04-08-26 MINChanhassen Environmental Commission (EC)
6:00 pm
April 8, 2026
Members Present: Chair Scott Grefe, Vice Chair John Stutzman, Paget Pengelly, Glenn Stolar,
Mary Humprheys, Paul Granos
Members Absent: Sidney Lindmark, Tanvi Akuthota
Staff Present: Jamie Marsh, Environmental Resource Specialist; Amy Weidman, Senior
Administrative Support Specialist
Visitors: Judy Harder
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m.
1. Oaths of Office
Amy Weidman, Senior Administrative Support Specialist, administered the oaths of office to the
two new Environmental Commissioners, Mary Humphreys and Paul Granos.
2. Appoint Chair and Vice Chair
Chair Grefe turned over to Vice Chair Stutzman to run the Chair elections. Commissioner Stolar
nominated Chair Grefe to serve as Chair, and Commissioner Granos seconded. The Commission
voted 5-0 (Chair Grefe abstained), and Chair Grefe was appointed for another term as Chair.
Commissioner Humphreys nominated Vice Chair Stutzman to serve as Vice Chair, and
Commissioner Stolar seconded. The commission voted 5-0 (Vice Chair Stutzman abstained).
Vice Chair Stutzman was appointed for another term of Vice Chair.
3. Review Bylaws
The Commission discussed the bylaws and how the meetings are run.
Commissioner Stolar discussed adjusting the quorum to a majority of seated members rather than
four members if that meets statute requirements, adjusting allowing cancelations to be made by
the Chair or staff, but keeping the 48-hour notice.
The commission also discussed adjusting the age of youth commissioners to include one youth
Commissioner enrolled in high school, to allow more flexibility.
Commissioner Stutzman moved, Commissioner Granos seconded to change section 2.1 of the
bylaws to add “or staff” for meeting cancellations pending attorney approval. The motion was
approved with a vote of 6-0.
Commissioner Stolar moved and Commissioner Pengelly seconded to amend section 3.1 of the
bylaws to amend the youth commissioner position to a high school student, pending attorney
approval. The motion was approved with a vote of 6-0.
Commissioner Stutzman moved, and Commissioner Humphreys seconded to amend the official
quorum to majority of seated members rather than four commissioners. The motion was
approved with a vote of 6-0.
Approval of Minutes
The commissioners reviewed the minutes. Commissioner Stolar moved and Commissioner
Pengelly seconded to approve the March meeting minutes. Commissioner Stutzman abstained as
he wasn’t at the March meeting. The motion carried 5-0.
Visitor Presentations
Judy Harder, a Chanhassen resident, introduced herself. She is passionate about planting trees,
and expressed interest in community engagement and planting additional trees in downtown
Chanhassen to combat the mapped heat island. Ms. Harder shared that the overall tree canopy of
Chanhassen is strong at 49%, but the downtown area drops to a much lower percentage of
around 17%. The Commission discussed ideas to support her goals, including partnering with the
Rotary, Nature Conservancy, and Tree Trust. They also discussed an Environmental Academy
session that focused on the topic and kick-starts a community group.
Ms. Harder and the Commission discussed the cost barrier to removing unhealthy trees and
planting trees, and that budget is a hurdle, but one that can be overcome. They discussed how
plantings can tie in with stormwater management plans. The Commission wants to work on this
but also to stay within its capacity as an advisory body to the City Council and Planning
Commission.
Discussion Items
1. Vote on Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner
The contest theme was voted on during the January meeting. The winning theme, “Trees are
terrific in all colors!”, was shared with area schools in February. Due to spring break conflicting
with the submission deadline, the Commission decided to shift the deadline and allow for more
time for poster submittals. There is one submittal received so far. The Commission will pick a
winner at the May meeting and hopes to present the winner during the May 18 City Council
meeting.
2. July 3rd Trade Fair Planning
Ms. Marsh shared that the next steps for planning this event is selecting a focus topic and
activity. The Commission decided to table this discussion for the May meeting. They made notes
to discuss shirts, waste management activities and prizes.
Commission Presentations:
The Commission discussed the trivia night planning. They hope to connect with a potential new
owner to continue the event series at Hackamore Brewing.
Upcoming Items and Events
1. Residential Tree Sale
The tree sales runs through April 24, and the tree pick up is May 8-9. Ms. Marsh has one
volunteer in place already. This year, the tree varieties will come in a variety of sizes depending
on the tree species.
Adjournment
Commissioner Stutzman moved to adjourn the meeting, and there was no second. The motion
was carried 6-0, and the meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Amy Weidman, Senior Administrative Support Specialist
Minutes Submitted by Jamie Marsh, Environmental Resource Specialist