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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD - MINUTES - 03/20/2024 Page 1 3/20/2024 – MINUTES Natural Resources Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, March 20, 2024 – 6:00 PM 222 Laporte and Via Zoom 1. CALL TO ORDER: 6:00 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present – • Kelly Stewart (Vice Chair) • Barry Noon • Lisa Andrews • Danielle Buttke (arrived late) b. Board Members Absent – • Dawson Metcalf (Chair) • Matt Zoccali c. Staff Members Present – • Honoré Depew, Staff Liaison d. Guest(s) – • Xavier Pereira 3. AGENDA REVIEW Vice Chair Stewart reviewed the agenda. 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION Xavier Pereira commented on reviewing the Our Climate Future plan and asked about the crossover between efforts and what is being done in terms of leveraging efforts that are symbiotic with one another. He specifically discussed building/construction waste. Noon stated the issue of construction and remodeling waste is quite relevant and commented on the amount of waste produced by a project near his home. Depew noted there is a City ordinance that requires the separation and recycling of four easily recyclable construction and demolition waste materials: wood, concrete/aggregate, metal, and cardboard. He noted a form must be submitted to demonstrate compliance, though compliance is an ongoing challenge particularly with Page 2 3/20/2024 – MINUTES smaller projects that may not have room for separate receptacles. Additionally, he noted Larimer County has applied for a grant to fund a construction and demolition facility that could separate recyclable materials. Depew stated Our Climate Future has attempted to champion looking at how different initiatives and aspects of sustainability, climate, air quality , water, and waste all fit together and how they can complement one another. He noted Our Climate Future helps organize and provide a strategic framework for prioritizing different initiatives. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (February) Members commented on the level of detail provided in the minutes and concurred it has been adequate. Given the lack of quorum, approval of the February minutes will be moved to the April agenda. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Building Performance Standards – Katherine Bailey (Project Manager) will provide an overview of Building Performance Standards (BPS) and ongoing policy development work in advance of an April 23rd City Council Work Session. BPS are considered the most powerful and direct tool for driving improved performance in existing buildings and are the most impactful direct policy action the City can take to reduce emissions by 2030 while addressing health, safety, comfort, resilience, and air quality in the built environment. (Discussion) Katherine Bailey, Project Manager, stated Building Performance Standards (BPS) is a policy development process currently underway at the City. She noted it ties into Our Climate Future as one of its main goals is an 80% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction by 2030 target. Bailey noted the current plans only show a 76% reduction which makes every effort important to implement. Bailey outlined the areas of opportunity for reaching the 80% GHG emissions reduction, including buildings and the need to improve the performance of existing buildings. Depew clarified the current greenhouse gas inventory shows about 2/3 of emissions being related to buildings and ¼ related to transportation. Bailey outlined the direct, or regulatory, versus incentive measures , and noted BPS are regulatory. She stated Building Performance Standards are the most powerful direct policy action the City can take to reduce emissions by 2030 and the impact of BPS would be only slightly less than all other efficiency programs combined. Noon asked how the BPS policy would be kept viable if City leadership were Page 3 3/20/2024 – MINUTES to change. Bailey replied the standard requirements would be written into Municipal Code as law if they are adopted by Council. She noted there is a great deal of community support for Our Climate Future . Bailey stated there are a number of positives that go along with building efficiency, including health, safety, comfort, resilience, reduced energy burden, economic growth, increased competitiveness, higher building occupancy and tenant retention, increased productivity of occupants, mitigating utility impacts of rising temperatures, and improved indoor and outdoor air quality. Additionally, Bailey noted all of these positives will be more impactful to vulnerable communities that are least able to prepare for and recover from the negative impacts of climate change. Noon asked if there is more the City and community can do to better mitigate the pains that are going to be experienced by those without air conditioning. Bailey replied BPS, at its root, is a mitigation strategy, but it is also adaptation to future proof buildings. She noted the proposed BPS would not cover single - family homes or mobile homes, but would apply to multi-family buildings that are three or more stories above grade. Bailey stated the plan is to ensure BPS work with larger properties first, then the program could be expanded to smaller properties. Depew noted there are a number of programs specifically targeting low- and middle-income housing, especially manufactured home communities in terms of small grants or direct investments in efficiency upgrades that represent both opportunities to reduce emissions and provide adaptation and improved indoor air quality for residents. Bailey noted Building Performance Standards are already on Council’s Our Climate Future action roadmap and staff has put into place tools necessary to get started as soon as the standards are adopted. She stated Building Performance Standards, at their highest level, are any sort of target around the performance or efficiency of existing buildings which center on flexibility for the building owners and for the jurisdictions which vary in terms of buildings and goals. Bailey stated all buildings start at different levels of relative efficiency, but all must meet the same goal by the same timeline, usually with an interim target. She noted Denver, Boulder, Aspen, and the state of Colorado have all adopted Building Performance Standards, and the state’s requirements apply to buildings 50,000 square feet and above, about 200 of which exist in Fort Collins. Additionally, there are federal Building Performance Standards and the National BPS Coalition is the White House led initiative to get jurisdictions to agree to adopting BPS, which Fort Collins joined in 2022 as one of the inaugural jurisdictions to sign on. Bailey outlined the components of work that have led to this point, including the formation of an internal stakeholder group, a task force of industry experts , and a technical committee which is a body of volunteers with deep expertise in building science and is supported by a consultant who has experience doing Page 4 3/20/2024 – MINUTES this work in other jurisdictions. Noon asked who bears the cost of addressing these additional requirements. Bailey replied we are currently in an unprecedented time of having federal dollars available to support efficiency projects. Additionally, the City already has a strong incentive program. She noted efficiency is the lowest hanging fruit of decarbonization because it is cheap; it is cheaper to save energy than to buy more energy. Bailey outlined the equity engagement that occurred with community-based organizations and subsidized affordable housing providers. She outlined the work of the Climate Equity Committee which includes a number of City plans and policies, including Building Performance Standards. Bailey noted staff will be asking Council for a 2027 interim target and she outlined the specific recommendations from the task force to cover commercial and multi-family buildings 5,000 square feet and above with the cohort of buildings 5,000-10,000 square feet having more attainable targets and timelines. In terms of measuring efficiency, Bailey stated energy use intensity (EUI), or how much energy is used per square foot of a building compared to other like buildings, is being measured. Additionally, she noted the EUI’s of all of the buildings are already known due to the City’s benchmarking requirement. Bailey noted resources and offramps were identified as being important and a large amount of education must be available to building owners in order for this to be implementable. She stated compliance with BPS is obligatory but noted the ability to apply for target and timeline adjustments will be part of the BPS. Bailey also noted additional resources will be available for under resourced buildings, which the task force defined an under resourced building as a building that has less of the resources necessary to comply than other like buildings. Andrews asked if the building modifications will include things like insulation and roof and window repair. Bailey replied in the affirmative and stated beyond 2030, things such as equipment replacement will be considered. She stated the methodology being used for target setting is the same as that used in other jurisdictions for interim targets because it cannot be assumed that much equipment will need replacement between now and 2030. Vice Chair Stewart commented on the importance of maintaining affordability. Bailey replied it is a concern; however, many building owners have identified a split incentive with most multi-family in that tenants have lower utility bills and owners fund the improvements; therefore, the hope is that rents will not be increased any more than utility bills will go down. She also commented on pushing long-term financing structures which would live with the building rather than the owner. Page 5 3/20/2024 – MINUTES Andrews asked if something like that would make it more difficult to sell a building. Bailey replied in the negative noting the efficiency improvements increase property values and the younger generation values sustainability and is willing to invest in that goal. Bailey outlined the next steps for Council, including the April 23 rd work session and subsequent hearings for adoption, the dates of which will depend upon Council’s direction at the work session. Depew noted the Board could not take formal action given the lack of quorum; however, Bailey could include the draft minutes from the meeting in her Council packet. Bailey stated the hope is that any pushback is a conversation about resources and how the program can be implemented, not whether the program will be implemented. b. Regional Wasteshed Update: Intergovernmental Agreement and Next Steps – Honoré Depew (Climate Program Manager) will provide context and seek feedback for a March 26th Council Work Session to discuss approaches to regional collaboration supporting the Council priority to Accelerate Zero Waste Infrastructure and Policy, including a request from Larimer County to suspend an intergovernmental agreement. (Discussion) Depew noted the NRAB has a history of being the Board that considers anything related to waste and recycling. Noon asked who developed the word ‘wasteshed.’ Depew replied the term was developed with the idea that waste does not know borders, much like water, and adheres to geography patterns, economics, and political boundaries if there are specific rules in place. Depew noted this item will be considered by Council at its upcoming work session and this is a precursor to the overall Council priority related to Zero Waste Infrastructure and Policy and is spurred by an understanding of the critical relationship between the City and Larimer County as well as other regional governments. He stated staff will specifically be asking Council if it would like to suspend an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that was put in place several years ago, will be seeking Council’s fee dback around what staff should most focus on when looking at solutions for missing infrastructure for things like construction and demolition waste and food scraps, and will be asking Council if it is interested in getting into this in more detail with the County Commissioners. Noon asked who would take the initiative to approach the County Commissioners about engaging in this topic. Depew replied they have already suggested that might be a necessary next step as there is a policy advisory committee for the Regional Wasteshed Coalition made up of some elected Page 6 3/20/2024 – MINUTES officials from each body; however, it has not been functioning at the most optimal level lately and this year, the County has put those meetings on hiatus until the IGA is fully suspended. Additionally, Depew noted four of the five communities have voted to also suspend the IGA making Fort Collins the only one that has yet to take that step. He stated there are some restrictions in the IGA that are making the County unable to move forward in the initiatives it would like. Depew discussed the EPA waste hierarchy that has been adopted by Council and is part of City Code that represents the highest and best use of waste and places reduction ahead of recycling and recycling and composting ahead of energy recovery with landfill being the least desirable. Depew noted the previous Council adopted a zero waste goal by 2030, and the current status, as of a couple years ago, shows an overall diversion rate of 52%, which includes industrial recycling, with the residential rate around 30%. Amy King, Environmental Services Director, noted the intergovernmental agreement is the next step in the larger conversation with Council related to regional wasteshed. Depew noted the Larimer County Landfill will be reaching capacity at some point in 2025 and noted the County has accumulated tens of millions of dollars in landfill tipping fees over the years and has had enough of a fund balance to be able to commit to investing in new infrastructure, including the development of a new landfill. Additionally, a thorough Solid Waste Infrastructure Master Plan was developed that included analysis of dozens of different types of facilities and infrastructure that could help support the needs of the region. Recommendations from the Master Plan were broken into three tiers for facilities with those around diversion ranked the highest. Depew stated each of the communities adopted the shared intergovernmental agreement which set up a commitment from the communities to send material to the County-built facility, specific to construction and demolition material with the possibility of expansion. The agreement specifically precluded flow control, the requirement that certain materials go to certain facilities, for general waste, which was a sticking point for the County. Additionally, the agreement included specific dates by which facilities were expected to be constructed that have now passed. Depew noted there was some discussion of amending the agreement; however, the County would like to suspend it and start afresh. Noon noted it would be a positive thing if the waste stream was decreasing over time which makes the guaranteed material going to the facilities an interesting paradox. Caroline Mitchell, Lead Specialist for Waste Reduction and Recycling, noted California has been a leader in waste reduction and recycling and has dealt with these issues before most other states. She stated the model wherein the diversion infrastructure is funded based off the landfill revenue creates somewhat of a ‘death spiral’ of fundin g. She stated all Page 7 3/20/2024 – MINUTES of the diversion facilities were modeled to be stand alone and not to have to be funded or subsidized through the landfill in the original plan as the use of the landfill as the sole funding hub is a problematic model. Depew noted recycling and composting are not free and in Fort Collins those costs are bundled with trash collection. He commented on the current facilities and services offered by the County and discussed the three tiers of facilities recommended in the Master Plan: diversion focused facilities, more innovative solutions for food scraps such as anaerobic digestion, and waste to energy conversion which landed in the third tier of facilities as being the least desirable and least feasible, primarily from a cost perspective. Andrews asked if there is currently a timeline for the formation of tier one and two facilities. Depew replied that w as roughly outlined in the Solid Waste Master Plan and was reflected in the intergovernmental agreement; however, there have been a lot of changes to the regional market, the way that waste is being hauled, and in personnel, leading to some changing priorities. Depew noted the County is working on a new landfill near the Rawhide Power Plant and is planning a transfer station, which would be a facility that could receive different types of waste likely at the location of the current landfill which would allow for the consolidation and transport of waste to the new landfill site, or extract as much recyclable and compostable materials as possible prior to going to the landfill. Depew noted the County has also been exploring some additional uncertain options, including relationships with four diversion partners, two of which involve some type of waste to energy in their overall portfolios, though none of which include composting of food scraps. Noon noted he is on the County Environmental Advisory Board which received a presentation regarding the four competing diversion partners six to eight months ago and asked if any progress has been made. Depew replied his understanding is that the County is still exploring options and is trying to understand the dynamics and relation to other communities. Mitchell stated there are no details available as to the status of the County’s discussions with any of the four potential diversion partners. Depew commented on the construction and demolition recycling and sorting facility that would hopefully allow for construction companies to take a container of mixed waste from a construction site to be sorted and recycled; however, at this point, the County has indicated that facility’s construction is dependent on receiving a state grant to move it forward. Depew further discussed the current intergovernmental agreement, the suspension and ultimate termination of which the County has requested as the work laid out in the IGA is not being completed. He reiterated that four of the five of the signatories have moved to put the IGA into abeyance . He also stated the County has not given a clear outline or timeline of what would replace the current IGA and when. Page 8 3/20/2024 – MINUTES Noon noted that while no agreement is being reached, waste flow does not stop, and the current landfill is reaching capacity very soon. He stated that would suggest some degree of urgency to reach an agreement. Depew replied there is a great deal of urgency being expressed by the County in terms of trying to ensure its new investments in the landfill , transfer station, and possibly more diversion facilities, are worthwhile as they are dependent on a certain amount of material flowing to those facilities. He noted the County is also requesting exploring flow control for Fort Collins garbage for the new landfill to ensure the facility is financially viable. Noon asked what other facilities would be options. Depew replied there are privately owned landfills around Northern Colorado, including one in Ault. Depew outlined considerations staff will be providing to Council for the intergovernmental agreement which range from option one to comply with the County’s request to suspend the agreement to no action with some options in between. Noon commented on the issue with having a minimum tonnage requirement for Fort Collins to provide to the landfill given the desire to reduce waste . Depew replied that is one of the main criticisms of instituting infrastructure for waste to energy conversion, because those types of facilities do require a minimum tonnage in order to function. Depew provided additional information on flow control noting there is an element that requires the facility receiving the material to be publicly owned and beneficial; it becomes problematic if a community institutes flow control and the material goes to a privately owned facility. He stated the County has been requesting flow control for the City’s waste materials, specifically the portion of the waste stream that is governed by the new residential single - hauler contract. He stated staff is recommending the inclusion of the flow control discussion as one element of all the options that can help support accelerating zero waste pathways toward infrastructure and policy. Depew summarized the recommended next steps based on the discussion at the work session and discussed the questions staff will be asking Council. 7. OTHER BUSINESS • Board Member Reports ▪ None • NOTE: April NRAB Meeting Location Change – City Hall, 300 Laporte Avenue ▪ Depew noted he discussed holding the April meeting in an all-remote fashion with Chair Metcalf and Vice Chair Stewart. He noted it will be the first meeting with new members and Councilmember Ohlson will be attending. ▪ Vice Chair Stewart suggested waiting until the next agenda planning meeting to decide if the April meeting will be fully remote. Page 9 3/20/2024 – MINUTES ▪ Depew concurred and stated the April meeting will then either be remote or in the CIC Room at City Hall. • 2024 Super Issues Meetings of Fort Collins Boards and Commissions will be held at the Lincoln Center. The dates are as follows: ▪ Monday, March 25 (Columbine Room) ▪ Vice Chair Stewart stated she and Chair Metcalf will be attending. ▪ Andrews stated she will also attend. ▪ Depew stated he would like members to connect with members of the Air Quality Advisory Board as there may be an opportunity for a joint meeting between the boards. ▪ Monday, June 10 (Founder’s Room) ▪ Monday, September 9 (Founder’s Room) • In-person training for new Board and Commission members to take place in Council Chambers on April 8th and April 22nd. Current members welcome to attend. ▪ Required: Code of Conduct and the Anti-Discrimination and Anti- Harassment Policy. • Depew noted this is Buttke’s last meeting after seven years on the Board and he thanked her for her service and contributions. • Six Month Calendar Review https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/planning -calendar.php ▪ Forestry Strategic Plan and Regional Wasteshed Intergovernmental Agreement at next work session ▪ Water Supply Requirements ▪ 2024 mini BFO looking at 2050 voter-approved sales tax that can fund climate related items ▪ Building Performance Standards ▪ Summary work plans for Council priorities ▪ Budgeting process ▪ Water Efficiency Plan • Revisit action items from previous meetings & preview of next meeting ▪ FC Moves presentation potentially in May ▪ Unresolved as to joint meeting with AQAB ▪ April meeting: ground and welcome new members, review the work plan, and meet with Councilmember Ohlson ▪ Board elections will be moved to June if May meeting is joint with AQAB ▪ Future Topics: Natural Areas Strategic Plan , priority around Accelerating Zero Waste Policy and Infrastructure, Poudre River Health Assessment ▪ June meeting is being proposed to be moved due to Juneteenth holiday ▪ Noon stated most fundamental natural resources are air and water and suggested a discussion with staff around water quality issues and trends in water availability and water quality Noon suggested reading the Poudre River Health report City Websites with Updates: • Natural Resources Advisory Board webpage: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/natural - Page 10 3/20/2024 – MINUTES resources.php • Our Climate Future: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture 8. ADJOURNMENT a. 7:56 pm Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 04/17/2024.