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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 06/05/2002MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE June 5, 2002 For Reference: Randy Fischer, NRAB Chair - 226-5383 Ray Martinez, Council Liaison - 416-2154 Michelle Pawar, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present Kelly Ohlson, Reagan Waskom, Steve Ryder, Nate Donovan, Linda Knowlton, Phil Murphy Board Members Absent Randy Fischer, Don Rodriguez, Arvind Panjabi Staff Present Natural Resources Dent: Terry Klahn, Mark Sears, Michelle Pawar, Jim Miller, Donna Dees, Crystal Strouse, Byron Elliott, Matt Parker, Margit Hentschel CPES Admin: Tom Vosburg Guests Allison Quaid, ICLEI Mike Wennuth Agenda Review No changes. NRD Staff Introductions Matt Parker, Jim Miller, Donna Dees, Byron Elliott, and Crystal Strouse provided brief professional background information, and detailed the responsibilities of their positions. Kelly Ohlson said he feels that the technicians are mislabeled, and based on the work they do compared to other City classifications, under -compensated. He also feels that hourly employees who have been with the City for an extended period of time should be made regular full time employees with benefits. Sustainability Inventory, Margit Hentschel, Allison Quaid Quaid provided a brief background of ICLEI and her responsibilities. She said ICLEI has worked hard to define sustainable development into three areas, 1) managing resources in the ecological limits, 2)is there a vibrant economy, and 3) is there a sense of place? She said this project is working on a sustainable inventory. There are numerous guided questions in sixteen different categories. When I came three weeks ago I met with different groups and asked them what sustainability means to them. Because the inventory was created for a national template it has to be tailored down for a local government. Staff looked at questions to see if they are relevant and accurate. • Ohlson: Do you have a definition of a vibrant economy? • Quaid: Yes, are employees getting a livable wage, are there job training programs, what is the distribution of income, is there a diverse economy, and what are the housing opportunities. • Ohlson: Do you look at both aspects of water, potable and water bodies? • Quaid: We look at water quality, treatment of wastewater, capacity of the water shed, and is there water to service the population now, and in the future. • Ohlson: Another aspect is not having more and more of less and less species, such as song birds. Do you look at wildlife in general? • Quaid: We have a whole section on biological resources. Does the city have an inventory, are there health problems due to wildlife disease? We try to see what the biological resources are, and how the city is managing them. • Ohlson: Is it too late for input? I would urge you to do more on wildlife. • Ohlson: Will this be going out to the public? • Pawar: We hadn't planned to do that. Because of what we paid, and the way the contract is set up it's for internal use. We cant afford to do the outreach ourselves. • Ohlson: What's our timetable for input? • Quaid: I'll be trying to finish the inventory by the end of July. • Hentschel: We're looking for a intern for a couple of weeks to help with data collection. • Quaid: We're still adding new questions. I didn't make a clear and fast cut off, but I will in the next couple of weeks. • Ohlson: We should not be afraid of the truth. We should have as accurate a picture as we can. I don't want this to be sugar coated. I will be asking if any questions were eliminated. • Quaid: We haven't eliminated any yet. • Waskom: What is the expected outcome of all of this. • Quaid: The next phase is to present the data to different groups. I don't want to come with recommendations right away. I want to come with areas of concern and get staff recommendations. • Knowlton: This fits in with the City Plan Review that's going on now. • Pawar: One of the four cornerstones in City Plan is sustainability. • Knowlton: I don't see how the City Plan review could be done without using this data. • Ryder: Are they all quantitative questions? • Quaid: There are lots of questions left unanswered • Ryder: Do you anticipate this information will be tracked once it's identified? • Pawar: That's our hope. Part of our agreement to the Executive Lead Team is that no department or service area would be required to act on the recommendations or data. It's their prerogative to do what they want. • Ohlson: If the data is public and you want something done, you'll have a tool. Natural Resources Ad4isory Board • June 5, 2002 • Ohlson: Are we getting this too late to provide input? • Quaid: No, you're not. I'd be happy to meet with you, or you can call or email. CCA Treated Wood, Margit Hentschel Hentschel said there's not a lot of information yet. The sampling has not started yet. The EPA focused on residential and playground equipment. They did not advise in their formal release that we had to remove it. The industry will no longer produce it. The City took this one step further and did our own homework. The City only has one playground structure that was made out of CCA, and it has been removed. By the year 2004 the EPA will not allow CCA products for residential use. We have a stockpile of the wood. We're on the fence with what to do with it. We don't want to throw it in the landfill. The EPA doesn't think it migrates that much, outside of residential areas they don't think it's that problematic. We'll do our own sampling, see the results, and make decisions. We will not install any CCA treated wood. • Ohlson: We're not using any more of the stockpiled wood until the testing is complete, and then we may use it, or dispose of it, is that right? I've heard we have about $100,000 of it. • Pawar: That correct, that's just for Natural Areas, not the rest of the City. • Ohlson: I like what you're doing • Hentschel: There's a new product. It's called ACQ pressure treated wood. The copper in it is toxic to aquatic species. • Ryder: What are the alternatives? • Pawar: We're looking at plastic wood. It has been used in broad applications. Jim has concerns about it's stability. We're trying to think outside the box. We're even thinking about natural wood. • Hentschel: We're asking if in Colorado do we really need pressure treated wood. • Ohlson: Pretend we're the school district. Is it ok for them to be taking this to the landfill, can someone check this out? • Hentschel: It hasn't been banned yet. They make these statements to pull it out, but really don't want to know what you're doing with it. It hasn't been designated as hazardous waste. • Donovan: As far as the analysis that you're going to do, I would be interested in the results. If there's leaching, but it's a very small amount I don't see a reason to get rid of lumber that has little risk to anything. • Hentschel: The manufacturing of a recycled piece of lumber isn't exactly a green process. • Ohlson: In most cases wouldn't raw wood last twenty years? That's a long enough cycle. • Murphy: And, look at the bigger picture, dealing with overage forests. We're trying to make homes fire safe, but there's no market for the wood. • Ohlson: Will it disintegrate in seven years, or so? • Waskom: It depends if it's in contact with moist soil. Community Separators, Tom Vosburg Vosburg said he wanted to provide an update on the Fort Collins/Timnath/Windsor project. He said key property owners have been identified and contacted. We have an idea of who's open to the plan, and who may be vigorously opposed to the project. While we've been in this course of the project, GOCO announced a new round of legacy funding. We're getting together a GOCO Legacy Grant application. The application is due June 17. Ohlson: Are all of the partners enthusiastically supportive of the grant? Vosburg: Yes, they're into it, the debate is over dollars. Windsor is supportive of the grant concept, but has administrative troubles. We're confident we can work it out. Vosburg said part of the outreach is talking about the study in general to see how the property owners feel, and also try to identify property that would be candidates for GOCO funds. Timnath has advocated that we look at a northern separator. We've talked to property owners and there is interest. Once we get through the June 17 GOCO deadline we'll try to focus on what tools to use for different properties. There may be conservation easements, or outright acquisition. Up north it's not clear what the policy basis would be. It's not prime habitat and not in the Latimer County Open Lands plan. One thing we're looking for is an acknowledgement in determining if the City would want to participate. • Ohlson: Why would that be a hurdle? • Vosburg: That's the feedback we need. It you think it's a no brainer it wont be a tough hurdle. Do we have a policy basis, is there agreement around the table? • Ohlson: People want to see working agricultural lands. Every poll done, locally and statewide shows that. It's not new thinking. • Vosburg: There's a lot of agreement around vision, but Timnath doesn't have a lot in the way of funds. • Ohlson: This is a chance for inter -governmental cooperation. • Ryder: I think there are some pretty good questions that need to be answered. • Vosburg: I don't think it's hard for the City of Fort Collins to buy in. Some of the questions will have to be thought through. We'll need to have a map. • Ohlson: The key to this is to work with the County behind the scenes to see if they want to accept this. They might not want to take on the battle, but, if you go ahead and work with Timnath the County won't feel excluded. • Waskom: So what's happening with the Windsor separator? • Vosburg: There's active mining on some property, the reclamation plan is for a lake. There's a lot of gravel that will be mined. It will be hard for Windsor to grow into Timnath across that river. We could buy development rights and restore as post mining restoration. • Waskom: What we're looking to is a very large Timnath. • Vosburg: Yes, I believe Timnath will explode. • Ryder: Is there any interest in trying to invest money to do reclamation right, as opposed to a minimum state standards? Natural Resources A iisory Board • June 5, 2002 • Ryder: If you're going to use conservation easements, you'll have to look at how you'll defend those easements. Any easements that qualify for tax incentives must meet IRS guidelines. • Ohlson: Sometimes you're not paying that much more for the outright purchase. • Knowlton: I'm very impressed with how you've been handling this. • Ohlson: What's the time frame? • Vosburg: Edaw is the consultant. Tom Keith is doing this as a labor of love, putting in a lot of hours. It's an extremely fluid project plan. • Ohlson: We appreciate the check -in. Meadow Springs Ranch Easement, Mark Sears Sears said there was a memo in the packet from Karen Manci to Steve Comstock. Karen looked at they were proposing versus the original easement. The original was to put a 1500' aerial line across an area that we re -introduced prairie dogs to last summer. What they're proposing is a shorter length, along I-25. Once it gets to the site it will be placed underground. • Ryder: Can we put up raptor stands? • Donovan: If it's our land, and we're granting the easement, why can't we require them to go underground? • Ryder: They can condemn it. If we would pay, it would be fine. • Donovan: Would it be appropriate for you or Karen to look in to the benefits of aerial versus underground? • Sears: That has all been discussed with the power company. • Ohlson: Who initiated this change? • Sears: Maybe Steve (Comstock) or someone else looked and said it doesn't make sense. It's a very nice open space area that we should avoid intruding on as much as we can. • Ohlson: Could we have some answers on why this part of the City's land isn't underground. But, more importantly, can you see if what Steve and Nate suggested about the raptors makes sense. • Sears: I will email a message to Steve Comstock that I can share with all of you. • Donovan: There may be no benefit to going underground. If so, I'm ok with that. • Ohlson: What if they come back and say we're not doing a thing regarding perches. • Donovan: We could recommend the easement be approved , but that if it's above ground it have raptor stands, and the use of underground utilities be re-examined to see what the pros and cons are. • Ryder: Karen might have more insight into that. If the poles are too close to I-25 that could be a problem. • Donovan: Aren't there things that encourage them not to fly in and land.? • Ohlson: The ideal would be placing it underground, because of the landscape. • Pawar: This is not imperative, if we feel strongly about this, they don't need to move it. Karen felt strongly it would behoove us to have it moved. Mark Sears will send an email to Steve Comstock and copy the board. 0 Hazaleus Update, Mark Sears Mark Sears said the hawks have nested. It's in a different tree, but on the same property. • Waskom: What does that mean as far as the affordable housing piece? • Sears: It's off the table now right now anyway. But, since the hawk is back we can report back and say the hawk is there. The buffer will be enforced per code. • Ohlson: I thought you guys intended to move to permanence on this. • Knowlton: We don't want to go through this every year. • Ohlson: I thought you guys signed off on that. • Sears: From our perspective yes, we want to see it maintained in perpetuity, and would prefer not to sell it off. • Pawar: We just found out about the hawk. Right now we're in line with the last discussion, nothing has changed. Goose Dog Update, Mark Sears Sears said that at the last meeting it was asked if the dogs could distinguish between local and migratory geese. They answer is that they cannot. He said that the dogs cannot be used between April 1 and July 31, the nesting and molting season. Kelly Ohlson thought the time period was longer than that. Michelle and Mark will check on this. Update on Natural Resources Development Review, Michelle Pawar This item was postponed to the June 19 work session. New Business The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 3. Due to the holiday many people, staff and board members, will be unable to attend. The meeting will be rescheduled to either July 10`h, or July 17`h. Terry will send out an email to check availability. Monthly Feedback No comments. Action Log • Schedule Meadow Springs Ranch tour • Poudre River restoration — Bob Smith • Rolland Moore & Fossil Creek Community Park Future Agenda Items: June 19: Approval of Minutes: Fossil Creek Community Park Rolland Moore Park Floatable Materials Development Review Update Solid Waste Issues May 1, 2002: Correct spelling of Legg Natural Resources Asory Board • June 5, 2002 Add "easement' on page 3, after The minutes were unanimously approved as amended. Committee Reports Solid Waste: Met June 4 and heard ideas about diversion. Send comments to Susie Gordon Mark Sears said Don Rodriguez asked him to mention that for the June meeting Mark is trying to arrange a field trip to Meadow Springs Ranch. Review Council Six Month Planning Calendar No comments. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Ny--4—�\ (25-A Vlk I C) -;L—