Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee

• Governing Body: Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee
• Meeting Date: February 09, 2026
• Meeting Type: Regular Committee Meeting (Remote Participation)
• Committee Members Present: Jesse Clingan (Chair), Councilor Hardt, Councilor Jon Link (substituting for Councilor J.T. Scott)
• Staff and Administration Present: Eric Weissman (Interim DPW Commissioner), Bill Fisher (Emergency Management Director), Estella O'Reganit (Senior Public Space Planner), Yasmin Erdasi (Legislative Liaison)

The committee considered the approval of minutes from the predecessor committees.

1. Item 1: Approval of the minutes of the Public Utility Public Works Committee meeting from October 15, 2025.
2. Item 2: Approval of the minutes of the Open Space Environment Energy Committee meeting of December 3, 2025.

Vote Outcome: Approved 3-0.

• In Favor: Councilor Hardt, Chair Clingan, Councilor Link
• Against: None
• Abstentions: None

The committee discussed three orders submitted by Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen regarding the impact of the warming center on the Prescott Street neighborhood.

• Item 26-0118: Request for the Commissioner of Public Works to install waste receptacles near the warming center entrance.
  • Action: DPW has installed a trash barrel at the entrance and added it to the Grounds Division collection route.
• Item 26-0119: Request for regular litter cleanups along Prescott Street.
  • Action: The Grounds Division has added Prescott Street to their weekly debris route. Interim Commissioner Weissman noted that debris collection is suspended during snow cover, but visible litter is addressed.
• Item 26-0120: Investigation of moving deliveries and emergency vehicle pickups to the Cummings School parking lot.
  • Action: Director Bill Fisher reported that staff parking has been moved to the Cummings School lot to free up street parking. However, emergency vehicle access and quick drop-offs will remain on Prescott Street to ensure rapid response times and accessibility.

Disposition: Work Complete.

Councilor Link proposed that the Director of Public Space and Urban Forestry develop a report on a standardized green score for public parks to identify benchmarks for publicly owned parkland.

• Discussion Points:
  • Councilor Link expressed concern regarding the 'heat island effect' caused by non-permeable surfaces like rubberized play areas and pavers.
  • Senior Public Space Planner Estella O'Reganit explained that while a 'green score' exists for private development, applying a single metric to public parks is challenging due to competing priorities such as ADA accessibility, sports court requirements, and community-specific programming.
  • The city currently utilizes the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) to prioritize park renovations based on condition, acreage, and nature experience.
  • O'Reganit stated: "The implementation of a single metric to quantify or try and quantify the amount of permeable space or plants planted just is very difficult and challenging for the range of parks and open spaces within our city."

Disposition: Work Complete.

Councilor Link proposed that the administration explore the feasibility of a 'year with no swag,' limiting or eliminating the purchase of branded promotional items by city departments.

• Discussion Points:
  • Councilor Link suggested that departments should be more intentional with promotional spending, prioritizing high-value items (like safety magnets or educational tools) over low-value plastic items that often end up in the waste stream.
  • Legislative Liaison Yasmin Erdasi noted that the city's financial analyst is currently calculating the cost associations of promotional items across all departments.
  • The proposal will be reviewed by the newly hired Director of Sustainability and Environment.

Disposition: Kept in Committee for further financial and environmental analysis.