clearly) 11 r t t a.k gg C� c n �LtoS� vay cuv++c �.vNc+w +uy. Email (optional): Thank you for your attendance and participation. Please hand this form to the City Clerk before the meeting begins. To provide ample opportunity for all, speaking time is limited to three minutes and topic discussion is limited to 10 minutes. (information provided on this form is open to the public) (please print clearly) The topic I wish to address is:.t Blame: C',(' Address:ti' l� �C)Yhu l l t irc Zip Code: 5q c Date e a cJ Day Phone (optional): 3 "` 3 J? S 7 Email(optional): Ct t1- c ` 14' + e Thank you for your attendance and participation.