Webster Groves Sustainability Commission narrows priorities; considers county 'oops tag' recycling audit grant and Earth Month events

The Webster Groves Sustainability Commission sketched its priorities for the coming year and discussed whether to pursue a Saint Louis County recycling audit grant that would fund a neighborhood-level “audit” of recycling carts and outreach.

Commission members agreed to present a concise set of priorities to city council rather than a long laundry list. The commission’s four buckets for the March 15 annual report were described as greenhouse-gas reduction, community engagement, waste reduction, and land use/stormwater management. Under greenhouse-gas reduction, suggested actions included expanding the city’s solar rebate program (potentially to cover EV chargers or other energy-conserving measures), advocating for updated building codes (EV-ready/solar-ready), and considering deeper energy audits based on the Ameren benchmarking audits.

The commission also debated whether to pursue the Saint Louis County recycling-audit grant (referred to in the meeting as the Oops Tag program). Staff said the county’s contact estimated a grant range of about $10,000 on the low end up to perhaps $25,000 depending on mailings and added events; the county would provide tablets for auditors, data-collection software, and could help with outreach and events. The grant does not require a city match and can cover labor, mailings and program costs; however, the program requires volunteers or paid labor on the ground and involves door-to-door audits, which some members warned could prompt resident questions and therefore recommended city awareness and leadership if pursued.

The commission also discussed Earth Month and EcoEd programming. Subcommittee members proposed an EV-focused event tied to the city’s public charging station and a printed map that highlights EV charging and other sustainability resources; commission members discussed potential dates in April and options for Ameren or local EV owners to bring demonstration vehicles. Additional EcoEd lecture-series items and community events were listed for March through October, including sessions on worms/composting, native-planting, young tree care, recycling, stormwater solutions, and a proposed bike clinic or dark-sky talk.

Why it matters: the March 15 report is the commission’s regular annual report to council and frames the group’s advocacy for policy or program support. The county recycling audit grant could fund neighborhood outreach and data collection to identify common recycling errors and inform education campaigns.

Supporting details

- The county recycling audit (audit period) is typically 4–6 weeks; the county can supply tablets and an app for data collection; budgets depend on scale and mailings. - The county contact offered to speak to the commission about grant details. - The commission’s written priorities are due March 15; commissioners will present to council in May. - Commission members expressed concerns about bandwidth and volunteer capacity to implement a citywide audit without grant-paid labor or clear staffing.

Ending

Staff will circulate a draft priorities report for member feedback before the March 15 submission; the commission signaled interest in pursuing the county recycling-audit grant but did not formally commit to filing an application during the meeting.