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Home My WebLink About01/22/2024 - Air Quality Advisory Board - Agenda - Regular Meeting AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING Monday, January 22, 2024 5:30 – 8:00 PM (dinner for Board members and presenters served at 5:15 pm) 222 Laporte Ave | Colorado River Room (first floor) AGENDA Page 1 Meeting link for hybrid access (requires internet access): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82080203160 Phone in option: +1 719-359-4580 (Meeting ID: 820 8020 3160) 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Healthy Homes presentation; 6:00-6:45 The Healthy Homes team will present an update on the EPA grant work completed and the team’s workplan for Q1 of 2024. (Presentation and Discussion) b. Finalize Memo to Council Regarding 2024-2025 Council Priorities; 6:45-7:30 The board will finalize a memo to Council with recommendations for the 2024-2025 Council Priorities. (Decision) c. Agenda Planning; 7:30-7:45 Time permitting, the board will discuss agenda items for future meetings. (Discussion) 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS 9. OTHER BUSINESS a. 6-month Calendar review b. Agenda planning 10. ADJOURNMENT Given that City Council will be holding its retreat on January 26-27 to set its priorities for the next two years, the Air Quality Advisory Board would like to offer the following as our recommendations for air quality priorities. • Improve communication between City Council and the AQAB (and other Boards and Commissions). The AQAB understands that we are simply an advisory board, but we want to receivewould find it helpful to receive more feedback to effectively develop recommendations for City Council than a simple letter acknowledging our recommendations. There is an impression that the AQAB is just here to rubber stamp the recommendations of City staff. Members of the AQAB (and other Boards) have expressed their frustration that the Board iss are spending a lot of time and effort to address issues of concern and asked to submit send recommendations to City Council that are only acknowledged with a simple letter.then ignored. More feedback from City Council would help the AQAB to understand how to more effectively develop recommendations for City Council. • • Grow the City's indoor AQ programs - Expand the Healthy Homes program to betterfurther address address indoor AQ in Fort Collins. This could include more outreach to lower income and other disadvantaged communities, adding additional testing for theproviding information about the hazards and alternatives of air pollutants associated with the usinge of natural gas for cooking, reducing the use of NG in homes, emphasizing the importance of ventilation of natural gas appliances, and helping residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes while not degrading indoor AQ. • • Focus on achieving the City's 2026 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target (50% reduction from the 2005 emissions level) - Tthe Our Climate Future program is multi-faceted. While there are important programs that will reduce GHG emissions in the long term (e.g., transit), the immediate priority must be placed on initiatives that will achieve reduce GHG emissions sufficiently to achieve significant reductions over the next two years. Revenue from the recently passed sales tax increase should allow Council to prioritize the funding of programs that will allow Fort Collins to achieve the 2026is goal. • • Improve preparedness and outreach to deal with wildfire smoke - The City should ensure that it has in place a robust public notification program of wildfire smoke AQ impacts and designated sites for residents to seek relief from the health effects of wildfire smoke. Additionally, include wildfire risk mitigation and evacuation preparedness programs, potentially as a part of the Healthy Homes workshops. • • Address ozone production - The primary contributor to ozone formation in Fort Collins is emissions of (volatile organic compoundsarbon) emissions from oil and gas operations in Weld County, which the City cannot control. However, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sunlight are also needed for ozone to form, and NOx come from automobiles, the Rawhide Power Station, and gas-powered lawn and garden equipment. Programs that will reduce the NOx emissions from these sources can help to reduce the ozone concentrations locally, as would . stricter definitions of oil and gas operational standards. • The AQAB invites further discussion of these recommendations with City Council. 1-22-24 Environmental Justice Grant Wrap Up Heidi O’Mara, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Emily Olivo, Senior Environmental Sustainability Specialist 2Overview Lessons learned, next steps, and discussion EJEPA Grant Engagement/needs assessment Plan development Pilot Implementation Background Create a healthier community by improving indoor air quality and promoting a safe home environment through volunteer - based education and action EPA Grant Vision All Fort Collins community members have a healthy, energy efficient, and resilient home environment. Healthy Homes Mission 3 EPA Grant Objectives •Identify residential air quality and energy use needs •Assess existing program capabilities, gaps, barriers, and best practices •Update existing program processes •Develop and pilot new home assessment tools 4 While all community members are eligible, these were the priority populations for the grant: •Underserved and historically marginalized communities •Low-Moderate income (LMI) households •Older adults •Homes who have children with asthma Environmental Justice Emphasis Grant Expenses 47% 37% 10% 6% Pilot Implementation Personnel Community Engagement Workshops and other Resources 5 Grant Tasks and Timeline Program Implementation (January- December 2023) Update Housing Program Plan (July-December 2022) Assess Existing Capabilities, Gaps, Barriers, and Best Practices (October 2021- June 2022 ) Public Outreach, Engagement, and Needs Assessment (October 2021- May 2022) 6 Engagement Healthy Homes Grant Process 7 8 Recipe for Successful Community Engagement Intentionality Inclusion Time Flexibility Partnerships Trust Transparency Focus Group Recruitment 9 6 orgs helped recruit 31 participants •Low-middle Income •ESL •Hispanic/Latinx •Indigenous/Native American •Older adults •Renters 10Resources Resources Community Members Identified to Improve IEQ ✓Fan/AC for targeted temp improvement ✓New windows ✓Fixing/maintaining HVAC ✓New door ✓Furnace filters ✓New heating/HVAC system ✓PAC/humidifier ✓Air conditioning ✓Cleaning ducts ✓Insulation ✓Weatherstripping/air sealing ✓New window screens/coverings Program Design Healthy Homes Grant Process 11 12 Best Practices in Program Design DIVERSE WORK TEAM CONTINUED COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASK FOR FEEDBACK ADAPT BASED ON FEEDBACK 13Working Group Climate | Air Quality | Utilities | Neighborhood Services Community Consultants Who Adapt program to be accessible and practical Choose neighborhoods to pilot program in What What the grant did differently PROGRAM PILOT PROGRAM •Focus on Indoor Air Quality and safety •Focus on behavior and actions community member can take in their own homes •Assessments open to all community members •Recruit and train volunteer Educators for Healthy Home •Added energy efficiency and comfort •Focus on behavior and practical home interventions that will be resourced •Piloted new assessment in specific neighborhoods and to specific groups of people •Offer incentives for participation as an Educator for Healthy Homes •Connect with other partners and work with Neighborhood Connectors 14 15 Resource Single Family Home Apartment Mobile Home ✓Weatherstripping X X X ✓Air Sealing/ Weatherization X X X ✓HVAC Servicing X X X ✓Furnace Filter X X X ✓Portable Air Cleaner X X X Resources Prioritized & Aligned with Values Implementation Healthy Homes Grant Process 16 Dec ’22-Jan: Training development & Educator recruitment Jan-Feb: Healthy Homes Educator Training Mar-Dec: Pilot Program Implementation Implementation Timeline Day 1 Day 2 •Introductions •Program & Training Overview •Personal Bias •Keep it Clean •Keep it Contaminant Free •Keep it Dry 182023 Healthy Homes Training Day 3 Day 4 •Keep it Well Ventilated •Keep it Maintained •Keep it Comfortable •Assessment Process & Scheduling •Installation Demonstrations •Using the iPads & Writing Recommendations •Personal Safety •Celebration 19Healthy Homes Educator Training Everyone receives •Radon test kit •Reusable grocery bag •All-purpose natural disinfectant & skoy cloth Additional resources (as needed) •Door mat •Smoke and CO Alarms •Portable Air Cleaner and filter •Furnace Inspection & Cleaning •Weatherization services Connect to other programs •CARE •Larimer Home Improvement Program •Poudre Fire Authority (PFA) •LCCC Efficiency Assessments 20 Giveaways and Resources By the Numbers 21 17 Healthy Homes Educators and 5 Neighborhood Connectors trained 5 participant workshops held 58 Healthy Homes assessments completed 47 furnace inspections and cleanings 29 (and counting!) homes weatherized 22 •Majority of participants were over the age of 30 •Largest age bracket was 40-49 years (43%) •1/3 of participants were 60 years or older •37%identified as Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish Origin •32 of the 58 households (55%) that participated listed Spanish as their preferred language. •60% of participants earned a HS diploma or less •Majority (85%) of household incomes were less than $50,000 annually •81%mobile home park residents •Most participants owned their homes (91%) •Average household size: 3 Who did we serve? Participant Feedback 23 100% would recommend the program to others Of households where a member has asthma, 100% reported that the assessment helped control symptoms 55% rated their knowledge of indoor air contaminants as High 75% believe their IAQ has improved based on the recs received Average # of recommendations completed: 3.35 50% reported their overall health in home is now Very Good or Excellent Lessons Learned 24 Don’t try to do everything ourselves. Utilize our partnerships, Subject Matter Experts, etc. Every home and situation is unique. Be prepared to adapt and try something new. Ensuring there is language justice, representation, and time for trust building works. While there are many resources in our community, significant gaps and barriers remain. 25What’s Next? •Continue providing assessments and resources at current scope until 25 are completed. Then, continue at pre-grant scope. •Pursue funding to continue and expand this work •CDPHE Environmental Justice Grant (July ‘24 –June ’25) •Our Climate Future Mini-BFO (May –December ‘24) •Other opportunities (grants, BFO) •Expansion looks like… •Emphasizing home resiliency, energy efficiency, and safety •Continually improving our environmental justice focus and practice •Strengthening partnerships with Utilities, Neighborhood Services, and the community 26Discussion What services or resources do you think are the most important for creating healthy, safe, resilient homes? For Questions or Comments, Please Contact: THANK YOU! Heidi O’Mara (homara@fcgov.com) or Emily Olivo (eolivo@fcgov.com) 27 Recovery Plan Housing Strategic Plan EPIC Homes Our Climate Future Data Sets 29 Program Premise Locally: ►1 in 4 homes report a family member with a respiratory ailment ►Colorado is located in Zone1 for Radon ►Under-served communities are more susceptible to asthma and home health hazards ►Healthy Homes Program Video 30 HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN HEALTHY HOMES 6. 1-month Follow-up 5. Follow-up visit or call 4. Assessment completed, and gift bag provided 3. Assessment is scheduled 2. Connect community member with Staff 1. Learn about Healthy Homes program