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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVIII-03 Approve MN GreenCorps Member Host Site Agreement VIII-03 To: Mayor Fasbender & City Councilmembers From: City Forester, TJ Lucas Date: June 6, 2022 Item: Approval of MN GreenCorps Member host site agreement Commission Action Requested: Recommendation to approve host site agreement with AmeriCorps – MN GreenCorps Background Information: The Parks and Recreation Department applied to host a Minnesota GreenCorps member for the 2022-2023 program year to conduct forestry activities and was selected as a host site with the following workplan scope: • Conduct tree inventory in parks and public lands, identifying, measuring, and assessing tree health. Using aerial photos, assess forest cover percentages and cover type. • Learn about integrated pest management and assist the city forester in treating trees against Emerald Ash Borer. • Improve public lands by working with a chainsaw and chemically treating invasive species including buckthorn, honeysuckle, and Amur Maple. • Design and plan for gravel bed implementation. A GreenCorps member will begin service with the City of Hastings Parks and Recreation Department on Monday, September 19th 2022 after the host site supervisor (City Forester, TJ Lucas) attends host site training on Monday, September 12, 2022. As a host site, we will be providing a meaningful service experience and professional development opportunity to the MN GreenCorps Member, while improving the environment and strengthening our communities. Staff recommend approval of the host site agreement with AmeriCorps – MN GreenCorps Financial Impact: None Council Committee Discussion: None Attachments: • Resolution • MN GreenCorps Host Site Application City Council Memorandum CITY OF HASTINGS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA Attest: RESOLUTION 06 - - 22 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO MINNESOTA GREENCORPS _________________________ Kelly Murtaugh, City Clerk ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA, THIS 6th DAY OF JUNE, 2022. WHEREAS, Hastings Parks and Recreation Department has applied to host an AmeriCorps member from the Minnesota GreenCorps, a program of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), for the 2022-2023 program year; and WHEREAS, if the MPCA selects The City of Hastings, the organization is committed to implementing the proposed project as described in the host site application, and in accordance with prescoped position description; and WHEREAS, the MPCA requires that the City of Hastings enter into a host site agreement with the MPCA that identifies the terms, conditions, roles and responsibilities; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Hastings hereby agrees to enter into and sign a host site agreement with the MPCA to carry out the member activities specified therein and to comply with all of the terms, conditions, and matching provisions of the host site agreement and authorizes and directs The Parks and Recreation Director to sign the grant agreement on its behalf. _______________________ Mary D. Fasbender, Mayor VIII-03 https://www.pca.state.mn.us • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • Use your preferred relay service • Available in alternative formats p-mgc2-02 • 1/25/22 Page 1 of 5 Minnesota GreenCorps host site application Program Year 2022-2023 Instructions: The Minnesota GreenCorps (MN GreenCorps) program is an AmeriCorps program coordinated by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Please complete the application, answer all questions, and send via email to mngreencorps.pca@state.mn.us. For more information, refer to the Minnesota GreenCorps host site application guide. Applications must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Important notes: • MN GreenCorps host sites must have at least one full-time paid employee. The minimum supervision requirement is an average of at least 4 hours per week for the duration of the program year. • MN GreenCorps host sites must contribute $300 to member professional development (training, conference registration, networking events, or other opportunities). This contribution is required as in-kind match. • Member activities may not include assisting organizations with meeting requirements, coming into compliance, or avoiding fines from local, state, or federal laws or regulations. • Per AmeriCorps regulations, host sites cannot provide financial contributions to the member; supplementing the member stipend or other costs of living (e.g., paying housing) is prohibited. • Operation of the 2022-2023 program year is contingent on funding. Confirmation of funds may not be available before the application deadline. I. Applicant and project information Name of legal applicant organization: City of Hastings Mailing address: 920 West 10th St City: Hastings State: MN Zip code: 55033 Applicant contact: T.J. Lucas Title: Forester Phone: 651-480-6177 Email: tlucas@hastingsmn.gov Website address: https://www.hastingsmn.gov/ What type of host site is your organization (check one): New Current or past host site Please indicate your organization type: Government agency (local, regional, state, tribal, or federal) (Examples include cities, counties, tribal governments, park districts, regional planning organizations, watershed districts, etc.) School district 501(c) (3) non-profit organization (Note: you must submit proof of 501(c) (3) status with your application) Not-for-profit institutions of higher education Please indicate the member position type for which you are applying (must only select one). Details of the member position descriptions can be found in the Minnesota GreenCorps host site application guide. Air Pollutant Reduction Community Readiness and Outreach Green Infrastructure Improvements Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Organics Management Doc Type: Application VIII-03 https://www.pca.state.mn.us • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • Use your preferred relay service • Available in alternative formats p-mgc2-02 • 1/25/22 Page 2 of 5 II. Narrative questions Before responding to the following questions in the text box provided, review the pre-scoped position description and member prohibited activities (under section II of the Minnesota GreenCorps host site application guide). Examples of prohibited member activities include attempting to influence legislation, advocating for or against proposed legislation, providing a direct benefit to a for-profit business, writing a grant application to any federal agency, or performing clerical work or research unless such activities are incidental to the member’s direct service activities. AmeriCorps members cannot displace or replace previously employed, striking, or laid-off workers (see the Non-displacement policy of the Host site application guide). Project scope and outcomes 1. In one to two sentences, please summarize the overall goal(s) of the proposed member project: To improve the tree inventory in our parks and to help 2. Indicate performance measures that the project aligns with by checking the corresponding box. The service project may address any of the performance measures in any of the categories. Projects must align with at least one performance measure outlined below; alignment with two or more measures is encouraged. Air Improve air quality: Members will implement measures and education aimed at reducing air pollutants by reducing vehicle miles traveled, supporting vehicle electrification, and/or promoting green transportation. Retrofit public structures: Members will apply energy conservation measures to improve the performance of public buildings/structures. Retrofitted structures will result in reduced energy consumption and/or reduced energy costs. Land and water Reduce nutrient pollution: Members will implement nutrient reduction efforts, resulting in pounds of phosphorus removed, pounds per year of total suspended solids (TSS) removed, and/or chloride reduction. Improve public lands: Members will implement best management practices to treat and improve acres of public lands through activities, such as removing invasive species, planting native trees, seeding prairie, etc. Waste reduction Reduce food waste through organics recycling: Members will implement residential or institutional waste prevention or organics recycling, resulting in pounds of organics prevented or diverted from the waste stream. Divert waste: Members will integrate sustainable waste management practices into daily operations at host site and community facilities to recycle, compost, prevent, or otherwise divert material from the waste stream. Outreach and education Educate or train individuals in environmental stewardship: Members will educate and/or train individuals on environmental stewardship to improve land, air, and water quality. Motivate individuals to change behavior: Members will provide education and training that will result in individuals changing behavior or making a promise or pledge to change behavior to lessen environmental impact. Mobilize and/or engage volunteers in community service projects: Members will recruit, train, and/or engage community members in local service projects. Other This project engages areas of environmental justice concern, per the EJ Story map found on the MPCA’s website http://mpca.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f5bf57c8dac24404b7f8ef1717f57d00. This projects addresses chloride reduction (i.e., road salt and water softeners) VIII-03 https://www.pca.state.mn.us • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • Use your preferred relay service • Available in alternative formats p-mgc2-02 • 1/25/22 Page 3 of 5 Work plan Complete the table below outlining a work plan for the proposed member position. Members serve a total of 1,700 hours from September 2022 to August 2023, host site service activities total ~1,400 hours, and the remaining ~300 hours are allocated for professional development. See the Minnesota GreenCorps host site application guide to reference the pre-scoped member position description and review the types of allowable activities. See sample work plans on the MN GreenCorps website at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/mngreencorps. Member activities Activity details/results Tree inventory in parks and other public lands Correctly identify and measure the size of the trees and rate their health. Plot tree digitally in ArcGIS Survey123 using a desk top computer and by a tablet. With this data we can get clear picture of the diversity and health of the urban forest in our parks. We can improve our tree planting projects to increase the diversity in our parks by getting the tree inventory completed. Member will learn tree identification skills and how to properly measure a tree and will learn how to assess tree health in addition to learning how to navigate our cities GIS system. Treating ash trees against Emerald Ash Borer Asist City Forester on treating ash trees in our parks and other public lands. Learn the process of injecting ash trees preventatively to treat them against emerald ash borer. We will improve the efficiency of the process of treating trees for the season. The member will gain experience in the proper way to chemically treatment invasive pest and to learn about integrated pest management. Invasive species control. Removal of European buckthorn, bush honeysuckle and amur maple and to chemically treat the stumps. We will see direct improvement in the sites by reducing the invasive species and increasing diversity. We have a parcel of land that still has about 8 acres to be cut treated and hauled that I need help removing. Member will learn the destructive nature of invasive plants and how to properly treat them. Including safe chainsaw and brush saw operation and care. Proper chemical handling to treat invasive species by learning how to read labels, proper mixing and application procedures. Member will also lean the proper PPE for using power equipment and to perform chemical treatments. Assess forest cover percentages and cover type Member will access current and past digital aerial photography from the Dakota county GIS system to assess the percentage of forest cover. Member will learn how to use the measuring tools in the Dakota County GIS to assess forest cover and type. We want to get an idea of the forest cover to be able to know if our forest cover percentages are increasing or decreasing and what the diversity of that cover is. Design a grave lbed nursery We have a need for a gravel bed nursery to help facilitate our tree planting project to replace the ash trees that we removed due to emerald ash borer. We need to find a suitable site, and design a nursery that will work for the long term. The member will do a few site visits of successful gravel bed nursery’s including Hennepin county and the City of Plymouth. The member will learn valuable skills in networking and project planning and implementation. Community need/involvement 1. Describe how the proposed project will serve under-represented, economically disadvantaged, or rural populations. The MN GreenCorps program prioritizes host site projects that support communities with higher concentrations of low-income residents and people of color, including tribal communities. The MPCA’s criteria and interactive mapping tool are on the MPCA’s website. We are a rural city on the edge of the twin cities metro area with a low cocentration of residence that are low-income or people of color according to the MPCA's website. we surve the surrounding rural communites in our zip code by giving them free tree assessment and advice. They can also be a part of the many events in the City of Hastings that we try to have a forestry presence. VIII-03 https://www.pca.state.mn.us • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • Use your preferred relay service • Available in alternative formats p-mgc2-02 • 1/25/22 Page 4 of 5 2. How will the proposed MN GreenCorps member position engage community members and/or mobilize volunteers? We plan to have our green corps member engage the community at the many events the City of Hastings parks department is a part of and has informational tables set up. This includes Our yearly Arbor Day tree planting event, River Town Days weekend, Paws in the Park at our dog park, and Party in the Parks which is our kickoff event to national park month. We will be mobilizing volunteers to help with our Arbor day event and recruiting people to help stack brush piles after removing invasive tree. We have many reliable groups in the City of Hastings that can help with finding volunteers like the Hastings high school athletic department. Our Facebook page is also a great place to ask residence to help with a project and we can usually get 20+ people to help us. 3. If the member project requires support from other partners, either internally or externally, please list these partners below, and describe how the partnership will work. As applicable, to demonstrate a commitment by these partner, provide letters of support as attachments when submitting this application. This project year we will be operating internally in the parks and recreation deparment. Organizational capacity and commitment Please respond to the following questions about your organization: 1. In one paragraph, describe your organization’s mission. Include a description of the community your organization serves, qualifications of your staff, the number of paid staff, and experience (if any) with hosting AmeriCorps members: In an effort to best serve our residents, visitors and buisnesses, the City of Hastings CORE Values were adopted by City Council and guide everything we do. Our CORE Values include: Communication, Optimal Service, Respect for Resources, and Enthusiasm. We value and promote participation and interactions with citizens and staff. We will seek to assure timely and open communications while providing background and context for the decisions that are made. We recognize the importance of providing timely, courteous and respectful service to the public and to one another. We will seek to serve the public and other employees in a constructive, creative and practical manner. We recognize the value of using all City resources in an efficient and effective manner. We will seek to utilize City resources to serve the common good of all.We are committed to protecting and promoting the unique characteristics of our community, including its history and scenic beauty. We will seek to infuse enthusiasm and enjoyment into our daily interactions with citizens, visitors and other employees. The City of Hastings serves over 22,700 residents with 107 staff including full-time and part-time in Public Works, Parks, Fire, Police, Communications, Community Development and Building and Code Enforcement. The City of Hastings has hosted one AmeriCorps member in 2019-2020. 2. Applicants must identify one host site supervisor who is an FTE employee of the host site.. A host site supervisor must provide a minimum of four (4) hours each week in direct support and supervision of the member. Supervisor name: T.J. Lucas Title: Forester Email: tlucas@hastingsmn.gov Telephone: 651-480-6177 3. Travel: If traveling is required for the member service activities, the host site must provide transportation for the member (access to fleet vehicles, mileage reimbursement, bus fare reimbursement, etc.). Please keep in mind that some members may not have access to a personal vehicle, and some members may not be eligible to drive. If you indicate that driving is required, you may limit the number of members eligible for your site. A. Is the member required to drive to access or complete service activities? Yes No B. Is the member required to have access to a personal vehicle for service-related activities? Yes No C. How will the host site provide transportation for service-related activities? (check all that apply) The host site will reimburse mileage for the member’s use of a personal vehicle. The host site will provide a transit pass or reimburse the cost of public transportation. The host site will provide access to an organizational vehicle. Please note: If the members are using vehicles belonging to the Host Site organization to conduct business on behalf of the Minnesota GreenCorps Program, then the Host Sites’ vehicle insurance is primary. D. Is your organization able to provide transit discounts for a MN GreenCorps member, if applicable? (not required) Yes No VIII-03 https://www.pca.state.mn.us • 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • Use your preferred relay service • Available in alternative formats p-mgc2-02 • 1/25/22 Page 5 of 5 Current or past host sites only Review Section VII of the Host site application guide with considerations for current or past host site applicants. 1. Identify the program year(s) your host site previously participated, focus area(s), and the number of members hosted: We participated in the 2019/2020 program year. The focus area was Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Organics Management. We had one GreenCorps member that we hosted for the first time. 2. Describe how this proposed member position is unique from past member positions at your organization: For 2022-2023, our department is applying within the Green Infrastructure Focus Area and the GreenCorps member will work exclusively in forestry on tree inventory, emerald ash borer treatment and invasive species control. In 2019-2020, our Focus Area was Waste Reduction, Recycling and Organics Management and our goal was to increase our recycling efforts and reduce waste. III. Supporting documentation If a Board governs your organization, please provide a Board resolution in support of this application (see example in the Minnesota GreenCorps host site application guide). If the Board resolution cannot be provided by the application deadline, provide an explanation below and the date when it will be submitted. 501(c) (3) non-profit organizations must submit proof of 501(c) (3) status with the submittal of application. Relevant letters of support from partner organizations or internal departments are encouraged and accepted at the time of application and throughout the selection process. I missed the deadline to request a resolution of support from the city council at their last meeting on Monday march 21st. I will request a resolution from the city council at their next meeting on Monday April 4th. We are the City of Hastings not a 501©3 organization. We will be working within the City of Hastings Parks and Recreation department, so no outside organizations will be used, so no letters of support will be provided. Yes No N/A Comments Authorizing Board resolution I missed the deadline to request a resolution at the last city council meeting on March 21st. I will request a resolution from the city council at their next meeting on Monday April 4th. Proof of 501(c) (3) status Letters of support VIII-03