►
Description
Minneapolis Health, Environment & Community Engagement Committee Meeting
A
Environment
and
community
engagement
committee-
I,
don't
remember
Ken
Gordon
and
chair
of
the
committee
and
today
I'm
joined
by
also
members,
Andrew,
Johnson,
Jacob,
Frye,
Elizabeth,
glidden
and
Lisa
bender
or
a
quorum
of
the
committee,
and
we
can
do
our
business
this
morning.
This
is
a
kind
of
a
rescheduled
meeting
we
usually
meet
in
the
afternoon,
but
this
is
a
reschedule
because
about
holiday.
During
this
cycle
we
have
two
public
hearings
today
and
11
total
items
on
our
agenda
to
discussion
items.
A
The
remainder
items
are
down
on
the
consent,
agenda
and
I'd
like
to
read
through
the
consent
agenda
and
see
if
anybody
wants
to
discuss
anything
with
pull
it
off
and
take
care
of
those
items.
First,
first
consent
item
is
confirming
a
maril
appointment
of
Harvey
Hoffman
to
the
Minneapolis
Advisory
Committee
and
people
with
disabilities.
A
The
next
consent
item
is
approving
a
hawthorn
neighborhood
community
priority
plan
for
community
health
dialogues.
The
sixth
item:
our
next
consent
item
is
authorizing
a
data
use
agreement
with
the
Minnesota
Hospital
Association
for
a
period
not
to
exceed
ten
years
and
for
an
annual
not
to
exceed
amount
of
$5,000.
A
Seventh
item
is
authorizing
an
amendment
to
the
contract
with
electronic
health
record
systems
written
and
its
next-gen
healthcare
for
school-based
clinic
work.
The
eighth
item
is
authorizing
a
contract.
That's
stair-step
foundation
for
national
diabetes
prevention
classes,
that's
increasing
the
contract
by
2343
dollars
and
the
last
consent
item.
Ninth
in
our
agenda
is
authorizing
an
amendment
or
the
contract
with
wetland,
habitat
restoration,
increasing
their
contract
by
thirty
one
thousand
six
hundred
dollars
for
a
revised
total
not
to
see
sixty
five
thousand
dollars
for
community
engagement
and
a
demonstration
pilot
of
the
Northside
Greenway.
A
Does
anyone
wish
to
pull
anything
off
the
consent
agenda
for
questions
or
discussion,
seeing
them
and
I'll
move
all
those
items
for
approval
all
those
in
favor,
please
say:
aye,
aye
opposed,
say,
nay,
any
abstentions,
those
motions
carry
then
we're
going
to
move
to
our
public
hearings.
We
have
two
public
hearings
today.
A
One
is
on
our
marijuana,
decriminalization
ordinance
in
the
second
one.
My
intention
is
just
to
continue
that
public
hearing,
because
we're
not
fully
prepared
with
the
ordinances,
but
if
anybody's
here
to
speak
on
it,
I'll
opening
to
give
them
an
opportunity
to
speak,
and
that
has
to
do
with
our
annual
pollution
control,
building
free
ordinance.
But
first,
let's
pick
up
our
marijuana
decriminalization
ordinance,
and
this
is
an
ordinance
on
authored
by
Jacob
Frye
and
he's
going
to
open
it
up
with
a
brief
introduction
in
report
boy,
open
public
hearing,
don't
remember
fry
it
I
Thank,.
B
You
mr.
chair
I'm,
going
to
this
report
is
going
to
be
fairly
objective
and
I'm
going
to
reserve
my
more
subjective,
arguing
point
suffer
for
later
and
probably
following
the
public
hearing.
If
that
works.
For
you,
the
background
analysis
is
that
presently
under
minnesota
state
law,
possession
of
a
small
amount
of
marijuana
is
charged
as
a
petty
misdemeanor,
which
is
not
a
crime.
B
The
city
of
minneapolis,
however,
charges
or
is
able
to
charge
possession
of
small
amounts
of
marijuana
as
a
misdemeanor,
which
is
a
creme,
so
the
ordinance
change
simply
put
will
eliminate
the
current
discrepancy
with
result
that
the
penalty
for
possession
of
a
small
of
marijuana
will
only
be
a
petty
misdemeanor
treatment
provided,
as
provided
in
state
statute.
So
this
basically
brings
us
into
we
use
the
st.
into
using
the
same
framework
as
is
presently
used
by
the
state.
B
The
vast
majority
of
instances
in
Minneapolis
are
presently
charged
under
the
state
statute
and
not
the
city
ordinance.
However,
the
discretion
to
charged
under
the
city
ordinance,
which
of
course
is
a
misdemeanor,
still
exists
and
that
discretion
enables,
quite
frankly
people's
lives
to
get
ruined
so
before
I
branch
into
the
more
argumentative
points.
Mr.
chair
fugal
can
open
the
public
hearing,
but
those
are
the
basics
and
I'm
happy
to
answer
any
questions.
Thank.
A
Councilmember
econo
so
I'm
going
to
open
the
public
hearing
then
and
I'm
a
marijuana,
decriminalization
ordinance,
I,
don't
know
that
anybody
has
signed
up.
But
if
you're
here
and
you'd
like
to
speak
on
that
this
is
your
opportunity
baby,
seeing
no
one's
stepping
forward.
Then
I'm
going
to
close
the
public
hearing
on
this
and
then
ask
my
colleagues
if
there's
any
further
discussion,
councilmember
fry.
B
Thank
You
mr.
chair
I
will
happily
move
this
amendment
to
our
existing
code.
I
think
this
is
an
extremely
important
issue
and
while
this
first
step
does
not
have
great
impact
in
and
of
itself,
it
is
the
first
step
towards
a
wider
decriminalization
conversation
which,
which
most
definitely
needs
to
take
place
for
many
reasons.
First,
there's
much
much
data
showing
that
dangers
of
marijuana
smoke
itself
are
limited,
especially
when
considered
and
relative
to
other
substances
that
are
presently
legal
like
alcohol.
B
Second,
although
marijuana
use
itself
is
not
incredibly
dangerous,
it
is
quite
detrimental
to
people's
lives
if
they're
ever
caught
smoking
it,
especially
if
you're,
a
black
man
the
rates
at
which
our
black
and
white
populations
use
marijuana
are
nearly
the
same,
nearly
identical.
However,
the
rate
at
which
black
men
are
arrested
is
several
times
as
much
as
eight
times
that
of
the
white
population.
So,
but
apart
from
the
discrepancy,
this
is
a
substance
that
will
you
know
if
it
goes
on.
Your
criminal
record
can
literally
ruin
your
life.
B
B
A
Thank
you
very
much
any
other
comments.
Many
members,
okay,
seeing
that
I
think
we're
ready
to
take
a
vote
on
this
done
all
those
in
favor,
please
say
aye
any
opposed.
That
motion
carries
then
we'll
move
on
to
our
next
item,
which
is
a
ordinance
that
would
restructure
the
annual
pollution
control
billing
fee
ordinance,
and
maybe
we
could
just
get
a
very
brief
five
min
a
progress
report
on
where
we
are
with
this
or
30
seconds.
Let
us
know
you're
going
to
make
it
more
extensive
report.
C
Patrick
Hamlin
I'm
the
environmental
initiatives
manager
for
the
city
of
Minneapolis
we're.
Currently,
the
legal
department
is
currently
reviewing
the
pollution
control
theory
structure.
It
involves
six
different
chapters
and
then
it
also
includes
our
licensing
chapters
and
so
we're
reviewing
all
those
ordinances
and
it's
just
taking
a
little
bit
more
time
than
previously
anticipated.
So
we're
expecting
to
bring
that
before.
Council
March
21st
and
that's
the
plan
right
now.
Okay,.
A
Thank
you
very
much.
I,
don't
see
any
question
just
in
case
somebody's
here,
though,
to
speak,
because
we
noticed
this
as
a
public
hearing.
I
will
open
that
public
hearing
and
is
anyone
here
to
speak
on
approaching
control
ordinance,
seeing
no
one
here,
then
I
will
close
the
public
hearing
and
I
will
move
that.
We
continue
this
item
until
March
21st
entertaining
the
public
hearing
about
20
codes.
Any
comments
on
that.
No
all
those
in
favor,
please
say
aye
all.
A
D
E
E
Urban
trees
are
so
important
to
a
healthy
community
in
a
healthy
City
I've
gathered
here.
Just
a
few
quotes
that
highlight
the
benefits
and
the
services
of
trees
in
our
urban
environment.
These
benefits
include
stormwater
management,
which
directly
impacts
water
quality,
carbon
sequestration,
reduced
heating,
&
cooling
costs
which
affect
air
quality
and
aesthetic
values
that
can
increase
property
values,
increase
livability
in
communities
and
even
reduce
stress.
E
However,
one
of
the
most
pressing
reasons
that
we
need
to
promote
tree
planting
in
our
city
has
to
do
with
the
effects
of
emerald
ash
borer.
The
city
has
about
40,000
ash
trees
on
its
Boulevard
city,
lots
and
other
parkland.
An
additional
200
thousand
are
private
property.
This
will
take
out
nearly
one-fifth
of
our
urban
canopy
in
the
city.
E
E
The
urban
forestry
is
not.
The
urban
forestry
program
is
not
alone
in
tackling
this
issue.
City
trees
program,
which
started
in
2006
pet
fence,
planted
more
than
10,000
trees
on
private
property,
and
but
really
the
parks
department
is
tasked
with
the
bulk
of
the
work,
replacing
four
to
six
thousand
trees,
all
on
city
property
or
right
of
way,
so
starting
in
2013.
E
This
urban
forestry
program
focuses
on
planting
on
private
lands
where
there's
the
greatest
need
and
potential
additionally
focused
on
commercial
properties
and
industrial
properties
and
multi-residential
and
partner
with
businesses
to
make
this
work
in
working
with
businesses
to
ensure
successful
and
thriving
urban
canopy.
This
program
utilizes
the
experience
arborist
to
select
trees
with
canopy
diversity
in
mind,
so
we
were
less
vulnerable
to
issues
like
emerald
ash
borer
in
the
future.
E
We
also
know
that
the
greatest
risk
to
newly
planted
trees
is
death
in
the
first
few
years,
due
to
war,
water
management
and
poor
watering.
We
utilize
our
partnership
with
the
MW
MO
and
have
seasonal
interns,
assess
the
trees
and
collect
data
on
these
tree
plantings.
This
assessment
is
based
passed
on
to
the
businesses,
so
they
can
better
care
for
their
trees
ensuring
survival.
E
This
will
allow
us
to
also
publish
this
data
on
the
city
website
through
the
map
at
Minneapolis,
so
steady
feelings
can
see
where
these
trees
are
being
planted
and
how
they're
doing
our
goal
is
quality
over
quantity,
so
starting
out
with
just
20
participating
businesses
in
40
schools
in
2013.
The
project
has
seen
growth
in
interest
from
businesses
and
nonprofit.
With
the
increased
demand,
we've
been
able
to
leverage
our
city
funding
and
increase
our
total
budget
and
plant
more
trees.
E
2015
was
the
first
year
that
we
actually
held
a
volunteer
planting
event
with
this
program.
On
a
chilly
October
morning,
we
planted
25
juniper
trees
at
a
daycare
facility
just
near
394.
We
wanted
to
bring
awareness
to
the
need
to
plant
trees
in
our
urban
community
and
to
engage
with
the
community
about
the
benefits.
E
The
urban
forestry
program
relies
on
partnerships
from
the
beginning.
Tree
Trust
has
worked
very
hard
surveying
all
of
our
planting
sites
and
professionally
installing
the
trees
with
their
youth
crews,
as
mentioned
before
the
MW
mo
the
Mississippi
watershed
management
organization,
funds
interns
to
help
do
the
assessing
of
the
trees.
E
Several
Minneapolis
Public
Schools
were
one
of
the
first
40
sites
where
we
planted
our
trees
and
recently
environmental
initiatives
and
an
NGO
has
lent
their
financial
support.
By
providing
funding
in
this
company
planting
season,
we
are
excited
to
add
wetland,
habitat
restoration
to
our
contracts.
They
are
local
women,
owned
business
who
bring
expertise
in
bare
root,
plantings
and
habitat
management.
E
F
F
How
long
that
you'd
have
that
part
of
your
program
underway
of
that
sort
of
a
new
part
of
your
initiative,
and
if
either
you
are
gathering
learnings
that
I
don't
know
if
they
would
be
appropriate
to
the
park
board
or
other
bodies
that
plant
trees
and
then
want
to
have
some
idea.
You
know
how
the
trees
are
being
cared
for
that
informs
us
and
had
a
better
care
for
the
trees.
Thank.
E
You
for
your
question:
Thank
You
councilman.
Yes,
we
had
just
started
that
monitoring
this
summer
with
our
interns
that
were
here
over
in
june
july
august,
and
so
we
had,
I
had
developed
with
the
GIS
department,
a
little
mobile
phone,
app
mm-hmm
that
allows
us
to
record
in
the
field
some
conditions
on
the
trees
and
to
assess
the
health
of
the
trees
are
at
right.
E
E
Our
funds
come
out
of
the
green
business
program,
and
this
year
we
have
30,000
that
are
coming
from
there
and
we'd
like
to
continue
that
sort
of
funding,
but
we'd
also
like
to
use
that
funding
to
leverage
other
money
and
then
that
total
500,000
is
for
the
is
a
grand
total
for
three
years
so
that
we
don't
have
to
keep
coming
in
back
to
up
our
contract
amount.
So,
right
now
it's
a
small
pot,
but
we
really
want
to
get
some
matching
funds
in.
In
order
for
this
and.
E
I
think,
thank
you
sure.
I
think
that
using
our
like
GIS,
app
and
sort
of
determining
where
those
trees
are
playing
planted
is
going
to
help
in
sort
of
assessing
where
those
trees
are
and
keeping
an
eye
on
equity
in
the
city.
I'm.
Also
looking
at
just
some
other
canopy
cover
data
and
land
use
data
so
that
we
can
sort
of
suss
out
where
there's
the
greatest
need
and
then
go
after
those
businesses
that
are
in
those
areas
and
I
haven't
gone
through
all
the
data.
Yet
to
sort
of
work
on
that.
E
But
yes,
as
you
said,
we've
been
mostly
sort
of
first
come
first
serve
in
terms
of
planting
on
businesses
and
I've,
reached
out
for
a
communications
department
and
through
lots
of
different
business
organizations
to
get
the
word
out
about
this
program
and
so
I'm
hoping
hoping
to
reach
a
wide
selection
of
the
business
community
for
this
project.
I.
A
Program,
it
used
to
be
a
first
come
first
serve
basis
for
years,
and
we
started
to
discover
that
all
the
trees
were
getting
picked
up
early
going
to
certain
parts
of
the
city
city,
wealthier
parts.
And
then
we
opened
up
the
program
early
for
some
neighborhoods,
where
we
thought
the
need
was
higher
and
we
said
we're
going
to
we're
going
to
spend
two
weeks
offering
or
I
forget
the
amount
of
time
but
offering
trees
for
people
who
live
in
these
areas,
where
they
really
need
trees
and
promote
it
more
and
then
open
it
citywide.
A
So
maybe
that's
an
idea
to
think
about,
especially
as
you
look
at
the
canopy
or
where
the
need
is
and
where
there
aren't,
or
maybe
where
the
the
removal
of
ash
borer
is
going
to
be
most
extreme
I'm,
not
quite
sure
how
you
we
want
to
measure
it
to
make
sure
it's
equitable.
But-
and
you
probably
are
aware
the
city
tree
program
and
how
we
didn't
you
try
that
idea
too.
So
I
just
think
it's
something
to
pay
attention
to
yeah
I.
Think
that's
an
excellent
point.
E
A
A
Comments
alright,
so
much
for
the
presentation.
I,
don't
think
your
comments
and
I
will
move
this
item
forward.
Then
authorizing
agreements
with
tree
trust
and
wetland,
habitat
restorations
to
provide
tree
planting
and
community
outreach
services
for
the
urban
forestry
program
for
the
amount
not
to
exceed
five
hundred
thousand
dollars
over
three
years.
A
F
A
In
our
committee
and
when
we
decided
that
we
joined
the
Met
Council
I'm
going
out
for
an
RP
and
we
were
told
our
chances
of
actually
getting
any
silver
Gardens
out
of
it,
weren't
guaranteed
in
any
way
shape
or
form.
But
now
we
have
good
news
and
we
did
fairly
well
in
the
lottery,
and
so
now
we
have
an
opportunity
and
we're
going
to
hear
more
about
that
today.
Welcome
mr.
Miller's
go
ahead
committee.
D
Chair
Gordon
other
council
committee
members,
I'm
Brian,
Milberg
I'm,
the
energy
manager
for
the
city.
As
a
chair,
Gordon
mentioned,
we've
had
a
somewhat
long
and
tortuous
path
through
an
RFP
that
the
Metropolitan
Council
headed
up
but
I'm,
bringing
today
a
proposal
letter
to
the
committee
to
allow
our
staff
to
negotiate
and
execute
some
contracts
that
came
out
of
this
RFP
process.
There's
four
things.
I
want
to
discuss
we're
going
to
talk
about
how
the
program
works.
Just
a
little
quick
reminder
of
how
the
whole
community
solar
garden
program
works.
D
How
we
got
the
competitive
bids,
then
the
financials
we
have
four
individual
companies
that
bid
and
that
we're
going
to
enter
into
contracts
with
hopefully,
and
each
one
of
them
has
a
slightly
different
financial
arrangement.
And
then
there
are
some
long-term
financial
benefits
to
the
city
that
I
want
to
review
just
to
review
quickly.
The
solar
community
garden
program
kind
of
relies
on
three
separate
entities:
there's
Xcel
Energy,
which
actually
provides
all
of
our
electricity.
There's
us
as
the
summer
and
then
on.
The
left-hand
side
is
the
solar
garden
operator.
D
So
the
solar
garden
operator
sends
all
of
the
electricity
they
produce
to
excel
for
free
they
don't
get
any
money
from
Excel.
Excel
sends
all
the
electricity
that
we
need.
In
this
example,
it
was
228
plus
thousand
till
watt
hours
a
year.
They
just
picked
one
of
our
accounts
and
there's
no
interaction
between
us
and
the
garden
operator
in
terms
of
the
electricity
itself.
D
The
interaction
occurs
on
the
financial
side.
We
are
through
these
agreements.
We
are
signing
a
subscription
agreement.
We
are
allowed
to
take
up
to
forty
percent
of
the
gardens
output.
So
in
this
example,
at
the
bottom
of
the
triangle,
you'll
see
that
we're
taking
forty
thousand
kilowatt
hours
and
I
could
a
placeholder
in
here
of
ten
cents
per
kilowatt
hour
as
an
example.
D
So
we
will
actually
be
sending
a
check
to
the
garden
operator
for
four
thousand
dollars
at
the
same
time,
Excel
sends
all
electricity
to
us
and
they
bill
us
for
all
the
electricity
regardless
of
its
source.
However,
as
part
of
that
bill,
they
then
give
us
a
line
item
credit
for
the
electricity
that
we
subscribe
to
from
the
garden
operator,
which
again
was
the
forty
thousand
kilowatt
hours.
There
is
a
credit
that's
set
by
the
Public,
Utilities
Commission
and
right
now
for
our
type
of
accounts.
It's
set
at
11.9
14
cents
per
kilowatt
hour.
D
D
However,
with
the
credit
they're
there
now
giving
us
that
bill
was
reduced
to
just
under
14
thousand
we're
paying
the
garden
operator
4000
in
essence,
we're
saving
765
dollars
over
the
total
electric
bill,
as
it
would
have
been
if
we
had
not
been
in
the
garden,
which
is
about
four
percent,
please
feel
free
to
ask
any
questions
as
I
go
through,
so
this
program
was
started
in
late
2014.
There
was
quite
a
bit
of
jockeying
with
the
PUC
and
various
agreements
and
counterproposals
things
really
were
not
solidified
till
mid
2015.
D
As
how
this
program
would
work,
then
the
Metropolitan
Council
decided
they
wanted
to
go
out
with
a
large
request
to
put
a
substantial
amount
of
their
electricity
through
this
program,
and
we
were
invited
to
participate
in
this
proposal
process.
Eventually,
they
actually
signed
up
31
governmental
entities,
cities
all
around
the
metro
area,
Ramsey
County,
Hennepin,
County
and
metropolitan
council
districts,
and
they
requested
217
million
kilowatt-hours.
Our
portion
of
that
was
12
million.
This
was
the
previous
council
action
we
had
and
that
is
about
eleven
percent
of
the
city's
electricity
usage
to
run
its
operations.
D
Five
companies
responded
to
the
RFP.
They
were
all
redeemed,
they
were
all
deemed
responsible,
and
so
they
were
acceptable.
However,
they
only
offered
170
million
kilowatt
hours,
so
we
had
a
lottery
to
distribute
what
people
had
asked
for
and
that
lottery.
We
finally
received
our
results
in
January
and
we
received
the
right
to
fill
23
subscription
agreements
in
the
total
up
to
seven
and
a
half
million
kilowatt
hours.
The
reason
we
only
have
four
suppliers
is
the
way
the
program
works.
B
D
D
D
So
I
just
like
to
quickly
go
over
the
agreement
terms
here
on
the
four
rows
are
the
four
different
companies
they
offer
differing
numbers
of
subscriptions,
which
translates
into
varying
amounts
of
annual
electricity
and,
as
you
can
see,
they're
offering
different
rates.
For
example,
the
first
one
is
offering
a
rate-
that's
the
least
but
they're,
also
including
every
year,
a
two
and
a
half
percent
escalator
in
their
price.
So,
regardless
of
what
happens
with
retail,
electricity
are
charged
from
the
garden
operator
is
going
to
rise
at
two
and
a
half
percent
every
year.
D
So,
regardless
of
what
happens,
this
is
what
we're
going
to
pay
flat
rate
for
25
years,
and
then
one
of
the
operators
has
a
little
more
novel
plan,
which
is
the
amount
you're
going
to
be
charged.
Is
exactly
going
to
be
one
cent
less
than
the
bill
credit?
So
I
want
to
discuss
the
bill
credit
for
a
moment.
D
Every
year
the
bill
credit
is
going
to
be
recalculated
by
the
Public
Utilities
Commission
Xcel
Energy
is
going
to
submit
all
their
costs
for
the
year
for
their
standard
retail
rate,
which
is
going
to
include
everything
all
of
their
transmission
distribution
generation
and
includes
fuel
charges,
and
they
will
then
decide
what
the
credit
charge
for
the
years
if
credit
rate
is
going
to
be
for
the
year.
So
there
is
some
risk
in
this
type
of
contract
and
I'll
get
into
that
a
moment.
D
D
So
this
is
a
question
of
how
much
will
we
save
over
time
and
it's
highly
dependent
on
the
bill
credit.
So,
as
I
said,
the
bill
credit
is
going
to
change
every
year.
Now
our
general
thinking
has
been
the
standard.
Retail
rate
of
electricity
has
been
increasing
and
the
Department
of
Commerce
did
a
study.
Over
the
last
15
years,
it's
gone
up
over
two
and
a
half
percent
2.65
I
have
a
chart
showing
you
one
of
our
industrial
accounts
just
over
the
last
eight
years.
D
It's
one
of
three
point:
seven
percent
and
starting
January
first
of
2016
Excel,
has
an
interim
rate
adjustment
that
we're
now
paying,
which
was
five
and
a
half
percent
and
they've
already
scheduled
another
one
and
a
half
percent
starting
January
of
2017,
so,
depending
on
what
your
expectation
is
of
the
future,
depends
on
how
much
money
we're
going
to
save
in
this
program.
And
again
this
was
just
one
of
our
accounts
and
you
do
have
some
outliers.
D
You
notice
that
big
dip
at
the
beginning
of
2014
in
our
price-
and
that
was
because
Excel
finalized
the
rate
case
and
had
to
refund
a
bunch
of
money
from
their
interim
rate
increase
that
they
had
had
during
2010
through
2013.
Same
thing
will
happen
in
we
hope
in
January
of
2017
they'll.
Finally
settle
the
rate
case.
More
probably
get
some
of
that
five
and
a
half
percent
that's
currently
being
charged
to
us
back.
D
So
so
kind
of
the
middle
of
the
road
case
here-
and
this
is
the
Department
of
Commerce,
assuming
that
it
for
the
next
25
years,
electricity
increases
at
two
point:
six,
five
percent
as
a
cost,
and
the
four
lines
on
the
bottom
are
the
individual
gardens
and
you
can
see
how
the
various
financial
arrangements
make
a
difference.
The
yellow
one
is
the
one
supplier
who
is
holding
their
costs
constant.
So
obviously,
as
the
bill
credit
increases,
we
make
more
and
more
money
each
year.
The
others
are
somewhat
more
level.
D
D
Would
be
remiss,
however,
if
I
did
not
mention
that,
let's
say
that
for
some
reason,
electricity
rates
stop
increasing
as
they
had
and
let's
say
they
only
go
up
one
percent
a
year
for
the
next
25
years.
Well,
I
think
this
is
highly
unlikely.
I
did
want
to
bring
it
forward.
It
is
possible.
Yes,
we
could
actually
lose
money
with
these
agreements,
depending
on
the
cost
increase
of
this
bill
credit-
and
here
you
see
over
25
years,
the
blue
line
is
again
the
cumulative
cost.
You
see
one
of
them,
the
orange
one.
D
D
D
Under
each
of
these
scenarios,
I
can
plan
out
based
on
production,
what
we
would
receive
in
the
25th
year.
Just
you
see
how
things
grow,
depending
upon
the
interest
rate
that
we
change
the
bill
credit
and
then
you
see
over
25
years.
You
see
the
difference,
so
we
have
the
possibility
of
looking
at
our
past
eight
years.
If
that
continues,
we
could
save
almost
four
million
dollars.
If
we
have
a
very,
very
slow
increase,
we
could
lose
possibly
half
a
million.
D
F
D
Chef
Gordon,
we
decided
to
not
participate
very
heavily
in
the
program,
we're
basically
it's
similar
to
a
hedge
contract
in
commodities,
you're
betting,
that
the
cost
of
electricity
is
going
to
go
up
with
this
type
of
contract,
and
that's
why
we
kept
it
to
a
small
percentage
of
our
total
overall
energy
usage.
First,
for
the
reason
of
it
is
a
hedge
contract
with
all
our
eggs
in
one
basket.
Secondly,
perhaps
gardens
could
come
on
two
or
three
years
from
now
that
are
even
cheaper.
D
F
Mr.
chair,
well
I'm
glad
we're
participating
in
this
I
think
there's
a
value
in
having
public
participants
in
strategies
such
as
as
these
and
Minneapolis
has
participated
in
I.
Think
several.
You
might
call
pilot
strategies
or
kind
of
early
on
strategies
and
balance
that
with
I,
think
being
conservative
and
other
areas,
but
trying
to
find
those
places.
It
makes
sense
and
I
think
it
makes
sense
here.
I
am
curious.
Just
are
there
other
risk
factors
that
we
should
think
about
beyond
the
analysis
of
the
bill
credit.
D
Councilmember
glidden,
thank
you
for
the
question.
Actually,
the
five
entities
that
have
proposed
these
contracts
to
us
they
also
had
to
show
us
our
their
financing
mechanism
and,
what's
typically
happening
in
the
industry,
is
the
individual
companies
that
are
developing
the
gardens
who
are
physically
organizing
the
contracts
are.
F
D
Not
the
people
paying
for
them,
they're,
actually
being
paid
for
by
large
hedge
funds
or
investment
banking
firms
could
be
retirement
type
firms
that
are
investing
the
money,
mainly
because
you
can
take
a
large
tax
write-off
for
the
next
four
years
on
these
types
of
projects.
So
we
know
that
the
projects
are
while
they
are
mostly
not
built.
As
of
today,
we
feel
confident
they
will
be
built.
D
We
did
factor
in
a
degradation
factor
so
after
25
years
its
only
producing
80%
of
what
it
produces
today
and
it's
in
the
owners
incentive
to
solve
any
problems,
because
the
way
the
contract
is
worded
is
yes,
we
would
not
pay
them
if
they
didn't
generate
the
electricity
to
excel
if
they
don't
send
the
electricity
to
excel
the
garden
operators
and
get
any
payments
so
the
risk
to
us.
Let's
say
if
one
of
them
went
bankrupt
or
stopped
maintaining
their
field.
If
it
stopped
producing,
we
would
then
be
being
charged.
D
The
regular
current
retail
rate
for
electricity,
which
10
years
and
I,
will
most
likely
cost
us
more
than
it
would
have
been
if
we
had
had
this
contract
in
place.
But
it's
in
their
best
interest
to
get
paid
so
we're
assuming
that
they
will
keep
their
opens
up
and
it
is
part
of
the
contract.
We
have
ways
to
get
out
of
the
contracts
and
we
can
only
sign
with
someone
else
in
the
future,
so
the
real
risk.
It
basically
is
the
bill.
Credit,
okay,.
A
A
In
figuring
out
ways
that
this
state
could
produce
more
clean
energy
and
reduce
it
even
further
than
excels
requirements,
and
the
only
way
it
seems
that
we
could
do
that
participating
in
solar
gardens
is
if
we
wanted
to
hold
on
to
that
credit
ourselves
and
basically
take
a
loss.
Okay,
more
money
for
the
electricity,
and
so
I
know
that
financially.
That
certainly
doesn't
would
flush
out
as
nicely
as
all
of
this.
But
it's
something
that
I
want
is
to
be
thinking
about.
D
There
are
actually
a
fresh
energy.
One
of
the
NGOs
in
town
is
proposing
such
a
thing
with
the
Public
Utilities
Commission.
They
are
going
to
file
in
the
docket.
That's
currently
open
around
this
to
include
such
things
as
low
income.
Participation
to
perhaps
have
a
special
bill
credit
depending
on
the
type
of
customer
right
now.
The
bill
credit
is
only
related
to
the
type
of
account,
in
other
words,
is
an
industrial
account.
Is
that
a
residential
account
the
bill?
Credit
is
different
for
those,
but
there's
nothing
that
changed
the
bill.
D
A
D
A
D
A
A
We
had
that
discussion
and
last
time
we
brought
this
up,
but
I'm
very
hopeful
that
we're
moving
forward
with
our
own
rfp
to
also
get
some
solar
garden
subscriptions
just
the
city
of
minneapolis
as
the
proposer
and
will
certainly
be
able
to
have
those
provisions
in
there,
and
maybe
some
other
things
as
well
in
terms
of
potential
for
low-income
participation
and
where
it
could
be
located.
Openam
and
there's
even
a
possibility
that
we
could
have
something
on
city-owned
property.
So
I
know
that
those
my
office
is
very
involved
in
those
discussions.
D
A
A
I,
don't
see
any
other
questions,
your
comments
so
I
think
we're
ready
to
vote
on
this
issue,
and
this
will
also
be
referred
to
ways
and
means,
and
this
is
authorizing
execution
of
23
community
solar
garden
subscriptions
with
for
suppliers
for
a
term
of
25
years,
all
those
in
favor,
please
say:
aye
aye
any
opposed.
They
know
any
abstentions.
Okay,
that
motion
carries.
A
Thank
you
very
much
I'll
just
you
know
that
upcoming
at
our
March
twenty
first
meeting,
we're
going
to
be
having
a
public
hearing
on
our
carryout
bags
and
retail
establishment
coordinates
also
our
emergency
shelter,
licensing
ordinance
and,
as
you
recall,
we're
also
going
to
be
then
resuming
the
continued
public
hearing
on
our
annual
pollution
control
building
three
ordinances,
those
announcements,
the
business
is
concluded,
and
this
meeting
is
adjourned
thanks.
Everybody.