Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 05/11/2026

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Senior Planner Anderson explained that the question would be whether Ramsey would be eligible to apply for the program without an environmental justice area and whether residents within the city would qualify for reimbursement. He explained that staff do not want to waste time if the City or its residents are not eligible. He explained that Council approval is needed for grant applications, which is why he is bringing this forward at this time. He stated that if the MPCA states that Ramsey can still apply and would not score poorly, staff could still complete and submit an application prior to the deadline. Chairperson Fetterley commented that she would not want to waste staff time if it is unlikely that the City would qualify, but could also see the benefits that would be gained if the City is deemed eligible. She hoped that staff would receive clear direction from the MPCA. Senior Planner Anderson commented that the Board could provide a recommendation to pursue, contingent upon a positive response from the MPCA. He stated that if the MPCA stated that the City is unlikely to score well, staff would not pursue the grant. Motion by Board Member Hagerty and seconded by Board Member Burgess, to recommend that the City pursue the grant opportunity, contingent upon a positive response from the MPCA. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Fetterley, Board Member Hagerty, Burgess, Bernard, Houts, Payne, and Salami. Voting No: None. Absent: None. 6. BOARD / STAFF INPUT • Staff Updates Senior Planner Anderson stated that the Board is invited to participate in an Arbor Day planting event at Alpine Park one week from today. He also noted the Spring Recycling event scheduled for May 2"d from 8 a.m. to noon. He also provided an update on recent City Council actions on cases previously considered by the Board and a potential review of the tree preservation standards. He stated that the May meeting date has been shifted from May 18th to May 1 1th Chairperson Fetterley encouraged the members of the Board to participate in the tree planting event. She encouraged residents to participate in the recycling event. She referenced a recent email received related to the We Are Water event, noting that she will be attending and encouraging members of the Board to attend. She confirmed that she could forward the email to staff to disburse to the Board. 7. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Board Member Burgess and seconded by Board Member Hagerty, to adjourn the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Environmental Policy Board / April 20, 2026 Page 4 of 5