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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 06/25/2002MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. Tuesday, June 25, 2002 For Reference: Eric Levine, Chair 229-5225 Eric Hamrick, Council Liaison 226-4824 Lucinda Smith, Staff Liaison 224-6085 Board Members Present Nancy York, Linda Stanley, Katie Walters, Everett Bacon, Eric Levine Cassie Archuleta has resigned from the board. Absent Jim Dennison, Mandar Sunthankar Conrad Van Dyke Staff Present Natural Resources Department: Lucinda Smith, Michelle Pawar, Terry Klahn Guests None The meeting was called to order at 4:40 Air Quality Board Review Comments 1. Are the current duties of the board realistic? • Yes • Would like to work with other boards • Possibility of a board summit, separate from the retreat 2. Is the board's workload about right? • Yes 3. Does the board effectively accomplish its work plan? • Yes, but is the board meeting its objective to advising the MPO? • Every time we make a motion we should add it to a running list. 4. Are board meetings conducted in an effective manner. What could be done to improve? • Some people feel they are, some feel there's room for improvement • Redundant conversations • Roberts Rules of Order should be covered at the retreat • Everyone should have read packets thoroughly before the meeting 5. Is the size of the board appropriate? • Yes 6. Are communications between the Board and Council effective? • There's some uncertainty about how Council takes recommendations and how they weigh in on the decision making. • It would be good to have the Council liaison at more meetings. • There are a couple council members who have hostile feelings toward citizen boards. • There should be discussion at the retreat to see if the meeting time can be changed to allow the council liaison to attend more meetings. • Concerned that Council did not involve boards in their discussions about term limits for board members. 7. Other comments • There's a need to work on internal relations at the retreat. • Tell Council we're considering changing the time of our meetings. Radon Mitigation in New Construction, Michelle Pawar We have written a memo recommending our intention to put together a task force that is solely dedicated to evaluating radon in the region, specifically in Fort Collins. Although there is a lot of data that substantiates radon, we don't feel confident that support exists. We would like representation from the Health District, the County and other health experts to substantiate advancing a code change regarding radon mitigation. The time frame we're looking at is the end of the year. We plan to follow the model set for SDIC. • York: Do you know how many homes are built a month? • Pawar: We can get that information. • York: There will be a couple participants from the AQAB, and homebuilders and real state people? • Pawar: We believe if we include all of them in the process we'll be more effective enforcing a code change. The County has a mandatory code in place, but there are no enforcement numbers. • Levine: The County's been doing this for three years. I've never heard of any conflict. Do you know if there's a problem? • Pawar: I don't know if it's a problem. Regionally we need to get more people on board to justify a pretty significant change to the code that will require mitigation. The reason is to have a policy put in place that is going to be enforced and supported. If we do it now, we'll run into a lot of brick walls with the community at large. If we bring them into the process as we do it, we hope to build support. • York: This is one of the examples of the problems caused when you have three year time limits. I have a long recollection of the radon issue. I find it discouraging that you want to delay it. It's like the smoking ordinance. I understand the informed consent, and that's important. I would be curious to see how many people still get testing kits. We should step up to the plate and say what's important. It's not a selective thing, all of the population would benefit. I absolutely hate this. • Pawar: In discussions with Felix, he was very concerned that in this next round of changes to the building code, there was a danger that a requirement for radon mitigation might endanger the whole process, and that we might do better standing alone. • Stanley: From a health aspect it bothers me. I hope that when you have this task force you don't have realtors saying we don't believe the health effects and not recommend it. • Levine: I was on the first task force, it was very long and grueling. I don't see any reason to do this again. The science is pretty strong, much stronger than in the first round. A lot of this has been nailed down. • York: The builders are small in number compared to the citizens. This is bending backwards for the builders and the realtors. I would recommend doing a survey of those people and find out how much they know. This delay will affect on average 3 people per house that's built from now until the end of the year. It's terrible. Air Quality Advisory Board June 25, 2002 Page 3 of 4 • Bacon: It doesn't mean those houses won't be tested. They'll still be receiving the information. I would be in favor of delaying it to make sure it's a "slam dunk". • Levine: We've done studies. That little piece of paper does very little. I do worry that if it gets delayed, now we're at Council elections again. • Pawar: The timeframe we've committed to is the end of the year, or at the very latest, the beginning of the next year. We can come back in July with a draft plan of what we're going to do. • York: There could be forums in the interim so you reach more builders and realtors. • Bacon: If there is a task force I would recommend the local chapter of the National Home and Apartment Builders. It's a good outlet. I would be happy to volunteer for the task force. Minutes The minutes of the May 28, 2002 meeting were approved as written. Short Discussion Items 1. Summary of the effectiveness of Council ordinance vs. ballot action for second hand smoke ban in other Colorado communities. Smith provided information on three communities, Boulder, Montrose, and Alamosa. 2. Discuss possible retreat on AQAB and staff roles in air quality policy planning, institutional memory, and public outreach. An email will be distributed to see what members are thinking, and get their opinions on scheduling. Late September has been discussed as a possible time frame. Term Limit Ordinance • Levine: Council is not in agreement on this. Some members of the Water Board main concern is the large ramp up time. They don't think three years is workable for their board. We heard a few comments for the status quo. • Stanley: I wish they would have gotten input from board members. They should have warned us. I'm not in favor of three year term limits. • Levine: There's some good stuff in there. It closed a loop hole where by you could be appointed for 3 years and 11 month, and still have two consecutive terms. • Stanley: I would like to see us send a memo to Council that says we wish they would have considered getting board input. I would recommend to Council that they not pass this on second reading. • Levine: I don't think I'd be in favor of it not passing, I'd like the loophole to be closed. But, there isn't a one -size fits all. • York: It also depends on the board. Maybe P&R or Golf Board could be a lesser term, but with water, air quality and natural resources the issues are a little more complicated. Linda Stanley made the following motion: Move that Eric write a memo to City Council expressing our disappointment in that they did not obtain input from Boards & Commissions about changes laid out in Ordinance 93. Some members have expressed they don't like the change from four years to three years, but that they do like the changes closing the loop hole. Wood Smoke, Lucinda Smith Smith briefly reviewed the results of the Wood Smoke Survey. • Levine: There are two types of certified units, one is dual chamber, one is a catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is 25% cleaner, but the dual chambers are ten times cleaner. • Bacon: What is the effect of lowering standards if there no teeth behind it? • Levine: Most people who are serious wood burners will be burning during the day. That's probably reflective of what's happening at night. • Smith: It would be tightening the tool box. • Stanley: When answering survey questions, do you think most citizens had enough information? • Smith: We tried to explain it. • Levine: Most burning occurs with people who use wood stoves. • Bacon: I would like to see the benefit. It doesn't seem like a huge issue. I would be interested in seeing how worthwhile pursuing these things would be. Do you get the sense that mandatory days are effective? • Smith: There's probably some social pressure. Agenda Planning Review Council six-month planning calendar — Future agendas: July -Long Range Transportation Capital Funding, — Air Quality Survey results I-25 Subarea Plan — review old recommendation — Electric energy supply policy ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. ACTION LIST — from June 25, 2002 meeting ACTION ITEM WHO BY... DONE 1. Provide summary of East Mulberry Corridor Lucinda July19 project in the Board's packet. 2. Include a running tally of Board motions for Lucinda July 19 the year on the back of each agenda 17 Provide info on how many homes are built ??? July 19 each month and number of radon kit sales 4. Initiate e-mail conversation about possible Eric/Linda/ July 8 fall Board retreat Lucinda 5. Request the FC member of the MPO TAC Lucinda July 19 provide a "heads up" to AQAB Staff liaison about any important AQ issues the MPO will address.