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Home My WebLink About09/16/2024 - NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD - AGENDA - Regular Meeting (2) Natural Resources Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING – September 16, 2024 Location: 215 N. Mason Rm 1A and via Zoom - https://fcgov.zoom.us/j/96821647949 7:00 CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL 1. AGENDA REVIEW 2. COMMUNITY MEMBER PARTICIPATION 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 4. NEW BUSINESS 7:10-7:30 Council Memos: Budgeting for Outcomes & Urban Forestry Strategic Plan The board will consider taking formal action to approve the joint memos, discussed during the prior joint meeting with AQAB, related to the City of Fort Collins 2025-26 budget and Urban Forestry Strategic Plan. If discussed during the prior joint meeting, the board will select and vote on a representative to speak at the public budget hearings. (Action) 5. OTHER BUSINESS / UPDATES  Board Member Reports  Six Month Calendar Review https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/planning-calendar.php  Revisit action items from previous meetings & preview of next meeting City Websites with Updates:  Air Quality Advisory Board webpage: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/boards/air-quality-advisory  Natural Resources Advisory Board webpage: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/natural-resources.php  Our Climate Future: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture 6. ADJOURN Page 1 7/17/2024 – MINUTES Natural Resources Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, July 17, 2024 – 6:00 PM 222 Laporte and Via Zoom 1. CALL TO ORDER: 6:04 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present – • Dawson Metcalf (Chair) • Kelly Stewart (Vice Chair) • Lisa Andrews • Kelen Dowdy • Teagan Loew • Todd Simmons • Matt Zoccali • Sara LoTemplio b. Board Members Absent – • Barry Noon c. Staff Members Present – • Honoré Depew, Staff Liaison • Renee Colton • Micah Waters d. Guest(s) – • Dan Welsh, AQAB Chair 3. AGENDA REVIEW Chair Metcalf reviewed the agenda. 4. COMMUNITY MEMBER PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (June) Andrews made a motion, seconded by Simmons, to approve the June meeting Page 2 7/17/2024 – MINUTES minutes. The motion was adopted 7-0. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Our Climate Future Background Honoré Depew, Senior Manager for Environmental Sustainability, will provide an overview of Our Climate Future (OCF) goals and strategies, related City Council priorities, and the 2050 tax for climate funding approved by Fort Collins voters in November of 2023. (Discussion) Depew discussed the OCF strategic alignment with strategic objective ENV 1 and noted OCF does have a broad vision that cuts across all aspects of sustainability with a focus on equity and resilience. Depew stated the goals of OCF include greenhouse gas emissions reduction, 100% renewable electricity by 2020, and zero waste, or 100% landfill diversion by 2030. Andrews asked if the 2030 goal is city-wide. Depew replied in the affirmative. A member asked about the current percentage of renewable electricity. Depew replied it is less than 50%, which is why the ownership of Platte River Power Authority is so important. Depew further detailed the OCF ‘big moves’ and noted OCF attempted to expand what climate action means, including mitigation, resilience, and equity. Depew also outlined the OCF guiding principles including that we all share responsibility for Our Climate Future, injustices have the same root cause, governments are accountable for injustices, and equitable solutions are best. Additionally, Depew discussed the City-led and Community-led aspects of the plan as well as Co-led aspects. Depew discussed the emissions forecast and pathways to the 2030 goal, which include electricity, buildings, industrial manufacturing, transportation, waste, and land use. Additionally, Depew discussed the pathways toward the zero waste goal, including construction and demolition materials recycling, food scraps and yard trimmings composting, and industrial materials recycling. Zoccali discussed the mitigation aspect and stated that term relates to long- term vulnerability reduction, including building and sustaining resilient systems, resilient communities, critical infrastructure, and key resource lifelines. Zoccali stated the slide was presented in terms of drawing down emissions in response to mitigation, which he stated feels like an outcome of taking mitigation measures. He asked what mitigation actions are being discussed for the community. Depew stated mitigation specifically is drawing down emissions, such as reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. He stated the items described by Zoccali fall under resilience or adaptation measures. A member asked about the Platte River Power Authority’s breakdown for Page 3 7/17/2024 – MINUTES renewables. Depew replied there is currently a public meeting being held where PRPA is describing its Integrated Resource Plan, part of which is to include a methane or natural gas power plant to accommodate calm or dark times. He stated he does not know the exact breakdown, but could provide that information. Zoccali stated the Natural Areas Department is going through its strategic framework planning and asked if nature-based solutions for resilience that might include Natural Areas are being considered. Depew replied the biosolids from the wastewater treatment plant have been dried and land applied at Meadow Springs Ranch for a number of years. He stated the study of carbon sequestration in land use planning is part of the conversation, but he was unsure if it has been targeted as a key strategy. Depew provided an overview of the adopted Council priorities related to climate issues and described areas of focus currently being worked on: building electrifications, electric vehicle readiness in addition to active modes, the conversion of small equipment to electric, addressing the missing infrastructure to help meet the zero waste goal, work around indoor and outdoor air quality, and work around implementing the Active Modes Plan and Vision Zero. b. Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) 2025-26 BFO Timeline and Process Overview. (Discussion) Depew outlined the Budgeting for Outcomes priority-based process which is focused on seven community outcome areas: neighborhood and community vitality, culture and recreation, economic health, environmental health, safe community, transportation and mobility, and high performing government. Depew discussed the timeline of each two-year budget process and outlined the budget revenue sources and community engagement options. Chair Metcalf stated the notion behind having a joint meeting with the Air Quality Advisory Board is to create a joint memo to advocate for funding priorities. Depew noted the Budget Office has indicated this will not be a significant growth year in terms of revenue available for new projects and enhancement offers based on revenue projections. However, he noted the new 2050 tax approved by voters will generate roughly $20 million a year, half of which will go toward Parks and Recreation, 25% toward transit, and 25% toward advancing greenhouse gas and air pollution reduction to meet the city’s 2030 goal of 100% renewable electricity, and the 2050 community-wide carbon neutrality goal. A member asked if the tax dollars can fund staff positions or if they must go toward projects, programs, or infrastructure. Depew replied the dollars can go toward staff positions and the spirit of the new revenue is to scale, accelerate Page 4 7/17/2024 – MINUTES and innovate, as well as to be more proactive rather than reactive. Chair Metcalf suggested the Board discuss the offers related to the three main community outcome areas of most interest to the Board: environmental health, transportation and mobility, and neighborhood and community vitality. Zoccali stated he sorted the offers in those three outcome areas and noted he removed ongoing offers from this list. Board members reviewed and discussed offers related to environmental health, including those related to the use of smart technology to enable a ‘virtual power plant’ and Nature in the City, among others. A member asked if it is expected that most of these offers will be funded. Depew replied it is likely to be a lean year; however, there are dedicated funding sources for certain items. Zoccali commented on the importance of transparency in the budget process and members continued to discuss various budget offers, including those related to the EPIC Home Loan program, the removal of phosphorus from wastewater, a revamp of the study related to what is in trash and what could be diverted, and air quality monitoring. Depew discussed the plastic bag ordinance expansion and associated revenue generation which will fund the conversion of a contractual position to a full-time position. He also discussed other budget offers related to staffing in the environmental health outcome area. A member noted the state recently mandated small equipment be replaced with electric versions and asked if the budget offer related to that is a result. Depew replied the new statewide mandate does require local governments to convert away from gas-powered lawn and garden equipment; however, Fort Collins has been making those conversions for a number of years and is ahead of the curve in terms of compliance with that mandate, though it is still a high priority for a number of reasons. Members discussed offers related to neighborhood and community vitality, including one related to making critical building envelope upgrades, specifically in mobile home communities. Members then discussed offers related to transportation and mobility, including those related to Safe Routes to School, bicycle infrastructure, the Shift Your Ride program, sidewalk and bus stop accessibility, the Vision Zero Action Plan, and a transit station project for Elizabeth and Overland, among others. Chair Metcalf stated he and Vice Chair Stewart will have a discussion with the leadership of the Air Quality Advisory Board to discuss overlapping interests in preparation of the joint meeting. Page 5 7/17/2024 – MINUTES 7. OTHER BUSINESS • Board Member Reports  None • Preview of proposed joint meeting of NRAB and AQAB  Discuss shared priorities between work plans  Please review the Air Quality Strategic Plan  Formation of a possible joint memo regarding the budget items  Potential date is August 19th • Six Month Calendar Review https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/planning-calendar.php • Revisit action items from previous meetings & preview of next meetings City Websites with Updates: • Natural Resources Advisory Board webpage: https://www.fcgov.com/cityclerk/natural- resources.php • Our Climate Future: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture 8. ADJOURNMENT a. 8:21 pm Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on XX/XX/XX