Sustainability committee recaps Sustainable September, tree giveaways and WashU depot visit; SolSmart TA halted by DOE budget change

Staff member (S2) told the committee that Sustainable September yielded several local initiatives that the city intends to continue next year, including goat grazing to clear invasive plants, a successful Black Creek stream cleanup with good volunteer turnout, and a planted-tree giveaway that distributed about 40 trees.

"We put some before-and-after pictures on social media, and it's pretty incredible what they did," S2 said, describing the goats’ effectiveness in the targeted area. S2 also credited partnerships such as Home Depot giveaways and Broadway Days activities for boosting public engagement and noted a children’s sustainable-tree activity drew strong participation.

Committee members discussed rescheduling a drone show that was canceled this year and ideas to reuse the theme in future events. S2 reported that during a recent visit to Washington University’s 'fast-tracking' depot, Phil Balco, the university assistant vice chancellor for sustainability, offered to share vendor contacts and operational details; members said staff would consider electric-shuttle fleet options when replacing the city’s "magic bus."

S2 told the committee that both SolSmart and a related technical-assistance program must pause work following a change in the U.S. Department of Energy budget that cut those funds. The city has, however, already achieved SolSmart silver designation and received the plaque. Staff said internal planning and the city's own sustainability framework will continue even while federal assistance is paused.

The committee asked staff to refine future scheduling and partnership outreach to maximize volunteer participation and to bring forward potential grant or procurement options when relevant.