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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 10/05/1994MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 CONFERENCE ROOM - 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. OCTOBER S. 1994 For Reference: Phil Friedman, NRAB Chair - 493-2959 Chris Kneeland, Council Liaison - 221-2950 Tom Shoemaker, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present Phil Friedman, Lisa Steffes, Craig McGee, Katy Mason, Arlene Blum, Don Tidd, and Tim Johnson Board Members Absent Bill Miller (excused) and Phil Murphy (excused) Staff Present Tom Shoemaker, Jon Ruiz, Sally Maggart, Rob Wilkinson (for Item 5) The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m. Jon Ruiz, CPES Project Manager working with the Natural Resources Division on solid waste management issues, was introduced. Approval of Minutes With the following changes, Craig McGee moved and Tim Johnson seconded the motion to approve the minutes of the September 14, 1994 meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Craig McGee wanted the minutes to reflect his vote as an abstention on the motion in support of the roofing ordinance. In his report on the Environmental Action Awards, Phil Friedman noted that "public sector portion" should read "citizen portion". Integrated Solid Waste Management - What Does the Ideal System Look Like? Tom Shoemaker reported that the Board does not have to take action on this item tonight, but formal recommendations on the issue need to be presented to Council at a work session on November 8. A public forum on trash trucks held a couple of weeks ago revealed a fair amount of agreement in the community about basic concerns, but differences of opinion on the solution. The question before the Board is how they perceive an "ideal" solid waste/recycling system. Arlene Blum described the system in Berkeley, California where a flat yearly rate was charged for trash collection, with no charge for recycling. Tags could be purchased for additional trash containers and yard waste was collected every month. The financial impetus was for recycling. Friedman noted that while large cities have limited landfill space and the M Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 2 incentive is to cut down on trash, Fort Collins has the available land and comparisons are difficult to make. Jon Ruiz informed the board that, with the recent vertical expansion, the present landfill is approved to the year 2005. Shoemaker added that Larimer County runs an efficient landfill and there may be a 20-year capacity at the current site. Katy Mason suggested reversing the disincentive of paying for recycling, Citing the City of Loveland's program, she asked if legislation prohibits hauling by the City of Fort Collins. Shoemaker responded that legislation makes it clear that the City can provide services. If City crews were used, it would force competition with the trash companies. Friedman felt an ideal system more positive for recycling would include a disincentive, financial or otherwise, for excess trash. While the issue of superfluous trucks on the streets needs to be dealt with, the onus of excess trucks should not be put on the haulers since they are only doing their job. Blum suggested neighborhoods should have one morning a week for trash pickup. Mason said neighborhoods have tried to organize, but people come and go and the effort fails after time. Tidd suggested bidding the city out; breaking it down into five or six regions and awarding routes to the highest bidder, including the City. Shoemaker said this could be done based on recently approved state legislation, but the geographic concept could present a more serious obstacle related to mixing residential and commercial collection. McGee suggested that the focus needs to be on changing individual behavior, raising awareness and understanding. Friedman added that there has been a radical shift in recycling behavior; major strides have been made towards raising consciousness. It is going to take a lot of energy to go to the next step, e.g., at the grocery store where the consumer will have to be willing to pay more for less packaging. Blum inquired about the percentage of the population paying for recycling. Shoemaker responded that: between 70 and 80 percent say they recycle, but a large number say they use drop-off at stt etc. Actually, 30-35 percent use the curbside program. Blum wondered if there is a way I& change it so trash haulers will pick up recycling items without charging. Jon Ruiz replied that BFI is piloting the concept of charging one inclusive rate for trash pickup and recycling. Since the City cannot regulate rates, a good solution would be to build the cost into the trash hauling. Trash haulers say recycling is a money loser for them. Friedman proposed that if curbside recycling was provided, the volume would pay off for the trash, haulers. Johnson asked for a review of Loveland's program. Ruiz explained their trash hauling program is city -owned and operated. Users are required to purchase stickers to put on trash bags, with no sticker needed for recycling. The recycling container is provided by the city. • 0 Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 3 Shoemaker added that the basic charge of $3.40 for this service appears on the utility bill; each bag of trash requires a sticker that can be purchased at grocery stores and city facilities for 75c. Yard waste is picked up for composting, but hazardous waste is not included in the service. Friedman asked if the City of Loveland did all the trash hauling. Ruiz replied that although citizens can contract with private haulers, they still have to pay the basic rate; the city provides 90+ percent of the trash pickup. Shoemaker noted that the City of Loveland does not provide any service for commercial or multi -family units. Ruiz said Ft. Collins could set up a similar plan, with the difference being the trash haulers. McGee felt the barrier would be in getting the haulers to consolidate trucks. Ruiz said that could be built into the contract through districting. The impact would be on the haulers; there are six now and the smaller ones are concerned about going out of business. Steffes expressed concern that districting would run the smaller haulers out of business. She also wanted to know if the pricing would be consistent for all customers. Ruiz answered that everybody would pay the same price. Part of the November Council Work Session will be exploring the idea of districting the City. If the Council wants to pursue this option, a consultant might have to be hired to work out the details on the bidding process. Tidd pointed out that the eventual move of the landfill to the property owned by Waste Management in Ault could force out other bidders. Friedman depicted the need for education regarding street damage, air quality, equity to trash haulers, plus providing disincentives for excess trash and incentives to recycle. Blum proposed giving haulers the same percentage of the market that they now have; she doesn't feel bidding is equitable. Ruiz said that would be similar to franchising and is illegal. Tidd recommended having an initiative vote on the issue. Friedman thought it would be interesting to explore the possibility of a citizen group putting together a referendum. Shoemaker explained that if it is a city vs a state requirement, there would have to be an election to create the ut0y and raise the revenue ceiling under Amendment 1. If it is a charter change, there is some cool and would be less of an obstacle. Ruiz asked if the Board could meet again before the Council's November 8 Work Session to further discuss the presentation to Council. McGee proposed that the Recycling Committee could have a work session with everyone invited. Mason recommended changing the regular meeting back to November 2. Friedman postponed discussion until the end of the meeting. In conclusion, the Board was polled for final comments: Blum felt a vote would be advantageous since it is a legal question; Steffes felt districting is the way to go along with decreasing the charge for recycling; McGee felt the emphasis should be on awareness and Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 4 behavior change; Tidd passed; Johnson agreed on districting or city-wide bidding for pick up by one company with an incentive sticker system; Mason concurred on districting, with a system like Loveland; Friedman agreed with Ruiz about hiring a consultant for the bidding process. In addition, he would like to see the small local companies kept in business. Mason distributed a letter from Citizen Planners, with their apologies, regarding recycling that had been sent to Council but not to staff. The Board thanked Mr. Ruiz for attending the meeting. Policy Issues on Granting Easements for Private Use of Public Natural Areas/Open Spaces Shoemaker requested feedback from the board related to developing a policy recommendation for council approval. Once this policy is established, individual easement decisions can be made. Shoemaker provided the following lists of concerns; excerpts from the ensuing discussion are incorporated. 1) Existing vs New Policy on requests for new easements needs to be clarified. 2) Code - Policy Void City Codes provide some guidance related to disposition of city property when it is in the public interest, but natural areas and open spaces are especially sensitive. 3) Who - City (roads, water rights, etc.) Districts - Fort Collins/Loveland Water District, Private 4) What - road easements, overhead utility, underground utility cable, mitigation Mason inquired if there were formal procedures for the City to request an easement from itself. Shoemaker responded that this requires policy decisions and will be discussed at the November meeting along with the specific issue of Fossil Creek Estates. He suggested a blanket policy to cover the issue. McGee concurred, with the suggestion to test certain cases in order to ensure the policy operates as intended. Citing the area south of the Cathy Fromme Prairie, Johnson asked if reciprocity holds if Transportation wants a road easement. Would Transportation have to buy the easement from the Natural Areas fund? Shoemaker responded that there are no firm policy guidelines on that. Mason suggested it would make sense to have a ranking system for land since some things are more invasive than others. A road is the most invasive and would rank high on a list of impact. Steffes felt two rankings were necessary for roads, e.g., existing road and new road. L Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 5 Rob Wilkinson noted that the appraisal was correct on the surface impact of roads. He explained that storm drainage can be ameliorated through design and integrated into wetlands. In addition, he recommended investigating other impacts, e.g., visual resources. Both overhead and underground utilities can present a problem in revegetation and lines. Shoemaker asked if any items on "What" need to be rejected. Friedman asked for clarification of "mitigation". In response, Shoemaker cited an example where a proposed development located next to a wetland area would be disturbed; the developer would be required to replace that habitat and might propose constructing it on City -owned land. Johnson felt the policy should include safeguards against easements threatening a natural area. Shoemaker agreed with this philosophy, but noted it is different in an urban environment; it could possibly lead to the conclusion that it is wrong to buy natural areas because it might preclude other things for the community. Friedman felt the key point is that we are operating within an urban environment where vacuum is the biggest danger and more control is needed. Shoemaker noted that while public utilities can condemn, the City has been unwilling to do that. 5) When - Convenience, public safety, alternatives available, no alternatives available Johnson felt convenience and economics should rate low in the policy; this should be made strong from the beginning. Friedman felt somebody could take advantage of the City's natural area by requesting easements that fall under public safety; if it involved private land, an easement could not be secured. Shoemaker agreed that a private land owner could say "no" and the developer would have no recourse. 6) How - Questions of location, design, restoration, compensation (typically paid) Tidd noted it would eliminate problems if compensation was market value. Friedman thought fair compensation would be market value plus the City's cost. Shoemaker emphasized that compensation is for the use of the land and it needs to be done right. McGee asked if the set fee for land would be fair market value. Shoemaker replied it would. McGee agreed that once the easement is allowed and the cost is incurred by the City, it should be fair market price plus add-ons. Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 6 In conclusion, Friedman noted a policy is needed and asked what the procedure would be. Shoemaker offered to formulate a policy statement based on this discussion and will present it to the Board with the intent of taking it to Council. Retreat/Mld Trip Friedman recommended arranging a Board retreat/field trip. Johnson noted since one of the charges of the Board is to advise Council, and with new members on the Board, a good approach might be to tour some of the natural areas. He also suggested hiring Kevin Cook as a presenter. Shoemaker suggested going beyond natural areas and looking at a variety of issues, e.g., growth and development. It might be helpful to see the big picture. McGee concurred that looking at development and natural areas would give a sense of what is happening. Tidd suggested looking at solar homes on the retreat. Friedman asked for suggestions on setting a date. Mason felt a Sunday afternoon would work. Shoemaker offered staff services to facilitate meals, transportation, etc. Johnson recommended getting retreat ideas to Friedman by phone or fax. After consulting calendars, the board decided on Sunday, October 30 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Shoemaker and Friedman will work on the logistics. Shoemaker will contact Kevin Cook to see if he is available. Sally will call absent members to advise them of the date and the need to get their ideas to Friedman. "Natural Landscaping" Approaches in the City Johnson noted that the natural grass planted along Spring Creek Trail around Stover was recently mowed. He discussed this with Bill Wlrirty, the mowing crews supervisor in the Parks Department, and was guaranteed that next year it will not happen. Apparently one of the businesses in the area requested the mowing. Johnson felt this emphasizes the need for the master naturalist training in order to educate businesses and schools on natural areas. Shoemaker will check with the Engineering Department to learn the direction of their policy on landscaped areas. Shoemaker added that the first master naturalist training will be completed in six to eight weeks. In addition to using master naturalists, he suggested using interpretive signs to assist is the education process. Committee Reports GROWTH MANAGEMENT: Mason reported that Tom Shoemaker and Greg Byrne, CPES Director, gave a presentation at the last meeting updating growth management. Discussed were 1) Phasing Criteria, 2) Congestion Management Plan, and 3) LUTRAQ Plan (Land Use, Transportation and Air Quality). She stated there is no need for action to be taken on part of the Committee or the Board; it is proactive and moving along. Shoemaker will use his discretion when presenting related items to the Board. • r� Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 7 Tidd referred to the cluster living concept presented by Greg Byrne as an unworkable idea. Shoemaker explained this concept is based on having employment, housing and regular activities in the same area, e.g., Old Town and CSU. Hopefully, the move will be towards this. Shoemaker announced the Congestion Management Plan will be discussed at the City Council Work Session Tuesday night, October 11. The Board can expect a presentation on it within the next couple of months. RECYCLING: Steffes reported on the Trash Summit held September 22. Options for recycling and reduction of trash trucks were the main topics and most attendees thought districting was the best idea. Discussion followed on dates to meet to further discuss the recycling presentation at Council's Work Session on November 8. The consensus was to meet immediately after the retreat on October 30 from 4:00 to 5:00 P.M. Shoemaker suggested that some Board members might join the Council Work Session as this will be the last discussion on the recycling issue before formal presentation to Council. NATURAL AREAS: Johnson reported that signage on the Udall Natural Area should be consistent with that at the Cathy Fromme Prairie. Nothing formal needs to be done at this time. EDUCATION: Friedman reported that there were 4-5,000 people in attendance at the Environmental Fair, with 100-125 at the presentation of the Environmental Awards. He repeated the awards presentation, without the recipients, during the proclamation portion of the City Council meeting. Friedman added that the Education Committee needs to meet before next year to figure out how to getnwre Environmental Awards participants. Other Business Shoemaker distributed a memo sent to City Council Members from Bill Miller regarding the Colorado State Forest and proposals made by the Coalition to Save the Forest, a proposal from the Cameron Company, and a proposal from Fred Sauer. The State Land Board will be discussing the proposal on October 25 and making a decision on October 26. Since Council was previously strong in its opposition to the proposal, he suggested taking action in the form of a letter to the State Land Board, through the Mayor. Johnson made the motion that the Board make the following points to the Mayor: 1) The public input process is too short, 2) The Natural Resources Advisory Board Meeting October 5, 1994 Page 8 timeframe is unreasonable, and 3) The existence of other alteratives are not publicized. Tidd seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Shoemaker will draft a letter for the Mayor's signature. Announcements Steffes notified the Board that she recently learned the Environmental Learning Center is losing funding and she wanted to know if the City had a role in the funding. Shoemaker responded that the City does not presently have a role; it has never been discussed if the City should fund the ELC and on what basis. Steffes felt it was worth discussing as it is an important part of the community. Shoemaker will place this on the November agenda. Referring to the recent tree removal at Furr's Cafeteria, Friedman noted that a proactive response is needed. Shoemaker said it is a zoning violation and the City needs to be punitive. Mason inquired if the enforcement will be monitored. Shoemaker said he will talk with the Zoning Department about it. Copies of the Board's By -Laws were distributed. Friedman stressed the importance of reviewing them, with particular attention to Article II on Object and Functions and Article VI on Attendance Policy. The newer board members (Blum, Tidd and Murphy) will join Shoemaker and Friedman for a "brown bag lunch", date not decided, to review the history of the board. Shoemaker advised the board that the 1995 Work Plan must be submitted to the City Clerk's office on or before November 30. This will be an agenda item at the next meeting. Mason asked for a copy of last year's work plan; it will be sent to all members. Friedman announced he will be meeting with Chris Kneeland and will report back to the Tidd said he will be unable to attend the next two meetings. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.