Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 05/17/2006MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD Regular Meeting 200 W. Mountain, Suite A May 17, 2006 For Reference: Linda Knowlton, NRAB Chair - 223-9328 Ben Manvel, Council Liaison - 217-1932 John Stokes, Staff Liaison - 221-6263 Board Members Present Linda Knowlton, Jerry Hart, Glen Colton, Clint Skutchan, Ryan Staychock, Nate Donovan, Joann Thomas, Rob Peterson Board Members Absent Alan Apt Staff Present Natural Resources Dept: John Stokes, Kathy Collier, Lucinda Smith, Tara McGibben, Guests None Agenda Review Linda would like to complete the discussion on having point people for various priority items that were identified in the special meeting. Glen suggested people take a lead position and bring to the board the relevant information. Public Comments None Review and Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the April 19, 2006 meeting were unanimously approved. Climate Wise Presentation by Kathy Collier Climate Wise is a City of Fort Collins voluntary business outreach program that works with local companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting waste reduction, energy savings, alternative transportation, water conservation, and practicing pollution prevention. Through environmental assessments and creative solutions, the City of Fort Collins Climate Wise Team helps businesses tackle modem -day business challenges that impact bottom lines and the quality of life in Fort Collins. Businesses that join the program are provided with free technical assessments that include energy, waste, water, and transportation; public recognition and free publicity of their participation; networking opportunities throughout the year with peer companies. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 2 of I I • Petterson: Have you had any partners drop out? • Collier: Yes one. That was Excel due to reorganization and cut -backs in budget. • Petterson: How many platinum partners do you have? • Collier: 8 people intend to become platinum partners. This is the first year of our new business plan for the new levels. This is our pilot year -- we want to be flexible and we're accepting feedback on those levels throughout the year. • Skutchan: What's your breaking point? • Collier: We're discussing that topic during our new partner steering committee that partners have to participate in to become platinum. We're looking at doing a self -assessment check list for some businesses. We're testing it now. We would then come in and report on their findings. • Stokes: We're re -allocating more internal resources because Kathy is really busy. • Skutchan: Is that something the sustainability group that Clint's part of, or volunteers and CSU students can assist you with? • Collier: We've talked about that, such as perhaps grad students at CSU in the environmental health department could assist. We're kicking around all sorts of ideas. • Skutchan: I'd rather have those types of folks in there. My concern is that if there's more prestige there would be more recognition for the program. • Collier: One of the reasons we offer the check lists is for businesses to further their activities if they haven't thought of something, and we will always try to prioritize for them. We're testing the self -assessments right now and keeping a close eye. • Colton: Since the companies are getting some savings, can the businesses fund any part of this program? • Collier: We've leveraged $8,000 in sponsorship funds this year. Efforts may be moving in that direction as the program becomes more credible. • Donovan: Does that include the free beer at the kick-off. • Stokes: That was for the beer. (everyone chuckles) • Collier: Advertising was most important for me —I needed more advertising dollars. • Skutchan: Are these cumulative numbers on your report since the program started? • Collier: These numbers are cumulative since the program has started in 2000 including 50% of 2005's numbers. • Donovan: Coal is not usually transported in large tractor -trailer dump trucks. • Collier: Good point. • Knowlton: Who gave the 2005/06 Pollution Prevention grant? • Collier: The CDPHE gave a $20,000 that really helped. • Knowlton: It's nice to see a city program that's ahead of schedule. You've met your 2010 goal already, that's just fantastic. I like Skutchan's suggestion in that reaching out to volunteers is a great idea. There are lots of groups in Ft.Collins that would love to give you a hand. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 3 of 11 • Collier: We have had volunteer interest for the summer; it's getting there. There's a lot that I'd like to see happen. • Donovan: City council could approve a Y. time coordinator dedicated to Climate Wise. • Stokes: We are thinking about reallocating resources. The reason why the program is so successful is because the staff has the technical expertise to talk about their operations and we have consistency in talking about their plan and model. In terms of business operations those are important considerations for us to keep in mind. The program should maintain a high level of service and professionalism and to do that as efficiently as we can. • Staychock: Where would the recourses come from? • Stokes: If they came from the Natural Resource Department, it would come from the general fund resources. We would probably change some of the BFO's but its big picture right now. • Hart: How's council support? • Stokes: it's good so far. The few conversations we've had so far are positive and good. • Hart: 1 would think this would be a general fund project that the council would support because of its nature, you know, helping businesses and the community. • Stokes: Yes, the ROI is high and that's one of the reasons to support it, fiscally it's a responsible program. The business community really like it and many more want to be involved in the program. A lot of that is due to Kathy being able to talk to the businesses. • Staychock: What's the budget? • Stokes: $153,000 but utilities pay $125,000 of that. The rest comes from the General Fund and grants. • Collier: There's a lot of synergy between the Natural Resource department and Utilities. • Donovan: In 1993 or 1994 the state energy office had me go to meetings that discussed Climate Wise and it seemed like a huge amount of federal and tax payer's money to think about this conceptual program and a waste. But here we are and it's on the ground. It's interesting to see it's happening and developed in a short period of time; concept to implementation. • Staychock: You came from transportation Kathy? • Collier: Yes, I worked for WO for years for all the large companies in the region. Then I was transferred to Greeley in demand management programs. I've been around to quite a few areas. • Staychock: What is your long term vision? How long do you plan to be active with this program? • Collier: I have some visions for the program. We have our 2 year business plan out and the vision is to grow slowly. And we'll see about the other ideas in terms of the budget; that could be limiting. • Staychock: You'll be around for a couple of years? • Collier: Yes, there's so much going on. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 4 of 11 • Staychock: What's your favorite program idea for the future? • Collier: I'd like to start a business list serve. There are so many people who need help, asking where they should go, what they should do. I have a whole list of ideas. • Stokes: There are some components that we'd like to add. One example that Kathy mentioned is pollution prevention and one idea is do to that on a separate basis so we would work with dentist offices or car body shops, dry cleaners. Focusing on sectors is one component we can add but that involves a lot more work so we're trying to figure out how to make that happen. • Collier: We've started in that direction with the help of an intem. • Skutchan: Regarding the pollution and the mandatory vehicle inspection; is there a way to implement businesses to be more proactive on that? Could the two be tied together? • Stokes: Lucinda Smith can answer that question. • Smith: Maybe through the concept of working with fleet managers, especially on diesel emissions more so than on gasoline engines; there might be some potential. If would depend if it was a Climate Wise initiative and where on the priority list it falls. • Skutchan: It seems like if you're already doing something like it; it would be easy to tie in to your program as it all relates to cost savings and vehicle efficiency. • Collier: Yes. • Colton: Does the city plan to help on the residential side such as leaking windows and bad insulation as they are the similar goals. • Collier: Doug Schwartz on the utilities side has programs like the high performing homes audit that helps that. • Smith: They're working with contractors now too. There are some low income assistance programs through REACH program and the Zilch loan program. Utilities is expanding more and more into the commercial and residential sector. • Knowlton: Has anyone on the board been on these water conservatory district tours? They have an east side and west side tour. If not, they're really interesting; they are full day tours and they show much about Colorado's water storage and delivery system from Longmont to Horsetooth and over to Brandy. If you're interested you can contact me. Presentation on Sustainability Action Plan by Lucinda Smith • The action plan for sustainability was developed in 2004 by an inter- departmental team and they first developed the policy. The scope of this is just city operations, not city wide. They prioritized the areas of opportunities and came up with nine. • Stokes: Employees are staggered to work 6 days a week so we're using our vehicles 6 days a week instead of 5 days a week When the use of the vehicles becomes overwhelming and they become maxed out, then we can talk about Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 5 of 11 purchasing another vehicle. It's one small example in our program of how we're not trying to buy vehicles that we don't need. • Smith: That's one of the challenges; in capturing those kinds of problems and being able to report on them. In 2007 there will be a report on the sustainability action plan for the first year. So some things will be straight forward like EPA/fuel economy comparisons in new vehicles and their replacements, and being able to track the down -sized vehicles and the aft fuel vehicles. There is a commitment to move the buses to CNG which is significantly cleaner. • Colton: How's the price of natural gas versus gas? • Stokes: About the same now. When the bus was being budgeted the cost was less. Diesel and gas is going up in price too. • Donovan: When is clean diesel coming into effect? • Smith: I'm not sure; given the effects of Hurricane Katrina all types of fuel have increased in cost. • Donovan: What does Natural Areas do in terms of safety? • Stokes: The Natural Areas folks have created their own safety team, and work with risk management on plans and training. The have a breakfast meeting once a month to discuss the injury reports. Staff has taken the initiative to work hard to be safe. Because ATVs are dangerous, every employee is required to be trained on ATVs by our own certified trainers. I'm very pleased with the relatively minor injuries we've had so far. An allowance is given to them to wear steel -toed boots. • Smith: Johnson Controls will evaluate city buildings for inefficiencies and retro- fits. Phase If would look at outside lighting, watering and other kinds of energy use and may even review water treatment facilities which are pretty energy efficient already. One goal is to pilot irrigation efficiency at the following three sites that don't use as much water, but they use drinking water: the median on Drake between Shields and Taft; the median on Taft south of Drake; Oak Street Plaza which will use sub -surface irrigation. Soil moisture sensors are being used and the data will be monitored for water inefficiencies. • Skutchan: What are they doing with this information on the irrigation efficiency? • Smith: They are piloting new technology and their goal it to measure efficiency by measuring evo-transpiration at all the parks areas. The idea is to just provide enough water and not over water. At the end of this year, there will be a report looking at whether the watering efficiency improved at these sites as a result of the differing technology. • Skutchan: Would it be cost effective to do throughout the city? • Smith: Yes, that's the goal. Although it's not stated, I think that's the objective to put it in place else where as funding permits. • Skutchan: How does that relate to the medians? What is required in terms of landscaping to medians? • Smith: One of the goals of the sustainability action plan is to evaluate City water use policies. There are some contradictions in policies such as the vegetation policy compliance with the watering policy. These issues will be discussed. • Skutchan: Who comprises the water use policy group? Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 6 of 11 • Smith: City staff and that includes Laurie D'Audney from Utilities, Tim Buchanan in Forestry, and Steve Lukowski who's involved with the Parks irrigation issues, Mike Herzig from Engineering, and Clark Mapes from Advanced Planning. • Knowlton: You skipped employee commuting. • Smith: I skipped that because there's no specific focus on that. The SmartTrips program is the department that would work on that and right now it's only working on car pooling and van pooling. And Transfort is still doing marketing on bus -ridership. But what we plan to do is document to the best of our ability, the city employee's use of alternative modes. This is one of the goals that isn't receiving special focus in the plan basically due to funding cut backs; it's the one area that's not receiving special attention. • Skutchan: Aren't there ways that don't have price tags on that? Inter -organization promotion is more successful than outer -organizational promotion and would have a bigger impact and be more cost-effective. • Smith: It could, we may incorporate that later this year; and one of the easiest things would be to encourage the use hybrid vehicles when ever possible; like using the fleet vehicles when ever they can. Along with that we'd need a way to track it. It's a matter of limited resources. We can get the promotion out there to raise awareness about sustainability. Right now there's no process in place to track the change that would happen as a result of the promotion. • Donovan: Does the city take advantage of the environmental audit -shield law? Do audits of operations and if they find violations do they fix them or report them? Either report them or not report them if they don't have to? Is that an element of the environmental management system? • Smith: It could be. In the mid 90's, the city thought it would be a poster child for the self audit provision. But when some violations were uncovered the EPA was not lenient and we had to pay a lot of fines. Carol Webb in Utilities is developing and over -seeing the City's compliance. • Donovan: Was that a conflict between federal law and the state self -audit law, and the EPA ,�unerseded? cel�:.w 0� _ • Smith: Yes, the EPA superseded. • Staychock: Process for vehicles, is there hybrid, alternative fuels. What's the role that bio-diesels play and what are the city's plans to use alternative fuels? • Smith: There's so many things the city is doing to support sustainability that aren't in the plan; bio-diesel is one of them. The city is using all B20 for its diesel vehicles. I'm not sure of city -owned construction equipment; I can ask. The city will also be upgrading the pedestrian signals to LEDs. • Stokes: The Johnson Controls is a big deal and to finally decide as an organization to get a service provider and get a contractor to over -view all the cities buildings. This will save the city electricity, money, emissions. This is a big leap forward for the City of Ft Collins. Smith had a lot to do with that happening. • Donovan: It's great to hear the hythane is being used at the transport center. • Staychock: Who will be operating the Hythane? Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 7 of 11 • Smith: It's a joint project. When it's ready, hythane can be piloted in Transfort buses. The hydrogen-electrolyzer project is through Utilities, and the CNG fueling station will be through the Fleets department. Utilities will be driving it and trying to find other opportunities for using hythane. • Knowlton: Thank you Smith. The program is doing a lot, but not all together in a package but city wide I'm very impressed. • Stokes: There is a lot happening. Some of it is profound and some if it is bits and pieces but they all add up. There's a lot of good stuff going on within the city's organization. • Staychock Can any of this be shared with the public to help them understand their role? • Smith: There is potential. One idea is the green points program for employees; we can potentially start with that through the Climate Wise program. It educates employees about sustainable options and there are incentive programs and the "winners" receive prizes. That would be one avenue to move this out from the city. The planning sub -committee is in charge of moving the sustainability program farther out to the community. There's not a lot of sustainability information available to the average citizen at all. By use of Climate Wise, we can outreach to citizens as employees. • Donovan: The clean energy cluster launch is tomorrow. • Thomas: Yes, it's at 9:OOam. It includes networking and a press conference and both events are at city hall. New Business • Knowlton: Let's move on to new business. • Skutchan: Last time we approved a committee for environmental economics. I figured a presentation on engineering clusters would be the best place to start I'm willing to move forward on that. How do you want to schedule that and establish a meeting? • Stokes: We need to get on that. I'm sure we can get some people here to talk about that. That's an agenda item that needs an hour and a half, I would think. • Knowlton: Why don't we make that an agenda item for July? • Stokes: That's fine with me. What ever works for everyone's schedule. • Staychock: We can brainstorm a day that we can get that rolling. • Skutchan: I want to get the committee up and running on the same level as the solid waste committee. It needs to be in the evening. • Donovan: We can schedule this meeting off-line. • Knowlton: I'd like to move into our conversation from the last meeting regarding committees. I think there's interest in the environmental economics. At the end of the meeting it sounded like there was so many areas of interest; something like 8. Having that many committees is not desirable or feasible. Keep in mind any committee meeting is a public meeting and has to be announced. That's the issue with committees; you have to do that. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 8 of 11 • Stokes: My concern is the city being able to staff additional committee meetings. We need to be sure we're all aware of each other's concerns. And one of my concerns is that if you want it staffed, how are we going to do that? • Knowlton: What about a person on the board who agrees to be the point person for these areas of interest that we're identifying as being important to us. That person would contact people and pay attention to what's in the news and really make a point of following all the issues relating to that area and bring it to the board. So, it wouldn't be a committee for instance, Clint you could be the point person on environmental economics and you could involve other people in that and we wouldn't have to call it a committee. • Stokes: It depends on how you choose to use your time efficiently and most effectively. If Clint wants to be the team leader and Ryan wants to get engaged then I'm interested in listening in. In looking at last month's minutes i see you're interested in solid waste. • Knowlton: Alan Apt was interested in energy. • Stokes: Energy, land use; there are a lot. • Staychock: There were for issues: Solid waste, energy land use and environmental economics. We tossed around the idea of having a task force when pressing issues came about, but nothing outstanding. • Knowlton: For example, who else is on the Energy committee other than Alan? • Staychock: I thought we decided we weren't signing up but to show up as interested and it's open to all with Alan as the chair. • Hart: People can express interest if we decide to establish the four task forces. You can have task forces within the committees dealing with certain issues. The question would be is do we want committees or task forces? • Staychock: I think we can have a mix. If Clint's willing to meet once a month and chair that's good. But if something else comes up we can have that be a task force. • Stokes: What were the four you thought popped out? _ • Staychock: Solid -waste -that Dave chaired end those meetings are at 430 before - Sold the NRAB meetings. Energy, Alan said he'd like to chair. Environmental economics and Clint was going to chair that. Landuse hasn't a chair. • Skutchan: We stopped when we thought there were too many. There was a question of grouping energy and sustainability together. • Colton: There's lots of dimensions to it. • Stokes: Sounds like there's interest in energy, solid waste and economy. Those are the three that are popping out where people have energy to do something. You can start with those. • Skutchan: How about a meeting every other month. Solid meaning to where you're getting work done. I don't know if that would be a viable way of addressing staff concerns. • Knowlton: It's probably something where you'll have say we'll meet at this time and see when you can meet again. Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 9 of l l • Skutchan: The problem with that is when the schedule isn't followed and not planned; it never happens. If there's no solid plan and no commitment they erode away. • Knowlton: Why don't you two (Skutchan and Staychock) get together and decide on a time and then let us know. • Stokes: Why don't you send email to rest of board and let me know so we can provide the meeting space. • Skutchan: Does land use board have committees? • Stokes: Not yet, they haven't decided to have any separate committees. The second Wednesday is when they meet. • Hart: What kind of staffing do you think you'll need? • Skutchan: I don't know. I'm just trying to make it as easy as possible. If they're here already rather than coming in on a separate night. • Knowlton: Let's go with that for now. • Staychock: What's Alan going to do now? • Stokes: I'll talk to Alan. He's got a lot of interest in mercury, and right now there's a lot going on in the state and federal mercury rules. If there's an issue that he wants to bring back it'll be around mercury. The Air Quality Advisory Board is also interested in mercury. Now is good time to do so because the state is in a rule making phase and litigating and being asked to follow the rules. It's a dynamic time in terms of how mercury gets regulated in the state. I know Alan would like to bring that information back to the board. • Staychock: Because I was over whelmed last month I apologize for not getting to the ground rules. I sent an email to the board for your ideas on ground rules and I received a response stating a ten minute time -limit presentation length for guest presentations. Is there any other feedback the board would like to offer? • Knowlton: Ten minutes is a little short. • Skutchan: We can see what everyone thinks is reasonable. • Staychock: Does anyone else have other ideas? • Donovan: Send a draft out in email and we can respond to that. • Staychock: I was thinking the big key factors are time such as Q&A during presentation rather than at the end. Clint and I will get draft out by end of next week. • Knowlton: Was someone contacting Suede (sp?) • Colton: Yes, probably someone from the university. • Donovan: Who will extend formal invite? • Colton: I can do that. • Donovan: Has someone already invited them to the district? • Knowlton: I think John Stokes has. • Donovan: Glen, are you involved in the Ft Collins sustainability group? • Colton: I was for a little bit. • Donovan: I was contacted by Phil Green and he had asked that the board look at the resolution they had drafted. Their talking about going to council with that. And as I understand, it's related to the resolution on the clean energy cluster the Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 10 of 11 council passed a few months ago. I propose to send it out and we can decide whether we want to deal with it. July may be an opportune time to deal with it for us to consider and give our recommendations to it. I'll get that forwarded out. Solid Waste Strategic Plan — Staff Recommendation & Final Review: We met meeting today at 4:30. In attendance were myself, Rob, Jerry, Ryan, Suzie Gordon, and John Armstrong. We talked about the 5 year strategic plan. Three goals were gleaned from the direction that council gave to look at. Staff is putting together some information on one year educational push with the idea of yard waste collection on a weekly basis by subscription; and dealing with electronic waste. The idea of the committee was these would be lead topics for implementation and the strategic plan and framework for longer term recycling goals. Our input in staff was that these are things that can happen in the near term and they stimulate the market. The year waste right now has some major market potential. That's going to city council work session on August 8. The Solid Waste Committee will deal with the issue again at the next meeting on the third Wednesday. Resource Ft Collins will have their kick-off event at their location 1501 N. College in June. Announcements • Knowlton: Are there any announcements? • Colton: Kayak Park is coming along. I urge people if they're interested to take a look at what's going on there. • Stokes: I went to conceptual review; I don't know if it's gone beyond that yet, but they're gearing up. There appears to be money. I have one announcement, and that is one that I already told you about regarding Terry Klahn. Terry Klahn is leaving the city due to a new employer in radiology. She's on vacation now and we will only have her for one week before she moves on. She helps keep everything together as well as budgeting my time and I will miss her. It's a position that we need to replace. • Knowlton: The Board was briefed on Halligan -Seaman last month and we have NISP on the agenda for next month. The League of Women Voters CrossCurrents program next Thursday will be on Halligan -Seaman and NISP. Mark Easter from SWIG and Gary Wockner, who is one of the supporters of the downtown kayak park, will be panelists. The program will focus on whether northern Colorado could meet its future water needs by conservation alone. It's next Thursday at 7:00 PM in City Council chambers. We want to stay away from the pros and cons of the individual projects and focus on how much water conservation can do for us. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:05pm Natural Resources Advisory Board May 17, 2006 Page 11 of 11 Submitted by Tara McGibben Admin Support Secretary Approved by the Board on: Signed Tara McGibben Administrative Secretary I Extension: 6600 2 Q� Date 2006