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Home My WebLink AboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 01/25/2021 AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR January 25, 2021 5:30 – 8:00 pm via Zoom 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:30pm 2. ROLL CALL • List of Board Members Present − Matt Tribby − Karen Artell − Emily Bitler − Wayne Chuang − Gregory Clark − Dan Welsh − Nina Forsyth − Jason Miller • List of Board Members Absent – Excused or Unexcused; if no contact with Chair has been made − Jim Dennison • List of Staff Members Present − Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison − Air Quality Team: Jason Komes, Tony Fourcroy, Selina Lujan de Albers, Megan DeMasters • List of Guests − Doug Henderson 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION a. Guest Doug Henderson stated his main interest in attending the meeting is regarding air quality issues related to oil and gas production, including emissions from Weld County. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 2 a. Wayne moved and Karen seconded a motion to approve the minutes as amended. Motion passed unanimously 8-0-0 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS a. Staff updates - Cassie Archuleta - Oil and Gas (discussion with Council) - The Council's work session to discuss oil and gas regulations will be January 26, and staff will seek feedback regarding setbacks and zoning. - Larimer County is looking at oil and gas regulations again, and will have a preliminary planning session on February 10. Oil and gas development in the county affects the City of Fort Collins because of potential impact to our growth management area and natural areas outside of City limits. - Our Climate Future (OCF) - A draft OCF plan will be discussed at a Council work session in February which will also include a high level tactical plan. Cassie pointed out that the AQAB February meeting will take place before Council's adoption of the plan and asked if the Board wanted to weigh in with a recommendation before Council votes on it. - Discussion: - The Board briefly discussed some concerns that the Our Climate Future plan includes more than just climate issues and might be too broad to be successful. Following release of a “Tactical Plan”, the Board may want to weigh in before the Council votes on the program. b. 2020 Annual Report - Matt reviewed the 2020 draft annual report that listed the issues AQAB discussed and acted upon in 2020. The report also noted that COVID shortened the number of meetings and actions the board participated in 2020. - Greg moved and Wayne seconded a motion to approve the 2020 annual report as presented. Motion passed unanimously. 8-0-0 c. Memo drafted by Karen - Karen drafted a memo on behalf of the AQAB board that congratulates the City of Fort Collins and Lucinda Smith, for several recent national awards for improving air quality. - Nina moved and Emily seconded a motion to approve the memo as presented. Motion passed unanimously. 8-0-0 AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 3 - Staff Follow up: Cassie will submit the memo to Council. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. City Air Quality Team - 2021 Work Plan - Cassie gave a brief overview of the formation of the Air Quality group within the Environmental Services Department, the Air Quality Advisory Board, and the City's Air Quality plans. - Cassie also introduced the Air Quality team staff who gave an overview of their work focus: - Ozone Causing Sources - transportation, non-road engines, and oil and gas – Cassie and Jason Komes - Current programs around these sources include anti-idling campaigns, lawn and garden equipment rebates to convert to cleaner machines, city conversion of gas vehicles to electric, efforts to provide cleaner generators for food trucks, and efforts to update oil and gas regulations. - Indoor Air Quality - Selina Lujan de Albers - The Healthy Homes program provides phone and online assessments, CAREs packages, and online volunteer training. In-home assessments have been paused because of COVID. - Radon awareness testing and mitigation provides low-cost radon kits, realtor training, energy efficiency alignment and rebates for mitigation. Receives grant from CDPHE for radon kits. - Environmental Compliance for air quality issues - Jason Komes - The City responds to general air quality complaints including nuisance complaints. - Environmental compliance actions include outdoor residential wood burning, indoor residential wood burning and fugitive dust issues. - Air Quality Monitoring - Cassie - Website - Because of the air quality issues from recent wildfires the air quality website was being updated to better assist the public to understand the status of our air quality in Fort Collins. Cassie pointed out this is a place where the AQAB can give input to make the website more understandable and useful. - Ozone - Staff has recently received new ozone data from the CDPHE indicating there are higher levels on the eastern side of town than in the foothills. Also, there will be another round of state implementation AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 4 updates coming up related to ozone non-attainment - Monitoring - Grant opportunities are being explored with various entities. Also, there is a lot of community interest in expanded air quality monitoring. - Air Quality regarding wildfire smoke - Megan - Wildfire smoke response plan - Several plans and activities have been executed or are being planned to educate and help the community protect itself against the effects of wildfire smoke. - There is an internal multi-departmental group working to develop a smoke-ready municipal policy which includes public buildings having proper air filtration systems for smoke. - Published an outdoor event guidance document reflecting danger levels for outside activities during a wildfire smoke event. - The Our Climate Future plan is also investigating how to protect those at most risk in the community regarding a home intervention program that includes energy efficiency, indoor air quality and resilience. - Discussion: - There was some discussion about staff support for Our Climate Future The Climate Team is currently developing the Climate Plan for Council's consideration. Other departments are engaging in working groups across the city to determine the plan's implications to their focus areas. b. AQAB - 2021 Work Plan - Matt led a discussion to establish 2021 AQAB work plan priorities and put them in a document that would be helpful to Council's work. The AQAB's top priorities are: - Increase electric vehicles in the City - The Board discussed increased collaboration with the Transportation Board's staff liaison and board chairs to elevate this issue to Council. - Staff follow up: Cassie will investigate the logistics of collaborations with other boards. She will also contact Operations Services regarding the municipal goal for City electric vehicles and small engines so the AQAB will know how the City's plan meshes with the AQAB's work plan. - There was discussion regarding EV goals, using long and short term strategies. - There was a request to see the 2021 work plans of other boards to see AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 5 what they are doing that might overlap with the AQAB's work plan. - Staff follow up: Cassie will send the Transportation Board work plan to the AQAB. - Board follow up - Matt asked each board member to do their own research outside of the meetings to investigate and identify measurable goals and steps for the three main AQAB 2021 goals. - Oil and Gas Regulations - The Board discussed City’s Operator’s Agreement with the current oil and gas operator expires in 2023. The current understanding is that agreement can only be re-evaluated every 5 years. Council will be discussing zoning and setbacks tomorrow. - Staff follow up - Cassie will send the results of Council's O&B discussions to the AQAB. - The Board discussed opportunities for input to the County. Members of the AQAB can advise Fort Collins City Council, and individual members can make recommendations to City Council regarding interests for County considerations, and speak on their own behalf at Larimer County meetings. - Staff follow up - Cassie will get a list of what Larimer County Commissioners and County staff discussed at their February meeting regarding timelines and priorities of oil and gas regulation and what they will be advocating for. - There was a suggestion the City pursue updating reciprocal setbacks for new development. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS a. Matt Tribby conversation with Council liaison Julie Pignataro - Matt related that their conversation was primarily about oil and gas regulations. Julie indicated there is interest in Council for strong regulations for future oil and gas production. - Karen announced there will be a joint County Commissioners and County Planning Department session on February 10, to discuss the County's direction on oil and gas regulations. 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. Future Agendas − The Air Quality staff will be submitting a 2-year evaluation document soon to AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD TYPE OF MEETING – REGULAR 1/25/21 – MINUTES Page 6 Council about the outdoor burning ordinance and would like the AQAB's input on that in February. − Discussion of a planning calendar for 2021 AQAB goals in February. − Discussion about IPPU emissions in February. − Fugitive dust discussion added to March. 10. ADJOURNMENT - 8:16 PM