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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/20/2025 - AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD - AGENDA - Regular Meeting Air Quality Advisory Board Monday, October 20, 2025 5:30 – 8:00 PM 222 Laporte Ave | Colorado River Room (first floor) Meeting link for hybrid access (requires internet access): fcgov.com/aqab-teams-meeting 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS 1. Additional memos for consideration to Council 2. Board member check-ins 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Board Review of Building Performance Standards Memo to Council; 5:45-6:45 The board will review a draft memo in support of the Building Performance Standards policy in advance of the October 28th Work Session where this topic will be discussed. (Discussion & Decision) b. 2026 Workplan; 6:45- 7:45 Dan Welsh, AQAB Chair, will lead a discussion regarding the 2026 AQAB work plan. (Discussion) 8. OTHER BUSINESS ● Board Member Reports ▪ Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee (AQMAC) Update ● 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 ● Our Climate Future: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture 9. ADJOURN 1 8/25/2025 - Minutes Air Quality Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Monday, August 25, 2025 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room 1.CALL TO ORDER: 5:31 PM 2.ROLL CALL a.Board Members Present – •Mark Houdashelt (Vice Chair) •Howard Gebhart •Christina Swope •Adam Schmidt •Maria Moore (arrived late) •Michael Cheeseman (arrived late) b.Board Members Absent – •Dan Welsh (Chair) •Michael Johnson •Matt Ayres c.Staff Members Present – •Brad Smith, Fort Collins Utilities Energy Services Senior Project Manager •Marcus Coldiron, Chief Building Official •Brian Tholl, Energy Services Director d.Guest(s) – 3.AGENDA REVIEW No changes. 4.PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. 5.APPROVAL OF MINUTES – JULY 2025 Members discussed changes to the minutes. (**Secretary’s Note: The Board considered previous business prior to the approval of minutes pending a quorum.) Gebhart made a motion, seconded by Moore, to approve the minutes of the July 2025 meeting as amended. The motion was adopted unanimously with Schmidt abstaining. THE MOTION CARRIED. 2 8/25/2025 - Minutes 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS a. Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee Update Chair Welsh was not present to provide this update. b. NRAB/AQAB Collaboration on Building Performance Standards policy Vice Chair Houdashelt noted an email was received from the Chair of the NRAB indicating they are going to be writing a memo to Council regarding Building Performance Standards and inquiring as to whether the AQAB would like to send a joint recommendation. He noted the item goes to Council at the end of October; therefore, the Board would need to see a presentation from staff prior to that in order for a recommendation to be written. Lujan de Albers clarified that the ask from NRAB related to whether the AQAB would be willing to review their recommendation for alignment in messaging. Vice Chair Houdashelt commented on the last joint memo related to the budget. Members concurred they would receive the draft memo from NRAB and have a staff presentation on Building Performance Standards to determine whether the AQAB also wants to write a memo. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Building Energy Code Updates – Brad Smith, Fort Collins Utilities Energy Services Senior Project Manager Brad Smith stated this presentation relates to the Building Energy Code and the developed path to zero carbon new construction by 2030 as well as some additional Building Code updates. He briefly discussed the Building Code publication and adoption process and stated the City is currently looking to adopt the 2024 version in late 2025 or early 2026. He noted Fort Collins typically amends the Codes to strengthen them to better align with City policies and he commented on the regional alignment meetings with area municipalities and others. Smith discussed Big Move 6 in Our Climate Future which is ‘Efficient, Emissions Free Buildings,’ and the associated supporting move related to developing an energy performance path for new construction to zero carbon building by 2030. Moore stated she has been disappointed with the Our Climate Future (OCF) progress over the past ten years; however, she commended Energy Services and asked about its level of involvement with OCF. Smith replied the work of Energy Services is largely driven by the OCF priorities. 3 8/25/2025 - Minutes Members asked if embodied carbon is considered as part of this. Smith replied embodied carbon is not addressed in this Code; however, it could be incorporated in the future. He noted there is currently no standardization for calculating embodied carbon but stated embodied carbon calculation is a bit easier with concrete and steel. Smith noted there are four compliance paths under the current Energy Code: a prescriptive path, a total UA path which involves modeling the building, a simulated building performance path which is a bit more in -depth, and an ERI path and ASHRAE 90.1 for commercial buildings. He noted all paths are equally compliant and stated the City has opted to go away from an annual energy cost and move toward an energy use and carbon emissions target. He stated that has been done to increase flexibility for th e building community, increase transparency to span over three Code cycles, offer real energy outcomes, and provide data-informed decision -making. Smith also noted this effort is not a ban on gas, not the same as Building Performance Standards, not a restrictive building code approach, and also not a foregone conclusion. He discussed the definition of a zero carbon/energy building, including being energy efficient, free of on -site greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, powered by 100% non -carbon energy, and having the ability to utilize demand response for electric grid resilience. Members and staff discussed demand response and grid connectivity. Smith stated Fort Collins has developed its own Code appendix that has been layered into Code amendments, and staff has chosen to propose that Fort Collins adopt the zero-carbon commercial and residential building code appendi ces in their entirety. Moore asked if the appendices apply to existing homes or remodels. Smith replied they only apply to new construction, not to remodels. He stated it would be very difficult to comply with the appendices in the instance of a remodel or alteration. He clarified that these codes would be required to be met for a new stand-alone ADU. Moore stated it is disappointing that these requirements only apply to new construction, particularly given that this accounts for only about 5% of the city’s housing stock. Smith stated policy work is being considered to address existing buildings beyond incentive programs and clarified this step happens to be one step to address the OCF big move around new construction. Smith stated the move away from gas appliances is going to be difficult, but noted that if those appliances are chosen, builders will need to offset that choice with solar panels or other items. Marcus Coldiron, Chief Building Official, discussed the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code which was established via a State House Bill. He noted the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board was also tasked with defining and mapping the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and adopting rules for jurisdictions within the WUI. Additionally, he noted every jurisdiction that has property within the 4 8/25/2025 - Minutes WUI must adopt the Wildfire Resiliency Code by April 1, 2026, and it applies to existing and new structures. He stated the Code has to do primarily with exterior hardening and material requirements and establishing landscape buffers and ongoing maintenance requirements. He stated this Code is proposed to be adopted with the larger building code, though with an effective date of April 1, 2026. Coldiron noted most of Fort Collins does not fall within the WUI, though there are areas in the northwest and southwest that do, along with a few in the northeast and southeast. He stated the WUI area will change over time, but stated the frequency of updates has yet to be determined. Additionally, he noted jurisdictions can set their own map parameters though Fort Collins staff is proposing to initially adopt the map that the Board created to establish the WUI. Coldiron stated the main goal of these regulations is to slow the pace of burning to allow people to evacuate safely. Smith discussed the EV charging components of the Building Code, which include revised language to align with the newest Land Use Code and additional design flexibility. Coldiron provided a grid example of proposed alternatives to meet EV requirements for a new residential project that would provide 100 total parking spaces. Moore commended the work of staff and noted Fort Collins is a leader in Northern Colorado in terms of Code adoption. Smith commended the City’s Building Plan Reviewers and Building Inspectors. Moore asked how Building staff is collaborating with OCF, stating the efforts to advance OCF have been disappointing. Smith replied staff capacity is an issue and prioritization of items within the plan is important. Brian Tholl, Energy Services Director, replied it is important to remember that Our Climate Future is a community plan, and along with the accountability of its goals comes everyone’s role in the plan. Additionally, he noted there are several items not within the City’s influence, including how appliance standards advance and other federally controlled issues. He also noted it was never anticipated that the path to get to the 2030 or 2050 goals would be linear. Tholl commented on the importance of taking action as a community, despite being frustrated with progress. Vice Chair Houdashelt stated he would like the OCF team to have been more aggressive and gotten off to an earlier start. Smith stated there are ongoing efforts to work more collaboratively across departments in terms of OCF. Lujan de Albers noted work is still being done to develop a strategic funding plan for the 2050 tax revenue. She asked if the Board would be interested in inviting colleagues from FC Moves to do a presentation on Shift Your Ride in terms of emission reduction impacts. Chair Houdashelt noted there will be an all -electric cooking demonstration in 5 8/25/2025 - Minutes Denver on September 16th . Smith stated a staff member is looking at bringing that type of concept to Fort Collins in the coming months. He also commented on energy use per square foot of restaurants being tenfold that of most other commercial buildings. He noted there is a procurement factor for those offset requirements. Gebhart asked if offset requirements for new buildings could be met by making energy efficiency improvements to other existing buildings. Smith replied that that concept could be considered. He noted there is currently not enough community solar for this proposed Code to be successful. Gebhart asked about validating the models being used. Smith replied that that would be part of the work after the buildings are permitted, constructed, and occupied. He stated that futures code adaptation based on analysis would kick in if models are not validated and reiterated this effort will span three Code cycles. Swope expressed concern about the shift from a more prescriptive pathway to compliance toward a more experimental model. Smith replied it is not an experimental model and noted that over 50% of everything built in the city models for performance and has since 2012. He stated the shift proposed is from an energy cost to an energy use and carbon emission target. Vice Chair Houdashelt asked if community solar projects are completed by the City or PRPA. Smith replied the Riverside community solar garden was not originally owned or maintained by the City, but ended up participating due to some equipment failures. H e stated developers may end up having to invest in community solar given these new Code requirements. 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Board Member Reports Vice Chair Houdashelt reported on attending the recent RAQC meeting. b. Six Month Calendar Review Lujan de Albers discussed a Council item regarding radon disclosure requirements between home sellers and home buyers. Lujan de Albers noted that staff will recommend that Council repeal the City’s local ordinance to minimize redundancies and confusion with the state law that has broader requirements. In advance of presenting the repeal to Council, staff is interested in providing the board an update. Moore stated the State law is already in practice and she did not feel the Board needed to discuss the item. Vice Chair Houdashelt stated he would still be interested in hearing about the State and local regulations. c. Revisit Action Items from Previous Meetings and Preview of Next Meeting 6 8/25/2025 - Minutes Vice Chair Houdashelt noted there are a few upcoming agenda items that will need to be scheduled. Lujan de Albers requested input as to which topics should be prioritized for the next meeting. Vice Chair Houdashelt commented on the timing for items for which staff may desire memos from the Board. Members discussed upcoming items and timing. Lujan de Albers replied she would work with appropriate staff members to determine what is feasible based on the Board’s schedule. 9. ADJOURNMENT ● 8:13 pm Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 9/XX/2025 Air Quality Advisory Board and Natural Resources Advisory Board JOINT MEETING Wednesday, September 17, 2025 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room 1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:31 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present– • AQAB • Dan Welsh (Chair) • Mark Houdashelt (Vice Chair) • Howard Gebhart • Maria Moore • NRAB • Kelly Stewart (Chair) • Dawson Metcalf (Vice Chair) • Kelen Dowdy • Leslie Coleman • Sharel Erickson • Xavier Pereira • Teagan Loew b. Staff Members Present – • Selina Lujan de Albers, AQAB Staff Liaison • Honore Depew, NRAB Staff Liaison • Katherine Bailey, Utilities Energy Services Program Manager • Grant Stump, Environmental Services Lead Specialist c. Guest(s) – • Emelie Mollersten • Adam Hirschhorn 3. AGENDA REVIEW No changes. 1 09/17/2025 - Minutes 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Emily Mollertsen, stated she is a new City employee and is present to observe the meeting. Adam Hirschhorn stated he is present to expand the Boards’ knowledge base and discussed climate warming and implications on air quality and natural resources. Depew noted Mr. Hirshhorn forwarded an email to staff that will be sent on to Board Members. 5. NEW BUSINESS a. Building Performance Standards (BPS) Update Katherine Bailey, Utilities Energy Services Program Manager, stated Building Performance Standards support the Our Climate Future big move 6 related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. She noted buildings are the number one contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and most of the opportunity to improve that is in the performance of existing buildings, primarily with regulatory pathways as opposed to incentive-based pathways. Bailey stated Building Performance Standards are the single most powerful, impactful policy action that can be taken to improve the performance of existing buildings. She noted BPS requires buildings to meet carbon or energy performance targets by specific deadlines and can include multiple standards thereby allowing for flexibility. She also noted the targets become stricter over time. Bailey commented on the environmental health, physical health, and economic health benefits of BPS, many of which benefit the community as a whole. Bailey outlined some recent Council direction, including the formation of a customer journey map and a technical support pilot wherein the City partnered with building owners to explore compliance options for six covered buildings, including a technical assessment, contractor bids and/or estimated costs, and direct support to building owners. Bailey detailed the customer journey map objectives: creating a shared understanding of the BPS journey for a variety of stakeholders including City Council, City staff, building owners, property managers, and tenants, supporting a smooth and effective rollout by addressing key barriers early, complementing existing engagement and communication strategies to enhance stakeholder buy-in, and identifying potential points of friction and mitigation strategies. Bailey discussed the key themes that resulted from a review of historical documentation and engagement findings as well as interviews with building owner representatives. Those themes included the need for clear, accessible, and responsive information, uncertainty about the hidden costs of compliance, concerns about a cumbersome process, the need for timeline adjustments, planning tools, and vetted vendor lists, the importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind the policy to improve buy-in and reduce resistance, and the importance of vetting and selecting qualified contractors. Bailey showed the visual representation of the building owner representative BPS journey map and noted detailed information is available for each of the identified potential pain points and City support and mitigation strategies. AQAB Vice Chair Houdashelt noted building energy use has been monitored for some time and questioned whether building owners are truly in the dark about what to expect. 2 09/17/2025 - Minutes Bailey noted all buildings have been benchmarked per an ordinance that has been in place since 2019; therefore, all buildings that would be covered by BPS are already familiar with their current energy use. However, telling owners that they need to do something to change energy use can still be a large ask. A Board Member asked about the initial communication with building owners. Bailey replied there is an implementation guide and initial contacts will include a variety of options for people to acquire information. Bailey provided additional details on the technical support pilot, which examined six buildings: municipal (the City Spring Creek Parks Shop), multifamily, two office buildings, a mixed-use historic building, and a restaurant. She stated participating buildings were intended to demonstrate potential pathways to compliance and real-world scenarios. She noted all buildings must meet a maximum reduction cap. Bailey outlined the key takeaways from the pilot, including significant variability in costs for upgrades, variability in the recommended upgrade measures, and the fact that maximum reductions were technically feasible in all six buildings. She noted some of the pathways were easy wins, pathways exist that avoid potential legal challenges and that do not require fuel switching. AQAB Member Moore stated it seems as if much of this work should have already started given the 2030 goals and asked if the BPS will take effect next year. Bailey replied staff will be going before Council for a fourth work session next month and they may provide guidance to go to a First Reading. AQAB Member Moore recommended having different plans and thresholds for different types of buildings. She also commented on the importance of protecting small businesses in Fort Collins and encouraged leniency on penalties for small businesses. She stated she would prefer to see penalties assessed on corporate buildings and offices. Additionally, she suggested using some of the 2050 tax revenue to help subsidize improvements for small businesses. Bailey replied there are different targets for different buildings and noted buildings under 5,000 square feet are not covered, which totals about 900 buildings. She stated about 1,400 buildings are covered, and they use over 40% of the entire electricity use. She noted the smaller buildings that are covered, between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet, have a maximum reduction of 15%, which should be very achievable. Bailey noted the City was recently invited to apply for a grant of potentially up to $5 million that would specifically go to help building owners navigate BPS, including augmenting existing rebates. She also commented on a Denver pilot project’s initial findings related to most building representatives not being aware of existing financial resources which have covered an average of 40% of project costs and through navigator-style technical and financial support, participants have achieved double the required reduction on average. Bailey stated it is likely 5-8% of the total greenhouse gas reduction would occur regardless of BPS adoption given regular improvements and equipment replacement that are part of ‘business as usual.’ 3 09/17/2025 - Minutes In summary, Bailey stated BPS involves an upfront investment with gradual payback, and by 2050, rate payers in BPS covered buildings would avoid $630 million in energy costs. Additionally, she noted BPS supports positive health outcomes community-wide and reduces natural gas use through efficiency and support of strategic electrification. She stated the local BPS policy protects business owners by mitigating upfront costs and focusing on achievable goals. Bailey outlined the topics for the next Council work session, including final BPS policy framework recommendations, an extended compliance timeline, maximum reduction caps, and alternatives to prioritize expanding the incentive-based framework using 2050 tax dollars. A Board Member asked about the discussion between the desired reduction of use and the infrastructure investment still necessary to maintain levels of service. Bailey replied having enough efficiency should assist with being able to push out the time for construction of local renewables. AQAB Member Moore stated there are many things that are not costly that can be done now. A Board Member asked how wide sweeping the technical support navigator program will be and whether owners will need to apply. Bailey replied the hope is that it can be offered to everyone. NRAB Chair Stewart stated it seems both Boards are intending to submit memos on the topic prior to the next Council work session. b. Our Climate Future (OCF) Strategic Funding Plan Overview Grant Stump, Environmental Services Lead Specialist, stated the OCF Strategic Funding Plan is a strategic guidance document that can be used for priority setting and the Council budget process to help inform a strategic approach to spending 2050 tax dollars and other revenue sources. He provided some background on Our Climate Future, which is meant to guide Fort Collins toward a more sustainable future while focusing on the needs of its people. He stated OCF has three goals: an 80% below 2005 baseline level reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and 100% landfill diversion by 2030. Stump noted the 2050 sales tax was approved in 2023 with half of the dollars going to Parks, ¼ going toward transit, and ¼ going towards climate. He stated a full year of those funds is about $5 million for climate. Stump stated the purpose of the OCF Strategic Funding Plan is to create a strategic guidance document that includes a projection of the revenue coming in that funds and supports OCF efforts over the next 15 years, proposes and recommends how those funds are spent, and provides a Next Moves plan. He stated the goal is to provide the Plan by the first quarter of 2026. Stump outlined the allocation criteria process, which aims to ensure alignment of allocations with revenue forecasts and to make recommendations on the most strategic 4 09/17/2025 - Minutes allocations to achieve the community’s goals while incorporating OCF big moves and Council priorities. Additionally, he noted the allocation approach includes multiple time horizons, identification of allowable uses for funds, the inclusion of resilience, mitigation, and equity impacts, and a process for allocation recommendations. Stump identified the allowable uses for each funding stream: the climate portion of the 2050 tax, remittance fees from disposable bags, and Utilities funds for energy services. He also detailed the allocation criteria for mitigation, resilience, and equity and summarized the Next Moves Plan. He commented on upcoming key dates and next steps. Stump requested suggestions for how to connect this Plan to the broader climate initiative context and what criteria should be considered during the allocation process for air quality and natural resource impacts. NRAB Vice Chair Metcalf commented on the importance of ensuring tangible outcome items are provided in order to maintain community trust. AQAB Member Moore commented on the importance of emphasizing education and outreach. A Board Member commented on Depew’s presentation on this topic and how it emphasized how the Strategic Funding Plan would help balance the long-term pull of what is needed with short-term cycles. She stated that piece seemed to be missing a bit in this presentation. AQAB Vice Chair Houdashelt commended the long-term vision which he stated was missing in the original climate action framework. He stated he would like to see additional information about the impacts of various initiatives and expressed concern about this bridging two different Councils. He also encouraged collaboration across the City organization in terms of department buy-in and budget. Stump replied there are cross-departmental teams working on developing next moves to help with budget alignment. Depew stated the direction has been to try to create a process that is more proactive as opposed to the responsive manner in which the first couple years of 2050 tax allocations have occurred. 6. ADJOURNMENT ● 7:10 pm Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 10/XX/2024 5 09/17/2025 - Minutes Air Quality Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, September 17, 2025 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Laramie River Room 1. CALL TO ORDER: 7:17 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present – • Dan Welsh (Chair) • Howard Gebhart • Maria Moore b. Board Members Absent – • Mark Houdashelt (Vice Chair) • Christina Swope • Adam Schmidt • Michael Cheeseman • Michael Johnson • Matt Ayres c. Staff Members Present – • Emily Olivo, Healthy Homes Lead Specialist d. Guest(s) – 3. AGENDA REVIEW No changes. 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION None. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – AUGUST 2025 (**Secretary’s Note: This item could not be considered as there was not a quorum.) 6. PREVIOUS BUSINESS None. 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Board Plan of Action Chair Welsh stated he does not believe a memo is necessary for the Our Climate Future Strategic Funding Plan, though the Board could communicate any recommendations. Moore disagreed and noted the Board has been told 1 9/17/2025 - Minutes to write memos and stated she strongly feels a memo should be written regarding prioritizing some of the pathways given how far behind the City is in its goals. She stated she would like to emphasize to Council that the current position is unacceptable. She suggested two members could get together to draft a memo. Chair Welsh encouraged Moore to begin to draft a memo, but noted any final decision would need to be made with additional Board Members. Lujan de Albers noted staff is still seeking guidance and direction from Council regarding the OCF Strategic Funding Plan and decision-making will not occur until the beginning of the year. Chair Welsh stated he would revisit the earlier memo sent by the Board regarding Building Performance Standards. He suggested members could make edits via Google Docs in advance of the October meeting. Gebhart stated it seems there may be an opportunity to fast track some renovations in certain projects for Building Performance Standards. Moore noted renovations are required to meet the current Code and stated that is not sufficient. Chair Welsh commented on the difference between Building Code standards and Building Performance Standards. b. Repeal of Radon Disclosure Ordinance Emily Olivo, Healthy Homes Lead Specialist, stated the repeal of the City’s radon disclosure ordinance is set to go to Council on October 7th, and is currently on the Consent Agenda. She noted that since 1997, the City Code has required that every property seller provide radon information to the purchaser prior to the execution of any contract. She stated the radon information was defined as information that is produced and disseminated by the Office of Sustainability Services and was not specific. Olivo stated the Colorado State Senate passed a bill in 2023 which significantly expanded statewide requirements around radon disclosure and mandates that every contract for the sale of a residential property must contain a disclosure of the seller ’s knowledge of radon concentrations, including past test results, mitigation history, and any installation of radon reduction systems. She noted the law also extends the radon disclosure requirements beyond just buyer/seller situations and into landlord/tenant situations prior to the execution of a lease. Olivo stated that because the State requirements are more specific and comprehensive than the local ordinance, staff has recently switched from disseminating the City-created materials to realtors to the materials issued by the State radon office to reduce potential confusion. She stated staff was asked by the City Attorney’s Office to consider the repeal of the local radon disclosure ordinance, and subsequently, she looked through historic Access Fort Collins records for any questions or complaints related to radon 2 9/17/2025 - Minutes disclosures, and only one was found wherein a realtor was asking how the State law would interact with the local ordinance. She noted staff also checked with the City’s rental licensing program and stated some landlords have broadly questioned the new State landlord/tenant laws broadly, but not specifically the radon piece. Additionally, Olivo stated staff talked to the Fort Collins Board of Realtors and the President expressed emphatically that a repeal of the local disclosure requirement would be welcomed to eliminate confusion. Olivo stated the staff recommendation to Council is to repeal the radon disclosure ordinance. She noted there are no anticipated financial impacts of a repeal and stated education and outreach efforts regarding radon will remain. Additionally, there will be no changes to the local requirement regarding passive radon reduction systems being installed in single- and two-family dwellings after 2005. Chair Welsh stated it makes sense to eliminate confusion, but advocated for continued efforts to spread awareness about radon and mitigation efforts, though that seems to be what is planned. Olivo replied in the affirmative and announced the annual radon awareness event on October 4th at the Old Town Library. Gebhart concurred with the repeal, particularly as the State law is more comprehensive. 8. OTHER BUSINESS a. Board Member Reports Chair Welsh stated there has not been a great deal of activity with the AQMAC recently; however, there is a technical subcommittee meeting tomorrow to review some preliminary findings from a field study that occurred over the summer that helped to speciate and identify the driving factors in ozone formation on a site-by-site basis. He stated the plan for the meeting is to show how positive matrix factorization will be employed with he observations. Chair Welsh commented on some upcoming listening sessions to discuss a potential air toxics permitting program for Colorado. Additionally, he announced the upcoming Healthy by Nature fair. b. Six Month Calendar Review c. Revisit Action Items from Previous Meetings and Preview of Next Meeting 9. ADJOURNMENT ● 8:04 pm 3 9/17/2025 - Minutes Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 9/XX/2025 4 9/17/2025 - Minutes Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, For the City to achieve its ambitious greenhouse gas goals and mitigate potential air quality impacts, the Air Quality Advisory Board (AQAB) recommends adopting the Building Performance Standards (BPS) policy, with only delays to the previously established timeline that are deemed absolutely necessary. AQAB understands that BPS is a complex matter, and that adoption requires careful planning and implementation. However successful and timely adoption remains critical to reducing the energy burden of our community while protecting the health and safety of our residents, economy, and environment. Reductions in demand for energy production will decrease emissions of ozone precursors and help to improve outdoor air quality. Improvements to buildings’ heating and ventilation (HVAC) systems will also assist in improving indoor air quality. These benefits, along with associated decreases in generation and emission of various greenhouse gasses, will serve to support Council Priority 6: Reduce climate pollution and air pollution through best practices; and Our Climate Future’s Big Move 6: Efficient, emissions free buildings. During the BPS pilot project conducted by City staff, and the subsequent review of the requirements of the proposed policy, concerns were raised about the feasibility, financial burden, and timeline for achievement. In response to these concerns, changes were made to the proposed policy. The updates to the proposed BPS policy include: ● Caps for required reductions in energy use to ensure goals are achievable ● Accessible information on rebates, incentives, and financing options to address increasing costs ● Phased approach to implementation in order to accommodate participant needs The adoption of Building Performance Standardswill expedite positive changes to qualifying structures and accelerate the increase in building’s energy efficiency that are necessary for meeting the City’s climate and air quality goals. AQAB strongly urges City Council to implement the policy changes recommended within the BPS proposal. Very Respectfully, The Air Quality Advisory Board Work Plan City of Fort Collins Air Quality Advisory Board 2025 Work Plan The Air Quality Advisory Board’s (AQAB’s) primary purpose is to advise the Fort Collins City Council on policies, plans, programs, and ordinances that impact the City’s air quality. The structure, functions, and requirements for Board and Commissions are described in Article III of Chapter 2 of the City Code. A more detailed statement of the Board’s purpose and function is available in Section 2-103. The AQAB may also coordinate with and advise other City boards, City staff, and regional authorities on air quality issues. When appropriate, the AQAB will advise City Council on any opportunities that may arise for the City to participate in and influence air-quality- related decisions affecting Fort Collins but falling under the jurisdiction of county, regional, state or national air quality authorities. Regional issues of particular importance include: ● Ozone mitigation ● Air quality monitoring (e.g., ozone precursors, methane, air toxics, particulate matter) ● Climate change mitigation and adaptation ● State legislation and regulations ● Emissions from oil and gas operations Expected AQAB Work Plan Tasks for 2025: ● Provide input to City staff and advise City Council on policies and programs related to the Our Climate Future plan's goals and implementation, including its greenhouse gas mitigation, zero waste and renewable energy goals for 2026, 2030 and 2050, and its environmental justice and climate resiliency initiatives. ● Support City staff and develop recommendations to improve indoor air quality, especially through enhancements to the City's Healthy Homes Program. This could include: o expanded testing and mitigation for radon; o reducing the use of natural gas for heating, hot water, and cooking; and o eliminating exposure to emissions of harmful chemicals commonly found in household products. ● Provide recommendations to City Council and staff regarding programs that impact outdoor and/or indoor air quality, such as: o Building Performance Standards and building electrification; o mitigating the effects of wildfire smoke through safety and preparedness; o update of 2019 Air Quality Plan; o investigating regulatory approaches to promote the electrification of lawn and garden equipment; and o protecting, managing, and enhancing the City's urban forest. ● Support City goals for improvement of outdoor air quality and greenhouse gas reduction due to energy generation by reviewing current and proposed operations at Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) and supporting operations that align with City/Council priorities. ● Advise on ways to reduce air pollution from the City’s transportation systems. ● Examine ways for the City to improve public outreach and education to better inform the public about air quality conditions and their health impacts, grow public support for air quality improvement programs and incentivize behavior change that improves indoor and outdoor air quality and public health. ● Advise City Council on midcycle budget offers related to air quality and climate change. ● Maintain connection with the Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee. ● Advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations to protect against the health impacts of air pollution. ● Address unanticipated air quality issues and respond to requests from City Council for advice on any air quality relevant topics.