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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 12/18/2007MINUTES AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING DATE: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 LOCATION: 200 West Mountain — Suite A — Conference room. TIME: 5:30 -8:00 P.M. For Reference: Eric Levine Eric Levine, Chair - 493-6341 David Roy, Council Liaison - 407-7393 Brian Woodruff, Staff Liaison - 221-6604 Board Members Present: Eric Levine, Jeff Engell, Dale Adamy, Kip Carrico, Dennis Georg, Greg McMaster, and Dave Dietrich, Katrina Winbom, Nancy York Board Members Absent: Staff Present: Brian Woodruff, Lucinda Smith, and Alexis Hmielak Eric Levine called the meeting to order at 5:38 pm Public Comments None Approve minutes from November 27, 2007, meeting Katrina Winbom pointed out for the record the correct spelling of her last name. The minutes will be so corrected. The board discussed the bulleted format of the minutes and suggested the format be continued, with announcements, motions, and voting or special points bearing the name of the board member who made it. Greg McMaster moved and Dennis Georg seconded a motion to approve the AQAB November 27, 2007, minutes. Approved unanimously. General Discussion Eric Levine shared information that Katrina Winborn had called the MPO regarding having a presentation regarding ozone. The MPO reported they had a meeting in Windsor and only one person from the public attended. Eric is concerned the MPO may take this to mean that no one in northern Colorado is interested in air quality, instead of concluding the MPO should have had the meeting in Fort Collins where more people are interested in what they are doing. He also stated he has read documents showing that people in Fort Collins have been historically interested in the air quality of this area, and felt that a meeting here would be well received. AQAB Annual Report West Nile Virus: • The board discussed the responsibility of the AQAB to review the existing city WNV policy and give input to the City Council. However, The Manager's Office is in charge of the West Nile Virus Technical Advisory Committee and the AQAB feels that they are out of the loop of this group's activities. ■ Eric Levine has asked Wendy Williams to keep the AQAB better informed of their progress so the AQAB can give input to the process. • Eric also said he had suggested names to Wendy of possible members to be in the West Nile Virus Technical Advisory Committee. They have been invited to join and he anticipates they will do a good job. • Eric Levine pointed out it is within the purview of the AQAB to establish a separate West Nile Virus Task Force, as outlined in the 2007 plan approved by City Council, but it makes more sense to have only one task force. • Eric also related his concern that the task force should have been created earlier so that they could be better prepared for the 2008 WNV season. He will speak to the City Manager to see if the process can be moved ahead of this schedule: • Early spring, 2008 = community outreach • March, 2008 = policy revisions • Summer, 2008 = policy changes • Brian Woodruff pointed out that the hot button of this issue for the city is when to do adulticiding. Deciding that issue by summer might be soon enough. However, it doesn't allow you to make changes in the policy about larviciding and public outreach issues that start earlier in the season. The group discussed funding for the West Nile Virus abatement activities, the fact that, since the task force is under the City Manager's office, changes can be made quickly and without council input, and the desire of AQAB to be kept apprised of the schedule. The group also acknowledged that, in addition to City of Fort Collins, Larimer County and the State of Colorado would also be making recommendations to abate West Nile Virus. The group also discussed looking at what other cities are doing, designating alternative plans and the fact that the City Manager's office is putting together an integrated pest management plan that looks back at what we have been doing as a starting point for 2008. Greg McMaster moved and Nancy York seconded a motion to approve the 2007 AQAB annual report as presented. Motion approved unanimously. Climate Task Force Report Eric Levine pointed out that the efforts of the Climate Task Force are the highest priority item on the AQAB's 2008 work plan. Lucinda Smith acknowledged the diligence of the Task Force, which has met many more times than originally projected to do this work. Lucinda stated her presentation at this meeting was made collaboratively with a subcommittee of the Climate Task Force to update the AQAB on the Task Force's thinking, views and progress to date. • Regarding the issue of global warming, Lucinda summarized some of the results of the Air Quality Survey taken by citizens of Fort Collins in 2007 regarding global warming. 0 85% believe global warming is real, and 74% believe it is caused by human -caused emissions. 0 79% believe governments should do more by empowering citizens and businesses to make choices to reduce global warming and 69% believe governments should enact legislation and regulations to reduce global warming. • Actions taken by the State of Colorado regarding global warming: o Governor Ritter released the Colorado Climate Action Plan in November 2007. • The plan calls for 20% greenhouse gas reduction below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80% greenhouse gas reduction below 2005 levels by 2050. o The State Climate Action Panel made 55 recommendations to reduce 40,000,000 metric tons of CO2 by 2020, with a net savings of $2.6 billion. o Fort Collins' consultants, the Brendle Group, reviewed the state's strategies, including adoption of the California Clean Car Standard and a low carbon fuel standard, identified which ones would reduce carbon emissions and determined an additive impact on Fort Collins of a reduction of 86,000 tons of CO2. Summary of Fort Collins' efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG): o The City Council established a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal in 1999 to reduce GHG emissions 30% below projected 2010 levels, by 2010. ■ Included Green Power Program, Demand Side Management Program, Climate Wise and recycling programs. o The city is doing well, but is not on track to meet the 2010 goal. Existing and expected actions between now and 2010 will help close the gap. o Many of the strategies have already been done o There will be costs as well as benefits associated with achieving significant emission reductions. o Momentum with other cities and at the state level can help. o Climate protection activities can support economic development plus there is a cost of inaction. ■ In March, 2007, the City Manager appointed the Climate Task Force to: o Solicit input from the public and boards o Develop an updated plan that describes the steps Fort Collins could take to meet the 2010 target. o Include measures in the updated plan to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport efficiency and waste reduction. o Base recommendations on the most useful and defensible resources, including any relevant information from the Colorado Climate Project. o Make recommendations on how the City should develop a future direction for climate protection after 2010. The Climate Task Force is made up of 12 members from: o Fort Collins Sustainability Group o Colorado State University o Poudre School District o Climate Wise Steering Committee o Platte River Power Authority o Larimer County o City of Fort Collins 0 5 Council advisory boards (Air Quality, Economic Advisory, electric, Natural Resources and Transportation) The Task Force's goal was to identify reduction strategies in order to achieve 1.1 million tons of CO2 avoided in 2010. o The Task Force felt it was more important to achieve sustainable reductions that would carry forward than to achieve the goal as soon as possible, even if it were after 2010. o The board discussed whether or not that strategy was good enough, to look harder at the transportation sector, to put the cost of the program in a local or regional context and to clarify the benefits in order to sell the program. Development of measures to help close the gap: o The Task Force began by looking at things that are currently existing and likely to continue on trajectory and then gathered new ideas from the public, boards, experts, etc. They filtered 200 strategies and selected measures for short-term benefit and that are within local control in order to meet 2010 goal. The good news — the strategies they are looking at should achieve 404,000 tons CO2 reduction in the year 2010. o Business and residential recycling o Climate Wise o Renewable energy programs o Electric energy conservation programs o Landfill methane capture o Carbon sequestration by trees in FC o Electric distribution system improvements 0 2004 residential energy code o E-waste ban o HB1037 Natural gas conservation programs o Methane flaring and heat recovery at WWI o FortZED jumpstart Regarding the cost effectiveness and benefits of new strategies in solid waste reduction/recycling, multi -media, energy and transportation, the current average annual cost effectiveness is estimated to be $20/ton = $20 million/yr, however, funding was not identified by the Brendle Group's analysis. Strategies currently under discussion: o How to meet the city's 50% waste diversion goal. o Enhanced Climate wise program. o Local carbon offset program as possible revenue stream. o Government leading by example reducing 20% by 2010. o Community -wide climate challenge with every household having 2 CFLs, either by choice or through utilities. o Energy use: • Provide incentives for individual renewable energy projects such as PV, solar/thermal and ground source heat pumps. • Increase city's energy goal to 15% renewable energy by 2010. El • Tiered residential electric rates. • Residential smart metering. • Time of sale home energy conservation ordinance. • Low cost home energy assessments. • Natural gas energy conservation programs. • Enhanced energy efficiency and consumption reduction. o Transportation measures under consideration, but not discussed in detail yet: • Walking and cycling programs. • Reinstate TDM-type program. • Financial incentives for LEV purchases. • Transit service innovations and improvements. • Modern roundabouts for new or redeveloped intersections. • School transport management programs. • Parking incentives for LEV. o The Task Force's evaluated conservative and aggressive measures and felt an aggressive approach may be best way to reach 2010 goal. Climate Task Force 2008 schedule: o Get input from Boards and city staff in December/January o January 31 — Strategic Issues Team (SIT) review of the plan o February 26 - Task Force to take input, rework the plan and submit to Council work session. o February 27 — Public open house and presentation of Federal actions that address climate change. o March — Task Force considers feedback from Council and public open house. o April — Board review o May 6 — Council action Lucinda asked the group to let her know their thoughts on how to best present this program to the Council and to the general public. The AQAB board discussed possible ways to reduce CO2: • Suggested the City of Fort Collins transition to a cleaner fleet and build it into the Climate Wise program. Lucinda explained the city's internal Energy Management Team is also talking about a greenhouse goal for the city that includes the fleet, however, the turnover is slow and more can be done. • Suggested the city give away one compact fluorescent bulb per household every year to change public attitude and create new habits. • Recommended more aggressive regulations with consequences for violations. • Lucinda explained regulations to meet 50% waste diversion goal were being considered such as amending residential Pay -As -You -Throw rate structure to enhance recycling, extending it to commercial customers and banning yard waste from curbside trash pick UP. • Lucinda also reported there are considerations in place for incentives for individual renewable energy projects. This could potentially be funded by a rate increase/tiered rates on utility bill, which would also encourage saving. Encouraging low energy vehicles, however, would require regulation changes. A gas tax would have to come from the state, not the city. • The group discussed the possibility of a trash utility, a voter -approved carbon tax, upgrading building codes to promote energy efficiency and providing incentives to contractors for building deconstruction (as opposed to construction and demolition debris recycling incentives). • Eric Levine pointed out the Task Force was interested in continued effectiveness and recommended there be a mix of measures to keep the public's interest and participation over the long term. The Task Force also felt that purchasing RECs would be necessary as a start but the shift should be made as soon as possible to purchasing delivered renewable energy. • Dave Dietrich suggested curbside recycling become mandatory and that commercial trash customers also have a level of mandatory recycling so that people don't dump their home trash at work. In addition, he felt the city should be more aggressive regarding commercial energy use such as excessive interior and exterior lighting. • Eric Levine explained the Task Force is already looking at more aggressive measures, but they cannot have contingency plans if even the aggressive measures won't meet the goals. • The group then discussed the reality that future demand for energy will increase and the goal should be set beyond the current 1.1 million ton marker. Also, the plan should not be labeled "aggressive" or "conservative", but should be named "the" plan with aspects that will require more or less oversight. They should also clearly outline the cost and benefits and provide education to the public about how to achieve the measures. • Jeff Engell suggested partnering with others such as private/government entities that could offset some of the costs and to allow the Task Force to make them more aggressive because they could be funded and administered by a financial institution. Perhaps by involving the private sector there would be more awareness. • The group then discussed possible wording to present the problem/costs/benefits in plain language, the necessity of an appropriate long-term marketing plan with regular reviews of the plan and possible engagement of students to market the plan. The goal being how to get buy -in from the public because they are interested in the "sustainabiliw' of the climate we're living in and pride in what they do because it will benefit the community. • The group was also concerned this plan could not go forward unless a funding source was identified and discussed generating resources through national carbon offsetting groups. • Lucinda Smith explained the Governor's Energy Office is planning to set up carbon - offset program that could would work behind the scenes to offer communities a local carbon offset program. The GEO program would do financial and quality checking of the offset projects, which would save the communities from reinventing the wheel. • Eric Levine pointed out that the Climate Task Force had not been charged to identify funding and write the budget. Council members wanted the plan first. It was his hope that, when all the measures are identified and the Brendle Group estimates the costs, the City Budget Office would run the numbers for the City Council. • Eric Levine explained the Task Force was aware there should be recommendations after 2010, but, because of their workload to determine the short-term measures, they felt that M there should be a "Phase Ir, Plan initiated by a subsequent Task Force, which should be gathered as soon as Council adopts "Phase P'. Dale Adamy expressed his disappointment that Transfort busses run mostly empty and suggested that a size appropriate vehicle be substituted for the large bus during low ridership periods, in order to reduce emissions. The group discussed the fact that transportation contributes approximately 40% of the CO2 emissions and that public and private transportation should be more efficient by increasing ridership per vehicle. The AQAB would like to get periodic reports from the Transportation Department regarding the Transit Strategic Plan Update so the AQAB can give input. The group congratulated the Climate Task Force for all their hard work. Lucinda Smith reminded the Air Quality Advisory Board that, as individuals, they can always come to Climate Task Force meetings, give input on the website and can weigh in all along the process as it goes to Council. Nancy York moved and Dale Adamy seconded a motion to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 0:10 pm. Submitted by Alexis Hmielak Administrative Secretary I Approved by the Board on 200E Signed -, 1 �Fl Date Ad mistrative Secretary I Extension: 6600