Dane County  
Minutes - Final  
Environmental Council  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Wednesday, October 13, 2021  
3:00 PM  
Virtual Zoom Meeting: See top of agenda for  
instructions on how to join the webinar or call in by  
phone.  
A. Call To Order  
5 -  
Present  
Chair NATALIE EISNER, THOMAS EGGERT, PHILLIP GRUPE, JOSHUA  
KNACKERT, and LAKSHMI SRIDHARAN  
Chair Eisner called the meeting to order at 3:02pm  
Others present: Jason Behrends, Jeanne Burns-Frank, Dan Clausen, Javiera Morales  
and Michelle Probst  
B. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
C. Consideration of Minutes  
MINUTES 09.08.2021  
2021  
MIN-355  
Attachments: 2021 MIN-355  
A motion was made by EISNER, seconded by EGGERT, that the Minutes be  
approved. The motion carried by a voice vote 3-0.  
D. Reports to Committee  
•
Notification of Grant Awardees  
Probst reported that all awardees were notified, press release was sent out, and  
payments/contracts have been issued. Probst will send a report with updates from the  
applicants who were asked to provide more information, and forward the press release  
Sridharan joined the meeting at 3:05pm  
Grupe joined the meeting at 3:07pm  
E. Presentations  
Dan Clausen and Jeanne Burns-Frank from MG&E, and Jason Behrends from Heartland  
Ecological presented on the solar farms around Dane county, and how they are  
establishing pollinator habitat within the solar farm. They specifically discussed the  
O’Brian Solar Farm in Fitchburg as it is their largest at 145 acres. MG&E is looking to  
partner with US Fish & Wildlife Service or UW Solar-Pollinator project to evaluate  
success of pollinators. Currently, MG&E does not have an educational & outreach  
component to native plantings and solar. Two signs will be going in near the O Brian solar  
farm which is right off the bike path.  
DANE COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL PRESENTATION  
2021  
PRES-176  
Attachments: 2021 PRES-176  
F. Discussion Items  
•
Grant program- Feedback for next year  
Council members identified that it may have been difficult for applicants to identify  
whether they were applying as capital or community. Probst will look into groups that had  
to fix applications to see how to make the process more clear. The Council would like the  
2022 Grant Program to be back on normal schedule for Spring of 2022. Probst will  
discuss with Plant Dane and Friends Capital Improvement to see how to best coordinate  
grant programs.  
•
Communication of future Grant Program Announcements  
Probst will start a newsletter sign up on the Environmental Council Website so  
organizations can sign up to receive notifications of the grant program.  
•
Pollinator Garden maintenance at Lake View Hill Park  
Probst shared that the friends group who have agreed to maintain the pollinator garden at  
Lake View Hill Park are not a group anymore. The pollinator garden needs maintenance.  
Probst will reach out to Master Gardeners to see if this could be a volunteer opportunity  
o
New council members  
Eisner will reach out to Executive’s office on confirmation of new council member and  
county board member.  
Discussion during next meeting:  
•
Role for Council on pollinator establishment under solar or helping develop  
recommendations for pollinator mixes.  
G. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
•
•
Nov 10th –Discussion of program priorities  
Dec 8th – Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change  
H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
I. Adjourn  
A motion was made by EISNER, seconded by SRIDHARAN, that the be  
adjourned. The motion carried unanimously 5-0.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Michelle Probst, pending council approval.