Sustainability Commission — Agenda Packet

AGENDA SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION Members • Alderperson Lang • Alderperson Birr • Heather Phelps • Gregory Knight • Robert Michitsch • Erin Redman (Alt. 1) Date and Time: October 8, 2026 5:30 PM Location: Community Room 933 Michigan Avenue, Stevens Point, WI Opening Section: 1. Roll Call. 2. Persons who wish to address the Sustainability Commission on specific agenda items must register their request at this time. 3. Persons who wish to address the Sustainability Commission on specific non-agenda items must register their request at this time. Discussion and Possible Action on: 4. To approve the Minutes of the September 3, 2026, Sustainability Commission Meeting. 5. Update from Heather Phelps and Allison Birr on the responses from the Sustainability Commission's Public Engagement Survey. 6. Discussion regarding members' terms expiring and the process for filling commission vacancies and selecting a new Commission Chairperson. 7. Discussion and update on the 2026 Sustainability Commission Calendar. a. Recommendations for a presentation to the Mayor and Common Council Members at the November 16, 2026, Meeting. Closing Section: 8. The next meeting is scheduled for November 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at 933 Michigan Avenue, Stevens Point, WI. 9. Adjournment. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that any person who has special needs while attending these meetings or needs agenda materials for these meetings should contact the City Clerk as soon as possible to ensure that a reasonable accommodation can be made. The City Clerk can be reached by telephone at (715) 346-1569 or by mail at 1515 Strongs Avenue, Stevens Point, WI 54481. Copies of ordinances, resolutions, reports and minutes of the committee meetings are on file at the office of the City Clerk for inspection during normal business hours from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00p.m. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a quorum of the Common Council may be in attendance at this meeting. Page 1 of 13 CITY OF STEVENS POINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MINUTES September 3, 2026 - 5:30 PM Community Room 933 Michigan Avenue, Stevens Point, WI Opening Section: 1. Roll Call. PRESENT Robert Michitsch, Sam Lang – District 9, Greg Knight, Allison Birr - District 5, and Erin Redman. Heather Phelps was absent. OTHERS PRESENT Speakers: There were no invited speakers. Members of the Public: Bill Fisher, resident. 2. Persons who wish to address the Sustainability Commission on specific agenda items must register their request at this time. There were no people who wished to address the Commission on specific agenda items. 3. Persons who wish to address the Sustainability Commission on specific non-agenda items must register their request at this time. There were no people who wished to address the Commission on non-agenda items. Discussion and Possible Action on: 4. To approve the Minutes of August 6, 2026, Sustainability Commission meeting. Erin Redman moved, Alderperson Lang seconded, to approve the meeting Minutes of August 6, 2026. Call for the Vote: Ayes: Greg Knight, Alderperson Birr, Alderperson Lang, Erin Redman. Abstain: Robert Michitsch (was not at the August meeting) Nays: None; Motion Carried Page 2 of 13 5. Alderperson Birr update on the Sustainability Commission public engagement survey questions available August 11, 2026. The Commission discussed the Sustainability Commission public engagement survey, which became available on August 11, 2026. Members noted that the survey had been distributed through city communication channels, including text notification and the city website. The survey was expected to remain open until approximately September 23. At the time of this meeting, 290 responses were received, with a goal of reaching 500 responses. Members discussed additional survey outreach, including sharing the survey through personal social media and asking Recycling Connections to help distribute the survey link. Survey results are expected to be compiled for inclusion in the October agenda packet, with materials anticipated around September 25. 6. Report on meeting with Portage County Executive Eric Olson. Greg Knight reported on a meeting with Portage County Executive Eric Olson regarding county sustainability and resilience efforts and possible collaboration with the city. The County is creating an Energy Management and Sustainability Specialist position, initially supported by Focus on Energy grant funding, with interest in keeping the position long term. The discussion included county priorities related to solar panels, battery storage, energy inventories for county buildings, vehicle fleet review, hybrid or electric vehicle options, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and increasing community resilience to mitigate climate change impacts. Commission members noted alignment between county priorities and city sustainability and resilience recommendations previously discussed by the Commission. The Commission discussed opportunities for collaboration among the city, County, University, and other institutions. Potential areas included microgrids, solar power development, power and climate resilience planning, shared learning among staff, and future Earth Day participation in 2027. The Commission discussed the email distribution-list access for Commission members and the need to confirm city email account access for commission members who had not received Commission communications. 7. Commission discussion on the Sustainability Commission report and recommendations presentation to the Mayor and City Council meeting November 16, 2026. The Commission discussed its planned report and recommendations presentation to the Mayor and Common Council scheduled for November 16, 2026. The Commission expects to have approximately 20 minutes on the agenda for a presentation and time for questions and discussion. Members discussed preparing both a briefing paper for inclusion in the Council packet and a 20- minute presentation highlighting key points. Proposed topics included the Commission’s mission and objectives, accomplishments and lessons from the first two years, best practices and possible green purchasing policies, survey results, the need for a city sustainability coordinator role, and a future vision for sustainability planning. Members emphasized that the presentation should highlight purpose of the commission, existing work by city departments, summarize resident survey priorities, and identify potential low-cost or readily achievable sustainability actions. The Commission also discussed the importance of Page 3 of 13 community buy-in and using prior sustainability planning work as a foundation for an updated action plan. Commission Chair Greg Knight will prepare draft briefing paper and 20-minute presentation to send out to commission members for review and edits. Commission will discuss and edit presentation and briefing documents at the October 8 sustainability commission meeting. 8. Discussion of Sustainability Commission 2026 meeting Calendar updates. The Commission reviewed upcoming meeting dates and agenda topics. The October meeting will focus on survey results and continued discussion of the commission report and recommendations for presentation to the Mayor and Common Council. The November 5 sustainability commission meeting remains on the schedule. The Common Council meeting presentation is scheduled for November 16, 2026. Members discussed moving the October 1 meeting to October 8 at 5:30 p.m. because multiple members would be unavailable on October 1. Greg Knight will check with city staff regarding meeting-room availability (meeting was later confirmed for October 8 @ 5:30 pm in the community room). The Commission discussed keeping the December 3 meeting on the calendar as a possible debrief following the Common Council presentation and discussion of the 3 commission member terms that will expire in December and the plan for filling vacancies on the commission. Members noted that the December meeting could be canceled if not needed. Closing Section: 1. The next meeting that is scheduled for October TBD, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at 933 Michigan Avenue, Stevens Point, WI. Discussion on the commission report presentation and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council members. Discussion on the community survey tools and results if available. 2. Adjournment. Robert Michitsch moved, Erin Redman Seconded, to adjourn the Sustainability Commission Meeting at 6:15 p.m. Call for the Vote: Ayes: All Nays: None; Motion Carried Page 4 of 13 R esponses Ov er view Closed 1. Which envir onmental issues ar e y ou most concer ned about for central WI? 2. Climat e Experience R esponses 445 A v erage Time 23:14 Duration 42 Climat e change 182 W at er quality 270 Air quality 111 Biodiv er sity loss 117 W ast e management (landfills, r ecy cling, composting) 98 Micr oplastics 45 PF AS 77 Data cent er s 290 Other 28 Heavier rainfalls 156 Longer periods without rain 251 Higher t emperatur es 295 W ar mer riv er/lak e t emperatur es 97 Wildfir es (and smok e) 336 Longer mosquit o/tick season 145 Longer aller gy/pollen season 134 Change in general w eather p att er ns 234 Incr ease in sev er e w eather 250 Days Page 5 of 13 3. Which envir onmental risks should S t ev ens P oint be most concer ned about pr ep aring for? 4. How much do y ou agr ee with the following stat ement: "It is impor tant for the City o f S t ev ens P oint t o tak e action t o r educe gr eenhouse gas emissions." 5. How much do y ou agr ee with the following stat ement: "It is impor tant for the City o f S t ev ens P oint t o inv est in pr ep aration for extr eme w eather ev ents." Heavier rainfalls/flooding 216 Dr oughts 167 W ar mer t emperatur es 176 Wildfir es 92 Air quality 181 Imp acts on wildlife/ecosyst ems 216 Incr eased migration due t o climat e disast er s or risks 78 S tr ongly Agr ee 259 Agr ee 96 Indiffer ent 29 Disagr ee 23 S tr ongly Disagr ee 37 S tr ongly Agr ee 271 Agr ee 106 Indiffer ent 30 Disagr ee 19 S tr ongly Disagr ee 17 Page 6 of 13 6. The following questions pr ovide examples o f possible actions the City could tak e t o impr ov e sustainability & r edu ce gr eenhouse gas emissions- ranging fr om City operations t o community wide. In each cat egor y , please choose t he t op 3 actions y ou w ould lik e t o see pur sued.  7. Buildings- I w ould suppor t: Incr easing the amount o f City operations pow er ed by r enewable … 229 S wit ching fossil fuel pow er ed City operations t o electric r eplacements 95 Oppor tunities for community/shar ed solar pr ograms 175 City incentiv es t o r esidents & business t o install solar pow er 206 WPS in establishing a go al for 100% r enewable electricity for all … 157 City incentiv es for r enewable ener gy job cr eation 54 R equiring ener gy-int ensiv e dev elopments (e.g. data cent er s) b … 154 Other 75 R equiring new City building t o meet high ener gy efficiency standar ds 286 R equiring new City buildings t o include r enewable ener gy sour ces 255 R equiring businesses ov er a cer tain size t o r epor t their ener gy use t o … 194 City incentiv es for r ental pr oper ties t o meet ener gy efficiency standar ds 186 R equiring disclosur e o f the ener gy usage o f a house/r ental unit t o a … 124 Other 47 Page 7 of 13 8. T ranspor tation- I w ould suppor t: 9. Local Food, Gr eensp ace, and W at er - I w ould suppor t: T ransitioning the City ' s fleet t o hybrids or electric v ehicles 169 Incr easing City bus fr equency 69 Adding new r out es t o the City bus 136 Incr easing City bus hour s o f operation 110 Incr easing the number o f electric car char ging stations in the … 76 Adding mor e bik e lanes t o City str eets 88 Encouraging new dev elopment t o be walkable 223 Making curr ent r esidential ar eas denser t o incr ease walkability 82 Designing str eets and traffic contr ols t o r educe v ehicle emissions 118 Other 50 T ransitioning mor e public ar eas t o nativ e prairie grasses/wildflow er s t … 245 City incentiv es for r esidents & businesses t o r eplace lawns with … 234 Using v acant or public land for community gar dens 200 Exp anding the Gr een Cir cle T rail 97 Limiting how much o f a pr oper ty ' s sur face can be p av ed (t o r educe … 74 Limiting chemical pesticide and fer tilizer use on City land 197 City incentiv es t o sav e wat er such as rain b arr els, low-flow fixtur es, wat e … 132 Other 29 Page 8 of 13 10. W ast e- I w ould suppor t: 11. What other ideas do y ou hav e for the City t o incr ease ov erall sustainability ? 200 R esponses Lat est R esponses . . . Incr easing compost collection in the community 239 Incr easing the amount o f r ecy cling bins in public ar eas 147 Adjusting fees t o r esidents b ased on v olume o f trash pick ed up ( P ay … 100 Encouraging the r ecy cling o f construction mat erials 168 Dev eloping pr ograms t o k eep usable it ems out o f the landfill 233 Phasing out single use plastic b ags at st or es thr oughout the community 213 Other 30 57 r espondents ( 29 %) answ er ed City for this question. Updat e C i t y u s e c o m m u n i t y p e o p l e w a t e r D a t a C e n t e r s s u s t a i n a b i l i t y d a t a c e n t e r s v e h i c l e s S t e v e n s P o i n t r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y p a r k i n g l o t s C i t y l i m i t s c e n t e r s s o t h e c i t y c i t y s t r e e t c i t y b u i l d i n g s c i t y t r e ec i t y p a r k s r e s i d e n t s o r c i t y c i t y p r o j e c t s Page 9 of 13 12. How w ould y ou lik e t o be inv olv ed in the City ' s sustainability effor ts?  13. Demographics- Wher e do y ou liv e? 14. Demographics- Do y ou r ent or own? I'm int er est ed in being consider ed for the Sustainability Commission 54 Community forums 125 Follow updat es via email or w ebsit e 177 Sur v eys 235 Find mor e infor mation at community ev ents alr eady taking … 138 Nothing at this time 95 City o f S t ev ens P oint 311 Elsewher e in P or tage County 103 Outside o f P or tage County 29 R ent 96 Liv e in the UWSP dor ms 5 Own a home 326 Other 14 Page 10 of 13 15. Demographics- What age brack et ar e y ou in? 16. Demographics- What do y ou identif y as? Under 18 2 18-25 42 26-35 90 36-45 103 46-60 92 61-80 102 Ov er 80 2 Pr efer not t o say 9 Female 243 Male 145 Non-binar y 9 Pr efer not t o say 36 Other 7 Page 11 of 13 Meeting Calendar Sustainability Commission 2025_2026 Meeting Calendar and Presentations October 8, 2026 Sustainability Commission Date Presentation Description January 21, 2025 Organization & Elections Mayor Wiza Sustainability Commission organizational meeting. March 6, 2025 Public Works Scott Beduhn, Director: Streets, Fleet, Facilities, Resident garbage, compost, recycling. April 3 Community Development -Planning & Zoning Adam Kuhn, Associate Planner/Zoning: Wis Local Gov Climate Coalition, GHG Inventory. May 1 Public Utilities and Central Transportation Joel Lemke, Director. June 5 Parks, Recreation & Forestry Dan Kremer, Director July 10 Field trip Public Works. Scott Beduhn Chris Johnson Garbage & recycling, Garage facilities planning & Sustainability. 5:30pm at 100 6th Avenue. August 19 Field trip Public Utilities. Joel Lemke Waste Water Treatment plant; Bio-gas, heat pumps, solar, E-gauge operations. September 4 Community Development Adam Kuhn, Associate Planner/Zoning Zoning code revision update. Green House Gas inventory status update. October 2 Fire and Police Moody and Kussow Fire, EMS, Police departments sustainable projects and plans. November 6 UWSP office of Sustainability Dave Barbier & Michelle Gullickson, Climate action planning and opportunities for collaboration. December 4 Focus on Energy program Sylvia Lopez, N Cent/N East Energy Advisor 2026 January 8 No meeting February 5 City of Middleton Middleton Sustainability Committee Zoom meeting, planning process and projects March 5 Recycling Connections Susan Schuller Executive Director and Rylee Mullikin. Downtown recycling program. April 2 Meeting Cancelled Ice storm May 7 Commission work session Report outline, timeline for report, internal & public review, Work assignments. Sustainability road map & plan development Katie Livernash, UW-Extension Caity Carmody, DOA office of sustainability June 4 Portage County Landfill Organic waste recycling Kelly Haffele, Director Portage County Solid Waste. Kelly Adlington, Bucket Ruckus Page 12 of 13 Meeting Calendar Sustainability Commission July 2 No meeting August 6 GHG inventory preliminary results, use in planning. Public Survey tool. Adam Kuhn, Associate Planner/Zoning Administrator. Clear path tool GHG. Heather Phelps, public engagement. September 3 Commission report recommendations. Public engagement, survey tool. Heather Phelps, Alder Birr, Greg Knight October 8 Public engagement survey results. November 16 presentation & recommendations to City Council. Discussion of public survey report. Develop November 16 presentation and city council briefing paper. November 5 Finalize Report to Common Council & Mayor. Sustainability Commission members. November 16 Common Council meeting Sustainability Commission report and recommendations presentation to Mayor and Council members. December 3 2027 Potential Presentation and/or Topics for future Meetings 1. City facilities/buildings master planning for LEED. 2. Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) site visit. ❖ Portage County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan (safe streets, etc.) • Planning meeting(s) to develop Sustainability Commission report, recommendations, road map, timelines, etc. o Caity Carmody, DOA Office of Sustainability & Clean Energy, sustainability, resilience, climate action planning. o Katie Livernash, Community Development UW-Extension Portage County, Community engagement tools. o Austin Holland, UWSP Center for Land Use Education, community sustainability and regional cooperation for sustainability, resilience, climate action planning. o Dave Barbier & Michelle Gullickson UWSP office of sustainability. Page 13 of 13