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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 09/06/19950 MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 CONFERENCE ROOM - 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. SEPTEMBER 6, 1995 Phil Friedman, NRAB Chair - 493-2959 Gina Janett, Council Liaison - 493-4677 Tom Shoemaker, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present Phil Murphy, Lisa Steffes, Bill Miller, Katy Mason, Phil Friedman, Craig McGee, Kelly Ohlson, Ed Secor Board Members Absent Don Tidd Staff Present Tom Shoemaker, Sally Maggart, K-Lynn Cameron, Parks Planning, and Felix Lee, Building and Zoning. Doug Swartz and Jon McHugh, Light & Power, joined the meeting for the Proposed Energy Conservation City Building Code Revisions. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m Guests Randy and Kathy Fisher. Approval of Minutes Kelly Ohlson complimented Sally Maggart on the reporting of the board minutes. With the following changes, the minutes of the July 5, 1995 meeting were approved unanimously: Bill Miller noted that the Water Treatment Plant Tour report on page 7 should read "State Parks" instead of "Forest Service". Phil Friedman noted that it should be "Division" rather than "Department' of Wildlife. Agenda Review Tom Shoemaker noted that K-Lynn Cameron would make the presentation on the Help Preserve Open Space Proposal. He apologized to Kelly Ohlson for scheduling him on the agenda prior to obtaining his permission. Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 2 Announcements Ohlson inquired about city policy regarding the closeness of bikepaths and wetlands, specifically behind Wallenburg Dr. This will be discussed under "Other Business". Friedman introduced Ed Secor, a new board member. Secor gave the board a summary of his background and experience. Katy Mason announced that she is on a committee planning the Larimer County Land Use Symposiums being held on October 13, 14, 27 and 28. She explained that the County is going through the process of updating their comprehensive plan and will be collecting information. Mason distributed applications and noted that the commitment is for four days. Shoemaker recommended that the board have a worksession on September 20 to discuss the solid waste program, the City Council Policy Agenda and the reorganization of the Natural Resources Department. After further discussion, the board decided to meet at 7:00 p.m. on September 20; a packet will be sent. Friedman announced that the Friends of the Poudre are sponsoring a forum on the export of water from northern Colorado next Wednesday, September 13, at City Hall. He distributed the notice and advised the board that the forum will be recorded for television. Natural Area Funding Issues Shoemaker commented that it is good to have Kevin Cooks' funding ideas and the Help Preserve Open Space Proposal presented at the same meeting. He added that the natural areas funding issue will be discussed during upcoming board meetings. Kevin Cook opened his presentation by noting that he was recently at Dixon Reservoir and Pineridge Open Space and he said that he has never seen an open space in worse shape. He showed the board examples of the garbage he found and explained how it impacts wildlife. Cook also cited the invasion of exotic plants as the main reason animals are moving out of the open spaces. Cook said that funds need to be dedicated to supply the City with the tools to clean up the garbage and keep the wildlife safe from harm. He recommended an excise -type tax dedicated solely to the cleanup as a way for people who use open space to pay the bills. Cook cited examples of successful fund raising tax stamps that provide the purchaser with "bragging" rights; it becomes a source of pride to buy stamps to help the environment. He explained that this needs to be planned carefully in order not to burden the business people, but the process needs to begin. Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 3 Cook noted that the Division of Wildlife does not have a program to police public fishing areas. He suggested charging a nominal fee for a municipal fishing license to support a training program for students who are interested in resource management. Cook emphasized the need for a working group to come up with a concept and make a proposal. Friedman suggested creating a citizen -funded pool of money generated from the sale of small denomination tax free municipal bonds, similar to what was used to start the ZILCH program. Shoemaker noted that there is progress towards improved management of open spaces. He said that the 1/4 cent sales tax allows retention of funds dedicated to ongoing maintenance. Shoemaker reported that Latimer County received approval for Americor grant monies that will provide educational funding for college age students to do community service. He added that The ADOPT AN OPEN SPACE OR NATURAL AREA PROGRAM is building steam for volunteer work, also the natural areas general management guidelines have been developed by the City team; site -specific plans should be finished by 1996. Ohlson said the City has not made it clear that at least $1 million from the natural areas tax will be put aside in a trust fund that can only be used for management. He suggested spending some of that money now on doing a better job of policing the natural areas, removing litter and providing education. Katy Mason asked how the policing and education fits into the budget process. Shoemaker replied that the funding is in the 1996 budget, but there has been no decision made on the level of police authority required and the division of the funding from natural areas, trails and police. Friedman asked for closing comments from the board members. Miller recommended this become a topic for the Natural Areas Committee. 2. Friedman suggested working out the details on the ranger position and reinforcing the need to Council. Mason wanted a better picture of the financial situation before going to the Natural Areas Committee. 4. Shoemaker noted that funding will be an ongoing topic at the next several meetings. 5. Cook suggested raising money for specific projects and looking at the next step after the November election. Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 4 Miller suggested expanding or enhancing the Master Naturalist program. The board thanked Cook for his presentation. Help Preserve Open Space Proposal, K-Lynn Cameron K-Lynn Cameron said she was appearing before the board as a private citizen. She noted that this proposal is an effort to protect the open space, natural areas and wildlife habitats located in the city and county through an eight year sales tax. Cameron reported that Fort Collins should receive $2.4 million for the first year; this will enable better partnering with Larimer County and Loveland for GOColorado funding. She noted that the proposal will be on the ballot November 7 and she is seeking support from the Natural Resources Advisory Board. Cameron noted that the main difference between this proposal and POST 2001 is the shared source between city and county. She added that the funds generated from this tax can only be used to purchase land from willing sellers. Phil Murphy asked if it was legal to put the dollar amount ($6.2 million) in the ballot title. Cameron answered that it is required under law by Amendment 1. Mason asked how the NRAB can support the proposal. Cameron said that endorsement of the policy and individual help is being sought; she distributed a volunteer signup sheet. Miller suggested recommending board support. Ohlson said it would be better if the board goes on record with support closer to the election. Cameron agreed that the timing is critical. Lisa Steffes suggested bring it up at the October meeting. The board agreed and thanked Cameron for her presentation. Update on WTP 1 Project Additional Tours for Community, Phil Friedman Friedman suggested that the board consider hosting additional tours to reach out and get financial support from the larger players in the community. He noted that First National Bank recently donated $700, and New Belgium has given $2,000 the past two years. After further discussion, the board suggested that staff organize more tours that target specific people. It was agreed that September and October would be a good time for the tours. Update on Funding Status, Other Activities, K-Lynn Cameron In her official public role, Cameron told the board that she has been with the Parks Planning E 171 . Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 5 Department for one month and is still familiarizing herself with all of the projects. She reported that it should be known in October if $640,000 in funding through an ISTEA grant for the project will be available; there is a commitment of $20,000 each from the DOW, State Parks and Friends of the Poudre. She added that the City has committed the additional $100,000 to reach the $800,000 total needed Cameron said that since the access into the area is the biggest stumbling block, an option would be to have visits on a reservation basis whereby the State Highway Department would not require the access. Mason suggested a short-term possibility of having the access located down the road and hiking into the area. Cameron noted that this would mean hiking along the highway. Mason agreed that an off -road trail would be needed. Miller inquired about the source of the City funding contribution. Cameron answered that the funding will come from the Parks Planning Department. The board thanked Cameron for her report. Proposed Revisions to City Building Code Related to Energy Conservation, Felix Lee Felix Lee, Building and Zoning Department Director, referred to the information in the board's packet on the recommendation to Council for adoption of the Energy Code. He noted that he has been working with Doug Swartz and Jon McHugh from Light & Power for the past two years on revising the current outdated version. Lee said that there were two advisory committees formed to analyze the residential and non- residential issues. He noted that the Electric Board voted support on August 16 and the Building Review Board elected not to support it at this time. Lee said the BRB recommended further study and evaluation on the residential portion, but they are interested in pursuing the less controversial non-residential code. Lee added that since the non-residential code will be presented to the BRB next month for consideration, the presentation to Council has been postponed for another month. Lee explained the draft Summary of Prescriptive Requirements matrix located in the board packet. Ohlson asked if there was any difference from the existing code. Lee answered that there are more incremental upgrades; the big change is the grade system on slabs used in multi -family buildings. He described the protected shallow foundation that raises the frost depth of the footing and provides a significant savings in concrete. Lee noted the change that will treat a crawl space like a basement: sealed from the outside with no venting. Miller asked if a vapor barrier will be required. Lee answered that air sealing is a new component and the Building Department will be developing a sealing checklist as well as Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 6 offering a blower door performance test option. Miller asked if any compensation is being made for radon. Lee said that radon will be dealt with as a separate issue. He noted that there is extensive work being done on developing guidelines and training through the Office of Energy Conservation. Lee said that there are significant changes on using duct tape as well as new installation and heat trap requirements; labeling will be required so as not to obstruct ducts. He noted that there will be some hidden components that will be the builder's responsibility to sign off on. McGee asked how that would be audited. Lee said the written form will make the builder more accountable. Miller asked if this would give the homeowner recourse at a later date. Lee said it would be a good consumer tool. McGee said that he was still not clear on the audit mechanism. Lee explained that it has not been finalized; the impact to the workload has to be studied further. Ohlson said he thought it reads as a weakening of enforcement. Lee said it should provide more accountability and that there will be spot checks. Ohlson asked what the penalty would be for noncompliance. Lee answered that it would be compliance. He added that since there is no statute of limitations, the builders will have to comply and it will be enforced. Steffes noted that the builders won't get caught unless they are audited. Secor said that, as a carpenter, his experience with inspectors is that they can tell if a builder is doing it right; if not, they check more closely. Doug Swartz, Energy Services Engineer at Light & Power, noted that energy is not a hot issue for the general public. He said there is consumer apathy and builders are not building houses from an energy standpoint; they are building for the consumer. Swartz added that there needs to be a philosophical shift toward performance -based testing in order to produce a better quality product. Steffes asked if the code applied to remodels. Lee said it would apply to additions. Steffes asked if there were any incentives to make older homes more energy efficient during remodeling. Lee noted that if insulation is being removed, the building code requires that the replacement would have to comply with the standard. Secor noted that the table, Energy Improvement Cost and Benefit from a Mortgage Standpoint, demonstrates a positive result in energy savings, but he thought that the up -front costs will be an issue. He wanted to know how the energy code compares to the county code and if the increase will cause a difference across county lines. Lee responded that the county does less right now in terms of energy. He added that the energy code will change the economics, but should payback over the lifespan of the home. . Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 7 Ohlson inquired about who the citizens were on the committees. Swartz replied that the committees had citizens with technical expertise in energy efficiency. Ohlson said he would like the board to recommend a code check every three to five years instead of waiting ten years. Lee noted that there was a lag in the publication date of the current code; it was adopted in 1989. He added that code review on this cycle started two years ago. Friedman questioned how the inspection system works. He asked if one person inspects everything or are there specialists. Lee replied that the State requires state licensed electricians to inspect the electrical, but that is the only specialized inspector. Friedman asked if there was a method to ensure that each inspector has equal levels of skills. Lee responded that there are continual training sessions and staff meetings. He added that his department has certified inspectors with two or three specialties, but there is nobody specialized in energy issues. Friedman said he would like to see specialized training for energy inspection. Lee said that there will be extensive training for the current inspection staff. Jon McHugh, Energy Services Engineer at Light & Power, noted that the checklist will allow for self inspection and will create a paper trail of liability. Kelly Ohlson made the motion to table the decision in order to get more information. Craig McGee seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (8-0). The board thanked Lee for his presentation. Followup to August Worksession, Tom Shoemaker Udall Natural Area Master Plan Shoemaker reported that the Udall Plan is progressing. Friedman asked if the consultants will be coming back to the board with the changes recommended at the worksession. Shoemaker said the changes will be presented, but the consultants will not be attending the meeting. McGee suggested waiting on a formal decision until the changes have been presented at the next board meeting. Northern Colorado Regional Planning Study Shoemaker said that the Northern Colorado Regional Planning Study is scheduled for the September 19 council meeting. He wanted to make the board aware of the activity and determine if it is possible to make a recommendation at this point. Friedman recommended not delaying the 4D presentation to Council. Bill Miller made the motion that the minutes reflect recommending to Council that the Natural Resources Advisory Board conceptually endorses the Northern Colorado Regional Planning Study. Ed Secor seconded the motion and it passed unanimously (8-0). Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 8 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Election of Board Officers Phil Murphy nominated Phil Friedman for Chair. Friedman declined, but said he would accept the Vice -chair position. Katy Mason moved that Phil Murphy be the Chair. Bill Miller seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Craig McGee moved that Phil Friedman be Vice -Chair. Bill Miller seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Committee Assignments Board members decided on the following committee assignments: GROWTH MANAGEMENT: Katy Mason, Chair Craig McGee Phil Murphy Kelly Ohlson EDUCATION: Phil Friedman, Chair Bill Miller Kelly Ohlson (for the Environmental Action Awards) NATURAL AREAS: Lisa Steffes, Chair Katy Mason Bill Miller Kelly Ohlson Ed Secor RECYCLING: Craig McGee, Chair Lisa Steffes Phil Murphy Phil Friedman Ed Secor Don Tidd's Absence Shoemaker said that Don Tidd will be absent for four meetings; the board needs to decide if Tidd should resign or not. Steffes asked if Tidd wanted to remain a member. Friedman said yes. He noted that without Tidd there would be a lesser chance for a quorum and more of a chance for tie votes. Friedman said he previously discussed absences with Tidd and his attendance subsequently improved. He noted that the by-laws state that an appointment may be automatically terminated . Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting September 6, 1995 Page 9 with three consecutive absences not approved by the chair or four absences not approved by the chair, in any calendar year. Friedman added that Tidd did offer to tender his resignation and the board can accept it and recommend it to Council. Ohlson noted that the board has a huge workload and there are a lot of people who are eager to be on the board. Miller agreed that the board needs to be sure to have a quorum because of the workload and four meetings are a lot to miss. He suggested that the board ask Tidd to submit his resignation. Mason added that Tidd would miss the background on a lot of issues. She suggested accepting his resignation and offering him the opportunity to reapply. Murphy noted that most people make the commitment to resign and he did not feel it was fair to make it the board's decision. Steffes said that the board needs the help and agreed on asking for Tidd's resignation and inviting him to reapply. Bill Miller moved that the Chair contact Don Tidd and request that he submit to Council his resignation from the Natural Resources Advisory Board. Katy Mason seconded the motion, with the addition of suggesting to Tidd that the board is accepting his resignation due to the quorum issue and the workload. Miller accepted that as a friendly amendment. The motion passed 7-0, with Craig McGee abstaining. Shoemaker said that he will make the phone call to Tidd. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m.